Sports
Spring training roundup: Shohei Ohtani homers in first at-bat
Sep 19, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) drives in two runs on his fourth inning double against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer in his first at-bat of the spring, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled out a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels split squad on Friday in Phoenix.
Ohtani, who missed the beginning of the Cactus League schedule while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, ended the game 1-for-3.
The Angels took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI double from Jorge Ruiz. In the bottom of the ninth, Dalton Rushing hit a two-run walk-off double.
Tommy Edman homered among his two hits for the Dodgers. The Angels’ Jo Adell hit a second-inning grand slam.
Orioles 13, Twins 10
Baltimore hammered out eight runs in the top of the ninth to erase a five-run deficit and stun Minnesota in Fort Myers, Fla.
Jackson Holliday went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer for the Orioles. Carlos Tavera (1-0) gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the eighth inning before Logan Rinehart worked around a hit and a walk for the save.
Trevor Larnach homered during a 5-0 Twins start and finished the game with three RBIs. The Twins out-hit the Orioles 17-14, with Byron Buxton going 3-for-3.
Phillies 7, Red Sox 5
Matt Kroon and Carson DeMartini put Philadelphia in front for good with seventh-inning homers and Carson Taylor added the key two-run blast in the eighth in a win over visiting Boston in Clearwater, Fla.
Kroon went deep to left and Taylor singled before DeMartini’s blast made it 5-4 in favor of the hosts. Bryce Harper added two hits and Jean Cabrera (1-0) struck out four in two scoreless, hitless innings of relief.
Abraham Toro had a two-run single early on for the Red Sox, and Tyler Miller drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to cut the deficit. Robert Stock (0-1) gave up the first two Philadelphia homers amid his two innings, finishing with four earned runs on five hits and a walk.
Astros 3, Cardinals 2
Isaac Paredes and Shay Whitcomb hit solo homers and Paredes added an RBI single for his new team as host Houston beat St. Louis in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Paredes had the only multi-hit game on a day when each sides mustered just five hits. Starter Hunter Brown (1-0) pitched two innings with one hit and two walks before six relievers continued to limit the Cardinals’ bats.
Michael Helman’s sacrifice fly in the eighth and Bryan Torres’ groundout in the ninth provided the Cardinals’ two runs. Erick Fedde (0-1) struck out three and allowed Paredes’ homer in a two-inning start.
Pirates 3, Rays 2
Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-3 and scored the eventual game-winning run on a throwing error in the fifth as Pittsburgh eked out a win over visiting Tampa Bay in Bradenton, Fla.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa had an RBI double as the Pirates won despite being out-hit 11-5. Starter Mitch Keller (1-0) went three scoreless innings with two hits and a walk.
Tres Barrera hit a two-run single for the Rays half an inning after the Pirates scored their third run. Starter Ryan Pepiot (0-1) gave up a run on two hits and a walk, striking out two in two innings.
Blue Jays (ss) 10, Tigers 7
George Springer’s two-run double capped an eight-run uprising in the fourth inning for Toronto’s split squad as it went on to beat visiting Detroit in Dunedin, Fla.
Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit back-to-back solo home runs in the first before contributing an RBI apiece in the fourth for the Blue Jays. Yariel Rodriguez (1-0) was charged with a blown save when he allowed Kerry Carpenter’s tying two-run homer in the fourth, but he was the pitcher of record after 1 2/3 innings.
The Tigers cut a 10-2 deficit down to three runs thanks to Justyn-Henry Malloy’s two-run single, Dillon Dingler’s two-run double and Patrick Lee’s RBI triple. Chase Lee (0-1) lasted just one-third of an inning and allowed the first four runs of Toronto’s explosion on three hits.
Braves 7, Marlins 2
Drake Baldwin went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and a run in visiting Atlanta’s win over Miami in Jupiter, Fla.
Ian Anderson (1-1) threw the first three innings and yielded just two walks before Grant Holmes pitched the next three innings, striking out three with two walks. Nick Allen and Will Verdung had two hits apiece for the Braves.
Jack Winkler broke up the shutout in the eighth with a solo homer and Nathan Martorella added an RBI double in the ninth for the Marlins. Robby Snelling (0-1) took the loss for yielding two runs in two-thirds of the third inning after Sandy Alcantara struck out three with two hits in the first two frames.
