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Log Jam at The PGA Championship

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2026 PGA Championship | Second Round

NEWTOWN SQUARE – Welcome to the second round of the 2026 PGA Championship, held a few miles north of the City of Brotherly Love – Philadelphia. There are 33 players within two strokes of the lead, setting up for a Friday and weekend to remember. A former host of the BMW Championship, the Aronimink Golf Club delivered in its return to professional golf, providing a tough test of thick rough, morning dew, and gusty conditions.

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World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines a log-jam of leaders at 3-under. Of the “Big 4” favorites entering the tournament – Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick – only Scheffler is under par.

When the PGA Championship post-round press conference moderator asked McIlroy to describe his opening round Thursday, and the six-time major winner needed just one word, not fit for print. “S—,” McIlroy said after his rough finish with bogeys on his final four holes for a 4-over-par 74.

LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau had an even “S—ttier” day. DeChambeau did not speak to reporters after his round, and he’s in danger of missing his third cut at the past four majors. DeChambeau missed seven greens in regulation and needed 33 putts to get through his round, which did not see a birdie until his final hole, the ninth. He shot a (+6) – (76) and is T-135 with a 1:45pm tee time today.

The cut is projected at (+2).

2026 PGA Championship | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

T1 – Martin Kaymer -3 67

T1 – Scottie Scheffler -3 67

T1 – Alex Smalley -3 67

T1 – Aldrich Potgieter -3 67

T1 – Stephan Jaeger. -3 67

T1 – Min Woo Lee -3 67

T1 – Ryo Hisatsune -3 67

Red Sox: Rafa to the Rescue

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BOSTON (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer and Trevor Story also went deep, propelling the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. After Wilyer Abreu singled in the sixth, Rafaela pinch-hit for Masataka Yoshida and delivered his fourth home run of the season to put Boston in front 3-1.

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Story gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead when he homered against Andrew Painter in the second inning. It was his third home run of the season.

Boston received six innings from starting pitcher Sonny Gray (4-1), who limited the Phillies to a run on two hits. He struck out six and waked one. Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.

The Phillies had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth thanks to two walks and a double steal, but Chapman earned his ninth save by striking out Alec Bohm to end the game.

Justin Crawford hit a solo home run for Philadelphia, which entered the matchup on a three game winning streak. Tanner Banks (0-3) was charged with a run in two-thirds of an inning.

Abreu collected three of Boston’s eight hits. Story finished 2-for-3 as the Red Sox ended a two-game losing streak.

Kyle Schwarber began the night with at least one home run in each of the past five games, but he went 0-for-2 with two walks. No Philadelphia player has ever homered in six straight games.

Painter exited the mound after five innings. He allowed a run on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. He threw 62 pitches, 46 of which were strikes.

Shortstop Trea Turner wasn’t in Philadelphia’s starting lineup, but he drew a walk when he pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth. Interim manager Don Mattingly said Turner was ill.

After Story homered, Philadelphia made it a 1-1 game when Crawford hit his second home run of the season in the third inning.

Rafaela’s home run capped the scoring.

–Field Level Media

 

Jason Collins, Dead at 47

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff Report with Official League and Union Statements) – Jason Collins, who became the first active athlete in one of the four major North American sports leagues to come out as gay in 2013, died of complications from glioblastoma, his family said Tuesday. He was 47.

Collins was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2025, and he revealed in December that he was fighting Stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

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“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” Collins’ family said in a statement released by the NBA Tuesday.

“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”

Collins had been in a relationship with film producer Brunson Green since 2014; they were married in May 2025.

He also served as an ambassador for NBA Cares, the league’s social responsibility arm, in his post-playing career.

“Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.

“On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”

A 7-foot center, Collins played collegiately at Stanford and was a first-round draft pick (18th overall) by the Houston Rockets in 2001, but he was traded to the New Jersey Nets on draft night.

Collins spent the first eight of his 13 NBA seasons with the Nets and had limited stays with the Memphis Grizzlies (2008), Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-09), Atlanta Hawks (2009-12), Boston Celtics (2012-13) and Washington Wizards (2013).

After the 2012-13 season concluded, Collins revealed he was gay in a first-person Sports Illustrated story. He received widespread praise and encouragement in the public sphere and from the likes of NBA star Kobe Bryant. But Collins’ contract was up and free agency came and went without him signing with a team.

It wasn’t until February 2014 that Collins officially became the first openly gay man to play in one of the four major leagues, when the now-Brooklyn Nets called him to offer a 10-day contract. Their head coach at the time was Jason Kidd, a former teammate of Collins’ in New Jersey.

Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke, Dead at 29

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke has died at the age of 29. Clarke’s death was announced Tuesday by the Grizzlies and his representation, Priority Sports, and confirmed by the authorities in Los Angeles, California.

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Los Angeles’ NBC affiliate reported that his death is being investigated as a possible overdose. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a 911 call of a medical emergency shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday and paramedics declared Clarke dead after they arrived, per the report.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten. We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Clarke played in just six games during the 2023-24 season due to a torn Achilles and suited up for just two this campaign. He was out at the start of this season due to a right knee injury. He returned in mid-December and injured his right calf in his second game.

The Grizzlies ruled Clarke out for the rest of the season on March 24.

“We are all beyond devastated by the passing of Brandon Clarke,” Priority Sports said in a statement. “He was so loved by all of us here, and everyone whose life he touched. He was the gentlest soul who was the first to be there for all of his friends and family. Our hearts are so broken as we think about his mom, Whitney, his entire family, and all of his friends and teammates. From high school to San Jose State to Gonzaga to the Grizzlies, Brandon impacted everyone who was part of his life.

“Everyone loved BC because he was always there as the most supportive friends you could ever imagine. He was so unique in the joy he brought to all of those in his life. It’s just impossible to put into words how much he’ll be missed.”

On April 1, Clarke was arrested on four charges, including possession of and trafficking a controlled substance. He also was charged with two driving offenses — improper passing and fleeing in a vehicle or conveyance with speeding.

Clarke had career averages of 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 309 games (50 starts) since he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Grizzlies shortly afterward.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Brandon Clarke,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “As one of the longest-tenured members of the Grizzlies, Brandon was a beloved teammate and leader who played the game with enormous passion and grit. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Brandon’s family, friends and the Grizzlies organization.”

 

 

Filed Under: NBA

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 10

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – If the City of Atlanta were to erect tent poles to hold up the town for the rest of time, or to carve out a Mount Rushmore in the Blue Ridge Mountains (93 miles from Atlanta) – two of the figures that would be set in stone – are two people who passed away this week.

Ted Turner, the visionary who changed the world by founding Cable News Network (CNN), amongst thousands of other amazing feats, including the expansion of one-time “SuperStation TBS,” and numerous acts of philanthropy throughout his life, passed away Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee, Florida. He was 87 years old and the cause of death was complications because of Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder.

Turner once owned the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in addition to the longtime NBA broadcast partners of the TBS and TNT networks before they were sold to Time Warner, along with Turner’s sports empire of the Hawks, Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball, and the now defunct Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL (Winnipeg Jets).

Bobby Cox, the beloved former manager of the Braves, and a Baseball Hall of Famer who led the Atlanta to five National League pennants and a World Series championship in the 1990s and was ranked No. 4 for career victories among major league managers, died on Saturday in Marietta, Georgia. He was 84. Cox had suffered a stroke in 2019 but a cause of death was not made public.

If you were to take it a few steps further, and add a third public figure it definitely would be the great Martin Luther King Jr. – born in Atlanta in January 1929 – who became one of the most important people in American history.

And, the final bigger-than-life icon would be Hank Aaron, unquestionably the most revered figure in Atlanta Braves franchise history and the No. 2 home run hitter in MLB history (755) with only Barry Bonds (762) ahead of “Hammering Hank.”

If there were a fifth, it would probably be Atlanta-born actress Julia Roberts. And, Dominque Wilkins would be a sixth.

Ted Turner at a Turner Classic Movies function (file photo).

Of those four incredible icons of Atlanta, the only one I had any interaction with was “Ted.”

Firstly, I know hundreds of people who were hired by or worked directly for Turner at his various networks or sports franchises. Not once did I ever hear a single bad word about him. Never.

Secondly, his employees loved the guy, and respected him beyond words of description. This week, many tried to put it into words, and one person, a good friend and colleague – Dr. Harvey Schiller – sat down for a “Talk about Ted” podcast with Columbia University professors of sports management Tom Richardson and Joe Favorito on their CUSP podcast.

To listen to the CUSP Podcast with Dr. Schiller, please click HERE.

Lastly, Turner dreamt-up a lot of incredible things and, as Dr. Schiller mentioned in his podcast, Ted always was intrigued by the International Olympic Committee and the parallel angle of utilizing sports as a way to bridge differences in the geopolitical world we live in. That interest became the Goodwill Games,

The Goodwill Games were staged in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, and in Seattle and New York in the USA, but the Goodwill Games where I interacted with the Turner crew was held in Brisbane, Australia in 2001. It was terrific.

