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Losing streak over, Pirates strive for another win vs. Reds

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh PiratesMay 1, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) hits an RBI triple against the Cincinnati Reds during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Justin Berl-Imagn Images

Fresh from snapping their five-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look for back-to-back wins when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates hit four home runs in Friday’s 9-1 rout of the Reds, including two by catcher Henry Davis, who scored three times and drove in three runs.

Bryan Reynolds, who was 2-for-4 for a second straight game, continues to tear up Cincinnati pitching, homering Friday night to give him three home runs this season against the Reds, and 19 for his career against them.

Reynolds extended his on-base streak to five straight plate appearances with the home run in the first inning and triple in the third before striking out in the fourth.

Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature Cincinnati’s Rhett Lowder (3-1, 3.18 ERA) and Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 4.13) in a battle of right-handers.

Following a lost 2025 season plagued by oblique and elbow injuries, Lowder, 24, has emerged as a crucial anchor in the Cincinnati rotation through his first six starts.

Lowder’s performance is a major boost for a Reds team navigating early-season injuries to Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and most recently this week Brandon Williamson.

Lowder is coming off an effective outing against Detroit last Sunday when he allowed two runs and six hits in five innings and left with a 3-2 lead against the Detroit Tigers. But the bullpen failed and the Reds lost 8-3.

“I’m just trying to keep getting better and be the best pitcher I can be,” Lowder said. “I’m getting stronger each week, and it’s just fun to be on a routine and just focus on getting guys out.”

Against Detroit, Lowder struck out a season-high seven batters, with his only two runs allowed coming in the first inning with two outs. He retired 10 of his last 11 batters. In one career appearance against the Pirates, Lowder pitched five shutout innings and allowed five hits in September 2024.

The Reds have been exceptional away from home this season, with 10 wins in their first 14 road games, a feat achieved just four times by the club since 1900.

TJ Friedl, 8-for-23 in his last six games, was the lone Cincinnati star of Friday’s loss in Pittsburgh, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

The Pirates’ woes have often stemmed from starting behind, as they are 15-6 when scoring first, but only 2-10 when opponents score first.

“Every team is going to have skids,” Pirates ace Paul Skenes said. “Just got to get back to who we are, just our game, not try to do too much. Just got to be us.”

Through six appearances (five starts), Mlodzinski has 30 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings. His season began with promise, as he posted a stellar 1.77 ERA in his first four starts. This stretch was highlighted by a six-inning, scoreless performance against the Washington Nationals on April 15 and 5 1/3 shutout frames against the Chicago Cubs on April 10.

However, late April has been a different story, as he has allowed nine earned runs over just eight combined innings against the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

“I’m just trying to be better this year than last year, learn from some great guys in our rotation, and play a part in all of us trying to one-up each other,” Mlodzinski said.

Mlodzinski is 0-2 with an ERA of 3.45 in eight career appearances vs. Cincinnati.

-Field Level Media

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MLB roundup: Phillies down Marlins, move to 4-0 under Don Mattingly

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Miami MarlinsMay 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Zack Wheeler logged six effective innings as the Philadelphia Phillies hung on for a 6-5 road victory against the Miami Marlins on Friday.

Bryson Stott hit a three-run homer for Philadelphia, which improved to 4-0 under interim manager Don Mattingly. Edmundo Sosa and Alec Bohm each added two hits and an RBI for the Phillies.

Wheeler (1-0), in his second start since missing more than eight months with a blood clot in his shoulder, allowed just a run and three hits. He walked two and struck out eight.

Miami starter Eury Perez (2-3) was charged with two runs and four hits in five innings. Otto Lopez had three hits and two RBIs to pace the Marlins’ offense.

Brewers 6, Nationals 1

Jacob Misiorowski took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before leaving with a cramp, William Contreras had four hits and Milwaukee won at Washington.

