Josh Bell homers in the Nationals' 7-run 10th inning in a 9-3 victory over the Mariners

Josh Bell homers in the Nationals' 7-run 10th inning in a 9-3 victory over the Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer in a seven-run 10th inning in the Washington Nationals' 9-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night. The Nationals set a franchise record for runs in an extra inning. Rookie Daylen Lile got the outburst started against Collin Snider (1-1) with a sacrifice fly to deep right that came just a few feet shy of a home run. Luis Garcia Jr. doubled home a pair of runs before Bell hit eighth home run of the season and second in two days. For a good while, it appeared Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore would require little offensive support, considering MLB's strikeout leader racked up eight strikeouts across six shutout innings to up his season total to 101. Gore was buoyed, too, byJames Wood's two-RBI double to left field in the sixth inning,and was in line for the victory that instead went to Nationals reliever Jose A. Ferrer (2-2). But in the seventh, the Mariners drew back even. Leody Taveras and Ben Williamson had back-to-back RBI singles to tied it at 2. Key moment Seattle put two runners aboard ahead of the heart of the Mariners' order in the eighth inning. But Nationals reliever Cole Henry induced a pop-up from Randy Arozarena before getting both Miles Mastrobuoni and Rowdy Tellez to groundout feebly. Key stat Lile's RBI was the first of the 22-year-old outfielder's young MLB career. He came just a few feet shy of his first home run in the big leagues Up next Nationals right-hander Jake Irvin (4-1, 3.42) was set to start Friday night at Arizona. Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (5-2, 2.69) gets the ball for Seattle to begin a three-game home set against Minnesota. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

byNicholas Miller

in

May 30, 2025

Josh Bell homers in the Nationals' 7-run 10th inning in a 9-3 victory over the Mariners

Josh Bell homers in the Nationals' 7-run 10th inning in a 9-3 victory over the Mariners SEATTLE (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer i...

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Bar-B-Cast preview: 'There’s a strong argument the Yankees are better than the Dodgers'

Bar-B-Cast preview: 'There's a strong argument the Yankees are better than the Dodgers'

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.) From high-octane lineups to crafty pitching, this Yankees-Dodgers battle is baseball's main event of this weekend. As Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of the "Baseball Bar-B-Cast" podcast put it: "I don't think we have to explain why Dodgers-Yankees is compelling … There is some stuff here, people." Here is some of the stuff: As pointed out in the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," there's a different energy compared to their last showdown. This isn't just a rehashing of last year's World Series vibe. Both the Yankees (35-20) and Dodgers (34-22) are entering the weekend as true contenders, but, if anything, the Yankees look stronger this time around. Mintz summed it up like this: "Last year it was pretty clear pretty quickly that the Yankees were playing worse baseball than the Dodgers. That's not the case right now. There's a strong argument the Yankees are better than the Dodgers." The Yankees' run differential is nearly double that of the Dodgers (+113 to +65), and their recent form has been more consistent across the board. Shusterman's take: "The Yankees are playing much better, basically, across the board, they've been way more consistent. The run differential speaks for itself. They have a lot more of their team clicking." The arms on display promise some compelling duels: Friday —Max Fried vs. Tony GonsolinSaturday —Will Warren vs. Landon KnackSunday —Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Ryan Yarbrough Mintz points out the intrigue around pitchers: "Will Warren I'm interested in. He was not a character during the World Series last year. Neither was Max Fried. I'll take Max Fried against Shohei Ohtani. Thank you very much." It's also a series full of new faces — like the Yankees' Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt. As Shusterman jokes, expect the networks to lean heavily into World Series nostalgia. Will we see countless replays of Freddie Freeman's grand slam in the World Series opener? Probably. The over-under, according to the "Bar-B-Cast" is set at 12.5. But don't let that distract from the fact that this series is packed with new storylines and fresh drama. Title favorites:The defending champion Dodgers have the best odds to win the World Series (+240 at BetMGM), and the Yankees aren't too far behind (+550). The Tigers (+900), Mets (+900), Phillies (+950), Cubs (+1500) and Mariners (+1800) are the only other teams with better than 20-1 odds. MVP favorites:Reigning MVPs Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are mashing. If the season ended today, they would both be virtual locks to win the awards again, which would be three in four years for Judge and four in five years for Ohtani. Judge leads the AL in every part of the triple-slash (.391/.488/.739), runs (51), hits (81), total bases (153) and WAR (4.2). He's also second in HRs (18), RBI (47) and walks (38). Ohtani leads the NL in HRs (20), runs (59), slugging (.648) and total bases (140), is second in WAR (2.8) and OPS (1.042) and is top 10 in BA (.292) and steals (11). Looking ahead:There's still a lot of baseball left, but if the Yankees and Dodgers each make it back to the Fall Classic it will bejust the 10th World Series rematch ever, and the first since these same two teams did it nearly 50 years ago (1977-78). For more of the latest baseball news and debates, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" onApple,SpotifyorYouTube.

