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MLB roundup: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles slug past Giants

MLB: San Francisco Giants at Baltimore OriolesApr 11, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates after hitting a home run during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Gunnar Henderson continued his homer barrage and Jeremiah Jackson also slugged a home run as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Saturday night to even their series.

Henderson has six home runs, including four in the last five games, to share the MLB lead with St. Louis outfielder Jordan Walker.

Colton Cowser had two hits and Coby Mayo drove in two runs. Grant Wolfram (1-0) was the winning pitcher with one inning of scoreless relief. He was the first of five relievers to follow starter Chris Bassitt.

Heliot Ramos, who knocked in two runs, and Jung Hoo Lee each had two hits for the Giants, whose three-game winning streak came to an end. They allowed just three runs during their streak. San Francisco ace Logan Webb (1-2) worked six innings and was charged with four runs on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

Mariners 8, Astros 7

J.P. Crawford’s walk-off single with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning capped Seattle’s’ rally from a five-run deficit to edge visiting Houston.

Julio Rodriguez doubled and homered, his first two extra-base hits of the season, and Cal Raleigh also went deep for the Mariners and drove in three runs. Seattle closer Andres Munoz (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory.

Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (0-2) struck out Luke Raley leading off the ninth, then walked the bases loaded. Crawford, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, lined a 0-2 fastball to left field to plate the decisive run.

Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 3

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper’s back-to-back home runs proved to be enough for host Philadelphia to snap a three-game losing streak with a defeat of Arizona.

Their third-inning homers helped get Taijuan Walker (1-2) his first win of the season. He settled in after a rough first frame, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. Jhoan Duran recorded his fifth save.

Adrian Del Castillo had three hits and Ketel Marte homered to lead off the game for the Diamondbacks. Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) gave up four runs (three earned) and five hits over six innings.

Nationals 3, Brewers 1

James Wood doubled in two runs and Foster Griffin and three relievers combined on a two-hitter as visiting Washington defeated Milwaukee, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.

Milwaukee managed just one hit until William Contreras opened the ninth with his second homer, but the hosts stranded the bases loaded.

The Nationals snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth off starter Kyle Harrison (1-1). Jacob Young singled leading off and took third on Nasim Nunez’s double. One out later, Wood drove in both runners with a line-drive double to left. Washington added a run in the ninth when Nunez walked with two outs and Keibert Ruiz followed with an RBI double into the right field corner. Griffin allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings.

Tigers 6, Marlins 1

Riley Greene homered, singled and drove in four runs as Detroit defeated visiting Miami for the second straight game.

Greene had an RBI single in the first inning and has reached base safely in all 15 games this season. Colt Keith added an RBI double for the Tigers, who have won two straight games after losing five in a row. Spencer Torkelson walked twice and had an RBI single in the eighth inning to extend Detroit’s lead to 6-1. Starter Casey Mize allowed one run on six hits.

Otto Lopez had two doubles to lead the Marlins, who fell to 1-4 on the road this season. Connor Norby doubled, and his sacrifice fly in the fourth that scored Liam Hicks accounted for Miami’s only run.

Pirates 4, Cubs 3 (11 innings)

Pitcher Caleb Thielbar’s throwing error with two outs in the 11th allowed Nick Gonzales to score the eventual winning run as Pittsburgh prevailed in Chicago.

Leadoff batter Oneil Cruz went 4-for-5 with three stolen bases and Nick Yorke added three hits for the Pirates, who won for the eighth time in 10 games and clinched their first series win over the Cubs since September 2024. Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft allowed just four hits and one run over five innings while fanning nine. Yohan Ramirez (2-0) did not allow a hit while working the 10th and 11th.

Alex Bregman and Moises Ballesteros poked two hits apiece for Chicago, which went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 16 on base. Starter Edward Cabrera gave up three runs and eight hits over five innings. Thielbar (1-2) struck out two and issued an intentional walk before throwing away Brandon Lowe’s tapper in front of the mound.

Rays 5, Yankees 4 (10 innings)

Jonathan Aranda chopped an infield single against a five-man infield with one out in the 10th inning and Tampa Bay outlasted New York for a win in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Rays scored twice off David Bednar (0-2) in the 10th without hitting a ball out of the infield. Chandler Simpson scored both the tying run in the eighth and the winning run, helping Tampa Bay rally from a trio of one-run deficits. Cole Sulser (1-0) got the win despite allowing the automatic runner to start in the top of the 10th.

Jose Caballero had two hits and three RBIs for the Yankees, who were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 to lose their fourth straight game. Max Fried tossed eight innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

Twins 7, Blue Jays 4

Trevor Larnach hit a three-run homer, Joe Ryan pitched seven effective innings and visiting Minnesota defeated Toronto.

