Ryan Garcia challenges Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight World title next weekend in Las Vegas. Conor Benn, mandatory challenger for the winner, seems to have finally settled on a prediction.
Barrios took the vacant title in June of 2025 after it was vacated by Terence Crawford. He has retained twice, though through draws against Abel Ramos and a returning Manny Pacquaio.
The challenger made his welterweight debut in May last year following a year’s doping ban. He was dropped and beaten over the distance by Rolando Romero, but was somehow mandated for this fight by the WBC.
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Benn, who has made no secret that he will target the winner to win the same green and gold belt that his father Nigel so proudly boasted, was confident in January of a Garcia win.
“I’ll be there ringside and I want the winner. No doubt [it will be] Garcia. So, Garcia-Benn – I like the sound of that.”
Speaking on social media today, however, the Brit revealed he is now backing Barrios to retain via stoppage.
“You lot think I’m joking… I bet any money Barrios stops Garcia. I bet you any money. I’m not even joking. [Garcia] is gonna fumble the bag. Barrios, any money, stops Garcia. I am 100% confident. Taking bets.”
Whether or not it’s mind games targetting Garcia – who Benn has said he would prefer to face over Barrios – remains to be seen. Barrios has not recorded a stoppage win since beating Jovanie Santiago in February of 2023.
Benn’s prediction will hold some legitimacy in the eyes of fans, however, given Garcia’s two losses coming at the top level against Gervonta Davis and ‘Rolly’ Romero. He has been known to blow hot and cold, and has worried fans with erratic behaviour in the lead-up to fights, the best example of which came before he faced Devin Haney, missing weight and ultimately failing a doping test to see his victory ultimately overturned.
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With the fight now just seven days out, there isn’t long before we find out whether or not there will be a shift in the division with ‘King Ryan’ finally fulfilling his superstar promise and becoming a world champion. On the other hand, he may prove his status as this generation’s nearly man.
The current AEW World Champion, MJF, has been offered a match by another current World champion outside Tony Khan’s promotion. The two have wrestled each other nearly two years ago.
The current CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, Hechicero wants to face the current AEW World Champion, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Hechicero captured the CMLL World title from Claudio Castagnoli at Arena Mexico recently. He is also under a dual contract with both Lucha Libre CMLL and All Elite Wrestling.
At the Forbidden Door event back in 2024, Hechicero squared off against MJF for the first time. The match went on for nearly 10 minutes, and Max secured the win over the CMLL veteran. Meanwhile, Hechicero wants to get in the ring with The Salt of the Earth yet again.
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During his interview with The Takedown on SI, Hechicero said it would be great to take on MJF, as he is the World Champion in Tony Khan’s promotion. Hechicero also wants a rematch with Claudio Castagnoli after capturing the CMLL World title from him recently:
“I aspire to the highest level as CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. First of all, MJF is the company’s world champion, it would be really great to face him. Also, Claudio Castagnoli, it would be great to have a rematch against him because he did so well,” said Hechicero. [H/T WrestleTalk]
MJF is set for a huge title defense at AEW Dynasty
MJF has been the AEW World Champion since December 2025 and has had multiple successful title defenses until now. At the upcoming Dynasty 2026 pay-per-view, Max will defend his World title against Kenny Omega.
Ahead of the big match, MJF and Kenny came face-to-face for a contract signing segment on Dynamite this week. Max also defeated Speedball Mike Bailey in the main event of the show.
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It will be interesting to see if MJF manages to retain his World title against Kenny Omega at Dynasty.
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Philip Otele has described his first appearance for the Nigeria national football team as the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.
The Hamburger SV winger, currently on loan from FC Basel, made his senior debut on Tuesday in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw with Jordan national football team in Antalya. He came on late in the match, replacing Frank Onyeka.
Otele’s call up had come as a surprise after he was initially included in Éric Chelle’s provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations but missed out on the final list earlier in the year.
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“I am very happy to be here; it’s a pleasure for my family and me, and I want to say a huge thank you to God first,” he said. “For me, it was a dream come true. We always play football to represent the national team, so I always wanted to play for Nigeria, and it was a big moment for my family and me.”
The forward added that his long time support for the team made the moment even more special. “I am proud of this moment. As a player, playing for your national team gives you that extra boost. Being here is a huge thing for me because I am a patriotic fan, and I have been following the team for a long time.”
