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'Rolling' Rangers turn to Jack Leiter in rematch vs. Guardians

May 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (22) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesMay 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (22) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers are getting healthy and hitting their stride as they host the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager were activated from the injured list on Friday and impacted the Rangers’ rally that led to the team’s 3-2 win later that night. Langford doubled in the sixth inning and scored on Seager’s opposite-field homer.

Winners of six of their last seven games, the Rangers have pulled within one game of .500.

“Wyatt and I came back at a good time,” Seager said. “Honestly, this team is rolling, we are just trying to hop on board and keep the momentum going.”

Acquired in a November trade after spending 10 seasons with the New York Mets, Brandon Nimmo sees the Rangers’ potential now that its lineup is healthy.

“This team has all the makings for a playoff push,” Nimmo said. “Once you get your foot in the door anything can happen. With Wyatt and Corey back, we are just hitting our stride, and the best is ahead of us.”

Texas will turn to right-hander Jack Leiter (3-4, 4.34 ERA) to start Saturday’s game.

Leiter earned the win with a strong outing in a 6-3 home victory over the Kansas City Royals last Sunday. He gave up three hits, two walks and struck out 10 batters in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

In three career starts against the Guardians, Leiter is 2-1 with a 4.60 ERA.

Cleveland leadoff man Travis Bazzana continued the stellar start to his career by finishing a double short of the cycle on Friday. He led off the game with his fourth home run, added a triple and also stole his ninth base.

Although he wasn’t called up to the major-league club until April 28, Bazzana has fit right in at the top of the Cleveland lineup.

“I hit leadoff my whole life so it didn’t feel like too much of a transition,” he said. “I am just trying to keep the at-bat quality there and win ball games.”

He’s also embraced the amount of information available on opponents.

“When it comes to analytics, I love it and want all the information,” Bazzana said. “At the end of the day I have to compete in the box. But if I can figure out where I am best and what pitches I want to swing at while learning about pitchers and having a plan … there’s a lot that goes into it but a ton that can help me.”

Cleveland is scheduled to start right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57 ERA) on Saturday.

Bibee received a no-decision in a 9-4 home loss to the Boston Red Sox last Sunday. He allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

Bibee has made four starts against the Rangers and has a 0-1 record with a 2.82 ERA. He has 20 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings.

Cleveland has lost four of its last six games but still holds a two-game lead in the American League Central.

–Field Level Media

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Jonathan Aranda drives in 3 as Rays blank Yankees

Jul 8, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) hits an rbi double against the New York Yankees in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesJul 8, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) hits an rbi double against the New York Yankees in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda drove in all three runs as the American League East-leading Rays won for the second time in their four-game series with the New York Yankees, blanking them 3-0 on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Aranda went 2-for-3 with a double and raised his RBI total to 61 by knocking in single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings. Yandy Diaz was 4-for-4 with a double and a run.

Over 6 1/3 innings and 85 pitches, starter Shane McClanahan (8-5) kept the Yankees scoreless on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Reliever Bryan Baker closed out the club’s sixth shutout with three strikeouts in the ninth for his 25thsave in 28 chances.

Jasson Dominguez went 2-for-4, but the Yankees were shut out for the sixth time.

Gerrit Cole (3-4) started for New York and went 6 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one.

McClanahan’s glove work kept it scoreless in the second when Max Schuemann’s sacrifice bunt attempt went to the pitcher, who fielded and tossed it with his glove to catcher Nick Fortes to get Dominguez at home.

In the third after Diaz doubled off the left field wall, Aranda lined a single to right to plate Diaz and advance himself to second on the throw home. However, Cole retired Junior Caminero and Cedric Mullins to keep it 1-0.

The Rays tallied again in the fifth after Fortes’ one-out single and Diaz’s third hit. Aranda then doubled into the right-center gap to send Fortes in for another run.

However, just as McClanahan did in the second, Cole was able to get out of it when Jose Caballero threw out Diaz at the plate on a grounder with the infield in. The pitcher then fanned Mullins for the final out.

New York manager Aaron Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus were ejected the next frame by home plate umpire Doug Eddings after Caballero was caught stealing following a bunt single, but the visitors were denied because they were late with their challenge.

Cole Sulser struck out Anthony Volpe and forced a foulout by pinch hitter Trent Grisham to snuff the Yankees in the seventh.

Aranda’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half scored Taylor Walls, and Baker notched the save by fanning the side in the ninth after Ben Rice’s leadoff single.

