MLB The Show podcast Charlie O: Astros Walker goes 3-3 to power past Cubs; Yanks Cole back on mound; plus more news

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Christian Walker of the Houston Astros (left) was being assisted by a coach and the team trainer after getting hit by a pitch against the Boston Red Sox on Sat May 2, 2026

MLB The Show podcast Charlie O:

#1 How did Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker power his team past the Chicago Cubs on Saturday?

#2 Why was Gerrit Cole’s return for the New York Yankees overshadowed by the Tampa Bay Rays?

#3 Which MLB team earned its major-league-leading 36th victory thanks to the Atlanta Braves Chadwick Tromp’s walk-off hit?

#4 What concern emerged for the Houston Astros despite their shutout win over the Cubs?

#5 According to recent MLB power rankings, which team climbed to the No. 1 spot ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cubs?

Charlie O does the MLB The Show podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: A’s Find Their Missing Bite and Take the Finale 5-2

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Sacramento A’s Carlos Cortes (2) gives thanks to the Almighty after hitting a top fo the first inning home run against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The boys from Sactown had spent the first two games of the series staring at chances that slipped away. This time, they did not wait around for permission. Carlos Cortes opened the game by lifting a home run to right center, giving the Green and Gold the surge they had been lacking as of late.

It was one swing, one run, and one early reminder that Cortes has been one of the hottest bats in the lineup, hitting .381 over his previous 23 games and carrying the best batting average in the majors among players with at least 100 plate appearances.The Cortes led A’s got the three run win 5-2 at Petco Park in San Diego.

The first inning also gave the Athletics something just as valuable as the lead: a calm defensive start. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to begin the bottom half, but Miguel Andujar rolled into a smooth 6-4-3 double play started by Alika Williams. Gavin Sheets then took a called third strike, and the A’s were back in the dugout with momentum still in their hands.

They added on in the second with the lower part of the order doing the damage. Zack Gelof drew a walk, and Henry Bolte ripped a double to left to bring him home. Bolte has brought speed, energy, and a little electricity to the lineup since his call-up, and he kept showing why the A’s were willing to give the 22-year-old center fielder meaningful starts so quickly. Williams followed with a single to left that scored Bolte, stretching the lead to 3-0 before the Padres could fully settle in.

Luis Medina worked through early traffic and was helped by his defense before Jacob Lopez took over in the second. Lopez had never faced the Padres before, and his outing became a test of patience. He did not dominate, but he didn’t allow the game to unravel either.

The Padres put runners on, but the A’s kept finding ways to cut off rallies, including a huge relay in the fifth when Tatis doubled to left and Ty France tried to score from first. Tyler Soderstrom fired to Williams, Williams relayed home, and Jonah Heim finished the play at the plate. It was a sequence of baseball reel highlight finesse. “How about that”, I could almost hear Mel Allen say from his heavenly pressbox stool.

The A’s pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth without a hit doing the final damage. Heim doubled, Jeff McNeil and Bolte drew walks, and after Michael King’s wild pitch, Heim scored from third. The inning could have been bigger, especially with the bases loaded, but even one run mattered in a series where every missed chance had felt expensive.

San Diego finally broke through in the sixth when Andujar doubled, moved to third, and scored on Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly. Ty France then tightened the game in the seventh with a solo homer to right off Justin Sterner, trimming the lead to 4-2. Suddenly, the finale had the familiar feel of a game ready to test the A’s bullpen again.

The ninth inning gave the Athletics breathing room, and it started with Cortes again. He singled to left, Lawrence Butler pinch-ran, and Nick Kurtz dropped a bunt single toward third. Kurtz had already extended his remarkable on-base streak to 47 games, moving past Rickey Henderson and into third place alone in Athletics history. That is not a footnote anymore. That is franchise royalty territory. Tyler Soderstrom followed with a ground-ball single to right, scoring Butler and giving the A’s a 5-2 lead.

The bottom of the ninth still had some drama. Hogan Harris issued two walks, including one after Jackson Merrill’s challenged plate appearance was overturned. With two on and one out, Scott Barlow was asked to settle the whole thing down. He did exactly that, striking out Nick Castellanos before getting Tatis to fly out to right, where Butler handled the final out.

After dropping the first two games, the Athletics needed more than a decent effort. They needed a response. They got one from Cortes, Bolte, Williams, Soderstrom, Kurtz, and a bullpen that held firm when the Padres tried to make the game uncomfortable. It was tough, timely, and exactly the win a first-place team needs before heading into a crucial series tomorrow in Sacramento.

