“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MIAMI 8 DETROIT 6
COLORADO 2 OAKLAND 0
SAN FRANCISCO 4 BOSTON 3 (11)
SAN DIEGO 5 TEXAS 3
SEATTLE 4 ARIZONA 0
LA ANGELS 3 TORONTO 2 (10)
CLEVELAND 5 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 0
KANSAS CITY 2 MINNESOTA 1
TAMPA BAY 8 HOUSTON 2
BALTIMORE 9 NY YANKEES 3
ATLANTA 8 MILWAUKEE 6
PITTSBURGH 6 PHILADELPHIA 4 (10)
NY METS 5 WASHINGTON 2
ST. LOUIS 3 CHICAGO CUBS 0
CINCINNATI 9 LA DODGERS 0
BOX SCORES: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/scoreboard.asp
STATS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/index.asp
PLAYER NEWS: http://hosted.stats.com/mlb/news.asp
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 11 LOUISVILLE 3
WEST MICHIGAN 6 FORT WAYNE 5
PEORIA 5 SOUTH BEND 4
WNBA
MINNESOTA 87 CONNECTICUT 83
ATLANTA 80 WASHINGTON 73
SEATTLE 85 INDIANA 62
CHICAGO 104 PHOENIX 85
NEW YORK 87 LOS ANGELES 79
LAS VEGAS 104 DALLAS 91
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
VANCOUVER 2 LOS ANGELES 1
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
| BOYLE COUNTY (KY.) | AT | GIBSON SOUTHERN | 6:00 PM | ||
| CENTER GROVE | VS. | ST. EDWARD (OHIO) | 12:05 AM | ||
| SOUTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL | AT | PHALEN ACADEMY | 5:00 PM |
BIG 10 WEEKLY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEEK 2
MARYLAND VS. CHARLOTTE
PENN STATE VS. DELAWARE
MINNESOTA VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS AT KANSAS
INDIANA VS. INDIANA STATE
IOWA AT IOWA STATE
NEBRASKA AT COLORADO
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. RICHMOND
RUTGERS VS. TEMPLE
MICHIGAN VS. UNLV
NORTHWESTERN VS. UTEP
WISCONSIN AT WASHINGTON STATE
OHIO STATE VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
WEEK 3
MICHIGAN VS. BOWLING GREEN
WISCONSIN VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
INDIANA VS. LOUISVILLE (IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN)
MINNESOTA AT NORTH CAROLINA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN AT DUKE
ILLINOIS VS. PENN STATE
PURDUE VS. SYRACUSE
MARYLAND VS. VIRGINIA
RUTGERS VS. VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. WASHINGTON
IOWA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY
WEEK 4
INDIANA VS. AKRON
ILLINOIS VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
PENN STATE VS. IOWA
NEBRASKA VS. LOUISIANA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MARYLAND
NORTHWESTERN VS. MINNESOTA
OHIO STATE AT NOTRE DAME
MICHIGAN VS. RUTGERS
PURDUE VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 5
PURDUE VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. INDIANA
MINNESOTA VS. LOUISIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
NORTHWESTERN VS. PENN STATE
RUTGERS VS. WAGNER
WEEK 6
NORTHWESTERN VS. HOWARD
OHIO STATE VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS VS. NEBRASKA
IOWA VS. PURDUE
WISCONSIN VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 7
MARYLAND VS. ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN VS. INDIANA
WISCONSIN VS. IOWA
RUTGERS VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. OHIO STATE
PENN STATE VS. UMASS
WEEK 8
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MINNESOTA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHWESTERN
OHIO STATE VS. PENN STATE
INDIANA VS. RUTGERS
ILLINOIS VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 9
PENN STATE VS. INDIANA
NORTHWESTERN VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
WISCONSIN VS. OHIO STATE
NEBRASKA VS. PURDUE
WEEK 10
MINNESOTA VS. ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN VS. IOWA (IN CHICAGO, IL)
MICHIGAN STATE VS. NEBRASKA
RUTGERS VS. OHIO STATE
MARYLAND VS. PENN STATE
MICHIGAN VS. PURDUE
INDIANA VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 11
ILLINOIS VS. INDIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MARYLAND
PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NORTHWESTERN
IOWA VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 12
IOWA VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. MICHIGAN
INDIANA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
OHIO STATE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NEBRASKA
NORTHWESTERN VS. PURDUE
PENN STATE VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 13
NEBRASKA VS. IOWA
FRIDAY, NOV. 24
PURDUE VS. INDIANA
RUTGERS VS. MARYLAND
ILLINOIS VS. NORTHWESTERN
MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN STATE VS. PENN STATE
MINNESOTA VS. WISCONSIN
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 0
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
NOTRE DAME VS. NAVY (DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 2:30 P.M. | NBC
MERCER VS. NORTH ALABAMA (MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. UTEP | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. UMASS | 7 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. OHIO | 7 P.M. | FS1
VANDERBILT VS. HAWAI’I | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
JACKSON STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
USC VS. SAN JOSE STATE | 8 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
LOUISIANA TECH VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 9 P.M. | CBSSN
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WAKE FOREST VS. ELON | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
UCF VS. KENT STATE | 7 P.M. | FS1
GEORGIA STATE VS. RHODE ISLAND | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA) | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UCONN VS. NC STATE | 7:30 P.M. | CBSSN
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA | 8 P.M. | FOX
MISSOURI VS. SOUTH DAKOTA | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH VS. FLORIDA | 8 P.M. | ESPN
TULSA VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
UAB VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1
EASTERN MICHIGAN VS. HOWARD | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) VS. MIAMI (OHIO) | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
GEORGIA TECH VS. LOUISVILLE (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I VS. STANFORD | 11 P.M. | CBSSN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE | 12 P.M. | FS1
KENTUCKY VS. BALL STATE | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
LIBERTY VS. BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SMU VS. LOUISIANA TECH | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
TENNESSEE VS. VIRGINIA (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. COLORADO | 12 P.M. | FOX
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
OKLAHOMA VS. ARKANSAS STATE | 12 P.M. | ESPN
OLE MISS VS. MERCER | 2 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
IOWA STATE VS. UNI | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEMPLE VS. AKRON | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
OHIO VS. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
AIR FORCE VS. ROBERT MORRIS | 2 P.M. | ALTITUDE SPORTS
OREGON VS. PORTLAND STATE | 3 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
AUBURN VS. UMASS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
WASHINGTON VS. BOISE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. TENNESSEE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | NBC
PITT VS. WOFFORD | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
CINCINNATI VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS VS. RICE | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
APPALACHIAN STATE VS. GARDNER-WEBB | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS VS. WESTERN CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. SE LOUISIANA | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS VS. CAL | 4 P.M. | ESPNU
SYRACUSE VS. COLGATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/ACCNX
GEORGIA VS. UT MARTIN | 6 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
CHARLOTTE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. MONMOUTH | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. THE CITADEL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
JAMES MADISON VS. BUCKNELL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MARSHALL VS. ALBANY | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL VS. MAINE | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
USC VS. NEVADA | 6:30 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
TEXAS A&M VS. NEW MEXICO | 7 P.M. | ESPN
UL MONROE VS. ARMY | 7 P.M. | NFL NETWORK
VANDERBILT VS. ALABAMA A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
COLORADO STATE VS. WASHINGTON STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON VS. UTSA | 7 P.M. | FS1
KANSAS STATE VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MEMPHIS VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS VS. ALCORN STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TROY VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO | 7:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NORTH CAROLINA (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
WYOMING VS. TEXAS TECH | 7:30 P.M. | CBS
LOUISIANA VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA TECH VS. OLD DOMINION | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
TULANE VS. SOUTH ALABAMA | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP VS. UIW | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
BYU VS. SAM HOUSTON | 10:15 P.M. | FS1
UCLA VS. COASTAL CAROLINA | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. IDAHO STATE | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN | 12 P.M. | CBS
SAN JOSE STATE VS. OREGON STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU (ORLANDO, FLORIDA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
DUKE VS. CLEMSON | 8 P.M. | ESPN
NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 3
N.Y. JETS VS. CLEVELAND (NBC), 8:00
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
HOUSTON AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:00
MINNESOTA AT SEATTLE, 10:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
N.Y. GIANTS AT DETROIT, 7:00
GREEN BAY AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
PITTSBURGH AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
WASHINGTON AT CLEVELAND, 7:30
DENVER AT ARIZONA, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
INDIANAPOLIS AT BUFFALO, 1:00
TENNESSEE AT CHICAGO, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT CAROLINA, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS, 5:00
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
L.A. CHARGERS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
KANSAS CITY AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:00
WEEK 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA, 7:30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
CAROLINA AT N.Y. GIANTS, 7:00
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA, 7:30
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
JACKSONVILLE AT DETROIT, 1:00
MIAMI AT HOUSTON, 4:00
BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH, 6:30
CHICAGO AT INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
KANSAS CITY AT ARIZONA, 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
TENNESSEE AT MINNESOTA, 8:00
DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30
LAS VEGAS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
DALLAS AT SEATTLE, 10:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 7:05
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
BALTIMORE AT WASHINGTON (ESPN), 8:00
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
PITTSBURGH AT ATLANTA, 7:30
INDIANAPOLIS AT PHILADELPHIA (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
DETROIT AT CAROLINA (CBS), 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT TENNESSEE, 8:15
L.A. CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
BUFFALO AT CHICAGO, 1:00
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT KANSAS CITY, 1:00
ARIZONA AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT N.Y. GIANTS, 6:00
CINCINNATI AT WASHINGTON, 6:05
MIAMI AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:00
BALTIMORE AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
LAS VEGAS AT DALLAS, 8:00
L.A. RAMS AT DENVER, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
HOUSTON AT NEW ORLEANS (FOX), 8:00
WEEK 1 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
DETROIT LIONS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (THU) 7:20P (CT) 8:20P NBC
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P FOX
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P CBS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P FOX
DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS (MON) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P ESPN/ABC
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
MLB ROUNDUP: METS BEAT NATS FOR JUSTIN VERLANDER’S 250TH WIN
Justin Verlander earned his 250th career win on Sunday afternoon, when he tossed 5 1/3 solid innings to lead the New York Mets to a 5-2 victory and an eventful series win over the visiting Washington Nationals.
Verlander (6-5), whose name has been bandied about in trade rumors, allowed one run — when CJ Abrams swiped home as part of a double steal in the first — on five hits and one walk while striking out five. He is the 49th pitcher to record 250 wins.
Pete Alonso had two RBIs via a game-tying single in the first and a sacrifice fly during a three-run third against Trevor Williams (5-6). Francisco Lindor homered in the fourth and finished with three hits.
Ildemaro Vargas had an RBI single in the seventh for the Nationals, who are 8-8 since the All-Star break. Williams allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out two over four innings.
Giants 4, Red Sox 3 (11 innings)
Joc Pederson lined a bases-loaded single to right field with no outs in the last of the 11th inning, giving San Francisco its second straight walk-off win over visiting Boston in the interleague series finale.
After Tristan Beck (2-0) had held the Red Sox without a hit in both extra innings, the Giants plated automatic runner Patrick Bailey as Casey Schmitt was hit by a pitch and Brandon Crawford bunted for a single, setting up Pederson’s game-winner off former teammate Mauricio Llovera (1-1).
Both teams scored in the eighth to produce a 3-3 tie moving forward. Justin Turner and Adam Duvall homered for the Red Sox, who have lost back-to-back games after a five-game winning streak.
Angels 3, Blue Jays 2 (10 innings)
Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning and drove in three runs as visiting Los Angeles defeated Toronto.
Renfroe had three hits as the Angels salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Left-hander Tyler Anderson gave up one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, and Carlos Estevez (5-1) earned the win.
Yimi Garcia (3-4) allowed Renfroe’s 17th homer of the season with one out in the 10th. Whit Merrifield and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each had an RBI single for the Blue Jays.
Braves 8, Brewers 6
Matt Olson homered twice and drove in five runs to help Atlanta complete a three-game sweep of visiting Milwaukee.
Olson broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Joel Payamps (4-2). Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna also homered, and Ronald Acuna Jr. had two hits and two runs for Atlanta. Kirby Yates (5-0) picked up the win with a scoreless eighth.
