Sports
Nationals try to bring good vibes home vs. road-challenged Twins
Apr 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez (26) catches a pop fly by New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Something’s bound to give when the Minnesota Twins visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Twins are tied with the Miami Marlins for the fewest road wins (five) in the majors, while the Nationals — who have been strong on the road — have posted the fewest home wins (four).
Washington won its first game at Nationals Park since April 21 on Sunday, salvaging the finale of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-2 win. The Twins beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Sunday to earn a four-game series split.
Minnesota right-hander Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85 ERA) opposes Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (1-1, 3.82) in the series opener.
Bradley, 25, has given up two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven starts this season. On April 24 he gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings of a loss to his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, but in his last start he bounced back. In a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners, Bradley allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings while striking out seven and walking two.
“I think I had command of my off-speed (pitches) early, and I feel like I could pitch backwards, pitch forwards, and I felt like I had good command of the fastball,” Bradley said.
He won his only previous start against Washington, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
Cavalli has allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 batters in each of his past two starts, against the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. Cavalli picked up his first win against the Mets, spreading out eight hits and two walks over six innings.
“You probably have to do it more than once or twice to say, like: ‘Alright, this is real,'” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “Now, we know what he’s capable of. We’ve seen it. I think the last outing is the Cade we expect to see and want to see.”
Cavalli has never faced the Twins.
On Sunday, Nasim Nunez had a pair of run-scoring singles, Jose Tena had an RBI triple and CJ Abrams had two hits and scored twice for Washington.
Nunez has reached base in eight of his last nine appearances, going 9-for-24 (.375) with five walks, four stolen bases and six RBIs.
“When he can come up in big spots, and do what he did (Sunday) … big hits, huge at-bats to help us win the game … there’s just a lot of different aspects to the game where Nas helps us win,” Butera said.
In Toronto, Twins starter Joe Ryan left with a sore elbow after facing two batters, but Andrew Morris pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Luke Keaschall had a pair of hits, including an RBI double in a three-run fifth inning for Minnesota. Kody Clemens and Matt Wallner each doubled in a run.
“Felt like everybody top to bottom had something going for them (Sunday) offensively,” Keaschall said. “Everybody hit a double or a single or a big walk or something. When the whole lineup produces, it really is a lot of fun.”
Minnesota’s bullpen, which entered the game with a 5.48 ERA, allowed three runs over 8 2/3 innings.
Manager Derek Shelton said after the game that Ryan was getting an MRI on the elbow.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski replaces Reds' Chase Burns on NL All-Star team
Jun 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski was added to the National League All-Star team Saturday as a replacement for Cincinnati Reds right-hander Chase Burns.
Burns last pitched for the Reds on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. He said Saturday that he injured his right groin during the contest while covering home plate after a wild pitch.
When symptoms increased, he reported the injury to Reds manager Terry Francona on Friday. The decision was later reached to pull out of Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Philadelphia.
“It was a tough decision,” Burns told reporters on Saturday. “I am very thankful to be selected and stuff, but I kind of had a tough play at the plate against the Phillies and the groin kind of got tight. I think it’s just a mature decision to prioritize the second half of the season and not mess it up anymore.”
Wrobleski, 25, becomes the sixth Dodgers player on the NL roster, which will be managed by Los Angeles skipper Dave Roberts.
Wrobleski was tied for the NL lead in wins when All-Star Game rosters were announced earlier this week but still was not included on the squad. He said he was well aware of the roster numbers crunch but was still going to use the snub as motivation.
“I mean, you want to be an All-Star, and I felt like I did enough to kind of put myself in that conversation, if not be there,” Wrobleski said last week. “To not get the selection, yeah, it definitely adds some fuel to the fire for the rest of this year. Go out there every outing and prove that I’m worthy of that, and that I’m going to be one of those guys moving forward.”
Wrobleski is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA over 16 appearances (15 starts) this season. He made an appearance in Game 7 of last October’s World Series, delivering 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief while replacing Shohei Ohtani in the third inning as the Dodgers trailed the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0. Los Angeles rallied to win the title in 11 innings.
