Sports
Rays, Red Sox playing for pride in season finale
Sep 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) high-fives first baseman Jonathan Aranda (62) after a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images The visiting Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to complete a three-game sweep Sunday when they meet the Boston Red Sox in the final game of the regular season for each team.
Tampa Bay (80-81) won 2-1 on Friday, and beat Boston 7-2 on Saturday. The winner of the game Sunday will finish third in the American League East.
Junior Caminero hit a two-run home run against Boston starter Kutter Crawford during the win Saturday. Crawford allowed 34 home runs this season, which is the most of any major league pitcher.
“If you look at his season overall it was a solid one,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “This is a kid … he understands how to pitch. Uses both sides of the plate. He can go up, he can go down. He’s a guy we expect him to keep getting better. He’s been good for us.”
Boston (80-81) has lost three in a row and scored four runs in those three losses.
Another positive for Tampa Bay on Saturday was the performance by reliever Drew Rasmussen, who didn’t allow a run over the final two innings. Rasmussen had elbow surgery last year and had a 2.83 ERA and 28 2/3 innings as a reliever this season.
“It wasn’t perfect (Saturday), but you just look back over where I’ve been over the last 18 months or so, and I’m truly just blessed to have the opportunity to be back playing on the field,” Rasmussen said. “Pretty good year, and we’re excited about things moving forward.”
Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot (8-7, 3.64 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday for Tampa Bay. Boston is expected to go with right-hander Quinn Priester (2-6, 5.04), whom the Red Sox acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Nick Yorke on July 29.
“I don’t know if it’s official yet, but there’s a good chance it’s going to be (Priester),” Cora said in his postgame news conference Saturday.
It would be Priester’s first start with the Red Sox after spending the past two months working on his mechanics at Triple-A Worcester. Priester was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in nine starts at Worcester, and 4-2 with a 4.38 ERA overall in 16 Triple-A starts this year.
“Ultimately making some mechanical adjustments that felt really natural and led to better performance of all my pitches,” Priester told MassLive.com. “And feeling that and seeing that just let the confidence build up to where it should be.”
Pepiot pitched well but took the loss in the Rays’ 2-1 setback against Detroit on Tuesday. He allowed two runs on three hits in five innings, walked four and struck out six. Pepiot has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his past 13 starts.
Pepiot has no record and a 3.60 ERA in two career appearances (both starts) against the Red Sox. He recorded 15 strikeouts in 10 innings during those two starts.
It’s been a rough second half for the Red Sox, who were 10 games over the .500 mark at the All-Star break, but are 27-38 since then. Boston has a 37-43 home record and has been outscored by 33 runs in its home games. Tampa Bay has a 38-42 record on the road.
The Rays need a victory Sunday to avoid their first losing season since 2017.
–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
