Sports
After 15-hit game vs. Nationals, Giants aspire to keep offense rolling
Apr 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos (17) celebrates with Giants third base coach Hector Borg (80) while rounding the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Heliot Ramos and the San Francisco Giants will try to continue their offensive burst when they visit the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon for the middle contest of the teams’ three-game series.
Ramos hit a three-run homer as part of a 15-hit attack in a 10-5 San Francisco win on Friday night. It was the first time this season the Giants recorded double-digit runs, and they had scored three or fewer runs in each of their past five games.
For Ramos, it was his first homer of the season, and it came after he had been out of the starting lineup the previous two games. He began Friday hitting .231, with seven RBIs.
“It’s something that really woke me up,” Ramos, who drove in four runs Friday, said of not starting. “Obviously, I know it’s early, but at the end of the day, I have a pretty good sense of urgency, and I took it personally because I know I can be better than that. It did help me to work a lot. Just be aggressive at the plate, just be intentful, and I feel like it helped me with my mindset moving forward.”
The San Francisco left fielder gave the Giants a 3-0 lead during a six-run second inning, and they kept adding runs. A member of the National League All-Star team in 2024, Ramos had 21 homers and 69 RBIs last season.
“Ramos is an All-Star for a reason. Everyone expects him to be really good, and he expects that of himself,” Friday starter and winner Logan Webb said. “Good to see him get on track, and he’s been working his butt off, so awesome to see.”
Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt added solo shots for the Giants, and Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs.
San Francisco will start Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06 ERA) against fellow right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.60) on Saturday.
Houser allowed four runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles last Sunday. He is 0-1 with a 1.27 ERA in six career games (four starts) vs. Washington.
Cavalli lasted only 1 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, giving up four runs on three hits and three walks in a 16-5 defeat.
“You could tell he was frustrated he couldn’t get in the zone, just wasn’t able to find it tonight,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said after the game. “The first inning was good. It was just really when we went back out there for the second, he was just fighting himself, couldn’t get in there.”
Cavalli, who has never faced the Giants, has allowed 15 hits and issued 12 walks in 15 2/3 innings in 2026.
On Friday, James Wood and Daylen Lile homered, and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals, who were opening a seven-game homestand. Lile hit a two-run shot, his first homer of the season, to straight-away center off Webb to pull the Nationals within 8-3.
“It feels really good,” Lile said. “I didn’t think I had it in me to go dead center, but it’s good to get the first one. Now I’m just trying to keep having quality at-bats.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Green, Suns shoot past Warriors, charge into playoffs
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton (8) during the first half in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs with a 111-96 play-in win over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Suns earned the Western Conference’s eighth postseason seed. They will visit the defending champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday to open a first-round series.
Phoenix scored 30 points off the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.
After Phoenix let a late lead slip away against the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in opener, the Suns held on this time.
There was some late drama, though.
With the outcome already decided, Golden State’s Draymond Green fouled out with just more than a minute remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared a moment with Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, embracing both. The three were part of four NBA championship runs.
However, as action resumed, Draymond Green and the Suns’ Devin Booker began a heated discussion that carried on for several moments before the whistle blew and both players were issued a technical foul. Green was ejected.
Phoenix jumped out to a big lead with a 13-0 run after the Warriors scored the game’s first two points, then closed the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 33-15.
Golden State’s 15 first-quarter points were their fewest in a quarter since scoring 14 in the fourth quarter March 7 against the Thunder.
The Suns, who shot 52.4% in the first quarter, struggled in the second quarter as the Warriors roared back.
Phoenix was just 5 of 20 from the field in the second, and Golden State pulled within two on Curry’s free throws with 19.6 seconds remaining in the half.
As time ran down, Jalen Green elevated for a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it for the Suns’ first field goal in more than five minutes to give Phoenix a 50-45 lead at the break.
Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the second. He also led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
The Suns used an 11-1 run — featuring two 3-pointers from Jalen Green — to regain control in the third quarter.
Booker finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Phoenix’s Jordan Goodwin added 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
Curry recorded 17 points in the loss but was just 4 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jake deGrom, Rangers extend Mariners' skid in shutout
Apr 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Brandon Nimmo homered leading off the game and that was enough as six Texas Rangers pitchers combined for a six-hitter in a 5-0 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Reliever Gavin Collyer (1-0), a rookie right-hander, pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn his first major league victory in just his second appearance.
In the opener of a three-game series, the Rangers improved to 4-0 against Seattle this season and have outscored the Mariners 13-3. Texas has won four of its last six, while Seattle has lost four in a row.
Nimmo jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (1-3) in the first, lining it over the right field fence for his fourth homer of 2026.
Texas extended its lead in the third as Corey Seager led off with a double to right and Wyatt Langford followed with a run-scoring single to left to make it 2-0.
The Mariners threatened in the sixth but came up empty. Josh Naylor lined a leadoff single to center and took second on Randy Arozarena’s groundout. Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder hit a comebacker to the mound, preventing Naylor from advancing. J.P. Crawford lined a single to left, but Naylor was thrown out easily at the plate by Langford to end the inning.
With one out in the seventh, Seager lined a double into the gap in left-center off reliever Jose A. Ferrer. Langford singled to left, sending Seager to third, and Jake Burger lined a single to center to make it 3-0.
The Rangers added two runs in the ninth off Casey Legumina. Langford and Burger led off with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Evan Carter. Andrew McCutchen lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Josh Jung hit a run-scoring double into the left field corner to make it 5-0.
Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom didn’t allow a run but an elevated pitch count knocked him out after four innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three, throwing 88 pitches.
Gilbert gave up two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan left after the third inning with an apparent injury. There was no update on his condition by the time the game ended. Leo Rivas replaced Donovan.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels hammer Padres hours after learning of Garret Anderson's death
Apr 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoán Moncada (10) gestures after hitting a home run during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Yoan Moncada and Josh Lowe each homered and Jose Soriano allowed two hits over 5 2/3 innings for his fifth win as the Los Angeles Angels, only hours after announcing the death of franchise icon Garret Anderson, snapped San Diego’s eight-game winning streak with an 8-0 victory on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Soriano (5-0) walked four and struck out eight, lowering major league-leading ERA to 0.28. He has allowed just one run — a homer by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin — and 11 hits over 32 2/3 innings while striking out 39.
Nolan Schanuel went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for Los Angeles, which finished with 13 hits. Adam Frazier doubled and had two hits and two runs scored, Jo Adell doubled and drove in two runs and Zach Neto and Oswald Peraza also had two hits for the Angels, who won for the third time in their last four games.
Matt Waldron (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Los Angeles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in in the second inning. Moncada led off with third home run, a 388-foot drive to right-center. Two outs later, Logan O’Hoppe was hit by a pitch and then scored on a double by Frazier. Neto followed with a single to drive in Frazier.
San Diego loaded the bases with two outs in the third on a single by Ty France and walks by Luis Campusano and Fernando Tatis Jr. But Soriano got out of the jam by getting Jackson Merrill to ground out to second.
The Angels extended the lead to 6-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Schanuel and a two-run line-drive double by Adell into the gap in left-center off reliever David Morgan.
Lowe then broke the game open in the fifth inning with his third home run, a two-run shot down the right field line to drive in Peraza, who had been hit by a pitch.
Anderson, the all-time hits leader among other offensive categories for the Angels’ franchise, died at age 53 on Thursday. The Angels did not disclose a cause of death in announcing his passing on Friday. TMZ reported Anderson died following a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, Calif.
–Field Level Media
Jalen Green, Suns shoot past Warriors, charge into playoffs
Jake deGrom, Rangers extend Mariners' skid in shutout
