Sports
Blue Jays' Max Scherzer aims to hit right notes vs. D-backs
Apr 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches to the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Max Scherzer’s off-day preparation includes time on the piano. Don’t knock it until you try it.
Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA) will get the ball on Saturday for the Toronto Blue Jays against Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60) of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran right-handers will meet Saturday in Phoenix in the second game of a three-game set.
A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Scherzer found a keyboard in a room near the Blue Jays clubhouse on Friday and started tapping out Van Halen’s “Right Now.” He has credited the dexterity required to play the piano with extending his career by helping to relieve the discomfort of a troublesome right thumb injury.
“When you’re playing different keys and notes and chords, your hands are in very unique positions,” Scherzer told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal late in spring training.
“It makes you really work through your fingertips. By working those muscles in my hand, it got my fingers, ‘quote unquote,’ stronger. All of a sudden, that alleviated the thumb pain.”
Scherzer will attempt to put the Blue Jays out of their pain on Saturday. The reigning American League champions have lost five of the past six games and are 3-11 in April, occupying last place in the AL East.
Gallen, 30, also will look to extend an Arizona streak.
The Diamondbacks have won nine of the past 12 games after beating the Blue Jays 6-3 behind Michael Soroka’s fourth win of the season Friday.
Gallen pitched five scoreless innings in his most recent start and took a 2-0 lead into the sixth before the Philadelphia Phillies drove him out with five straight hits — including a homer and three doubles — as he took a no-decision in Arizona’s 4-3 victory.
“I think as a team, we believe in the talent that’s in here,” Gallen said. “I think guys are playing free and not playing scared.”
Gallen pitched six scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over Detroit on April 1, them went five innings in each of his successive two outings.
He has faced the Blue Jays twice in his career without much success, going 0-1 with a 9.35 ERA in two starts. The last time he pitched against Toronto came in 2024.
Scherzer allowed one run over six innings in a 5-1 victory over Colorado on March 31 but has given up 10 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his two starts since.
He left his April 6 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after two innings while dealing with right forearm tightness, but he said that was not a factor in an 8-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins last Sunday.
The Twins scored eight runs off Scherzer in 2 1/3 innings, with homers from Kody Clemens and Tristan Gray.
“It actually loosened up on me,” Scherzer said of the forearm after the game. “I felt like it was coming out of my hand better. I was able to throw all of my pitches and as I got out of that outing. I haven’t felt the forearm completely tighten up, so that’s a good sign.”
Scherzer, 41, is with his seventh team and in his 19th season. He began his career with the Diamondbacks, who selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft out of college at Missouri. In late 2009, he was dealt to the Tigers as part of a three-team, seven-player deal that also involved Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.
He has started 12 games against Arizona and is 9-0 with a 2.65 ERA. He has struck out 111 and walked 19 in 78 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Munetaka Murakami wallops slam as White Sox rout A's
Apr 17, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with left fielder Andrew Benintendi (23) after hitting a grand slam against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Munetaka Murakami launched a towering grand slam and Davis Martin tossed seven solid innings to help the Chicago White Sox trounce the Athletics 9-2 on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi (one RBI) each had three hits and two runs as Chicago matched its highest scoring output of the season. The White Sox had scored the second-fewest runs in the majors (60) entering the contest.
Colson Montgomery had two hits and two RBIs, Edgar Quero and Luisangel Acuna each had two hits and one RBI and Chase Meidroth also recorded two hits for Chicago, which had lost eight of its previous 10 games. The White Sox had 15 hits in the opener of the three-game set.
Martin (3-1) gave up one run and three hits while pitching seven innings for the second straight turn. He struck out four and walked two.
Nick Kurtz and Andy Ibanez drove in runs for the A’s, who lost their second straight game.
Aaron Civale (2-1) allowed five runs and 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings for the Athletics. He struck out four and walked one.
The White Sox led by four runs with two outs in the seventh when the Athletics’ Elvin Alvarado walked Meidroth and Acuna and allowed an infield single to Benintendi.
Murakami then walloped a full-count fastball 431 feet to center field that cleared the high batter’s eye beyond the wall to give Chicago a 9-1 advantage.
Benintendi led off the game with a double and scored on Montgomery’s two-out two-bagger.
In the third, Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Montgomery started the inning with singles to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Quero’s RBI grounder plated Vargas.
