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No. 15 Kentucky, Texas might be missing key pieces in clash

NCAA Basketball: Alabama at KentuckyJan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Ansley Almonor (15) celebrates with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

No. 15 Kentucky looks for its third straight win and continued momentum for the stretch run when it squares off against struggling Texas on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference contest in Austin, Texas.

It’s just the third all-time meeting, with the Wildcats winning both, including a 63-51 home victory on Dec. 5, 2014, in the most recent matchup. This will be the first matchup in Austin.

The Wildcats (17-7, 6-5 SEC) head to the Texas capital with consecutive wins, the latest a 75-64 home decision over No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday that gave Kentucky a season sweep. Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh scored 13 points each and Koby Brea and Trent Noah had 11 apiece for the short-handed Wildcats.

The Wildcats surrendered the lead in the second half but finished on a 20-6 run.

Kentucky played without Jaxson Robinson, its second-leading scorer (13.3 ppg) who missed his first game of the season due to a wrist injury he suffered in practice on Feb. 7. The Wildcats also lost Lamont Butler to a shoulder injury late in the second half.

Robinson and Butler’s availability for the Texas game is to be determined.

“We’re still kind of going day by day,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said Thursday of the players’ injury status. “We’re trying some different treatments. We’re going to piece it together. They’re both complicated situations.

“This is the part of the season where our young guys kind of have to become sophomores a little bit. Our roster issues are forcing them to do it, and they’re ready.”

The Longhorns (15-10, 4-8) return to their home court after a 103-80 loss to No. 2 Alabama on Tuesday. Freshman guard Tre Johnson, the leading scorer in the SEC (19.3 points per game), poured in 24 points and Jayson Kent added a season-high 19 for Texas, which shot just 42 percent from the floor and was outrebounded 41-25.

Texas has dropped three straight after producing a stretch of three league wins in four games and need a victory over Kentucky to bolster its flagging NCAA Tournament hopes. After playing the Wildcats, Texas will face just one more opponent currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

The Longhorns have been wildly inconsistent and coach Rodney Terry is on the proverbial hot seat after a 23-point loss at home, albeit to the No. 2 team in the nation.

“I’m all about trying to get my team better,” Terry said. “It’s about focusing on those guys and focusing on what we have to do as a program to continue to stay the course and keep working. I don’t get caught up in outside noise. If I’m worried about what people are saying, this or that, that’s not my job.”

Texas has played without energy provider Chendall Weaver for the past 10 games because of a hip injury and lost second-leading scorer Arthur Kaluma (12.9 ppg) to a left knee injury after just 11 minutes against Alabama. The status of both for the Kentucky game is to be determined.

–Field Level Media

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Red Sox tackle Blue Jays to secure sixth straight series win

Jul 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn ImagesJul 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez and four relievers combined to shut down the visiting Toronto Blue Jays in a 6-1 win Sunday.

Boston, which has won 17 of its last 19 games, won a sixth straight series.

Suarez, pitching for the first time since July 5 due to a groin strain, was taken out after four scoreless innings and 64 pitches. The southpaw allowed four hits with no walks and struck out six.

Greg Weissert (3-2), Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten and Ryan Watson scattered five Blue Jays hits the rest of the way.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (4-10) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out six in 98 pitches.

Toronto has lost eight straight Gausman starts, and the 35-year-old has not won since May 22.

Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Andruw Monasterio led off with a single off the Green Monster. He scored on a two-out single by Ceddanne Rafaela.

The Red Sox added two more in the fourth when Willson Contreras led off with a walk and Caleb Durbin singled. Romy Gonzalez laid down a bunt to sacrifice the runners to second and third, and Jarren Duran drove them both in with a single to center for a 3-0 lead.

Suarez, meanwhile, kept the Blue Jays off balance.

His only trouble came in the fourth inning when Alejandro Kirk and George Springer hit back-to-back one-out singles. Suarez, however, induced Daulton Varsho to hit into a fielder’s choice and then struck out Kazuma Okamoto looking to end the threat.

The Red Sox scored three more in the seventh.

Duran led off with a single and Monasterio walked. Carlos Narvaez bunted them over and pinch hitter Jahmai Jones doubled them both in with a drive off the wall in center.

Jones came home when Wilyer Abreu broke an 0-for-20 streak with a double off the wall in left.

The Blue Jays finally broke through in the ninth with three hits. Andres Gimenez drove in Varsho with two outs for their lone run.

