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Red Sox and Braves Battle it Out

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ATLANTA – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox and host Atlanta Braves have authored two dramatic finishes to begin their weekend interleague series.

What will Sunday’s rubber game have in store?

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Boston hands the ball to right-hander Brayan Bello (2-4, 6.46 ERA) as it looks to build off a 3-2 Saturday win, which came on the strength of a two-out, two-run home run by Willson Contreras in the eighth inning. Aroldis Chapman stranded the bases loaded in the ninth for a save, making the big swing and Payton Tolle’s eight-inning start stand tall.

“It feels great to be able to help the team,” Contreras said. “We’re trying to play better baseball, we’re trying to have better at-bats. … I come here every single day to play baseball and play for the guys. Tonight, we played for each other.”

Tolle and Bello have helped the Red Sox pitch the ball incredibly well in May, as their 2.34 team ERA for the month is tops in the American League.

Sunday is expected to be a true start for Bello, who has followed an opener in each of his last two outings. After going 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA through six starts to begin the season, Bello is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last two outings (13 1/3 innings).

Bello followed Jovani Moran into the game and ultimately tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his Tuesday appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Sometimes you gotta flip something,” Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez said. “Flip that mentality, and coming out of the bullpen he probably thinks, ‘OK, I gotta be convicted right now. It’s not like, OK, I got five innings, 90 pitches.’ Something in his mind has changed.”

In three career starts against Atlanta, Bello is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA.

The Red Sox started Saturday with shortstop Trevor Story being placed on the 10-day injured list with a sports hernia, but he is contemplating surgery that would sideline him for at least six weeks. Nick Sogard was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Story’s roster spot.

“He’s meant a lot to me in my transition here, the way he’s accepted me and pushed other guys to do so. So he’s a big piece of it,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Story.

The Braves were unable to duplicate their series-opening magic, as Mike Yastrzemski — a Massachusetts native and grandson of Red Sox legend Carl — hit a 10th-inning double to make the difference in a 3-2 Friday win.

On Saturday, they were held to just four hits by the duo of Tolle and Chapman. Drake Baldwin and Jose Azocar both had two, with the former leading off the bottom of the first with a home run. It was the team’s National League-leading 64th of the season.

“Bryce (Elder) was throwing the ball well, pitch count was OK. It’s unfortunate (to lose),” Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss said. “The game was going to be Bryce and Martin (Perez).”

Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, has swung a hot bat of late. He has socked first-inning homers in the first two games of the series.

“There’s no egos here,” Yastrzemski said earlier this week. “Nobody feels like they own any piece of this team. We’re all pulling on the same rope together, the same direction. Whatever opportunities come for you that day, that’s good enough.”

Grant Holmes (2-1, 4.35) looks to earn his first win since April 24 against Philadelphia and lift Atlanta in the series. Last Tuesday, Holmes allowed two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out five in a four-inning start against the Chicago Cubs.

The Braves have won four consecutive Holmes starts.

Holmes is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox, both coming in May of last season.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 17

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Greetings from Boston, Massachusetts where the Red Sox are on the road and struggling mightily, the Bruins were eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the once-lowly Buffalo Sabres and the Celtics are watching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals from their beach chairs in Cancun.

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That brings us to this weekend’s PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, just a few miles north of Philadelphia. (Little known fact about Newtown Square, PA – not to be confused with Newton Centre, Massachusetts – is that it’s the place your favorite columnist made his Keswick Americans debut on the Dek, circa 1977). And, yes, I put a couple in centering for Holy Trinity mates Greg Pannell and Matt Feeney, but we lost to the Glenolden Gents of Philly in the semis.

I digress, although I’d love to be in Philadelphia.

The PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, not to be confused with the PGA TOUR. The PGA of America is the governing body for all the club professionals working the thousands of golf courses in the USA, teaching and caring for the game. The PGA of America is also responsible for fielding the USA Ryder Cup teams and organizing the tournament when it’s staged in America. The President’s Cup comes in there, too, but we’ll leave that for another Presidency.

This year’s PGA Championship, the 108th, is being played at Aronimink Golf Club, a former PGA Tour venue for the BMW Championship.

The Thursday and Friday opening rounds were beyond challenging as a 1/2 inch of rain Wednesday night made for very soft, wet conditions in the deep rough. Morning round golfers paid the price, as did their counterparts on Friday when cold, blustery (14-20 mph winds) weather took its toll on the scorecards of even the very best – like Scottie Scheffler who bogeyed three of his first four holes (started on the Back 9) before grinding out a (+1) score of (71) after shooting (67) the previous afternoon.