Speaking of that series, Memorial Day Monday brings a big one to Sacramento, as the A’s open a three-game set against their West Coast rivals and the team currently chasing them in second place, the Seattle Mariners. Aaron Civale gets the opening-night ball for the A’s, bringing a 5-1 record, 3.31 ERA, and 37 strikeouts into the matchup. Seattle will counter with Luis Castillo, who enters at 1-5 with a 6.41 ERA and 47 strikeouts. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Pacific.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Devers hits grand slam, as he and Schmitt carry Giants to 8-5 win over White Sox to take series

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San Francisco Giants Rafael Devers admires the final touches of his grand slam home run in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Chicago White Sox 5 (26-26)

San Francisco Giants 10 (22-31)

Win: Keaton Winn (1-1)

Loss: Noah Schultz (2-4)

Save: Caleb Kilian (3)

Time: 2:56

Attendance: 40,220

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants had another resilient win today, as they blew a 4-1 lead, but bounced right back thanks to a grand slam by Rafael Devers, who along with Casey Schmitt, led the Giants to an 8-5 win over the White Sox to take the series on Star Wars Day—and a gorgeous one at that—here at Oracle Park.

Yesterday, the Giants had another one of those wins where they showed true resilience, and most importantly, showed that they were capable. They played solid station-to-station baseball. After they blew a 3-0 lead, they exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth. If the Giants want to turn things around this season, they are going to have to keep having games like they had yesterday. As I said, they are very much capable of doing this.

Robbie Ray gave up a grand slam to Nolan Arenado on just his sixth pitch on Monday night in Arizona. Ray’s sixth pitch today was fouled off by White Sox’ leadoff man Chase Meidroth. Unfortunately, Meidroth hit a home run two pitches later. Well, giving up one run on eight pitches is much better than giving up four runs on six pitches.

Ray retired the next three, and the Giants had a response ready for Noah Schultz in the bottom of the first. Willy Adames drew a walk to lead off the inning, and Luis Arraez bunted him over to second. That set things up for the red-hot Casey Schmitt, who lined a double off the end of the bat, and down the right field line to tie the game. Rafael Devers then doubled off the final archway on the brick wall out in right-center to give the Giants the lead.

Ray was shaky, but he escaped a pair of jams in the second and third. Schultz hit Arraez with one out in the bottom of the third. Schmitt then came up, and hit a home run to left to make it 4-1. It was Schmitt’s second home run in as many days, and his 11th of the season.

Ray had issued back-to-back walks with two outs in the top of the third, but he managed to get away with it. He then issued back-to-back walks to start the top of the fourth, and the White Sox turned that into a run to make it 4-2.

Ray then walked Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas to start the top of the fifth, and Tony saw enough. Keaton Winn was summoned, and Murakami and Vargas would both eventually score to tie the game. Thankfully, Winn was able to limit the damage to just two runs, and keep the game tied.

As for Ray, he walked seven, and gave up four runs over four-plus innings. Ray had gotten off to a great start this season, but for whatever reason, his last three starts have been a collective nightmare, as he has given up 16 earned runs over his last 13 innings.

For the second day in a row, the Giants had blown a three-run lead. However, for the second day in a row, they had an immediate response.

Willy Adames doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and then Arraez was hit for the second time today. It clearly was not intentional, but the Giants were all on the edge of the dugout, and Tony even appeared to show emotions. Hey, the guy’s an old college head coach, what else would you expect?

Venable wisely pulled Schultz, and brought in Grant Taylor. Schmitt was up, and was the perfect man to come through. Well, Schmitt walked, and that set things up for Rafi. I honestly thought Rafi would strike out or pop out, but he hit a grand slam to left to give the Giants an 8-4 lead. The sold-out crowd of 40,220 here at Oracle Park went nuts. I wanted to as well, but I can’t cheer in the press box.

The Giants bullpen took it the rest of the way. Winn stuck around to pitch a scoreless top of the sixth. Winn would end up getting the win. Vargas hit a home run off Matt Gage to lead off the top of the seventh, but Gage then retired the next three. I want Erik Miller to be the closer, but Tony went to him for the eighth, and the left-hander threw a 1-2-3 inning. It was Caleb Kilian who took the ball for the top of the ninth, and he struck out the side to pick up his third save of the season.