Davis retired the first 10 Athletics he faced before Acuna lost a fly ball hit to center by Shea Langeliers and it bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. Kurtz followed with his RBI single to get the A’s on the board.
Acuna and Benintendi hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the fifth to make it 5-1.
After Martin exited, the A’s pushed across a run in the eighth against Doug Nikhazy when pinch hitter Ibanez’s groundout scored Max Muncy. Nikhazy pitched a scoreless ninth to end the four-hitter.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Emmanuel Sabbi, Whitecaps cruise to victory over Sporting KC
Apr 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Thomas Muller (13) celebrates scoring with defender Mathias Laborda (2) during the first half against the Sporting Kansas City at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images Emmanuel Sabbi scored one goal and assisted on another as the Vancouver Whitecaps continued the best start in club history with a dominant 3-0 victory over visiting Sporting Kansas City on Friday night.
Bruno Caicedo added his first MLS goal in the 21-year-old’s third appearance — and first start — in the league as the Whitecaps raced out to their three-goal lead by the half-hour mark.
Thomas Muller added his fourth goal of the season for Vancouver (7-1-0, 21 points), which has played all but one of its first eight league matches at home while building an exceptional +18 goal differential.
The Whitecaps will have one more home game on April 25 against the Colorado Rapids. Then they will play eight straight on the road while BC Place is prepped and used as a 2026 World Cup venue.
Kansas City (1-6-1, 4 points) lost its fourth straight in MLS and fifth straight overall. Manager Raphael Wicky’s Sporting squad have been outscored 13-3 combined in those four league defeats.
Vancouver outshot Kansas City 25-3 and led 6-1 in efforts on target in a game that quickly tilted in the hosts’ favor.
Sabbi scored in the 13th minute on an attack that began when Vancouver intercepted a Kansas City goal kick at midfield.
Eventually it was White who got into the right side of the penalty area and chipped it over charging goalkeeper John Pulskamp but not into the net.
The ball arrived to Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda on the opposite post, who couldn’t direct an effort goal-bound under defensive pressure. Sabbi cleaned up the loose ball with a finish through the scrambling SKC defense, off a defender, off the crossbar and in.
Caicedo created the second goal in the 23rd minute. He snuck up field and intercepted Cielo Tschantret’s ill-advised square pass, then finished low from the edge of the area off the inside of the far right post.
Another long clearance intercepted at midfield led to the hosts making it 3-0 in the 28th minute.
This time it was Sabbi providing the service from the right wing after doing excellent work to keep the ball in play. His outswinging ball fell at the back post for Muller, who headed it firmly past the flailing Pulskamp.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Green, Suns shoot past Warriors, charge into playoffs
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton (8) during the first half in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs with a 111-96 play-in win over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Suns earned the Western Conference’s eighth postseason seed. They will visit the defending champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday to open a first-round series.
Phoenix scored 30 points off the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.
After Phoenix let a late lead slip away against the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in opener, the Suns held on this time.
There was some late drama, though.
With the outcome already decided, Golden State’s Draymond Green fouled out with just more than a minute remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared a moment with Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, embracing both. The three were part of four NBA championship runs.
However, as action resumed, Draymond Green and the Suns’ Devin Booker began a heated discussion that carried on for several moments before the whistle blew and both players were issued a technical foul. Green was ejected.
Phoenix jumped out to a big lead with a 13-0 run after the Warriors scored the game’s first two points, then closed the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 33-15.
Golden State’s 15 first-quarter points were their fewest in a quarter since scoring 14 in the fourth quarter March 7 against the Thunder.
The Suns, who shot 52.4% in the first quarter, struggled in the second quarter as the Warriors roared back.
Phoenix was just 5 of 20 from the field in the second, and Golden State pulled within two on Curry’s free throws with 19.6 seconds remaining in the half.
As time ran down, Jalen Green elevated for a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it for the Suns’ first field goal in more than five minutes to give Phoenix a 50-45 lead at the break.
Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the second. He also led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
The Suns used an 11-1 run — featuring two 3-pointers from Jalen Green — to regain control in the third quarter.
Booker finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Phoenix’s Jordan Goodwin added 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
Curry recorded 17 points in the loss but was just 4 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
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Munetaka Murakami wallops slam as White Sox rout A's
