Deadspin | MLB roundup: Three-run 10th completes Jays’ comeback win over Brewers 
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits an RBI double during the tenth inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Myles Straw’s two-run double capped a three-run 10th inning as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays rallied for a 9-7 victory over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, the Brewers’ sixth consecutive defeat.
Toronto scored three runs in the ninth to go up 6-4, but the Brewers tied it with two in the bottom half.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out double in the 10th off Grant Anderson (0-1) scored automatic runner Ernie Clement from second to put Toronto up 7-6. Jesse Sanchez was walked intentionally and both runners scored on Straw’s liner to left.
Louis Varland (1-1), who relieved with two outs in the ninth and struck out Joey Ortiz to strand the bases loaded, got the win despite allowing a run in the 10th on William Contreras’ RBI single. Varland stranded runners on first and second with a game-ending strikeout of Gary Sanchez.
Reds 2, Giants 1
Brady Singer threw six strong innings, Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart hit early home runs and host Cincinnati held on to edge San Francisco, which had more hits, 7-3.
Singer (1-1) allowed a two-out, fifth-inning home run to Willy Adames but just five other hits in his six innings. Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan all worked a scoreless inning in relief, with Pagan notching his fifth save after a seven-pitch ninth.
The home runs were the only two hits allowed by Giants starter Robbie Ray (2-2) in five innings, during which he labored through 94 pitches. He walked four and struck out six.
Diamondbacks 4, Orioles 3
Ildemaro Vargas hit a three-run homer and Merrill Kelly pitched into the sixth inning in his season debut to help Arizona beat host Baltimore.
Kelly, a veteran right-hander who was dealing with a back injury since spring training, logged 5 1/3 innings to pick up the pitching victory. He was charged with two runs on five hits. Geraldo Perdomo posted three hits for the Diamondbacks. Jose Fernandez and James McCann both had two hits on Tuesday.
Samuel Basallo homered and joined Jeremiah Jackson with two hits for Baltimore. Leody Taveras drove in runs in the third and eighth innings.
Tigers 2, Royals 1
Dillon Dingler drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the eighth and host Detroit extended its winning streak to four games by edging Kansas City.
The Tigers scored both of their runs in the eighth. Zach McKinstry scored on a wild pitch and Kevin McGonigle scored on Dingler’s second hit of the night. The game featured a pitchers’ duel between the starters. The Royals’ Cole Ragans allowed just one hit and no runs in six innings. Framber Valdez limited the Royals to one run and three hits in seven innings.
Both starters thrived on getting ground balls. Valdez’s replacement, Will Vest (1-2), took a different approach. He struck out all three batters he faced. The Tigers’ Kenley Jansen left a runner stranded at third while recording his third save of the season and 479th of his career. He surpassed Lee Smith for third place on the all-time saves list.
Cubs 10, Phillies 4
Carson Kelly belted a three-run homer and Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman also drove in three runs apiece, fueling Chicago to a victory at Philadelphia.
Michael Busch had two hits and two walks for the Cubs, who banged out 15 hits. Colin Rea (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts in six innings. His lone misstep was surrendering a three-run homer to Edmundo Sosa in the second.
Phillies reliever Tim Mayza (0-1) permitted four runs, three earned, in one-third of an inning.
Nationals 5, Pirates 4
CJ Abrams went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, leading Washington to a victory over host Pittsburgh.
Brady House added two hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who won for the fourth time in five games and evened the four-game set at a win apiece. Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile each hit an RBI single, Mitchell Parker (1-0) struck out five over two innings of scoreless relief and Gus Varland earned his second save.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-1) was unable to continue his stellar start to the season. He surrendered five runs on six hits over four innings. Brandon Lowe and Joey Bart each hit a solo shot, while Marcell Ozuna and Nick Gonzales each added an RBI.
Braves 6, Marlins 5
Dominic Smith launched a three-run opposite-field double with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Atlanta to a win over visiting Miami.
The rally came against Pete Fairbanks (0-1), who allowed a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin. Two outs later, Mike Yastrzemski singled and Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch. Smith banged a 2-1 cutter off the left-center-field fence. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth, striking out two, to earn his third save. Robert Suarez (2-0) allowed a run in the eighth but still earned the win.
Miami scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly from Agustin Ramirez, then added three in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Connor Norby drove in a run with a single, Graham Pauley knocked in a run with a double and Jakob Marsee added an RBI single to complete the Marlins’ fourth three-run inning of the series.
