Sports
Baltimore Orioles Show Signs of Life After Shaky Start
In the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, the Baltimore Orioles ran themselves out of at least one scoring opportunity, hit into two double plays, and had an outfielder throw to the wrong base for a third time already this season.
Such ragged play has made for an underwhelming early impression in the 2025 season, especially for a team favored in some places to win the AL East and expected by most to contend for a playoff spot. Before his team took the field Saturday afternoon, manager Brandon Hyde seemed confident that Baltimore’s play would improve, but he also conceded there’s a lot that needs work.
“We could play a lot better than we’re playing,” Hyde said. “We’ve had a few games where we swung the bat really well. I think our bullpen, for the most part, has pitched well. We just haven’t put — we haven’t put a couple games in a row together.”
His players took a step in that direction with an 8-1 thumping of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, breaking a three-game losing streak and bringing the Orioles’ record to 4-5 overall.
Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, a key free agent from Japan making his second major league start, pitched effectively into the sixth inning and picked up his first victory. Hyde said he appreciated Sugano getting 19 outs on 89 pitches — a longer effort than his first outing — which the Orioles needed to rest some relief pitchers.
Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sánchez and Jackson Holliday drove in two runs apiece, the bullpen allowed zero hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings, and Baltimore made no significant mistakes on defense. It might have been the Orioles’ most complete game so far, with Gunnar Henderson’s 0-for-5 with four strikeouts being an exception.
Hyde said Sugano “looked way more comfortable” than in his first start a week ago Sunday at the Toronto Blue Jays, which was shortened because of cramps in both hands.
“He had really good command like he had in spring training,” Hyde said of Sugano, who allowed a solo home run to Bobby Witt Jr. with a six-run lead in the sixth for Kansas City’s lone run.
The Orioles came in 10th in runs scored per game, though Hyde said his offense had yet to find consistency in a full series. Hyde complimented his hitters for coming up big in moments against right-hander Michael Wacha and said a strong wind from center prevented multiple fly balls from going over the fence.
“I think we’re going to swing the bat this year,” Hyde said. “We’re dangerous up and down the order.”
The Orioles picked up the pace in other aspects. Hyde didn’t have any baserunning misadventures to lament or rationalize, and nobody threw to the wrong base — as happened Friday, when O’Neill gathered a two-out bloop single to right and mistakenly fired the ball to second base as Witt raced for home, scoring all the way from first. The result was a rare three-run single for Vinnie Pasquantino, who has been slowed by a strained hamstring.
“We’ve had a similar situation to that three times now,” Hyde said. “Tyler understands: That ball needs to go to the plate. He’s played well, just a couple of mistakes.”
Hyde praised O’Neill for working on scenarios like that during pregame drills Saturday.
“We’ve got to play better defensively for us to compete,” Hyde said.
The Orioles didn’t put themselves in a huge hole like the Atlanta Braves did at 0-7 and 1-8. Baltimore also hasn’t had its full lineup available yet, with Henderson only rejoining the squad in Kansas City after a muscle strain near his rib cage knocked him out toward the end of spring training. They also lost outfielder Colton Cowser four games into the season when a pitch fractured his thumb. The starting rotation hasn’t been at full strength either, notably with right-hander Grayson Rodríguez suffering elbow inflammation in late March.
Orioles players likely heard concerns about the club’s direction coming into the season. Baltimore won 91 games a year ago, falling to the Royals in the AL Wild Card Series. Two years ago, it won 101 games and took first in the AL East. Coming into 2025, the front office took some criticism for letting go ace right-hander Corbin Burnes, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency, without replacing him with a commensurate talent at the top of the rotation. They also let outfielder Anthony Santander walk in free agency to the Blue Jays — though, as Hyde has said, they seem to be deep on offense.
Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin, their best pitcher, acknowledged that storylines like these exist, but he hasn’t drawn any conclusions based on fewer than 10 games.
“It’s so early,” Eflin said. “I don’t really have an answer for you. It’s only — what — eight games in? It’s a long season, 162 games. It’s a little early to speculate or give an opinion based on how we’re playing currently.
