Sports
MLB roundup: Pirates get past Cardinals in 13
Apr 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) hits a game winning walk off single to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the thirteenth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Joey Bart’s walk-off single with the bases loaded in the 13th inning lifted the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bart’s deep fly ball off reliever Chris Roycroft (0-2) landed just out of the reach of left fielder Lars Nootbaar and allowed Alexander Canario to score easily. The Pirates took two of three from their National League Central division rivals and won despite being no-hit for 6 2/3 innings and one-hit for 8 2/3.
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde was pulled after six no-hit innings and 88 pitches. Pirates starter Mitch Keller allowed four hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings.
Jordan Walker’s RBI single in the top of the 12th off Justin Lawrence (1-0) gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. The Pirates answered, however, in the bottom half when Tommy Pham singled to score Ke’Bryan Hayes ahead of Bart’s hit.
Giants 8, Reds 6 (10 innings)
Mike Yastrzemski launched a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, allowing San Francisco to walk off visiting Cincinnati for a victory and avoid a three-game sweep.
Yastrzemski’s shot off Emilio Pagan (0-1) went over the right field wall. Giants starter Justin Verlander was pulled after 5 2/3 innings, charged with six runs (five earned). He struck out nine.
Nick Martinez lasted just 5 2/3 innings for the Reds, during which he allowed four runs. He fanned eight.
Brewers 17, Rockies 2
Jackson Chourio homered, doubled and drove in five runs, William Contreras and Christian Yelich each went deep for the second straight game, and Milwaukee routed Colorado in Denver.
Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, Yelich and Chourio had two hits apiece for the Brewers, and Grant Anderson (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Milwaukee has won three straight games.
Ryan McMahon homered and Ezequiel Tovar and Kris Bryant had two hits apiece for the Rockies. Antonio Senzatela (0-2) allowed nine runs, eight earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
Twins 4, Royals 0
Joe Ryan continued his mastery of Kansas City hitters by tossing two-hit ball over seven scoreless innings, getting the win for visiting Minnesota.
Ryan (1-1) struck out four and walked none while improving to 7-0 with a 1.30 ERA in nine career starts against the Royals. Griffin Jax replaced Ryan and gave up one hit during a scoreless eighth inning. Jhoan Duran worked around a walk in the ninth to complete the three-hitter.
Ty France went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, and Matt Wallner also went deep for the Twins. Edouard Julien contributed an RBI single as Minnesota ended a three-game losing streak.
Mariners 7, Astros 6
Randy Arozarena hit a grand slam in the eighth inning and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to drive in the winning run as host Seattle defeated Houston.
Seattle trailed 5-0 before Arozarena’s slam, and Julio Rodriguez added a two-run double in the ninth to even the score at 6. Trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Mariners got to Astros reliever Bryan Abreu (0-1) after closer Josh Hader had worked in two of the previous three days. Mariners reliever Casey Lawrence (1-0) got the victory.
Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes, Jeremy Pena and Cam Smith had two hits apiece for the Astros. Pena scored twice and stole a base.
Yankees 4, Tigers 3
Ben Rice hit a two-run homer, Max Fried struck out 11 and New York salvaged the finale of a three-game series in Detroit.
Fried (2-0) allowed five hits and didn’t issue a walk in seven scoreless innings. Mark Leiter Jr. recorded the save after the Tigers staged a three-run rally in the ninth against Devin Williams. Aaron Judge added a two-run single.
Zach McKinstry had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Reliever Tyler Holton (1-1) took the loss.
Guardians 3, White Sox 2
Jhonkensy Noel delivered an RBI single for one of his two hits, Carlos Santana homered and Cleveland cut down Chicago’s Mike Tauchman, who pulled up with an injury before reaching home plate, for the final out of its victory.
Noel’s two hits and Santana’s homer were the only three hits for the Guardians, who have totaled four runs and six hits in winning the first two games of the three-game set. Paul Sewald (1-1) won in relief, and Emmanuel Clase got his first save despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Tauchman collected three hits, Miguel Vargas had two hits and Lenyn Sosa added an RBI single for the White Sox, who have lost seven straight. Sean Burke (1-2) gave up three runs in three innings.
