Sports
MLB roundup: Chris Sale, Braves win pitchers' duel vs. scuffling Phils
Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Chris Sale worked seven strong innings and Mauricio Dubon provided a two-run single to lift the visiting Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
Sale (4-1) struck out seven and walked only one, giving up just one run and five hits. Austin Riley, Jonah Heim and Ozzie Albies each had two hits as Atlanta won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Braves will look to complete a three-game sweep Sunday in the finale with the scuffling Phillies, who have dropped eight of 10. Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sanchez (2-2) gave up three unearned runs in six innings, yielding eight hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
The game began in exciting fashion, as Ronald Acuna Jr. sent a blast to deep center, only to watch Brandon Marsh leap at the wall to rob a home run. In the second, Philadelphia’s Felix Reyes launched Sale’s 2-0 fastball over the wall in right field for a home run in his first major league at-bat. However, that was the only offensive highlight for the hosts.
Diamondbacks 6, Blue Jays 2
Corbin Carroll broke a tie with an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning and Arizona extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Toronto in Phoenix.
Ildemaro Vargas singled off Jeff Hoffman (1-2) to open the eighth, extending his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 14 games. Alek Thomas singled and Ketel Marte walked to bring up Carroll, who hit his fourth career slam on a 3-1 fastball. The D-backs, who have won eight of 10, lead the majors with 10 comeback victories.
Nathan Lukes had three hits, Kazuma Okamoto had two hits and an RBI and Ernie Clement and Eloy Jimenez had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight, six of seven and 12 of 15.
Yankees 13, Royals 4
Cody Bellinger homered twice and collected five RBIs as the New York Yankees easily recorded a victory over visiting Kansas City.
Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer and Ben Rice hit a solo shot during a five-run third. New York’s Will Warren (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. The right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked none.
The Royals dropped their sixth straight and were blanked until Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Michael Massey added a two-run double in the ninth. Noah Cameron (1-1) was shelled for a career-worst seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings.
Athletics 7, White Sox 6 (11 innings)
Nick Kurtz hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning and Max Muncy was the walk-off hero in the 11th as the Athletics overcame an early 5-0 deficit to beat Chicago in West Sacramento, Calif.
Muncy hit a game-winning sacrifice fly to left field off Lucas Sims (0-2) to score Jacob Wilson. The White Sox had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the 11th, but Jack Perkins (2-0) pitched out of trouble to give the A’s a chance to end the game in the bottom half.
The game went to extras after Kurtz’s two-run shot off Jordan Leasure in the seventh. Colson Montgomery, Andrew Benintendi and Munetaka Murakami hit home runs in a losing effort. The White Sox missed countless chances to build on their lead, finishing 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
Giants 7, Nationals 6 (12 innings)
Matt Chapman drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning and San Francisco beat host Washington.
Chapman led off the 12th against Cionel Perez (0-2) and grounded a single to left, scoring automatic runner Luis Arraez. Caleb Kilian (1-0) pitched two innings for the win. The automatic runner did not advance in either inning and Kilian only allowed one baserunner on an intentional walk.
Heliot Ramos had three hits including his second home run in two games as San Francisco won its third straight. The Nationals loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th, but Ryan Walker got two strikeouts and a groundout. James Wood hit his seventh homer of the season and scored three runs for the Nationals.
Reds 5, Twins 4
Pinch hitter Dane Myers’ bloop single scored Spencer Steer in the top of the ninth inning as Cincinnati rallied for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The Reds scored a run in each of the final three innings to rally from three separate two-run deficits, with Elly De La Cruz providing an RBI single and Rece Hinds providing a sacrifice fly. Kyle Nicolas (1-0) struck out the side in the eighth.
Ryan Jeffers had a two-run triple for the Twins, who saw manager Derek Shelton ejected for arguing a check-swing decision on the pitch before De La Cruz’s RBI single. Cole Sands (0-1) allowed Myers’ game-winning hit in the ninth.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 1
Tarik Skubal pitched six dominant innings and Kerry Carpenter highlighted his multi-hit game with a home run, leading Detroit to a win over host Boston.
Skubal (3-2) struck out 10, twice fanning the side, while allowing just one run on four hits. Carpenter (2-for-3, two RBIs) and Kevin McGonigle (2-for-5, RBI, run) led the offense for Detroit, which broke a nine-game road losing streak.
Tyler Holton and Kenley Jansen teamed up in relief as Boston was limited to five hits. Jansen notched his fifth save. Boston’s Brayan Bello (1-2) gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings. He fanned four, while throwing 84 pitches.
Rays 8, Pirates 7 (13 innings)
Cedric Mullins’ two-run leadoff home run in the top of the 13th inning made the difference as Tampa Bay beat host Pittsburgh in a four-hour, 12-minute game that was the longest of the season in terms of innings played and was extended by a two-hour, 27-minute weather delay.
