Sports
After offensive barrage, Angels vie for another win over Reds
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler (12) celebrates after hitting a grand slam in the eighth inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, April 10, 2026. The Angels won 10-2. The Los Angeles Angels showed signs of busting out of their offensive malaise in the opener Friday of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Cincinnati did little in that regard.
Fresh off crushing three homers, the Angels will look to secure a series victory over the Reds on Saturday afternoon when the teams reconvene in Cincinnati.
Jorge Soler hit his third career grand slam, Zach Neto launched a two-run homer, and Josh Lowe also went deep in Los Angeles’ 10-2 romp on Friday.
Yoan Moncada had an RBI single and reached base four times in the series opener after going 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts in his previous five games.
“He’s got a track record,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said of Moncada, a switch hitter. “Last year, left-handed he put up some really good numbers (an .815 OPS). Sometimes you see guys have slow starts. We played Seattle, and (Cal) Raleigh and (Julio) Rodriguez. Those guys aren’t going to hit .100 the whole season. If guys have track records, you give them a longer leash.”
Adam Frazier reached base four times and joined Mike Trout in working a bases-loaded walk to help Los Angeles snap a two-game losing streak.
“Frazier’s earned (the start on Friday),” Suzuki said. “I feel like he deserves it. He brings a different element to the lineup.”
The Angels mustered just two runs in each of their previous two games — both losses.
Los Angeles right-hander George Klassen (0-0, 6.75 ERA) will start on Saturday, opposing Cincinnati left-hander Brandon Williamson (1-1, 4.76)
Klassen, 24, will look for a better performance after allowing two runs on three hits with five walks over 2 2/3 innings in his major league debut Sunday against the Seattle Mariners. The Angels won 8-7 in 11 innings.
In defense of Klassen, he learned he was making the start at 11 p.m. on the previous night due to Ryan Johnson’s illness. This time, Klassen will have had almost a week to prepare for his next start.
“Definitely a lot more comfortable,” he said, per The Orange County Register. “With my teammates, the environment, the travel, all that. Definitely have a little more time to prepare, so excited for that.”
Williamson responded from a disastrous season debut vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31 (six runs in 4 2/3 innings) by scattering three hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday.
“I was on attack mode when I was pitching, and I felt physically and mentally (like) I was in a good space to play offense. ‘Here it is, try and hit it,'” he said.
Williamson, 28, has yet to face the Angels in his career.
Elly De La Cruz hit a solo homer in the eighth inning and Eugenio Suarez had two of the four hits Friday for the Reds, who have mustered only seven runs during a three-game losing streak. All told, Cincinnati has just 41 runs in 14 games this season.
“I told them today that as long as they don’t feel sorry for themselves, and they don’t, we’ll figure this out together,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “They’re good workers. Great kids. Great teammates. You’ve got to plug away. We will. I fully believe guys get to their level as long as they’re healthy.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Landen Roupp, Giants claim first matchup of season with Dodgers
Apr 21, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp (65) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Landen Roupp outpitched Yoshinobu Yamamoto, San Francisco got RBI singles from Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee in a three-run first inning, and the Giants held off the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.
Roupp (4-1) allowed just one run on one hit in five innings, then watched five relievers combine for four innings of shutout ball, helping the Giants open a six-game homestand with a win after a 4-5 trip.
Roupp struck out seven and walked five in his first career win over the Dodgers.
Seeking his first-ever victory over the Giants, Yamamoto (2-2) went seven innings, allowing six hits and three runs, all of which scored in the first. He walked two and fanned seven.
Willy Adames got the cold night rolling for San Francisco with an infield single, after which Luis Arraez singled and Matt Chapman walked to load the bases.
Each of the next three batters delivered single runs, with Devers’ single chasing home Adames, Casey Schmitt’s sacrifice fly scoring Arraez, and Lee’s single plating Chapman.
Roupp allowed a two-out single by Hyeseong Kim in the second but no other hits until a wild spate in the fourth. He walked four of the first five batters he faced that inning, including Kim with the bases loaded to force home Teoscar Hernandez.
The right-hander got out of the one-out jam by inducing a double play grounder off the bat of Alex Call.
The Dodgers got the potential tying run on the bases with two outs in the seventh before Erik Miller struck out Kyle Tucker to retain the 3-1 lead.
