MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a two-run double, Brandon Williamson allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings and the Cincinnati Reds edged the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Friday night.
Williamson (2-1) gave up three hits, struck out two and walked four. Emilio Pagán pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save.
Twins starter Joe Ryan (2-2) allowed two runs — one earned — and three hits and had six strikeouts in six innings.
Josh Bell had two of Minnesota's five hits — all singles. The Twins went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners stranded.
With the game scoreless in the fourth, Elly De La Cruz doubled on a line drive to the warning track and advanced to third when Sal Stewart reached on a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. After Stewart stole second, Suárez doubled to center to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.
Brooks Lee, Kreidler and Byron Buxton walked to load the bases in the fifth. Lee scored on a sacrifice fly by Austin Martin to make it 2-1, but Williamson got Luke Keaschall to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Williamson also struck out Keaschall with the bases loaded to end the third.
Cincinnati's Andrew Abbott (0-2, 5.85 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Taj Bradley (3-0, 1.25) in the second of a three-game series.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall bats during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Friday, April 17, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson throws to the Minnesota Twins during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 17, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 25 points and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 35-point first-half lead, taking full control on the way to a 121-90 rout of Charlotte Hornets in a play-in tournament elimination game on Friday night.
The Magic earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Their reward is a matchup with top-seeded Detroit, a best-of-seven that begins Sunday on the Pistons' home floor.
The Magic were physical from the outset, and the Hornets were never in the game. Franz Wagner had 18 points for the Magic, along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting, while Desmond Bane scored 13 and Jalen Suggs added 12 for the Magic.
Orlando led by 31 at halftime, the biggest midpoint lead in the play-in tournament’s seven-year history. It has been utilized in this format — four teams qualifying from each conference, playing to decide the final two playoff spots on each half of the bracket — since 2021.
LaMelo Ball — who the NBA said should have been ejected from Tuesday’s season-extending win over Miami for an uncalled flagrant foul against Bam Adebayo -- led the Hornets with 23 points, 21 of them coming in the third quarter.
But the game was long decided at that point. Orlando raced out to a 27-10 lead, stretched it to 68-33 late in the first half, and the Hornets never even got within 20 points the rest of the way.
Miles Bridges, who has played more games than any other active player without a playoff appearance, scored 15 for the Hornets. Brandon Miller scored 14 and Kon Knueppel added 11.
The Hornets, who have now missed the playoffs in 10 straight seasons, were outrebounded 49-34 and shot only 34%. Orlando shot 50%.
The Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons and have not won a playoff round since 2010. But they went 2-2 against the Pistons this season.
The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season games, have not been in the playoffs since 2016. It's the longest active drought in the NBA.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) drives around Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives around Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, left, celebrates a big play against the Charlotte Hornets with forward Franz Wagner (22) during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots over Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate, left, during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, right, goes to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game, Friday, April 17, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