“Team morale is great. We all have a bunch of energy that we’re showing every single day. We’re expecting to win, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Sports
Jose Ramirez hits 3 doubles to guide Guardians over Yankees
May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking double with one out in the fifth inning and the visiting Cleveland Guardians earned a 9-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Ramirez had three doubles for the fifth time in his storied career, and the first since Aug. 26, 2024 against Kansas City.
He doubled in three straight at-bats in the fourth, fifth and seventh, producing his third three-hit game this season.
Ramirez’s second double snapped a 4-4 tie. After the Guardians loaded the bases when Brayan Rocchio was plunked by New York’s Cam Schlittler (7-3), rookie Travis Bazzana lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
Ramirez followed by ripping a 2-2 curveball over first baseman Ben Rice and to the right field corner as Patrick Bailey easily scored. Ramirez added an insurance run with a double to left field in the seventh off Tim Hill to put Cleveland ahead 6-4.
Bazzana padded the lead with a bases-clearing double in the eighth off Camilo Doval as the Guardians collected 12 hits, marking the fourth time in five games they totaled double-digit hits.
Paul Goldschmidt drove in all four runs for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in eight games. Goldschmidt gave New York a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer off Joey Cantillo in the third and added a two-run single in the fourth for a 4-3 advantage.
Schlittler endured his shortest outing this season and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked none.
Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run homer off Schlittler’s first-pitch cutter that landed in the right-center field seats to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
Cantillo allowed four runs on six hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked three.
Five relievers followed Cantillo and allowed two hits the rest of the way. Colin Holderman (4-1) stranded a runner in the fifth and Matt Festa finished with a 1-2-3 ninth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reds rally late, walk off with 10-inning win over Royals
inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning. Blake Dunn’s RBI single in the 10th inning completed a comeback and gave the host Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Spencer Steer hit two home runs and scored the winning run as the automatic runner for the Reds, who won for the second time in the last six games.
Will Benson’s pinch-hit home run to right field off Royals closer Lucas Erceg leading off the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 3-all.
Dunn’s game-winning hit, off John Schreiber (0-3), was the only Reds’ hit that was not a home run.
Brock Burke (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless 10th.
The loss spoiled a gem by Royals starter Noah Cameron, who retired 20 of the 21 batters he faced. Kansas City has lost seven of its last eight.
Cameron only allowed Steer’s first homer, did not walk a batter and struck out eight.
Steer’s second home run of the game, a drive to right-center leading off the eighth, pulled Cincinnati to within 3-2. His ninth homer was an opposite field drive into the stands in right-center.
Reds starter Andrew Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts.
Steer’s first home run of the game, a shot to left-center, came with one out in the fifth after Cameron had retired the first 13 Cincinnati batters.
The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice groundout with the bases loaded by Jac Caglianone and a bases-loaded, two-run, two-out single by Michael Massey.
Cameron made an outstanding defensive play for the first out of the third on Dunn’s attempt for a bunt single. Dunn bunted the ball between the mound and first, and Cameron, in one motion, picked up the ball with a backhand swipe and flipped it out of his glove first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.
Reds center fielder Dane Myers made a leaping catch at the wall on Starling Marte’s long drive for the second out of the fifth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Twins prevail over White Sox; halt Davis Martin's 6-game win streak
Jun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images Tristan Gray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Luke Keaschall added a pair of hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which secured a series victory. Alex Jackson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Chicago at the plate. The White Sox have dropped back-to-back games after winning their previous five in a row.
Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (8-2) endured his shortest outing of the season. Martin gave up six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and he suffered his first setback since April 10.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez got the final four outs to record his fourth save.
The White Sox opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.
Luisangel Acuna started the action when he drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by Jackson. The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, and Vargas delivered with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.
The hit gave Vargas six RBIs in the first two games of the series.
The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gray.
Minnesota added four runs in the fourth to seize a 5-3 lead.
Keaschall started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Gray followed with a two-run single to left, and Jackson capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.
Gray, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the series opener, has 11 RBIs in his past five games.
The Twins increased their lead to 6-3 on another RBI single by Keaschall in the fifth.
Chase Meidroth notched an RBI infield single in the seventh to cut Chicago’s deficit to 6-4. But he fanned to end the eighth with two runners on base.
–Field Level Media
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