Sports
Mariners, Cardinals clash again after slugfest
Apr 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) leaps at the wall and robs a home run from Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images What should have been a day to remember for Nathan Church turned into one he’d almost like to forget.
The St. Louis rookie outfielder hit two home runs and robbed another with a leaping catch at the wall, but he grounded into a game-ending double play as the Cardinals fell 11-9 to the visiting Seattle Mariners.
The Cardinals will attempt to avoid being swept in the three-game interleague series when it wraps up on Sunday afternoon.
“It was a good day for our offense, put up a lot of runs, but the outcome wasn’t what we wanted,” said Church, 25, who was summoned out of the dugout by the fans after his two-run homer in the seventh inning broke a 7-7l tie.
Church hit a solo shot in the second and added a sacrifice fly in a four-run third as the Cardinals took their first lead.
In the sixth, he made a leaping grab at the left-field wall to deny Seattle’s Mitch Garver of a homer.
“Really good day for him,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Church, who was playing in his 50th major league game. “He just continues to play really good defense, and the two homers, man, his swing just keeps looking better and better and the confidence continues to grow, which is what he needs. Both sides of the ball starting to settle in. The path he took today … just the work going into what he’s doing is really positive.”
JJ Wetherholt, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages also went deep for the Cardinals, but it wasn’t enough as Julio Rodriguez, Will Wilson and Cole Young homered for the Mariners.
Leading 9-7 in the eighth, Marmol called on closer Riley O’Brien with runners on second and third and one out. Pinch hitter Connor Joe greeted O’Brien with a tying two-run single.
In the ninth, J.P. Crawford reached on a bunt single with one out, Garver walked, and Young was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Leo Rivas lined the next pitch up the middle to break a 9-9 deadlock.
“It was one of those days,” said O’Brien (3-1), a Seattle native. “I’ll try not to think about the game for a little bit, watch it (Sunday morning) and see what I can take away from it.”
Rivas broke out of a 5-for-44 slump.
“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball good the last couple days but right at ’em,” he said. And to have that one (fall) in a good situation like that is like — oooof — a relief for me.”
The 11 runs and 19 hits were season highs for the Mariners, who have won three games in a row and five of their past seven.
“What we’ve been waiting for,” manager Dan Wilson said. “Our guys, we don’t panic. We just continue to put together good at-bats, try to crawl our way back in the game. And that’s what they did.”
Sunday’s series finale will feature a pair of right-handers in the Mariners’ Emerson Hancock (2-1, 2.83 ERA) against the Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy (1-2, 3.29).
Hancock didn’t get a decision Monday in a 6-4 loss to the visiting Athletics after giving up three runs on seven hits over five innings. He’s 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one career relief appearance against St. Louis.
McGreevy took a 5-3 loss Monday for the Cardinals at Miami when he allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings. He’s 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in one previous start vs. Seattle.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB roundup: Brewers down Angels, move atop MLB standings
Aug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) celebrates with second baseman Brice Turang (2) after a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Brice Turang drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Jake Bauers homered for the second straight game to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Jackson Chourio doubled and scored a run and William Contreras also doubled for Milwaukee, which moved atop the major league standings at 69-41, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chad Patrick (6-4) struck out five and gave up one hit over two shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 18th save.
Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Jorge Soler doubled and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth straight game. Samy Natera Jr. (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing one run on two hits in two innings with four strikeouts. Natera was the third of four pitchers used by the Angels, who elected to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Jose Soriano, the subject of trade rumors, was scratched a few hours before the game.
Rays 1, White Sox 0
Starter Drew Rasmussen struck out 10 over six shutout innings, Nick Fortes singled in the only run and Tampa Bay opened August by blanking Chicago in St. Petersburg, Fla.
In reaching double figures in victories for the third time in his career, Rasmussen (10-5) allowed just four singles and walked one. The right-hander and four relievers combined for 16 strikeouts. Bryan Baker notched his 31st save in 34 chances with a perfect ninth.
Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 as the Rays managed just five singles in squaring the three-game series. Jonny DeLuca had a hit, scored and stole a base. For the White Sox, Jordan Hicks pitched as the opener and fired a perfect inning before giving way to Noah Schultz (3-8), who was sharp but allowed one run on three hits in five innings.
