Sports
With skid over, Phillies look to build on win, take series at Braves
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Now that the Philadelphia Phillies have ended their 10-game losing streak, they’ll try to do on Sunday what no one else has done this season — win a series against the Atlanta Braves.
The Phillies beat the Braves 8-5 in 10 innings on Saturday to square the three-game series in Atlanta. The Braves are 7-0-1 in series this season, including a three-game sweep of Philadelphia last week, and have the best record in the National League.
“We needed it for sure,” Philadelphia first baseman Bryce Harper said. “Got to keep working. Obviously, we were in a bad stretch, so to get a win is huge. Got to keep doing it.”
The pitching matchup for the rubber game features Atlanta’s Chris Sale (4-1, 2.79 ERA) against Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.06).
Sale is looking for a repeat performance from April 18, when he beat the Phillies 3-1. Sale pitched a season-long seven innings and allowed only one run on five hits and one walk. He matched his season high with seven strikeouts. Sale has allowed one or fewer runs in four of his five starts.
“He threw the ball really well, using all his pitches,” Atlanta catcher Jonah Heim said. “That’s what future Hall of Famers do — they go out against division rivals and they give their best effort. It was a lot of fun to be behind the plate for.”
Sale has made eight career starts against the Phillies, going 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA. He faced Philadelphia three times in 2025 and went 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA.
Nola did not face the Braves when the teams met last week. In his most recent start on Monday against the Chicago Cubs, he was removed after pitching only 4 1/3 innings, his shortest stint of the season. He allowed five runs on six hits and four walks, striking out five in a 5-1 loss.
“After the first inning, it just seemed like (Nola) had trouble getting ahead, trouble commanding his fastball,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said afterward. “Wasn’t landing his breaking ball. I don’t know if the ball was a little slick or what. Four walks, kind of uncharacteristic for Aaron. It was a tough one for him.”
Nola has made 38 career starts against Atlanta, the most against any opponent, and posted a 17-11 record with a 3.65 ERA. He made one appearance against the Braves last season and earned a victory in a 19-4 Philadelphia win.
The Phillies had 11 hits in Saturday’s win, with only one starter failing to get a hit. Harper was 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a two-run single in the 10th inning to produce the go-ahead runs.
“I’m just trying to get something to hit hard,” Harper said. “I feel good at the plate right now.”
Atlanta’s Michael Harris II was back in the starting lineup as the designated hitter. He went 2-for-4, upping his average to .333, and drove in two runs. But his absence in center field was felt. His replacement, Eli White, slipped on the wet grass in the eighth inning, leading to Kyle Schwarber’s triple. He scored on Harper’s sacrifice fly.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to struggle. He was 0-for-4, dropping his average to .226. He walked in the seventh and stole second base but was picked off by Jose Alvarado to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
The Mariners receive right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect in minor league catcher Boston Smith and conditional cash considerations. The White Sox will pay the remainder of Castillo’s salary, according to multiple reports, which is about $30 million guaranteed from now through the 2027 season.
Castillo is in the fourth year of a five-year, $108 million contract with a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He is having his worst season at 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). The 33-year-old has recorded 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.
For his career, Castillo is 87-93 with a 3.65 ERA, 485 walks and 1,579 strikeouts in 1,510 1/3 innings over 263 regular-season games (260 starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-26).
He was selected to the All-Star Game with the Reds (2019, 2022) and the Mariners (2023) — finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season.
Castillo is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over six postseason games (five starts) — experience lacking in Chicago’s other starters.
Dominguez, 31, is 4-3 with 12 saves, a 4.10 ERA, 23 walks and 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over 42 relief appearances in his first season with the White Sox.
He has a career record of 27-26 with 52 saves, a 3.57 ERA in 343 1/3 innings over 364 relief appearances. He has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-19, 2021-24), Baltimore Orioles (2024-25), Toronto Blue Jays (2025) and White Sox. He went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season.
Jones, 28, is batting .247 with 30 home runs and 137 RBIs in 349 games with Cleveland (2022, 2025) and the Colorado Rockies (2023-24). Jones was batting a combined .257 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 games with the Guardians’ and White Sox’s Triple-A affiliates this year.
Cleveland selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the White Sox for $250,000 in bonus pool money and cash considerations on June 11.
Smith, 23, has played 78 games in the White Sox’s minor league system from Single-A to High-A to Double-A this season and batted .291 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs.
The Washington Nationals picked Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Wright State.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brewers claim best record in baseball with late rally past Angels
Aug 1, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers (9) is greeted by left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Brice Turang drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Jake Bauers homered for the second straight game to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Jackson Chourio doubled and scored a run and William Contreras also doubled for Milwaukee, which moved atop the major league standings at 69-41, a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chad Patrick (6-4) struck out five and gave up one hit over two shutout innings to pick up the win in relief. Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 18th save.
Mike Trout went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Jorge Soler doubled and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which lost its fifth straight game.
Samy Natera Jr. (1-1) picked up the loss, allowing one run on two hits in two innings with four strikeouts. Natera was the third of four pitchers used by the Angels, who elected to go with a bullpen game after scheduled starter Jose Soriano, the subject of trade rumors, was scratched a few hours before the game.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Trout singled and scored on Soler’s bloop double down the left field line.
Bauers, who hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run fifth inning in Milwaukee’s 6-2 victory in Friday’s series opener, tied the game in the fourth inning with his 20th home run, a 401-foot line drive into the bleachers in right-center.
The Brewers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning when Chourio lined a double over the head of left fielder Jose Siri and scored on a bloop single to center by Turang.
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth against Kirby Yates when Garrett Mitchell walked with two outs, stole second and scored on a softly hit groundball single to center by Cooper Pratt.
Brewers starter Robert Gasser allowed one run on four hits over five innings, striking out six and walking two. Angels replacement starter Brent Suter walked three and struck out one in two no-hit innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Walk-filled third inning helps Pirates beat Reds, snap 4-game skid
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) tags out Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) on his way to second in the third inning between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft threw five solid innings and Jake Mangum had two hits and a run to lift the visiting Pirates to a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Ashcraft (11-4) allowed one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts before a 106-minute weather delay preceded the bottom of the sixth inning.
Bryan Reynolds, Esmerlyn Valdez, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis finished with an RBI apiece for the Pirates, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Gregory Soto pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 14th save. Three Pittsburgh pitchers combined to hold Cincinnati to three hits. The Pirates recorded six hits.
Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the third despite collecting only one hit. Davis drew a leadoff walk from starter Andrew Abbott (5-7), then Mangum singled and Brandon Lowe coaxed a walk to load the bases. Reynolds and Valdez drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 2-0.
Gonzales followed with a fielder’s choice to plate Brandon Lowe and give the Pirates a three-run lead. As a steady rain fell throughout the inning, the grounds crew briefly tended to the mound.
Cincinnati got on the board in the fifth when Jose Trevino opened the frame with an opposite-field homer to right.
The Pirates extended their advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when Davis feathered an RBI single into shallow center, just beyond the reach of a diving TJ Friedl.
The Reds, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the fourth. Sal Stewart was hit by a pitch before being forced out at second on JJ Bleday’s fielder’s choice. Nathaniel Lowe singled to center and, after Noelvi Marte popped out, Bleday advanced to third when no one covered second on Ashcraft’s pickoff attempt. But Eugenio Suarez struck out to end the inning.
Elly De La Cruz lined a rocket to center to open the eighth, but Mangum chased it down and made a leaping catch.
Abbott allowed three runs on three hits while matching a season high with five walks over five innings. He struck out one.
–Field Level Media
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
Brewers claim best record in baseball with late rally past Angels
