Sports
Red Sox, desperate for home success, chase series win vs. Braves
May 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox will attempt to earn their first back-to-back home victories since early April when they wrap up a three-game series against the visiting Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
After Atlanta won the series opener 7-6 Tuesday, Boston ended a five-game home losing streak with an 8-0 victory on Wednesday. The Red Sox took control with a six-run fourth inning.
The last time Boston posted consecutive victories at Fenway Park was April 7-8 against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox also won their next home game, on April 17 vs. the Detroit Tigers, but they are 5-15 at home ever since.
The 15 hits Boston collected on Wednesday was the team’s highest total at Fenway Park this season.
“It was really good — and needed,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “I actually thought we took some good at-bats in the first three innings, but to capitalize in the fourth over and over again and just keep building was really good.
“Singles work when you stack them. That has been, at times, the problem. We can look up and get eight or nine hits, but we don’t stack them. We stacked them (Wednesday), and that’s usually what equals big crooked-number innings.”
Jarren Duran has hit a solo home run in each of the first two games in the series, and he had four hits on Wednesday. The Boston leadoff man has homered in back-to-back games three times this season, all in May.
Ceddanne Rafaela, who socked a solo shot on Tuesday, went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the Wednesday win.
“Overall, (Rafaela’s) swing decisions at the plate, for the most part, are as good as I’ve seen,” Tracy said. “He’s just being more particular about what he’s swinging at. When he gets a good pitch to hit, he’s hitting it hard, so he’s swinging the bat very well.”
Atlanta was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base Wednesday. It was the fifth time the Braves were shut out this season. Atlanta committed three errors in the defeat, two in Boston’s six-run fourth.
“Turn the page on this one,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “Game got away from us in the fourth inning there. We didn’t really take care of the ball.
“Hard to tell location from the dugout, but probably a lot of the pitches (from starter Bryce Elder) were on the plate. It was a lot of singles for a while, but they put ’em together and then we didn’t take care of the ball and the fourth got away from us.”
The Red Sox will send left-hander Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.49 ERA) to the mound Thursday afternoon with the hope of winning the decisive game in the series. Tolle won his lone career appearance against the Braves on May 16. He pitched a career-high eight innings and yielded four hits and two runs as Boston prevailed 3-2 at Atlanta.
Tolle is coming off a no-decision against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, when he tossed six innings of three-run ball.
Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale (7-3, 1.89) is scheduled to start against his former team. He played for the Red Sox from 2017-23, helping the club win the 2018 World Series. Sale is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA in 12 career appearances (seven starts) against Boston.
The 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner is in fine form again this year. He has allowed one run or fewer in eight of his 10 starts. Most recently, he fired seven innings of one-run ball to beat the Miami Marlins on May 20.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lynx pull away in third quarter, power past Dream
May 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (5) flexes after making a shot against the Atlanta Dream in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Courtney Williams scored 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, and the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 96-81 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Natasha Howard finished with 22 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (5-2), which avenged a season-opening loss against the Dream. Olivia Miles finished with 16 points and eight assists, Nia Coffey scored 14 points and Kayla McBride chipped in 12.
Allisha Gray scored 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting to lead Atlanta (4-2). Naz Hillmon finished with 15 points, and Angel Reese recorded 10 points and eight rebounds.
A 13-0 run helped the Lynx take a commanding lead in the third quarter.
The Dream trailed 44-40 after Gray made a 3-pointer off an assist from Reese with 8:56 left in the third.
Williams answered with a 3-pointer that started Minnesota’s big run. McBride added a layup, Williams made two free throws and Howard sank three consecutive layups to put the Lynx on top 57-40 with 5:28 left in the quarter.
By the start of the fourth, Minnesota led 70-56.
The Dream trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
Minnesota led 23-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lynx set the tone by scoring the first seven points of the game. Coffey made a 3-pointer and followed up with a turnaround jump shot, and Williams added a pull-up jump shot to finish the 7-0 run.
Minnesota pushed its lead to 20-7 later in the first quarter on a layup by McBride.
The Dream scored the final five points of the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Rhyne Howard and a running layup by Sika Kone.
In the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Minnesota 23-19 to further trim the Lynx’s lead. Gray and Jordin Canada drained back-to-back 3-pointers to open the period, and Gray and Kone buried back-to-back 3-pointers less than three minutes later to tie the score 26-26.
