Sports
Giants seek fourth straight victory in matchup with Orioles
Mar 31, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) throws during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images After a bumpy start to the season, the San Francisco Giants finally appear to be on the right track.
The Giants, who managed to score just one run while losing their first three games en route to a 3-8 start, have bounced back to score 17 runs during their current three-game win streak. They’ll try to make it four in a row on Saturday at Baltimore with ace right-hander Logan Webb (1-1, 5.00 ERA) on the mound.
San Francisco clubbed 12 hits in a 6-3 victory in Friday’s series opener, including home runs by Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee. DH Casey Schmitt, who had just two extra-base hits in 25 at-bats coming into the contest, went 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and an RBI — the first Giant since Donovan Solano on July 30, 2020 to belt three doubles in a game.
“I think it can do a lot for us,” Schmitt said of his team’s winning streak. “This group, we’ve been really good about not putting too much pressure on ourselves and just going out and playing and getting things to fall in line. … We’re just playing baseball and having fun.”
The Giants got another strong start from Landen Roupp, who allowed one run on five hits over six innings while striking out four.
A key point in the game came in the bottom of the third inning. Adames had put the Giants ahead, 1-0, with a home run in the top half of the inning, but Gunnar Henderson walked and went to third on a double by Adley Rutschman in the bottom half. Roupp got out of the jam by striking out Baltimore’s marquee free agent signing, Pete Alonso, to end the threat.
San Francisco then came right back to increase its lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Schmitt led off with a double and scored on a single by Heliot Ramos, who later scored on a double by Adames.
Alonso, a five-time All-Star with the New York Mets who signed a five-year, $155 million free agent contract with the Orioles in December, is batting just .176 with one home run and three RBIs so far for his new team. He is just 2-for-28 (.071) with no homers, one RBI and 10 strikeouts over his last seven games.
“Yeah, it stinks, first couple of weeks, not performing up to my standards,” Alonso said. “You can work hard, you can try, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to win. And I expect more out of myself, and I know other people do as well. So it’s frustrating.
“I feel bad. A lot of people believe in me, and I believe in myself, but I’m not delivering results. I will. I just haven’t, but I will.”
Webb is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against Baltimore. This will be his second start at Camden Yards. He picked up a no decision in his first in 2024, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings while striking out eight.
Baltimore, which had a three-game win streak snapped with Friday’s loss, will counter with veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt (0-2, 14.21 ERA).
Bassitt is 4-2 with a 3.91 ERA in eight career starts against San Francisco. He has won his last three starts against the Giants, including a 4-0 win in his last start while with Toronto on July 18 last season when he struck out five over 6 1/3 shutout innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs blow past Timberwolves, even series in Game 2
May 6, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half during game two of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the host San Antonio Spurs dominated the final three quarters on the way to a 133-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, leveling the teams’ Western Conference semifinal series at one win apiece.
Second-seeded San Antonio has not lost back-to-back contests since Jan. 11 at Minnesota and Jan. 13 at Oklahoma City, a stretch of 49 games.
San Antonio swamped the sixth-seeded Timberwolves in the second quarter, turning a seven-point lead after the opening period into a 24-point advantage at halftime. The Spurs expanded the margin to 98-63 after three periods as Julian Champagnie poured in all 12 of his points on the night via four 3-pointers in the frame.
From there, San Antonio cruised to the finish, building its lead to as many as 47 points.
Stephon Castle’s 21 points led the Spurs, with De’Aaron Fox scoring 16, Harrison Barnes tallying 12, Dylan Harper adding 11, Devin Vassell hitting for 10 points and Keldon Johnson pulling down 10 rebounds. Wembanyama canned two 3-pointers but is just 2 of 15 from behind the arc for the series.
Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 12 points each to lead the Timberwolves. Naz Reid added 11 points, and Rudy Gobert snagged 10 rebounds.
Games 3 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in Minneapolis.
San Antonio led 24-17 after 12 minutes of play.
The Spurs used a grab-it-and-go attack in the second quarter to run away from the Timberwolves. San Antonio forced the pace even after made baskets and went to the hole at every opportunity, scoring eight fastbreak points and amassing 18 points in the paint in the second period alone to take a 59-35 lead into the break. The Timberwolves logged their lowest scoring output for a first half in any game this season.
