Sports
Giants, Cardinals start two rookie hurlers in season finale
Sep 23, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong (60) throws in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images The San Francisco Giants are hoping just to break even when they face the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon.
Two teams that have hovered around .500 all season have split the first two games of the series. The Cardinals won 6-3 on Friday before the Giants rebounded for a 6-5 triumph Saturday.
The victory moved San Francisco (80-81) within one win of a .500 season. The club finished 81-81 in 2022 before losing four of its final five games to land at 79-83 last season.
Cardinals scheduled starter Michael McGreevy (2-0, 2.40 ERA) has performed well in his three career outings. St. Louis (82-79) has won all three games, two of which the right-hander started.
McGreevy has never faced the Giants, who are expected to counter with fellow rookie Hayden Birdsong (5-5, 4.66). He has gone 2-0 in his past three starts while allowing just five runs in 15 2/3 innings.
Birdsong, who grew up about 125 miles northeast of St. Louis, will be pitching against the Cardinals for the first time.
Several individual distinctions and team honors will be on the line on the final day of the season.
Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, who broke the club’s single-season save record with his 49th during the club’s win on Friday, will attempt to become just the 18th in major league history to reach 50 on Sunday. He did not pitch Saturday.
“When I came back (from a forearm injury last) September and I was only the closer and got seven saves,” he said, “I was like, ‘If I get seven a month times six, then that’s 42, and that’s a pretty good year.’ Obviously, I’ve eclipsed that, and it’s been fun.”
Brendan Donovan took advantage of Nolan Arenado’s day off Saturday to move four points ahead for the Cardinals’ batting average crown. Donovan went 3-for-5 with a double and two singles, raising his average to .276. Arenado is batting .272.
The Cardinals’ home run title is also up for grabs. Paul Goldschmidt has hit 22 homers this season while Alec Burleson is right behind him with 21.
Matt Chapman has all but secured the Giants’ lead in home runs and RBIs this season. He has 27 homers and has driven in 78 runs, leading Heliot Ramos, who has 22 homers and 72 RBIs, in both categories. Chapman needs two runs to reach 100 for the third time in his career.
The veteran is enjoying quite a finish to his first season with the Giants. He learned Friday that he had won the team’s Willie Mac Award for most inspirational player.
“It’s just been a cherry on top of a great month,” he said. “Obviously, it’d be better if we were going to the playoffs. That’s my goal. I’m going to work this offseason to make that possible next year.”
In his first full season in the major leagues, Ramos has all but wrapped up the batting title for San Francisco. The 25-year-old is hitting .269 in 475 at-bats.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New England, Toronto draw in game marked by missed chances
Jul 22, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution midfielder Griffin Yow (7) dribbles the ball against Toronto FC defender Richie Laryea (22) in the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images The New England Revolution played visitors Toronto FC to a scoreless draw Wednesday in Foxboro, Mass., as MLS played its first full slate of games since the World Cup.
Toronto (3-6-7, 16 points) and New England (8-5-2, 26 points) both failed to capitalize on key opportunities as the 10-point gap between them remained unchanged and Toronto remained outside the playoff picture.
Toronto’s Richie Laryea, back at his usual spot at fullback after playing for Canada at the World Cup, sent a low streaking cross immediately in front of goal only for Jules-Anthony Vilsaint to catch the ball on the wrong side of his boot in the 38th minute.
Carles Gil was quick to respond for the home side, rattling the crossbar on a powerful effort from outside the box. TFC goalkeeper Luka Gavran denied Peyton Miller at the far post off Gil’s curling free kick in the dying seconds of the first half.
Revolution defender Will Sands struck his own crossbar on a bungled clearing attempt in the 59th minute, but sprung up heroically to beat Deandre Kerr to the ball in the air after Josh Sargent kept it in play.
Perhaps with fixture congestion in mind, Sargent was kept on the bench until halftime, though Toronto’s record signing injected some much-needed energy into his team’s frontline. He headed a ball inches wide on a 76th-minute corner.
Canadian youth international Richard Chukwu made his MLS debut in Toronto’s backline and went 71 minutes before subbing off with a cramp. Djordje Mihailovic, who made his first league appearance since March last Thursday, was not in the visitors’ lineup.