Otele is among several new players being integrated into the squad during the Antalya training camp, alongside Emmanuel Fernandez and Yira Sor, as Chelle continues to expand his options ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Apr 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) pitches against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Sandy Alcantara pitched a three-hit shutout and Liam Hicks drove in four runs, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 10-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon.
After playing their first two series against teams that lost more than 100 games last season — the Rockies and White Sox — the Marlins are 5-1 before heading to New York to play the Yankees on Friday.
Alcantara (2-0) did not walk a batter and struck out seven, throwing just 93 pitches for the first Marlins complete-game shutout since Braxton Garrett had one in May 2024.
It was his fifth career shutout for Alcantara and the second time he pitched a “Maddux” — a complete-game shutout in fewer than 100 pitches.
Hicks, acquired by the Marlins in December 2024 as a Rule 5 draft pick, went 3-for-4 with a homer on Wednesday.
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He had six homers, 45 RBIs and a .693 OPS in his first season in the league last year. In six games this season, he has three homers, 12 RBIs and a 1.659 OPS.
Also for Miami, Otto Lopez homered, tripled, and scored three runs.
Shane Smith (0-2) took the loss for the White Sox, allowing eight hits, two walks and eight runs, seven earned, in three innings.
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Smith, who went undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2021, had a dream season last year, going from Rule 5 draft pick to rookie All-Star. This year, though, he has a 19.29 ERA through two starts.
Miami opened the scoring with a four-run first. Hicks had a run-scoring single, Connor Norby added an RBI double, and Owen Caissie capped the rally with a two-run single.
The Marlins made it 6-0 in the second on Hicks’ two-out, two-run homer just inches over the glove of right fielder Everson Pereira.
In the third, Heriberto Hernandez drew a walk and advanced to third on Graham Pauley’s ground-rule double down the right field line. The White Sox brought the infield in, and Javier Sanoja drilled a two-run single right past the glove of shortstop Luisangel Acuna to make it 8-0.
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Miami extended its lead to 9-0 in the sixth as Lopez tripled and scored on Hicks’ RBI single.
In the eighth, the Marlins made it 10-0 on Lopez’s 392-foot homer to left.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.
There’s been some angst in Vikingsland regarding Jonathan Greenard’s desire for a revised contract as his $19 million per year deal—with two years remaining—lags behind the NFL’s top edge rushers (led by Micah Parsons at $42 million per year, including the final year of his rookie deal in 2025.
Greenard is not in a great bargaining position after he missed five games last season, and his sack total fell from 12 in 2024 to three, although his pressure rate remained among the top edge rushers. I expect the Vikings to give him some incentives based on again reaching double-digit sacks (which won’t count against the cap this year since he didn’t achieve that level last year) and then consider an extension next year if he plays more games and performs at an elite level to help the team return to the playoffs.
Jefferson’s Contract Outlook Stays the Same
Greenard falls somewhat into the category of recent big deals far surpassing a two-year-old contract, as the salary cap has boomed in recent years. Vikings fans can rest assured this is not the case with Justin Jefferson, who signed his four-year, $140 million extension ($35 million per year in new money) in the same year (2024) that Greenard joined the Vikings.
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When Seattle superstar receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was signed last week to a four-year, $168.6 million extension ($42.15 million per year), the possibility emerged that Jefferson—with three years left on his deal—would ask the Vikings to renegotiate his contract, which, on first glance, appears to be about $7 million per year less than Smith-Njigba.
Here’s a lesson in NFL caponomics that shows why Jefferson shouldn’t have a beef with his contract vis-à-vis JSN’s deal.
Feb 11, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) reacts during the Super Bowl LX parade. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
When Jefferson signed his extension, he had one year left on his rookie contract, with a fifth-year option worth approximately $20 million. Therefore, his total compensation over the five years from 2024 to 2028 is $160 million, which equates to $32 million per year.
Whereas Jefferson had to wait until after his fourth season to get his extension, Smith-Njigba’s new deal was negotiated after his third season (the earliest that a player under a rookie contract can be extended). He has two years left on his rookie deal, worth a total of $26.6 million, bringing his total compensation to $195.2 million over six years (2026-2031). That is an average of $32.53 million.