Rays 5, Angels 4
Jose Caballero’s first-inning grand slam and Yandy Diaz’s seventh-inning solo homer provided all the offense host Tampa Bay would need in a victory over Los Angeles.
Caballero hit his slam off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (0-2). Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (1-1) gave up three homers but got the victory after going five innings and six hits and three runs.
The Angels hit four homers, all solo shots, two by Kyren Paris and one apiece from Taylor Ward and Jorge Soler Paris has a club-best five long balls, and he is hitting .440 (11-for-25).
Padres 2, Athletics 1
Randy Vasquez threw five quality innings and Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-5 and scored twice as San Diego got the victory over the A’s in West Sacramento, Calif.
Vasquez (1-1) allowed just one run on one hit while striking out a batter and walking three. Oscar Gonzalez tallied a pair of hits, including an RBI single, while Manny Machado and Jason Heyward also recorded two-hit performances as San Diego took two of three against the Athletics.
Osvaldo Bido (1-1) went five innings, giving up two runs on nine hits for the A’s. Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson were responsible for the Athletics’ only two hits.
Diamondbacks 9, Orioles 0
Corbin Carroll, Pavin Smith, Josh Naylor and Geraldo Perdomo homered and Brandon Pfaadt pitched six scoreless innings as Arizona shut out Baltimore in Phoenix.
Carroll, Perdomo, Smith and Naylor — the top four in the Arizona lineup — were 11-for-17 with four homers, seven RBIs and seven runs. Naylor had three hits and three RBIs, Smith had three hits and two RBIs and Perdomo had three hits. Pfaadt (2-1) helped the Diamondbacks win their second straight after a three-game losing streak.
Dean Kremer (1-2) gave up eight hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings as the Orioles lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Dodgers 6, Nationals 5
Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages homered and visiting Los Angeles rallied past Washington to salvage the finale of the three-game series.
Hernandez had two hits and drove in three runs for Los Angeles, while Shohei Ohtani and Tommy Edman each had two hits. Blake Treinen worked the ninth for his second save.
CJ Abrams homered for Washington, which had won four straight after losing six of seven.
Blue Jays 2, Red Sox 1 (11 innings)
Bo Bichette hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th before Nick Sandlin pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame, lifting Toronto to a win over Boston.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-5) and Andres Gimenez (2-for-3) logged five of the Blue Jays’ six hits. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman struck out 10 and allowed just one unearned run in eight innings. Jeff Hoffman (1-0) got the win, and Nick Sandlin registered his first save of the season.
Red Sox batters struck out 14 times, but Rafael Devers (2-for-5, two doubles) was a major contributor. Tanner Houck delivered 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
Phillies 4, Braves 3
Trea Turner launched a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, leading Philadelphia to a win over host Atlanta.
Turner finished 2-for-4 and Bryce Harper connected on a two-run homer in the seventh inning for the Phillies. Starter Taijuan Walker threw 4 2/3 shutout innings as Philadelphia leveled the three-game series at one win apiece.
Austin Riley went 2-for-5 with a solo homer for the Braves, while Marcell Ozuna, Orlando Arcia and Bryan De La Cruz each finished with two hits. Grant Holmes pitched four-plus scoreless innings for the Braves.
Marlins 5, Mets 0
Max Meyer combined with two relievers on a two-hitter and Matt Mervis hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs as Miami won at New York.
Meyer (1-1) pitched 6 1/3 innings. Anthony Bender tossed 1 2/3 innings, and Lake Bachar handled the ninth as the Marlins captured the series finale after dropping the first two.
New York’s Tylor Megill (2-1) allowed two unearned runs on six hits in four-plus innings. The Mets saw a six-game winning streak end and took their first home loss.
Rangers 6, Cubs 2
Corey Seager hit two home runs, Jonah Heim added a two-run blast and Tyler Mahle was sterling on the mound as visiting Texas defeated Chicago to salvage the finale of a three-game series.
Mahle (2-0) allowed one run on two hits over seven innings. The Rangers got two hits each from Seager, Heim and Leody Tavares.
Chicago starter Shota Imanaga (2-1) went seven innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits. Seiya Suzuki had two hits, including an RBI single.
–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
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