Deadspin | Rob Refsnyder’s blast lifts Mariners to sweep of Cards Apr 26, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder (30) hits a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder homered with one out in the ninth inning to break a tie as the Seattle Mariners defeated the host St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Sunday afternoon. Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, who swept the three-game interleague series. JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row. Refsnyder deposited a 3-2 sweeper from Cardinals reliever JoJo Romero (0-1) into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field. Seattle reliever Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the victory and Jose A. Ferrer worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season. Wetherholt homered leading off the bottom of the third, driving a 1-1 fastball from Mariners starter Emerson Hancock over the fence in right-center field for the game’s first run. It was the fifth homer of the season for the rookie. Raleigh answered with one out in the top of the fourth off St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy, crushing a 1-1 changeup off the back wall of the Cardinals’ bullpen in right field. It was the sixth homer of the season and the fourth in the past six games for Raleigh, who led the majors with 60 last season — an MLB record for a catcher and a switch hitter. The Cardinals regained the lead in the sixth when Church hit a 1-1 changeup from Hancock out to right. It was the third homer in the past two games and the fifth of the season for Church. The Mariners manufactured a run off St. Louis reliever Matt Svanson in the seventh to tie it at 2. With two outs, Connor Joe lined a double down the left field line and scored on Cole Young’s single to right-center. Hancock and McGreevy both made quality starts but neither factored into the decision. Hancock allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. McGreevy also went six innings, and gave up one run on five hits, with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts. Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor didn’t play because of quad tightness. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rob #Refsnyders #blast #lifts #Mariners #sweep #Cards

Deadspin | Mirra Andreeva, Marta Kostyuk to square off in Madrid Open final Mar 23, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mirra Andreeva serves against Victoria Mboko (CAN) (not pictured) on day 7 of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Mirra Andreeva of Russia will meet Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Madrid Open final after they pulled out semifinal victories Thursday. Andreeva, the ninth seed, fought past No. 30 seed Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8). No. 26 seed Kostyuk needed three sets to vanquish Austria’s Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 1-6, 6-1. In winning the semifinal showdown one day after her 19th birthday, Andreeva became the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals since the format was introduced in 2009. She rose the rankings last season when she won the WTA 1000 titles at Dubai and Indian Wells back-to-back. Andreeva had a difficult challenger in Baptiste, who upset World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the quarterfinals. Baptiste saved six match points against Sabalenka and saved two more on Friday against Andreeva, one of them during the second-set tiebreaker. First, Andreeva clawed out of a 4-0 hole by winning the next four points in a row. She saved three set points for Baptiste and took an 8-7 lead. Baptiste saved that one with an ace before Andreeva finished the job. “After (the tiebreaker) was 4-0, I just really tried to win one point. And then after one point I said to myself, ‘OK, let’s win another one,'” Andreeva said. “I just tried to play point by point, and I guess that’s how I came back in the tiebreak as well.” Andreeva won a stellar 35 of 43 first-service points (81.4%) and only faced a break point once. Kostyuk, meanwhile, advanced to her first career WTA 1000 final and remained unbeaten on clay to start the season. Kostyuk won the Open Rouen Metropole on the surface earlier this month in France. Kostyuk saved 8 of 12 break points on her serve while converting 6 of 13 opportunities to break Potapova’s serve. She bounced back from a second-set drubbing to win the first four games of the third set and regain control. Andreeva may have the better seed and more experience at the 1000 level, but she said she doesn’t consider herself the favorite in the final. “I’ve learned not to care about the rankings of my opponent or the last name of my opponent as well,” Andreeva said. “I’m just going to try to go on court and do the things that I have to do to really focus on the game plan that we create with (coach Conchita Martinez), and that’s the only thing I can control.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Mirra #Andreeva #Marta #Kostyuk #square #Madrid #Open #final

#Deadspin #Mirra #Andreeva #Marta #Kostyuk #square #Madrid #Open #final">

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Mar 23, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mirra Andreeva serves against Victoria Mboko (CAN) (not pictured) on day 7 of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Mirra Andreeva of Russia will meet Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Madrid Open final after they pulled out semifinal victories Thursday.

