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Spencer Steer helps Reds rally past Braves

MLB: Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati RedsSep 17, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) hits a single against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Spencer Steer belted a go-ahead two-run homer to help erase a four-run deficit and lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 win Tuesday, dealing a costly blow to the playoff hopes of the visiting Atlanta Braves.

Steer’s two-run homer to left came off right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson (5-5). It was Steer’s 20th homer of the season, giving him 20 homers and 25 steals for Cincinnati (74-78).

Steer and Elly De La Cruz, with 24 homers and 64 steals, are the first Cincinnati teammates since Barry Larkin and Eric Davis in 1996 to reach 20-plus homers and 20-plus steals in a season.

Brent Suter (1-0) recorded the final out of the seventh for his first win of the year, and Alexis Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his 28th save in 32 chances.

De La Cruz made a diving play at short on a force play to end the eighth and right fielder Jake Fraley leaned against the wall barrier in foul territory to record the first out of the ninth.

Atlanta (81-70) built a 5-1 lead thanks to homers from Michael Harris II, Matt Olson and Jorge Soler. But the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead and the Braves fell two games behind the New York Mets for the third and final National League wild-card spot with 11 games left.

Cincinnati has won all four meetings this season and its win Tuesday clinched its first season series win over Atlanta since 2019.

The game began ominously for Cincinnati as left-handed starter Brandon Williamson was removed after throwing his 48th pitch of the night, a fastball that was fouled off by Harris with one out in the second. Williamson was diagnosed with a left elbow strain.

Williamson missed the first four months of the season with a strained left shoulder, suffered during a spring training start.

Before his latest injury, Williamson was in the midst of a strong finish to his shortened season, posting a 2.08 ERA in two previous starts and three appearances this season. Williamson was charged with three runs on three hits while walking two over 1 1/3 innings Tuesday, raising his ERA to 3.77.

The Braves wasted no time getting to Williamson as Harris drilled the second pitch 423 feet to right-center for his 12th homer of the season and a 1-0 lead. After a one-out single from Marcell Ozuna, Olson cracked his 26th homer to right to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead.

–Field Level Media

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Max Fried dominates as Yankees nearly blank Red Sox again

MLB: New York Yankees at Boston Red SoxApr 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Amed Rosario had four RBI in just two plate appearances and Max Fried pitched eight shutout innings, leading the visiting New York Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.

Rosario’s three-run shot in the first inning was all that New York needed, as Fried (3-1) allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out nine, completing a masterful outing in exactly 100 pitches.

Adding to the New York offense, Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored, while Aaron Judge crossed the plate twice.

Jarren Duran (3-for-4) doubled twice and knocked in Boston’s only run with a ninth-inning single.

Boston left-hander Ranger Suarez (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs through 4 2/3 innings, but the relief duo of Zack Kelly and Eduardo Rivera pitched scoreless, one-hit ball the rest of the way.

Rivera, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the day, pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in his MLB debut. He struck out three.

The Yankees picked up where they left off in Tuesday’s series-opening shutout, breaking Suarez’s 14-inning scoreless streak by jumping out to a 3-0 lead on Rosario’s homer over the Green Monster. Judge drew a one-out walk and Stanton doubled two batters later with two outs to set the table.

Fried worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the second to keep the home team scoreless, striking out three consecutive batters after Andruw Monasterio walked and Duran knocked a high wall-ball double to lead off the frame.

In the third, Judge stung a leadoff single and Stanton banged a one-out double to left. Rosario then sent a line-drive sac fly to left, extending the New York lead to 4-0.

The Red Sox were unable to cash in baserunners in the next two innings, as Wilyer Abreu had a two-out knock in the third and Duran added his second two-bagger in the fourth. Following the latter knock, Fried retired the final 14 batters he faced.

Brent Headrick was one strike away from pitching New York’s third consecutive shutout for the first time since 1962, but Duran’s knock through the middle scored Trevor Story to break up the bid in the ninth.

–Field Level Media

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Casey Mize fires 6-plus strong innings as Tigers handle Brewers

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Detroit TigersApr 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) hits an RBI double against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Spencer Torkelson hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, and Kerry Carpenter added a solo blast as the host Detroit Tigers downed the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Wednesday.

Torkelson, who hit 31 homers last season, made a winner of starter Casey Mize. In six-plus innings, Mize (2-1) gave up one run and three hits while walking three and striking out seven.

Kenley Jansen escaped a ninth-inning jam to record his sixth save.

Detroit’s Riley Greene had two hits and scored a run, Colt Keith supplied two hits and an RBI and Kevin McGonigle scored a run and knocked in another.

DL Hall served as an opener for the Brewers. He tossed two scoreless innings before Chad Patrick (1-1) took over. Patrick allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, with one walk and two strikeouts.

William Contreras and Jake Bauers knocked in Milwaukee’s runs in the middle game of a three-game series. The decisive game of the set is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

The Brewers opened the scoring in the third inning. Brice Turang drew a two-out walk, stole second and came home on Contreras’ single.

Detroit took the lead for good in the fourth. Greene ripped a one-out double to center. Torkelson then clobbered a Patrick sinker 400 feet over the left-center-field wall to make it 2-1.

The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Javier Baez led off with a single. One out later, McGonigle battled through a 10-pitch at-bat before drilling a double off the right field wall to score Baez. McGonigle moved to third on a groundout and scored on Keith’s line single to right.

Milwaukee cut Detroit’s lead to 4-2 in the eighth. Pinch hitter Luis Rengifo led off with a single. He advanced on a groundout and scored on Bauers’ two-out single off Will Vest.

Detroit got that run back in the bottom of the inning on Carpenter’s blast to right off Carlos Rodriguez. It was Carpenter’s fifth homer of the year.

The Brewers made it interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with two outs. Turang then bounced out to first to end the contest.

–Field Level Media

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Iran 'fully prepared' to participate in World Cup

Soccer: FIFA World Cup 2026 Final DrawDec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Shaquille O’Neal draws the card of Iran for Group G during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Despite the ongoing conflict at home, the Iran men’s national soccer team is “fully prepared” to participate in the World Cup this summer, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.

The team’s involvement was called into question after the United States and Israel began air attacks on Iran in February. The World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but all of Iran’s group-stage games are scheduled to be in the United States.

Mohajerani reported that the Iranian Ministry of Youth and Sports has handled the logistics involved in having the soccer team play in the U.S.

Last month, Iran sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said on state television, “Considering that this corrupt regime (in the U.S.) has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.”

The next day, President Donald Trump posted on social media, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

FIFA subsequently refused a request from Iran to have its Group G matches moved to Mexico. Iran is due to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, both in Inglewood, Calif., then Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who otherwise has closely allied himself with Trump, said last week, “The Iranian team is coming, for sure. Yes. We hope that by then of course the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come.”

–Field Level Media

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