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Deadspin | Nico Hoerner drives in 5 as Cubs blitz Phillies to win series Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (42) advances home to score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Nico Hoerner had a career-high five RBIs and Shota Imanaga matched a personal best with 11 strikeouts, lifting the visiting Chicago Cubs to an 11-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Hoerner hit an RBI single in the third inning and later scored on a throwing error. He belted a two-run homer in the fifth and ripped a two-run single in the sixth, giving him 19 hits and 16 RBIs in 13 games this month. Matt Shaw ripped a two-run double and Dansby Swanson launched a solo homer to highlight their respective three-hit performances. The Cubs finished with 15 hits to win the decisive contest of the three-game series and record a second straight victory for just the second time this season. Chicago has totaled 35 runs on 51 hits over the past four games. The power surge was more than enough for Imanaga (1-1), who overcame a leadoff homer by Trea Turner to shut down the Phillies. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits and one walk before exiting after six innings. He threw 97 pitches, 67 of them strikes. Bryce Harper belted a solo homer in the ninth inning for Philadelphia, which mustered just five hits en route to losing for the sixth time in the past eight games. Turner deposited a 0-1 fastball from Imanaga over the wall in center field to open the scoring. Hoerner leveled the contest in the third with an RBI single to center field, driving in Shaw, who had doubled. Hoerner advanced to second base on a walk and came around to score after Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s attempted throw to third base sailed into left field. Alex Bregman moved to third on the miscue and scored after Jesus Luzardo (1-3) uncorked a wild pitch, staking Chicago to a 3-1 lead. In the fifth, Hoerner doubled the advantage by sending a first-pitch fastball over the wall in center field for a two-run homer. Shaw’s two-run double in the sixth inning drove Luzardo from the game, and Hoerner’s two-run single closed the book on the pitcher. Luzardo permitted nine runs (eight earned) on in 5 1/3 innings. He yielded a career-high-tying 12 hits while fanning four and walking one. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Nico #Hoerner #drives #Cubs #blitz #Phillies #win #series

Deadspin | Nico Hoerner drives in 5 as Cubs blitz Phillies to win series
Deadspin | Nico Hoerner drives in 5 as Cubs blitz Phillies to win series Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (42) advances home to score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Nico Hoerner had a career-high five RBIs and Shota Imanaga matched a personal best with 11 strikeouts, lifting the visiting Chicago Cubs to an 11-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Hoerner hit an RBI single in the third inning and later scored on a throwing error. He belted a two-run homer in the fifth and ripped a two-run single in the sixth, giving him 19 hits and 16 RBIs in 13 games this month. Matt Shaw ripped a two-run double and Dansby Swanson launched a solo homer to highlight their respective three-hit performances. The Cubs finished with 15 hits to win the decisive contest of the three-game series and record a second straight victory for just the second time this season. Chicago has totaled 35 runs on 51 hits over the past four games. The power surge was more than enough for Imanaga (1-1), who overcame a leadoff homer by Trea Turner to shut down the Phillies. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits and one walk before exiting after six innings. He threw 97 pitches, 67 of them strikes. Bryce Harper belted a solo homer in the ninth inning for Philadelphia, which mustered just five hits en route to losing for the sixth time in the past eight games. Turner deposited a 0-1 fastball from Imanaga over the wall in center field to open the scoring. Hoerner leveled the contest in the third with an RBI single to center field, driving in Shaw, who had doubled. Hoerner advanced to second base on a walk and came around to score after Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s attempted throw to third base sailed into left field. Alex Bregman moved to third on the miscue and scored after Jesus Luzardo (1-3) uncorked a wild pitch, staking Chicago to a 3-1 lead. In the fifth, Hoerner doubled the advantage by sending a first-pitch fastball over the wall in center field for a two-run homer. Shaw’s two-run double in the sixth inning drove Luzardo from the game, and Hoerner’s two-run single closed the book on the pitcher. Luzardo permitted nine runs (eight earned) on in 5 1/3 innings. He yielded a career-high-tying 12 hits while fanning four and walking one. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Nico #Hoerner #drives #Cubs #blitz #Phillies #win #seriesApr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (42) advances home to score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Nico Hoerner had a career-high five RBIs and Shota Imanaga matched a personal best with 11 strikeouts, lifting the visiting Chicago Cubs to an 11-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Hoerner hit an RBI single in the third inning and later scored on a throwing error. He belted a two-run homer in the fifth and ripped a two-run single in the sixth, giving him 19 hits and 16 RBIs in 13 games this month.

