OpticTexas and Toronto KOI advanced on Saturday to the upper-bracket final of the Call of Duty League Stage 3 Major in Atlanta.

FaZe Vegas and the Los Angeles Thieves, after falling out of the upper bracket in the double-elimination playoff format, will play each other on Sunday in the lower-bracket semifinals.

The upper-bracket and lower-bracket finals on Sunday will determine the teams in the grand final later in the day.

All 12 CDL teams began play on Friday along with four outside qualifiers in the double-elimination opening round, split into four groups. The group champions and second-place teams advanced to the playoffs which started on Saturday.

Matches are all best-of-five until the best-of-seven grand final on Sunday. The championship team will receive $150,000 and 100 CDL points.

OpTic Texas swept the Miami Heretics in the upper-bracket quarterfinals, winning 250-118 on Den Hardpoint, 6-2 on Plaza Search and Destroy and 5-3 on Scar Overload.

The Riyadh Falcons swept the Paris Gentle Mates, winning on Den Hardpoint 250-199, Den Search and Destroy 6-3 and Scar Overload 4-3.

Toronto KOI held off G2 Minnesota 3-2 after racing out to a 2-0 lead with wins on Den Hardpoint (250-152) and Fringe Search and Destroy (3-2). Minnesota responded with wins on Den Overload (6-2) and Scar Hardpoint (250-230) before Toronto triumphed on Raid Search and Destroy (6-2).

FaZe Vegas outbattled the Los Angeles Thieves 3-2 after dropping the opening map, Sake Hardpoint, 250-136. Vegas drew even with a 6-5 win on Den Search and Destroy, then Los Angeles retook the lead with a 6-4 win on Den Overload.

FaZe Vegas, however, won on Den Hardpoint 250-225 and Raid Search and Destroy 6-2 to capture the match.

OpTic Texas moved on to the upper-bracket semifinals, where they edged the Riyadh Falcons 3-2. The Falcons opened with a 250-202 victory on Sake Hardpoint before Texas drew even with a 6-2 win on Raid Search and Destroy.

The Falcons won 5-3 on Scar Overload before OpTic surged to wins on Den Hardpoint (250-112) and Den (6-3).

Toronto KOI claimed the other upper-bracket semifinal, 3-1 over FaZe Vegas. Toronto started strong with wins on Sake Hardpoint (250-151) and Scar (6-5). Vegas stayed alive with a 6-4 win on Den before Toronto closed out with a 250-193 victory on Den Hardpoint.

In the first round of the lower bracket, the Paris Gentle Mates eliminated the Miami Heretics 3-2. Miami opened with a 250-143 win on Colossus Hardpoint and 6-1 victory on Plaza Search and Destroy. Paris made a huge comeback, winning on Exposure Overload 5-3, Sake Hardpoint 250-212 and Fringe Search and Destroy 6-4.

In the other first-round match, the Los Angeles Thieves ousted G2 Minnesota 3-1. Los Angeles got off to a strong start with wins on Den Hardpoint (250-211) and Scar Search and Destroy (6-4). Minnesota won 2-1 on Den Overload before the Thieves closed out with a 250-104 victory on Colossus Hardpoint.

In the lower-backet quarterfinals, FaZe Vegas eliminated the Paris Gentle Mates 3-1. Vegas led off with a 250-113 win on Colossus Hardpoint, but Paris drew level with a 6-3 win on Plaza Search and Destroy. FaZe Vegas closed out with a 5-3 win on Exposure Overload and 250-213 victory on Gridlock Hardpoint.

In the other quarterfinal, the Los Angeles Thieves swept the Riyadh Falcons, winning on Sake Hardpoint (250-221), Den Search and Destroy (6-3) and Scar Overload (5-4).

Call of Duty League Stage 3 Major prize pool, with money winnings and CDL points

1. $150,000, 100

2. $90,000, 75

3. $50,000, 60

4. $30,000, 45

5-6. $15,000, 30 — Paris Gentle Mates, Riyadh Falcons

7-8. $7,500, 15 — Miami Heretics, G2 Minnesota

9-12. no money, no points — OMiT, Carolina Royal Ravens, Boston Breach, Cloud9 New York

13-16. no money, no points — Vancouver Surge, Huntsmen, Project Notorious, ROC Esports

–Field Level Media

The Boston Red Sox and host Atlanta Braves have authored two dramatic finishes to begin their weekend interleague series.

What will Sunday’s rubber game have in store?

Boston hands the ball to right-hander Brayan Bello (2-4, 6.46 ERA) as it looks to build off a 3-2 Saturday win, which came on the strength of a two-out, two-run home run by Willson Contreras in the eighth inning. Aroldis Chapman stranded the bases loaded in the ninth for a save, making the big swing and Payton Tolle’s eight-inning start stand tall.

