Sports
Spring training roundup: Braves work way past Pirates, Paul Skenes
Feb 25, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Austin Riley hit a two-run home run to break an early tie and the host Atlanta Braves got past ace right-hander Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday in North Port, Fla.
Skenes allowed one run, one hit and four walks with four strikeouts in facing 12 batters over 2 1/3 innings in his first start of spring training. The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner also lost four strike calls to challenges won by the Braves using the automated ball-strike system.
He and the other Pirates pitchers didn’t get much run support as Ryan O’Hearn delivered the team’s lone RBI on a first-inning single — one of six Pittsburgh hits. The Braves totaled only five hits, including Jurickson Profar’s RBI double and Riley’s 419-foot shot to center field, both in the third inning.
Atlanta pitchers totaled 13 strikeouts, including a team-high three by starter Bryce Elder in two innings of work.
Orioles 4, Rays 3
Vance Honeycutt hit a 410-foot solo homer in the seventh inning for the winning run as host Baltimore came from down 3-1 to edge Tampa Bay in Sarasota, Fla.
In the fourth, the Rays’ Jonny DeLuca hit a three-run homer to center after Nick Fortes drew a leadoff walk and Ryan Vilade reached on third baseman Weston Wilson’s fielding error.
Baltimore, which had notched the game’s first run on Tyler O’Neill’s RBI double, drew even in the fifth on a fielder’s choice marred by second baseman Cooper Kinney’s throwing error that allowed two runs to come home. Honeycutt homered off right-hander Derrick Edington to lift the Orioles.
Blue Jays 4, Tigers (ss) 4
Toronto scored in the top of the ninth on two errors sandwiched around a single to forge a tie with host Detroit’s split squad in Lakeland, Fla.
The Blue Jays’ Riley Tirotta led off the ninth by reaching on first baseman Josue Briceno’s fielding error and went to third when Eloy Jimenez singled but was thrown out at second. Arjun Nimmala followed by grounding into a fielder’s choice with Tirotta scoring and Nimmala safe at second on shortstop John Peck’s throwing error.
Toronto got a big game from leadoff hitter Ernie Clement, who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a double and a triple. Jimenez added two hits, including a double. Thayron Liranzo hit a three-run homer for the Tigers in the sixth inning.
Red Sox 5, Twins 3
Boston scored four runs in the third inning en route to a 5-0 lead and held off host Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Each team collected eight hits, with the Red Sox getting doubles from Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. Jarren Duran was the only Boston player with two hits. The Red Sox used nine pitchers who combined for eight strikeouts with four walks.
Luke Keaschall got the Twins on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the fifth. Tanner Schobel hit an RBI single in the eighth. Nine Minnesota pitchers yielded six walks while fanning five.
Phillies 5, Tigers (ss) 3
Otto Kemp homered and host Philadelphia never trailed in downing a Detroit split squad in Clearwater, Fla.
Alec Bohm was the lone Phillies batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. Kemp slammed his first homer of spring training, a 419-foot solo shot in the fourth. Bryce Harper had his first RBI of the spring on a double.
Javier Baez singled home a run in the fourth and Brett Callahan homered in the ninth — a 405-foot shot — for the Tigers.
Astros 4, Marlins 1
Taylor Trammell and Anthony Huezo homered as visiting Houston scored all of its runs on extra-base hits to beat Miami in Jupiter, Fla.
Walker Janek drove in two with a double in the fourth inning to jump the Astros ahead of the Marlins 2-1. Trammell followed in the fifth with a 353-foot solo shot, and Huezo knocked a 364-foot homer to left center in the eighth. Houston starter Hunter Brown allowed one hit with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
Miami totaled just five hits, including leadoff batter Jakob Marsee’s double to open the bottom of the first inning. But he was picked off and the next two batters lined out to end the threat.
Cardinals 6, Mets 0
Nolan Gorman hit a three-run homer, which was all St. Louis pitchers would need in shutting out host New York in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Starter Richard Fitts earned the win with two hits and one strikeout over two innings as seven Cardinals hurlers combined on the eight-hit shutout. They yielded just one walk with six strikeouts.
Mets starter Jonah Tong gave up three runs on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. Right fielder Carson Benge, one of New York’s top prospects, batted leadoff and went 3-for-3 while the rest of the team totaled five hits.
