Sports
Rangers aim to close season with sweep of Angels
Aug 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images While the Texas Rangers are wrapping up their seventh losing season in eight years, they can take solace in small victories such as grinding out a comeback victory in the ninth inning and seeing a young player get the key hit.
Following one of their more dramatic wins of a challenging season, the Rangers will attempt to finish a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels when the American League West foes conclude the season Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
The Rangers (77-84) never got going this season, and although they are a respectable 21-16 in their past 37 games, this improved stretch is following a span of 16 losses in 21 games to essentially knock the defending World Series champions out of postseason contention.
One thing Texas has done well of late is beat the Angels. Texas has won eight of 12 meetings and 12 of the past 18. The Rangers secured a road-series win over the Angels on Saturday by storming back for a 9-8 victory with four runs in the ninth inning.
Nathaniel Lowe homered and hit an RBI double before capping an 11-pitch plate appearance with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. He scored the tie-breaking run on a throwing error by Los Angeles rookie right fielder Gustavo Campero on a two-run, game-tying single by pinch hitter Jonathan Ornelas.
“They’ve done a great job of continuing to play,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “We got down pretty good there, and they just kept fighting. It was a very entertaining game. It was sloppy on both sides at times.”
The Rangers lost Adolis Garcia to a sore knee, and the right fielder will miss Sunday’s game. Garcia hit .224 with 25 homers and 85 RBIs in 154 games.
The Angels (63-98) are skidding to the finish of the worst season in team history. After finishing with 73 wins in Shohei Ohtani’s final season with the team, Los Angeles has lost five games in a row, is 1-8 in its past nine contests, and is 12-34 since taking two of three from the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium last month.
Long before his costly throwing error, Campero hit a three-run homer for his first career home run in the third. Niko Kavadas also homered and Logan O’Hoppe had four hits on Saturday, but the Angels had just three of their 13 hits after the fourth inning.
“They’re feeling the heat,” manager Ron Washington said. “They’re feeling the pressure. You can see it. There’s really no reason to. I can say that, because I’m not between the lines. But those guys between the lines, you can see it.”
Nathan Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96 ERA) will start for Texas on Sunday, though it could be an abbreviated outing. The right-hander allowed four runs in seven innings during a no-decision at Oakland on Tuesday — the Rangers lost 5-4 — and he is 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA over his past three outings after winning three straight starts from Aug. 23-Sept. 4.
Eovaldi is 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against the Angels.
Rookie Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 4.01 ERA), who is 2-3 with a 2.63 ERA in his past eight starts, will start for the Angels. The right-hander produced his second career scoreless outing when he allowed three hits in seven innings and got 14 outs on the ground Tuesday in a no-decision, a 3-2 Angels loss to the host Chicago White Sox.
Kochanowicz’s only career start against Texas was Sept. 5, when he allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings of a 3-1 loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ty France hits 2 homers as Padres rally past D-backs in Mexico City
Apr 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) hits a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Ty France hit two bases-empty homers, Mason Miller recorded his major league-leading 10th save, and the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 in the Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City on Saturday.
Miller has not allowed a run in 14 1/3 innings this season, and he extended his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 34 2/3 innings.
France hit his second and third homers of the season and Gavin Sheets had a two-run single in a four-run seventh for the Padres, who overcame an early 4-0 deficit. They have won 13 of 15.
Alec Thomas homered in a four-run second, his second homer in three games, and Nolan Arenado and Jose Fernandez had two hits for the D-Backs, who are the designated home team in the two-game series. They have lost three of four.
Arizona infielder Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hitting streak to 19 games, the longest active streak in the majors and the second-longest since Pablo Sandoval’s 20-gamer in 2012. Vargas has a 22-game hitting streak dating to 2025.
Padres right-hander German Marquez (3-1) gave up four runs on six hits in six innings, with two strikeouts and one walk.
Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts walked around a single by Manny Machado to open the Padres’ seventh before Taylor Clarke entered to replace Brandon Pfaadt.
Sheets hit a two-run single and shortstop Gerardo Perdomo’s fielding error re-loaded the bases. Freddy Fermin and Ramon Laureano followed with sacrifice flies for a 5-4 lead. Perdomo suffered a left ankle sprain on his error and left the game.