Rafi and Schmitt combined to knock in every single run for the Giants today. Rafi had five RBIs, and Schmitt had three. By the way, Casey Schmitt is now hitting .296.

I’ll keep saying it. The Giants just need to keep playing this kind of baseball. If they do, they will turn things around, and get back into contention this season. The question is whether they have it in them to keep this up.

The Giants improve to 22-31, and they just need one more win to make it a winning streak.

The Diamondbacks, who swept the Giants over the week in Phoenix, will be in town for three starting tomorrow afternoon. Landen Roupp will look to continue his strong start, as he will take the ball for the Giants tomorrow. Merrill Kelly will go for Arizona.

I said tomorrow afternoon, because tomorrow is of course Memorial Day. However, tomorrow’s game will not be a 1:05 start.

First pitch will be at 2:05 p.m.

San Francisco Giants analysis and commentary: White Sox hung out to dry by the Giants, 8-5, losing the series (2-1) on Star Wars Day in Sunny SF Bay

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Caleb Kilian (right) is congratulated by catcher Daniel Susac (left) after the Giants defeated the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The Chicago White Sox (26-26) dropped the “rubber” game 8-5. and lost the series (2-1) to the San Francisco Giants (22-31) Sunday afternoon inside a sold out Oracle Park.

Chicago actually got the party started early with a leadoff home run by second baseman Chase Meidroth. His fourth bomb of the season put the South-siders up 1-0 after the initial half inning.

That lead was very temporary, as the home team equaled that tally in their half of the first inning. First baseman Casey Schmitt doubled to right field, scoring Willy Adames. Designated hitter Rafael Devers also doubled to right field, plating Schmitt. The Giants ended the inning with a one run advantage, 2-1.

In the bottom frame of the third, Shmitt was at it again, with a two run homer, doubling the Giants’ run total, 4-1. Second baseman Luis Arrez also scored on the blast.

The White Sox did respond in the top of the fourth inning, when shortstop Luisangel Acuna’s sacrifice fly scored catcher Edgar Ouero, bringing the deficit to two runs. 4-2.

The very next stanza Chicago tied things up with a two-run performance. Third baseman Colson Montgomery grounded out to second base, subsequently scoring DH Munetaka Murakami. Next Quero knocked in first baseman Miguel Vargas on a single. After 4 1/2 innings it was all tied up at 4-4.

The bottom of the fifth started off horribly for the Pale Holes, as they put three consecutive batters on base with a double. walk and hit batsmen. A bases loaded situation, with no outs. Devers stepped up to the plate with the absolutely advantageous situation. He not only seized the moment, he blasted a Grand Slam HR to double the lead again, and possibly put the game out of reach, 8-4. Adames, Arrez and Schmitt all scored on his extra-base hit.

In the top of the seventh inning the Windy City sluggers did make one last attempt at the lead. Miguel Vargas launched a solo home run to left field, getting them as close as three runs, but it was not enough in the end, 8-5.

The next two innings were just a formality, as the Giants held on to their three run lead, pleasing the Oracle faithful. On Star Wars Day, The Force was with the team in the City by the Bay.

The White Sox will next be in action back in Chicago Monday, May 25, hosting the Minnesota Twins at 1:10 PM CT on TV CHSN at Rate Field. The Giants will host the Arizona Diamondbacks on the same date at 2:05 PM PT on KNBR Radio/KSFN Radio and NBC Sports Bay Area at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Bay FC match wrap up: Tough 1-0 loss for Bay FC; Chicago’s Swanson scores match’s only goal

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Bay FC’s Maddie Moreau (24) fights for then ball against Chicago Stars FC’s Aaliyah Farmer (25) in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC were back at PayPal Park on Sunday afternoon as they hosted Mallory Swanson and Chicago Stars FC. Bay FC needed to find a way to solve their recent goal scoring woes against the team at the bottom of the table. Mallory spoiled her hosts match with a goal in the 70th minute the only goal of the contest as the Stars defeated Bay FC 1-0.

In the seventh minute, Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz was forced to make her first big save of the afternoon as she denied a difficult shot from Ryan Gareis. At the other end of the pitch, Stars goalkeeper Katie Atkinson was forced to do the same two minutes later.

Joelle Anderson nearly set up Caroline Conti for the afternoon’s first goal in the 10th minute, but Conti was unable to get a shot off. Aldana Cometti took down Jordyn Huitema right outside of the 18-yard box in the 11th minute and the Argentina international was shown a straight red card, putting Bay FC shorthanded for the rest of the night.

