Sports
Rangers aim to close season with sweep of Angels
Aug 23, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images While the Texas Rangers are wrapping up their seventh losing season in eight years, they can take solace in small victories such as grinding out a comeback victory in the ninth inning and seeing a young player get the key hit.
Following one of their more dramatic wins of a challenging season, the Rangers will attempt to finish a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels when the American League West foes conclude the season Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
The Rangers (77-84) never got going this season, and although they are a respectable 21-16 in their past 37 games, this improved stretch is following a span of 16 losses in 21 games to essentially knock the defending World Series champions out of postseason contention.
One thing Texas has done well of late is beat the Angels. Texas has won eight of 12 meetings and 12 of the past 18. The Rangers secured a road-series win over the Angels on Saturday by storming back for a 9-8 victory with four runs in the ninth inning.
Nathaniel Lowe homered and hit an RBI double before capping an 11-pitch plate appearance with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. He scored the tie-breaking run on a throwing error by Los Angeles rookie right fielder Gustavo Campero on a two-run, game-tying single by pinch hitter Jonathan Ornelas.
“They’ve done a great job of continuing to play,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “We got down pretty good there, and they just kept fighting. It was a very entertaining game. It was sloppy on both sides at times.”
The Rangers lost Adolis Garcia to a sore knee, and the right fielder will miss Sunday’s game. Garcia hit .224 with 25 homers and 85 RBIs in 154 games.
The Angels (63-98) are skidding to the finish of the worst season in team history. After finishing with 73 wins in Shohei Ohtani’s final season with the team, Los Angeles has lost five games in a row, is 1-8 in its past nine contests, and is 12-34 since taking two of three from the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium last month.
Long before his costly throwing error, Campero hit a three-run homer for his first career home run in the third. Niko Kavadas also homered and Logan O’Hoppe had four hits on Saturday, but the Angels had just three of their 13 hits after the fourth inning.
“They’re feeling the heat,” manager Ron Washington said. “They’re feeling the pressure. You can see it. There’s really no reason to. I can say that, because I’m not between the lines. But those guys between the lines, you can see it.”
Nathan Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96 ERA) will start for Texas on Sunday, though it could be an abbreviated outing. The right-hander allowed four runs in seven innings during a no-decision at Oakland on Tuesday — the Rangers lost 5-4 — and he is 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA over his past three outings after winning three straight starts from Aug. 23-Sept. 4.
Eovaldi is 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against the Angels.
Rookie Jack Kochanowicz (2-5, 4.01 ERA), who is 2-3 with a 2.63 ERA in his past eight starts, will start for the Angels. The right-hander produced his second career scoreless outing when he allowed three hits in seven innings and got 14 outs on the ground Tuesday in a no-decision, a 3-2 Angels loss to the host Chicago White Sox.
Kochanowicz’s only career start against Texas was Sept. 5, when he allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings of a 3-1 loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Apr 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn (29) scores a run during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Bryan Reynolds singled in the go-ahead run to trigger a three-run 10th inning and lift the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.
Left-hander Angel Zerpa (0-2) started the 10th for Milwaukee. Pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna drew a one-out walk. Nick Yorke ran for Ozuna and Reynolds singled to left, scoring automatic runner Henry Davis from second. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Grant Anderson relieved Zerpa, and Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI single to left, with Reynolds continuing home on a bobble by left fielder Greg Jones.
Yohan Ramirez kept the Brewers off the board in the 10th for his first save. Gregory Soto (2-0) delivered a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the sixth off starter Jacob Misiorowski. Ryan O’Hearn was hit by a pitch and Gonzales singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
The Brewers tied it in the bottom half on Sal Frelick’s second sacrifice fly of the game. Jake Bauers and Tyler Black opened with consecutive singles, chasing starter Mitch Keller. Isaac Mattson replaced him, and Bauers advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Frelick followed with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Pirates went in front 2-0 with two runs in the fourth. Reynolds was hit by a pitch to open the frame and O’Hearn singled. Reynolds took third on a fielder’s choice, and Horwitz followed with an RBI single. Konnor Griffin added a two-out RBI single, but the Pirates stranded runners at second and third.
