Sports
After redemption, Angels take on Tigers again
Apr 24, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) pitches during the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images After snapping their seven-game losing streak on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Angels will aim to split their four-game series against the Detroit Tigerson Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
That will be easier with veteran closer Kenley Jansen in a better frame of mind.
He got his seventh save of the season by retiring two batters on three pitches on Saturday in his team’s 5-2 victory after a disastrous outing in Friday’s 9-1 loss to the Tigers.
Jansen entered Friday’s game in the ninth inning with the score 1-1. He promptly gave up back-to-back home runs to Riley Greene and Colt Keith.
In all, Jansen allowed six runs and three home runs (Javier Baez hit a two-run homer). And with the Angels up 5-1 in the ninth but with Detroit runners on second and third with one out on Saturday, Jansen wanted redemption.
It again was Greene and Keith who were waiting for Jansen. But this time Greene hit a grounder to first, which scored the runner from third, and Keith lined out to short to end the game.
“You just got to go back out there,” Jansen said. “… It’s a long season. If you’re doing it for a while, you’re going to continue to learn crazy things happen. You got to control it, stick to the process.”
Said Los Angeles manager Ron Washington: “You saw how bad he wanted it,” Washington said of his closer. “… We told him if they got two on that he was coming in the game. And he wanted this opportunity again.”
“He’s a pro, and pros don’t back down,” Washington continued. “Pros accept whatever happens to them, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to be pros, trying to accept what’s happened to us and just keep working through it. Because when you look back, we’ve been in a lot of ballgames.”
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (1-4, 5.29 ERA) will start for Los Angeles on Sunday. Kochanowicz has faced the Tigers once in his career, giving up no runs and five hits in six innings of a 3-0 win last August.
The Tigers had their previously hot bats cooled off Saturday by Angels starter Kyle Hendricks, who allowed only run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. Detroit had 26 runs and 11 home runs during a three-game winning streak that was snapped with Saturday’s loss.
“We weren’t timed up on anything, which is the art of pitching,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We really didn’t have the adjustments, and he fooled us.”
Fundamentals also have been a strong point for the Tigers, whose 21 wins are the most in the American League. But they failed to make an easy play with two outs in the second inning when outfielders Greene and Kerry Carpenter collided in right-center field and they combined to drop the ball, allowing a run to score. Right fielder Carpenter got the error.
“I saw them collide and, obviously, that’s a play that needs to be made,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s frustrating. You don’t think it’s going to be a big play, but it was a big play for much of the game.”
Right-hander Reese Olson (3-2, 3.55 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tigers on Sunday. Olson has opposed the Angels once in his career, surrendering two runs and five hits in a no-decision last June. The Tigers lost 6-5.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Byron Buxton slam in 10-run fifth propels Twins to rout of Diamondbacks
Jun 20, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) hits a grand slam against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Byron Buxton’s grand slam highlighted a 10-run fifth inning for the Minnesota Twins, allowing them to coast to a 16-8 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in Phoenix.
Brooks Lee had four hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, Victor Caratini had three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, Ryan Kreidler had three hits and four RBIs, and Luke Keaschall also had three hits and scored three times for Minnesota, which has won five of six.
Twins starter Taj Bradley (6-3) allowed two runs and three hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Jorge Barrosa homered and doubled, Pavin Smith had two hits and an RBI, Tommy Troy had two hits and a run scored, and Ildemaro Vargas delivered a three-run double for Arizona, which had won four of five.
Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (3-6) surrendered career highs of nine runs and 12 hits over four innings. The 2023 NL All Star struck out two and walked two.
Lee’s two-run single in the first gave the Twins an early 2-0 lead.
Gallen retired eight in a row before back-to-back soft-hit singles and a swinging bunt by Keaschall loaded the bases for Kreidler, who rolled a grounder up the middle that second baseman Ketel Marte could only knock down, extending the lead to 3-0.
Trevor Larnach followed with the fifth straight single for the Twins, driving in a pair of runs for a 5-0 lead.
After Gallen got the second out, Kody Clemens dropped a single into left-center field to score Kreidler and make it 6-0.
Lee began the 10-run fifth with a triple into the right-field corner. He scored when Caratini doubled into the right-center field gap to make it 7-0.
A single by Keaschall put runners on the corners, still with no outs, and ended Gallen’s night.
The Twins continued to pad their lead against Yilber Diaz, loading the bases for Buxton, who went the other way for a grand slam over the right-field fence, extending the lead to 12-0.
A two-run single from Caratine and a two-run triple from Kreidler capped off the massive inning,
Barrosa went deep with a runner aboard in the fifth to cut it to 16-2. The D-Backs plated another run when the first four batters of the seventh walked and then scored three on Vargas’ double to make it 16-6.
