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Champion Aces see off Storm, set semi vs. Liberty

WNBA: Las Vegas Aces at Connecticut SunSep 29, 2020; Bradenton, Florida, USA; A game ball waits on a sanitation cart during game 5 of the WNBA semifinals between the Connecticut Suns and the Las Vegas Aces at IMG Academy. Mandatory Credit: Mary Holt-Imagn Images

Kelsey Plum matched her career playoff high with 29 points Tuesday night while WNBA Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson added a double-double as the fourth-seeded Las Vegas Aces eliminated the visiting Seattle Storm 83-76 for a two-game quarterfinal sweep.

The two-time defending league champion Aces will start a best-of-five semifinal series Sunday on the road against the top-seeded New York Liberty. Las Vegas lost all three games in the season series but looked more like its championship self down the stretch, going 9-1 to end the regular season.

Plum hit 11 of 15 shots from the field, while Wilson added 24 points and a game-high 13 rebounds as the Aces dominated the glass 45-30. Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray contributed 12 points and nine assists.

Gabby Williams scored 20 points to lead fifth-seeded Seattle, while Nneka Ogwumike added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ezi Magbegor returned from missing the previous four games with a concussion and tallied 14 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith chipped in 13 points and 10 assists.

The Storm took their only lead of the night with 7:58 left in the game on a putback by Mercedes Russell, but Las Vegas quickly regained control with seven straight points. Jackie Young scored in transition for a 71-65 advantage with 6:05 remaining, and the Aces stayed in front from there.

Las Vegas got off to a strong start in its bid to eliminate Seattle, with Plum and Wilson each putting up 12 points in the first quarter. The Aces led 23-7 less than five minutes into the game before settling for a 30-20 advantage going to the second quarter.

Seattle controlled most of the second period, edging within 39-38 on Magbegor’s layup at the 2:21 mark. However, the Aces rallied for the last six points of the half, Wilson canning two foul shots with 2.8 seconds left to make it 45-38 at the break.

The Storm tied the game twice in the first four minutes of the third quarter, but Las Vegas fought back for a 57-51 lead on Wilson’s layup with 3:05 remaining. Plum’s floater with 6.8 seconds on the clock gave the Aces a 62-57 edge going to the fourth period.

–Field Level Media

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Trevor Rogers tosses 7 1-hit innings, Orioles eke out win vs. Dodgers

Jun 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Leody Taveras (30) runs to third during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn ImagesJun 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Leody Taveras (30) runs to third during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images

Left-hander Trevor Rogers gave up one hit over seven scoreless innings and Blaze Alexander had a two-run double as the visiting Baltimore Orioles escaped with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Rogers took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finished with two walks and six strikeouts.

The Orioles improved to 2-3 on a West Coast road trip that started in Seattle and concludes against the Los Angeles Angels next week.

Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six innings as he was unable to reprise his near no-hitter at Baltimore last season. He allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

After missing one game for the birth of his second child, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani returned to the leadoff spot and hit a home run in the ninth inning. Edman had a pair of singles for Los Angeles, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end.

The Orioles jumped in front 1-0 in the second when Leody Taveras and Colton Cowser led off the inning with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners. Coby Mayo’s groundout scored Taveras.

Baltimore increased the advantage in the fourth inning. Again they opened an inning with consecutive singles, this time from Samuel Basallo and Taveras. After Mayo walked with one out to load the bases, Alexander hit a two-out double down the third-base line to score a pair of runs for a 3-0 lead.

Rogers cruised into the fifth inning where he gave up his first hit of the game on a two-out single to center from Edman.

Rogers’ only scare came in the seventh inning when he walked Mookie Betts with two outs before Miguel Rojas hit a ball to the base of the center field wall that was caught by Cowser.

The Dodgers pulled within a run in the ninth when Ohtani hit a home run and Edman’s line drive was dropped by Taveras with two outs, allowing a second run to score. Yennier Cano finished off his first save by striking out Kyle Tucker to strand runners on the corners.

–Field Level Media

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Connelly Early, Red Sox handle Mariners for second straight win

Jun 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA;  Boston Red Sox starter Connelly Early (71) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn ImagesJun 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Boston Red Sox starter Connelly Early (71) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Wilyer Abreu homered and Connelly Early overcame a shaky first inning to make a quality start as the Boston Red Sox defeated the host Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Saturday night.

The Red Sox have won the first two games of the series and will go for a sweep Sunday afternoon.

Early (6-5), who had lost his previous three starts, went six innings and allowed one run on two hits. The left-hander walked two and struck out seven, one shy of his season high.

Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock and Danny Coulombe each pitched a perfect inning of relief to complete the two-hitter.

The only run Early allowed came in the first inning.

Early walked leadoff hitter J.P. Crawford and Cal Raleigh lined a single to left field. Julio Rodriguez grounded into a forceout before Josh Naylor lined a run-scoring single to center. Rodriguez was caught on the front end of an attempted double steal, and Early struck out former teammate Rob Refsnyder to get out of the jam.

Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (5-4) retired the side in order in each of the first three innings before Anthony Seigler led off the fourth by grounding a single to left. An out later, Abreu went deep to straightaway center field to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

Boston extended its advantage with a three-run sixth, despite hitting just one ball out of the infield.

With one out, Masataka Yoshida lined a single to right and stole second. Abreu walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Willson Contreras reached on a base on balls to load the bases.

That was it for Hancock, as the Mariners brought in lefty Jose A. Ferrer. He got Jarren Duran to ground into a forceout to first baseman Naylor, with Yoshida thrown out at the plate. Duran just beat the throw back to first in an attempt for an inning-ending double play.

Ferrer’s wild pitch scored Abreau and advanced Duran to second and Contreras to third. Caleb Durbin hit a grounder on which shortstop Colt Emerson made a diving stop, but the rookie had no play on the infield single and Contreras scored. Marcelo Mayer then hit a high chopper to second baseman Cole Young, who likewise had no play as another run scored to make it 5-1.

Hancock was charged with five runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked two and fanned six.

–Field Level Media

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FURIA, Team Falcons set to clash for IEM Cologne crown

Nolan Starkey, a senior at Rossville High School, plays Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Monday, April 15, 2019, in Rossville. Starkey signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play esports at Trine University in Angola, Ind.

Rossville High School Senior Signs With Trine University To Play EsportsNolan Starkey, a senior at Rossville High School, plays Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Monday, April 15, 2019, in Rossville. Starkey signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play esports at Trine University in Angola, Ind.

Rossville High School Senior Signs With Trine University To Play Esports

Team Falcons and FURIA will meet in Sunday’s grand final of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major after semifinal victories Saturday in Germany.

FURIA swept Aurora Gaming 2-0, while Team Falcons edged Team Spirit 2-1 in the other semifinal playoff. Both first-place Team Spirit and second-place FURIA had gone 3-0 in Stage 3 group play, while third-place Aurora Gaming was 3-1 as was fifth-place Team Falcons.

All four teams had advanced out of the quarterfinals, which were on Thursday and Friday.

The Counter-Strike 2 tournament with 32 entrants competing for their share of a $1.25 million prize pool began June 2 with the start of the first stage.

The field was ultimately trimmed to the final eight playoff teams through a series of three stages, where all matches were best-of-three, as were most of the playoffs. Sunday’s grand final will be best-of-five, with the winner taking home $500,000 while the runner-up settles for $170,000.

On Saturday, Team Falcons opened with a 16-14 win on Anubis before Team Spirit drew even with a 13-8 victory on Mirage. The Falcons captured the deciding map, Dust II, by a 16-12 outcome.

Nikola “NiKo” Kovac of Bosnia and Herzegovina led the Falcons with 59 kills to 52 deaths and a 1.26 rating to earn Player of the Match honors. Russian teammates Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin (60 kills, 1.18 rating) and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov (68 kills, 1.16) also contributed to the victory.

Russia’s Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov paced Team Spirit with 69 kills to 49 deaths and a 1.24 rating.

FURIA ousted Aurora Gaming, winning 13-9 on Dust II and 13-4 on Nuke.

Yuri “yuurih” Santos of Brazil was Player of the Match, pacing FURIA with a 34-19 K-D differential and 1.62 rating. Teammate Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato of Brazil posted a 29-20 K-D and 1.38 rating, while Mareks “Yekindar” Galinskis of Latvia recorded a 32-28 K-D and 1.30 rating. No Aurora Gaming players had a positive rating.

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne prize pool

1. $500,000

2. $170,000

3-4. $80,000 — Team Spirit, Aurora Gaming

5-8. $45,000 — BetBoom Team, 9z Team, Team Vitality, G2 Esports

9-11. $15,000 — Natus Vincere, FUT Esports, The MongolZ

12-14. $15,000 — MOUZ, Monte, Legacy

15-16. $15,000 — B8, PARIVISION

17-19. $10,000 — paiN Gaming, TYLOO, BIG

20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis

23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest

25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid

28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC

31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports

–Field Level Media

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