Sports
While Grizzlies evaluate GG Jackson, Pacers appreciate Obi Toppin's return
Feb 27, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images GG Jackson turned 21 years old in December, but the Memphis Grizzlies’ 6-foot-9 forward is practically an NBA veteran.
When the Grizzlies visit the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis, Jackson will be nearing the end of his third season in the league and playing some of the most consistent basketball of his career.
With Memphis being short-handed this season due to an abundance of injuries — the most significant being the multiple injuries to star guard Ja Morant and a lingering ankle issue with big man Zach Edey — Jackson has benefited from extended play.
In the team’s last six games, Jackson has emerged as an offensive presence. He has averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game during this stretch and produced season highs of 28 points and nine rebounds in a Feb. 21 loss at Miami.
He had 12 points, three boards and four assists in Friday’s 124-105 win at Dallas that snapped a three-game skid.
“GG has made big strides throughout the season,” said Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo. “We talked about it with GG during (the summer league). We said his superpower is getting to the paint. He’s been doing a great job of touching the paint. His (offensive) efficiency is (at a) career high right now. How he’s finishing in those situations is a testament to his hard work.”
Jackson, who missed most of last season due to an injury, has also been accurate from beyond the arc during the six-game stretch. He has made 12 of his 25 3-point attempts (48%), boosting his season percentage to 34.7% from long range.
Iisalo noted that Jackson has also been “playing way simpler” and passing the ball more effectively. He had five assists in each of the team’s games on Jan. 30 and 31 against New Orleans and Minnesota.
“Offensively, he’s playing well off the catch and finding the open guys,” Iisalo said. “He still has to toggle between the right amount of aggressiveness and patience.”
The team’s recent deal that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah has also created more playing time for GG Jackson, but at this early stage, he has yet to develop the same skills that earned Jaren Jackson the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2023.
“Defensively, (GG has) improved as a point-of-attack defender,” Iisalo said. “There are still some things that he needs to do better on the defensive end: being on a string, having that defensive awareness, rebounding better for his position. I think it’s very encouraging, the steps he’s making, and offensively, he has become a real weapon.”
Struggling Indiana hopes that the return of forward Obi Toppin will give the Pacers a boost. The sixth-year pro, who turns 28 on Wednesday, played Thursday in a 133-109 loss to Charlotte — his first action since suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in late October that required surgery. He scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes.
“It was heart-warming,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He brings energy to our team and our situation. It’s great to have him back (but) it’s clear this is going to be a slow process of getting him gradually up to speed. But we need him. We need bodies.”
Toppin’s playing time should gradually increase, beginning Sunday against Memphis.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “To be out there, I felt really good offensively and defensively. Just being out there, I feel like I’m going to find my rhythm.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki hopes his turnaround starts vs. Rockies
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) walks back to the dugout as he is taken out from the game by manager Dave Roberts (left) during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Roki Sasaki’s spectacular performance as a reliever during the 2025 postseason is not translating to success as a starter this season.
Sasaki (0-2, 6.23 ERA), in his second MLB season after much success in Japan, will start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies in the third game of a four-game series in Denver. The teams have split the first two contests.
This will be the first time Sasaki has faced the Rockies.
After earning three saves with an 0.84 ERA in nine games during the Dodgers’ run to their second consecutive World Series championship last year, the right-hander has made it through five innings in only one of his three starts in 2026 and has struggled with his control (10 walks in 13 innings).
The 24-year-old took a 5-2 loss in his most recent start last Sunday against the Texas Rangers. He threw 94 pitches in only four innings and gave up two runs on five hits and five walks, adding six strikeouts.
“So that’s something that I talked to him about, and challenging him to, when you take the baseball, we’re trying to go five innings or more,” manager Dave Roberts said after that game. “So I think that’s kind of the next progression for him, to be consistently able to do that.
“But I do feel the growth part of it is to hang in there, make pitches when he needs. That’s important. He spread the walks out, I guess, as well as you could, to kind of limit damage. That was something I was proud of in that sense.”
And Roberts can continue to be proud of Shohei Ohtani, who extended his on-base streak to 50 games. That ties “Wee” Willie Keeler for the third-longest such streak in Dodgers’ history since 1900. Next on the list is Shawn Green, whose 53-game streak came in 2000.
Ohtani had a single in the ninth inning but had reached base on Colorado errors twice before that.
Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10 ERA) will be Colorado’s starter on Sunday.
He will look to continue the momentum the Rockies gained Saturday night with their 4-3, come-from-behind win. Troy Johnston’s two-run double in the sixth inning turned a 3-2 deficit into the winning margin. Relievers Brennan Bernardino (who got the win), Jaden Hill and Victor Vodnik protected the lead.
Vodnik earned his third save of the season.
“They have some of the best stuff in the league,” Saturday’s starter, Ryan Feltner, said about the team’s bullpen. “I think their biggest thing is coming out and attacking.”
Lorenzen will look to turn around his fortunes this season.
He has given up 32 hits, tied for the most in the National League, in 16 2/3 innings over five games, four of them starts. Lorenzen’s latest outing was Tuesday, in which he took the loss at Houston, 7-6, by giving up seven runs (two earned) and six hits in 2 2/3 innings.
