Sports
Minnesota United knock off Real Salt Lake in PKs, get past first round
Nov 2, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United forward Sang Bin Jeong (11) and Real Salt Lake midfielder Matt Crooks (25) battle for control of the ball during the second half in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Dayne St. Clair made two saves during a shootout that Minnesota United won 3-1, and the Loons advanced to their first Western Conference semifinal since 2020 following a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Sixth-seeded Minnesota swept the first-round series against third-seeded Salt Lake despite playing to draws in both matches of the three-game set.
The Loons will visit the second-seeded LA Galaxy in a one-game semifinal.
Minnesota’s Joseph Rosales and Salt Lake’s Emeka Eneli scored second-half goals, and RSL also had two apparent second-half tallies correctly disallowed for offsides.
Then in penalties, St. Clair dove to his right to deny Diogo Goncalves on RSL’s second kick of the shootout, then lunged to his left to push Diego Luna’s try onto the goalpost on Salt Lake’s fourth attempt.
Sang Bin Jeong then coolly converted his PK to seal Minnesota’s win.
After Minnesota United dominated the first half without breaking through, Brayan Vera thought he had given Salt Lake a shock lead in the 47th minute when his half volley from beyond the penalty area beat St. Clair to the bottom right corner.
But the referee was summoned to the video monitor, and after reviewing a replay, judged that Matt Crooks had been in an offside position and obstructing St. Clair’s view.
Six minutes later, the Loons got their goal on a wonderful sequence that began from a throw-in at midfield.
Robin Lod ran onto a clever flick-on to break down the right side, withstood a physical challenge from a defender to keep his balance and found Kelvin Yeboah near the penalty arc.
Yeboah kept the ball moving to the opposite flank, finding the overlapping run of Rosales, who struck a first-time, left-footed shot past Zac MacMath.
It was a similarly crisp sequence that pulled Real Salt Lake level in the 75th minute.
Eneli pushed the ball toward the edge of the box for Crooks, who eventually put the ball into Eneli’s vertical run.
Eneli got a fortunate bounce off his leg to beat the challenge of a Minnesota defender, then drove a low finish through St. Clair from close range.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
Apr 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates with catcher Danny Jansen (9) after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Kumar Rocker allowed one run on four hits over a season-high six innings and the Texas Rangers began a nine-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Rocker (1-1) walked one and struck out five for Texas, which returned home after playing 16 of its first 22 games on the road. Cole Winn, Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who have lost three of their last five.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz singled, stole second, moved to third on an error, and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single up the middle.
Texas moved ahead with two runs in the second against Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1), who had not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings.
Joc Pederson singled to begin the inning, went to third on Josh Jung’s double to center, and scored on Evan Carter’s single. After Danny Jansen struck out, Jung scored from third on Josh Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Pirates put two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but Rocker escaped unscathed when Carter reached over the center-field wall to rob Cruz of a three-run homer.
Texas tacked on three runs and knocked Mlodzinski out of the game in the fifth. Smith hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Brandon Nimmo’s fly out, and scored on Ezequiel Duran’s double.
Wilber Dotel replaced Mlodzinski after Corey Seager delivered an RBI single to center. Jake Burger greeted Dotel with a single and Joc Pederson walked to load the bases before Seager scored on Jung’s force out.
Mlodzinski allowed five runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings while throwing a season-high 93 pitches. He walked two and struck out six.
Mangum singled with one out in the seventh and was stranded after Konnor Griffin flied out and Henry Davis fanned on three pitches.
Texas left fielder Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right forearm tightness and was replaced by Duran.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals take advantage of Orioles' wild pitches, snap 8-game skid
Apr 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) slides into home to score a run against Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Maikel Garcia scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals snapped their eight-game losing streak with 6-5 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Ryan Helsey (0-2) walked Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. to open the ninth of the 5-5 contest. The runners reached second and third on a wild pitch, and Garcia darted home to score the winner on another wild one pitch from Helsey — his second of the inning and Baltimore’s fourth of the game — that bounced onto the infield grass.
Kyle Isbel had three hits and Michael Massey clubbed a tying solo homer in the eighth for the Royals, who overcame an early 3-0 hole for their first win since April 11.
Lucas Erceg (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning as Kansas City evened the three-game set heading into the Wednesday afternoon finale.
Adley Rutschman came off the 10-day injured list to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the eighth for the Orioles, who have lost six of eight.
Kansas City’s Kris Bubic opened the second inning by allowing a single to Jeremiah Jackson and a walk to Weston Watson. With one out, Coby Mayo sent a drive well into the left field seats for a 3-0 Baltimore lead.
Those were only runs yielded by Bubic over 6 1/3 innings. He permitted five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of the second. Carter Jensen doubled, went to third on Shane Baz’s wild pitch and scored via a sacrifice fly by Massey.
The Royals tied the contest in the fifth. Isbel doubled and scored on a single by Garcia, who eventually came home courtesy of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly.
Kansas City took the lead in the seventh when Isbel doubled down the left line, went to third on another Baz wild pitch and scored on Witt’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Orioles regained the lead in the eighth. Rutschman, with a man aboard, barely cleared the left-center-field wall off Matt Strahm to make it 5-4 with his first homer of the season.
Massey’s towering homer leading off the bottom of the eighth was first hit allowed by Baltimore’s Rico Garcia in 12 appearances this year.
Baz yielded four runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He fanned four and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Scoot Henderson stars as Victor Wembanyama ails; Blazers tie Spurs 1-1
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (0) reacts after scoring a three point basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the teams’ first round Western Conference playoff series.
The Trail Blazers evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively, in Portland.
The contest and perhaps even the series changed complexions at the 8:57 mark of the second period with the Trail Blazers up 34-32. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama hit his face on the floor during a drive to the basket, leaving him dazed enough to struggle getting to his feet before jogging off the floor to the locker room. He was ruled out for the rest of the game with concussion protocol.
ESPN later reported that Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, leaving his status in question for Game 3. He is scheduled for further testing Wednesday.
The Spurs carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left.
Robert Williams III skied for a putback dunk that pushed Portland’s lead to 104-101 with 12 seconds remaining. Devin Vassell hit two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to draw to within a point before Toumani Camara answered with a pair from the charity stripe with 5.4 seconds to play.
Vassell had a chance to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer with 2 seconds left but the shot went in and out before falling to the floor, allowing the Trail Blazers to steal home court advantage in the series.
Holiday finished with 16 points for Portland, with Deni Avdija adding 14, Williams hitting for 11, Camara tallying 10 and Donovan Clingan taking 11 rebounds.
Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points. De’Aaron Fox had 17, Vassell added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet scored 10 each.
Castle’s eight straight points fueled a 13-2 run that netted the Spurs a 28-27 advantage at the end of the first period.
Portland took advantage of Wembanyama’s absence to build a 40-34 lead with 6:45 to play in the second quarter. The Spurs responded with another surge, scoring 13 of the ensuing 15 points to go up 47-42. A three-point play and then a pair of free throws by Avdija allowed the Trail Blazers to tie the score 57-all at the break.
Henderson led all scorers with 19 points before halftime with Avdija adding a dozen for Portland. Castle’s 12 points paced the Spurs in the first half.
–Field Level Media
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
Royals take advantage of Orioles' wild pitches, snap 8-game skid
