Sports
Reds' bullpen geared up for another look at Twins
Apr 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagan (15) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images The stout Cincinnati bullpen appears to be at full strength as the Reds prepare for the middle contest of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Connor Phillips (2.25 ERA), Graham Ashcraft (1.64 ERA), Tony Santillan (0.00 ERA) and Emilio Pagan (six saves, 4.35 ERA) held the Twins to two hits and no runs over the final 3 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win on Friday.
After sustaining an apparent hamstring injury on the last pitch of a 2-1 home victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, Pagan appears to be healthy. He needed just 13 pitches, eight of which were strikes, to get through a 1-2-3 ninth inning on Friday.
Pagan has blown just one save opportunity, in the Reds’ second game of the season. He has struck out 10 hitters in 10 1/3 innings, and in his past seven outings, he has allowed no runs and one hit in seven innings.
“I’m getting through it,” Pagan said of pitching through the hamstring ailment. “As long as I can do my delivery on the mound and not have to change any of that, I’ll be fine.”
The last out of the game came on a grounder to second base.
Pagan said of running to cover first base, “Just trying to get off quick, a natural reaction on a ball hit that way, I could just tell that it was tight, but as long as I can do my delivery … I like my chances.”
The Reds will turn to Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.85 ERA) for the Saturday start. The left-hander struggled his last time out in a 9-6 loss at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. He yielded a career-high-tying seven runs on eight hits in just three-plus innings.
In his lone start against the Twins, Abbott didn’t earn a decision while throwing 5 2/3 innings on June 17, 2025. He permitted five runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks with five strikeouts.
Minnesota is slated to give the ball to Taj Bradley (3-0, 1.25). His last time out, the right-hander earned the win as he pitched five innings in the Twins’ 8-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Bradley surrendered one run on five hits and four walks, and he struck out seven.
Bradley was a winner in his lone start against the Reds, which came as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays on April 18, 2023. He tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed three hits and one walk and fanned nine.
He will be in search of more run support than Minnesota mustered in the series opener.
The Twins lost their second straight game and only managed five hits on Friday, but they had their chances. Luke Keaschall ended two potential rallies. He struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the third inning, and grounded he into a double play with runners on the corners to end the fifth.
Hitting out of the No. 3 hole in the Twins’ lineup, Keaschall has a .211 average with one home run and nine RBIs on the season. He is 0-for-7 in the past two games, and he wants to focus on the next game.
“I hit into my first double play of the season with men on first and third. That’s obviously not what I wanted to do,” Keaschall said. “Every day we have to treat it as its own. Be present. Every day is a new day and we have to try and get the most out of each day. Try to be present and we’ll get them back.
“We are ticked off, it’s going to change soon.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Emmanuel Sabbi, Whitecaps cruise to victory over Sporting KC
Apr 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Thomas Muller (13) celebrates scoring with defender Mathias Laborda (2) during the first half against the Sporting Kansas City at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images Emmanuel Sabbi scored one goal and assisted on another as the Vancouver Whitecaps continued the best start in club history with a dominant 3-0 victory over visiting Sporting Kansas City on Friday night.
Bruno Caicedo added his first MLS goal in the 21-year-old’s third appearance — and first start — in the league as the Whitecaps raced out to their three-goal lead by the half-hour mark.
Thomas Muller added his fourth goal of the season for Vancouver (7-1-0, 21 points), which has played all but one of its first eight league matches at home while building an exceptional +18 goal differential.
The Whitecaps will have one more home game on April 25 against the Colorado Rapids. Then they will play eight straight on the road while BC Place is prepped and used as a 2026 World Cup venue.
Kansas City (1-6-1, 4 points) lost its fourth straight in MLS and fifth straight overall. Manager Raphael Wicky’s Sporting squad have been outscored 13-3 combined in those four league defeats.
Vancouver outshot Kansas City 25-3 and led 6-1 in efforts on target in a game that quickly tilted in the hosts’ favor.
Sabbi scored in the 13th minute on an attack that began when Vancouver intercepted a Kansas City goal kick at midfield.
Eventually it was White who got into the right side of the penalty area and chipped it over charging goalkeeper John Pulskamp but not into the net.
The ball arrived to Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda on the opposite post, who couldn’t direct an effort goal-bound under defensive pressure. Sabbi cleaned up the loose ball with a finish through the scrambling SKC defense, off a defender, off the crossbar and in.
