Sports
Braves top Mets, close gap in NL wild-card race
Sep 24, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Ramon Laureano (18) hits an RBI single against the New York Mets in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Michael Harris II had three hits and two RBIs to support right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach and help the host Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-1 on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.
The win pulled Atlanta (86-71) within a game of New York (87-70) in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League, which the Mets currently hold. The Braves are also within a game of the Arizona Diamondbacks (87-70), who were set to play later Tuesday.
The Braves have a 6-5 edge in the season series with New York and need one victory to clinch the tiebreaker. Atlanta owns the tiebreaker against Arizona.
Harris was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has gone 18-for-37 (.486) during that span.
Schwellenbach (8-7) pitched seven innings and allowed one run on three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. In two starts against the Mets this season, the rookie has allowed one run in 14 innings.
Joe Jimenez struck out two in a scoreless eighth for the Braves, and Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect, five-pitch ninth in a non-save situation.
New York starter Luis Severino (11-7) lasted only four innings after throwing 89 pitches. He gave up four runs on seven hits to go along with one walk and five strikeouts.
The Braves sent eight batters to the plate in the third inning and scored three runs. Orlando Arcia had an infield single and took second on a throwing error on the play. He scored on a double by Harris, who came home on an opposite-field single by Ozzie Albies. With two outs, Ramon Laureano drove Albies in with a soft single to right.
Harris upped the lead to 4-0 with a solo home run, his 16th long ball of the season, in the fourth inning.
Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna greeted reliever Ryne Stanek with a solo home run to right field in the fifth. It was the 39th homer of the year for Ozuna.
New York got its run in the seventh inning on a solo homer by Mark Vientos, his 26th big fly of 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets rack up 19 hits, 14 runs in demolition of Braves
Jul 27, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Francisco Lindor hit two homers and drove in six runs as the New York Mets battered the visiting Atlanta Braves 14-3 on Monday.
Tyrone Taylor went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and Marcus Semien also had three hits and a homer for the Mets, who have won consecutive games for the first time since July 8-9.
Lindor, A.J. Ewing and Bo Bichette each added three of New York’s season-high-tying 19 hits.
Mets starter Zac Thornton (2-1) tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one.
Braves starter Martin Perez gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings. He fanned four and walked one.
Connor Thomas (0-1) was blasted for 11 runs on 10 hits across 2 2/3 innings, walking five and striking out two. Ozzie Albies homered, singled and drove in three for Atlanta, which had won four of its previous five games.
Albies drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the top of the first.
New York answered in the bottom of the first, as Ewing led off with a single and Lindor tripled to even the score.
In the third, Ewing and Lindor paced the New York offensive attack again. Ewing singled and stole second before Lindor launched a homer to left-center, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.
After Matt Olson’s walk opening the fourth, Albies connected on a 407-foot home run — his 18th of the season — to tie the game 3-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Perez allowed singles by Bichette and Luis Robert Jr. before walking Francisco Alvarez to load the bases. Through heavy rain, Perez struck out Jared Young to escape the jam.
Thomas relieved Perez in the sixth and immediately allowed Taylor’s single and Semien’s two-run homer to give the Mets a 5-3 lead. The long ball was Semien’s 12th.
Thomas remained in for the seventh, walking Alvarez before Young’s single and Taylor’s ninth home run of the year broke the game open, giving the Mets an 8-3 advantage.
Thomas then walked Semien, allowed Luis Torrens’ double and issued a one-out walk to Lindor, loading the bases. Bichette’s sacrifice fly made it 9-3 and stamped a four-run New York frame.
Torrens drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to give the Mets a 10-3 advantage. Ewing followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the margin. The beating continued for Thomas as Lindor launched his eighth homer of the year before Atlanta shortstop Jorge Mateo entered in relief. Bichette singled before Mateo struck out Robert to end the inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brandon Lowe’s heroics help Pirates down Diamondback in 10
Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) receives a water bath after hitting an RBI single to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in ten innings at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Brandon Lowe’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Billy Cook and propelled the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
The Pirates’ victory drew them even with the Diamondbacks for the final National League Wild Card spot, and dealt Arizona its third loss in a row.
Lowe’s game-winner off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) was his third hit of the game and he finished with two RBIs after lining a ball off Diamondbacks’ first baseman Ildemaro Vargas.
Endy Rodriguez, who was activated from the 10-day injured list with a left glute strain, singled to right to open the 10th and put runners on the corners with no outs.
Jake Mangum grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Billy Cook was caught in a rundown between third and home. But Cook bought enough time and made it back to third just as Rodriguez did, resulting in one out, but ensuring the Pirates still had a runner at third.
Max Kepler had three hits, drove in the Diamondbacks’ two runs, and had a chance to give Arizona the lead in the top of the 10th. But with runners on second and third with two outs, Kepler lined out to center against reliever Mason Montgomery (4-3), who also struck out Gabriel Moreno two batters prior after Arizona had put runners on second and third with one out.
Bryan Reynolds knotted the game at 2 in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out RBI double to score Lowe, who doubled on the prior at-bat. The clutch hit came moments after Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected by third base umpire Ben May after arguing a check swing call during Reynolds’ at-bat.
The teams were locked in a scoreless stalemate until Kepler’s two-run double with the bases loaded gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
Mangum scored Pittsburgh’s first run on a single by Lowe to cut Arizona’s lead to 2-1.
Pittsburgh’s hot-hitting rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was hit by a 91.4 mph fastball from Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly on his left hand and left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Valdez has 14 home runs in his first 38 career at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Vikings agree to deal with veteran LB/S Jamal Adams
Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/safety Jamal Adams is headed to his sixth NFL team after agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.
The 30-year-old veteran confirmed his decision with a post on X that said “Year 10 #skol”.
Adams spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, amassing 45 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 17 games (four starts) as a linebacker.
Adams also previously played for the New York Jets (2017-19), Seattle Seahawks (2020-23), Tennessee Titans (2024) and Detroit Lions (2024). Adams earned his Pro Bowl appearances as a safety from 2018-20.
It remains to be seen which position the versatile Adams will play for the Vikings. However, his addition comes as safety Harrison Smith mulls retirement.
Overall during his pro career, Adams has tallied 546 tackles, 22.5 sacks, four interceptions, 36 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Adams is joining a stingy Vikings defense that ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed per game last season (282.6).
–Field Level Media
