Sports
Framber Valdez, starting vs. Red Sox, aims to stabilize Tigers' staff
Apr 30, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images The Detroit Tigers are missing three starting pitchers but still have one standout. He will be on the mound Tuesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox.
Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA) will start the middle contest of the three-game series for Detroit. The left-hander has given up two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts.
Valdez was sharp in his latest outing, at Atlanta on Thursday. He held the Braves to two runs and six hits in six innings. He didn’t issue a walk while striking out a season-high eight batters.
The Braves’ runs against him came in the second and third innings.
“He got better and better as the day went on,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He had a little trouble getting into the game, just because he mis-executed pitches. But given how the game started and the way his pitch count was driving up, for him to go six innings and really look strong at the end was huge.”
Valdez and catcher Jake Rogers changed tactics, relying more on his breaking pitches.
“They were on time for his sinker early,” Rogers said. “Just mixing in his changeup and curveball to keep them off the heater, then sneaking the heater in every once in a while was a really big thing. He did a really good job of landing the changeup and he even threw some good sliders to their lefties, which is a good pitch against those guys.”
Valdez recorded his most recent victory against the Red Sox, limiting them to one run in six innings on April 19. He is 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in seven career outings (five starts) against Boston.
Valdez steps into the role of de facto ace of the staff with Tarik Skubal on the injured list. The team announced on Monday that Skubal would undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.
Two other Tigers starters, Justin Verlander and Casey Mize, also are on the injured list.
Valdez will be opposed on Tuesday by the Boston combination of opener Jovani Moran (0-0, 2.33 ERA) and bulk reliever Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA).
Moran most recently pitched Sunday, when he got two outs without allowing a run or a hit against the Houston Astros. He allowed one run in three innings over two relief appearances vs. the Tigers last month, leaving him with a 7.45 ERA and a 0-1 record in nine lifetime outings against Detroit.
Bello will be coming out of the bullpen for the first time this year. He has made it past the fifth inning in just one of his six starts this season, and he has allowed 43 hits and 15 walks in 25 2/3 innings.
In his latest outing, Bello began with two scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. He fell apart from that point and departed after 3 2/3 innings, having served up four runs and six hits.
“He looked great early,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “(He) attacked the zone, (was) in the zone. A lot of weak contact. And then, in the third … started to nibble a bit when guys got on, and we got into a tight spot.”
Bello was frustrated when Tracy pulled him in the fourth.
“Obviously, I was upset,” Bello said through an interpreter. “I haven’t been able to pitch well in the past few starts. I haven’t been able to pitch deep into the games. That’s what I want (to do), and (Wednesday), it went that way, as well.”
Bello gave up four runs on five hits in four innings during a loss to Detroit on April 18. He is 0-2 with a 6.41 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against the Tigers.
Boston won the series opener 5-4 on Monday behind Jarren Duran’s three-run homer in the seventh inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Conforto's pinch-hit walk-off shot lifts Cubs over Reds
May 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Michael Conforto’s walk-off solo home run capped a two-run, ninth-inning rally and sent the Cubs to a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on a rainy Monday night in Chicago.
Conforto, pinch-hitting for Matt Shaw, hammered a 3-2 fastball from Reds closer Emilio Pagan (2-1) into the seats in left-center field, giving the National League Central-leading Cubs their sixth straight win.
Pete Crow-Armstrong opened the bottom of the ninth with a triple off the glove of Reds center fielder Dane Myers, who appeared to have the ball in his glove as he collided with the Wrigley Field’s ivy and brick wall. The ball fell to the ground and Crow-Armstrong raced to third base.
Pagan struck out Dansby Swanson, but Nico Hoerner hit a deep fly ball to left field for a game-tying sacrifice fly. Conforto then ended the game.
Ryan Rolison (2-0) struck out all three batters he faced in the top of the ninth.
Elly De La Cruz had three hits and Spencer Steer had two for the Reds, who lost their fourth straight game.
Steer drove in pinch runner Blake Dunn with a tiebreaking run in the top of the eighth for a 4-3 Reds lead.
Cincinnati’s Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run home run and JJ Bleday socked a solo homer in a game that was delayed 100 minutes due to inclement weather. Those blasts put the Reds up 3-0 through the top of the fourth.
The Cubs tied the contest with one swing in the bottom of the fourth when Seiya Suzuki (2-for-3) took Reds starter Chase Petty deep over the wall in center field for a three-run shot.
In the eighth, Nathaniel Lowe drew a leadoff walk off Cubs reliever Ben Brown. Dunn pinch-ran and stole second base before Steer singled to left field. Dunn beat the throw home, getting his right hand on home plate just before being tagged.
