Sports
Early offense sparks Nationals to another win over Giants
Jun 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (2) celebrates with Washington Nationals right fielder James Wood (29) after hitting a two run home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images Luis Garcia Jr. hit the 11th pitch of the game for a two-run homer, James Wood had three hits and scored twice, and the visiting Washington Nationals made it two straight wins over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday with a front-running 6-3 victory.
Andrew Alvarez and four relievers overcame nine hits and seven walks to limit the Giants to three runs, helping the Nationals improve to 4-1 on a six-game Western swing.
Garcia’s homer, his eighth, came off Adrian Houser (2-6) following a game-opening single by Wood. The blast gave the Nationals a lead they never relinquished.
Washington tacked on a run in the fifth when Jacob Young tripled and scored on a single by Wood. The Nationals benefitted from the Giants’ generosity to create a three-run margin in the seventh on a run-scoring wild pitch thrown by Erik Miller and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Daylen Lile.
Alvarez labored through four-plus innings in which he allowed five hits and five walks, throwing 90 pitches. He was pulled with a shutout but with two runners on base, and Jung Hoo Lee lashed a two-run double off reliever Brad Lord to get the hosts within 3-2.
The runs were charged to Alvarez, who struck out four.
Lord (4-0) pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam to end the fifth and retain the one-run lead. He then teamed with Richard Lovelady, Clayton Beeter and Orlando Ribalta to shut out the Giants the rest of the way until Bryce Eldridge launched his third home run of the season, a solo shot, with two outs in the ninth.
The Nationals completed their scoring in the top of the ninth when Lile smacked the game’s fourth triple to score CJ Abrams, who had reached base on a two-out error.
Houser worked 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and four hits. He struck out six without issuing a walk.
Young finished with two hits and two runs while Lile drove in a pair of runs for the Nationals, who began their trip by taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lee, Eldridge and Luis Arraez each had a pair of hits for the Giants, who dropped their fifth straight home game. Eldridge added a double and two walks to his homer.
The Giants out-hit the visitors 9-8 but stranded 13 baserunners.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USWNT use own goal to earn friendly split in Brazil
Apr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; United States forward Sophia Wilson (11) runs on the pitch during the first half against Japan at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Sophia Wilson was involved again in her team’s goal and the visiting United States women’s national team survived a physical encounter in Tuesday night’s 1-0 friendly victory over host Brazil in Fortaleza.
Wilson’s match-winning shot was ultimately credited as an own goal after it deflected off defender Isabela Chagas past the wrong-footed Lorena in the 63rd minute.
It came following her 25th international goal in a 2-1 loss to the same Brazilian side in Sao Paulo on Saturday.
Brazil finished with nine players after two stoppage-time ejections. Bia Zaneratto was sent off for earning her second yellow card in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and referee Paola Cebollada Lopez sent off Tarciane for elbowing Wilson in the ninth.
Home side manager Arthur Elias and several assistants were also dismissed from the technical area during the second half.
Lorena made six saves for the Selecao, which will host next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. Her counterpart Claudia Dickey kept her ninth international clean sheet without making a save.
Brazil’s Dudinha exited the match on a stretcher just after the half-hour mark after absorbing an apparent right leg injury. She was spotted on the team bench using crutches after halftime.
Wilson’s ability on the dribble helped her side take a deserved lead midway through the second half.
Pressured by Isadora Haas on the right flank, Wilson split Haas and Aline Gomes to dribble toward the top of the penalty arc.
From there, her low shot deflected off Chagas, leaving Lorena with no hope of reacting in time to make the save.
Olivia Moultrie nearly doubled the lead three minutes later on the break, striking the left post with her low attempt with only Lorena to beat.
Wilson had the first threatening opportunity for the visitors in the 20th minute, cutting in from the left flank and forcing Lorena into a lunging save.
And in first-half stoppage time, Lorena made a sensational double save to keep the hosts level, denying Emma Sears with her right hand, then recovering to smother Wilson’s rebound attempt with her left.
In the 55th minute, Rose Lavelle sprinted onto Wilson’s throughball for a one-on-one look against Lorena, but sent her effort just wide of the left post.
–Field Level Media
Sports
In MLB debut, White Sox's Braden Montgomery hits walk-off HR vs. Braves
Jun 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery (24) takes the field during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Braden Montgomery belted a game-ending, two-run homer in the 10th inning in his major league debut to lift the host Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 victory against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.
