Ben Rice continued his torrid start by hitting a three-run homer in the second inning Friday night and the host New York Yankees recorded a 7-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees won for the 11th time in their past 13 games in their return from a 7-2 road trip against the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

Jose Caballero also homered and Cody Bellinger hit an RBI double as the Yankees rebounded from getting blanked for the second time this season. Aaron Judge added an RBI single in the eighth, reached base four times and scored on Bellinger’s double and Amed Rosario’s single in the seventh.

New York’s Will Warren (4-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out nine, walked one and won his third consecutive start.

Pete Alonso hit a tying homer in his first at-bat in New York since joining the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract after he was not offered a contract by the New York Mets in the offseason.

Baltimore’s Cade Povich (1-1) was tagged for five runs on seven hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.

In the first of seven meetings with the Yankees over the next two weeks, the Orioles were held to three hits and lost for the 10th time in 15 games. Earlier in the day, Baltimore put closer Ryan Helsley on the injured list with elbow inflammation.

Alonso forged a 1-1 tie by hitting a 1-1 sinker into the second deck in right field but the Yankees answered with a four-run second.

Caballero homered down the left field line by hitting Povich’s first-pitch fastball. Following a two-out double by Trent Grisham and a walk by Paul Goldschmidt, Rice hammered a 1-0 slider into the right field seats.

It was Rice’s 11th homer, one behind Judge for the team lead. It also was the first baseman’s seventh in the past 14 games and fifth off a left-handed pitcher this season.

Warren retired 12 straight until Alonso walked with one out in the seventh. After Samuel Bassallo singled and took second on Grisham’s error in center field, Fernando Cruz came in and allowed a run-scoring groundout to Dylan Beavers before finishing the inning.

Camilo Doval and Jake Bird pitched an inning apiece to close out the win.

–Field Level Media

Nashville SC will look to continue their winning ways when they return to MLS action Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union in Chester, Pa.

Nashville (7-1-1, 22 points) is unbeaten in its last three matches in league play but returns to the pitch Saturday following a 1-0 midweek loss to Tigres UANL in CONCACAF Champions Cup action.

Sam Surridge, who leads Nashville with nine goals through seven MLS appearances this season, is out week-to-week with a back injury and likely to miss Saturday’s match.

It’s the second injury this season for the English forward, who missed two contests in April due to a hamstring injury.

Despite multiple injuries, Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan isn’t concerned about the overall health of his star goal-scorer.

“I would say they’re two separate types of injuries,” Callaghan said. “We’ll lean on the medical team and doctors to guide his recovery and his return to play.”

Surridge is tied with Dallas’ Petar Musa early in the Golden Boot race.

Saturday is the first of two MLS meetings between Nashville and Philadelphia this season. Nashville hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 28 to conclude the season series.

Nashville swept the season series in 2025, winning 3-1 at the Union before posting a clean sheet in a 1-0 home victory.

Philadelphia (1-7-2, 5 points), on the opposite end of the Eastern Conference standings, returns home aiming to snap a three-match winless skid.

The Union’s lone win of the season came away at Montreal 2-1 on April 11. Philadelphia is without a win at home (0-3-1).

“It’s not good enough for the club standards that was set many years before us,” forward Milan Iloski said. “Especially at home, we have to be better. We have to pick up three points. We’re in a must-win mindset, and we have to come out with three points, no matter what it looks like or how it happens.”

Iloski and midfielder Danley Jean Jacques pace Philadelphia with two goals apiece.

–Field Level Media

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Always A Runner lived up to her name Friday evening as the Chad Brown-trained filly stormed down the stretch to take down rivals and claim the 152nd Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

In just her third start, she overcame a rough start from the ninth gate as she bumped with Prom Queen to her outside. Always A Runner, sired by Gun Runner, settled into the middle of the pack, staying there alongside the 5-1 favorite Zany as Explora led the field with a half-mile time of 46.85 seconds.

Always A Runner was ninth out of 13 as the horses entered the final turn in the 1-1/8-mile race and started gaining ground. Jockey Jose Ortiz shuffled her wide at the top of the stretch, where she chased down Meaning and Counting Stars and pulled away to finish in 1:48.82 and stayed perfect for her young career.

Owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Douglas Scharbauer, Always A Runner was one of four horses to go off at 5-1, with her win-pool bets making her the third choice. She paid $13.04 to win, $7.46 to place and $5.44 to show. Meaning, the fourth choice, finished a length back and paid $7.44 and $5.62. Counting Stars paid $5.36.

This isn’t the only 3-year-old Brown is running off just two starts this weekend. He also has Emerging Market in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Should the colt win, he would be the first to win the Derby off just two starts since 1883.

The Kentucky Oaks was run at night for the first time.

–Field Level Media

Shane McClanahan crafted his second straight scoreless start, Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero homered, and the Tampa Bay Rays opened a six-game homestand with a 3-0 win over the struggling San Francisco Giants on Friday night at St. Petersburg, Fla.

In a season-longest six inning, the left-handed McClanahan (3-2) allowed five hits, struck out five and did not issue a walk. He pitched five scoreless against the Minnesota Twins in his previous outing,

McClanahan was aided by two double plays to end his final two innings.

Diaz slugged a solo home run in the second, but the designated hitter left the game for a pinch hitter in the seventh. Caminero added a massive solo in the fourth.

Taylor Walls was 2-for-3 with a double, run and stolen base, though the Rays were outhit 6-5 by the visitors.

Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray (2-4) allowed just four hits in 6 1/3 innings, but three runs came across. He struck out five without a walk.

Luis Arraez doubled for the club’s only extra-base hit as they lost their fourth straight game and were shutout for a majors-high seventh time.

Leading off the bottom of the second and facing a 2-0 offering from Ray, Diaz belted his fifth homer to right on Ray’s four-seam fastball, taking it the other way an estimated 364 feet.

The Giants failed to muster much against McClanahan through the first time through the order, but overaggressive baserunning by Arraez trying to turn his double into a triple led to right field Jake Fraley and shortstop combining to toss out the three-time batting champ at third base.

Just as Diaz did two frames prior, Caminero opened the fourth with a 432-foot rocket to left on another four-seamer from Ray for a 2-0 lead.

After Walls doubled to lead off the sixth and stole third, Chandler Simpson lifted a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage.

Over the seventh and eighth inning, respectively, Tampa Bay relievers Ian Seymour and Cole Sulser kept the Giants off the board.

Closer Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout for his eighth save in 10 chances for the staff’s second shutout.

–Field Level Media

Stars forward Mikko Rantanen enters the offseason $5,000 lighter, fined that amount Friday for cross-checking Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov on Thursday night.

Minnesota defeated Dallas 5-2 in Game 6 to finish off a 4-2 win in the Western Conference first-round series.

The incident occurred early in the third period with the game tied at 2-2 when Rantanen delivered a high hit while battling for a loose puck. He drew a two-minute penalty for roughing and Kaprizov was able to stay in the game.

Rantanen, 29, recorded seven points (one goal, six assists) and 12 penalty minutes in six games in the series.

He had 77 points (22 goals, 55 assists) in 64 games during the regular season, his first full campaign with Dallas.

–Field Level Media