Sports
Marlins, Orioles stumble into matchup after disappointing series
May 4, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough (86) takes Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk (26) out of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Miami Marlins lost three of four in their most recent series, but they won’t be getting a lot of sympathy from the Baltimore Orioles.
The Marlins will look to bounce back with a win Tuesday when they visit the Orioles, who are desperate for a victory after an ugly trip to Yankee Stadium.
Baltimore comes in riding a five-game losing streak. After an 11-5 loss to end a home series against the Houston Astros on Thursday, the Orioles went to the Bronx and dropped all four meetings with the New York Yankees. The sweep was not particularly competitive, as Baltimore was outscored 39-10.
“Four-game set, to not win a game is really tough, frustrating,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “We’ve got to bounce back in Miami and just play clean baseball to give ourselves a chance.”
In the series-ending 12-1 defeat on Monday, Baltimore amassed 10 hits but mustered only the one run — on a bases-loaded walk, no less. Blaze Alexander led the way with three hits, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the scuffling Orioles.
“We just weren’t competitive,” Albernaz said. “We didn’t really give ourselves a chance to win, whether it be mistakes, miscues, whatever the case may be. But that’s on us. … This series it just felt like we couldn’t stop the bleeding in the big inning, or we just shot ourselves in the foot.”
Baltimore will try to recover behind Chris Bassitt (2-2, 5.46 ERA), who was terrific against the Astros on Thursday in his most recent outing. The veteran right-hander gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings in a much-needed start for one of the league’s most underperforming rotations.
“All of our starters have been pretty poor throughout the year,” Bassitt said that day. “I thought we had kind of a come-to Jesus (moment) … and had some hard talks about how we were pitching, our mindset with pitching. … We have bullpen guys — and obviously starters — that are way too good to be cute out there.”
Bassitt is 1-2 with a 4.21 ERA in four lifetime starts against Miami. This time, he will be opposing a Marlins team that mustered only two runs total in its most recent two games. Miami lost three of four in the series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, including 7-2 and 1-0 defeats to end the set.
“There were more scattered moments by us offensively tonight,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said after the Monday defeat. “We just didn’t have that inning where we were able to string some (hits) together.”
Joe Mack, one of the Marlins’ top prospects, made his major league debut on Monday. The 23-year-old catcher batted seventh and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
“It’ll take a little while offensively to get up here and let yourself relax and take quality at-bats,” McCullough said, “but I thought behind the plate he seemed very calm and did a nice job.”
Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.04 ERA) will get the ball for the Marlins in the series opener. He gave up two runs and seven hits over six innings Wednesday in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has not allowed a home run in either of his past two starts.
In two career starts vs. the Orioles, Alcantara is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA.
The teams played three games in Baltimore last season. The Marlins lost the first game before winning the final two by a combined 17-1 margin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Geno Auriemma on dispute with Dawn Staley: 'Feel like a dumbass'
Apr 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley argue at the end of a semifinal of the Final Four of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma reflected Monday on his game-ending dispute with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley at the end of a Final Four defeat last month, saying, “I just feel like a dumbass for the way it played out.”
The Gamecocks prevailed 62-48 on April 3 in Phoenix, earning a spot in the national final and ending the Huskies’ perfect season.
As the final seconds ticked down, the two head coaches walked toward each other as though they were about to shake hands.
However, Auriemma didn’t put forward his hand, instead making a comment to Staley, who reacted angrily, and the two had to be separated. Auriemma was led away, but he soon came back past Staley, who continued to shout at him.
In his postgame interview, Auriemma complained about the Gamecocks’ physical play, adding, “Their coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referees some names you don’t wanna hear.”
His initial apology the next day didn’t mention Staley by name. Several days later, Auriemma apologized again, singling out Staley and saying he spoke with her about the incident. Staley issued a statement, saying she had moved on from the dispute.
On Monday, Auriemma said of actions on following the loss, “When I walked into the locker room afterward with the coaches, you are just shaking your head, thinking five more seconds, you couldn’t keep it in for five more seconds. … We are all human, and we all do dumb s—.”
The sports media and social media went after Auriemma in the days after the game.
