Jun 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder JJ Bleday (22) greets catcher Jose Trevino (35) crossing home plate to score a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

With the Reds down to their last strike, Eugenio Suarez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth to lift Cincinnati to a 9-7 comeback win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Suarez’s eighth homer of the season off Pirates closer Gregory Soto (4-2) gave the Reds back-to-back wins and doubled their win total against National League Central division opponents entering the series. It was Soto’s fourth blown save of the season.

Soto gave up a single to Edwin Arroyo, who finished with two hits, and walked Elly De La Cruz to open the ninth. Sal Stewart, who had two hits and two RBIs, grounded into a double play. But Soto walked JJ Bleday, keeping the inning alive for Suarez.

Chase Petty shut the door on the Pirates in the bottom of the ninth to record his first career save.

The Pirates had taken a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth on Esmerlyn Valdez’s pinch-hit solo homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-0). It was Valdez’s second home run in as many days and fourth of the season.

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Jose Trevino’s two-run single with one out in the top of the sixth scored Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte and gave the Reds a 6-4 lead. Trevino also had two hits and two RBIs.

Reds starter Chase Burns struck out a season-high 10 batters, matching a career high, but he had his franchise-record streak of 12 consecutive outings allowing two runs or fewer snapped. Burns gave up five runs on nine hits and did not issue a walk.

Burns left the game following a leadoff double by Jared Triolo in the seventh. Triolo would come around to score two batters later on a sac fly by Brandon Lowe to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 6-5.

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Reliever Sam Moll walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales to set up Ryan O’Hearn’s game-tying single. Reynolds extended his hitting streak to 17 and on-base streak to 32.

Lowe led the Pirates with four RBIs and Triolo had three hits. Jake Mangum also had two hits. Jared Jones started for the Pirates and gave up three earned runs on four hits and a walk and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

PHILADELPHIA – Death, Taxes, and an aging Croatia overperforming at World Cups. There are a few certainties in life, but after defeating Ghana 2-1 in Philadelphia on Saturday, Croatia are off to Toronto after coming in second place in Group L, where they’ll face the second-placed team of Group K, Portugal.

While it’s not a surprise that Croatia was survived the group, they still pushed to win it all despite an opening game loss to England, making the Three Lions have to win on their final day to take top spot. While the attack revolved around the ageless midfielder Luka Modric, who took 102 touches and was everywhere for the squad, it’s clear that he also has support in the younger members of the Vatereni, such as Petar Sucic, who opened the scoring with a stunner from outside the box.

The Inter man has gained the habit of scoring from distance, and he has quite a good teacher for that at Inter in Hakan Calhanoglu, a noted specialist from distance and Turkiye international. One of the youngest players in the squad, he’s growing in confidence to pick his spots and do what is needed to push his team to victories in the biggest moments. These two goals were the first ones that Ghana allowed during the tournament, as this team can score.

“Yeah, for me it doesn’t mean [anything] that I’m the youngest because I came outside to play like everyone,” Sucic said. “And for me, it doesn’t matter how much age you have; you need to do your best job on the pitch. And of course, I like to score good goals, and of course, after training we practice a lot… Hakan is one of the best in that.”

When players like that are put around Modric, who has unbelievable vision to be their general from deep, it’s a recipe for success. Modric created four chances and nabbed an assist on Croaita’s second goal as well. A national hero, there’s nothing that Modric can’t do, and it’s clear what he means to the team.

“I tell him after the game, you play like you are 20 years old. He he he was incredible today,” Sucic said with a smile. “He runs a lot, he goes in every duel. He was so good with the ball. Yeah, he is our leader, our best player, and we are so happy that he can lead us also in this World Cup, and he can play until he wants. He’s so good, and yeah, we are happy with him.”

Having a generation of Croatian players who have gone on runs for the national team in Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, and Dominik Livakovic means it’s so much easier for young players to come into the national team setup and know exactly what they need to do. And even at 40, when you think you’ve seen it all, Modric can still impress his teammates.

“Luka was unbelievable today, I swear it seems like he tuned the time 10 years before and really one of the best performances that I’ve seen him do in a Croatia shirt,” Vlasic said.

Depending on who they land in the next round, it could be a tough road for Croatia, but they aren’t going to worry much about that, especially after ensuring that they won a game where technically a draw would’ve been enough to get them through to the next round. Pride for the shirt is always important, especially when it’s one as iconic as the checkered pattern that Croaita dons.

“In the end, it’s the World Cup, so you need to do your best, and you play for the national team, you need to go, and every game you want to win,” Sucic said.

We’ve seen squads, even veteran squads, fracture at the World Cup after a disappointing loss to start the campaign, but there’s been no such problem in Zlatko Dalic’s squad. Anyone could be benched and make their way into the lineup and score a goal because it’s about the badge and the team, not the individual.

“Everybody is training well, waiting for the opportunity. I didn’t start the first game. I went in maybe, I don’t know, 12 minutes, 30 minutes. Second game, I didn’t go in,” Vlasic said. “But you always believe, you always wait for your chance, train well, and wait for the coach to call you in. So I’m really happy that the coach, in such an important game, he put me in the game. So it tells you that he really trusts me. So I’m really happy about that.”