Misiorowski came out of the game with a right hamstring cramp after throwing a pitch to James Wood with one out in the sixth. Aaron Ashby came on and carried the no-hit bid into the seventh before Daylen Lile delivered a one-out bloop double.

Misiorowski (2-2) fanned eight in a dominant outing, which ended with Milwaukee throwing a combined two-hitter. Washington starter Jake Irvin (1-4) gave up four runs, three earned, over five innings.

Blue Jays 7, Twins 3

Kazuma Okamoto hit two homers and drove in three runs as Toronto pulled away for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Yohendrick Pinango finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Blue Jays, and Lenyn Sosa went 3-for-4 with a double. Patrick Corbin (1-0) allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5) gave up six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Byron Buxton finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.

Mets 4, Angels 3

Ronny Mauricio hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning for New York, which mounted its biggest comeback of the season to beat Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.

The Mets trailed 3-0 before winning for just the fourth time in past 21 games. Five New York pitchers, including reliever Huascar Brazoban (2-0) and closer Devin Williams (third save), combined to retire the final 21 batters they faced.

Jorge Soler hit a two-run homer for the Angels, who lost for the 11th time in 12 games. Jose Fermin (0-1) gave up one run in his lone inning.

Rangers 5, Tigers 4

Alejandro Osuna hit a go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning as visiting Texas opened a three-game series against Detroit with a win.

Danny Jansen slugged a solo homer and Josh Jung had two hits and two RBIs for the Rangers, who moved ahead on back-to-back doubles by Jake Burger and Osuna in the eighth against Burch Smith (0-1). Tyler Alexander (1-0), one of five Texas relievers, pitched a scoreless seventh. Jacob Latz handled the ninth for his third save.

Riley Greene had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who have lost three of the past four. Wenceel Perez added a two-run single. Tigers starter Jack Flaherty gave up four runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Cubs 6, Diamondbacks 5

Michael Busch had two hits, including a two-run single, and Chicago used two three-run innings to hold off the visiting Arizona.

Busch triggered a three-run first with a bases-loaded single, and the Cubs added three more in the fourth off Diamondbacks starter off Zac Gallen (1-2) for their third win in four games and ninth straight home win.

Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas had a career-high four hits to raise his batting average to a major-league-leading .404 and extend his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games.

Red Sox 3, Astros 1

Jarren Duran hit a three-run homer and Jake Bennett pitched well in his major league debut to propel Boston to a victory over visiting Houston.

Bennett (1-0) allowed one run on five hits in five innings, and the Red Sox received four scoreless innings from four relievers. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Carlos Correa had three hits, including a home run, while Isaac Paredes and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros. Houston starter Mike Burrows (1-4) surrendered three runs on eight hits in six innings.

Rays 3, Giants 0

Shane McClanahan crafted his second straight scoreless start, Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero homered and Tampa Bay opened a six-game homestand with a win over the struggling San Francisco in St. Petersburg, Fla.

McClanahan (3-2) allowed five hits over six innings. Diaz slugged a solo home run in the second and Caminero added a massive solo shot in the fourth. Taylor Walls went 2-for-3 with a double, run and stolen base.

Giants starter Robbie Ray (2-4) allowed just four hits in 6 1/3 innings, but three runs came across. Luis Arraez doubled for the club’s only extra-base hit as San Francisco lost its fourth straight game and was shut out for a major-league-high seventh time.

Yankees 7, Orioles 2

Ben Rice hit a three-run homer in the second inning as host New York downed Baltimore.

Jose Caballero also went deep and Cody Bellinger contributed an RBI double as the Yankees won for the 11th time in 13 games. Will Warren (4-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Former Mets star Pete Alonso hit a tying homer in his first at-bat in New York since joining the Orioles in the offseason. Cade Povich (1-1) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings.

Pirates 9, Reds 1

Bryan Reynolds continued his dominance of Cincinnati pitching with a tape-measure homer and an RBI triple in support of seven strong innings from Mitch Keller as host Pittsburgh routed Cincinnati.

