Sports
Team Spirit, FURIA first to clinch IEM Cologne playoff spots
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Team Spirit and FURIA punched their tickets to the playoffs of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major with their third consecutive Stage 3 victories on Saturday in Germany.
Team Spirit, which earned a bye to Stage 2, and FURIA, which earned a bye to Stage 3, are the first two teams to clinch playoff spots with Round 3 high-match victories. Spirit did so with a 2-1 defeat of 9z Team while FURIA swept BetBoom Team 2-0 to advance.
In other Saturday action, B8 and PARIVISION were the first two teams eliminated from Stage after losing Round 3 low matches. B8 fell 2-1 to FUT Esports while PARIVISION lost 2-0 to Legacy.
At the start of Stage 3, 16 teams were still standing at the Counter-Strike 2 tournament that began with 32 entrants, competing for their share of a $1.25 million prize pool with the grand final scheduled for June 21. The champion receives $500,000.
Stage 3 utilizes a Swiss System format and all matches are best-of-three. The top eight finishers will proceed to the playoffs next week.
Team Spirit rallied for its victory on Saturday, winning 16-13 on Mirage and 16-14 on Dust II after 9z Team opened the match with a 16-12 win on Overpass. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets of Russia led Spirit with 77 kills and a plus-28 kill-death differential in the triumph.
FURIA had less trouble winning their match against BetBoom Team to clinch a playoff spot, running off consecutive 13-6 wins on Overpass and Dust II. Latvia’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis led FURIA with 39 kills, and Brazilian Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato had a team-best plus-17 K-D differential.
FUT Esports rallied to remain in contention, dropping the opener 13-10 on Dust II to B8 before rattling off a 13-9 Mirage win followed by a clinching 13-11 Ancient victory. Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko of Ukraine carried FUT with 58 kills and the only positive K-D differential (plus-10) on the squad.
Legacy swept PARIVISION behind a 16-12 win on Inferno and a 16-13 Dust II triumph. Bruno “latto” Rebelatto led the all-Brazilian Legacy team in kills (52) and a plus-20 K-D differential.
In Round 3 mid matches on Saturday where teams were neither eliminated nor advanced, Natus Vincere edged The MongolZ 2-1, Team Falcons beat Monte 2-1, Aurora Gaming swept G2 Esports 2-0 and Team Vitality outlasted MOUZ 2-1.
On Sunday, three Round 4 high matches will be contested for playoff spots while three Round 4 low matches will eliminate teams before three final Round 5 matches on Monday lock in the playoff field.
Sunday schedule
Round 4 high matches (advancement)
BetBoom Team vs. Team Vitality
Aurora Gaming vs. 9z Team
Natus Vincere vs. Team Falcons
Round 4 low matches (elimination)
MOUZ vs. FUT Esports
The MongolZ vs. Monte
G2 Esports vs. Legacy
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major prize pool
1. $500,000
2. $170,000
3-4. $80,000
5-8. $45,000
9-11. $15,000
12-14. $15,000
15-16. $15,000 — B8, PARIVISION
17-19. $10,000 — paiN Gaming, TYLOO, BIG
20-22. $10,000 — MIBR, M80, Astralis
23-24. $10,000 — GamerLegion, FlyQuest
25-27. $5,000 — Lynn Vision Gaming, NRG, Team Liquid
28-30. $5,000 — THUNDERdOWNUNDER, Sharks Esports, HEROIC
31-32. $5,000 — Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers place RHP Blake Treinen (elbow inflammation) on 15-day IL
Apr 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen (49) pitches during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Dodgers placed right-hander Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation ahead of Saturday night’s game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Los Angeles recalled right-hander Chayce McDermott from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
Treinen, who turns 38 on June 30, is in his sixth season with the Dodgers. He has a 4-1 record and 3.52 ERA in 29 relief appearances this season with 25 strikeouts, 10 walks and one save. The 2018 All-Star has a 49-42 record, 83 saves and a career 2.93 ERA over 560 games (seven starts) with the Washington Nationals (2014-17), Oakland Athletics (2017-19) and Dodgers (2020-22; 2024-26). He has tossed 621 strikeouts against 233 walks.
