Will Smith played a significant part in the Los Angeles Dodgers blowing a four-run seventh-inning lead Friday, but the catcher made up for it in the end.
Smith's two-run homer in the 10th inning gave the visitors a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets, lifting the Dodgers to their fifth win in six games.
Los Angeles had scratched out a 4-0 edge through the first six innings at Citi Field, scoring runs on a ground-rule double and three sacrifice flies.
But the Mets came to life in the seventh, drawing within a run on RBI singles from Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil.
A passed ball by Smith allowed Pete Alonso to score the equaliser and that is how the game would remain heading into extra innings.
With Max Muncy on second to start the 10th, Smith homered to left for a 6-4 lead, and that was enough for the Dodgers after Kenley Jansen escaped the bottom of the ninth with one run allowed.
Braves back in first place
The Atlanta Braves waited out a three-hour, 12-minute rain delay before starting their game against the Washington Nationals, and it was well worth it as the visitors moved back into a tie for first place with a 4-2 win. After falling behind 2-0 in the first, Atlanta got solo home runs from Travis d'Arnaud, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson to regain a share of the top spot in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies also fell victim to the longball in a 6-1 home defeat to Cincinnati as the Reds got a three-run homer from Joey Votto, a two-run drive by Eugenio Suarez and a solo shot from Nick Castellanos.
Rookie Jarred Kelenic drew a bases-loaded walk from Brad Hand in the bottom of the ninth to score the winning run as the Seattle Mariners downed the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 – Seattle's 10th successive game decided by two runs or fewer.
Zack Greinke dominated the Los Angeles Angels, allowing two hits in seven shutout innings as the Houston Astros won 4-1 thanks to a Kyle Tucker grand slam in the fourth inning.
Jack Flaherty was brilliant for the St Louis Cardinals in his first start since May 31 after recovering from a strained oblique muscle. The right-hander allowed just two hits and did not walk a batter while striking out five in a 6-0 defeat of the Kansas City Royals.
Daulton Varsho's walk-off homer in the ninth gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.
Cubs implode against Marlins
The Chicago Cubs needed three pitchers to get through an ugly 11-run second inning in a 14-10 loss to the Miami Marlins. Reliever Dan Winkler had the worst of it, facing seven batters and failing to retire any of them as he walked a batter, hit two others, and allowed four hits including a three-run homer by Alex Jackson.
Run, Kevin, run!
The Tampa Bay Rays hit three balls over the fence in Minnesota on Friday, but Kevin Kiermaier provided the most exciting home run of the night in a 10-4 defeat of the Twins.
Friday's results
Cleveland Indians 7-4 Detroit Tigers
Cincinnati Reds 6-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox 8-1 Baltimore Orioles
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 New York Mets
Miami Marlins 14-10 Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers 8-6 Oakland Athletics
St Louis Cardinals 6-0 Kansas City Royals
Tampa Bay Rays 10-4 Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros 4-1 Los Angeles Angels
Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants 5-4 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 3-2 Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves 4-2 Washington Nationals
Milwauke Brewers-Pittsburgh Pirates (postponed)
Orioles at Red Sox
Two years and two days after his last MLB start, seven-time All-Star Chris Sale will return from elbow surgery to start for the Boston Red Sox (67-51) against the Baltimore Orioles (38-76) at Fenway Park.
Warriors claim crucial road win amid Mavericks protest controversy, Morant and KAT return
The Golden State Warriors claimed rare back-to-back wins with Wednesday's 127-125 victory at the Dallas Mavericks but the game was marred by controversy after Kevon Looney's third-quarter uncontested dunk.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points with 13 assists as the reigning NBA champions secured consecutive wins on a road trip for the first time this season at American Airlines Center.
But the Mavs were left raging after Looney's uncontested dunk with 1:54 left in the third quarter from a Warriors inbound after a timeout, which Dallas had thought was their ball, meaning they subsequently lined up on the other half of the court.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban said they would contest the result of the game due to the incident which he labelled the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA" on Twitter.
Despite that, the Mavs could have won the game on merit, with Luka Doncic missing a two-point attempt under pressure from Draymond Green with 3.2 seconds left at 125-122.
That came after Curry's bounce-pass set up Green's three-point play, before the reigning NBA Finals MVP glided in for a two-point shot to open up the three-point buffer with 8.1 seconds to play.
Doncic, in his return after missing five games with a thigh injury, scored 30 points with seven rebounds and 17 assists. Doncic shot 11-of-27 from the field and six-of-10 from the stripe.
