Sports
Small-ball White Sox strive for repeat win against Blue Jays
Apr 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Tristan Peters (29) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 10th inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox hope going small will bring big results.
The approach has given them a chance to clinch their three-game series with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. The White Sox used small ball as they defeated the Jays 5-4 in their home opener Friday afternoon after a 1-5 road trip.
A double steal in the third inning set up Austin Hays’ two-run single.
In a two-run 10th for Chicago, Derek Hill’s bunt single and an errant throw to first by Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman — who had just entered the game after Alejandro Kirk departed with a left-thumb injury — allowed him to reach second as the tying run. Tristan Peters won the game with a single to right.
“That bunt was incredible,” Peters said. “Just to keep us in the game like that. And then I’m just thinking, I know Derek is very fast, so a single scores him. I’m just trying to make contact and get it on the grass in the outfield somewhere.”
Chicago manager Will Venable said the win was crucial.
“We’ve got to find any way we can, especially in the AL Central in April,” he said. “We know there’s going to be wind, weather. Slug is maybe not part of our offensive package, and we’ve got to find any way we can.”
“That’s just the way we kind of have to play the game,” Hill said. “We’re not like a huge slugging team like the Dodgers, where you have four guys that can hit 30 (homers). So we’ve got to play that small ball, we’ve got to play clean.”
For the Blue Jays, Kirk’s situation is troublesome. He left the game after taking a foul ball off his glove hand and was diagnosed with a fractured left thumb.
“It’s more the thumb,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, before the results of the X-rays. “It hurts, especially on a cold day. We’re hoping that it’s nothing serious. He’s about as tough as they come, so for him to come out, you don’t love it.”
Brandon Valenzuela, who spent training camp with the Blue Jays, was called up Saturday morning from Triple-A Buffalo. He has yet to make his major league debut.
The Blue Jays opened the season by sweeping a three-game series against the Athletics. Toronto has dropped three of four since, including losing two of three to the Colorado Rockies. The game in Chicago was the Jays’ first on the road this season.
They have scored a total of five runs in their past two games — both 10-inning losses — as their offense has yet to click consistently.
Former Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay (0-0, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to be the bulk pitcher for the White Sox on Saturday. He has never faced his former team.
He pitched for the Yokohama BayStars in the Japan Central League in 2025, going 9-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 24 games.
In 28 games (seven starts) for Toronto from 2019-22, he posted a 4-2 record with a 5.48 ERA.
Grant Taylor (0-0, 3.00), who pitched a perfect first inning on Friday as the opener for Sean Burke, is expected to open again on Saturday. Taylor threw only nine pitches on Friday.
Toronto left-hander Eric Lauer will miss his scheduled start on Saturday because of illness and is scheduled to pitch Sunday instead. Toronto will go with an opener on Saturday, with left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty (0-0, 10.80 ERA) expected to lead a parade from the bullpen.
Fluharty’s one career outing against the White Sox came on June 20, 2025. He allowed three runs in one relief inning in a 7-1 loss.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jays turn to Max Scherzer to keep Cardinals in downward spiral
Jul 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images The Toronto Blue Jays will be going for a sweep Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series with the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
The Blue Jays clinched the series with a 5-1 victory Saturday afternoon. Right-hander Kevin Gausman earned the win in what could have been his farewell performance for the Blue Jays with the Monday trade deadline looming.
Gausman allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings and left the mound in the sixth to a standing ovation.
“What a cool moment,” Gausman said. “The fans have done a lot of cool moments for me since I’ve been here, but that was definitely up there.”
The Blue Jays have won three straight and are assured of winning their second successive series.
“We’re getting hits when we need them,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I love the way we have played.”
The Blue Jays enter Sunday 3 1/2 games out of the third and final American League wild-card spot.
“We’re still in it,” Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho said. “It’s not like we’re 10 1/2 games back. We’ve got to keep our heads down, keep grinding, keep playing good baseball and see where the year ends up. … on paper, we’re still a really good team, we’ve just got to prove it every night.”
Matthew Liberatore (5-8, 5.26 ERA) is the probable starter for the Cardinals and gives them a chance to salvage a win and stop a three-game losing streak. The left-hander is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in two career outings (one start) against the Blue Jays.
Max Scherzer (1-4, 9.49) is slated to make his second start Sunday since coming off the injured list (back spasms, thumb injury). He needed 75 pitches to navigate 2 2/3 innings July 27 — his 42nd birthday — against the host Washington Nationals, allowing one run, four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. The right-hander is 5-7 with a 2.66 ERA in 16 career starts against the Cardinals.
St. Louis enters Sunday four games out of the NL’s third wild-card spot and has four wins in its past 16 games.
The Cardinals have scored three or fewer runs in their past seven games, going 1-6.
“You’re looking early in the year, several guys were really hot, and they did a nice job of just driving the baseball. More slug,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.
“Right now, that’s just not the case at the top of the lineup. I believe they’ll get back to that, but they’re at a part of the year where that’s just not happening. They’re working hard, and they’re trying to get back to feeling good about their swings. But it’s just part of a long season, especially when you have a young group. There are going to be some inconsistencies there.”
The Cardinals outhit the Blue Jays 11-9 on Saturday but stranded 11 runners in going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
“I know it’s been tough for us lately,” said Cardinals All-Star right fielder Jordan Walker, who is 3-for-9 with an RBI in the first two games in Toronto. “I mean, that’s no secret. They’ve been tough. We haven’t come through, but we’re going to keep our heads up, and we’re going to keep going.”
