Sports
Long-ball White Sox chase series win vs. Angels in clash of aces
Apr 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Back-to-back home runs from Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas sparked the Chicago White Sox to a seven-run outburst in the seventh inning on Monday night.
While the long ball proved the key to an 8-7 home victory against the slumping Los Angeles Angels, the White Sox also are confident in their ability to play small ball — including bunting — as they seek to secure a series victory Tuesday night in the second contest of a three-game set in Chicago.
“We’ve been talking about bunting as a weapon starting in spring training and how important that was going to be for guys in certain spots,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Some more than others. But that’s got to be part of our game as we’re trying to find ways to score runs.”
Los Angeles, meanwhile, is seeking answers for preventing runs late in the game. A beleaguered bullpen again was unable to hold a lead Monday in a game that was delayed by rain and thunderstorms for three hours.
Los Angeles has lost four straight games and eight its last nine. The past two defeats have been frustratingly similar, with left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz allowing tying or go-ahead home runs to the first batter he faced in the seventh inning or later.
On Sunday, Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone reached Pomeranz for a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings.
Murakami took his turn in Monday’s series opener against the White Sox, greeting Pomeranz with a three-run blast in the seventh for his major-league-leading 12th homer. Vargas followed with a solo shot.
“We mingle together a lot, so I’m just glad that he’s a teammate and I’m glad to have him here,” Murakami said through a translator.
The Angels have kick-started their attack recently after a dry spell. Paced by two hits apiece from Mike Trout, Vaughn Grissom, Nolan Schanuel and Bryce Teodosio, Los Angeles out-hit the White Sox 14-9 on Monday.
A day earlier, the Angels built an early 6-0 advantage before losing 11-9 in 10 innings.
Grissom started at second base Monday as the Angels faced left-handed starter Anthony Kay. Grissom hopes to translate his success to more regular time in the lineup.
“It’s not my decision,” he said, “but that would be sick. As a ballplayer, you want to be in there every single day. So it’s definitely something that I’d love, but I do whatever helps the team win.”
Tuesday’s pitching matchup will feature a pair of ace right-handers as Davis Martin (3-1, 2.01 ERA) of Chicago faces Jose Soriano (5-0, 0.24) of Los Angeles.
Martin will aim to close a sharp April in which he has pitched to a 1.37 ERA over 26 1/3 innings covering four starts.
Soriano has been even more dominant, allowing only one run in 25 2/3 innings in four starts this month. He pitched five shutout innings in a no-decision against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. The Angels won 7-3.
“He’s got serious stuff,” Schanuel said. “I feel bad for hitters who have to go face him three or four times in a game. I saw it while standing in there during spring training. He’s got [a] Wiffle ball. I’ve never seen a baseball move that much.”
Soriano has flourished in two career appearances (one start) vs. the White Sox, going 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed two hits and struck out 10 batters over nine scoreless innings.
Martin is 0-1 with a 3.07 ERA in three career appearances (all starts) against the Angels.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Magic silence Pistons late to take 3-1 series edge
Apr 27, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dunks in front of Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) during the first quarter during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Desmond Bane scored 22 points and made one of his five 3-pointers with 1:16 left as the Orlando Magic beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 94-88 on Monday to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Detroit tied the game at 85-all with 5:24 remaining on Ausar Thompson’s layup before Bane’s 3-pointer capped a 7-1 run and put the Magic ahead 92-86.
Thompson missed two free throws with 28 seconds left and Detroit’s Caris LeVert was off target on a 3-point attempt before Jalen Suggs sealed the victory with two foul shots.
The top-seeded Pistons were held without a field goal in the final five minutes before Isaiah Stewart scored at the buzzer.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is set for Wednesday in Detroit.
Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 19 points before exiting late in the third period due to right calf soreness. Paolo Banchero scored 18 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The eighth-seeded Magic forced 20 turnovers and improved to 6-1 in their past seven home playoff games.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers. Tobias Harris scored 20 points, and Jalen Duren contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando jumped to a 17-7 lead before Detroit closed the opening period on a 20-9 run to go up by one.
After Cunningham’s layup put the Pistons ahead 40-30 with 7:14 left in the second quarter, Orlando battled back to take a 54-52 lead into halftime.
Wagner had 17 points in the first half to lead all scorers. Cunningham put up 16 for Detroit before the break.
Bane closed the third quarter with a 3-pointer and two free throws to give Orlando a 75-69 lead.
Jamal Cain ignited the home crowd with a thunderous one-handed dunk over Duren to put the Magic ahead 80-76 with 8:34 left.
Cain provided a spark for Orlando after Wagner left the game and finished with eight points and nine rebounds in nearly 24 minutes off the bench.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aaron Judge hits 11th homer, Ben Rice hits 10th as Yankees top Rangers
Apr 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) bumps elbows with right fielder Aaron Judge (99) after hitting two-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Max Fried pitched six scoreless innings and was backed by three homers as the New York Yankees recorded a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers Monday night in Arlington, Texas.
Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered as the Yankees won for the ninth time in 10 games. New York hit at least three homers for the seventh time in its first 29 games.
Fried (4-1) allowed four hits and produced his fourth scoreless start this season. The left-hander notched three of his five strikeouts against Corey Seager and walked two.
Fried was also backed by a pair of double plays started by Jose Caballero in the first and sixth against Josh Jung and Brandon Nimmo. Fried also notched his MLB-best 38th pickoff since 2017 when he picked off Jung in the fourth.
Rice hit a two-run shot off Texas starter Jack Leiter (1-2) in the second after a single by Trent Grisham. Rice homered for the sixth time in his past 11 games when he drove a first-pitch fastball into the visiting bullpen beyond the left field fence.
Judge followed by sending a full-count curveball to left field. Judge homered for the eighth time in 15 games and his 11th homer tied Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami for the major league lead.
Chisholm gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead by lifting a first-pitch slider into the right field seats in the fourth. It was the second baseman’s third homer in his past five games after not going deep in his first 23 games.
Judge finished with three hits and reached base four times as the Yankees improved to 6-1 on their nine-game road trip.
Leiter allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked one and tied a career high by allowing three homers.
Joc Pederson hit a pinch-hit homer off Camilo Doval in the seventh but Texas lost for the sixth time in nine games. Seager grounded out with two on in the eighth against Tim Hill and David Bednar allowed an RBI single to Alejandro Osuna in the ninth before securing his eighth save in nine chances.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB roundup: Cards score 4 runs in ninth to stun Pirates
Apr 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher George Soriano (65) is congratulated by catcher Pedro Pages (43) after the Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images Jose Fermin’s two-run double with one out in the ninth inning capped a four-run rally as the St. Louis Cardinals overcame a near-shutout and beat the host Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Monday.
St. Louis, which had lost four straight and five of six, was hitless through 6 2/3 innings and scoreless through 8 1/3 before breaking through against Dennis Santana, who came into the contest with two saves and a 0.69 ERA with only one earned run allowed in 13 appearances.
Those numbers took a hit right away as Pedro Pages, St. Louis’ backup catcher, and rookie JJ Wetherholt hit back-to-back home runs off Santana (2-2) to even the game.
It was Pages’ third home run of the season, and second in his last two games, while Wetherholt went deep for the third straight game and sixth time this season.
Ryan O’Hearn and Jake Mangum drove in runs for Pittsburgh, which dropped its second straight game.
Yankees 4, Rangers 2
Max Fried pitched six scoreless innings and was backed by three homers as New York prevailed in Arlington, Texas.
Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered as the Yankees won for the ninth time in 10 games. Fried (4-1) allowed four hits and produced his fourth scoreless start this season. David Bednar gave up a run in the ninth but got his eighth save.
Rangers starter Jack Leiter (1-2) yielded four runs on eight hits in six innings. Joc Pederson delivered a solo homer.
Rays 3, Guardians 2
Ryan Vilade singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Steven Matz worked a season-high seven innings to lead visiting Tampa Bay over Cleveland.
Vilade had two RBI singles in a three-inning span as the Rays scored three unanswered runs to erase a 2-0 deficit. Vilade went 3-for-4 and Jonathan Aranda added a home run for the Rays. Matz (4-1) gave up two runs on four hits.
Cleveland took a 2-0 lead in the fifth on Daniel Schneemann’s two-run homer to left off Matz. Chase DeLauter went 2-for-4 with a double. Parker Messick tied his career high with nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run on three hits.
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0
Ranger Suarez pitched eight innings of one-hit ball as visiting Boston blanked Toronto.
Suarez (2-2) struck out 10 one in the opener of a three-game series. Carlos Narvaez hit a solo homer for the Red Sox and Marcelo Mayer and Wilyer Abreu each had two hits, a walk and an RBI.
Dylan Cease (1-1) allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Toronto had only a walk before Jesus Sanchez led off the home sixth with a double past third base, breaking up a no-hit bid. Dalton Varsho had the Jays’ other hit, a double in the ninth inning.
Twins 11, Mariners 4
Kody Clemens went 2-for-5 with a homer and five RBIs, and Minnesota cruised to a win over Seattle in Minneapolis.
Byron Buxton hit a two-run homer and Trevor Larnach went 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI for Minnesota, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Ryan Jeffers went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
Cal Raleigh hit a two-run homer for Seattle, whose four-game winning streak ended.
–Field Level Media
Magic silence Pistons late to take 3-1 series edge
Aaron Judge hits 11th homer, Ben Rice hits 10th as Yankees top Rangers