Montgomery, the White Sox’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, connected against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias (0-1) in the bottom of the 10th after Atlanta’s Mauricio Dubon hit a go-ahead RBI single against Grant Taylor on the first pitch of the top half.
Called up from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, Montgomery went 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Chicago didn’t hold the lead until its final swing and picked up its fifth walk-off victory of the season.
Matt Olson homered twice for the Braves while Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II added three hits apiece.
Miguel Vargas hit a two-run shot and Jacob Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI for the White Sox.
Olson provided the early power with his first multihomer effort of the season. He delivered a two-run blast against White Sox opener Brandon Eisert in the first inning and added a solo shot against Erick Fedde in the third.
Atlanta raced to a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the third but Chicago chipped away with Vargas’ two-run home run in the bottom half. Montgomery brought the White Sox within 4-3 with an RBI single — his first career hit — against Braves starter Grant Holmes in the fourth.
Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left the game with left hamstring tightness in the fourth. Batting with one out, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP hit a ground ball to Vargas at third. The throw narrowly beat Acuna, who hobbled down the right field line after running through the bag.
Eli White replaced Acuna in right field. White preserved a one-run Braves lead in the sixth, erasing Derek Hill at the plate to end the inning after Sam Antonacci lined a single to right. The call was upheld on replay after a White Sox challenge.
Chicago tied the game at 4-all on a Gonzalez RBI single in the seventh.
Holmes took a no-decision, scattering three runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Fedde yielded two runs (one earned) and six hits in five innings while striking out four.
Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Ronald, started at shortstop for Chicago as Colson Montgomery, no relation to Braden, missed the game due to back tightness.
Taylor (2-0) yielded an unearned run and two hits in two innings with one strikeout.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Behind Jordan Staal's 2 goals, Hurricanes level Stanley Cup Final 2-2
Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) carries the puck in front of Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) during the 1st period in game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Jordan Staal scored two goals, including the go-ahead tally in the third period, and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists as the Carolina Hurricanes evened the Stanley Cup Final at two wins apiece with a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.
It marked the fourth straight game that Staal scored a goal. He has five total in the finals after registering just two in Carolina’s first 13 playoff games this spring.
Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina. Brandon Bussi, making his first NHL playoff start after coming off the bench in Game 3, made 18 saves.
William Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Brett Howden and Mark Stone also found the net for the Golden Knights. Vegas’ Carter Hart stopped 23 of 27 shots.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes led 3-1 after one period, but the Golden Knights leveled the contest 3-3 in the middle frame.
Staal put Carolina back in front at 6:32 of the third period, flicking in the rebound of Ehlers’ shot over Hart’s glove while diving to the ice near the right post. The score came after the Hurricanes’ Seth Jarvis intercepted a clearing pass from Shea Theodore in the high slot, but Hart turned away Jarvis’ backhand try.
The Golden Knights pulled Hart for an extra attacker late in the game, and Ehlers sealed it with an empty-netter from behind his goal with 54.9 seconds remaining.
The Hurricanes needed only 66 seconds to take a 1-0 lead, and they did it with a goal similar to the one that beat them in double overtime on Saturday. Jalen Chatfield fired a point shot that, like Theodore’s winning tally in Game 3, bounced off the end boards. This one went to Stankoven, who beat Hart with a backhand shot.
Blake made it 2-0 at 3:28 of the first, firing in a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle off a Taylor Hall crossing pass.
Vegas halved the deficit at 7:22 of the opening period. Stone took a long stretch pass from Theodore and broke in, faked a shot in the slot and then wrapped a wrist shot around Bussi’s right pad.
The Hurricanes, taking advantage of a Vegas penalty for too many men on the ice, extended the lead to 3-1 at 12:48 of the first period. Staal, stationed in front of the crease, knocked in a rebound of a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot.
Vegas nearly scored at the end of the period on a Brayden McNabb shot from the right circle at the buzzer, but the goal was waived off when replays showed time had expired before the puck crossed the goal line.
The Golden Knights battled back to tie it 3-3 in the second period on goals by Karlsson, a one-timer through traffic from the left circle at 4:22, and Howden, who finished an odd-man rush with a wrist shot through the legs of defenseman K’Andre Miller and over Bussi’s right shoulder at 17:08.
It was Howden’s league-leading 14th goal of the playoffs, setting a franchise record for most goals in a postseason campaign.
–Steve Guiremand, Field Level Media