Christian Yelich and Carlos Santana homered and William Contreras had two hits and two RBIs for Milwaukee, which has dropped four of its last five.
Pirates 6, Phillies 4 (10 innings)
Josh Palacios hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning to give Pittsburgh a victory over visiting Philadelphia in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Bryan Reynolds also hit a home run for the Pirates. Left-hander Angel Perdomo (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th inning to earn the win. Andrew Vasquez (2-1) took the loss.
Alec Bohm hit a two-run home run and an RBI single, and Bryce Harper added an RBI single for the Phillies. Philadelphia starter Cristopher Sanchez pitched five no-hit innings, allowing five baserunners — three hit batters and two walks.
Marlins 8, Tigers 6
Garrett Cooper hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning and Jean Segura added a solo shot in the eighth to lift host Miami past Detroit.
In his first game since April 28 due to a back injury, Marlins right fielder Avisail Garcia went 2-for-4 with a triple, one RBI and one run. Two relievers obtained in trades within the past week helped the Marlins earn the win, as Jorge Lopez (5-2) got the victory and David Robertson picked up his 15th save.
Miguel Cabrera and Kerry Carpenter finished with two RBIs apiece for the Tigers.
Royals 2, Twins 1
Behind Ryan Yarbrough’s seven solid innings, Kansas City beat visiting Minnesota, completing its first series sweep of the season.
Yarbrough (4-5) needed just 78 pitches to complete seven innings, allowing a run on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks. It was Yarbrough’s longest outing in over two years.
Freddy Fermin got the Royals out in front with two outs in the second, hitting Kenta Maeda’s splitter over the wall in left center. Matt Wallner answered with one out in the third, smashing Yarbrough’s curveball above the right field bullpen. Kansas City retook the lead on Maikel Garcia’s RBI double in the third.
Rays 8, Astros 2
Josh Lowe delivered a bases-clearing double in the first inning, Brandon Lowe hit a two-run home run in the sixth and Zack Littell logged a career-high five innings as Tampa Bay claimed the rubber match of its three-game series against host Houston.
Littell (1-2) limited the Astros to two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Brandon Lowe finished with three hits, three RBIs and two runs.
Kyle Tucker had an RBI double and Alex Bregman added an RBI for the Astros. Houston starter Brandon Bielak (5-6) surrendered six runs (three earned) on eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts over five innings.
Guardians 5, White Sox 0
Jose Ramirez smacked a pair of home runs and Aaron Civale logged six strong innings as visiting Cleveland beat Chicago in the finale of a four-game set.
Ramirez hit a solo shot in the fifth and added a two-run blast in the seventh for Cleveland, which had lost back-to-back games after winning Thursday’s series opener. Civale (5-2) surrendered just three hits while keeping the White Sox off the board.
Luis Robert Jr. doubled and Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Andrew Vaughn each had a single to account for Chicago’s four hits. White Sox starter Michael Kopech (4-10) lasted five innings, giving up three runs on four hits.
Cardinals 3, Cubs 0
Steven Matz, Giovanny Gallegos and JoJo Romero combined to throw a five-hit shutout as St. Louis blanked visiting Chicago.
Matz (2-7) allowed four hits and did not walk a batter over six innings. Tyler O’Neill, Andrew Knizner and Paul Goldschmidt drove in the Cardinals’ runs.
Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (4-5) allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk over seven innings, with two strikeouts.
Rockies 2, Athletics 0
Ryan McMahon had two hits and two RBIs, Ty Blach opened the game with five strong innings and Colorado beat Oakland in Denver.
Nolan Jones also had two hits and Justin Lawrence got the final three outs for his eighth save for Colorado, which snapped a four-game losing streak and salvaged the final game of the weekend series. Ramon Laureano had two hits for the A’s.
Blach (1-0) served as the opener for the Rockies and was able to hold Oakland scoreless for his five innings, which was a change from the first two games of the series when the A’s had at least five runs after three innings both nights.
Dodgers 9, Reds 0
Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Joey Votto all hit home runs in the first three innings and visiting Cincinnati finished off a convincing victory over Los Angeles.
De La Cruz finished with four hits, the third time in 46 games since his June 6 debut that he has delivered at least four hits in a contest. Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (6-7) gave up five hits over six scoreless innings as the Reds went 4-2 against Los Angeles this season, winning the season series over the Dodgers for the first time since 2018.
Freddie Freeman had two hits for the Dodgers, who lost a pair of All-Stars in the first four innings as both designated hitter J.D. Martinez (hamstring) and catcher Will Smith (elbow) departed. Michael Grove (2-3) gave up eight runs on 10 hits over six innings but also had a career-best 10 strikeouts.
Mariners 4, Diamondbacks 0
Luis Castillo allowed two hits over six scoreless innings and J.P. Crawford hit a home run to lead Seattle to a victory over Arizona in Phoenix.
Castillo (7-7) struck out seven, walked one and did not allow a runner past second base. Crawford added a double, two walks and three runs for the Mariners.
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly (9-5) threw 41 pitches in a two-run first inning and finished with 90 in five innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks as the Diamondbacks lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
Padres 5, Rangers 3
Gary Sanchez hit two solo home runs and Blake Snell didn’t allow an earned run in five innings as San Diego held on to defeat visiting Texas and complete a three-game sweep.
The win was the Padres’ 11th straight over the Rangers since 2018 — setting a San Diego franchise record for consecutive wins against one team. Sanchez hit his 11th and 12th homers against Texas relievers Jose Leclerc (0-2) and Brock Burke, helping the Padres build a 4-1 lead after five innings.
The Rangers pulled to within a run in the top of the sixth on Marcus Semien’s two-run single off Padres reliever Nick Martinez. Texas loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth against closer Josh Hader, but Hader retired Josh Jung on a fly ball to right to record his 25th save.
RANGERS ACQUIRE STARTING PITCHER JORDAN MONTGOMERY AND RELIEVER CHRIS STRATTON FROM THE CARDINALS
SAN DIEGO (AP) The AL West-leading Texas Rangers continued to load up on pitching Sunday by acquiring left-hander Jordan Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The deal came a few hours after Texas announced the addition of three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer from the New York Mets. Also on Sunday, the Rangers placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain, retroactive to July 27.
Texas sent left-hander John King, minor league infielder Tommy Saggese and Double-A right-hander T.K. Roby to the Cardinals. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rangers designated right-hander Joe Barlow for assignment.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about the guys in Texas,” Montgomery said, before referring to popular Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux. “Having Mad Dog there will be great.
“I was kind of prepared for it. Just excited to join the new team. It’s been fun being here. Stratton is one of my best friends here – it’s great having that.”
Montgomery is 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts for last-place St. Louis, with 108 strikeouts against 35 walks. He can become a free agent after this season.
Stratton is 1-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 42 relief appearances, with 59 strikeouts and 17 walks.
“I look forward to seeing these guys. They’re going to help us and make us a better ballclub,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said after the San Diego Padres clinched a three-game sweep with a 5-3 win over Texas.
The Cardinals are last in the NL Central, 13 games under .500.
“This is a day that we were hoping would never happen in a sense of having to break up our club, having to focus on the future,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “But over the course of the last two weeks, we were really taking a hard look at what the trading deadline can do for us.”
St. Louis also sent hard-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league right-handers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse.
“I feel pretty good about what we acquired,” Mozeliak added. “This group has some upside. These guys are going to come out and compete right away. They’re people that are going to be pitching at our upper levels. This year has not gone as we planned. We want to focus on 2024 and beyond.”
To get Scherzer, the Rangers sent highly rated infield prospect Luisangel Acuña to the Mets. He is the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr.
Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal, and the Mets will send cash to Texas. The pitcher also agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43.3 million, according to reports that said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
BLUE JAYS BOLSTER BULLPEN BY ACQUIRING RHP JORDAN HICKS FROM ST. LOUIS
TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Blue Jays strengthened their depleted bullpen Sunday by acquiring right-hander Jordan Hicks in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Toronto sent minor league right-handers Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to St. Louis for the 26-year-old Hicks. The Blue Jays (59-47) are tied with Houston in the wild-card race, four games behind Tampa Bay. Toronto trails Baltimore by five games in the AL East.
A five-year veteran who had spent his entire career with the Cardinals, Hicks is 1-6 with a 3.67 ERA and eight saves in 11 chances. The hard-throwing Hicks has struck out 59 batters in 41 2/3 innings while walking 24.
Toronto put closer Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a sore back. Romano left the July 11 All-Star Game in Seattle because of back pain and did not pitch for the Blue Jays again until July 20. He left with two outs in the ninth inning of Friday’s 4-1 win over the Angels and was replaced by Yimi García.
Toronto lost Sunday’s series finale when García, who was pitching for the third straight day, gave up Hunter Renfroe’s two-run homer in the 10th. It was the first time this season García had pitched on three consecutive days.
The Blue Jays could get more relief help when right-hander Chad Green returns from Tommy John surgery. Green, who had elbow surgery last May, signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with Toronto in January. The former Yankee made his third rehab appearance with Class-A Dunedin on Saturday and is expected to move up to Triple-A Buffalo next.
Kloffenstein was 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A New Hampshire. Robberse, who is from the Netherlands, was 3-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 18 starts for the Fisher Cats.
Right-hander Mitch White was designated for assignment to make room for Hicks on Toronto’s 40-man roster.
ANGELS ACQUIRE 1B C.J. CRON, OF RANDAL GRICHUK FROM ROCKIES
The Colorado Rockies dealt first baseman C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday night in exchange for two prospects.
The Angels shipped right-handed pitcher Jake Madden and left-hander Mason Albright to the Rockies in the trade, two days before the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Los Angeles will also receive cash considerations from the Rockies.
Cron, 33, was in his third season with Colorado and batting .260 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs over 56 games. He earned his first All-Star nod in 2022, finishing the season with 29 homers and a career-best 102 RBIs.
Cron returns to the Angels after starting his MLB career there in 2014. He is a career .260 hitter with 186 homers, 193 doubles and 599 RBIs across 10 seasons with the Angels (2014-17), Tampa Bay Rays (2018), Minnesota Twins (2019), Detroit Tigers (2020) and Rockies.
Grichuk, 31, is batting a career-high .308 with eight homers and 27 RBIs over 64 appearances. He has batted .251 over his 10-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals (2014-17), Toronto Blue Jays (2018-21) and Colorado.
The Angels added the two position players to help cope with a run of poor injury luck. Outfielder Taylor Ward (facial fractures) went on the 60-day injured list Sunday after getting hit by a pitch Saturday. Star outfielder Mike Trout (hand/wrist), third baseman Anthony Rendon (shin) and second baseman Brandon Drury (shoulder) are on the IL.
Madden, 21, is in his first season at Single-A Inland Empire and is 2-6 with a 5.46 ERA with 66 strikeouts through 14 starts.
Albright, 20, has never played higher than the High-A level and is 9-4 with a 3.62 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 15 games (14 starts) at Single-A this season.
NFL NEWS
JETS’ AARON RODGERS DEFENDS NATHANIEL HACKETT AND FIRES BACK AT THE BRONCOS’ SEAN PAYTON
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos’ head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett’s 15-game stint with the Broncos last season ”was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.″
Payton also said there were “20 dirty hands” around Russell Wilson’s career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets – Hackett’s new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
“It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn’t go well for that team this year,” Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. “I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches’ names out of his mouth.”
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is “arguably my favorite coach I’ve ever had in the NFL.” The pair was together for two of Rodgers’ four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team “trying to win the offseason” – something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were “embarrassed.”
Jets coach Robert Saleh said Thursday “Hackett’s doing a phenomenal job here” when asked about Payton’s comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes “there’s a lot of people that are hatin’ on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail.”
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh “at the right time” to do so.
“Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat,” said Payton, who’s returning to the sideline this season after a year’s sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton’s initial comments “were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach.”
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets’ matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments “certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now.”
VIKINGS END STALEMATE WITH DANIELLE HUNTER BY GIVING EDGE RUSHER A BIG PAY RAISE
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Vikings have given outside linebacker Danielle Hunter a hefty pay raise, paving the way for the team’s best pass rusher to participate in practice after a months-long contract stalemate.
