Sports
MLB roundup: Juan Soto clubs HR No. 40 as Yanks blast M's
Sep 17, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners with designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Juan Soto hit a milestone home run and Aaron Judge drove in four runs as the New York Yankees pummeled the host Seattle Mariners 11-2 on Tuesday.
Jasson Dominguez also went deep for the Yankees, who extended their lead over the Baltimore Orioles atop the American League East to four games. Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (14-6) allowed one run on four hits over five innings.
Soto’s two-run shot in the fourth inning off Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (8-3) was his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career. It also gave him home runs in every major league stadium.
Julio Rodriguez went 4-for-5 and Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley hit solo shots for the Mariners, who fell three games back of the final AL wild-card position. Woo gave up seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Marlins 11, Dodgers 9
Jesus Sanchez went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and two runs as Miami defeated visiting Los Angeles.
Jake Burger had a big game for the Marlins with four RBIs. He had a pair of run-scoring groundouts and a two-run homer.
Shohei Ohtani slugged his National League-leading 48th homer of the season, finishing 1-for-5 with two RBIs for the Dodgers. Ohtani, who ranks second in the big leagues with 48 stolen bases, did not add to his steal total. He is trying to become the first major-leaguer to have 50 homers and 50 steals in the same season.
Astros 4, Padres 3 (10 innings)
Kyle Tucker’s RBI single in the top of the 10th inning lifted visiting Houston to a win over San Diego.
The hit scored Grae Kessinger, the automatic runner placed at second to start the inning. Yordan Alvarez’s groundout moved Kessinger to third before Tucker singled off Adrian Morejon (2-2). That made a winner of Josh Hader (8-7), who blew a save chance yet retired all four batters he faced.
Hector Neris worked out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the 10th, getting Manny Machado to ground into a forceout for his first save with Houston and 18th overall this year. Machado had a two-run homer for the Padres.
Giants 10, Orioles 0
Blake Snell held host Baltimore to one hit across six innings while striking out 12 and San Francisco began a nine-game road trip with a win.
Mike Yastrzemski had a big night at the plate with a home run and a run-scoring single, while LaMonte Wade Jr. and Michael Conforto also drove in two runs apiece. The Giants won for just the second time in their past seven games.
It was another damaging defeat for the Orioles, who have lost seven of their past nine games while struggling to keep up with the AL East-leading Yankees.
Twins 4, Guardians 1
Matt Wallner had a pair of RBI singles and Willi Castro provided some insurance with a late two-run homer as Minnesota beat host Cleveland.
Twins starter Zebby Matthews allowed five hits but yielded only one run in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. Cole Irvin, Cole Sands (9-1), Ronny Henriquez, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax (ninth save) combined to hold the AL Central-leading Guardians to three hits in 4 1/3 shutout innings.
Lane Thomas homered and Gavin Williams (3-10) allowed two runs, five hits and two walks in five innings for Cleveland.
Reds 6, Braves 5
Spencer Steer belted a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning to help erase a four-run deficit and lead Cincinnati past visiting Atlanta.
Atlanta built a 5-1 lead by the fourth inning thanks to homers from Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Jorge Soler. But the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, and the Braves fell two games behind the New York Mets for the third and final NL wild-card spot, with 11 games left.
The Reds rallied behind a sacrifice fly by Jake Fraley in the fourth, an RBI double by Noelvi Marte and accompanying run via error in the sixth and Steer’s 20th homer of 2024. Brent Suter (1-0) recorded the final out of the seventh for his first win of the season and Alexis Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 32 chances.
Rays 8, Red Sox 3
Brandon Lowe hit a two-run shot — one of three Tampa Bay homers in the fifth inning — as the Rays rolled to a win over Boston in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Josh Lowe and Jose Siri also homered in the Rays’ four-run fifth. Siri added a double and drove in four runs, and Junior Caminero homered and doubled. Shane Baz (3-3) gave up two runs on two hits in seven innings.