Cardinals left-hander Quinn Matthews was promoted from Triple-A Memphis to make his major league debut Saturday, and he allowed two runs in five-plus innings.
Right-hander Matt Svanson was optioned to Memphis and right-hander Tink Hence was designated for assignment in the corresponding moves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates Mitch Keller hungry for wins, while Reds Chase Burns chases history
Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images In search of his first win in more than a month, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller hopes to recapture the good vibes from his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds.
The visiting Pirates look to even their four-game series against the Reds in Sunday’s finale.
In a 9-4 home win over the Reds on June 28, Keller gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out four over six innings.
The right-hander was 0-2 in four July starts. He settled for a no-decision in his home start on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
“When stuff is going well, your confidence is up a little bit,” said Keller (6-7, 4.83 ERA). “I’ve got to keep working. Keep going. We still have a lot to accomplish as a team.”
Keller has made 21 career starts against the Reds and is 5-6 with a 5.25 ERA.
The Pirates placed Ryan O’Hearn (left quad strain) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday. A first baseman and outfielder, O’Hearn is expected to miss six to eight weeks after he was injured running to first base in the ninth inning of the Pirates’ 8-7 loss on Friday.
O’Hearn is hitting .270 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs.
Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said Saturday’s 4-1 win that featured a 106-minute rain delay showed his club’s toughness.
“We’ve talked about the resilience of this team,” Kelly said. “The fight that is in that clubhouse. … (Friday’s loss) was a tough game, and so was losing O’Hearn.”
The Reds will counter with 23-year-old Chase Burns (12-1, 2.40). While Cincinnati is going for a series win, Burns is chasing history.
Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has had a breakout season. The right-hander is unbeaten (11-0) over his last 16 starts and has pitched at least five innings in all 20 of his starts this season.
A win Sunday would move Burns within one victory of Brooks Lawrence, who won 13 consecutive decisions for the Reds in 1956, his lone All-Star season. Burns’ 16-game streak without a loss is the longest run by a Cincinnati pitcher since Ewell Blackwell racked up 16 wins in a 17-start span in 1947.
Burns took a no-decision in his last start, a 6-5 home loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. He allowed five runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts over five innings. Four Cleveland runs came in the first inning.
“It’s all about seeing how many zeros you can put up and getting through five innings,” Burns said.
At a career-high 112 2/3 innings in his second season, Burns earned his first All-Star selection but did not participate in the game because of a groin issue.
Burns has made five career appearances, including four starts, against the Pirates. He is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA, striking out 37 while walking five over 26 innings.
Sunday’s outing will be his fourth against Pittsburgh this season.
The Reds managed just three hits in Saturday’s loss.
“(Pirates starter Braxton) Ashcraft has got a fabulous arm,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “I actually thought the rain might help us because it got him out of there. But (reliever) Carmen Mlodzinski is pretty good in that role.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dan Lanning Has Oregon on the Verge of Something Special
It’s hard to find any real flaws in Dan Lanning’s first four seasons leading the Oregon football program.
He inherited a strong foundation left behind by Mario Cristobal but has taken the Ducks to new heights since taking over the flock.
Oregon has won 10-plus games in each of his first four seasons, including 13 in each of the last two seasons since the team made a leap up in difficulty by joining the Big Ten. The Ducks were the No. 1 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff before making a quarterfinal exit and advanced to the 2025 CFP semifinals before running into the Indiana buzzsaw.
Since Lanning arrived for the 2022 season, Oregon’s 48-8 record is tied with Ohio State for the second-best in the country, trailing only Georgia.
This season, though, presents a new challenge for Lanning. Will Stein, his offensive coordinator the last three seasons, is now the head coach at Kentucky. Tosh Lupoi, his defensive coordinator for his entire Oregon tenure, is now the head coach at Cal.
Drew Mehringer and Chris Hampton were in-house promotions to replace them as offensive and defensive coordinator, respectively.
That makes this a year where Lanning can prove Oregon’s success has been firmly on his shoulders and that the Ducks will remain contenders as long as he’s in charge.
“Nobody’s going to have higher expectations for our team than us,” Lanning said Wednesday at Big Ten media days in Chicago. “We’re the guys in the building doing the work every single day. Certainly really proud of the team and the work they’ve put in. We have high expectations. We’ve got a lot that we want to accomplish.”
The good news for Lanning is that the 2025 roster is largely still intact in Eugene. Oregon returns 14 starters from last year’s team and sits 11th nationally in ESPN’s returning production rankings.
Lanning is already seeing the difference.
“Last year, I felt like we had a team that had a ton of talent. This year, we have a team that has a lot of experience returning,” Lanning said. “A lot of those young guys that played are guys that have great experience. I am excited to see what that looks like.”
Quarterback Dante Moore, who threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, chose to run it back with the Ducks instead of almost certainly going to the New York Jets as the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
The public is clearly believing in Lanning’s squad, with Oregon tied for the third-best odds (+750) to win the national title this season, according to DraftKings.
Lanning likewise believes, telling ESPN on Wednesday that his team is “close” to bringing home the program’s elusive first national championship.
The 2026 season would be quite a time for him to break through and become the fifth active FBS coach who has won a national championship.
Jays turn to Max Scherzer to keep Cardinals in downward spiral
Pirates Mitch Keller hungry for wins, while Reds Chase Burns chases history
