Sports
Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty to skip Preakness
Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrated after riding Sovereignty to victory in the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. May 3, 2025 Preakness Stakes officials confirmed on Tuesday that Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
“We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,” said Mike Rogers, executive vice president of 1/ST, which operates Pimlico. “We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision. We continue to see the excitement building toward the milestone celebration of the 150th Preakness Stakes, and we look forward to an incredible weekend of world-class racing and entertainment.”
The decision means there still won’t be a Triple Crown winner for the first time since Justify in 2018. Justify is also the most recent Kentucky Derby champion to win the Preakness.
The Preakness is scheduled for May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Sovereignty is expected to return for the Belmont Stakes on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Ridden by Junior Alvarado and owned by Godolphin, Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs last Saturday by 1 1/2 lengths over Journalism on a sloppy track.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trea Turner knocks two out as Phillies control Dodgers
Jul 20, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a two run home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Trea Turner had two homers, a double and five RBIs to fuel the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-7 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Brandon Marsh, Bryce Harper and Derek Hill also homered for Philadelphia, which provided Cristopher Sanchez (12-4) with plenty of offensive support. After struggling in his first All-Star start last week, the left-hander allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in this one, striking out seven without a walk.
Mookie Betts homered twice as part of a 4-for-5 night for the Dodgers, while Andy Pages chipped in with two hits and an RBI. Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan (4-7) absorbed the loss after allowing six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Sanchez worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning before Sheehan pitched around a leadoff double in the bottom half.
Sanchez logged a 1-2-3 second inning, setting the stage for his teammates to plate three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Gabriel Rincones Jr.’s RBI double opened the scoring before Justin Crawford’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0. Turner followed with a blast into the left-field seats to extend the advantage to 4-0.
Betts singled and came around to score in the fourth to get Los Angeles on the board. The Dodgers then added two more runs in the sixth against Sanchez and reliever Orion Kerkering.
However, Philadelphia quickly regained the momentum as Marsh homered off Sheehan to begin the sixth. Later in the frame, lefty Alex Vesia surrendered a three-run blast to Turner — his 200th career home run.
Harper reached a milestone of his own in the seventh, launching his 200th homer as a member of the Phillies against reliever Landon Knack. Derek Hill’s solo shot in the eighth made it 10-4.
The Dodgers plated three runs in the ninth against Chase Shugart, highlighted by Betts’ two-run homer. The rally featured a misplay by Turner, who had a rough night at shortstop with an error and multiple other miscues.
Jhoan Duran came on for the Phillies and recorded the final out of the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yordan Alvarez homers twice, Ronel Blanco returns as Astros top Marlins
Jul 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) reacts after retiring the side against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez produced his fifth multi-homer game of the season to help the Houston Astros snap a four-game skid with an 8-5 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday.
Alvarez finished 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs. He posted his 12th three-hit game of the season and his 27th career multi-homer game to send the Marlins to their seventh straight loss.
The Marlins seized a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his first start since May 17, 2025. Blanco missed 15 months due to Tommy John surgery.
His season debut was uneven. Blanco recorded eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings and allowed only two hits. However, Blanco issued three walks, and the two hits were two-run home runs from Joe Mack and Liam Hicks.
Mack followed a two-out walk issued to Jakob Marsee with a 409-foot blast to right field in the second. Blanco opened that frame with strikeouts of Hicks and Griffin Conine, but Mack followed Marsee by drilling a 3-2 fastball for his eighth homer of the season.
The Astros fashioned an immediate response against Marlins right-hander Janson Junk (4-6). Taylor Trammell ignited a six-run second inning with an RBI single that bounced into right and scored LaMonte Wade Jr. Two batters later, Lucas Spence walked to load the bases with one out for Jeremy Pena, who rallied from an 0-2 hole by delivering his second career grand slam.
Pena went the opposite way to right for his seventh homer of the season. Alvarez followed with a titanic shot into the upper deck in right-center field, his 32nd home run covering 428 feet.
Hicks shaved that 6-2 deficit in half in the fourth when he followed a leadoff walk from Xavier Edwards with his 14th home run, a 393-foot shot to right. Blanco rallied and retired the ensuing five batters, but a two-out walk to Kyle Stowers in the fifth spelled the end of his 86-pitch outing.
Alvarez greeted Marlins reliever Lake Bachar with a 419-foot laser to right-center leading off the fifth. Junk allowed six runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over four innings.
Jose Altuve added Houston’s eighth run with a two-out single in the seventh following Isaac Paredes’ triple. Astros closer Josh Hader gave up three hits in the ninth, including Heriberto Hernandez’s run-scoring single, before locking down the win.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Washington gets to Kyle Freeland early, takes down Rockies
Jul 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Nasim Nunez (26) turns the first half of a double play against Colorado Rockies right fielder Tyler Freeman (2) in the fourth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images CJ Abrams homered for the second straight game, one of three home runs for Washington, and the Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 in Denver on Monday night.
Jacob Young also went deep and finished with three hits, Curtis Mead contributed three hits, and Andres Chaparro hit his fourth home run for Washington, which has won two in a row and leads majors with 147 homers.
Riley Cornelio (1-1) tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and Tom Cosgrove got the final six outs for his first save.
Jake McCarthy led Colorado with a pair of hits. The Rockies, who have dropped three of their first four out of the All-Star break, have the worst record in the National League.
The Nationals jumped on Colorado starter Kyle Freeland. James Wood drew a walk to lead off the game, Mead followed with a single to center and Chaparro hit the first pitch he saw from Freeland into the seats in left-center field.
Washington threatened for more in the first when Dylan Crews walked and Young singled with one out, but Freeland retired the next two batters to end the frame.
The Rockies loaded the bases in the third with two singles and a walk against Washington starter Andrew Alvarez, and Castro cleared them with a two-out double to center to tie it 3-3.
Alvarez allowed three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Tempers flared in the fifth. Chaparro flew out to right field and on his trot back to the dugout ran over part of the mound, drawing the ire of Freeland. Benches and bullpens cleared but the incident didn’t escalate and no one was ejected.
Young broke the tie in the sixth inning when he led off against Freeland with his ninth home run. Abrams extended the lead in seventh when he hit a two-run shot off Antonio Senzatela, his 22nd homer of the season.
Freeland (2-9) gave up four runs on seven hits in his six innings of work.
The Nationals tacked on a run in the ninth with Daylen Lile’s two-out RBI triple.
–Field Level Media