The Vikings announced Sunday on their website that they reached a new deal with Hunter, the three-time Pro Bowl pick with 71 sacks who will turn 29 in three months.
Hunter reported to training camp last week on schedule after skipping the offseason program and mandatory minicamp, but he has yet to join his teammates on the field. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said Saturday that Hunter has been “in the building” and that they’ve been in “daily dialogue” about his physical and mental preparation.
“Danielle Hunter is a very special player, and as soon as we can get him out here, you guys will see him out here,” O’Connell said.
Hunter’s previous contract called for a $4.9 million base salary. According to NFL Network, he’ll make $17 million guaranteed this year with an opportunity to earn an additional $3 million in incentives. Hunter will still hit the free agent market after the season, unless he and the team strike a deal on an extension in the meantime.
Hunter’s presence will be vital for a Vikings defense that has been one of the NFL’s worst over the past three years. They allowed the second-most yards and the fourth-most points in the league in 2022, despite decent production by their primary edge rushers. Hunter had 10 1/2 sacks, Za’Darius Smith had 10 sacks and backups D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones had four sacks apiece.
Smith was since traded to Cleveland in a cost-cutting move, leaving Hunter as the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Marcus Davenport was signed as a free agent to push for a starting spot, but this remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the team this season.
“I think Danielle’s a phenomenal player,” said defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was hired to replace the fired Ed Donatell. “I look forward to working with him.”
Under Donatell, Hunter often found himself as a standup rusher in a three-point stance. The Vikings with Flores are aiming to get back to turning Hunter loose with his hand in the ground more often.
“Veteran players, they’ve seen a lot of defense, coverages, fronts, stunts. I think terminology will probably be the one thing that’s a little bit different, maybe, but some of it, there’s some crossover from some things he’s heard in the past so I don’t think it’ll take long for him to get up to speed,” Flores said. “At the end of the day, we’re telling him to go get the quarterback. There’s really not much to that. So I think he’ll be just fine.”
DALVIN COOK VISITS WITH THE JETS AND WATCHES PRACTICE AS HE CONSIDERS HIS OPTIONS
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Dalvin Cook got an up-close view of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets while watching practice from the sideline Sunday.
The free agent running back has to see if he’ll spend the rest of training camp in their backfield – or elsewhere.
Cook spent Sunday meeting with the Jets as he ponders the next stop of his playing career. The four-time Pro Bowl selection was released by the Vikings on June 8 for salary cap savings, according to a person familiar with Minnesota’s decision.
The Jets are the first team Cook has officially visited as a free agent, with his hometown Miami Dolphins also among possible suitors. New York also must consider whether to make him an offer before he leaves the team’s practice facility.
Cook, who turns 28 on Aug. 10, was greeted by chants of “Dal-vin Cooook! Sign that contract!” from fans in the stands as he walked onto the field. He later responded to the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a green heart emoji.
Several Jets players, including Rodgers, greeted Cook and he spent a few moments chatting with owner Woody Johnson.
“He’s a good young man, a very good young man,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “We didn’t interact too much. There’s a lot of stuff going on, especially when it’s open to the public. But it was good to say hello.”
Cook has talked up the Jets in TV interviews in recent days, telling NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” on Friday they “are right at the top of the list” and the odds of him signing with them were “pretty high.”
“It’s a unique situation because I think they’re building something special over there,” Cook told “Good Morning Football” during the interview. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
He reiterated those comments Saturday during an interview with ESPN, saying he thinks “the coaching staff, I think everything about what they got going on, just says winning.”
But Cook, a former Florida State star, also said in the interview he was interested in the Dolphins and it would be “a Cinderella story” to play for his hometown team.
He was the guest of the Jets on Sunday, though. And now they have to wait to see if they offer Cook a deal and he accepts – or explores his options.
Both sides have expressed interest, and the Jets wanted Cook to take a physical to be sure his surgically repaired shoulder is healthy.
“That’s pretty much it,” Saleh said. “Call it a meet and greet.”
Cook, who has run for at least 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, was scheduled to count more than $14.1 million against the Vikings’ salary cap before he was released. He’s third on Minnesota’s career rushing list with 5,993 yards in six seasons.
With the Jets, Cook could give New York some insurance in the backfield with Breece Hall working his way back from a knee injury that cut short a promising rookie season. New York also has Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Damarea Crockett, fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda and undrafted free agent Travis Dye at the position.
NOTES: Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson has a lower right ankle injury and the Jets are being cautious by holding him out of practice. Wilson appeared to have a slight limp and his right ankle was wrapped. … WR Corey Davis remains out with an illness, but Saleh said he could return to practice Monday. … WR Randall Cobb was activated from the physically unable to perform list and participated in practice. … Saleh said the starters aren’t expected to play Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game against Cleveland in Canton, Ohio. Among those players who will play include QB Zach Wilson and OT Mekhi Becton.
NFL PREVIEW: TAMPA BAY
Tom Brady isn’t walking through that door. And right now, that door may as well be a revolving one of the Buccaneers.
After three years of Brady and, in that span, two division titles and a Super Bowl victory, Tampa Bay is left to rebuild with some aging parts and no quarterback of the future. With Brady retired, the job is left to a competition between Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. With Mayfield likely to win the job, it’s his last chance to prove he can start and be productive after being the No. 1 pick of the Browns in 2018.
For general manager Jason Licht, the summer could hold some significant decisions. Should he trade Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans, who is 30 years old and entering the final year of his deal? What about linebacker Devin White, who is playing out his fifth-year option and has already asked to be dealt?
With the Buccaneers nowhere near contention, Licht should consider all options with a roster low on young talent and high in cost. For Tampa Bay, it’s time to tear down their house and start the slow build back.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Not making a bigger splash at quarterback
One could argue this was the right decision by Licht and the front office. The Buccaneers need to think long term, and going after a bridge quarterback who starts for the next few years might not be the correct play.
Still, adding Derek Carr would have made Tampa Bay very intriguing in the NFC. Consider if Carr was under center, playing with Chris Godwin and Evans on the outside, along with tight end Cade Otton working the middle. Paired with a respectable defense, that could be the group that wins the NFC South and maybe fights in a playoff game.
Instead, the job falls to Mayfield, who is now on his fourth team in three years. Last year, Mayfield threw for 2,163 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions, between the Panthers and Rams. Even the most ardent supporters of the Heisman Trophy winner would be hard-pressed to argue he helps Tampa Bay in 2023.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 8 to 12
The NFC gets only eight home games compared to nine away dates, and that catches up to the Buccaneers in Weeks 8 to 12.
Tampa Bay will be on the road four times in that span, including contests with the 49ers and Bills. They also have to make a pair of trips to Houston and Indianapolis, facing two highly touted rookie quarterbacks in C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Even the home game will be tough, taking on the Mike Vrabel–led Titans that promise to play a physical brand of ball.
Tampa Bay’s schedule isn’t too difficult with 10 games against the AFC and NFC South divisions, and that midseason stretch could determine its fate.
Breakout player to watch: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
In his third year, Tryon-Shoyinka needs to become what the Buccaneers envisioned when they selected him at No. 32 in 2021.
The edge rusher has shown flashes of being a quality starter but little more, notching only four sacks in each of his first two campaigns. Tampa Bay moved on from veteran pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul before last season and now has Shaq Barrett coming off a torn Achilles tendon. If the Buccaneers are going to win games, it’s on their defense, and Tryon-Shoyinka must become an integral part of the unit.
If he struggles again in 2023, there’s a very good chance he doesn’t see his fifth-year option picked up. However, a strong season could mean big things for both Tryon-Shoyinka and the Bucs.
Position of strength: Secondary
If there’s one area the Buccaneers are stronger than most other teams, it’s the defensive backfield.
Licht has spent significant money and draft capital in this arena, including on corners Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean. At safety, Tampa Bay has seen the free-agency departures of Mike Edwards and Jordan Whitehead in recent years, but Antoine Winfield Jr. remains one of the league’s best on the back end.
In a division fielding young, inexperienced quarterbacks in Carolina and Atlanta, the Buccaneers might be able to force turnovers and get short fields from them.
Position of weakness: Quarterback
There’s no way to go any other direction. The Buccaneers have excellent receivers in Evans and Godwin, an intriguing tight end in Otton and a solid backfield. The problem is none of it matters if Mayfield can’t play.
At 28 years old, Mayfield hasn’t shown consistency or leadership that provides confidence he can lead the Bucs. If he can’t, the job falls to Trask, who now enters a new system under first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
A 2021 second-round pick from Florida, Trask was a two-year starter for the Gators and threw for 69 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. If Trask gets the nod, can he succeed early after throwing nine passes since being selected?
X-factor: The NFC South
In any other division, the Buccaneers would almost be assured of a second-place ceiling. Yet in the NFC South, there’s no reason to believe Tampa Bay couldn’t surprise if Mayfield plays well, as big of an if as that may be.
The Saints, Panthers and Falcons all have reason for optimism, but they also have plenty of potential pitfalls. The Buccaneers enter the season with the lowest win total of the quartet, but they also have the most experience and are the only team with a coach and quarterback who have each been to the playoffs. That counts for something.
Sleeper/fantasy pick: RB Rachaad White
White is in prime position to outperform his draft stock, as the Buccaneers cut ties with Leonard Fournette in the offseason, and didn’t replace him in the draft or free agency. White could emerge to be a nice No. 2 fantasy back in 2023. –Michael Fabiano, SI Fantasy
Best bet: Look toward the over on Chris Godwin’s reception market when it is released. Godwin will be stronger in his second season back from the ACL injury, and this team will be playing from behind often. Mayfield will target his talented slot receiver, who caught more than 100 passes last season. –Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting
Final record: 5–12, 4th in NFC South
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
PAC 12 PRE-SEASON TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Bucky Irving, Oregon
RB Jaydn Ott, Cal
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona
WR Jalen McMillan, Washington
TE Jalin Conyers, Arizona State
T Jonah Monheim, USC
T Troy Fautanu, Washington
G Jarrett Kingston, USC
G Justin Dedich, USC
C Jake Levengood, Oregon State
DI Tuli Letuligasenoa, Washington
DI Tyrone Taleni, USC
Edge Bralen Trice, Washington
Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA
LB Jackson Sirmon, Cal
LB Lander Barton, Utah
CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
CB Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State
S Calen Bullock, USC
S Evan Williams, Oregon
Flex Cole Bishop, Utah
K Joshua Karty, Stanford
P Nick Haberer, Washington State
RS Anthony Gould, Oregon State
SECOND TEAM
QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
RB Damien Martinez, Oregon State
RB Michael Wiley, Arizona
WR Dorian Singer, USC
WR Jeremiah Hunter, Cal
WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
TE Brant Kuithe, Utah
T Jordan Morgan, Arizona
T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
G Keaton Bills, Utah
G Spencer Holstege, UCLA
C Duke Clemens, UCLA
DI James Rawls, Oregon State
DI Popo Aumavae, Oregon
Edge Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
Edge Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
LB Darius Muasau, UCLA
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
CB Trikweze Bridges, Oregon
CB Christian Roland-Wallace, USC
S Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
S Patrick McMorris, Cal
Flex Ryan Cooper Jr., Oregon State
K Camden Lewis, Oregon
P Eddie Czaplicki, USC
RS Silas Bolden, Oregon State
THIRD TEAM
QB Bo Nix, Oregon
RB Carson Steele, UCLA
RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, Utah
WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
WR Elijah Badger, Arizona State
WR Mario Williams, USC
TE Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
T Joshua Gray, Oregon State
T Roger Rosengarten, Washington
G Junior Angilau, Oregon
G Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
DI Bear Alexander, USC
DI Junior Tafuna, Utah
Edge Grayson Murphy, UCLA
Edge Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
LB Karene Reid, Utah
LB Mason Cobb, USC
CB Zemaiah Vaughn, Utah
CB Nohl Williams, Cal
S Trevor Woods, Colorado
S Asa Turner, Washington
Flex Craig Woodson, Cal
K Cole Becker, Utah
P Kyle Ostendorp, Arizona
RS Devaughn Vele, Utah
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: THE TOP 10 DEFENSIVE LINES IN THE COUNTRY
1. GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Even after losing Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, both of whom were 2023 first-round picks to the Philadelphia Eagles, Georgia still has the best defensive front in college football.