Ryan (2-1) allowed two runs, two hits and one walk while striking out five. Brooks Lee added a solo home run and a single to help the Twins split the opening two games of the three-game series.

Daulton Varsho and Jesus Sanchez each hit two-run homers for the Blue Jays. George Springer suffered a left big toe fracture after fouling a ball off his foot in the third. Eric Lauer (1-2) gave up seven runs, five hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Royals 2, White Sox 0

Michael Wacha struck out seven over eight stellar innings and Maikel Garcia clubbed a leadoff home run, leading Kansas City to its second straight shutout victory by the same score against visiting Chicago.

Wacha (2-0), who turns 35 in July, allowed just four hits and a walk. He’s allowed one run and 10 hits over 21 innings (0.43 ERA) in his first three starts. Lucas Erceg recorded his fifth save.

The White Sox got doubles from Andrew Benintendi and Lenyn Sosa but no baserunner past second base. Starter Erick Fedde (0-3) settled in after giving up a homer on his first pitch, allowing one run on three hits over five innings.

Athletics 11, Mets 6

Tyler Soderstrom and Carlos Cortes each homered during a five-run third inning for the surging Athletics, who held off a rally by host New York.

Soderstrom, who hit a two-run homer in the third, added a three-run round-tripper in the eighth for the Athletics, who have won four in a row and five of six following a 2-6 start. Cortes delivered a three-run shot in third against Kodai Senga (0-2). Shea Langeliers had a run-scoring single immediately before Soderstrom’s eighth-inning homer.

Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer while Francisco Alvarez and Jorge Polanco had solo shots for the Mets, who have dropped four in a row after a four-game winning streak. Bichette reached base four times via two hits and two walks and collected three RBIs. Senga allowed a career-high seven runs on eight hits and two walks over 2 1/3 innings.

Guardians 6, Braves 0

Parker Messick continued the impressive start to his career by tossing 6 2/3 strong innings, earning the win as Cleveland beat host Atlanta in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series.

Jose Ramirez homered in the first for the Guardians, who have won three of four. Five players had a hit apiece for the Braves, who had won three in a row. Messick (2-0) gave up four hits and walked two while striking out five. The 25-year-old rookie lowered his ERA this season to 0.51 and dropped his career ERA to 2.04 in 10 starts dating back to last year.

Atlanta starter Martin Perez (0-1) took the hard-luck loss after allowing one run on two hits and three walks while striking out two over five innings. The 35-year-old left-hander, who is pitching for his seventh big league team, lowered his ERA to 3.14 in three games (two starts).

Reds 7, Angels 3

Spencer Steer belted a home run and Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run double as host Cincinnati beat Los Angeles, knotting up the three-game series heading into Sunday’s decider.

Winning pitcher Pierce Johnson (1-1) provided a pivotal 1 1/3 innings of relief for the Reds, striking out Yoan Moncada to strand the tying runs on base in the fifth and working around a one-out Zach Neto double to keep the Angels off the board the next inning.

Cincinnati attacked Angels starter George Klassen (0-1) early on, scoring four off the rookie right-hander in the first. Klassen was pulled after a leadoff walk to Tyler Stephenson in the bottom of the third and was diagnosed with a fingernail contusion, per the team. He allowed five hits, five runs and five walks with two strikeouts in two-plus innings in his second major league start.

Red Sox 7, Cardinals 1

Ranger Suarez scattered three hits over six scoreless innings and Willson Contreras went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead Boston over host St. Louis.

Suarez (1-1) walked two, struck out six and retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. Jarren Duran went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run, Marcelo Mayer reached base three times with a single and two walks and Carlos Narvaez had two hits and scored a run for the Red Sox, who won for the third time in four games.

Jordan Walker hit his sixth homer — tying for the major league lead – for the Cardinals, who had a three-game win streak snapped. Kyle Leahy (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks over four innings while striking out two.

Padres 9, Rockies 5

Manny Machado and Ramon Laureano homered as San Diego overcame an early 4-0 deficit to stop visiting Colorado.

The Padres’ German Marquez (2-1) won in his first start against the team for which he pitched the last 10 years, permitting four runs on four hits in five innings. Laureano had two hits and two walks, knocking in three runs and scoring three. Jason Adam came out of the bullpen with the tying run at the plate to record a one-out save, his first of the season.

Wasted in the loss was a big game by Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak, who went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs. Ryan Feltner (1-1) allowed seven hits and six runs in four innings

Dodgers 6, Rangers 3

A four-run first inning for host Los Angeles, with a leadoff home run from Shohei Ohtani and a three-run shot from Teoscar Hernandez, keyed a victory over Texas.