Matt Shaw ripped a two-run double and Dansby Swanson launched a solo homer to highlight their respective three-hit performances.

The Cubs finished with 15 hits to win the decisive contest of the three-game series and record a second straight victory for just the second time this season. Chicago has totaled 35 runs on 51 hits over the past four games.

The power surge was more than enough for Imanaga (1-1), who overcame a leadoff homer by Trea Turner to shut down the Phillies. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits and one walk before exiting after six innings. He threw 97 pitches, 67 of them strikes.


Bryce Harper belted a solo homer in the ninth inning for Philadelphia, which mustered just five hits en route to losing for the sixth time in the past eight games.

Turner deposited a 0-1 fastball from Imanaga over the wall in center field to open the scoring.

Hoerner leveled the contest in the third with an RBI single to center field, driving in Shaw, who had doubled. Hoerner advanced to second base on a walk and came around to score after Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s attempted throw to third base sailed into left field.

Alex Bregman moved to third on the miscue and scored after Jesus Luzardo (1-3) uncorked a wild pitch, staking Chicago to a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth, Hoerner doubled the advantage by sending a first-pitch fastball over the wall in center field for a two-run homer.

Shaw’s two-run double in the sixth inning drove Luzardo from the game, and Hoerner’s two-run single closed the book on the pitcher. Luzardo permitted nine runs (eight earned) on in 5 1/3 innings. He yielded a career-high-tying 12 hits while fanning four and walking one.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Nico #Hoerner #drives #Cubs #blitz #Phillies #win #series

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Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (42) advances home to score against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Nico Hoerner had a career-high five RBIs and Shota Imanaga matched a personal best with 11 strikeouts, lifting the visiting Chicago Cubs to an 11-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Hoerner hit an RBI single in the third inning and later scored on a throwing error. He belted a two-run homer in the fifth and ripped a two-run single in the sixth, giving him 19 hits and 16 RBIs in 13 games this month.

Matt Shaw ripped a two-run double and Dansby Swanson launched a solo homer to highlight their respective three-hit performances.

The Cubs finished with 15 hits to win the decisive contest of the three-game series and record a second straight victory for just the second time this season. Chicago has totaled 35 runs on 51 hits over the past four games.

The power surge was more than enough for Imanaga (1-1), who overcame a leadoff homer by Trea Turner to shut down the Phillies. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits and one walk before exiting after six innings. He threw 97 pitches, 67 of them strikes.

Bryce Harper belted a solo homer in the ninth inning for Philadelphia, which mustered just five hits en route to losing for the sixth time in the past eight games.

Turner deposited a 0-1 fastball from Imanaga over the wall in center field to open the scoring.

Hoerner leveled the contest in the third with an RBI single to center field, driving in Shaw, who had doubled. Hoerner advanced to second base on a walk and came around to score after Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto’s attempted throw to third base sailed into left field.

Alex Bregman moved to third on the miscue and scored after Jesus Luzardo (1-3) uncorked a wild pitch, staking Chicago to a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth, Hoerner doubled the advantage by sending a first-pitch fastball over the wall in center field for a two-run homer.

Shaw’s two-run double in the sixth inning drove Luzardo from the game, and Hoerner’s two-run single closed the book on the pitcher. Luzardo permitted nine runs (eight earned) on in 5 1/3 innings. He yielded a career-high-tying 12 hits while fanning four and walking one.