In nine career games against the Dodgers, Lorenzen is 1-0 with a 4.08 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. His sole win came as a member of the Texas Rangers on July 13, 2024, allowed an earned run in seven innings in the 3-1 Rangers’ victory.
— Field Level Media
Sports
Nothing comes easily for M's ahead of finale vs. Rangers
Apr 14, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images At some point this season, the Seattle Mariners will coast to a victory.
It appeared that might be the case on Saturday, when they carried a six-run lead into the ninth inning against the visiting Texas Rangers.
But nothing has been easy for these Mariners.
Closer Andres Munoz, who blew a four-run lead in a 7-6 loss Wednesday at San Diego, was forced to make an entrance in the ninth on Saturday with two outs and the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate.
Munoz struck out Brandon Nimmo for the final out in a 7-3 victory as the Mariners beat the American League West co-leaders for the first time in five meetings this season. The current three-game series will conclude Sunday afternoon in Seattle.
“It feels a lot better,” said Munoz, comparing Saturday to his previous outing. “We still have a lot of work to do. I’ve been working a lot these (last) couple days to get to this point. Obviously, we are not there yet, but it makes me feel a lot better that we are going in the right direction.”
Seattle’s George Kirby (3-2) allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in improving to 9-1 in his career starts against Texas. Luke Raley homered as the Mariners snapped a four-game skid.
Josh Jung went deep for the Rangers, who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Texas had its chances on Saturday, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving 16 on base.
“We kept putting pressure on, had the right guys up, the hot hitters up and just couldn’t get that big hit,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “I loved the battle, loved the at-bats. We did not chase today, for the most part, against a really tough pitcher.”
The Mariners were without third baseman and leadoff hitter Brendan Donovan, who left after the third inning Friday with discomfort in his left hip.
Donovan, who had offseason surgery for a sports hernia, has missed time with hip and groin issues this season.
“It’s something that you have to closely monitor and keep watching,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “It’s a big surgery, and he did a great job of getting through it, getting through spring training, and the slow ramp-up in spring training. Now that we’re into the season, it’s just continued monitoring.”
Sunday’s series finale will feature Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore (2-1, 3.00 ERA) against Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (0-2, 2.16).
The two squared off April 8 in Arlington, Texas, with Gore and the Rangers winning 3-0. Gore pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts while Woo gave up one earned run (three overall) on five hits over five frames.
Gore, who suffered a 2-1 loss to the host Athletics on Tuesday in West Sacramento, Calif., is 2-0 with an 0.50 ERA in three career starts against Seattle.
Woo, who lost 4-1 Tuesday at San Diego despite pitching seven solid innings, is 2-3 with a 4.12 ERA in eight previous starts vs. the Rangers.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A's, White Sox wrap up power-fueled series
Apr 18, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) hits a two run home run during the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz is looking to escape the sophomore slump.
The Athletics’ first baseman hit .290 last season with 64 extra-base hits — 36 of them home runs — to go with 86 RBIs. But on Saturday night against the Chicago White Sox, his two-run homer in the seventh inning tied the game at 6, and the A’s went on to win 7-6 in 11 innings on Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly.
The teams will finish their three-game series on Sunday afternoon in West Sacramento, Calif., after splitting the first two contests. The White Sox have homered four times in the first two games, the A’s twice.
One of those home runs was Kurtz’s second of the season, off reliever Jordan Leasure in the seventh to make the score 6-6 as the A’s erased an early 5-0 White Sox lead.
Kurtz said he knows his home-run pop can come and go.
“It’s baseball. It’s not always going to happen,” he said of balls going over the fence. “Especially for me. I feel like I’m a streaky power hitter, so when the times come where you put them all together, they’ll come together.”
Kurtz has kept a positive view throughout the first 21 games of the season, putting his focus on team success for the A’s.
“I wouldn’t really call it frustrating with the home runs, because we’re sitting here around .500. That’s all you can focus on, is winning games.”
Hitting only .235, Kurtz has had no trouble getting on base. His 23 walks lead the major leagues. He has 19 hits.
There could be a chance for both offenses to pile on the runs after the teams’ bullpens were stretched in the first two games.
On Friday, when Chicago won 9-2, the Athletics’ bullpen covered 4 1/3 innings, and the A’s used four relievers after starter Luis Severino exited in the sixth inning. On Saturday, the White Sox used six relievers following the departure of Erick Fedde in the fifth.
Munetaka Murakami broke open Friday’s game with a grand slam in the seventh for the White Sox.
On Sunday, the Athletics will turn to left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-0, 1.46 ERA) as the starter. Springs, with his fourth team in nine seasons, is 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the White Sox.
Rookie left-hander Noah Schultz (0-1, 6.23 ERA) will start for Chicago. A first-round selection for the White Sox in the 2022 MLB Draft, Schultz will make his second career start after debuting against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings of the 8-5 game.
Schultz said he saw both the positive and negative in his performance.
“A lot of stuff to build off of,” he said. “A lot of things I was proud of, a lot of things I need to work on this week.”
Schultz acknowledged there were “definitely nerves in the first inning” when three runs scored, but he credited himself for the way he “bounced back” and “got ahead of hitters a little bit more” in the following innings.
The White Sox are looking to win their first series win since they swept the Toronto Blue Jays from April 3-5.
–Field Level Media
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki hopes his turnaround starts vs. Rockies
Nothing comes easily for M's ahead of finale vs. Rangers
