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Deadspin | MLB roundup: Chad Tracy wins managerial debut as Red Sox top O’s  Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images   Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run and Connelly Early pitched into the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox won in their first game after a surprising weekend managerial change, beating the host Baltimore Orioles 5-3.  With Chad Tracy serving as interim manager after Alex Cora’s Saturday firing, Ceddanne Rafaela recorded an RBI triple and a double as the Red Sox won consecutive games for the first time since April 15 and 17.   Early (2-1) worked 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits with a season-low one walk. He struck out four.  Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo, who each had two hits, smacked solo home runs for the Orioles. Henderson added a second RBI on a single. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (1-3) gave up three runs on four hits in five innings.  Braves 6, Phillies 2    Chris Sale pitched six scoreless innings to earn the 150th victory of his career as Atlanta beat visiting Philadelphia in the rubber game of their three-game series.    Sale (5-1) retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed only one hit, a single to Trea Turner, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He struck out a season-high nine batters and moved past Chuck Finley into 28th place on the career strikeouts list with 2,617. Sale also became the fourth active pitcher with 150 wins, joining Justin Verlander (266), Max Scherzer (222) and Gerrit Cole (153).    Atlanta became the first team to win 20 games, a milestone they didn’t reach until May 12 in their 41st game in 2025. The Phillies, who ended their 10-game losing streak on Saturday, have lost 15 of their last 18. Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola (1-3) allowed a season-high six runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out six.  Rockies 3, Mets 1 (Game 1)    Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the fourth inning and hit into the tie-breaking, run-scoring double play in the sixth for visiting Colorado, which beat skidding New York in the opener of a doubleheader.    Jose Quintana (1-2) tossed 5 1/3 solid innings for the Rockies, who have won the first two games of the three-game set to lock up their third series win of the season. Colorado finished 43-119 last season and didn’t win its third series until July 18-20, when it took two of three from the Minnesota Twins.    Jake McCarthy added an insurance RBI single in the seventh for Colorado. Tyrone Taylor homered in the fifth for the Mets.  Rockies 3, Mets 0 (Game 2)    Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as visiting Colorado completed a doubleheader sweep of sinking New York. Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener.    Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.    New York has lost 15 of 17 — its worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004. Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.  Blue Jays 4, Guardians 2    Jesus Sanchez homered and drove in three runs to help Toronto earn a victory over visiting Cleveland.    Vladimir Guerrero had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from Cleveland. Toronto starter Patrick Corbin went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking two.    Slade Cecconi (0-4) saw his winless start to the season prolonged, yielding four runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one for Cleveland, which has dropped three of its last four games. Angel Martinez tallied two hits and an RBI in the loss.  Rays 4, Twins 2    Yandy Diaz belted a two-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning, helping Tampa Bay complete a three-game series sweep of Minnesota in St. Petersburg, Fla.    Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run, and Jonathan Aranda joined Diaz with two RBIs to pace the Rays to their fourth straight victory. Jesse Scholtens (2-1), who relieved opener Griffin Jax with one out in the third, allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings.    Brooks Lee hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-9 over the last 10. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.  Tigers 8, Reds 3  Hao-Yu Lee belted a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer and Spencer Torkelson had three hits and homered in his franchise-tying fifth straight game as visiting Detroit rallied for a win over Cincinnati.  Kerry Carpenter doubled and tripled, while Gleyber Torres added three hits, including a two-run homer for the Tigers. Detroit pitcher Keider Montero was charged with three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two over five innings, while lefty reliever Brant Hurter (3-0) pitched a perfect sixth to earn the win.  Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday belted solo homers for Cincinnati, which fell for just the second time in nine games. Starter Rhett Lowder settled down after a two-run first inning, and allowed just the two runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking one.  Nationals 2, White Sox 1 (10 innings)    Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as Washington edged host Chicago.     Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save. Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight. Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.     Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting Washington to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.  Astros 7, Yankees 4  Spencer Arrighetti worked seven strong innings, Christian Walker produced a three-hit game with a home run and Houston salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting New York.  Arrighetti (3-0), who opened the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowed three hits, walked one and posted eight strikeouts on 96 pitches, 64 for strikes. Walker finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs.   Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and scored for the Yankees, who rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth but had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Luis Gil (1-2) dished five hits through four innings, and allowed six runs.   Mariners 3, Cardinals 2  Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder homered with one out in the ninth inning to break a tie as Seattle defeated host St. Louis.  Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, who swept the three-game interleague set. Refsnyder deposited a 3-2 sweeper from reliever JoJo Romero (0-1) into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field. Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the victory and Jose A. Ferrer worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.  JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row. St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy went six innings, and gave up one run on five hits, with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts.  Brewers 5, Pirates 0    Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.    The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.    The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.  Athletics 2, Rangers 1    Carlos Cortes delivered a two-run triple in the first inning and the Athletics held on to beat Texas in the rubber match of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.    Cortes also had a pair of singles for the Athletics, while starting pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed three hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings before exiting with right arm soreness. Joel Kuhnel, Jacob Lopez, Justin Sterner (1-2) and Hogan Harris followed Ginn before right-hander Jack Perkins pitched two scoreless innings for his second save.    Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz set a franchise record by drawing a walk in his 16th consecutive game. He has also reached base safely in each of his last 22 games. Josh Jung doubled twice for the Rangers, who were out-hit 10-6 and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.  Diamondbacks 12, Padres 7  Ildemaro Vargas had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as Arizona overcame a six-run deficit to beat San Diego for a split of the short two-game Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.  Tim Tawa triggered a six-run seventh inning with his first career grand slam, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped it with a two-run single to give the D-Backs their first lead after having trailed 7-1. Ryne Nelson allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 14 runs in his last two starts over 5 1/3 innings.  Manny Machado had two home runs, Luis Campusano doubled and homered and Jackson Merrill had two hits for the Padres, who had won 13 of 15. Padres starter Michael King gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. He fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced.  Dodgers 6, Cubs 0  Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run in 13 games and Justin Wrobleski continued his strong start to the season with six scoreless innings as Los Angeles finished off a series victory over visiting Chicago.  Miguel Rojas hit a two-run double in the first inning and Dalton Rushing had an RBI single in the sixth. Wrobleski (4-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.50 in 30 innings over five appearances and four consecutive starts.  Shota Imanaga (2-2) gave up a season-high five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Imanaga allowed more runs than his last four starts combined (three).  Royals 11, Angels 9 (10 innings)    Lane Thomas hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning, after Jac Caglianone clubbed a tying two-run shot in the ninth, and host Kansas City rallied past Los Angeles to complete a three-game series sweep.    In a contest whose start was moved up roughly three hours due to predicted severe weather, Kansas City trailed 6-0 after two innings and 8-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. and Isaac Collins also homered for the Royals, who are 4-1 since an eight-game skid.    Losers in seven of eight, the Angels wasted no time getting to Royals starter Seth Lugo. Zach Neto opened the game with the first of his three hits, then Mike Trout sent a drive off and over the top of the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer allowed this season by Lugo, who yielded seven runs and a career-high 14 hits over 6 1/3 innings on Sunday.  Giants 6, Marlins 3  Casey Schmitt hit a go-ahead home run for the second consecutive day, Landen Roupp ran his personal winning streak to four games and San Francisco closed out a winning homestand with a victory over Miami.  Jung Hoo Lee had four hits, including a triple, and scored twice for the Giants. Roupp (5-1) served up a three-run homer to Graham Pauley, his first of the season, in the second inning.  The Marlins managed just two hits, both coming in the three-run second. Liam Hicks followed Xavier Edwards’ walk with a single, after which both jogged home on Pauley’s home run. Max Meyer was pulled after five innings, having limited the Giants to just one run, which was unearned.   –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #MLB #roundup #Chad #Tracy #wins #managerial #debut #Red #Sox #top

