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Orioles DFA 9-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel

MLB: San Francisco Giants at Baltimore OriolesSep 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) walks off the field after being removed during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles designated right-hander Craig Kimbrel for assignment on Wednesday, a day after one of the worst outings of the nine-time All-Star’s career and likely ending his time with the team.

In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled right-hander Bryan Baker from Triple-A Norfolk.

Kimbrel, 36, yielded six runs (all earned) in 2/3 of an inning in host Baltimore’s 10-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. The six runs — earned or unearned — were his career worst for one appearance.

The Orioles signed him last December to a $13 million contract to replace All-Star closer Felix Bautista, who had Tommy John surgery in the offseason and is expected to return for the 2025 season.

Kimbrel is 7-5 with 23 saves, a 5.33 ERA and six blown saves in 52 1/3 innings over 57 relief appearances. He lost his job as the closer to Seranthony Dominguez.

An All-Star last season with the Philadelphia Phillies, Kimbrel is a career 56-47 with 440 saves, a 2.59 ERA and 1,265 strikeouts in 809 2/3 innings. His 837 games played ranks third among active players behind Kenley Jansen (868) and David Robertson (855).

Kimbrel’s 440 saves rank second behind Jansen (446) among active players and fifth all-time.

He played for the Atlanta Braves from 2010-14, winning National League Rookie of the Year in 2011 and leading the major leagues in saves in four straight seasons (2011-14).

Kimbrel has also spent time with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Phillies, winning a World Series with Boston in 2018.

Baker, 29, is 1-1 with a 4.71 ERA, six walks and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings over 17 relief appearances for Baltimore this season.

–Field Level Media

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Donovan Mitchell nets 32 as Cavaliers overpower Raptors

NBA: Playoffs-Toronto Raptors at Cleveland CavaliersApr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-113 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series Saturday.

Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 17 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight playoff games over the Raptors. Game 2 is Monday in Cleveland, where Toronto is 0-8 all-time in the postseason.

Mitchell extended his league-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in a series opener to nine straight, two more than Michael Jordan had on two occasions. The Cavaliers’ largest lead was 100-76 early in the fourth quarter on a Sam Merrill 3-pointer.

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes contributed 21 points and seven assists for the fifth-seeded Raptors. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Jamal Shead had 17 points in his playoff debut, starting for injured guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain).

Harden became the fifth player in NBA history to appear in a playoff game in 17 seasons, joining Karl Malone, John Stockton, Tony Parker and Jason Kidd. He also moved past Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird into 13th place in playoff points with 3,917.

Strus made back-to-back 3-pointers and followed with a layup in transition, giving the Cavaliers a commanding 82-60 lead midway through the third. Mitchell recorded 11 points in the period, which saw Toronto held to five made field goals.

Cleveland held a 61-54 advantage at the half, fueled by Harden’s 15 points and six assists and Mitchell’s 13 points and four assists. The Raptors had four players in double figures with Ingram scoring 13 points and Barnes, Barrett and Shead with 11 apiece.

Mitchell had eight points and a pair of assists in the first quarter, including a strip of Shead that he turned into a Strus’ layup at the buzzer and a 35-31 Cavaliers lead. Ingram and Barnes scored nine apiece.

Both teams shot the ball well, but the Cavs buried 16 of 32 from 3-point range. They also enjoyed a significant advantage at 52-36 for points in the pain.

Cavaliers backup center Thomas Bryant (left calf strain) was inactive and has not played since April 5.

–Field Level Media

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LAFC, Earthquakes clash in Western Conference showdown

MLS: LAFC at Austin FCMar 21, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; LAFC forward David Martinez (30) waits for gameplay to resume during the first half against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Goals will be at a premium when two of the top teams in the Western Conference meet Sunday as Los Angeles FC plays host to the San Jose Earthquakes.

Each team allowed just two goals through seven league games to lead MLS. They are also two of four teams in the league with a positive goal differential in double digits.

LAFC (5-1-1, 16 points) will be out to protect a perfect 4-0-0 home record in league play during a busy early part of the season.

In two home games during the first seven days of April, LAFC earned a 6-0 MLS victory over Orlando City and a 3-0 victory over Mexico’s Cruz Azul in CONCACAF Champions Cup play. The club absorbed its only MLS loss, 2-1 on the road against the Portland Timbers, on April 11, then went to Mexico on Tuesday and advanced against Cruz Azul with a 1-1 road tie.

While Denis Bouanga leads LAFC with four goals and eight goal contributions in MLS play, 20-year-old forward David Martinez of Venezuela has six goals across all competitions and scored twice in the first leg against Cruz Azul.

“If you guys would see training, for me it’s normal,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said of Martinez’s play. “… When he has space in front of him, he goes and it’s fantastic to watch. He has this quality. David is strong. He seems little, but he’s really strong when he has courage behind him.”

Mired in mediocrity after not delivering a winning season in any of the previous 13 seasons, the Earthquakes (6-1-0, 18 points) have been reborn in just the second season under head coach Bruce Arena.

The Earthquakes are on a four-game winning streak across all competitions and are coming off a 2-0 victory over Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday in U.S. Open Cup play. The 7-1-0 start across all competitions is the best in club history.

“We’re going to utilize our (full) roster this week,” Arena said. “If we have any aspirations of being a good team, it’s critically important that we can show that we can have depth and we can rotate our squad when it’s called upon.”

San Jose also scored three goals in each of its last two MLS games, earning a road victory over Sporting Kansas City and a home shutout win over San Diego FC on April 4.

Jack Skhan scored a pair of goals against Sporting KC, and Niko Tsakiris scored two against San Diego FC. Preston Judd leads the Earthquakes with three goals on the season, while Tsakiris has four assists.

–Field Level Media

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Cody Bellinger homers twice, as Yankees eclipse Royals

MLB: Kansas City Royals at New York YankeesApr 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Cody Bellinger homered twice and collected five RBIs Saturday afternoon, and the New York Yankees easily recorded a 13-4 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.

The Yankees notched their most lopsided win this season after their previous five victories were decided in the final at-bat.

Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer, and Ben Rice hit a solo shot during a five-run third off Kansas City left-hander Noah Cameron. (1-1).

Rosario started the scoring with his two-run blast to left after a three-base error by Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel.

J.C. Escarra hit a fly ball to the warning track in center field, and the ball was not caught when Isbel and right fielder Jac Caglianone converged. Isbel knocked the ball out of Caglianone’s glove and was charged with a three-base error.

After Rosario’s homer, Aaron Judge walked, then Bellinger sent a first-pitch slider into the second deck in right. Rice homered two batters later when he hit a fastball into the right field seats for his third straight game with a homer.

Bellinger homered again in the sixth off Mitch Spence for a 10-0 lead. It was Bellinger’s 20th career multi-homer game and his eighth game with at least five RBIs.

Bellinger also had an RBI single in between homers. Rosario added a run-scoring single in the sixth and Escarra contributed an RBI double in the fourth.

Escarra also drove in two with his first career triple in the seventh as the Yankees collected 11 hits. Randal Grichuk added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for his first RBI with New York.

New York’s Will Warren (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. The right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked none.

The Royals dropped their sixth straight. Kansas City was blanked until Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the seventh and got a two-run double from Michael Massey in the ninth.

Cameron was shelled for a career-worst seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings.

Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was tossed by second base umpire Nestor Ceja before Cameron threw a pitch after the Royals batted in the first.

–Field Level Media

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