Angels 7, Yankees 1
Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler hit consecutive homers in the first inning for Los Angeles, which earned a victory over host New York.
The Angels won for the sixth time in their past nine visits to Yankee Stadium and lead the American League with 26 homers. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza had three hits and homered off Weathers in the fourth. Reid Detmers (1-1) allowed four hits and one run over seven-plus innings.
Ryan Weathers (0-2) permitted five runs on five hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He gave up a career-high four homers and finished with 10 strikeouts for his third career double-digit strikeout game. New York lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Padres 4, Mariners 1
Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Michael King fired six strong innings for his second straight win as San Diego stopped visiting Seattle.
King (2-1) allowed four hits and a run, walking two and fanning five in San Diego’s sixth straight win. Its high-leverage bullpen arms took care of matters from there with Mason Miller pitching the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.
Bryan Woo (0-2) took the loss for Seattle, permitting eight hits and three runs over seven innings with a walk and three strikeouts. The result ended the Mariners’ four-game winning streak.
Rays 8, White Sox 5
Ben Williamson had two hits and three RBIs and left-hander Shane McClanahan earned his first victory in nearly three years as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Chicago.
McClanahan (1-1) sparked the effort, spacing three runs (two earned) and two hits in five innings. After missing the past two seasons due to Tommy John elbow surgery and a nerve issue, McClanahan picked up his first win since June 16, 2023.
Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami connected for a two-run home run in the ninth to account for the final margin. In his major league debut, White Sox starter Noah Schultz (0-1) yielded four runs (three earned) and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. Everson Pereira hit a three-run shot in his return from the injured list.
Twins 6, Red Sox 0
Byron Buxton collected four hits, including two solo home runs, and Mick Abel pitched seven scoreless innings as Minnesota extended its home winning streak to six games by beating Boston in Minneapolis.
Abel (1-2) limited Boston to four hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter. Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands each tossed one inning of scoreless relief. Buxton, who has three home runs in his last two games, scored four times. Minnesota also received a solo home run from Brooks Lee. Trevor Larnach had two RBIs and Luke Keaschall collected two hits and an RBI.
Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida each had two hits for Boston, which had six hits. The Red Sox have lost 11 of their first 17 games. Boston starter Sonny Gray (2-1) gave up five runs on nine hits in four innings.
Cardinals 6 Guardians 5 (10 innings)
Nathan Church brought home Thomas Saggese with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning as host St. Louis came from behind to beat Cleveland.
Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs to set up the rubber game of the series on Wednesday. Riley O’Brien (2-0) picked up the win after throwing a scoreless 10th.
Jose Ramirez and Daniel Schneemann hit early solo shots for the Guardians, who got a two-run double from Angel Martinez. Tim Herrin (0-1) took the loss.
Astros 7, Rockies 6
Christian Walker recorded three hits and a pair of RBIs and Houston parlayed a six-run third inning into a victory over visiting Colorado, snapping an eight-game skid.
Houston took advantage of two fielding errors by Rockies second baseman Willi Castro to chase right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-2) in the third. Yordan Alvarez hit a game-tying two-run double down the right field line and Walker added an RBI fielder’s choice. Cam Smith and Vazquez added RBI singles that pushed the Astros to a 7-3 lead
Hunter Goodman recorded his sixth career multi-homer game, with his second blast leading off the fifth and drawing the Rockies to within 7-5. Jake McCarthy delivered a two-run triple to straightaway center, extending Colorado’s lead to 3-0 in the second after Goodman homered in the first. Jordan Beck hit a solo shot in the fourth.
Athletics 2, Rangers 1
Jacob Wilson delivered a two-run single, Jeffrey Springs tossed 6 1/3 strong innings and Denzel Clarke robbed a homer as the Athletics recorded a victory over Texas in West Sacramento, Calif.
Springs (3-0) allowed one run and three hits to help the A’s win for the sixth time in the past seven games. Mark Leiter Jr. struck out two during a perfect ninth for his second save.
Jake Burger had an RBI single for the Rangers, who had won five of their previous seven games. Texas starter MacKenzie Gore (2-1) gave up two runs and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked a career-high-tying six and struck out five.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #MLB #roundup #Threerun #10th #completes #Jays #comeback #win #Brewers
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits an RBI double during the tenth inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Myles Straw’s two-run double capped a three-run 10th inning as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays rallied for a 9-7 victory over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, the Brewers’ sixth consecutive defeat.
