Sports
Nats' Zack Littell eyes turnaround as Brewers go for sweep
Apr 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Zack Littell (18) pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images Veteran right-hander Zack Littell will try to get back on track and help the Washington Nationals avert a three-game sweep against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Littell (0-4, 7.85 ERA) signed as a free agent during spring training. He will be looking to turn things around after giving up eight, six and four earned runs, respectively, in his last three starts, all losses.
Last time out, Littell allowed eight runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings against the New York Mets on Tuesday. Two of the hits were home runs — one on his first pitch of the game — and he has given up 11 homers over his past four starts.
“He had a late start to spring training,” National general manager Paul Toboni recently said of Littell. “That factors in. We’re going to hang by these guys. Zack has had moments, as has Miles (Mikolas), where he’s thrown really darn well. We’re going to continue to stand by him.”
One factor that bodes well for Littell on Sunday is that the Brewers are tied for second-to-last in the majors with 22 home runs.
Littell allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of a no-decision at the Brewers on April 12. For his career, he is 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA and one save in 13 games (four starts) versus Milwaukee.
The Brewers, who have won five of six, have not announced a starter for the finale.
On Saturday, Milwaukee got a strong start from Kyle Harrison and took advantage of a Washington miscue in a three-run first en route to a 4-1 win.
After collecting four hits in each of the previous two games, William Contreras was 1-for-4 with a walk, but that hit was crucial as it started a two-out rally in the first.
That gave Contreras, who scored the game’s first run, nine hits in his last 10 at-bats.
“He’s been good,” manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s really been good. He’s capable. We’re looking for consistency, we’re looking for consistency in approach. This guy’s got a chance to be a top-10 player in the league if he stays consistent in every way.”
After a pair of walks following Contreras’ single, third baseman Brady House’s fielding error on Luis Rengifo’s grounder allowed Contreras to score the game’s first run. Brandon Lockridge followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0.
“I think a lot of us kind of just focus on putting up quality at-bats,” Milwaukee shortstop Joey Ortiz said. “That’s what we did that first inning. You just try to come through for the team, really. We were able to punch first and keep the lead.”
The Nationals, meanwhile, lead the major leagues with 32 errors in 34 games.
“We can do all the work we want to pregame, but if we’re not looking at what that work is and making adjustments to it, then we’re not doing our job,” manager Blake Butera said. “We’re gonna adjust our pregame work and try something a little bit different to clean up these mistakes.”
James Wood had two hits and Curtis Mead doubled and scored for the Nationals, who have scored only one run in each of the first two games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers ace Nathan Eovaldi halts Yankees' five-game streak
May 6, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Nathan Eovaldi pitched eight stellar innings and was backed by two early homers as the visiting Texas Rangers quieted the New York Yankees in a 6-1 victory on Wednesday night.
After pitching seven innings in last Wednesday’s 3-0 home win over the Yankees, Eovaldi (4-4) struck out a season-high eight and walked none for the second time this season. The veteran right-hander allowed just three hits, including Aaron Judge’s major league-leading 15th homer in the sixth that snapped his scoreless string at 13 innings.
The Rangers scored more than five runs for the seventh time this season and ended a three-game losing streak by racing out to a six-run lead through four innings against New York’s Will Warren (4-1).
Corey Seager homered three batters into the contest and Evan Carter hit a two-run shot in the third. Seager added an RBI single after going 4-for-31 in his previous eight contests and not getting an RBI in his previous nine.
Ezequiel Duran contributed an RBI double and a bases-loaded sacrifice fly as Texas finished with more than five runs for the first time since April 23 against Pittsburgh.
Eovaldi made the lead stand up with ease. He often recorded quick outs and threw 72 of 101 pitches for strikes.
Eovaldi completed eight innings for the 16th time in his career and fourth time against the Yankees, whom he pitched for in 2015 and 2016. Jacob Latz pitched the ninth as the Rangers held the Yankees to five baserunners.
Judge hit his 12th homer in his past 23 games, but the Yankees saw a five-game winning streak stopped and lost for the third time in their past 18 games. New York scored 46 times in the previous five games, but finished with fewer than two runs for the fifth time this season.
Warren often fell behind hitters and was tagged for season highs of six runs on seven hits in four innings. Warren did get seven strikeouts, but he walked three as he threw first-pitch strikes to just 12 of 22 hitters.
Seager opened the scoring by lifting a 3-0 fastball into the right field seats and Texas added three in the third. After Duran’s double to left-center, Carter hit a 2-1 sweeper off the facing of the second deck in right for a 4-0 lead.
