Sports
Astros find momentum going into series against reigning champion Dodgers
May 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images The Houston Astros, desperate for production from a pitching staff ravaged by injuries, turned to an old postseason hero on Sunday, one whose struggles this season have come to represent the club’s as a whole.
Right-hander Bryan Abreu worked two scoreless innings of relief and notched his first win this season as the Astros claimed the rubber match of a three-game road series with the Boston Red Sox, 3-1 in 10 innings.
It marked just the second road series win this season for the Astros, who will host a three-game interleague series against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Abreu was on Houston’s World Series title team of 2022 and has played his entire major league career with the Astros since 2019.
“We can’t get to where we want to get to without Bryan Abreu,” Astros manager Joe Espada said after Abreu lowered his ERA to 10.32. “Hopefully, this is the trampoline that gets him going. I’m really happy for him, I’m really proud of him for those two innings.
“Momentum going into the Dodgers series at home, stuff like this matters,” Espada said. “These guys start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve still got a long season, but series like this get you going.”
Left-hander Steven Okert (0-0, 4.20 ERA) will serve as the opener for the Astros on Monday, while rookie right-hander Ryan Weiss (0-2, 6.65) is likely to work as the bulk pitcher. Okert tossed a scoreless inning of relief against the Red Sox on Sunday and allowed one hit with one strikeout.
It will mark the fifth career start for Okert and first since Aug. 5, 2025, against the Miami Marlins, when he allowed one run on one hit with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
Okert is 1-0 with one save and a 2.18 ERA in 20 2/3 innings over 19 career relief appearances against the Dodgers. Should Weiss make an appearance, it will mark the first of his career against the Dodgers and his third against the National League. Weiss is 0-1 with an 11.37 ERA in two career interleague appearances — both against the Colorado Rockies.
Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-2, 2.87) has the starting assignment for the Dodgers. He did not factor into the decision of a 5-4 home win over the Marlins on April 27 after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in five innings.
Yamamoto is 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in his last three starts with 18 strikeouts across 19 2/3 innings. The Dodgers scored one run in both of their losses with Yamamoto on the mound.
He will make his first career appearance against the Astros. He is 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA across 14 interleague starts since 2024.
The Dodgers snapped a four-game skid with a 4-1 road win in the finale of their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Justin Wrobleski twirled six shutout innings to pace the victory and deliver yet another strong pitching performance for the Dodgers, whose lineup scuffled during the skid but showed signs of improvement over the weekend.
Freddie Freeman delivered a two-out RBI single in the fifth, and he and Andy Pages produced runs while facing 0-2 counts. The Dodgers’ star-studded lineup is accustomed to more robust offensive displays, but given their recent struggles, all signs of progress are welcome.
“You’ve just got to bow your neck and find a way to win,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It doesn’t matter how good or how bad it looks, we needed a win so we can have a happy flight.
“Yeah, the two-strike hits, the two-out hits are a sign of what we’ve done in the past.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lottie Woad leads Evian; Nelly Korda misses 1st cut in 2 years
Jun 25, 2026; Chaska, Minnesota, USA; Lottie Woad hits her tee shot on the third hole during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Lottie Woad of England carded a 7-under-par 64 on Friday to secure a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Woad collected eight birdies against one bogey at the Evian Resort Golf Club to move to 11-under 131 at the fourth of this season’s five majors.
While Woad shot up the leaderboard, World No. 1 Nelly Korda saw her streak of 34 cuts made in official LPGA Tour events come to a halt on Friday. The four-time major winner’s bid for a birdie on the final hole fell inches short, putting her at 2-under 69 on Friday and 1-over 143 for the tournament.
Korda’s last missed cut was the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Woad caught fire on the back nine, highlighted by a run of birdies on Nos. 11-13 as well as birdies on the par-5 15th and 18th holes.
“Yeah, I think I just kept on giving myself chances. I mean, at the start I hit a lot of good approaches on one and two and didn’t make them,” Woad said. “On the back nine seemed to make most things.”
Woad is one shot ahead of first-round leader Aki Iwai (69 on Friday) of Japan. Iwai recorded five birdies, however a bogey on No. 17 and a double-bogey on the par-4 sixth hole soured her round.
Mao Saigo (68) of Japan benefited from a bogey-free round to join Haeran Ryu (68) of South Korea in third place, three strokes behind Woad.
Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul tallied an eagle on No. 7 and five birdies to card a 64 on Friday. The nine-time LPGA Tour winner resides in a four-way tie for fifth place at 6-under.
“Like I wanted to hit it on the fairway because I know if I hit on the fairway I might have a chance to go two to the green. Even I have to hit 3-woods,” Thitikul said of her approach on the par-5 seventh hole.
“But like it had a chance, because yesterday I miss by a tad bit to the left so I don’t have a chance to go to the green. So I had like over 40 feet putt and it just luckily went in.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber joins Bryce Harper in HR Derby
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts with first baseman Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images The Phillies will be well represented in the Home Run Derby on Monday in Philadelphia.
Kyle Schwarber announced Friday that he is joining Phillies teammate Bryce Harper in the exhibition at Citizens Bank Park.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone, St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker and Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras also have been confirmed to participate.
Schwarber, who leads the majors with 32 homers this season, reached the finals of the Home Run Derby in 2018. The then-Chicago Cubs slugger lost to Harper, who was then a member of the Nationals and the All-Star festivities were held in Washington.
Schwarber’s last foray in the Home Run Derby didn’t go so well. He lost in the first round in 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tim Merlier sprints to victory at Stage 7 of Tour de France
Trek’s Mads Pedersen celebrates on the podium wearing the green jersey after stage 7. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes It was a vintage performance for 33-year-old Tim Merlier, who won Stage 7 at the Tour de France on Friday as he burst from the pack near the finish line at Bordeaux, France.
A native of Belgium, Merlier won his fourth career stage in his third appearance at the Tour de France. It was the 24th stage victory all time by a Belgian rider in Bordeaux.
Merlier was clear by a full bike length at the finish ahead of Soren Waerenskjold of Norway and Binian Girmay of Eritrea in the sprint finish, while Max Kanter of Germany finished fourth and 10-time stage winner Jasper Philipsen of Belgium was fifth.
Despite Merlier’s victory in the sprint, Mads Pedersen of Denmark remained in the green jersey to mark the overall sprint leader through the first week of the three-week grand tour race. Pedersen finished ninth in Stage 7 after winning Stage 4 on Tuesday.
Philipsen’s Alpecin-Premier Tech team was well organized into the final kilometer as Stage 7 finished along the Garonne River. Philipsen was near the front with 500 meters to go then charged into the lead at the 200-meter mark but was tracked down quickly by Merlier, his former teammate.
The bunch finish in the sprint stage meant that there was no change in the overall lead.
Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia remained in the overall leader’s yellow jersey, with rival Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark in second, 2 minutes, 42 seconds off the pace. Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates teammate Isaac del Toro of Mexico is in third place, followed by Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Juan Ayuso of Spain.
Just behind the top five is 19-year-old French rider Paul Seixas, who is the youngest competitor in the field.
Saturday’s Stage 8 will be another flat route for the sprinters with the 180.4 kilometer course extending from Perigueux to Bergerac.
–Field Level Media
Lottie Woad leads Evian; Nelly Korda misses 1st cut in 2 years
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber joins Bryce Harper in HR Derby