–Field Level Media

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Amazon-backed X-energy files to raise up to $800M in IPO | TechCrunch<div> <p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">Nuclear startup X-energy began its investor roadshow Wednesday as it works toward its IPO, setting its target price between $16 and $19 per share, according to <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2088896/000110465926043799/tm2527015-17_s1a.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">documents filed</a> with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about $814 million.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://x-energy.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">X-energy</a> and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and societywide electrification. </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a $500 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/16/amazon-jumps-on-nuclear-power-bandwagon-by-investing-in-x-energy-and-promising-small-reactors/">as much as 5 gigawatts</a> of nuclear power from the company by 2039.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about $1.8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/x-energy-mutually-terminates-2-billion-deal-go-public-with-ares-acquisition-2023-10-31/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">canceled the deal</a> in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The startup said in <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2088896/000110465926043799/tm2527015-17_s1a.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">its SEC filing</a> that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/standard-nuclear-emerges-from-the-ashes-of-a-failed-startup/">to form Standard Nuclear</a>. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs.</p> <div class="wp-block-techcrunch-inline-cta"> <div class="inline-cta__wrapper"> <p>Techcrunch event</p> <div class="inline-cta__content"> <p> <span class="inline-cta__location">San Francisco, CA</span> <span class="inline-cta__separator">|</span> <span class="inline-cta__date">October 13-15, 2026</span> </p> </div> </div> </div> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/11/nuclear-startups-are-back-in-vogue-with-small-reactors-and-big-challenges/">around a decade</a> for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects.</p> </div>#Amazonbacked #Xenergy #files #raise #800M #IPO #TechCrunchAmazon,IPO,nuclear fission,nuclear power,X-Energy

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A Swiss hockey coach who admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he’d been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China’s travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics has been fired.

In a statement late Monday, head coach Patrick Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Switzerland men’s team using false paperwork.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially supported him, saying the case was closed because he had admitted to his mistake. But that changed Wednesday with news of his dismissal.

“The case is legally closed but has triggered a public debate about values and trust, which the federation takes very seriously,” federation president Urs Kessler said in a statement.

“From today’s perspective, our initial assessment — that the matter was concluded — was too short-sighted. This is about values and respect, that are fundamental to Swiss Ice Hockey and which Patrick Fischer did not uphold in 2022.”

Fischer had said before he was fired that “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed people with this situation.”

“I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn’t want to be vaccinated,” he added. “At the same time I certainly didn’t want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.”

Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. SRF said he went public with his admission shortly after.

Switzerland hosts the world championship next month. Fischer was already due to step down after that.

Jan Cadieux, Switzerland’s former under-20 coach who had already been announced as Fischer’s replacement beginning next year, will take over in the new job immediately, the federation said.

Fischer was one of Switzerland’s most successful hockey coaches. He’d been in the post since 2015 and took the team to three Olympics as well as winning three world championship silver medals.

His team reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 Olympics, where COVID-19 testing was a requirement and the NHL stayed away because of the pandemic.

Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in the world. It insisted any athletes heading to the Games had to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or sit out a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.

Published on Apr 16, 2026

#Ice #hockey #coach #fired #false #COVID19 #vaccine #certificate #Winter #Olympics">Ice hockey coach fired for using false COVID-19 vaccine certificate at Winter Olympics A Swiss hockey coach who admitted he used a certificate falsely claiming he’d been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get around China’s travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics has been fired.In a statement late Monday, head coach Patrick Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Switzerland men’s team using false paperwork.The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially supported him, saying the case was closed because he had admitted to his mistake. But that changed Wednesday with news of his dismissal.“The case is legally closed but has triggered a public debate about values and trust, which the federation takes very seriously,” federation president Urs Kessler said in a statement.“From today’s perspective, our initial assessment — that the matter was concluded — was too short-sighted. This is about values and respect, that are fundamental to Swiss Ice Hockey and which Patrick Fischer did not uphold in 2022.”Fischer had said before he was fired that “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed people with this situation.”“I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn’t want to be vaccinated,” he added. “At the same time I certainly didn’t want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.”Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs (,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. SRF said he went public with his admission shortly after.Switzerland hosts the world championship next month. Fischer was already due to step down after that.Jan Cadieux, Switzerland’s former under-20 coach who had already been announced as Fischer’s replacement beginning next year, will take over in the new job immediately, the federation said.Fischer was one of Switzerland’s most successful hockey coaches. He’d been in the post since 2015 and took the team to three Olympics as well as winning three world championship silver medals.His team reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 Olympics, where COVID-19 testing was a requirement and the NHL stayed away because of the pandemic.Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in the world. It insisted any athletes heading to the Games had to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or sit out a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #Ice #hockey #coach #fired #false #COVID19 #vaccine #certificate #Winter #Olympics