Toronto scored three runs in the ninth to go up 6-4, but the Brewers tied it with two in the bottom half.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out double in the 10th off Grant Anderson (0-1) scored automatic runner Ernie Clement from second to put Toronto up 7-6. Jesse Sanchez was walked intentionally and both runners scored on Straw’s liner to left.
Louis Varland (1-1), who relieved with two outs in the ninth and struck out Joey Ortiz to strand the bases loaded, got the win despite allowing a run in the 10th on William Contreras’ RBI single. Varland stranded runners on first and second with a game-ending strikeout of Gary Sanchez.
Reds 2, Giants 1
Brady Singer threw six strong innings, Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart hit early home runs and host Cincinnati held on to edge San Francisco, which had more hits, 7-3.
Singer (1-1) allowed a two-out, fifth-inning home run to Willy Adames but just five other hits in his six innings. Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan all worked a scoreless inning in relief, with Pagan notching his fifth save after a seven-pitch ninth.
The home runs were the only two hits allowed by Giants starter Robbie Ray (2-2) in five innings, during which he labored through 94 pitches. He walked four and struck out six.
Diamondbacks 4, Orioles 3
Ildemaro Vargas hit a three-run homer and Merrill Kelly pitched into the sixth inning in his season debut to help Arizona beat host Baltimore.
Kelly, a veteran right-hander who was dealing with a back injury since spring training, logged 5 1/3 innings to pick up the pitching victory. He was charged with two runs on five hits. Geraldo Perdomo posted three hits for the Diamondbacks. Jose Fernandez and James McCann both had two hits on Tuesday.
Samuel Basallo homered and joined Jeremiah Jackson with two hits for Baltimore. Leody Taveras drove in runs in the third and eighth innings.
Tigers 2, Royals 1
Dillon Dingler drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the eighth and host Detroit extended its winning streak to four games by edging Kansas City.
The Tigers scored both of their runs in the eighth. Zach McKinstry scored on a wild pitch and Kevin McGonigle scored on Dingler’s second hit of the night. The game featured a pitchers’ duel between the starters. The Royals’ Cole Ragans allowed just one hit and no runs in six innings. Framber Valdez limited the Royals to one run and three hits in seven innings.
Both starters thrived on getting ground balls. Valdez’s replacement, Will Vest (1-2), took a different approach. He struck out all three batters he faced. The Tigers’ Kenley Jansen left a runner stranded at third while recording his third save of the season and 479th of his career. He surpassed Lee Smith for third place on the all-time saves list.
Cubs 10, Phillies 4
Carson Kelly belted a three-run homer and Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman also drove in three runs apiece, fueling Chicago to a victory at Philadelphia.
Michael Busch had two hits and two walks for the Cubs, who banged out 15 hits. Colin Rea (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts in six innings. His lone misstep was surrendering a three-run homer to Edmundo Sosa in the second.
Phillies reliever Tim Mayza (0-1) permitted four runs, three earned, in one-third of an inning.
Nationals 5, Pirates 4
CJ Abrams went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, leading Washington to a victory over host Pittsburgh.
Brady House added two hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who won for the fourth time in five games and evened the four-game set at a win apiece. Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile each hit an RBI single, Mitchell Parker (1-0) struck out five over two innings of scoreless relief and Gus Varland earned his second save.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller (1-1) was unable to continue his stellar start to the season. He surrendered five runs on six hits over four innings. Brandon Lowe and Joey Bart each hit a solo shot, while Marcell Ozuna and Nick Gonzales each added an RBI.
Braves 6, Marlins 5
Dominic Smith launched a three-run opposite-field double with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Atlanta to a win over visiting Miami.
The rally came against Pete Fairbanks (0-1), who allowed a leadoff single to Drake Baldwin. Two outs later, Mike Yastrzemski singled and Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch. Smith banged a 2-1 cutter off the left-center-field fence. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth, striking out two, to earn his third save. Robert Suarez (2-0) allowed a run in the eighth but still earned the win.
Miami scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly from Agustin Ramirez, then added three in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Connor Norby drove in a run with a single, Graham Pauley knocked in a run with a double and Jakob Marsee added an RBI single to complete the Marlins’ fourth three-run inning of the series.