That balance and knowing roles is critical, and it offers a view into how Croatia was able to outperform expectations consistently. They’ll need to continue to do it facing tougher opposition, but for now, the job is done and they can rest and recover.

Argentina vs Jordan Live Score: Lionel Messi was left out of Argentina’s starting XI for their final Group J match against Jordan on Saturday after the team had already secured top spot in the group.

Jordan have already been knocked out of the tournament, while Argentina are safely through to the knockout stage.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had hinted that Messi, who turned 39 three days earlier, could make an appearance from the bench during the match at AT&T Stadium.

Fresh faces get their chance

Nicolás Paz was included in the starting lineup after making his World Cup debut as a substitute for Messi late in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the opening game.

Overall, Scaloni made nine changes from the side that defeated Austria 2-0 in the previous match.

Messi continues to rewrite World Cup history

Messi has now played 201 international matches for Argentina, including a FIFA-record 28 World Cup appearances.

He has scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, becoming only the third player to achieve the feat after France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil legend Jairzinho.

Heading into the final round of group-stage matches, Messi led the tournament scoring chart with five goals, all of Argentina’s goals so far.

He struck his first-ever World Cup hat-trick against Algeria before adding his fifth goal in injury time against Austria.

Record-breaking goal tally

Messi’s two goals against Austria took his overall World Cup tally to 18, breaking the previous record of 16 that he shared with Germany great Miroslav Klose.

This is Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance. Klose played 214 international matches across four World Cups between 2002 and 2014, with his final World Cup goal coming in Germany’s 1-0 win over Argentina in the 2014 final.

France star Kylian Mbappé equalled Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals by scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Iraq just hours after Messi broke the record.

Mbappé, who is among several players with four goals in this tournament, did not score in France’s 4-1 win over Norway in their final group-stage game.

Argentina set for Cape Verde challenge

As Group J winners, Argentina will now face Cape Verde in the round of 32 on Friday in Miami.

It will be Cape Verde’s first appearance in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, while the game will also be played in the home city of Messi’s MLS club.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has never been afraid to speak her mind, so it was only a matter of time before she commented on the latest controversy involving Caitlin Clark. Unsurprisingly, Cunningham has come to her teammate’s defense, saying that “the league and the refs do nothing to protect” Clark. 

Clark left the Fever’s loss to the Mercury on Wednesday with a back injury after being on the receiving end of what Indiana coach Stephanie White called “two cheap shots.” Clark will not play Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks on CBS and Paramount+, and has been ruled out indefinitely. 

While a landing space foul on a 3-pointer appeared to be what jarred Clark’s back, the incident that has everyone talking happened a few possessions earlier. During a loose-ball scramble, Alyssa Thomas kneed Clark in the thigh and put her fist into Clark’s neck. No foul was called during the game, but the league later reviewed the situation and upgraded the play to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game — served Saturday against the Toronto Tempo — for “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Clark. 

Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas suspended one game for putting fist into Caitlin Clark’s throat in win over Fever

Jack Maloney

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Cunningham calls out the league and officials

On the latest episode of her podcast, “Show Me Something,” which was released Saturday, Cunningham gave her view on the situation. She explained why no one on the Fever reacted in the moment, then made strong accusations against both the league and the officials.   

“During real time last night, I did not see that happen,” Cunningham said. “None of our team saw it happen, because I promise you, if we would have seen that happen, we would have had [Clark’s] back. Unfortunately, this type of shit happens every single game to [Clark], and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it.”

“You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting [Clark] in the throat,” Cunningham continued. “If [Thomas] did that to any of our teammates, we’d be pissed. But they are definitely targeting [Clark], and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her.”

Cunningham has previously been fined for comments she’s made on her podcast — as well as a TikTok she made — and it would not be a surprise if the league dings her again here.

Do opponents actually ‘target’ Clark?

Do opponents set out to purposefully injure Clark? No. Do opponents try to use physicality to their advantage against Clark? Yes. As Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase notably said last season, “We know [Clark] doesn’t like physicality.” And sometimes, that approach goes too far. 

Despite missing the majority of her sophomore season, Clark has been on the receiving end of nine flagrant fouls since she entered the league in 2024, per Across the Timeline. That is the most toward any player in that time frame. Note: This includes both Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2 fouls, preseason excluded. 

Most flagrant fouls received since 2024

Clark has received nine flagrant fouls in 72 career games, including the regular season and playoffs, or one every eight games. Here are some of the most notable incidents Clark has been involved in:

• Just 10 games into her career, Clark was hip-checked by Chennedy Carter, a play that was retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 1
• Later in her rookie season, Clark was run over in transition by Diamond DeShields, who was called for a Flagrant 1
• Last season, Clark was shoved to the ground by Marina Mabrey, a play that was retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 2
• Then, on Wednesday, there was the incident with Thomas, which, again, was retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 2

None of that includes the regular landing space fouls on Clark that arguably carry a higher risk of injury. In May, Clark left a preseason game against the Dallas Wings after being fouled by Alanna Smith on a play that was upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Too often for the Fever’s liking, however, such fouls are not upgraded. That was the case against the Washington Mystics earlier this season, when Clark was cleaned out in mid-air by Cassandre Prosper. And it was the case again on Wednesday against the Mercury, when she landed on Valeriane Ayayi’s foot and came up grabbing at her back. 

