Category: Sports

PHILADELPHIA — French superstar Kylian Mbappe believes the current French national team packs more attacking punch than the squads that made it to the World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022, as Les Bleus prepare to take on Iraq on Monday with a spot in the knockout round on the line.

France got off to a slow start before turning it on in the second half to defeat Senegal 3-1 in their Group I opener. Mbappe found the net twice, while Michael Olise drew widespread acclaim for his second-half performance — a display that underscored the offensive weapons available to manager Didier Deschamps.

“This is a more attacking team than in 2018 and 2022, a team that is much more geared towards going forward,” Mbappe told reporters Sunday.

“The second half was already a glimpse of what we can do when we’re in good technical conditions,” he added.

Mbappe noted that the chemistry between himself, Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue is starting to develop, and suggested that bond could make France harder and harder to stop as the tournament moves forward.

“We had that connection with Michael because the four of us in attack managed to be perfectly coordinated in terms of movement, positioning and rotations,” Mbappe said.

“With this type of movement and rotation, maybe tomorrow it will be two other attacking players who shine more. The advantage of this team is having so much talent. We are very aware of the quality we have up front,” he continued.

The France captain also pushed back on criticism that Ballon d’Or winner Dembele had an underwhelming outing against Senegal. After watching the match twice, Mbappe came to his teammate’s defense.

“In the first half, he’s the best attacker out of the four. He’s the one who makes our play flow the most,” Mbappe said.

“Then in the second half, Michael and I were decisive, but Ousmane also contributed,” he added.

Mbappe credited Dembele’s off-ball movement with creating the space that helped France’s attack break open in the second half.

“That doesn’t show up in the statistics but it’s very important because otherwise we wouldn’t have scored,” he said. “Ousmane is very calm. He’s the Ballon d’Or winner. He has the confidence of the team and the staff. I’m sure from tomorrow onwards he will continue moving forward and grow stronger.”

Dembele had a standout club season, scoring 35 goals across all competitions as Paris St Germain claimed their first-ever Champions League title.

Deschamps acknowledged that Dembele plays in a more advanced role at the club level than he does for the national team. “He is really playing further forward at his club, which is not the case here,” the manager said. “Those are some adjustments we have to make.”

A French victory over Iraq on Monday would punch their ticket to the round of 32 with one group match still remaining — a Friday showdown with Norway.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter will not be taking the mound anytime soon after landing on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle impingement. The move was made official on Sunday and is retroactive to Friday, meaning Leiter missed what would have been his scheduled start against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.

To fill his spot on the active roster, the Rangers called up right-hander Jose Corniell from their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock.

The 26-year-old Leiter has had a difficult season, going 3-7 with a 5.29 ERA across 15 starts covering 80 innings. Since Texas selected him with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, Leiter has compiled a 13-20 record and a 4.95 ERA over three seasons, appearing in 53 games — 50 of which were starts.

Corniell, who turns 23 on Monday, got his first taste of big league action last season when he appeared in one relief outing for the Rangers. In that appearance, he gave up four runs — three of them earned — on three hits over 1 2/3 innings.

At the Triple-A level this season, Corniell carries an 0-2 record and a 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. Ranked as the Rangers’ fourth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, Corniell became part of the organization on December 15, 2020, when Texas acquired him in a trade that sent right-hander Rafael Montero to the Seattle Mariners.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum will remain with the Atlanta Hawks after agreeing to a one-year contract extension worth $21 million, according to multiple reports released Sunday.

According to McCollum’s agent, Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management, the deal includes a trade kicker. The 13-year NBA veteran had been on track to become a free agent on June 30, which was the deadline for him to qualify for an extension.

The 34-year-old McCollum came to Atlanta via a trade that sent four-time All-Star guard Trey Young to Washington. He quickly made his presence felt, helping the Hawks build a 2-1 series lead over the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.

One of McCollum’s most memorable moments came in Game 3 in New York, where he dropped 32 points and hit a crucial 15-foot fadeaway jumper that gave Atlanta the series advantage.

Over 41 games with the Hawks, McCollum put up an average of 18.7 points per game. During that stretch, Atlanta went 18-2 in a late-season surge that carried the team into the postseason.

Originally selected 10th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Draft, McCollum hit at least 150 three-pointers for the 11th consecutive season — a feat no other NBA player has matched every year since the 2015-16 season.

Across 863 career games, including 750 starts, McCollum has averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while suiting up for the Trail Blazers, Hawks, Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans.

McCollum also has a storied college history. He became a March Madness legend when he scored 30 points to lead 15th-seeded Lehigh to a stunning 75-70 upset of second-seeded Duke in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Miami Marlins shuffled their roster before Sunday’s matchup with the visiting San Francisco Giants, sending catcher Liam Hicks to the 10-day injured list and cutting ties with infielder Christopher Morel through a designation for assignment.

To replace the departing players, Miami brought outfielder Griffin Conine back from the 60-day injured list after recovering from a hamstring injury, and summoned catcher Brian Navarreto from their Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville.

Hicks’ placement on the injured list, stemming from a lower back strain, was made retroactive to Saturday. He had already been pulled from the lineup the night before due to the injury, with the official IL move finalized just before Sunday’s first pitch.

The loss of Hicks is a significant blow to Miami’s offense. The catcher leads the team with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs while batting .278 across 73 games this season. His strong production had even earned him playing time at first base and as a designated hitter when he wasn’t catching.

Morel, 26, joined the Marlins during the offseason but never found his footing in Miami. In 22 games, he batted just .162 without hitting a single home run, striking out 28 times in 68 at-bats.

Manager Clayton McCullough offered kind words for the departing player. “Chris is a real pro,” McCullough said. “He handled himself well through the difficult tenure here and (we) wish him the best.”

Conine, 28, had shown promise earlier this year, hitting .273 with two home runs and four RBIs in 11 games before tearing his left hamstring and landing on the injured list.

Navarreto, 31, brings extensive minor league experience to the roster, having spent 13 seasons in the minors. He appeared in two games for Miami back in 2020 and had a brief return with the club last season, going 4-for-14 with one homer, two doubles, and five RBIs in eight games. This season with Jacksonville, he was batting .211 with one home run and nine RBIs in 23 games before the call-up.

The Marlins also moved right-handed pitcher Josh Ekness to the 60-day injured list due to a right calf strain, a move that freed up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster.

Tennis icon Serena Williams is heading back to Wimbledon singles competition after the All England Club awarded her the tournament’s final wildcard on Sunday.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion had already secured a spot in the doubles draw alongside her sister Venus through a separate wildcard, marking her first return to the championships in four years. But Sunday’s announcement confirmed she’ll also be competing solo.

The tournament made the news official through its Instagram account with a simple but emphatic message: “This is not a drill.”

The addition of the 44-year-old mother of two to the singles draw gives the Grand Slam event a major storyline heading into its June 29 start date. Williams, who holds 23 Grand Slam singles titles and is widely considered the greatest female tennis player in history, had stepped away from the court for four years before recently making her way back to competitive play.

Earlier this month, she played doubles at the Queen’s Club championships alongside Canada’s Victoria Mboko, and she also took part in doubles competition in Berlin this week.

Her last singles appearance at Wimbledon came in 2022 — also as a wildcard — when she fell to Harmony Tan in the opening round. Following that year’s U.S. Open, Williams said she would “evolve away from tennis,” though she never made an official retirement announcement.

Wildcards at Wimbledon are typically given to players whose current rankings don’t qualify them for automatic entry. They are generally reserved for home-country players, those with exceptional career achievements, or notable players making comebacks from injury.

Williams first set foot on Wimbledon’s courts back in 1998, advancing to the third round of singles. She claimed her first title there in 2002, defeating her older sister Venus in the final. From there, she became the defining force in women’s tennis, accumulating a combined 319 weeks as the WTA’s world number one.

She went on to win additional Wimbledon singles titles in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Alongside Venus, she also captured six doubles titles at the grass-court major.

Czech tennis player Linda Noskova captured her first-ever grass court title on Sunday, defeating American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Berlin Open final to claim her second WTA singles championship overall.

Noskova, seeded eighth in the tournament, used her third break point opportunity to take control and win the opening set. Pegula, who had won the Berlin title in 2024, battled back strongly in the second set to even the match and push it to a deciding third set.

However, Noskova held her nerve in the final set, breaking Pegula’s serve early and holding on to close out the victory.

Speaking after her win, an emotional Noskova offered praise for her opponent. “Wow what a week. Obviously I want to congratulate Jessie. You’re incredible and a very tricky player to play on whatever surface. It was really tough to play you in the final,” she said.

She also had a lighthearted comment about her new hardware: “I don’t know where I’m gonna put this trophy, it’s too heavy!”

Currently ranked 13th in the world, Noskova is expected to crack the top 10 for the first time following the result. Pegula, meanwhile, saw her bid for a second Berlin title in three years come up short, despite having defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.

Sunday’s final did not go off without a hitch — extreme weather forced the evacuation of spectators before play could begin, and tournament organizers later issued an apology after receiving criticism over how staff handled the evacuation process.

Forward Jason Dickinson has committed his future to the Edmonton Oilers, agreeing Sunday to a five-year contract worth $20 million that keeps the veteran off the open market.

Dickinson came to Edmonton as part of a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 4. In that deal, the Oilers sent forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 to Chicago in exchange for Dickinson and Colton Dach.

The 30-year-old forward put up 17 points — seven goals and 10 assists — across 64 games split between Chicago and Edmonton this past season. Without this new deal, he would have been eligible to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent starting July 1.

Over his NHL career, Dickinson has appeared in 566 games with the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Blackhawks, and Oilers, accumulating 172 total points on 75 goals and 97 assists. He originally entered the league after Dallas selected him with the 29th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Rainy conditions in Chicago forced Sunday’s scheduled series finale between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cubs off the calendar, with officials announcing the game will be rescheduled.

The makeup contest is set for August 6, a date that had been a day off for both franchises.

The weekend series had its share of drama before the rainout. Chicago dominated Friday’s opener with a lopsided 16-2 victory, but the Cubs couldn’t hold on to a five-run advantage the following day, ultimately falling to Toronto 8-6 on Saturday.

With the series now complete, the Cubs head out on the road for a seven-game trip beginning Monday, starting with the first of four games against the New York Mets.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays head home to Toronto to kick off a 10-game homestand, opening with a three-game set against the Houston Astros starting Monday.

Guard Jordan Goodwin is set to rejoin the Phoenix Suns, with ESPN reporting Sunday that the free agent has agreed to a three-year contract worth $19 million.

The agreement includes a player option that would kick in during the third and final year of the deal.

The signing comes just one day after guard Collin Gillespie, known for his versatility, reportedly turned down free agency and locked in a four-year, $48 million contract to stay with Phoenix as well.

Goodwin, who is 27 years old, put together a solid season with the Suns last year, appearing in 70 games — including 10 starts — and averaging 8.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Across his NBA career, spanning 220 games and 34 starts with the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, and Suns, Goodwin has averaged 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.

Marie Bouzkova has added a grass-court title to her tennis resume, defeating Emma Navarro in a hard-fought three-set final at the Nottingham Open in the United Kingdom on Sunday.

The fourth-seeded player from the Czech Republic took the match 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3 over third-seeded Navarro, with the contest wrapping up just three minutes short of the three-hour mark.

Bouzkova battled through an ankle injury during the match and delivered four aces on her way to the win. It was her first career title on grass and her fourth singles title overall, following a victory earlier this season in April on red clay in Bogota.

Navarro put up a strong fight, serving up 10 aces of her own and successfully converting 10 of 14 break points, but it was not enough to overcome Bouzkova in the end.

The Toronto Blue Jays have reached a deal to bring infielder Luis Urias over from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, according to a report from The Athletic.

The 29-year-old Urias spent last year with the Athletics, posting a .230 batting average along with eight home runs and 25 RBIs across 96 games. This season he has been playing at the minor league level, where he has put up strong numbers — a .347 average with three home runs and 21 RBIs over 32 games.

According to Sportsnet, Urias is not expected to make a stop at Triple-A Buffalo on his way up. Instead, he will use an upward mobility clause in his contract to report directly to the Blue Jays’ big league club.

His value lies in his versatility across the infield, which makes him a useful backup option should Ernie Clement miss significant time. Clement has been dealing with soreness in his left hip.

Over his career spanning 582 games with the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Athletics, Urias holds a .231 batting average with 60 home runs and 221 RBIs.

Frances Tiafoe dominated compatriot Taylor Fritz on Sunday, winning 6-4, 6-4 to claim the Halle Open title — the most significant championship of his tennis career to date and the first time an American has won the German grass-court ATP 500 event since 1993.

Tiafoe took control from the very start, breaking Fritz’s serve in the opening set while holding firm on his own serve to prevent Fritz from finding any rhythm. He carried that same energy into the second set, pouncing early and controlling rallies from the baseline to seal the straight-sets victory.

The win snapped a seven-match skid for Tiafoe against Fritz, with his only prior win over his fellow American coming back in 2016.

“I don’t even know what clip I was serving in the first set, but I felt like I couldn’t miss one,” Tiafoe said after the match. “I returned really well. I had no troubles on my serve the whole match, and it just feels good to get this done. He’s a hell of a player and a hell of a competitor too. I knew he was going to make it hard out there at the end and I played some great tennis. Luck was on my way a little bit.”

The 28-year-old surrendered just seven points on serve throughout the entire final, capping a remarkable first appearance at the Halle event. The title is his fourth on the ATP Tour and his first in three years.

During the week, Tiafoe also recorded three victories over top-10 opponents, including wins against world number 10 Flavio Cobolli and number four Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Heading into Sunday’s final, Tiafoe had been winless in four finals at the ATP 500 level or above, including a loss to Fritz himself in Tokyo in 2022. He had also endured a grueling five-hour, 26-minute fourth-round defeat to Matteo Arnaldi at the French Open earlier this month.

“This is big. I just want to say one of my favourite scriptures: ‘The pain that you’re feeling does not compare to the joy that is coming.’ Obviously, that has been proven very true,” Tiafoe said. “It’s something I’ve been living by.”

As a result of the Halle title, Tiafoe will jump nine spots to 19th in the ATP world rankings on Monday, giving him a significant confidence boost heading into Wimbledon, which kicks off on June 29.

The Chicago White Sox made a roster move Sunday, bringing right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks back from the 15-day injured list before their series finale against the Detroit Tigers.

To clear a spot for Hicks, the team sent right-hander Tyler Davis down to Triple-A Charlotte.

Hicks, who is 29 years old and in his first year with Chicago, owns a 0-1 record along with one save, three holds, and a 5.60 ERA across 20 relief outings this season. He was placed on the injured list on May 23 — with the designation backdated to May 21 — after suffering a right lat strain.

During his time on a rehab assignment with Charlotte, Hicks pitched in three games, going 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA. Over 2 2/3 innings of work, he surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks.

Davis, a 27-year-old rookie, had been called upon 22 times in relief this season before being optioned down. He finishes his time on the active roster with a 2-3 record and a 4.63 ERA, having given up 12 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings pitched. Opposing batters hit just .198 against him, going 16-for-81.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Barring a stunning collapse, two stories could have happy endings when the final round of the U.S. Open wraps up at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday.

The first belongs to Wyndham Clark, who enters the final 18 holes sitting on a six-shot lead. In the entire history of the U.S. Open, no player has ever blown a lead that large after 54 holes. In fact, the last time a golfer lost a five-shot lead at this major was 107 years ago.

The second potential winner is the USGA itself.

Shinnecock Hills, the Long Island course known for its sandy soil and vulnerability to wind and sun, has twice turned the U.S. Open into a near-unmanageable ordeal. In 2004, not a single player finished the final round under par. Then in 2018, several greens became nearly unplayable during the afternoon, creating widespread chaos — and producing the most recent U.S. Open where the winning score finished above par.

This year has been a different story. John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief competitions officer, said the plan was to start the week on the gentler side and allow conditions to naturally become more demanding as the tournament progressed.

Clark, who captured the U.S. Open title at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023, has made that plan look almost irrelevant with the quality of his play. He has set a new Shinnecock scoring record after each of the first three rounds, combining long-range putting, a sharp short game, and a highlight-reel 3-wood that produced the tournament’s only eagle of the week on the par-5 16th hole.

Heading into Sunday, Clark stood at 7-under par, totaling 203 for the tournament. Behind him, only four other players had managed to reach 1-under par, with four more sitting at even par.

The final round will answer whether Clark can become the first wire-to-wire U.S. Open champion since Martin Kaymer won at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014 — or whether Scottie Scheffler can mount a birthday comeback on his 30th birthday to complete the career Grand Slam.

The Minnesota Twins activated left-handed pitcher Kendry Rojas on Sunday, ending his rehab assignment with Triple-A Saint Paul and removing him from the 15-day injured list.

Rojas had been out of action since May 29, when the team placed him on the injured list due to inflammation in his left elbow. During that time, the Twins played 24 games without him.

Before rejoining the big league club, the 23-year-old took the mound Thursday in a rehab outing against Omaha, giving up five runs on five hits over just 1 1/3 innings pitched.

Despite the rough rehab appearance, Rojas has put together solid numbers with Minnesota this season. In five appearances — including one start — he carries a 1-0 record with a 1.26 ERA.

In a related roster move, the Twins also designated right-hander Justin Lawrence for release or assignment on Sunday. The 31-year-old Lawrence appeared in seven relief outings for Minnesota this season, finishing with a 0-1 record and an 18.00 ERA.

Wyndham Clark is on the verge of capturing his second U.S. Open title after posting a dominant performance through the first three rounds at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, building a six-stroke cushion over the rest of the field.

The 2023 champion stands at seven under par through 54 holes and is set to tee off at 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) Sunday alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler as he chases another major championship.

Scheffler, who is playing on his 30th birthday, finds himself in a four-way tie for second place at one under par. The world’s top-ranked player is chasing a career Grand Slam, having already claimed last year’s PGA Championship and British Open titles.

Joining Scheffler in that second-place group are South Korea’s Tom Kim and Americans Sahith Theegala and Sam Stevens.

The odds are heavily in Clark’s favor heading into the final round. Of the 21 players in major championship history who have carried a six-shot lead or better into the final round, all but one went on to lift the trophy.

The U.S. Open has long been regarded as golf’s most grueling test, and Shinnecock Hills lived up to that reputation on Saturday as even the sport’s elite struggled with the demanding conditions.

Back-to-back Masters champion Rory McIlroy had a difficult day, carding a 73 that included five bogeys on the back nine, dropping him to three over for the tournament and out of contention. PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai also struggled, shooting a 72 to finish alongside McIlroy on the leaderboard.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev has revealed that a faulty glucose monitoring device left him feeling severely ill during his Halle Open semi-final defeat against Taylor Fritz on Saturday.

Zverev dropped the match 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 in a contest that stretched two hours and 39 minutes. The loss continued a difficult recent stretch against the American, with Zverev having dropped their previous six head-to-head matchups.

Speaking after the match, the world number three explained what went wrong with his health. “I had huge problems with the sugar because the sensor I use gave me a completely incorrect reading. It indicated very high values when they were actually low, so I injected much more insulin than I should have,” he said.

“During the match, or rather during the first 45 minutes, I had to consume about 350 grams of sugar. I felt absolutely terrible,” Zverev added.

Even so, the German star was quick to give credit where it was due. “Nevertheless, I fought, gave it my all, and in the end, it must also be acknowledged that Taylor (Fritz) deserved the win. He played better than me today.”

Zverev was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of four and relies on Medtronic technology to help manage his glucose levels both on and off the tennis court.

He noted that this kind of malfunction was completely unprecedented in his experience. “This is the first time something like this has happened to me. I’ve been using these sensors since 2016 or 2017, and in nine years, I had never seen such a big error,” he said.

Zverev also made clear that the incident would not affect his preparation for Wimbledon, which is scheduled to run from June 29 to July 12.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were dealt a significant setback Saturday when the team placed right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka on the 15-day injured list with a left glute strain and outfielder Jordan Lawlar on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right hamstring.

To fill the vacated roster spots, Arizona brought up outfielder Tim Tawa and rookie left-handed pitcher Philip Abner from their Triple-A affiliate in Reno.