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So the reality is Smith-Njigba’s deal is only $530,000 per year more than Jefferson’s over the next three years, and if Jefferson stays at an elite level, he’ll surely receive an extension that begins in 2029 and surpasses Smith-Njigba’s current deal.
Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images.
The true leader in average wide receiver salary per year is still Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, who is making $36.4 million per season. He signed a four-year, $161 million extension after his fourth season, when he had one more year left on his rookie deal at $21 million, bringing his total contract to $182 million over five years.
Agents love to trumpet the new money in these top-of-the-market extensions, which I certainly understand since I now work in the agent business. But caponomics tells us we have to fully examine the deals, including the years and dollars remaining on the old contract, to get the true value of the contracts.
So don’t expect to hear Jefferson complain about his contract after the Smith-Njigba extension.
Reactions to Kevin O’Connell’s Media Session at League Meeting
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1. On Greenard: O’Connell emphasized how much he and the team value Greenard as an impact player when healthy and as a team leader (he was a captain last season). O’Connell said he expects Greenard to be with the Vikings in the 2026 season, but he didn’t go so far as to label him untouchable. I think the team needs to keep the 28-year-old Greenard for at least one more season, and probably much longer, if he stays healthy and productive in the season ahead.
2. O’Connell said Blake Brandel will “more than likely” be the first-team center in the offseason OTAs and minicamp after playing the position for the first time last season in several games due to Ryan Kelly’s injuries. O’Connell is encouraged by the development of backup center Michael Jurgens, who appeared a bit shaky in his limited play last season. I expect the Vikings to draft a center in the first three rounds of next month’s draft and have an open competition for the starting spot.
May 31, 2023; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings Blake Brandel poses for a photo. Brandel dazzled onlookers in a Week 1 game versus the New York Giants in 2024, tallying a 91.2 Pro Football Focus Grade. Mandatory Credit: NFL Photos-USA TODAY NETWORK.
3. On joining the prestigious NFL Competition Committee: O’Connell is excited about the opportunity to help with new rules and procedures that the committee presents to the NFL owners for votes. His addition to this committee is a nice tribute to the League office’s view of him as one of the NFL’s top coaches.
Addison’s Fifth-Year Option
The Vikings wisely exercised the fifth-year option in Jordan Addison’s rookie contract, which is now guaranteed for a projected $18 million in 2027.
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Addison is an excellent second receiver to Jefferson and would be a No. 1 WR on many teams. He’s had too many off-field incidents in his three seasons and too many drops last season, but he’s been very productive overall, with 2,396 receiving yards and 22 TDs thus far in his career. The Vikings hope he matures off the field as he continues to improve and make an impact on the field.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond
The NIT’s semifinals tip off tonight at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and I want to look at the first game of No. 1 seed New Mexico vs. No. 1 Tulsa at 7 ET on ESPN because that should be more competitive than the nightcap featuring No. 4 Illinois State against No. 1 Auburn. The winners face off in Sunday’s championship game, which moves to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy, and I expect that to be the Lobos and Tigers.
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New Mexico (26-10, 21-14 ATS) of the Mountain West, which had a case for an NCAA Tournament spot before a late-season fade, was the winner of the Albuquerque Region of the NIT, and is clearly the best team in it. The Lobos beat Sam Houston, George Washington and Saint Joseph’s, all by at least 15 points at the Pit. I previewed that Hawks game last Tuesday here at CBS Sports and recommended SJU alt +16.5 and alt Under 161.5 at a parlay price of -125. We sweated a tad, but it cashed with UNM prevailing 84-69. Didn’t seem to be an ATS worry at the half with Saint Joseph’s up 39-37.
Tomislav Buljan led New Mexico in that one with a career-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds, his 17th double-double of the season. Star freshman Jake Hall added 24 points. Those two freshmen carry coach Eric Olen’s club … and will be very expensive to keep in the offseason. Frankly, I doubt either will still be with the program.
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Hall had his 11th 20-point game and became the all-time leading freshman scorer in Mountain West history with 585 points, breaking the previous record of 564 by UNLV‘s Anthony Bennett in 2012-13. Bennett of course was then the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft by Cleveland. Hall, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, has made a school-record 116 3-pointers, fourth-most by a freshman in Division I history.
