Sports
Teenager Julian Hall leads Red Bulls into rivalry match with NYCFC
May 13, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall (16) moves the ball against Columbus Crew during the second half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images A meteoric rise could place Julian Hall on a short list of surprise roster candidates for the U.S. men’s national team ahead of next month’s FIFA World Cup.
Before any roster decisions are made, however, the 18-year-old home-grown forward leads the host New York Red Bulls against rival New York City FC on Saturday.
Hall became the youngest player in MLS history to notch a regular-season hat trick as he powered the Red Bulls (5-5-3, 18 points) to a 3-2 home win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.
“Jules is a great kid,” Red Bulls coach Michael Bradley said. “… He comes in every day ready to work, ready to train, ready to listen. He has a great personality. He has really good starting points as a player. And I’ve enjoyed every second of working with him.”
In 13 matches, Hall leads the Red Bulls with nine goals and also has two assists. He’s tied for fourth in the MLS Golden Boot standings.
Hall isn’t hiding from the dream of playing in a World Cup, but said he remains focused on the Red Bulls’ last two matches before an extended international-competition break.
“Whatever happens, happens, my focus is with the club,” Hall said. “But obviously, it’s a dream of anyone that plays, to play in the World Cup. I hope someday that happens, but if it’s not this year, then I’m going to keep working hard and striving for that goal.”
NYCFC (5-5-3, 18 points) picked up a 1-0 win at Charlotte FC on Wednesday behind a Nicolas Fernandez goal in the eighth minute on a Hannes Wolf assist.
Fernandez leads NYCFC with nine goals and three assists and Wolf has five goals and two assists.
With back-to-back clean sheets, including a 3-0 home shutout of Columbus on Sunday, Pascal Jansen’s club is hitting its stride with two league matches before a pause for the World Cup.
“It’s a big compliment to everybody on the pitch because they worked really hard and showed the character needed to get these games over the line,” Jansen said. “Hopefully we can continue this in the third block of games.”
The rivals played in the U.S. Open Cup on April 29, with NYCFC coming away with a 3-1 victory. They have won three straight and four of five overall contests in the series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rockies' Michael Lorenzen strives to end skid in finale vs. D-backs
May 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Colorado Rockies will turn to right-hander Michael Lorenzen in a bid to win the rubber match of their three-game weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon in Denver.
The Rockies pulled even in the series at one win apiece after they scored three runs over the first two innings in a 4-2 victory on Saturday. It was only Colorado’s second win in the last seven games.
Saturday also was only the third game this season at Coors Field in which neither team homered.
The Diamondbacks won 9-1 on Friday.
Lorenzen (2-5, 6.55 ERA) has lost his last three starts, surrendering 13 runs in 15 1/3 innings.
He was better in his last outing, a 3-1 road defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. Lorenzen gave up two runs on five hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five.
“You’ve got to show up and try to get better each and every time. This time around, I felt like I improved,” Lorenzen said.
But his performance was overshadowed by Pirates star Paul Skenes no-hitting the Rockies for 6 1/3 innings.
Lorenzen knows about that kind of bid — he pitched a no-hitter while with the Philadelphia Phillies in a 7-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9, 2023.
“You notice it,” Lorenzen said. “You’re sitting here hoping that someone (on your team) is able to break through and get a base hit so you can build some momentum and score some runs.”
Lorenzen has been effective in his career against Arizona, going 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 appearances. He’s started only twice against Arizona, but the most recent time was dazzling.
Last July 6, while pitching for the Kansas City Royals, Lorenzen picked up the win after allowing two hits over seven shutout innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Arizona’s scheduled starter on Sunday, Michael Soroka (5-2, 3.53 ERA), has been impressive in his last two starts, allowing only one run and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with three walks and 11 strikeouts.
Soroka, a right-hander, threw 6 1/3 innings of three-hit, shutout ball with a walk and five strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the host Texas Rangers on Monday.
“It started with Soroka. He did a really nice job — low pitch count, temptation to leave him in the game,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after the contest.
Soroka threw 89 pitches, 59 for strikes.
“Again, just no matter the score, I always tell you guys, it doesn’t matter if we’re up or down by a bunch, I want to do the same thing,” Lovullo said.
Soroka is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA in two career appearances against the Rockies. He has surrendered nine hits in 10 innings, with four walks and 15 strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
UFC Vegas 117 and MVP MMA Proved Competition Is Great for Fight Fans
Saturday, May 16, 2026, will go down as a memorable day in MMA. You had two MMA cards going head-to-head simultaneously. While the UFC was focused on an Apex card with UFC Vegas 117, headlined by Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) promoted its first MMA card at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. That card featured the likes of Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou.
And in an era of tribalism, die-hards, loyalists, attackers…watching both cards ended up being some of the most fun this writer had in a little while watching multiple events at once.
UFC Vegas 117
Were the names on the UFC Vegas 117 card the strongest? No. But were the performances memorable? Absolutely.
Faced with a rising contender and needing a win to remain relevant in the upper echelon of the featherweight conversation, Arnold Allen delivered. It was disciplined and calculated, it was wrestling-heavy, but not without some early striking where Allen’s boxing proved to be too much. It was a solid, all-around performance where Allen nearly swept the scorecards.