Both players had been in the starting lineup during Friday’s 9-5 home victory against the Minnesota Twins — and both were hurt during that contest.

Soroka, who is 28 years old, gave up just two hits and no runs in the first inning before he was forced to leave the game after throwing a warmup pitch ahead of the second inning. An MRI confirmed the glute injury, and the team expects him to miss a minimum of four weeks.

Through 15 starts this season — his first with Arizona — Soroka has compiled an 8-3 record with a 3.07 ERA, 17 walks, and 79 strikeouts across 82 innings pitched.

Over the course of his career, Soroka is 28-29 with a 3.73 ERA, 157 walks, and 458 strikeouts in 497 2/3 innings spanning 106 regular-season appearances, including 84 starts. He has suited up for the Atlanta Braves from 2018 to 2020 and again in 2023, the Chicago White Sox in 2024, the Washington Nationals in 2025, the Chicago Cubs in 2025, and the Diamondbacks. He earned a National League All-Star selection and finished as the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2019, though he missed the entire 2021 and 2022 seasons due to Achilles injuries.

Lawlar went 2-for-4 against the Twins on Friday before exiting the game after legging out a bunt single in the eighth inning. The 23-year-old also underwent an MRI on Saturday.

In 12 games this season, Lawlar is hitting .316 — going 12-for-38 — with one home run and four RBIs. He had previously been sidelined after suffering a fractured right wrist when struck by a pitch on April 2, before returning to the lineup on June 12.

For his career, Lawlar is batting .207 — 28-for-135 — in 54 games spread across parts of the 2023, 2025, and current seasons. Arizona originally selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Abner, 24, has appeared in two relief outings for Arizona this year, posting a 17.18 ERA with two walks and three strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. At Reno, the left-hander went 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA, recording nine walks and 23 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings across 22 relief appearances.

Tawa, 27, batted .169 — 10-for-59 — with one home run and eight RBIs in 29 games with Arizona this season. He was swinging the bat much better at Reno, where he hit .351 — 20-for-57 — with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 15 games.

Kyle Schwarber put on a power display Saturday, blasting three home runs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a dominant 15-3 victory over the visiting New York Mets.

Bryce Harper turned in one of baseball’s rarest individual achievements, hitting for the cycle while going 4-for-5. The performance helped Philadelphia snap a two-game losing streak. Starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez improved to 9-3 on the season after limiting the Mets to just one run on five hits across six innings.

Two of Schwarber’s home runs came during a massive third inning in which Philadelphia sent 12 batters to the plate and put up eight runs. That outburst drove out Mets starter Freddy Peralta, who fell to 5-6 after surrendering 10 runs on 10 hits in just 2 2/3 innings. Schwarber added his third homer in the seventh inning, pushing his season total to 28 — four more than any other player in the majors. Mark Vientos and Carson Benge each went deep for New York, but the Mets saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.

Tigers 4, White Sox 1

Dillon Dingler recorded two hits, including his team-leading 17th home run, and drove in two runs as Detroit beat Chicago at home to clinch the series. James Outman and Jake Rogers each added an RBI for the Tigers, backing starter Troy Melton, who improved to 4-0 after allowing a leadoff homer but then retiring every batter he faced the rest of the way through six innings. Kenley Jansen earned his ninth save of the year, his second on consecutive days. Sam Antonacci reached base four times for Chicago, including the team’s only RBI on that leadoff homer. Opener Sean Newcomb retired all nine batters he faced, but Joe Rock dropped to 0-1 after surrendering the lead in Detroit’s two-run sixth.

Reds 10, Yankees 2

Rookie Sal Stewart drove in six runs and Spencer Steer launched a three-run homer as Cincinnati rolled to a lopsided win over host New York. Stewart matched his career high in RBIs, while fellow rookie Edwin Arroyo contributed four of Cincinnati’s 15 hits. Starter Andrew Abbott improved to 5-4 after allowing one run on five hits over five innings — his first victory in five outings. Paul Goldschmidt gave the Yankees an early advantage with a solo homer in the first inning, but New York went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Will Warren fell to 7-2 after giving up six runs — two earned — on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, as the Yankees suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season.

Braves 4, Brewers 3

Ozzie Albies delivered twice, including a walk-off two-run homer in the ninth inning, as Atlanta topped visiting Milwaukee. The Braves have now won the first two games of the series between the National League division leaders, handing Milwaukee its third consecutive loss. It was Atlanta’s fifth walk-off victory of the season. Dylan Lee improved to 3-0 after throwing a scoreless ninth to earn the win, while Aaron Ashby fell to 10-1 with the loss. Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison gave up two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings. Atlanta’s Chris Sale was making his first appearance in 10 days, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two unearned runs on five hits.

Rockies 2, Pirates 1

Jake McCarthy hit an inside-the-park home run and added a double, Tomoyuki Sugano delivered six solid innings to outpitch Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes, and Colorado held on through a wild ninth inning to beat the Pirates in Denver. Sugano improved to 8-4 by scattering four hits over six innings, and Jaden Hill recorded the final two outs for his second save. Spencer Horwitz homered and singled for Pittsburgh, which opened the game with back-to-back hits but managed just four more the rest of the way. Skenes dropped to 6-7 despite allowing only two runs on four hits while striking out eight over six innings.

Red Sox 5, Mariners 1

Wilyer Abreu hit a home run and Connelly Early bounced back from a rough first inning to deliver a quality start as Boston defeated host Seattle. The Red Sox have taken the first two games of the series heading into Sunday. Early improved to 6-5, going six innings and allowing just one run on two hits after dropping his previous three starts. Seattle starter Emerson Hancock fell to 5-4 after being charged with five runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Twins 16, Diamondbacks 8

Byron Buxton’s grand slam headlined a 10-run fifth inning that carried Minnesota to a big road win in Phoenix. Brooks Lee went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs, Victor Caratini had three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, Ryan Kreidler added three hits and four RBIs, and Luke Keaschall chipped in three hits and three runs for Minnesota, which has won five of its last six. Starter Taj Bradley improved to 6-3 after allowing two runs on three hits over five innings. For Arizona, Jorge Barrosa homered and doubled, Pavin Smith had two hits and an RBI, Tommy Troy added two hits, and Ildemaro Vargas delivered a three-run double. Starter Zac Gallen fell to 3-6 after allowing career-high totals of nine runs and 12 hits in four-plus innings.

Nationals 4, Rays 3

Andres Chaparro pushed across the go-ahead run, Washington’s bullpen was dominant over 6 1/3 innings, and the Nationals evened their series with Tampa Bay. CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews each hit solo home runs, with Crews going 2-for-4. Nasim Nunez was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI as Washington won against the Rays for the first time in six tries. Mitchell Parker improved to 3-3, and Brad Lord and Clayton Beeter — who earned his fifth save — combined to allow just one run and four hits while striking out nine. For Tampa Bay, Junior Caminero went 3-for-3 with a run, an RBI and an intentional walk but made a costly baserunning mistake in the seventh inning with the tying runner on third. Yandy Diaz had two hits, and Taylor Walls doubled, scored, walked twice and stole two bases.

Padres 6, Rangers 4

Manny Machado crushed a tiebreaking three-run homer in the 10th inning to lift San Diego over Texas in Arlington. Joe Ross dropped to 0-1 after walking Samad Taylor in the 10th to put runners on first and second, setting the stage for Machado’s 408-foot blast that gave the Padres a 6-3 advantage. In the bottom half, Mason Miller allowed Wyatt Langford’s two-out RBI single but struck out Brandon Nimmo to close it out for his National League-leading 20th save. Walker Buehler went 5 1/3 innings for San Diego, giving up one run on five hits while striking out seven.

Blue Jays 8, Cubs 6

Daulton Varsho and Kazuma Okamoto each hit three-run home runs as Toronto rallied with eight straight runs to defeat host Chicago. Jeff Hoffman improved to 5-4 by tossing a scoreless seventh inning, and Louis Varland earned his 15th save by shutting down the Cubs in the eighth and ninth. Chicago had jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Matt Shaw’s three-run homer in the second and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run shot in the sixth. Jacob Webb fell to 1-2 after allowing three runs, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s RBI single that tied the game and Okamoto’s go-ahead homer in the eighth.

Marlins 6, Giants 3

Heriberto Hernandez delivered a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer during a pivotal four-run fourth inning as host Miami defeated San Francisco, climbing above .500 for the first time since April 13. Max Meyer improved to 8-0 with a 2.80 ERA after allowing seven hits and two runs over five innings. The Marlins also benefited from four San Francisco errors in the first four innings, which produced two unearned runs. Casey Schmitt led the Giants with his 16th homer of the year along with two doubles and two RBIs. Jung Hoo Lee went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. Starter Trevor McDonald fell to 2-5 after hitting three batters and walking three in three innings, giving up five runs — three earned.

Guardians 8, Astros 1

Travis Bazzana put together his first career four-hit game and first multi-homer outing, while Joey Cantillo worked a career-high-tying eight innings as Cleveland rolled past host Houston. Bazzana finished 4-for-4 with three runs and five RBIs — also a personal single-game best. Teammate Kyle Manzardo went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Cantillo improved to 6-3 after surpassing six innings for the first time this season, allowing one run on four hits and striking out nine, tying a season high. Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti fell to 7-3 and continued to struggle in June, allowing a season-worst six runs on six hits over six innings while striking out eight. Arrighetti is now 0-2 with a 6.95 ERA across four starts this month after earning American League Pitcher of the Month honors in May.

Orioles 3, Dodgers 2

Left-hander Trevor Rogers surrendered just one hit over seven scoreless innings and Blaze Alexander drove in two runs with a double as Baltimore held on for a win over host Los Angeles. Rogers improved to 4-7, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finishing with two walks and six strikeouts. The Orioles improved to 2-3 on a West Coast road trip that began in Seattle and will wrap up against the Los Angeles Angels next week. Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto fell to 7-5 after going six innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Shohei Ohtani, returning after missing one game for the birth of his second child, was back in the leadoff spot and hit a ninth-inning home run for Los Angeles, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Angels 7, Athletics 0

Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel hit back-to-back two-run doubles during a four-run sixth inning as Los Angeles blanked the host Athletics in West Sacramento, California. Denzer Guzman homered, and Jo Adell and Donovan Walton each had three hits as the Angels snapped a five-game losing streak against the Athletics and picked up just their second win in the past seven games. Starter Walbert Urena improved to 5-5 after allowing four hits over five scoreless innings. J.T. Ginn dropped to 5-4 for the Athletics after giving up four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

In a milestone moment for the sport, Japan delivered a dominant 4-0 defeat of Tunisia in Group F on Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico — a match that marked the 1,000th game in World Cup history. Ayase Ueda scored twice, helping send the North African side home from the tournament.

Japan, managed by Hajime Moriyasu, had opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. Against Tunisia, they wasted little time getting on the board, taking the lead just four minutes in when a sharp, flowing attack saw Keito Nakamura cut the ball back to Daichi Kamada, who finished to make it 1-0.

Tunisia had already suffered a 5-1 loss to Sweden in their opening match and entered Saturday’s game under new head coach Herve Renard. They found it difficult to handle Japan’s relentless pressing and fluid movement, particularly in the Monterrey heat.

Japan nearly added a second goal in the 11th minute on a right-flank attack, but Tunisia’s Dylan Bronn managed to deflect a low cross away from Kamada. From the ensuing corner kick, goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen made a strong save, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had not fully crossed the line.

Japan continued to control the ball and create pressure, keeping Tunisia’s defense on its heels and denying Renard’s squad any chance to find a foothold in the match. The second goal came in the 31st minute when Ueda pushed toward the top of the penalty area and, with the Tunisian defenders retreating, drove a low shot into the far corner.

Tunisia had no meaningful answer, and Japan put the game out of reach in the 69th minute. A perfectly weighted pass from Kamada split the Tunisian backline, and Junya Ito sprinted through to slot the ball past Dahmen for the third goal.

Ueda wrapped up the scoring with six minutes remaining, expertly guiding a header from Kaishu Sano’s clipped far-post delivery into the top corner. With that goal, Japan became the first Asian nation to score four goals in a single World Cup match.

The victory moved Japan level with the Netherlands on four points in Group F, after the Dutch had earlier thrashed Sweden 5-1. Tunisia became the third team eliminated from the tournament, joining Haiti and Turkey on an early exit.

PHOENIX — Center fielder Byron Buxton launched a grand slam Saturday night, his 24th home run of the season, as the Minnesota Twins put up a stunning 10-run fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The blast tied Buxton with Houston’s Yordan Alvarez atop the American League home run leaderboard and pushed the score to 12-0 in favor of Minnesota. It was the third grand slam of Buxton’s career.

The Twins had already built a 6-0 lead after batting around and plating four runs in the fourth inning. They went even further in the fifth, sending 14 batters to the plate. Brooks Lee, Victor Caratini, Luke Keaschall, and Ryan Kriedler each recorded two hits during that inning. Kriedler capped the outburst with a run-scoring triple that made it 16-0. Lee opened the fifth with a triple and later added a double, finishing with four hits on the night — one home run away from hitting for the cycle.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen exited after surrendering the first three hits of the fifth inning. He was tagged for nine runs on 12 hits across four-plus innings of work.

Reliever Yilber Díaz came in and fared no better, allowing seven hits — including Buxton’s grand slam — and seven runs. He threw 44 pitches and managed just two outs before Philip Abner came on to record the final out of the inning.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — It took just two minutes for Eloy Room to signal that something special was about to unfold. The Curacao goalkeeper stopped Ecuador forward Enner Valencia at close range early in Saturday’s match, and that was only the beginning of a history-making afternoon.

Room went on to record 15 saves in a 0-0 draw with Ecuador in Group E — the most ever recorded in a 90-minute World Cup match. The performance helped Curacao, the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup with a population of roughly 156,000, earn their very first point in the tournament.

Curacao joined fellow first-time World Cup participant Cape Verde in finding an unexpected hero between the goalposts. Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha had similarly helped hold powerhouse Spain to a 0-0 tie in Group H’s opening round.

Room, 37 years old and the eldest player on Curacao’s roster, absorbed wave after wave of Ecuadorean pressure. Among his standout stops was an 18-metre strike from John Yeboah in the 41st minute and a second-half header from Valencia.

Only former United States goalkeeper Tim Howard has made more saves in a single World Cup match — stopping 16 shots in an extra-time loss to Belgium in the round of 16 at the 2014 tournament.

When asked about the record, Room told reporters he wasn’t thinking about statistics during the game, though he jokingly admitted some frustration at falling one stop short of Howard’s mark. He credited the result to the entire team.

Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez offered high praise, saying Room had played the game of his life against the South American side.

For Room, making history is nothing new. Back in 2019, he made more than a dozen saves as Curacao claimed their first-ever Gold Cup victory against Honduras. But performing on the World Cup stage brought an entirely new level of significance — both for the nation and for Room personally.

The Netherlands-born goalkeeper told FIFA earlier this year that his dream since childhood was to reach the World Cup representing Curacao. He became eligible to play for the country through his father and recalled visiting the island during summer vacations as a young boy. He was recruited to join the national team in 2015 by Patrick Kluivert, the former Netherlands international who was managing the side at the time.

The reaction on social media was overwhelming. Room’s Instagram following exploded from fewer than 100,000 to around 700,000 after the match — a surge comparable to what Cape Verde’s Vozinha experienced following his own standout performance.

Standing six feet three inches tall and born near the German border, Room currently plays for Miami FC in the USL Championship. He spent much of his career at Dutch club Vitesse and has also suited up for Columbus Crew in MLS and PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie.

Curacao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Saturday’s match drew royal spectators. Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were both in attendance. Room said the royals joined the team’s celebration afterward, dancing with the players — and that the queen even gave him a kiss.

The emotion of the moment was on full display when a journalist from Curacao leapt to his feet in the Kansas City press box at the final whistle, shouting, “Curacao! We got a point! This is history!”

Head coach Dick Advocaat joked with reporters that his team might have needed Ecuador down four players to actually win the match. In the end, it was one man — Room — who was more than enough to deliver a landmark result for the Caribbean nation.

Jack Draper says having Andy Murray as his new coach has been a game-changer as he prepares to step back onto the court following a lengthy injury absence.

The British tennis player, who climbed to a career-best world ranking of number four in 2025, has been away from competition since April. He withdrew from the Queen’s Club tournament but is scheduled to return to action at Eastbourne on Monday.

Draper, 24, brought Murray onto his coaching staff last month. He credits the former world number one’s extensive experience dealing with injuries and setbacks as what makes him uniquely suited for the role.

“Andy obviously has been through so much in his career – many setbacks, many injuries, many adversities, but he always came through them,” Draper said in an interview published on the Lawn Tennis Association’s website on Saturday.

“He was incredibly good at coming back and showing what he’s all about.”

“Having him in my corner has been great from that aspect as well. It’s nice that he believes in my tennis and it’s about the progress.”

Draper described the two-time Wimbledon champion’s guidance as “amazing support” during his recovery period.

His first match back will be against American fifth seed Brandon Nakashima at Eastbourne, which serves as a warm-up event ahead of Wimbledon. The third Grand Slam of the year is scheduled to run from June 29 through July 12.

INGLEWOOD, California — Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei spoke out Saturday against what he called increasingly difficult and unequal conditions surrounding his team’s preparation for their World Cup showdown with Belgium, set for Sunday.

Throughout the tournament, Iran has been headquartered in Tijuana, Mexico, crossing into the United States only for their Group G matches due to restrictions on the team’s presence in the country — an arrangement that has attracted attention since the competition began.

U.S. officials have indicated that the Iranian squad’s travel situation would continue to be evaluated, and conversations about relaxing certain restrictions have been ongoing.

Ghalenoei told reporters Saturday that the current schedule left his squad with fewer than 16 hours to prepare, forcing them to end their training session early before facing Belgium.

“We only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training,” he said through an interpreter. “We wanted to have optimal physical and technical preparation.”

He noted the situation had actually deteriorated compared to the lead-up to Iran’s opening match, a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, when the team had a full 24 hours available to train.

“The conditions have become even harder,” he said.

The coach directed some of his most pointed remarks at what he saw as a clear inconsistency in how Iran’s travel arrangements have been handled. He said he was informed that his team would have more control over their own scheduling before their third and final group stage match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

“For the third game, they’ve allowed us to decide to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel,” he said. “But what my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?”

“If they’ve managed to do this now, why didn’t they do that for our first game and for this game?” he added.

Despite his complaints about preparation conditions, Ghalenoei offered praise for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing body of world soccer for their efforts to help the situation.

“I know for sure that FIFA and Mr Infantino are doing the utmost to ease these challenges that we are facing,” he said. “I think FIFA did its utmost to minimise the problems we have faced.”

He also acknowledged U.S. authorities for making the entry process smoother once the team arrived in the country.

“Once we entered the United States, they made sure that in customs everything went smoothly,” Ghalenoei said. “I’d like to thank the U.S. for that. But unfortunately, it’s our training time that they did not give us.”

Belgium, who drew 1-1 with Egypt in their opener, are considered the favorites heading into Sunday’s match and had significantly more time to settle in and prepare, according to Ghalenoei.

“Look at the Belgium team. They arrived yesterday noon. They’ve managed to have proper training,” he said.

Still, the Iranian coach expressed confidence in his players heading into the contest. “The Belgian team is a very strong and highly respected team and undoubtedly it’s going to be a tough game tomorrow. But we are also Iranians, and we have good players who have great potential.”

The Baltimore Orioles announced Saturday that catcher Adley Rutschman has been added to the seven-day concussion list, retroactive to Friday, following a strange play during Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

The injury occurred in the ninth inning when Rutschman was running toward first base on a ground ball. Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson attempted to turn a double play and released a throw inside second base at close range, striking Rutschman in the left ear. He was removed from the game, and Seattle went on to claim a 3-0 victory.

Rutschman, 28, missed Friday’s 6-5 defeat to the Dodgers and was also unavailable for Saturday’s contest in Los Angeles.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz expressed sympathy for his catcher’s situation. “Obviously, it sucks for Adley,” Albernaz said. “Especially with concussions and head injuries, it’s tough, and especially the position he plays, with the constant foul tips and balls in the dirt and backswings, plays at the plate. So right now, Rutsch is on the concussion IL and we’ll kind of take it day by day and see where he’s at.”