Deadspin | MLB roundup: Chad Tracy wins managerial debut as Red Sox top O’s
Deadspin | MLB roundup: Chad Tracy wins managerial debut as Red Sox top O’s  Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images   Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run and Connelly Early pitched into the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox won in their first game after a surprising weekend managerial change, beating the host Baltimore Orioles 5-3.  With Chad Tracy serving as interim manager after Alex Cora’s Saturday firing, Ceddanne Rafaela recorded an RBI triple and a double as the Red Sox won consecutive games for the first time since April 15 and 17.   Early (2-1) worked 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits with a season-low one walk. He struck out four.  Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo, who each had two hits, smacked solo home runs for the Orioles. Henderson added a second RBI on a single. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (1-3) gave up three runs on four hits in five innings.  Braves 6, Phillies 2    Chris Sale pitched six scoreless innings to earn the 150th victory of his career as Atlanta beat visiting Philadelphia in the rubber game of their three-game series.    Sale (5-1) retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed only one hit, a single to Trea Turner, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He struck out a season-high nine batters and moved past Chuck Finley into 28th place on the career strikeouts list with 2,617. Sale also became the fourth active pitcher with 150 wins, joining Justin Verlander (266), Max Scherzer (222) and Gerrit Cole (153).    Atlanta became the first team to win 20 games, a milestone they didn’t reach until May 12 in their 41st game in 2025. The Phillies, who ended their 10-game losing streak on Saturday, have lost 15 of their last 18. Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola (1-3) allowed a season-high six runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out six.  Rockies 3, Mets 1 (Game 1)    Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the fourth inning and hit into the tie-breaking, run-scoring double play in the sixth for visiting Colorado, which beat skidding New York in the opener of a doubleheader.    Jose Quintana (1-2) tossed 5 1/3 solid innings for the Rockies, who have won the first two games of the three-game set to lock up their third series win of the season. Colorado finished 43-119 last season and didn’t win its third series until July 18-20, when it took two of three from the Minnesota Twins.    Jake McCarthy added an insurance RBI single in the seventh for Colorado. Tyrone Taylor homered in the fifth for the Mets.  Rockies 3, Mets 0 (Game 2)    Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as visiting Colorado completed a doubleheader sweep of sinking New York. Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener.    Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.    New York has lost 15 of 17 — its worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004. Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.  Blue Jays 4, Guardians 2    Jesus Sanchez homered and drove in three runs to help Toronto earn a victory over visiting Cleveland.    Vladimir Guerrero had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from Cleveland. Toronto starter Patrick Corbin went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking two.    Slade Cecconi (0-4) saw his winless start to the season prolonged, yielding four runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one for Cleveland, which has dropped three of its last four games. Angel Martinez tallied two hits and an RBI in the loss.  Rays 4, Twins 2    Yandy Diaz belted a two-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning, helping Tampa Bay complete a three-game series sweep of Minnesota in St. Petersburg, Fla.    Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run, and Jonathan Aranda joined Diaz with two RBIs to pace the Rays to their fourth straight victory. Jesse Scholtens (2-1), who relieved opener Griffin Jax with one out in the third, allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings.    Brooks Lee hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-9 over the last 10. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.  Tigers 8, Reds 3  Hao-Yu Lee belted a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer and Spencer Torkelson had three hits and homered in his franchise-tying fifth straight game as visiting Detroit rallied for a win over Cincinnati.  Kerry Carpenter doubled and tripled, while Gleyber Torres added three hits, including a two-run homer for the Tigers. Detroit pitcher Keider Montero was charged with three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two over five innings, while lefty reliever Brant Hurter (3-0) pitched a perfect sixth to earn the win.  Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday belted solo homers for Cincinnati, which fell for just the second time in nine games. Starter Rhett Lowder settled down after a two-run first inning, and allowed just the two runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking one.  Nationals 2, White Sox 1 (10 innings)    Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as Washington edged host Chicago.     Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save. Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight. Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.     Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting Washington to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.  Astros 7, Yankees 4  Spencer Arrighetti worked seven strong innings, Christian Walker produced a three-hit game with a home run and Houston salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting New York.  Arrighetti (3-0), who opened the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowed three hits, walked one and posted eight strikeouts on 96 pitches, 64 for strikes. Walker finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs.   Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and scored for the Yankees, who rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth but had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Luis Gil (1-2) dished five hits through four innings, and allowed six runs.   Mariners 3, Cardinals 2  Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder homered with one out in the ninth inning to break a tie as Seattle defeated host St. Louis.  Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, who swept the three-game interleague set. Refsnyder deposited a 3-2 sweeper from reliever JoJo Romero (0-1) into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field. Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the victory and Jose A. Ferrer worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.  JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row. St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy went six innings, and gave up one run on five hits, with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts.  Brewers 5, Pirates 0    Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.    The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.    The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.  Athletics 2, Rangers 1    Carlos Cortes delivered a two-run triple in the first inning and the Athletics held on to beat Texas in the rubber match of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.    Cortes also had a pair of singles for the Athletics, while starting pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed three hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings before exiting with right arm soreness. Joel Kuhnel, Jacob Lopez, Justin Sterner (1-2) and Hogan Harris followed Ginn before right-hander Jack Perkins pitched two scoreless innings for his second save.    Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz set a franchise record by drawing a walk in his 16th consecutive game. He has also reached base safely in each of his last 22 games. Josh Jung doubled twice for the Rangers, who were out-hit 10-6 and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.  Diamondbacks 12, Padres 7  Ildemaro Vargas had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as Arizona overcame a six-run deficit to beat San Diego for a split of the short two-game Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.  Tim Tawa triggered a six-run seventh inning with his first career grand slam, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped it with a two-run single to give the D-Backs their first lead after having trailed 7-1. Ryne Nelson allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 14 runs in his last two starts over 5 1/3 innings.  Manny Machado had two home runs, Luis Campusano doubled and homered and Jackson Merrill had two hits for the Padres, who had won 13 of 15. Padres starter Michael King gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. He fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced.  Dodgers 6, Cubs 0  Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run in 13 games and Justin Wrobleski continued his strong start to the season with six scoreless innings as Los Angeles finished off a series victory over visiting Chicago.  Miguel Rojas hit a two-run double in the first inning and Dalton Rushing had an RBI single in the sixth. Wrobleski (4-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.50 in 30 innings over five appearances and four consecutive starts.  Shota Imanaga (2-2) gave up a season-high five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Imanaga allowed more runs than his last four starts combined (three).  Royals 11, Angels 9 (10 innings)    Lane Thomas hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning, after Jac Caglianone clubbed a tying two-run shot in the ninth, and host Kansas City rallied past Los Angeles to complete a three-game series sweep.    In a contest whose start was moved up roughly three hours due to predicted severe weather, Kansas City trailed 6-0 after two innings and 8-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. and Isaac Collins also homered for the Royals, who are 4-1 since an eight-game skid.    Losers in seven of eight, the Angels wasted no time getting to Royals starter Seth Lugo. Zach Neto opened the game with the first of his three hits, then Mike Trout sent a drive off and over the top of the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer allowed this season by Lugo, who yielded seven runs and a career-high 14 hits over 6 1/3 innings on Sunday.  Giants 6, Marlins 3  Casey Schmitt hit a go-ahead home run for the second consecutive day, Landen Roupp ran his personal winning streak to four games and San Francisco closed out a winning homestand with a victory over Miami.  Jung Hoo Lee had four hits, including a triple, and scored twice for the Giants. Roupp (5-1) served up a three-run homer to Graham Pauley, his first of the season, in the second inning.  The Marlins managed just two hits, both coming in the three-run second. Liam Hicks followed Xavier Edwards’ walk with a single, after which both jogged home on Pauley’s home run. Max Meyer was pulled after five innings, having limited the Giants to just one run, which was unearned.   –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #MLB #roundup #Chad #Tracy #wins #managerial #debut #Red #Sox #topApr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run and Connelly Early pitched into the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox won in their first game after a surprising weekend managerial change, beating the host Baltimore Orioles 5-3.

