Sports
Buoyed by offense, Giants shoot for sweep in Atlanta
Jun 17, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) celebrates hitting a double against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images In search of their first road sweep of the Atlanta Braves in eight years, the San Francisco Giants will bring their newfound success on offense into the finale of a three-game series on Thursday.
Winners in three straight games, the Giants scored 14 runs in a pair of wins — 7-2 and 7-5 — over the Braves. San Francisco is vying for its first four-game winning streak of the season and its first series sweep of 2026.
Right-hander Landen Roupp (5-7, 4.24 ERA) will aim to find his way out of a lackluster start to the month of June when he makes the start on Thursday. He is 0-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last three starts and hasn’t earned a win since April 26.
Roupp failed to complete five innings for the second time in his last three starts on Friday, yielding four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
“It was a challenging one for him,” San Francisco manager Tony Vitello said of Roupp. “It seemed like once he got ahead in the count, it didn’t go well from there.”
Roupp had a 5-1 record with a 2.55 ERA through April before dropping six straight decisions.
“I’m getting guys 0-2 and then I look up and it’s 3-2,” Roupp said. “I’ve just got to be better at putting guys away and also not going for the strikeout so much. First-pitch outs are really good and I’ve got to compete in the zone better.”
Roupp is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Braves.
Atlanta, meanwhile, is scuffling through its worst stretch of the season. The Braves have lost six of their past seven games and have seen the second-place Philadelphia Phillies close the deficit in the National League East to 6 1/2 games. On May 22, their division lead was 10 1/2 games.
Hoping to serve as a stopper, veteran left-hander Martin Perez (5-3, 2.90) will look to record his fourth straight victory on Thursday for Atlanta.
Perez has pitched at least five innings in each of his past five starts since being reinserted in the rotation on May 19.
He went 5 1/3 innings last time out, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out four in a 3-1 road win over the New York Mets.
“Martin was outstanding,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of Perez’s most recent outing. “He’s been great. He just carves up lineups. When he does get into trouble, he can navigate out of it. He’s been one of our better starters.”
Perez was designated for assignment by Atlanta on April 12 before being re-signed. He has responded to the moves by posting the second-best starting ERA on the staff, trailing only Chris Sale and his 2.30.
Weiss, a former Braves player, says Perez embodies the way the franchise is able to maximize players’ talent.
“Even going back to the times when I played, Atlanta typically tends to get the best version out of guys,” Weiss said. “I do think it’s something to do with the winning culture and I think that elevates a player’s game. We’ve done a lot of winning here over a few decades, so I think when guys come in, that’s infectious.”
Perez is 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA in five career appearances (all starts) against the Giants.
–Field Level Media
Sports
D-backs building steam entering series vs. streaking Twins
Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (7) and Ketel Marte (L) celebrate a Carroll grand-slam against the Angels during a game at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 17, 2026. Thanks to Corbin Carroll, the Arizona Diamondbacks enter the weekend feeling better about their season.
Carroll helped the Diamondbacks enjoy a rare day off at home before they open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Phoenix.
Carroll hit a grand slam in the second inning Wednesday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, providing the lead for good in an 8-1 victory.
“The dugout felt an immediate sigh of relief,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It took the air out of some very tense moments and games over the past 12-14 days.”
Following a 3-10 stretch, Arizona has won the rubber match in the past two series. Now, the Diamondbacks will try to get off to a good start against Minnesota with their hottest pitcher, right-hander Michael Soroka, starting on the mound.
Soroka (8-3, 3.11 ERA) earned his eighth win on June 7 after holding the Washington Nationals to one run and three hits over seven innings of a 5-1 victory.
Six days later, he limited the Cincinnati Reds to one run and two hits over seven innings but did not receive a decision in his team’s 2-1 loss.
He walked two batters against the Nationals but didn’t issue any free passes against the Reds.
“When you feel like the hitter might not know what’s coming, I feel a little bit more comfortable throwing balls completely over the plate,” Soroka said. “Last year (when he went 3-8), I think I ran into struggles, because I didn’t have those extra pitches. And second, third time around, these guys were seeing the same two [pitches], four-seam, curveball, over and over again.”
Lovullo has been impressed with Soroka’s run, which included a 3-1 mark with a 1.78 ERA in five starts in May.
“We can depend on him to go out there and do the things he did, but I want to emphasize, we’re not one of 26, we’re 26 of 26, and it takes a team effort,” Lovullo said.
