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Reds come through in 11th, beat Red Sox for first win of season

Syndication: The EnquirerCincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) gestures after hitting solo home run in the fifth inning between the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

Dane Myers singled home automatic runner TJ Friedl from second base with the winning run to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a wild 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox in 11 innings on Saturday in Cincinnati.

Sal Stewart homered and drove in two, Elly De La Cruz belted his first homer of 2026 and Matt McLain had three hits to lead the Reds to their first win of the season, which was loaded with high drama and controversy.

Cincinnati reliever Connor Phillips (1-0) struck out three and retired all five batters faced in the 10th and 11th for the win. Trevor Story lined into a double play to end the top of the 11th. Right-hander Justin Slaten (0-1) surrendered the game-winning hit to take Boston’s first loss.

With the Red Sox just one out from defeat, Wilyer Abreu homered down the right field line off Cincinnati closer Emilio Pagan in the ninth to tie the game, 5-5.

It was a busy and rough day for home plate umpire CB Bucknor, who had six of his calls overturned by the new ABS system. The Red Sox challenged three through the first two innings and lost twice, losing it for the rest of the game. The Reds won all five of their challenges through seven innings.

Then, with runners on first and second in the eighth, the Red Sox’s Trevor Story was called out on a check-swing strike three by Bucknor with no appeal to the first base umpire. Story and Boston manager Alex Cora argued vehemently and Cora was ejected.

Pagan recorded the controversial final out of the eighth before allowing the game-tying homer with two outs in the ninth.

Former Cincinnati right-hander Sonny Gray made his first start for Boston since being acquired in an offseason trade with St. Louis. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, striking out five and walking one in four innings. Reds starter Brady Singer also lasted just four innings, giving up three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two while throwing 74 pitches.

After being blanked on four hits in Thursday’s season opener, the Reds wasted no time breaking through against their former right-hander. Gray labored through a 35-pitch first inning.

The Reds made it 3-0 on an unearned run in the second. Ke’Bryan Hayes reached on a wide throw from shortstop Trevor Story. With two outs, McLain doubled Hayes home. Story atoned with a solo homer to left in the third. Sal Stewart’s first homer of the season to center made it 4-1 Cincinnati.

–Field Level Media

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Owen Caissie delivers as Marlins knock out Rockies

MLB: Colorado Rockies at Miami MarlinsMar 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Pete Fairbanks (29) pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Rookie Owen Caissie drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and Liam Hicks posted three RBIs as the host Miami Marlins rallied to defeat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.

Pete Fairbanks, acquired as an offseason free agent, earned his second save in two games for the Marlins.

Caissie, acquired in January from the Cubs as part of the package for Edward Cabrera, went 3-for-4 with a double, a steal and one RBI. Hicks had a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly.

Colorado hit a pair of homers: a two-run shot by Ezequiel Tovar and TJ Rumfield’s solo blast. Rumfield’s homer was the first of his major-league career in just his second game.

Neither starting pitcher earned a decision, although Miami’s Eury Perez delivered a quality start by allowed three runs, five hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out eight.

Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen allowed three runs, seven hits and no walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Calvin Faucher (1-0) earned the win with one inning of scoreless relief.

Jaden Hill (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings.

The Rockies opened the scoring in the second inning as Rumfield pulled a 98-mph fastball over the fence at right, a shot estimated at 423 feet.

Colorado somehow escaped a jam in the bottom of the second as Miami put runners on second and third with one out. Catcher Hunter Goodman saved a run with a stellar pitch block before Lorenzen struck out Griffin Conine. After a hit-by-pitch, Rumfield made a nice fielding play at first base to end the inning.

The Marlins tied the score 1-1 in the third as Xavier Edwards singled and went to third on Agustin Ramirez’s single. Edwards scored on Hicks’ sacrifice fly.

Colorado surged ahead in the fourth as Willi Castro singled, and Tovar blasted his 401-foot homer.

Miami tied the score again, this time in the fifth as Ramirez singled, and Hicks pulled a two-run homer to right to make it 3.

In the eighth, Otto Lopez singled, stole second and scored on Caissie’s single, giving the Marlins their second straight one-run win to start the season.

