Sports
Athletics rally past Cubs, finish interleague slate with winning record
Sep 18, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) hits an RBI-single against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Zack Gelof doubled home the go-ahead run and scored another in a two-run eighth inning, and the visiting Oakland Athletics sent the Chicago Cubs to the verge of playoff elimination with a 5-3 victory Wednesday afternoon.
Tyler Soderstrom had two hits, including a homer, scored two runs and drove in a pair for Oakland (67-86), which completed the interleague portion of its schedule with a winning record (24-22).
Despite 2 2/3 shutout innings from Justin Steele in a comeback effort, Chicago (77-75) dropped 6 1/2 games out of the final National League wild-card spot, pending later results, with just 10 games remaining.
With the Cubs’ loss, the Milwaukee Brewers (87-64) clinched the NL Central for the second straight season.
A three-run fifth inning had put the hosts in front 3-1 before Soderstrom’s leadoff single triggered a tying two-run seventh for the A’s. Lawrence Butler produced one run with a groundout before Brent Rooker tied the game at 3 with a two-out single.
Gelof’s go-ahead double into the left-field corner in the eighth plated Seth Brown, who started the frame with a single against Nate Pearson (2-2). Gelof took third on Chicago’s late relay throw to the plate.
One out later, Gelof dashed for the plate on a one-hopper to Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and barely beat a strong throw with a slide. Chicago challenged the call, but the safe ruling was upheld.
Tyler Ferguson (4-2) pitched a scoreless seventh, Michel Otanez worked a perfect eighth and Mason Miller tossed a hitless ninth to record his 27th save.
Four Oakland relievers combined for 4 1/3 hitless shutout innings in relief of Brady Basso, who was charged with three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 frames. He walked two and struck out five.
Returning from a strained left arm, Steele threw 57 pitches before he was lifted two outs into the third inning of a scoreless game. He allowed two hits and three walks and struck out one.
Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki had RBI singles and Cody Bellinger a sacrifice fly in the Cubs’ three-run fifth.
Soderstrom opened the scoring with a two-out solo shot in the fourth against Ethan Roberts.
Rooker finished with two hits, as did Swanson and Hoerner. Oakland outhit Chicago 9-6.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs place RHP Phil Maton on IL, activate RHP Jameson Taillon
Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Phil Maton (88) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images For the third time in 2026, the Chicago Cubs placed right-handed reliever Phil Maton on the 15-day injured list on Monday due to continuing struggles with right knee tendinitis.
Manager Craig Counsell told reporters before the series opener vs. Detroit that Maton, 33, underwent an MRI and the results were not encouraging.
“We were all optimistic,” Counsell said of Maton’s return to action against Minnesota on Sunday. “He thought, we thought, we were in a pretty good place. … We’re looking at a little bit more extended absence here.”
Maton threw 23 pitches in the eighth inning of the 10-1 victory over the Twins. He hit the strike zone 19 times, but did allow one run, two hits and a walk.
But the 10-year veteran felt a flare-up of the right knee symptoms, according to Counsell.
Maton had last pitched on June 25 and was activated from the 15-day IL on July 11.
He made five appearances in March and April before hitting the injured list for the first time after an April 7 outing in Tampa Bay.
Maton, who pitched to a 2.79 ERA with the Cardinals and Rangers in 2025, signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract this winter to serve in a high-leverage capacity for the Cubs.
In 31 games this season, he is 0-1 with a 6.18 ERA and 1.81 WHIP, fanning 31 batters and walking 16 walks in 27 2/3 innings.
The Cubs added Aaron Civale (5-7, 5.42 ERA) to the roster on Monday after acquiring him on Athletics on Saturday.
In addition, Chicago activated Jameson Taillon (hamstring) from the injured list and he made the start against the Tigers on Monday. Taillon pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits, walking two and fanning six.
To make room for Taillon, the Cubs designated left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz for assignment.
–Field Level Media
Sports
14 in a row: Red Sox down Orioles on Caleb Durbin homer
Jul 20, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) hits a one run RBI double against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Caleb Durbin hit a solo home run to break a tie score in the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to 14 games by beating the visiting Baltimore Orioles, 6-5, Monday night.
Durbin’s homer came against reliever Tyler Wells (2-2) and broke a 5-5 tie. It was his 10th home run of the season.
Baltimore had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, but Tyler O’Neill lined out to shortstop to end the game. Garrett Whitlock (5-1) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win. Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 22nd save.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered and Gunnar Hunderson had three doubles for the Orioles, who committed four errors. The loss ended Baltimore’s seven-game winning streak.
Boston received three hits from Willson Contreras.
The Orioles struck first when Henderson and O’Neill hit back-to-back doubles with two outs in the top of the first.
Jarren Duran’s sacrifice fly drove in Contreras to make it a 1-1 game in the second, and the Red Sox added two runs in the third. Ceddanne Rafaela reached base on an error by second baseman Jeremiah Jackson, took third on Wilyer Abreu’s double and scored on a Henderson throwing error from first base. Contreras followed with an infield single that scored Abreu to extend Boston’s lead to 3-1.
Baltimore trimmed Boston’s advantage to 3-2 when Encarnacion-Strand hit a solo home run in the fifth, and Jackson’s RBI single in the sixth drove in O’Neill to tie the game, 3-3. Baltimore went ahead 4-3 on an Encarnacion-Strand single that scored Leody Taveras later in the sixth.
Abreu scored on a Contreras double in the bottom half of the sixth to pull the Red Sox even, 4-4.
Taylor Ward put Baltimore in front 5-4 by scoring from third on an O’Neill groundout in the seventh, but Boston answered in the bottom of the inning when Tsung-Che Cheng scored on a throwing error by Ward in left field.
Durbin’s home run capped the scoring with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s two home runs power Yankees over Pirates
Jul 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered twice as the New York Yankees produced one of their better showings at home of late in an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
The Yankees won for the third time in their past 12 home games. New York scored its most runs in a home game since a 10-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on June 17 thanks to Chisholm, who also hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Dodgers in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Chisholm homered in the first and third off Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft (9-4) and produced his 10th career multi-homer game.
He lifted a 1-1 curveball into the right field seats for a three-run homer that gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead after the Pirates committed two errors on Paul Goldschmidt’s grounder.
Chisholm gave the Yankees a 6-5 lead with a two-run drive off Ashcraft’s slider into the second deck that just stayed fair.
Chisholm’s second homer occurred after rookie Esmerlyn Valdez hit a 431-foot two-run home run that gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead in the top of the third. Valdez’s drive to right gave him an RBI in eight straight games and 13 homers in the first 32 games of his career.
Jose Caballero hit a two-run bases-loaded double in New York’s four-run third when it had six hits and Ben Rice scored when Pittsburgh left fielder Bryan Reynolds committed a throwing error after third baseman Nick Gonzales misplayed Goldschmidt’s grounder.
Jared Triolo hit a two-run double in the second and scored on an RBI single by Gonzales as the Pirates were unable to tie a season high by moving five games over .500.
New York’s Ryan Weathers allowed five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander struck out five and walked two before four relievers followed.
Angel Chivili (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings and Fernando Cruz notched the final four outs for his second save of the season.
In the eighth, benches briefly cleared after Caballero hit an inning-ending double play against Dennis Santana. Santana started yelling at Caballero and was restrained by teammates Rafael Flores Jr. and Bryan Reynolds before order was restored after a few minutes without an ejection.
–Field Level Media