Mykel Williams enters his sophomore campaign as a top-five edge defender in the country. The former top-10 recruit tied for the most sacks (six) among true freshmen last season while his 33 pressures were tied for the second-most. Expect him to become more of a household name in 2023. Nazir Stackhouse made PFF’s preseason first-team All-SEC and was seventh among Power Five interior defensive linemen with an 86.1 run-defense grade last season. Warren Brinson is expected to start alongside him and was fifth among Power Five defensive tackles in 2022 with a 14.9% pass-rush win rate. The other edge spot will likely be manned by either Tramel Walthour or Chaz Chambliss, who each played over 200 snaps last year.
As for depth, the Bulldogs return interior defensive lineman Zion Logue, who played 332 snaps last season. Marvin Jones Jr. was a five-star edge defender in the 2022 class while edge defender Damon Wilson and interior defensive lineman Jordan Hall were five-star recruits from the 2023 cycle.
2. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Ohio State was the only school in the country that had four defensive linemen make PFF’s preseason all-conference lists.
J.T. Tuimoloau is a top-10 edge defender in the country and is a projected top-20 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tyleik Williams was named to the second-team of our All-Big Ten list, and his 12.4% pass-rush win-rate in 2022 ranked second among Big Ten interior defensive linemen with at least 140 pass-rushing snaps. Michael Hall Jr. was third among that group with an 11.3% pressure rate last year and is a projected top-25 pick in the 2024 draft. Jack Sawyer was third-team preseason All-Big Ten and was one of 10 edge defenders in the conference last season with 70-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender.
That’s not even including Ty Hamilton, who was a starter for the Buckeyes in 2022 as an interior defensive lineman.
3. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
The Wolverines have a top-five interior defensive lineman in the country in Kris Jenkins, whose 31 run-defense stops in 2022 were tied for the most among FBS defensive tackles. Next to him is Mason Graham, who was named to PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten second team. Last year, Graham led all true freshman defensive linemen with an 80.3 grade.
Josaiah Stewart was also on the second team of our preseason All-Big Ten list after transferring to Michigan from Coastal Carolina. As a true sophomore in 2022, his 40 pressures and 83.3 pass-rushing grade were top-20 marks among Group of Five edge defenders. Jaylen Harrell is also a returning starter along the edge and tied for seventh among Big Ten edge defenders with six sacks last season.
4. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois has the best duo along the interior defensive line in college football. It starts with Jer’Zhan Newton, the country’s best defensive tackle. He finished as the most valuable Power Five interior defensive lineman last season and led that same group with 59 pressures while his 13 tackles for loss/no-gain tied for the most among all interior defensive linemen in the country. Next to him is Keith Randolph Jr., whose 84.6 run-defense grade was eighth among Power Five defensive tackles in 2022.
The Fighting Illini also return both of their starting edge defenders from a year ago in Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas, the former being named to PFF’s preseason All-Big Ten third-team. Among Big Ten edges in 2022, they each tied for sixth with 35 pressures.
Illinois is also expected to start junior TeRah Edwards on the interior, who played 206 snaps last season.
5. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
One of the most surprising returners to college football is Florida State edge defender Jared Verse, who likely would’ve been a top-20 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft if he declared. Instead, he returns to Tallahassee as the best edge defender in college football. His 24.4% pass-rush win rate last season was fourth among Power Five edge defenders while his 10 tackles for loss/no gain tied for sixth. Patrick Payton is expected to start at the other edge spot and earned a 70.8 grade on 367 snaps in 2022. The Seminoles can also turn to Gilber Edmond, who was a starting edge for South Carolina last year.
Florida State also picked up a couple big transfers along the interior in Western Michigan’s Braden Fiske and Miami (FL)’s Darrell Jackson. Fiske’s 81 pressures over the last two seasons were tied for fifth among all defensive tackles in the country and his 47 run-defense stops tied for third. Jackson tallied 16 run-defense stops last year as a true sophomore, tied for fifth for ACC interior defensive linemen.
The Seminoles also return Fabien Lovett, a third-team preseason All-ACC selection for PFF. Dennis Briggs Jr. is also back after placing eighth among Power Five defensive tackles last season with a 13.7% pass-rush win rate.
6. LSU TIGERS
LSU’s placement on this list depends on where Harold Perkins Jr. lines up the most this season. If he plays mostly at edge defender, the Tigers would easily be in the top five. If he sticks to off-ball linebacker, LSU would rank lower in the top 10. That’s because as a true freshman, Perkins led all Power Five linebackers with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade and he tied for second among all linebackers in the country with 18 quarterback knockdowns (sacks/hits). The Tigers would be wise to let him pin his ears back and rush the quarterback instead of asking him to play in coverage, a lot like what the Dallas Cowboys eventually did with Micah Parsons.
LSU also returns Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith along the interior defensive line. Wingo was named to PFF’s preseason All-SEC first-team and tied for the most sacks (four) among all defensive tackles in the conference a year ago. Smith played only eight snaps in 2022 before tearing his ACL but has the freakish physical tools that make him a projected first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
The Tigers also bring in Ovie Oghoufo from the transfer portal, who was one of Texas’ starting edges last season.
7. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Even after losing Will Anderson Jr., Alabama still has one of the best defensive fronts in college football.
Dallas Turner will attempt to fill Anderson’s massive shoes and is a top-five edge defender in the country. Over his first two seasons, Turner’s 14 sacks are tied for the most among returning Power Five edges. Chris Braswell will likely be the other starting edge and was named to the third-team preseason All-SEC by us. His 19.1% pass-rush win rate in 2022 led all SEC edge defenders.
Tim Smith also returns on the interior, and he was a starter last season. He’ll likely be joined by Jaheim Oatis and Justin Eboigbe, who each earned 75-plus grades as rotational defensive tackles a year ago.
Alabama also has the top edge defender from the 2022 recruiting class in Jeremiah Alexander returning. As for the 2023 class, Alabama brought in three five-star recruits along the defensive line: defensive tackle James Smith and edge defenders Keon Keeley and Yhonzae Pierre. Keeley was the No. 2 overall recruit in the class, trailing only Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
8. UCLA BRUINS
UCLA has the best group of edge defenders in college football, as it was the only school to have two of the top-10 edge defenders in the country on my list. Laiatu Latu was dominant in 2022 after missing the previous two seasons due to a neck injury. Among Power Five edge defenders, Latu was tied for second in pressures (64), third in pressure rate (21.7%) and tied for third in sacks (12). Gabriel Murphy was one of only three Power Five edge defenders who earned 80-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender last season. Gabriel’s twin brother, Grayson, also returns and was sixth among Power Five edges with 55 pressures and a 19.5% pressure rate last season.
The Bruins are noticeably weaker on the interior, but they do return a starter in Jay Toia while Dovid Magna earned a 66.9 grade on 240 snaps in 2022. The breakout candidate on the interior though is Gary Smith III, whose 84.7 run-defense grade last season led all Pac-12 defensive tackles with at least 240 snaps.
9. MIAMI (FL) HURRICANES
The Hurricanes have two preseason first-team All-ACC members on their defensive line in interior defensive lineman Leonard Taylor and edge defender Akheem Mesidor. Taylor posted a 19.5% pass-rush win rate and a 16.2% pressure rate in 2022, trailing only Calijah Kancey among Power Five interior defensive linemen. Mesidor was the fifth highest-graded Power Five edge a year ago, finishing with an 87.1 mark.
Miami also returns Jahfari Harvey along the edge, who started last season and earned a respectable 76.2 grade. As for the other starting defensive tackle spot, the Hurricanes have a few options. They could turn to Jared Harrison-Hunte, who missed three games due to injuries last year but earned a 71.7 grade as a starter in 2021. Miami also brought in Branson Deen from Purdue, whose 34 pressures last season placed him sixth among Power Five interior defensive linemen. Thomas Gore also transferred in from Georgia State and has earned a 90.7 grade since 2021, sixth among all defensive tackles in the country.
10. PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
I asked Olu Fashanu, one of the top offensive tackles in college football, who his toughest opponents have been. He named four of his own teammates: Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover.
That makes sense considering the Nittany Lions have one of the deeper edge rotations in college football. It starts with Robinson, a top-three edge defender in college football. As a true sophomore, he led all Power Five edge defenders both in overall grade (90.6) and pass-rushing grade (92.4). Isaac tied for fourth among Big Ten edges in 2022 with 36 pressures. Dennis-Sutton and Vanover both earned 80-plus pass-rushing grades as well as rotational edges last season.
Hakeem Beamon is a returning starter on the interior and posted a 7.3% pressure rate last year, which tied for ninth among Big Ten defensive tackles.
MEN’S GOLF
LEE HODGES GETS HIS 1ST PGA TOUR VICTORY WITH A WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN AT THE 3M OPEN, BY 7 STROKES
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) Lee Hodges rarely gets rattled, except perhaps during Alabama football games when he’s rooting for his beloved Crimson Tide.
After using that unflappable demeanor to keep control of the 3M Open, Hodges finally let loose.
Hodges shot a 67 in the final round on Sunday for a wire-to-wire title at the 3M Open and his first tour victory, setting tournament records with a 260 and a seven-stroke win.
“The process I went through, I’ll take this week forever,” Hodges said. “I’ll just try to keep replicating this week every time I show up to a tournament.”
Hodges, who started the day with a five-stroke lead on J.T. Poston, was up by three entering the par-5 last hole on his 65th career start. After Poston’s go-for-broke approach yielded a triple bogey, Hodges tapped in a short putt for his third birdie of the round.
“I had to try and give it a shot and see if there was some way I could make 3 there at the end and put some pressure on Lee,” Poston said.
The 28-year-old Alabama native hugged and hoisted his wife, Savannah, in celebration after she hustled out to the green to greet him. Then Jay Seawell, Hodges’ college coach at Alabama, surprised him with a special appearance and a milkshake in hand. Not bad for a guy from the small town of Ardmore.
“I’m super proud to be from there and represent those people,” Hodges said. “Man, I’m sure there is a party going on in north Alabama right now.”
Poston shot a 69 to drop into a three-way tie for second place with Martin Laird and Kevin Streelman. Dylan Wu shot a 64 to match Keith Mitchell for fifth at 16 under.
Tony Finau, the defending champion and highest-ranked player at 10th in the FedEx Cup standings participating in this field, shot a 70 to land in a three-way tie for seventh.
Hodges shot a 63 on Thursday, a 64 on Friday and a 66 on Saturday to take a commanding lead into the final round at the TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine on a former sod farm in suburban Minneapolis. He had two eagles and two bogeys on Sunday, following an aggressive approach he .
With one previous top-three finish in 2022 at The American Express in La Quinta, California, Hodges said on Saturday he couldn’t recall a five-shot lead in his entire career, amateur competition included, and felt as if he was “playing with house money” with his place on the tour next season secured.
“Last night, me and my wife, we ate dinner here and then we went to get some ice cream and I slept like a baby,” Hodges said.
Entering the week in 74th place in the FedEx Cup standings, Hodges soared to 33rd with the $1.4 million prize for the win. He became the 23rd third-round leader or co-leader to win on tour this season, following Brian Harman last week at the British Open.
Poston entered the week in 60th place in the FedEx Cup standings and shot up to 38th.
Hodges set the 54-hole tournament record at 193, two strokes better than the score Scott Piercy took into the final round last year. Piercy proceeded to shoot a 76, including a triple bogey on No. 14, and squander a five-stroke lead with 11 holes to go. Finau shot a 67 and won the trophy by three strokes.
Hodges avoided that fate. His lead was cut from six to four when he three-putted the 15th hole and Poston, his final-round playing partner, smacked his second shot from the fairway to the green about 7 feet from the cup for his fourth birdie of the afternoon. But Hodges bounced right back to match Poston’s birdie on 16.
“He played great all day. We knew it was going to take something pretty special to pull it off,” Poston said.
Poston’s second shot from the rough on the edge of the water glanced off the rocks on the retaining wall and ricocheted backward off the floating tournament logo before a splash that cost him a penalty stroke. His fifth shot rolled down the slope on the front of the green, and he overshot his first putt.