Despite being a player down, Bay applied considerable offensive pressure in the following minutes.

There would be a short delay in the 29th minute after Conti took some contact to the eye, but after getting a bit of medical attention, she remained in the game. Claire Hutton was shown a yellow card for a dangerous high kick in the 32nd minute.

Taylor Huff seemingly opened the scoring in the 39th minute, running past the defense and putting it into the net, but it was ruled that Cristiana Girelli was offside prior to the goal and it was disallowed.

The game would remain a 0-0 draw heading into halftime.

Jordan Silkowitz collided hard with Huitema in the 51st minute. While Huitema quickly got to her feet and returned to the Chicago sideline, Silkowitz took a bit longer to return to her feet but she remained in the game.

Girelli had a scoring opportunity in the 60th minute, but a late slide tackle by the Chicago defender was able to dispossess her of the ball, as it went out for a corner.

Jordan Silkowitz was shown a red card in the 63rd minute for handling the ball outside of the box, leaving Bay with nine players and Emmie Allen took over in the net.

Chicago took the lead in the 70th minute with a goal from Mallory Swanson, her first since 2024 as she just recently returned from maternity leave.

Allen was tested in the 85th minute, but was able to make a difficult diving save.

Manaka Hayashi was shown a yellow card in the 88th minute for a challenge from behind on Claire Hutton. Bay FC had a couple of opportunities to tie things up during stoppage time, but they were unable to do so. As a result, Chicago walked away with a 1-0 victory.

NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson: Knicks can sweep Cavs to move onto finals Monday night

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) controls the basketball against New York Knicks guard Jaylen Brunson (11) in the second half in game 3 of the third round of the NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Houston (AP News photo)

NBA Playoffs podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Michael talk about Saturday’s game 3 as the New York Knicks once again took care of business beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-108.

#2 The Knicks made easy work out of the Cavaliers with a 13 point win talk about how the Knicks stayed aheaad of the Cavaliers with some quick offsense.

#3 What adjustments do the Cleveland Cavaliers need to make defensively after allowing 121 points to the Knicks in Game 3?

#4 Which player had the biggest impact on the outcome of Game 3 between the Knicks and the Cavaliers, and why?

#5 With the Knicks leading the series 3–0, do the Cavaliers still have any realistic path to a comeback in the Eastern Conference Finals?

Join Michael Roberson for the NBA Playoffs podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman: Bader with the hot bat looking for more RBIs; Schmitt also providing some offense

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San Francisco Giant Harrison Bader while on with NBC Sports gets something to drink from the Powerade can after their win against the Chicago White Sox on Sun May 24, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast podcast Stepehen Ruderman:

#1 Harrison Bader getting his second grand slam in six days is one for the books and he was key in the San Francisco Giants laugher Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.

#2 Casey Schmitt also hit a home run and knocked in three runs. The Giants Willy Adames clouted a home run to help San Francisco end a four game losing streak.

#3 The Giants also got some offense from Matt Chapman, Daniel Susac, and Luis Arraez who got two hits each. Arraez has been producing at the plate for the Giants with a triple on Saturday and a hefty .323 average.

#4 The Giants who have scored 12 runs in their last four games put together two rallies on Saturday with three runs in the fourth and six runs in the fifth inning.

#5 Stephen, talk about Sunday’s starting pitchers for the Chicago White Sox LHP and looking for his third win this season Noah Schultz (2-3 ERA 4.93) and for the San Francisco Giants Robbie Ray (3-6 ERA 4.28)

Stephen Ruderman is a San Francisco Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s game wrap: The A’s Played Well, but Failed to Follow Through; Pads Giolito blanks Sac 2-0

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San Diego Padres starter Luis Giolito was dealing against the Sacramento A’s at Petco Park in San Diego on Sat May 23, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics had enough baserunners to have made Saturday night a clear win, but the absolute lack of finishing touches failed to get any of them across the plate. A 2-0 loss to the Padres became a lesson in missed chances, survival pitching, and how a game with only two runs can still feel like it had a dozen turning points hiding in the San Diego the dirt.

Sacramento opened with immediate pressure against Lucas Giolito. Carlos Cortes started the game with a hard line-drive single to right, and Nick Kurtz followed with a base hit to move Cortes to third. Two powerful statements right off the bat (pun intended), especially with the heart of the order due. But Shea Langeliers then lifted a ball to right, Brent Rooker struck out, and Tyler Soderstrom’s easy fly was shut down as the inning slipped away without a run. The A’s had Giolito wobbling, but they never made him pay.

