Sports
Rangers' Cameron Cauley eager for encore after big debut vs. Guardians
Jun 29, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Cameron Cauley (27) scores in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Texas Rangers second baseman Cameron Cauley appeared in 484 minor league games over six seasons before receiving his first call-up to the majors.
His promotion included a spot in the lineup for the Rangers’ series opener Monday against the host Cleveland Guardians — and the kind of wet welcome that only baseball players extend.
American League West-leading Texas will continue its road trip Tuesday night with right-hander Jacob deGrom (6-5, 3.55 ERA) taking on Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (2-8, 3.78).
Cauley tripled in the seventh inning for his first hit in his debut on Monday, then scored the go-ahead run as the Rangers pulled away for a 6-3 victory. Mayhem followed in the clubhouse.
“I probably have mustard in my hair,” the 23-year-old said, laughing. “The guys got me with baby powder, beer, all of it celebrating. Everyone wants their first game to go well. That was sick the way everything happened tonight.”
A third-round draft pick by Texas in 2021, Cauley went 1-for-3 with a walk from the seven-hole in the batting order. He scored runs in the seventh and ninth.
The late-inning success came after Cauley misplayed a routine grounder in the fourth, allowing Kahlil Watson to reach on an error. Texas manager Skip Schumaker and a number of teammates visited him in the dugout following his miscue, offering encouragement.
“Some players might look at that and hang their head on the bench, but he came back with what was a game-changing hit,” Schumaker said. “Oh, man, that was so special the way he handled adversity from the first few innings.”
Watson, a Guardians rookie, also played a part in Cauley’s triple, losing his balance while pursuing the drive down the right-field line. The hit, off a changeup thrown by Parker Messick, would have been a double in any case but became more thanks to pure hustle.
“I was thinking two (bases), but when he didn’t pick it up clean, I said screw it,” Cauley said. “I was going to try for three.
“The first two at-bats, he threw me changeups, so I was kind of surprised to get another. I shortened up my swing and got it.”
Texas will carry a five-game road winning streak — its longest since June 18-23, 2018 — into deGrom’s 17th start of the season. The Rangers also have won five games in a row overall.
deGrom, who leads the AL with a rate of 10.76 strikeouts per nine innings, is 3-1 in his past six outings. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner faced Cleveland for the first time on June 7, gaining a win with six shutout innings and six strikeouts in a 10-0 victory.
The Guardians are headed in the opposite direction, having dropped eight of 13 games since losing All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez to a broken left hamate bone on June 13. His replacement, Gabriel Arias, hit a 429-foot solo homer on Monday.
“Those moments, you even feel the ball when you hit it, so it feels good,” Arias said of his first long ball since April 3. “I lowered my hands to allow me to stay a little more direct to the ball, so obviously it feels good when you’re able to put those results in the game.”
Bibee has been one of Cleveland’s few bright spots, with a 1.71 ERA in June, the second-lowest mark in the AL among qualified pitchers. His last start was a no-decision against the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, when he tossed six scoreless innings before closer Cade Smith blew the lead in the ninth. But Cleveland won 4-3 in 10 innings.
In five career games against Texas, Bibee is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA. The win occurred on June 6, when he blanked the host Rangers for eight innings, giving up three hits.
Bibee could use some more run support, though. Cleveland is averaging 2.5 runs in his starts, one of the lowest such figures in the majors.
“I think our lineup is what it is,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s 13 position players against the other team. (Monday) was just a tough night for us.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
First-half goals send Mexico to comfortable 2-0 victory over Ecuador
June 30, 2026; Mexico City, Mexico; Mexico’s Raul Jimenez celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates. Mandatory Credit: Eloisa Sanchez-Reuters via Imagn Images Julian Quinones delivered a goal and an assist in the first half for Mexico, who maintained complete control in front of their vocal home fans to earn a 2-0 World Cup victory over Ecuador in a round of 32 match on Tuesday at Mexico City.
Raul Jimenez added a goal as Mexico won a knockout-round match for the first time since 1986 — also on home soil.
Goalkeeper Raul Rangel made one save in Mexico’s fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Mexico advance to a round of 16 matchup against either England or the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, also in Mexico City.
Ecuador, who rallied to defeat Germany in group play last week and earn a spot in the round of 32, were unable to counter Mexico’s early momentum. Hernan Galindez made one save as Ecuador fell to 0-2-0 all time in knockout-round matches.
Adding to the disappointment was a red card for Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time for covering his mouth in a confrontation with Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez.
Just as he did twice in group play, Quinones found the back of the net to give Mexico a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute. Roberto Alvarado sent a long pass forward from beyond midfield, and Quinones proceeded unmarked before scoring into the upper left corner from just inside the box.
Jimenez started a scoring sequence less than 10 minutes later when he forced a turnover on Ecuador’s side of the field, sent a pass to Quinones, then received the ball back to score from the top of the box in the 31st minute.
