Short-handed D.C. United will try to build off last weekend’s dramatic home win on Sunday when they visit a New York City side hoping to ride momentum from a midweek U.S. Open Cup victory over their crosstown rival.

After a slow start, the attack for D.C. (3-4-3, 12 points) has suddenly erupted with seven goals in its last two matches.

In a 4-4 draw at the New York Red Bulls on April 22, Tai Baribo scored a hat trick for his fourth, fifth and sixth league goals. Then last Saturday, Louis Munteanu scored his first goal for the club in the 84th minute and Kye Rowles had the 90th-minute winner as the Black-and-Red rallied for a 3-2 home win over Orlando.

But Baribo will miss a second straight match with an injury, manager Rene Weiler confirmed this week. And one of the candidates to replace him, Brazilian attacker Gabriel Pirani, has played his way out of consideration, Weiler said.

“He’s playing for himself instead of the team, and I dislike,” Weiler told reporters. “And I can’t see the joy in his face in the identification of our club. So he will not be in the team.”

The victory against Orlando halted a five-match league winless run for D.C. in its first full season under Weiler. Now it visits an NYCFC squad mired in a similar six-match MLS slide, with City’s last league win coming on March 14 at home against Colorado.

But Pascal Jansen’s squad earned a decisive 3-1 win at the Red Bulls in Wednesday’s Open Cup Round of 16 clash, with Raul Gustavo scoring the winner in the 39th minute and Thiago Martins adding insurance in the 57th minute.

Nicolas Fernandez Mercau leads NYCFC (3-4-3, 12 points) with eight league goals, including two in a 4-4 home draw against FC Cincinnati on April 22.

And given their current form, Jansen isn’t about to feel sad that his side will likely have their top scorer while his opponent won’t.

“Obviously a massive piece for them. An important player,” Jansen said of Baribo’s absence. “We’re coming out of a good game against Red Bull, and now the focus is on D.C., and they’re missing one of their key players. That’s tough for them, but good news for us.”

The two sides have split their last four head-to-head matches, including a pair of draws.

–Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Phillies reinstated catcher J.T. Realmuto from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.

Realmuto, 35, was placed on the IL on April 22 due to back spasms.

The three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner is batting .259 with one homer and four RBIs in 17 games this season, his eighth with the Phillies.

Philadelphia made room on the 26-man roster by designating utility player Dylan Moore, 33, for assignment. He is hitless in 15 plate appearances in his first season with Philadelphia.

–Field Level Media

Marta Kostyuk won her second consecutive clay court tournament and her first WTA 1000 event with a 6-3, 7-5 upset over ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva at the Madrid Open on Saturday afternoon.

No. 26 Kostyuk, who hails from Ukraine, won the Rouen Open in France on April 19 and will rise to a career-high No. 15 in the WTA rankings.

Andreeva could not capture her third title of the season, with prior wins in Adelaide and Linz. The Russian, who just turned 19, became the youngest player to reach three WTA finals since the format’s inception in 2009.

Kostyuk broke her opponent in the sixth game of the first set and served at 5-3. After falling behind, 15-40, she used a magnificent backhand-slice volley to earn a set point and won the set on her next attempt.

The second set was topsy-turvy, with five service breaks. Andreeva bolted out to 3-1 lead via two breaks, but Kostyuk won eight consecutive points to get back on serve. Leading 5-4, the teenager earned two set points, but Kostyuk blasted home back-to-back aces to erase the second one and then leveled the set.

The often-emotional Kostyuk then broke for the 34th time in the tournament and won the title in 81 minutes on her third match point.

“I want to thank all my opponents that I played this week,” said Kostyuk on court after the match. “Girls pushed me to the limit. One of the most unbelievable matches for me these weeks… very special two weeks here.

“If you look at the stats up until last year, I think I was like 2-7 in Madrid. I never thought I’d be able to lift the title here. It was not my favorite tournament for sure but thank you to the crowd. It was unbelievable this week. You were supporting me so much every day. It wouldn’t be possible without you.”

Kostyuk has won 11 consecutive matches on clay this season and became the second Ukrainian woman to win a WTA 1000 title. Elina Svitolina has captured four, but her last championship occurred in 2018.

Kostyuk is now 2-0 against Andreeva all-time, with a previous 2026 victory on the hard courts in the quarterfinals at Brisbane. She saved all four break points against her in the Madrid finals, using a dominant inside-out forehand for several of her winners.

“It feels unbelievable to stand here right now,” said Kostyuk. “It took me many years to reach this point. One word I think about right now is consistency. It’s showing up every day, no matter how hard it is.”

–Field Level Media