Ryan Walker worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save.
Ryan Borucki, Matt Gage and Keaton Winn also contributed to the three-hitter in the first meeting of the season between the longtime California rivals.
Lee was the only player in the game with multiple hits, a pair of singles. The Giants out-hit the visitors 6-3, with the Dodgers’ Hernandez stroking the game’s only extra-base hit, a double.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Logan Cooley lifts Mammoth past Knights for Utah's 1st playoff win
Apr 21, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi (50) attempts to deflect a shot attempt by Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) during the first period of game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Logan Cooley scored the go-ahead goal on a rebound with six minutes remaining to give the Utah Mammoth the first playoff win in franchise history, 3-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Cooley buried a rebound of a Dylan Guenther shot just inside the left post, even the best-of-seven series at one victory apiece. The scene now shifts to Salt Lake City for the next two contests, with Game 3 on Friday.
Guenther had a goal and an assist, Kailer Yamamoto had two assists and MacKenzie Weegar also scored for Utah. Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves, including a close-in shot by Mark Stone from the left side of the net with five seconds left to seal the win.
Stone and Ivan Barbashev each a scored goal and Jack Eichel had two assists for Vegas, which lost for the first time in regulation in 10 games (8-1-1) under coach John Tortorella. Carter Hart finished with 26 saves.
The teams exchanged own goals during the first period, which ended with the score 1-1.
Vegas, which rallied for a 4-2 victory in Game 1, took a 1-0 lead at the 11:40 mark on a power-play goal. Stone’s cross-crease pass for Tomas Hertl near the right post caromed straight into the net off the skate of Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. It was Stone’s 43rd career playoff goal and his sixth in the past six games dating back to the regular season.
Utah tied it near the end of the period when Weegar’s shot from the right point deflected off the stick of Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin and then off the pads of Hart into the low slot toward Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who kicked the rebound into the net.
The Mammoth took a 2-1 lead in the second period on a one-timer from the top of the left circle by Guenther off a pass from Yamamoto.
The Golden Knights tied it 62 seconds later. Barbashev intercepted a clearing pass by Sergachev in the neutral zone and then skated in and split a pair of Utah defensemen before roofing a backhand shot into the top far corner for his second goal of the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Munetaka Murakami extends HR streak as White Sox pound D-backs
Apr 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami hits a home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Rookie Munetaka Murakami homered for the fourth straight game, Colson Montgomery went deep for the third straight and the Chicago White Sox slugged four homers in an 11-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Tuesday.
Murakami, Michael Vargas and Montgomery hit consecutive solo shots with two outs in the second inning to help stake Sean Burke (1-2) to a 7-0 lead.
Murakami, who has nine homers in 23 games, reached base four times, adding two infield singles and a walk. He singled and scored in a four-run first off Merrill Kelly (1-1).
Vargas homered for the second straight game, Montgomery and Sam Antonacci notched two hits and three RBIs apiece and Tristan Peters had three hits. The White Sox have won three of four and scored 33 runs over that span.
Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas had a three-run homer in the ninth to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 16 games, the longest in the majors. Dating back to the end of the 2025 season, Vargas has hit in 18 straight. Alek Thomas had two hits, including his first homer of the season for the Diamondbacks, who had won 10 of 14.
The White Sox have 11 homers in their last three games and 14 in their last five.
Antonacci had a two-run inside-the-park homer in the ninth when his ground ball inside the bag at third appeared to be touched by the ball boy along the left field line. Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. did not immediately attempt to field it as Antonacci circled the bases for his first career homer.
Burke gave up two runs on five hits in six innings in his first road victory since a 4-0 decision at Detroit on Sept. 28, 2024. He struck out three and walked one.
Kelly gave up eight runs and 10 hits before leaving with one out in the fifth. He struck out five and walked three in his second start of the season after opening on the injured list.
The first four White Sox batters reached in the first. Andrew Benintendi singled, Murakami reached on an infield single, Vargas walked and Montgomery doubled in two. Everson Pereira hit a sacrifice fly and Antonacci tripled for a 4-0 lead.
Murakami, Vargas and Montgomery homered in the second for a 7-0 lead after 13 batters.
–Field Level Media
