Sports
MLB roundup: Cards win sixth straight, extend Dodgers' skid to 4
May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11), St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church (27) and St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrate after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Jordan Walker slugged a two-run homer among his two hits and Michael McGreevy tossed six scoreless innings as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
McGreevy (2-2) allowed three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Right-hander Ryne Stanek and lefty JoJo Romero each pitched a scoreless inning before the Dodgers scored two runs on four straight hits against righty Riley O’Brien in the ninth.
O’Brien recorded two quick outs before giving up back-to-back infield singles to Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez. Max Muncy and Andy Pages followed with RBI singles before O’Brien struck out pinch hitter Dalton Rushing for his ninth save.
Los Angeles lost its fourth straight game and has scored three or fewer runs in seven of its last 11 games. Starter Rori Sasaki (1-3) gave up three runs on five hits with two walks over six innings. He retired the final 10 batters he faced and threw a career-high 104 pitches.
Pirates 17, Reds 7
Pittsburgh became the third team in major league history to draw seven straight walks and scored five runs in the second inning without a hit to rout visiting Cincinnati for the second day in a row.
Konnor Griffin doubled, tripled and went 4-for-5 while Ryan O’Hearn drove in three runs for the Pirates, who racked up 19 hits. They also drew 11 walks, including seven in a row in the second to become the first team since the 1994 New York Yankees to score five runs in an inning without a hit.
Pittsburgh starter Carmen Mlodzinski (2-2) benefited from the onslaught as he struck out a career-high 10 batters during his 5 2/3-inning stint. Will Benson and JJ Bleday hit home runs and Nathaniel Lowe drove in three runs for the Reds. Starter Rhett Lowder (3-2) lasted just 1 1/3 innings as he surrendered eight runs, five hits and four walks.
Braves 9, Rockies 1
Chris Sale tossed seven stellar innings and Drake Baldwin homered and drove in four runs to help visiting Atlanta run away with a win over Colorado.
Sale (6-1) allowed one run on three hits, striking out a season-high 11 for the Braves, who remain the only MLB team to have not lost a series and have a league-best 24-10 record. Austin Riley and Matt Olson also homered for Atlanta.
Jordan Beck’s third-inning double knocked home the only run for the Rockies. Brennan Bernardino (2-1) served as the opener for the Rockies, allowing two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Chase Dollander then allowed six runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Yankees 9, Orioles 4
Cody Bellinger went 4-for-4, cracked two solo homers, drove in four runs and stole a base to pace New York past visiting Baltimore.
Trent Grisham added two hits, including a two-run homer, as the AL East-leading Yankees posted 11 hits on the way to their 12th win in 14 games. Starter Ryan Weathers (2-2) allowed three runs (one earned) in five-plus innings.
Pete Alonso delivered his third homer in five games to lead the Orioles, who lost for the 11th time in 17 games. Kyle Bradish (1-4) surrendered five runs and six hits over four innings.
White Sox 5, Padres 0
Sean Burke tossed six scoreless innings and visiting Chicago stretched its winning streak to five with a blanking of San Diego.
Burke (2-2) allowed only four hits and a walk while fanning eight, including Xander Bogaerts three times. Seranthony Dominguez got the last two outs for his eighth save in 10 chances, as Chicago wrapped up its first series win over San Diego since 2022.
Michael King (3-2) yielded seven hits and four runs over six-plus innings. King walked three and struck out five as the Padres dropped their fourth straight game.
Blue Jays 11, Twins 4
Brandon Valenzuela’s three-run homer capped an eight-run eighth inning and visiting Toronto defeated Minnesota.
The first eight batters scored in the eighth as Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series. Lenyn Sosa, Myles Straw and Kazuma Okamoto hit solo homers to account for Toronto’s scoring before the eighth.
Byron Buxton homered to right on a fastball to lead off the Minnesota first against Dylan Cease (2-1). It was Buxton’s 10th homer of the season — all in the past 17 games — and the first Cease has allowed.
Cubs 2, Diamondbacks 0
Ian Happ recorded three out of his team’s five hits, including a 399-foot homer, as Chicago beat Arizona for its 10th straight home victory.
Shoto Imanaga (3-2) pitched seven scoreless frames, giving up only four hits and one walk. He is now 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs and nine hits with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Ildemaro Vargas went 0-for-4, breaking his league-leading 27-game hitting streak.
Guardians 14, Athletics 6
Austin Hedges smacked two doubles and a homer as Cleveland produced 14 hits to win for the second day in a row in West Sacramento, Calif.