Beau Hossler gave his postseason bid a bump with a blistering 62 in the final round to tie the course record and finish at 13 under for the tournament, tied for 13th place. Bryson DeChambeau, Lucas Glover, Scott Piercy and champion Matthew Wolff each shot a 62 during the inaugural event in 2019.
The 28-year-old Hossler entered the week in 62nd place on the FedEx Cup standings. The top 70 players qualify for the three-stage playoff event that begins Aug. 10 with the St. Jude Championship. There’s one more stop on the tour next weekend at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, to move up – or slide down.
Hossler made eight straight birdies from holes 9 through 16, one short of the PGA Tour record. That included a 45-foot putt he holed on his second shot on No. 13 that had “no business” going in.
WOMEN’S GOLF
CÉLINE BOUTIER IS RUNAWAY WINNER OF THE ÉVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. IT’S HER FIRST MAJOR TITLE
ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) Céline Boutier carded a final round of 3-under 68 to win the Évian Championship by six shots for her first major title on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Boutier finished at 14-under 270 overall. She is the first Frenchwoman to win the tournament, which became a major in 2013.
“It has been my biggest dream since I started watching golf,” Boutier said. “This tournament has always been very special to me, even just watching as a teenager and just to be able to hold this trophy is pretty unbelievable.”
Boutier is the third woman from France to win a major, following Patricia Meunier-Lebouc at the 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship and Catherine Lacoste, who was an amateur when she captured the 1967 U.S. Women’s Amateur.
Boutier, who had never finished better than 29th in six previous appearances at the tournament, was six shots clear of second-place Brooke Henderson of Canada, who was 8 under after her final round of 70.
Boutier took a three-shot lead into the final round and eased any worries she may have had with two birdies to start and another on the fifth hole.
“That was pretty unexpected,” Boutier said. “I definitely felt like I handled the first few holes really well. I had a good opportunity on one and the putt on two was definitely a bonus.”
Boutier had a total of four birdies in the final round and a bogey on the par-4 13th.
Five players – Norway’s Celine Borge (68), Mexican Gaby Lopez (68), South Korea’s A Lim Kim (69) and Japan’s Yuka Saso (70) and Nasa Hataoka (72) – were joint third at 7 under.
RACING NEWS
CHRIS BUESCHER WINS AT RICHMOND AND SECURES SPOT IN NASCAR PLAYOFFS
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Chris Buescher was already in good position to qualify for NASCAR’s playoffs.
Now, even something remarkable over the last four races of the regular season won’t keep him out.
Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go to win at Richmond Raceway on Sunday and snag one of the final spots in NASCAR’s playoff field.
Buescher led 88 laps and was ahead by nearly 6 seconds when a caution came out with under 10 laps to go. That erased his lead over Virginia native Denny Hamlin, who was booed by his hometown crowd before the race.
But Hamlin got a poor final restart and Buescher easily pulled away for his first Cup Series win of the season, third of his career.
“I knew that last restart was going to be tough, but I knew we had the speed in this thing,” Buescher said.
He and RFK Racing teammate Brad Keselowski led a combined 190 of the 400 laps in their Fords. Keselowski, now a part owner of the team, led 102 laps on the 0.75-mile oval.
Buescher started 26th and had to drive through the field for the win that locked him into the 16-driver playoff field. Buescher became the 13th race winner this year and there are three playoff spots up for grabs over the next month.
It was the 139th Cup win for primary team owner Jack Roush, second since Keselowski joined the ownership group.
Ford now has 723 wins in NASCAR’s top Cup Series.
“Everybody at RFK Racing who has worked so hard to get us to this point,” said Buescher.
Hamlin, winner last week at Pocono, finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Busch was third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, followed by the Fords of Joey Logano from Team Penske and Ryan Preece of Stewart-Haas Racing.
“One win is good, but you get three or four or five and then you feel a lot better,” Keselowski said. “It sure beats not having any at all, but we want to keep going. It’s nice to have one car locked in the playoffs. We need to get both cars locked in the playoffs. We have a good points gap, but we want wins and this is where we need to be.”
Keselowski, despite being winless this season, is still mathematically in contention for the playoffs.
The race was slowed just three times by caution flags, with the final yellow sending the leaders to pit road for four tires with eight laps to go. When the green flag was shown again, Buescher used the inside line to pull away for his third career victory.
Hamlin’s bid for the victory ended on the second lap of the final sprint when he drove in too deep in the first turn and slid up the track. He finished 0.549-seconds behind Buescher.
“I got a bad restart,” Hamlin said. “I had to recover too much ground from what I lost on the front stretch. Almost got to the outside, and then in turn four, almost got to the outside again, and then in turn one, I was like ‘I’m just going to ship it in there and try to get to the outside one more time’ and I just carried way too much speed and locked up the left front tires.”
LARSON-HAMLIN
Kyle Larson, angered last week when Hamlin caused him to hit the wall while leading while Hamlin went on to win, was running a few laps down when he nudged Hamlin out of the way with 70 laps to go during Sunday’s race.
Larson, who won at Richmond in April, finished 19th.
“I think he was having a frustrating day,” Hamlin said. “It’s all good.”
SCORCHER
With temperatures in the mid-80s, it was about 15 degrees cooler than Saturday, when the temperature approached 100 and the heat index was at least 105.
Nevertheless, points leader Martin Truex Jr. still struggled.
“It was definitely really, really hot,” he said. “It felt longer than 400 laps. I’ll be honest, when we got to the end of stage two -– I thought there was no way. I thought that was the checkered flag. It just felt really, really long.”
Truex finished seventh.
CLEAN RACE
All 36 cars that started the race were still running at the end.
TOP INDIANA NEWS/RELEASES FROM ORGANIZATIONS
INDIANS BASEBALL
DELAY DOUBLES INDIANS TO SERIES-CLINCHING VICTORY
INDIANAPOLIS – Jason Delay roped a career-high three doubles to become the 18th Indianapolis Indian in Victory Field history to match the feat and lead a booming offense to an 11-3 rout over the Louisville Bats on Sunday afternoon at Victory Field. With the win, the Indians clinched a 4-2 series victory and finish the season set with a 13-5 record vs. the Bats.
Delay, who went 3-for-3 with a trio of runs, two-baggers and RBI, was the first Indians batter to hit three doubles in a game since Tucupita Marcano on April 7, 2023 at Louisville. Delay’s three-double performance was also the first time an Indian had done so at Victory Field since Josh Bell on June 11, 2016 vs. Syracuse.
The backstop’s standout performance was one of many for the Indians (48-53, 15-12) offense, which scored runs in five of the first six frames to take an insurmountable lead. Miguel Andújar began the scoring in the first inning with a solo home run against Randy Wynne (L, 3-3) and never slowed down, going 2-for-5 with a two-run single later in the game.
Delay’s first double and a single by Rodolfo Castro in the second inning gave Indy the lead it needed for the win. With Louisville’s (53-47, 13-14) first runs plated in the top of the fourth, Castro countered quickly with a two-run homer to right field. Andújar and Castro are both working two-game home run streaks after each going yard in Saturday’s contest.
Aaron Shackelford joined in on the fun with a multi-RBI performance of his own, lining a two-run single with the bases loaded to cap a four-run fourth inning. All 11 of the Indians’ runs were driven in by Andújar, Castro, Delay and Shackelford.
While the offense was rolling, Cam Alldred (W, 7-3) held the Bats offense hitless through the first three frames. He finished his outing after 5.0 two-run innings with six strikeouts. The bullpen entered to finish the job with ease, with John O’Reilly, Yohan Ramirez and Travis MacGregor combining for one run in the final four frames.
The Indians begin a six-game series vs. the Gwinnett Stripers on Tuesday night at 7:05 PM ET before returning home on Aug. 8 vs. Nashville. Neither the Indians or Stripers have named a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s series opener.
FEVER BASKETBALL
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever reduced a 25-point deficit to six points in the third quarter against the Seattle Storm, but ultimately fell to Seattle at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon, 85-62.
All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Indiana scorers as she netted 19 points on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, to go along with five assists. Rookie center Aliyah Boston followed behind with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. Boston also pulled down seven rebounds and recorded two steals.
Erica Wheeler contributed nine points and dished out five assists for Indiana, while Victoria Vivians added seven points and six rebounds. Rookie forward Victaria Saxton recorded her first field goal of her career on a three-point jumper in the second quarter. After a career-best 10 minutes of playing time, she ended the night with a career-high five points.
Seattle opened the matchup with a quick five points, but Indiana immediately responded with a 9-0 run of its own to take the lead for nearly three minutes. Led by Wheeler’s five points and Boston’s four points, both on a perfect 2-of-2 shooting clip, the Fever ended the first frame shooting 50.0 percent from the floor (7-of-14). Indiana’s sole lead of the game was taken away at the 4:21 mark when Seattle began a 17-6 scoring run to end the quarter ahead, 24-17.
The Storm extended the lead to as many as 25 points in the second frame, increasing the scoring run to 30-8 after another roughly six minutes of play in the second quarter. Indiana’s shooting woes continued in the first half going 10-of-33 from the floor and 2-of-9 from three-point range in the first half, and trailed, 47-27, going into the locker room.
Following its lowest-scoring second quarter of the season, Indiana opened the third frame with an 8-0 scoring run to cut into the deficit. Highlighted by Mitchell’s eight points and Boston’s seven points on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor, Indiana eventually extended the run to 20-8 allowing it to reduce Seattle’s 20-point halftime lead to as few as six points on one occasion. After trailing by 11 points at the end of the third quarter, the Fever were outscored in the fourth quarter, 23-11, as the Storm finished the game on a 26-9 scoring run and shot 60 percent (9-of-15) from the floor.
Seattle recorded its highest field goal percentage of the year as it shot 53.4 percent (31-of-58) from the floor and 50 percent (12-of-24) from beyond the arc. The Storm attack was led by WNBA All-Star MVP Jewell Loyd’s 26 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor. Loyd also dished out a season-high eight assists to help the Storm tie its regular-season best this season 23 assists.
Rookie guard Jordan Horston came off the bench to record 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while pulling down six rebounds. Gabby Williams followed behind with 14 points, four assists and a game-high three steals.
UP NEXT
The Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET to take on the Phoenix Mercury. Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on the official Indiana Fever Facebook page.
INDIANA SWIMMING
HAFNAOUI’S HISTORIC SWIM, KING’S TWO MEDALS HIGHLIGHT FINAL DAY IN FUKUOKA
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana swimming and diving’s Ahmed Hafnaoui broke the 1,500-meter freestyle championship record on the way to his second world title of the week, and Lilly King medaled twice on the final day of the Fukuoka 2023 World Aquatics Championships Sunday (July 30) in Japan.
Indiana swimming and diving totaled nine medals during the two weeks in Fukuoka.
Hafnaoui held off Team USA’s Bobby Finke in the 1,500 free, out-touching the American by five hundredths of a second to finish in a championship record 14:31.54 which is also the second-fastest time ever.
With the victory, Hafnaoui captured his second world title and third medal of the meet. On Wednesday, Hafnaoui posted the third-fastest time ever in the 800-meter freestyle in 7:37.00 for his first-career world championship. The Tunisian also took silver in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing second by just two tenths.
King brought her career World Championship medal total to 13 on Sunday with a victory in the 4×100-meter medley relay and silver in the 50-meter breaststroke. In the relay, King swam a 1:04.93 split in the breaststroke leg to give Team USA a lead of 2.37 seconds going into the final 200 meters before winning in 3:52.08.
During the meet, King also finished fourth in both the 100 breast (1:06.02) and 100 breast (2:22.25).
Making their World Championships debuts, current IU swimmers Anna Peplowski and Josh Matheny also contributed to IU and Team USA’s medal counts with preliminary performances in top-three finishing relays. Matheny took gold in the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay and bronze in the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay, and Peplowski earned silver in the women’s 4×200-meter medley relay.
