MLB
Aaron Judge drove in five runs, Carlos Rodón retired his first 16 batters and the New York Yankees matched their longest winning streak of the season at seven by beating the Minnesota Twins 9-5. New York has won 18 of 22 games and is tied with Philadelphia for the best record in the major leagues at 44-19. Backed by a four-run first inning, Rodón won his career-best sixth straight start. He didn’t allow a hit until Carlos Santana drove a fastball into the right-field seats in the sixth.
Gerrit Cole is likely to make at least two more minor league rehabilitation starts, putting the AL Young Award winner on track for a possible return to the New York Yankees’ rotation in mid-to-late June. Cole said he felt fine a day after his first rehab outing, a 45-pitch effort over 3 1/3 scoreless innings for Double-A Somerset on Tuesday night. Manager Aaron Boone says "at least a couple more” and adds: “I don’t know how many. Is that two? Is it three?” Cole and Boone weren’t ready to commit to Cole’s next outing.
Luis Torrens hit two homers in a game for the second time in his career and Francisco Lindor added a solo shot as the New York Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals 9-1. The Mets head to London after winning five of their last seven. Luis Severino has won two in a row, equaling a season high with eight innings. Patrick Corbin (1-7) has given up eight homers in his last four starts. The Nationals are 8-16 since May 11.
Nick Pivetta combined with two relievers for a one-hit shutout and Rafael Devers hit two homers and drove in three runs as the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 9-0. Pivetta (3-4) worked seven innings and allowed Atlanta’s only hit — a leadoff single by Austin Riley in the fourth inning. The 31-year-old right-hander struck out nine. Devers hit a solo home run in the second inning and a two-run shot in the seventh for the 17th multi-homer game of his career. Jarren Duran hit a solo homer in the eighth inning. Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (0-2) allowed six runs on seven hits with two walks over 4 2/3 innings in his second career start.
Boston Red Sox second baseman Jamie Westbrook got his first major league hit after 11 years in the minors on Wednesday, a single to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning off Jimmy Herget. Westbrook was born in Springfield and raised in Holyoke.
Aaron Nola tossed two-hit ball over seven shutout innings and Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer to send the Philadelphia Phillies off to London with the best record in the National League after a 2-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. The Phillies completed the three-game sweep of the NL Central leaders and improved to 44-19 overall as they head overseas for a weekend set against the New York Mets. Nola improved to 8-2 and struck out five and walked none. Castellanos sent the Phillies to their fifth walk-off win of the season with a 10th inning double a night earlier.
Nolan Arenado homered, Alec Burleson added an RBI double to back up a solid start by Miles Mikolas and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 4-2. Burleson’s hit made it 3-0 in the fifth inning and Arenado added an insurance run in the sixth after the Astros got within 1 in the bottom of the fifth. Mikolas allowed five hits and two runs in six innings for the win. Ryan Helsley pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Ronel Blanco gave up Arenado's homer and took the loss.
Isaac Paredes doubled twice and drove in three runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Miami Marlins 5-3. Brandon Lowe had two hits and an RBI for the Rays, who have won 23 of 26 against Miami since the start of 2019. Rays starter Zach Eflin returned from the injured list and worked four innings of two-run ball. Eflin allowed three hits and struck out three. Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena walked twice and singled in his first three plate appearances, extending his on base streak to eight after reaching five times Tuesday. The string ended when Arozarena popped out to second to end the seventh.
Mike Tauchman hit a game-ending homer, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Chicago White Sox their 13th consecutive loss with a 7-6 victory. Tauchman drove Michael Kopech’s second pitch in the ninth — a 98.4 mph fastball — deep to center for his fifth of the season. It was his first career game-ending homer. The Cubs got back to .500 with their third victory in four games. The White Sox have led by at least two runs at one point in each of their last five losses. The 13-game slide is the longest in the majors this year and matches the single-season franchise record set in 1924.
