Sports
Baltimore Orioles Show Signs of Life After Shaky Start
In the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, the Baltimore Orioles ran themselves out of at least one scoring opportunity, hit into two double plays, and had an outfielder throw to the wrong base for a third time already this season.
Such ragged play has made for an underwhelming early impression in the 2025 season, especially for a team favored in some places to win the AL East and expected by most to contend for a playoff spot. Before his team took the field Saturday afternoon, manager Brandon Hyde seemed confident that Baltimore’s play would improve, but he also conceded there’s a lot that needs work.
“We could play a lot better than we’re playing,” Hyde said. “We’ve had a few games where we swung the bat really well. I think our bullpen, for the most part, has pitched well. We just haven’t put — we haven’t put a couple games in a row together.”
His players took a step in that direction with an 8-1 thumping of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, breaking a three-game losing streak and bringing the Orioles’ record to 4-5 overall.
Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, a key free agent from Japan making his second major league start, pitched effectively into the sixth inning and picked up his first victory. Hyde said he appreciated Sugano getting 19 outs on 89 pitches — a longer effort than his first outing — which the Orioles needed to rest some relief pitchers.
Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sánchez and Jackson Holliday drove in two runs apiece, the bullpen allowed zero hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings, and Baltimore made no significant mistakes on defense. It might have been the Orioles’ most complete game so far, with Gunnar Henderson’s 0-for-5 with four strikeouts being an exception.
Hyde said Sugano “looked way more comfortable” than in his first start a week ago Sunday at the Toronto Blue Jays, which was shortened because of cramps in both hands.
“He had really good command like he had in spring training,” Hyde said of Sugano, who allowed a solo home run to Bobby Witt Jr. with a six-run lead in the sixth for Kansas City’s lone run.
The Orioles came in 10th in runs scored per game, though Hyde said his offense had yet to find consistency in a full series. Hyde complimented his hitters for coming up big in moments against right-hander Michael Wacha and said a strong wind from center prevented multiple fly balls from going over the fence.
“I think we’re going to swing the bat this year,” Hyde said. “We’re dangerous up and down the order.”
The Orioles picked up the pace in other aspects. Hyde didn’t have any baserunning misadventures to lament or rationalize, and nobody threw to the wrong base — as happened Friday, when O’Neill gathered a two-out bloop single to right and mistakenly fired the ball to second base as Witt raced for home, scoring all the way from first. The result was a rare three-run single for Vinnie Pasquantino, who has been slowed by a strained hamstring.
“We’ve had a similar situation to that three times now,” Hyde said. “Tyler understands: That ball needs to go to the plate. He’s played well, just a couple of mistakes.”
Hyde praised O’Neill for working on scenarios like that during pregame drills Saturday.
“We’ve got to play better defensively for us to compete,” Hyde said.
The Orioles didn’t put themselves in a huge hole like the Atlanta Braves did at 0-7 and 1-8. Baltimore also hasn’t had its full lineup available yet, with Henderson only rejoining the squad in Kansas City after a muscle strain near his rib cage knocked him out toward the end of spring training. They also lost outfielder Colton Cowser four games into the season when a pitch fractured his thumb. The starting rotation hasn’t been at full strength either, notably with right-hander Grayson Rodríguez suffering elbow inflammation in late March.
Orioles players likely heard concerns about the club’s direction coming into the season. Baltimore won 91 games a year ago, falling to the Royals in the AL Wild Card Series. Two years ago, it won 101 games and took first in the AL East. Coming into 2025, the front office took some criticism for letting go ace right-hander Corbin Burnes, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency, without replacing him with a commensurate talent at the top of the rotation. They also let outfielder Anthony Santander walk in free agency to the Blue Jays — though, as Hyde has said, they seem to be deep on offense.
Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin, their best pitcher, acknowledged that storylines like these exist, but he hasn’t drawn any conclusions based on fewer than 10 games.
“It’s so early,” Eflin said. “I don’t really have an answer for you. It’s only — what — eight games in? It’s a long season, 162 games. It’s a little early to speculate or give an opinion based on how we’re playing currently.
“Team morale is great. We all have a bunch of energy that we’re showing every single day. We’re expecting to win, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Sports
Jalen Brunson's 45 points carry Knicks past Spurs for 1st NBA title since 1973
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket past San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Pool Photo via Imagn Images SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson set a franchise NBA Finals record with 45 points and nearly single-handedly ended the 53-year NBA title drought as the New York Knicks recorded a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.
Brunson scored 29 points in the second half of Game 5 as New York overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit to win its first NBA championship since 1973. The Knicks won four of the five games in the best-of-seven series.
The Knicks also trailed by 16 points in the second quarter, one game after they rallied from 29 down to beat the Spurs in Game 4 on Wednesday in New York.
Brunson made four 3-pointers while posting his fourth outing of 30 or more points in the series en route to being selecting the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Brunson broke the team record of 38 points set by Hall of Famer Willis Reed in Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mikal Bridges scored 14 points and Josh Hart registered 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Karl-Anthony Towns collected 10 rebounds before fouling out. Mitchell Robinson also grabbed 10 boards.
Dylan Harper scored 25 points and Victor Wembanyama added 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots for San Antonio. Julian Champagnie had 14 points and Devin Vassell added 12.