This is Rutschman’s second stint on the injured list this season. He previously missed time from April 11 through April 21 due to inflammation in his left ankle. On the year, he is batting .254 with 15 doubles, eight home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .787 OPS across 54 games.

Over his career, Rutschman carries a .254 batting average with 69 home runs and 270 RBIs in 559 games. Baltimore selected him with the first overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft out of Oregon State.

To fill the roster vacancy, the Orioles recalled outfielder Michael Siani from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. Siani, 26, has appeared in 160 games over parts of four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds from 2022 to 2023 and the St. Louis Cardinals from 2023 to 2025, posting a .221 average with two home runs and 20 RBIs. In 44 games this season split between Triple-A Oklahoma City, a Dodgers affiliate, and Norfolk, he batted a combined .185.

Wyndham Clark heads into the final round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, sitting six strokes ahead of the field — but the defending champion is hoping Sunday brings a more energetic crowd than what he experienced on Saturday.

The tournament has had to share the sports spotlight this week with several major competing events. On Thursday, massive crowds filled downtown Manhattan for a tickertape parade celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship. Then on Friday, the United States soccer team — a co-host of the upcoming World Cup — faced off against Australia, drawing widespread attention. U.S. Open organizers even set up one of two large screens in the media center to show the soccer match so reporters could follow along.

Clark, who shot an even-par 70 on Saturday and sits at seven under par through 54 holes, expressed disappointment with how the atmosphere felt during the back end of his round.

“It was kind of unfortunate that we’re finishing in the dark and people weren’t really out there because there were some obviously key, big moments, and it did kind of get a little flat,” Clark said.

“Hopefully tomorrow there’s a bunch of fans and stuff, but for me, it’s still really important, and I still felt the moment. It’s just maybe unfortunate that there weren’t all the people there,” he added.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion also acknowledged earlier this week that his standing with fans had suffered following a locker room incident at last year’s event. A later tee time on Saturday only compounded the challenge, as Clark found himself squinting through fading daylight during the closing holes of his third round.

“Sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was leaving, and it was like the tournament was over, and I had to keep myself really focused and in the present,” Clark said. “Hopefully there’s people there tomorrow and it’s a great atmosphere.”

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — In one of the most remarkable results of this World Cup, the small Caribbean nation of Curacao held Ecuador to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, claiming the first World Cup point in the island’s history thanks to a breathtaking goalkeeping performance from Eloy Room.

Just six days after suffering a crushing 7-1 defeat to Germany in their World Cup debut, Curacao — the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament, with a population of roughly 156,000 — dug deep to frustrate the South American side and keep their knockout stage hopes alive.

Room, 37 years old, was the undeniable star of the match, stopping 15 shots in what set a new record for saves in a 90-minute World Cup game. For context, American goalkeeper Tim Howard holds the all-time World Cup saves record with 16, but that came during extra time in the United States’ round-of-16 loss to Belgium back in 2014.

The result also officially confirmed Germany as winners of Group E, while leaving Ecuador — who came into the tournament riding a 19-game unbeaten streak — with just one point from two matches after their earlier 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast. Ecuador’s supporters, who far outnumbered Curacao fans inside the stadium, chanted “Si se puede! (Yes we can!)” throughout the game, but the final whistle told a different story.

When the match ended, Curacao’s players rushed toward Room in celebration, while Ecuador’s fans stood in stunned disbelief, coming to terms with a result they had not anticipated. Ecuador had dominated possession and peppered Curacao’s goal with 26 shots compared to Curacao’s 10, and a late long-range attempt from Angelo Preciado rattled the crossbar, nearly breaking the deadlock.

When FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, critics argued the tournament would be watered down by lopsided matchups. While Curacao’s heavy loss to Germany seemed to validate those concerns, Saturday’s gutsy performance against Ecuador suggested the gap between established soccer powers and newer nations may be smaller than many assumed.

Both Ecuador and Curacao had arrived in Kansas City searching for their first points of the tournament. For Curacao, they found something far greater — a historic moment that will be remembered for generations.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have sidelined reliever Blake Treinen, placing the right-hander on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. The move was announced before Saturday evening’s game at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

To fill the vacancy on the roster, the Dodgers recalled right-hander Chayce McDermott from their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Treinen, who will turn 38 on June 30, is currently in his sixth year with Los Angeles. Through 29 relief outings this season, he carries a 4-1 record with a 3.52 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 10 walks, and one save. The 2018 All-Star has built an impressive career resume, posting a 49-42 record, 83 saves, and a 2.93 career ERA across 560 appearances — including seven starts — with the Washington Nationals from 2014 to 2017, the Oakland Athletics from 2017 to 2019, and the Dodgers during the 2020-22 and 2024-26 seasons. Over that span, he has recorded 621 strikeouts against 233 walks.

McDermott, 27, is making his second trip to the major leagues this season. His lone prior appearance with the Dodgers came on May 17 against the Angels, when he threw one scoreless inning and struck out a batter. At the big league level, he holds a 0-1 record and an 11.85 ERA over six games, including two starts, having previously seen limited action with the Orioles over the past two seasons.

PHILADELPHIA — It was a night full of historic moments for the Philadelphia Phillies as they dominated the New York Mets on Saturday. Kyle Schwarber slugged two massive home runs in a single inning, and Bryce Harper accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle during an eight-run third inning explosion.

Schwarber got things started by leading off the Phillies’ big third inning with a solo blast off Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. The ball traveled 456 feet, landing in the second deck in right field. Later in that same inning, he connected again — this time a three-run shot off Cionel Perez — sending the ball 457 feet to nearly the identical spot.

With those two blasts, Schwarber became the 67th player in major league history to homer twice in the same inning, and only the second to do it this season. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez was the first, accomplishing the feat on June 12. Schwarber also joined a short list of Phillies players to achieve the milestone, alongside Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985), and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).

Schwarber wasn’t done. In the seventh inning, he launched a two-run home run off Tobias Myers for his third homer of the night, giving him a major league-leading 28 on the season.

Meanwhile, Harper completed the first cycle of his career before the game even reached the fifth inning. He opened with a solo home run in the first — his 16th of the year — then doubled and scored on an error in the third, followed by a single after Schwarber’s second home run. In the fifth, Harper lined a ball into the left-center gap and raced around the bases for a two-run triple, completing the cycle.

Harper is now the 11th player in Phillies history to hit for the cycle and the first to do so since Weston Wilson turned the trick on Aug. 15, 2024.

Milwaukee Brewers skipper Pat Murphy revealed Saturday that he plans to go under the knife for back surgery on the team’s upcoming Thursday off-day — just one day before Milwaukee hosts the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series.

The 67-year-old manager is also scheduled to have hip surgery on July 13, when the All-Star break begins. Murphy said he does not anticipate missing any games as a result of either operation.

Murphy said the back problems flared up severely earlier this month while the Brewers were on the road playing the Athletics in Las Vegas. He had an MRI done last Sunday, which revealed a ruptured disc.

The pain, Murphy said, has been difficult to bear — recently describing it as a sharp, shooting sensation through his leg and back whenever he tries to get up.

“I can’t live like that,” Murphy told reporters. “… I’m having the surgery so it works out good.”

The two-time National League Manager of the Year added with a laugh, “So I’ll have that on Thursday. And I’ll be fine by Friday. Jumping jacks by Saturday.”

Murphy explained that the back pain is connected to his ongoing hip issue, which has also been bothering him during the 2025 season.

Now in his third year leading the Brewers, Murphy has guided the club to postseason appearances in each of his first two seasons, earning the top manager honor both times. His overall record with Milwaukee stands at 235-163. He also previously served as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, going 42-54 in that role.

Despite a 4-3 loss Saturday to the host Atlanta Braves — where Ozzie Albies delivered a walk-off two-run home run — Milwaukee still sits atop the National League Central with a 45-29 record.

Guard Collin Gillespie is reportedly turning down the open market and choosing to stay put, agreeing to a four-year contract worth $48 million to continue playing for the Phoenix Suns, according to reports released Saturday.

Gillespie had a standout season as a long-range shooter, knocking down 232 three-pointers to set a new franchise record. The previous mark of 226 had been held by Quentin Richardson, set during the 2004-05 season.

The versatile guard also put up career-best numbers across the board last season, averaging 12.7 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game over 80 appearances, including 58 starts. He connected on 40.1% of his shots from beyond the arc.

His chemistry with Suns standout Devin Booker in the backcourt was seen as a key reason Phoenix was eager to retain him. The Suns surprised many by finishing with a 45-37 record last season before being eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Gillespie’s path to the NBA was anything but conventional. After earning third-team All-American recognition in each of his final two seasons at Villanova, he went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 24 games for the Denver Nuggets during the 2023-24 season before landing in Phoenix, where he played in 33 games — nine of them starts — during the 2024-25 campaign.

Uruguay’s head coach Marcelo Bielsa is not holding back when it comes to the new hydration breaks at the World Cup, saying the stoppages strip football of its cultural identity while adding nothing of value to the game.

FIFA implemented the three-minute breaks at the midpoint of each half in response to intense heat conditions across host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, the policy has sparked debate among players and coaches throughout the tournament.

Those opposed to the breaks argue they effectively divide soccer into four quarters rather than two halves, and primarily exist to give broadcasters a window for commercial advertising — a point of frustration among longtime fans of the sport.

“Playing four times instead of two alters the conception of what had been culturally built to interpret football,” Bielsa told reporters.

“This change of culture does not add anything and takes away a lot. I will just say that before this decision, football had a characteristic, now it has another. People fall in love with the game because of its characteristics.”

Bielsa acknowledged that some technology, like VAR, has been a welcome addition to the sport, but drew a distinction between that and the hydration breaks. “Of course technology like VAR, we commend it and value it. Technology offers more opportunities. There is another intention for the breaks and the conclusions I’m making here are not really my own. I also echo what I hear as well,” he said.

Uruguay will face Cape Verde in their second group stage match on Sunday, with the group tightly bunched — all four teams currently sitting on one point apiece. Cape Verde recently held European champions Spain to a scoreless draw through disciplined defensive play, and Bielsa said his team has taken note heading into the matchup.

Reflecting on Uruguay’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia, Bielsa pointed to the challenges his squad faced breaking down a deep defensive setup. “We did have a lot of possession and very few chances created in the first half,” he said, adding that the team already has a formation plan in place for the next game. “In the second half, it was agile and offensive possession, dynamic in nature with a high level of mobility.”

Striker Darwin Nunez struggled to make an impact against Saudi Arabia, managing just one shot before being substituted at halftime. The 26-year-old has now gone 14 consecutive Uruguay appearances without finding the net, drawing criticism from observers. Despite speculation about his confidence, Bielsa pushed back on the notion that motivation is a concern.

“Any footballer who is taking part at the World Cup doesn’t need any motivation,” Bielsa said. “The consequences, the scope, the magnificence of such a high-calibre tournament — anyone taking part makes them highly driven and justifiably so.”

On a lighter note, Bielsa was asked whether any of his players might follow the example of Spain’s Marc Cucurella, who pledged to get a tattoo of his coach if Spain wins the World Cup. Bielsa shut down the idea quickly. “This is not going to happen,” he said flatly, drawing laughter from those in the room.

A stunning back-nine collapse has ended Rory McIlroy’s realistic chances of winning the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.

The Northern Irishman carded five bogeys on the inward nine Saturday, posting a score of 40 on the back nine that has become a troubling pattern throughout the week. Over the course of the tournament, McIlroy has played the front nine at 5 under par while playing the back nine at 8 over — a dramatic and costly split.

After rounds of 69 and 71 to open the championship — which McIlroy himself said had not put him out of contention — he shot a third-round 73, leaving him at 3-over 213 for the tournament. As leader Wyndham Clark was finishing his round, McIlroy trailed by as many as 11 strokes.

The round had actually shown promise early. McIlroy strung together three consecutive birdies at holes 5, 6, and 7, highlighted by a remarkable 66-and-a-half-foot putt that dropped at the par-4 sixth. Standing at 2 under for both the day and the tournament as he made the turn, he appeared to be within striking distance of Clark with 27 holes remaining.

What followed, however, was a series of costly mistakes. At the 10th hole, his approach shot rolled off the back of the green, and his next attempt skidded 22 feet past the pin, resulting in a bogey. He then three-putted from 52 feet at No. 12 for another bogey, and faced a similar challenge two holes later when his approach left him 57 and a half feet from the cup.

By that point in the round, McIlroy ranked 60th out of 72 remaining golfers in strokes gained on approach — his clear weak spot for the day, even as he gained strokes in every other statistical category.

The par-4 15th hole proved to be a particularly rough stretch, as McIlroy’s tee shot found the native area. His third shot from behind the green failed to reach the upper level and trickled back off entirely. He visibly showed his frustration, waggling his club in his left hand the moment he realized the shot had gone wrong.

McIlroy declined to speak with reporters following the round. He missed an 8-foot birdie opportunity at the par-5 16th, found the sand bunker at the par-3 17th before saving par, and closed with yet another bogey after a visit to the native area forced him to punch out away from the pin.

He hit just eight of 18 greens in regulation — well short of the field average for the day.

The two-time reigning Masters champion would need an extraordinary and historic Sunday performance to mount any kind of comeback. His only U.S. Open title came in 2011, which was also his first major championship victory.

The United States punched their ticket to the World Cup knockout rounds by defeating Australia 2-0, but not everyone is celebrating without reservation. Former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena says the performance exposed some real concerns, particularly the team’s lack of creativity without injured star Christian Pulisic.

Arena joined fellow former coaches Bob Bradley and Gregg Berhalter on Saturday’s episode of FanDuel’s Coaches Corner, where the trio weighed in on the victory. While all three acknowledged the team’s physical dominance and strong opening half, they each raised questions about what lies ahead.

“I think I’m probably going to be a little different than Bob and Gregg, but I don’t think the United States played a particularly strong game,” said Arena, who guided the U.S. to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. “A good solid first half. Second half, not too good.”

Pulisic is currently sidelined with a calf injury, and Arena made clear that getting him back on the field is critical as the competition stiffens.

“That’s a big question mark for the U.S. team, how they can get Christian back on the field because they certainly miss him in the attack and the competition is going to get better,” Arena said.

Bradley, who coached the Americans to a group stage victory at the 2010 World Cup, acknowledged Pulisic’s absence changes the team’s dynamic but pointed to their overall athleticism as a strength.

“We miss his creativity and his dribbling,” Bradley said. “But we’re a really athletic team and for the second game in a row, our athleticism really pushed the opponent.”

Berhalter, who led the U.S. to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, said Australia simply couldn’t match the Americans physically.

“Australia are a physical team, a tough team, and they couldn’t deal with what we were giving them physically,” Berhalter said. “It wasn’t the best performance over 90 minutes, but it was certainly enough.”

Berhalter also singled out forward Folarin Balogun for high praise, calling him “sensational” and saying he “terrorises the defence.”

The win was also the team’s first shutout in 10 games — a notable achievement after giving up a goal against Paraguay. However, Bradley cautioned that Australia didn’t truly challenge the U.S. backline.

“The big questions haven’t been put on display yet,” Bradley said.

Up next for the United States is a group finale against Turkey, a team that has already been eliminated after dropping its first two matches. Arena warned not to take the matchup lightly, noting Turkey may actually be the group’s most technically skilled side and will be playing for pride.

Arena drew a comparison to the 2002 tournament, when an already-eliminated Poland beat the U.S. 3-1 in the final group stage game. “They wanted to prove they had pride in themselves as a team,” he said.

Bradley added that Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella would need to rally a disappointed squad heading into the match.

All three coaches also flagged a troubling drop in energy after halftime as something worth monitoring going forward.

“We seem to drop our energy level considerably in the second half,” Berhalter said. “Are we getting to a point where we’re fatigued?”

Arena said the true test of this U.S. squad is still ahead. “We are going to find out a lot more about our team in the round of 32 and then the round of 16,” he said.

Even though wide receiver A.J. Brown has left the Philadelphia Eagles, his old jersey number will still be seen on the field — just on the defensive side of the ball.

According to 94 WIP, Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell is making the switch from jersey No. 30 to No. 11 now that the number has opened up. The number holds personal significance for Campbell, who wore it during his time at Alabama before Philadelphia selected him in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The 22-year-old Campbell had a solid debut season, racking up 80 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery across 17 games, including 10 starts.

Brown’s number became available after the three-time All-Pro receiver was dealt to the New England Patriots earlier this month. In return, the Eagles received a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round selection in 2027.

HOUSTON — American officials are defending the travel restrictions placed on Iran’s national soccer team during the World Cup, while leaving the door open to adjustments as the tournament moves forward, according to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament.

Speaking exclusively with Reuters in Houston on Saturday, Giuliani said the current plan remains in effect but acknowledged the situation could evolve depending on how things unfold game by game.

Iran’s team has voiced frustration over rules requiring them to arrive at match venues no earlier than 24 hours before kickoff and return directly to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after each game. Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, went so far as to describe his squad as “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.”

Despite that criticism, Giuliani said discussions about what comes next are ongoing. He noted that after Iran’s Sunday match against Belgium in Los Angeles, officials will evaluate the situation before deciding what measures will apply to the team’s third group-stage game against Egypt in Seattle on Friday.

“The situation is dynamic,” Giuliani said. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon (after the match against Belgium) they will take the 27-minute flight back to Tijuana. We will see how it goes for match two, and then there will be discussions the day after in terms of what it looks like for match three in Seattle.”

Giuliani also defended the decision to relocate Iran’s training base from Tucson to Tijuana before the tournament began, saying the move actually worked in the team’s favor by cutting down on travel time.

“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana, I think, was good for everybody involved, certainly it reduces their travel time to Los Angeles too,” he said. “Their flight is an hour shorter than it would be from Tucson. And we’re happy with the way that things went for match one in Los Angeles.”

On the topic of visas, Giuliani confirmed that all players and coaches on Iran’s squad received clearance to enter the country. However, he said some team officials were denied visas after officials found concerning information during their review.

“I would just point to the fact that all players have received visas. All the coaches have received visas. There are some team officials that have not received visas, and that’s because we’ve seen some derogatory information on them, and this is the balance that we talk about,” he said.

Giuliani emphasized that the overarching goal of the task force is to protect both American citizens and international visitors attending the tournament.

“We want to make sure we have this incredible soccer tournament, where people are welcome and enjoy the World Cup, while also making sure that we are not just protecting American citizens, but we’re also protecting all those international visitors that are coming here,” he said.

When asked about potential security threats, Giuliani said no credible dangers have been identified, though officials continue to monitor the situation closely around the clock.

“What I can tell you is our intelligence community has tripled down on this since the beginning of this year,” he said. “We’re in discussions every hour on it. But there have been no credible threats at this moment.”

Overall, Giuliani expressed satisfaction with how the first ten days of the World Cup have gone, calling it a fitting celebration tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“Things are going as planned,” he said. “It’s been fantastic to see the great play on the pitch, that seems to be the majority of the conversation, which has been fantastic. I think this is an amazing celebration of America over our 250th birthday, with the World Cup being the incredible highlight.”

Downtown Raleigh was transformed into a sea of red and black on Saturday as an estimated 150,000 fans turned out to celebrate the Carolina Hurricanes’ first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years, according to The News & Observer. The crowd is believed to be a record-breaking turnout for the city.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who also served as team captain when Carolina won its only other Stanley Cup back in 2006, was visibly overwhelmed by the size of the crowd greeting the champions.

“I’m in shock,” Brind’Amour said following the parade through North Carolina’s capital city. “It doesn’t happen very often, but I’m just kind of speechless.”

Thousands of fans arrived well ahead of the parade’s start time, staking out spots along the route and near the stage where a post-parade rally would be held. Players rode through the streets on double-decker buses while Brind’Amour waved to the crowd from a truck traveling the same route.

Supporters dressed in Hurricanes jerseys and waving team flags were still riding high on the team’s Cup victory over the Vegas Golden Knights the previous weekend.

Captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jordan Staal said he tried to prepare his teammates for what to expect — but the reality still exceeded his expectations.

“I was trying to explain to the fellas what I knew was going to happen,” Staal said. “And my expectations were so high because I know these Caniacs, I know what they’re all about, and I was still blown away. I couldn’t even describe how amazing that was.”

