Sports
Suns quickly find their footing, while Sixers slide at season's start
Nov 2, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) slam dunks over Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) in the second half during a game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images The Phoenix Suns have started fast under new coach Mike Budenholzer.
The Suns have won their last four games and five of six overall entering Monday’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers have dropped four of five to open the season while playing without stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, both out with knee injuries.
Phoenix had an up-and-down performance on Saturday when it recorded a 103-97 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.
The Suns trailed by four points at halftime, outscored Portland 44-18 in the third quarter and led by 26 early in the fourth quarter before the Trail Blazers mounted an electric comeback.
Phoenix was 9 of 18 from the 3-point line in the third quarter, while Portland was 1 of 11.
“Yeah, the defense was good,” Budenholzer said. “I thought we were playing in a great rhythm offensively, kind of getting to everything, everybody was participating, allowed us to get great separation from them.
“We got to learn to play for 48 minutes,” the coach continued. “We’re not there, but I’m sure nobody is, so it’s good to put together stretches like the third quarter. We got to keep building on that.”
Devin Booker had 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the victory. Kevin Durant scored 21 points.
Grayson Allen contributed 18 points and made four 3-pointers off the bench.
“It was great for Grayson to have a night like he did,” Budenholzer said. “I think there was a little bit of pop defensively, the guys found him, the ball found him and he’s a great shooter. He just gives us a ton and he’s been through a little bit, but he’s going to be great for us.”
The 76ers are slipping behind as they wait for Embiid and George to get healthy.
Philadelphia lost a 124-107 home game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Tyrese Maxey had 23 points on a night the 76ers were outrebounded 52-33.
Embiid made noise after the game by shouting at a reporter in the locker room and eventually shoving him.
The target was Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, who recently questioned Embiid’s professionalism and ability to stay in shape. He also drew Embiid’s ire for mentioning his son and late brother, both named Arthur.
“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again, you are going to see what I’m going to do to you and I’m going to have to … live with the consequences,” Embiid said to Hayes.
Embiid is still bothered by the left knee that he had surgery on Feb. 6. He said he is doing everything he can to get back on the court and is upset with people who hint otherwise.
“Everybody has been on the same page,” Embiid, the 2022-23 NBA MVP, said of his recovery plan. “If your body doesn’t react well, and if your body tells you one thing (sit out). I’ve done it. From what I can tell you, I’ve broken my face twice; I came back early with the risk of losing my vision. I have broken fingers. I still came back.
“When I see people say, ‘He doesn’t want to play,’ I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself at risk, for people to be saying that.”
Meanwhile, George said he is close to making his Philadelphia debut. He signed a four-year, $212 million contract in free agency but suffered a bone bruise in the preseason. ESPN reported Sunday night that the nine-time All-Star forward would play against Phoenix “barring any setbacks.”
“I had a really good two days of finally being on court, practicing and running hard, being in live action,” George said. “The knee up to this point feels really good.”
The teams split their two meetings last season with the home team winning each time.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Mahle, 3 Giants relievers shut out Brewers in series opener
Jul 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Tyler Mahle limited the Milwaukee Brewers to three hits over six-plus innings, Grant McCray smacked a two-run homer and the San Francisco Giants defeated the visiting National League Central leaders 3-0 on Monday.
Mahle (3-9) never allowed a runner past second base, aided by three double plays in the opener of a three-game series.
Milwaukee’s only baserunners against the veteran right-hander came via singles by Jake Bauers, Andrew Vaughn and Jackson Chourio plus walks drawn by Vaughn and Cooper Pratt.
Bauers’ hit and Vaughn’s walk came consecutively with one out in the second inning in a scoreless game. Mahle then got Garrett Mitchell to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
En route to their third win in four games on their current homestand, the Giants took the lead for good in the third against Brewers starter Brandon Sproat (3-6). Jesus Rodriguez led off with a double and Luis Arraez followed with an RBI single.
McCray belted his first homer of the season and the sixth of his three-year career in the fourth after Willy Adames stroked a two-out single.