Mullins had two hits and three RBIs and Jonny DeLuca had two hits and two RBIs to help the Rays rally from a 4-0 deficit before the delay and win for the seventh time in their past eight games. Mullins’ 403-foot homer to right field came off Yohan Ramirez (2-1).
The Pirates cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the 13th when Konnor Griffin singled home Jake Mangum. But Yoendrys Gomez recovered by striking out Joey Bart with runners on second and third. Chandler Simpson, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda also had two hits each for Tampa Bay, which used eight relievers, capped by Griffin Jax (1-2) and Gomez.
Guardians 4, Orioles 2
Brayan Rocchio hit a three-run homer and Gavin Williams pitched seven strong innings to lead host Cleveland past Baltimore for its second win in five games.
Bo Naylor also homered for the Guardians, which had just three hits. Williams (3-1) struck out 11 and allowed one run, three hits and one walk. It marked the second time this season and sixth time overall that he has struck out 10 or more in a game.
Leody Taveras and Gunnar Henderson (two hits) hit solo homers for the Orioles, who had just four hits and struck out 16 times while losing for the fourth time in the past five games. Dean Kremer (0-1) pitched six innings for the Orioles and gave up three runs and two hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Mariners 7, Rangers 3
George Kirby continued his mastery of Texas, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings, as host Seattle posted a victory against its American League West rivals.
Luke Raley homered for the Mariners, who snapped a four-game losing streak and beat Texas for the first time in five tries this season. Kirby (3-2) improved to 9-1 in 12 career starts against Texas.
Josh Jung went deep for the Rangers, who had won their previous two games. Nathan Eovaldi (2-3) gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits in five-plus innings.
Cardinals 7, Astros 5
Masyn Winn and Jose Fermin smacked their first home runs, and visiting St. Louis clinched an interleague series win over Houston.
Alec Burleson also homered for the Cardinals, who pounced on Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1) and rode a solid start from right-hander Andre Pallante (2-1), who worked five innings.
Yordan Alvarez crushed his league-leading ninth home run and Shay Whitcomb belted a three-run shot, but the Astros lost their third consecutive game and have dropped 11 of 13.
Cubs 4, Mets 2
Carson Kelly hit a tiebreaking three-run pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning for host Chicago, which beat skidding New York.
The pinch-hit homer was the second of Kelly’s career and his first since Aug. 25, 2021. Ian Happ homered in the second for the Cubs, who have won four straight and have scored 51 runs while winning five of their last six games.
Kelly’s homer off Brooks Raley made a winner of Jameson Taillon (1-1), who gave up one run on five hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings.
Brewers 5, Marlins 2
Brice Turang slugged a go-ahead, two-run homer and Brandon Woodruff pitched seven brilliant innings as Milwaukee beat host Miami.
Turang went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Brewers, who won their season-high fourth consecutive game. Woodruff (2-2) allowed three singles and one run over seven innings.
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (2-2) allowed five hits and three runs in five innings. He tied his career high with six walks and matched a career low among five-plus-inning starts with just one strikeout. Liam Hicks and Connor Norby each had two hits for Miami.
Padres 4, Angels 1
Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Mason Miller struck out two en route to his seventh save to lead San Diego to a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim.
Ramon Laureano also drove in two runs, Jake Cronenworth scored a run and reached base four times with a single, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Freddy Fermin scored twice for San Diego, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 games.
Zach Neto and Mike Trout each doubled and Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which finished with just six hits. Ryan Zeferjahn (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one inning immediately after Yusei Kikuchi wrapped his scoreless six-inning, eight-strikeout start for Los Angeles.
Rockies 4, Dodgers 3
Troy Johnston hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and Colorado edged Los Angeles in Denver to win for only the second time in nine games.
Johnston had three of the Rockies’ seven hits. Brennan Bernardino (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 no-hit innings in relief, and Victor Vodnik pitched the ninth for his third save.
Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing homered for the Dodgers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Shohei Ohtani was 1-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 50 games. Will Klein (1-1) allowed hits to each of the first three batters he faced in the sixth, including Johnston’s game-winning double.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Caitlin Clark releasing children's book based on life story
Apr 25, 2026; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the first half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Caitlin Clark is releasing a children’s book based on her life story titled “EXTRAordinary! A Little EXTRA to Reach BIG Dreams!”
Clark’s chosen title is a nod to the phrase decorating a wall in her childhood bedroom that read: “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little EXTRA.”
The 32-page rhyming picture book is set to be released on Nov. 3 in time for holiday giving. With a list price of $19.99, the book is available for pre-order from retailers that include Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Target. It also will be sold as an audiobook by publisher Penguin/Random House.
Suggested ages for the book are 4 to 8.
A third-year guard for the Indiana Fever, Clark rose to prominence during a prolific college career at Iowa, chasing down the all-time scoring record in Division I college basketball and leading the Hawkeyes to the Final Four twice. She was the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in 2024 and has multiple high-paying endorsement deals. As part of her contract with Nike worth $28 million, Clark has a signature shoe and apparel line.