Milwaukee countered with two in the bottom half. Bauers singled and continued to second on an error. Black doubled Bauers to third. Bauers scored and Black advanced to third on a ground out. Frelick tied it with a sacrifice fly to right.
Misiorowski struck out nine in six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He also walked one, hit two batters, and had a wild pitch.
Keller allowed three runs on five hits in five-plus innings, striking out six and walking two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) slides into home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Salvador Perez had three hits including a home run, Cole Ragans pitched six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the visiting Los Angeles Angels 12-1 on Saturday night.
Nick Loftin had two hits and drove in four runs for the Royals, who go for their first series sweep of the season on Sunday. Kansas City has won three of four, scoring at least six runs in each game.
Ragans (1-4) allowed a run on five hits and struck out 11 batters without a walk. It was the third time this season Ragans went six innings and allowed one run or less.
Jo Adell homered and Vaughn Grissom had three hits for the Angels, who have lost six of seven.
Walbert Urena (0-3) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Los Angeles pitchers issued 10 walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Perez lined a homer to left leading off the second inning. Jac Caglianone walked, went to third on a single by Michael Massey and scored on a single by Loftin to make it 2-0.
In the third, Bobby Witt, Jr. doubled and Vinnie Pasquantino walked. Perez lined a single to left, scoring Witt and Isaac Collins walked to load the bases before Loftin walked, forcing in Pasquantino.
Adell homered to center leading off the fourth to pull the Angels within 4-1.
Loftin reached on an error leading off the sixth. Kyle Isbel singled and Carter Jensen walked to load the bases. With one out, Pasquantino walked, scoring Loftin.
The Royals broke it open with a three run seventh. Caglianone led off with a walk and Collins singled. Massey lined a single to left, scoring Caglianone. Loftin smacked a grounder that got past shortstop Zach Neto. Collins scored and Massey raced for third and came home on Neto’s throwing error to make it 8-1.
Loftin and Jensen hit two-run singles to make it 12-1 in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees score late to break open close game against Astros
Apr 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) celebrates with center fielder Trent Grisham (12) after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Austin Wells socked a leadoff home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as the New York Yankees claimed a three-game series against the host Houston Astros with an 8-3 win on Saturday.
Wells’ second homer was the third of the game for the Yankees, who improved to 5-0 on their current nine-game road trip and have won eight straight overall. The Yankees were locked in a pitcher’s duel before Wells snapped a 2-2 tie by driving an inside fastball from Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng (1-1) out to right field.
Teng faced only three batters before ceding the mound to left-hander Bennett Sousa, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and made his season debut. The Yankees made it a forgettable appearance for Sousa, who issued four walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Sousa walked Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with Bellinger and Chisholm forcing home Grisham and Ben Rice (who had singled) in succession to up the lead to 5-2.
Rice delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth that plated Ryan McMahon. Rice and Jose Caballero recorded three-hit games for the Yankees, with Caballero extending the lead to 2-1 in the fifth with his third homer, a solo shot to left off Astros starter Mike Burrows.
Burrows matched his career high of eight strikeouts while working five innings. He allowed five hits and issued three walks. Burrows surrendered a solo home run to Grisham, his fourth on the season, with one out in the third inning that enabled the Yankees to erase a 1-0 deficit.
The Astros grabbed that lead in the bottom of the first. Carlos Correa roped a leadoff double to left-center and scored when Isaac Paredes added an RBI single to left two batters later. Yankees starter Ryan Weathers immediately settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters after Paredes’ run-scoring hit.
Yainer Diaz opened the fifth with a single, but Weathers didn’t allow another run until Correa led off the sixth with his second homer, a 391-foot blast to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.
Weathers surrendered two runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Fernando Cruz (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