At the rally stage, Staal lifted the Stanley Cup above his head to a roaring crowd. Players Andrei Svechnikov and Jordan Martinook took turns sounding the “Storm Warning” siren — the same one that blares when the team hits the ice before home games in Raleigh.

Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon admitted the massive turnout caught him off guard as well.

“I did not expect that, for sure,” Dundon said. “Like, I didn’t know. That’s a lot of people. I was surprised. It’s, also, you know, seeing all the little kids, my guys up there with water guns, and all the little kids in front, thinking about how many people have this connection now and what that’ll mean for the future, is kind of what kind of will hit me.”

Even amid the festivities, the organization found time to conduct some business. General manager Eric Tulsky used the occasion to officially sign forward Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year contract worth $1.75 million. Deslauriers, who had joined the team at the trade deadline, had been set to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Kansas City Royals bolstered their pitching depth on Saturday by inking veteran left-hander Matt Moore to a minor league contract.

Moore’s most recent stint at the major league level came with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024. Prior to that, he had signed a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox last season, though he was let go in April before reaching the big leagues.

Having just celebrated his 37th birthday on Thursday, Moore brings a wealth of experience to the organization. Over 13 big league seasons, he has compiled a 71-66 record with a 4.39 ERA across 369 appearances, including 164 starts, while suiting up for eight different major league clubs. He broke into the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2011 and earned an All-Star selection in 2013, when he posted a career-high 17 wins against just 4 losses and a 3.29 ERA.

For most of his career, Moore worked primarily as a starter, though his last assignment in that role came with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, when he made 13 starts. More recently, he has transitioned to relief work. His most productive stretch out of the bullpen came with the Texas Rangers in 2022, when he appeared in 63 games, posted a 1.95 ERA, and collected five of his six career saves.

A new podcast is taking a close look at how Texas — a state deeply rooted in American football culture — is navigating its role as a World Cup host.

The podcast, titled ‘When the World Comes to Texas,’ features hosts Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning, who have been on the ground reporting on the World Cup as it unfolds across the state.

In a recent episode, Suarez and Corning reflected on what their reporting has revealed about Texas itself — a place where soccer has historically played second fiddle to football, but is now at the center of one of the globe’s most-watched sporting events.

The podcast offers listeners an inside look at the cultural and social dynamics at play as the world’s attention turns to a state that has long defined itself through a very different sport.

History haunts halfway leaders at Shinnecock Hills as US Open continues

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark finds himself in the lead at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, sitting four shots ahead of the field after 36 holes. But if history is any guide, that advantage may not be enough. No player who has led at the halfway point at this course has gone on to win in the past four decades.

Geoff Ogilvy, who captured the title there 20 years ago without ever finishing a round under par, recalled advice he received from Judy Rankin: simply “save every shot.” Last year’s tournament at Oakmont saw J.J. Spaun mount a remarkable comeback victory, underscoring just how unpredictable the U.S. Open can be. Previous champions at Shinnecock Hills — including Brooks Koepka, Retief Goosen, Corey Pavin, and Raymond Floyd — all came from behind to claim the title.

Dylan Wu laughs off five-putt nightmare to start third round

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The third round at Shinnecock Hills got off to a rocky start for Dylan Wu, who was the first player on the course Saturday morning. Playing in heavy winds exceeding 20 mph with even stronger gusts, the 29-year-old five-putted the opening hole. He went on to card an 82, putting him at 16 over par for the tournament.

Still, Wu found a reason to smile. He had barely made the cut Friday, needing to sink a seven-foot putt on the 18th hole just to stay in the field. Getting to spend Father’s Day on the course alongside his dad, Kevin — the person who first introduced him to the game — made it all worthwhile.

Teen and young amateur golfers dubbed ‘future of golf’ at US Open

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Two young amateur players turned heads at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday when 17-year-old Miles Russell and 21-year-old Jackson Koivun were paired together in the third round. TV commentators quickly dubbed the duo the “future of golf.” Russell drew attention early when he launched a tee shot 407 yards on the 18th hole. Both players finished with 4-over-par 74s — solid scores given the brutal conditions, especially for two players making their first major championship weekend appearance.

US men’s soccer team advances to World Cup knockout stage

SEATTLE — The United States men’s national soccer team has secured a spot in the World Cup knockout round, even without injured forward Christian Pulisic. The Americans defeated Australia 2-0 Friday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Pulisic was held out due to a calf injury, but the team’s depth proved more than enough. The U.S. took the lead in the 11th minute on an own goal, and Alex Freeman doubled the advantage in the 43rd minute with a header off a deflected shot — his first career World Cup goal. The Americans later clinched Group D when Paraguay defeated Turkey.

Paraguay’s early goal helps US win Group D

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Paraguay secured a 1-0 victory over Turkey on Saturday, despite playing more than half the match a man short. Matias Galarza found the back of the net just 65 seconds in — the fastest goal of this year’s tournament. Paraguay was reduced to ten men late in the first half after Miguel Almiron received a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation, violating a newly implemented rule. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several crucial saves to protect the lead. The result eliminated Turkey from knockout contention and handed Group D to the United States.

World Cup fears about lopsided games haven’t come true

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — When FIFA announced it was expanding the World Cup to 48 teams, critics warned the larger field would lead to mismatched games and blowout scores. So far, those fears haven’t played out. Through the first 24 matches of the expanded tournament, the goal differential has remained largely in line with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, suggesting the bigger field has not significantly reduced the quality of competition.

Netherlands routs Sweden 5-1 to top Group F

HOUSTON — The Netherlands bounced back from an opening draw with a dominant 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday. Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored twice to lead the way, with Brobbey’s goals coming in the first half to set the tone. The victory gave the Netherlands four points and the top spot in Group F. Sweden, with three points, suffered its worst World Cup loss since falling 7-1 to Brazil back in 1950. Japan and Tunisia were set to face off later Saturday.

Carolina Hurricanes celebrate Stanley Cup with massive Raleigh parade

RALEIGH, N.C. — Thousands of Carolina Hurricanes fans flooded downtown Raleigh on Saturday to celebrate the team’s Stanley Cup championship. Supporters arrived hours early to stake out spots along the parade route or near the rally stage, waving flags and wearing team jerseys as the players made their way through the city. The Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend to claim the Cup for the second time in franchise history, the first coming in 2006. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour was actually a captain on that 2006 championship squad. Reflecting on the outpouring of fan support Saturday, he said he was “kinda speechless.”

Shohei Ohtani announces he’s a father again

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani announced on Instagram that he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, have welcomed a new baby. The couple expressed joy over the safe arrival and thanked their supporters. A photo of tiny feet alongside a blue blanket hinted that the newest addition is a boy, joining the couple’s daughter, who was born in April 2025. Ohtani’s absence from the Dodgers’ lineup Friday first raised questions, with the team announcing he was on paternity leave. Manager Dave Roberts said he had only recently found out the news himself. Ohtani has long kept his personal life out of the public eye.

HOUSTON — A lightning threat in the Houston area turned the end of Saturday’s World Cup match between the Netherlands and Sweden into an unexpected wait for nearly 69,000 fans.

Just moments after the final whistle signaled the Netherlands’ commanding 5-1 victory, stadium officials made an announcement directing spectators to stay put. Warnings were also displayed on the massive video boards at each end of the stadium.

The crowd of 68,777 — which was made up largely of Netherlands supporters — didn’t let the delay dampen the mood. Fans danced and cheered along to music playing inside the venue while they waited for officials to give the go-ahead to leave. The stadium, known as NRG Stadium, is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Weather forecasts for the area predicted rain would continue for roughly another hour after the match ended, with conditions expected to clear up around 2 p.m. local time.

American tennis player Jessica Pegula has eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka from the Berlin Open, defeating the Belarusian star 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 in a hard-fought semifinal on June 20, dealing a blow to Sabalenka’s Wimbledon preparations.

Pegula will now compete in the tournament final against Czech eighth seed Linda Noskova, who punched her ticket to the championship match by defeating Filipino player Alexandra Eala 6-2, 6-4.

Sabalenka, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the French Open, struggled to find her footing from the very beginning of the match. Pegula capitalized on an early break to claim the opening set.

A rain delay interrupted the match’s momentum heading into the second-set tiebreak, which Sabalenka managed to win. However, Pegula bounced back emphatically in the third set, running through it without much resistance.

Reflecting on the match, Pegula — who won the Berlin title in 2024 — described the impact of the weather stoppage: “I told myself after I ended up losing that second-set tiebreak that before the rain delay, I had a lot of momentum. She just hit a double fault. I felt like I kind of had it there and I was serving well.”

“I was in a good rhythm, and then having to get off court and losing that pretty quickly — only winning one point in the tiebreak was a little tough,” Pegula continued. “But she’s No. 1 in the world for a reason and I feel like I gave her too many easy shots and she went for it and that’s just what happens.”

All four of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, with her most recent championship coming at the 2025 U.S. Open. She continues to chase her first Wimbledon title despite reaching the semifinal stage three times. Earlier this year, she fell in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, one year after finishing runner-up to American Madison Keys.

In the other semifinal, Noskova was dominant from the start, breaking early to take the first set with ease. Eala struggled to find answers in the second set, and Noskova closed out the victory to secure her spot in the final.

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has become a father for the second time, sharing the happy news with fans through an Instagram post on Saturday.

Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, shared a heartfelt message alongside the announcement. “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together. Thank you for being born safely,” the couple wrote, also expressing gratitude to their supporters.

The post featured a photo of a newborn’s tiny hands and feet wrapped in a blue blanket, hinting that the couple has welcomed a baby boy. The new arrival joins the couple’s daughter, who was born in April 2025. Adding a sweet touch, a miniature stuffed version of Ohtani’s well-known dog, Decoy, was nestled in the baby’s arms — and Decoy himself made an appearance in a photo at the bottom of the post.

The announcement came as a surprise to many. On Friday, Ohtani’s name was absent from the Dodgers’ lineup card, which was released later than normal. The team explained he was “away from the team on paternity.” His return is anticipated sometime this weekend, when Los Angeles is set to host the Baltimore Orioles.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday night that he had only learned “very recently” that Ohtani was expecting another child.

Known for keeping his personal life out of the spotlight, Ohtani has never publicly shared his daughter’s name and has been careful not to show her face in the occasional family photos he posts online.

Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will not take the mound Saturday as planned after being scratched from his scheduled start against the visiting San Diego Padres. The reason: left knee soreness.

Stepping in to fill the role is left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who will start the second game of the three-game series at Arlington, Texas. Gore is coming off a Monday outing against the Minnesota Twins, meaning he will be pitching on a standard rest schedule.

The 27-year-old Gore carries a 4-6 record and a 4.27 ERA through 15 starts this season. He sits 13th in the American League with 86 strikeouts. Facing the Padres carries a bit of extra meaning for Gore — San Diego was the team that selected him with the third overall pick in the 2017 June amateur draft. In five career starts against his former franchise, he holds a 1-3 record and a 7.04 ERA.

Eovaldi, 36, had been having a solid season before the injury, posting a 6-7 record and a 4.23 ERA over 14 appearances.

On the other side, San Diego will send 31-year-old right-hander Walker Buehler to the hill. Buehler enters Saturday’s contest with a 4-3 record and a 4.14 ERA and will be making his 15th start of the year. Against Texas specifically, he has gone 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA across four career starts.

Jessica Pegula is one match away from capturing her second Berlin Tennis Open championship in three years after knocking off the world’s top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0 in Saturday’s semifinal.

The third-seeded American was relentless against Sabalenka’s second serves, converting 24 of 39 second-service return opportunities — a success rate of 61.5 percent. Pegula broke through five times on 16 break-point chances while holding off six of Sabalenka’s seven attempts to break her serve.

Pegula will square off against either eighth-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic or unseeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in Sunday’s WTA 500 championship match. Eala earned her spot in the semifinals by defeating second-seeded Elena Rybakina and sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina.

In Nottingham, United Kingdom, third-seeded Emma Navarro and fourth-seeded Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic both advanced to Sunday’s final at the Lexus Nottingham Open.

Navarro took down Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 7-6 (5), 6-2, converting six of 18 break points against the 33-year-old in one hour and 59 minutes. The win sets up another final appearance for Navarro, who claimed the International de Strasbourg title on May 23 in France.

Bouzkova needed just 79 minutes to dispatch fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-1. Pliskova struggled throughout, committing seven double faults and winning only 23.7 percent of her first-service return points — just 9 of 38 attempts.

The two finalists, ranked 25th and 27th in the world respectively, have never previously faced each other in singles competition.

Boston said goodbye to the Tartan Army on Saturday as Scotland’s passionate soccer supporters packed their bags and headed south to Miami, leaving the city sleep-deprived, thoroughly entertained, and counting some impressive bar revenue.

Dressed in dark blue jerseys — and some in traditional kilts — Scotland fans rolled luggage through Boston’s streets on their way to buses, trains, and flights heading toward their next destination.

“I wasn’t sure about the States hosting the World Cup but they’ve done us proud really. From the police to the bar staff and the locals, it’s been a really beautiful experience,” said Karl Johnston, a 57-year-old civil servant from Glasgow.

The Scotland faithful descended on Boston in massive numbers for their country’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and by most accounts they out-celebrated every other fan base that passed through the city during the tournament.

A 1-0 loss to Morocco on Friday barely put a dent in anyone’s enthusiasm, largely because Scotland still has a strong chance of advancing to the knockout round after beating Haiti 1-0 in their opening Group C match.

Fans filled bars and spilled into the streets singing well into the early morning hours on Saturday. Bostonians woke up to find traffic cones perched on the heads of the city’s historical statues — a signature move of Scotland’s traveling supporters.

By Saturday morning at South Station, conversations among groups of fans centered largely on which American over-the-counter painkillers worked best.

A Windfall for Local Businesses

While some U.S. hotels and airlines have reported disappointing World Cup revenues due to steep ticket and hospitality prices, Boston’s bars and restaurants experienced the opposite effect thanks to the Scottish invasion.

“We knew the city was going to be busy but we didn’t realise that they were going to drink so much,” said Adam Romanow, founder and chief executive of Boston-based Castle Island Brewing Co.

Romanow noted that beer sales at the famous Cheers bar — the landmark made iconic by the long-running TV series of the 1980s and 1990s — were up 75% compared to the same period last year.

Martha Sheridan, chief executive of Meet Boston, the city’s tourism promotion organization, said bar workers were pulling in nearly $1,000 a day in tips alone, and that both the city and the state of Massachusetts would see a bump in tax revenue.

“But none of that compares to just the pure joy and camaraderie that we’re all experiencing right now,” Sheridan said. “I feel like we have a new lifelong friend in Scotland.”

As for Johnston, he was boarding a bus to New York before catching a flight to Orlando, all to make it to Miami in time for Scotland’s final group match against Brazil on Wednesday.

“Miami Beach, palm trees, samba, Tartan Army,” he said. “It’s football heaven isn’t it?”

Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, was flooded with enthusiastic hockey fans on Saturday as the Carolina Hurricanes took their Stanley Cup championship celebration to the streets. Thousands of supporters showed up hours before the festivities began, lining sidewalks along the parade route and crowding around the rally stage where the team was scheduled to wrap up the party.

The Hurricanes players climbed aboard double-decker buses for the parade, which wound its way past the State Capitol building. Fans greeted the players with screaming, chanting, flag-waving, and a sea of Carolina jerseys — all still riding high after the franchise defeated the Vegas Golden Knights last weekend to claim the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history, the first having come in 2006.

One fan who was impossible to overlook was Carly Goodman, 35, of Raleigh, who planted herself in the front row behind barricades near the rally stage. Decked out in a red Sebastian Aho jersey, she waved an oversized Hurricanes flag and wore a silver “Stanley Cup” chain necklace. She was also sipping from a “beer skate” — a novelty mug shaped like a Hurricanes ice skate that sold out almost instantly during Game 1 of the team’s second-round playoff series against Philadelphia.

Goodman set her alarm for 5 a.m. — “Let my dogs out, they were mad to get up,” she said — and headed straight downtown to lock in her coveted front-row position. For her, the moment carried deep meaning.

“It’s been something special ever since 2006,” Goodman said. “Raleigh’s a small market. We’ve got college sports, but this is epic. It’s a team that everybody can get behind. It breaks down all the barriers. Everyone just comes together and smiles, no matter if you’re a Duke fan, Carolina fan, whatever — it doesn’t matter.”

For Scott Stiles, 60, and his son Joey, 24, getting to the celebration required a much bigger commitment. The two live in Concord, a city near Charlotte known for its connection to NASCAR and motorsports, but they weren’t about to sit this one out. They hit the road around 3 a.m. and made the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Raleigh, arriving more than five hours before the parade was set to kick off — and still finding fans like Goodman already staked out near the City Plaza stage.

Scott wore an Andrei Svechnikov jersey while Joey sported a Seth Jarvis one. The two had their chairs set up in the middle of Fayetteville Street with a large Hurricanes flag marking their territory.

“When’s the next time they’re going to win a Cup?” Scott said, pausing as a “Let’s go Canes!” chant died down around him. “They might win it again next year, who knows? But we wanted to be a part of it.”

Since joining the Kansas City Royals out of spring training in 2022, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has never been placed on the injured list — and the team is hoping to keep that streak alive.

The two-time All-Star sat out Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee. Despite the injury, the Royals are expressing cautious optimism that Witt won’t need his first-ever IL stint.

Witt originally hurt his knee Thursday night while ranging into the hole to backhand a sharply hit ground ball off the bat of the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker. He managed to stop the ball but couldn’t complete the throw after landing on his right knee while attempting to spin and force out a runner at second base.

The Royals pulled him from that game immediately. He then sat out Friday’s 6-5 victory over St. Louis — his first absence from the lineup since Sept. 8, 2025, and just the 23rd game he has missed since reaching the major leagues.

A scheduling quirk is giving Witt a bonus recovery day. Both Kansas City and St. Louis have Saturday off because Ecuador and Curacao are playing a night game at nearby Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. That extra day gives the team more time before determining Witt’s next steps.

“We’ll re-evaluate for a timeline on Sunday,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Friday. “We’re pretty optimistic. It’s not a surgical thing. I know they can put a brace on it. It will be a lot of, ‘Get the swelling out of there.’”

The 26-year-old has been one of baseball’s most durable players, averaging 156.5 games played per season across his four full MLB campaigns out of a possible 162.

Witt is also one of the game’s top performers this season, leading all American League players with a 4.3 Wins Above Replacement figure. He’s slashing .294/.368/.465 with 10 home runs and a major league-best 28 stolen bases through 76 games. Early All-Star voting has him well ahead of other AL shortstops, pointing toward a third straight Midsummer Classic appearance. He also owns two Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove to his credit.

In Witt’s absence Friday, Tyler Tolbert stepped in at shortstop and delivered a clean performance, including an RBI sacrifice fly from the ninth spot in the lineup. Tolbert also played a key role in what MLB named its defensive play of the day in the eighth inning, when second baseman Michael Massey dove to his backhand side to snag a hard grounder from Ivan Herrera and flipped it with his glove to Tolbert, who spun and fired to first baseman Jac Caglianone to complete the out.

Tolbert is expected to hold down the shortstop position for as long as needed, but Quatraro is hoping that’s a short window.

“(An IL stint) is always a possibility, but I wouldn’t say ‘strong,’” Quatraro said. “There’s no reason to handicap it.”

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is expected to be back on the field as early as Saturday after sitting out one game for the arrival of his second child.

Ohtani was absent Friday night as the Dodgers topped the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-5. The team opted not to place him on the paternity list — a move that would have allowed him to miss as many as three games — because they anticipated he would return quickly. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters he expects Ohtani to play this weekend against the Orioles, possibly as soon as Saturday.

Shortly before midnight local time, Ohtani shared the news on Instagram, announcing that his wife, Mamiko, had given birth.

Known for keeping his personal life extremely private, Ohtani shared no information about the baby’s gender or birth weight. The announcement included a photo of his dog, Decoy, along with an image of a newborn’s feet peeking out from beneath a blue blanket.

A statement from Ohtani and his wife accompanied the post: “We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together.”

“Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey,” the statement continued.

Manager Roberts said he only learned about the pregnancy “only recently, very recently.”