We (meaning the NBA) brought a talented team of first and second year pros to compete. Brisbane was showing off all of its attributes – a test run way back in 2001 that eventually resulted in the Gold Coast city being awarded the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Hey, it only took 31 years!

We also had some hysterical interactions with Ted when we took his Atlanta Hawks over to the (then) Soviet Union in 1988.

One of the exchanges went like this.

Scene Setter: The Hawks team was embedded at the Olympic Training facility in Suhumi, Russia – not far from Sochi where the 2014 Winter Olympics were staged. (It’s about a 5 hour, 30 minute bus ride from Suhumi to Sochi). A day or two into our stay, a massive thunderstorm ripped through the area, knocking out all forms of power but somehow spared a phone line.

Off the grid for some 36+ hours because of the storm, Goodwill Games unit coordinator for the trip, Kim Bohuny – who eventually became an integral part of the NBA’s global basketball operations efforts – made a phone call back to her boss, David Raith, who was with Ted Turner at the time of the call.

The rather short phone call went something like this:

Raith: “What can we do to help you guys? Do you need anything?”

Bohuny: (semi screaming into the faint sounds) – “Yes, we need FOOD and some WATER!”

Heard in Background was Ted Turner: “What the hell is going on over there?”

The next thing we knew, and maybe it took 48 hours, but Hawks head coach Mike Fratello was mixing up some pasta with marinara sauce and, as Hawks radio broadcaster, Steve Holman, said, “We ate as though it was our last meal and wee were headed to the Electric Chair.”

But the real joke was that we STILL didn’t have electricity in the dorms but Coach Fratello somehow boiled water and warmed his special Italian gravy.

It was so dark at night, that we had to attach ropes down the middle of the hallways to grab a hold of to get back to the stairs and our rooms. Whoever had the flashlight had to go with each person as they retired for the evening. It was fan-tastic.

Yet, as noted, not a single solitary word was ever uttered to complain about the Hawks, Turner Sports or Ted Turner who sponsored the trip. It was all one big family.

And, the family lost its patriarch this week while the City of Atlanta lost one of its three or four most important people of all-time.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES – It’s important to start the notes section with a call-out to all the Mothers out there! A very Happy Mother’s Day to all.

I must say, it’s very strange thinking of Mother’s Day and – for the first time in my life – the day is here and my Mom is not. Genevieve Ann Lyons passed away a few weeks after Mother’s Day of 2025 when she was 100 years and 57 days of age. An amazing life, and tough at the end, but I still miss her and think of the endless pool of memories from Mother’s Days gone by – some spent with her attending the NBA Draft Lottery and partaking in a very nice brunch when we staged the Lottery at halftime of a 1:00pm EDT NBA playoff game. I can remember her sharing a table with the legendary Celtics Hall of Famer, Tom “Satch” Sanders, who was my office next door neighbor for a decade or more.

In 1988, I can remember her making the trip to Madrid, Spain to witness the Boston Celtics play in the first McDonald’s Open held in Europe. (The first event was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin). She was able to take in some sight-seeing and incredible accommodations in Madrid, although I have to admit she didn’t get to see her son, working the event, all too often.

She did get to sit with Julius “Dr. J” Erving – the two Long Islanders – chatting up Nassau County high school basketball or memories of the New York Nets.

All very fond memories.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS – Johns Hopkins upset Cornell, 9-8 in OT, on Saturday with Hopkins coming back from a 6-3 deficit in the second half. With 1:15 left in overtime, Jimmy Ayers found the back of the net to grab the win over the defending National Champions. Johns Hopkins advanced to take on the winner of Jacksonville and 2-seed Notre Dame who play on Sunday, May 10th at Noon (ESPN2). Cornell finished with an 11-5 overall record. Hopkins’ quarterfinal will be played at Hofstra University on Long Island, NY. … Why the coverage of Johns Hopkins? Let the proud father make note that his oldest daughter, Victoria, graduated from the incredible institution in 2019.

THIS JEST IN – As long as we were on Baltimore, fans lined up well before the gates opened at Camden Yards, Maryland on Friday night in anticipation of a Tupac Shakur bobblehead giveaway at the ballpark. “I grabbed three of them,” Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said before a 4-3 loss to the Athletics. Shakur was raised in New York and Baltimore before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s. He lived in Oakland, California, in the early 1990s, which made Friday’s matchup between the Orioles and Athletics an appropriate time to honor the rap icon, who was murdered in a drive-by in Las Vegas in September, 1996.