J.T. Ginn, making his first start since taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning against the Angels, had to work through speeding traffic right away. Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a walk to begin the Padres’ first, and Manny Machado later reached as well, but Ginn struck out Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos to keep San Diego off the board. Considering Ginn had been riding one of the more dramatic recent starts by an A’s pitcher, his early command issues made this outing feel like a very different test. This one was not about chasing history. It was about escaping a pileup.

The escape act finally cracked in the second. Jackson Merrill reached, stole second, and the Padres loaded the bases after Freddy Fermin and Sung-Mun Song reached. Tatis was hit by a pitch, forcing in Merrill for the game’s first run. Ginn still avoided major damage when Miguel Andujar grounded into a force at the plate and Sheets flew out, but San Diego had taken the lead without needing a big swing.

The Padres added their second run in the third after Castellanos reached and Merrill doubled to right. Ty France grounded out to short, scoring Castellanos, and that was enough breathing room for San Diego’s staff. José Suarez replaced Ginn in the inning and limited the damage, while the A’s bullpen later gave the lineup a real chance. Joel Kuhnel delivered two perfect innings with three strikeouts, and Scott Barlow worked around a France walk in the eighth to keep it at 2-0.

The issue was the offense kept stepping into traps. In the third, Cortes drew a walk before Kurtz hit into an unassisted double play. In the fourth, the A’s had their best chance after Rooker and Soderstrom reached, Giolito uncorked a wild pitch, and Henry Bolte reached to load the bases. Jeff McNeil then hit into a double play, ending the threat and turning a possible turning point into another stranded opportunity.

Kurtz still gave the A’s one of their better storylines by reaching again with his second hit of the game, extending a streak that had already placed him among the longest in Athletics history. Big Amish’s ability to keep reaching base has become less of a hot streak and more of a nightly expectation, which is absurd in the best baseball way. Langeliers also nearly sparked something in the eighth with a double to left, but Jason Adam struck out Rooker and Soderstrom to end that threat.

By the ninth, Mason Miller finished it with force. Zack Gelof and Bolte struck out before McNeil grounded out, leaving the A’s with five hits, several chances, and no runs. The Padres did not win the game with any heroics. They simply cashed in once with a hit batter, once with a groundout, and let their pitching do the rest.

For the Athletics, the loss was frustrating because it was so reachable. Their pitching staff allowed only two runs, the bullpen settled the game beautifully, and the lineup had the right names at the plate in the right spots. But baseball being baseball, unpredictable, sometimes the whole night is not decided by who creates the most noise. Sometimes it is decided by who does the smallest thing at the exact right moment.

Game 3 starters for Sunday’s series closer will be Luis Medina (1-1 / 2.41 ERA / 18 k) for the A’s, and Michael King (4-2 / 2.31 ERA / 59 K) for the Padres at 4:10pm

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Quakes match recap: Judd’s two goals pushes Quakes 3-1 win over Portland

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San Jose Earthquakes Preston Judd scored twice to lead the Quakes to a two goal win over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on Sat May 23, 2026 (San Jose Earthquakes X image)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes were back on the road on Saturday night, as they visited the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. The Quakes got plenty of help from Preston Judd who scored two goals in the Quakes 3-1 win over the Timbers.

The Quakes opened the scoring quickly, as Judd scored his 10th goal of the season in the second minute and hit double digits in scoring for the first time in his career. Jack Skahan placed the ball at Judd’s feet right at the edge of the 18-yard box and he fired the ball into the back of the net to give the Earthquakes a 1-0 lead very early on.

Ten minutes later, Nick Fernandez forced a turnover with a strong tackle on the ball. He then found Judd in quite a bit of space, and Judd scored his second of the night, putting him on hat-trick watch just 12 minutes into the match. The Timbers would answer back pretty quickly, as after a free kick, the Timbers went on the offensive. Eventually the ball found its way to Antony in quite a bit of space, and he put it into the goal and cut the Earthquakes’ lead to a single goal.

Just six minutes later, Daniel Munie would restore San Jose’s two goal lead and set a new career high with his third goal of the campaign. Off of a corner, a quick passing play found its way to Munie’s foot right in front of the goal and he put it away, making it a 3-1 game.

Reid Roberts and Benji Kikanovic both picked up yellow cards late in the first half, but the Quakes carried their lead into the halftime break.

