Sports
Red Sox C Connor Wong making most of playing time at Guardians' expense
May 17, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) celebrates scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Connor Wong hasn’t seen much action of late behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox, so he has to maximize every opportunity he receives.
Thanks to his big game Saturday, the Red Sox have a chance at earning a rare series victory against the host Cleveland Guardians.
Boston will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.02 ERA) to the mound against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57) on Sunday, seeking its sixth series triumph in 19 sets this season.
Wong drove in three runs, including the go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and had a pair of hits for the Red Sox in a 9-1 win. It was just his third start at catcher in a 22-day span as Mickey Gasper and Carlos Narvaez have taken most of the playing time.
“Just a really, really good performance by a guy who hasn’t played much,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Don’t forget, he also had a rocket in the second that (Daniel Schneemann) made a great play on in center. Most days, that falls for a double here.”
Wong finished 2-for-5 with a run and was able to wear the Red Sox’s prized Wally the Green Monster mascot head for the first time, only to have a replay review by crew chief John Tumpane take away the home run that earned him the privilege.
The 30-year-old’s double in the sixth was initially called a homer, which would have been his first since 2024, but the MLB command center ruled the ball had struck the yellow line atop the fence before hitting the guardrail.
“It sucks that was taken away,” said Wong, who is a .442 hitter with five homers and 12 RBIs in 13 career games against Cleveland. “I still think it was a homer. I wish I could have appealed it myself. But any time you get the win, it feels great.”
Wong played a significant role defensively as well, as winning pitcher Sonny Gray allowed only one run in six innings and credited him for calming him down after a rough first inning.
“He’s great back there,” Gray said. “I was happy for him with the way he played today.”
Suarez has either been terrific or terrible in his first 10 starts for Boston, giving up four or more runs in four of them — and one total run in the other six outings. He was rocked for a season-high five runs in a loss to the visiting Atlanta Braves in his last game on May 26.
In three career appearances against Cleveland, all as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.
The American League Central Division-leading Guardians have endured a historically bad first two months from Bibee. His low point occurred on May 25, giving up a franchise record-tying five homers in three innings during a 10-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals.
“I thought it was a lack of execution, and we just haven’t seen that from Tanner,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was a tough one, just a lot of mistakes over the middle. He didn’t have much. That was it.”
Bibee went exactly five innings in both of his previous games against Boston, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The Red Sox have worked him for four walks and struck out only five times.
A roster move could be in the offing for the Guardians, who are now without two starting outfielders. Left fielder Angel Martinez is scheduled to have an MRI after exiting Saturday’s game with left foot inflammation in the fifth inning.
Center fielder Steven Kwan, a multiple-time Gold Glove winner in left, remains on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Stuart Fairchild was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his place and went 0-for-2 with a throwing error on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down Diamondbacks in win
May 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Julio Rodriguez hit one of Seattle’s four solo home runs and Bryan Woo pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners defeated the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 Saturday night in an interleague game.
Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Colt Emerson also went deep as the Mariners won their fifth game in a row and moved above .500 (30-29) for the first time since they were 3-2 on March 30.
Woo (5-3) retired the first 13 batters he faced before Adrian Del Castillo lined a one-out single to center field in the fifth. An out later, Ildemaro Vargas lined a single to center, but Woo caught Jose Fernandez looking at a called third strike to get out of the inning.
Those were the only two hits Woo allowed. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine, matching his season high.
Raley hit a solo shot to right-center with one out in the second off Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (2-4). It was Raley’s team-leading 13th homer of the season. An out later, Canzone went deep to right, nearly reaching the second deck, to make it 2-0.
Emerson led off the Seattle third with another homer to right. An out later, Rodriguez went deep to straightaway center, his 10th homer of the month and 12th of the season.
The Mariners added on without the benefit of a long ball in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached on a throwing error by third baseman Fernandez, Raley singled to left and Cole Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 5-0 lead to end Nelson’s night.
The Diamondbacks, who have lost two in a row, scored their lone run in the ninth. Geraldo Perdomo walked with two outs, took second on defensive interference and scored from there on a passed ball by catcher Mitch Garver as reliever Alex Hoppe failed to cover the plate.
