Sports
Austin FC set for upgrade on offense vs. St. Louis City
Apr 18, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Austin FC forward Myrto Uzuni (10) shoots against Toronto FC during the first half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images Austin FC hopes a bolstered roster and a huge win against a Texas rival builds momentum as they host struggling St. Louis City SC on Sunday evening in a Western Conference match.
Austin FC (2-4-4, 10 points) remain home after a 2-0 win over the rival Houston Dynamo on last Saturday. Myrto Uzuni scored a goal and assisted on a tally by Jayden Nelson in the Copa Tejas series victory.
Austin snapped a seven-match MLS winless swoon dating back to a 1-0 home victory over D.C. United on March 1.
Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver stopped five shots to record his third clean sheet of the year just three days after he allowed five goals on 16 shots in a loss at San Jose.
The Verde is set for an offensive jolt with midfielder Owen Wolff set to return, even if it’s in a reserve role. Wolff, who led Austin FC last season with seven goals and eight assists, has missed the team’s first 10 games while recovering from a sports hernia but is available to return against St. Louis.
“Now that we can have probably the full roster, for the first time in the year, in the next weeks, I think everyone gets excited and everyone says, ‘Now is the moment,'” Austin coach Nico Estevez said. “I want to give a lot of credit to the players. It’s been a really tough time for everyone.”
St. Louis City (1-5-3, 6 points) travels to Austin after 3-2 loss at home against league-leading San Jose on April 25. The club went winless in league play in April, losing twice with a pair of draws, both on the road.
St. Louis City heads to Texas after a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the Chicago Fire in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 play on Wednesday. St. Louis coach Yoann Damet believes the victory will provide benefits in upcoming MLS play.
“Honestly, I like the grit and the spirit they’re showing. I’ve been speaking a lot about it, and we haven’t been rewarded enough, in my sense,” Damet said. “I think it speaks for the work the guys are putting in every day. Everybody worked really hard together, they made plays. It’s a collective effort, it’s a team, it’s a full group, and that’s what makes me happy.”
St. Louis’s nine goals through nine MLS matches is tied for second fewest in league while its minus-seven goal differential is second worst in the West. Marcel Hartel leads the club with three goals and an assist.
St. Louis City has dominated the all-time series with the Austin FC, with four wins and a draw in six meetings during MLS play.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros snap Rays' 9-game win streak on Yordan Alvarez walk-off HR
Jul 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez capped a three-hit, six-RBI night with a walkoff two-run home run as the Houston Astros rallied from a five-run deficit to outslug the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 10-8 on Saturday.
Alvarez plated Jose Altuve with his 29th home run of the season and second of the game with no outs in the ninth inning. He smacked a 1-2 fastball from Rays reliever Casey Legumina (2-2) 424 feet to straightaway center field to snap the Rays’ nine-game winning streak.
The Astros pulled even at 8-8 with a three-run seventh inning that featured an Alvarez sacrifice fly, an Isaac Paredes RBI single and a pinch-hit RBI single from Zach Dezenzo.
Altuve scored three runs.
Neither Hunter Brown nor Drew Rasmussen pitched effectively for their respective teams.
Brown, making just his fourth start for the Astros following a two-plus-month stint on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, labored with his control throughout. Junior Caminero spotted the Rays a 1-0 lead in the first with his 26th home run – and 11th in his last 11 games – by driving a full-count slider 437 feet to left-center. Brown escaped further damage by getting Ryan Vilade to ground into an inning-ending double play.
After Houston jumped ahead 2-1 on Alvarez’s first homer, the Rays regained their lead in the second inning. Two batters after Victor Mesa Jr. worked a leadoff walk, Richie Palacios crushed his second home run of the season 409 feet to right-center for a 3-2 lead.
The Rays extended their advantage with three runs in the second and one run in the fourth.
Brown allowed seven runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts over four innings. He threw 82 pitches, only 45 for strikes.
Rasmussen, the American League Pitcher of the Month for June, surrendered a two-run homer to Alvarez in the bottom of the first and a two-run opposite-field shot to Yainer Diaz in the fourth that pulled the Astros to within 7-4. Alvarez plated Allen with a run-scoring single in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Tampa Bay extended its lead once more to 8-5 on Jonny DeLuca’s fifth homer of the season in the seventh, a solo shot.
Rasmussen allowed a season-high-tying five runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts over five innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies use homers to coast to series-opening win over Royals
Jul 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates with center fielder Justin Crawford (2) after hitting a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images J.T. Realmuto, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Alec Bohm homered in support of Jesus Luzardo as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies topped the Kansas City Royals 6-1 in Saturday’s opener of a three-game set.
Luzardo (7-4) allowed one run and four hits in six innings, as the left-hander struck out nine without issuing a walk. Kyle Schwarber, one of five Phillies named to the All-Star team earlier Saturday, notched three hits in a supporting effort.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha (5-6) allowed four runs in six innings, issuing eight hits and a walk while striking out seven. Nick Loftin drove in the only run for the Royals, who have lost eight of their last nine games.
The Phillies loaded the bases against Wacha in the first inning, but the veteran right-hander escaped the jam. He then faced minimal resistance in the second and third innings before Philadelphia opened the scoring in the fourth.
With a runner on first and one out, Realmuto sent a 1-0 sinker into the seats in left field. Two pitches later, Wacha’s 1-0 offering to Rincones ended up in the bullpen in right.
Kansas City got a run back in the bottom half, when Lane Thomas doubled with one out and later scored on Loftin’s infield hit.
Bohm countered with a leadoff homer in the sixth as the visitors went ahead 4-1.
Wacha gave way to Lucas Erceg to begin the seventh. The right-hander allowed a one-out single to Trea Turner and then walked Schwarber before a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners. Erceg then uncorked a wild pitch which extended the Phillies’ lead to 5-1..
Meanwhile, Luzardo ended his night with a 1-2-3 sixth before Jonathan Bowlan struck out three of the four hitters he faced in the seventh.
Rincones’ eighth-inning RBI double tacked on an insurance run for Philadelphia before Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza each logged a perfect frame to close the game out.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves deliver fireworks with 5 homers in bludgeoning of Mets
Jul 4, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Eli White (36) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
Eli White homered and drove in four runs to spark the Atlanta Braves to a 14-3 win over the visiting New York Mets on Saturday.
The Braves have won the first two games of the four-game series. New York has lost 12 of its last 14 and fell 17 games behind Atlanta in the National League East.
White was 2-for-2, hit one of the Braves’ five home runs and matched his career high with four RBIs. Also going deep were Mauricio Dubon, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Riley, who ended a 36-game homerless streak, and Michael Harris II, who homered off position player Luis Torrens.
Chris Sale (9-6) pitched five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three, matching his season low.
Rookie JR Ritchie closed the game with three scoreless innings, striking out four, to earn his first save.
New York starter Sean Manaea (1-4) allowed six runs on six hits and one walk, striking out four over five innings.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when White hit a solo homer, his fourth, into the Mets bullpen. Manaea had not allowed a home run since White tagged him for one in New York on June 13.
Atlanta added four runs in the third. Michael Harris II drove home a run with a bases-loaded single. White followed with a shallow popup that glanced off the glove of center fielder Tyrone Taylor, who nearly collided with shortstop Francisco Lindor, and into left field, clearing the bases.
The Braves upped the lead to 6-0 when Dubon hit a solo homer, his ninth.
Taylor helped atone for his earlier gaffe with a solo homer, his fourth, in the fifth.
The Mets knocked Sale out of the game in the sixth. Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer, his 11th, and had two runners on base with no outs when Sale was lifted in favor of Dylan Lee. The left-handed reliever struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
