Sports
Diamondbacks will need big game from offense to stave off Braves
Apr 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (14) hits during the fourth inning of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images Putting runs on the scoreboard has not come easy for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who continue their four-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday in Phoenix.
Arizona has been held to two or fewer runs in five of its first eight games, including a 2-0 loss to the Braves on Friday.
“The main focus I have right now is how we can get this team going offensively,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “There’s some guys that have been very proven, there’s some guys that we’re waiting to get going. We feel like it’s a matter of time before that happens.”
The Diamondbacks were held to a pair of singles on Friday and lost when Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson hit back-to-back homers off Paul Sewald to break a scoreless tie in the ninth inning.
Olson collected his second homer in as many games, having hit one as the Braves routed Arizona 17-2 in the series opener on Thursday.
Albies had three hits on Friday to help Atlanta improve to 6-2.
“We’re just having fun and being together as a team,” Albies said.
Saturday’s pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers as Atlanta’s Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) faces Arizona’s Michael Soroka (1-0, 0.00).
Elder made an impressive season debut by tossing six scoreless frames with five strikeouts in a 4-0 win over the Athletics last Monday.
After struggling for much of last season, Elder ended on a high note while allowing three runs or fewer and pitching at least six innings in six of his final seven starts.
“He was really good over the last four or five weeks of last season, probably one of our best,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “Then he was throwing the ball well in spring training, and it has carried over.”
Nolan Arenado is 2-for-11 against Elder, who owns a 9.39 ERA in two career starts covering 7 2/3 innings versus Arizona.
The Diamondbacks will counter with Soroka, who impressed in his Arizona debut with 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings in a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers last Monday.
Soroka also recorded the fourth immaculate inning in franchise history when he struck out three batters in the fifth inning on three pitches each.
“It was pretty special,” Soroka said. “I think I’ve talked about not putting too much stock in results, but I think that’s one that’s worth celebrating.”
Soroka pitched four seasons with the Braves from 2018-23, going 17-8 with a 3.32 ERA. He made his lone start against Atlanta as a member of the Washington Nationals on May 13, 2025, allowing two runs over four innings.
Arizona will be without outfielder Jordan Lawlar for the next six to eight weeks after the 23-year-old broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch on Thursday.
Lawlar was off to a hot start at the plate, hitting .333 (6 for 18) with one double and one homer in six games.
“It’s frustrating,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “I’m sure he’s frustrated more than we are. He looked great. He was doing a really good job in the outfield and was having great at-bats. We’re going to miss him. But we’ll keep the train rolling until he comes back.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why LeBron James Is Unlikely To Pull off Another Upset Against Thunder
LeBron James has found a way to turn back the clock one more time, pulling off a massive upset for the Lakers in the first round over the Rockets. Not to take anything away from that achievement, but the Rockets looked like an exceedingly flawed team through most of the second half this year. Most importantly, when Kevin Durant was absent, their offense was exceedingly stagnant.
It doesn’t take a genius to see that life will be exceedingly harder for the Lakers against OKC. Luka Doncic is likely out for this series, and if not longer if Los Angeles were to advance, but they will be missing his offensive production far more severely in round two.
The Lakers have a 7% chance of advancing, according to prediction markets, and are +1400 to reach the Western Conference Finals. They are also 15.5-point underdogs in the series opener in Oklahoma City.
I gave the Lakers as an upset pick in round one, but I can’t see how they pull it off this time around. What are some things they could do in this series to continue their playoff success?
Los Angeles is one of the slower teams in the NBA, but they’ve become even slower in the playoffs. Across any sport, if teams can limit the number of possessions that occur in a game, the odds of them pulling off an upset increase drastically.
They were solid offensively when they settled into their half-court sets, but led all teams in turnovers per game in the first round. Oklahoma City was on the other end of the spectrum, but that will have to change for the Lakers against a far more cohesive Thunder core.
Austin Reaves was quiet in the two games he played in the first round and was only 2/12 from three. He has to play above his weight class and knock down threes at a rate that’s higher than his season average.
Furthermore, it sucks that we need to have this conversation in his age 41 season, but the Lakers are going to need to be carried by LeBron. He was great in round one, but he’s going to need to turn the clocks back even further this time around. That’s seriously the only way I think the Lakers pull this off. I would be an idiot to fully write off LeBron after everything he’s done in 23 seasons, but even a vintage King James appearance might not be enough to beat a Thunder team that’s one of the best we’ve ever seen.
OKC is +115 to sweep, and that’s probably the only thing I’d bet in this series. LeBron’s done crazy things in his career, but this would be bigger than anything we’ve ever seen. Even with a healthy Luka Doncic, this would be a very tough draw for the Lakers.
Sports
Fresh off rally, Mariners chase series win vs. Braves
May 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodríguez (44) celebrates after a game against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Former Seattle Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer often said that solo homers won’t beat you.
Seattle’s Logan Gilbert proved that Monday night.
