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
Braves' Spencer Strider set for season debut in finale vs. Rockies
Feb 20, 2026; North Port FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) poses for a photo during media day at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images It’s been a long road for Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider since his 20-win All-Star season in 2023.
Strider, 27, will be out to prove he’s not a shadow of his former self on Sunday afternoon when he makes his first start of the season as the Braves bid for a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
After becoming the fastest pitcher to record 100 strikeouts (61 innings) in a season in modern MLB history in 2023, Strider made just two starts in 2024 before undergoing season-ending UCL surgery.
Last season, the right-hander went 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA across 23 starts in his return from injury.
Strider began this season on the injured list with an oblique strain but is prepared to rejoin the sizzling Braves. They have won both games of the weekend series to expand on the best record (24-10) in the majors. Atlanta remains the only team in the majors that hasn’t lost a series and holds a 7 1/2-game lead on the second-place Miami Marlins in the National League East.
The bad news for the Braves in their most recent win, 9-1 over the Rockies on Saturday, was the first-inning exit of star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. due to a lower-body injury. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday.
“It didn’t look great, him coming off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I am hoping it’s just some cramping and that type of thing, but he’s getting an MRI. That’s never good when you have to get an MRI.”
Acuna hit a leadoff single in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 23 games.
“You never like to be challenged like this,” Weiss said of the potential impact of losing Acuna. “He’s one of your best players and most talented players. If it happens, we’ll be OK. We’ve got lots of moving parts.”
Strider, meanwhile, has dominated the Rockies in three career appearances (two starts), going 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA. He struck out 16 batters and scattered two hits over eight innings in a 3-0 win over Colorado on Sept. 1, 2022, before fanning 13 Rockies in a six-inning win last June 14.
The Rockies, who have lost four of their past five games, will turn to veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-2, 3.48 ERA) in the series finale. He will make his fifth start of the season.
Freeland, 32, will appear in his second outing since being activated from the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation. On Tuesday, he surrendered four runs on five hits across five innings in a 7-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
“I thought (Freeland) was really good,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I considered taking him out after the fourth, but had him go back out for one more and he was good. He competed, kept us right in the ballgame.”
Freeland, the all-time leader in franchise history in starts (235), is 1-5 with a 5.93 ERA in 10 career starts against the Braves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Boston Celtics Title Window Could Be Closed After First-Round Exit
The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off the upset of the playoffs, knocking off the heavily favored Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the first round 109-100. Boston blew a 3-1 lead in this series and that became another brutal end to a Celtics season.
This core was able to win a finals in 2024, but outside of that important win, Boston has had a lot of disastrous playoff losses that seemingly go under the radar. The Celtics have owned the 76ers over the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era, and that makes this loss so much worse.
Of course, Tatum was absent from game seven due to injury, but Joel Embiid was missing for the entire first half of this series, so that feels like a bit of a wash. Not only that, but the Celtics were the two seed with Tatum missing most of the season anyways.
In recent years, the Celtics have now lost to the eight seed Miami Heat in the Conference Finals, got destroyed by the New York Knicks in the Conference Semis last year, had horrible playoff performances in the final two years of the Brad Stevens era to start the 2020s. They were able to win a Finals in a very down year across the board in the NBA, but this team has had let down spots all over the place in the playoffs.
Currently, it feels like the media has put a spotlight on the Cleveland Cavaliers first round struggles against the Toronto Raptors, but at least those struggles are coming in a 4 vs 5 first round matchup. Boston was completely outplayed by the 7-seed Sixers, who were missing their best player most of the series.
Of course VJ Edgecomb and Paul George having great runs as role players helps, and Tyrese Maxey is a full blown super star; however, this series feels like it’s being swept under the rug by the media. Boston got their ring, but I’m starting to think the window from that core is quietly closing. I’m also interested to see how much grace Boston fans will give to head coach Joe Mazulla.
Boston shot themselves out of this series. This is a team that lives and dies by the three, but at some point you need to make an adjustment when shots simply aren’t falling. Not only that, but the Sixers simply just felt like the better team in this series. I don’t think it’s just bad shooting that won Philly this series. They controlled this series and were able to do whatever they wanted against the Celtics.
The Sixers now head to New York to take on the Knicks, where they are far less of an underdog at only +198 to advance. I think this is a bit of a market overcorrection, and I wouldn’t bet on the Sixers to win this series. Boston might’ve just been a bit of an overrated team, that over performed without Tatum.
Sports
Carlos Prates Strengthens Title Case After Dominant Showing at UFC Perth
The Fighting Nerds have been one of the most notable and popular things about the world of MMA in the last few years. That team has made its name thanks to the success of a number of its fighters in the UFC.
Of the bunch, perhaps the most successful and notable of the Fighting Nerds team so far is Carlos Prates. And Prates put an exclamation mark on that claim with a major win this weekend at UFC Perth, stopping Jack Della Maddalena.
It was a beating. Prates pressured JDM early, and then landed 41 significant strikes on the former champion. Prates also battered Della Maddalena’s leg with kicks, scoring knockdowns of JDM in the second and third rounds. That second knockdown would lead to Prates landing follow-up shots and scoring the TKO.
This now marks two consecutive bouts where Prates has defeated a former UFC welterweight champion. This past November at UFC 322, he put a beating on Leon Edwards, knocking him out cold in the second round.
But let’s just take a look at the picture of Prates’ overall UFC tenure thus far – and just see how much he’s accomplished.
Prates earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, finishing a then-undefeated Mitch Ramirez.
Prates then fought four times in 2024, competing against Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, Li Jingliang, and Neil Magny. Four wins, four finishes (all KO/TKOs), four post-fight bonuses. That is a first-year stretch that practically screams Rookie of the Year.
Prates’ sole blemish in the UFC came at UFC Kansas City in April 2025, when he took on Ian Machado Garry in a title eliminator. Prates did not seem like himself, unable to figure Garry out. Prates put a beating on Garry in the fifth, but he was unable to get a comeback finish in time.
It was a disappointing loss for Prates and the people that follow him. He’d need a big-time rebound performance next time out to ensure he’s still in the title picture.
So what does he do? Land a spinning back elbow on Geoff Neal at UFC 319 – one of the top knockouts of 2025. And now he’s followed that up with wins over a pair of former welterweight champions.
Prates has now won seven UFC bouts since 2024. He’s earned finishes in all of those fights. He’s earned performance bonuses in all of those fights. The win over JDM is the only time a fight he’s won has gone past round two.
And the only guy he’s lost to in the Octagon? That man won another title eliminator against Belal Muhammad this past November. Now, Garry is being targeted to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330 this coming August in Philadelphia.
That’s far from a terrible loss.
Prates may not get the next immediate welterweight title shot. But if he takes on another former champion or rising star in the welterweight ranks – for example, respectively, Muhammad or Michael Morales – and he gets another highlight finish (let alone another win) – then Prates can’t be denied a title shot any further.
Braves' Spencer Strider set for season debut in finale vs. Rockies
Boston Celtics Title Window Could Be Closed After First-Round Exit
