MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Stowers hit a game-ending grand slam for his second homer of the day, sending the Miami Marlins to a 9-6 victory over Mason Miller and the Athletics on Saturday.
The Marlins were down to their last out when Stowers drove a 101.7 mph fastball from Miller deep to left-center for his sixth homer of the season. He also hit a tying two-run shot in the third against Osvaldo Bido.
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Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson hits a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Oakland Athletics' Luis Urías (17) is met by Jacob Wilson (5) after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay, right, argues a call with officials with Lawrence Butler being called out at home plate during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers, left, high fives Ronny Simon (41) after hitting a walk-off grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Javier Sanoja (46) reacts after scoring on a walk-off grand slam hit by Kyle Stowers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers is doused with ice after hitting a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
It was Stowers' second multihomer performance in the last three games. He also went deep twice in a 12-7 loss at the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Javier Sanoja had two hits and scored two runs for Miami, which had lost six in a row. Lake Bachar (2-0) pitched two innings for the win.
Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday and Luis Urías homered for the A’s, who had won five of six. Jacob Wilson had two hits and scored twice.
The A’s grabbed a 5-4 lead on Nick Kurtz’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. Gio Urshela added an RBI double in the eighth.
Miller (0-1) came in to pitch the ninth and hit leadoff batter Matt Mervis. Connor Norby and Dane Myers struck out before Mervis advanced to third on Sanoja’s double.
Miller uncorked a wild pitch on a full-count offering to Ronny Simon, scoring Mervis. The closer then walked Xavier Edwards before Stowers went deep.
The A’s opened a 4-2 lead on Urías’ two-run homer off Max Meyer in the fourth. The Marlins responded with two in the fifth on Sanoja’s double and Xavier Edwards’ sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Meyer was charged with five runs and 10 hits over five-plus innings.
Bido allowed four runs and three hits in five innings.
Bachar struck out the side in a perfect ninth.
Meyer had no strikeouts in his first home start since he had a career-high 14 Ks against Cincinnati on April 21.
LHP JP Sears (4-2, 2.94 ERA) will start the series finale for the Athletics on Sunday. RHP Edward Cabrera (0-1, 7.23 ERA) pitches for the Marlins.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Oakland Athletics' Jacob Wilson hits a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Oakland Athletics' Luis Urías (17) is met by Jacob Wilson (5) after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay, right, argues a call with officials with Lawrence Butler being called out at home plate during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers, left, high fives Ronny Simon (41) after hitting a walk-off grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Javier Sanoja (46) reacts after scoring on a walk-off grand slam hit by Kyle Stowers during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers is doused with ice after hitting a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month.
Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men's gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women's teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title.
U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-for-TV celebration Sunday.
"I'm just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment," Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”
Malinin will be joined on the men's side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team.
Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian.
“We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”
Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three straight Grand Prix Finals.
U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through, and Anthony Ponomarenko.
Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after briefly retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clovis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago.
Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women's medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games.
Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist.
"This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan.
The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.
The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Efimova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline.
“The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete's life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, "and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what's best going forward from a selection process.
“Sometimes these aren't easy," Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”
The fun is just beginning, though, for the 16 athletes picked for the powerful American team.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Amber Glenn competes during the women's free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Alysa Liu skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Maxim Naumov skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate during the "Making the Team" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the metal ceremony after the men's free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