With Chad Tracy serving as interim manager after Alex Cora’s Saturday firing, Ceddanne Rafaela recorded an RBI triple and a double as the Red Sox won consecutive games for the first time since April 15 and 17.

Early (2-1) worked 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits with a season-low one walk. He struck out four.

Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo, who each had two hits, smacked solo home runs for the Orioles. Henderson added a second RBI on a single. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (1-3) gave up three runs on four hits in five innings.

Braves 6, Phillies 2

Chris Sale pitched six scoreless innings to earn the 150th victory of his career as Atlanta beat visiting Philadelphia in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Sale (5-1) retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed only one hit, a single to Trea Turner, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He struck out a season-high nine batters and moved past Chuck Finley into 28th place on the career strikeouts list with 2,617. Sale also became the fourth active pitcher with 150 wins, joining Justin Verlander (266), Max Scherzer (222) and Gerrit Cole (153).

Atlanta became the first team to win 20 games, a milestone they didn’t reach until May 12 in their 41st game in 2025. The Phillies, who ended their 10-game losing streak on Saturday, have lost 15 of their last 18. Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola (1-3) allowed a season-high six runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out six.

Rockies 3, Mets 1 (Game 1)

Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the fourth inning and hit into the tie-breaking, run-scoring double play in the sixth for visiting Colorado, which beat skidding New York in the opener of a doubleheader.

Jose Quintana (1-2) tossed 5 1/3 solid innings for the Rockies, who have won the first two games of the three-game set to lock up their third series win of the season. Colorado finished 43-119 last season and didn’t win its third series until July 18-20, when it took two of three from the Minnesota Twins.

Jake McCarthy added an insurance RBI single in the seventh for Colorado. Tyrone Taylor homered in the fifth for the Mets.