Red Sox 3, Dodgers 2
Ceddanne Rafaela hit two home runs, Andruw Monasterio doubled and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and visiting Boston slipped past Los Angeles.
Payton Tolle gave up two runs on nine hits over six innings with seven strikeouts and Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 27th save for the Red Sox, who were without Wilson Contreras after he was beaned Friday. Boston stayed hot after it went 21-4 in July to set a franchise record for a full month with a .840 winning percentage.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run among his three hits for the Dodgers, who lost for the fourth time in their past six games. Los Angeles right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-7) continued a run of solid pitching since the All-Star break by allowing three runs on four hits over eight innings but still took the loss.
Astros 5, Rangers 4
Josh Hader moved into fifth place in franchise history with his 77th save, and Houston extended its lead in the American League West over visiting Texas.
Hader worked a perfect ninth inning for his 15th save in 15 chances. The Astros, who got a two-run single from Taylor Trammell, preserved their one-run lead over the final three innings despite stranding 11 baserunners. They extended their division lead over the Rangers to 1 1/2 games with their 10th victory in 11 games, including five in a row.
Wyatt Langford and Eliaz hit solo shots, but Texas right-hander Jacob deGrom (7-7) allowed five runs on seven hits and a season-high five walks over 3 1/3 innings.
Blue Jays 5, Cardinals 1
Kevin Gausman allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings as host Toronto defeated St. Louis to clinch the three-game series.
Gausman (5-10), a pending free agent who may be dealt by the trade deadline on Monday, scattered nine hits, walked one and struck out four. George Springer had two hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who have won three in a row. Alejandro Kirk added a two-run single.
Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Blaze Jordan each had two hits for the Cardinals, who lost their third straight despite outhitting Toronto 11-9. St. Louis was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.
Marlins 6, Mets 2
Tyler Phillips tossed five solid innings and earned the win for visiting Miami, which continued surging with a victory over New York in the third game of a four-game series.
Liam Hicks delivered the first of his two RBI singles in the opening inning to give the Marlins a lead they’d never relinquish on their way to winning for the fifth time in six games. Javier Sanoja and Griffin Conine each homered for Miami, which saw Phillips (3-5) allow two runs on six hits while Lake Bachar recorded his fifth career save.
Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run home run in the second for the Mets, who fell to 7-8 since the All-Star break. Zac Thornton (2-2) surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out two over 4 2/3 innings.
Mariners 4, Twins 3
Randy Arozarena doubled, homered and scored three times, including the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, as Seattle defeated visiting Minnesota.
Closer Andres Munoz (4-4) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings as the Mariners snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their past 11. Logan Gilbert went seven innings and gave up three runs on five hits as the right-hander walked one and fanned six.
Luke Keaschall and Trevor Larnach went deep for the Twins, who overcame an early 3-0 deficit. Minnesota lost for just the third time in its past 10 games. Twins starter Connor Prielipp, a rookie left-hander, overcame his early struggles to last 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, with four walks and five strikeouts.
Pirates 4, Reds 1
Starter Braxton Ashcraft threw five solid innings and Jake Mangum had two hits and a run to lift visiting Pittsburgh to a victory over Cincinnati.
Ashcraft (11-4) allowed one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts before a 106-minute weather delay preceded the bottom of the sixth. Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis finished with an RBI apiece for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the third despite collecting only one hit off Reds starter Andrew Abbott (5-7), who allowed three runs on three hits while matching a season high with five walks over five innings.
Phillies 5, Orioles 0
Cristopher Sanchez struck out 11 in six innings as visiting Philadelphia beat Baltimore to even the three-game series at one game apiece.
Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner each had two of Philadelphia’s 10 hits and Justin Crawford provided a two-run single as the Phillies won for only the second time in a 10-game stretch. Sanchez (14-4), who threw 99 pitches, worked around five walks and has the highest win total in the major leagues this year.
Orioles starter Shane Baz (4-10) turned in a solid outing as well, lasting 6 1/3 innings and giving up one run on six hits and one walk. The right-hander became the sixth 10-game loser in the big leagues this season.
