Sports
No. 11 Michigan State out to halt slide in clash with Illinois
Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo argues with a referee during the second half in the game against Indiana on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Two Saturdays ago, Michigan State was the Big Ten’s only undefeated team.
But with three losses in their last four games, it has taken a mere fortnight for the 11th-ranked Spartans (19-5, 10-3) to tumble into third place. It doesn’t get any easier for coach Tom Izzo and Co. as they face Illinois (17-8, 9-6) on Saturday night in Champaign, Ill.
“I tried to explain when we were 9-0 (in the Big Ten) what was going on,” Izzo said. “I haven’t changed one bit. I told you four or five losses would win the league. I haven’t changed on that at all. We put ourselves in a hole now because we didn’t do the job at home. You’ve got to win your home games and split on the road.”
With that formula percolating in everyone’s heads, a lot of Michigan State luminaries showed up in East Lansing, Mich., Tuesday night in anticipation of Izzo breaking Bob Knight’s record for most conference wins by a Big Ten coach.
Instead, Indiana — Knight’s former school — kept Izzo stuck on 353 victories with an unexpected comeback inspired by something Knight abhorred — playing zone defense. Though the Hoosiers had played almost no zone previously this season, they switched to it late in the first half. Michigan State responded by shooting 4-of-23 from 3-point range.
“We haven’t run into much zone,” Izzo said. “But when you run into it, your shooters gotta make shots.”
Zone defense seems like a natural response to Michigan State’s season-long perimeter shooting woes. The Spartans enter Saturday’s game hitting just 28.8 percent on 3-pointers and converting just 5.6 threes per game.
The percentage ranks the Spartans among the bottom 10 teams in the country, and no power-conference team is worse. Jaden Akins (team-leading 13.4 points per game) has made the most 3-pointers this season for Michigan State (36), albeit on just 29.3 percent shooting from long range.
Fortunately for the Spartans, Illinois coach Brad Underwood prefers using a man-to-man to force opponents to get off the 3-point line and take tough mid-range shots.
But when then-No. 19 Illinois visited Michigan State on Jan. 19, the Spartans shot well enough on 2-pointers (25-of-55) and drew enough fouls (21-of-27 at the free-throw line) to claim an 80-78 victory.
Speaking of those fouls, Illinois freshman point guard Kasparas Jakucionis played only nine minutes in the first meeting before fouling out. After that game, Underwood questioned at least one of the calls, while Illini fans questioned nearly all five of them.
Regardless, it’s imperative for Illinois to be able to keep Jakucionis (team-leading 16.0 points per game) on the floor. He has scored a career-high-tying 24 points in each of the last two games — wins over Minnesota and UCLA — as he, 7-foot-1 sophomore Tomislav Ivisic and freshman wing Will Riley are developing into an explosive trio.
Ivisic, who missed three games and hasn’t practiced in three weeks due to mono and a high ankle sprain, averaged 17 points and 9.0 rebounds versus the Gophers and Bruins while Riley averaged 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
“I’ve said it many times: We’re really good when we have all the pieces and the pieces fit together,” Underwood said. “I thought Kasparas just controlled the (UCLA) game in the second half.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
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 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
Sports
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 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
Sports
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 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