Nolan Schanuel and Zach Neto homered as the Los Angeles Angels finished off a three-game sweep of San Diego with a 3-2 victory after Padres star Manny Machado injured a leg. The Padres announced after the game Machado suffered a right hip flexor strain. Machado was hurt after running out an attempted double play ball during the fourth inning. He was looked at by a trainer before walking gingerly back to the first-base dugout. Fernando Tatis Jr. had the seventh four-hit game of his career as the Padres dropped four straight on the road for the first time this season. It was the first time since last July against the Yankees that the Angels swept a three-game series at home.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2. Justin Turner singled off Craig Kimbrel (0-2) to begin the ninth, his third hit of the game. Cavan Biggio ran for Turner, advanced to second base on Kimbrel’s errant pickoff throw before moving to third on a flyball and scoring on Kiner-Falefa’s base hit to right field. Yimi García (2-0) worked one inning for the win. Kiner-Falefa had two hits and two RBIs.
Detroit Tigers callup Justyn-Henry Malloy homered for his first major league hit, breaking up Texas Rangers starter José Ureña’s perfect game in the sixth inning on Wednesday night. Ureña retired the first 15 batters before Malloy led off by hitting a 95-mph sinker 413 feet to left field on a 3-1 pitch while his parents cheered in the stands. Malloy was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Monday.
Joey Estes took a perfect game into the seventh inning, Mason Miller had a five-out save and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Wednesday night. The A’s, who have dropped three straight series, can snap the skid with a victory Thursday. The Mariners had won eight of their last nine. Zack Gelof hit a home run in the third, and Daz Cameron scored on a passed ball in the sixth after he had advanced from first to third on a wild pickoff throw. Estes (2-1), making his seventh career start, did not allow a baserunner until J.P. Crawford led off the seventh inning with a double. The right-hander left the game one batter later after throwing 78 pitches and striking out five.
Jonathan India hit his fourth career grand slam to cap a two-out, six-run rally in the ninth inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 12-7 to sweep the three-game series. Spencer Steer slugged a two-run homer off Jalen Beeks who hit TJ Friedl with a pitch leading off the ninth. After two singles and a walk loaded the bases, India blasted a pitch from Angel Chivilli for his second slam this season. Friedl and Jeimer Candelario also went deep for Cincinnati, which has won four straight. Elias Díaz hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth to put Colorado ahead 5-4. Colorado has lost five in a row.
Wilmer Flores’ grand slam highlighted a six-run outburst in the third inning and the San Francisco Giants snapped a six-game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Heliot Ramos added a two-run homer in the third inning off Jordan Montgomery. Ramos reached base six times with two hits and four walks. Flores, who had one home run in 50 games entering Wednesday, added a sacrifice fly in the ninth for his fifth RBI, and Jorge Soler homered in the eighth. Sean Hjelle (3-1) worked 1 1/3 innings of relief and was credited with the victory. Pavin Smith homered for Arizona, which had its four-game win streak halted.
Paul Skenes struck out eight over five innings, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitch in the majors this season and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-6. Skenes, a rookie, improved to 3-0 despite giving up Ohtani's 15th home run of the season. Skenes and Chapman combined to throw 28 pitches that reached triple digits. A seventh-inning heater from Chapman to Los Angeles' Teoscar Hernandez reached 104 mph, the fastest pitch in the majors this year. Nick Gonzales tied a career-high with four RBI for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes made a quick impression on Los Angles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. Skenes struck out Ohtani on three fastballs that reached 100 mph during their first meeting of what became a 10-6 Pittsburgh win. Ohtani exacted revenge later, dinging Skenes for a two-run homer and adding a single. Skenes still improved to 3-0 after striking out eight over five innings. Skenes says there is still plenty to work on through five career starts. Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal says when Skenes figures everything out he is going to be a “nightmare” for opposing hitters.