This is not the first time Ohtani has shared a birth announcement this way. In April 2025, he revealed the arrival of their first child — a daughter — through a similar post. While her photo has not appeared on social media, references to events like Mother’s Day have included hints of pink.

The blue blanket in Friday’s post has many fans speculating that baby number two may be a boy.

Within just seven hours of the Instagram announcement going live, it had already received 1.6 million likes and a flood of congratulatory comments in both English and Japanese.

Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, will attempt to extend his four-shot advantage when the third round gets underway Saturday at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. Clark, sitting at seven under par after 36 holes, is scheduled to tee off at 3:45 p.m. ET alongside 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick finds himself tied for second place at three under par, sharing that spot on the leaderboard with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele, Sam Stevens, and Tom Kim. Schauffele and Stevens will play together in the second-to-last pairing, teeing off at 3:34 p.m. ET. Kim is paired with two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, with their round beginning at 3:23 p.m. ET.

World number one Scottie Scheffler sits at even par — seven strokes behind Clark — and will need a strong performance to keep his Grand Slam hopes alive. Scheffler tees off at 2:01 p.m. ET alongside fellow American Brian Harman.

Saturday morning’s early pairings got underway following two difficult days of blustery conditions that challenged even the most seasoned players in the field. Among those who didn’t survive the cut was former champion Brooks Koepka, who had made the cut at each of his previous 11 U.S. Open appearances but was unable to advance to the weekend this time. The cut line was set at four over par, with 67 professionals and five amateurs moving on to the final two rounds.

Clark enters Saturday’s round carrying some extra motivation, as he looks to move past an embarrassing locker room incident that occurred at last year’s tournament. However, he faces a notable statistical hurdle: no player who led after the second round at any of the last four U.S. Opens went on to win the championship.

Iran’s soccer federation is moving forward with a formal complaint to FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, over the travel limitations its national team has encountered while competing at the World Cup in the United States.

Because of ongoing visa uncertainty and tensions between the two countries, Iran’s players and staff have been traveling back and forth from their tournament base in co-host Mexico for each of their three group stage matches held on U.S. soil.

American authorities have required the Iranian delegation to enter the country no earlier than 24 hours before each game and to depart the same day the match concludes. The restrictions prompted Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, to describe his team as the “most oppressed” in the entire tournament.

Iran’s Football Federation released a statement Friday formally announcing its intention to protest to FIFA. “The Football Federation of Iran believes these restrictions are inconsistent with the principles of providing equal conditions for participating teams and may affect their technical preparation,” the statement read.

FIFA had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House World Cup Task Force, told British newspaper The Telegraph that he would be open to renegotiating the conditions surrounding Iran’s entry into the United States. He indicated Washington could potentially allow the Iranian team to remain in the country for a longer period around their matches.

Speaking in Seattle ahead of the United States’ match against Australia, Giuliani said, “Look, everything is dynamic, things can be discussed on this and we certainly want to create competitive fair play on the field, that’s why every coach on the team has got their visa, has the opportunity to come in.”

He added, “The president wants to make sure this tournament strikes a competitive balance, while also making sure bad actors don’t get into the country. We’ve done that, with a month to go.”

Coach Ghalenoei said the disruption had already taken a toll on his squad, pointing to it as a factor in their 2-2 draw with New Zealand. The federation explained that under the coaching staff’s plan, the team had intended to arrive in the host city two days before each match to properly prepare both physically and technically, then return to their base the day after the game. “However, for the opening match against New Zealand, this request was not approved,” the federation stated.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security characterized the measures as safety precautions that had been agreed upon with Iran. The Iranian team is scheduled to face Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, and will wrap up their Group G schedule against Egypt on June 27 in Seattle.

A department spokesperson clarified the arrangement in response to a media inquiry: “The team will be allowed to come in match day minus one, so the day before the match. They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match.”

The spokesperson added, “Again, the President wants to make sure that we’re talking about what actually happens on the pitch. A lot of that is making sure that things are safe and secure, not just around the stadiums, but around base camps and training sites.”

Before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, plenty of international soccer fans had serious reservations about the United States serving as a co-host for the sport’s biggest event. Concerns ranged from visa complications and steep costs to gun violence and a perceived lack of enthusiasm for the game among Americans.

Those concerns haven’t completely faded — but as matches get underway, a wave of upbeat posts has taken over social media. Fans visiting the country for the very first time are sharing their surprise at finding a culture full of round-the-clock shopping, unlimited soda refills, chicken wings with ranch dressing, and genuinely warm locals eager to make them feel at home.

Scottish fan Gail Nicholl, who follows her national team as part of the “Tartan Army” supporter group, described a memorable encounter at a Boston pub before Scotland’s opening match against Haiti. “I met these two gorgeous girls from Boston. It was her birthday, she was having cocktails. I bought her another one and they kept saying ‘welcome to Boston, Massachusetts!’” she said. “They loved us, we loved them … Everyone is so friendly, so nice.”

A Swiss fan from Zurich echoed that sentiment on a Reddit thread filled with glowing reviews from visiting tourists. “Something new for me is how friendly and outgoing everyone is,” the fan wrote.

Whether this goodwill can help repair America’s global image — strained by years of an “America First” approach that has put it at odds with allies including Canada, Britain, and Germany — is still an open question. But sports analytics professionals say these experiences carry real weight.

“The front porch of your house is the first thing a visitor experiences before they ever step inside,” said Darin White, founder of Samford University’s Sports Industry Program in Alabama and a former soccer coach. “Sports serves that same function for cities, states, and countries. It is often the first meaningful, emotionally charged encounter someone has with a place they might otherwise never have thought much about.”

White added that research consistently shows hosting a major sporting event can genuinely change deeply held stereotypes about a place.

One of the more notable aspects of this World Cup is that it’s drawing international visitors to cities well beyond the usual tourist destinations. While New York, Los Angeles, and Orlando are familiar stops, this tournament is also bringing fans to Kansas City, Atlanta, and Houston.

In Kansas City, Argentine fans — for whom grilling “asado” barbecue is nearly as culturally significant as soccer itself — gathered to sample the local “dry rub” style of smoked meat. “The Argentinean barbecue is my favourite. But this one is really good,” said Argentina supporter Cristian Gastes.

Over in Dallas, Germany fan Maximilian Kirch, who hails from Duesseldorf, also gave barbecue a try and topped off the experience by showing off a newly acquired Texan cowboy hat. “Of course I’m wanting to experience more of it,” he said.

“There is something distinct about the warmth you encounter when you get off the beaten path,” White said. “The fan from Morocco who got help finding their gate in Dallas, or the family from Germany who got directions from a stranger in Seattle, those moments do not make headlines. But they are doing real work on Brand USA.”

Still, some of the pre-tournament worries remain. Extreme heat — especially in cities like Miami — is taking a toll on both players and fans, and the final is still a month away, pushing deeper into summer. Soccer’s global governing body FIFA reports strong attendance at matches, but high ticket and travel prices have kept many would-be visitors at home.

Visa restrictions have also played a significant role. Citizens from four of the participating nations — Iran, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Senegal — have faced partial or complete bans on entering the United States. Iran and Haiti both have sizable American diaspora communities to root for their teams, though some within those communities have expressed mixed feelings. Ivory Coast and Senegal, however, have only small U.S.-based fan bases.

That’s where American fans have stepped in. Brooklyn resident Jessica Ambres attended the France versus Senegal match this week in New Jersey, seated high in the upper deck and wearing a Senegal jersey. “I’m in the bloodiest of the nosebleeds but I hope they can hear me down there on the pitch,” she said. As a Black American, she said she felt a personal connection to the African diaspora.

Across stadiums throughout the country, American fans have been showing up not only to back the U.S. team or their own ancestral homelands, but also to rally behind underdogs and teams with thin fan representation.

Politicians and business owners are hopeful that this spirit of welcome will leave a lasting impression long after the tournament ends. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu expressed her hopes for the Scottish supporters who visited her city. “I hope that the Tartan Army will keep coming back to Boston,” she said. “Of course, have a wonderful time during the games now, but we’d love to see you any season, any year. This is your home.”

It was a wild Friday night in baseball, headlined by one of the most stunning comebacks of the season. The Athletics trailed the Los Angeles Angels by seven runs before rallying for a 12-11 victory in West Sacramento, Calif., with the winning run coming on a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning.

Pinch hitter Jonah Heim sparked the comeback with a two-run home run off Sam Bachman with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, knotting the score. Jacob Wilson also homered and drove in three runs for the Athletics, with Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy adding home runs as well.

The Angels had built their big lead with power of their own, as Jose Siri and Logan O’Hoppe each launched three-run homers. Denzer Guzman hit a two-run shot, while Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel added solo blasts — giving Los Angeles five home runs, tying their season best. Despite the offensive outburst, the Angels dropped their fifth loss in six games.

In the 10th, Butler began the inning as the automatic runner at second base. Henry Bolte drew a walk off Kirby Yates (0-3), and the two then combined on a double steal. After one out, Yates hit Zack Gelof in the helmet to load the bases. Reliever Samy Natera Jr. came on to face Nick Kurtz and walked him on five pitches to end the game.

Cubs 16, Blue Jays 2

Carson Kelly put together a six-RBI night, highlighted by his second career grand slam, as Chicago battered visiting Toronto. Kelly’s grand slam came during a seven-run first inning for the Cubs. He later drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and added an RBI infield single in the seventh. Pete Crow-Armstrong reached base in all five of his plate appearances, collecting three hits including an RBI single.

Chicago right-hander Ben Brown improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in his last four starts after allowing just two runs on four hits across six innings. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman fell to 4-5, lasting only two innings while giving up seven runs on seven hits and four walks.

Royals 6, Cardinals 5

Seth Lugo made a successful return from injury, allowing just one earned run over six innings, as Kansas City topped visiting St. Louis for its third consecutive victory. Lugo, who was hit in the forehead by a line drive on June 10 against Texas, improved to 3-4 in his first start back. He surrendered five hits and two runs, only one of which was earned. Jac Caglianone homered and drove in two for the Royals, while Isaac Collins contributed two doubles and two RBIs. Kansas City also secured its first winning home series against the Cardinals since 2020.

St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy dropped to 3-6 after allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings. The Cardinals mounted a three-run ninth inning, with Blaze Jordan’s two-RBI single leading the charge, but Alex Lange induced Jose Fermin to ground into a fielder’s choice to close it out and earn his fifth save.

Rangers 9, Padres 7

Wyatt Langford went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs as Texas rallied from five runs down to defeat visiting San Diego in Arlington. Alejandro Osuna and Jake Burger each drove in two runs, while Jacob deGrom (6-4) threw six innings, giving up six runs on six hits while striking out nine. Jacob Latz earned a four-out save — his 13th in 15 opportunities — for Texas, which had lost five of its previous six games.

Ty France belted two home runs and drove in five for San Diego, which has now dropped three of its last four. Starter Randy Vasquez fell to 6-5 after lasting just 3 1/3 innings, surrendering seven runs — six earned — on eight hits.

Dodgers 6, Orioles 5

Los Angeles came from behind to edge visiting Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series, with Dalton Rushing delivering a game-tying RBI single with two outs in the ninth and Ryan Ward scoring the winning run on a throwing error by right fielder Tyler O’Neill. Baltimore had taken a lead on back-to-back home runs by Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso in the sixth, followed by a go-ahead two-RBI single from Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh. Orioles closer Ryan Helsley, making just his second appearance after missing seven weeks with a right elbow injury, took the loss and fell to 0-3. Mookie Betts hit a homer off Helsley to pull the Dodgers within one before the final rally. Los Angeles starter Roki Sasaki allowed three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Orioles have now lost five of six.

Red Sox 6, Mariners 2

Ranger Suarez was dominant, allowing just one hit over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Boston snapped a four-game losing streak with a win at Seattle. Suarez (3-3) carried a no-hit bid into the seventh before Josh Naylor broke it up with a one-out double. Caleb Durbin went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run for the Red Sox. Julio Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Seattle, spoiling the shutout. Seattle’s Bryce Miller (3-1) allowed one run on three hits over five innings.

Braves 3, Brewers 2

Martin Perez outpitched Jacob Misiorowski to lift Atlanta over visiting Milwaukee in a matchup between two division leaders. Perez (6-3) went six innings, surrendering one run on six hits. Atlanta grabbed a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Mauricio Dubon’s two-out single and added insurance on a Mike Yastrzemski home run. Raisel Iglesias allowed a run but converted his 33rd consecutive save opportunity — a streak stretching back to last season — with help from an outfield assist by Eli White that cut down the potential tying run.

Misiorowski (8-3), who had tossed a complete-game shutout just days earlier on June 12 against Philadelphia, went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits. It was the first time he had allowed more than one run since April 25. He is now 0-6 with three no-decisions over his last nine outings. Brice Turang drove in both runs for Milwaukee.

Yankees 5, Reds 0

Cam Schlittler set a career high with 13 strikeouts across six dominant innings as New York blanked visiting Cincinnati. Schlittler (8-3), who had been winless in his three previous starts, allowed four hits and issued no walks, throwing 66 of 96 pitches for strikes. The Yankees have now won 16 of their last 22 games and are 10-5 since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib. The Reds have lost 11 of 16 games without Elly De La Cruz, who is sidelined with a strained right hamstring and began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Friday.

Tigers 4, White Sox 3

Kerry Carpenter delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning to lift host Detroit past Chicago. Matt Vierling hit a two-run home run and Dillon Dingler had three hits and scored twice for the Tigers. Detroit ace Tarik Skubal allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts in his second start back following elbow surgery. For Chicago, Junior Perez collected the first two hits of his major league career, including a solo homer, and Randal Grichuk also went deep.

Marlins 4, Giants 3

Rookie Owen Caissie went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to lead host Miami past San Francisco. The Marlins improved to 12-4 in June — the best record in baseball this month — and reached .500 overall at 38-38. Miami used eight pitchers in a bullpen game, with Cade Gibson (1-0) earning the win after retiring all five batters he faced. Rafael Devers hit his 11th home run of the season for San Francisco. Giants starter Landen Roupp struck out seven in six innings and allowed just two runs, but has gone 0-6 with three no-decisions over his last nine starts.

Rays 5, Nationals 2

Jonathan Aranda launched a three-run home run off the left field foul pole to give Tampa Bay the lead as the Rays opened a season-long 10-game home stand with a comeback win over Washington. Jonny Deluca returned from a nearly month-long absence and added a solo homer for Tampa Bay, which ended a three-game skid. Griffin Jax (2-5) threw five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Closer Bryan Baker recorded his 19th save with a perfect ninth. For Washington, Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-3 with a homer and CJ Abrams also went deep. Miles Mikolas (2-6) served as the bulk reliever after projected starter Cade Cavalli was scratched due to illness, giving up five runs on nine hits.

Astros 9, Guardians 3

Jose Altuve hit a pivotal three-run homer and Jeremy Pena delivered a multi-homer game as Houston topped visiting Cleveland. Altuve and Pena combined to go 5-for-9 with seven RBIs. The win moved the Astros to 16-10 since May 22 and brought them within five games of .500 for the first time since April 17. Right-hander Tatsuya Imai (4-3) worked six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (2-8) was charged with four runs — three earned — on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Rockies 4, Pirates 3

Pinch hitter Braxton Fulford came through with a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning to carry host Colorado past Pittsburgh in Denver. Kyle Freeland struck out eight to become just the second Rockies pitcher to reach 1,000 career strikeouts, joining German Marquez (1,069). Freeland had held Pittsburgh to just two hits through seven scoreless innings before the milestone moment. TJ Rumfield homered among his two hits and Ezequiel Tovar also had two hits for Colorado. Jared Triolo had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates.

Diamondbacks 9, Twins 5

Corbin Carroll racked up three hits — including his league-leading ninth triple — and drove in four runs as Arizona took the opener of a three-game series against Minnesota in Phoenix. Ketel Marte homered, Nolan Arenado had two hits and scored, and Ildemaro Vargas drove in two for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of five. Starter Michael Soroka exited after just one inning due to posterior left hip discomfort. Victor Caratini, Josh Bell, and Royce Lewis all homered for the Twins, who were seeking their first five-game winning streak of the season. Minnesota rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-5) allowed six runs — three earned — and nine hits in six innings.

Despite a difficult season cut short by injury, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is choosing to stick with Memphis for another year.

According to a Friday ESPN report, the two-time NBA champion will exercise his $21.6 million player option, keeping him with the Grizzlies heading into next season.

The 33-year-old had a rough go of it last season, sitting out 31 games total — including the final 29 after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger in February. Before being shut down, he was putting up averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Caldwell-Pope came to Memphis last offseason as part of the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando. Prior to that, he had signed a three-year, $66 million contract before the 2024-25 season and played one year with the Magic.

Originally drafted eighth overall by Detroit in 2013 out of Georgia, Caldwell-Pope has suited up for six different teams across his 13 NBA seasons. He spent four years with the Pistons before heading to the Los Angeles Lakers for another four seasons, where he captured his first championship ring during the 2019-20 campaign. A one-year stop in Washington with the Wizards followed, and then he won his second title in 2023 during a two-season run with the Denver Nuggets before joining Orlando.

Known as a reliable three-point shooter throughout his career — hitting 36.5% from beyond the arc overall — Caldwell-Pope has seen his long-range accuracy slip in recent years. After shooting 40.6% from three in his second season with Denver, that number dropped to 34.2% in 2024-25 and fell further to 31.6% last season. For his career, he has averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

For the second consecutive Friday, Shohei Ohtani was absent from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup — but this time, it had nothing to do with the knee inflammation that kept him out previously.

Before their home matchup against Baltimore, the Dodgers revealed that their superstar is away from the club on paternity leave as he and his wife prepare for the arrival of their second child.

The team said Ohtani “is expected to be back at some point this weekend,” and he was not placed on the official paternity list. Under Major League Baseball rules, being placed on the paternity list requires a player to sit out a minimum of one game and a maximum of three before returning.

The Dodgers went on to defeat Baltimore 6-5 in walk-off fashion, even without their star in the lineup.

Ohtani’s most recent appearance came Wednesday, when he took the mound as the starting pitcher and earned the win in a 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay. He is not anticipated to pitch again until the middle of next week.

With Ohtani out, Kyle Tucker slid into the leadoff spot that Ohtani typically occupies, while rookie Ryan Ward handled designated hitter duties. Tucker finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Ward went 0-for-3 but drew two walks and ultimately crossed the plate with the winning run.

SANTA CLARA, California — Paraguay refused to go quietly at the World Cup on Friday, beating Turkey 1-0 in a thrilling Group D showdown despite playing a man short for the entire second half — and doing it with the tournament’s quickest goal to date.

Coming off a crushing 4-1 opening loss to the United States, Paraguay came out with something to prove. Just 64 seconds into the match, Matias Galarza unleashed a powerful long-range strike to put his side ahead — and that single goal would be all Paraguay needed.

Energized by the rhythmic sound of drums echoing through the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay’s defense held firm against relentless Turkish pressure. The situation grew even more difficult when midfielder Miguel Almiron was sent off after making remarks to Mert Muldur — with his hand covering his mouth — leaving Paraguay to fight with 10 men for the entire second half.

Turkey controlled the ball for long stretches, at one point holding 79% possession, and launched 32 shots on goal. But their finishing was dismal, and they were unable to convert a single attempt — a painful echo of their opening match loss to Australia. Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler both had opportunities but couldn’t find the net.

With the victory, Paraguay breathes new life into their campaign, while Turkey is eliminated from the tournament. The result also officially confirmed the United States as Group D winners following their earlier 2-0 defeat of Australia in Seattle.

Paraguay, nicknamed “La Albirroja,” last appeared in the World Cup back in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals before falling to eventual champions Spain — the deepest run in the nation’s tournament history.

Goalscorer Galarza described the win as one of the greatest moments of his life. “We showed our quality fighting spirits even with one player down. God wanted this to happen for Paraguay more than ever before,” he said.

Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella acknowledged the painful result but praised his players’ effort. “I’m sad but I’m also very proud of my players. They gave everything right up until the final whistle. That’s what football’s like,” he said.

SANTA CLARA, California — Paraguay advanced in the World Cup with one of the tournament’s most dramatic performances, beating Turkey 1-0 on Friday despite being reduced to ten men before halftime.