Soroka has made four appearances (three starts) against the Twins in his career, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA.
The Twins beat the Texas Rangers 9-3 on Thursday afternoon for their fourth straight win. They can establish their longest winning streak of the season with a victory against the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Minnesota plans to start rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) but will keep a close eye on its 2022 second-round draft pick.
Prielipp has made 10 starts this year, building his pitch count and innings along the way.
“We will definitely have to monitor the volume regardless of if it’s within starts or throughout the year,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said after his start on June 7 against the Kansas City Royals. “I don’t think we’re at the point in the year where we will determine, or we have determined where we’re at with that yet.”
Prielipp dealt a season-high 98 pitches in his next outing against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday. He was tagged for four runs and seven hits over six innings in a 9-6 loss in which he didn’t factor into the decision.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve pitched this long besides last year, and my body’s felt fine this whole year,” Prielipp, 25, said after his start against the Royals. “These last two years have been really big for my development, and I feel like I’m getting better and better every outing.”
Prielipp will face the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers strive for something special to happen again vs. Orioles
Jun 5, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles did not reach the postseason a year ago, yet their visit to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series that starts Friday night manages to bring the Dodgers’ most recent run to the World Series to mind.
The Dodgers visited Baltimore in early September and were nowhere near the form that would catapult them to a second consecutive championship. Their fifth-consecutive loss on a six-game trip that included a stop at Pittsburgh came in devastating fashion.
Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was one out away from a no-hitter on Sept. 6 when Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday ended the bid with a home run. It sparked a four-run rally, all with two outs, as the Orioles finished a dramatic 4-3 victory.
The game marked a turning point — for Los Angeles.
The Dodgers won the final contest of the series and went 15-5 through the end of the regular season. They opened the playoffs with a 9-1 record before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a dramatic seven-game World Series.
Yamamoto’s Japanese countryman, right-hander Roki Sasaki (3-4, 4.76 ERA), will start for the Dodgers on Friday. He will face the Orioles for the first time.
Sasaki, 24, had been much improved after a slow start to the season but was crushed for a season-high seven runs over 4 1/3 innings last Friday on the road in an 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
“It is a good test for a young player that after he has one like this, how he responds,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So that’s something that we’re all waiting to see. But I do think that he’s equipped now with kind of a good base of success.”
After a 3-3 road trip, the Dodgers are back on track following a three-game home sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Baltimore will send rookie right-hander Trey Gibson (1-2, 5.91 ERA) to the mound Friday for his first career outing against the Dodgers.
Gibson will make his sixth career appearance and fifth start following an outing Saturday in which he gave up a career-high six runs over 4 1/3 innings in a 9-3 loss to the San Diego Padres.
The Orioles were the last team to get shut out this season when they fell 3-0 on the road to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Baltimore had just three hits while losing for the fourth time in its past five games.
“Looking forward to heading down to L.A. and putting together hopefully some good at-bats, some good starts and playing like the team we know we’re capable of,” said Baltimore’s Colton Cowser, who had one of the three hits.
The Orioles have been outscored 20-6 over their last four defeats.
“The big hit eluded us with runners in scoring position but keep dealing with the process, keep having good at-bats and the time will come,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said.
Baltimore was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Thursday.
Catcher Adley Rutschman left the game in the ninth inning when he was hit in the helmet by a throw while running out a ground ball to second base.
Rutschman is in a 1-for-18 downturn over his past five games
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wyndham Clark finishes first round with 2-shot lead at US Open
Jun 18, 2026; Southampton, New York, USA; Wyndham Clark plays his tee shot on hole 1 during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Tournament leader Wyndham Clark posted pars on the final two holes of the first round when he returned to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club to complete the first round of the U.S. Open on Friday morning.
That put him at 6-under-par 64 for the opening round, which was suspended because of darkness Thursday night at Southampton, N.Y.
Clark’s first-round lead settled at two strokes because Dustin Johnson ended up with 66. Gary Woodland and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick both had 67s for the first round.
The group with first-round 68s included Sam Stevens, Max McGreevy, Spencer Tibbits, amateur Ryder Cowan and Spain’s Jon Rahm.
Clark had a quick turnaround with his second round beginning prior to 8 a.m. Friday.
–Field Level Media
D-backs building steam entering series vs. streaking Twins
Dodgers strive for something special to happen again vs. Orioles