Pfaadt replaced Arizona starter Zac Gallen in the fourth inning. Gallen suffered a right shoulder contusion when was struck by a Fermin’s 92 mph line drive with one out in the third inning. Fermin reached on a single and Gallen got the final two outs of the inning before leaving.
Clarke (1-1) allowed all three inherited runners to score and they were charged to Pfaadt, who allowed four runs on two hits and three walks, while fanning five in three innings. The run charged to Clarke was unearned.
Vargas and Arenado singled with two outs in the second inning before Fernandez lined a double to left-center to drive in two. Thomas followed with his 400-foot homer to right, extending his hitting streak to six games.
France hit his first homer of the game in the fifth to put Arizona on the board.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jayson Tatum's improvement bodes well for Celtics in Game 4 vs. 76ers
Apr 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates his three point basket against the Philadelphia 76ers late in the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Jayson Tatum has only been back on the court for seven-plus weeks but the Boston Celtics star is making a stellar impact.
While putting last May’s devastating ruptured right Achilles tendon further in the rearview mirror, Tatum’s comeback story is reading superbly. He will look to help Boston take a 3-1 series lead when it visits the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night in Eastern Conference first-round play.
Tatum drained five 3-pointers and recorded 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds as the Celtics notched a 108-100 road win on Friday. It was his second 25-point outing of the series.
Tatum didn’t make his season debut until March 6 but quickly displayed he would be an asset in the playoffs.
He finished the regular season with seven straight appearances of 23 or more points. He delivered one triple-double and four other double-doubles during the stretch to establish he would be a difference-maker in the postseason.
Also Friday, Tatum became the fourth player in Celtics history to top 3,000 career postseason points. Tatum (3,005) trails three legends — Kevin McHale (3,182), John Havlicek (3,776) and leader Larry Bird (3,897).
“I can’t stress it enough that the fact that I get to put my uniform on and run out with the team, it’s a win for me,” Tatum said. “Obviously, I’m not 100% yet and will not be, but expectations of what people want me to do is the last thing that has crossed my mind.
“The amount of joy I have been able to find just being back out there and being out there with my teammates is all I could think about.”
Co-star Jaylen Brown, who carried the team while Tatum was sidelined, is impressed with Tatum’s progress.
“He’s been incrementally getting better and stronger and getting more physical,” said Brown, who also scored 25 points in Game 3. “You can see he’s getting downhill at a higher level than he did when he started. But we do it as a team. We win as a team and lose as a team. So in those moments, I got nothing but trust for Jayson Tatum.”
Sunday’s contest is a big one for the 76ers as a split through four games would be significantly better than facing a possible Game 5 elimination game in Boston.
What would really help is if star center Joel Embiid is available, but the team listed the former MVP as doubtful on their Saturday injury report.
Embiid underwent an appendectomy on April 9. He was also listed as doubtful for Friday’s game before being ruled out.
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said that Embiid did on-court work Saturday and will be evaluated after Sunday’s shootaround.
Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (right adductor) is questionable.
Philadelphia star guard Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points in the Game 3 setback and made five 3-pointers for the second straight game. He felt the game got away from his squad.
“We always focus on what you could do better,” Maxey said. “… Got to get one (Sunday), got to protect home court and even the series.”
Maxey is averaging 27.0 points and 7.7 assists in the series.
The 76ers allowed more 3-pointers (20) than 2-point baskets (16) in Game 3, and Nurse said his team needs to make things tougher for Boston from outside the arc.
“They had five made off offensive rebounds and that’s not good, right?” Nurse said. “They made a lot of tough ones. … We’re going to have to be a lot better. It has to start with pressure.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Donte DiVincenzo (leg) ruled out for T-Wolves after non-contact injury
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) celebrates after a three-pointer during the second half against the Denver Nuggets in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo was ruled out after injuring his lower right leg in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
DiVincenzo sustained the injury on a non-contact play. He planted his foot to go toward a loose ball, and he quickly went down as he grabbed toward the back of his right leg.
The team ruled out DiVincenzo before the end of the first quarter.
DiVincenzo averaged 12.2 points per game and shot 37.9% from 3-point range during the regular season. He averaged 14.3 points in the first three games of the playoff series against the Nuggets.
-Field Level Media
Ty France hits 2 homers as Padres rally past D-backs in Mexico City
Jayson Tatum's improvement bodes well for Celtics in Game 4 vs. 76ers
