Royal Challengers Bengaluru will rely on their fearsome batting unit to fire again as they look to dismantle an inconsistent Lucknow Super Giants

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PITTSBURGH Paul Skenes spent last season pitching on a razors edge, aware that one mistake could tilt the balance of a game, no matter how masterful the Pittsburgh Pirates ace might be.Not anymore.The offense that struggled to score whenever Skenes took the hill in 2025 the main reason he had a 10-10 record alongside the 1.97 ERA that won him the National League Cy Young Award has been transformed, both in personnel and in production, in 2026.It reached the point during a 16-5 victory over Washington that Skenes was sort of hoping the Pirates would stop hitting during a 10-run sixth, if only so he could get back to work.No such luck. By the time the inning was over, 14 batters had come to the plate, the Nationals had switched pitchers twice, and the clock for Skenes (3-1) to return to the mound had run out after six innings of brilliance.It just took forever, which is what you want, Skenes said. I feel like that inning everybody (was) just pulling the rope and passing it off to the next guy. It was cool to watch.A year ago, the worst offense in the majors produced three runs or fewer 18 times in Skenes 32 starts. The 23-year-old challenged the organization to get serious about winning in 2026, and the normally stingy Pirates made a series of aggressive moves intended to upgrade their lineup and help arguably the best young pitching staff in the majors.The early returns are promising.Pittsburgh, which was last in runs, home runs and RBIs in 2025, is in the top 10 in all three categories. Second baseman Brandon Lowe acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay in December became the first player in franchise history to have back-to-back five-RBI games when he hit a two-run single in the second and added a three-run homer to cap off Pittsburghs first 10-run inning at PNC Park in nearly 17 years.Lowe, a two-time All-Star with the Rays, has six home runs. First baseman/outfielder Ryan OHearn, signed to a two-year deal in free agency, has 13 RBIs. Outfielder/designated hitter Bryan Reynolds, surrounded by the deepest lineup of his seven-year tenure in Pittsburgh, is thriving.Perhaps the biggest sign of hope is the performance of Oneil Cruz, the Pirates talented but inconsistent center fielder. The 6-foot-7 Cruz extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 2 for 3 with three RBIs, one of them coming on a 114 mph rope off the fence in right field.Its pretty fun to hit after a guy hits a ball (that hard), Lowe said. Gets the crowd a little loud. To watch his at-bats, to see the maturity that he has with the power and everything else he has going for him, hes going to be a lot of fun to hit behind this year.And the Pirates could be dangerous for the first time in a long time. Skenes already is seeing the difference. Pittsburgh has scored 38 runs across his first four starts in 2026 after needing 11 starts to hit that total in 2025.I told the guys after the game it makes it easy to pitch, Skenes said.It also lets him take chances and evolve. He became the fifth-fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 400 strikeouts when he fanned Luis Garcia Jr. just two batters into his 59th start.Save for a 100 mph heater that Washingtons CJ Abrams sent into the seats over the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right in the first, Skenes was nearly perfect as he mixed his fastball with reliable offspeed stuff.I mean we might go out next outing and only throw changeups, Skenes said, joking he might throw 100 in a row when he makes his next start against the Rays.Probably not. But having another pitch he can trust is hardly a bad thing. Neither is the freedom that comes with knowing he doesnt have to be flawless for the Pirates to have a shot.The victory over the Nationals came just over 24 hours after Pittsburgh allowed the host Chicago Cubs to rally and avoid a sweep. The Pirates responded with their best offensive performance of the season and offered a glimpse of the resilience it will take if they want to get to where they want to go.Ive seen it now for a couple years with the Brewers, the Cubs, the Reds last year made the playoffs, Skenes said. Thats what NL Central teams do really well, and so now were doing that. Its really fun to watch.

