Sports
Surging Mariners, Diamondbacks set for litmus test in Seattle
May 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald (38) reacts after defeating the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images The reigning American League West champion Seattle Mariners have finally moved atop the division.
Their reward is a series against the hottest team in baseball.
The Mariners will play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game interleague series beginning Friday night. The Diamondbacks have won five in a row and 10 of their past 11 games.
The Mariners are coming off a three-game sweep of the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif., to take a half-game lead over the A’s in the division.
Seattle outscored the A’s 22-4 in the series, including a 9-1 victory Wednesday as Rob Refsnyder and Julio Rodriguez hit three-run homers and Logan Gilbert pitched six scoreless innings.
“Heck of a series, and (Wednesday) was kind of an exclamation point,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “This is as good as we’ve played all season long and as consistent as we’ve been.”
Refsnyder, signed in the offseason to combat left-handed pitching, was batting just .113 going into the game but homered in the first inning to get the Mariners going.
“The timing is great,” Gilbert said. “Being a resilient team is stuff we talk about, but to go out there and actually do it, and against a good team that was in first place at their place, that’s exactly how we wanted the series to go. All the way around – offense, defense – I think everybody’s on a good page right now.”
The Diamondbacks finished off a three-game sweep of host San Francisco with a 3-2 victory Wednesday.
Former Mariner Paul Sewald earned the save, the 100th of his career and his 14th in 15 opportunities this season.
The 36-year-old Sewald wasn’t sure he’d get another shot after appearing in just 22 games for Detroit and Cleveland last season.
“I wasn’t even healthy enough to throw (much) last year, so a lot of (my thought) was just, am I going to get to play again? Because I’m getting older, and I wasn’t healthy,” Sewald said. “… I’m just fortunate to be out there pitching, really, is what it comes down to.”
The Diamondbacks’ recent run, all against Colorado and San Francisco, has taken them from below .500 to tied atop the National League’s wild-card standings.
“Those aren’t the best two teams in the league, but, you know, you’ve got to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat,” Sewald said.
Sewald said he’s excited to head back to Seattle against a Mariners club many predicted in the preseason to meet the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
The Mariners remain without catcher Cal Raleigh (right oblique strain) and third baseman Brendan Donovan (left groin strain).
“No Cal, no Donovan, you know, that’s a little different for (the Mariners),” Sewald said. “They won’t be at full strength, where we’re getting healthier and we’re getting better. But they’re a really good team, they play really well at home. It’s a tough, loud environment, so it’ll be a good test. We feel good. We feel good about playing anybody in this league.”
Friday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handers in Arizona’s Zac Gallen (3-4, 4.80 ERA) against Seattle’s George Kirby (5-4, 3.54).
Gallen, who has won his past two starts after losing his first three in May, is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in two career appearances against the Mariners.
Kirby, who has lost his past two starts, has made one previous appearance against Arizona, pitching seven shutout innings with two hits allowed and 12 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory April 27, 2024 at T-Mobile Park.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tennessee rides Elsa Morrison HR, tames Texas bats
Tennessee Lady Volunteers catcher Elsa Morrison (22) celebrates after hitting a home run in the second inning during a Women’s College World Series softball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 28, 2026. Tennessee won 6-3. Freshman Elsa Morrison smashed the first pitch she saw over the center field fence for a three-run home run in the second inning and Tennessee beat defending national champion Texas 6-3 in the Women’s College World Series at Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon.
Sage Mardjetko (15-2) got the win for Tennessee in four shutout innings and muted the high-powered Texas offense. She has 16 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings this postseason.
SEC Player of the Year Katie Stewart went hitless for the Longhorns in three at-bats.
Morrison doubled off the top of the wall in the sixth and was 2-for-3 despite missing her second homer by a narrow margin.
Taelyn Holley scored two runs for Tennessee, which avenged a 2-0 loss to Texas in the 2025 WCWS semifinals.
Morrison’s heroics are becoming expected. She belted a tiebreaking homer to sink Northern Kentucky in the regional opener and now has seven homers this season.