Angels 7, Yankees 1
Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler hit consecutive homers in the first inning for Los Angeles, which earned a victory over host New York.
The Angels won for the sixth time in their past nine visits to Yankee Stadium and lead the American League with 26 homers. Former Yankee Oswald Peraza had three hits and homered off Weathers in the fourth. Reid Detmers (1-1) allowed four hits and one run over seven-plus innings.
Ryan Weathers (0-2) permitted five runs on five hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He gave up a career-high four homers and finished with 10 strikeouts for his third career double-digit strikeout game. New York lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Padres 4, Mariners 1
Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Michael King fired six strong innings for his second straight win as San Diego stopped visiting Seattle.
King (2-1) allowed four hits and a run, walking two and fanning five in San Diego’s sixth straight win. Its high-leverage bullpen arms took care of matters from there with Mason Miller pitching the ninth for his fifth save in as many chances.
Bryan Woo (0-2) took the loss for Seattle, permitting eight hits and three runs over seven innings with a walk and three strikeouts. The result ended the Mariners’ four-game winning streak.
Rays 8, White Sox 5
Ben Williamson had two hits and three RBIs and left-hander Shane McClanahan earned his first victory in nearly three years as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Chicago.
McClanahan (1-1) sparked the effort, spacing three runs (two earned) and two hits in five innings. After missing the past two seasons due to Tommy John elbow surgery and a nerve issue, McClanahan picked up his first win since June 16, 2023.
Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami connected for a two-run home run in the ninth to account for the final margin. In his major league debut, White Sox starter Noah Schultz (0-1) yielded four runs (three earned) and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. Everson Pereira hit a three-run shot in his return from the injured list.
Twins 6, Red Sox 0
Byron Buxton collected four hits, including two solo home runs, and Mick Abel pitched seven scoreless innings as Minnesota extended its home winning streak to six games by beating Boston in Minneapolis.
Abel (1-2) limited Boston to four hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter. Taylor Rogers and Cole Sands each tossed one inning of scoreless relief. Buxton, who has three home runs in his last two games, scored four times. Minnesota also received a solo home run from Brooks Lee. Trevor Larnach had two RBIs and Luke Keaschall collected two hits and an RBI.
Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida each had two hits for Boston, which had six hits. The Red Sox have lost 11 of their first 17 games. Boston starter Sonny Gray (2-1) gave up five runs on nine hits in four innings.
Cardinals 6 Guardians 5 (10 innings)
Nathan Church brought home Thomas Saggese with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning as host St. Louis came from behind to beat Cleveland.
Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs to set up the rubber game of the series on Wednesday. Riley O’Brien (2-0) picked up the win after throwing a scoreless 10th.
Jose Ramirez and Daniel Schneemann hit early solo shots for the Guardians, who got a two-run double from Angel Martinez. Tim Herrin (0-1) took the loss.
Astros 7, Rockies 6
Christian Walker recorded three hits and a pair of RBIs and Houston parlayed a six-run third inning into a victory over visiting Colorado, snapping an eight-game skid.
Houston took advantage of two fielding errors by Rockies second baseman Willi Castro to chase right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-2) in the third. Yordan Alvarez hit a game-tying two-run double down the right field line and Walker added an RBI fielder’s choice. Cam Smith and Vazquez added RBI singles that pushed the Astros to a 7-3 lead
Hunter Goodman recorded his sixth career multi-homer game, with his second blast leading off the fifth and drawing the Rockies to within 7-5. Jake McCarthy delivered a two-run triple to straightaway center, extending Colorado’s lead to 3-0 in the second after Goodman homered in the first. Jordan Beck hit a solo shot in the fourth.
Athletics 2, Rangers 1
Jacob Wilson delivered a two-run single, Jeffrey Springs tossed 6 1/3 strong innings and Denzel Clarke robbed a homer as the Athletics recorded a victory over Texas in West Sacramento, Calif.
Springs (3-0) allowed one run and three hits to help the A’s win for the sixth time in the past seven games. Mark Leiter Jr. struck out two during a perfect ninth for his second save.
Jake Burger had an RBI single for the Rangers, who had won five of their previous seven games. Texas starter MacKenzie Gore (2-1) gave up two runs and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked a career-high-tying six and struck out five.