“I didn’t see a lot of it, but (the reaction) is to be expected,” Auriemma said. “Maybe some of it was warranted and some of it was people lying in the weeds waiting for that for that moment.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done for the game, it’s what you just did. Unfortunately, that’s the world we live in today and it usually is one-sided. …
“I brought the criticism on myself, I didn’t bring the commotion that came after that on myself.”
Auriemma, 72, owns the all-time NCAA basketball record for coaching victories with 1,288. The Huskies have won 12 national championships during his tenure, the latest in 2025. The Final Four defeat to South Carolina last month snapped the Huskies’ 54-game win streak, and UConn ended the season 38-1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Early offense guides Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto past Astros
May 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) hits a home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Alex Freeland and Kyle Tucker homered in support of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who worked six quality innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers won the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Houston Astros 8-3 on Monday.
The Dodgers won their second game in a row following a season-worst four-game skid. The Astros had won three of their previous four games.
Freeland keyed a two-run second inning with his second home run of the season, while Tucker ignited a four-run third by leading off that frame with his fourth long ball. The Dodgers did that damage against Astros right-hander Ryan Weiss (0-3), who followed opener Steven Okert and stranded the bases loaded in the first before scuffling the rest of his outing.
Freeland tied the score at 2-2 with his opposite-field shot to left-center field with one out in the second. Shohei Ohtani then walked and scored from first when Will Smith (3-for-5) smoked a double to left-center that Astros left fielder Zach Cole tracked at the wall but couldn’t squeeze.
The Dodgers pulled away an inning later. Tucker lined a 1-1 fastball from Weiss 376 feet to right-center, extending the lead to 4-2. After Andy Pages and Hyeseong Kim singled before Freeland walked to load the bases, Ohtani produced a fielder’s-choice grounder that plated Pages.
Freddie Freeman capped the outburst with a single to right that scored Kim, with Ohtani also coming home when Astros right fielder Cam Smith committed a fielding error on the play.
Weiss allowed an RBI single to Freeman in the fifth that drove home Freeland, who finished 3-for-4 with a walk. Weiss allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.
Yamamoto (3-2) surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the first before finding his groove. Jose Altuve delivered an RBI single in the first that scored Yordan Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes gave Houston a 2-1 lead when he scored on a Yamamoto wild pitch.
Yamamoto needed only seven pitches to retire the Astros in order in the second, and he faced the minimum in the third and fourth innings. Cole smacked his first home run with one out in the fifth, but Yamamoto closed his outing by allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Yordan Alvarez finished with two of Houston’s six hits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Conforto's pinch-hit walk-off shot lifts Cubs over Reds
May 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Michael Conforto’s walk-off solo home run capped a two-run, ninth-inning rally and sent the Cubs to a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on a rainy Monday night in Chicago.
Conforto, pinch-hitting for Matt Shaw, hammered a 3-2 fastball from Reds closer Emilio Pagan (2-1) into the seats in left-center field, giving the National League Central-leading Cubs their sixth straight win.
Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the bottom of the ninth with a triple off the glove of Reds center fielder Dane Myers, who appeared to have the ball in his glove as he collided with the Wrigley Field’s ivy and brick wall. The ball fell to the ground and Crow-Armstrong raced to third base.
Pagan struck out Dansby Swanson, but Nico Hoerner hit a deep fly ball to left field for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Conforto then ended the game.
Ryan Rolison (2-0) struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth.
Elly De La Cruz had three hits and Spencer Steer had two for the Reds, who lost their fourth straight game.
Steer drove in pinch runner Blake Dunn with a tiebreaking run in the top of the eighth for a 4-3 Reds lead.
Cincinnati’s Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run home run and JJ Bleday socked a solo homer in a game that was delayed 100 minutes due to inclement weather. Those blasts put the Reds up 3-0 through the top of the fourth.
The Cubs tied the contest with one swing in the bottom of the fourth when Seiya Suzuki (2-for-3) took Reds starter Chase Petty deep over the wall in center field for a three-run shot.
In the eighth, Nathaniel Lowe drew a leadoff walk off Cubs reliever Ben Brown. Dunn pinch-ran and stole second base before Steer singled to left field. Dunn beat the throw home, getting his right hand on home plate just before being tagged.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft on three walks, one of them intentional walk. Ashcraft struck out Carson Kelly swinging to escape the jam.
–Field Level Media
Geno Auriemma on dispute with Dawn Staley: 'Feel like a dumbass'
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