Indiana’s first medal came in the diving well as Jessica Parratto earned bronze in the women’s synchronized 10-meter event July 16. Andrew Capobianco just missed out on the men’s 3-meter podium a few days later, finishing fourth.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Baltimore | 64 | 41 | .610 | – | 32 – 21 | 32 – 20 | 21 – 13 | 18 – 7 | 10 – 7 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Tampa Bay | 64 | 44 | .593 | 1.5 | 37 – 19 | 27 – 25 | 18 – 13 | 16 – 4 | 11 – 11 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Toronto | 59 | 47 | .557 | 5.5 | 29 – 21 | 30 – 26 | 7 – 20 | 16 – 6 | 14 – 11 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Boston | 56 | 49 | .533 | 8 | 30 – 23 | 26 – 26 | 16 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 11 – 8 | 5 – 5 | L 2 |
| NY Yankees | 55 | 50 | .524 | 9 | 32 – 24 | 23 – 26 | 14 – 19 | 11 – 8 | 14 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 54 | 53 | .505 | – | 30 – 24 | 24 – 29 | 12 – 17 | 21 – 15 | 11 – 8 | 4 – 6 | L 5 |
| Cleveland | 53 | 53 | .500 | 0.5 | 28 – 24 | 25 – 29 | 7 – 8 | 17 – 16 | 13 – 9 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Detroit | 47 | 59 | .443 | 6.5 | 22 – 30 | 25 – 29 | 3 – 16 | 18 – 12 | 9 – 13 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 43 | 64 | .402 | 11 | 23 – 29 | 20 – 35 | 6 – 16 | 17 – 16 | 9 – 14 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| Kansas City | 32 | 75 | .299 | 22 | 18 – 36 | 14 – 39 | 5 – 15 | 13 – 27 | 4 – 11 | 4 – 6 | W 3 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 60 | 46 | .566 | – | 34 – 20 | 26 – 26 | 14 – 11 | 14 – 5 | 17 – 13 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| Houston | 59 | 47 | .557 | 1 | 28 – 25 | 31 – 22 | 6 – 7 | 8 – 11 | 24 – 13 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| LA Angels | 55 | 51 | .519 | 5 | 29 – 23 | 26 – 28 | 12 – 11 | 14 – 8 | 16 – 14 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Seattle | 54 | 51 | .514 | 5.5 | 29 – 25 | 25 – 26 | 9 – 12 | 12 – 11 | 15 – 11 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Oakland | 30 | 77 | .280 | 30.5 | 15 – 39 | 15 – 38 | 7 – 19 | 7 – 11 | 5 – 26 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 67 | 36 | .650 | – | 35 – 19 | 32 – 17 | 22 – 6 | 13 – 2 | 11 – 9 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Miami | 57 | 49 | .538 | 11.5 | 33 – 21 | 24 – 28 | 13 – 16 | 11 – 9 | 10 – 12 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
| Philadelphia | 56 | 49 | .533 | 12 | 28 – 20 | 28 – 29 | 9 – 15 | 11 – 8 | 14 – 13 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| NY Mets | 50 | 55 | .476 | 18 | 26 – 23 | 24 – 32 | 16 – 14 | 5 – 14 | 15 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Washington | 44 | 62 | .415 | 24.5 | 20 – 33 | 24 – 29 | 10 – 19 | 7 – 13 | 14 – 14 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cincinnati | 58 | 49 | .542 | – | 28 – 26 | 30 – 23 | 12 – 11 | 13 – 19 | 16 – 9 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| Milwaukee | 57 | 49 | .538 | 0.5 | 29 – 24 | 28 – 25 | 9 – 7 | 22 – 10 | 8 – 15 | 4 – 6 | L 3 |
| Chi Cubs | 53 | 52 | .505 | 4 | 27 – 26 | 26 – 26 | 8 – 14 | 18 – 13 | 9 – 8 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 47 | 58 | .448 | 10 | 25 – 27 | 22 – 31 | 7 – 6 | 11 – 15 | 16 – 15 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| St. Louis | 47 | 60 | .439 | 11 | 23 – 29 | 24 – 31 | 10 – 9 | 13 – 20 | 9 – 14 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 59 | 45 | .567 | – | 31 – 20 | 28 – 25 | 11 – 7 | 16 – 14 | 14 – 11 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 58 | 48 | .547 | 2 | 30 – 23 | 28 – 25 | 10 – 12 | 18 – 9 | 15 – 10 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
| Arizona | 56 | 50 | .528 | 4 | 28 – 28 | 28 – 22 | 13 – 15 | 11 – 10 | 17 – 11 | 2 – 8 | L 1 |
| San Diego | 52 | 54 | .491 | 8 | 29 – 25 | 23 – 29 | 13 – 13 | 8 – 15 | 12 – 13 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Colorado | 41 | 64 | .390 | 18.5 | 24 – 28 | 17 – 36 | 14 – 17 | 8 – 10 | 6 – 19 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1897 John Grimes, who appeared in only three games during his one-year career with the St. Louis Brown Stockings, establishes a major league mark by hitting six batters in a nine-inning game. The post-1900 record is four hit batsmen, a dubious feat shared by many pitchers.
1908 After successfully swiping second at the Polo Grounds, Fred Tenney decides to return to first base on the next pitch because Dummy Taylor had remained at third during their attempted double steal. This time, hoping to coax a throw from the catcher to give the runner on third another opportunity to score, he steals second base for the second time in the inning, but his teammate still stays put in the Giants’ 9-2 victory over the Cardinals.
1912 Ty Cobb goes 1-for-4 in Detroit’s 4-1 victory over Washington at Navin Field. The Tiger outfielder’s single is his 68th hit in 137 at-bats (.535) during July, the most ever collected in a single month by a major leaguer.
1930 Thanks to Lou Gehrig’s offensive output, the Yankees edge the Red Sox, 14-13. The ‘Iron Horse’ collects eight RBIs with a grand slam and two doubles in the Fenway Park contest.
1932 In front of a major league record crowd of 80,184, the Indians play their first game at Lakefront Stadium, losing to Philadelphia and Lefty Grove, 1-0. Except for the 1933 season, the Tribe, who prefers League Park, will not play a full schedule at their new colossal horseshoe home until 1947, when the ballpark is known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
1935 Avid Reds’ fan Kitty Burke, annoyed at Ducky Medwick’s retort to her heckling by telling her she couldn’t get a hit if she were swinging at an elephant, grabs Babe Herman’s bat as he comes to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, comes on to the field demanding a turn at-bat. After some consternation, Cardinal pitcher Paul Dean complies by tossing the ball underhanded to the popular local nightclub blues singer, who grounds out to the pitcher, much to the delight of the cheering crowd.
1951 The Yankees send Cliff Mapes to the Browns for Bobby Hogue, Kermit Wahl, Tom Upton, and Lou Sleater. The trade opens an outfield spot for Mickey Mantle, returning from the Triple-A Kansas City Blues after a 40-game stint in the minor leagues, and makes the uniform #7 available to the rookie with the departure of Mapes.
1954 At Ebbets Field, using a borrowed bat, Joe Adcock hits four home runs in one game and a double, which misses by inches of being his fifth round-tripper, in the Braves’ 15-7 victory over the Dodgers. The Milwaukee first baseman’s 18 total bases, collected on just seven pitches, set a major league record, surpassing the mark established in 1950 by Brooklyn’s Gil Hodges.
1955 The Indians obtained Sal Maglie off waivers from the Giants, who release the 38-year-old right-hander because of his ailing back. The ‘Barber,’ who will be used sparingly in Cleveland, will become a major cog next season in the Dodgers’ National League championship after being acquired by the team in May for $100.
1959 Earl Wilson, the first black pitcher to play for the Red Sox, hurls 3.2 innings, walking nine, but leaves the game with a 4-0 lead in the team’s eventual 6-5 victory over Detroit at Briggs Stadium. The Louisiana native will post a 56-58 record along with an ERA of 4.10, primarily as a starter, during his seven seasons with Boston.
1961 Due to heavy rain, the second 1961 All-Star Game ends in a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park, with Rocky Colavito’s home run accounting for the American League’s only run. Jim Bunning, the American League starter, pitches three perfect innings again (he also did it in 1957), making him the only All-Star hurler to accomplish the feat twice.
1963 At Cleveland Stadium, the Indians hit four consecutive homers in an inning when Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona, and Larry Brown go deep in the sixth with two outs off Paul Foytack, recently acquired by the Angels. In Cleveland’s 9-5 victory over the Halos, the former Tiger right-hander becomes the first major league pitcher to allow a team to go deep in four straight at-bats in a single frame.
1965 The Orioles release 38-year-old Robin Roberts after he compiles a 5-7 record during the first four months of the season. Next week, the Astros select the right-hander as a free agent, and the future Hall of Famer will finish the season winning five of seven decisions, posting an ERA of 1.89 for his new team.
1971 Orioles’ right-hander Pat Dobson wins his eighth decision of the month, blanking the Royals, 4-0. The shutout is the 12th consecutive victory for the Depew, N.Y native since June 16th.
1971 In a game that sees at least one team score every inning until the ninth, the Giants beat Pittsburgh at Candlestick Park, 15-11. San Francisco’s rookie first baseman Dave Kingman’s seventh-inning grand slam proves to be the difference.
1972 Chicago slugger Dick Allen becomes the seventh major leaguer, the first since 1939, to hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game. The round-trippers pace the White Sox over the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, 8-1.
1981 The fifty-day long baseball strike, wiping out a third of the regular season, is settled when the owners and players agree on a pooling system for the compensation of free agents. The All-Star Game will mark the end of baseball’s first-ever midseason work stoppage.
1982 Phillies’ second baseman Manny Trillo boots Bill Buckner’s grounder to end his errorless streak at 479 chances, setting a major league record.
1983 The Hall of Fame inducts Orioles Gold Glover Brooks Robinson, ten-time American League All-Star infielder George Kell, and long-time Dodger skipper Walter Alston. Dominican Dandy Juan Marichal, also an inductee, becomes the first Latin American player to be enshrined at Cooperstown.
1989 On the same day, the Blue Jays pick Lee Mazzilli off waivers from the Mets, Toronto trades reliever Jeff Musselman and pitching prospect Mike Brady for Mookie Wilson, made expendable when New York obtained Juan Samuel from Philadelphia. After a slow start, Toronto’s new outfielder will play a vital role in the team’s return to the postseason for the first time since 1985, batting .298 in 54 games.
1989 The Mets obtain Frank Viola, last season’s American League Cy Young Award winner, from the Twins for Rick Aguilera, Tim Drummond, Kevin Tapani, Jack Savage, and David West. ‘Sweet Music’ hits a sour note in New York, posting a 38-32 record in 82 starts with a team failing to make the playoffs during his two-and-half-year tenure in the Big Apple.
1990 At County Stadium, Ranger right-hander Nolan Ryan gets his 300th victory, defeating the Brewers, 11-3. The 43-year-old from Alvin (TX) will compile 324 wins during his 27-year big league career.
1993 The A’s trade ten-time All-Star Rickey Henderson to the Blue Jays for rookie right-hander Steve Karsay and a player to be named later (outfielder Jose Herrera). The midseason deal helps Toronto capture their second consecutive World Series when the 34-year-old future Hall of Famer steals 22 bases in his partial season with the Canadian team.
1995 The Mets trade former two-time Cy Young Award winner right-handed pitcher Bret Saberhagen and left-handed pitcher farmhand Dave Swanson (the player to be named later) to the Rockies for righties Juan Acevedo and Arnold Gooch.
1996 The Tigers deal first baseman Cecil Fielder to the Yankees for outfielder Ruben Sierra and minor league prospect Matt Drews. The swap marks the first time in major league history that a transaction involves players with more than 220 home runs.
1997 In a deal that will significantly impact the team’s future, the Red Sox obtain Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe when they trade Heathcliff Slocumb to the Mariners. Varitek, who will become Boston’s third captain in franchise history, will contribute to the club’s success in the next decade, including the world championships in 2004 and 2007.
1997 The A’s trade Mark McGwire to the Cardinals for Eric Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, and Blake Stein, a trio of hurlers who will combine for just 30 victories with Oakland. The Redbirds’ new first baseman hits an astounding 220 home runs in the 545 games he plays with St. Louis, but whose accomplishments will be tainted by the speculation of his use of PEDs.
2001 The Red Sox acquire Expos’ reliever Ugueth Urbina for two minor league pitchers, Tomo Ohka and Rich Rundles. The Yankees nearly traded the hard-throwing closer earlier in the season, but a failed physical nixed the deal for the Caracas, Venezuela native.