As tough as the course and the rough played, it was the difficult pin placements which caused the most grief amongst the field. “You see it, you’re like, oh, wow, they’re pushing these things as far as they can,” Scheffler said of the pin locations. “Most of the pins today were, I mean, kind of absurd,” Scheffler added. “They were just so far into the areas where we thought the pins were going to be. This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on Tour,” he said, “and that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont.”

Each of golf’s Majors had their signature attributes, but the PGA Championship was sort of lost in the shuffle without any single identity. Yes, the Wanamaker Trophy has its place amongst the great trophies in all of sports, but the fact the PGA moved around so much, and then was shifted from August to May in the PGA Tour schedule made it less important.

The Masters has the glory of Augusta National and its positioning in April is a sure sign of Spring. The players adore the course and the acceptance of the corny Green Jacket.

The U.S. Open (organized by the United States Golf Association or USGA) has been the most difficult and the courses utilized have become known as the hardest, or even “unfair” by some players.

The Open (a.k.a. British Open) is organized by the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and is known as the R & A. The Open has the all the great golf courses, it has the history and the prestige associated with winning The Open is second-to-none. It’s golf’s version of Wimbledon. Whether it’s the Old Course at St. Andrew’s (host 30 times) to Prestwick (24 times) or the prestige of Muirfield (16 times), or Royal St. George’s Golf Club (15), or Royal Liverpool (12 times), The Open is the most distinguished of all tournament and it has the Claret Jug Trophy, The Open has cemented its place – not only in golf – but in all of sport.

That leaves The PGA Championship as “the fourth Major,” which is quite alright. The PGA of America’s hierarchy is proud of their tournament and its 107-year past history. This weekend, the Aronimink Golf Club is shining brightly, although you’d never know it from the Thursday and Friday weather. The 2026 edition of the PGA is shaping up to be two different tournaments, the first to get through the qualifier in the winds, then the weekend of great weather, some breeze, but overall – paradise on the golf course.

This week, 98 of the top 100 players in the World Golf Rankings teed-it-up. Only Lucas Herbert (#89) and Shaun Norris (#95) are missing.

Thirty-six hole leader Maverick McNealy faltered on Moving Day and shot (+1) but his co-leader, Alex Smalley, kept up his pace (-2) and it’s Smalley who leads the PGA by two strokes over five golfers tied for second. Saturday saw the big names jump up the leaderboard, a la Rory McIlroy who shot a (-4) to fight his way into contention after an opening round (74).

Five players shot (65) and six joined McIlroy in shooting a (66).

The take-away message channels the great line from the great Houston Rockets and Team USA coach Rudy Tomjanovich and that is to “never underestimate a major or a major champion.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: WWYIs believes it’s important to keep an eye on minor league baseball. Last week, there was some “investment advice” for the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneeer League. This weekend? It’s an update on the American Association. The sound of “Play Ball!” will be heard across the Midwest this week, as the American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) opened the 2026 regular season. There’s quite a newsworthy item of note to start the season; The Kane County Cougars will adopt an “alternate identity, the “Swedish Meatballs,” celebrating the strong Swedish population in Geneva, Illinois for games on June 13, July 31 and August 20.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced announced the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic will return to the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield on Sunday, December 6. The games will feature UMass vs. Wake Forest and Brown vs. Central Connecticut State (CCSU). The event is made possible in partnership with Explore Western Mass, Springfield Business Improvement District, UMass, and the MassMutual Center.

This year’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies will be held August 14 (Mohegan Sun festivities) and August 15 (Springfield, Mass.).

Teams of 1×1 hoopsters representing the great basketball cities of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. advanced at “OBL: Battle of the Cities,” the first of three Championship events for Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League.

The six teams advance to the next phase of the championship, “Standing 6,” set for June 12. From there, four will move on to “For the Throne,” the July 1 finals. All the games are being staged at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando.

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YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Here’s a new one. On Saturday, the National Hockey League issued a very stiff penalty in regard to the leaague’s media relations rules. In a statement, the NHL notes, “As a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs media regulations following Game 6 of their second round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 (Upper Deck) NHL Draft. In addition, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has been fined $100,000.”

