Sports
Red Sox ride 'pretty good roll' into rematch vs. Nationals
Jun 29, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) high-fives shortstop Andruw Monasterio (32) after a game against the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Less than a week can make a world of difference in a baseball season.
After leaving Colorado last Wednesday following a series loss to the majors-worst Rockies, the Boston Red Sox followed a four-game series sweep of the archrival New York Yankees with a win Monday in the opener of a three-game set vs. the visiting Washington Nationals.
That series will continue on Tuesday night.
Interim manager Chad Tracy’s Boston club continued its momentum into the early innings of Monday’s game, scoring all six runs on nine hits over the first three frames of a 6-3 victory.
“Continuing to carry that from the momentum we just had is a really good sign,” Tracy said. “(The offense is) kind of flying under the radar (because of recent dominant starting pitching), but we’re finding a way to have really competitive at-bats … and play with a lead.”
Ranger Suarez worked six innings for the Red Sox’s 12th straight quality start, marking their longest since a franchise-record streak in 1988. Left-hander Connelly Early (7-5, 3.59 ERA) will be tasked with extending that streak on Tuesday.
Offensively, the Red Sox have scored at least four runs in seven consecutive games. Home runs by Willson Contreras (three-run) and Caleb Durbin (solo) were all Boston needed on Monday.
“We are not where we want to be, but we are on a pretty good roll. This is something that we’ve wanted to feel during this season, and it’s finally come to us. We are hungry,” Contreras said.
Contreras was emotional following his homer, as his native Venezuela recovers from a major earthquake. An inning later, he was given a “surprising” ejection for tapping his helmet after a strikeout.
Early struck out a season-high nine batters across six innings of two-run ball in a 6-3 victory in his series-opening start against Cam Schlittler and the Yankees on Thursday. Early has back-to-back outings of that length, allowing just three runs through that span.
The 24-year-old left-hander has yet to face the Nationals but owns a 1-0 record and 2.10 ERA in five career interleague starts.
Washington has played much better baseball on the road (26-18) than at home (17-25), but first-year manager Blake Butera feels right at home in Boston. Not only is Butera a Boston College grad, but his father, Barry, played in the Red Sox’s organization.
“This is pretty awesome,” the 33-year-old Butera said. “It’s all a blur when you go to school here, and you’re 18-22 years old, and then realizing I hadn’t been back here in a while.”
Butera’s Nationals hope for a bounce-back game on Tuesday, though the work of Miles Mikolas to complete seven innings helped to save the bullpen. Mikolas threw four scoreless frames after the Red Sox built their early lead.
James Wood hit a 441-foot leadoff homer in the first inning, but the Nats were held off the scoreboard until CJ Abrams knocked a two-run double in the sixth, snapping a 0-for-16 skid.
“Obviously, the first inning didn’t go the way (Mikolas) would’ve liked,” Wood said. “But from there on, he was getting quick outs, getting us back in the dugout. And we just weren’t able to do enough.”
The Nationals will hand the ball to former first-round draft pick Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.00 ERA) on Tuesday to face Boston for the first time. He comes off throwing six innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts in a Thursday no-decision against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Nationals lost 10-5.
Cavalli, who is searching for his first win since June 13, has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five road starts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Marlins rout Rockies with offensive explosion
Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Griffin Conine (18) reacts from second on an RBI double in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Javier Sanoja, Joe Mack and Owen Caissie each hit home runs in the visiting Miami Marlins’ 14-3 blowout win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night in Denver.
Sanoja unloaded on the first pitch he saw from Tanner Gordon with two outs in the third, launching it over the fence for a three-run homer to extend the Marlins’ lead to 5-1.
Mack’s two-run blast in the seventh and Caissie’s three-run shot in the eighth were late highlights from a huge offensive game for Miami, which has won six of its last seven.
Griffin Conine, Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards combined for 11 hits and five RBIs in the No. 2-4 spots in the Marlins order.
Eury Perez (4-6) earned the win in his second start since returning from the injured list. Perez struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and four walks.
Gordon (0-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs in five innings. He was making his first start since May 31, spending almost the entire month of June on the IL with a hip ailment.
Mickey Moniak was 1-for-4 with a home run for the Rockies, who were out-hit 21-5.
A pair of extra-base hits got Miami going in the opening frame. Stowers hit a one-out triple and came home to score on Conine’s RBI double one batter later.