PGA Championship | Major

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NEWTOWN SQUARE – Founded in 1896, Aronimink Golf Club will host the PGA Championship for the second time in its history and first since 1962 (won by Gary Player). Aronimink also hosted the 2003 Senior PGA Championship and 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Originally designed by the legendary golf course architects Donald Ross and Gil Hanse who completed a restoration of the course in 2018.

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The 2026 PGA Championship will feature a 156-player field and will have a 36-hole cut, with the low 70 players (and ties) advancing to the weekend.

Truist Championship winner Kristoffer Reitan will make his PGA Championship debut. The PGA TOUR rookie became the second player from Norway to win on the PGA TOUR and the second player to win a Signature Event for his first career PGA TOUR title (Jacob Bridgeman/The Genesis Invitational); finished No. 3 in the 2025 DP World Tour Top 10 to earn his TOUR card for the 2026 season.

Reitan hopes to follow the winning ways of fellow Norweigan Viktor Hovland.

In search of his first major championship title, Rickie Fowler enters the week with three consecutive top-10 finishes on TOUR (T8/RBC Heritage, T9/Cadillac Championship, T2/Truist Championship); best finish at the PGA Championship is T3 (2014).

The 2026 Field features:

A total of 93 PGA TOUR winners who have combined for 445 titles, led by Rory McIlroy (30)

Exactly 31 players in the field have won at least one major championship, led by Rory McIlroy (6), Brooks Koepka (5) and Scottie Scheffler (4).

Thirty players in the field competed in the 2018 BMW Championship when it was hosted at Aronimink Golf Club, highlighted by all of the top five finishers: Keegan Bradley (Won), Justin Rose (2nd), Billy Horschel (T3), Xander Schauffele (T3), Rory McIlroy (5th). They know the course.

A total of 26 different countries and territories are represented in the field, with 100 of those players coming from either the United States (85) or England (15); next most is Australia (six).

No international player has won the PGA Championship since 2015 (Jason Day, Australia).

Fourteen past PGA Championship winners are: Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Shaun Michael, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jimmy Walker and Y.E. Yang.

There are 10 PGA TOUR rookies: Chandler Blanchet, Dan Brown, Alex Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, John Parry, Marco Penge, Kristoffer Reitan, Adrien Saddier, Jordan Smith, Sudarshan Yellamaraju.

 

Sox Contreras Out; Hit by Pitch

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left Sunday’s game after being hit on the right hand by a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Nick Martinez in the first inning.

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Contreras ran the bases, but did not return to the field for the second inning as the Red Sox initially said he had a contusion. However, the club said it would have Contreras undergo imaging to determine the severity as the ball seemed to hit where the palm of his hand meets the wrist, a complicated area of the joint.

It was the eighth time Contreras has been hit by a pitch, which tied him with St. Louis’ J.J. Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera for the MLB lead.

Contreras, who turns 34 on Wednesday, leads Boston with eight homers and 23 RBIs while batting .259 in 39 games.

The three-time All-Star is in his first season with the Red Sox. He has a .258 career batting average with 180 homers and 571 RBIs in 1,116 games with the Chicago Cubs (2016-22), St. Louis Cardinals (2023-25) and Boston.

Andruw Monasterio replaced Contreras at first base and poked hits in his first two at-bats.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Motoring in Motown

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Detroit Tigers have dropped one game under .500 after losing the first two games of a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox. They will look to a struggling starter to prevent a sweep.

Under different circumstances, right-hander Jack Flaherty might be in danger of losing his starting spot. With the rotation decimated by injuries, the Tigers will continue to ride with Flaherty and hope he can solve his issues.

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Flaherty (0-2, 5.90 ERA), who will make his eighth start Wednesday, has been unable to record more than 11 outs in his last three appearances.

He issued six walks to Boston hitters on April 20 and was removed after 3 1/3 innings. Flaherty surrendered six runs, including three home runs, in two innings at Cincinnati on April 25.

In his last start, Flaherty gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings on Friday to Texas while allowing five hits and three walks. He admitted afterward that his struggles have taken a mental toll.

“You just lose it for three hitters and it’s just like, agonizing, it’s frustrating,” Flaherty said. “It probably pisses you off, because it’s — I’m losing sleep over it every single day, trying to figure out what goes on in that little bit right there where we end up walking three guys in a row.”

Overall, Flaherty has walked 25 batters in 29 innings. During 2024 when Flaherty began the season with Detroit and then was traded to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers, he walked just 38 batters in 162 innings. Last season, Flaherty went 8-15 while rejoining the Tigers and issued 59 walks in 161 innings.

