Sports
Hits keep coming for Yankees while Orioles having issues making contact
May 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are a pair of potent left-handed bats supporting Aaron Judge in the middle of the New York Yankees’ lineup.
The duo keyed the previous two wins, and the Yankees attempt to secure another series victory Sunday afternoon when they host the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees are 12-2 in their past 14 games and began the four-game series by outscoring Baltimore 16-6. During those two games, New York collected 22 hits, 13 walks and went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Rice hit a three-run homer in the 7-2 series-opening win, reached base three times Saturday, and has reached base at least three times in 10 games so far this season. Bellinger had two hits Friday and went 4-for-4 with a pair of solo homers and four RBIs in Saturday’s 9-4 victory.
“I love where we’re at as a team,” Bellinger said. “I’m just excited to be part of it. We like where we’re at, all of us and you want to keep rolling.”
Bellinger had his second multi-homer game this season and produced his ninth career four-hit game. The versatile outfielder had his biggest game this season and is 8-for-16 in his past four games.
“That’s Cody Bellinger, just an all-around (player), we see the speed, the athleticism, the power,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Just a great day by a great player.”
Besides trying to make better pitches against the Yankees, the Orioles are hoping to snap a three-game losing streak. Baltimore enters Sunday after getting outscored 27-11 since hitting a pair of grand slams in a 10-3 win over Houston in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday.
Pete Alonso homered for the second straight game Saturday and has three homers in his past five games. The Orioles have seven hits in the series and 13 hits in the past three games while striking out 34 times in that span.
“I’m not concerned,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “It’s more on my end. It’s more frustrating because that group in there is really talented, and I feel like we should not be three games below .500. That’s on me.”
Max Fried (4-1, 2.09 ERA), whose 47 1/3 innings are tied with Miami’s Sandy Alcantara for the major league lead, starts for the Yankees on Sunday. Fried has tossed 14 scoreless innings in wins at Boston and Texas in his past two starts.
After pitching eight scoreless innings in New York’s 4-1 win at Boston on April 22, Fried allowed four hits in six innings during Monday’s 4-2 win at Texas. It marked the second time this season Fried turned in consecutive scoreless outings and third time since joining the Yankees as a free agent last season.
The left-hander is 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles. In his last start against them, Fried struck out 13 in seven innings during New York’s 7-0 win at Baltimore on Sept. 18.
Trey Gibson, Baltimore’s third-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will make his major league debut. Gibson was added to the taxi squad on Saturday and originally slated to start for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday.
An undrafted free agent in 2023 out of Liberty University, Gibson was Baltimore’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2025 after going 5-8 with a 4.26 ERA in 26 games across three levels. This season, the 23-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA in six starts at Norfolk.
“It’s going to be a fun day for him, and I just want to tell him when I see him to embrace the moment, have some fun with it,” Albernaz said about Gibson. “He put a lot of work in throughout his whole life to get to this point, and he has great stuff. I want him to trust his stuff.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Defender Chris Richards returns to USMNT practice
June 8, 2026; Irvine, California, U.S.; Chris Richards of the U.S. signs an autograph for a fan during training. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Defender Chris Richards is back on the field with the United States Men’s National Team on Monday and appears to be on track for the World Cup opener against Paraguay this week.
“We will see … first time with the team,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said Monday. “Nearly everyone ready to be selected for the game.”
Richards sustained an ankle injury last month and is viewed as a vital defender in the center of the backline.
Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie filled in for Richards on Saturday in the final World Cup tuneup against Germany in Chicago.
At Monday’s practice in Irvine, Calif., Tyler Adams was not on the field. He worked in the gym for load management purposes, Pochettino said.
Richards, 26, suffered a pair of torn ligaments in his left ankle on May 17 as his Crystal Palace team played Brentford in a Premier League match. He did complete the match but limped off the field and has not competed since.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Kings to hire Peter Laviolette as head coach
Mar 29, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette instructs his team as left wings Artemi Panarin (10), Chris Kreider (20) and Brennan Othmann (78) look on against the San Jose Sharks during the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Kings are set to hire Peter Laviolette to a three-year deal as their next head coach, Sportsnet and ESPN reported Monday.
Laviolette had been in talks to become the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as recently as last week, according to multiple reports, and the Edmonton Oilers had also reportedly looked at him as a candidate to fill their head coaching vacancy.
Laviolette, 61, has been an NHL head coach for 23 seasons.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He also reached the Stanley Cup Final as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017.
He most recently coached the New York Rangers from 2023-25. The Rangers went 55-23-4 (114 points) in Laviolette’s first season and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in a six-game series. New York went 39-36-7 (85 points) the following season to finish six points out of a playoff spot, leading to Laviolette’s dismissal in April 2025.
He owns an 846-562-161 record (25 ties) as head coach with the New York Islanders (2001-03), Hurricanes (2003-09), Flyers (2009-14), Predators (2014-20), Washington Capitals (2020-23) and Rangers.
His 846 regular-season wins are the most among United States-born coaches in NHL history and seventh all-time.
Laviolette appeared in 12 NHL games during his playing career as a defenseman, all during the 1988-89 season with the Rangers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top 2 seeds ousted in chaotic opening day at Libema Open
Aug 27, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia serves against Wang Xinyu of China in the second round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds each fell in straight sets on a chaotic first day of women’s competition in the Libema Open at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands on Monday.
No. 1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia — a two-time winner at the event in 2022 and ‘23 — fell 6-4, 7-6 (5) to Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, who ranks nearly 50 spots lower (65th to 17th). In a match that was statistically even in a number of spots, the difference may have been Udvardy’s one more converted break (3 of 6) in an equal number of chances.
Second-seeded Clara Tauson of Denmark lost 6-4, 6-4 to Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova, a 17-year-old who won the final five games of the match to secure her first career top-30 win. No. 3 seed Belgian Elise Mertens avoided the same fate with a thorough 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
In other Monday action, Poland’s Magda Linette rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Australian Kimberly Birrell, Robin Montgomery pulled out a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 victory against Daria Kasatkina of Australia and Ukraine’s Daria Snigur swept Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1, 7-6 (2).
HSBC Championships
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic rallied for a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-3 defeat of McCartney Kessler in first-round action at London.
Pliskova was sloppy on her serve with three aces and 11 double faults but made up for it by winning 51% of her return points and converting 8 of 11 break-point opportunities.
In the only two other matches completed on Monday, when multiple matches were delayed or postponed by rain, Great Britain’s Harriet Dart beat Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, while Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian swept Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 7-6 (4).
The final match of the day, which pitted No. 8 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, was suspended due to darkness with Fernandez up a set and the second set level at 3 games apiece.
–Field Level Media
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