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Sky's second-half outburst spoils expansion Fire's debut

WNBA: Preseason-Los Angeles Sparks at Portland FireMay 3, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Chicago Sky forward Rick Jackson (5) drives to the basket against Portland Fire center Luisa Geiselsoder (15) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Kamilla Cardoso recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds and Skylar Diggins had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in her team debut as the Chicago Sky notched a 98-83 road victory on Saturday night to spoil the opener for the expansion Portland Fire.

Rickea Jackson added 19 points and seven rebounds and Jacy Sheldon scored 13 points for the Sky, who revamped their roster after tying for the league low of 10 victories last season. The 35-year-old Diggins, signed as a free agent, made 8 of 12 shots, including two 3-pointers.

First-round draft pick Gabriela Jaquez and Elizabeth Williams added 10 points apiece for the Sky.

Carla Leite scored 18 points and Bridget Carlson and reserve Sarah Ashlee Barker added 13 points apiece for Portland. Megan Gustafson had 10 points off the bench.

Chicago shot 47.8% from the field and made 6 of 17 from 3-point range. The Sky held a 46-24 rebounding advantage.

The Fire made 40.8% of their attempts, including 9 of 29 from behind the arc. Portland collected just three offensive boards.

After a 17-point first-half lead got away, Chicago went on a 15-4 dash in the final quarter. Diggins capped it with a 3-pointer to give the Sky an 85-74 lead with 4:47 remaining.

Cardoso’s layup gave the Sky a 92-76 lead with 2:09 left to essentially finish off the Fire.

Portland trailed by 13 at halftime before outscoring the Sky 30-18 in the third quarter.

The Fire got back quickly in the third quarter as Carleton drilled two treys to end an 11-0 run that cut Chicago’s lead to 52-49.

Chicago later received five straight points from Jaquez to hold a 68-58 advantage with 2:41 remaining in the quarter.

But Portland scored the final nine points of the period, capped by Barker’s basket, to move within 68-67 with 29.9 seconds left.

Carleton buried a trey to tie it at 70 with 8:39 left in the contest.

Diggins and Jackson scored 12 points apiece in the first half as Chicago led 50-37 at the break. Barker had 11 in the half for the Fire.

The Sky made just 6 of 18 shots in the first quarter and still led 19-18. But Chicago shot 75% (12 of 16) in the second quarter and took its biggest lead at 49-32 on two free throws by Jaquez with 59.7 seconds left in the half.

–Field Level Media

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Miguel Vargas, White Sox power way past Mariners

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Chicago White SoxMay 9, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Miguel Vargas homered twice and Colson Montgomery also went deep to back five strong innings from Anthony Kay and boost the Chicago White Sox to a 6-1 victory against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

Chicago stopped a three-game losing streak behind its second straight multi-homer game. Relievers Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson and Tyler Schweitzer combined on four shutout innings to finish a combined four-hitter.

Montgomery started the latest White Sox power display early, reaching Seattle starting pitcher Luis Castillo for a two-run blast with two out in the first inning.

Castillo worked around a leadoff single in the second but couldn’t strand a leadoff runner an inning later. Sam Antonacci was hit by a pitch to open the third and scored when Vargas homered to left-center.

Castillo remained winless in eight starts this season. He fell to 0-4 after scattering five hits for four runs in four innings. The right-hander had six strikeouts against zero walks but yielded multiple homers for the second time in his past three outings.

Seattle struggled to mount an attack after scoring 12 runs on 12 hits in the series opener.

Kay (2-1) spaced three hits, all singles, and one run in five innings. He walked two and struck out five, one shy of his season high.

Kay allowed baserunners in every inning but the second but kept the Mariners off the scoreboard apart from a Rob Refsnyder RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth.

The Mariners’ relief corps was sharp in spots but not perfect. Josh Simpson retired the first two batters he faced in the fifth before Vargas connected for a solo shot to push the Chicago lead to 5-1.

It was Vargas’ first multi-homer game since May 16, 2025. Teammate Tristan Peters also had two hits.

Julio Rodriguez singled twice for the Mariners, who stranded seven runners while going 0-for-5 with men in scoring position.

Edgar Quero provided an insurance run for Chicago on a forceout in the eighth.

Montgomery has reached base in 21 consecutive games.