Brewers 13, Giants 12
Brice Turang hit two home runs as Milwaukee emerged victorious in a seven-run comeback against host San Francisco in the highest-scoring bout of spring training in Phoenix.
Turang and Jesus Made were the only multi-hit batters for the Brewers, who were down by two runs as they entered the bottom of the ninth. Eddys Leonard and Freddy Zamora recorded one-run singles that set up Greg Jones for the game-winning sacrifice fly. Carlos Rodriguez allowed one run in his two-inning, two-strikeout start.
Harrison Bader smacked a three-run home run, Bryce Eldridge hit a two-run homer and Luis Matos hit a solo shot that propelled the Giants to an 8-1 lead. San Francisco had a more consistent day at the plate despite the loss and recorded four more hits. Starter Adrian Houser went two innings with three hits, including Matos’ home run.
Reds 3, White Sox 2
Two home runs were all it took for Cincinnati to overcome host Chicago in Glendale, Ariz.
Sal Stewart’s solo blast, quickly followed by a two-run homer from JJ Bleday, were enough to seize a victory. Nick Lodolo, who started 28 games for the Reds last season, provided a strong two-inning, two-hit outing that featured four of Cincinnati’s 12 strikeouts.
Colson Montgomery’s solo shot in the top of the fourth was the only White Sox sign of life until a Dustin Harris one-run double in the bottom of the ninth. The next two batters struck out swinging to end the game. Jonathan Cannon pitched three clean innings with one strikeout.
Padres 7, Angels 3
High-scoring innings in the sixth and eighth lifted host San Diego over Los Angeles in Peoria, Ariz.
Newcomer Nick Castellanos and Pablo Reyes scored via walks before the bats ignited, highlighted by a Mason McCoy two-run double in the eighth that pushed the Padres’ lead to four. Michael King allowed one run and two hits in his 2 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts.
Los Angeles only scored by way of the deep shot, which began with Christian Moore in the third inning, followed by Jo Adell and Omar Martinez in the seventh. George Klassen pitched a strong two innings with three strikeouts for the Angels, who struck out 14 times at the plate.
Rangers 11, Guardians 4
Aaron Zavala hit two home runs as Texas put on an insurmountable offensive performance against host Cleveland in Goodyear, Ariz.
Sam Haggerty recorded an RBI for the third game in a row, in a fourth inning that featured two bases-loaded walks and a run-scoring wild pitch. Two-time All-Star Nathan Eovaldi went 2 2/3 innings with a two-hit, four-strikeout stat line.
Jose Ramirez hit a home run for the second game in a row, followed by Wuilfredo Antunez and Juan Benjamin’s run-scoring hits in the sixth. Slade Cecconi pitched two scoreless innings and gave up three hits.
Mariners 8, Royals 8
Seattle’s Connor Joe blasted a game-tying two-run homer that cemented a draw with host Kansas City in Surprise, Ariz.
Seattle totaled three home runs, including a Jakson Reetz three-run bomb and a Brennen Davis solo shot. The Mariners tallied 13 hits, with Davis adding two doubles on a 3-for-3 night. Bryan Woo was pulled after 1 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run.
Gavin Cross highlighted the Royals’ dugout with a three-run moonshot. Noah Cameron yielded one hit and pitched two strikeouts through two innings.
Rockies 14, Cubs 7
Colorado accumulated five home runs to pull away from a near-comeback by host Chicago in Mesa, Ariz.
Two deep shots from T.J. Rumfield and one apiece from Mickey Moniak and Ezequiel Tovar in a five-inning span created a 9-0 Colorado lead. Kyle McCann’s two-run homer capped off a 16-hit day for the Rockies. Reliever Antonio Senzatela went three innings with one hit and three strikeouts.
The fifth and sixth innings produced all seven runs for Chicago, which brought the Cubs within two. Leonel Espinoza went 2-for-2 at the plate, which included a one-run double. Jameson Taillon made his second start for Chicago, where he allowed three runs for the second time in his two-inning stint.
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 4
Arizona could not overcome a large lead against visiting Los Angeles in Scottsdale, Ariz.