The match’s decisive moment came just 64 seconds in, when midfielder Matias Galarza unleashed a low, powerful shot from 25 metres out that found the back of the net. The goal became the fastest of the entire World Cup, edging out a 71-second strike by Ismael Saibari in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland earlier that same day.

Paraguay’s chances took a serious hit in first-half stoppage time when midfielder Miguel Almiron was shown a straight red card. The dismissal came after Almiron placed his hand over his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur — making him the first player at this tournament to be sent off under that newly enforced rule.

Despite being outmanned, Paraguay’s defense held firm through relentless pressure from Turkey, repelling attack after attack to protect their slim lead until the final whistle.

The victory is a remarkable bounce-back for Paraguay, who had been routed 4-1 by the United States in their opening match of the tournament.

A new World Cup rule made its debut in dramatic fashion Friday in Santa Clara, California, when Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron was ejected from a Group D match against Turkey after covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkish player Mert Muldur.

Almiron received a straight red card in first-half stoppage time, marking the first time the regulation has been enforced at the current World Cup. At the moment of his dismissal, Paraguay was ahead 1-0. Video review technology confirmed the call stood.

Under the rule, any player who uses their hand, arm, or shirt to cover their mouth during a confrontational situation on the field is subject to an automatic red card. The regulation was introduced following an incident involving Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused of directing discriminatory remarks at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. while concealing his mouth.

SEATTLE — Boston Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez was on the verge of a no-hitter Friday night against the Seattle Mariners, but the dream ended when Josh Naylor lined a double into the right-center gap with one out in the seventh inning, giving Seattle its first hit of the game.

The trouble began when Suarez opened the seventh by walking Cal Raleigh to lead off the inning. Julio Rodríguez then flew out, but Naylor followed with the double that ended any hopes of the historic outing.

Despite the setback, Boston held a commanding 5-0 lead after plating four runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Suarez had been dominant early, retiring the first 10 batters he faced before issuing a walk to Raleigh in the fourth inning. He responded to that threat by striking out Rodríguez and getting Naylor to line out to second base.

The 30-year-old southpaw is in his first year with Boston, having spent the previous eight seasons with Philadelphia. In each of his final two years with the Phillies, he posted a 12-8 record.

American swimmer Kate Douglass shattered the women’s 50-meter freestyle world record on Friday during a U.S. Pro Swim Series competition held in Indianapolis.

Douglass, 24, who claimed gold in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics, touched the wall at 23.59 seconds — besting the previous world record of 23.61 set by Swedish Olympic champion Sarah Sjostrom at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Speaking to broadcaster Peacock shortly after her swim, Douglass could barely contain her disbelief. “I mean wow, that’s crazy, I think I’m still in shock, I don’t even know what to say,” she said.

“I was really just hoping to go a best time, break the American record. That’s a lot faster than I ever thought I would go tonight, or ever,” Douglass added.

She touched out Gretchen Walsh, who finished in 23.78 seconds. The two had previously shared the U.S. record at 23.91.

MEXICO CITY — Following a massive street celebration that drew more than 700,000 fans to the city’s downtown, Mexico City’s government announced Friday it is weighing new steps to limit alcohol sales in public areas during World Cup events.

The celebration erupted after Mexico defeated South Korea, with supporters flooding the streets in green Tri jerseys and colorful Lucha Libre masks. Fans danced in the rain, waved flags, sang team anthems, and blew on vuvuzelas throughout the night.

The morning after told a different story. Reforma Avenue, one of the city’s busiest main roads, was blanketed in garbage, and many of the yellow cempasuchil flowers lining the boulevard had been crushed underfoot. Cleanup crews hauled away roughly 40 tons of waste from around the historic city center.

Mexico City’s government secretary Cesar Cravioto addressed the situation at a press conference, saying that managing a soccer event of this scale requires a focus on prevention — including cracking down on illegal street alcohol sales.

Cravioto said officials plan to ask nearby restaurants and bars to stop allowing customers to carry drinks outside, and that convenience stores in the area could be required to halt alcohol sales in the hours leading up to major matches.

The city also announced plans to install seven additional large viewing screens around the center, supplementing the 12 already in place, in an effort to spread crowds more evenly. More staff would also be deployed to reduce beer sales by street vendors.

“We will keep insisting that fans have fun but without excessive alcohol consumption,” Cravioto said.

Meanwhile, in Boston — another World Cup host city — fans of Scotland’s national team, known as the “Tartan Army,” consumed so much beer following Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Haiti at the city stadium that multiple bars reportedly ran out of stock.

Mexico is scheduled to face the Czech Republic in their next group stage match on Wednesday.

TORONTO — German soccer fans traveling to Canada for the World Cup are discovering that their tradition of careful spending — known in Germany as Sparsamkeit — is getting a serious workout when it comes to buying a round of drinks.

Hundreds of supporters arrived in Toronto on Friday, flying in through Houston to join pre-game celebrations ahead of Saturday’s Group E matchup between Germany and Ivory Coast. Fans were spotted lining up outside downtown pubs, some still hauling luggage fresh off their flights, while others had stopped at Niagara Falls along the way.

Despite the festive atmosphere, the topic of beer prices quickly dampened spirits when fans were asked about the cost of a pint in the city.

“I have to tell you the beer prices in Canada and the U.S. are much more expensive than in Germany,” said Mats Kauer, 47. “In Germany, we pay about $6-$7 for a pint, but there it is about $10 to $14, and in the stadium, it is $17. That is ridiculous. You have to make it cheaper because beer is essential to life.”

Anne-Marie Seessle, who serves as president of Toronto’s Bayern Munich Fan Club, acknowledged that elevated prices come with the territory when traveling abroad for a World Cup. However, she drew the line at ticket costs, calling them “insane.” “Here in the city, the ticket prices have been crazy. I myself paid C$1,000 ($705.99) for my ticket,” she said.

Canada ranks among the highest in food inflation across G7 nations. While the exchange rate against the U.S. dollar and euro offers some relief, that advantage can quickly disappear once taxes and tips are factored in. Toronto restaurants and bars typically tack on a 13% tax, and servers expect gratuities ranging from 12% to 20%.

Heiner, a 61-year-old from Berlin who plans to attend every one of Germany’s World Cup matches, said he has enjoyed Toronto as a destination — but not the drink prices. “But the beer prices here is what we pay in Munich during Oktoberfest,” he said, noting that a litre costs about 50% more than back home.

Bar owners in Toronto pushed back on the criticism, arguing their prices are in line with what you’d find in Europe. The bigger concern for them, they say, is simply keeping up with the demand.

Cesar Mesen, 44, owner of Pint Public House, said he’s taken steps to ensure his taps stay flowing throughout the match. “We have right now 16 kegs getting nice and cold,” Mesen said. “Each keg is 30 litres, so that makes 500 litres of beer and that is about 1,200 pints. So we are expecting a little bit more activity tomorrow, but we are ready for it.”

PHILADELPHIA — Brazil made quick work of Haiti at the World Cup on Friday, rolling to a 3-0 victory that vaulted the five-time champions to the top of Group C with four points and officially ended Haiti’s tournament hopes.

The result makes Haiti the first team eliminated from knockout stage contention at this year’s tournament. Morocco is tied with Brazil on four points after defeating Scotland 1-0 in an earlier match. Scotland sits at three points, while Haiti is left with none.

Brazil took the lead in the 23rd minute in somewhat fortunate fashion. Vinicius Jr. fired a shot that goalkeeper Johny Placide pushed away, but Hannes Delcroix’s attempt to clear the loose ball deflected off Matheus Cunha and into the net.

Cunha then made it 2-0 in the 36th minute with a much more deliberate finish — sprinting onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Vinicius and burying it in the top corner of the net.

Vinicius Jr. completed the first-half scoring in stoppage time, collecting a long pass from Lucas Paqueta and finishing with composure to make it 3-0 before the break.

After halftime, Brazil had little reason to push the pace. Goalkeeper Alisson was rarely called into action as the squad managed by Carlo Ancelotti coasted to a comfortable win.

The Big 12 Conference is not ready to walk away from its legal battle involving Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, even as the player has taken steps to leave college football for the professional ranks.

According to a Big 12 source who spoke with ESPN, the conference’s presidents and chancellors have not pulled back the federal lawsuit that was filed earlier this week. Lingering uncertainty about Sorsby’s NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face fallout from the legal dispute are keeping the case open. The league’s board of directors is expected to gather early next week to go over its available options.

“We don’t know the answer to those questions,” the source said. “We haven’t done anything different at this point. We’re going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active.”

The Big 12 filed suit on Monday in the Northern District of Texas, seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would give the conference the authority to potentially discipline Sorsby under its own bylaws. Just hours after that filing, Sorsby moved toward entering the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his own lawsuit against the NCAA — a necessary step for him to be declared ineligible at the college level by Monday’s deadline.

Sorsby has admitted to breaking NCAA rules by placing thousands of sports bets, including 40 wagers on Indiana football games during the time he was a member of that program’s roster. The NFL has yet to approve his application for the supplemental draft, a process that has not resulted in a selected player since 2019.

The conference is also weighing whether Texas Tech should be held responsible for the legal expenses tied to the case. One Big 12 athletic director indicated the concern is less about penalizing the school and more about whether the entire conference should be on the hook for costs from a dispute that other member schools had no part in starting.

The Qatar Football Association has extended its well-wishes to Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone following an injury he sustained during the two nations’ World Cup Group B showdown on Thursday.

Qatar fell to a lopsided 6-0 loss against Canada in the match, which was also marred by a rough second-half tackle from Qatar’s Assim Madibo that left Kone with a broken leg. Kone was subsequently taken into surgery to address the injury.

In a show of sportsmanship, the Qatar Football Association shared a photo on its social media platforms capturing Kone waving to supporters as he was carried off the field on a stretcher. The post included a message expressing hope for his swift and full recovery.

Qatar still has one more Group B contest remaining, set to take place against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 24, to close out their World Cup group stage campaign.

Alexander Zverev proved to be the lone survivor among the top four seeds on Friday at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, as several high-profile players were sent packing in the quarterfinals.

The tournament’s top seed, Zverev of Germany, needed every bit of two hours to get past Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, winning 7-6 (10), 7-6 (2). Both players served brilliantly — each firing 14 aces without dropping a single service game throughout the match.

The second seed, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, had three match points in his grasp against American Frances Tiafoe, but Tiafoe refused to go quietly. The American came back to claim a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12) victory.

Third-seeded Ben Shelton also came agonizingly close to victory, reaching match point against fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz — but Fritz turned the tables and rallied for a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3) win. Fritz was dominant on serve, blasting 24 aces and successfully defending all four break point chances Shelton had against him.

Saturday’s semifinals will feature Zverev against Fritz in one match, while unseeded Frances Tiafoe takes on unseeded German wild card Daniel Altmaier in the other. Altmaier secured his spot with a 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4 win over fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia.

At the HSBC Championships in London, unseeded American Brandon Nakashima turned in an impressive performance, dispatching top-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia 7-5, 6-3 in just 93 minutes. Nakashima was especially effective on returns, winning 30.8 percent — 16 of 52 points — on de Minaur’s serve, posting a return rating of 184.

Nakashima advances to face seventh-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina on Saturday. Cerundolo earned his semifinal berth by defeating Great Britain’s Arthur Fery 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4.

In the other London semifinal, eighth-seeded Tommy Paul knocked off fourth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 6-3, 7-6 (4), never losing his serve during the match. Paul will face unseeded Ugo Humbert, a left-handed Frenchman who cruised past Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-1, 6-2.

ATLANTA — This year’s World Cup features a larger field than ever before, with 48 teams split into 12 first-round groups. While the top two teams from each group automatically move on, there’s also a lifeline for the eight best third-place finishers — meaning more teams than in previous years have a shot at reaching the last 32.

As matches get underway across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, fans and analysts alike are starting to crunch the numbers: just how many points does a team need to survive the group stage?

This is only the second time FIFA has run a World Cup with this many teams. The first was last November’s U-17 World Cup held in Qatar, so there isn’t much historical precedent to draw from at this specific scale.

However, the concept of third-place teams advancing is nothing new. It dates back to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, when the four best third-place finishers from six groups were allowed to move into the knockout rounds alongside the top two from each group.

A review of 38 FIFA tournaments and continental championships that used a 24-team format — where four spots were available for the top third-place finishers — sheds some light on what point totals have historically been enough to advance.

BREAKING DOWN THE POINT THRESHOLDS

Five points: No team that has earned five points from three group games has ever finished outside the top two in their group. Five points is essentially a guarantee of advancement.

Four points: Only twice has a team with four points in third place failed to advance, and both of those cases came at the U-20 World Cup. Interestingly, Norway finished last in their 1994 World Cup group despite collecting four points, and Ukraine experienced the same fate at the most recent European Championship in Germany two years ago.

Three points: Teams finishing with three points have a slightly less than 50% chance of advancing, and almost all of those who do make it carry a positive goal difference. A negative goal difference alongside three points drops the odds to below one in three. One notable exception came at the 2019 U-20 World Cup, when Norway was eliminated despite a goal difference of plus-eight — a tally that included a 12-0 win over Honduras in which Erling Haaland scored nine goals. At last year’s 48-team U-17 World Cup in Qatar, four of the six third-place teams with three points did advance.

Two points: Across the tournaments reviewed that used three points for a win, only two teams ever advanced as one of the best third-place finishers with just two points. The most recent example was Tanzania at the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco late last year.

Justin Verlander’s anticipated return to the Detroit Tigers mound has been pushed back significantly after the veteran right-hander strained his left hamstring during a bullpen workout in Houston on Wednesday.

The 43-year-old had already been sidelined on the 15-day injured list since April 4 with left hip inflammation after making just one appearance this season. He had been moved to the 60-day IL and was on the verge of being activated when the new injury struck during a scheduled throwing session.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had been planning to send Verlander — who carries a 0-1 record and 12.27 ERA — to the mound against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. That start would have been his first in Detroit since August 20, 2017. Instead, Hinch told reporters the timeline has been pushed back considerably.

“This is not a matter of days,” Hinch said Friday. “It’s a matter of weeks. We’re going to need a full rehab process to get him back to throwing again. Obviously, frustrating news for him and for us, given the excitement that was building around his start on Sunday.”

Verlander, who holds the distinction of being the oldest active player in the major leagues, acknowledged the situation is deeply discouraging.

“My hip actually feels fairly good,” Verlander said Friday. “All of a sudden, my hamstring was bugging me and I had to cut my bullpen short. Any time I’m not able to get my work in, it means something’s definitely off, so we decided to get it looked at, and there’s a strain.”

“Just really unfortunate, man. It just sucks. I don’t know how else to say it.”

The decorated pitcher — a nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and 2011 American League MVP — has built a career record of 266 wins, 159 losses, a 3.33 ERA, and 3,554 strikeouts across 556 starts with four teams dating back to 2005.

Despite the setback, Verlander tried to find a silver lining. “Glass half full, I get back to throwing and this thing heals up, and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, this was something that also was kind of lingering, and now I’m better than I was before,’” he said. “But it still doesn’t take the sting away from being tantalizingly close to finally being back on the mound here at home and having it pulled out from under me.”

Verlander signed a one-year, $13 million deal to come back to Detroit, the city where he played from 2005 before being traded to the Houston Astros at the 2017 trade deadline. Though the season has not gone as hoped, he said his goal remains to “give everything until the season’s over.”

After the season concludes, Verlander said he will weigh his future carefully, taking into account both his health and personal life.

“There’s a lot of things that are also going on in my life that are a draw away from the game,” Verlander said. “But I’ve always said I want to play until the wheels fall off. I don’t know, maybe they are falling off. I hope not.”

SEATTLE — U.S. men’s soccer midfielder Weston McKennie had plenty of praise for the fans who packed Seattle Stadium on Friday night, as the World Cup co-hosts rolled past Australia 2-0 to advance to the Round of 32.

The energy inside the stadium didn’t stop when the final whistle blew. Supporters kept up chants of “U.S.A.” and broke out into a chorus of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” in celebration of the victory.

“The fans were amazing, amazing,” McKennie said after the match.

The 27-year-old said the crowd’s energy had him fired up even before kickoff, particularly when fans sang the national anthem together.

“(It) really woke me up, hearing everyone sing the national anthem, and it just makes you proud to be from this country, in my opinion the greatest country in the world,” he said.

McKennie also touched on the broader significance of hosting the World Cup during a time when the U.S. has frequently clashed with foreign allies under President Donald Trump’s second term. He said the tournament gives international visitors a chance to see “why we love this country so much and experiencing it firsthand.” He added, “I think they’re getting a little taste of it.”

“The fans were amazing, and Seattle was amazing,” McKennie said.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is Argentinian, said the atmosphere moved him personally. “Today, even if I am not American, after the game I was emotional … the fans were amazing,” he said.

Pochettino continued: “The warm reception in the way that they support us and the way they celebrate the victory. They make it feel very emotional and the players, they are very emotional too.”

“I think it was an amazing and a perfect connection in between the energy from the stands and the team … if we want to achieve good things we need the support of our fans,” the coach added.

With two wins, the U.S. now sits at the top of Group D. The group’s other two teams, Paraguay and Turkey, were set to face off later Friday.

The United States proved Friday night that they can get the job done even without their biggest offensive weapon, defeating Australia 2-0 in Seattle to punch their ticket to the World Cup round of 32.

Christian Pulisic, the Americans’ most dangerous attacking player, sat out the Group D matchup due to a calf injury he suffered during the U.S. opening victory over Paraguay. Despite his absence, the co-hosts found a way to get the win.

The scoring began early, with Australia’s Cameron Burgess accidentally putting the ball into his own net in the 11th minute. Then, just before the halftime break, Alex Freeman headed in a second goal — a score that was initially waved off for offside before a VAR review reversed the call.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged how important Pulisic is to the squad but said the injury left no choice. “It’s always difficult because we want to have all the players,” Pochettino said. “Christian is an important player for us, but… it was impossible today for him to play. We hope that next game he will be available.”

With six points now in hand and one group-stage game remaining, the U.S. is safely through to the knockout stage. Pochettino made clear, however, that Pulisic remains a key part of his plans going forward.

“If we want to win the competition, we need the whole team,” the coach said. “All the players need to be important. Of course, Christian is one of the best players in the world. I hope that he can recover as soon as possible and can enjoy being on the pitch and helping the team.”

Midfielder Weston McKennie highlighted the squad’s versatility following the win, saying the team demonstrated Friday that they have multiple ways to compete. “We can play the physical game because we have guys on the field who are ready to step up for that, and we have guys with quality who can play possession-based football,” McKennie said.

The United States will wrap up Group D play against Turkey on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium.

SEATTLE — The United States punched their ticket to the World Cup’s round of 32 on Friday after defeating Australia 2-0, but coach Mauricio Pochettino is urging his squad not to let up.

Speaking after the match, Pochettino said the key going forward is “believing that we can win (and) knowing that we need to go really hard” in every game.

The Americans thoroughly controlled the contest, dominating possession throughout a physical affair that saw seven yellow cards handed out — three to the U.S. and four to Australia.

With star forward Christian Pulisic sidelined by injury, 23-year-old Ricardo Pepi stepped into the starting lineup and made his mark. Pochettino had high praise for the young striker, saying, “(Pepi) is for me one of the greatest strikers. He’s getting better every day.”

The U.S. got on the board when Australian defender Cameron Burgess deflected a cross into his own net, giving the Americans a 1-0 lead. U.S. defender Alex Freeman then put the match away late in the first half with a header, pushing the score to 2-0.

Australia made multiple substitutions in the second half in an attempt to mount a comeback, but could not break through the American defensive line. It was the U.S. team’s first clean sheet in nine matches.

The win was historically significant as well — it marked only the second time the United States have won two games in the World Cup group stage. The first came all the way back in 1930, when the U.S. defeated Belgium and Paraguay.

The two other teams in Group D, Paraguay and Turkey, were set to face each other later Friday in San Francisco.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had to dig deep on Friday, spending more than two hours on the court before finally putting away unseeded Nikola Bartunkova to secure her place in the Berlin Tennis Open semifinals.