Braves 8, Nationals 3
Veteran left-hander Martin Perez received the last-minute starting assignment and responded by throwing 6 2/3 no-hit innings and leading host Atlanta past Washington for its fourth consecutive victory.
Perez learned he would start just before gametime when Reynaldo Lopez complained of left knee soreness during his pregame routine. Perez (7-6) did not allow a hit until Brady House lined a 2-0 sinker into right field for a clean single. Perez walked two and struck out six in seven scoreless innings.
Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas (3-8) worked six innings and allowed four runs on nine hits — three of them solo home runs by Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Dominic Smith.
Cubs 5, Yankees 2
Nico Hoerner slugged the tying homer and Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a go-ahead triple to help host Chicago post a victory over New York.
Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch added RBI singles as the Cubs won for the sixth time in their past nine games. Spencer Jones homered and Jose Caballero had an RBI single for the Yankees, who lost for the third time in the past four games. Ali Sanchez had three hits and Jones had two and scored both New York runs.
Yankees starter Max Fried gave up one run and two hits over 5 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one. David Peterson struck out eight over 6 1/3 innings for Chicago. The left-hander allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits and walked none.
Diamondbacks 12, Guardians 8
Geraldo Perdomo hit a go-ahead solo homer and Corbin Carroll belted a three-run shot in a seven-run seventh inning, powering Arizona past host Cleveland for its fourth straight victory.
Perdomo smacked the first pitch thrown by reliever Hunter Gaddis (1-3) into the right field stands and Carroll went deep against Franco Aleman. James McCann added a two-run double and Ildemaro Vargas had an RBI single as the Diamondbacks seized a 9-2 advantage.
Arizona extended its lead to 10-2 on a solo homer by Nolan Arenado in the eighth. Gerardo Carrillo (2-0) tossed two scoreless innings for the victory. Perdomo finished with a career-high-tying four hits along with three RBIs. Rhys Hoskins and Chase DeLauter homered for the Guardians.
Rockies 12, Royals 6
Hunter Goodman homered twice and drove in five runs, Willi Castro also went deep and Colorado rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to beat Kansas City in Denver.
TJ Rumfield finished with three hits and three RBIs, Kyle Karros had two hits and two RBIs and Jake McCarthy also had two hits for the Rockies, who won their 44th game of the season, eclipsing last year’s victory total with 51 games remaining. Starter Ryan Feltner (4-5) allowed four runs on eight hits over six innings.
Jac Caglianone, Salvador Perez and John Rave all went deep, and Tyler Tolbert, Nick Loftin and Rave had two hits each for the Royals. Kansas City right-hander Luinder Avila faltered in the third when Colorado sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs. Avila (5-4) was charged with six runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Tigers 8, Athletics 6
Kevin McGonigle, Gleyber Torres and Max Clark each homered and drove in two runs apiece as Detroit notched a victory over the Athletics at West Sacramento, Calif.
McGonigle had three hits on a night in which the Tigers reportedly dealt two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three prospects ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson each had two hits and one RBI, and Clark, Torres and Eduardo Valencia also had two hits apiece.
Framber Valdez (6-7) allowed two runs and nine hits over seven innings for Detroit. Henry Bolte had three hits, including a three-run homer, for the Athletics, who have dropped seven of eight and 28 of 35. Jack Perkins (2-7) was roughed up for six runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out a career-high nine and walked one.
Padres 6, Giants 5
Jake Cronenworth’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted San Diego past visiting San Francisco.
Xander Bogaerts started the winning rally by lining a double off Dylan Smith (0-3). After Freddy Fermin sacrificed Bogaerts to third, pinch hitter Gavin Sheets grounded out to third. Fernando Tatis Jr. was intentionally walked, then Cronenworth got behind Smith 0-2 and fouled off four pitches before lining a fastball into center field for his sixth career walk-off hit. It was the Padres’ eighth walk-off win of the season.