–Field Level Media

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Blue Jays notch second straight walk-off in comeback over Athletics

MLB: Athletics at Toronto Blue JaysMar 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (22) hits a walk off single against the Athletics during the eleventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Ernie Clement stroked an RBI single to left in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays came back to defeat the visiting Athletics 8-7 on Saturday in extra innings.

Clement’s hit against Luis Medina (0-1) gave the Blue Jays their second straight walk-off win to open the season.

Spencer Miles (1-0) made his major league debut in the 11th and pitched around a walk to earn the win.

Shea Langeliers hit his third career grand slam in the seventh inning to give the Athletics a 6-2 lead.

Alejandro Kirk tied the game at six with a one-out solo homer in the ninth against Michael Kelly.

Brent Rooker delivered an RBI single against Louis Varland in the 10th, but Toronto tied it on Addison Barger’s sacrifice fly against Scott Barlow in the home 10th.

Toronto scored in the third against starter Jeffrey Springs with Myles Straw and Andres Gimenez singling to left and George Springer slicing an RBI double to left.

Toronto starter Dylan Cease struck out seven straight before Kurtz led off the sixth with a walk. Kurtz stole second and scored on Tyler Soderstrom’s bloop double to left.

Cease struck out 12 in 5 1/3 innings while allowing one run, three hits and two walks in his Blue Jays’ debut.

Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Springs with one out and a runner at first in the home sixth and allowed a Daulton Varsho RBI single.

Springs allowed two runs, five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The Athletics opened the seventh with consecutive infield singles on comebackers by Jeff McNeil and Max Muncy. Both deflected off Mason Fluharty’s right leg and he was replaced by Brendon Little. After a double steal, McNeil scored on Denzel Clarke’s infield single. Kurtz walked to load the bases and Langeliers homered to center.

Langeliers hit two homers in Toronto’s 3-2 Opening Day win on Friday.

Leiter plunked pinch hitter Jesus Sanchez with a pitch and Gimenez singled to open the home seventh. Elvis Alvarado replaced Leiter and allowed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-out RBI single.

Alvarado walked Kirk and Varsho to open the eighth and was replaced by Hogan Harris. Kirk took third on a flyout to right and scored on Sanchez’s infield single to third. Gimenez grounded an RBI single to center.

–Field Level Media

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Aryna Sabalenka completes Sunshine Double over Coco Gauff in Miami Open final

Tennis: Miami OpenMar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus poses with the Butch Buchholz Championship trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showed exactly why she deserves that top ranking Saturday.

Sabalenka completed the Sunshine Double, the first to do so since 2022, with her win over No. 4 American Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the Miami Open final at Miami Gardens, Fla.

“I haven’t had a moment to stop, look back and realize what’s happened in the past months. I’m so proud of the work we’ve done and the fight I was able to bring on court,” Sabalenka said during the trophy ceremony after the win. “Coco will fight for every opportunity and she played incredibly, but I was mentally strong. I knew I was doing everything right and it was just a matter of a few points.”

Sabalenka is just the 11th player ever to complete the Sunshine Double, when a player wins the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open back-to-back, and just the fifth ever woman to do so. She joins Steffi Graf (1994, 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), Victoria Azarenka (2016) and Iga Swiatek (2022).

This also the second straight Miami Open championship for Sabalenka, who defended her title by dropping just one set along the way. She’s the first person since Ashleigh Barty in 2019 and 2021 to win back-to-back titles at this event.

Sabalenka came out hot in Saturday’s final, breaking Gauff’s first serve and forcing seven break point opportunities in the first set. Sabalenka rang home two aces to take the first set 6-2. Gauff fought back in the second set and earned the only break of the set to tie it at a set apiece.

But Sabalenka replicated her success in the first set by breaking Gauff’s first serve and raced ahead once again to a 3-1 lead. With the match on the line and Gauff serving once again, Sabalenka needed just one match point to ice the game and secure the title.

Overall, Sabalenka forced 11 break point opportunities and converted on four of them while facing only two herself. She defended her own serve well by winning 35 of her 47 first serve points (74 percent).

Gauff put up a valiant effort but struggled on her serve, being broken four times and conceding seven double faults.

“Aryna congratulations. We’ve had many battles, many finals and, I think you push me to be a better player,” Gauff said. “You’re a great fighter and hopefully we can play many more. I think we will.”

–Field Level Media

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