Sports
Red Sox, likely minus Rafael Devers, hope to slow Twins
Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) throws out New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (not pictured) after fielding a ground ball during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images After gaining a cushion in the American League wild-card race with their series-opening win, the Minnesota Twins will look for another victory over the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Minnesota (81-73), which broke through for a three-run 12th inning in its 4-2 triumph on Friday, will now turn to ace right-hander Pablo Lopez with a chance to win the series.
A day after being held to three hits in a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Cleveland, the Twins struck for 13 hits against the Red Sox. The top five batters in the Minnesota order produced two-hit efforts in a result that gave the Twins a one-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the final AL playoff spot.
“It’s a really important eight games that we have left, so it was a huge (win) for sure,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “The way everyone came together to make it happen was really special. … The message is simple: Never give up.”
Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner had RBI singles in the 12th inning, while the eight pitchers who followed Twins starter David Festa to the mound allowed a total of five hits and one unearned run in seven innings.
The Twins have the utmost confidence in Lopez, who is 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA over seven straight quality starts since his Aug. 6 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Lopez (15-8, 3.84 ERA) had won four straight starts prior to Monday at Cleveland. He pitched 6 1/3 innings in an eventual 4-3 Twins loss, striking out four while allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks.
“He pitched so well until (the seventh),” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Lopez. “A leadoff walk, that’s not … like him.”
Lopez is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox, including a win on May 4, when he fanned eight while tossing six innings of one-run ball.
The series opener featured no good news for Boston (76-78), which is two games below .500 for the first time since May 18.
The Red Sox have scored three or fewer runs in five straight games, though shortstop Trevor Story is in the midst of a 9-for-24 (.375) run.
“The whole chasing hits, it doesn’t work,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I think controlling the strike zone, looking for pitches in certain areas, works right. … That’s what I’m trying to get (us) to. And it hasn’t happened.”
Not only did the Red Sox tie a franchise record by striking out 20 times while going 1-for-19 with runners in scoring position, but star third baseman Rafael Devers exited early as he continues to deal with an aching right shoulder.
Devers is expected to get an MRI exam on Saturday.
“Probably, this will be it for him (this season),” Cora said.
The Red Sox will look to help right-hander Kutter Crawford (8-15, 4.19 ERA) out of more than a month-long losing streak.
Crawford is 0-6 with a 4.28 ERA over his past six starts, though he pitched at least six innings in three straight starts before a loss to the Yankees on Sunday. He allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 frames at New York, serving up homers to Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge.
“I didn’t make pitches when I needed to,” Crawford said. “Obviously, you can’t throw Judge a 92-mile-per-hour fastball right down the middle. I just didn’t do my job (on Sunday).”
The home run ball has been a backbreaker for Crawford. He has allowed five in his past three starts and a major-league-leading 33 on the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros place OF Joey Loperfido (quad) on injured list
Apr 11, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Joey Loperfido (10) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring a run during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images The Houston Astros placed outfielder Joey Loperfido on the injured list with a right quad strain on Sunday and recalled right-hander Jayden Murray from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Loperfido, 26, was batting .259 with six RBIs in 20 games this season. He started at least one game in all three outfield positions.
Traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024 and then re-acquired via trade in February, Loperfido is a career .249 major league hitter with eight home runs and 45 RBIs in 142 games over three seasons.
Murray, 29, had one appearance earlier this season and has a 2.63 ERA in 10 games over the past two seasons for the Astros. His addition increases Houston’s staff to 13 pitchers.
Also on Sunday, the Astros traded minor league right-hander Wilmy Sanchez to the New York Yankees for infielder Braden Shewmake, a former first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2019.
In 31 major league games for the Braves and Chicago White Sox, Shewmake, 28, is batting .118 with a home run and four RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bryson DeChambeau (wrist) WDs from LIV Golf Mexico City
Apr 10, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Bryson DeChambeau reacts after his ball rolled down the slope on the 18th green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images Bryson DeChambeau cited a wrist injury on Sunday for the reason he withdrew prior to the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City on Sunday in Naucalpan, Mexico.
“I experienced some discomfort in my wrist during (Saturday’s round) and have decided to withdraw from the final round of LIV Golf Mexico City to prevent further injury,” DeChambeau wrote on X. “Not how I wanted this week to go, but wishing the Crushers a strong finish. I’m going to take a few days to get evaluated and hope to be ready for LIV Golf Virginia.”
DeChambeau entered the final round at 2-over-par 215 at Club De Golf Chapultepec, 16 strokes behind leader Jon Rahm of Spain. DeChambeau hasn’t been too shy about complaining about the course conditions of the event, doing so on Friday for the second straight year.
DeChambeau, 32, prevailed in a playoff in consecutive weeks in March by winning at both LIV Golf Singapore and LIV Golf South Africa. The two-time U.S. Open champion has won five LIV Golf titles.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
Ben Shelton connects with the ball during his second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Ben Shelton rolled to his second title of the year, winning the BMW Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at Munich, Germany.
Shelton won 85% of his first-serve points on the clay surface and saved all six break points he faced to win his fifth career title and first since Dallas earlier this year. Shelton showed his form early when he broke Cobolli’s serve twice in the first three games of the match.
With the second set tied 5-5, Shelton broke Cobolli again and won on serve on his first match point. Shelton became the first American man since 2009 to win three ATP 500 titles.
“I have big ambitions for the clay courts,” Shelton said in his post-match interview. “It is a surface I want to get better on each year. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces to play on.”
Barcelona Open
Arthur Fils of France held off a late charge from Russia’s Andrey Rublev to record a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory in the final of the tournament.
Fils won his first title since returning in February after missing eight months because of a back injury.
Fils was well on his way to victory after cruising in the first set and leading 5-2 in the second before Rublev dug in his heels. Rublev broke Fils’ serve to pull within 5-4 in the second set, then staved off one match point to make it 5-5.
Rublev broke serve again to lead 6-5 in the second set before Fils finally regained control and finished off the match in a tiebreak.
“The end of the second set was just about the mental (pressure),” Fils said. “The whole match was a bit tough because I was a bit tight. I played well for a set and a half, but when I had to close, I started to think a little. But I’m very happy with the way I played the tiebreak.”
–Field Level Media
Astros place OF Joey Loperfido (quad) on injured list
Bryson DeChambeau (wrist) WDs from LIV Golf Mexico City