Rockies 3, Mets 0 (Game 2)

Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as visiting Colorado completed a doubleheader sweep of sinking New York. Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener.

Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.

New York has lost 15 of 17 — its worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004. Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.

Blue Jays 4, Guardians 2

Jesus Sanchez homered and drove in three runs to help Toronto earn a victory over visiting Cleveland.

Vladimir Guerrero had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from Cleveland. Toronto starter Patrick Corbin went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking two.

Slade Cecconi (0-4) saw his winless start to the season prolonged, yielding four runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one for Cleveland, which has dropped three of its last four games. Angel Martinez tallied two hits and an RBI in the loss.

Rays 4, Twins 2

Yandy Diaz belted a two-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning, helping Tampa Bay complete a three-game series sweep of Minnesota in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run, and Jonathan Aranda joined Diaz with two RBIs to pace the Rays to their fourth straight victory. Jesse Scholtens (2-1), who relieved opener Griffin Jax with one out in the third, allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Brooks Lee hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-9 over the last 10. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Tigers 8, Reds 3

Hao-Yu Lee belted a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer and Spencer Torkelson had three hits and homered in his franchise-tying fifth straight game as visiting Detroit rallied for a win over Cincinnati.

Kerry Carpenter doubled and tripled, while Gleyber Torres added three hits, including a two-run homer for the Tigers. Detroit pitcher Keider Montero was charged with three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two over five innings, while lefty reliever Brant Hurter (3-0) pitched a perfect sixth to earn the win.

Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday belted solo homers for Cincinnati, which fell for just the second time in nine games. Starter Rhett Lowder settled down after a two-run first inning, and allowed just the two runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking one.

Nationals 2, White Sox 1 (10 innings)


Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as Washington edged host Chicago.

Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save. Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight. Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.

Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting Washington to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.

Astros 7, Yankees 4

Spencer Arrighetti worked seven strong innings, Christian Walker produced a three-hit game with a home run and Houston salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting New York.

Arrighetti (3-0), who opened the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowed three hits, walked one and posted eight strikeouts on 96 pitches, 64 for strikes. Walker finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs.

Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and scored for the Yankees, who rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth but had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Luis Gil (1-2) dished five hits through four innings, and allowed six runs.

Mariners 3, Cardinals 2

Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder homered with one out in the ninth inning to break a tie as Seattle defeated host St. Louis.

Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, who swept the three-game interleague set. Refsnyder deposited a 3-2 sweeper from reliever JoJo Romero (0-1) into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field. Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the victory and Jose A. Ferrer worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.

JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row. St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy went six innings, and gave up one run on five hits, with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts.

Brewers 5, Pirates 0

Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.

The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.

The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.

Athletics 2, Rangers 1

Carlos Cortes delivered a two-run triple in the first inning and the Athletics held on to beat Texas in the rubber match of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Cortes also had a pair of singles for the Athletics, while starting pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed three hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings before exiting with right arm soreness. Joel Kuhnel, Jacob Lopez, Justin Sterner (1-2) and Hogan Harris followed Ginn before right-hander Jack Perkins pitched two scoreless innings for his second save.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz set a franchise record by drawing a walk in his 16th consecutive game. He has also reached base safely in each of his last 22 games. Josh Jung doubled twice for the Rangers, who were out-hit 10-6 and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Diamondbacks 12, Padres 7

Ildemaro Vargas had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as Arizona overcame a six-run deficit to beat San Diego for a split of the short two-game Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.

Tim Tawa triggered a six-run seventh inning with his first career grand slam, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped it with a two-run single to give the D-Backs their first lead after having trailed 7-1. Ryne Nelson allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 14 runs in his last two starts over 5 1/3 innings.

Manny Machado had two home runs, Luis Campusano doubled and homered and Jackson Merrill had two hits for the Padres, who had won 13 of 15. Padres starter Michael King gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. He fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced.

Dodgers 6, Cubs 0

Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run in 13 games and Justin Wrobleski continued his strong start to the season with six scoreless innings as Los Angeles finished off a series victory over visiting Chicago.

Miguel Rojas hit a two-run double in the first inning and Dalton Rushing had an RBI single in the sixth. Wrobleski (4-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.50 in 30 innings over five appearances and four consecutive starts.

Shota Imanaga (2-2) gave up a season-high five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Imanaga allowed more runs than his last four starts combined (three).

Royals 11, Angels 9 (10 innings)

Lane Thomas hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning, after Jac Caglianone clubbed a tying two-run shot in the ninth, and host Kansas City rallied past Los Angeles to complete a three-game series sweep.

In a contest whose start was moved up roughly three hours due to predicted severe weather, Kansas City trailed 6-0 after two innings and 8-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. and Isaac Collins also homered for the Royals, who are 4-1 since an eight-game skid.

Losers in seven of eight, the Angels wasted no time getting to Royals starter Seth Lugo. Zach Neto opened the game with the first of his three hits, then Mike Trout sent a drive off and over the top of the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer allowed this season by Lugo, who yielded seven runs and a career-high 14 hits over 6 1/3 innings on Sunday.

Giants 6, Marlins 3

Casey Schmitt hit a go-ahead home run for the second consecutive day, Landen Roupp ran his personal winning streak to four games and San Francisco closed out a winning homestand with a victory over Miami.

Jung Hoo Lee had four hits, including a triple, and scored twice for the Giants. Roupp (5-1) served up a three-run homer to Graham Pauley, his first of the season, in the second inning.

The Marlins managed just two hits, both coming in the three-run second. Liam Hicks followed Xavier Edwards’ walk with a single, after which both jogged home on Pauley’s home run. Max Meyer was pulled after five innings, having limited the Giants to just one run, which was unearned.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #MLB #roundup #Chad #Tracy #wins #managerial #debut #Red #Sox #top

Apr 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox Interim Manager Chad Tracy looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run and Connelly Early pitched into the seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox won in their first game after a surprising weekend managerial change, beating the host Baltimore Orioles 5-3.