Even as Mexico controlled the run of play from the outset, Ecuador had the best early chance when John Yeboah hit the outside of the left post with a shot in the 18th minute. Mexico took over from there and were never threatened again.
Mexico won with 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora in the starting lineup. Mora became the second youngest starter in a knockout-round match after Brazil’s Pele in 1958.
The match was delayed one hour at the start because of lightning.
After they were one of three teams with a perfect 3-0-0 record in group play, Mexico became the second team to win for a fourth time in the tournament, joining France. Argentina will have a chance to join them when they oppose Cape Verde on Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers demolish A's as Dave Roberts reaches 1,000 career wins
Jun 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas (72) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Tommy Edman had four hits, including a homer, and had four RBIs and manager Dave Roberts recorded his 1,000th career regular-season victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Athletics 9-3 on Tuesday at West Sacramento, Calif.
Miguel Rojas also went deep and drove in two runs and Mookie Betts had three hits as the Dodgers won for the seventh time in the past eight games. Los Angeles had 14 hits for a total of 31 over two nights while dominating the A’s both times.
Roberts, who is in his 11th season, became the fourth manager in Dodgers history to reach the 1,000-victory mark. Walter Alston (1954-76) won a franchise-best 2,040 games while managing both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The list also includes Tommy Lasorda (1,599 from 1976-96) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375 from 1914-31).
Roberts (1,000-606) has a career winning percentage of .623, counting one game as interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015.
Justin Wrobleski (10-2) struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings for Los Angeles. He allowed three runs and seven hits and didn’t walk anyone while winning his fourth consecutive decision.
Colby Thomas had two hits, including a two-run homer, for the Athletics, who have dropped four straight games and eight of their past 10.
Jeffrey Springs (3-8) was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while losing his eighth straight decision and seeing his winless stretch reach 14 starts. He walked four, struck out two and served up two homers to raise his season output to 24 blasts, tied for the most allowed in the majors.
Freddie Freeman doubled to lead off the Los Angeles third inning and Kyle Tucker walked with two outs. Edman then unloaded on a first-pitch slider for a three-run shot to center off Springs, giving the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.
Rojas led off the sixth by sending a 1-1 slider over the wall in left-center to make it a five-run margin.
Los Angeles tacked on three more runs in the seventh. Edman singled in the first run, Rojas hit a sacrifice fly to plate the second, and Dalton Rushing singled in the last to make it 9-1.
Joey Meneses singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh for the A’s, and Thomas followed with a two-run blast to left-center.
The Dodgers scored twice in the first, on Betts’ RBI single and Teoscar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.
The Athletics struck in the bottom of the first when Jonah Heim drilled a long single over the head of Tucker and it one-hopped into the right field wall. Shea Langeliers scored from first on the two-out hit.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Diamondbacks pound Giants, remain unbeaten vs. San Francisco
Jun 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Arizona Diamondbacks ran their season-long winning streak against the San Francisco Giants to eight games Tuesday night, riding home runs from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Ketel Marte to an 8-2 victory in Phoenix.
Recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A and making his first big-league start since April 11, Brandon Pfaadt (1-1) combined with four relievers on a four-hitter, propelling the Diamondbacks to a second consecutive victory in the three-game set.
Gurriel delivered the big blow of the game, a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the first after Giants starter Landen Roupp (5-8) had put Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno aboard with walks.
Hurting his own cause with six walks, Roupp was unable to finish the third inning, an inning in which he forced in a run by issuing a free pass to Jorge Barrosa with two outs. Marte followed with a two-run single, making it 6-0 and sending the Giants’ young right-hander to the showers.
The six-run cushion made a return to a starter’s role more comfortable for Pfaadt, who carried a shutout one out into the sixth before serving up Luis Arraez’s fourth home run of the season.
The right-hander limited the Giants to just two other hits in his 5 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out two.
San Francisco’s only other run came on Rafael Devers’ 15th homer in the seventh.
In between the Giants’ big blows, Marte capped a two-hit, three-RBI game with his 17th homer of the season.
The Diamondbacks added the game’s final run in the eighth on an RBI single by Moreno.
Gurriel, Marte, Moreno and Max Kepler had two hits apiece for Arizona, which out-hit San Francisco 10-4 en route to a fifth straight home win over the Giants this season. Moreno scored twice.
After singling in the first and tripling in the third before his home run in the sixth, Arraez took a crack at a cycle in the eighth but flied out to left field. He finished with three of San Francisco’s four hits.
In extending his winless streak to 11 games after a 5-1 start to the season, Roupp was charged with six runs on five hits in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
–Field Level Media
First-half goals send Mexico to comfortable 2-0 victory over Ecuador
Dodgers demolish A's as Dave Roberts reaches 1,000 career wins