Following Duran’s sacrifice fly in the fourth, Seager made it 6-0 by lining a single to center.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees to honor late broadcaster John Sterling with uniform patch
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees wear “JS” stitched on their hats honoring radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Yankees will honor longtime radio announcer John Sterling, who died on Monday at the age of 87, with a patch on their uniforms for the reminder of the season.
The Yankees will continue to wear caps with the initials “JS” on the back through May 17. The team will switch to the patch as their tribute to Sterling on May 18, when the Yankees’ next homestand begins.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone approves of the tribute.
“I think it’s appropriate, certainly,” Boone told the New York Times after the Yanks’ 7-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. “(I’m) glad we’ll be able to honor his legacy throughout the rest of the season.”
The patch will feature Sterling’s name, as well as a microphone with the Yankee logo on a pinstriped background.
Sterling passed away from complications of heart failure on Monday, the Times reported. Sterling was honored prior to Monday’s game with a ceremony that featured a moment of silence and a video of some of Sterling’s most iconic radio calls.
After Monday’s game, Sterling’s signature call of “Thuuuuuuuuuuh Yankees WIN!” was played over the PA system at Yankee Stadium, followed by Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York.”
Both manager Boone and Yankees captain Aaron Judge called for making that combo a permanent tradition. But Sterling’s call was not part of Tuesday’s post-game victory celebration, and it was unclear if the team intends to continue it, the Times reported.
Count Jazz Chisholm Jr. among those who feel the patch is a good way to honor Sterling this season.
“He was here for a long time,” said Chisholm. “He represented the Yankees well. We all, in our childhood, have that John Sterling call rising in our ears. I think it’s pretty cool that we, as a team and organization, get to recognize him for all the great things that he’s done here.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB Panic Meter: Mets, Red Sox, Angels Among Biggest Early Concerns
May 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The season isn’t one-fourth complete, meaning it’s relatively early by MLB standards.
But it’s also time for concern for a spate of underachieving teams and players to be calibrated against the potential for a rebound.
Here’s our look at some particularly worrisome slow starts around the game.
1. The New York Mets
David Stearns’ nonsensical off-season overhaul — dumping a spate of franchise icons all in the name of improving the defense by signing or moving a bunch of people to positions they’d never played — left the Mets in a much more vulnerable position than any team should be with a $352 million payroll. But it shouldn’t be going THIS badly, even with Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor playing just seven full games together due to their calf injuries.
At least the Mets no longer have the worst record in the bigs after winning three of four from the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies. But when you’ve got to win three of four from the Angels and Rockies just to escape the basement.
2. The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies
May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images The 2-for-1, you-both-got-your-managers-fired deal here. As with the Mets, the off-season should have provided more of a hint that the Red Sox (who didn’t re-sign valuable veteran leader Alex Bregman) and Phillies (who re-signed every aging veteran this side of Steve Jeltz) might stumble out of the gates. A 4-0 start under interim manager Don Mattingly served as a reminder the Phillies have an immeasurable edge of the Red Sox in terms of postseason-tested players and, especially, competent upper management. Boston’s geniuses apparently thought it’d be a good idea to toss Triple-A manager Chad Tracy into a locker room filled with angry players. Hard to believe “chief baseball officer” Craig Breslow actually played in the majors.
3. The Los Angeles Angels
May 5, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) is greeted after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images We should all be immune to being disappointed by the Angels, who have the longest playoff drought in the majors as well as the longest streak of consecutive sub-.500 finishes despite employing both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout from 2018 through 2023.
But the American League is a mashup of mediocrity and Trout is enjoying a renaissance season, so it wouldn’t take much for the Angels to at least hover around the fringes of contention. So of course they’ve lost 13 of 15 to fall to 13-23, which is the worst record in the bigs and puts the Angels on pace to lose 100 games for the first time ever. So there is that.
4. Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants SS/1B
Buster Posey’s weird plan to construct a contender around a bunch of singles hitters was always contingent on Adames, the one Giants position player star who chose to play in hitter-unfriendly Oracle Park, and Devers, a blockbuster trade addition last year, providing the token bit of power.
But the duo have combined for just five homers and rank 161st and 163rd, respectively, in OPS at .579 and .572 as the Giants have started 14-21. Adames’ poor strikeout-to-walk ratio — he’s struck out 45 times while drawing just six walks — is a big red flag after he increased his walk total each of the previous three seasons.
5. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds P
Jun 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott (41) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Abbott outperformed his peripherals (a 2.87 ERA but a 3.66 FIP) while making the All-Star team for the first time last season. But the market correction has been unforgiving for Abbott, whose 5.97 ERA is seventh-worst in the NL amongst pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings. He is also striking out just 6.2 batters per nine innings, easily the lowest figure of his career and a concerning trend as the Reds bank on a bounce-back.
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