WNBA
A’ja Wilson had 36 points, 14 rebounds and six steals to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Dallas Wings 95-81 on Wednesday night. Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a game. She scored 12 of her team’s opening 20 points and Tiffany Hayes made her first basket in a Las Vegas uniform to build a 22-6 lead. The Aces led 29-16 at the end of the first quarter after shooting 63% from the field. Jackie Young made a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to extend Las Vegas’ lead to 63-52. Alysha Clark added another 3-pointer to open the fourth-quarter scoring for a 78-61 advantage.
Napheesa Collier had 25 points and nine rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx eased by the Los Angeles Sparks 86-62 on Wednesday night for coach Cheryl Reeve’s 307th regular-season victory. Reeve moved past Bill Laimbeer (306) for second on the WNBA list, trailing just Mike Thibault with 379. Collier scored 11 points in the first quarter to help Minnesota build a 27-12 lead. The Lynx led 45-26 at the break as Los Angeles made just 10 of 44 shots from the field (23%). Dearica Hamby had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles (2-7).
The WNBA announced that it’s rescinded the second technical foul on Chicago rookie Angel Reese that occurred with 2:31 left in the loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday night. Reese was thrown out of the game after receiving two technical fouls following a brief interaction with official Charles Watson. The rookie forward appeared to say something to Watson and then quickly waved her hand. Head official Maj Forsberg said in a pool report that Reese’s technical fouls were for “disrespectfully addressing” the official and then for “waving her hand in dismissal.” Reese finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
NBA
The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics prepare to tip off the NBA Finals and the four biggest names in the series are looking at this moment through different lenses. Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the Celtics’ most tenured and scrutinized stars and see it as a chance at redemption after falling short in the Finals just two seasons ago and then failing to return last year. Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving see it as their first opportunity to make good on a partnership that began late last season after Irving was traded from Brooklyn following a tumultuous run of two-plus seasons with the Nets.
The Celtics face The Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight at 8:30 in Boston.
Luka Doncic didn’t stay up all night to watch NBA Finals games as a kid. They usually started at something like 3 a.m. in his native Slovenia. He had school to get to a few hours later. He’d wake up and find out who won. Make no mistake, though: Doncic was paying attention. The 25-year-old makes his NBA Finals debut for the Dallas Mavericks when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of this year’s title series on Thursday night. He could become the first player to win a scoring title and a championship in the same season since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
Celtics 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis said he will be ready to “just go out there and hoop” for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night after missing Boston’s last 10 games with a strained left calf. Porzingis said he couldn’t predict how it will be once he gets into a game for the first time since April 29. An offseason acquisition that helped solidify the Celtics frontcourt, Porzingis averaged 20 points, 7.2 rebounds and almost two blocks per game. But he was again dogged by injuries that limited him to 57 games. He left Game 4 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat and missed all of the next two rounds.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Tiare Jennings’ two-run homer in the first inning sparked Oklahoma to an 8-3 win over Texas that left the Sooners one win from a record fourth straight national title. Jennings had two hits and three RBIs and Kinzie Hansen had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Sooners in Game 1 of the best-of-three Women’s College World Series championship series. Oklahoma had nine hits and three home runs against a Texas squad that threw three one-hit shutouts in three World Series games. The Sooners could clinch on Thursday night. Mia Scott hit a solo homer for Texas.
GOLF
Xander Schauffele was able to take a few weeks off after claiming his first major at the PGA Championship. He came to realize he's still the same person and his life hasn't changed. Now he returns to the Memorial to face a tough stretch of golf. The Memorial is a signature event with a top field and big purse. Then it's off to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and then another signature event at the Travelers Championship. Tournament host Jack Nicklaus isn't thrilled with a new date for the Memorial that pushes it right up against a major.
HORSE RACING
The Saratoga Springs Belmont Stakes celebration weekend is underway. Saturday’s running of the third leg of the Triple Crown is expected to draw around 100,000 people throughout the weekend. Four days of racing begins today when gates open at 11 a.m. The festival is expected to generate upwards of $50 million for the region during Saratoga’s first Belmont. The race’s downstate home is being renovated for the next two years.
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