“It feels great to be able to help the team,” Contreras said. “We’re trying to play better baseball, we’re trying to have better at-bats. … I come here every single day to play baseball and play for the guys. Tonight, we played for each other.”

Tolle and Bello have helped the Red Sox pitch the ball incredibly well in May, as their 2.34 team ERA for the month is tops in the American League.

Sunday is expected to be a true start for Bello, who has followed an opener in each of his last two outings. After going 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA through six starts to begin the season, Bello is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last two outings (13 1/3 innings).

Bello followed Jovani Moran into the game and ultimately tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his Tuesday appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Sometimes you gotta flip something,” Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez said. “Flip that mentality, and coming out of the bullpen he probably thinks, ‘OK, I gotta be convicted right now. It’s not like, OK, I got five innings, 90 pitches.’ Something in his mind has changed.”

In three career starts against Atlanta, Bello is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA.

The Red Sox started Saturday with shortstop Trevor Story being placed on the 10-day injured list with a sports hernia, but he is contemplating surgery that would sideline him for at least six weeks. Nick Sogard was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Story’s roster spot.

“He’s meant a lot to me in my transition here, the way he’s accepted me and pushed other guys to do so. So he’s a big piece of it,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Story.

The Braves were unable to duplicate their series-opening magic, as Mike Yastrzemski — a Massachusetts native and grandson of Red Sox legend Carl — hit a 10th-inning double to make the difference in a 3-2 Friday win.

On Saturday, they were held to just four hits by the duo of Tolle and Chapman. Drake Baldwin and Jose Azocar both had two, with the former leading off the bottom of the first with a home run. It was the team’s National League-leading 64th of the season.

“Bryce (Elder) was throwing the ball well, pitch count was OK. It’s unfortunate (to lose),” Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss said. “The game was going to be Bryce and Martin (Perez).”

Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, has swung a hot bat of late. He has socked first-inning homers in the first two games of the series.

“There’s no egos here,” Yastrzemski said earlier this week. “Nobody feels like they own any piece of this team. We’re all pulling on the same rope together, the same direction. Whatever opportunities come for you that day, that’s good enough.”

Grant Holmes (2-1, 4.35) looks to earn his first win since April 24 against Philadelphia and lift Atlanta in the series. Last Tuesday, Holmes allowed two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out five in a four-inning start against the Chicago Cubs.

The Braves have won four consecutive Holmes starts.

Holmes is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox, both coming in May of last season.

–Field Level Media

The Washington Nationals will go for their first home series sweep of the season when they host the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

The Nationals pulled away late for a 13-3 win on Saturday, allowing them to reach .500 (23-23) for the first time since May 2024. Washington had lost 15 straight games when a win would have improved its record to the .500 mark.

This is the latest Washington has been at .500 since July 2, 2021.

“Obviously, we want our record to be even better than .500,” manager Blake Butera said. “It’s a cool accomplishment to get to .500 at this point in the season, playing the type of schedule we’ve played to this point. Hopefully, we can build off this.”

The Nationals have managed just an 8-13 home record while going 15-10 on the road.

Baltimore, meanwhile, has lost three of four. Scoring has been a problem of late as the Orioles have scored three runs or fewer in eight of their past nine games.

“We’re trying to win every game like we talk about,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Every time we show up we’re trying to win so the urgency is the same. I think it’s us coming in tomorrow, be ready to win.”

The Orioles send Brandon Young (3-1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound Sunday opposite fellow right-hander Miles Mikolas (1-3, 7.00).

Baltimore is 4-1 in Young’s starts. Last time out, he gave up two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the Yankees. He struck out five and walked three.

“BY’s command was not his best, he knows that but he did a great job of just keeping us in it,” Albernaz said.

Young, who has never faced the Nationals, has fashioned a 2.45 road ERA this season, compared to 5.40 at Camden Yards.

Mikolas has managed to shave over four runs off his ERA with improved performances over his past five appearances. Last time out, he started and went 3 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits as the Washington defeated host Cincinnati.

Mikolas is 1-0 with a 4.41 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles.

The Nationals saw a 4-0 lead shrink to 4-3 in the seventh inning Saturday before erupting for seven runs in their half of the inning.

“They cut to a 4-3 game there in the seventh, and to answer with a seven spot and get the momentum right back in our hands is just tremendous,” Butera said.

Keibert Ruiz had three hits including a homer and drove in five runs, and Jacob Young and Brady House each had two hits including a homer.

Ruiz has hit safely in four of his last five games, batting .381 (8-for-21) with four doubles, three homers, seven runs and 11 RBIs.

House entered the game in the seventh inning and became the fifth player in Nationals history to record two or more extra-base hits off the bench.

CJ Abrams finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.

Samuel Basallo and Tyler O’Neill hit back-to-back homers for Baltimore. Basallo extended his hitting streak to nine games, raising his batting average from .234 to .278 during that time.

–Field Level Media