Sports
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami hit road to face Atlanta United
Sep 14, 2024; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) prepares to take a corner kick in the second half against the Philadelphia Union at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Lionel Messi will travel with Inter Miami for a road match against Atlanta United on Wednesday night, but the Herons will be short-handed when they try to move closer to securing the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
Miami coach Tata Martino confirmed Messi will be with the team on a two-match road trip that begins at Atlanta and continues at New York City FC on Saturday. The plan comes after Messi played his first match in roughly two months during Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Philadelphia.
However, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets will serve a yellow-card accumulation suspension Wednesday. Defender David Martinez departed Saturday’s victory early with a right adductor strain, and Atlanta’s artificial surface could convince Martino to limit the minutes of Messi, Luis Suarez and other veterans.
As Messi pointed out, if Miami (19-4-5, 62 points) did field a weakened team on Wednesday, it wouldn’t be anything new.
“The truth is that throughout the year, we had a lot of bad luck with injuries,” Messi said in Spanish after his first match following an ankle ligament injury. “We were never at full strength. Due to one thing or another, we were always missing players.
“But the team always pushed forward. Today, we are in first place with a big lead, and deservedly so. Hopefully, we can finish at the top for what it means and for what’s to come after as well.”
Miami leads the Los Angeles Galaxy by seven points in the Supporters’ Shield race and has a match in hand, and the Herons hold a 10-point Eastern Conference advantage on FC Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Atlanta (8-13-7, 31 points) is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and is fighting for its playoff life after a 2-0 upset defeat to 14th-place Nashville SC on Saturday. The loss ruined a bid for the club’s first back-to-back wins since mid-March.
Interim coach Rob Valentino’s squad begins Wednesday two points beneath the playoff line, with a match in hand on ninth-place D.C. United.
“I’m at a loss for words for that tonight,” Valentino said of the Nashville performance. “I apologize to the people that watched that, and that won’t be happening again. But we have to move on. I have no choice there.”
Atlanta has scored one total goal in its last three MLS matches, and the club’s three active goal-scoring leaders — Saba Lobjanidze, Daniel Rios and Jamal Thiare — are scoreless in the last four across all competitions.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles blow another late lead, but Dylan Beavers bails them out
Jul 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brandon Young (63) pitchin in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images Dylan Beavers singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Baltimore Orioles beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Saturday night.
Gunnar Henderson homered as the Orioles evened the series at one game apiece after failing to hold a late-game lead for the second game in a row.
Ozzie Albies homered for the Braves, who lost for only the third time in their last 10 games.
Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday doubled with one out in the ninth and moved to third on pinch hitter Colton Cowser’s flyout before scoring on Beavers’ hit off losing pitcher Didier Fuentes (4-1). Yennier Cano (2-2) was the winning pitcher with one inning of shutout relief.
Brandon Young pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive strong start for a Baltimore pitcher, but just like Friday night the bullpen couldn’t make it hold up. Young held the Braves to one run on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Orioles reliever Rico Garcia gave up a game-tying home run in the eighth inning for the second night in a row.
Braves starter Bryce Elder worked five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) with four hits, four walks and eight strikeouts. Victor Mederos threw two shutout innings in relief before Fuentes entered and gave up his only two hits to two of the last three batters he faced.
Holliday and Beavers each finished with two hits as the game’s only players with more than one hit. The Orioles have won nine of their last 12 games.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand continued to give the Baltimore offense a boost as his two-out single in the third inning drove in the game’s first run.
Henderson homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 2-0.
Atlanta scored in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s groundout. Albies’ 17th homer of the season pulled the Braves even on the second pitch of the eighth inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals support Andre Pallante with big 6th inning to down Reds
Jul 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a one run single against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The St. Louis Cardinals broke open a pitcher’s duel Saturday night with a six-run sixth inning to support right-hander Andre Pallante in a 7-0 victory against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera and Blaze Jordan all had key hits for the Cardinals, who came in having dropped seven of nine.
Pallante (11-6) allowed two hits in seven innings. He finished with eight strikeouts, tying his season high for the sixth time, and was just one strikeout shy of his career best. Pallante also retired his final 12 batters, and walked just one overall. He lowered his ERA to 3.77 in what likely was his best start of the season.
The Cardinals scored an unearned run against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene in the bottom of the first inning, but poured it on in the sixth, which was Greene’s third time through the lineup.
JJ Wetherholt walked to lead off and Burleson lined a single to right. Herrera followed with a two-run double to left making it 3-0.
Bryan Torres later hit an RBI single and Jordan followed with two-run single to right on a two-strike count to make it 6-0, prompting Reds manager Terry Francona to remove Greene (2-2).
Nathan Church followed with a safety squeeze against left-hander Sam Moll to push across Torres as the seventh run.
Unable to keep the Reds’ three-game winning streak going, Greene’s era ballooned to 7.06 in his fourth start of the season.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz made three fielding miscues in the first inning, booting a soft grounder for an error, getting his feet tangled on a pop-up single, and making a poor relay throw to the plate on Burleson’s RBI single.
Burleson finished with three hits, and Wetherholt scored twice, helping the Cardinals improve to 13-2 when he scores at least two runs.
The Reds did not mount a scoring threat until the ninth, against Cardinals right-hander Gordon Graceffo, who loaded the bases with no outs after pitching a scoreless eighth. A strikeout and a double play followed.
The Cardinals have won five of seven from the Reds in the season series, which continues Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Miami extends win streak to 6 with late Luis Suarez PK at Montreal
Jul 25, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; Inter Miami CF midfielder Casemiro (5) kicks the ball away as he defends against CF Montreal forward Prince Owusu (9) during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Luis Suarez’s penalty-kick goal in the 81st minute lifted Inter Miami to a 1-0 victory over host CF Montreal on Saturday night.
With the win, Miami (11-2-4, 37 points) has won six straight matches, including the last two without Lionel Messi as he recovers from Argentina’s run to the World Cup final.
The loss extends Montreal’s (4-10-3, 15 points) winless skid to six matches (0-3-3). Montreal has not recorded a victory in the league since a 2-0 decision over Orlando City on May 9.
In the 70th minute, the ball was crossed into the box and Miami forward German Berterame went up for a header and collided with Montreal defender Efrain Morales. Berterame remained down for several minutes, and medical personnel were rushed onto the pitch to attend to Berterame, who was taken off the field in an ambulance.
On the ensuing penalty kick 11 minutes later, Suarez chipped a shot over keeper Sebastian Breza for his ninth goal of the season.
Montreal had opportunities at the game’s opening goal early in the second half.
In the 50th minute, Hennadii Synchuk’s right-footed strike from the right side of the box missed just to the right of the goal.
Seven minutes later, Miami’s Yannick Bright was awarded a free kick after being fouled by Prince Owusu. Montreal midfielder Matty Longstaff blocked Suarez’s ensuing free kick from just outside the box.
Miami had another glorious opportunity in the 68th minute, but a leaping Breza recorded his only save of the night on Telasco Segovia’s right-footed strike from just outside the box.
Miami dominated first-half possession, but it was Montreal with the lone shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
In the 13th minute, Synchuk had a glorious opportunity, but Miami keeper Rocco Ríos Novo (two saves) got his right hand on the strike to make the save.
Saturday was the first of two meetings between the clubs this season. They’ll meet again in Florida on Aug. 29.
–Field Level Media