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi (neck stiffness) was a late scratch for Chicago.

–Field Level Media

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Padres end lengthy offense drought, take down Cards

MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego PadresMay 9, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates with right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) after hitting a one run home run during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

Ty France and Manny Machado homered Saturday, while Fernando Tatis Jr. supplied a tiebreaking hit during a three-run fifth inning that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 4-2 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Starter Randy Vasquez (4-1) scattered six hits over five innings while allowing just one run. Vasquez walked none and fanned six before San Diego’s high-leverage relievers took care of the rest.

St. Louis touched Adrian Morejon for a run in the eighth on Ivan Herrera’s RBI double that scored JJ Wetherholt. Mason Miller came in to get the final out of the eighth on Jordan Walker’s groundout, then pitched the ninth for his 12th save in as many chances.

Dustin May (3-4) pitched well aside from the fifth. He permitted three hits and three runs (two earned) over six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Cardinals pitching brought a 17-inning scoreless streak against the Padres into the game. May took a no-hit bid into the fifth before France unloaded a 405-foot shot over the wall in center, his fourth of the year.

San Diego pressed the issue further with a walk to Sung-Mun Song and the first of Freddy Fermin’s two singles. A passed ball on Pedro Pages moved both runners up 90 feet before Jackson Merrill fanned. Tatis lofted a two-run single to short right to give the Padres a 3-1 lead.

Machado added insurance in the eighth when he lined a solo homer to left-center, snapping an 0-for-24 skid that dropped his average to .195.

St. Louis used a rare bout of wildness from Miller to construct a threat in the ninth. Walks to Nolan Gorman and Nathan Church put two on with one out and Yohel Pozo reached with two outs when Miller tossed a wild pitch on strike three.

But Miller got Wetherholt to look at a 102 mph fastball for a game-ending strikeout, his fourth of the inning.

Church gave the Cardinals a 1-0 fourth-inning lead with a two-out RBI double.

–Field Level Media

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Ernie Clement has 5 of Jays' 20 hits in 14-1 win vs. Angels

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue JaysMay 9, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela (59) hits a three run home run i the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-Imagn Images

Brandon Valenzuela hit a three-run homer to cap a seven-run fifth inning Saturday and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 14-1.

Valenzuela had four hits and Ernie Clement recorded his second career five-hit game, including a solo homer as Toronto rapped out 20 hits to take their second straight in the three-game series.

Jesus Sanchez added a solo homer as Toronto padded statistics against infielder Adam Frazier, who pitched a four-run eighth for the Angels, who have lost four of five to Toronto this season.

Mason Fluharty (2-0) pitched a perfect fifth.

The Angels threatened in the second against starter Trey Yesavage. Jorge Soler led off with a double to the top of the center field wall. He took third on Yoan Moncada’s one-out single to right. The inning ended when Addison Barger threw Soler out of the plate on Vaughn Grissom’s flyout to right.

Barger (sprained ankle) was reinstated from the injured list Saturday with Yohendrick Pinango optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

Yesavage tossed four scoreless innings, allowing four hits with six strikeouts on 87 pitches.

Toronto scored once in its fourth against Jack Kochanowicz (2-2). Sanchez was hit by a pitch followed by singles from Daulton Varsho and Clement to load the bases with no outs. Andres Gimenez hit a sacrifice fly to the left field corner.

Toronto scored seven more in the fifth against the sloppy Angels. Barger walked and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled. The runners advanced on a wild pitch and Kazuma Okamoto flared an RBI single to left. Sanchez blooped an RBI single that dropped among three fielders down the left field line.

Another run scored when Kochanowicz threw wildly to first on Varsho’s comebacker. Clement grounded an RBI single to left to make it 5-0. Mitch Farris replaced Kochanowicz and allowed Valenzuela’s one-out, three-run homer to left.

Kochanowicz allowed seven runs (six earned), nine hits and two walks with no strikeouts on 84 pitches in four-plus innings.

Clement led off the seventh with a homer to left against Farris. Guerrero added an RBI single.

Pinch hitter Frazier stroked an RBI double to right against Tyler Rogers in the eighth to give the Angels their first run of the series.

Angels pinch hitter Omar Martinez picked up his first major league hit in the ninth with a single against Tommy Nance.

–Field Level Media

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