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Streak-busting Marlins seek series victory over Rays

MLB: Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay RaysMay 16, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernandez (13) is congratulated by catcher Joe Mack (80) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Jakob Marsee is squeezing out plenty of offense in the Citrus Series.

Fresh off back-to-back three-hit performances, Marsee will look to lead the Miami Marlins to a series victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of the three-game set in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Marsee collected his third hit on Saturday after recording a single with two outs in the ninth inning. He promptly scampered home on Javier Sanoja’s RBI double to take a 2-1 lead. The Marlins erupted for eight runs in the 10th en route to securing a 10-5 victory.

So, what does Marsee attribute to his recent success at the plate?

“Honestly, I used (teammate Liam Hicks’) bat. Another thing is talking to my dad back home, my hitting coach back home,” Marsee told the Marlins Radio Network. “Couple things cleaned up mechanically to give me more confidence. … It’s bound to happen.”

Marsee is happy it has, given he was mired in a 4-for-29 stretch with nine strikeouts over his previous nine games.

Then there’s Sanoja, who also had a bases-clearing double to highlight Miami’s monster 10th inning on Saturday. He went 2-for-5 with four RBIs after going 0-for-14 in his previous four games.

“He’s come through so many times,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Sanoja. “I know he was frustrated, but to get the big one in the ninth to give us the lead, and then to come back again and come up with another big one, that’s what he does. Happy for him. Happy for us. That’s what he’s shown is that the moment is never too big for him.”

While Miami improved to 2-3 on its six-game road trip, Tampa Bay saw its 11-game home winning streak come to a halt following just its fourth loss in 21 games.

Eury Perez (2-5, 4.94 ERA) will look to halt a four-start losing streak for the Marlins on Sunday when he takes the mound against the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen (3-1, 3.16) in a battle of right-handers.

Perez allowed three runs on as many hits in six innings of a 3-0 setback to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. The 23-year-old has yet to face Tampa Bay in his career.

Rasmussen also gave up three runs in six innings in his last start but walked away a winner in the Rays’ 8-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

While happy with the win, Rasmussen sees room for improvement — namely, cutting down on the home-run ball. He has been taken deep seven times over 42 2/3 innings this season, including once in each of his last two starts.

“It seems right now the only runs that I’m giving up are via home runs, so I’ve got to figure out a way to limit damage in certain situations,” Rasmussen said, per the Tampa Bay Times. “But other than that, like we’ve talked about, every single outing it just seems to be a pitch or two. That’s pretty hard to complain about in the grand scheme of things. But, like, we’ve got to get back to keeping the ball in the yard a little bit.”

Rasmussen, 30, is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six career appearances (four starts) versus Miami.

–Field Level Media

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Conor McGregor returning to fight Max Holloway in July

News: 2025 Presidential Inauguration of Donald TrumpJan 20, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; UFC fighter Conor McGregor is seen during inauguration ceremonies in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 19, 2025. Mandatory Credit: Angelina Katsanis-Pool via Imagn Images

Conor McGregor, a big name in UFC despite not fighting since 2021, will return for a match with Max Holloway on July 11 in Las Vegas, UFC CEO Dana White announced on Saturday.

Ireland’s McGregor (22-6-0) will face fellow former champion Holloway (27-9-0) in a nontitle welterweight bout as the main event of UFC 329 during International Fight Week. It’s a rematch of their featherweight bout in August 2013, which McGregor won by three-round decision despite a torn ACL.

McGregor, 37, last fought on July 10, 2021, losing by TKO to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg during the final seconds of the first round. The fighters had split two earlier matches in the trilogy.

Another return was canceled when McGregor sustained a toe injury before his match with Michael Chandler scheduled for June 2024.

McGregor became the first UFC fighter to be champion simultaneously in two weight divisions in 2016. He knocked out Jose Aldo for the featherweight belt in December 2015 and stopped Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title in November 2016. He is 1-3 in his last four bouts.

Holloway, 34, is a former featherweight champion who has beaten Justin Gaethje, Aldo (twice), Poirier and Frankie Edgar. The Hawaii native is 1-1 since moving to lightweight in 2025, losing his last bout to Charles Oliveira by five-round decision in March.

