Sports
Torch arrives in Milan to cheers and protests
Feb 3, 2026; Como, ITALY; The Olympic torch arrives in Como during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images MILAN — The Olympic torch arrived in front of Milan’s giant gothic cathedral on Thursday amid cheers and protests in the city on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
Nicoletta Manni, a leading ballet dancer at the nearby La Scala theater, carried the flame on to a platform in the shadow of the cathedral where it was used to light a brazier.
Most of those packing the Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square) in light rain and along the route had cheered the torch’s passage and snapped photos with their smartphones. The torch was brought into the square through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele arcade.
A small group of demonstrators flew Palestinian flags on the edge of the square in solidarity with the citizens of Gaza. There were also pro-Palestinian protests near the city’s university earlier in the evening.
Israel has a group of 10 athletes competing at the Games.
On Thursday morning, environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of the cathedral, protesting the role of Italian oil major Eni ENI.MI as a sponsor of these Games.
An installation depicted the Olympic rings dripping black oil, a visual denunciation of companies it accuses of contributing to global warming and threatening winter sports dependent on cold conditions.
“Kick polluters out of the Games,” read one of the banners.
In a statement, Eni said it “shares the importance of addressing climate change” and would continue investing in the energy transition as part of its plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The flame began its journey across Italy in December after being lit in Rome and has traveled through all 110 Italian provinces. It called in on Games co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites last month.
The Games are due to open officially on Friday evening, with an opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium, twinned with a celebration in Cortina.
Italian Olympic ski champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni will have the honor of lighting the cauldrons for the Games on Friday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Dominic Smith's walk-off grand slam lifts Braves past Royals
Mar 28, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Dominic Smith (8) hits a walk-off grand slam against the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images Dominic Smith hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning to help the Atlanta Braves overcome a two-run deficit and beat the visiting Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Saturday night.
Smith’s home run, a 386-foot shot to right-center field, came with one out against Royals closer Carlos Estevez (0-1), who failed to hold a 2-0 lead.
The rally started when Drake Baldwin walked to lead off the bottom of the inning, took third on Matt Olson’s single and scored on Mike Yastrzemski’s one-out single. After Ozzie Albies walked, Jorge Mateo — running for Olson — scored the tying run when Michael Harris II lined a pitch off Estevez for a single.
The winning pitcher was Osvaldo Bido (1-0), who struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth. The right-hander was making his first appearance since joining the team off waivers from the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Kansas City starter Michael Wacha pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. He has now allowed three or fewer earned runs in 24 of his 30 road starts with the Royals.
Salvador Perez broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run in the seventh inning — ending a 15-inning scoreless streak to start the season — on the first pitch from Reynaldo Lopez. It was the 304th homer of Perez’s his career, leaving him 13 away from tying Hall of Famer George Brett for the franchise record.
Lopez was impressive in his first start since exactly one year earlier, May 28, 2025. He was then shut down for the season with shoulder issues that required surgery He allowed one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts on Saturday.
Kansas City tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Maikel Garcia walked with one out by reliever Joel Payamps and went to third on a single by Bobby Witt Jr. Garcia scored when Atlanta’s sure-handed first baseman Olson missed a routine grounder with the infield in off the bat of Vinnie Pasquantino.
The Braves kept Kansas City off the board in the third inning. With Isaac Collins on third base, Garcia hit a fly to right field that was caught by Ronald Acuna Jr. Collins appeared ready to tag up but changed his mind when Acuna fired a strike to the plate.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees complete season-opening, three-game sweep of Giants
Mar 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) is congratulated by first baseman Ben Rice (22) after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Aaron Judge homered in his second straight game and Ben Rice doubled in two runs as the visiting New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Saturday to complete a three-game series sweep.
San Francisco put its first two batters on base in the ninth against David Bednar before Harrison Bader struck out and Patrick Bailey grounded into a double play.
Bednar recorded his second save in as many games for the Yankees, who outscored the Giants 13-1 in the series and turned four inning-ending double plays in the finale. Jake Bird (1-0), one of four New York relievers, earned the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Rice put the Yankees ahead with a two-run double in the third inning against Tyler Mahle (0-1), who was making his Giants debut. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a single to right field, but Rice was thrown out at the plate by Heliot Ramos to end the inning.
San Francisco scored its first run of the season in the bottom of the third when Jung Hoo Lee hit a leadoff double off Will Warren and scored on Matt Chapman’s single up the middle.
Mahle allowed two runs on five hits over four innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Ryan Borucki retired the first two batters in the fifth before Judge put the Yankees ahead 3-1 by depositing an 0-1 cutter over the left-field wall.
The Yankees turned to their bullpen after Warren gave up one run on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Bird replaced Brent Headrick in the sixth after Rafael Devers doubled to begin the inning. After Devers moved to third on Ramos’ single, Bird struck out Willy Adames and escaped the jam unscathed when Bader grounded into a double play.
The Yankees threatened with two runners on and one out in the eighth against Erik Miller, who struck out Rice before JT Brubaker entered and got Stanton to pop out to first.
San Francisco brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the eighth against Tim Hill when Luis Arraez singled in front of Devers, who grounded into an inning-ending double play.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brice Turang provides lift as Brewers handle White Sox
Mar 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) steals second base as Chicago White Sox shortstop Luisangel Acuna (0) takes the throw in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Chad Patrick pitched effectively into the fifth inning and Brice Turang doubled twice to pace the Milwaukee Brewers past the visiting Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday night for their second consecutive victory.
Aaron Ashby (1-0) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Patrick allowed one run on five hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. Angel Zerpa, Abner Uribe and DL Hall finished with a scoreless inning apiece.
Munetaka Murakami, who played the previous eight seasons in his native Japan before signing with Chicago, homered for the second consecutive game, a 409-foot leadoff shot in the fourth inning off Patrick to pull the White Sox within 4-1.
The Brewers, who routed Chicago 14-2 in the opener Thursday, jumped on Sean Burke (0-1) for three runs in the first. Turang doubled to open, advanced on a comebacker to the mound, and scored on Christian Yelich’s single. Jake Bauers singled Yelich to third and took second on the throw. Garrett Mitchell followed with a two-run single up the middle.
Milwaukee added an unearned run in the second when Turang blooped a two-out double inside the left field line and William Contreras walked. Yelich singled on an infield dribbler and Turang continued home on Burke’s errant throw to first.
The Brewers made it 5-1 in the sixth when David Hamilton walked with one out, stole second and scored on Brandon Lockridge’s single.
The White Sox missed an opportunity in the seventh when Colson Montgomery tried to score from first on Austin Hays’ double to left, but was thrown out at home on a perfect relay from shortstop Joey Ortiz to end the inning.
Mitchell hustled up an insurance run in the bottom half when he singled with one out, stole second, and scored on Ortiz’s single.
Burke allowed four runs, three earned, on seven hits in four innings, striking out five and walking one.
–Field Level Media
Dominic Smith's walk-off grand slam lifts Braves past Royals
Yankees complete season-opening, three-game sweep of Giants