However, the Lynx regrouped and led 42-37 entering halftime.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fire pull away in fourth quarter to beat Sun, extend win streak to 3
May 27, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Fire guard Carla Leite (0) is fouled during the first half against Connecticut Sun guard Hailey Van Lith (2) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Carla Leite scored 20 points and the Portland Fire dominated the fourth quarter to post a 71-61 victory over the visiting Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night.
Bridget Carleton added 13 points and seven rebounds as Portland (5-3) won its third straight game. Megan Gustafson had 10 points for the Fire, who broke the game open with an 18-2 run to continue their strong play in their first WNBA season.
Aneesah Morrow recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Sun (1-8), who went 1-4 on a five-game road trip. Connecticut lost twice in Portland during the excursion, including 83-82 on May 18.
Connecticut’s Brittney Griner missed her fourth straight game due to a rib injury.
Portland shot 46.2% from the field, including 7-of-22 from 3-point range (31.8%).
The Sun were a dismal 1-of-21 from behind the arc (4.8%) while shooting 38.7% overall.
Charlisse Leger-Walker added 11 points for Connecticut.
The contest was tied at 50 entering the fourth quarter but the Sun scored the first five points of the period and led 55-50 after a three-point play by Hailey Van Lith.
The Fire responded with 10 straight points to start the decisive surge. Frieda Buhner scored consecutive baskets to give Portland a 58-55 lead with 4:25 left and Carleton ended the 10-0 burst with a short turnaround with 3:36 remaining.
Saniya Rivers ended the run with a basket for the Sun, but Leite and Buhner both canned 3-pointers during a stretch of 22 seconds as the Fire opened up a 66-57 lead with 1:32 to play.
Leite added two free throws 24 seconds later to end the run and boost the lead to 11 as the expansion Fire joined the Minnesota Lynx as the only teams with five victories.
Connecticut trailed by 10 at halftime but used a 16-4 burst in the third quarter to take the lead.
Diamond Miller’s steal and layup brought the Sun within one and Morrow added a layup to give Connecticut a 44-43 lead with 5:12 left in the quarter. Raegan Beers’ basket capped the run and gave the Sun a 48-45 edge with 2:06 remaining.
Portland scored the next four points with Carla Leite’s floater providing a one-point lead with 1:04 left.
Portland led 37-27 at halftime behind 11 points from Carleton. Morrow had eight points and 10 rebounds in the half for the Sun, who were 0-for-13 from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Shakira Austin, Mystics gain road split against Storm
May 27, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson (4) guards Washington Mystics guard Cassandre Prosper (18) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Shakira Austin had game-high totals of 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Washington Mystics defeated the host Seattle Storm 78-64 on Wednesday.
Michaela Onyenwere added 14 points, making three 3-pointers, and Kiki Iriafen had 13 points and nine boards for the Mystics (3-3), who snapped a two-game losing streak and avenged a 97-85 loss at Seattle on Sunday.
Jade Melbourne scored 15 points to lead the Storm (3-5), who had won their previous two games. Mackenzie Holmes added eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Mystics shot 42.4% from the field (28 of 66), including 7 of 21 (33.3%) from 3-point range. The Storm made just 34.9% of their field-goal attempts (22 of 63) and were 5 of 23 (21.7%) from long distance.
The Mystics, who trailed by as many as 26 points on Sunday, led by as many as 24 in this one, 74-49 with 7:33 remaining.
Washington scored the opening five points and never trailed.
Onyenwere made two 3-pointers and a jumper in the opening 1:53 as the Mystics took a 10-1 lead. They extended the margin to 23-9 before the Storm went on a 9-0 run.
The Mystics held a 28-20 lead after the first quarter as Onyenwere and Austin combined for 21 points.
The Storm pulled with six points early in the second before the Mystics answered with a 16-3 run on their way to a 48-29 halftime advantage.
Seattle scored the first eight points of the second half, but the Mystics were up 66-45 after three quarters.
Rookie centers Awa Fam of Seattle and Lauren Betts of Washington, the Nos. 3 and 4 picks in this spring’s WNBA draft, respectively, pretty much played to a draw. Both came off the bench. Fam had six points and five rebounds in 17:15 of playing time, and Betts had six points and three rebounds in 11:16.
The Storm played without center Dominique Malonga (concussion) and forward Ezi Magbegor (foot).
–Field Level Media
Lynx pull away in third quarter, power past Dream
Fire pull away in fourth quarter to beat Sun, extend win streak to 3
