Sports
Feeling 'revitalization,' Dodgers eager for continued production on offense vs. Astros
May 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) celebrates with second baseman Alex Freeland (76) after the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images After amassing only 11 runs in the previous five games and going six games without a home run, their longest drought since July 2014, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense finally broke out on Monday.
The Dodgers opened a three-game interleague series against the host Houston Astros with an 8-3 victory that featured home runs from Alex Freeland and Kyle Tucker, and three-hit games from Freeland and Will Smith.
Freddie Freeman and Tucker posted two hits and two RBIs apiece as the Dodgers feasted on the Astros’ beleaguered pitching.
“I like where our guys’ heads are at,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “There is a new sense of revitalization, walking around the clubhouse.
“(The Astros have) a pitching staff that certainly has scuffled a little bit. And if we can get into some good counts, take advantage of some hitters’ counts — yeah, it is a hitter-friendly ballpark. Hopefully, we just take some good at-bats and grind, and mix in some slug, too.”
Right-hander Shohei Ohtani (2-1, 0.60 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Dodgers on Tuesday.
Ohtani sustained his first loss in his previous start, a 2-1 setback to the Miami Marlins last Tuesday, after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts over six innings. Ohtani has logged exactly six innings in all five of his starts this season, with three of those outings scoreless.
Ohtani is 3-6 with a 3.89 ERA across 14 career starts against the Astros. He worked two scoreless innings against them on July 5, 2025, allowing one hit and striking out three. He did not factor into the decision of a 6-4 home loss.
Right-hander Peter Lambert (1-2, 3.52 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Tuesday.
He worked a season-low 4 1/3 innings in a 10-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Lambert will make his second home start this season and first since absorbing a 9-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 17.
Lambert is 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA in seven career appearances (five starts) against the Dodgers. In his previous outing against them on June 2, 2024, he worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the Colorado Rockies, allowing one hit and three walks with three strikeouts.
The Astros, ravaged by injuries to their pitching staff, used an opener for a second consecutive game on Monday, with left-hander Steven Okert working in back-to-back games and Houston using five pitchers in both contests. Among the 13 players currently on the injured list are eight pitchers, but Houston could field reinforcements in the near term.
Right-handers Tatsuya Imai and Nate Pearson are scheduled to make rehab appearances with Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, with left-handed closer Josh Hader likely to do the same.
“Things are moving in the right direction,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners hit 2 home runs, overcome Braves' 4 homers
May 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver (18), left, and starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) meet at the mound during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Luke Raley and J.P. Crawford homered in a five-run sixth inning as the Seattle Mariners rallied to defeat the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Monday in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
The Mariners snapped a three-game skid and halted Atlanta’s three-game winning streak on a night all nine runs scored via the long ball. The major-league-leading Braves lost for just the fourth time in the past 19 games.
Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (2-3) got the victory despite allowing four solo home runs. The right-hander gave up four runs on six hits over six innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Seattle relievers Jose A. Ferrer and Eduard Bazardo combined for two scoreless innings, and closer Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his seventh save of the season.
Braves reliever Tyler Kinley (3-2) was charged with two runs in his lone inning.
Matt Olson hit his 300th career homer for the Braves, and teammates Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley also went deep.
Baldwin led off the game with a homer to center field.
It remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Albies and Olson began the inning with homers to center. An out later, Riley went deep to left-center for a 4-0 advantage.
Braves rookie right-hander JR Ritchie, who grew up on nearby Bainbridge Island, cruised through the first five innings before walking the first two batters he faced in the sixth. Raley hit a three-run shot to right-center, pulling the Mariners within 4-3 and ending Ritchie’s night.
Kinley issued a one-out walk to Mitch Garver, and with two outs, Crawford homered to right to put Seattle ahead.
Ritchie, making his third major league start, allowed three runs on four hits in five-plus innings. He walked six and struck out two.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy, making his season debut after recovering from hip surgery performed last September, challenged two ball-strike calls in the first inning and lost both, exhausting his team’s limit. He went 0-for-3 at the plate.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh sat out his third consecutive game due to discomfort in his right side.
–Field Level Media
Sports
In return of Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves stun Spurs in Game 1
May 4, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Julius Randle scored 21 points and Anthony Edwards came off the bench to hit for 18 points as the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs 104-102 on Monday in Game 1 of the teams’ Western Conference semifinal series.
The Timberwolves will take a 1-0 lead into Game 2, which will be contested on Wednesday in the Alamo City. Games 3 and 4 will be in Minneapolis on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Minnesota was bolstered by the return of Edwards, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee on April 25 that was supposed to keep him out “multiple weeks.”
