Sports
Brandon Valenzuela, Blue Jays rally past Phillies in ninth
Jun 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) gets Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) out at first base during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Brandon Valenzuela capped a two-run ninth inning with a walk-off single as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Tuesday.
Bryson Stott’s RBI double against Louis Varland (3-1) gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, but in the bottom of the inning, Jhoan Duran (1-3) blew a save for the first time in 17 opportunities this year.
Sanchez led off the frame with an infield single, his third hit of the game. Pinch runner Myles Straw replaced Sanchez, and he went to third on Yohendrick Pinango’s single to right. Daulton Varsho pinch-ran for Pinango and stole second. Straw scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, and Valenzuela lined a game-ending single to left.
The teams have split the first two matchups of a three-game series.
Sanchez earlier hit a solo homer and a double. Pinango added two hits for the Blue Jays, who have won three of their past four games.
Stott went 2-for-4 for the Phillies, who had won six of their previous seven contests.
The Phillies scored a first-inning run against Dylan Cease, who had not pitched since May 24 because of a left hamstring strain.
Trea Turner broke his bat on a looping double down the right field line. He took third on a wild pitch and trotted home when Brandon Marsh lashed a two-out double to the right field corner.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. batted first for the second time in his career and broke an 0-for-15 drought with an infield hit in the third inning.
The Blue Jays had runners in scoring position against Zack Wheeler in the second and third innings but failed to score.
After Marsh’s first-inning double, Cease retired 15 of 16 batters before Bryce Harper walked with two outs in the sixth. Harper singled in the fourth.
Cease struck out 11 while allowing one run, three hits and one walk in six innings.
Wheeler retired eight in a row before Sanchez homered to right on an elevated 0-1 cutter with one out in the sixth, tying the game 1-1.
Wheeler finished six innings, giving up one run, six hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
Former Phillies right-hander Jeff Hoffman pitched around an infield single and a wild pitch in the seventh, striking out two.
Varland walked Harper on four pitches to start the ninth. Two outs later, Stott lined an RBI double into the left field corner.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dustin May silences Mets as Cards push winning streak to five
Jun 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) delivers a pitch during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Dustin May pitched six stellar innings for his first win in nearly two months and Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-0 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.
May (4-6) earned his first win since April 21 by scattering four hits. After going 0-4 with a 3.86 ERA in his previous seven starts, May struck out six and walked one.
Rookie JJ Wetherholt hit a two-run single and Jordan Walker rapped an RBI double to highlight a four-run third inning off New York starter Freddy Peralta (4-5). Lars Nootbaar added an RBI groundout to cap the big inning for the Cardinals, who also ended a five-game road losing streak to the Mets.
Ivan Herrera reached base five times, including three hits, and scored three times.
Herrera was hit by Peralta in his first two plate appearances. After the second one, he scored on Walker’s double to left for a 3-0 lead in the third.
In the fifth, Herrera singled and scored when Burleson sent a 2-1 curveball into the left field seats. In the seventh, Herrera poked a leadoff double before trotting home on Burleson’s double off Joey Gerber.
Before the Cardinals scored four times, May stranded rookie A.J. Ewing at third by striking out Marcus Semien and Brett Baty. He also retired rookie Carson Benge on a double play to end the third and was aided by center fielder Nathan Church crashing into the fence to rob Semien of a two-run double to end the fourth.
Church had three hits, including a double in the third and made his key defensive play after missing the past 15 games with a strained left shoulder.
Justin Bruhl followed May with two innings and Matt Swanson completed the Cardinals’ third shutout with a 1-2-3 ninth.
After winning seven of their previous 10, the Mets were blanked for the seventh time this season and second time against the Cardinals.
Peralta allowed a season-worst six runs on six hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with apparent leg injury
May 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. exited Tuesday’s game at the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning after sustaining an apparent left leg injury.
While attempting to leg out an infield single, Acuna pulled up and hobbled past first base and then off the field into the locker room after appearing to sustain the injury on his final step before reaching the bag.
The Braves haven’t yet provided an update on his status. He was replaced in right field and atop the lineup by Eli White.
Acuna, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP, missed 14 games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain while similarly trying to leg out an infield hit. He saw his 2021 and 2024 seasons end prematurely due to torn ACLs.
The five-time All-Star entered the day hitting .254 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 52 games. He’s a career .287 hitter with 193 homers and 481 RBIs over 869 games across nine seasons with Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A's recall RHP Joey Estes from minors, option RHP Kade Morris
Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Joey Estes (68) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images The Athletics made a change of right-handers on their pitching staff, recalling Joey Estes from their Las Vegas affiliate and optioning Kade Morris to the Triple-A club.
Estes, 24, went 2-6 with a 5.95 ERA in 12 starts for Las Vegas this season. He struck out 39 and walked 38 in 59 innings.
Last year, Estes made two early-season starts and one midseason relief appearance for the Athletics, going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA.
Across parts of three major league seasons, all with the A’s, Estes owns a 7-12 record and a 5.51 ERA. He has fanned 105 and walked 35 in 148 2/3 innings.
Morris, a 23-year-old rookie, was rocked by the Astros on Saturday in his major league debut. In four-plus innings, he allowed nine runs on nine hits, three of them homers. Morris struck out four and walked three, taking the loss as the Athletics fell 13-3 in Houston. He hasn’t pitched since.
The moves involving the Las Vegas affiliate come as the A’s are in the midst of playing a series in the minor league park in Sin City against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Athletics are building a stadium in Las Vegas and plan to move there from their temporary home of West Sacramento, Calif., in 2028
–Field Level Media
Dustin May silences Mets as Cards push winning streak to five
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with apparent leg injury