Wembanyama and Fox each had 14 points before halftime, in the process exceeded their combined total points in San Antonio’s Game 1 loss by seven. Castle added 12 points for the Spurs, who outshot Minnesota 45.7% to 29.8% in the first half despite missing 15 shots in the paint.
Randle and Edwards led the Timberwolves with eight points apiece in the first half but shot a combined 6 of 17 from the floor.
On the night overall, the Spurs made 50% of their field-goal attempts and the Timberwolves hit 39.8%.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: NCAA finalizing expansion to 76-team tournaments
The NCAA could formalize expansion of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to a 76-team format as soon as Thursday, ESPN reported on Wednesday night.
The tournament fields will expand from 68 teams beginning in 2027, with NCAA calls scheduled for Thursday as the final steps in the process, ESPN reported.
The NCAA denied any final decision had been made following multiple reports in late April that plans for expansion are expected to be approved by NCAA committees and formalized as soon as this month.
“Expanding the basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees, including the men’s and women’s basketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” the NCAA’s April 28 statement read.
The format change requires approval from the men’s basketball committees, the men’s and women’s basketball oversight committees, the Division I cabinet and the Division I Board of Governors.
ESPN reported on Wednesday that after expansion talks for more than a year, and contracts with the men’s tournament media partners near completion in late April, the final steps are expected to be smooth.
Multiple outlets reported last month that the NCAA plans for 52 teams to slot into the main bracket and the other 24 teams will face off in 12 games on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday, filling out the Round of 64 with the winners. It will no longer be called the “First Four,” with the terminology expected to be “opening round” for the play-ins and “first round” for the Round of 64.
The 12 games are expected to be in Dayton, Ohio, current site of the First Four, and a second site to be determined.
It would mark the first expansion of the tournament since the field moved from 65 to 68 teams with the addition of the First Four games in 2011. The field had previously been 64 or 65 teams since 1985.
The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference were the leading voices behind tournament expansion, Yahoo Sports reported in April. NCAA president Charlie Baker has also voiced his support.
“I said all along that I think there are some very good reasons to expand the tournament,” Baker told ESPN in February. “So, I would like to see it expand.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lukas Dostal, Ducks shut down Knights, head home with series 1-1
May 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79) makes a save as Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Poehling (25) looks for a rebound behind defenseman Noah Hanifin (15) during the second period of game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Lukas Dostal made 22 saves while leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in Las Vegas, evening their best-of-seven Western Conference second-round playoff series at one win each.
Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson and Jansen Harkins scored for the Ducks.
The series now shifts to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Mark Stone scored a late power-play goal and Carter Hart finished with 25 saves for Vegas, which lost in regulation at home to the Ducks for only the fourth time (16-4-1) in franchise history.
Vegas killed off eight minutes of penalties in the first half of a scoreless opening period, including 1:37 of a 5-on-3 after Jack Eichel picked up a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Mikael Granlund.
The Ducks, who scored on eight of their 16 power-plays chances while defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six games in their first round matchup, have yet to score with the extra man in the series against the Golden Knights. Anaheim is now 0-for-9 on the power play.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period on Sennecke’s second goal of the playoffs. Jeffrey Viel picked up the primary assist, stealing the puck from Vegas defenseman Kaedan Korczak along the boards behind the net and then passing to Sennecke in the low slot. The Calder Trophy finalist for rookie of the year, who scored 23 goals in the regular-season, then chipped a shot past Hart’s glove side.
The Ducks extended the lead to 2-0 at the 6:36 mark of the third period on Carlsson’s fourth goal of the playoffs. Troy Terry set up the score with a crossing pass from the left circle to Carlsson alone on the backdoor by the right post. Carlsson then roofed a wrist shot past Hart’s glove side.
Vegas pulled Hart with four minutes remaining for an extra attacker and Harkins sealed the win with an empty-netter thirty seconds later, his first goal since New Year’s Eve against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Golden Knights spoiled Dostal’s shutout bid with just 5.6 seconds on to go when Stone redirected a Eichel shot from along the right boards for his third goal of the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Spurs blow past Timberwolves, even series in Game 2
Report: NCAA finalizing expansion to 76-team tournaments