The statement continued, “The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the club regarding their compliance with the media regulations and other associated policies. Vegas has been offered the opportunity to appeal these penalties to the Commissioner’s Office. That appeal would be held in person next week in New York.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – Napoleon Solo took honors in the Preakness on Saturday. The horse came into the race known for his impressive win in the 2025 Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. but with a questionable results in the Wood Memorial and in the Fountain of Youth Stakes when he finished 11 lengths and change off the lead. Mr Solo is trained by Chad Summers and was ridden to victory by Paco Lopez. The Preakness was run at Laurel in Maryland as Pimlico is undergoing renovations much like Belmont Park which shifts the third leg of the Triple Crown to Saratoga. Of course, thre was no intrigue for a Triple Crown winner this year as Derby winner, Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by José Ortiz, was not entered at Laurel Park. The 158th Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Second-seeded Notre Dame outscored Johns Hopkins 9-3 in the second half to break from a 6-6 tie and the Fighting Irish advanced to NCAA Lacrosse Championship Weekend for the third time in four years, topping the Blue Jays, 15-9, in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at Hofstra. Syracuse advanced as well.

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THIS JEST IN: According to the Associated Press, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes in a “no shirt, no problem” mantra. His club was boosted to a win over the Royals Friday night and again on Saturday by a group of college players in the right-field seats who took off and waved their shirts as they sang, chanted and drew others into the fray. Marmol loved it so much that he bought tickets for shirtless revelers this weekend.

“Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend,” Marmol said in a social media post. “I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy.”

It all began when the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, known as the Lumberjacks, was in nearby Alton, Illinois, for the National Club Baseball Division II World Series. The Cardinals offered tickets to the team, and 17 players attended. The college players were back Saturday, when they shouted Marmol’s name numerous times along with “M-V-P!” when Jordan Walker came to bat. Other fans in the stadium joined in on the fun.

“I heard it pretty clearly,” Marmol said. “Welcome back to Busch. It was cool to see them back. The environment was awesome. We feed off that.”

Will he keep buying tickets?

“I’ll go broke,” Marmol quipped.

Yaz! – “Say It Ain’t So”

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ATLANTA – (Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Mike Yastrzemski’s leadoff double in the bottom of the 10th inning propelled the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Massachusetts native and grandson of Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski lined a 1-2 pitch into left field and past Jarren Duran’s attempted cutoff throw, allowing automatic runner Ha-Seong Kim to score the deciding run from second base.

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Drake Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a home run that gave the Braves a first-inning lead. Michael Harris II also went deep before the Red Sox clawed back into a tie game with single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.

The last of five Atlanta relievers to appear, Didier Fuentes (3-0) stranded two runners on base to post a scoreless 10th. Atlanta has won five of its last six  games.

Marcelo Mayer hit a game-tying homer while Mickey Gasper (2-for-5, RBI) and Ceddanne Rafaela (2-for-3, double) both had multiple hits to lead Boston, which has lost four of its last five.

Tyler Samaniego (0-2) gave up the game-winning hit.

Baldwin helped the Braves to a 1-0 start in the bottom of the first, knocking a one-out solo homer out to center field. Rafaela had the ball pop out of his glove as he attempted to make a leaping catch at the wall.

The Red Sox were held without a hit until Gasper knocked a leadoff single into right to begin the fourth, but Atlanta starter Spencer Strider wound up facing the minimum after Sandy Leon caught Gasper trying to steal second.

The bottom half of that frame saw Harris double Atlanta’s lead, crushing a leadoff line-drive shot into the bullpen in center. Boston starter Connelly Early retired the next two batters and worked around Jose Azocar’s two-out single to escape the inning without any further damage.

Strider also benefited from Rafaela being caught stealing following a leadoff double in the fifth and left with a lead after 5 1/3 despite the visitors coming within 2-1. After Carlos Narvaez knocked a leadoff double down the left field line, Gasper drove him home with a two-out RBI single off reliever Dylan Lee.

After Tyler Kinley induced back-to-back flyouts to start Boston’s seventh, Mayer’s towering blast out to right-center knotted the score.

The Red Sox had two on with two outs in the ninth with a chance to win the game, but Raisel Iglesias struck out Andruw Monasterio to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman then set down the Braves 1-2-3 to force extras.

–Field Level Media

NFL Schedule: Here’s a Top Ten

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – Not only do the Los Angeles Rams have a reasonable shot at becoming the first team to win the Super Bowl on its homefield twice, the NFC West runner-up is by far the easiest team to find on the NFL’s 2026 broadcast schedule.

