Sports
Nationals try to bring good vibes home vs. road-challenged Twins
Apr 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez (26) catches a pop fly by New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Something’s bound to give when the Minnesota Twins visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Twins are tied with the Miami Marlins for the fewest road wins (five) in the majors, while the Nationals — who have been strong on the road — have posted the fewest home wins (four).
Washington won its first game at Nationals Park since April 21 on Sunday, salvaging the finale of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-2 win. The Twins beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 Sunday to earn a four-game series split.
Minnesota right-hander Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85 ERA) opposes Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (1-1, 3.82) in the series opener.
Bradley, 25, has given up two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven starts this season. On April 24 he gave up six runs in 6 1/3 innings of a loss to his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, but in his last start he bounced back. In a no-decision against the Seattle Mariners, Bradley allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings while striking out seven and walking two.
“I think I had command of my off-speed (pitches) early, and I feel like I could pitch backwards, pitch forwards, and I felt like I had good command of the fastball,” Bradley said.
He won his only previous start against Washington, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
Cavalli has allowed two earned runs and struck out 10 batters in each of his past two starts, against the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. Cavalli picked up his first win against the Mets, spreading out eight hits and two walks over six innings.
“You probably have to do it more than once or twice to say, like: ‘Alright, this is real,'” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “Now, we know what he’s capable of. We’ve seen it. I think the last outing is the Cade we expect to see and want to see.”
Cavalli has never faced the Twins.
On Sunday, Nasim Nunez had a pair of run-scoring singles, Jose Tena had an RBI triple and CJ Abrams had two hits and scored twice for Washington.
Nunez has reached base in eight of his last nine appearances, going 9-for-24 (.375) with five walks, four stolen bases and six RBIs.
“When he can come up in big spots, and do what he did (Sunday) … big hits, huge at-bats to help us win the game … there’s just a lot of different aspects to the game where Nas helps us win,” Butera said.
In Toronto, Twins starter Joe Ryan left with a sore elbow after facing two batters, but Andrew Morris pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for the win.
Luke Keaschall had a pair of hits, including an RBI double in a three-run fifth inning for Minnesota. Kody Clemens and Matt Wallner each doubled in a run.
“Felt like everybody top to bottom had something going for them (Sunday) offensively,” Keaschall said. “Everybody hit a double or a single or a big walk or something. When the whole lineup produces, it really is a lot of fun.”
Minnesota’s bullpen, which entered the game with a 5.48 ERA, allowed three runs over 8 2/3 innings.
Manager Derek Shelton said after the game that Ryan was getting an MRI on the elbow.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tempo upbeat on playing in Montreal, but seek different outcome vs. Liberty
Jul 10, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) and Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey (3) in the second half at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The Toronto Tempo aim to use the energy from another big Montreal crowd Sunday afternoon against the New York Liberty to end a four-game losing streak.
The expansion Tempo (9-13) lost the first of two home games at Montreal, 108-95 to the Dallas Wings before a WNBA regular-season record crowd of 20,966 fans on Friday night at the Bell Centre. The previous record of 20,711 was set in 2024 in Washington.
“Being the only team in Canada, it’s a responsibility for us and how cool is that,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said. “We get to be seen all over Canada.”
Marina Mabrey scored 34 points for the Tempo on Friday despite early foul trouble, but the Wings dominated the fourth quarter 24-10.
Rookie forward Laura Juskaite added a career-best 25 points.
“I thought the atmosphere was fantastic,” Brondello said. “It’s great to be up here and have the fans come out and support the WNBA and the Tempo.”
The Tempo will be facing a team also trying to get back on the winning track. New York (13-10) lost its second straight Saturday afternoon 90-85 to the Minnesota Lynx to open a four-game road trip. The Liberty lost for the sixth time in their past eight games despite 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists from Sabrina Ionescu.
The Tempo’s fourth-quarter struggles could be the result of injuries to some key players. Nyara Sabally (left knee) joined the list on Friday. Already out were Temi Fagbenle (concussion protocol), Kiki Rice (left ankle) and Brittney Sykes (left foot).
“We had four of our main players out, but we fought hard,” Brondello said. “We just ran out of gas, didn’t have enough in the tank to finish it off. But credit to Dallas.”
The Liberty were without Leonie Fiebich (left foot) and Satou Sabally (concussion protocol) on Saturday.
They trailed by 15 with 5:14 left in the third quarter before rallying to take a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
“We just have to stop digging ourselves these very big, very deep holes that we have to get out of,” said New York center Jonquel Jones, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds. “If we could stop doing that and mitigate that and then put our second half together that we’ve been doing, we’ll be great.”