With Chad Tracy serving as interim manager after Alex Cora’s Saturday firing, Ceddanne Rafaela recorded an RBI triple and a double as the Red Sox won consecutive games for the first time since April 15 and 17.

Early (2-1) worked 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits with a season-low one walk. He struck out four.

Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo, who each had two hits, smacked solo home runs for the Orioles. Henderson added a second RBI on a single. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (1-3) gave up three runs on four hits in five innings.

Braves 6, Phillies 2

Chris Sale pitched six scoreless innings to earn the 150th victory of his career as Atlanta beat visiting Philadelphia in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Sale (5-1) retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed only one hit, a single to Trea Turner, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He struck out a season-high nine batters and moved past Chuck Finley into 28th place on the career strikeouts list with 2,617. Sale also became the fourth active pitcher with 150 wins, joining Justin Verlander (266), Max Scherzer (222) and Gerrit Cole (153).

Atlanta became the first team to win 20 games, a milestone they didn’t reach until May 12 in their 41st game in 2025. The Phillies, who ended their 10-game losing streak on Saturday, have lost 15 of their last 18. Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola (1-3) allowed a season-high six runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out six.

Rockies 3, Mets 1 (Game 1)

Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the fourth inning and hit into the tie-breaking, run-scoring double play in the sixth for visiting Colorado, which beat skidding New York in the opener of a doubleheader.

Jose Quintana (1-2) tossed 5 1/3 solid innings for the Rockies, who have won the first two games of the three-game set to lock up their third series win of the season. Colorado finished 43-119 last season and didn’t win its third series until July 18-20, when it took two of three from the Minnesota Twins.

Jake McCarthy added an insurance RBI single in the seventh for Colorado. Tyrone Taylor homered in the fifth for the Mets.

Rockies 3, Mets 0 (Game 2)

Chase Dollander threw seven scoreless innings in the longest outing of his career as visiting Colorado completed a doubleheader sweep of sinking New York. Four Rockies pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 3-1 win in the opener.

Troy Johnston had an RBI single in the second inning of the nightcap and Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer one inning later for Colorado, which swept a series from the Mets in New York for the first time since 2018 to improve to 13-16.

New York has lost 15 of 17 — its worst 17-game stretch since a 2-15 skid from Aug. 28 through Sept, 13, 2004. Dollander (3-2), who made his first start of the season after six long relief outings, allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven over a career-high 105 pitches.

Blue Jays 4, Guardians 2

Jesus Sanchez homered and drove in three runs to help Toronto earn a victory over visiting Cleveland.

Vladimir Guerrero had three hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from Cleveland. Toronto starter Patrick Corbin went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking two.

Slade Cecconi (0-4) saw his winless start to the season prolonged, yielding four runs on six hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one for Cleveland, which has dropped three of its last four games. Angel Martinez tallied two hits and an RBI in the loss.

Rays 4, Twins 2

Yandy Diaz belted a two-run homer to highlight a four-run third inning, helping Tampa Bay complete a three-game series sweep of Minnesota in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and a run, and Jonathan Aranda joined Diaz with two RBIs to pace the Rays to their fourth straight victory. Jesse Scholtens (2-1), who relieved opener Griffin Jax with one out in the third, allowed two runs on three hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Brooks Lee hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-9 over the last 10. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Tigers 8, Reds 3

Hao-Yu Lee belted a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer and Spencer Torkelson had three hits and homered in his franchise-tying fifth straight game as visiting Detroit rallied for a win over Cincinnati.

Kerry Carpenter doubled and tripled, while Gleyber Torres added three hits, including a two-run homer for the Tigers. Detroit pitcher Keider Montero was charged with three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two over five innings, while lefty reliever Brant Hurter (3-0) pitched a perfect sixth to earn the win.

Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday belted solo homers for Cincinnati, which fell for just the second time in nine games. Starter Rhett Lowder settled down after a two-run first inning, and allowed just the two runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking one.

Nationals 2, White Sox 1 (10 innings)

Jose Tena hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the 10th inning after CJ Abrams provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly as Washington edged host Chicago.

Both pitching staffs allowed just four hits. Paxton Schultz worked around Tristan Peters’ RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for his first save. Nationals left-hander Foster Griffin delivered his second consecutive quality start, scattering two hits in seven shutout innings. Griffin walked two and struck out a career-high eight. Richard Lovelady (1-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.

Chicago righty Sean Burke shined, as well, limiting Washington to three hits in 7 1/3 innings with zero walks and four strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez (1-3) took the loss.

Astros 7, Yankees 4

Spencer Arrighetti worked seven strong innings, Christian Walker produced a three-hit game with a home run and Houston salvaged the finale of a three-game series against visiting New York.

Arrighetti (3-0), who opened the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowed three hits, walked one and posted eight strikeouts on 96 pitches, 64 for strikes. Walker finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs while Isaac Paredes went 2-for-4 with a homer, three runs and three RBIs.

Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and scored for the Yankees, who rallied for three runs with two outs in the ninth but had their eight-game winning streak snapped. Luis Gil (1-2) dished five hits through four innings, and allowed six runs.

Mariners 3, Cardinals 2

Pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder homered with one out in the ninth inning to break a tie as Seattle defeated host St. Louis.

Cal Raleigh also homered for the Mariners, who swept the three-game interleague set. Refsnyder deposited a 3-2 sweeper from reliever JoJo Romero (0-1) into the Mariners’ bullpen in left field. Eduard Bazardo (1-1) earned the victory and Jose A. Ferrer worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.

JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church went deep for the Cardinals, who have lost four in a row. St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy went six innings, and gave up one run on five hits, with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts.

Brewers 5, Pirates 0

Kyle Harrison tossed six innings of one-hit ball with a career-high 12 strikeouts and Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid with a victory over visiting Pittsburgh.