Caicedo created the second goal in the 23rd minute. He snuck up field and intercepted Cielo Tschantret’s ill-advised square pass, then finished low from the edge of the area off the inside of the far right post.
Another long clearance intercepted at midfield led to the hosts making it 3-0 in the 28th minute.
This time it was Sabbi providing the service from the right wing after doing excellent work to keep the ball in play. His outswinging ball fell at the back post for Muller, who headed it firmly past the flailing Pulskamp.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jalen Green, Suns shoot past Warriors, charge into playoffs
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton (8) during the first half in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs with a 111-96 play-in win over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Friday.
The Suns earned the Western Conference’s eighth postseason seed. They will visit the defending champion and top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday to open a first-round series.
Phoenix scored 30 points off the Warriors’ 21 turnovers.
After Phoenix let a late lead slip away against the Portland Trail Blazers in the play-in opener, the Suns held on this time.
There was some late drama, though.
With the outcome already decided, Golden State’s Draymond Green fouled out with just more than a minute remaining. Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared a moment with Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, embracing both. The three were part of four NBA championship runs.
However, as action resumed, Draymond Green and the Suns’ Devin Booker began a heated discussion that carried on for several moments before the whistle blew and both players were issued a technical foul. Green was ejected.
Phoenix jumped out to a big lead with a 13-0 run after the Warriors scored the game’s first two points, then closed the quarter with eight consecutive points to lead 33-15.
Golden State’s 15 first-quarter points were their fewest in a quarter since scoring 14 in the fourth quarter March 7 against the Thunder.
The Suns, who shot 52.4% in the first quarter, struggled in the second quarter as the Warriors roared back.
Phoenix was just 5 of 20 from the field in the second, and Golden State pulled within two on Curry’s free throws with 19.6 seconds remaining in the half.
As time ran down, Jalen Green elevated for a 3-pointer from the wing and drained it for the Suns’ first field goal in more than five minutes to give Phoenix a 50-45 lead at the break.
Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski scored 10 of his team-high 23 points in the second. He also led the Warriors with 10 rebounds.
The Suns used an 11-1 run — featuring two 3-pointers from Jalen Green — to regain control in the third quarter.
Booker finished with 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Phoenix’s Jordan Goodwin added 19 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
Curry recorded 17 points in the loss but was just 4 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jake deGrom, Rangers extend Mariners' skid in shutout
Apr 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Brandon Nimmo homered leading off the game and that was enough as six Texas Rangers pitchers combined for a six-hitter in a 5-0 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Reliever Gavin Collyer (1-0), a rookie right-hander, pitched 1 1/3 innings to earn his first major league victory in just his second appearance.
In the opener of a three-game series, the Rangers improved to 4-0 against Seattle this season and have outscored the Mariners 13-3. Texas has won four of its last six, while Seattle has lost four in a row.
Nimmo jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert (1-3) in the first, lining it over the right field fence for his fourth homer of 2026.
Texas extended its lead in the third as Corey Seager led off with a double to right and Wyatt Langford followed with a run-scoring single to left to make it 2-0.
The Mariners threatened in the sixth but came up empty. Josh Naylor lined a leadoff single to center and took second on Randy Arozarena’s groundout. Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder hit a comebacker to the mound, preventing Naylor from advancing. J.P. Crawford lined a single to left, but Naylor was thrown out easily at the plate by Langford to end the inning.
With one out in the seventh, Seager lined a double into the gap in left-center off reliever Jose A. Ferrer. Langford singled to left, sending Seager to third, and Jake Burger lined a single to center to make it 3-0.
The Rangers added two runs in the ninth off Casey Legumina. Langford and Burger led off with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Evan Carter. Andrew McCutchen lifted a sacrifice fly to right and Josh Jung hit a run-scoring double into the left field corner to make it 5-0.
Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom didn’t allow a run but an elevated pitch count knocked him out after four innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three, throwing 88 pitches.
Gilbert gave up two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan left after the third inning with an apparent injury. There was no update on his condition by the time the game ended. Leo Rivas replaced Donovan.
–Field Level Media
Emmanuel Sabbi, Whitecaps cruise to victory over Sporting KC
Jalen Green, Suns shoot past Warriors, charge into playoffs