–Field Level Media
![Caitlin Clark’s fourth quarter heroics nearly lead Fever to win INDIANAPOLIS — For three quarters of Friday’s game against the Mystics, Caitlin Clark could hardly hit a shot. In the fourth quarter, she could hardly miss.Clark scored 17 of her 32 points, including five 3-pointers, in a wild final frame of regulation and dragged the Fever back into a game against the Mystics they looked set to lose. Her fifth 3-pointer was the biggest of the night as it forced overtime in the waning seconds.Even though Clark’s heroics would not be enough as the Fever fell to Washington in the extra session in one of the best finishes of the young WNBA season, it still highlighted just how quickly things can change with Clark on the floor.“I felt like I could have made another like five [threes],” Clark said postgame. “They’re all like right there and, obviously, it’s great to break through and get some to go down.”Clark hit a pair of threes on successive possessions midway through the first quarter. As it would turn out, those would be her only two makes through the first three periods.Clark was an ice cold 2-15 from the field and 2-7 from three heading into the fourth, mirroring the Fever’s offensive struggles as team as they were shooting just 32.8% from the field in that span.But back-to-back threes from Clark in the first 90 seconds of the fourth were a precursor of what was to come in the final 10 minutes.Clark scored or assisted on 11 of the first 12 points of the period. The only point she didn’t directly create was a Monique Billings free throw…which came on a foul after a Clark pass. She would go on to assist or score on 18 of the first 21 points for the Fever as they pulled themselves back into the game.Her third three gave the Fever a short-lived 70-69 lead. By the time she connected on her fourth three, the Fever trailed by four with just over 90 seconds left. That deficit grew to eight with 51 seconds left, leaving Indiana in need of a miracle.After a Myisha Hines-Allen layup, a Mystics turnover led to a Kelsey Mitchell 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to just three. The two teams traded free throws, leaving the Fever down three with 5.1 seconds left.A great play design from Indiana head coach Stephanie White created just enough room for Clark to get off a shot as she drifted out-of-bounds. It was all the space she would need as the shot found nylon, tying the game with 1.7 seconds left.“That’s like the hardest thing as a basketball player is when you’re not making shots to really stay in it,” Clark said. “So I’m certainly proud of myself. Really, really battled.”The Fever were given one more scare in the wild fourth quarter as Sonia Citron’s half-court heave swished through the net, but it came after the buzzer, sending the sides to overtime.Unfortunately, all those heroics to force the extra session were for naught as the Mystics responded again, building a multi-possession lead in the closing minutes. Again, though, they left the door open as missed free throws and a timely 3-pointer from Lexie Hull gave Indiana a chance in the final seconds.However, a desperation shot from Mitchell fell short at the buzzer, allowing Washington to escape with a dramatic win.For the Fever, as much as they can take away from their fight in the fourth and overtime, it was the middle quarters that were the most costly. Indiana shot 10-42 in the second and third periods, including 3-19 from range.“If we don’t have three clunky quarters, we don’t force ourselves into basketball heroics,“ Clark said. ”We don’t want to play that way. Like I know it’s exciting for the crowd, but we should have had ourselves in a position, especially after the first quarter, to control this ballgame and we really didn’t.”Friday was the second time in three games the Fever have eclipsed 100 points. Ironically, they have lost both of those contests, a sign of both how great this team can be offensively and how much work they still have on the other end.“We put a lot of pressure on our offense to be perfect when we don’t consistently defend,” head coach Stephanie White said. “Again, this is on us as coaches. This is our responsibility. We’ve got to be disciplined the entire game. We’ve got to be disciplined every possession. We’re taking chances. We’re fouling shooters who are about to shoot tough shots. We’ve got breakdowns in coverages. We’ve got to find combinations of players and rotations that’s net efficiency can be good.“We can’t wait to play defense in situations where we feel good and we’re making shots. It seems like we’re making shots and everything’s flowing and we’ve got energy on the defensive end, and when we’re not, we don’t. It’s got to be the other way around. The energy has to be dictated on that end of the floor and that’s a mindset.”As dramatic and exciting as Friday’s fourth quarter was, the game as a whole highlighted where the Fever need to grow. No team wants to have to rely on “basketball heroics” to potentially win a game.But it was also a sign of just how special Clark can be and how quickly she can deliver those heroics to try to save the Fever from defeat. #Caitlin #Clarks #fourth #quarter #heroics #lead #Fever #win](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/gettyimages-2275874262.