Henry Davis broke out with two homers and three runs, Marcell Ozuna added a two-run shot and Nick Gonzales went 3-for-4 for the Pirates, who snapped a five-game skid. Keller (3-1) allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings.

The Reds were held to three hits, two of which were by TJ Friedl. Brady Singer (2-2) was roughed up for four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

White Sox 8, Padres 2

Munetaka Murakami blasted his big-league-leading 13th homer and rookie starter Noah Schultz allowed just two hits in six shutout innings as visiting Chicago routed San Diego.

Murakami capped a six-run second-inning outburst against German Marquez, ripping a hanging knuckle-curve an estimated 413 feet. That three-run shot essentially decided the game as Schultz (2-1) shrugged off first-inning control issues.

Marquez (3-2) saw his three-game winning streak snapped after permitting seven runs on five hits and five walks over five innings. Fernando Tatis Jr. collected three hits in the Padres’ third consecutive loss.

Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2

Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson homered, Jordan Walker had four hits and host St. Louis extended its winning streak to five games by defeating Los Angeles.

Matthew Liberatore (1-1) gave up two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. George Soriano, Gordon Graceffo and Matt Svanson held Los Angeles scoreless the rest of the way.

Emmet Sheehan (2-1) allowed four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings as the Dodgers lost their third consecutive game.

Royals 7, Mariners 6

Pinch hitter Lane Thomas’ run-scoring single with one out in the eighth inning broke a tie as Kansas City defeated host Seattle, overcoming a pair of two-run homers by Julio Rodriguez.

Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone went deep for the Royals, who won for just the fourth time in 16 road games this season. Connor Joe and Randy Arozarena also homered for Seattle, which had won six of its previous seven games.

Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) allowed two runs in his lone inning. Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.

Braves 8, Rockies 6

Michael Harris II blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and Atlanta rallied late from six runs down to beat Colorado in Denver.

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 the Braves, who won for the fourth time in the past five.

Mickey Moniak homered among his two hits and Troy Johnston also had two hits for the Rockies, who have lost three of their past four.

Guardians 8, A’s 5

Rhys Hoskins homered, doubled and drove in three runs and Chase DeLauter went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, leading Cleveland past the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

Steven Kwan had two hits and a walk and made a stellar catch that saved three runs for the Guardians. Cade Smith retired the final four batters for his eighth save.

Brent Rooker went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs for the Athletics. Nick Kurtz finished 0-for-4 but drew a walk in the seventh to reach base for the 26th straight game. He has walked in 20 straight games, tied for the majors’ second-longest streak ever.

–Field Level Media

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FaZe Vegas move to 3-0 in Week 2 of CDL Stage 3 qualifying

Syndication: Democrat and ChronicleYMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.

FaZe Vegas outlasted the Carolina Royal Ravens 3-2 on Friday, improving to 3-0 as the second week of qualifying for the Call of Duty League’s Stage 3 got underway.

Los Angeles Thieves and OpTic Texas also recorded victories and are 2-0. The Thieves swept Cloud9 New York 3-0, while OpTic defeated the Boston Breach 3-1.

The 12 Call of Duty League teams are playing a full qualifying round robin to determine seeding for the third major of the season, to be held May 15-17 as part of the DreamHack Atlanta event.

On Friday, the Royal Ravens won the opening map, Colossus Hardpoint, 250-199, before FaZe rebounded with back-to-back wins on Gridlock Search and Destroy (6-3) and Den Overload (4-3). However, Carolina pushed Vegas to a decisive fifth map, pulling out a 250-190 victory on Den Hardpoint. On Fringe Search and Destroy, Vegas edged Carolina 6-5 to remain unblemished.

Chris “Simp” Lehr of the United States was selected as match MVP after leading Vegas with 105 kills and a plus-5 kill-death differential.

