Sports
Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez strives to shut down Pirates
Jun 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) enters the field before the game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Pirates have seen Cristopher Sanchez at his best.
The standout left-hander hopes to return to that level Tuesday night when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Pirates in the second contest of a four-game set.
Sanchez (9-3, 2.13 ERA) did not allow a run in five starts in May as part of a scoreless streak that reached 50 2/3 innings. Amid that stretch, he struck out 13 Pirates in a six-hit shutout on May 16.
“I’m proud of myself, but at the same time, I try to keep my feet on the ground, keep it going, keep getting better, keep working. The same,” Sanchez said after that outing, in which he lowered his ERA to 1.30 to go with a 1-3 record in six games (five starts) against Pittsburgh.
Sanchez has been mortal in June, pitching to a 3.82 ERA in five starts this month. He gave up five runs in five innings Thursday against the Washington Nationals in a game the Phillies came back to win 10-5.
“I missed a couple pitches, and they got me,” Sanchez said after the game. “But outside of that, I think I felt great today. Everything was good. I missed a couple pitches that first inning, and they punished me for it.”
Sanchez will look to slow down Pittsburgh rookie Esmerlyn Valdez, who has gone deep in four straight games and has six home runs in 16 career games. His two-run shot Monday began the Pirates’ comeback from a 5-0 deficit as they defeated the Phillies 11-7.
“We have a really good offense, and it’s cool to see the way that we continue to chip away even when we’re down,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “I think it’s the confidence in the team. … There was no sense of panic in the dugout.”
Brandon Marsh homered twice while Bryce Harper and Trea Turner also went deep for the Phillies. Aaron Nola struggled to protect an early lead and was charged with eight runs in 4 1/3 frames.
“I gave up too many hits, too many runs,” Nola said. “I have to be better than that.”
Pittsburgh on Tuesday will start right-hander Bubba Chandler (3-7, 4.42 ERA), who opposed Sanchez in that May 16 game — his only career start against Philadelphia. Chandler gave up five runs in three innings in that one, although he has worked at least five frames in all seven of his outings since his early exit against the Phillies.
More recently, Chandler has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last four starts. He held the Seattle Mariners to one run in 5 1/3 innings Thursday as part of a 5-1 triumph.
“I think he’s kept his emotions in check,” Kelly said recently. “(I love) the way he’s been able to slow things down throughout his starts and even when some pitches get away and it gets 2-0, he’s able to reign it back in.”
Philadelphia is 11-1 in its last 12 games following a loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
First-half goals send Mexico to comfortable 2-0 victory over Ecuador
June 30, 2026; Mexico City, Mexico; Mexico’s Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images Julian Quinones delivered a goal and an assist in the first half for Mexico, who maintained complete control in front of their vocal home fans to earn a 2-0 World Cup victory over Ecuador in a round of 32 match on Tuesday at Mexico City.
Raul Jimenez added a goal as Mexico won a knockout-round match for the first time since 1986 — also on home soil.
Goalkeeper Raul Rangel made one save in Mexico’s fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Mexico advance to a round of 16 matchup against either England or the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, also in Mexico City.
Ecuador, who rallied to defeat Germany in group play last week and earn a spot in the round of 32, were unable to counter Mexico’s early momentum. Hernan Galindez made one save as Ecuador fell to 0-2-0 all time in knockout-round matches.
Adding to the disappointment was a red card for Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time for covering his mouth in a confrontation with Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez.
Just as he did twice in group play, Quinones found the back of the net to give Mexico a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. Roberto Alvarado sent a long pass forward from beyond midfield, and Quinones proceeded unmarked before scoring into the upper left corner from just inside the box.
Jimenez started a scoring sequence less than 10 minutes later when he forced a turnover on Ecuador’s side of the field, sent a pass to Quinones, then received the ball back to score from the top of the box in the 31st minute.
Even as Mexico controlled the run of play from the outset, Ecuador had the best early chance when John Yeboah hit the outside of the left post with a shot in the 18th minute. Mexico took over from there and were never threatened again.
Mexico won with 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora in the starting lineup. Mora became the second youngest starter in a knockout-round match after Brazil’s Pele in 1958.
The match was delayed one hour at the start because of lightning.