–Field Level Media

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Willson Contreras' 8th-inning blast leads Red Sox past Braves

MLB: Boston Red Sox at Atlanta BravesMay 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Mickey Gasper (30) celebrates with second baseman Marcelo Mayer (11) after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Willson Contreras crushed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, lifting the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

After Wilyer Abreu knocked a two-out double deep into the left-field corner, Contreras flipped the score in Boston’s favor when he crushed the low ball deep into the left-center field stands.

Contreras and Abreu both went 2-for-4. Masataka Yoshida had the other Boston RBI.

Contreras’ big swing made a winner out of Peyton Tolle (2-2), who tossed a career-high eight innings in the victory. The Red Sox left-hander allowed just two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three.

After Tolle pitched three 1-2-3 innings to conclude his outing, Aroldis Chapman stranded the bases loaded – after a two-out fielding error and back-to-back walks – in Atlanta’s ninth to record his 10th save of the season. Ha-Seong Kim grounded back to the pitcher to end the game, forcing a rubber game in the three-game series on Sunday.

Drake Baldwin (home run) and Jose Azocar (two doubles) both went 2-for-3 for the Braves, combining for all four of the team’s hits. Bryce Elder (4-2) was a tough-luck loser, allowing three runs on seven hits through eight innings.

Baldwin wasted no time putting the Braves in front for a 1-0 lead, hitting his second first-inning home run in as many games. This time coming up as the leadoff batter against Tolle, the designated hitter crushed a solo shot to deep center.

Tolle quickly settled in after allowing the early run, retiring the next seven batters he faced and allowing just one additional hit through the first four innings.

The Red Sox wasted Jarren Duran’s leadoff double in the first and did not record another hit until Mickey Gasper’s base knock to begin the fourth. After an Abreu single and Contreras’ fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Gasper slid into the plate with the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly by Yoshida.

In the fifth, the hosts grabbed a 2-1 lead again. Azocar knocked his second straight double inside the third-base line before scoring on Baldwin’s single to right.

–Field Level Media

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Casey Schmitt, Giants dominate Athletics pitching in victory

MLB: San Francisco Giants at AthleticsMay 16, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Casey Schmitt (10) hits a home run against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Casey Schmitt hit two homers for the second time in his career and finished with four hits and three RBIs to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 6-4 victory over the Athletics on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.

The four-hit outing was the fourth of Schmitt’s career and it helped the Giants halt a three-game losing streak. Willy Adames had three hits and two RBI and Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert added two hits apiece for San Francisco, which had 14 overall, eight for extra bases.

Trevor McDonald (2-0) allowed one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings for the Giants. He struck out five and walked one.

San Francisco’s Matt Gage worked a perfect ninth for his first save.

Brent Rooker hit a three-run homer and joined Darell Hernaiz in having two hits for the Athletics, who lost for the fourth time in their past six games.

Luis Severino (2-5) gave up five runs and 10 hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked two while dropping to 3-11 in 19 starts at Sutter Health Park since joining the A’s prior to last season.

Schmitt hit a full-count sweeper from Severino over the wall in left with two out in the first to give San Francisco the lead for good.

The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the third when Jung Hoo Lee singled, Luis Arraez drew a walk and Schmitt singled. After Devers struck out, Adames knocked in two runs but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.

Arraez walked with one out in the fifth before Schmitt went the opposite way. He hit a first-pitch cutter from Severino off the right-field foul pole to make it 5-0.

The Athletics got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Lawrence Butler walked and moved to third on a single by Hernaiz and scored on Jeff McNeil’s fielder’s choice.

In the seventh, Devers led off with a double and scored later in the inning on Matt Chapman’s double.

The Athletics closed the gap in the eighth as Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers led off the inning with walks against Erik Miller. One out later, Caleb Kilian replaced the left-hander and Rooker came up and drilled a first-pitch slider well over the wall in left to pull the A’s within 6-4.

Kilian recovered by striking out the next two hitters.

The walk stretched Kurtz’s streak of reaching base to 39 consecutive games, the longest by an A’s player since Jason Giambi reached in 39 straight in both the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Mark McGwire had a 48-game streak in 1996.

–Field Level Media

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