Sports
No. 9 UConn meets Villanova in clash of surging teams
Dec 21, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images No. 9 UConn is riding an eight-game winning streak and has moved into a first-place tie in the Big East, but nothing is coming easily for the two-time defending national champion.
Of those eight Huskies’ victories, five have come by six points or fewer.
When UConn (12-3, 4-0 Big East) hits the road to take on Villanova (10-5, 3-1) on Wednesday evening in Villanova, Pa., the Huskies may again have to lean on their familiar formula of close wins.
Even Sunday in an 87-84 victory at home against struggling Providence, UConn needed to rely on late-game heroics after it trailed by 14 points early in the second half.
“We cheated death in this one,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We’re going to have to win games in this type of manner.”
After losing three games in the Maui Invitational in November, including two by a combined three points, UConn was searching for its finishing touch.
The Huskies found it in quality wins over ranked teams — Baylor (76-72 score) and Gonzaga (77-71).
But struggling to put away Providence and two other teams near the bottom of the Big East standings — Xavier and Butler — has brought a new wave of concern for UConn.
“There’s going to be a lot of bad film in this one for us,” Hurley said after Sunday’s escape act against the Friars.
The Huskies might have to get used to it, at least for the next month, as Liam McNeeley, their second-leading scorer (13.6 points per game) and rebounder (5.8 per game), is out with a high ankle sprain.
That leaves UConn needing to depend more on top scorer Alex Karaban (16.3 ppg) and point guard Hassan Diarra, who played a big role against Providence by scoring a career-high 19 points and dishing eight assists.
“The game for us was about Hassan Diarra and his will, his will to not allow us to lose,” Hurley said.
Villanova is on an uptick as well, winning seven of its last eight games, including a 100-56 domination of DePaul on Saturday as the nation’s leading scorer, Eric Dixon, tallied 25 points.
While Dixon is a stellar marksman from 3-point range at 49 percent, it was the shooting of his teammates that was the story against DePaul.
Jordan Longino hit all five of his shots from 3-point range in scoring 19 points. Meanwhile, Wooga Poplar (17 points) was 3-for-3 from deep and Jhamir Brickus (11 points, 11 assists) went 3-for-4 from long distance.
“My teammates and coaches have been trying to instill that confident mentality in me,” Longino said. “Obviously, it feels good to see the ball go in a little bit.”
Villanova is second in Division I in 3-point shooting at 41.5 percent. The Wildcats’ offensive efficiency has helped lift them after a 3-4 start.
It’s a role reversal for Villanova’s third-year coach, Kyle Neptune, whose previous teams have relied much more on their defensive presence.
“Each team is different. Even if you bring back an exact same team from a year prior, that team is different,” Neptune said. “It’s a completely different DNA, with different strengths and weaknesses.”
UConn has won the last four meetings with Villanova but still trails in the series 39-36.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Andrew Vaughn's homer powers Brewers over Cardinals
May 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Andrew Vaughn (28) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Andrew Vaughn hit a three-run homer for the Milwaukee Brewers, who had five pitchers team up to limit the host St. Louis Cardinals to just four hits in a 6-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
Vaughn, reinstated from the injured list Monday after breaking the hamate bone in his left hand on Opening Day, capped a four-run first with his first homer of the season, which he hit off Andre Pallante 403 feet to left-center field.
Pallante (3-3) got the first two Brewers batters out to start the game, but he allowed Brice Turang to reach on a single and hit William Contreras. Jake Bauers singled home Turang before he and Contreras scored on Vaughn’s blast, which came on a full count.
Milwaukee scored all its runs with two outs. Joey Ortiz scored on a Pallante wild pitch in the fifth, and Jackson Chourio’s ninth-inning double to right off Matt Svanson scored Sal Frelick.
The Brewers pounded out 11 hits to split the two-game series with the Cardinals. Bauers went 2-for-3 with a walk. Vaughn added a single as part of a 2-for-4 day, while Chourio and Frelick both enjoyed 2-for-5 games.
Brandon Sproat threw four shutout innings and allowed just a hit while striking out five. However, three walks and a hit batsman kept the 25-year-old right-hander, who entered Wednesday having allowed 20 earned runs in 26 2/3 innings, from being able to claim his first career major league victory.
Aaron Ashby (6-0) allowed just a walk in two innings of relief to get the victory. DL Hall pitched a perfect fifth inning with a strikeout for the Brewers.
Pallante went six innings, gave up eight hits and two walks and struck out three.
The Cardinals’ only hit through seven innings was Ivan Herrera’s first-inning double. Alec Burleson put the hosts on the board with an eighth-inning single off Trevor Megill that scored Victor Scott II to end the shutout.
Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church exited after three innings due to a left leg contusion he suffered when Sproat hit him in the second.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers place 2B Gleyber Torres (oblique) on 10-day IL
Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) bats a single against Texas Rangers during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The Detroit Tigers placed three-time All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left oblique strain.
Torres, 29, had progressed in recent days but continued to feel pain while swinging. He was unable to serve as a pinch hitter, leading the Tigers to put him on the IL, retroactive to Monday.
“It’s a mild left oblique strain that continues to nag him,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Obviously, Gleyber has been getting treatment and getting looked at by doctors — and it continues to be stagnant. Hopefully, this will resolve itself within a short time period, but nowadays, I don’t know.”
In his ninth MLB season, Torres is hitting .259 with two home runs, 11 RBIs and a .716 OPS in 32 games.
“I was getting better and better, but I still feel it a little bit in that area,” Torres said. “At this point, we don’t want to push it. It’s not a really big strain, so hopefully, I can get back (on a rehab assignment) in five days — not two weeks. Let’s see what’s going to happen in the next couple of days.”
Torres is a career .264 hitter with 156 homers, 526 RBIs and a .769 OPS in 1,065 games with the New York Yankees (2018-24) and Tigers.
Third baseman Jace Jung, 25, was recalled from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. He has appeared in two games this season for Detroit, collecting one hit and one run in four at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers' Framber Valdez suspended for beaning Trevor Story
Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, on May 5, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan, with players and coaches from the Tigers and Red Sox on the field after a hit-by-pitch from Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez. Detroit Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez received a six-game suspension and an undisclosed fine Wednesday for intentionally throwing at Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story on Tuesday night.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch also received a fine and a one-game suspension, which he will serve in Wednesday night’s series finale against the visiting Red Sox. Bench coach George Lombard will fill in as manager.
Both benches emptied in the fourth inning after Story got plunked by a fastball from Valdez, earning the pitcher an ejection following the worst start of his career.
Valdez allowed a career-high 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits, including three homers, in three-plus innings, taking the loss in the 10-3 setback.
Valdez, 32, is 2-2 with a 4.57 ERA through eight starts in his first season with Detroit, which signed him to a three-year, $115 million deal in February.
A two-time All-Star with Houston (2022, 2023), Valdez is 83-54 with a 3.41 ERA in 196 career games (174 starts) with the Astros (2018-25) and Tigers.
–Field Level Media
Andrew Vaughn's homer powers Brewers over Cardinals
Tigers place 2B Gleyber Torres (oblique) on 10-day IL
