Sports
Reds' bullpen geared up for another look at Twins
Apr 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan (15) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images The stout Cincinnati bullpen appears to be at full strength as the Reds prepare for the middle contest of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Connor Phillips (2.25 ERA), Graham Ashcraft (1.64 ERA), Tony Santillan (0.00 ERA) and Emilio Pagan (six saves, 4.35 ERA) held the Twins to two hits and no runs over the final 3 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win on Friday.
After sustaining an apparent hamstring injury on the last pitch of a 2-1 home victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, Pagan appears to be healthy. He needed just 13 pitches, eight of which were strikes, to get through a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Friday.
Pagan has blown just one save opportunity, in the Reds’ second game of the season. He has struck out 10 hitters in 10 1/3 innings, and in his past seven outings, he has allowed no runs and one hit in seven innings.
“I’m getting through it,” Pagan said of pitching through the hamstring ailment. “As long as I can do my delivery on the mound and not have to change any of that, I’ll be fine.”
The last out of the game came on a grounder to second base.
Pagan said of running to cover first base, “Just trying to get off quick, a natural reaction on a ball hit that way, I could just tell that it was tight, but as long as I can do my delivery … I like my chances.”
The Reds will turn to Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.85 ERA) for the Saturday start. The left-hander struggled his last time out in a 9-6 loss at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. He yielded a career-high-tying seven runs on eight hits in just three-plus innings.
In his lone start against the Twins, Abbott didn’t earn a decision while throwing 5 2/3 innings on June 17, 2025. He permitted five runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
Minnesota is slated to give the ball to Taj Bradley (3-0, 1.25). His last time out, the right-hander earned the win as he pitched five innings in the Twins’ 8-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Bradley surrendered one run on five hits and four walks, and he struck out seven.
Bradley was a winner in his lone start against the Reds, which came as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays on April 18, 2023. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed three hits and one walk and fanned nine.
He will be in search of more run support than Minnesota mustered in the series opener.
The Twins lost their second straight game and only managed five hits on Friday, but they had their chances. Luke Keaschall ended two potential rallies. He struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the third inning, and grounded he into a double play with runners on the corners to end the fifth.
Hitting out of the No. 3 hole in the Twins’ lineup, Keaschall has a .211 average with one home run and nine RBIs on the season. He is 0-for-7 in the past two games, and he wants to focus on the next game.
“I hit into my first double play of the season with men on first and third. That’s obviously not what I wanted to do,” Keaschall said. “Every day we have to treat it as its own. Be present. Every day is a new day and we have to try and get the most out of each day. Try to be present and we’ll get them back.
“We are ticked off, it’s going to change soon.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series
Apr 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) runs after hitting a RBI single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Mason Miller struck out two en route to his seventh save to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim.
Ramon Laureano also drove in two runs, Jake Cronenworth scored a run and reached base four times with a single, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Freddy Fermin scored twice for San Diego, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 games.
Adrian Morejon (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief while Miller pitched around a leadoff single by Yoan Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom in the ninth to extend his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings dating back to Aug. 6, 2025.
Zach Neto and Mike Trout each doubled and Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which finished with just six hits. Ryan Zeferjahn (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one inning immediately after Yusei Kikuchi wrapped his scoreless six-inning start for Los Angeles.
Kikuchi allowed four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, striking out eight.
The Angels, who entered the contest having hit 16 home runs while scoring 49 runs in their previous six games, managed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings against San Diego starter German Marquez.
However, they nearly took a 1-0 lead in the second. Moncada led off the inning with a deep drive to right-center that Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made a highlight-reel grab on, reaching above the fence to deny Moncada of a home run. It was the third time this season that Merrill robbed a batter of a home run.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning against Zeferjahn, who walked Fermin and Cronenworth on eight straight balls to open the inning. Laureano then grounded a single to center to drive in Fermin, and Tatis followed with a slow roller into shallow right to drive in Cronenworth.
Los Angeles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth on Schanuel’s single, driving in Logan O’Hoppe who had singled and advanced to second on a single by Adam Frazier.
San Diego then added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Laureano followed by an RBI single from Tatis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braylon Mullins passes on NBA draft, staying at UConn
Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) controls the ball against Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) during the second half in the national championship of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament between the and the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images UConn’s sharp-shooting wing Braylon Mullins announced Saturday on social media that he is passing on entering the NBA draft and returning to the Huskies for his sophomore season.
Mullins, regarded as a first-round and possible lottery pick in the 2026 draft in June, made the announcement on Instagram on his 20th birthday.
The slender 6-foot-6 Mullins, a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of Greenfield, Ind., was a unanimous pick for the Big East All-Freshman Team after averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33 games after missing the first six with an ankle injury. He started 29 of UConn’s final 30 games.
His 72 3-pointers were second most for a freshman in UConn history. He shot 33.5% (72 of 215), with his most famous the shot of the NCAA Tournament.
Mullins’ 35-footer with 0.3 seconds left beat Duke 73-72 in the Elite Eight, sending UConn to the Final Four. The Huskies (34-6) later lost 69-63 to No. 1 Michigan in the national championship game.
Earlier on Saturday, rising sophomore Nikolas Khamenia announced he was transferring from Duke. The 6-foot-8 wing joins a squad returning Mullins and point guard Silas Demary Jr., wing Jayden Ross, transfer Najai Hines (Seton Hall) and incoming freshmen Colben Landrew and Junior County.
UConn is waiting on guard Solo Ball to announce his plans and has lost forward Jaylin Stewart and center Eric Reibe to the transfer portal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Corbin Carroll slam extends D-backs' win streak, Jays' skid
Apr 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll (7) steals secondbase under the tag by Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andrés Giménez (0) in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Corbin Carroll broke a tie with an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Phoenix on Saturday.
Ildemaro Vargas singled off Jeff Hoffman (1-2) to open the eighth, extending his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 14 games.
Alek Thomas singled and Ketel Marte walked to bring up Carroll, who hit his fourth career grand slam on a 3-1 fastball.
The D-backs, who have won eight of 10, lead the majors with 10 comeback victories.
Geraldo Perdomo had three singles and an RBI and Thomas had two hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who had eight hits.
Nathan Lukes had three hits, Kazuma Okamoto had two hits and an RBI and Ernie Clement and Eloy Jimenez had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight, six of seven and 12 of 15.
Juan Morillo (1-1) struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 100 mph fastball with a runner on first to end the seventh and keep the game tied at 2. He allowed one hit and struck out two over 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Toronto starter Max Scherzer gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen permitted two runs and nine hits, leaving after Okamato’s single tied the game at 2 with two outs in the sixth. He struck out three with no walks.
Lukes, Guerrero and Jesus Sanchez singled in the top of the first, with Sanchez’s one-out single driving in Lukes for a 1-0 lead. Guerrero has a nine-game hitting streak.
The D-backs tied it in their half of the first when Carroll walked, stole second and scored on Perdomo’s single. Thomas grounded a two-out double inside the bag at first to drive in Jose Fernandez, who had singled, to give Arizona a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Toronto tied it in the sixth after an apparent double play was changed after a review. Jimenez singled with one out, and Gallen appeared to get out of the inning when Andres Gimenez grounded to Fernandez to start what originally was called an inning-ending double play.
Perdomo was ruled to have missed the bag on the play, leaving Jimenez at second, and he scored on Okamoto’s single to tie the game.
–Field Level Media
Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series
Braylon Mullins passes on NBA draft, staying at UConn
