Sports
Braves' leaky bullpen cause for concern entering series vs. Mets
Jul 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Dylan Lee (52) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves’ recent struggles may be spilling into the bullpen, an area of the team that has been solid for most of the season.
Atlanta, which will open a four-game series on Friday night against the visiting New York Mets, saw its relievers melt down on Thursday and allow eight runs in an 11-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Braves have lost 14 of their last 19 games to see their lead in the National League East shrink to 2 1/2 games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York, which is in last place in the division, did not play on Thursday. The Mets lost a three-game series at Toronto and have dropped 10 of their last 12 games.
The Atlanta bullpen, which posted a 2.14 ERA in June, finished the final four innings on Wednesday without allowing a hit.
It was a different story on Thursday.
Dylan Lee, who entered the game with an 0.95 ERA, allowed three runs in one-third of an inning and saw his ERA grow to 1.64. Reliable Tyler Kinley gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning, and Ian Hamilton and James Karinchak each gave up one run.
“Dylan has pitched a lot, so it’s something we’ve got to keep an eye on,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We always talk about trying to keep those guys strong all the way through. (Lee) was good to go, and he’s been virtually untouchable this year.”
Atlanta setup man Robert Suarez is out with right elbow inflammation and won’t return until after the All-Star break.
This will be the second series between Atlanta and New York this season. The Mets won two of three games from June 12-14 in New York.
The Mets will send Christian Scott (2-0, 3.20 ERA) to the mound on Friday to face fellow right-hander Grant Holmes (4-4, 3.96) of the Braves.
Scott will make his second start since spending two weeks on the injured list with a hip impingement. He returned on Saturday to start against Philadelphia and threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six in New York’s 6-2 victory.
“I feel great,” Scott said afterward. “Felt like I attacked the zone pretty well for the most part. Just established my off-speed stuff early in the game and then kind of just rode the wave off of that.”
Scott, who made nine starts as a rookie in 2024, missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Since his return this spring, Scott has been reliable. In 10 starts, he has allowed more than three runs just one time — when he gave up four in 4 2/3 innings against St. Louis on June 11 before going on the injured list.
He has made one career start against the Braves, taking a loss after allowing three runs over six innings in 2024.
Holmes has made 15 starts, but his inability to pitch past the fifth inning in four of his last five starts caused the Braves to temporarily move him into a long relief role. In his last appearance against San Francisco on Saturday, he allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings in his team’s 5-0 loss.
Holmes has made two career starts against the Mets, going 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA and striking out 13 in nine innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina knocked out at Wimbledon
Jul 2, 2026; London, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek (POL) hits a forehand against Karolina Pliskova (CZE) (not pictured) on day four of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Defending champion Iga Swiatek and 2022 winner Elena Rybakina fell in stunning upsets in the third round Saturday at Wimbledon.
Poland’s Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, was ousted 7-6 (9), 6-2 by up-and-comer Alexandra Eala, the No. 29 seed. Belgium’s Elise Mertens shocked No. 2 seed Rybakina, 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Rybakina won the Australian Open in January and hoped to add to her Grand Slam collection this season. She was bounced in the second round of the French Open by Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva in May.
Mertens, the No. 25 seed, entered the match with a 1-7 record against Kazakhstan’s Rybakina.
“I have no words actually,” Mertens said in her on-court interview. “I’m very happy I won that first set and kept the momentum going. She’s an incredible player. She’s won Wimbledon in the past. A really tough opponent.”
Mertens is a 10-time winner on the WTA Tour. Her best finish in a Grand Slam event came in 2018 in Australia in the quarterfinals.
It was the first top-10 win on grass for Mertens, who will meet No. 21 Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in the next round. Bouzkova rallied for a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova.
The 21-year-old Eala saved two set points in the 84-minute opening set. She improved to 2-1 against Swiatek and is now 7-4 against top-10 opponents. Eala also became the first woman from the Philippines to reach the second week of a Grand Slam.
Eala advanced to a fourth-round clash with No. 13 seed Italian Jasmine Paolini, a 2024 finalist at the All England Club. Paolini cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
No. 12 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine held off No. 23 Emma Navarro 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 and Ashlyn Krueger eliminated Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3, 6-2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fourth of July Best MLB Betting Picks and Predictions
Jul 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Williamson (15) tags out Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Independence Day MLB card is loaded with plenty of intriguing matchups on a busy Saturday.
The Chicago Cubs (49-39) look to bounce back from Friday’s 17-1 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals (46-39). The two NL Central rivals hook up at 8:05 p.m. ET from Wrigley Field.
Later on, the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-31) seek their third consecutive victory over the San Diego Padres (43-44) after rallying from multi-run deficits in each of the first two wins. These two teams close the night at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 p.m. ET.