Hernandez, Ohtani and Will Smith had two hits each for the Dodgers, who won their seventh game in the past eight. Emmet Sheehan (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk over six innings.

The Rangers led briefly on Brandon Nimmo’s home run two pitches into the game, and he added a two-run homer in the sixth off Sheehan. Nimmo had three of the team’s four hits. Texas starter Jack Leiter (1-1), who looked sharp in his first two outings, got through 3 2/3 innings with five runs on five hits in his first career appearance against Los Angeles. He walked four and struck out four, after walking just two in his first two starts.

–Field Level Media

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LeBron James on GOAT debate: 'Not taking nobody over me'

Nov 27, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles after a Philadelphia 76ers foul during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesNov 27, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles after a Philadelphia 76ers foul during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

LeBron James told Time magazine that he believes he is the greatest basketball player of all time.

When asked the age-old question of who is the GOAT in the NBA, James embraced his own name.

“I’m not taking nobody over me,” he told Time in a profile published Monday. “There’s no question.”

James, however, admitted the NBA has other all-time greats, namely Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal, among others.

“But I think Mike will say the same thing,” James said. “Rest his soul, Kobe will say the same thing. Magic will say the same thing. Bird will say the same thing. Shaq could say the same thing. The late great Wilt (Chamberlain), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). I don’t think none of us are going to take somebody else.

“If there’s a general manager and he’s eyeballing all of us on a baseline, with the No. 1 pick, it’s gonna be hard not to take me, champ.”

James, 41, just completed his record-setting 23rd NBA season, and the league’s all-time leading scorer is heading into unrestricted free agency.

“It’s up to the mind,” James told Time about whether he will suit up next season or retire. “Where the mind goes, the body will lay. When I’m not in love with getting to the arenas on game days five hours before to start my preparation, if I’m out of love with getting to practice 2 1/2 hours beforehand, then I know I’ll be done. Because then I’m going to start cheating the game.”

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 22-time All-Star, four-time league MVP and four-time NBA champion is the all-time leader in games (1,622) and points (43,440).

–Field Level Media

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WNBA champion Aces not invited to White House

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates as she receives the MVP trophy after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 to win the WNBA Championship in a four-game sweep in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct. 10, 2025, in Phoenix.Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates as she receives the MVP trophy after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 to win the WNBA Championship in a four-game sweep in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct. 10, 2025, in Phoenix.

The Las Vegas Aces did not receive an invitation to the White House after winning the 2025 WNBA title in October, a team spokesperson confirmed to USA Today on Wednesday.

The decades-old tradition of championship sports teams visiting 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has not included any WNBA or NBA teams during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

The New York Liberty did not visit the White House after winning the 2024 WNBA championship. The 2024-25 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder did not go either, due to what the team called a timing issue.

The Aces, who will be in Washington, D.C., for a July 22 game against the Mystics, have won three of the past four WNBA championships. They visited the White House twice during the Biden Administration.

The Aces had considered visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture as an alternate way of commemorating their championship during next month’s trip to the nation’s capital, but ran into a scheduling conflict, per USA Today.

–Field Level Media

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World Cup primer: Players, places, plotlines and politics

Argentina's Lionel Messi during training for the World Cup in Kansas City on June 3.  Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Argentina’s Lionel Messi during training for the World Cup in Kansas City on June 3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

After an unusual and at times underwhelming buildup, the 2026 World Cup is suddenly, finally the spectacle on everyone’s mind.

From questions surrounding Neymar’s health and fitness for Brazil, to political drama between co-hosts United States and Iran, to European complaints about the intensity of North American summers, the World Cup is dominating the headlines.

It can be overwhelming for a casual soccer fan who wants to tune in and have some context but isn’t sure which stories are the most important.

Fortunately, we have you covered with this handy cheat sheet, breaking down the tournament basics, its biggest stars, most anxious injury worries, most prominent off-field dramas and most tantalizing group-stage matches.

5 World Cup Tournament Basics

The teams: 48 teams will contest the largest-ever World Cup across 16 host cities, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The format: Each team plays in a group of four in a three-match round robin, earning 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw. The knockout phase, now doubled in size to 32 teams, will include every first- and second-place group finisher, and the eight best third-place teams.

The favorites: Spain, France and England are rated highest by oddsmakers, followed in varying order by Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and Germany.

The defending champions: Led by Lionel Messi, Argentina won their third World Cup title in 2022. They’re attempting to be the first repeat champions since Pele helped Brazil to the 1958 and 1962 crowns.

The debutants: Thanks in part to the expanded field, four nations will be making their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

–5 Huge World Cup Stars

Kylian Mbappe (France): Already a World Cup winner in 2018, Mbappe became the second player in history to score a hat trick in the World Cup final in 2022. He also was the first to do so and not win the tournament, after Argentina triumphed on penalties following a 3-3 draw.