Ian Harkes and Jack Jasinski entered the game for the Earthquakes to start the second half, taking the place of Kikanovic and Fernandez. In the 51st minute, Kamal Miller got Portland’s first yellow card of the night. Then, new signing Darius Johnson entered the game for the Quakes in the 63rd minute, making his debut for San Jose.

Ronaldo Vieira was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute for a foul on Kristoffer Velde.Then San Jose’s goalkeeper Daniel would earn the final yellow card of the night in the 85th minute. Ultimately, they would maintain their lead through the entirety of the second half, as the Earthquakes walked away with a 3-1 victory over Portland.

Kelsey Plum and the Sparks Hand Aces Second Loss of the Season 101-95

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Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) drives on the Los Angeles Sparks forward Park Ji-hyun (6) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat May 23, 2026 (Las Vegas Aces X photo)

By Rich Perez

The last game that the Las Vegas Aces (4-2) was a wild affair winning that game by a single point and Saturday night’s game was more of the same. The Los Angeles Sparks (3-3) gave Las Vegas all they could handle winning the game 101-95. Former Ace Kelsey Plum was outstanding scoring 38 points with ninth rebounds. The Aces A’Ja Wilson had a double double finishing with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Game recap: The Sparks came out in the first quarter with a lot of energy. Las Vegas would be facing former team-mate Kelsey Plum and she sure did show up with four three’s made in the opening quarter.

She finished the quarter scoring 14 points. As in the Aces last game Chennedy Carter coming off the bench was on fire hitting 10 points in 8 minutes. The two teams traded leads with the Sparks leading much of the time and when the quarter came to an end the Sparks had a 32-30 lead. This game had all the makings of a real barn-burner.

Much like the opening quarter the second quarter was equally competitive, both teams jockeying for the lead. The game remained tight with four points being the largest lead for both the Aces and the Sparks.

The three’s were flying, the Sparks hitting seven and the Aces hitting six. Despite the 11 turnovers, the Sparks were giving the Aces the fight of their lives. When the first half came to an end, the Aces had outscored the Sparks 22-14 in the second quarter and took a 52-46 lead into the half.

At 7:42 in the third quarter the Aces took their largest lead of the game 57-48. Just when Las Vegas started to put a little distance between themselves and the Sparks Los Angeles rallied back taking a 58-57 lead going on a 10-0 run prompting an Aces timeout.

With seconds left on the clock in the third, the Aces were hanging onto a 71-70. After three quarters this game could not be any tighter with the Sparks outscoring the Aces in the quarter 26-21.

The Aces took a slim 73-72 lead into the fourth quarter. It would all comes down to the final quarter in this aggressive, fierce and impassioned game. Which team would have the determination and discipline to pull this game out?

The Sparks took an early fourth quarter lead 80-73 a minute into the quarter and the Aces had some work to do. Las Vegas was missing far too many shots trailing by six points 82-76 with just under six minutes left in the game.

With 5:30 left in the game Las Vegas rallied trailing by a single point 81-82 sending the arena into a wild frenzy. This game was reminiscent of the Aces last game against Atlanta. It was nothing short of amazing with A’Ja Wilson and Chelsea Grey’s will to win obvious in the final minutes.

This game was tied at 90 with three minutes left in the game. The Aces came up just short in this game. With 29.7 left in the game Los Angeles had a 99-94 lead. The many missed shots by Las Vegas down the stretch in the fourth quarter were looming large as Las Vegas faced their second loss of the season. The Sparks had pulled this game out 101-95 for the victory.

Las Vegas had some nice numbers from A’Ja Wilson who finished with a double double, 24 points and 15 rebounds. Nalyssa Smith finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds and bench player Chennedy Carter shot for 23 points. The Aces came up just short in this game. They missed a few too many shots down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum had the game high with 38 points and 9 assists.

Game notes: It has been a minute since the Aces took the court, their last game played in Atlanta five days ago in a real nail-biter that saw Las Vegas win in the final seconds 85-84. Chelsea Gray made the go-ahead jumper with 3.6 seconds left on the clock for the win. Saturday night the Aces lost at Michelob ULTRA Arena to the Sparks. The Sparks last played Thursday night against the Phoenix Mercury winning that match-up 97-88.

Next up for the Aces will be a matchup with the Dallas Wings next Thursday night. Los Vegas will be on the road for this game. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM and can be viewed on Prime Video.