–Field Level Media

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Janelle Salaun's career night lifts Valkyries past Tempo

Jul 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN;  Golden State Valkyries guard Janelle Salaun (13) looks for a passing option as Toronto Tempo guard Laura Juskaite (2) defends in the first half at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesJul 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Golden State Valkyries guard Janelle Salaun (13) looks for a passing option as Toronto Tempo guard Laura Juskaite (2) defends in the first half at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Reserve Janelle Salaun scored a career-best 26 points that included three 3-pointers late in game Wednesday night and the Golden State Valkyries defeated the host Toronto Tempo 83-75.

Reserve Kaitlyn Chen added 16 points for the Valkyries (16-7), who have won a franchise-best six consecutive games in their second season.

Kayla Thornton scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Golden State, who are 3-0 on a five-game road trip. Salaun finished 7 of 10 from the floor, including 5 of 6 from long range, and was 7 of 9 at the free-throw line.

Isabelle Harrison scored a career-best 24 points and added eight rebounds for the Tempo (9-12), who have lost three in a row. Marina Mabrey added 11 points while Julie Allemand and Maria Conde each scored nine points.

The Tempo overcame a 13-point deficit to lead by 59-57 entering the fourth quarter. Chen scored the first four points of the fourth to propel a 12-0 run that gave Golden State a 10-point lead with 7:01 to play.

Harrison’s driving layup cut the Valkyries’ lead to six, 71-65 with 3:33 remaining. Salaun hit two consecutive 3-pointers to increase the lead to 12 with 1:47 to play. After Harrison’s layup, Salaun made another 3-pointer to ice the game with 1:16 left.

The Valkyries shot 2-for-13 from the field in the first quarter and trailed 17-11.

Golden State opened the second on a 10-0 surge capped by Chen’s steal and layup to lead by four with 6:43 to play before halftime. Thornton hit a 3-pointer with 3:03 remaining to bump the lead to 10 as the Valkyries’ strong defense began to make its presence felt. Thornton added an 11-footer to increase the margin to 12. Golden State led 41-31 at halftime.

Thornton opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer. The Tempo turned up their defense and responded with a 17-2 run capped by Allemand’s 19-footer to take a 48-46 lead with 4:17 to go in the third. Kia Nurse completed the third-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer that gave Toronto a 59-57 lead.

Toronto center Nyara Sabally left the game in the first quarter with a left knee injury and did not return. She had two points in about seven minutes.

Golden State guard Gabby Williams left with a back contusion in the second half. She had seven points in 18 minutes.

–Field Level Media

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Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs outslug Orioles

Jul 8, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) is congratulated by infielder Michael Busch (29) after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn ImagesJul 8, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) is congratulated by infielder Michael Busch (29) after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two of Chicago’s five home runs and the Cubs held on to beat the host Baltimore Orioles 9-7 on Wednesday night.

Crow-Armstrong’s second long ball of the game and 21st of the season put the Cubs ahead for good, 4-3 in the fifth inning, before the teams combined for nine runs across the last three innings.

Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back solo blasts in the fifth, then two batters later, Crow-Armstrong went deep again. Seiya Suzuki added a three-run homer in the seventh.

The Cubs, who will go for a series sweep Thursday night, produced their offense with eight hits and four walks as the team won for the eighth time in its last 10 games.

Tyler O’Neill hit two home runs across the final three innings for the Orioles, while Pete Alonso and Coby Mayo also homered. Jackson Holliday rapped four of Baltimore’s 14 hits, but he never scored a run in what became the team’s third consecutive loss.

Right-hander Colin Rea (7-5) won his second start in a row, allowing three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Jacob Webb was called upon to pitch the ninth and the right-hander notched his fourth save by retiring the side in order.

Baltimore right-hander Dean Kremer (1-2) gave up four runs on six hits in five innings in his second start after coming off the injury list.

Following Crow-Armstrong’s third-inning home run, the Orioles built a 3-1 lead after Alonso’s two-run homer in the fourth.

Chicago’s three-homer fifth inning was followed by a five-run seventh for a 9-3 advantage.

O’Neill entered the game in the seventh as a pinch hitter and delivered his first homer of the game. The Orioles tacked on another run on Taylor Ward’s run-scoring single but stranded two runners on base while trailing 9-5.

Mayo slugged a pinch-hit homer in the eighth before O’Neill made it back-to-back homers for the Orioles.

–Field Level Media

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