Sports
LAFC shut out Lionel Messi, Inter Miami in season opener
Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles FC forward David Martínez (30) scores a goal against Inter Miami CF goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (97) during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images David Martinez scored in the first half, Denis Bouanga scored and added an assist in the second and Los Angeles FC completed a 3-0 victory over Lionel Messi and visiting Inter Miami in both teams’ season opener on Saturday night.
Substitute Nathan Ordaz added the final goal for the hosts, who moved the match to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and drew a crowd of 75,673, the second-largest in MLS history for a regular-season game that was not part of a doubleheader.
Son Heung-Min provided the final assist on Martinez’s opener for LAFC, who have lost only twice in 16 games since signing the South Korean star last summer.
Hugo Lloris made three saves for the hosts, who held Messi’s Herons scoreless in a match he played for the first time in 15 matches in all competitions, a stretch that dates back to a 3-0 regular-season loss at Charlotte on Sept. 13.
Mexican-Argentine striker German Berterame made his debut for Miami, which held 63% of the possession.
But LAFC threatened constantly in transition, especially during the first half, and finished the night leading 16-13 in shots and 6-3 in efforts on target.
Martinez put LAFC in front in the 38th minute on one such moment.
Timothy Tillman began the attack when his dogged defensive work turned over Messi’s national team teammate Rodrigo de Paul in midfield.
The ball fell to Stephen Eustaquio, who played a first-touch pass to Son above the box. Son played it on into the run of Martinez down the left, and Martinez finished crisply past Dayne St. Clair for his eighth career MLS goal.
St. Clair created trouble for himself on Bouanga’s tally in the 73rd minute, racing outside the box in an attempt to reach Tillman’s diagonal ball.
But Bouanga was first by a healthy margin and headed the ball beyond the goalkeeper before finishing into a stranded goal.
Bouanga then set up Ordaz to seal it in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, beating his defender down the left flank before driving in a low cross.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards grab early 3-run lead, add on to put away Dodgers
May 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson each hit home runs, Jordan Walker had four hits and the host St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Matthew Liberatore (1-1) gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings as the Cardinals returned from a four-game sweep at Pittsburgh to win in the opener of a three-game series and six-game homestand.
Walker capped his third career four-hit game with a two-run double in the seventh inning as St. Louis improved to 11-5 since April 14. Relievers George Soriano, Gordon Graceffo and Matt Svanson held Los Angeles scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings.
Max Muncy had an RBI double and Kyle Tucker brought home a run on a sacrifice fly as the Dodgers lost their third consecutive game and fell to 5-8 since April 18.
Emmet Sheehan (2-1) gave up four runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings as he pitched at St. Louis for the first time.
Trouble arrived early for the Dodgers as Sheehan balked in a run during the first inning when he failed to inform umpires that he was switching from the windup to the stretch position during the same at-bat.
Six pitches later, Sheehan gave up the two-run home run to Gorman, his fifth of the season, as the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers got a run back in the second when Muncy’s double to the wall in left-center scored Andy Pages from first base.
St. Louis made it 4-1 in the third when Burleson hit a home run to right field, his fifth.
Los Angeles cut the deficit in half on Tucker’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.
The Cardinals took complete control in the seventh, getting Walker’s two-run double and a run-scoring ground ball by Nathan Church to take a 7-2 advantage.
The 12-hit game from the Cardinals came after they had 14 hits in a 10-5 victory over the Pirates on Thursday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves rally from 6-run hole, defeat Rockies on late HR
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) and infielder Ozzie Albies (1) celebrate after scoring during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Michael Harris II blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Atlanta Braves rallied late to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-6 in Denver on Friday night.
Matt Olson also went deep, while Austin Riley, Mauricio Dubon and Ronald Acuna had two hits each. Didier Fuentes (1-0) got the win in relief for Atlanta, which erased a six-run deficit and won for the fourth time in its last five.
Mickey Moniak homered among his two hits and Tyler Johnston also had two hits for Colorado, which has lost three of its last four.
The Braves, who trailed 6-1 after six innings, got a run in the seventh and then tied it in the eighth when Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill walked the bases loaded with one out.
Dubon tripled down the right field line to make it 6-5. Then came home with the tying run on Riley’s sacrifice fly.
Juan Mejia (0-3) walked Jonah Heim to lead off the ninth and Harris followed with his seventh homer of the season to give Atlanta the lead.
Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
The first six Rockies batters reached in the first inning against Grant Holmes, and 10 went to the plate in the frame. Edouard Julien led off with a walk, Moniak singled and Hunter Goodman drove in the first run with a double.
TJ Rumfield followed with an RBI single and Tyler Freeman’s bunt single brought home Goodman to make it 3-0. Johnston’s single loaded the bases, and Willi Castro grounded out to first base to score Rumfield. Freeman came home on Olson’s errant throw to the plate.
Moniak led off the second with his ninth home run of the season to make it 6-0 but Holmes settled down after that. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and struck out four in his five innings.
Colorado starter Jose Quintana was sharp. He allowed just one hit until Olson’s homer in the fourth and scattered five hits over six innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USL, players' union reach tentative CBA deal
May 4, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; General view of BMO Field before an MLS game between FC Dallas and Toronto FC at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images The United Soccer League is set for at least four years of labor peace after coming to a tentative agreement with the players’ union on a collective bargaining agreement.
The league and the USL Players Association wrote in a statement that the agreement represents “a significant step forward for the league and its players, reflecting a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game and the advancement of professional standards.”
The deal would run through 2030, with an option to make it go an extra year depending upon talks surrounding health insurance.
The minimum salary for players in the USL Championship, currently the league’s top tier, will rise to $42,000, an increase of $11,000. The USL will start a new higher level, USL Premier, to compete on par with Major League Soccer in 2028. The minimum wage in that league will be $67,500.
Entry-level deals will be worth $34,000 in the USL Championship (a hike of $8,000) and $50,000 in the USL Premier.
–Field Level Media
Cards grab early 3-run lead, add on to put away Dodgers
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