McDermott, 27, is entering his second major league stint of the season. He made one previous appearance with the Dodgers, tossing one shutout inning with a strikeout May 17 against the Angels. He has an 0-1 career record and 11.85 ERA over six games (two starts) at the major league level, pitching sparingly for the Orioles the prior two seasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Travis Bazzana's career night powers Guardians past Astros
Jun 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana (37) watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Travis Bazzana recorded his first career four-hit game and first multi-homer game while Joey Cantillo worked a career-high-tying eight innings as the visiting Cleveland Guardians rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday.
Bazzana finished 4-for-4 with three runs and five RBIs — also a single-game best. The former first overall draft pick homered in the first and fifth innings and carried the offense alongside Kyle Manzardo, who finished 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.
Cantillo (6-3) logged more than six innings for the first time this season en route to his third quality start. Cantillo allowed one run on four hits and struck out a season-high-tying nine batters.
Bazzana started the scoring with haste, drilling the first pitch of the game from Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (7-3) out to right-center field. Bazzana spotted the Guardians a 1-0 lead with his second career leadoff home run and sixth homer of the season.
Arrighetti appeared to settle down following the Bazzana blast and retired six batters in a row. But even after receiving some help from his defense in the third, Arrighetti faltered that frame.
Astros center fielder Jake Meyers erased Patrick Bailey as he attempted to go from first to third on a Bazzana single for the second out of the inning. But Manzardo followed with his ninth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left-center that plated Bazzana and lifted Cleveland to a 3-1 lead.
Two innings later, with Steven Kwan (hit by pitch) and Bailey (single) on base, Bazzana blasted his seventh home run 406 feet to right-center as the Guardians stretched their advantage to 6-1.
Arrighetti, the American League Pitcher of the month in May, continued his June swoon. He allowed a season-worst six runs on six hits while posting eight strikeouts over six innings. Arrighetti is 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA across four starts this month.
Cantillo surrendered three consecutive hits in the second, including an RBI single to Yainer Diaz that plated Isaac Paredes. He was untouchable the rest of the way and retired the final 14 batters he faced.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Eloy Room helps Curacao earn first World Cup point with Ecuador draw
June 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.; Curacao’s Eloy Room reacts. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Curacao found a comfort level in their second-ever World Cup match, pulling off a 0-0 tie with Ecuador behind the play of goalkeeper Eloy Room to earn the country’s first-ever point in a Group E match Saturday night in Kansas City.
Room made 15 saves, just shy of the record 16 made by the United States’ Tim Howard in a 2014 World Cup match against Belgium. The effort helped Curacao rebound from a 7-1 loss to Germany in their World Cup debut last Sunday.
At the final whistle, Room went to his knees, and the 37-year-old bowed his head onto the turf in relief.
Ecuador’s disappointing World Cup run continued with a second consecutive scoreless match. They lost to Ivory Coast 1-0 on Sunday.
Neither team was officially eliminated from advancing to the knockout round, although they will each need a win on the final matchday to stay alive.
Ecuador (0-1-1, 1 point) has a daunting task ahead with a match against Germany on Thursday at East Rutherford, N.J. Curacao (0-1-1, 1 point) will complete their group-stage schedule with a simultaneous match against Ivory Coast at Philadelphia.
Among the many high-level saves Room made, the most impressive might have come in the third minute on a shot from close range from Ecuador’s Enner Valencia. With a clean look at goal, Valencia’s shot was stopped on a dive from Room to his left.
The stop set a high standard that the goalkeeper from Miami FC of the second-division USL Championship was able to maintain throughout.
Ecuador primary held possession on Curacao’s end in the closing minutes. Early in stoppage time, Ecuador substitute Angelo Preciado took a shot from long range that rebounded off the top of the crossbar.
Room reached 15 saves on a long-range shot from Ecuador’s Pedro Vite in the 80th minute. Ecuador was unable to get another shot on target despite constant pressure.
Ecuador dominated the run of play with 63% of possession to 26% for Curacao. Ecuador also had a 28-10 advantage on shots with Curacao taking three on target.
–Field Level Media