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "Caitlin Clark’s fourth quarter heroics nearly lead Fever to win INDIANAPOLIS — For three quarters of Friday’s game against the Mystics, Caitlin Clark could hardly hit a shot. In the fourth quarter, she could hardly miss.Clark scored 17 of her 32 points, including five 3-pointers, in a wild final frame of regulation and dragged the Fever back into a game against the Mystics they looked set to lose. Her fifth 3-pointer was the biggest of the night as it forced overtime in the waning seconds.Even though Clark’s heroics would not be enough as the Fever fell to Washington in the extra session in one of the best finishes of the young WNBA season, it still highlighted just how quickly things can change with Clark on the floor.“I felt like I could have made another like five [threes],” Clark said postgame. “They’re all like right there and, obviously, it’s great to break through and get some to go down.”Clark hit a pair of threes on successive possessions midway through the first quarter. As it would turn out, those would be her only two makes through the first three periods.Clark was an ice cold 2-15 from the field and 2-7 from three heading into the fourth, mirroring the Fever’s offensive struggles as team as they were shooting just 32.8% from the field in that span.But back-to-back threes from Clark in the first 90 seconds of the fourth were a precursor of what was to come in the final 10 minutes.Clark scored or assisted on 11 of the first 12 points of the period. The only point she didn’t directly create was a Monique Billings free throw…which came on a foul after a Clark pass. She would go on to assist or score on 18 of the first 21 points for the Fever as they pulled themselves back into the game.Her third three gave the Fever a short-lived 70-69 lead. By the time she connected on her fourth three, the Fever trailed by four with just over 90 seconds left. That deficit grew to eight with 51 seconds left, leaving Indiana in need of a miracle.After a Myisha Hines-Allen layup, a Mystics turnover led to a Kelsey Mitchell 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to just three. The two teams traded free throws, leaving the Fever down three with 5.1 seconds left.A great play design from Indiana head coach Stephanie White created just enough room for Clark to get off a shot as she drifted out-of-bounds. It was all the space she would need as the shot found nylon, tying the game with 1.7 seconds left.“That’s like the hardest thing as a basketball player is when you’re not making shots to really stay in it,” Clark said. “So I’m certainly proud of myself. Really, really battled.”The Fever were given one more scare in the wild fourth quarter as Sonia Citron’s half-court heave swished through the net, but it came after the buzzer, sending the sides to overtime.Unfortunately, all those heroics to force the extra session were for naught as the Mystics responded again, building a multi-possession lead in the closing minutes. Again, though, they left the door open as missed free throws and a timely 3-pointer from Lexie Hull gave Indiana a chance in the final seconds.However, a desperation shot from Mitchell fell short at the buzzer, allowing Washington to escape with a dramatic win.For the Fever, as much as they can take away from their fight in the fourth and overtime, it was the middle quarters that were the most costly. Indiana shot 10-42 in the second and third periods, including 3-19 from range.“If we don’t have three clunky quarters, we don’t force ourselves into basketball heroics,“ Clark said. ”We don’t want to play that way. Like I know it’s exciting for the crowd, but we should have had ourselves in a position, especially after the first quarter, to control this ballgame and we really didn’t.”Friday was the second time in three games the Fever have eclipsed 100 points. Ironically, they have lost both of those contests, a sign of both how great this team can be offensively and how much work they still have on the other end.“We put a lot of pressure on our offense to be perfect when we don’t consistently defend,” head coach Stephanie White said. “Again, this is on us as coaches. This is our responsibility. We’ve got to be disciplined the entire game. We’ve got to be disciplined every possession. We’re taking chances. We’re fouling shooters who are about to shoot tough shots. We’ve got breakdowns in coverages. We’ve got to find combinations of players and rotations that’s net efficiency can be good.“We can’t wait to play defense in situations where we feel good and we’re making shots. It seems like we’re making shots and everything’s flowing and we’ve got energy on the defensive end, and when we’re not, we don’t. It’s got to be the other way around. The energy has to be dictated on that end of the floor and that’s a mindset.”As dramatic and exciting as Friday’s fourth quarter was, the game as a whole highlighted where the Fever need to grow. No team wants to have to rely on “basketball heroics” to potentially win a game.But it was also a sign of just how special Clark can be and how quickly she can deliver those heroics to try to save the Fever from defeat. #Caitlin #Clarks #fourth #quarter #heroics #lead #Fever #win")
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