Bartunkova, a Czech player currently ranked 62nd in the world, grabbed the opening set and gave Sabalenka plenty of trouble throughout the match. In the end, however, the top-seeded Belarusian prevailed 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a contest that stretched two hours and 23 minutes. Bartunkova had numerous chances to break serve, converting just six of 17 opportunities, while Sabalenka was far more efficient, capitalizing on five of her eight break-point chances.

Sabalenka’s next opponent will be third-seeded Jessica Pegula, who earned her semifinal berth with a tightly contested 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8) win over Madison Keys. Keys held a significant edge in aces at 10-5, but managed to convert only two of seven break-point chances, which ultimately cost her the match.

In the other semifinal matchup, Czech player Linda Noskova, seeded eighth, cruised past Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-3 and will take on unseeded Alexandra Eala on Saturday. Eala, a native of the Philippines, continued her impressive run at the tournament by defeating sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4, following her earlier upset win over No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina.

Lexus Nottingham Open

At the WTA 250 event in Nottingham, United Kingdom, Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic kept her surprising tournament run alive with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 victory over fifth-seeded Ann Li.

Golubic, 33 years old and ranked 76th in the world, proved especially effective against Li’s second serve in the deciding set, winning eight of 12 points on those deliveries.

She will face third-seeded Emma Navarro in Saturday’s semifinal. Navarro reached that round by dispatching Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6 (6), 6-2.

The other semifinal is an all-Czech affair, pitting fourth-seeded Marie Bouzkova against unseeded Karolina Pliskova. Bouzkova moved on with a dominant 7-5, 6-0 win over Germany’s Tatjana Maria, while Pliskova eliminated Australia’s Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-4.

The debate over how many road courses belong on the NASCAR schedule has sparked plenty of arguments among fans. Some think there are too many, while others believe a handful is just right.

Few topics stir up more online debate than the appearance of winding, technical tracks on the racing calendar — especially as the 36-race season winds down.

But as things stand right now, NASCAR’s schedule features just four road course events: Circuit of the Americas, Watkins Glen, this Sunday’s inaugural race in San Diego, and next weekend’s stop in Sonoma.

Just four. That’s the entire list.

Gone are the road races at the Roval, Mexico City, Elkhart Lake, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Daytona.

In 2025 — what appears to be the final season of NASCAR’s road course-heavy era — the series visited six such layouts, matching the number it ran in 2023 when the Chicago Street Course wound through Grant Park. Five road courses hosted races in 2024.

Racing down Michigan Avenue, making a trip to Mexico City, and battling the widely unpopular Roval at Charlotte are chapters that likely won’t be revisited — and many fans would say good riddance.

Most drivers are perfectly comfortable with that direction.

Then again, most drivers aren’t Shane van Gisbergen.

This weekend at the Naval Base Coronado layout in San Diego, the conversation will revolve heavily around the New Zealander, who enters as the clear odds-on favorite to claim his eighth career NASCAR win — every single one of them coming on road courses.

Van Gisbergen, piloting the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, carries betting odds of minus-160. His 7-for-14 road course record speaks for itself, and fans tuning in will be watching to see whether any of the other roughly 37 drivers can find a way to beat the self-proclaimed King of the Road.

His 19-year-old teammate Connor Zilisch holds the second-best odds at plus-650, though his rookie season has been a rough one — he sits 34th in points, has five DNFs, and has yet to crack the top 10. His strongest result was a 14th-place finish at COTA, followed by a 20th at Watkins Glen. Road courses are considered his strength, so this weekend could offer a chance for a much-needed breakout performance.

Further down the odds board, Daniel Suarez sits at plus-5500. The Mexican driver says he’s been drawing lessons from Spire Motorsports teammate Michael McDowell, who carries odds of plus-1400. Suarez compared the challenge of racing on a brand-new street circuit to his experience at Chicago several years ago.

“It kind of reminds me of three years ago (at) Chicago for the first time. A lot of new things, a lot of new challenges,” Suarez said at Nashville Superspeedway last month. “I believe that our road course program on the (No. 7) team is getting much better, especially because we are leaning more on (McDowell’s) 71 team.”

Suarez has been on a roll lately, climbing to eighth in the standings. He already has one of Spire’s two wins this season, and notably, he captured his first career victory at Sonoma — next week’s race — back in 2022, the first of his three Cup wins.

McDowell, meanwhile, has two career victories, including one on the Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit three years ago.

The unique dynamic this weekend is that van Gisbergen will be racing on a brand-new track where no Cup Series driver has any prior experience — a factor that could easily produce yet another familiar result. Can anyone find a way to dethrone the King of the Road?

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics during the 2007-08 season, has agreed to take on the role of general manager for the men’s basketball program at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

ESPN.com broke the story on Friday, reporting that Perkins — who currently serves as an analyst for the network — plans to hold onto his television position while also building ties with the university’s broadcast and journalism program.

Jackson State has not yet issued an official statement about the hire. In his new role, Perkins will work alongside newly appointed head coach Trey Johnson and athletic director Ashley Robinson. The Tigers struggled last season, finishing with a 12-21 record, and the program has not appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 2007.

Perkins had a lengthy professional career spanning 14 seasons in the NBA, suiting up for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He captured his championship ring with the Celtics and transitioned into broadcasting when he joined ESPN in 2019.

Two head coaches who each took the long road to the top of college baseball will face off starting Saturday, when North Carolina and Oklahoma meet in the Men’s College World Series Championship Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

North Carolina’s Scott Forbes and Oklahoma’s Skip Johnson both spent many years as assistants before earning their head coaching roles, and now their programs will square off in a best-of-three series for the national title.

Forbes spent years building his resume at North Carolina — serving as an assistant from 1999 to 2002, then as pitching coach from 2006 to 2016, and later as hitting coach beginning in 2017. He was part of the program during its championship series appearances in 2006 and 2007 before taking over as head coach following the 2020 season, replacing longtime coach Mike Fox.

Johnson, meanwhile, worked as pitching coach under legendary Texas head coach Augie Garrido from 2007 to 2016, then held the same role at Oklahoma for one season before being elevated to head coach.

Johnson said he recognizes a lot of common ground between his program and Forbes’ Tar Heels when it comes to team culture.

“Our culture is just trying to get everybody to buy into your culture,” Johnson said. “That’s the similarities I see in Scott and our program. You see it and you see the players when they regurgitate what our culture’s about.”

North Carolina is still searching for its first national championship. The Tar Heels have reached the championship series twice before — in 2006 and 2007 — but lost to Oregon State both times.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, is chasing its third title. The Sooners previously won the MCWS in 1951 and 1994. They also appeared in the 2022 championship series but were swept by Ole Miss.

North Carolina will send All-American pitcher Jason DeCaro to the mound for Game 1. The junior right-hander turned in a strong performance in the Tar Heels’ MCWS opener, going 6 2/3 innings and giving up just two runs on five hits in a 6-2 win over Ole Miss.

DeCaro said the team has been mentally preparing for the heightened intensity of a championship stage.

“Coach Forbes talked about it with us a little bit this week, about how there’s going to be some extra nerves,” DeCaro said. “You’re going to be a little bit more excited. This is the biggest game that we’ve all ever played in, so just accepting that and using that to your advantage.

“You’re going to go out there and you’re going to have some extra adrenaline,” he continued, “so just trying to do a good job of slowing yourself down, taking a deep breath, and just at the end of the day, focusing on each pitch.”

Oklahoma’s offense has been on fire throughout the postseason. The Sooners entered the NCAA Tournament with just 65 home runs on the season, but have slugged 26 more across their 10 tournament games — including five in Wednesday’s 11-4 victory over Georgia that punched their ticket to the championship series.

On the mound, Oklahoma is expected to start freshman left-hander Cord Rager. While Rager never pitched more than five innings in any of his 12 regular-season outings, he has gone at least six innings in each of his last three postseason starts. His best performance came in the Sooners’ MCWS opener on June 13, when he threw a season-high seven innings against Alabama, surrendering just three hits and no runs.

Rager’s rise has closely tracked his team’s remarkable late-season turnaround. Oklahoma dropped each of its final four Southeastern Conference series and was eliminated in the first round of the conference tournament, falling to LSU 6-2 on May 19.

But the unseeded Sooners turned things around in dramatic fashion — upsetting No. 2 seed Georgia Tech in regionals, sweeping Kansas in the super regionals, and reeling off eight straight wins heading into the championship series. The Sooners carry a 41-22 record and have used three different freshmen starters on the mound in Omaha.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Johnson said. “I think Trey (Gambill, a senior outfielder) said it best yesterday — we’ve been hit in the mouth. Played really good early in our year, and then we went through the SEC, and I think the SEC really molded us to be prepared to (be) where we’re at.”

North Carolina enters Saturday’s opener as the fifth seed with a 53-12-1 record and a five-game winning streak. The Tar Heels also boast one of the top freshman pitching arms in the country in right-hander Caden Glauber.

Forbes summed up his team’s mindset heading into the series: “You’ve got to go for it. You’ve got to live in the moment. You’ve got to go after every single pitch and not think about the end goal, just think about that current game and then Nick Saban process of just trying to dominate every play and every pitch.”

SEATTLE — The United States men’s national soccer team moved on to the World Cup knockout round Friday evening, topping Australia 2-0 in Seattle — and doing so without one of their biggest stars.

Forward Christian Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan and has tallied 33 goals across 87 international appearances, sat out the match due to a calf injury. Despite his absence, a deep American roster stepped up to secure the victory and clinch a knockout berth after just two games — the earliest the team has ever done so.

It marks a notable improvement from the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, when the Americans had to advance as one of the top third-place finishers. That run ended in the round of 16 with a loss to eventual champion Brazil.

The U.S. drew first blood in the 11th minute thanks to a strong run down the left side by Folarin Balogun, who had scored twice in a 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12. Balogun sent a centering pass toward striker Ricardo Pepi — who was starting in Pulisic’s place — but the ball never found its target. Instead, it deflected off Australian defender Cameron Burgess and into his own net, giving the Americans a 1-0 advantage.

The lead doubled just before halftime when Alex Freeman, the youngest player on the U.S. roster at 21 years old, headed in a deflected shot from Sergiño Dest in the 43rd minute. The goal, Freeman’s first in World Cup play, was upheld after a video review. Freeman is the son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman.

Jonathan Toews, one of hockey’s most decorated players, officially stepped away from the game on Friday, announcing his retirement at the age of 38 during a news conference held at a Winnipeg sportsplex that carries his name.

The Canadian center had just wrapped up a season with the Winnipeg Jets — his hometown team in the NHL — after sitting out two full years due to illness.

Speaking at the announcement, Toews reflected on what the moment meant to him. “It’s a privilege to be standing up here to say goodbye to the game of hockey and the NHL,” he said. “It’s just come to the point where it’s taken such a toll, I’m just kind of ready to let the stress level down.”

Toews spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, serving as the team’s captain for 14 of those years. During that stretch, he guided Chicago to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015. That first title in 2010 ended a 49-year championship drought for the franchise.

That same postseason run earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, after he put up 29 points across 22 playoff games.

On the international stage, Toews was equally dominant. He was a key figure in Canada’s back-to-back Olympic gold medal victories at the 2010 Vancouver Games and the 2014 Sochi Games. In the 2010 gold-medal final against the United States, he scored the opening goal and was honored as the tournament’s top forward. He then scored the first goal in the 2014 gold-medal game against Sweden. He also helped Canada claim a World Championship title in 2007.

His combination of achievements — an Olympic gold, a World Championship, and a Stanley Cup — earned Toews membership in the prestigious “Triple Gold Club.” He became the youngest player ever to accomplish that feat, achieving it at just 22 years old.

Five-star cornerback John Meredith III made his college decision official on Friday, announcing his commitment to the University of Texas.

The Fort Worth, Texas, prospect is considered the No. 2 overall recruit in the Class of 2027, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. After taking official visits to both Texas and Texas A&M, Meredith chose the Longhorns.

With Meredith now on board, the Texas recruiting class under coach Steve Sarkisian also features five-star wide receiver Easton Royal along with eight four-star prospects, according to 247Sports.

Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 180 pounds, Meredith is currently facing an eligibility challenge at the high school level. A district athletic committee determined that his move from Euless Trinity High School to North Crowley during the offseason was motivated by athletics rather than personal reasons, the Dallas Morning News reported, ruling him ineligible for his senior season.

ESPN reported that Meredith intends to appeal that decision.

Wyndham Clark is on a mission at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York — not just to capture his second U.S. Open championship, but to rebuild his reputation after a notorious locker room incident last year left many fans questioning his character.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion destroyed a locker after missing the cut at last year’s tournament, a meltdown that resulted in Oakmont Country Club banning him from the property entirely.

Speaking to reporters in Southampton on Friday, Clark acknowledged the fallout from that moment. “I’ve gotten a lot of grief since last year, rightfully so. The thing that’s unfortunate is that’s not who I am, what happened last year,” he said.

Clark is putting together an impressive performance at the demanding Shinnecock course, carding a seven-under par through two rounds. He credited work with a swing coach for helping him regain his confidence and form.

“I’m hoping I can win back the fans that I had or some new fans because it was a terrible incident. I really feel like I can show people that I’m fun and outgoing, I’m fierce, competitive, love the game, respect the game, and I just had a bad moment. Hopefully I can win those people back,” Clark said.

The American golfer has shown steady results on the PGA Tour this season, recording two top-five finishes including a victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

Reflecting on the highs and lows of his career, Clark put it in perspective. “I was on top of the world in my game at least when I won the U.S. Open and then had some good years. Then next thing you know, I’m apologising for breaking a locker,” he told reporters.

“With the mental game there’s ebbs and flows. If you think of it as climbing Everest, sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go down to go back up,” he added.

CF Montreal has locked up goalkeeper Thomas Gillier for the foreseeable future, announcing Friday that his loan from Bologna FC has been extended through December 2026.

The agreement also carries an option that would allow the club to keep Gillier through June 2027 if they choose to exercise it.

The 22-year-old has made a strong impression between the posts this season, posting three clean sheets across 14 starts for Montreal.

Managing director Luca Saputo praised the young goalkeeper’s impact both on and off the field. “Since his arrival, he stood out not only for his skills on the field but also for the very positive attitude he brings to the team,” Saputo said. “Thomas is deeply committed to our project and feels completely fulfilled in Montreal. This extension allows us to benefit from his contributions on a daily basis while supporting him in his development.”

Gillier, who hails from Chile, appeared in eight starts for Montreal during the 2025 season before becoming a more regular fixture in the lineup.

FIFA has announced that Saturday’s World Cup Group F match between Japan and Tunisia will be the 1,000th game ever played in tournament history, with the contest set to take place at Monterrey Stadium.

It will be the second group stage appearance for both nations in the expanded 48-team tournament. Japan opened their campaign with a 2-2 tie against the Netherlands in Dallas, while Tunisia fell to Sweden 5-1 in a match also held in Monterrey.

The milestone comes at a tournament that has already broken records. A total of 209 teams entered qualifying for this World Cup — a dramatic increase from the 13 nations that participated in the very first World Cup back in 1930.

African and Asian nations combined received 17 direct qualifying berths along with two additional playoff spots. In another first, FIFA awarded Oceania a direct qualifying place in the tournament for the first time ever.

Off the field, FIFA’s Forward programme has directed more than $5 billion toward football development at the domestic and regional levels since it was launched in 2016.

For Tunisia, the occasion carries extra meaning. The team is making their third straight World Cup appearance, and captain and midfielder Ellyes Skhiri reflected on what the game represents. “Being able to take part in the 1,000th World Cup match is truly symbolic,” he said.

MIAMI — A heartwarming World Cup story got even better on Friday when Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha’s mother touched down in Miami, ready to cheer on her son in person.

Ana Candida Evora made the journey from Praia, the capital city of Cape Verde, after the U.S. State Department stepped in and issued her a visa. Her arrival came just days after Vozinha made an emotional plea following his team’s stunning 0-0 draw against Spain — a result that shocked the soccer world and earned the 40-year-old goalkeeper the Player of the Match honor in what was Cape Verde’s debut at the World Cup.

Vozinha expressed his joy at having his mother in the stands but was quick to shift attention back to the game ahead. Cape Verde is set to face Uruguay on Sunday in a match that could bring the team one step closer to advancing to the knockout rounds of the tournament.

VANCOUVER — The FIFA World Cup has arrived in Vancouver, but not every local business is celebrating. For small shops near BC Place stadium, the tournament is telling two very different stories — one of unexpected windfall, and another of financial strain.

Coast Crafts, located close to the stadium, has been overwhelmed with customers since the games began. Owner Kingsley Bailey, originally from Wolverhampton in Britain, described the scene as nothing short of “pandemonium” as soccer fans from across the globe pour in looking for souvenirs.

“Absolutely amazing. I couldn’t think of it being any worse than what it is now. It’s craziness,” Bailey told Reuters. “The customers are from everywhere. They’re from around the world.”

Bailey said the tournament has also opened the eyes of Canadians to just how passionate international soccer fans can be. “I don’t think the Canadians really knew how big soccer was until they saw Australia v Turkey, with no skin in the game, not from this country, how crazy they went. The fans, it was just pandemonium,” he said.

One of the shop’s surprise bestsellers has been Bailey’s own handmade “Vancouver BC 2026” fridge magnets — an item his son initially dismissed. “My son said, Dad, that’s a loser. You’re not going to make any money on this,” Bailey recalled. “And then when he realised what the prices of licensed merchandise were, he came around really quickly because the value was definitely there. Unbelievable. I can’t keep enough of them.”

However, FIFA’s tight grip on licensing has caused headaches for other business owners. Dawn Moulton, who operates Cascadia Natural Pet Supply on Main Street, ran into trouble after advertising football-themed stuffed bears online using FIFA-related language.

“About a year ago, there were many suppliers that contacted the store about FIFA-related materials. There were balls, bears, stuffies, and I chose one (bears) of them, with the wording saying ‘get them in time for FIFA (World Cup)’,” Moulton explained. “Then I posted them on my website as FIFA bears and I was told I needed to change that wording.”

Moulton said the financial impact on her store was minimal. “Not really. I didn’t buy many of these bears. I bought 30. So my profit would be like 100 dollars. I didn’t really care about these bears. That’s why I was surprised that anybody else really cared about these bears. There’s no impact to me now. It’s just business as usual. I’m not going to see any more business,” she said. She eventually donated the leftover bears to a dog rescue organization.

For other businesses, the situation is far more serious. Aquariums West, a tropical fish store situated near the stadium, has decided to shut its doors for all seven World Cup game days, citing access difficulties and a sharp drop in regular customer traffic.

“If customers can’t get here or are unwilling to come, and the soccer fans aren’t going to come in and probably spend any money with us, so that was a hard decision but we had to make it,” said manager and partner Kreig LeBlanc.

LeBlanc expressed concern about the long-term financial toll of losing seven days of business. “It makes us nervous, losing seven days of income. We are hoping that people support us in between those days. It’s going to be a huge hit, and it’s going to affect our months going forward. Hopefully we can recoup those losses,” he said.

He added that there has been little meaningful assistance offered to businesses dealing with the disruption. “There hasn’t really been any meaningful conversation about how it impacts us. We just have to do the best we can and get through it,” LeBlanc said.

TORONTO — A pint-sized oranda goldfish is turning heads in downtown Toronto, drawing soccer fans and curious passersby alike with his daily World Cup match forecasts delivered straight from a custom-built underwater soccer pitch.

The fish, dubbed Swimbappe — a nod to French national team captain Kylian Mbappe — lives in a tank styled to look like a soccer field, displayed prominently outside an office building in the heart of the city.

Each day, the bright orange fish positions himself at center field and then swims either left or right to indicate which team he thinks will win that day’s match. Flags representing competing nations hang above the tank, and a small but enthusiastic crowd typically counts down before Swimbappe delivers his underwater verdict.

So far, the little oracle has gotten it right 14 times, been wrong just four times, and recorded 10 draws.

Tim Glenn, creative director at OneMethod and one of the people who came up with the concept, acknowledged that the draws present a unique communication challenge. “The draws are a little bit difficult for him to communicate to us with his fish body,” Glenn said.

Swimbappe joins a long line of animal sports predictors. Perhaps the most famous was Paul the Octopus, who became an international sensation during the 2010 World Cup for his seemingly uncanny ability to forecast outcomes of Germany’s matches. Orangutans and elephants have also taken turns in the prediction spotlight over the years.

