Sports
It's a new day as Nationals face Diamondbacks
May 31, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Zack Littell (18) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images The Washington Nationals have had distinct identities this season.
The difference is night and day.
The Nationals, who rank first in the majors with 345 runs after a 14-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, have been much more dangerous under the lights.
They lead the majors in OPS (.804) at night and are tied with the D-backs for 25th (.675) in day games.
The Nationals have an immediate chance to change the narrative. The teams will meet in the first of two straight day games Saturday, when Washington right-hander Zack Littell (5-4, 5.01 ERA) opposes Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.24) in Phoenix.
Nationals first-year manager Blake Butera has noticed the difference in day/night performance but notes the small sample size.
“It’s definitely something to pay closer attention to, but I haven’t looked to see if it is league-wide or if it is just specific to the Nationals,” Butera said.
“We’ve won. I also don’t want to make a huge deal until I know a little bit more about it.”
The Nationals’ slugging percentage follows a similar pattern. They lead the league at .459 under the lights after hitting five homers Friday. They are 21st during the day, at .376.
The splits have not seemed to affect the Nationals’ record — they are 17-16 at night and 15-16 in day games for a 32-32 overall mark.
Rodriguez is 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last six starts, five quality, and has given up as many as three runs only once in that span. His fastball velocity averaged 93.6 mph Monday in his last outing, when he permitted only one run over six innings in his team’s 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. That velocity was almost 2 mph higher than his season average.
“That’s the best I ever felt,” Rodriguez said. “My fastball, if I can remember a day like that, it was probably the WBC (championship) game against the Dominican.
“I’m feeling great body-wise. I just have to take advantage of it and keep doing it. You have 30-plus starts in the year, and you are going to have one of two like that. You just have to enjoy it when it happens because it doesn’t happen every day.”
Rodriguez is off to the best start of his career, reminiscent of his 2023 season in Detroit — 13-9, 3.30 ERA — that led to his four-year, $80 million free-agent contract with the D-backs this winter.
“I‘ve never had numbers like that in my career, and it’s something I want to keep doing, keep working,” Rodriguez said of his key stats this season.
Rodriguez is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Nationals. Keibert Ruiz is 2 for 3 against him.
Littell was 5-0 with a 2.35 ERA in six May starts. He gave up only two homers during the month and gave up two or fewer runs in all six starts.
“I’m not sure that the actual vibes changed all that much; the group is just more confident,” Littell said of the May surge.
“You got a team full of young guys, taking series from teams that are really good. It’s only going to continue to build confidence in these guys and then go out and compete with anybody.”
Littell is 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA in 10 career appearances, four starts, against the D-backs. He was 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts against them with Tampa Bay last season. Nolan Arenado is 5-for-12 with a homer against him and Gabriel Moreno is 2-for-5 with a homer.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Mets score 5 runs in 8th to top Royals
Jul 8, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) pitches in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Brett Baty delivered a two-RBI single during a five-run eighth inning Wednesday night for the host New York Mets, who beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.
Royals right-hander Alex Lange (0-4) retired Juan Soto and Bo Bichette on groundouts before Francisco Lindor began the rally with a single. Carson Benge walked and Jorge Polanco legged out an infield single to load the bases for Jared Young, who was hit by a pitch to force home Lindor.
Baty followed four pitches later with his hit to center. Jose Cuas entered and uncorked a wild pitch, which allowed Young to race home. Francisco Alvarez added an RBI single.
Brooks Raley (3-3), the third of four Mets pitchers, allowed one hit in the eighth.
A.J. Ewing hit a leadoff homer and finished with two hits for the Mets, who have won three of four.
New York starter Christian Scott gave up three hits and walked one while striking out five over five scoreless frames.
Salvador Perez tied the game with a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Royals, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Kansas City scored 36 runs in the three previous victories.
Carter Jensen added an RBI double in the ninth and was one of eight Kansas City players with one hit apiece.
Steven Cruz, who was serving as an opener for the second time this season, whiffed two while throwing 14 pitches in the first inning. Bulk reliever Randy Dobnak allowed three hits and three walks while striking out two over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
Ewing hit Cruz’s third pitch over the right-centerfield fence for the seventh homer of his rookie season and his first leadoff shot.