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Barcelona and Atletico Madrid meet for the fifth time in less than two months on Tuesday, with the Catalan club needing to overcome a two-goal disadvantage to return to the Champions League semifinals.Atletico is at home to defend its 2-0 win from the first leg and try to make it to the last four of the European competition for the first time in nearly a decade. Before last week's first leg, Barcelona beat Atletico 2-1 in Madrid in a Spanish league game on April 4. The teams had already met twice in the Copa del Rey semifinals, when Atletico won 4-0 at home and then advanced to the final despite a 3-0 loss in Barcelona in the second leg.Atletico last made it to the semifinals in 2017. Barcelona lost to Inter Milan in last year's last four.Coach Diego Simeone has not ruled out Jan Oblaks return even though the goalkeeper hasnt played since March 10 because of a muscle injury. He has been practicing with the squad for the last few days and is expected to be fit to play.Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has not ruled out midfielder Frenkie de Jong making his first start after a long absence because of a hamstring injury.Whichever team advances on Tuesday will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals. Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon last week. Their second leg in England is on Wednesday.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid meet for the fifth time in less than two months on Tuesday, with the Catalan club needing to overcome a two-goal disadvantage to return to the Champions League semifinals.Atletico is at home to defend its 2-0 win from the first leg and try to make it to the last four of the European competition for the first time in nearly a decade. Before last week's first leg, Barcelona beat Atletico 2-1 in Madrid in a Spanish league game on April 4. The teams had already met twice in the Copa del Rey semifinals, when Atletico won 4-0 at home and then advanced to the final despite a 3-0 loss in Barcelona in the second leg.Atletico last made it to the semifinals in 2017. Barcelona lost to Inter Milan in last year's last four.Coach Diego Simeone has not ruled out Jan Oblaks return even though the goalkeeper hasnt played since March 10 because of a muscle injury. He has been practicing with the squad for the last few days and is expected to be fit to play.Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has not ruled out midfielder Frenkie de Jong making his first start after a long absence because of a hamstring injury.Whichever team advances on Tuesday will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals. Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon last week. Their second leg in England is on Wednesday.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Sergio Garcia sparked fury at Augusta National during Sunday's final round of the Masters after an explosive tantrum on the second tee.The 2017 champion lost his composure when his drive found the fairway bunker, repeatedly hammering his driver into the pristine turf and tearing up grass in the process.His rage then turned to a nearby cooler box, which he struck with such force that the club head snapped clean off the shaft.The 46-year-old Spaniard, who now competes on the LIV Golf circuit, was issued a code of conduct warning by tournament officials.Garcia was forced to complete the remaining 16 holes without his driver, eventually finishing in 52nd place at eight over par while Rory McIlroy claimed back-to-back titles.ESPN presenter Mike Greenberg was among the most vocal critics, taking to X to demand that Augusta National reconsider Garcia's automatic invitation to future tournaments."A lifetime exemption is a privilege extended by Augusta to its champions out of respect," Greenberg wrote. "If that respect is not reciprocated, there is no law that says a past champ cannot be banned."The longtime "Get Up" host added: "I'm not sure they should have Sergio Garcia back after the garbage he pulled today."All Masters winners receive a standing invitation to compete at Augusta for the remainder of their playing careers, one of the tournament's most cherished traditions.However, Greenberg's comments suggest that privilege should not be unconditional when champions fail to uphold the standards expected at golf's most prestigious major.Social media users echoed Greenberg's sentiments, with many demanding the Spaniard face permanent exclusion from the tournament."Garcia should be banned from the course for LIFE," declared one supporter on X, where footage of the incident quickly went viral.Another wrote: "Respect the course and those who work to keep it pristine. Sergio has a history of disrespecting courses by tearing them up this way. He's awful. Augusta should ban him."One fan branded it "shocking behaviour from a previous Masters Champion" and called for his exclusion from next year's event.Others referenced his move to the Saudi-backed breakaway tour, with one posting: "Absolutely disgraceful behaviour. Get back to LIV where nobody watches or cares."A handful offered alternative perspectives, with one suggesting it was "a breath of fresh air to see some emotion from a sportsman instead of being a robot."Garcia offered little remorse when questioned about the incident afterwards."Obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens," he said after completing his round.When pressed for further explanation about his behaviour and the official warning, he became terse, stating "I'm not going to tell you" before snapping: "Next question please."Sergio Garcia had to be spoken to by Masters officials after lashing out during his final round at Augusta! pic.twitter.com/UnfswNNs5F Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 12, 2026 The outburst was far from an isolated incident for the Spanish golfer. He was disqualified from the 2019 Saudi International for "serious misconduct" after deliberately damaging greens following a bunker meltdown the previous day.At the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship, he clashed with officials over a lost ball ruling.Just last July at The Open Championship, he destroyed another driver during a final round fit of temper.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

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