Moniak smacked a 424-foot homer to right-center with one down in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
Leo Jimenez’s RBI single in the second restored Miami’s advantage, scoring Sanoja from second.
Conine, Stowers and Edwards each tacked on RBI singles off reliever Seth Halvorsen in the sixth.
An inning later, the Rockies ended the streak of nine unanswered Miami runs when Eduoard Julien scored on an RBI groundout by Jake McCarthy.
Colorado’s TJ Rumfield extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a double in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
First-half goals send Mexico to comfortable 2-0 victory over Ecuador
June 30, 2026; Mexico City, Mexico; Mexico’s Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images Julian Quinones delivered a goal and an assist in the first half for Mexico, who maintained complete control in front of their vocal home fans to earn a 2-0 World Cup victory over Ecuador in a round of 32 match on Tuesday at Mexico City.
Raul Jimenez added a goal as Mexico won a knockout-round match for the first time since 1986 — also on home soil.
Goalkeeper Raul Rangel made one save in Mexico’s fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Mexico advance to a round of 16 matchup against either England or the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, also in Mexico City.
Ecuador, who rallied to defeat Germany in group play last week and earn a spot in the round of 32, were unable to counter Mexico’s early momentum. Hernan Galindez made one save as Ecuador fell to 0-2-0 all time in knockout-round matches.
Adding to the disappointment was a red card for Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time for covering his mouth in a confrontation with Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez.
Just as he did twice in group play, Quinones found the back of the net to give Mexico a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. Roberto Alvarado sent a long pass forward from beyond midfield, and Quinones proceeded unmarked before scoring into the upper left corner from just inside the box.
Jimenez started a scoring sequence less than 10 minutes later when he forced a turnover on Ecuador’s side of the field, sent a pass to Quinones, then received the ball back to score from the top of the box in the 31st minute.
Even as Mexico controlled the run of play from the outset, Ecuador had the best early chance when John Yeboah hit the outside of the left post with a shot in the 18th minute. Mexico took over from there and were never threatened again.
Mexico won with 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora in the starting lineup. Mora became the second youngest starter in a knockout-round match after Brazil’s Pele in 1958.
The match was delayed one hour at the start because of lightning.
After they were one of three teams with a perfect 3-0-0 record in group play, Mexico became the second team to win for a fourth time in the tournament, joining France. Argentina will have a chance to join them when they oppose Cape Verde on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers demolish A's as Dave Roberts reaches 1,000 career wins
Jun 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Tommy Edman had four hits, including a homer, and had four RBIs and manager Dave Roberts recorded his 1,000th career regular-season victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Athletics 9-3 on Tuesday at West Sacramento, Calif.
Miguel Rojas also went deep and drove in two runs and Mookie Betts had three hits as the Dodgers won for the seventh time in the past eight games. Los Angeles had 14 hits for a total of 31 over two nights while dominating the A’s both times.
Roberts, who is in his 11th season, became the fourth manager in Dodgers history to reach the 1,000-victory mark. Walter Alston (1954-76) won a franchise-best 2,040 games while managing both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The list also includes Tommy Lasorda (1,599 from 1976-96) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375 from 1914-31).
Roberts (1,000-606) has a career winning percentage of .623, counting one game as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015.
Justin Wrobleski (10-2) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings for Los Angeles. He allowed three runs and seven hits and didn’t walk anyone while winning his fourth consecutive decision.
Colby Thomas had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Athletics, who have dropped four straight games and eight of their past 10.
Jeffrey Springs (3-8) was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while losing his eighth straight decision and seeing his winless stretch reach 14 starts. He walked four, struck out two and served up two homers to raise his season output to 24 blasts, tied for the most allowed in the majors.
Freddie Freeman doubled to lead off the Los Angeles third inning and Kyle Tucker walked with two outs. Edman then unloaded on a first-pitch slider for a three-run shot to center off Springs, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.
Rojas led off the sixth by sending a 1-1 slider over the wall in left-center to make it a five-run margin.
Los Angeles tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Edman singled in the first run, Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to plate the second, and Dalton Rushing singled in the last to make it 9-1.
Joey Meneses singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh for the A’s, and Thomas followed with a two-run blast to left-center.
The Dodgers scored twice in the first, on Betts’ RBI single and Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.
The Athletics struck in the bottom of the first when Jonah Heim drilled a long single over the head of Tucker and it one-hopped into the right field wall. Shea Langeliers scored from first on the two-out hit.
–Field Level Media
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