Clark said the book is also a reminder to cherish the ones you love and not to forget to include yourself in that group.
The book reads: “I look in the mirror, and what do I see? A special reminder to be the best me.”
Adriana Predoi illustrated the book. The London-based artist grew up in Romania.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alex Fitzpatrick's Zurich Win Raises Questions About PGA Tour Rewards
Winning on the PGA Tour changes a player’s life. Just ask Alex Fitzpatrick.
Long a resident of brother Matt’s shadow, Alex has grinded away in Europe trying to put together a playing career of his own. He had no wins to show for it until he clinched the Hero Indian Open last month.
On Sunday, Fitzpatrick was playing in a PGA Tour event, as he does every year now, alongside his major champion brother at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They won by a single shot – more on how in a minute – and despite it being a team event, the younger Fitzpatrick received all the perks of a PGA Tour win:
- A full PGA Tour card through 2028;
- A berth into the PGA Championship, his second-ever major;
- A berth into The Players championship for the first time next year;
- And berths into the rest of the signature events of 2026.
That’s … a lot for winning one tournament that you didn’t even win on your own.
The PGA Tour’s critics, most of them decked out in LIV Golf team-branded hats and Twitter avatars, pounced on the apparent hypocrisy. PGA Tour defenders love to call LIV’s closed system anti-meritocratic, only to let a star player’s brother walk in and give him what amounts to a job contract for the next two-plus years.
For once, the LIV bots make a good point.
It was, by my count, Alex Fitzpatrick’s 11th start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event all-time, including things like the Open Championship and the Scottish Open. He and his brother tied for 11th at the Zurich in 2024, but otherwise his game never hinted that he had the potential of a PGA Tour-level player.
To be clear, winning on the PGA Tour is hard. It’s just harder some weeks than others. Matt Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Open champion and No. 3 player in the world rankings, was far and away the best player in a weak field at TPC Louisiana. He and his little brother fought off the likes of (checks notes) Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, Ben Martin and Trace Crowe and Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer.
In the first and third rounds, which used a four-ball (best ball) format, Matt Fitzpatrick did the heavy lifting, accounting for six of their nine birdies on Thursday and six birdies plus an eagle on their outlandishly low 15-under 57 Saturday.
On the final hole during alternate shot Sunday, the Fitzpatricks needed to birdie a par-5 to break a tie and win in regulation. Alex hit their second shot from the fairway to a greenside bunker. Matt stepped in and produced a perfect third shot, his ball stopping less than 2 feet from the cup, allowing Alex to tap in for the life-altering win.
It’s a moment that will make for a tearjerking episode of “Full Swing” next season, but the PGA Tour shouldn’t confuse that with it being good for the sport.
The solution that seems obvious to me is to demote or outright scrap the Zurich from future schedules, something I wrote just last week. But if this gimmicky tournament is bound to remain a part of the PGA Tour, and its team format isn’t going anywhere, the next-best thing would be to split these winner’s perks in half. After all, the two winners are only doing half the work.
The tour already acknowledges this by awarding 400 FedEx Cup points to the Zurich winners instead of the standard 500. So when the next Alex Fitzpatrick comes along, let him on tour, but make it for the rest of the current season, or maybe 12 calendar months. Put him in the next major, sure – guys still need a motive to come to this event – but maybe it’s a bit over the top to include all other signature events.
Otherwise, you’re over-rewarding guys who have one nice week, or are lucky enough to be friends – or brothers – with one of the five best players in the world.
Sports
Alex Cora to Red Sox fans: 'Boston, we will miss you'
Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Fired Red Sox manager Alex Cora sent a short farewell note to Boston via social media on Tuesday.
“Boston, we will miss you,” he wrote.
“Gracias for making us part of you. #RedSoxNation, you are the [heart emoji] of that team, keep believing, you really care and that’s what pushes everyone in the @RedSox to give it all day in and day out.
“With respect and love, AC”
Team officials dismissed Cora and five of coaches on Saturday after the Red Sox staggered out of the gate to start the season at 10-17.
While Cora’s firing has been met with some support among fans, posts on social media show they largely place the blame for the team’s woes on management, especially owner John Henry and Craig Breslow, the chief baseball owner.
After serving as bench coach for the 2017 world champion Houston Astros, Cora was hired as manager in Boston in 2018. He led the Red Sox to a franchise-record 108 victories and a World Series title.
However, after the 2019 campaign, Cora was implicated in an MLB investigation involving sign-stealing by the Astros. MLB undertook an investigation into the Red Sox practices, but Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to separate before the 2020 season.
Cora, 50, was suspended for the 2020 season for his role in Houston, but returned to Boston as manager in 2021.
After missing the playoffs from 2022-24, the Red Sox returned last season, but lost a American League wild-card series to the New York Yankees.
Cora posted an eight-year regular-season record of 619-541 and postseason mark of 18-10.
Chad Tracy has been elevated from manager at Triple-A Worcester to serve as interim manager of the Red Sox.
–Field Level Media
