Sports
Ronald Acuna Jr.'s power emerging as Braves seek sweep of fading Reds
May 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) high fives third base coach Tommy Watkins (84) after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The Atlanta Braves have accomplished plenty through the first two months of the regular season. The first team to reach 40 victories will look to add a three-game sweep of the host Cincinnati Reds to the list on Sunday afternoon.
With its 5-2 series-clinching win on Saturday, Atlanta climbed to a season-high 21 games over .500.
The second-highest scoring offense in baseball (312 runs, behind only the Washington Nationals’ 320) has posted 23 runs across the last three games, with Ronald Acuna Jr. connecting on four homers in that span.
“When he gets going, he’s one of those guys who almost makes the game look easy,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Acuna. “We’ve all seen him when he’s going good, and he’s one of the best there is.”
Acuna had hit just two home runs through his first 42 games prior to the recent power stretch.
Spencer Strider (3-0, 3.46 ERA) will look to continue his unbeaten streak to open the season in his sixth start of the year for Atlanta. Strider earned his second consecutive victory on Tuesday, tossing five innings of three-run, three-hit ball, striking out five and walking three in a 7-6 road victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.
“Spencer was good. He’s given us a chance to win virtually every time out,” Weiss said after Strider’s last start.. “He’s using his secondary stuff. I think he’s becoming more of a complete pitcher. He made those adjustments last year. He’s done a nice job for us.”
Since making his season debut on May 3 following a stint on the injured list with a left oblique strain, the 2023 All-Star has struck out 32 batters in 26 innings.
In three career appearances (two starts) against the Reds, Strider is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA.
Cincinnati will be looking forward to turning the calendar to June. The Reds have dropped three straight and are 9-17 in May with one game remaining.
Nick Lodolo (1-1, 5.57) will make his fifth start for the Reds after spending the first six weeks of the season on the shelf with a blister on his left index finger.
After allowing 12 runs across his first three starts of the year, Lodolo produced his best performance last time out. The 28-year-old left-hander yielded just one run across six frames, striking out seven in a 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Monday.
“He worked ahead, he threw a lot of strikes, had good velocity, threw some changeups,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Lodolo’s stellar outing. “That was really welcome.”
For Lodolo, who sported a career-best 3.33 ERA in 29 appearances (28 starts) last season, he hopes that showing was a sign of things to come.
“It was definitely a lot better, for sure,” Lodolo said. “There’s definitely some things I’ve got to do a better job of, but overall, I’m happy with it.”
Lodolo has faced Atlanta once in his career, scattering two runs and five hits across six innings while striking out seven in a no-decision on May 8, 2025. The Reds lost 5-4 in 11 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down Diamondbacks in win
May 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Julio Rodriguez hit one of Seattle’s four solo home runs and Bryan Woo pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners defeated the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 Saturday night in an interleague game.
Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Colt Emerson also went deep as the Mariners won their fifth game in a row and moved above .500 (30-29) for the first time since they were 3-2 on March 30.
Woo (5-3) retired the first 13 batters he faced before Adrian Del Castillo lined a one-out single to center field in the fifth. An out later, Ildemaro Vargas lined a single to center, but Woo caught Jose Fernandez looking at a called third strike to get out of the inning.
Those were the only two hits Woo allowed. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine, matching his season high.
Raley hit a solo shot to right-center with one out in the second off Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (2-4). It was Raley’s team-leading 13th homer of the season. An out later, Canzone went deep to right, nearly reaching the second deck, to make it 2-0.
Emerson led off the Seattle third with another homer to right. An out later, Rodriguez went deep to straightaway center, his 10th homer of the month and 12th of the season.
The Mariners added on without the benefit of a long ball in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached on a throwing error by third baseman Fernandez, Raley singled to left and Cole Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 5-0 lead to end Nelson’s night.
The Diamondbacks, who have lost two in a row, scored their lone run in the ninth. Geraldo Perdomo walked with two outs, took second on defensive interference and scored from there on a passed ball by catcher Mitch Garver as reliever Alex Hoppe failed to cover the plate.