Nelson gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado was a late scratch from the lineup for what the team called “precautionary reasons.” Arenado, who has been dealing with groin tightness, was hit in the left arm by a fastball from Mariners closer Andres Munoz in the ninth inning Friday night.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics survive erratic 9th to snap their skid, Yankees' win streak
May 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz drilled two-run homers and Tyler Soderstrom hit a solo shot as the Athletics notched a 6-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
J.T. Ginn pitched six solid innings as the Athletics snapped a four-game losing streak.
Kurtz went 3-for-4 and scored twice and Soderstrom reached four times on three hits and one walk.
New York had just six hits – none producing a run — while seeing a five-game winning streak come to an end.
Ginn (3-3) gave up just one unearned run and four hits. He struck out four and walked three.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth with a single and two walks against Jack Perkins. Scott Barlow entered and walked Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in succession to force in three runs before getting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to bounce out to first to post his second save.
New York’s Ryan Weathers (2-3) served up three homers and allowed five runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings. He matched a season-best with 10 strikeouts and walked three.
Weathers retired the first two batters in the seventh with the Yankees trailing 3-1. He then walked Colby Thomas to bring Kurtz to the plate.
Manager Aaron Boone scurried out to talk to Weathers, but the left-hander remained in the game.
In turn, Kurtz smacked the first pitch to the wall and New York center fielder Trent Grisham leaped but couldn’t catch the drive that gave the Athletics a 5-1 lead, ending Weathers’ outing.
In the eighth inning, Jake Bird hit Brent Rooker with a pitch and Soderstrom followed with a double. One out later, Zach Gelof singled to left to score Rooker.
Kurtz singled with one out in the first before Langeliers came to the plate. Weathers threw a 2-2 fastball that Langeliers jumped on and sent the ball flying 426 feet to center to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.
The Yankees got a run in the fourth with help from two Athletics’ errors.
Bellinger walked with one out and Chisholm followed with a single to center with Bellinger moving to third when Henry Bolte fumbled the ball.
Chisholm then attempted to steal second and Langeliers’ throw was on the mark but Alika Williams failed to catch the ball for an error and it went into center field, scoring Bellinger.
In the sixth, Soderstrom sent a 1-0 fastball from Weathers over the wall in right-center to make it 3-1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down D-backs in win
May 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Julio Rodriguez hit one of Seattle’s four solo home runs and Bryan Woo pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners defeated the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Saturday night in an interleague game.
Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone and Colt Emerson also went deep as the Mariners won their fifth game in a row and moved above .500 (30-29) for the first time since they were 3-2 on March 30.
Woo (5-3) retired the first 13 batters he faced before Adrian Del Castillo lined a one-out single to center field in the fifth. An out later, Ildemaro Vargas lined a single to center, but Woo caught Jose Fernandez looking at a called third strike to get out of the inning.
Those were the only two hits Woo allowed. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine, matching his season high.
Raley hit a solo shot to right-center with one out in the second off Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (2-4). It was Raley’s team-leading 13th homer of the season. An out later, Canzone went deep to right, nearly reaching the second deck, to make it 2-0.
Emerson led off the Seattle third with another homer to right. An out later, Rodriguez went deep to straightaway center, his 10th homer of the month and 12th of the season.
The Mariners added on without the benefit of a long ball in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached on a throwing error by third baseman Fernandez, Raley singled to left and Cole Young lifted a sacrifice fly to right for a 5-0 lead to end Nelson’s night.
The Diamondbacks, who have lost two in a row, scored their lone run in the ninth. Geraldo Perdomo walked with two outs, took second on defensive indifference and scored from there on a passed ball by catcher Mitch Garver as reliever Alex Hoppe failed to cover the plate.
Nelson gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out three.
Arizona third baseman Nolan Arenado was a late scratch from the lineup for what the team called “precautionary reasons.” Arenado, who has been dealing with groin tightness, was hit in the left arm by a fastball from Mariners closer Andres Munoz in the ninth inning Friday night.
–Field Level Media
Mariners go yard 4 times, Bryan Woo shuts down Diamondbacks in win
Athletics survive erratic 9th to snap their skid, Yankees' win streak