Buljan had his third 25/10 game of the season, trailing only Duke superstar Cameron Boozer (six) for the most by a freshman nationally. Among players who played three games in this year’s NIT, Buljan (21.0 ppg) and Hall (19.0 ppg) are the tournament’s top two scorers. Another freshman in Uriah Tenette is leading the NIT in assist/turnover ratio at 13.0.
The Lobos have trailed for just 6:29 of 120:00. Their +21.33 average scoring margin over the first three rounds is the largest in the event since 2008. UNM is the first team since San Diego State in 2016 to advance to the NIT semifinals with three wins by at least 15 points and has reached this round for the third time overall and first since 1990.
I generally prefer to lean Under an alternate total but chose to go Over an alt here because the Lobos are averaging a whopping 92.3 points in this tournament, most over the event’s first three rounds since Oklahoma (94.3 PPG) in 1991. That team lost in the final. Tonight will be New Mexico’s first-ever game in April.
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Tulsa (27-9, 17-17 ATS) of the American Athletic Conference is having its first winning season since 2019-20 and hosted the Tulsa Region in the first three rounds. The Golden Hurricane haven’t had it nearly as easy as New Mexico did, with two of their three wins in the NIT by five points or fewer (one in OT). They knocked off conference rival Wichita State last Tuesday to get here.
The primary starting five of David Green, Tylen Riley, Miles Barnstable, Ade Popoola and Tyler Behrend leads the American Conference with a rating of plus-172. That ranks them third in the country as a group. Tulsa’s 381 made 3-pointers have not just shattered the school record but broke the 2018-19 Houston squad’s AAC record of 337.
The Golden Hurricane are one of 10 schools nationally to have at least 25 games this season scoring 80-plus points and are 24-1 in those games. Only NCAA Tournament Final Four foes Arizona (26-0) and Michigan (25-1) have a better record in such games.
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The program is in the semifinals of the NIT for the third time in history and won it the previous two times (1981 and 2001). Head coach Eric Konkol was a student assistant at Tulsa on that 2001 team that beat Alabama, 79-60, in the NIT title game.
New Mexico leads the all-time series 2-1, but they haven’t played since 1998. The Lobos are +210 second favorites to win the NIT behind Auburn (+110) – they were the two favorites when the event tipped off. Tulsa is +380, a nice jump from an open of +1000. As of this writing, Auburn is taking the most Yes shares to win it at Kalshi with 44%.
DraftKings single-game parlay (-115)
New Mexico ML
Alt Over 149.5
The SportsLine Projection model has UNM 81-77, Torvik has it 84-82 and Haslem 81-76. KenPom ranks the Lobos at No. 44 nationally and the Golden Hurricane 58th. Tulsa is 1-5 ATS in its past six games, while New Mexico is 5-0-1 ATS in its past six. Check out NIT and other expert picks in the daily newsletter.
NEW DELHI: Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has raised doubts over Rishabh Pant’s decision to promote himself to the top order, suggesting the Lucknow Super Giants skipper may have “gone a little too far ahead” in his batting position.Pant, who was run out for 7 off 9 balls in LSG’s IPL 2026 opener against Delhi Capitals, later indicated he intends to bat in the top order this season. However, Pietersen believes the move could backfire.
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Mukul Choudhary on LSG’s game plan: backing partnerships & staying fearless
‘Too much pressure at the top’“When you look at the strength and depth of LSG’s batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter?” Pietersen said on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’. “I think he might have gone a little too far ahead of where he was in the line-up compared to last year.”The former England star pointed out that Pant had earlier dropped down the order but is now looking to move up again, a shift he feels may not be ideal. “He just needs to go out and enjoy his cricket,” Pietersen added, warning that forcing himself into a top-three role could pile unnecessary pressure.“Don’t force yourself into batting at number three. Enjoy the luxury of that position. I think he puts himself under tremendous pressure by opening the batting,” he said.Rizvi earns praise after match-winning knockPietersen also heaped praise on Delhi’s young batter Sameer Rizvi, who turned the game with an unbeaten 70 after the Capitals were reduced to 26/4 in a chase of 142.“He played the situation beautifully, and I’m not surprised,” Pietersen said, recalling his time mentoring the youngster. “This kid is a proper player, and we probably need to invest in him for a period of time.”He emphasised the importance of backing young talent, adding, “When you invest in a player, you need trust that he can pay you back, and he has done exactly that.”According to Pietersen, Rizvi’s match-winning effort under pressure in a season opener carries more weight than scoring freely in a high-scoring game, underlining his temperament and potential.
