Sports
Braves blank Phillies as Austin Riley blasts two homers
Apr 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (27) high fives right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) after hitting a three RBI home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Martin Perez tossed six scoreless innings and Austin Riley hit a pair of opposite-field home runs as the visiting Atlanta Braves smashed the Philadelphia Phillies 9-0 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
After getting designated for assignment and re-signed by Atlanta earlier in the week, Perez (1-1) allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out four. Jose Suarez logged the final three innings for the save, helping the Braves improve to 7-2 in their last nine.
The Phillies, meanwhile, have dropped seven of nine. They managed only six hits in this one, including three by Bryce Harper and two by J.T. Realmuto. Starter Taijuan Walker (1-3) was charged with seven runs and seven hits in four frames.
Atlanta’s first three batters of the game reached against Walker, who eventually allowed two runs in the inning capped by Mike Yastrzemski’s run-scoring infield single.
Philadelphia threatened in the bottom half, but Perez retired Edmundo Sosa and Realmuto with the bases loaded to escape the jam.
The Braves’ offense put together another rally in the second inning as Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuna singled with one out. Walker recovered to strike out Drake Baldwin, but Matt Olson delivered an RBI single and Riley followed with a three-run shot over the right-field wall to make it 6-0.
Dominic Smith’s homer in the third increased the lead to 7-0.
Harper tripled with one out in the third, but the Phillies could not bring him around. Perez had no major issues in the fourth, fifth or sixth before handing it off to the bullpen.
Suarez allowed a one-out walk to Trea Turner in the seventh, but he retired the next two hitters. He logged another strong inning in the eighth, giving up a two-out single to Realmuto before setting down Alec Bohm on a popout.
Harris’ homer in the eighth and Riley’s blast in the ninth — the third of the season for both — extended the margin to 9-0.
Suarez took care of the ninth to complete his third career save and the Braves’ fourth shutout in 20 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hurricanes start rookie Brandon Bussi for Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
Jun 6, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) looks on during the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights in game three of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The Carolina Hurricanes made a change in net for Tuesday night’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Carolina gave rookie Brandon Bussi his first career playoff start as the Hurricanes look to level the series at 2-2 in Las Vegas, with the announcement becoming shortly before the game began.
ESPN reported that Frederik Andersen, who was 12-1 in the team’s first three playoff series, is a healthy scratch with no injury designation.
Andersen allowed four second-period goals in Saturday’s Game 3 loss. He was replaced at the start of the third period by Bussi, who stopped 18 of 19 shots as the Hurricanes rallied before falling 5-4 in double overtime.
Bussi, 27, was acquired off waivers from the Florida Panthers last October. He entered the season with no NHL experience, but became a critical member of the Hurricanes’ goalie rotation, amassing a 31-6-2 record, 2.47 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nick Martinez, Rays hold down Red Sox to seal series win
Jun 9, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) avoids the tag of Boston Red Sox shortstop Marcelo Mayer (11) in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Ryan Vilade went 3-for-4 and Nick Martinez turned in seven-plus strong innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Martinez (6-2) held Boston to three runs on six hits, departing after the first three Red Sox hitters reached base in the eighth. He struck out two without issuing a walk. Bryan Baker retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth to earn his 18th save.
Tampa Bay’s Ben Williamson and Nick Fortes each contributed two hits and an RBI. Yandy Diaz singled and walked to extend his on-base streak to 23 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.
Boston’s Payton Tolle (3-3) pitched six innings and allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two of the Red Sox’s six hits and scored twice.
Tampa Bay, which has won the first two games of the three-game series, finished 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Boston took its third loss in a row.
The Red Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Kiner-Falefa doubled with one out and scored on Jarren Duran’s two-out single.
A three-run fourth put the Rays in front. Vilade doubled and scored on Cedric Mullins’ two-out single. Williamson doubled to drive in Mullins and give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead, and Williamson came home on Fortes’ double.
The Rays added a run in the sixth for a 4-1 edge. Williamson reached base on an infield single, took second when Fortes was hit by a pitch and scored on Richie Palacios’ single.
Boston made it a one-run game by scoring twice in the eighth. After singles by Caleb Durbin and Kiner-Falefa, Marcelo Mayer doubled home both runners to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-3. Kevin Kelly replaced Martinez on the mound, and Mayer moved to third on Duran’s groundout — the first out of the inning — but he was still on third when the inning ended.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: NHLPA wants investigation before Oilers hire Mike Babcock
Jul 1, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets introduce Mike Babcock as their new head coach during a press conference at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY NETWORK The NHL Players’ Association has requested that the league conduct an investigation of coach Mike Babcock as the Edmonton Oilers move toward hiring him, TSN and The Athletic reported Tuesday.
Independent hockey insider Frank Seravalli added that the union specifically asked the NHL to step in and delay the Oilers’ hiring of Babcock until the league can complete an investigation into allegations stemming from his brief stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
In 2023, Babcock was hired to take over the Blue Jackets for what would have been his first NHL job since the Toronto Maple Leafs dismissed him in 2019. But that September, reports emerged that some players felt Babcock invaded their privacy by asking to see their cellphone camera rolls in one-on-one meetings.
Babcock resigned before the season began, so the NHL did not investigate the claims.
At the time, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner and the late Johnny Gaudreau confirmed Babcock asked to see photos on their phone, but they were not pressured to do so and understood it to be in the spirit of getting to know one another. Babcock reportedly also showed players photos from his phone.
However, younger players reportedly felt uncomfortable with Babcock’s approach, and he already had a reputation for controversial motivational tactics while with the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings.
Per The Athletic, the NHL will only move forward with investigating Babcock once the Oilers confirm they are intent on hiring the 63-year-old.
Babcock has a 700-418-164 career record (19 ties) as the head coach of the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2002-04), Red Wings (2005-15) and Maple Leafs (2015-19). He led the Red Wings to the 2008 Stanley Cup title.
–Field Level Media
Hurricanes start rookie Brandon Bussi for Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
Nick Martinez, Rays hold down Red Sox to seal series win