David Fry and Kyle Manzardo also homered for the Guardians while Angel Martinez posted three hits. Jose Ramirez poked a two-run double and registered his 300th career stolen base. Starter Slade Cecconi (1-4) gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Shea Langeliers stroked his ninth and 10th homers of the year for the Athletics. Nick Kurtz went 2-for-5, but did not walk to snap his 20-game streak that tied Barry Bonds (2002-03) for the second-longest stretch in major league history. Starter Jacob Lopez (2-2) allowed six runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Brewers 4, Nationals 1
Kyle Harrison pitched six solid innings and Milwaukee beat host Washington.
Brandon Lockridge had two hits including a two-run single. Harrison (3-1) gave up a run on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one while lowering his ERA to 2.12. Abner Uribe pitched the ninth for his third save.
James Wood had two hits and Curtis Mead doubled and scored for the Nationals, who fell to 3-12 at home. Foster Griffin (3-1) pitched six innings, allowing three unearned runs on three hits.
Rays 4, Giants 1
Jonathan Aranda went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as Tampa Bay clinched its first 2026 series win against a National League club, prevailing over San Francisco in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Rays had lost a single three-game series against all five NL Central teams in March and April before claiming the first two games against the Giants. Jesse Scholtens (3-1) followed the opener and allowed one run on four hits in three innings.
San Francisco’s Luis Arraez went 3-for-4 with a double and a run, accounting for nearly half of the team’s seven hits. Landen Roupp (5-2) surrendered four runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings in the Giants’ fifth straight loss.
Astros 6, Red Sox 3
Brice Matthews and Christian Walker homered in back-to-back innings and combined for five RBIs to lead visiting Houston to a win over Boston.
Matthews’ three-run shot in the fourth helped the Astros build a 5-0 lead they would not relinquish. Spencer Arrighetti (4-0) nabbed the victory, striking out four while working around five walks across five innings of one-run ball.
Wilyer Abreu went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Red Sox, who left 10 on base.
Marlins 4, Phillies 0
Max Meyer only allowed one hit in seven shutout innings and Xavier Edwards homered in host Miami’s win over Philadelphia.
Meyer (2-0) faced one over the minimum number of batters with a walk and seven strikeouts in the longest start of his career. Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi each retired the side in order in the combined one-hitter. Otto Lopez and Edwards each had two hits with a run and an RBI.
Garrett Stubbs got the lone hit for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Philadelphia right-hander Andrew Painter (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Tigers 5, Rangers 1
Dillon Dingler had a three-run home run to spark Detroit to a home win against Texas.
Keider Montero (2-2) gave up one run on five hits and Gleyber Torres had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers before leaving with left side tightness. Riley Greene went 2-for-4 with a run and Wenceel Perez was 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
Jake Burger homered for the Rangers’ lone run. Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker (1-3) gave up five runs on six hits in two innings.
Royals 3, Mariners 2 (10 innings)
Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Kansas City rallied to defeat host Seattle.
Automatic runner Michael Massey stole third base in the top of the 10th and scored an out later as Garcia flew out to center field off Cooper Criswell (1-1). Matt Strahm (1-0) got the victory and Lucas Erceg retired the side in order in the 10th to earn his ninth save of the season. Garcia also hit an RBI double.
Seattle starter Emerson Hancock didn’t get a decision despite striking out a career-high 14 on the night the Mariners retired former ace Randy Johnson’s jersey No. 51. Hancock went seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. Josh Naylor hit an RBI single for the game’s first run.
Angels 4, Mets 3 (10 innings)
Oswald Peraza hit an RBI single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning as Los Angeles ended a seven-game losing streak with a win over New York in Anaheim, Calif.
Pereza, who finished with three hits, lined an 0-2 curveball from Mets reliever Austin Warren (0-1) into the gap in left-center to easily drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third base. Jo Adell went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI and Vaughn Grissom drove in two for the Angels, who won for just the second time in 13 games. Ryan Zeferjahn (2-1) threw two innings of hitless relief.
Austin Slater doubled among his two hits and scored and Mark Vientos doubled and scored for New York, which lost for the 18th time in its last 22 games. Rookie starter Nolan McLean left after four innings after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six on 78 pitches.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) set for MRI
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. left Saturday’s 9-1 win over the host Colorado Rockies with left hamstring tightness and will have an MRI, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss told reporters after the game.
Acuna grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up when attempting to run out a grounder he hit in the second inning in Denver. He limped off the field under his own power after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
The 2023 National League MVP, Acuna is hitting .252 with two homers and nine RBIs in 34 games. He led off the game with a single and scored when Drake Baldwin followed with a home run.
