ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves scored three runs in the first inning off a double from Matt Olson and a single from Mauricio Dubón in a 4-0 win over the Athletics on Monday night.
Mike Yastrzemski came in to relieve left fielder Eli White and hit a line drive triple to right field in the eighth inning. Dubón followed with a single to send him home.
Dubón, a two-time (2023, '25) Gold Glove-winning shortstop, came to the Braves in the offseason from a trade with the Astros.
Bryce Elder (1-0) pitched six innings and gave up five hits with five strikeouts and a walk.
Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers both went 0 for 4 for the Athletics. Brent Rooker went 2 for 4, but grounded to Dubón to start a double play that ended the eighth inning.
In the ninth, Jacob Wilson was thrown out at second on a ground ball by Lawrence Butler, who was originally ruled safe at first. The call was challenged and then overturned, resulting in a double play. Max Muncy hit an infield fly that Olson caught to end the game.
Jacob Lopez (0-1) pitched four innings for the A's. He gave up five hits, had five walks, three earned runs and no strikeouts.
Atlanta's Jose Suarez takes the mound against Aaron Civale as the series continues Tuesday.
Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón hits a two-RBI single in the first inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Earlier this month, Iraq coach Graham Arnold was stranded in Fujairah, on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates, due to the Mideast war. He wondered if his national team would even be able to compete for one last chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
After traveling a long and winding road to reach Mexico, Arnold and Iraq will seek to return to a World Cup after an absence of 40 years when they face Bolivia in the final of their intercontinental playoff in Monterrey in northern Mexico on Tuesday.
“It’s been very difficult being stranded, I’d rather not talk about it, I try to remove all of that from the players' brains because a lot of things are going on in the Middle East,” Arnold said Monday in a media conference. “But players know what they’re doing, they seem very relaxed and ready to go.”
Arnold was with his wife in a hotel in Fujairah after a series of Iranian missiles hit nearby when the war between the United States and Iran began. The Australian coach was able to move to Dubai, but he was unable to join the team for several days.
Iraqi players were also stranded because the country's airspace was closed, preventing the team from using commercial flights to leave the country. Team officials officially asked FIFA to postpone the playoff match.
“I came from Europe directly to Monterrey, but for the rest of the players who play in the Iraqi local league, they had a long trip, but we had a lot of time to recover from that,” said Merchas Doski, who plays as a left back for Viktoria Plzen, in the Czech first league. "We are fully prepared."
The team also faced visa complications because Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq and players struggled to obtain the necessary visas to enter the country. But the issue was resolved when the Mexican foreign affairs ministry facilitated visas at other regional embassies.
The team finally arrived in Monterrey on March 21 after a 25-hour journey that included navigating travel restrictions and a stopover in Portugal.
“It has been very tough 20 days for us, but it is an honor and a privilege to be here — I lived in Australia for a long time and I know that qualifying for a World Cup can change a nation," said Arnold, who guided the Socceroos to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.
Since arriving in Mexico, the team has had plenty of time to adjust to the climate and players have practiced without incident. They have also been able to fraternize with children from local schools who have visited them during their training sessions.
“They (Mexican fans) have been amazing. It’s really fun to see that they cheer us,” said Aimar Sher, who plays for Sarpsborg 08 in Norway. “We talked about it a couple of days ago that their support means a lot to us and we’re very happy to have them by our side.”
To qualify for its second World Cup, their first since Mexico in 1986, Iraq must defeat Bolivia, which eliminated Suriname 2-1 in the intercontinental playoff semifinals last week.
“It has been fantastic, it is an absolute honor to get Iraq to his part of the playoffs after 40 years and with just one more game to go,” Arnold said. “I am confident that it will be a very special night for Iraq.”
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Iraq's players warm up during a training session ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq teammates joke around with Hussein Ali during a training session ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq's coach Graham Arnold gestures during a training session ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq's players jog during a training session ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq coach Graham Arnold speaks during a news conference ahead of a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
