Sports
Padres suddenly shaky at closer ahead of encounter vs. White Sox
Sep 20, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Robert Suarez (75) looks on after a two-run home run hit by Chicago White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt has defended closer Robert Suarez lately but the question must be asked: Does a likely playoff-bound team with World Series dreams have a serious question to answer about Suarez?
The Padres’ 3-2, 10-inning win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday went extra innings only because Suarez allowed his third critical homer in the last 15 days. Lenyn Sosa handed him his third blown save in that span with a two-strike, two-out homer in the ninth inning.
If there’s a save situation for San Diego when it tries for a series win Saturday night against visiting Chicago, will Suarez get the call? Manager Mike Shildt still seems to have confidence in his closer, who has 33 saves and six blown saves on the season.
“I will take him tomorrow in a one-run game, I will tell you that,” Shildt said Sunday after a 4-3, 10-inning win in San Francisco that saw Suarez surrender a game-tying homer to Heliot Ramos that sent the game to extras.
That worry aside, the Padres (88-66) made significant strides toward clinching a playoff spot. Their magic number is down to three entering Saturday night’s game after the Atlanta Braves’ 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins.
They own a two-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s first wild-card spot and remain four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West lead.
San Diego will send left-hander Martin Perez (4-5, 4.36 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. Perez received a no-decision on Sunday, allowing one run on two hits in five innings with a walk and two strikeouts. He’s 2-0 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts with the Padres, who are 7-1 in his games since he was acquired in a July trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Perez is 4-3 with a 5.50 ERA in nine career starts against the White Sox, who have touched him for 63 hits and 35 runs over 54 innings.
Meanwhile, Chicago (36-118) is just two losses away from tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in a year in MLB history. It appeared for a moment that it might delay the march to infamy after Sosa’s homer but it instead couldn’t cash in the automatic runner in the 10th, then lost two pitches into the bottom of the inning on a game-winning hit by Fernando Tatis Jr.
The White Sox turn to Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.09), who received a no-decision in their 7-6 win over Oakland last Saturday. Flexen tossed five scoreless innings, allowing six hits and two walks while struck out eight. He’s struggled in four previous outings against San Diego, going 1-2 with an 8.78 ERA and yielding 22 hits in 13 1/3 innings.
Flexen is hopeful he can duplicate the efficient, dominant performance of teammate Garrett Crochet. Pitching the first four innings Friday night, Crochet permitted just one hit and no walks, striking out eight in a performance interim manager Grady Sizemore praised.
“As good as he’s looked all year,” Sizemore said of Crochet. “They looked like they weren’t getting good swings on him at all. The ball was coming out. It was electric.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Minnesota United, FC Dallas put unbeaten streaks on line
Apr 18, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) scores a goal against the LA Galaxy during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images Two teams riding extended unbeaten strings meet Wednesday night when Minnesota United visit FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas.
Coming off a 2-0 win Saturday night over the Portland Timbers, Minnesota (4-2-2, 14 points) is 3-0-1 over its last four matches. Its three straight wins constitute its longest winning streak in nearly two calendar years.
Meanwhile, Dallas (3-1-4, 13 points) is 2-0-3 in its last five fixtures, including a 2-2 draw Saturday night with the Los Angeles Galaxy. It could have been a three-point result but Kaick’s goal in the 75th minute was flagged for an offsides violation.
Minnesota has hit its stride in part because of the recent form of midfielder Tomas Chancalay. The Argentinian has hit the scoresheet in three straight matches, scoring a goal and assisting on the other goal against Portland.
Chancalay has looked a lot like the guy who the New England Revolution spent $3.1 million for three years ago instead of the player they traded to Minnesota after last season for $100,000.
“I am really happy here,” Chancalay said of his new organization. “The team put their confidence in me here in Minnesota. I’m happy to stay here and I want to help the team.”
While Chancalay is playing well, no one in MLS these days is scoring like Dallas’ Petar Musa. His brace in the first half gave Dallas a 2-0 lead but its defense gassed it by conceding twice before halftime.
Musa leads the league with nine goals, two more than Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge. But Dallas’ inability to see a two-goal advantage through over the final 52 minutes was concerning to coach Eric Quill.
“Your mentality has to be disciplined, together and committed on every play,” Quill said. “It was little details that changed the game and we know those moments can’t happen. We need to improve our discipline because I think we’re going to have leads often.”
It marked the second time in this recent unbeaten stretch that Dallas has coughed up a two-goal advantage.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Frustrated San Diego FC vying for better result at Dynamo
Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC defender Luca Bombino (27) moves the ball during the first half against Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images San Diego FC hope to snap out of an extended funk when they travel east to square off against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday in a Western Conference match.
San Diego (3-3-2, 11 points) hasn’t tasted victory since a 1-0 win at Sporting Kansas City on March 7 and heads to the Bayou City with a five-game winless swoon. The team has dropped its past three matches and has been outscored 9-3 in those games.
The most recent of those setbacks was a 4-2 loss at Real Salt Lake on Saturday in which San Diego conceded two goals in the first six minutes and never recovered. Marcus Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer found the net for San Diego FC, with the latter a window dressing tally on a penalty kick in the 66th minute after the side trailed by three.
“It’s definitely frustrating because we expect a lot from ourselves,” San Diego defender Luca Bombino said. “Things haven’t necessarily gone our way, but we know that we have all the talent and the hard work within the squad to achieve the things we want to do.”
It’s been feast or famine for Houston (3-4-0, 9 points) this season. A 1-0 win at Orlando City on Saturday showed that things may be turning for the Dynamo after three straight losses in MLS play, which included a 6-2 shellacking on the road against Colorado on April 11.
Hector Herrera’s goal in the 75th minute, his first of the season, was the difference in the win over Orlando as the Dynamo captured both their first road win of the year and their first clean sheet of the season.
“I still think we can be clearer on how to build the game and have longer possessions and make better decisions and not have to defend as much as we’ve had to,” Houston coach Ben Olsen said. “Until we’re well-oiled and we know exactly who we are, we have to have character and personality and resiliency.”
San Diego has just four points from four road games this season, including one win. The Dynamo are 2-2-0 on their home pitch.
The sides played twice in 2025, with each winning on the road.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Victor Wembanyama (concussion) to miss rest of Spurs-Blazers Game 2
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama was forced from Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday with an apparent concussion after hitting his face on the floor early in the second quarter.
The Spurs later announced that Wembanyama had entered concussion protocol and would not return to the game.
Wembanyama hit his face on in the floor at near-full speed after being knocked off his feet during a drive to the basket at the 8:57 mark of the second period, with the contact leaving him dazed enough to struggle standing up before jogging off the floor to the locker room.
San Antonio trailed 34-32 at the time of Wembanyama’s exit and he had amassed five points, four rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in 11:41 of court time when he was injured. The game was tied 57-57 by halftime.
The Spurs have had plenty of success without their star this season. Wembanyama missed 18 games this season with various injuries, with San Antonio going 12-6 in those games.
–Field Level Media
Minnesota United, FC Dallas put unbeaten streaks on line
Frustrated San Diego FC vying for better result at Dynamo