Texas cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth. After Gold Glove senior catcher and cleanup hitter Reese Atwood got Texas on the board, second baseman Leighann Goode delivered with two outs. She roped a two-run home run to center field off the Volunteers’ Karlyn Pickens, who was clocked at a record 78 mph — the equivalent of 109 mph from an MLB regulation pitching mound.
Pickens and Tennessee (48-10) advance to meet Texas Tech and starter NiJaree Canady on Friday for a spot in the semifinals. The Red Raiders won 8-0 in five innings in the WCWS opener Thursday.
The Longhorns will face Mississippi State, which managed two hits and zero runs Thursday against Texas Tech, in an elimination game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Charles Schwab first round suspended with four tied for lead
May 28, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Tom Kim watches his shot from the sixth tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Tom Kim of South Korea and Erik van Rooyen of South Africa had one hole left to break out of a four-way tie for the lead when first-round play at the Charles Schwab Challenge was suspended due to a dangerous weather situation on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
When play was delayed at Colonial Country Club, Ryan Gerard and Andrew Putnam were in the clubhouse with 6-under-par 64s while Kim and van Rooyen were 6 under with the par-4 ninth hole left to play.
The tournament was suspended at 4:15 p.m. local time and it was not clear whether it would resume Thursday. Many groups from the afternoon wave had between one and nine holes left to play.
A 10-man logjam at 5 under par included Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman and Alex Smalley in with scores of 65, while J.J. Spaun, Gary Woodland and Lee Hodges were 5 under with some holes to go. Max Homa, Russell Henley and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama highlighted the 12-man clump at 4-under 66.
Putnam, who had a bogey-free day, seeks his second PGA Tour victory and his first since the 2018 Barracuda Championship. Gerard’s only win on tour, coincidentally, came at the Barracuda Championship last year. He mixed eight birdies with two bogeys Thursday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB counters MLBPA's economic proposal, intends to pursue salary cap
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred before game three of the 2025 MLB World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images With the collective bargaining agreement set to end on Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET, Major League Baseball has officially proposed a salary cap in its negotiations with the MLB Players’ Association.
One day after the MLBPA detailed its initial position, MLB announced Thursday that it intends to seek a $245.3 million salary cap (including benefits). It’s the first time since 1994 the league is recommending a hard cap.
According to Spotrac.com, the cap is lower than the amount being spent (including tax) by the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves for the 2026 season.
MLB also proposed a salary floor of $171.2 million, which, per Spotrac’s current calculations, would require 12 teams to increase their payrolls.
MLB also declared it would increase the players’ share of revenue to 50%, which would be a boon to players because, per MLB’s figures, revenues have increased 247% since 2003 while salaries have improved 149%.
“Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Further, by sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts. We look forward to working with the MLBPA during the bargaining process to continue improving the game for the fans.”
The MLBPA fears a regression to 1994, when the union went on strike in the middle of the pennant race — eventually canceling the World Series — and did not relent until the 1995 season was scheduled to begin.
“Yesterday, the MLBPA presented a comprehensive package of proposals designed to improve compensation for players at all levels, and to incentivize and reward competition on the field,” interim MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer said in a statement.
“The owners responded today with a demand for a salary cap system, something generations of players have fought against. The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap — over 30 years ago — it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history… Caps don’t lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence. They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred appeared on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and suggested the owners’ salary cap stance addresses the fans’ biggest wish.
“We pay a lot of attention to what our fans are saying,” Manfred said. “The one thing that they’re the biggest on right now is the lack of competitive balance in the game. And I think that’s going to be the cornerstone issue of the negotiations with the MLBPA.”
Heading into Thursday’s action, however, the MLB standings showed four of the top 10 teams on Spotrac’s payroll chart (the Mets, Blue Jays, Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers) with losing records. That goes for 11 of the top 18 teams in payroll, too.
“We’ll continue our review of the owners’ proposal and stand ready to negotiate system improvements that benefit players and fans alike,” Meyer said.
–Field Level Media
Tennessee rides Elsa Morrison HR, tames Texas bats
Charles Schwab first round suspended with four tied for lead