After they were one of three teams with a perfect 3-0-0 record in group play, Mexico became the second team to win for a fourth time in the tournament, joining France. Argentina will have a chance to join them when they oppose Cape Verde on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers demolish A's as Dave Roberts reaches 1,000 career wins
Jun 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Tommy Edman had four hits, including a homer, and had four RBIs and manager Dave Roberts recorded his 1,000th career regular-season victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Athletics 9-3 on Tuesday at West Sacramento, Calif.
Miguel Rojas also went deep and drove in two runs and Mookie Betts had three hits as the Dodgers won for the seventh time in the past eight games. Los Angeles had 14 hits for a total of 31 over two nights while dominating the A’s both times.
Roberts, who is in his 11th season, became the fourth manager in Dodgers history to reach the 1,000-victory mark. Walter Alston (1954-76) won a franchise-best 2,040 games while managing both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The list also includes Tommy Lasorda (1,599 from 1976-96) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375 from 1914-31).
Roberts (1,000-606) has a career winning percentage of .623, counting one game as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015.
Justin Wrobleski (10-2) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings for Los Angeles. He allowed three runs and seven hits and didn’t walk anyone while winning his fourth consecutive decision.
Colby Thomas had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Athletics, who have dropped four straight games and eight of their past 10.
Jeffrey Springs (3-8) was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while losing his eighth straight decision and seeing his winless stretch reach 14 starts. He walked four, struck out two and served up two homers to raise his season output to 24 blasts, tied for the most allowed in the majors.
Freddie Freeman doubled to lead off the Los Angeles third inning and Kyle Tucker walked with two outs. Edman then unloaded on a first-pitch slider for a three-run shot to center off Springs, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.
Rojas led off the sixth by sending a 1-1 slider over the wall in left-center to make it a five-run margin.
Los Angeles tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Edman singled in the first run, Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to plate the second, and Dalton Rushing singled in the last to make it 9-1.
Joey Meneses singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh for the A’s, and Thomas followed with a two-run blast to left-center.
The Dodgers scored twice in the first, on Betts’ RBI single and Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.
The Athletics struck in the bottom of the first when Jonah Heim drilled a long single over the head of Tucker and it one-hopped into the right field wall. Shea Langeliers scored from first on the two-out hit.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Diamondbacks pound Giants, remain unbeaten vs. San Francisco
Jun 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Arizona Diamondbacks ran their season-long winning streak against the San Francisco Giants to eight games Tuesday night, riding home runs from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Ketel Marte to an 8-2 victory in Phoenix.
Recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A and making his first big-league start since April 11, Brandon Pfaadt (1-1) combined with four relievers on a four-hitter, propelling the Diamondbacks to a second consecutive victory in the three-game set.
Gurriel delivered the big blow of the game, a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the first after Giants starter Landen Roupp (5-8) had put Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno aboard with walks.
Hurting his own cause with six walks, Roupp was unable to finish the third inning, an inning in which he forced in a run by issuing a free pass to Jorge Barrosa with two outs. Marte followed with a two-run single, making it 6-0 and sending the Giants’ young right-hander to the showers.
The six-run cushion made a return to a starter’s role more comfortable for Pfaadt, who carried a shutout one out into the sixth before serving up Luis Arraez’s fourth home run of the season.
The right-hander limited the Giants to just two other hits in his 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out two.
San Francisco’s only other run came on Rafael Devers’ 15th homer in the seventh.
In between the Giants’ big blows, Marte capped a two-hit, three-RBI game with his 17th homer of the season.
The Diamondbacks added the game’s final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Moreno.
Gurriel, Marte, Moreno and Max Kepler had two hits apiece for Arizona, which out-hit San Francisco 10-4 en route to a fifth straight home win over the Giants this season. Moreno scored twice.
After singling in the first and tripling in the third before his home run in the sixth, Arraez took a crack at a cycle in the eighth but flied out to left field. He finished with three of San Francisco’s four hits.
In extending his winless streak to 11 games after a 5-1 start to the season, Roupp was charged with six runs on five hits in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
–Field Level Media
First-half goals send Mexico to comfortable 2-0 victory over Ecuador
Dodgers demolish A's as Dave Roberts reaches 1,000 career wins
