Sports
Mike Trout, Angels aspire for rare feat in matchup vs. Rangers
May 23, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels will try to finish their first three-game series sweep of the season on Sunday when they close their 10-game homestand with a contest against the Texas Rangers in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels, just 8-24 over their past 32 games, followed a 9-6 win over Jacob deGrom in Friday’s series opener with a 5-2 victory against Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday.
A win on Sunday would match the longest winning streak of the season for Los Angeles, which won three games in a row from April 4-6.
You have to go back to Aug. 11-13, 2025, to find the last time the Angels swept a three-game series. The opponent was the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Left-handers Reid Detmers (1-5, 5.07 ERA) of the Angels and MacKenzie Gore (3-4, 4.78) are the scheduled starters on Sunday.
Detmers is 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA in 16 career appearances (10 starts) against the Rangers, and Gore is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA in two career starts against the Angels.
On Saturday, Mike Trout hit a two-run homer in the first inning — his 13th homer of the season and the 417th of his illustrious Angels career. It also was the 108th first-inning homer of his career, which ranks seventh all-time. He needs two more to pass Frank Thomas for No. 6 and four to push Ken Griffey Jr. out of the No. 5 spot.
“He usually comes after me, and I was just trying to be aggressive and got a good pitch to hit,” Trout said of Eovaldi, who had allowed just one run in his three previous starts covering a span of 22 innings.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki was pleased with the first two games of the series.
“It was good team performances the last couple of nights,” he said. “Timely hitting, pitchers making pitches to get out of innings, and the energy is really good. It’s fun to be a part of when you’re doing something like this on a nightly basis. I know it’s only been two nights, (but) it’s a good reminder of how we can play and, when things are going good for us, how good we can be.”
Texas, which fell to 3-5 on its nine-game road trip, left 11 men on base Saturday. The Rangers were 2-11 with runners in scoring position.
“We just left guys on base all night,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “Bases loaded three times. Tough not to get any runs across there.”
The Rangers, already without shortstop Corey Seager and outfielder Wyatt Langford because of injuries, took third baseman Josh Jung out of the game with left- shoulder soreness after he dived for a ground ball by Zach Neto in the third inning. Jung had labrum surgery on the same shoulder in 2022, but he appears to have escaped injury.
“It scared me more than anything because I had that labrum tear in ’22,” Jung said. “I hadn’t had any pain or weird sensation in that area in a while. So it freaked me out a little bit. I think it’s more precautionary. All the tests are negative, so I think I’m all right.”
Gore was removed from his most recent start Monday after one inning at Colorado due to left lat tightness, but an MRI of the area came back negative. He had allowed one run on three hits in eight innings in his previous start, a 7-4 victory over Arizona on May 12.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Knicks hammer Cavs again, take 3-0 series lead
May 23, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives the ball while defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the third quarter during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images CLEVELAND — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and Mikal Bridges added 22 as the New York Knicks never trailed in a 121-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday night, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
The third-seeded Knicks have won a franchise-record 10 straight playoff games — by an average margin of 22.5 points — and are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. Game 4 is Monday in Cleveland.
Karl-Anthony Towns collected 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for New York, which also received 21 points from OG Anunoby. Josh Hart had 12 points, nine rebounds and a playoff career-high tying four steals.
Evan Mobley scored 24 points, Donovan Mitchell had 23 and James Harden added 19 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who appeared fatigued for the second game in a row after playing every other day since April 29. All three players also committed at least five turnovers.
Cleveland needed the full seven games to beat the Toronto Raptors in the first round and the Detroit Pistons in the East semifinals. No NBA team has overcome a 3-0 deficit in any playoff series.
Brunson took over in the third with 12 points, pushing New York out to its largest lead at 83-70. Landry Shamet buried three 3-pointers in a 99-second span early in the fourth and Anunoby delivered the dagger with a 3-pointer that made it 110-93 with 5:30 to go.
The Cavaliers forged their first of two ties at 48-48 on a Harden layup in the second, but the Knicks held a 60-54 advantage at the half. Anunoby scored 13 points in 15 minutes while Harden had 14 points and Mitchell and Jarrett Allen each had 12.
Bridges had four points in the first two minutes as New York jumped in front 9-1, then extended it to 29-19 behind 11 points without a miss from Towns. Mitchell had seven points for Cleveland, which trailed 37-27 after the first.
Knicks coach Mike Brown lost his challenge seven minutes into the first quarter, failing to get a goaltending call against Towns overturned.