According to The Athletic and NBC Sports Philadelphia, Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler was offered a spot on the NL roster on Friday but declined. Wheeler, 36, is 9-1 with a 2.28 ERA over 14 starts this season and is a three-time All-Star, including each of the previous two seasons.
Burns, 23, is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 18 starts during his first full season in the major leagues.
The second overall selection in the 2024 draft has already reached 102 2/3 innings on the season. That is just shy of his combined 109 1/3 innings between the major leagues and minor leagues last season, which was his first on the field as a professional.
Francona was in full agreement with Burns’ reasoning for opting out of the game.
“I just think he’s trying to show some maturity and he understands that, like he told me, he knows where he’s at with his innings compared to last year and stuff. He was really thought out and conscientious about it,” Francona said.”
The Reds still will be represented at the All-Star Game by rookie infielder Sal Stewart.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kyle Bradish flirts with no-hitter as Orioles extend Royals’ skid
Jul 11, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) throws during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Kyle Bradish took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Baltimore Orioles extended their winning streak to three games after beating the visiting Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Saturday night.
Bradish (6-9) was done after 6 2/3 innings, charged with one run on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The outcome means that the right-hander avoided, at least for now, becoming the first 10-game loser in the major leagues this year.
Jac Caglianone rapped a single as the first batter in the seventh to break up the no-hit bid. He later scored on Salvador Perez’s sacrifice fly.
Grant Wolfram, Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells completed what became a combined two-hitter.
Pete Alonso smashed a two-run home run, and Coby Mayo, Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson all belted solo shots for the Orioles, who are assured of snapping a four-series losing streak at Camden Yards. Four of their six hits were homers.
The Royals have lost four consecutive games and eight of their last 11. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, coming off a hand injury to play in his first big league game since June 13, went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Royals starter Noah Cameron (5-7) struck out nine batters in seven innings, but he was charged with five runs on five hits and two walks.
Through six innings, the only Kansas City batters to reach base came in back-to-back plate appearances in the third inning. Isaac Collins got aboard on second baseman Jackson Holliday’s fielding error and Carter Jensen followed with a walk before Bradish retired Bobby Witt Jr. on a foul out.
Samuel Basallo, who was Baltimore’s hero Friday night with a game-winning home run, drove in a second-inning run with a single to open the scoring.
Alonso’s 21st homer came in the fourth inning. Mayo led off the fifth with a homer, and Ward’s shot came with one out in the sixth.
The Orioles were efficient with their baserunners, stranding just one runner on base in the seventh. Henderson’s homer led off the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
FIFA: 'No evidence' ball hit wire on regulation England goal vs. Norway
July 11, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S.; Norway’s Erling Haaland looks dejected after the match as Norway are eliminated from the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images England’s lone regulation goal in its eventual 2-1 extra-time defeat of Norway in a World Cup quarterfinal Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla., was not without controversy.
Norway argued — and video replay appeared to show — that a goal kick from their goalkeeper Orjan Nyland bounced off a wire supporting an in-stadium camera and redirected to an England player, setting up the sequence which ended with Jude Bellingham’s tying goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Per FIFA’s rule, a ball bouncing off a wire would lead to a stoppage in play and a drop ball to decide possession. But the association spoke out against this possibility shortly after the match ended.
“Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the ‘heartbeat of the ball’ when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball,” a FIFA statement said.
The “heartbeat of the ball” is the same technology used to overturn Croatia’s equalizing goal late in extra time of its 2-1 round of 32 loss to Portugal when technology in the ball sensed a headed touch with the goalscorer in offside position in one of the other main controversies of this year’s tournament.
This time, though, play wasn’t stopped to check the sensor, although it’s possible it was checked by VAR in the brief downtime after Bellingham’s goal.
Norway also had a go-ahead second-half goal overturned after it was ruled that Erling Haaland pushed a defender down in the leadup to the goal being scored by Torbjorn Heggem off a corner kick.
England will face the winner of Saturday night’s match between Argentina and Switzerland in a semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski replaces Reds' Chase Burns on NL All-Star team
Kyle Bradish flirts with no-hitter as Orioles extend Royals’ skid