San Antonio led by three points after three quarters. Edwards scored 11 of the Timberwolves’ first 19 points of the fourth period before Minnesota reeled off a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Mike Conley with 4:42 left to build a 95-86 advantage.
Victor Wembanyama’s dunk with 44 seconds left trimmed the margin to four and Dylan Harper’s steal and layup with 31 seconds remaining brought San Antonio within a bucket. After a miss by Randle, the Spurs opted not to call a time out and got the ball to Julian Champagnie, who’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the front of the rim and away.
Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. added 16 points each for Minnesota. Naz Reid and Conley had 12 points apiece with Randle and Rudy Gobert grabbing 10 rebounds each.
Harper led the Spurs with 18 points while Stephon Castle and Champagnie scored 17 each. Devin Vassell had 14 points and Wembanyama recorded an 11-point, 15-rebound, 12 blocked shots triple-double despite going 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. Keldon Johnson also had 11 points for San Antonio.
Randle ran the floor for a dunk over Wembanyama at the buzzer to allow the Timberwolves to earn a 24-22 advantage after 12 minutes of play.
The teams traded runs over the first half of the second quarter as San Antonio built a 35-29 lead after a pair of free throws by Luke Kornet at the 6:38 mark. The Timberwolves swung back with a 7-0 surge capped by a layup by Reid that netted them a 36-35 advantage, and the rest of the half went back and forth before ending tied at 45-all.
Harper led all scorers with 11 points before halftime while Castle added 10 for the Spurs. Edwards, Reid and Randle had seven points each to pace Minnesota in the first half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pregame transactions help spark Giants to skid-ending win
Mar 3, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge against Team USA during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The San Francisco Giants summoned help from the minors in their return home on Monday following a 0-6 road trip, and one of the call-ups delivered a skid-ending victory.
Trevor McDonald, making his first major league appearance of the season, pitched seven innings of one-run ball as San Francisco beat the San Diego Padres 3-2. The right-hander permitted two hits and no walks while striking out eight.
Two other call-ups were in the starting lineup, too. Top prospect Bryce Eldridge served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk, while catcher Jesus Rodriguez finished 0-for-3 in his big-league debut.
To clear spots on the roster, the Giants optioned outfielder Will Brennan to Sacramento, designated outfielder Jerar Encarnacion for assignment and placed left-hander Erik Miller on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Friday, due to a lower back strain.
The Giants scored only nine runs on their trek to face the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays. Five of those runs came in an extra-inning loss, and the Giants were shut out twice.
San Francisco is the worst team in the majors in runs (106), home runs (19), RBIs (101), bases on balls (69) and on-base percentage (.287) under first-year manager Tony Vitello.
The Giants will hope Eldridge and Rodriguez can help to unlock the offense.
The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Eldridge is just 21 and was the Giants’ first-round draft pick in 2023.
In 30 games this season at Triple-A Sacramento, the first baseman is batting .333 with a .963 OPS. He has six doubles, five home runs, 22 RBIs and 25 runs. He also has walked 20 times.
The biggest knock on Eldridge is his penchant for striking out — 41 times in 114 at-bats this season — but the Giants apparently feel they are out of time to work on that at the Triple-A level.
The Giants called him up briefly last season, and he batted .107 with four RBIs and 13 strikeouts in 10 games.
MLB Pipeline ranks Eldridge as the No. 20 prospect in baseball and No. 1 in the San Francisco system. It has Rodriguez ranked No. 18 among Giants prospects.
In 24 games at Sacramento, Rodriguez is hitting .330 with two homers and 14 RBIs. The 24-year-old has played in 431 games in the minors since 2019 and has a career average of .311 with 34 homers and 240 RBIs.
McDonald, 25, had brief stints with the Giants the past two years, going a combined 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four games (two starts). This year for Sacramento, he was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five appearances (four starts).
Brennan, 28, went 0-for-9 in five games for San Francisco. He played for the Cleveland Guardians each of the previous four seasons.
Encarnacion, 28, was hitless in his past 11 at-bats, leaving him with a .176 average and no RBIs in 17 games this season. He played for the Giants in 2024 and 2025 after starting his major league career with the Miami Marlins in 2022.
Miller, 28, has no decisions, two saves and a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances this season, his third year with the Giants.
–Field Level Media
Mariners hit 2 home runs, overcome Braves' 4 homers
In return of Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves stun Spurs in Game 1