Glenn, a soccer enthusiast, said he wanted to create something fun and engaging for the public during this year’s tournament. His team worked through nearly 100 potential names — including Finaldo — before settling on Swimbappe. “This is kind of our way of participating in this big cultural moment that’s happening for our city here in Toronto and also for our country here in Canada,” Glenn said.

Animals have been leaving their mark on this summer’s tournament in other ways too. In Mexico City, a white-feathered duck named Merlin caused a stir after being spotted wandering city streets dressed in a tiny Mexico jersey. Meanwhile, a duck named Dawn joined Scotland’s Tartan Army during a pre-match bagpipe procession in Providence, Rhode Island.

Back in Toronto, Swimbappe continues to reel in admirers. “Everyone’s excited to see him in the window on their way to work or on their way to a game,” Glenn said, adding that the warm reception has exceeded his expectations.

On Friday, a group of schoolchildren marched past chanting “Swimbappe! Swimbappe!” Just moments before, a small cluster of onlookers had gathered to watch the fish weigh in on the Group C clash between Brazil and Haiti scheduled for later that day. Swimbappe swam to his right, backing heavy underdogs Haiti to pull off the upset.

“There’s a method to his madness,” Glenn said. “We just have to trust his process and believe in Swimbappe.”

SEATTLE — American soccer standout Christian Pulisic has been ruled out of Friday’s World Cup Group D showdown against Australia, sidelined by an injury that kept him training separately from his teammates throughout the week.

Pulisic, who holds 83 international caps for the United States, was pulled from the field at halftime during the team’s opening World Cup match against Paraguay. Ricardo Pepi, who entered that game as a substitute, will now step into the starting lineup as the only roster change for the Americans.

On the Australian side, Socceroos head coach Tony Popovic is making two changes from the starting eleven that knocked off Turkey 2-0 in their first match. Both of Australia’s goalscorers from that game — Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe — have been moved to the bench.

Twenty-two-year-old goalkeeper Patrick Beach will once again start between the posts for Australia in place of Mat Ryan, while defender Harry Souttar has been named team captain.

Starting Lineups:

United States: Matt Freese; Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman; Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi; Folarin Balogun

Australia: Patrick Beach; Jacob Italiano, Alessandro Circati, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess, Jordan Bos; Mathew Leckie, Aiden O’Neill, Paul Okon-Engstler, Nishan Velupillay; Mohamed Toure

SEATTLE — American soccer standout Christian Pulisic has been ruled out of Friday’s World Cup showdown against Australia after suffering a calf injury, with Ricardo Pepi stepping into his spot in the starting lineup.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino broke the news during a Fox interview roughly 90 minutes before kickoff at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The absence is a blow to the American squad, which is coming off a strong 4-1 opening win over Paraguay on June 12. A victory Friday would secure the team’s spot in the round of 32.

Pulisic played only the first half of the Paraguay match before exiting at halftime. During his time on the field, he was instrumental in the team’s early success — splitting two defenders to set up the first goal with a pass to Weston McKennie, then creating the second goal for Folarin Balogun.

Pochettino explained that the 27-year-old forward was struck in the back of his left calf during a training session before the Australia game and began feeling tightness during the Paraguay match.

In the days leading up to Friday’s contest, Pulisic worked out separately from the rest of the team.

The veteran attacker has recorded 33 goals across 87 appearances for the national team throughout his international career.

Pepi was the sole change made to the U.S. starting lineup for the Australia match.

Jonathan Toews, the celebrated three-time Stanley Cup champion and former Chicago Blackhawks captain, made his retirement official on Friday, closing the book on a remarkable 16-year professional hockey career.

The 38-year-old wrapped up his playing days by suiting up for all 82 games with his hometown Winnipeg Jets during the 2025-26 season — his first full season played since 2018-19. Toews finishes with a career total of 912 points, made up of 383 goals and 529 assists across 1,149 regular season games.

Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz paid tribute to Toews in an official statement, saying: “While his playing career has come to a close, Jonathan’s place in Blackhawks history — in hockey history — will be talked about for as long as this game is played. Jonathan, on behalf of all of us here at the Chicago Blackhawks, our fans and the city of Chicago you gave so much to: congratulations on an extraordinary journey and a truly remarkable career. Thank you. Seriously.”

Toews made history on July 18, 2008, when he was named the youngest captain in NHL history at just 20 years and 79 days old. Known by the nickname “Captain Serious,” he led Chicago alongside teammates Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith to three Stanley Cup championships — in 2009-10, 2012-13, and 2014-15.

His individual honors were equally impressive. Toews captured the Conn Smythe Trophy following Chicago’s first of those three Cup victories, the Selke Trophy in 2012-13, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2014-15.

His career was not without health challenges. Toews sat out the entire 2020-21 season battling Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, and was sidelined again from February 21 through April 1, 2023, dealing with the lingering effects of long COVID-19.

His return to the ice with Winnipeg proved meaningful, as he chipped in 11 goals and 18 assists for the Jets. The team offered their congratulations on social media, posting: “Tazer, congratulations on a remarkable hockey career. Your love for the game, and your passion for this city has forever left a mark on our community.”

Originally selected third overall by Chicago in the 2006 NHL Draft, Toews also shined in the postseason, tallying 119 points — 45 goals and 74 assists — across 137 playoff games. He ranks sixth in franchise history for both goals (372) and points (883) as a Blackhawk.

Beyond the NHL, Toews represented Canada on the international stage, earning two Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014.

Hockey Hall of Famer Ron Francis is returning to the Pittsburgh Penguins — not as a player, but as a key voice in the front office. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was announced Friday as a special advisor for hockey operations.

Francis spent eight of his 23 NHL seasons wearing a Penguins jersey, helping the team capture back-to-back championships in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.

General manager Kyle Dubas welcomed the move enthusiastically. “Ron has a deep affinity for the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins. He cherishes his time spent here as a player where he had tremendous success and is an outstanding ambassador for the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh,” Dubas said. “Ron’s playing experience, management experience, and familiarity with the Penguins and Pittsburgh will be a great benefit to our organization and all members of our management team. We look forward to having a person of Ron’s experience and character in our front office as we continue to work to build the Penguins back into a perennial Stanley Cup contender.”

At 63 years old, Francis will take on responsibilities that include strategic planning and roster construction. The team says he will also offer guidance during major hockey events including training camp, the NHL draft, the trade deadline, and free agency.

Before rejoining Pittsburgh, Francis spent seven seasons with the Seattle Kraken. He served as their inaugural general manager starting in 2019 and was later elevated to president of hockey operations in 2025.

Prior to his time in Seattle, Francis worked in the Carolina Hurricanes front office for 12 years, including a stint as executive vice president and general manager from 2014 to 2018.

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017, Francis was a four-time All-Star who earned the Lady Byng Trophy three times along with the Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy once each.

Over the course of his playing career, Francis scored 549 goals across 1,731 games. He ranks second all-time in assists with 1,249 and fifth in career points with 1,798. In addition to Pittsburgh, he suited up for the Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

French tennis player Corentin Moutet is walking away from the Queen’s Club tournament with almost nothing in his pocket after a fine nearly erased his entire earnings from the event.

The ATP handed Moutet a $40,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after he dropped expletives seven times during a live on-court interview with the BBC. The interview took place following his first-round victory over fellow French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

The 27-year-old had earned $43,000 for advancing to the second round — meaning the fine consumed virtually all of his winnings. Moutet went on to lose his next match to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

During the interview, Moutet used a swear word to describe the moment he was aced on match point by a 142-mile-per-hour second serve. The interviewer asked him not to repeat the word, but Moutet said it three more times before the broadcast was cut short. Apologies were then made to the crowd and television viewers.

Following the incident, Moutet took to Instagram, writing that he was “just joking.” He has since filed an appeal of the fine.

This is not the first time the world number 36 has faced discipline on the tennis circuit. Back in 2022, he was disqualified from the Adelaide International for directing profanity at an umpire during a match against Serbia’s Laslo Djere. That same year, the French Tennis Federation cut ties with him over concerns about his conduct.

The Atlanta Braves wasted no time putting their newest catcher to work, activating Joey Bart from the 10-day injured list on Friday — just 24 hours after completing a trade to bring him over from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh received right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Stratton as part of Thursday’s transaction.

Bart, 29, has deep roots in the Peach State, having grown up in Georgia and played college ball at Georgia Tech. Before his season was interrupted, he posted a .259 batting average with two home runs and six RBIs across 21 games for Pittsburgh this year. His time on the injured list came after he developed a left foot infection in mid-May.

To get back into game shape, Bart spent the past week playing in five minor league rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis, going 4-for-16 with one home run and two RBIs for a .250 average during that stretch.

Over the course of his major league career, Bart has appeared in 356 games split between the San Francisco Giants from 2020 to 2023 and the Pirates from 2024 to 2026. He carries a lifetime .240 batting average, a .319 on-base percentage, a .369 slugging percentage, 30 home runs, and 119 RBIs. Bart was selected with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered a memorable opening week, with the tournament making history on multiple fronts as matches kicked off across three host nations.

This marks the first time the world’s premier soccer tournament has been spread across three countries. Mexico got things started on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — a stadium that made its own history by becoming the first venue to host three World Cup opening matches.

The tournament also broke new ground by expanding its field to 48 teams, a significant jump from the 32 that competed in 2022. The addition of 16 more nations drew criticism ahead of the event, with skeptics questioning whether smaller soccer nations truly belonged on the world stage.

Those smaller nations answered their critics emphatically. Cape Verde stunned powerhouse Spain to a scoreless draw, largely thanks to the extraordinary play of goalkeeper Vozinha. His saves spread rapidly across social media, turning him into an overnight sensation.

The sport’s elite players also made their presence felt. France’s Kylian Mbappe netted two goals against Senegal on June 16, surpassing Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer. His achievement briefly moved him ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi on the all-time World Cup goals list — but Messi responded hours later by scoring a hat-trick against Algeria, reminding the world why, even at 38 years old, he remains the greatest of all time.

Here is a look at some of the standout moments from the opening round of group play.

Mexico vs. South Africa

Co-host Mexico opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in a fiery match that set a festive tone despite featuring three red cards.

South Korea vs. Czech Republic

In Guadalajara, South Korea’s fluid style of play outshone the Czech Republic’s more physical approach. South Korea benefited from a partisan crowd, though noticeable gaps in the stadium seating were visible throughout the match.

Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Canada’s opening ceremony featured dancers in the national colors of red and white, a performance by Michael Bublé, and what appeared to be a wardrobe malfunction involving a figure on a giant inflatable World Cup trophy. On the field, a late equalizer gave Canada their first-ever point at a World Cup, sending fans across the country into celebration.

USA vs. Paraguay

The United States opened their tournament in style, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles — the highest scoring margin ever recorded by the U.S. in a World Cup match. Fans celebrated from coast to coast.

Qatar vs. Switzerland

A goal deep into stoppage time from Boualem Khoukhi earned Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup, their first-ever World Cup point. Fans in maroon filled the stands, matching the seat colors of the Santa Clara venue.

Brazil vs. Morocco

Morocco, who reached the semifinals in 2022, continued to challenge soccer’s traditional elite, holding five-time champions Brazil to a draw. Brazil’s performance left their supporters uneasy.

Haiti vs. Scotland

Scotland’s famously enthusiastic Tartan Army charmed the city of Boston with their humor, spirit, and bagpipes. A 1-0 win over Haiti — competing in their first World Cup since 1974 — brought cheers, though fans acknowledged more difficult tests lay ahead.

Australia vs. Turkey

Turkey’s dismissive comments ahead of the match only seemed to fuel Australia’s determination. The Australians made the most of their opportunities, spoiling Turkey’s return to World Cup competition after a 24-year absence.

Germany vs. Curaçao

Germany won convincingly, but the real joy for Curaçao fans came when their team scored its first-ever World Cup goal. Curaçao holds the distinction of being the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament, with a population barely twice the seating capacity of the Houston stadium where the match was held.

Netherlands vs. Japan

The Netherlands, dressed in their signature orange, created a striking visual contrast in the Arlington, Texas stadium. Japan’s supporters, meanwhile, drew widespread admiration for their tradition of cleaning up the stands after the match, using their blue trash bags as balloons to cheer on their team.

Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador

Ecuador supporters flooded Philadelphia for their team’s opener against Ivory Coast. Many Ivory Coast fans were unable to make the trip due to U.S. visa restrictions. Despite the crowd disadvantage, Ivory Coast claimed a 1-0 victory, ending Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten run.

Sweden vs. Tunisia

Sweden rolled past Tunisia 5-1 in a high-scoring match held in Monterrey, Mexico.

Spain vs. Cape Verde

Goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias — known as Vozinha — put on a breathtaking performance, repeatedly denying one of the tournament’s top-ranked teams. The 40-year-old keeper’s heroics went viral, and he was moved to tears as teammates swarmed him at the final whistle.

Belgium vs. Egypt

Egypt, whose squad includes high-profile players Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, came out determined to prove their worth. They took an early lead against Belgium in a match that ultimately finished as a draw.

Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay

Uruguay, the first-ever World Cup champion back in 1930, could only manage a draw against Saudi Arabia, thanks in large part to a standout performance from Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais.

Iran vs. New Zealand

Iran’s opener in Los Angeles carried significant off-field drama. The city is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran, and Iranian Americans were divided — some choosing to support their national team, others using the occasion to protest the government in Tehran by displaying the flag of pre-revolutionary Iran.

France vs. Senegal

Kylian Mbappe delivered a second-half turnaround as France overcame a flat first half to beat Senegal. His two goals moved him past Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer in international play.

Iraq vs. Norway

Erling Haaland, appearing in his first-ever World Cup, scored twice as Norway defeated Iraq 4-1. He celebrated with his well-known yoga pose, which he has said brings him a sense of calm.

Argentina vs. Algeria

Lionel Messi, who lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022 in what many believed would be his final chance, returned four years later and showed no signs of slowing down. He scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria before an ecstatic crowd.

Jordan vs. Austria

Fans in Vienna gathered in a coffee house to watch Austria defeat Jordan 3-1. It was Jordan’s debut appearance at the World Cup.

Portugal vs. Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo turned heads even before kickoff, arriving at Houston’s airport in sharp suits adorned with leopard print details. On the pitch, they held Portugal to a 1-1 draw. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, made his own fashion statement, wearing a shiny earring during the pre-match warm-up.

England vs. Croatia

Harry Kane added two more goals to his World Cup total in England’s opening match. The game featured a missed penalty, a retaken spot kick after the Croatian goalkeeper was found to have moved off his line, and two Croatian equalizers before England pulled away for a 4-2 victory.

Ghana vs. Panama

Rain fell steadily in Toronto, but it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of fans watching Ghana edge Panama 1-0 on a late goal.

Uzbekistan vs. Colombia

Colombia closed out the first round of group stage matches as heavy favorites, playing before a largely Colombian crowd at the Azteca. They delivered despite some nervy moments, beating debut side Uzbekistan 3-1.

Green Bay’s men’s basketball program is committing to head coach Doug Gottlieb for the long haul, announcing a contract extension that will keep him on the sidelines through the 2030-31 season.

The extension reflects a remarkable one-year turnaround for the program. In Gottlieb’s first season in 2024-25, the Phoenix struggled to a 4-28 record. His second year told a very different story — the team finished 18-15 overall, including a strong 17-10 mark over its final 27 games.

The improvement was equally striking in conference play. After going just 2-18 in the Horizon League during his debut campaign, Gottlieb guided the Phoenix to a 12-8 conference record in year two. The 50-year-old coach and his staff were credited with engineering the program’s resurgence.

Athletic director Josh Moon expressed strong confidence in Gottlieb’s direction for the program. “Doug is building a program that this entire region can be proud of year in and year out,” Moon said. “He is recruiting the right kind of guys that put in the work to excel in the classroom and on the court, while positively impacting this community. We are excited to watch the continued growth of this program under Doug’s leadership.”

Gottlieb’s extension comes alongside a separate extension for Moon himself, announced earlier this week. Moon’s new deal also runs through 2031.

The university did not release any financial terms connected to Gottlieb’s new contract.

Gottlieb, who played college basketball at Notre Dame and Oklahoma State, expressed gratitude for the vote of confidence. “I am supremely appreciative of Chancellor Mike Alexander and Josh Moon in awarding me this contract extension,” he said. “Green Bay is just an incredible place to live, work, and grow, and the next five years our goal is to return the Phoenix to our rightful spot at or near the top of the Horizon League every single year.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a major push to strengthen their defense corps before free agency opened, trading for the rights to defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning and then signing him to an eight-year contract worth $68 million.

A source with knowledge of the agreement shared the financial details with The Associated Press on Friday, speaking anonymously because the team had not publicly released the terms of the deal. Raddysh will carry a $8.5 million salary cap figure each year through the 2033-34 season — a dramatic leap for a player who had never earned more than $1 million annually before this contract.

The 30-year-old had a career-defining season, setting personal bests across the board with 22 goals, 48 assists, and 70 total points in 73 games. To put that in perspective, he recorded that same point total over the entire previous two seasons combined since becoming a regular NHL player as recently as 2023.

The acquisition gives Toronto an immediate boost on the blue line. The Leafs are entering a new era with head coach Jim Hiller behind the bench and a revamped front office headed by general manager John Chayka, with franchise legend Mats Sundin serving in an advisory role. Securing Raddysh’s rights from Tampa Bay in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick — before he could become a free agent — marks Chayka’s second trade of the week. Earlier, he moved goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia to free up cap space.

“We are thrilled to add a defenseman of Darren’s caliber to our organization,” Chayka said. “Darren has emerged as one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, combining elite puck-moving ability with poise, competitiveness and strong play in all three zones. He strengthens our blue line in every situation and is exactly the type of player we want helping lead this team.”

Raddysh’s path to this moment was anything but straightforward. He went undrafted despite being part of the Erie Otters squad that captured the Ontario Hockey League title at the junior level in 2016-17. He later signed with Chicago, was traded to the New York Rangers, and then inked a free agent deal with the Lightning in 2021.

For much of that stretch, Raddysh played in the minor leagues, earning American Hockey League All-Star recognition before finally securing a full-time spot with Tampa Bay. This past season, he rose to the occasion as the Lightning dealt with a wave of injuries, and he finished as the top defenseman in the entire league with 10 power-play goals.

Elena Rybakina’s preparations for Wimbledon have hit another snag after the world’s second-ranked tennis player pulled out of the Bad Homburg Open on Friday due to a right hip problem, according to tournament organizers.

The withdrawal came just one day after Rybakina suffered a stunning round-of-16 loss at the Berlin Open, falling 7-5, 6-4 to Alexandra Eala, who is ranked 35th in the world.

Rybakina, 27, addressed the situation through the tournament’s official Instagram page. “Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from Bad Homburg due to some discomfort in my right hip,” she said. “I need to consult with my medical team and undergo further assessment before making any decisions about the next steps. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

The setback is part of a difficult recent stretch for the 2022 Wimbledon champion, who has now dropped three of her last four matches. That skid started with a second-round exit at the French Open at the hands of Yaroslava Starodubtseva.

On grass courts this season, Rybakina managed to win her first match at Queen’s Club but was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Katie Boulter, before the loss to Eala in Berlin on Thursday.

Despite the recent struggles, Rybakina has had a strong overall season, going 32-10 and capturing titles at the Australian Open and in Stuttgart. Her attention will now shift to getting healthy in time for Wimbledon, which kicks off June 29. She is chasing a second championship title at the All England Club.

The Toronto Tempo revealed Friday that two of their key guards, Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice, will be out of action for an undetermined stretch of time as both players recover from injuries.

Rice, a first-year player, suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain on June 3. Sykes went down with a plantar fascia injury during Tuesday’s contest. The expansion franchise said both players will be assessed again in the weeks ahead, and the expectation remains that each will suit up again before the season ends.

Sykes, 32, had to be helped off the floor during the third quarter of Toronto’s 131-91 defeat to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. She leads the team in scoring with an average of 20.1 points per game, adding 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 15 appearances this season.

Rice, 22, has put up 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game over 10 contests this year. A product of national champion UCLA, she was selected sixth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Despite the setbacks, the Tempo are scheduled to face the Connecticut Sun on the road Friday evening.