The Royals mounted just one threat against Scott, who walked Nick Loftin with two outs in the second before Loftin went to third on Isaac Collins’ single. Scott then got Tyler Tolbert to pop out.
Scott allowed just one baserunner over his final three innings before the Royals rallied in the sixth against Tobias Myers. Jac Caglianone hit a one-out double and scored on Perez’s two-out single to left.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sal Stewart hits 2 of Reds' 5 homers during blowout of Phillies
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Sal Stewart (27) gestures after hitting a 2-run home run in the third inning between the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The Cincinnati Reds played home run derby Wednesday night in an 11-5 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.
The Reds powered five long balls — including two from Sal Stewart — while All-Star Chase Burns labored through five innings on a humid night to post his National League-leading 11th win.
The five homers accounted for the first seven runs on the night for Cincinnati, which won for just the third time in 10 games and the fifth time in 15. Philadelphia was tagged for double-digit runs for the second time in three games while taking its third loss in four contests.
The highlight of the night for the Reds was a five-run fourth in which they belted four home runs, including three straight from Elly De La Cruz, Stewart and JJ Bleday against reliever Tanner Banks. It was the first time Cincinnati hit back-to-back-to-back homers since July 22, 2023, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Beginning the decisive frame, Noelvi Marte led off with a homer against Phillies starter Alan Rangel (0-2) to give Cincinnati a 3-2 lead. The other three long balls in the inning came against Tanner Banks.
It was Cincinnati’s first four-homer inning since July 4, 2010, vs. the Chicago Cubs.
Marte added a three-run double in the sixth to blow the game open.
Rangel, making his second major league start after a four-inning scoreless outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 2, was staked to a 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI triple from Justin Crawford and a run-scoring wild pitch by Burns in the second.
Burns allowed three runs on three hits, walking a season-high six and striking out two. He needed 106 pitches to get through five innings and qualify for the win.
Stewart tied the game in the third against Rangel with a towering two-run opposite-field homer to right that landed on the netting atop the visitors’ bullpen.
Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto homered off reliever Brock Burke to cut the deficit to 7-4 in the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Cincinnati got an RBI single from Bleday ahead of Marte’s two-run double.
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber unloaded his major-league-leading 32nd home run in the ninth, a solo shot to the seats in right against Rhett Lowder.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox blank White Sox to continue undefeated road trip
Jul 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jake Bennett delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Jake Bennett and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout and Tsung-Che Cheng had a pair of RBI singles as the visiting Boston Red Sox earned a 5-0 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Boston won for the 10th time in 12 games while improving to 5-0 on a nine-game road trip entering the All-Star break.
Bennett, a rookie left-hander, stymied skidding Chicago, which has lost five of seven. Luisangel Acuna singled twice against Bennett (4-3), who held the rest of the White Sox lineup to just two base hits while spacing one walk and four strikeouts in seven innings.
Chicago went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position as Bennett threw 53 of his 81 pitches for strikes.
Boston pitching retired the last 13 Chicago batters in a row. Greg Weissert and Jovani Moran followed Bennett with separate perfect innings.
White Sox ace Davis Martin remained winless since June 10, struggling to complete four innings after a strong beginning.
Martin needed just 21 pitches to retire the first six Red Sox but slumped from there while falling to 9-4.
Boston rolled to three runs in the third inning despite losing two infielders to injury. Second baseman Anthony Seigler (right trap contusion) and first baseman Willson Contreras (left foot contusion) were banged up in short succession.
Seigler collided with Chicago catcher Kyle Teel while scoring on a Martin wild pitch to make it 3-0 with Contreras at bat. Moments later, Contreras fouled a ball off his foot before flying to center. He left the game in the bottom of the inning.
Cheng lined an RBI single to open the scoring and came around on a Ceddanne Rafaela double.
Carlos Narvaez and Cheng delivered successive run-scoring singles in the fourth to stretch the advantage to 5-0.
Martin yielded five runs and six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Caleb Durbin and Rafaela had two hits apiece for the Red Sox.
Four Chicago pitchers notched nine strikeouts in five innings of shutout relief. Trevor Richards had four strikeouts over two innings.
–Field Level Media
Mets score 5 runs in 8th to top Royals
Sal Stewart hits 2 of Reds' 5 homers during blowout of Phillies