Seven times the Rams are positioned for a primetime slot — tying a league record — barring a slip from contender status that would prompt networks to invoke the “flex” option and reassign Sean McVay’s team to an afternoon kickoff.

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You’ve got to appreciate McVay’s offensive machine as much as the next NFL fan, but let’s survey the broader landscape for the 10 games we are circling on the 2026 schedule.

1. Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Friday, Dec. 25
Are the Packers still gutted by two heartbreaking losses to the Bears? They’ll never admit it. The drama on the field and sidelines restored one of the  game’s best rivalries. Chicago’s schedule strength adds a degree of difficulty the Bears didn’t face rising from the bottom of the NFC North to a division title in Ben Johnson’s first season. The Packers had owned this series in recent years and want to pull the pendulum northward.

2. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Nov. 26
Thanksgiving Day amplifies whatever the state of the Dallas Cowboys happens to be, and this one should be extra spicy. It hasn’t happened since 2014 and will be the third Turkey Day meeting between the teams. Cowboys fans are crossing their fingers the results will be better than the last time (33-10 loss in ‘14) and 1989, when the Eagles used two Randall Cunningham-to-Cris Carter TDs and Philly’s defense ransacked Troy Aikman at Texas Stadium, 27-0. Philadelphia hosts the first meeting of the 2026 season with Dallas on “Monday Night Football” in October.

3. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 6
Josh Allen ran the AFC East for nearly a decade and Drake Maye was more than the new kid on the block in 2025. He played like an MVP candidate — even winning in Buffalo — and the Patriots went 5-1 in the division. The only loss was a 35-31 barnburner at Gillette Stadium won by the Bills on Dec. 14. It was New England’s only loss between Sept. 28 and the Super Bowl.

4. Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Friday, Dec. 25
Fine, we can talk Rams, too Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, the NFL wrapped up a matchup between teams who combined for 26 regular-season wins and took the division duel down to the wire last season. Lumen Field won’t be a present for the Rams, but Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have usually done just fine in enemy territory. The game falls one week after the one-year anniversary of Seattle’s memorable fourth-quarter rally from 16 down, forced overtime and walked it off with a 38-37 victory over the Rams.

5. Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 31
Last season wasn’t a typical set of Bengals-Ravens games. The AFC North rivals split with an average margin of victory of 21 points. Rewind to 2025 and unleashed Lamar Jackson vs. bomb-happy Joe Burrow produced scores of 35-34 and 41-38 (overtime). If we get a New Year’s Eve snow game with division and playoff consequences, even better.

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6. New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9
A Wednesday night opener ahead of the Thursday Rams-49ers matchup in Australia, we’ll find out if the Patriots are better prepared for a Super Bowl rematch with months to prepare. New England oscillated from disjointed to complete disarray in the February loss to Seattle and didn’t have all oars in the water during an offseason when Mike Vrabel’s off-field, ahem, affairs were a constant talking point.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 8
Baker Mayfield vs. Caleb Williams piques our interest in a midseason “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the undercard of Buccaneers head coach and defensive maestro Todd Bowles against Bears coach and offensive brain Ben Johnson. The Bucs fell short of the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2019, while the Bears are trending upward after the franchise won a playoff game (well, two of them, actually) in January to snap a 15-year drought dating to 2011.

8. Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, Monday, Dec. 7
Crossover games with the NFC West add a degree of difficulty to the Dallas schedule this season. While we wait to offer judgment on the revamped defense, the Cowboys are likely to bring all the smoke to test Seattle’s versatile, attacking defense in a game sandwiched between matchups with the Eagles and Rams for Dallas.

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9. Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos, Sunday, Sept. 20
Some called the Denver AFC West run last season but far fewer anticipated Jacksonville winning 13  games and dealing the Broncos one of the team’s three regular-season losses. First-year head coach Liam Coen reflects many of Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s qualities as a play-caller and designer, adding built-in entertainment value.

10. San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 27
What will the 49ers have left in the tank? San Francisco is setting a record for miles traveled in a season thanks to international treks to Mexico and Australia and the closing stretch for the 49ers is some kind of minefield from NFL schedulers. Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy are familiar foes but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has not beaten Andy Reid as a head coach (0-3). Two of those losses were agonizing Super Bowl defeats (LIV, 2020 and LVIII, 2024). After falling short of historical track and expectations in 2025, is the window closed on one or both of these longtime contenders?

–Field Level Media

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.

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

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.

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