Deadspin | Spencer Arrighetti strikes out 10, as Astros beat Rockies Apr 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Spencer Arrighetti struck out 10 batters in his season debut and Yordan Alvarez slugged his seventh home run, as the Houston Astros claimed an interleague series victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a 3-1 win on Wednesday. Elevated to the taxi squad on Tuesday, Arrighetti (1-0) became the second starter to debut for the Astros in as many days. With Houston down three injured starters, Arrighetti followed Colton Gordon and joined the makeshift rotation after starting the season with Triple-A Sugar Land. Arrighetti capitalized on the opportunity. He stranded a pair of baserunners in the top of the first inning and, after surrendering an RBI double to Willi Castro in the second, quickly settled in. Castro plated Ezequiel Tovar and cut the Rockies’ deficit to 2-1. Arrighetti followed by striking out Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien to strand Castro at second. He then fanned three batters in the third before loading the bases with a two-out walk to Julien in the fourth. Arrighetti escaped the pickle by getting a called third strike on Mikey Moniak. Arrighetti fanned Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros in the fifth and struck out Jordan Beck to close the sixth, stranding McCarthy at second. He allowed one run on two hits and walked four. Arrighetti threw 100 pitches, 61 for strikes. He hit two batters with pitches, Troy Johnston in the first and Castro in the fourth. Both batters left the game. The Astros were quick to spot Arrighetti a lead, posting a two-spot in the bottom of the first off Rockies left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1). Carlos Correa, Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes walked in succession to open the first against Quintana, who was recalled from the 15-day injured list to make his second start of the season. Christian Walker and Cam Smith followed the string of free passes with consecutive sacrifice flies that plated Correa and Alvarez and spotted the Astros a 2-0 lead. Alvarez led off the third with a 375-foot blast to right field. Quintana allowed three runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout over 3 2/3 innings. Relievers Steven Okert, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel De Los Santos covered the final three innings for Houston; De Los Santos recorded his second save of the series. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Spencer #Arrighetti #strikes #Astros #beat #RockiesApr 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Spencer Arrighetti struck out 10 batters in his season debut and Yordan Alvarez slugged his seventh home run, as the Houston Astros claimed an interleague series victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a 3-1 win on Wednesday.

Elevated to the taxi squad on Tuesday, Arrighetti (1-0) became the second starter to debut for the Astros in as many days. With Houston down three injured starters, Arrighetti followed Colton Gordon and joined the makeshift rotation after starting the season with Triple-A Sugar Land.

Arrighetti capitalized on the opportunity. He stranded a pair of baserunners in the top of the first inning and, after surrendering an RBI double to Willi Castro in the second, quickly settled in.

Castro plated Ezequiel Tovar and cut the Rockies’ deficit to 2-1. Arrighetti followed by striking out Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien to strand Castro at second. He then fanned three batters in the third before loading the bases with a two-out walk to Julien in the fourth. Arrighetti escaped the pickle by getting a called third strike on Mikey Moniak.


Arrighetti fanned Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros in the fifth and struck out Jordan Beck to close the sixth, stranding McCarthy at second. He allowed one run on two hits and walked four. Arrighetti threw 100 pitches, 61 for strikes. He hit two batters with pitches, Troy Johnston in the first and Castro in the fourth. Both batters left the game.

The Astros were quick to spot Arrighetti a lead, posting a two-spot in the bottom of the first off Rockies left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1).

Carlos Correa, Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes walked in succession to open the first against Quintana, who was recalled from the 15-day injured list to make his second start of the season. Christian Walker and Cam Smith followed the string of free passes with consecutive sacrifice flies that plated Correa and Alvarez and spotted the Astros a 2-0 lead.

Alvarez led off the third with a 375-foot blast to right field. Quintana allowed three runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout over 3 2/3 innings.