Triston Casas slugged a two-run homer and Romy Gonzalez went deep for the Red Sox, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Nick Pivetta (5-11) allowed four runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Mets 10, Nationals 1
Pete Alonso homered and collected five RBIs as host New York solidified its grip on an NL wild-card spot by cruising past Washington.
Alonso and rookie Luisangel Acuna each finished a triple shy of the cycle for the Mets, who moved into a tie for the second and third wild cards after the Arizona Diamondbacks lost to the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
James Wood had an RBI while Dylan Crews had three of the four hits registered by the Nationals, who fell to 7-8 this month.
Tigers 3, Royals 1 (10 innings)
Parker Meadows’ 10th-inning RBI single lifted visiting Detroit over Kansas City.
After Lucas Erceg (2-6) balked Trey Sweeney to third base with one out, Meadows dropped a broken-bat single into shallow left field for the Tigers, who have won eight of their past 10. Tyler Holton (7-1) recorded six outs without allowing a baserunner for the win.
The Royals had tied the game in the third when Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs and scored on Michael Massey’s single.
Phillies 5, Brewers 1
Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each homered and Zack Wheeler allowed one run over seven innings to pace visiting Philadelphia over Milwaukee, denying the Brewers a chance to clinch the NL Central.
Milwaukee entered Tuesday with a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the division and a magic number of two. The Brewers would have clinched with a win and a loss by the Cubs, who ended up falling 4-3 to the Oakland Athletics. Philadelphia moved two games ahead of the Dodgers for the best record in the majors. The Phillies’ magic number to clinch the NL East is four.
Wheeler (16-6) allowed four hits, striking out six and walking none to lower his ERA to 2.56. Milwaukee’s Frankie Montas (7-11) allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking two.
Athletics 4, Cubs 3
Shea Langeliers hit two home runs and had three RBIs to help visiting Oakland beat Chicago.
Starting pitcher Mitch Spence (8-9) allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out six in five innings for the Athletics, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Mason Miller gave up one run and fanned two in the ninth for his 26th save of the year.
Ian Happ pulled the Cubs within one in the ninth with his second home run of the night, a solo shot over the left field wall. With it, he matched a single-season career high with his 25th long ball of the season.
Cardinals 3, Pirates 1
Right-hander Lance Lynn allowed just one run on four hits in six innings as St. Louis edged visiting Pittsburgh.
Lynn (7-4) walked two and struck out five while improving to 6-0 at home this season. Jordan Walker hit a homer for the Cardinals, who have won the first two games of a four-game series.
Bryan De La Cruz hit a homer for the Pirates. Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter (8-8) allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Rangers 13, Blue Jays 8
Wyatt Langford homered, doubled twice and scored three times to help Texas top Toronto in Arlington, Texas.
Leody Taveras had a two-run homer and two singles and Adolis Garcia had two hits and three RBIs for the Rangers, who ended a three-game skid. Reliever Matt Festa (5-1) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Davis Schneider homered, singled and scored twice and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits and two runs for the Blue Jays, who had won three in a row. Tommy Nance (0-2) took the loss in relief.
Rockies 8, Diamondbacks 2
Ezequiel Tovar had three hits, including a homer, Hunter Goodman also went deep and Colorado beat Arizona in Denver.
The victory was Bud Black’s 535th with Colorado, moving him past Clint Hurdle as the winningest manager in franchise history.
Christian Walker homered and Pavin Smith doubled twice for the Diamondbacks. Arizona has lost seven of its past 11 to drop into a tie with the Mets for the last two NL wild cards. Both teams have a two-game lead over the Braves.
Angels 5, White Sox 0
Griffin Canning allowed three hits over six innings and Eric Wagaman went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs as Los Angeles snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago in Anaheim, Calif.
Canning (6-13) walked two and struck out six. Brock Burke, Hunter Strickland and Ryan Miller each tossed one inning of relief as the Angels handed the White Sox their 19th shutout loss of the season.
Dominic Fletcher and Nicky Lopez each had two hits for Chicago (36-116), which moved within four losses of matching the modern major league record for losses in a single season, set by the 1962 Mets (40-120).
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