Smith cut it to 16-7 with a two-out RBI single later in the inning, and Arizona tacked on another run in the eighth on a run-scoring groundout to make it 16-8.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Japan shut out Tunisia, which will not advance from group stage
June 20, 2026; Monterrey, Mexico; Japan’s Ayase Ueda scores their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images Ayase Ueda scored twice and had an assist to help Japan to a 4-0 Group F victory on Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico, to eliminate Tunisia and spoil the debut of their coach Herve Renard.
Tunisia (0-2-0, 0 points) were eliminated while Japan and Netherlands each have four points (1-0-1) and a plus-4 goal differential.
Sweden (1-1-0) have three points heading into the final group matches on Thursday when Japan plays Sweden and Netherlands faces Tunisia.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring in the 4th minute, the fastest goal ever for the Japanese in a World Cup match. The previous mark was Shinji Kagawa’s score against Colombia in the sixth minute of their 2018 match.
Ueda made it 2-0 in the 31st minute, Junya Ito scored in the 69th and Ueda’s header in the 83rd made Japan the first Asian team to score four goals in the World Cup.
This was the 1,000th World Cup match since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.
Tunisia were embarrassed after their 5-1 loss to Sweden in the opener on June 14, resulting in the firing of Sabri Lamouchi. Renard coached Saudia Arabia in the 2022 World Cup when they upset eventual champion Argentina 2-1 in their opener.
The change didn’t help.
Kamada, scoring in a second straight match, made a run toward the near post when Keito Nakamura from the left side sent a cross from the end line that Kamada was able to redirect for his 14th goal in 51 matches.
Renard made several changes with the most obvious being the return of veteran goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen after Lamouchi made the questionable decision to start the inexperienced Mouhib Chamakh, who played poorly against Sweden.
Dahmen was in goal for the 2022 World Cup, including a 0-0 tie with Denmark.
He made a spectacular save in the 10th minute on Saturday to keep it a one-goal deficit when he got his left arm on the ball and prevented it from going completely over the goal line by inches on a shot by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
But Dahmen could do nothing on the brilliant strike from the edge of the box by Ueda, who dribbled toward the goal as Montassar Talbi backed off. Ueda’s strike went between the defender’s legs and tucked into the lower left corner.
Ito took a pass in stride from Ueda, held off Mohamed Amine, and slipped a shot past Dahmen for the 3-0 lead.
Japan goalie Zion Suzuki did not have to make a save as Tunisia totaled two shots and none on target.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spacestation Gaming move atop OWCS Stage 2 standings
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Spacestation Gaming moved atop the standings with another convincing victory on Sunday in Stage 2 of North American qualifying for the Overwatch Champions Series.
Spacestation, which played just one match in the opening week, beat The Kafe 3-1 in its first of two Week 2 matches. They hold a narrow edge in match differential over Team Liquid (plus-five to plus-four) as the lone unbeaten teams left.
LuneX Gaming swept Disguised 3-0 in the day’s other match to move into third place. Saturday’s two winning teams will face off on Sunday.
The six teams in contention will engage in round-robin matches during the regular season, with the top four qualifying for the regional playoffs, which will be double elimination on July 3-5. All matches are best-of-five until the grand final, which will be best-of-seven.
In addition to the $75,000 prize pool, the top four Stage 2 finishers will advance to Stage 3. The three finishers will also qualify for the Midseason Championship.
Spacestation Gaming was even with The Kafe through two matches after they opened with a 2-0 win on Ilios and The Kafe responded with a 3-2 triumph on Circuit Royal. Spacestation closed out the match with a pair of 3-1 wins on King’s Row and New Junk City.
LuneX Gaming had an easier time on Saturday, completing the sweep with a 2-0 win on Oasis, 119.7m-108.96m victory on New Queen Street and a 3-2 clincher on New Junk City.
Week 2 concludes with three more matches Sunday.
Sunday schedule
–Spacestation Gaming vs. LuneX Gaming
–The Kafe vs. Disguised
–Dallas Fuel vs. Team Liquid
Standings (team, record, match differential)
1. Spacestation Gaming, 2-0, +5
2. Team Liquid, 2-0, +4
3. LuneX Gaming, 2-1, +4
4. Dallas Fuel, 1-1, 0
5. Disguised, 0-2, -5
6. The Kafe, 0-3, -8
Prize pool:
1. $30,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
2. $15,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
3. $12,000, qualifies for Midseason Invitational, qualifies for NA Stage 3
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 3
5-6. $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Byron Buxton slam in 10-run fifth propels Twins to rout of Diamondbacks
Japan shut out Tunisia, which will not advance from group stage