The court proceedings have begun in the case against Tiger Woods.
On Tuesday afternoon, Woods pleaded not guilty on DUI charges stemming from a rollover crash in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon, according to court documents obtained by GOLF. The 15-time major champion has also retained the services of Douglas Duncan, an attorney who served on his 2017 DUI case after Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car and tested positive for five different substances in a toxicology report. Ultimately, two of the three misdemeanor charges against Woods were dropped in that case, and the golfer pleaded guilty only to reckless driving.
Woods, 50, has been the story of the golf world in the week preceding the Masters after crashing his car on a one-lane road in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday afternoon. The crash, which came when Woods attempted to overtake a turning truck with a trailer attached, resulted in Woods’ Range Rover flipping onto its driver side. After police responded to the scene of the crash, officers observed Woods “sweating profusely” and appearing “lethargic and slow,” according to an affidavit. After administering a field sobriety test to the 15-time major champion, an officer from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department charged him with Driving Under the Influence.
After conducting a search at the scene of the accident, officers also found two hydrocodone pills in Woods’ pocket. The well-prescribed opioid was one of several substances that arrived in Woods’ toxicology report back in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, Woods announced his intention to seek treatment for unspecified issues.
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“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order form e to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”
Friday’s incident was not Woods’ first serious accident behind the wheel. In 2021, he suffered serious injuries to his right leg after a single-car accident in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. while on the way to a magazine shoot. At the time of that accident, the recorder in Woods’ car tracked him as driving at nearly two times the speed limit. The “jaws of life” were needed to extricate him from the crash, and Woods’ leg was badly mangled. In the report from Friday’s DUI, the Martin County Sheriff’s Department quotes Woods as mentioning he has had more than 20 surgeries to the leg since the injury in 2021.
Prior to Friday, the familiar swell of anticipatory energy had begun to swirl around Woods’ golf game. The 82-time PGA Tour winner had returned to competitive golf for the first time since rupturing his achilles in March of last year, competing in the finals of the TGL just two weeks out from the start of the Masters. Irrespective of his playing status, Woods was scheduled to be in attendance at Augusta for the official reopening of The Patch, a local municipal course renovated by Augusta National with help from Woods’ design firm.
Apr 1, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27) delivers during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Ramon Laureano blasted a two-run homer and Nick Pivetta yielded only one hit in five shutout innings Wednesday as the San Diego Padres avoided a series sweep by the visiting San Francisco Giants with a 7-1 win.
Bouncing back from a frightful outing in an 8-2 Opening Day loss to Detroit on Thursday, Pivetta (1-1) fanned eight and walked two. Former teammate Luis Arraez accounted for San Francisco’s one hit off Pivetta, a leadoff single in the second.
San Diego used its top three relievers to handle the game’s remainder. Jeremiah Estrada pitched a scoreless sixth and Adrian Morejon handled 1 2/3 innings before Mason Miller worked the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save.
The Padres led 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but Laureano provided insurance when he followed Manny Machado’s leadoff double with a two-run homer to left, his second of the year. The ball traveled an estimated 393 feet.
San Diego worked reliever Jose Butto over for two more runs in the inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. legged out an infield single to make it 6-1 as Jake Cronenworth crossed the plate and Xander Bogaerts coaxed a four-pitch bases loaded walk to close the scoring.
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Adrian Houser (0-1) absorbed the loss in his first start of the year. He lasted 5 1/3 innings, permitting seven hits and three runs, one of them earned. Houser walked one and struck out four.
Poor defense victimized Houser when the Padres scored single runs in the first and fifth. After Jackson Merrill singled with two outs in the first, Machado reached on an infield single. First baseman Casey Schmitt dropped the throw from third baseman Mark Chapman and the ball rolled into right field, enabling Merrill to score.
Chapman was charged with a throwing error in the fifth on Bogaerts’ two-out bouncer that allowed Gavin Sheets to score. Sheets ripped his second double in as many innings in the sixth, plating Laureano for a 3-0 advantage.
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Harrison Bader’s two-out RBI single in the seventh scored Arraez with San Francisco’s only run. Arraez collected three of the Giants’ four hits and added a stolen base.
It marked the first time in six games that San Diego scored more than three runs.
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