Gilbert allowed four solo shots, but the Mariners came away with a 5-4 victory against the visiting Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series.
“Four of them is not ideal, but I guess it held true tonight,” Gilbert said of the adage.
The interleague series will continue Tuesday night in Seattle.
Matt Olson hit his 300th career homer, and Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley also went deep for the Braves, giving them a 4-0 lead through 5 1/2 innings.
Atlanta rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, a native of nearby Bainbridge Island, Wash., held the Mariners scoreless until the sixth. He walked the first two batters before allowing a three-run homer to Luke Raley.
Raley, mired in a 1-for-24 slump, took the traditional walk the length of the dugout with the Mariners’ home-run trident, then sought hitting coach Edgar Martinez to give him a hug.
“He made some adjustments,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of Raley. “Because of how hard he works and how much he cares, it’s good to see.”
The Braves brought in reliever Tyler Kinley, who walked Mitch Garver and allowed a two-run shot to J.P. Crawford that put Seattle ahead.
“Ritchie threw the ball really well … he had a tough start to the sixth with a couple of walks. Kinley has been unbelievable for us; he’s done a heck of a job and Crawford got him there,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “We were trying to squeeze a few more outs out of Ritchie because we didn’t have enough available (arms) in the bullpen. We were really light, and that’s what happens.”
So to recap: Three walks and two homers beat four solo shots.
“These guys play with a lot of heart, and tonight was no exception,” Wilson said. “They fell behind and they came right back.”
The Mariners snapped a three-game skid and handed the Braves just their fourth loss in the past 19 games.
Atlanta catcher Sean Murphy made his season debut after recovering from hip surgery last September. The Braves designated Jonah Heim for assignment to clear a roster spot and traded Heim to the Athletics for cash on Monday night.
“It’s good to have Murph back; he’s been a big part of this the past few years,” Weiss said.
Tuesday’s game will feature a pair of right-handers in the Braves’ Bryce Elder (3-1, 1.88 ERA) against the Mariners’ George Kirby (4-2, 3.00).
Elder took his second straight no-decision Thursday against visiting Detroit despite allowing one earned run on six hits over six innings as the Braves lost 5-2. He is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one previous start against Seattle.
Kirby had a streak of three consecutive victories snapped when he took a no-decision Wednesday at Minnesota in a game the Mariners won 5-3 with three runs in the top of the ninth. He gave up two runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Kirby is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts vs. the Braves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Forecast of snow casts cloud over Mets-Rockies series in Denver
May 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies opened a three-game series in Denver on Monday, and it might be the only game the teams get in this week.
Freddy Peralta (1-3, 3.52 ERA) is scheduled to start for New York against fellow right-hander Michael Lorenzen (2-3, 6.09) on Tuesday night in a rematch from Colorado’s 4-3 road win on April 24.
The Mets overcame five no-hit innings from Tomoyuki Sugano to win the series opener 4-2 on Monday, getting four runs on three hits against him in the sixth inning.
However, Tuesday’s game is in jeopardy of postponement.
With inclement weather expected Monday night, the game was moved up by three hours to start at 3:40 local time. The rest of the series is in jeopardy, however. The area is under a winter storm warning from 8 p.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday. Up to eight inches of snow is expected, with more near the foothills.
The teams have battled each other and the Colorado weather several times. In 2013, when the Mets visited in mid-April, the Denver metro area got close to 10 inches of snow, postponing their game on April 15. The grounds crew, with the help of Rockies owner Dick Monfort and others from the front office, shoveled the field the next day so the teams could play a doubleheader.
Eight years later to the day, 6.9 inches of snow hit Denver, postponing the first game and forcing another doubleheader, and a snowstorm in late May 2022 led to another postponement.
The teams also had to play a doubleheader in New York last week after rain washed out the middle game of the series.
“I think it’s just Denver weather shows up,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Sorry they have to be here when that happens. We have to deal with it, too.”
Should Peralta take the mound Tuesday night, he will make his 10th appearance and ninth start against the Rockies. He is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA in his career against them after allowing two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in the April 24 game. Peralta was charged with the loss.
Lorenzen, who got the victory in that game with seven innings of one-run ball in New York, has faced the Mets 17 times in his career, and five of those were starts. He is 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA and two saves in those outings.
If Lorenzen gets to pitch, the first batter he’ll likely see is Juan Soto, who was moved to the leadoff spot for the series opener. The slugger, who went 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored Monday, is batting .301 with three home runs on his injury-impacted season. New York has struggled to put runners on the bases in front of him when he hits in the middle of the lineup.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said he wasn’t putting a timeline on how long he’ll keep Soto at the top of the order.
“I tried with Juan at No. 2 or 3, trying to create traffic in front of him” Mendoza said. “We were having a hard time doing that. So just decided to go the other way, just getting him as many at bats as possible, trying to get him on base and let the other guys drive him in.”
–Field Level Media
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Why LeBron James Is Unlikely To Pull off Another Upset Against Thunder