Andreeva, the ninth seed, fought past No. 30 seed Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8). No. 26 seed Kostyuk needed three sets to vanquish Austria’s Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

In winning the semifinal showdown one day after her 19th birthday, Andreeva became the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals since the format was introduced in 2009. She rose the rankings last season when she won the WTA 1000 titles at Dubai and Indian Wells back-to-back.

Andreeva had a difficult challenger in Baptiste, who upset World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the quarterfinals. Baptiste saved six match points against Sabalenka and saved two more on Friday against Andreeva, one of them during the second-set tiebreaker.

First, Andreeva clawed out of a 4-0 hole by winning the next four points in a row. She saved three set points for Baptiste and took an 8-7 lead. Baptiste saved that one with an ace before Andreeva finished the job.

“After (the tiebreaker) was 4-0, I just really tried to win one point. And then after one point I said to myself, ‘OK, let’s win another one,'” Andreeva said. “I just tried to play point by point, and I guess that’s how I came back in the tiebreak as well.”

Andreeva won a stellar 35 of 43 first-service points (81.4%) and only faced a break point once.

Kostyuk, meanwhile, advanced to her first career WTA 1000 final and remained unbeaten on clay to start the season. Kostyuk won the Open Rouen Metropole on the surface earlier this month in France.

Kostyuk saved 8 of 12 break points on her serve while converting 6 of 13 opportunities to break Potapova’s serve. She bounced back from a second-set drubbing to win the first four games of the third set and regain control.

Andreeva may have the better seed and more experience at the 1000 level, but she said she doesn’t consider herself the favorite in the final.

“I’ve learned not to care about the rankings of my opponent or the last name of my opponent as well,” Andreeva said. “I’m just going to try to go on court and do the things that I have to do to really focus on the game plan that we create with (coach Conchita Martinez), and that’s the only thing I can control.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Mirra #Andreeva #Marta #Kostyuk #square #Madrid #Open #final">Deadspin | Mirra Andreeva, Marta Kostyuk to square off in Madrid Open final

Mar 23, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mirra Andreeva serves against Victoria Mboko (CAN) (not pictured) on day 7 of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Mirra Andreeva of Russia will meet Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Madrid Open final after they pulled out semifinal victories Thursday.

Andreeva, the ninth seed, fought past No. 30 seed Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8). No. 26 seed Kostyuk needed three sets to vanquish Austria’s Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

In winning the semifinal showdown one day after her 19th birthday, Andreeva became the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals since the format was introduced in 2009. She rose the rankings last season when she won the WTA 1000 titles at Dubai and Indian Wells back-to-back.

Andreeva had a difficult challenger in Baptiste, who upset World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the quarterfinals. Baptiste saved six match points against Sabalenka and saved two more on Friday against Andreeva, one of them during the second-set tiebreaker.

First, Andreeva clawed out of a 4-0 hole by winning the next four points in a row. She saved three set points for Baptiste and took an 8-7 lead. Baptiste saved that one with an ace before Andreeva finished the job.

“After (the tiebreaker) was 4-0, I just really tried to win one point. And then after one point I said to myself, ‘OK, let’s win another one,'” Andreeva said. “I just tried to play point by point, and I guess that’s how I came back in the tiebreak as well.”

Andreeva won a stellar 35 of 43 first-service points (81.4%) and only faced a break point once.

Kostyuk, meanwhile, advanced to her first career WTA 1000 final and remained unbeaten on clay to start the season. Kostyuk won the Open Rouen Metropole on the surface earlier this month in France.

Kostyuk saved 8 of 12 break points on her serve while converting 6 of 13 opportunities to break Potapova’s serve. She bounced back from a second-set drubbing to win the first four games of the third set and regain control.

Andreeva may have the better seed and more experience at the 1000 level, but she said she doesn’t consider herself the favorite in the final.

“I’ve learned not to care about the rankings of my opponent or the last name of my opponent as well,” Andreeva said. “I’m just going to try to go on court and do the things that I have to do to really focus on the game plan that we create with (coach Conchita Martinez), and that’s the only thing I can control.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Mirra #Andreeva #Marta #Kostyuk #square #Madrid #Open #final

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