We’ll break down two plays for the Saturday action. Remember to monitor the odds throughout the day, as the sides and totals market is constantly changing.
Here are the free MLB picks for Saturday, July 4. Odds Courtesy of DraftKings.
Best MLB plays today
- Astros (-110) vs. Rays
- Orioles/Reds Over 9 Runs
Astros (-110) vs. Rays – 7:10 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay (52-33) is riding a nine-game winning streak after holding off Houston (43-47) last night, 3-1. The Astros suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since mid-June as they try to rebound tonight with ace Hunter Brown on the mound.
Since returning from injury, Brown has allowed a total of four earned runs in three starts. The Astros have won two of three outings, capped off by an extra-innings victory at Detroit on June 28. Brown has held current Tampa Bay hitters to a .129 batting average in 31 plate appearances.
Tampa Bay’s pitching has carried them during this hot stretch, limiting opponents to three or fewer runs eight times. The Rays are 3-4 in Drew Rasmussen’s seven starts when priced at lower than -110 or in the underdog role. Let’s back the Astros to end Tampa Bay’s winning streak.
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Orioles/Reds Over 9 Runs – 7:10 p.m. ET
Baltimore blanked Cincinnati last night, 3-0 as the Reds were held to four hits. Cincinnati has seen the under hit in three of its past four home games, but look to turn things around tonight in Hunter Greene’s season debut on the mound.
The hard-throwing right-hander returns from an elbow injury, making his first start since last September. He faces a Baltimore team that cashed the over in five of its previous six games against right-handed starting pitchers prior to Friday’s low-scoring affair.
Baltimore’s Brandon Young has given up six earned runs in his past four outings, but his xERA (4.24) is over a run higher than his ERA (3.11). The Orioles own the highest hard-hit rate in MLB at 42.6, while Greene closed last season at 45% in this category, ranking in the 15th percentile.
Look for runs to be scored tonight at Great American Ballpark between the Reds and Orioles.
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Sports
France ready to deal with heat in match vs. Paraguay
France forward Kylian Mbappé (10) and France defender Dayot Upamecano (4) high-five after drafting Sweden 3-0 during a 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 match between France and Sweden at New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in East Rutherford, NJ. PHILADELPHIA — France manager Didier Deschamps believes he knows what to expect from the extreme heat forecast for Saturday’s World Cup round of 16 clash with Paraguay after attending matches at last year’s Club World Cup.
Highs are forecast around 100 degrees Fahrenheit with significant humidity, with the peak temperatures expected an hour or two before the 5 p.m. ET kickoff.
Similar heat impacted numerous matches at last year’s club tournament also hosted in the United States.
“I was with (assistant coach) Guy Stéphan at the final and semi-final of the Club World Cup,” Deshcamps said on Friday through an interpreter. “We were in the stadium. We could discuss. We saw that it was quite hot, and we could discuss. And it did have an impact.
“Now, is this good for the players’ health as soon as there are extreme conditions, whether it’s heat or cold or hard pitch? It’s not ideal.
“But we didn’t choose, so we adapt and we anticipate.”
Deschamps also reflected on the last time these sides met in a competitive fixture, when he played all 120 minutes of a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 on France’s march to the 1998 World Cup title.
He suggested Saturday’s task could be as tough as that match, decided by Laurent Blanc’s 114th-minute winner.
“It was a very good time for France. It was a very tough game. This is part of the history of football and the World Cup,” he said.
“This match tomorrow is different. It is a different team. It is a Paraguayan team who really wants to do it and they have quality.
“(Julio) Enciso, for example, has had a very good season with Strasbourg in France. He is a player with lots of influence in his team. Him and (Miguel) Almiron are players with great technical quality.”
With oddsmakers heavily backing the two-time World Champions from the start of the tournament, midfielder Desire Doue insisted Les Bleus won’t change their approach nor overlook an Albirroja side most expected to lose to Germany in the previous round.
“We have no pressure,” he said through an interpreter. “We’re playing games after games. We are focused on ourselves. There are a lot of qualities.
“We have been the favorite before the competition started. We will be the favorite for tomorrow. But I do not believe that these (statuses) will help us win a game.
“It’s not that that will help us win. We will need to be perfect from the first to the last minute. We’ll have to be there.”
Doue admitted he expected heat to impact performance.
“Well, yes, we are wasting a lot of energy,” he said. “We are sweating more, wasting more water. We might lose some lucidity on the pitch. We arrived in the US. It was hot. Today, it’s hotter. And so be it tomorrow.
“Both teams will experience the same conditions, and we are fully ready for this game.”
–Ian Nicholas Qullen, Field Level Media
Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina knocked out at Wimbledon
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