Mason Miller (4-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, although he blew his first save in 29 chances this season. The Giants’ Osleivis Basabe rifled a two-run double to the left field wall in the eighth to erase a 5-3 deficit. Basabe also hit a two-run homer in the third and finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and one run scored.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ryan Erisman wins 3rd title on final day of U.S. Swimming Championships
Jun 6, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, UNITED STATES; (From left) Ryan Erisman, Luka Mijatovic and Rex Maurer pose with their medals after the men’s 400 meter freestyle at the Toyota National Championships swimming meet at Indiana University Natatorium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Ryan Erisman, a 19-year-old Cal swimmer, completed a strong week at the U.S. Swimming Championships in Irvine, Calif., by winning his third national title, this time in the 800-meter freestyle, on the final day of the meet Saturday.
After winning the 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter individual medley, Erisman finished the meet with the second fastest 800 free in U.S. history at 7.43:53, shaving almost two seconds off his personal best.
He trailed William Mulgrew, who finished second with a time of 7:45.21, by 88 hundredths of a second at the halfway point of the race before chasing him down. He entered with the seventh-best 800 time by an American swimmer but now trails just Bobby Finke (7:38.67 in 2023).
Luka Mijatovic (7:46.57) came in third place in the race.
The meet concluded with the 50-meter women’s and men’s freestyle races, both of which were won by the current American record holders.
Gretchen Walsh comfortably won the women’s race by nearly a half-second with a time of 23.60, just five hundredths off her current world record. Anna Moesch (24.05) finished second, while Liberty Clark (24.28) rounded out the podium.
On the men’s side, Caeleb Dressel, 29, continued his comeback with a strong showing, following up his 100-meter free title with a similarly comfortable 50-meter victory to the one Walsh delivered.
He posted his best 50-meter time since 2022 and the third-fastest in the world this year at 21.35, well ahead of Quintin McCarty (21.75) and Nikita Sheremet (21.76), who edged out Brendan Whitfield (21.78) to make the podium.
Virginia swimmer Maximus Williamson defended the NCAA championship he won earlier this year in the 200-meter IM by winning the American championship with a time of 1:56.40, pulling away over each of the final three legs after he sat in third after the opening butterfly lap.
Owen McDonald, who finished second to Williamson at the NCAA championships, again came in behind him at 1:57.68. Kieran Smith (1:58.36) finished third.
Alex Walsh won her own title shortly before her sister Gretchen, running away with the women’s 200-meter IM title with a 2:08.59 title, a full 1.5 seconds ahead of Campbell Chase (2:10.09) and Teagen O’Dell (2:10.20).
Katie Ledecky, the world record holder who has swum the 24 fastest 1500-meter freestyle races in U.S. women’s history, elected to skip the U.S. Championships to prepare for the Pan Pacific Championships later this month.
That allowed Katie Grimes to win the 1500 title with a time of 15:55.69 in the first time she raced at this distance since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished 10th. Kate Hurst (16:04.46) finished second and Gena Jorgenson (16:12.73) came in third.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Sparks trade 5-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to Mercury
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) drives against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on June 13, 2026. The Los Angeles Sparks made a move ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trade deadline, dealing five-time All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for guard Monique Akoa Makani, a first-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028, ESPN reported late Saturday night.
Plum, who turns 32 on Aug. 24, has not played since June 21 because of a left leg injury. She is averaging career highs of 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game, but she has played in only 12 contests because of injuries in her ninth season.
She missed three games in late May/early June because of an ankle issue, then played in six games before the lower leg injury.
For her career, Plum averages 15.5 points, 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 30.0 minutes in 290 regular-season games (248 starts) in eight-plus seasons. She missed the entire 2020 season because of an Achilles injury, then won the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award the next season.
She also averages 17.4 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 33.7 minutes in 35 playoff games (28 starts) while with the Aces. She was part of league championships with Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023.
Plum has been selected for the All-Star Game for five consecutive seasons but was unable to play this year.
The San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) selected Plum with the first overall pick of the 2017 WNBA Draft out of the University of Washington.
Makani, 25, is averaging 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 23.8 minutes in 18 games (15 starts) in her second season with the Mercury. In her two years in the league, Makani averages 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 22.2 minutes in 59 games (55 starts).
The Sparks are 10-17, 5.5 games behind the eighth-place New York Liberty for the last playoff berth. The Mercury are 11-19.
–Field Level Media
MLB roundup: Brewers down Angels, move atop MLB standings
Ryan Erisman wins 3rd title on final day of U.S. Swimming Championships