“Just giving guys free passes and walking guys, that’s where it gets frustrating,” he said. “I never walked guys like this in my career, so it’s one of those things that is gonna be frustrating to really figure it out.”

He’s 1-0 with a 3.14 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against Boston.

Right-hander Sonny Gray is expected to be activated from the injured list and start for the Red Sox.

Gray (2-1, 4.30) strained his right hamstring while opposing Flaherty last month. In 12 career outings (11 starts) against Detroit, Gray is 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA, including a start last season in which he tossed six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Boston has scored 15 runs in the first two games of the series despite an injury to outfielder Roman Anthony. He suffered a sprained right wrist during the series opener on Monday but was not placed on the injured list. He will not play tonight.

“The thing is, even with a sprain, it’s still going to be reactive on how it is feeling, and how is it progressing,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “That’s good news, but we still have to see how he feels over the next couple of days. To know that something happened, and we don’t see a break, and we don’t see any structural (damage) right now. But again, there’s still steps to take to make sure that he feels good and healthy.”

–Field Level Media

Red Sox to Face Tigers’ Ace

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Detroit Tigers are missing three starting pitchers but still have one standout. He will be on the mound tonight against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA) will start the middle contest of the three-game series for Detroit. The left-hander has given up two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts.

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Valdez was sharp in his latest outing, at Atlanta on Thursday. He held the Braves to two runs and six hits in six innings. He didn’t issue a walk while striking out a season-high eight batters.

The Braves’ runs against him came in the second and third innings.

“He got better and better as the day went on,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He had a little trouble getting into the game, just because he mis-executed pitches. But given how the game started and the way his pitch count was driving up, for him to go six innings and really look strong at the end was huge.”

Valdez and catcher Jake Rogers changed tactics, relying more on his breaking pitches.

“They were on time for his sinker early,” Rogers said. “Just mixing in his changeup and curveball to keep them off the heater, then sneaking the heater in every once in a while was a really big thing. He did a really good job of landing the changeup and he even threw some good sliders to their lefties, which is a good pitch against those guys.”

Valdez recorded his most recent victory against the Red Sox, limiting them to one run in six innings on April 19. He is 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in seven career outings (five starts) against Boston.

Valdez steps into the role of de facto ace of the staff with Tarik Skubal on the injured list. The team announced on Monday that Skubal would undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.

Two other Tigers starters, Justin Verlander and Casey Mize, also are on the injured list.

Valdez will be opposed on Tuesday by the Boston combination of opener Jovani Moran (0-0, 2.33 ERA) and bulk reliever Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA).

Moran most recently pitched Sunday, when he got two outs without allowing a run or a hit against the Houston Astros. He allowed one run in three innings over two relief appearances vs. the Tigers last month, leaving him with a 7.45 ERA and a 0-1 record in nine lifetime outings against Detroit.

Bello will be coming out of the bullpen for the first time this year. He has made it past the fifth inning in just one of his six starts this season, and he has allowed 43 hits and 15 walks in 25 2/3 innings.

In his latest outing, Bello began with two scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. He fell apart from that point and departed after 3 2/3 innings, having served up four runs and six hits.

“He looked great early,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “(He) attacked the zone, (was) in the zone. A lot of weak contact. And then, in the third … started to nibble a bit when guys got on, and we got into a tight spot.”

Bello was frustrated when Tracy pulled him in the fourth.

“Obviously, I was upset,” Bello said through an interpreter. “I haven’t been able to pitch well in the past few starts. I haven’t been able to pitch deep into the  games. That’s what I want (to do), and (Wednesday), it went that way, as well.”

Bello gave up four runs on five hits in four innings during a loss to Detroit on April 18. He is 0-2 with a 6.41 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against the Tigers.

Boston won the series opener 5-4 on Monday behind Jarren Duran’s three-run homer in the seventh inning.

–Field Level Media

MLS’ Pearce to Host “Orange Slices”

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – For Soccer, a prominent soccer media and experiences company, and Gemini XIII, the premium podcast and vodcast entertainment network, today announced the launch of “Orange Slices,” a bold new soccer media vodcast and event vertical rooted in the shared story of the American game. Designed as a 360-degree content and fan engagement hub, Orange Slices will span premium long-form and short-form content, social storytelling, custom features, and a marquee fan event—all leading into and surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Orange Slices returns for another season, hosted by Heath Pearce and featuring special guests like Mark McKenzie, delivering a fresh take on soccer culture ahead of the World Cup.