The Brewers backed Harrison with a five-run fourth inning to avoid their first sweep against Pittsburgh since 2022 and first at home to the Pirates since a four-game series in August 2016.

The only hit off Harrison (2-1) in his 101-pitch outing was a leadoff single in the second by Marcell Ozuna, who was erased on a double play. The only other runner off Harrison came on a two-out walk in the fourth.

Athletics 2, Rangers 1

Carlos Cortes delivered a two-run triple in the first inning and the Athletics held on to beat Texas in the rubber match of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Cortes also had a pair of singles for the Athletics, while starting pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed three hits over 3 1/3 scoreless innings before exiting with right arm soreness. Joel Kuhnel, Jacob Lopez, Justin Sterner (1-2) and Hogan Harris followed Ginn before right-hander Jack Perkins pitched two scoreless innings for his second save.

Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz set a franchise record by drawing a walk in his 16th consecutive game. He has also reached base safely in each of his last 22 games. Josh Jung doubled twice for the Rangers, who were out-hit 10-6 and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Diamondbacks 12, Padres 7

Ildemaro Vargas had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs as Arizona overcame a six-run deficit to beat San Diego for a split of the short two-game Mexico City Series at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu.

Tim Tawa triggered a six-run seventh inning with his first career grand slam, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. capped it with a two-run single to give the D-Backs their first lead after having trailed 7-1. Ryne Nelson allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up 14 runs in his last two starts over 5 1/3 innings.

Manny Machado had two home runs, Luis Campusano doubled and homered and Jackson Merrill had two hits for the Padres, who had won 13 of 15. Padres starter Michael King gave up three hits and two runs in six innings, with eight strikeouts and one walk. He fanned seven of the first nine batters he faced.

Dodgers 6, Cubs 0

Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run in 13 games and Justin Wrobleski continued his strong start to the season with six scoreless innings as Los Angeles finished off a series victory over visiting Chicago.

Miguel Rojas hit a two-run double in the first inning and Dalton Rushing had an RBI single in the sixth. Wrobleski (4-0) gave up four hits with six strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.50 in 30 innings over five appearances and four consecutive starts.

Shota Imanaga (2-2) gave up a season-high five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Imanaga allowed more runs than his last four starts combined (three).

Royals 11, Angels 9 (10 innings)

Lane Thomas hit a three-run, walk-off homer in the 10th inning, after Jac Caglianone clubbed a tying two-run shot in the ninth, and host Kansas City rallied past Los Angeles to complete a three-game series sweep.

In a contest whose start was moved up roughly three hours due to predicted severe weather, Kansas City trailed 6-0 after two innings and 8-5 entering the bottom of the ninth. Bobby Witt Jr. and Isaac Collins also homered for the Royals, who are 4-1 since an eight-game skid.

Losers in seven of eight, the Angels wasted no time getting to Royals starter Seth Lugo. Zach Neto opened the game with the first of his three hits, then Mike Trout sent a drive off and over the top of the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead. It was the first homer allowed this season by Lugo, who yielded seven runs and a career-high 14 hits over 6 1/3 innings on Sunday.

Giants 6, Marlins 3

Casey Schmitt hit a go-ahead home run for the second consecutive day, Landen Roupp ran his personal winning streak to four games and San Francisco closed out a winning homestand with a victory over Miami.

Jung Hoo Lee had four hits, including a triple, and scored twice for the Giants. Roupp (5-1) served up a three-run homer to Graham Pauley, his first of the season, in the second inning.

The Marlins managed just two hits, both coming in the three-run second. Liam Hicks followed Xavier Edwards’ walk with a single, after which both jogged home on Pauley’s home run. Max Meyer was pulled after five innings, having limited the Giants to just one run, which was unearned.

–Field Level Media

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Dortmund secures Champions League qualification with a 4-0 victory over Freiburg <div id="content-body-70910796" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Borussia Dortmund sealed Champions League qualification on Sunday with an easy 4-0 win over a distracted Freiburg side in the Bundesliga.</p><p>Maximilian Beier, Serhou Guirassy and Ramy Bensebaini effectively decided the result in the first half hour, before substitute Fabio Silva completed the scoring late.</p><p>Dortmund ‘keeper Gregor Kobel denied Cyriaque Irié a consolation goal.</p><p>With three rounds remaining, Dortmund is assured of finishing among the top four to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition.</p><p>Freiburg coach Julian Schuster had made a host of changes to the team that suffered a bitter defeat against Stuttgart in the German Cup semifinals on Thursday.</p><p>Freiburg next faces Sporting Braga away for the first leg of their Europa League semifinal match.</p><p>Dortmund coach Niko Kovac gave Samuele Inacio his first start and the 18-year-old Italian forward made the most of it, earning ovations when he went off in the 74th minute.</p><p>United States Under-17 forward Mathis Albert went on for the final minutes to make his Dortmund debut. The 16-year-old from Greenville, South Carolina, joined Dortmund’s academy in 2025 from LA Galaxy’s academy. and was part of the U.S. team at last year’s Under-17 World Cup.</p><p>Another youngster, the 18-year-old midfielder Rouven Tarnutzer, had already gone on late for his Freiburg debut.</p><h4 class="sub_head">Stuttgart stutters</h4><p>Stuttgart’s hopes of Champions League qualification were tempered in a 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.</p><p>Ermedin Demirovic canceled Jens Stage’s early goal for the visitors and just kept Stuttgart in fourth place on goal difference from Hoffenheim before they face each other for a high-stakes clash next weekend.</p><p>Stuttgart and Hoffenheim were on 57 points, two ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, which still harbors its own hopes of Champions League qualification.</p><p>Bremen’s point from the draw in Stuttgart moved it six points above St. Pauli in the relegation zone.</p><p>Bayern Munich already sealed the title last weekend and will face Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 27, 2026</p></div> #Dortmund #secures #Champions #League #qualification #victory #Freiburg

Houston Rockets routed Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 on Sunday to stay alive in the NBA playoffs, while Victor Wembanyama made a triumphant return to put San Antonio Spurs on the brink of advancing.

