Sports
On a roll, Yankees to send Max Fried up against Marlins
Mar 31, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images Max Fried lived up to his billing as a frontline starter in the first season of an eight-year contract signed before the New York Yankees knew just how important he would be because of an injury to Gerrit Cole.
Fried is off to a stellar start to his second campaign in pinstripes and will be on the mound when the Yankees host the Miami Marlins in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees are attempting to earn their fifth straight win and get off to an 8-1 start for the first time since 2020. New York followed up its 8-2 win on Friday by hanging on for a 9-7 win Saturday.
Giancarlo Stanton had his first regular-season stolen base since 2020 and hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth. Cody Bellinger drove in three runs and hit a two-run homer while the Yankees had 10 walks to give them 21 in the past two games.
“It’s a scoring competition, not a hit competition,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So however it comes, it’s about putting runs on the board.”
Fried (2-0, 0.00) went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 32 starts last season when he set career highs for wins, starts, innings (195 1/3) and strikeouts (189).
During New York’s season-opening six-game road trip, he gave up five hits and struck out 10 in 13 1/3 scoreless innings of wins at San Francisco and Seattle.
In the season opener against the Giants on March 25, the left-hander allowed two hits and registered four strikeouts. Against the Mariners, Fried allowed three hits in seven innings of a 5-0 win.
Fried has 10 scoreless starts since joining the Yankees and the only instance of consecutive shutout starts last season was April 27 and May 2 when he tossed 13 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.
“It’s incredible,” Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra said. “I can’t go wrong with what I call when he has all these pitches going. It makes it easy for me, and easy for him.”
Fried did not face the Marlins last season when the Yankees were swept in Miami. He is 6-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 16 career starts against the Marlins.
The Marlins collected 15 hits Saturday but also struggled by not finding the strike zone and allowing two runs on passed balls from catcher Agustin Ramirez.
Miami’s Chris Paddack (0-1, 18.00) makes his second start after a rocky debut with the club. In Monday’s 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox, Paddack allowed eight runs in four innings.
Paddack’s struggled after going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in five spring training starts for the Marlins, who signed him to a one-year deal Feb. 12 after the right-hander split last season with the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers.
“Not how I envisioned my Marlins debut by any means, but I’ve been here before,” Paddack said. “It’s not an ideal situation to be in to start the year. Especially coming off a really good spring, having some confidence going into the season.”
Said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough: “Results aside, we’ll get a lot better days out of Chris. He’s a pro. He’ll flip the page.”
Paddack is 0-3 with an 8.47 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sam Burns torches par 5s to grab early Masters lead
Apr 9, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Sam Burns plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sam Burns took advantage of Augusta National’s longest holes in posting a 5-under-par round of 67 to take the early first-round in the 90th edition of the Masters Tournament on Thursday.
Burns got his round rolling by sinking an 11-foot eagle putt on the par-5 second hole. After dropping a shot on the seventh, he immediately gained it back with a birdie on the par-5 eighth. Burns also birdied both par-5s on the back nine and added another with a birdie on the par-3 12th.
It added up to the best round of Burns’ Masters career, besting the 68 he posted in the first round in 2023. In 12 previous rounds through four previous appearances at Augusta National, that had been the lone time Burns had broken 70 until Thursday.
Patrick Reed also reached 5 under by eagling both par-5s on the front nine to make his turn in 31, but the 2018 Masters champion gave a shot back at No. 10 before putting a ball in the water on the par-5 15th for another bogey.
Kurt Kitayama finished an eventful day at 3-under 69. He reached 4 under through 10 holes before a bogey on No. 11 and a double bogey on the short par-3 12th. He was able to card birdies on two of his final holes to get to the clubhouse among the early leaders.
Bryson DeChambeau, who is seeking to build on his best Masters finish of fifth place last year, was at even par beginning hole Nos. 11-13 known as “Amen Corner.” DeChambeau put his approach shot on No. 11 into the bunker behind the green. He then failed to get out of the bunker on his first two attempts and ended up carding a triple bogey on the hole.
NOTES: The 91-player field includes 22 first-time players — six amateurs and 16 professionals. Each amateur is paired with a Masters champion for the first two rounds of the tournament.
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
Sports
Marlins rough up Rhett Lowder to earn series split vs. Reds
Apr 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) slides at home plate and scores against Cincinnati Reds catcher P.J. Higgins (65) during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Owen Caissie and Javier Sanoja combined for six hits and five RBIs to lead the host Miami Marlins to an 8-1 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon, earning a split of the four-game set.
In a battle of former first-round picks, Miami’s Max Meyer (1-0) allowed four hits, three walks and one run in five innings, striking out four.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder (1-1) entered the game with the best eight-game ERA (1.30) in Reds history with a minimum of 30 innings. He had never allowed more than three runs in a game.
On Thursday, he allowed eight hits and five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out a pair.
Caissie (3-for-4, three RBIs) and Sanoja (3-for-4, two RBIs) led Miami’s offense. Agustin Ramirez went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Miami left fielder Griffin Conine was removed from the game in the sixth inning due to left knee discomfort. Conine got hurt trying to make a diving grab on Spencer Steer’s bloop double.
Reds first baseman Sal Stewart – a Miami native – was 1-for-3 with a solo homer to cap off a brilliant series where he went 5-for-14 with two homers, one double, two steals in two tries and five RBIs.
Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (1-for-5, 3 strikeouts) had his eight-game run-scoring streak snapped.
The Marlins, who lead the league in triples, got their fifth of the season in the first on Xavier Edwards’ drive to right-center. Miami then took a 1-0 lead when Ramirez reached on a routine chopper to third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who dropped the ball for an error as he eyed a potential throw home.
Miami extended its lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Liam Hicks walked and Otto Lopez doubled on a 113-mph liner to start the rally. The Marlins cashed in with Caissie’s two-run double and Sanoja’s RBI single.
Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth as Stewart hit his fourth homer of the season, a 409-foot bomb off of Meyer.
Sanoja added another RBI single in the sixth and Caissie did the same in the seventh, giving Miami a 6-1 lead. Ramirez added a two-run single in the eighth.
Marlins reliever Tyler Phillips pitched the final three scoreless innings for his fifth career save and his first this year.
–Field Level Media
Sports
UCLA's Lauren Betts among 15 to attend WNBA draft
UCLA Bruins players Lauren Betts, from left, and Kiki Rice celebrate with teammates their 79-51 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks to claim the NCAA women’s basketball national championship at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 5, 2026. National champion center Lauren Betts and four of her UCLA teammates are among the 15 prospects who will attend Monday’s 2026 WNBA Draft in New York City.
Bets will be joined by Bruins forward Angela Dugalic and guards Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens.
UCLA defeated South Carolina 79-51 on Sunday to win the Women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time.
The other prospects who will be in attendance are forward Nell Angloma (France), center Awa Fam Thiam (Spain), guard Azzi Fudd (UConn), guard Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), guard Raven Johnson (South Carolina), guard Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), forward Cotie McMahon (Ole Miss), guard Olivia Mils (TCU), center Madina Okot (South Carolina/Kenya) and forward Marta Suarez (TCU/Spain).
Monday’s draft will be carried live on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET.
The Dallas Wings hold the top pick in the draft, followed by the Minnesota Lynx at No. 2 and the Seattle Storm at No. 3. The Washington Mystics have the fourth selection, and the Chicago Sky have the fifth. The expansion Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will select sixth and seventh, respectively.
–Field Level Media
Sam Burns torches par 5s to grab early Masters lead
Marlins rough up Rhett Lowder to earn series split vs. Reds