byNicholas Miller

in

May 30, 2025

Bar-B-Cast preview: 'There’s a strong argument the Yankees are better than the Dodgers'

Bar-B-Cast preview: 'There's a strong argument the Yankees are better than the Dodgers' (This article was written with the assis...

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Why Stars coach pulled goalie Jake Oettinger: 'Status quo had not been working'

Why Stars coach pulled goalie Jake Oettinger: 'Status quo had not been working'

TheDallas Starsgot off to a bad start whilebeing eliminated Thursday nightby theEdmonton Oilers. A careless penalty. A power-play goal in which Corey Perry was left alone in front. Another defensive breakdown on the Oilers' second goal by Mattias Janmark at 7:09. Stars coach Peter DeBoer called a timeout, then did something shocking: He pulled star goaltender Jake Oettinger and inserted backup Casey DeSmith. DeBoer explained his reasoning afterward, saying he didn't fully blame Oettinger for the goals but at the same time, he cited the "reality" of the situation. "If you go back to last year's playoffs, he's lost six of seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game," DeBoer said. "It was partly to spark our team and wake them up and partly knowing that status quo had not been working. That's a pretty big sample size." Jake Oettinger's night is DONE 5 mins into Game 5 😳He gets pulled after allowing 2 goals on the Oilers' first 2 shots 😬pic.twitter.com/gSSyXUZsZJ — Gino Hard (@GinoHard_)May 30, 2025 DeSmith gave up a quick goal to Jeff Skinner and though the Stars pulled close on a couple of occasions. they fell 6-3. "We didn't roll over," DeBoer said. Oettinger was one of three U.S. goalies at the 4 Nations Face-Off who could also be thenetminders for the 2026 Olympics. Top goalie Connor Hellebuyck hadsome tough games on the roadfor the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs. Oettinger had a 3.93 goals-against average and .853 save percentage in the conference final. Boston's Jeremy Swayman missed the playoffs but helped theUSA win a rare gold medalat the world championships. The Stars have now lost three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final. "Our group needs to go – you know, coaches, players – and reflect in the summer on what we can do when we get to this point against the best teams," DeBoer said. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Stars' Jake Oettinger pulled; coach Peter DeBoer explains why

byNicholas Miller

in

May 30, 2025

Why Stars coach pulled goalie Jake Oettinger: 'Status quo had not been working'

Why Stars coach pulled goalie Jake Oettinger: 'Status quo had not been working' TheDallas Starsgot off to a bad start whilebeing eli...

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A rugby tour 12 years in the making: Australia awaits the British and Irish Lions

A rugby tour 12 years in the making: Australia awaits the British and Irish Lions