Breanna Stewart added 17 points and seven rebounds for New York.
The Liberty defeated the Tempo 97-82 on June 3 at New York.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Argentina oust Switzerland in extra time, advance to semifinals
July 11, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.; Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring their third goal. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Julian Alvarez scored the tiebreaker in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez added an insurance goal in stoppage time as defending champion Argentina defeated 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the World Cup quarterfinals on a hot and humid Saturday night in Kansas City, Mo.
Alexis Mac Allister also tallied, off an assist from Lionel Messi, for Argentina, which will face England in the semifinals Wednesday in Atlanta. England defeated Norway 2-1 in extra time earlier Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Dan Ndoye scored for Switzerland, which played short-handed from the 72nd minute on after Breel Embolo received a second yellow card and was ejected.
Alvarez’s winner came after Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel knocked away an 18-yard strike from Messi, whose streak of scoring in nine straight World Cup matches came to an end.
Jose Manuel Lopez tracked down the rebound in the left wing corner and passed to Alvarez, who was just outside the top left corner of the penalty area. Alvarez took a couple of strides toward the center of the field before unleashing a curling, right-footed shot that found the far upper corner of the net, just out of Kobel’s reach.
Martinez clinched the victory in the first minute of stoppage time, converting a rebound after Kobel stopped a shot by Thiago Almada.
Kobel and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez both made four saves.
Switzerland got the tying goal in the 67th minute following a sustained push.
Ndoye played a give-and-go with Ricardo Rodriguez near the top left corner of the penalty area. Ndoye got the ball back and dribbled to the edge of the 6-yard box before putting a low shot between Martinez’s legs as the goalie started to go down.
Switzerland’s momentum didn’t last long as Embolo received a second yellow card in the 72nd minute, this time for simulation. Referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro originally was going to issue a yellow to Argentina’s Leandro Paredes for a foul on Embolo, but a video review determined the Swiss attacker was hardly touched and the booking was changed. Embolo received his first card in the 44th minute for a late foul on Paredes.
Kobel’s lone save in regulation came in the final minute of second-half stoppage time as he dove to his left to knock away a sidewinding, 15-yard shot from Lisandro Martinez following a Messi corner kick.
Argentina opened the scoring in the 10th minute as Messi’s corner kick from the left wing found Mac Allister at the top of the 6-yard box just outside the near post. Mac Allister’s glancing header into the far side netting left Kobel flat-footed. It was Messi’s record 10th career World Cup assist.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ty France powers Padres past Blue Jays in back-and-forth game
Jul 11, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France (25) celebrates with right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Ty France’s solo homer snapped a tie in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday night as the San Diego Padres outlasted the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 8-7.
France cracked his 11th homer of the season an estimated 377 feet into the second level of the Western Metal Supply building in left field off Mason Fluharty (4-1). It broke the game’s third tie.
San Diego’s bullpen held the line from there. Bradgley Rodriguez (2-2) fired a 1-2-3 seventh, Adrian Morejon pitched the eighth and closer Mason Miller took care of the ninth for his 24th save in as many chances.
Neither starter made it past the second inning, both undone by wildness. Toronto’s Trey Yesavage lasted only 1 2/3 innings, giving up one hit and four runs thanks to his seven walks. The Padres’ Walker Buehler pitched only two innings, yielding three hits and four runs with four walks and a strikeout.
Yesavage gifted San Diego two runs in the bottom of the first with four walks, the last to Gavin Sheets with the bases loaded. France accounted for the other run via a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Jays erased that deficit quickly in the second with four runs, fueled by Buehler’s four walks. Alejandro Kirk doubled down the right field line for an RBI, followed by Andres Gimenez’s run-scoring groundout and Jonatan Clase’s two-run homer to right, his second of the year.
Three more walks by Yesavage in the second teed up Manny Machado for a two-run single that made it 4-4. The Padres regained the lead in the third on a two-out, two-run single by Sung-Mun Song.
Jake Cronenworth increased the lead to 7-4 in the fourth by grounding a two-out RBI single up the middle that scored Sheets. But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. erased that lead in the sixth when he belted a three-run homer to left. The 385-foot shot was his sixth of the year.
The teams combined for 17 walks, 11 by Toronto’s five pitchers. The teams drew 11 walks in the first two innings, the most in a major league game this year.
–Field Level Media
Tempo upbeat on playing in Montreal, but seek different outcome vs. Liberty
Argentina oust Switzerland in extra time, advance to semifinals
