Sports
Brewers work to overcome injuries in rematch vs. Marlins
Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) runs toward second base after hitting a two-run double against the Miami Marlins during the tenth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Injuries have slowed Milwaukee’s offense.
The Brewers, who will play the middle contest of this weekend’s three-game series at the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon, are without three of their top hitters. On the injured list are first baseman Andrew Vaughn (fractured left hamate), center fielder Jackson Chourio (fractured left hand) and designated hitter Christian Yelich (groin strain).
Chourio and Yelich combined last season for 66 doubles, 50 homers and 37 steals. Vaughn was promoted from the minors on July 7 and contributed nine homers, 46 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 64 games.
“It’s a different offense without those three,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Without three of our top-five hitters, we’re not going to be as good.”
The Brewers, who beat the Marlins 7-5 in 10 innings on Friday, will start right-hander Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 4.32 ERA) on Saturday. Milwaukee won on Friday without a homer, scoring three runs after the ninth inning. Two of its runs were unearned.
Woodruff, 33, has been excellent against Miami, going 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA in six career starts. However, he has been hindered by injuries. From 2023-25, Woodruff made a total of just 23 starts. His velocity has diminished from his All-Star seasons of 2019 and 2021.
The Marlins will counter Woodruff with right-hander Sandy Alcantara (2-1, 2.67 ERA). The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner is 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in seven career appearances against Milwaukee, including five starts.
This season, Alcantara posted an 0.74 ERA over his first three starts. However, in his most recent outing, he took an 8-2 loss Sunday at Detroit, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in six innings.
“I tried to do my best,” said Alcantara, who allowed three home runs in a battle against reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. “I tried to go seven innings to give us a chance to win, but it didn’t happen.”
As for the Marlins, it is not known if they will have third baseman Graham Pauley on Saturday. He left Friday’s game due to right oblique discomfort.
The strength of Miami’s offense is its middle infielders — shortstop Otto Lopez (.983 OPS) and second baseman Xavier Edwards (.910 OPS).
On Friday, they combined for five hits, including a homer and a triple by Lopez and a double by Edwards.
“Otto has been on a good run the past 10 to 12 days,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “(Edwards) controls his at-bats. The way he is impacting the baseball is encouraging.”
The bad news for the Marlins is they made several mistakes in Friday’s loss, including getting three runners picked off or thrown out on the bases.
In addition, the Marlins made two errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.
“We didn’t help ourselves,” McCullough said. “We have to do better and play cleaner from start to finish.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Minnesota United blank Timbers for 3rd straight win
Apr 18, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United FC forward Kelvin Yeboah (9) shoots the ball as Portland Timbers defender Finn Surman (20) and defender Brandon Bye (5) defend during the first half at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Tomas Chancalay had a goal and an assist as the Minnesota United won their third match in a row with Saturday night’s 2-0 victory against the Portland Timbers at Saint Paul, Minn.
Kelvin Yeboah scored the other goal, making it three matches in a row that he has a goal for the Loons (4-2-2, 14 points). Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender made two saves for the clean sheet.
Yeboah has half of his team’s 10 goals in MLS play. He’s the team’s only player with more than one goal.
James Pantemis made five saves for Portland (2-5-1, 7 points), which fell to 0-4-0 in road matches.
Chancalay scored his first goal of the season in the 16th minute off Jefferson Diaz’s assist.
Yeboah’s goal in the 60th minute capped a fastbreak with a short-range shot after Chancalay provided the final pass. Chancalay has four assists this year.
Portland has surrendered two or more goals in each of its last three road matches.
The Timbers began a busy stretch that includes several road assignments with a largely solid game despite failing to score. They held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks and a 55%-45% possession advantage, but Minnesota outshot the visitors 17-12, including 7-2 on shots on target.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw last August in the same stadium.
Portland stays on the road next Saturday, visiting San Diego FC. Minnesota plays twice next week, visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday before hosting LAFC on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Troy Johnston's clutch double leads Rockies' comeback win over Dodgers
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker (23) is congratulated by designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after a two-run home run during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Troy Johnston hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and the Colorado Rockies held on for a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night in Denver.
Johnston had three of Colorado’s seven hits as the Rockies won for only the second time in nine games.
Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing homered for the Dodgers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Shohei Ohtani was 1-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 50 games.
Brennan Bernardino (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 no-hit innings in relief, and Victor Vodnik pitched the ninth for his third save.
Will Klein (1-1) allowed hits to each of the first three batters he faced in the sixth, including Johnston’s game-winning double.
The first two Dodgers reached in the eighth against Jaden Hill and they loaded the bases with two outs before Hill retired Max Muncy on a groundout to second base.
Colorado starter Ryan Feltner went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan gave up two runs on four hits in five innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.
The Dodgers led 2-0 two pitches into the game. After Ohtani hit the first pitch into play and reached on an error by Johnston, Tucker drove the first pitch he saw into the second deck in right for his third home run with the Dodgers.
TJ Rumfield’s RBI single made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first.
Rushing’s solo homer with one out in the second restored the two-run lead.
Kyle Karros’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning made it 3-2, scoring Johnston, who had singled, stolen second and moved to third on a groundout.
The Dodgers threatened when Freddie Freeman tripled with one out in the visitor’s half of the sixth. But Karros at third dove to stop Teoscar Hernandez’s grounder down the line, retiring him at first. Bernardino replaced Feltner and struck out Muncy to end the threat.
The Dodgers threatened with a pair of two-out singles in the ninth before Tucker’s flyout to left ended the game. Los Angeles was hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, stranding eight in the narrow loss
–Field Level Media
Sports
Flyers emerge with win over Penguins in opening tussle of playoff series
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York (8) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) in front of Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) during the first period against in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Porter Martone scored a timely goal late for the Philadelphia Flyers, who skated away with a 3-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series on Saturday night.
Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale also scored for Philadelphia. Trevor Zegras, Denver Barkey, Rasmus Ristolainen, Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny registered assists.
Dan Vladar stopped 15 shots for the Flyers, none bigger than a point-blank stop on Anthony Mantha in the closing seconds to preserve the win.
Evgeni Malkin scored his 68th postseason goal for the Penguins and assisted on Bryan Rust’s goal. Tommy Novak, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson earned assists.
Stuart Skinner faced 20 shots and made 17 saves.
The postseason renewal of the Battle of Pennsylvania was exactly that for the two teams ending lengthy playoff droughts. It was a physical affair that featured just 26 shots on goal and 59 hits through the first two periods. That favored the Flyers, who finished the season fourth in the league in hits.
Martone, the 19-year-old who joined Philadelphia from Michigan State on March 31, scored what appeared to be an insurance goal with 2:37 left that gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead. That prompted Pittsburgh to pull Skinner for a sixth attacker.
A tussle between Penguins star Sidney Crosby and Sanheim sent both to the penalty box with 1:09 left, and Rust made it a one-goal game from the high slot eight seconds later.
Drysdale gave Philadelphia the lead midway through the second. Zegras skated behind the net and found the defenseman in the faceoff circle. Denver Barkey also assisted on the goal and further helped by screening Skinner.
Less than seven minutes later, Malkin provided the equalizer as the Penguins applied pressure in the attack zone. Vladar stopped Rakell but allowed a long rebound to his right that Novak tapped to the 39-year-old, who scored from the faceoff circle with 4:09 left in the period.
Sanheim reclaimed the lead for Philadelphia at the midway point of the third.
Pittsburgh’s 17 shots on goal were its fewest in a postseason game since the Penguins mustered just 12 in Game 5 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final against the Nashville Predators.
–Field Level Media