There are seven incidents highlighted above: four non-basketball plays and three landing space fouls from this season alone. Only two of them were called flagrant fouls in the moment, while three were retroactively upgraded, including two to Flagrant 2s and one suspension. 

Twice in the last 25 games Clark has played in, the league has acknowledged after the fact that she was on the receiving end of contact that should have resulted in an ejection. Since Clark entered the league, there have only been four other Flagrant 2 fouls — one on Thomas in 2024, one on Cunningham, one on Janelle Salaun and one on Isabelle Harrison — and all four were assessed in the moment, leading to immediate ejections. 

Since Clark’s debut, she has taken more flagrant fouls than any other player, and the worst of the non-basketball contact she’s received has not been properly handled in the moment. 

That says more about the competency (or lack thereof) of the officials than a plot by opponents to hurt Clark or a conspiracy by the league, but it makes it easy to understand why Cunningham said the officials do “nothing to protect” Clark. And what White meant when she said after Wednesday’s game that Clark is “not called the same way everybody else is called.” 

Survive the Apocalypse is a survival experience in which you explore different locations of a vast map and collect items that’ll help you endure a zombie apocalypse. On June 27, 2026, this Roblox title released its New 5 Star Class update, which introduced a new limited-time class along with several bug fixes.

Outlaw is a new 5-star class that you can purchase by spending 1,000 Emeralds at the Classes shop. In this guide, we will discuss its stats and the fastest method of unlocking.

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What is the Outlaw class in Survive the Apocalypse?

Outlaw is a new 5-star tier class in Survive the Apocalypse that was introduced via the New 5 Star Class update on June 27, 2026. In the Classes shop, he appears as a rugged Wild West character wearing a brown cowboy hat, bandana face covering, leather jacket with ammo belts, utility pouches, dark pants, and black boots.

To unlock the Outlaw class, you must visit the Classes shop, located in the game’s lobby, and spend 1,000 Emeralds. Once unlocked, you can equip this class to start each of your runs with a Heavy Revolver. Here are some stats possessed by this class:

• Star: 5-star
• Cost: 1,000 Emeralds
• Starter tools: 1x Heavy Revolver and 60x Pistol Ammo
• Level 1 skills: Headshot kills with non-auto guns grant 10% Reload Speed, +0.5 Walk Speed, and 5% Dodge Chance for Ss, stacking up to 10x
• Level 2 skills: You can unlock this level by eliminating 1,000 zombies with a headshot. Bullets from non-auto guns bounce between enemies on penetration (Max three).
• Level 3 skills: You can unlock this level by eliminating 5x Exterminators and 4,000 zombies with headshot. Quickdraw: Rapidly fire your revolver, automatically headshotting a zombie on your screen six times (15 CD).

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How to get the Outlaw class in Survive the Apocalypse

Step 1: Earn Emeralds

For purchasing the Outlaw class, you’ll need to spend 1,000 Emeralds at the Classes shop. To earn them faster, you can follow these methods:

• Complete Daily Quests: Every day, you’ll get the chance to complete three quests. Each of them can reward you with either 10x or 15x Emeralds.
• Participate in different activities: You’ll get 1x Emerald for fixing a power plant, up to 8x Emeralds by repairing a Nuclear Reactor, 6x Emeralds for participating in a Military Base, and 3x Emeralds for completing a Raider Base.
• Redeem codes: You can also redeem Survive the Apocalypse codes.

Step 2: Purchase the class

After collecting at least 1,000 Emeralds, head towards the Classes shop, available at the lobby. Interact with the NPC and search for the Outlaw class. Next, purchase the class by spending Emeralds.

Once unlocked, you can equip this class and use it during runs to unlock better perks and abilities

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FAQs on Outlaw class in Survive the Apocalypse

How do you unlock the Outlaw class in Survive the Apocalypse?

You can unlock the Outlaw class by visiting the Classes shop in the lobby and purchasing it for 1,000 Emeralds.

What weapons does the Outlaw class start with?

The Outlaw class begins every run with 1x Heavy Revolver and 60x Pistol Ammo, giving you a strong early-game advantage against zombies.

What does the Outlaw class’s Level 1 skill do?

At Level 1, headshot kills with non-automatic guns grant 10% Reload Speed, +0.5 Walk Speed, and 5% Dodge Chance for 5 seconds, with the buffs stacking up to 10 times.

How do you unlock the Outlaw class’s higher-level skills?

Level 2 requires 1,000 headshot zombie eliminations, while Level 3 requires 5 Exterminator kills and 4,000 headshot zombie eliminations using the class.