New York trailed by 10 with under eight minutes to play before Brunson took over with 10 straight points to tie the score at 83 with 4:48 left. Brunson shredded the San Antonio defense by driving for three layups during the spurt.
Vassell knocked down a 17-foot jumper to put San Antonio back ahead at 85-83 with 4:14 left. Brunson then was fouled shooting a 3-pointer 34 seconds later and made all three free throws to give the Knicks a one-point edge.
A short time later, Harper’s basket tied the score at 88 with 1:16 left. But Brunson once again navigated through the defense and made a floater with 1:05 left.
Hart and Anunoby each split two free throws as New York led by four with 21.6 seconds remaining.
Wembanyana missed a 3-pointer on San Antonio’s next possession, but Stephon Castle’s putback dunk brought the Spurs within 92-90 with 16.3 seconds left.
Bridges split two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to give New York a three-point lead before Harper missed two free throws with 8.5 seconds to go.
Anunoby split two free throws with 7.7 seconds left to close it out.
The Knicks made just 35.6% of their shots (31 of 87), including 12 of 37 from 3-point range.
San Antonio connected on 38.4% of its attempts (33 of 86) and also was 12 of 37 from behind the arc.
Vassell and Harper connected on back-to-back 3-pointers and Harper followed with three more points during a 9-0 run to give San Antonio a 68-53 lead with 3:11 left in the third quarter.
A short time later, Hart buried a 3-pointer and Brunson knocked down three free throws after being fouled shooting a trey to start a quarter-ending 10-2 burst. Robinson’s late tip-in brought the Knicks within 72-65 entering the fourth quarter.
Both teams were shaky offensively during a first half that concluded with San Antonio holding a 42-37 lead at the break. New York trailed 31-15 with 8:29 remaining in the half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros rally with four homers to outlast Royals
Jun 13, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Brice Matthews (0) celebrates while running the bases against the Kansas City Royals after hitting a two run home run during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Christian Walker hit one of Houston’s four homers, reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed the tiebreaking run to score in the ninth and helped the visiting Astros to an 8-7 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
Trailing 7-5, Houston’s Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer in the eighth before the game endured a 91-minute rain delay. In the ninth, the Astros had runners on first and third with one out when Alex Lange (0-4) got Walker to bounce into a potential 6-4-3 double play, but second baseman Nick Loftin’s throw was wide of first, allowing a run to score.
The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. doubled, for his third hit, in the ninth, but was doubled off second on Isaac Collins’ liner to end the game.
Yordan Alvarez had three hits for Houston.
The Royals’ Noah Cameron did not allow a hit or walk through the first three innings, then yielded two-run homers to Walker and Brice Matthews, plus five other hits, over the next 1 1/3 before being pulled.
Houston starter Mike Burrows grinded before being lifted after allowing Salvador Perez’s single to open the sixth, and gave up seven hits, two walks and was charged with five runs — four earned.
Kansas City opened the scoring in the second on Michael Massey’s single to right field. In the third, Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single put Kansas City up 2-0. Witt, who reached on a soft single for his 800th career hit, then scored via a passed ball. Pasquantino later exited with a right hand/hamate injury.
In the Houston fourth, Alvarez recorded a one-out single and came home via Walker’s drive over the left-field fence. Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of that frame when Lane Thomas went deep into the left-field seats.
The Astros tied it in the fifth, when Jake Meyers reached on an infield single and Matthews homered. They took their first lead in the sixth when Meyers sent a pitch from John Schreiber into the left-center field seats.
However, Carter Jensen’s three-run double split the left-center field gap in the sixth to give Kansas City a 7-5 edge.
Bryan King (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win with a strikeout.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Joey Volchko's dominant complete game leads Georgia past Texas
Jun 13, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; Georgia Bulldogs starting pitcher Joey Volchko (37) celebrates after defeating the Texas Longhorns at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Georgia used a four-run first inning and a dominant complete game from Joey Volchko to coast to a 7-1 defeat of Texas in the College World Series opener for both teams on Saturday night in Omaha, Neb.
The Bulldogs (52-12) held the Longhorns (45-14) to just four hits, winning the opening game in their first CWS appearance since 2008. The No. 3 overall seed, Georgia is the highest seed to make it to Omaha after No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Georgia Tech lost in home regionals.
Georgia took a 2-0 lead three batters into the bottom of the first as Tre Phelps worked a leadoff walk and, one out later, Rylan Lujo hit his 14th homer of the season down the left field line. It was originally ruled a foul ball before Georgia challenged and the call was overturned.
The Bulldogs tacked on two more runs in the first on a pair of errors from Texas All-American catcher Carson Tinney.
That four-run advantage wound up being more than enough for Volchko (11-2), who allowed one unearned run over nine innings, striking out 15 and walking one.
Georgia tacked on three more unearned runs in the seventh off Texas ace Dylan Volantis (10-2), who allowed seven runs (two earned) on four hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine and walking one.
Lujo and Kenny Ishikawa each had two hits, while Phelps scored two runs for Georgia, which will face Oklahoma in a winner’s bracket game Monday evening for a spot in the semifinals.
Adrian Rodriguez and Ethan Mendoza each had two hits to account for all of Texas’ production. The Longhorns face Alabama, which lost 9-0 to the Sooners earlier in the day, in an elimination game Monday on the all-Southeastern Conference side of the bracket.
–Field Level Media
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