Amen Thompson scored 23 points to fuel the Rockets, who bounced back from a crushing overtime loss on Friday to cut the deficit in their best-of-seven Western Conference series to 3-1.

The Spurs and Boston Celtics took commanding 3-1 leads in their series, the former rallying from 19 points down to beat the Trail Blazers 114-93 in Portland and the latter thrashing the 76ers 128-96 in Philadelphia.

In Toronto, the Raptors edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 to level their series at two games apiece.

Denied a sweep in Houston, the Lakers can still finish off the Rockets when they host game five on Wednesday.

The Rockets, still without star Kevin Durant, harried the Lakers into 24 turnovers, yielding 30 Houston points.

Four-time NBA champion LeBron James made just two of nine attempts from the floor on the way to 10 points. He handed out nine assists but made eight turnovers.

With the Lakers still missing their top scorers in injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, centre Deandre Ayton led the side with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

But they were already down by 19 when he was ejected in the third quarter after catching Rockets centre Alperen Sengun in the head with his forearm.

Tari Eason added 20 points, and Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets, who are trying to become the first NBA team to rally from a 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.

In Portland, Wembanyama returned after missing one game because of a concussion and scored 27 points with 11 rebounds, three assists, four steals and a whopping seven blocked shots.

“I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously,” said Wembanyama, named the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and in the running for Most Valuable Player.

Celtics spoil Embiid’s return

San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 28 points, and the Spurs out-scored the Trail Blazers 73-35 in the second half.

They’ll try to clinch the series when they host game five on Tuesday.

The Celtics spoiled the return of 76ers star Joel Embiid, who played his first game since having an emergency appendectomy on April 9.

Payton Pritchard scored 32 points off the bench, and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points with seven rebounds and 11 assists for the Celtics, who led by 16 points after one quarter and by double digits the rest of the way.

Embiid led the 76ers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but Philadelphia couldn’t counter the Celtics’ rain of 24 three-pointers.

In Toronto, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 23 points apiece as the Raptors held off the Cavaliers despite making just four of 30 from three-point range.

The Raptors trailed by five with 2:10 left to play but powered to the lead with a 9-0 scoring burst and held on.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points to lead the Cavs, and James Harden added 19, but Mitchell missed two attempts in the final 30 seconds as Barnes made six free throws down the stretch to seal it.

Published on Apr 27, 2026

#NBA #Playoffs #LeBron #fails #deliver #Lakers #lose #Rockets #Wembanyama #triumphant #Spurs #return">NBA Playoffs: LeBron fails to deliver as Lakers lose to Rockets; Wembanyama triumphant on Spurs return  Houston Rockets routed Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 on Sunday to stay alive in the NBA playoffs, while Victor Wembanyama made a triumphant return to put San Antonio Spurs on the brink of advancing.Amen Thompson scored 23 points to fuel the Rockets, who bounced back from a crushing overtime loss on Friday to cut the deficit in their best-of-seven Western Conference series to 3-1.The Spurs and Boston Celtics took commanding 3-1 leads in their series, the former rallying from 19 points down to beat the Trail Blazers 114-93 in Portland and the latter thrashing the 76ers 128-96 in Philadelphia.In Toronto, the Raptors edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 to level their series at two games apiece.Denied a sweep in Houston, the Lakers can still finish off the Rockets when they host game five on Wednesday.The Rockets, still without star Kevin Durant, harried the Lakers into 24 turnovers, yielding 30 Houston points.Four-time NBA champion LeBron James made just two of nine attempts from the floor on the way to 10 points. He handed out nine assists but made eight turnovers.With the Lakers still missing their top scorers in injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, centre Deandre Ayton led the side with 19 points and 10 rebounds.But they were already down by 19 when he was ejected in the third quarter after catching Rockets centre Alperen Sengun in the head with his forearm.Tari Eason added 20 points, and Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets, who are trying to become the first NBA team to rally from a 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.In Portland, Wembanyama returned after missing one game because of a concussion and scored 27 points with 11 rebounds, three assists, four steals and a whopping seven blocked shots.“I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously,” said Wembanyama, named the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and in the running for Most Valuable Player.Celtics spoil Embiid’s returnSan Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 28 points, and the Spurs out-scored the Trail Blazers 73-35 in the second half.They’ll try to clinch the series when they host game five on Tuesday.The Celtics spoiled the return of 76ers star Joel Embiid, who played his first game since having an emergency appendectomy on April 9.Payton Pritchard scored 32 points off the bench, and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points with seven rebounds and 11 assists for the Celtics, who led by 16 points after one quarter and by double digits the rest of the way.Embiid led the 76ers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but Philadelphia couldn’t counter the Celtics’ rain of 24 three-pointers.In Toronto, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 23 points apiece as the Raptors held off the Cavaliers despite making just four of 30 from three-point range.The Raptors trailed by five with 2:10 left to play but powered to the lead with a 9-0 scoring burst and held on.Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points to lead the Cavs, and James Harden added 19, but Mitchell missed two attempts in the final 30 seconds as Barnes made six free throws down the stretch to seal it.Published on Apr 27, 2026  #NBA #Playoffs #LeBron #fails #deliver #Lakers #lose #Rockets #Wembanyama #triumphant #Spurs #return