Mets 7, Nationals 0
Juan Soto hit his second home run of the spring and Francisco Lindor went 2-for-4 with two runs as New York blanked visiting Washington in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Luis Torrens had a two-run single to open the scoring in the first and finished 2-for-3. The Mets won via shutout for the second straight day, with starter Brandon Sproat (1-0) throwing two perfect innings.
The Nationals were held to five singles. Shinnosuke Ogasawara (1-1) was tagged for four runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.
Cubs 8, Rangers 8
Jordan Nwogu hit the game-tying single in the top of the ninth as Chicago tied host Texas in Surprise, Ariz.
Haydn McGeary hit a three-run homer in the seventh and Moises Ballesteros scored on a throwing error in the ninth before Nwogu’s hit. Starter Justin Steele went three innings, yielding two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
New Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka racked up six RBIs on two home runs and a sacrifice fly as the Rangers built an 8-2 lead. Leody Taveras also homered and starter Cody Bradford scattered three hits and three strikeouts over three innings.
Athletics 13, Reds 1
Lawrence Butler hit a three-run blast, Zack Gelof and Miguel Andujar also homered and the A’s bullied visiting Cincinnati in Mesa, Ariz.
Butler finished with four RBIs, Andujar was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs and Jacob Wilson was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs as the A’s racked up 13 hits. Jeffrey Springs (1-0) limited the Reds to one run on three hits and two walks in a two-inning start.
Blake Dunn hit an RBI single in the second to put the Reds on the board first before it was all A’s. Starter Hunter Greene (0-1) was responsible for five runs on three hits and two walks in two innings.
Guardians 3, Rockies 1
Milan Tolentino hit a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth to lift Cleveland over visiting Colorado in Goodyear, Ariz.
Tolentino and Johnathan Rodriguez finished 2-for-2 for the Guardians and Steven Kwan drove in Rodriguez for their first run on a sacrifice fly. Doug Nikhazy (1-0) pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the win, striking out two.
Sean Bouchard had a game-tying solo homer in the sixth for the Rockies. Justin Lawrence (0-1) pitched the fateful eighth, allowing a hit and two walks.
Giants 9, Brewers 2
Matt Chapman, Wilmer Flores, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski all went deep as San Francisco beat visiting Milwaukee in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Wade finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs to pace the Giants. Logan Webb (1-0) made a three-inning start and struck out four, allowing a run on three hits.
Caleb Durbin went deep for the Brewers. Starter Freddy Peralta (0-1) was dinged for three runs on two hits and a walk, striking out three over two frames.
Angels (ss) 3, White Sox 2
Jorge Soler hit a run-scoring double and a solo home run as Los Angeles’ split squad held on to beat visiting Chicago in Tempe, Ariz.
Soler and Mickey Moniak hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning before Soler tacked on the crucial third run in the third inning by homering to left center. Angels starter Reid Detmers (1-1) went three scoreless innings, yielding a hit and two walks with two Ks.
Brooks Baldwin had an RBI and Cal Mitchell got a second run on the board via sacrifice fly in the ninth for the White Sox. Starter Jonathan Cannon (0-1) took the loss thanks to two runs on four hits in two frames.
Diamondbacks 6, Royals 1
Gino Groover and Corbin Carroll homered in the fifth inning, Carroll’s a two-run shot, as host Arizona beat Kansas City in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Carroll also drove in a run on a third-inning single and finished 3-for-3. Ryne Nelson (1-0), the second of seven pitchers, yielded a hit and two walks in two scoreless frames.
MJ Melendez homered in the sixth for the Royals’ only run and one of their four hits. Hunter Harvey (0-1) pitched the third inning and gave up one run on two hits.
Yankees 6, Blue Jays (ss) 3
Austin Wells and Cody Bellinger hit first-inning homers, Alex Jackson went deep in the fifth and New York defeated Toronto in Tampa.
Jackson added a two-run double, and Bellinger also doubled. Yankees starter Gerrit Cole struck out five while throwing 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
Will Wagner collected two of the Blue Jays’ six hits. Blue Jays starter Jake Bloss was tagged for two runs on three hits in two innings.
Mariners 2, Padres 1
Cole Young’s seventh-inning double drove in Spencer Packard with the tiebreaking run as Seattle edged San Diego in Peoria, Ariz.
Mariners starter Bryan Woo retired six of the seven batters he opposed, with the only baserunner coming on an error.
Luis Arraez singled home the lone run for the Padres, who got two innings of one-run ball from Braden Nett.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
