Sports
Dylan Cease dominant as Padres hit 4 HRs, blank Astros
Sep 18, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images Dylan Cease allowed just two hits in 8 1/3 innings on Wednesday and Manny Machado homered twice as the San Diego Padres blanked the visiting Houston Astros 4-0 to win a tight, well-played interleague series between playoff contenders.
Cease (14-11) mowed down the first 15 hitters he faced before Jason Heyward led off the sixth with a clean single to right. Cease retired the next nine men before Mauricio Dubon started the ninth by legging out an infield single, followed one out later by an error that put runners at first and third.
Tanner Scott came out of the bullpen and got the final two outs for his third save with San Diego and his 21st overall. The Padres (87-66) maintained a 2 1/2-game lead on Arizona for the National League’s first wild-card spot and moved within three games of the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West, pending the outcome of their game in Miami.
Houston (82-70) saw its American League West lead over the Seattle Mariners fall to 4 1/2 games. Seattle played at home later Wednesday against the New York Yankees.
Framber Valdez (14-7) nearly matched Cease pitch-for-pitch until the bottom of the sixth. Machado barreled a first-pitch sinker, lining it over the left-center field wall for the only run Cease needed.
Valdez lasted seven innings, permitting five hits and a run with two walks and six strikeouts.
San Diego broke it open against Valdez’s replacement, Kaleb Ort, in the eighth with three straight homers in a nine-pitch span. Fernando Tatis launched his 19th of the year to left-center, followed by Machado’s 29th to left and Donovan Solano’s seventh, also to left.
The Padres created a pair of scoring chances early but couldn’t convert. Valdez induced a double play grounder to get out of trouble in the second, then fanned Tatis and got a groundout from Machado to strand men at second and third an inning later.
Rookie Jackson Merrill collected three of San Diego’s nine hits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves put RF Ronald Acuna Jr. on IL, recall P Spencer Strider
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. went on the injured list on Sunday, with right-hander Spencer Strider returning from the IL to make his season debut against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Acuna was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. The Braves selected fellow outfielder Jose Azocar from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Acuna’s spot on the roster.
Acuna exited in the second inning after limping toward first base on a groundout in Atlanta’s 9-1 victory over Colorado.
“It didn’t look great, him coming off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I am hoping it’s just some cramping and that type of thing, but he’s getting an MRI. That’s never good when you have to get an MRI.”
Acuna, 28, grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
A five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs in 34 games.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games.
Strider returned from his rehabilitation assignment and was reinstated to the roster to take the spot of fellow right-hander Hunter Stratton, who was optioned to Gwinnett following Saturday’s game.
After becoming the fastest pitcher to record 100 strikeouts (61 innings) in a season in modern MLB history in 2023, Strider made just two starts in 2024 before undergoing season-ending UCL surgery.
Last season, Strider went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts in his return from injury.
Strider, 27, began this season on the injured list with an oblique strain but is prepared to rejoin the sizzling Braves. They have won both games of the weekend series to expand on the best record (24-10) in the majors.
Strider, meanwhile, has dominated the Rockies in three career appearances (two starts), going 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA. He struck out 16 batters and scattered two hits over eight innings in a 3-0 win over Colorado on Sept. 1, 2022, before striking out 13 Rockies in a six-inning win last June 14.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers recall RHP Logan Henderson to start vs. Nationals
Apr 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson (43) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers recalled right-handed pitcher Logan Henderson from Triple-A Nashville and announced him as the starter for their Sunday afternoon road game against the Washington Nationals.
Henderson, 24, will be inserted into the lineup immediately, starting on the mound for the Brewers. Milwaukee has won five of its past six games.
Ranked as the No. 6 prospect and the top pitcher in the Brewers’ system by MLB Pipeline, Henderson will be making his second big league start of the season on Sunday.
He is 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA in one appearance. He gave up two runs on three hits in two innings as an opener in an 8-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on April 4.
Last season, Henderson started five games for the Brewers and was 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA.
In five games (three starts) for Nashville this season, Henderson is 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA. He has struck out 26 batters in 17 2/3 innings.
In a corresponding move, the Brewers sent right-hander Easton McGee, 28, to Nashville. He pitched two innings of relief this season in two games and allowed just one base hit.
Washington left-hander Peter Poulin (2-0, 4.11 ERA) will oppose McGee in the series finale.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Raptors' Brandon Ingram in walking boot ahead of Game 7
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram was seen in a walking boot during the team’s shootaround on Sunday morning, several hours before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the host Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram is listed as questionable to play in the game due to right heel inflammation.
An All-Star this season for the second time in his career, Ingram was limited to 11 minutes and scored one point in Toronto’s 125-120 setback to Cleveland in Game 5 on Wednesday. He did not play in Toronto’s 112-110 overtime victory in Game 6 on Friday.
During the regular season, the 28-year-old Ingram averaged a team-high 21.5 points over 77 games. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists and drilled 38.2% of his 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Braves put RF Ronald Acuna Jr. on IL, recall P Spencer Strider
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