Sports
Fernando Tatis Jr. hits 2 homers as Padres crush Dodgers to even series
Oct 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar (10) reacts at first base after bunting in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images LOS ANGELES — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit two home runs as the visiting San Diego Padres went deep six times and evened the National League Division Series with a 10-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 on Sunday.
Tatis hit home runs in the first and ninth innings, while former Dodger David Peralta hit one in the second. Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts hit back-to-back blasts in the eighth, while Kyle Higashioka also hit one in the ninth.
Right-hander Yu Darvish (1-0) gave up one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts over seven innings as the Padres head home for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts for the Dodgers, who had five hits and lost for the seventh time in eight playoff games over the past three seasons, including an NLDS defeat to the Padres in 2022. The top three spots in the Dodgers’ order combined to go 0-for-12.
Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Tatis gave San Diego a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a home run to left field. The Padres made it 3-0 in the second on Peralta’s first career playoff home run.
Padres left-fielder Jurickson Profar robbed Mookie Betts of a home run in the first inning, reaching into the crowd in the left field corner to make the catch. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the second inning with nobody out, but scored just once on a sacrifice fly from Gavin Lux.
The San Diego defense was at it again in the fourth. Tatis made a leaping catch while on the run in right-center on a drive from Freddie Freeman and Luis Arraez corralled Max Muncy’s hard-hit one-hopper.
Freeman departed after five innings with right ankle discomfort.
After tempers flared on both sides in the sixth inning when Flaherty hit Tatis with a pitch, the Padres took a 4-1 lead on an RBI single from Merrill.
Multiple baseballs were thrown on the field before the bottom of the seventh, causing a delay and stoking the ire of Profar. Merrill and Bogaerts then sealed the win, hitting consecutive homers in the eighth for a 7-1 lead.
Higashioka hit his third homer of the postseason in the ninth and Tatis hit his second of the game two batters later.
Muncy hit a home run for the Dodgers in the ninth.
–By Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
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 Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s game at the Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna entered the day hitting .248 with two homers and nine RBIs in 33 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .186 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Willie Traynow keeps Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) away from Pittsburgh Pirates cvatcher Henry Davis after he was nearly hit by the ball during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images The host Pittsburgh Pirates scored 15 runs in the first four innings and took advantage of record wildness by the Cincinnati Reds to roll to a 17-7 victory on Saturday.
Rookie Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while driving in two, while Ryan O’Hearn doubled and drove in three as the top eight hitters in the Pirates lineup each had at least one hit while seven batters had at least two hits.
Pittsburgh also drew seven consecutive walks in the second inning — tying a major league record set in 1909 and equaled in 1983. The Pirates scored five runs in the second without a hit, becoming the first team to accomplish the feat since 1994.
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He struck out a career-high 10 while scattering eight hits, two walks and five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Will Benson and JJ Bleday homered and Nathaniel Lowe drove in three runs for the Reds, who trailed 15-3 after four innings. Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) surrendered eight runs, five hits and four walks before being removed with one out in the second.
Since losing 2-0 to Cincinnati in their first meeting on March 30, Pittsburgh has won the last four by a combined 42-14 score.
For a second straight day, the game was played in raw conditions, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees.
Lowder appeared miserable in the cold and struggled badly early. He was unable to find his rhythm or command while allowing four runs before there were two outs in the first inning. The five runs allowed in the first were a career high for the right-hander.
Lowder labored through 30 pitches in the first as O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Griffin each doubled in the five-run outburst. Lowder then walked the bases loaded in the second before being pulled.
Reliever Connor Phillips came in and walked all four Pirates he faced to force in four runs. He left after throwing just five of his 21 pitches for strikes.
The last time seven straight walks were issued in a Major League game came on May 25, 1983, when three Pirates pitchers walked seven in a row at Atlanta in a 6-0 Braves win.
The five runs without a hit in the second happened for the first time since April 27, 1994, when the Seattle Mariners allowed five runs to the New York Yankees in the top of the third inning.
With the score 15-6, Pittsburgh reliever Chris Devenski was ejected for throwing inside near the ribcage of Sal Stewart to open the seventh. Stewart took exception and stared out at the mound. But the encounter did not escalate as umpires intervened.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Meyer, 2 relievers hold Phillies to 1 hit
May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer (23) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Max Meyer only allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and Xavier Edwards homered in the host Miami Marlins’ 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday
Meyer (2-0) faced one over the minimum number of batters with a walk and seven strikeouts in the longest start of his career. He threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches.
Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi each retired the side in order in the combined one-hitter.
Otto Lopez and Edwards each had two hits with a run and an RBI and Connor Norby was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Marlins, who evened the four-game series at one win each.
Garrett Stubbs got the lone hit for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak under interim manager Don Mattingly snapped. Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and has struck out in all eight at-bats over his last two games, tying a career high for consecutive strikeouts.
Philadelphia right-hander Andrew Painter (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.
The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third on consecutive bases-loaded, two-out walks to Agustin Ramirez and Norby.
It was the second straight inning Miami loaded the bases with one out with three consecutive singles. In the second, Painter got Graham Pauley on a foul out and struck out Esteury Ruiz swinging to end the inning.
Edwards’ one-out solo homer in the fifth made it 3-0. He drove Painter’s 1-1 four-seam fastball into the right-field stands for his second home run.
Lopez’s infield single with two outs in the sixth increased the Marlins’ advantage to 4-0.
Stubbs singled in the third with one out and was erased on an inning-ending double play.
Justin Crawford was scratched from the Phillies’ lineup because of a migraine.
Philadelphia also activated catcher J.T, Realmuto from the 10-day injured list (back spasms) earlier Saturday and designated Dylan Moore for assignment. Realmuto was hitless in three at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. leaves Rockies game with hamstring tightness
Pirates wreck Reds; tie MLB record for consecutive walks