UFC Vegas 117 also saw Doo-ho Choi deliver an awesome finish of Daniel Santos. Juan Diaz, in his UFC debut, finished prospect Malcolm Wellmaker in upset fashion. Heck, history was made on the preliminary card when Alice Ardelean scored the first-ever capsule lock submission in UFC history.
MVP MMA
Was the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano fight uncompetitive? Yes, but I don’t know what you were expecting from a fight where someone was fighting for the first time in 17 years. But it was still an eye-catching matchup considering the long layoffs and legendary women’s MMA status of these two.
Plus, there were plenty of big names and fun fights. Nate Diaz and Mike Perry had an absolute war until Diaz’s corner was forced to stop the fight. Francis Ngannou pulled off a vintage Ngannou performance, complete with a devastating first-round knockout.
You also had a couple of hard-hitting finishes from Karate Combat champion Robelis Despaigne, who brutally stopped former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, and former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson, who needed just 22 seconds to put out Jeff Creighton.
Competition is a Good Thing
What’s the point of this? Is it about both cards delivering? Is it to shed light on the most important names from last night? Yes to both of those, but there’s something bigger here.
Look at the paydays from last night’s MVP card. Rousey, Carano, and Ngannou all took him over $1 million. Only champions have the chance to make that kind of money. The lowest-paid fighters? $40,000. That’s 3.5-4 times more than the UFC’s lowest-tier fighter pay.
An outlet like MVP MMA gives choice to fighters – they can choose to sacrifice some of the luster and brand recognition of the UFC if they’d rather have better pay earlier on in their professional MMA career.
There has also been criticism from fans and pundits about some of the cards the UFC has put on – an issue that has been on the rise since more and more cards were held, stretching back to the Fox days. Of course, the UFC has been the clear No. 1 leader in MMA for a long while now, and it has 7.7 billion reasons why they don’t need to worry.
But if MVP MMA can offer a true alternative, then maybe you’ll start to see a little more quality concern about the product. Maybe it means continued expansion of bringing more Fight Nights outside the Apex. Maybe there’s more spread of notable names.
And don’t think the UFC isn’t paying any attention. You think it’s a coincidence that they drop the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 UFC 329 announcement during this night – while Ngannou is doing his ring walk as well?
Monopolies are boring, and some MMA fans have felt the last few years has been recession-like at times. Competition and alternative products breed new life – and for some, MVP MMA’s card brought them back to the days of old.
A promotional war? That makes the fans winners.
Sports
Padres' Lucas Giolito ready to feel 'normal' in debut vs. Mariners
Sep 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) pitches during the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images Lucas Gioloto sat at home all winter, waiting for the phone to ring.
Nearly a month into the season, the call finally came — from the San Diego Padres.
The veteran right-hander is scheduled to make his season debut on Sunday in Seattle as the Padres will go for a season sweep of the Mariners in their Vedder Cup.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. Pitching in the big leagues, being in a rotation, that’s normal for me,” Giolito said before San Diego’s 7-4 victory Saturday. “What I was going through the last few months was more abnormal. I’m glad to be through that and back where I feel I belong.”
With pitchers Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, German Marquez and Matt Waldron all out with injuries, the Padres could use another arm.
Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA for Boston last season. He’s 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against Seattle.
“He’s been there, done that,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “He knows what it’s like going through a full season. Pitching well in the big leagues, that’s the biggest attribute he brings. He knows how to get outs, get outs in the big leagues.”
Giolito signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with the Padres on April 22. He made four minor-league starts in preparation for Sunday.
“I’m just excited to be back out there and help a really good team win baseball games,” he said. “It was kind of a surreal offseason, leaking into spring training and the season. But I’m really appreciative of the Padres giving me the opportunity.”
Walker Buehler pitched five innings for the victory Saturday. He was backed by homers from Nick Castellanos, Gavin Sheets and rookie Rodolfo Duran, whose two-run shot in the seventh inning was his first major-league hit after going 0-for-10.
“If you play baseball, if you want to be a major leaguer, you always think of that, you have dreams about it,” said Duran, a catcher who spent 11 years in the minors before being called up earlier this month. “Now that I was able to do it, it’s amazing.”
The Mariners have lost three of their past four games since getting within a game of the .500 mark. They’ve been above .500 for one day all season, when they were 3-2 on March 30.
“I think we know we’re not playing all the way to our capabilities, but it’s a long year,” said Logan Gilbert, who allowed a season-high seven runs Saturday. “Every single year I’ve been here, we’ve had that. The biggest thing is not to panic. Second thing is, how quickly can you turn it? Because things like this are going to happen to every team, every single year, it’s just how much can you shorten that window and get back to playing your best baseball.”
The Mariners are set to send right-hander George Kirby (5-2, 2.84 ERA) to the mound Sunday. He defeated host Houston 3-1 Monday when he allowed one run on seven hits over five innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts. Kirby is 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in two previous starts against the Padres.
The Mariners hope to have third baseman Brendan Donovan and catcher Mitch Garver back after both were late scratches Saturday. Donovan needed a rest as he recovers from a groin strain and Garver had back tightness.
–Field Level Media
Rockies' Michael Lorenzen strives to end skid in finale vs. D-backs
UFC Vegas 117 and MVP MMA Proved Competition Is Great for Fight Fans