Mahle was pulled with a 3-0 lead after allowing a leadoff single to Chourio in the seventh. Sam Hentges came on to retire the next three Brewers to complete the inning. Dylan Smith threw a 1-2-3 eighth and Erik Miller struck out two of the three men he faced in a perfect ninth for his third save.
Winning for the second time in his past three starts, Mahle struck out three.
Sproat went six innings and was charged with all three Giants runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out five.
Garrett Stallings kept the visitors within arm’s length with two shutout innings in relief. Milwaukee, nonetheless, was beaten for just the third time in its past 10 games.
The Giants logged their third in five games against the Brewers this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ceddanne Rafaela's grand slam sends Red Sox past Athletics
Jul 27, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) celebrates with team mates after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Ceddanne Rafaela smacked his first career grand slam and the scorching Boston Red Sox won for the 18th time in 20 games, beating the Athletics 4-2 on Monday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Payton Tolle (6-6) struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. He gave up two runs and five hits and one walk.
Boston’s Aroldis Chapman worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 25th save in 27 opportunities.
Chapman gave up a single to Colby Thomas to start the ninth before striking out Tommy White. Chapman then engaged in a 10-pitch battle with pinch hitter Nick Kurtz and appeared to have won it with a potential game-ending double-play grounder. However, Boston second baseman Anthony Seigler booted the ball and both runners were safe.
Chapman then fanned Henry Bolte and Alika Williams to close it out.
Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim homered for the Athletics, who lost for the 24th time in their past 30 games. Thomas had two hits.
Boston’s Justin Slaten recorded the final two outs of the sixth, Jovani Moran struck out two in a perfect seventh, and Garrett Whitlock worked a flawless eighth.
A’s starter Jack Perkins (2-6) was charged with two runs and one hit over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Perkins didn’t give up a hit before Connor Wong began the sixth inning with a double into the left field corner. Perkins retired the next two batters before walking Willson Contreras.
Jose Suarez entered and walked Wilyer Abreu to load the bases. Rafaela then swatted a 2-0 slider high in the air to left. Thomas leaped and the ball went off his glove and hit the netting behind the fence for a homer as Boston took a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Heim drilled a leadoff homer to center off Tolle.
The A’s got on the board in the bottom of the first when Soderstrom hit a one-out homer to left.
Boston’s Curtis Mead made his team debut but left prior to the bottom of the fifth due to a left wrist contusion. He was hit by a pitch from Perkins in the top of the fourth. Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early on Sunday.
Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Tuesday. He could be done for the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs ring up 14 hits in series-opening win over Cardinals
Jul 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner each homered and had four hits apiece as the visiting Chicago Cubs opened a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 7-3 win on Monday.
Bregman doubled twice and drove in two runs and Hoerner had four RBIs for Chicago, which tallied 14 hits and won for the third time in its last four games. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya added two hits apiece.
David Peterson (6-7) allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
Jose Fermin hit a solo homer and Masyn Winn had two hits for St. Louis, which has lost eight of its 11 games coming out of the All-Star break.
After the start of the game was delayed 1 hour and 46 minutes due to rain, the Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Seiya Suzuki and Bregman against Matthew Liberatore (5-8).
With two runners on and one out in the second inning, Amaya added to Chicago’s lead with a run-scoring single to right field.
Fermin put the Cardinals on the board with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the second. The 407-foot blast was Fermin’s fifth homer of the season.
Bregman began the third inning by depositing Liberatore’s first offering into the right-field seats for his 11th homer of the season.
Liberatore allowed three runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
The Cubs extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning. Bregman and Kelly hit consecutive singles and both scored on Hoerner’s one-out single.
Gavin Hollowell replaced Peterson with a runner on second and two outs in the sixth. Winn greeted Hollowell with a run-scoring single, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Bryan Torres’ ground-rule double.
The Cubs added to their lead in the ninth when Hoerner hit a two-run blast for his fifth homer of the season and first since April 21.
–Field Level Media
Tyler Mahle, 3 Giants relievers shut out Brewers in series opener
Ceddanne Rafaela's grand slam sends Red Sox past Athletics