Deadspin | Thieves take down Heretics to win CDL Stage 3 Minor  YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.   The Los Angeles Thieves won a best-of-five semifinal match and then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the grand final of the Call of Duty League Stage 3 Minor on Sunday.  Los Angeles beat OpTic Texas 3-2 in the semis and met the Miami Heretics in the grand final later in the day. The Thieves lost two straight maps before ripping off three wins in a row to clinch the championship and the ,000 reward.  All 12 CDL teams competed in the tournament in a single-elimination bracket, seeded based on teams’ standing following Major 2. All matches were best-of-five until the best-of-seven grand final.  On Sunday, the Thieves beat Texas 250-216 on Den Hardpoint and 6-2 on Gridlock Search and Destroy to get the semifinals started. OpTic answered back with a 3-2 win on Scar Overload and a 250-216 result on Colossus Hardpoint to force the winner-take-all fifth map. The Thieves sailed away, 6-2 on Fringe Search and Destroy.  Meanwhile, Miami swept FaZe Vegas 3-0 in the other semifinal match, taking Colossus Hardpoint 250-224, Fringe Search and Destroy 6-3 and Den Overload 4-3.  The Thieves opened the grand final with a 250-199 triumph on Sake Hardpoint, before the Heretics prevailed 6-3 on Fringe Search and Destroy and moved ahead with a narrow 7-6 win on Exposure Overload.  That’s when Los Angeles flipped the script as it won 250-161 on Colossus Hardpoint, 6-2 on Scar Search and Destroy and 5-2 on Scar Overload to put the tournament away.   Call of Duty League’s Stage 3 Minor prize pool  1. ,000, 30 CDL points — Los Angeles Thieves  2. no money, 20 CDL points — Miami Heretics  3-4. no money, 10 CDL points — OpTic Texas, FaZe Vegas  5-8. no money, no CDL points — Toronto KOI, G2 Minnesota, Riyadh Falcons, Paris Gentle Mates  9-12. no money, no CDL points — Carolina Royal Ravens, Cloud9 New York, Vancouver Surge, Boston Breach  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Thieves #Heretics #win #CDL #Stage #MinorYMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.

The Los Angeles Thieves won a best-of-five semifinal match and then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the grand final of the Call of Duty League Stage 3 Minor on Sunday.

Los Angeles beat OpTic Texas 3-2 in the semis and met the Miami Heretics in the grand final later in the day. The Thieves lost two straight maps before ripping off three wins in a row to clinch the championship and the $20,000 reward.

All 12 CDL teams competed in the tournament in a single-elimination bracket, seeded based on teams’ standing following Major 2. All matches were best-of-five until the best-of-seven grand final.

On Sunday, the Thieves beat Texas 250-216 on Den Hardpoint and 6-2 on Gridlock Search and Destroy to get the semifinals started. OpTic answered back with a 3-2 win on Scar Overload and a 250-216 result on Colossus Hardpoint to force the winner-take-all fifth map. The Thieves sailed away, 6-2 on Fringe Search and Destroy.

Meanwhile, Miami swept FaZe Vegas 3-0 in the other semifinal match, taking Colossus Hardpoint 250-224, Fringe Search and Destroy 6-3 and Den Overload 4-3.

The Thieves opened the grand final with a 250-199 triumph on Sake Hardpoint, before the Heretics prevailed 6-3 on Fringe Search and Destroy and moved ahead with a narrow 7-6 win on Exposure Overload.


That’s when Los Angeles flipped the script as it won 250-161 on Colossus Hardpoint, 6-2 on Scar Search and Destroy and 5-2 on Scar Overload to put the tournament away.

Call of Duty League’s Stage 3 Minor prize pool

1. $20,000, 30 CDL points — Los Angeles Thieves

2. no money, 20 CDL points — Miami Heretics

3-4. no money, 10 CDL points — OpTic Texas, FaZe Vegas

5-8. no money, no CDL points — Toronto KOI, G2 Minnesota, Riyadh Falcons, Paris Gentle Mates

9-12. no money, no CDL points — Carolina Royal Ravens, Cloud9 New York, Vancouver Surge, Boston Breach


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Thieves #Heretics #win #CDL #Stage #Minor">Deadspin | Thieves take down Heretics to win CDL Stage 3 Minor  YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.   The Los Angeles Thieves won a best-of-five semifinal match and then rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the grand final of the Call of Duty League Stage 3 Minor on Sunday.  Los Angeles beat OpTic Texas 3-2 in the semis and met the Miami Heretics in the grand final later in the day. The Thieves lost two straight maps before ripping off three wins in a row to clinch the championship and the ,000 reward.  All 12 CDL teams competed in the tournament in a single-elimination bracket, seeded based on teams’ standing following Major 2. All matches were best-of-five until the best-of-seven grand final.  On Sunday, the Thieves beat Texas 250-216 on Den Hardpoint and 6-2 on Gridlock Search and Destroy to get the semifinals started. OpTic answered back with a 3-2 win on Scar Overload and a 250-216 result on Colossus Hardpoint to force the winner-take-all fifth map. The Thieves sailed away, 6-2 on Fringe Search and Destroy.  Meanwhile, Miami swept FaZe Vegas 3-0 in the other semifinal match, taking Colossus Hardpoint 250-224, Fringe Search and Destroy 6-3 and Den Overload 4-3.  The Thieves opened the grand final with a 250-199 triumph on Sake Hardpoint, before the Heretics prevailed 6-3 on Fringe Search and Destroy and moved ahead with a narrow 7-6 win on Exposure Overload.  That’s when Los Angeles flipped the script as it won 250-161 on Colossus Hardpoint, 6-2 on Scar Search and Destroy and 5-2 on Scar Overload to put the tournament away.   Call of Duty League’s Stage 3 Minor prize pool  1. ,000, 30 CDL points — Los Angeles Thieves  2. no money, 20 CDL points — Miami Heretics  3-4. no money, 10 CDL points — OpTic Texas, FaZe Vegas  5-8. no money, no CDL points — Toronto KOI, G2 Minnesota, Riyadh Falcons, Paris Gentle Mates  9-12. no money, no CDL points — Carolina Royal Ravens, Cloud9 New York, Vancouver Surge, Boston Breach  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Thieves #Heretics #win #CDL #Stage #Minor

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