The Thieves opened with a 250-140 victory on Colossus Hardpoint, then followed it up with 6-1 win on Gridlock Search and Destroy before closing out Cloud9 New York 5-4 on Den Overload.

Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez of France earned match MVP honors with 66 kills and a K-D differential of plus-14 for the Thieves.

Texas jumped out to a 2-0 lead with wins on Den Hardpoint (250-123) and Plaza Search and Destroy (6-3) before Boston battled back with a 3-2 victory on Den Overload. OpTic avoided a decisive fifth map with a 250-227 triumph on Sake Hardpoint.

Canadian/Lebanese player Brandon “Dashy” Otell was named MVP of the match, posting 81 kills and a plus-16 K-D differential.

The Week 2, Day 2 schedule for Saturday:

–Cloud9 New York vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

–Miami Heretics vs. FaZe Vegas

–Vancouver Surge vs. Riyadh Falcons

–Toronto KOI vs. OpTic Texas

Call of Duty League Stage 3 Major qualifying, with match record and map differential

1. FaZe Vegas, 3-0, 9-3

2. Los Angeles Thieves, 2-0, 6-1

T3. OpTic Texas, 2-0, 6-2

T3. Paris Gentle Mates, 2-0, 6-2

T3. Toronto KOI, 2-0, 6-2

T3. Vancouver Surge, 2-0, 6-2

7. Miami Heretics, 0-1, 1-3

8. Riyadh Falcons, 0-2, 2-6

T9. Cloud9 New York, 0-2, 1-6

T9. G2 Minnesota, 0-2, 1-6

T11. Carolina Royal Ravens, 0-3, 5-9

T11. Boston Breach, 0-3, 2-9

–Field Level Media

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GamerLegion, FaZe Clan reach BLAST Rivals Spring semifinals

ESports: Call of Duty League FinalsJul 21, 2019; Miami Beach, FL, USA; A general view of gaming controllers on display during the Call of Duty League Finals e-sports event at Miami Beach Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

GamerLegion swept Astralis 2-0 on Friday to reach the semifinals at the BLAST Rivals Spring event in Fort Worth, Texas.

In the other quarterfinal match, FaZe Clan eked out a 2-1 victory over G2 Esports.

The results set up the semifinals on Saturday, when Natus Vincere will face FaZe Clan before Team Vitality will clash with GamerLegion.

The $350,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament began with eight teams divided into two double-elimination groups for the initial stage. The group winners moved directly to the semifinals of the single-elimination playoff. The group runners-up went to the quarterfinals as high seeds, and the teams that finished third in their groups advanced to the quarterfinals as low seeds.

All matches in the group stage and the playoffs are best-of-three until the grand final on Sunday, which will be best-of-five. The championship team will receive $125,000 and two BLAST Frequent Flyer Tokens.

On Friday, GamerLegion got past Astralis 13-8 on Overpass, then 16-14 in overtime on Inferno.

Sweden’s Fredrik “REZ” Sterner and the Czech Republic’s Oldrich “PR” Novy each logged 42 kills for GamerLegion, while PR had a team-best plus-4 kill-death differential. Lithuania’s Gytis “ryu” Glusauskas, Sweden’s Love “phzy” Smidebrant and Denmark’s Victor “Staehr” Staehr each amassed 37 kills for Astralis.

FaZe Clan opened with a 13-11 decision on Dust II before G2 Esports equalized by claiming Ancient 13-9. FaZe Clan sealed the series by taking Mirage 16-13 in overtime.

Slovakia’s David “frozen” Cernansky propelled FaZe Clan with 58 kills and a plus-8 K-D differential. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Nemanja “huNter-” Kovac and Spain’s Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia each posted 50 kills for G2 Esports.

BLAST Rivals Spring prize pool

1. $125,000, two BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens

2. $75,000

3-4. $40,000

5-6. $25,000 — Astralis, G2 Esports

7-8. $10,000 — FUT Esports, FURIA

–Field Level Media

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