While the Dodgers couldn’t find much success at the plate (seven hits), multiple scores on RBI walks and a two-run throwing error lifted Los Angeles to a six-run lead by the seventh inning. Roki Sasaki made his first mound appearance, where he pitched three strikeouts, but allowed three runs through 1 1/3 innings.
Pavin Smith, Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez went yard for Arizona, who had more productive day at bat with 13 hits. Starter Zac Gallen made his first mound appearance as well since re-signing with the team on Feb. 15, and pitched two strikeouts through one inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why The Darryn Peterson Backlash Has Gone Too Far
There’s been so much backlash to Kansas star Darryn Peterson missing time that we’ve reached the backlash-to-the-backlash portion of the public discourse.
Jay Bilas called the criticism of Peterson “unfair” and said if he really wanted to shut it down for the season, he’d do so and still go No. 1 in the NBA draft. His coach Bill Self, whose bluntness a week ago gave credence to many of these narratives about Peterson’s availability, has taken the national media to task for those exact narratives.
So I’m here to provide the backlash to the backlash to the backlash.
It can probably be summed up in one sentence: If we accept that no questions can be lodged about Peterson’s heart, then something is really worrisome about Peterson’s body.
The freshman phenom has been terrific when he’s on the court. But after hurting his hamstring early in his season, he’s also missed time with cramping, ankle and quad issues and flu-like symptoms.
He’s played 465 minutes of a possible 1,130 — for comparison, teammate Melvin Council Jr. has been out there for 968 minutes. It’s earned him an undeniably funny nickname from the haters based on his initials: DNP.
This really hit a fever pitch earlier this month. Before Kansas faced undefeated No. 1 Arizona, Peterson was ruled out with flu-like symptoms 10 minutes before the game. The Jayhawks handed the Cats their first loss anyway. Then he scored 23 points at Oklahoma State but removed himself early in the second half and watched the rest of the game.
At that point, Self — who’s stuck up for his player all season and said he agreed with Peterson’s family that the guard should only play when close to 100% — made his revelatory comments.
“I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not,” Self said. “It’s certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA Tournament, you’re playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak.”
Ah, proof! Peterson (specifically, any “protect yourself” advice from his agent) was wearing on the Hall of Fame coach. The internet ran wild. What a bad teammate. These guys are paid now, so we can criticize them like professionals. And so on.
Peterson even did one of the rarest things imaginable and got “First Take” to talk about college basketball before March, Stephen A. Smith declaring that “no team in hell” should draft Peterson No. 1.
I agree, but not for the reason everyone seems to be settling on.
First of all, this class is loaded. AJ Dybantsa was the big thing coming out of high school. Cameron Boozer now looks like the can’t-miss prospect of this group. Wait, I meant Caleb Wilson at North Carolina. Then Arkansas’ Darius Acuff dropped 49 points – 41 in regulation! – after wearing a walking boot for two days, and the same night Peterson had a little cramp against Oklahoma State.
You, a tanking, rebuilding NBA franchise, don’t have to feel tied to Peterson at Nos. 1, 2 or 3. There are tons of great flavors of ice cream out there this year.
And moreover, the availability thing does not have to be a reflection on Peterson’s character or competitiveness. It can simply be about his body’s ability to withstand an 82-game NBA season, when he can barely play two-thirds of a college season. Why is he cramping so often and why can’t he get through it with some electrolytes and massage guns? It’s stumping Self, so it sure as hell stumps me.
It doesn’t help that Peterson has rarely spoken to the media throughout this campaign, leaving a vacuum for Reddit threads and conspiracy theories. He gave ESPN an interview before the Jayhawks’ game Monday, and said, “Basketball is my life… If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games.”
Then Kansas toppled No. 5 Houston on Monday, and Peterson (14 points) said afterward he ignores the internet’s criticism. “I’ve kind of been an anti-social loner my whole life, so I just kind of deal with it on my own,” he said.
I don’t know, I get Kawhi Leonard vibes when I hear him talk, but maybe I’m being unfair. I’m sorry, Jay Bilas!
Kansas has won and lost without Peterson. It’s won in impressive fashion and lost in embarrassing fashion with Peterson. One thing you shouldn’t do is pick the Jayhawks to go all the way in your bracket. We can take Peterson at his word that he wants to be out there, but you never know when the cramping will take hold.