In Kyrie Irving's absence, 20-year-old guard Jaden Hardy was outstanding with six three-pointers in his 27 points.
The win is a major boost for Golden State's playoff hopes, moving to sixth in the West with a 38-36 record, while the Mavs drop to ninth with a 36-37 record, having lost five of their past seven games.
It was Golden State's first road win when trailing after the first quarter, having entered the game with a 0-20 record.
Morant and KAT make successful returns
Ja Morant made his successful return for the Memphis Grizzlies off the bench for the first time in his career as they won their fourth straight game, beating the Houston Rockets 130-125.
Morant returned after his NBA-imposed eight-game suspension with 17 points and five assists, receiving a standing ovation from the home fans upon his injection into the game.
Jaren Jackson Jr scored a season-high 37 points with 10 rebounds and Desmond Bane added 20 points as the Grizzlies clinched the Southwest division.
It was a night of returns as Karl-Anthony Towns was back for the first time since November due to a calf strain, scoring two game-winning free-throws with 3.6 seconds left as the Minnesota Timberwolves won 125-124 over the Atlanta Hawks.
Lakers stay right in playoff hunt
The Los Angeles Lakers ensured they remained firmly in the congested race for Western Conference playoff and play-in tournament spots with a 122-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Anthony Davis scored a team-high 27 points including 20 in the second half, with nine rebounds, while Austin Reaves backed up Sunday's 35-point game with 25 points and a career-high 11 assists.
Devin Booker scored 33 points on 11-of-16 field shooting with six rebounds but seven turnovers for the Suns, who remain fourth in the West but with a 38-34 record.
The Lakers move up to 10th, just behind the Mavs in ninth, with a 36-37 record and LeBron James not far from a return from injury.
Raducanu exits in Miami Open first round against former US Open champion Andreescu
Emma Raducanu was bundled out of the Miami Open in the first round by form US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in a three-set match that lasted two hours and 35 minutes on Wednesday.
The Briton, who won the US Open in 2021, went down 6-3 3-6 6-2 in a genuine tug-of-war against the 31st-ranked Canadian.
Andreescu sent down seven aces for the match, including four in the first set along with 12 winners as she claimed an early lead.
Raducanu responded with greater aggression, securing the crucial break in the eighth game, before serving out to level the contest.
But Andreescu showed composure and quality in the big points in the final set, winning the final four games to round out the victory, sealing a second-round clash with seventh seed Maria Sakkari.
Andreescu finished with 32 winners compared to Raducanu's 20, while the Briton committed 40 unforced errors.
World number 42 Shelby Rogers edged out USA compatriot Sloane Stephens in just under two hours, winning 6-4 3-6 6-2. Rogers will take on second seed Aryna Sabalenka, who is arguably the tournament favourite after top seed Iga Swiatek's withdrawal, in the next round.
Rogers was one of five Americans to progress, including 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin who defeated Australia's Storm Hunter 6-0 7-6 (7-5).
World number 35 Amanda Anisimova retired down 7-6 (7-5) 5-2 to countrywoman Madison Brengle.
Leylah Fernandez, the player whom Raducanu beat in the 2021 US Open final, advanced into the second round with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Lesia Tsurenko in 88 minutes.
Astros second baseman Altuve to miss at least two months following thumb surgery
The Houston Astros' eight-time All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve will be out of action for at least two months following surgery on his fractured right thumb.
Altuve sustained the injury playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic last Saturday after being struck on the thumb from a pitch by the United States' Daniel Bard.
The Astros confirmed in a statement that the second baseman had undergone surgery and subsequently will not resume baseball activities at least two months.
"Altuve will remain in Houston since Spring Training is in its final week," the Astros statement said. "The Astros ballclub is set to fly to Houston following their Florida Spring Training game on Sunday in West Palm Beach."
The 2023 MLB season commences next Thursday, with the Astros opening their campaign against the Chicago White Sox.
Altuve was a key part of Houston's 2022 World Series-winning team, hitting .300 with 28 home runs, 39 doubles, 18 steals and 103 runs while earning his sixth Silver Slugger Award and finishing fifth in AL MVP voting.
The 32-year-old won the 2017 AL MVP – the same year he helped the Astros win the franchise’s first World Series championship.
Among active players, Altuve ranks seventh in hits (1,935), eighth in doubles (379) and 12th in runs (986).
He was the second MLB All-Star to suffer a serious injury at the World Baseball Classic after New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz tore his patellar tendon, ruling him out for the entire season.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