TFC extended their winless streak to 11 in all competitions even as Gavran recorded his second consecutive clean sheet. Toronto has yet to score or concede in two games since returning from the World Cup break.
The result marked just the second time New England failed to capture three points at home this season. Goalkeeper Matt Turner collected his fourth clean sheet on the year.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Union topple Red Bulls for first win since April 11
Jul 22, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union forward Milan Iloski (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the New York Red Bulls in the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Union scored their first home win of the season in their first match under interim coach Ryan Richter with a 3-1 defeat of the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday in Chester, Pa.
Milan Iloski, Indiana Vassilev and Neil Pierre scored for the Union (2-10-4, 10 points), who fired coach Bradley Carnell a short time into the World Cup break and promoted Richter from their MLS Next Pro affiliate. Last-place Philadelphia had not won since April 11 at Montreal.
Kai Wagner had an assist in his first game back for Philadelphia seven months after the Union transferred him to Birmingham City in England. Quinn Sullivan subbed on during the second half for his first appearance since tearing an ACL last September.
Cade Cowell scored and Ethan Horvath saved seven shots for the Red Bulls (6-6-4, 22 points).
The Union were the dominant team despite controlling just 36% of the possession. They nearly scored in the third minute when Iloski made a perfect cross to Frankie Westfield in the box, but Westfield’s wide-open shot rolled out on the wrong side of the right post.
Iloski took care of matters himself in the ninth minute. Horvath dropped a saved shot while bumping his own teammate midair, which allowed Iloski to fire in the rebound for his team-high eighth goal of the year.
Near the 22-minute mark, 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan fired a one-timer on goal from outside the box but Horvath pushed it over the bar.
Cowell tied the match in the 38th minute at the end of a clinical passing buildup through the midfield. Emil Forsberg took it to the penalty arc before passing to an unmarked Cowell on his right. Andre Blake (four saves) got a mitt on it, but not enough to stop the shot’s path into goal.
It remained tied at halftime and for a while thereafter, but Philadelphia broke through on a quick restart in the 57th minute. Westfield powered a cross from the right corner to the box and Vassilev’s left-footed one-timer hopped between Horvath and the near post.
The Union made the cushion more comfortable nine minutes later. Wagner hit a line-drive corner kick into a dangerous area and Pierre headed a powerful grounder under a helpless Horvath.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Late Inter Miami strike ruins Robert Lewandowski's Fire debut
Jul 22, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Chicago Fire FC forward Robert Lewandowski (9) controls the ball against Inter Miami CF defender Facundo Mura (4) during the first half at Nu Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Preston Plambeck scored in his fourth career MLS appearance in the 87th minute to spoil Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut and lift short-handed Inter Miami to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.
Luis Suarez scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season for Miami (10-4-2, 34 points), which was playing without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul. Both were granted leave from the club after helping Argentina reach Sunday’s World Cup final.
Puso Dithejane leveled for Chicago (8-5-2, 26 points) midway through the second half, after an error from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo gifted the Fire an early lead.
Lewandowski, the former Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona star, played 62 minutes in his first MLS match for Chicago after the 37-year-old’s signing became official in late June.
But it was the 20-year-old Plambeck who made the decisive play to extend the second-place Herons’ winning streak to five matches on a night they began six points behind Eastern Conference-leading Nashville.
As he did on his second goal, Suarez combined with German Berterame to work into the penalty area.
This time Chris Brady saved the initial attempt. But Plambeck contorted his body and was able to guide the airborne rebound over the line on his first touch.
Chicago went in front when Rios Novo whiffed on a routine backpass from Ian Fray, allowing the ball to cross the goal line in the 18th minute.
Suarez’s first goal came from the penalty spot nine minutes later. Brady guessed incorrectly, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered with Suarez’s right-footed strike kissing the inside of the left post.
The Uruguayan veteran’s second arrived in the 51st minute, finishing past Brady after a give-and-go with Berterame that included Berterame’s exquisite back-heeled return ball.
Dithejane responded in the 67th minute, five minutes after his insertion during a triple substitution that also saw Lewandowski exit. Following a deflection of a rebound off Maren Haile-Selassie, Dithejane turned his body and fired a first-time finish between the diving Rios Novo and the right post.
The Fire looked more likely to break the tie for most of the next 20 minutes, but were ultimately punished for allowing Suarez into the box one more time.
–Field Level Media
