Sports
Spring training roundup: Red Sox build big lead, hold off Rays
Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) hits a double in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Boston pitching dominated early and the Red Sox held on for a 7-5 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Bays on Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Rays trailed 7-0 in the fourth inning but brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth follow an RBI triple by Marshall Toole.
Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet started the game and pitched two scoreless innings before Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the third and right-hander Greg Weissert sailed through the fourth to get the win.
Boston scored all seven runs in the fourth but no earned runs were charged to T.J. Nichols before he exited after getting only two outs. The Red Sox rally began with third baseman Andruw Monasterio reaching on second baseman Ben Williamson’s error, which allowed Caleb Durbin to score and Kristian Campbell to advance to second.
Red Sox right-hander Devin Sweet secured the save, allowing two hits, a run and striking out two in the ninth.
Toole had a pair of hits for the Rays. Shortstop Trevor Story drove in two runs for the Red Sox in a seven-run fourth inning.
Orioles 6, Tigers 5
Jordan Sanchez laced a single up the middle past a drawn-in infield to plate the winning run in walk-off fashion against lefty Carlos Pena at Sarasota, Fla., to keep the Tigers winless in seven games this spring.
Sanchez, 20, entered the game in the No. 9 spot in Baltimore’s order, replacing second baseman Jeremiah Jackson, who had two hits, as did first baseman Pete Alonso. Tyler O’Neill was 3-for-3 with a home run in the first inning to boost his batting average to .778.
The Tigers powered up after falling behind 5-2. Eduardo Valenica golfed a two-run homer to left in the sixth and Carson Rucker’s solo homer in the seventh — both off of Baltimore’s Trey Gibson — tied it at 5.
Baltimore had 15 hits and stranded seven of the Tigers’ nine runners who reached scoring position.
Sanchez scored Aron Estrada in the ninth when he caught up with a Pena fastball and knifed the game-winner past a diving Jack Penney at short.
Detroit’s winless record includes two ties.
Mets 5, Astros 0
Nolan McLean pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts and the Mets used home runs by Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien to cruise past punchless Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Right-hander Robert Stock relieved McLean in the fifth and fanned six batters in three innings.
The Astros were held to two hits, struck out 15 times in 28 at-bats and only one of the team’s non-starters — outfielder Anthony Huezo walked — reached base.
Taylor roped a two-run shot to center in the second and Semien, who was 2-for-3, followed with his first homer in a Mets uniform to left-center off of Bryan King. King replaced lefty Steven Okert, who took the loss allowing three runs and a walk in one inning.
Yankees 7, Braves 3
Left-handed slugger Spencer Jones blasted a solo home run out of George Steinbrenner Field and the Yankees powered their way past the Braves in Tampa, Fla.
The Yankees jumped in front 5-0 in the bottom of the first inning and five of their eight hits were for extra bases.
New York’s homers came from Jones, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm, who began the barrage of Braves veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco with a two-run blast in the first inning. Jones cleared the bleachers and went windshield shopping in the parking lot outside the park in right-center field.
Ben Gamel homered for the second time this spring for Atlanta, and center fielder Jose Azocar had two hits. Carrasco allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Elmer Rodriguez was the winning pitcher for the Yankees with four strikeouts and two runs allowed in three innings.
Phillies 7, Nationals 3
Bryce Harper drove in two and scored a run, leading the Phillies past the Nationals in Clearwater, Fla.
Philadelphia busted it open with a four-run third, breaking a 1-1 tie with a home run from designated hitter Kehden Hettiger to left center. Bryson Stott, who homered in the first, reached in front of Harper and scored on a double to the right field corner. Harper came around on a single by catcher Garrett Stubbs.
Washington right-hander Gus Varland allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning but was relieved before finishing the third inning.
Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro yanked a two-run home run inside the left field foul pole to cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Harper made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, knocking in Hettiger.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Ryan Yarbrough joins U.S. roster for WBC
Jun 18, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough (33) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was added to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic on Sunday.
The 34-year-old reliever replaces Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan, who is dealing with low back tightness. Ryan moves into the designated pitcher pool, meaning he is eligible for a call-up after each round of the WBC.
Yarbrough went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 19 games (eight starts) during his first season with the Yankees in 2025, striking out 55 batters and walking 19 in 64 innings.
Ryan Yarbrough has been added to our roster for the World Baseball Classic!#ForGlory???? pic.twitter.com/RrtKJQ20gz
— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 1, 2026
Team USA will play its first game of the 2026 WBC on Friday night, meeting Brazil in a Pool B contest in Houston.
Yarbrough has a career record of 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA and four saves in 215 games (76 starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2018-22), Kansas City Royals (2023), Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto Blue Jays (2024) and Yankees. The side-arming southpaw signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal in November to return to New York in 2026.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ex-pitcher Dan Serafini gets life sentence for '21 murder
Dan Serafini (file photo) pitched in MLB with seven teams. He was convited of first-degree murder. Former major league pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday for the 2021 shootings of his in-laws in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of the first-degree murder of father-in-law Gary Spohr and the attempted first-degree murder of mother-in-law Wendy Wood during a burglary. Spohr, 70, died from a single gunshot and Wood, then 68, survived but died by suicide the following year.
In the courtroom on Friday in Auburn, Calif., Placer County prosecutor Morgan Gire described Spohr and Wood as loving grandparents.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini, who pitched for six MLB teams from 1996 to 2007, addressed the court and maintained his innocence. He said he was out partying with his wife, Erin Spohr, at the time of the shooting and referred to himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes,” according to MyNews4.
The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007.
He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
–Field Level Media
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
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