Sitting courtside were superstar singer Taylor Swift and her fiance Travis Kelce, a Kansas City Chiefs tight end who grew up in neighboring Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
–Brian Dulik, Field Level Media
Sports
Nashville SC bests New York City FC behind Maxwell Woledzi's 1st MLS goal
May 23, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC defender Jeisson Palacios (4)celebrates with forward Warren Madrigal (41) after scoring a goal against New York City FC during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images Maxwell Woledzi scored on a header early in the second half for his first career MLS goal and first in any league in six seasons to lift Nashville SC to a 2-1 victory over visiting New York City FC on Saturday night.
Jeisson Palacios also scored his first goal of the season for Nashville (10-1-3, 33 points), which extended its winning streak to three league games and unbeaten run to eight heading into the World Cup break.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau converted from the penalty spot for his 10th goal for NYCFC (5-6-4, 19 points).
But Brian Schwake made three saves for the victors, including a reflex stop of Fernandez Mercau in second-half stoppage time. That ensured the Coyotes will remain atop the Eastern Conference table through the seven-week hiatus. It also meant an end to the Cityzens’ three-match league unbeaten run.
Nashville leading scorer Sam Surridge made his first appearance in about a month as a late substitute in his return from back issues.
Palacios opened the scoring in the 17th minute when he escaped the mark of Nico Cavallo, reached Cristian Espinoza’s inswinging corner kick and powered his header between a deflection from goalkeeper Matt Freese and the crossbar.
Espinoza was also involved on Nashville’s second from Woledzi to restore a one-goal advantage in the 49th minute, sending in an initial cross from the left that failed to reach a teammate’s head.
It eventually sailed to Bryan Acosta, who settled beyond the far corner of the penalty area before sending in a second outswinging service toward the back post.
Woledzi rose above right back Tayvon Gray to meet it with a second powerful header to beat Freese beneath his crossbar.
Fernandez Mercau pulled NYCFC level from the spot in the 23rd minute, driving a confident finish down the middle as Schwake guessed incorrectly. Malachi Jones had lured Reed Baker-Whiting into the foul while dribbling at the fringe of the penalty area.
It was Mercau’s second penalty scored in as many attempts this season. The only other NYCFC player to take a penalty, Maxi Moralez, was lost for the season with a torn ACL suffered in last weekend’s draw with the New York Red Bulls.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brian White's brace guides Whitecaps to cozy win over San Diego
May 23, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Thomas Muller (13) and forward Aziel Jackson (22) celebrate a goal scored by forward Brian White (not pictured) against San Diego FC during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images Brian White logged a first half brace, helping send the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps into the World Cup break with a 4-2 defeat of San Diego FC on Saturday night.
Bruno Caicedo and Ralph Priso added second half markers for Vancouver (10-2-2, 32 points), which remains tied atop the West table on points with San Jose. David Vazquez and Bryan Zamble scored for San Diego (4-6-5, 17 points), which played the final 18 minutes plus stoppage time with 10 men after Luca Bombino earned his second yellow card.
The Whitecaps bounced back nicely from a 1-0 loss in stoppage time on May 16 at Houston, outshooting San Diego 20-10 and putting 11 shots on frame to San Diego’s three. The final margin could have been worse if CJ dos Santos hadn’t made seven saves for San Diego.
After nearly a half-hour of back-and-forth play, White initiated scoring in the 30th minute via a slick passing sequence. Tristan Blackmon sent Thomas Muller down the right side and the German star crossed into the middle for a sliding White, who flicked the ball past dos Santos with his left foot.
Just before halftime, White struck again. Taking a back-pass header from Jeevan Badwal, White beat dos Santos with a well-struck shot that snuck just inside the left post.
San Diego pulled one back in the 53rd minute as Anders Dreyer teed up Vazquez at the top of the box. After an initial touch got him into position, Vazquez lasered a shot between goalie Isaac Boehmer and the right post.
But Vancouver added on in the 67th minute with a pretty bit of passing. Muller hit White on the right side of the box and he split two defenders with a pass to Caicedo, who smashed it past dos Santos near the left post.
Priso tacked on his goal in the 75th minute after Bombino’s dismissal, collecting White’s shot that was headed for the net and roofing it just before it crossed the goal line.
Zamble capped the scoring in the first minute of stoppage time for San Diego.
–Field Level Media
Knicks hammer Cavs again, take 3-0 series lead
Nashville SC bests New York City FC behind Maxwell Woledzi's 1st MLS goal