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A huge economic boost, 40,000 British and Irish visitors in a swathe of red supporter gear, and the combined rugby might of four countries set to take on Australia. The 10-match British and Irish Lions tour — a once-every-12-year occasion for Australia — kicks off next month and local organizers are already primed for the influx of rugby-loving visitors from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The first of three test matches is 50 days away, in Brisbane on July 19. The second test is scheduled for July 26 in Melbourne and the third in Sydney on Aug. 2. "The Lions is something that tends to reach beyond just the rugby union fans,"Australia head coach Joe Schmidtsaid during a visit Friday to Suncorp Stadium, "because it's such an infrequent tour, people just get interested and we'd love to earn the support of all those folk by being really competitive. "I'd love to think we're in the hunt." Who are the Lions? The first Lions tour in 1888 comprised mostly English players and included matches in Australia and New Zealand. The tradition grew and since 1989, a Lions squad featuring Irish, England, Scottish and Welsh players has toured every four years on a rotational basis to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Andy Farrell is head coach of a 38-man squad for the 2025 tour, with England lock Maro Itoje selected as captain. Recent history Australian rugby has declined since its historic 2001 series victory over the Lions. The 1999 Rugby World Cup champions recovered to clinch that series with back-to-back wins in Melbourne and Sydney after a first-test loss in Brisbane, when the Wallabies were stunned by a crowd overwhelmingly dominated by visiting fans. In 2013, the Lions — coming off a mid-week loss to the Canberra-based Brumbies in a tour game — edged Australia 23-21 in the first test in Brisbane and then, after losing 16-15 in Melbourne, rallied for a comprehensive 41-6 victory in Sydney. Wallabies resurgence After failing to make the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals in 2023, Australia has been in a rebuilding phase under New Zealand-born Schmidt, a former Ireland coach. The Wallabies had six wins in 13 tests in a2024 season that ended in a 22-19 loss to Irelandin Dublin, but an influx of new players and some improved performances have increased expectations for 2025. Schmidt, who will start assembling his squad next month as domestic teams bow out of the Super Rugby Pacific championship, knows that the Wallabies need to start being more consistent to win back the support of an Australian public which has a vast number of sporting choices. The Wallabies are No. 8 in the World Rugby rankings for men's international teams and need to improve quickly to get a good seeding for the 2027 World Cup, which Australia is hosting. We "need a series of really good performances and, and it's something that we're aspirational about and we work really hard behind the scenes to try to get into the mix," Schmidt said. "I think some of the promising signs, the way the Wallabies finished off last year, the way the Super Rugby teams have competed this year, and so it's our challenge to try to continue that." Seeing red James Horwill, Australia's captain in the 2013 series, has seen enough red when it comes to Lions tours. His enduring memory of the 2001 series, when he was a teenager watching the first test on TV? "It felt like a home game for the British and Irish Lions just with just with the red shirts and the crowd," he said. He said there was more obvious support for Australia 12 years ago with more fans in gold, but the red of the Lions still stood out. "You walk out of the hotel, there was red everywhere. It's almost like the British and Irish Lions fans don't bring anything else other than red t-shirts," he said. "They wear it everywhere, so we need our fans here to step up to the mark because we know they're coming in droves from the U.K." ___ AP rugby:https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

byNicholas Miller

in

May 30, 2025

A rugby tour 12 years in the making: Australia awaits the British and Irish Lions

A rugby tour 12 years in the making: Australia awaits the British and Irish Lions BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A huge economic boost, 40,000 B...

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Jordan Spieth ignores caddie's smart advice and makes birdie from rough at Memorial

Jordan Spieth ignores caddie's smart advice and makes birdie from rough at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Buried in gnarly rough Thursday at the Memorial, the prudent shot for Jordan Spieth was to chip out sideways back to the fairway. That's what his caddie suggested. That's not how Spieth operates. "It's really hard to get me to chip out," Spieth said after he opened with a hard-earned round of even-par 72 at Muirfield Village. "I chip out maybe less than anyone else that's every played the game of golf. "It's demoralizing enough that I'll make a terrible decision not to." That's what he faced Thursday on the par-5 fifth holeafter a tee shot that hit a tree and bounced slightly backward, creating a lie that went against the long blades of grass and left him a lie that was close to impossible. What to do? No commentary is necessary. Spieth provides that on his own. "If it gets to the fairway, I can make 4," he told Michael Greller, the caddie who has worked with him since the U.S. Junior in 2011. "Versus do I still make 5 if I can't get it to the fairway." The fairway was only 115 yards away — the lie was that bad. They reasoned that if he didn't carry it to the fairway, he'd have to lay up again because of water in front of the green. Spieth still figured he could get that up-and-down for par. As he settled over the shot, Greller made one last pitch: "Why don't you hit it right there?" he said to Spieth, indicating a chip-out to the left. "I don't want to hit it right there," Spieth said. "Because I'm hitting good shots, and they're getting absolutely boned so far, so I can't accept it." No one can fault Greller for trying to talk some safe sense into him, and this wasn't the first time. Spieth is aware of that. "His hands are tied on some of those," Spieth after his round, and then revisited that shot on the fifth hole. "I didn't think I was going to be able to reach the fairway, and I talked him into ... I could still make par either way. The reality was eight of 10 (times), I'm not going to cover. I should punch it out." He hammered it. The ball caught the first cut and barely made it back to the fairway. That left him 128 yards to the hole, and his third shot was 25 feet below the hole. Spieth holed the putt, of course. "It actually got to the fairway and I made birdie," he said, "which doesn't help the whole cause." ___ AP golf:https://apnews.com/hub/golf

byNicholas Miller

in

May 29, 2025

Jordan Spieth ignores caddie's smart advice and makes birdie from rough at Memorial

Jordan Spieth ignores caddie's smart advice and makes birdie from rough at Memorial DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Buried in gnarly rough Thursday ...

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