Sports
U.S. Olympian Brady Tkachuk leads Senators against Red Wings
Feb 22, 2026; Milan, Italy; Brady Tkachuk (7) of the United States celebrates after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images The Detroit Red Wings visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in a matchup of teams beginning their final sprint for spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Red Wings, looking to snap a nine-year playoff drought, are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with the Montreal Canadiens but have played one more game. The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins are two and three points behind Detroit, respectively.
The Senators sit fifth in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, six points behind the second-place Bruins.
Ottawa welcomes back forward Brady Tkachuk after the Canada residents rooted against him Sunday in the gold-medal game at the Olympics.
“They’re not the happiest with me right now,” Tkachuk said on Fox News after helping the United States defeat Canada for gold. “I’m just going to go back and give them everything that I’ve got. It’s a funny feeling when you feel their support every day, and then, within two weeks, you’re Public Enemy No. 1.
“I’m going back with a smile on my face, and I’m getting ready for a playoff push.”
Ottawa rolled into the Olympic break, winning five of six, but faces a tough road — literally — as play resumes. After hosting the Red Wings, Ottawa embarks on a five-game road trip with stops in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle and Vancouver.
After a full week of practice for those who did not go the Olympics, play resumes
“I think once Thursday comes, we’ll be ready,” Senators forward Nick Cousins told Sportsnet. “I think I can speak for the guys in the room. I think everybody’s kind of itching to get going here and play some games.”
“The guys are sick of practice,” he joked.
After returning from a leave of absence, goalie Linus Ullmark played two games before the break. He won both, stopping 40 of 43 shots. Ullmark is 9-2-2 with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in 13 games versus the Red Wings.
The Senators have allowed just 11 goals over their past six games.
Detroit stumbled into the Olympic break, losing four of five (1-3-1) and scoring a total of seven goals, but remain in control of its post-season fate.
“You work all season to be in that spot, and now we’re in a great position to hopefully do some damage along the way,” Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider said following his return from the Olympics. “I think everyone is looking forward to it.”
Red Wings goalie John Gibson is 6-3-2 with a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage in 11 games against the Senators.
Olympian Lucas Raymond also returned to Detroit practice on Tuesday.
“You kind of get pumped up to get back, and I think that kind of brings it up a notch,” he said. “We’ve had a tough (couple of weeks) here, where maybe we haven’t been playing up to our standard.”
After a stop in Ottawa, the Red Wings travel to Carolina and Nashville.
It’s the third of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals. The Red Wings beat the host Senators 5-3 on Jan. 5 behind a goal and two assists from James van Riemsdyk. On Jan. 19, Alex DeBrincat scored 36 seconds into overtime to lift host Detroit to a 4-3 win.
The Red Wings are 10-4-2 against the Atlantic Division.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Tallon Griekspoor knocks off No. 2 seed in Dubai
May 31, 2025; Paris, FR; Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands returns a shot during his match against Ethan Quinn of the United States on day seven at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands used his strong serve to upset No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the Round of 16 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
Griekspoor fired off 14 aces without a double fault and won 35 of 40 first-service points (87.5%). He also saved three break points and had just 10 unforced errors to 30 winners. Bublik had 29 winners but committed 23 unforced errors.
In another pair of upsets, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech toppled No. 4 Jack Draper of Great Britain 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, and Jenson Brooksby beat No. 7 Karen Khachanov of Russia 7-6 (6), 6-4. In similar fashion to Griekspoor, Rinderknech racked up 20 aces without one double fault.
No. 1 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada moved on to the quarterfinals by beating French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-4, while Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev defeated Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3. No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, while a pair of Czech natives, No. 6 Jakub Mensik and No. 8 Jiri Lehecka, advanced in straight sets.
BCI Seguros Chile Open
A pair of upsets saw the fourth and seventh seeds bow out in the Round of 16 in Santiago, Chile.
Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann racked up a 28-12 edge in winners in beating No. 4 seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina 6-4, 6-3. Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino benefited from his opponent’s 50 unforced errors, including 11 double faults, in a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-3 win over No. 7 seed Francisco Comesana of Argentina.
Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas rallied past Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in a match lasting three hours, two minutes. The final match of the day was set to pit No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy against Mariano Navone of Argentina.
–Field Level Media