Relievers Steven Okert, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel De Los Santos covered the final three innings for Houston; De Los Santos recorded his second save of the series.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Spencer #Arrighetti #strikes #Astros #beat #Rockies">Deadspin | Spencer Arrighetti strikes out 10, as Astros beat Rockies Apr 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Spencer Arrighetti struck out 10 batters in his season debut and Yordan Alvarez slugged his seventh home run, as the Houston Astros claimed an interleague series victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a 3-1 win on Wednesday. Elevated to the taxi squad on Tuesday, Arrighetti (1-0) became the second starter to debut for the Astros in as many days. With Houston down three injured starters, Arrighetti followed Colton Gordon and joined the makeshift rotation after starting the season with Triple-A Sugar Land. Arrighetti capitalized on the opportunity. He stranded a pair of baserunners in the top of the first inning and, after surrendering an RBI double to Willi Castro in the second, quickly settled in. Castro plated Ezequiel Tovar and cut the Rockies’ deficit to 2-1. Arrighetti followed by striking out Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien to strand Castro at second. He then fanned three batters in the third before loading the bases with a two-out walk to Julien in the fourth. Arrighetti escaped the pickle by getting a called third strike on Mikey Moniak. Arrighetti fanned Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros in the fifth and struck out Jordan Beck to close the sixth, stranding McCarthy at second. He allowed one run on two hits and walked four. Arrighetti threw 100 pitches, 61 for strikes. He hit two batters with pitches, Troy Johnston in the first and Castro in the fourth. Both batters left the game. The Astros were quick to spot Arrighetti a lead, posting a two-spot in the bottom of the first off Rockies left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1). Carlos Correa, Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes walked in succession to open the first against Quintana, who was recalled from the 15-day injured list to make his second start of the season. Christian Walker and Cam Smith followed the string of free passes with consecutive sacrifice flies that plated Correa and Alvarez and spotted the Astros a 2-0 lead. Alvarez led off the third with a 375-foot blast to right field. Quintana allowed three runs on three hits and four walks with one strikeout over 3 2/3 innings. Relievers Steven Okert, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel De Los Santos covered the final three innings for Houston; De Los Santos recorded his second save of the series. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Spencer #Arrighetti #strikes #Astros #beat #Rockies

Liverpool and France forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a serious injury in his club’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, his national team coach Didier Deschamps said Wednesday.

The 23-year-old crumpled in a heap holding his lower right leg with a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon during the first half of Liverpool’s 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg defeat to European champions PSG on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, the severity of (Ekitike’s) injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” Deschamps said in a statement released by the French Football Federation.

“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team. I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”

Ekitike has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Liverpool since arriving at Anfield for a fee of 79 million pounds (USD 105.5 million) last summer.

Since winning his first France cap in a World Cup qualifier in September last year, Ekitike has been a regular in Les Bleus’ set-up, scoring two goals and providing one assist in his eight caps.

“It looks really bad, but difficult for me to say how bad,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after Tuesday’s match.

Injuries have been a major factor in a disastrous season for Liverpool as it sits fifth in the Premier League and will end the campaign without silverware.

“Losing a player is something we have had many times this season, but it is especially hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially at this time of the season,” added Slot.

Published on Apr 16, 2026

#FIFA #World #Cup #Ekitike #tournament #injury #confirms #France #boss #Deschamps">FIFA World Cup 2026: Ekitike will miss tournament with injury, confirms France boss Deschamps Liverpool and France forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 World Cup after suffering a serious injury in his club’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, his national team coach Didier Deschamps said Wednesday.The 23-year-old crumpled in a heap holding his lower right leg with a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon during the first half of Liverpool’s 2-0 quarterfinal second-leg defeat to European champions PSG on Tuesday.“Unfortunately, the severity of (Ekitike’s) injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” Deschamps said in a statement released by the French Football Federation.“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team. I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”Ekitike has scored 17 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Liverpool since arriving at Anfield for a fee of 79 million pounds (USD 105.5 million) last summer.Since winning his first France cap in a World Cup qualifier in September last year, Ekitike has been a regular in Les Bleus’ set-up, scoring two goals and providing one assist in his eight caps.“It looks really bad, but difficult for me to say how bad,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after Tuesday’s match.Injuries have been a major factor in a disastrous season for Liverpool as it sits fifth in the Premier League and will end the campaign without silverware.“Losing a player is something we have had many times this season, but it is especially hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially at this time of the season,” added Slot.Published on Apr 16, 2026 #FIFA #World #Cup #Ekitike #tournament #injury #confirms #France #boss #Deschamps

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