Acuna was replaced in right field by Eli White, who is hitting .196 with two homers and eight RBIs in 20 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Down 2-0, LAFC score twice late in draw vs. San Diego
May 2, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego FC midfielder Onni Valakari (8) passes the ball during the first half against the Los Angeles Football Club at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images Ryan Hollingshead scored in the 14th minute of second-half stoppage time and Los Angeles FC rallied from a late two-goal deficit to notch a 2-2 tie with host San Diego FC on Saturday night.
Denis Bouanga scored for Los Angeles FC (6-2-3, 21 points) in the 82nd minute on his team’s first shot on goal of the match.
Marcus Ingvartsen recorded the brace for San Diego FC (3-5-3, 12 points), who halted a five-match losing streak but saw their MLS winless streak reach eight (0-5-3).
San Diego’s CJ dos Santos made three saves in his first outing since sustaining a serious facial injury in a postseason match against the Portland Timbers on Nov. 1.
However, dos Santos was shaken up with a head injury and bloody nose in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time when he made a close-range diving save of Bouanga’s left-footed shot. After being treated on the field for several minutes, he exited in favor of Duran Ferree.
With stoppage time near an end, LAFC knotted the score on a corner kick. Mathieu Choiniere got his head on the ball and it went right to Hollingshead, who sent a left-footed shot past Ferree.
Hugo Lloris didn’t make any saves for LAFC, who are 1-2-2 in its last five MLS matches.
The late flourish allowed LAFC to outshoot San Diego 10-7 and hold a 5-2 edge in shots on targets.
The tie gave LAFC their first point in three matchups in the series. San Diego won both meetings last season during its expansion campaign.
San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute on a corner kick.
Dreyer kicked the ball into the box and a leaping Ingvartsen put his head on the ball and it glanced off LAFC defender Eddie Segura on its way into the net.
San Diego added on in the 71st minute when Dreyer fed the ball to Ingvartsen, who sent a right-footed shot into the lower left corner.
Things were looking bleak for LAFC until Bouanga received a pass from Son Heung-Min. Despite a tough angle near the goal line, Bouanga drilled a left-footed shot past dos Santos to make it a one-goal game.
Tyler Boyd had a chance to tie in the 87th minute but his left-footed blast was stopped by dos Santos.
In the 90th minute, dos Santos made a save on Bouanga’s right-footed shot.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Canes keep rolling, blank Flyers to open East semifinal series
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) is congratulated by left wing Taylor Hall (71) and right wing Jackson Blake (53) after his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Logan Stankoven scored twice and goaltender Frederik Andersen collected his second shutout of this year’s playoffs as the host Carolina Hurricanes opened their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers with a 3-0 victory on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C.
Jackson Blake scored once and added an assist for the Hurricanes, who followed a first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators with a decisive victory to kick off the Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series.
Andersen made 19 saves for his seventh career playoff shutout.
Mike Reilly collected a pair of assists.
Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers, who will attempt to regroup when the series resumes Monday in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes, who finished atop the Eastern Conference standings in the regular season, are yet to trail in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs and continued that trend thanks to their hottest player.
Stankoven tallied for the fifth consecutive game to open the scoring only 91 seconds into the clash. Reilly fired a point shot that Stankoven deflected into the net. Stankoven, 23, is the youngest player in history to score goals in five consecutive games to open the playoffs.
Stankoven has scored first in four of Carolina’s five playoff outings.
“I felt since the Olympic break, things were starting to turn and pucks started going in the net,” Stankoven said postgame.
Blake doubled the lead six minutes later with a highlight-reel worthy tally. He zipped around the defenders before tucking home the puck for his second tally of the playoffs.
“We had a good start. That’s what won the game,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “There wasn’t much happening (after) but the first period was good.”
The Flyers had managed only one shot on goal at that point.
“I don’t know if we were mentally prepared to play tonight. Winning our playoff series, (almost) not making the playoffs,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. ” … There was a lot of excitement. I don’t think we got down to earth quick enough for this game.”
Stankoven gave the Hurricanes a three-goal edge late in the second period. After a turnover, Seth Jarvis fed a pass to Stankoven in the slot and he immediately buried the chance with 3:44 remaining in the middle frame.
From there, the Hurricanes cruised to victory, amidst a string of message-sending infractions by the Flyers and retaliatory actions from Carolina’s skaters.
After a handful of players were sent to the dressing room with misconducts just past the midway point of the final frame, things quieted.
–Field Level Media
Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) set for MRI
Down 2-0, LAFC score twice late in draw vs. San Diego