2002 City officials approve the Red Sox’s plan to sell beer outside Boston’s Fenway Park on a trial basis. During the 14 games, adult beverages will be available three hours before game time to one hour after games start to game ticket-holders who pass through a turnstile.
2002 The Rangers, in a 17-6 victory over the Yankees, hit six doubles in the second inning, all off Mike Mussina. New York’s starting pitcher joins Hall of Famer Lefty Grove (1934 Red Sox) as only the second pitcher in major league history to allow that many two-baggers in one frame.
2003 The Expos retire number 8 as a tribute to Gary Carter, their first and only player inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing a Montreal cap. During his 12-year tenure with the team, the ‘Kid’ enjoyed being a National League All-Star seven times.
2003 Breaking a record he set a week later during last season, John Smoltz becomes the fastest pitcher to record 40 saves. The Braves’ closer throws a scoreless ninth in the team’s 7-4 victory over the Astros to establish the new mark.
2003 The first-place Giants make a significant move on the trading deadline, acquiring Sidney Ponson (14-6, 3.77) from the Orioles in exchange for their former first-round draft pick Kurt Ainsworth, Damian Moss, and southpaw prospect Ryan Hannaman. The 26-year-old right-hander, who will go 3-6 down the stretch for San Francisco, will join the rotation that includes Jason Schmidt, Kirk Rueter, Jesse Foppert, Jerome Williams, and Jim Brower.
2004 In front of thousands of fans outside Kauffman Stadium and those viewing the ceremony inside the ballpark on the JumboTron, the Royals unveil a bronze statue of Frank White, depicting the eight-time Gold Glove second baseman sailing over the bag to complete a double play. The detailed sculpture, created by Harry Weber of St. Louis, joins those of founders Ewing and Muriel Kauffman and Hall of Fame infielder George Brett as the third statue honoring the accomplishments of individuals within the franchise.
2004 With homers in his first two at-bats off Jorge Sosa, Carlos Delgado hits his fifth home run in five consecutive at-bats off the Devil Rays’ right-hander. The Blue Jay slugger’s streak started last season with a round-tripper on September 10th, then extended to three when the Tampa Bay hurler gave up the first two dingers in his four-homer day on September 25th.
2004 The Red Sox complete the long-anticipated trade of Nomar Garciaparra when the shortstop goes to the Cubs as part of a four-team deal that includes the Twins and Expos. Boston acquires Orlando Cabrera (Expos) and Doug Mientkiewicz (Twins), sending Nomar and Matt Murton to Chicago, which ships Justin Jones to Minnesota for Mientkiewicz, who, along with Cubs’ shortstop Alex Gonzalez, Francis Beltran, and prospect Brendan Harris go to Beantown, who sends the trio of Gonzalez, Beltran, and Harris to Montreal for Cabrera.
2004 Ten minutes before the trading deadline, Steve Finley gives the Diamondbacks permission to deal him to the Dodgers. The trade sends the four-time Gold Glove center fielder and backstop Brent Mayne to LA for minor league catching prospect Koyie Hill, flycatcher Reggie Abercrombie, and southpaw Bill Murphy, acquired in yesterday’s trade with the Marlins.
2004 A minute before the trading deadline, the Yankees deal the talented but underachieving Jose Contreras (8-5, 5.64) and $3 million to the White Sox for All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza (9-5, 4.86). The former Yankees hurler will post a 55-56 record during his six seasons in the Windy City, while the newest Bronx Bomber moundsman will win one of only three decisions during his two-month stint in the Big Apple.
2004 After a close call against the Katy Cowboys, the umpires ask Kacy Clemens’ dad to leave the youth baseball game. League officials, calling the incident a case of mistaken identity, apologize for ejecting Roger Clemens from his son’s championship game for arguing the call and spitting sunflower seeds at an umpire’s leg.
2005 The almost-traded Manny Ramirez comes off the bench in the eighth inning and has the eventual game-winning hit against the Twins in the Red Sox’s 5-4 victory at Fenway Park. The embattled Boston outfielder has caused much consternation in the Red Sox nation this week due to his refusal to play and hustle for his short-handed team.
2005 Among thousands of high-spirited Red Sox and Cubs fans, the Baseball Hall of Fame, with 48 of its members sitting on the dais, enshrines Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg. Also inducted are Padres announcer Jerry Coleman, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award, and sportswriter and broadcast analyst Peter Gammons, recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.
2005 Brothers Bengie and Jose Molina both homer in the Angels’ 8-7 loss at Yankee Stadium. The Anaheim teammates each go deep off southpaw Randy Johnson, a future Hall of Famer, to accomplish the feat.
2006 With the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field, Diamondbacks’ second baseman Orlando Hudson hits a home run from both sides of home plate. Batting left-handed, he goes deep off Mark Prior in the third inning for his first career grand slam, then hitting right-handed, nails a Glendon Rusch pitch for a two-run homer in the seventh, contributing to Arizona’s 15-4 victory over the Cubs.
2006 The Dodgers trade infielder Cesar Izturis to the Cubs for 300-game winner Greg Maddux. The last-minute deadline deal, in which the future Hall of Famer waived his no-trade clause, allows the 40-year-old hurler to go to a contender.
2006 Carlos Beltran hits his third grand slam within a calendar month, becoming the ninth player to accomplish the feat. The New York center fielder’s bases-filled homer is the Mets’ sixth, tying the 1996 Expos and 1999 Indians for most by a team in a calendar month.
2007 The trading deadline prompts a busy day for the Braves when they deal eight players in three different transactions, including obtaining Mark Teixeira and southpaw reliever Ron Mahay from the Rangers for the highly touted rookie backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor leaguers. Atlanta also gets bullpen help from the Royals and Padres, with Octavio Dotel and Royce Ring joining the team for Kyle Davies, who will now pitch for Kansas City, and Wil Ledezma and Will Startup go to San Diego.
2007 The Yankees tie a franchise record for round-trippers in a game by hitting eight home runs in a 16-3 rout of the White Sox. The Bronx Bombers’ barrage, which includes two long balls by left fielder Hideki Matsui, equals the power surge of the game played in 1939 against the A’s in Philadelphia’s Shibe Park.
2007 Elvis Andrus and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, along with three minor league pitchers, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz, and Beau Jones, are traded by the Braves to the Rangers for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay. The trading deadline deal will help build the foundation for Texas’ success in the coming seasons, with Andrus and Feliz playing essential roles on the American League champions teams in 2010 and 2011.
2008 At Yankee Stadium, a trio of Angels hit three-run home runs as the team blasts the Bronx Bombers, 12-6. The homers, all hit by LA’s outfielders, Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, and Juan Rivera, account for nine of the dozen runs as the club improves its record to 68-40, the best in baseball.
2008 In a surprise trading-deadline deal, the Reds send future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. to the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Nick Masset and minor league infield prospect Danny Richar. The All-Star outfielder, who had to approve the move to Chicago, completing his final season of a nine-year contract, didn’t expect Cincinnati to pick up the $16.5 million club option for 2009.
2008 In a three-team trade, the Red Sox finally accomplished the much-anticipated departure of Manny Ramirez to LA., dealing Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to the Pirates. The Bucs send Jason Bay to the Red Sox, with the Dodgers Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris going to Pittsburgh.
2009 In a stunning last-minute deal, the White Sox obtain Jake Peavy from the Padres for four pitching prospects, Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Dexter Carter, and Adam Russell. The 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner, presently on the disabled list, had previously refused to waive his no-trade clause to join Chicago in a similar deal proposed in May.
2009 The Marlins acquire Nick Johnson from the Nationals in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Aaron Thompson. The 30-year-old injury-prone first baseman’s ability to get on base should provide more scoring opportunities for a Florida team vying for a wild-card berth.
2010 Needing a home run to complete the sixth cycle in franchise history, Carlos Gonzalez, the leading hitter in the National League, belts a game-ending round-tripper against Cubs’ closer Sean Marshall that gives the Rockies a 6-5 comeback victory. ‘CarGo,’ who becomes the fifth player to complete the cycle with a walk-off home run, smashes the first pitch thrown in the bottom of the ninth 462 feet into the third deck, making the monstrous shot the 29th to land there in the 11-year history of Coors Field.
2011 In a five-player deal, the Braves, hoping to add offensive punch during their run for the NL Wild Card, obtain Michael Bourn from the last-place Astros. The speedy center fielder, who is currently hitting .303 and has a major league-leading 39 stolen bases, gives the team its first bonafide leadoff hitter since Rafael Furcal left after the 2005 season.
2011 The Braves become only the second team in big-league history with 10,000 losses, along with the Phillies, who reached the milestone in 2007. The franchise recently collected its 10,000th victory, including the wins during its tenure in Boston and Milwaukee.
2011 Although the Blue Jays already display his uniform digits on the Level of Excellence, the team officially retires Roberto Alomar’s No. 12 jersey, making the infielder the first player so honored in this manner in the 35-year history of the franchise. The newly inducted member of the Hall of Fame played five seasons with Toronto, including the back-to-back 1992-93 World Series championship teams.
2011 The Red Sox (66-40) continue their winning ways when they beat Chicago at Fenway Park, 5-3. The eventual World Champs end the month with a 20-6 record, the team’s best July since 1952.
2012 With their 10-1 loss in Milwaukee, the Astros finish July with a dismal 3-24 record. Only the 1988 Orioles (April – 1-22), 1916 A’s (July – 2-28), 1982 Twins (May – 3-26), and the 1943 A’s (August – 3-26) have compiled worse months in baseball history.
2013 The Rangers complete a three-game sweep of the Angels when Adrian Beltre leads off the ninth inning with a home run, giving the team a 2-1 walk-off victory. Texas won each Arlington contest with a game-ending round-tripper, marking the first time the feat has been accomplished since 1999 when the Diamondbacks swept the Expos at the Bank One Ballpark.
2014 On Facebook, 29-year-old Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball captain living with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, challenges The Howard Stern Show and a number of his friends to participate in the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge.’ The post will become a catalyst that sparks a call to action that celebrities will take up, Ethel Kennedy, Martha Stewart, and former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek, to raise funds and awareness of ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
2016 With the winning run on third with only one out and the team tied at 6 with the Mariners in the bottom of the 12th, Cubs skipper Jon Maddon goes to the bench, sending up poor-hitting pitcher Jon Lester to pinch-hit. The left-hander, a .051 hitter in 216 career at-bats, doesn’t disappoint when he lays down a perfect squeeze bunt, giving Chicago a dramatic 7-6 walk-off victory at Wrigley Field.
2016 The Brooklyn Cyclones honor Wilmer Flores with a bobblehead commemorating his emotional roller coaster at the end of July last season. The 23-year-old Venezuelan infielder, believing the Brewers had traded for him, cried on the field, but three days later, hit a walk-off homer to lift the team, beginning a sweep over the division-leading Nationals, that will put the jubilant Mets in first place for the rest of the season.
2019 At the trading deadline, the Diamondbacks send Zack Greinke and cash to the Houston Astros for minor leaguers Seth Beer, J.B. Bukauskas, Joshua Rojas, and Corbin Martin, a rookie right-handed starter. The 2009 Cy Young Award winner, who will post an 8-1 mark for the eventual AL champs, joins the top of a very talented rotation with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, the winner and runner-up for this season’s prestigious pitcher award in the American League.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
JOE TINKER
Shortstop
“These are the saddest of possible words: Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
You didn’t have to follow baseball to know this poem, entitled “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.” Franklin P. Adams published it in 1910 in the New York Evening Mail, and even though it was one of a series of poems Adams would write, it quickly took its place with “Casey at the Bat” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as part of the pop culture that seemed to draw Americans to baseball.
The first player in the poem – Cubs shortstop Joe Tinker – was a key figure in what was considered the best infield in the league from 1902-12. The Cubs won four pennants and two world championships with Tinker at short, Johnny Evers at second and Frank Chance at first, and the three of them were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946.
They were linked in the minds of baseball fans largely on the strength of the poem, which was about double plays that broke the rallies of opposing teams.
