Sports
Guardians ride late heroics into rematch vs. White Sox
Jul 2, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) jumps into the arms of manager Stephen Vogt (12) after hitting a game-winning two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio came through in the bottom of the ninth inning in the series opener between the top two teams in the American League Central.
Their battle for first place continues Friday, when the first-place Chicago White Sox and Guardians meet in the second contest of a four-game set in Cleveland.
White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.50 ERA) will take on Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.81) in front of what is expected to be the first of three straight sellout crowds.
The teams have split their first four games this season, all of which have been decided by one run. That includes Cleveland’s 6-5 win on Thursday that ended on Rocchio’s two-run homer off the foul pole in right field with one out in the ninth.
“The ball has really been flying this week, so I didn’t know if it was fair, but I knew it was a home run,” Rocchio said. “Every time, it’s a good matchup facing those guys, especially how they’re playing right now.
“They play hard, they play smart, so it’s very fun to face them consistently.”
Rocchio’s second career walk-off homer came off Grant Taylor, who was called upon to work two innings for his third straight appearance by White Sox manager Will Venable. Taylor didn’t allow a baserunner in the first two outings.
Chicago catcher Kyle Teel said he believed throwing a fastball was “the right call,” as did Taylor, whose reasoning was an inability to locate his other primary pitch. He walked two of the first six batters he faced before Rocchio’s towering, 380-foot blast.
“I wasn’t lining up the curveball, so went with another pitch,” said Taylor, who has converted just two of five save opportunities. “I threw a pretty good location, but he was looking for it and got a good swing.”
Taylor currently is the closer because Seranthony Dominguez blew back-to-back save chances, moving him into second place in the majors with five failures in 17 save opportunities. Bryan Hudson is second on the team with three saves but pitched the previous day.
The White Sox (45-41) are a shaky 23-of-41 in save opportunities on the season but sit .0005 percentage points ahead of Cleveland (46-42) in the division standings.
“You don’t have to be perfect, and Grant knows that,” said Teel, who had a two-run double in the fifth. “(Rocchio) just took a good swing on a good pitch.”
Kay was one of the more surprising success stories in the AL in March, April and May, before cratering in June with a 1-2 record and 6.35 ERA. His lone quality start in the month came against Cleveland on June 22, throwing six shutout innings in a no-decision of a 6-5 Chicago win.
The Guardians have yet to score a run against Kay in three appearances (one start) totaling 7 1/3 innings, but he has no decision against them.
Williams also has seen his breakout season go south with a four-start winless streak, going 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA. He pitched against Kay in that June game, giving up two runs in five innings while not factoring in the outcome.
In four career starts against the White Sox, Williams is 1-1 with a 5.21 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19 innings.
“There is a lot of season left, but this series is huge,” said Cleveland left fielder David Fry, who has homered in consecutive games. “Obviously, every game is big and any time we can get a comeback win, it’s huge.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Rockets F Tari Eason agrees to 5-year, $81.5M contract
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) reacts after a made basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason has agreed to a five-year, $81.5 million contract to return to the team, according to multiple reports on Thursday night.
Eason, 25, is a restricted free agent. He earned $5.7 million for the 2025-26 season in the final team option year of his rookie deal, per ESPN, which first reported the contract agreement. The fifth year of the new contract is a player option, per The Athletic.
He averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and a career-high 25.8 minutes in 60 games (career-high 34 starts) last season. Eason averaged 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.5 steals and 32.5 minutes in six playoff games (four starts).
For his career, Eason averages 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 23.6 minutes in 221 regular-season games (55 starts) since 2022.
Houston selected Eason with the 17th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Paige Bueckers leads Wings to close win over fading Sun
Jul 2, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) passes the ball against Connecticut Sun forward Diamond Miller (1) in the first half at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Paige Bueckers scored a game-high 25 points and Jessica Shepard made two key free throws in the final seconds as the Dallas Wings came back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Connecticut Sun 86-83 on Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
The Sun led by 13 points in the second quarter, by eight at halftime but by just seven after an uneven third period. Dallas closed to within 72-68 on Azzi Fudd’s jumper with 5:05 to play and to 74-72 on a layup by Bueckers with 3:08 left.
Dallas (12-8) tied the game at 78 on Li Yueru’s 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining and then took the lead on a three-point play by Bueckers with 1:17 to play. The Sun responded with a basket and free throw by Aaliyah Edwards on the ensuing possession that tied the game again. Fudd and Edwards traded buckets before Bueckers converted one of two free throw chances with 25.9 seconds left to put the Wings up by a point.
The Sun’s Leila Lacan missed a contested jumper in the lane with 5 seconds left, and the rebound was taken by Shepard, who was fouled and made both free throws with 3 seconds to play. Connecticut’s final 3-point attempt from Edwards from the corner bounced off the rim and away, allowing the Wings to escape with the victory.
Shepard finished with 14 points while Alanna Smith added 11 for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Lacan led the Sun (4-16) with 18 points. Charlisse Leger-Walker had 14, Brittney Griner amassed 13 points and 11 rebounds and Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 11 points apiece as Connecticut had a two-game winning streak snapped.
The Sun racked up the final seven points in the first period to take a 22-16 lead after 10 minutes of play. Connecticut expanded its advantage to 32-20 after a three-point play from Kennedy Burke with 5:23 left in the second quarter but Bueckers’ floater with 42 seconds remaining in the first half allowed the Wings to pull to within 43-35 at the break.
Bueckers and Lacan scored 12 points each to lead their respective teams before halftime.
Griner’s turnaround jumper four minutes into the third quarter rebuilt the Sun’s lead to a baker’s dozen.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Active 76ers add LeBron James to wish list
Feb 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Anfernee Simons (22) shoots against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers, after dealing for former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and agreeing to a contract with free agent guard Anfernee Simons, apparently aren’t done with their offseason makeover.
The 76ers are attempting to land the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, ESPN reported on Thursday.
James is an unrestricted free agent, and he told the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week that he would play elsewhere next season.
Per the report, the other leading contenders for James’ services are two of his former teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, as well as the Golden State Warriors. James will be in no rush to choose his new home, according to ESPN.
On Wednesday, the 76ers agreed to send Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, which could be a swap more favorable to Boston, and an unprotected 2031 pick), and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030) to Boston in exchange for Brown.
The deal can’t be officially announced until Monday.
On Thursday, Simons agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the 76ers.
The 27-year-old guard, who played with Brown in Boston for part of last season, will have a player option in the second season, per ESPN.
Simons joined the Celtics last July in the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, and he averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range in 49 games.
Simons was on the move again in February, dealt to the Bulls in exchange for forward Nikola Vucevic, but a left wrist injury limited the guard to just six games with Chicago before ending his season. For the season, Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 55 games (five starts).
A first-round pick (No. 24 overall) of the Trail Blazers in the 2018 draft, Simons will give the Sixers’ bench an offensive lift it was lacking last season. He has averaged at least 17 ppg four times and is a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter.
Over eight NBA seasons, Simons has averaged 14.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 444 games (218 starts).
–Field Level Media
Reports: Rockets F Tari Eason agrees to 5-year, $81.5M contract
Taylor Swift wedding guest list: Everyone we expect to be there