Lamine Yamal (Spain): The 18-year-old FC Barcelona prodigy is the most-hyped teenager at the World Cup since the 17-year-old Pele dazzled the world in Sweden in 1958. Unlike Pele, Yamal already has major tournament experience from Spain’s Euro 2024 title run.

Erling Haaland (Norway): The Viking-esque striker is a major reason his nation has returned to the World Cup finals following a 28-year absence. He’s also the three-time Premier League goal-scoring champion with Manchester City.

Lionel Messi (Argentina): The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is now 38 years old and no longer the tornado-like player of his prime. But he is also wiser than he was in those days and can still find the net, having led all of South America in World Cup qualifying scoring.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): Like Messi, the 41-year-old Ronaldo has lost a step from his peak years with Real Madrid. But he’s still the focal point of Portugal’s attack under manager Roberto Martinez, and one of their two most important players along with Bruno Fernandes.

–5 Anxious Injury Situations

Neymar (Brazil): Now age 34, Neymar is no longer the tactical focal point of Carlo Ancelotti’s Selecao. But if he can recover from a calf ailment to contribute to competitive matches, he would provide an enormous emotional lift as well as another still-devastating attacking weapon.

Chris Richards (USA): The 26-year-old is considered the Americans’ best central defender. But he has only returned to full team practice this week. Richards hasn’t been able to play in either pre-tournament friendly since arriving from his club side, Crystal Palace, with an ankle ligament injury.

Alphonso Davies (Canada): The 25-year-old Bayern Munich fullback has battled injuries for a year-plus, beginning with an ACL tear in March of 2025. He looks unlikely to be ready for the co-hosts’ opener against Bosnia on Thursday as he rehabs a more recent hamstring issue.

Julio Enciso (Paraguay): The 22-year-old Atletico Madrid attacker left Paraguay’s final World Cup qualifier at home in visible pain, suggesting a tournament-ending injury. It turned out to be only a thigh bruise, Paraguay will go without its best player for at least two matches.

Bukayo Saka (England): The 24-year-old Arsenal winger has managed a nagging Achilles issue for months. It appears to be a question of load management and pain tolerance, with manager Thomas Tuchel saying Saka has been unable to train on consecutive days.

–5 Off-The-Field Storylines

USA-Iran tensions: With the two nations currently at war, Iran has moved its training base to Tijuana, Mexico, with plans to travel for matches in the United States on the day of the match. The Iranian federation also said Tuesday it had been stripped of its allocation of match tickets.

Continuing U.S. immigration actions: Somali match referee Omar Artan was refused entry into the United States upon his arrival in Miami on Saturday. Switzerland’s Breel Embolo endured a travel delay. Other players have reported being stopped for extended questioning.

Summer simmer: While five World Cup venues are climate-controlled, the combination of high temperatures and afternoon kickoffs for European audiences could influence results, perhaps at the expense of European sides accustomed to milder conditions.

The price of admission: It’s still unclear whether FIFA has sold all of its ticket inventory in the primary market. As for the secondary market, after weeks of declining prices, they are heading north again as the matches approach, according to Ticketdata.com.

Tournament legacy: The conventional wisdom is that any nation hosting a World Cup should receive a boost to its domestic soccer scene. But with an extraordinary number of questions surrounding this year’s tournament, that’s far from a sure thing.

–5 Huge Group-Stage Games

Brazil vs. Morocco (June 13, 6 p.m. ET, East Rutherford, N.J.): After mid-cycle struggles, Brazil can show they have recovered under Carlo Ancelotti by beating a 2022 World Cup semifinalist in their Group C opener.

France vs. Senegal (June 16, 3 p.m. ET, East Rutherford, N.J.): The colonial history would be enough. But this Group I encounter also is a meeting of one of Europe’s most consistent sides in recent World Cup history against the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions.

England vs. Croatia (June 17, 4 p.m. ET, Arlington, Texas): These Group L foes have clashed in several major fixtures since Croatia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia, including a 2-1 Croatian win in the 2018 World Cup semifinals.

United States vs. Australia (June 19, 3 p.m. ET, Seattle, Wash.): This could be the pivotal Group D game for both teams. It’s also a meeting of nations whose embrace of soccer is more recent after spending much of their earlier histories pursuing other sporting passions.

Portugal vs. Colombia (June 27, 8 p.m. ET, Miami Gardens, Fla.): It’s possible both teams could have places in the knockout phase secured by this point. But it could still be a chance to see Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodríguez square off one last time in Group K action.

–Ian Quillen, Field Level Media

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