The Cubs loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against Reds reliever Graham Ashcraft on three walks, one of them intentional walk. Ashcraft struck out Carson Kelly swinging to escape the jam.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Brunson, red-hot Knicks blow out Sixers in Game 1
May 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (1) and forward Paul George (8) and guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the second quarter of game one of the eastern conference semifinal round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Jalen Brunson scored 27 of his game-high 35 points in the first half Monday night for the New York Knicks, who remained red-hot by routing the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.
The Knicks, who eliminated the Atlanta Hawks with a 140-89 win in Game 6 of a first-round series on Thursday, became just the second team in NBA history to end one series and begin another with consecutive victories by at least 30 points.
In 1986, the Boston Celtics beat the Hawks 132-99 to end an Eastern Conference semifinal series before routing the Milwaukee Bucks 128-96 in Game 1 of the conference finals. The Celtics went on to win the NBA title.
“I can’t deny that our guys are playing pretty good basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “And I’ve got to give them credit, especially where credit’s due. They’re trying to focus on the details, no matter what the score is.”
These Knicks, who won the final three games over the Hawks by a combined 96 points, are the first NBA team to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points apiece.
New York picked up Monday where it left off on both ends of the floor against Atlanta.
New York shot 63.1% (53-for-84), a franchise record for a playoff game. The Knicks shot 51.4% (19-for-37) from 3-point range, their best mark ever for a playoff game in which they hoisted at least 30 attempts.
The Knicks also allowed fewer than 100 points for the fourth straight game.
“Wasn’t any fun to be a part of, to be honest, and watch,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “But it’s 0-1. Doesn’t really matter if it’s six points or 36 or whatever the hell it was.”
OG Anunoby had 18 points for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges added 17 points each. Starters Towns, Bridges and Josh Hart all exited late in the third quarter while Brunson and Anunoby sat the entire fourth.
Paul George scored 17 points for the 76ers, who advanced to the conference semifinals by overcoming a three-games-to-one deficit against the Celtics — the first such comeback in Philadelphia history.
Joel Embiid had 14 points while Tyrese Maxey scored 13 points. VJ Edgecombe and Kelly Oubre Jr. each added 12 points.
The 76ers took a one-possession lead five times in the first quarter, but Brunson hit the go-ahead basket for the Knicks every time, including the 3-pointer with 3:57 left that put New York up for good at 21-19.
The Knicks went ahead by double digits for good at 49-37 on Towns’ 3-pointer with 6:43 left in the second. Brunson ended the half on his own 11-3 run to extend New York’s advantage to 74-51.
The Knicks were up 109-78 at the end of the third and led by as many as 40 in the fourth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Newly promoted Trevor McDonald pitches Giants past Padres
May 4, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Trevor McDonald (72) pitches the ball in his major league debut during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Minor league call-up Trevor McDonald allowed just two hits in seven innings, Casey Schmitt homered and the San Francisco Giants opened a six-game homestand with a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday.
Rafael Devers drove in Luis Arraez twice, with a single and a sacrifice fly, teaming with Schmitt to produce all the offense McDonald (1-0) and two relievers would need to snap a six-game losing streak.
After Jackson Merrill hit McDonald’s sixth pitch for a solo home run three batters into the game, the Giants immediately countered with a pair of runs in the last of the first inning to take a lead they never relinquished.
Schmitt socked his fifth homer of the season on Padres starter Randy Vasquez’s ninth pitch to get San Francisco even. Arraez followed with a double, and Devers came through one out later with an RBI single to center.
The Giants’ only other scoring came in the sixth, when Arraez doubled again, advanced to third on a groundout by Heliot Ramos and this time raced home on a Devers fly ball to right field.
The multiple-RBI game was the first for Devers in almost a month, since he drove in a season-best four runs in a home win over the Philadelphia Phillies on April 8.
McDonald, promoted from Triple-A Sacramento earlier in the day, matched his career best with a seven-inning effort in his first major league appearance of the season. He gave up just the first-inning run, struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
The only other hit he allowed in his third career major league start was also delivered by Merrill — a single leading off the fourth.
Giants reliever Keaton Winn needed just eight pitches to throw a 1-2-3 eighth. Caleb Kilian yielded a leadoff homer to Ramon Laureano in the ninth before registering three straight outs, two via strikeout, finishing off McDonald’s second career big-league win.
Kilian, a fourth-year major-leaguer, was credited with his first career save.
The homers were the fourth of the year for Merrill and fifth for Laureano.
Vasquez (3-1) was charged with all three Giants runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out two.
Arraez and Merrill were the only players in the game with multiple hits. The Giants had six hits to the three collected by the Padres, who took their fifth loss in six games.
–Field Level Media
Michael Conforto's pinch-hit walk-off shot lifts Cubs over Reds
Jalen Brunson, red-hot Knicks blow out Sixers in Game 1