–Field Level Media

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Birthday boy Ryan O'Hearn leads Pirates past Cubs

Jul 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (left) and designated hitter Bryan Reynolds (10) greet first baseman Ryan O'Hearn (29) crossing home plate on a grand slam home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesJul 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (left) and designated hitter Bryan Reynolds (10) greet first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (29) crossing home plate on a grand slam home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ryan O’Hearn celebrated his 32nd birthday by belting his second grand slam of the season and fourth of his career as the host Pittsburgh Pirates held on for an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Pittsburgh’s Shawn Ross launched a two-run homer in his second MLB game while rookie Esmerlyn Valdez also went deep and added an RBI single

Brandon Lowe collected three hits and two runs as the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak in the finale of the three-game series.

The offensive explosion proved just enough for Braxton Ashcraft (10-4), who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.

Carmen Mlodzinski bridged the gap to Mason Montgomery, who surrendered Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer in the ninth before retiring the next two batters to secure his second save.

Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI triple and Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez each had an RBI single for the Cubs.

Swanson opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single, but that slim advantage didn’t last long.

Valdez sent a 1-1 cutter from Jameson Taillon (2-6) over the left center wall to lead off the second inning. Valdez’s homer was his 14th of the season and eighth in his last 13 games. After O’Hearn walked, Ross deposited a 3-2 cutter over the wall in left.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the third before O’Hearn deposited a 0-1 fastball from Taillon over the wall in center to stake his team to a 7-1 lead. The homer by O’Hearn was his 17th of the season and first since he went deep three times — highlighted by a grand slam — in a 12-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on July 7.

Taillon permitted seven runs on six hits in four innings to fall to 0-5 in his last eight outings.

Chicago scored three times in the fourth before Valdez’s broken-bat RBI single off Ryan Rolison extended Pittsburgh’s advantage to 8-5 in the fifth.

–Field Level Media

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Jerry Kelly holds on to win 'indescribable' Senior Open title

Jerry Kelly hits out of a bunker on hole No. 14 during round 3 of the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship, July 11, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.Jerry Kelly hits out of a bunker on hole No. 14 during round 3 of the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship, July 11, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

Jerry Kelly turned a clutch bunker shot on the final hole into a birdie and won the ISPS Handa Senior Open by two shots on Sunday in Auchterarder, Scotland.

Kelly, 59, delivered his third consecutive round of 2-under-par 68 on The King’s Gleneagles course and finished at 10-under 270 to win the fifth and final major tournament of the season.

Matt Gogel, Darren Fichardt of South Africa and Cameron Percy of Australia all finished two shots back in a tie for second place.

With a one-shot lead on the par-5 closing hole, Kelly found the bunker with his second shot. The Madison, Wisc., native put the bunker shot to within 4 feet and made the putt for his first Senior Open title and his third major victory on the Champions Tour.

“It’s indescribable to win it,” said Kelly, who now has 15 overall victories on the Champions Tour. “The senior Claret Jug is the trophy that I’ve wanted as an over-50 golfer other than any other. To do it in Scotland, at the home of golf … I mean, I’m absolutely speechless.”

Tied for the lead with Percy at the start of the final round, Kelly was 2 under through five holes before his first bogey of the day at No. 6. He bounced back by birdieing the par-3 eighth. Kelly also had a bogey at No. 11 before he reeled off six consecutive pars that led into his birdie at 18.

“My brain, actually, was the most successful part of my game,” Kelly said. “In the past I would have gotten down that I wasn’t striking it the way I’d like to strike it. But instead of worrying about that, I just went and took care of the next shot.

“I learned a lot about myself today, and I wish I would have learned it about 20, 30 years ago.”

Gogel worked his way into contention with a 7-under 63 in the final round as he shot a 4-under 30 on the front nine. He also had birdies at Nos. 10 and 12 to close the gap, then wrapped his round with his seventh birdie of the day at No. 18.

“Certainly by 10, when I had a two-putt birdie there, I was thinking, ‘Geez, we keep this thing going, we have a chance to get a high finish,'” Gogel said.

Percy (even-par 70) had a rocky ride in the final round and was at 2 over the front nine. He had his first birdie of the day at No. 10 before another bogey at No. 11. He gathered himself down the stretch for two more birdies but was unable to collect another at the 18th.

Percy missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put more pressure on Kelly.

Fichardt shot a 4-under 66 to close in on Kelly. He started his round with a bogey on the first hole, but had a strong finish with birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 18.

Kely remained undaunted with his one-putt birdie to win it.

“To be on this trophy, to be a part of this trophy, to be a part of the R&A — I just love it over here, I really do,” Kelly said. “It brings it full circle that I didn’t do what I wanted to in the Open Championship but to get it done here, I mean, I’m over the moon.”

–Field Level Media

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