Tinker started his professional career at the age of 19 in 1900 and was in the majors two years later, a regular at 21. His speed and his sure hands were the first things scouts noticed, and while he never hit much (.262 lifetime with 31 homers), he showed how slick infield play and a good head for the game could give a player a long career in the big leagues.
In Tinker’s fifth season, the Cubs won the National League pennant, followed by World Championships in 1907 and 1908. In 1910, Tinker hit .288 and drove in 69 runs to help the Cubs win another NL pennant.
From 1906-10, the Cubs averaged 106 wins a year in a 154-game schedule.
There was a backstage story to the Tinker-Evers-Chance infield, and that was that Tinker and Evers didn’t speak to each other for many years until they reconciled while sharing a radio booth at the 1938 World Series, in which the Cubs played the Yankees.
Following the 1912 season, Tinker was traded to the Reds, where he served player/manager. The Reds sold his contract to Brooklyn following the 1913 campaign, but Tinker jumped to the Chicago team in the Federal league, where he also served as player/manager for two seasons before returning to the Cubs as player/manager in 1916.
He retired to Orlando, Fla. where Tinker Field, long-time Spring Training site of the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins, bore his name.
Over 15 big league seasons, Tinker led all NL shortstops in fielding percentage four times, assists three times and putouts twice. His career defensive WAR of 34.3 ranks fifth all-time behind Ozzie Smith, Mark Belanger, Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr.
Tinker passed away on July 27, 1948 – his 68th birthday.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
July 31, 1970 – In the Chicago College All-Star game a fan base of 69,940 at Soldier Field in Chicago witnessed 24-3 drubbing by the Kansas City Chiefs over the college team. The MVP award, always given to the college player team, happened to be Bruce Taylor, the Boston College defensive back.
July 31, 1971 – According to an NFL.com posting Jim Brown & Vince Lombardi were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on this date.
Jim Brown was such a prolific running back. He earned the NFL MVP award three different seasons (1957-1958 & 1965), was a 9-time Pro Bowl selection, 8-time 1st-Team All-Pro & 1964 NFL Champion with the Cleveland Browns
Coach Vince Lombardi whom the NFL Championship Trophy is named after was the Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers, all together his Packer teams won 5 Championships 1961, 1962 & 1965 NFL Titles as well as Super Bowls I & II.
July 31, 1982 – Teams from Germany, France, Austria and Italy form the American European Football Federation or the AEFF.
July 31, 1983 – Walter Payton & Bill Walsh were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame per an article on the NFL.com website.
Walter Payton was the 1977 NFL MVP when he led the NFL in both rushing yards & rush scores. Sweetness was a 9-time Pro Bowl selection, a 5-time 1st-Team All-Pro, Super Bowl XX Champion and once had the most yards rushing in NFL history, currently 2nd behind Emmet Smith with 16,726 rush yards. Payton’s 110 rushing TDs is the 5th-most in NFL history!
Now Bill Walsh was the Head Coach of 3-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers from 1979-1988 & 1981 AP Coach of the Year
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JULY 31
July 31, 1918 – Haverhill, Massachusetts – Gene Goodreault was an End that played for Boston College from 1938 through 1940. In 1982 Gene was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame per his bio on the FootballFoundation.org. He was known for his pass catching, run blocking and sure tackling and this led him to be a consensus All-American selection in 1940. Though he was selected in the 1941 NFL draft as the 15th overall pick he never played a down as instead he served in the United States Navy during World War II.
July 31, 1919 – Forrest Behm was a tackle for the University of Nebraska from 1938 to 1940 who was welcomed into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988’s induction class. The National Football Foundation says that Forrest, as a five year old youngster was badly burned in a brush fire, and doctors wanted to amputate a leg. His father, Forrest E. Behm, Sr., refused to allow this to occur and the family did all they could for the youth. For a year, the young Behm could not walk, but his parents persevered and gave him daily massage, and miraculously Forrest regained the use of all his muscles. By 1940 he was a tackle on the Nebraska Rose Bowl team and named All -America by the NEA (Newspaper Enterprise Association).
July 31, 1962 – New York, New York – Kevin Greene was the Pro Football Hall of Fame outside linebacker/ defensive end of the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and 49ers. Mr. Greene played 15 seasons in the NFL and his 160 sacks ranks third in NFL history since the stats were started in 1982 and fourth overall if you count in Deacon Jones total. Kevin Greene was born in New York , New York and then attended and played college ball at Auburn University. Kevin was listed on the hall of Fame All-1990’s team and played in 5 Pro Bowl games and earned first Team All-NFL with three different teams according to the ProFootballHOF.com website. After hanging up his cleats Greene was an NFL outside linebackers coach for the Packers for 5 seasons.
July 31, 1968 – Galveston, Texas – Andre Ware was a quarterback from 1987 through the 1989 season at the University of Houston that was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Mr. Ware was drafted in to the NFL by the Detroit Lions as the number one pick in the 1990 Draft. This standout signal caller set NCAA records with 4,699 passing yards and 46 touchdowns in 1989. He averaged 427 passing yards per game, as he guided Houston to a 9-2 record. In three years, Ware threw for 8,202 yards and 75 touchdowns. According to the NFF bio, Andre Ware in 1989 won the Heisman Trophy. His pro career last four seasons split between the NFL and the CFL.
July 31, 1974 – Jonathan Ogden was a tackle from UCLA. His outstanding gridiron play secured a place for him in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. He played in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens for 12 seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 11 of them according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website. The site’s bio article on Jonathan states; ” In 2003, he helped pave the way for running back Jamal Lewis who became just the fifth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing in a season. Included in the total of 2,066 yards, then the second most ever in a season, was a record-breaking day against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 14, 2003. Ogden opened holes for Lewis who averaged nearly 10 yards a carry to set the then record of 295 yards in a game.”
Not yet in the Hall of Fame birthday include:
July 31, 1982 – Linebacker DeMarcus Ware who once played for Dallas and Denver.
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
JOHNNY BAKER
Position: Guard
Years: 1929-1931
Place of Birth: Denison, IA
Date of Birth: Aug 14, 1907
Place of Death: Sacramento, CA
Date of Death: Feb 06, 1979
Jersey Number: 30
Height: 5-10
Weight: 185
High School: Greenfield, IA (Greenfield HS)\Kingsburg, CA (Kingsburg HS)
Johnny “Bake” Baker was a near unanimous All-America selection in 1931 and one of the fastest lineman ever to play college football. As a junior and senior, Baker won All-West Coast honors. The highlight of his career came in his 1931 senior season as USC won the national championship. The Trojan line of 1931 included three other Hall of Fame players, “Tay” Brown, Ernie Smith and Aaron Rosenberg. This forward wall blocked for SC’s “Thundering Herd” backfield that featured yet another Hall of Famer, Erny Pinckert. Playing with these four Hall of Fame players, Baker was part of Trojan teams that scored 1237 points and averaged 37.5 points per game over three seasons. Baker played a prominent role in the Trojan drive to the 1931 national title. Against Notre Dame his last minute field goal lifted USC to a come from behind 16- 14 victory that ended a 26 game Irish undefeated streak. The Trojans concluded the season with a victory over the undefeated Tulane Green Wave in the Rose Bowl. Following graduation, John Baker coached at the high school, collegiate and professional level for many seasons. He died at the age of 71.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
4 – 9 – 14 – 12 – 35 – 24 -16 – 21 – 15 – 14 – 35 – 5 – 27 – 33 – 7 – 1 – 26 – 34 – 50 – 10 – 32 – 25 – 5
July 31, 1930 – New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, eventual Number 4 drove in 8 runs with a grand slam and 2 doubles in a 14-13 win over the rival Boston Red Sox
July 31, 1954 – Milwaukee first baseman Joe Adcock, Number 9 became only the 3rd player in 20th century to hit 4 HRs in 9-inning game (Lou Gehrig and Gil Hodges, Number 14) in the 15-7 Braves’ win over Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Adcock’s day was so good that he finished the game with an MLB record of eighteen total bases!
July 31, 1963 – The Cleveland Indians tied the record of 4 consecutive home runs as they beat the California Angels, 9-5. Woodie Held (Number 12), Pedro Ramos (Number 35), Tito Francona ( Number 24) and Larry Brown (Number 16) all drive balls deep over the wall off of Paul Foytack, Number 21 pitches in the 6th inning
July 31, 1972 – Chicago infielder Dick Allen , Number 15 became only the 7th player in MLB history to hit 2 inside-the-park home runs in a game. Both wall bombs were off of Bert Blyleven in a 8-1 White Sox win over Minnesota Twins
July 31, 1978 – Cincinnati’s star infielder Pete Rose, wearing Number 14 singled off Atlanta’s Phil Niekro, Number 35 to extend his hitting streak to 44 games as Reds edge the Braves, 3-2. With that hit Rose tied Willie Keeler’s 81-year-old NL record.
July 31, 1983 – Brooks Robinson (Number 5), Juan Marichal (Number 27), George Kell (longtime Number 1, 7 & 21) and Walter Alston (Number 21) were all inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
July 31, 1987 – Baltimore first baseman Eddie Murray, Number 33 hit his 299th and 300th career home runs to lead Orioles to an 8-4 win over Texas Rangers
July 31, 1988 – Oakland A’s Designated hitter Jose Canseco, Number 33 crushed two home runs off Scott Bankhead, Number 15 in A’s 6-2 win over Seattle Mariners. With these Canseco became the first MLB player to hit at least 30 home runs in his first 3 years in the majors.
July 31, 1988 – The Pittsburgh Pirates 1st baseman/left fielder and 7-time All Star Willie Stargell, Number 8 became the 200th man inducted in Baseball’s Hall of Fame
July 31, 1989 – The Minnesota Twins traded AL Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola to New York Mets. Viola wore Number 26 with the Mets that year and Number 16 while with the Twins
July 31, 1990 – Texas Rangers pitcher, the great Nolan Ryan, Number 34 recorded his 300th career victory, an 11-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers; 20th MLB pitcher to reach the milestone
July 31, 1993 – Toronto Blue Jays obtain future Baseball Hall of Fame outfield sensation Rickey Henderson who wore Number 14 & Number 24 from Oakland in exchange for minor leaguers Steve Karsay (Number 50) and Jose Herrera
July 31, 1994 – Baseball Hall of Fame inducts New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, Number 10 and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton, Number 32
July 31, 1997 – Oakland A’s first baseman Mark McGwire, Number 25 became the MLB’s top home run hitter to be traded in the middle of a season when he moves from Oakland to St. Louis Cardinals (34 home runs and 81 RBI)
July 31, 2007 – The NBA’s Boston Celtics obtained the rights of former MVP and 10-time All-Star player Kevin Garnett, who Number 5 with the Celtics in a 7-for-1 deal with Minnesota Timberwolves; then the NBA’s biggest ever trade for one player
TV SPORTS MONDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Philadelphia at Miami | 6:40pm | NBCS-PHI Bally Sports |
| Milwaukee at Washington | 7:05pm | Bally Sports MASN/2 |
| Tampa Bay at NY Yankees | 7:05pm | MLBN Bally Sports YES |
| Baltimore at Toronto | 7:07pm | MLBN MASN/2 Sportsnet |
| LA Angels at Atlanta | 7:20pm | Bally Sports |
| Cincinnati at Chi. Cubs | 8:05pm | Bally Sports MARQ |
| Cleveland at Houston | 8:10pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-SW |
| San Diego at Colorado | 8:40pm | Bally Sports ATTSN-RM |
| Boston at Seattle | 9:40pm | MLBN Root Sports NESN |
| Arizona at San Francisco | 9:45pm | MLBN Bally Sports NBCS-BAY |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup: Japan vs Spain | 3:00am | FOX |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup: Costa Rica vs Zambia | 3:00am | FS1 |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup: Canada vs Australia | 6:00am | FOX |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup: Ireland Republic vs Nigeria | 6:00am | FS1 |
| Brasileirão: Goiás vs Grêmio | 7:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Leagues Cup: América vs Columbus Crew | 8:00pm | Apple TV |
| Leagues Cup: Puebla vs Chicago Fire | 8:30pm | Apple TV |
| Leagues Cup: Toluca vs Colorado Rapids | 9:30pm | Apple TV |
| Leagues Cup: Guadalajara vs Sporting KC | 10:00pm | Apple TV |