Sports
With Yainer Diaz struggling, Astros aim to even series vs. Cards
Apr 13, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) hits an RBI-single against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Houston catcher Yainer Diaz was absent from the starting lineup on Friday when the Astros lost 9-4 to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
While the Astros have enjoyed success offensively this season, leading the American League in several categories, Diaz has labored. He is batting .094, with an on-base percentage of .094 and a slugging percentage of .188, since his last multi-hit game on April 4 against the Athletics, a span of eight games.
Diaz, 27, is batting .186 for the season, with one homer and nine RBIs. Astros manager Joe Espada said the club is working with him to tweak some things related to his approach at the plate.
“You always want to remind yourself that the hitters are who they are,” Espada said. “Yainer Diaz has always been someone who likes to swing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And we’re not asking him to always swing at strikes. It’s almost impossible to do. To hit is really hard.
“But there are areas of the plate that he covers really well, so he can focus in those areas and stay in those areas, and then he can do damage. For us, it’s just to remind him of who he is.”
Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.87 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros in the second game of the series on Saturday.
McCullers has not recorded a decision in his last two starts despite allowing nine runs on 10 hits and five walks with eight strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings in two Houston losses. He was stellar in his season debut against the Boston Red Sox on March 30, yielding one run on four hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
McCullers will make his first career start against the Cardinals. In 18 career interleague starts, he is 6-7 with a 4.32 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Andre Pallante (1-1, 4.80 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals on Saturday.
Pallante allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and one walk with two strikeouts in five innings of a 9-3 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday, tripling the earned runs allowed from his first two starts combined. Pallante tossed five shutout innings at the New York Mets in his season debut on March 31.
Pallante is 0-1 with a 16.20 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Astros. In his lone start against Houston on June 4, 2024, he allowed six runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in three innings in an 8-5 road loss.
The Cardinals announced on Friday that right-hander Richard Fitts underwent season-ending surgery to address a right lat strain that recently resulted in his being placed on the minor league injury list.
Fitts arrived from Boston as part of the trade that shipped right-hander Sonny Gray to the Red Sox during the offseason. Fitts went 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) across two seasons with the Red Sox. He made three starts with Triple-A Memphis this season (2-0, 1.76 ERA) before landing on the IL.
“It’s someone that we definitely were going to count on providing some innings and helping when the time presented itself this year,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Really unfortunate because it’s someone that we would have liked to see and a really good competitor.”
–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
Sports
Jake deGrom, Rangers extend Mariners' skid in shutout
Apr 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Brandon Nimmo homered leading off the game and that was enough as six Texas Rangers pitchers combined for a six-hitter in a 5-0 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Reliever Gavin Collyer (1-0), a rookie right-hander, pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn his first major league victory in just his second appearance.
In the opener of a three-game series, the Rangers improved to 4-0 against Seattle this season and have outscored the Mariners 13-3. Texas has won four of its last six, while Seattle has lost four in a row.
Nimmo jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (1-3) in the first, lining it over the right field fence for his fourth homer of 2026.
Texas extended its lead in the third as Corey Seager led off with a double to right and Wyatt Langford followed with a run-scoring single to left to make it 2-0.
The Mariners threatened in the sixth but came up empty. Josh Naylor lined a leadoff single to center and took second on Randy Arozarena’s groundout. Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder hit a comebacker to the mound, preventing Naylor from advancing. J.P. Crawford lined a single to left, but Naylor was thrown out easily at the plate by Langford to end the inning.
With one out in the seventh, Seager lined a double into the gap in left-center off reliever Jose A. Ferrer. Langford singled to left, sending Seager to third, and Jake Burger lined a single to center to make it 3-0.
The Rangers added two runs in the ninth off Casey Legumina. Langford and Burger led off with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Evan Carter. Andrew McCutchen lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Josh Jung hit a run-scoring double into the left field corner to make it 5-0.
Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom didn’t allow a run but an elevated pitch count knocked him out after four innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three, throwing 88 pitches.
Gilbert gave up two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan left after the third inning with an apparent injury. There was no update on his condition by the time the game ended. Leo Rivas replaced Donovan.
–Field Level Media