Nelson gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado was a late scratch from the lineup for what the team called “precautionary reasons.” Arenado, who has been dealing with groin tightness, was hit in the left arm by a fastball from Mariners closer Andres Munoz in the ninth inning Friday night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics survive erratic 9th to snap their skid, Yankees' win streak
May 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz drilled two-run homers and Tyler Soderstrom hit a solo shot as the Athletics notched a 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
J.T. Ginn pitched six solid innings as the Athletics snapped a four-game losing streak.
Kurtz went 3-for-4 and scored twice and Soderstrom reached four times on three hits and one walk.
New York had just six hits – none producing a run — while seeing a five-game winning streak come to an end.
Ginn (3-3) gave up just one unearned run and four hits. He struck out four and walked three.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth with a single and two walks against Jack Perkins. Scott Barlow entered and walked Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in succession to force in three runs before getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to bounce out to first to post his second save.
New York’s Ryan Weathers (2-3) served up three homers and allowed five runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He matched a season-best with 10 strikeouts and walked three.
Weathers retired the first two batters in the seventh with the Yankees trailing 3-1. He then walked Colby Thomas to bring Kurtz to the plate.
Manager Aaron Boone scurried out to talk to Weathers, but the left-hander remained in the game.
In turn, Kurtz smacked the first pitch to the wall and New York center fielder Trent Grisham leaped but couldn’t catch the drive that gave the Athletics a 5-1 lead, ending Weathers’ outing.
In the eighth inning, Jake Bird hit Brent Rooker with a pitch and Soderstrom followed with a double. One out later, Zach Gelof singled to left to score Rooker.
Kurtz singled with one out in the first before Langeliers came to the plate. Weathers threw a 2-2 fastball that Langeliers jumped on and sent the ball flying 426 feet to center to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.
The Yankees got a run in the fourth with help from two Athletics’ errors.
Bellinger walked with one out and Chisholm followed with a single to center with Bellinger moving to third when Henry Bolte fumbled the ball.
Chisholm then attempted to steal second and Langeliers’ throw was on the mark but Alika Williams failed to catch the ball for an error and it went into center field, scoring Bellinger.
In the sixth, Soderstrom sent a 1-0 fastball from Weathers over the wall in right-center to make it 3-1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down D-backs in win
May 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Julio Rodriguez hit one of Seattle’s four solo home runs and Bryan Woo pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners defeated the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Saturday night in an interleague game.
Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Colt Emerson also went deep as the Mariners won their fifth game in a row and moved above .500 (30-29) for the first time since they were 3-2 on March 30.
Woo (5-3) retired the first 13 batters he faced before Adrian Del Castillo lined a one-out single to center field in the fifth. An out later, Ildemaro Vargas lined a single to center, but Woo caught Jose Fernandez looking at a called third strike to get out of the inning.
Those were the only two hits Woo allowed. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine, matching his season high.
Raley hit a solo shot to right-center with one out in the second off Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (2-4). It was Raley’s team-leading 13th homer of the season. An out later, Canzone went deep to right, nearly reaching the second deck, to make it 2-0.
Emerson led off the Seattle third with another homer to right. An out later, Rodriguez went deep to straightaway center, his 10th homer of the month and 12th of the season.
The Mariners added on without the benefit of a long ball in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached on a throwing error by third baseman Fernandez, Raley singled to left and Cole Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 5-0 lead to end Nelson’s night.
The Diamondbacks, who have lost two in a row, scored their lone run in the ninth. Geraldo Perdomo walked with two outs, took second on defensive indifference and scored from there on a passed ball by catcher Mitch Garver as reliever Alex Hoppe failed to cover the plate.
Nelson gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado was a late scratch from the lineup for what the team called “precautionary reasons.” Arenado, who has been dealing with groin tightness, was hit in the left arm by a fastball from Mariners closer Andres Munoz in the ninth inning Friday night.
–Field Level Media
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down Diamondbacks in win
Athletics survive erratic 9th to snap their skid, Yankees' win streak
