Sports
White Sox out to continue stellar play vs. up-and-down Blue Jays
Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) bats during the ninth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images What a difference a year can make. The Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays will provide another example Friday night when they open a three-game series in Toronto.
The White Sox have gone from worst last season to a tie for first in the American League Central as play resumes after the All-Star break. The Blue Jays have dropped from first to worst in the AL East.
Both teams occupied the same spot in the standings at the All-Star break last year as they did at the end of the season.
The White Sox are scheduled to start former Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay (6-4, 4.23 ERA) on Friday to open their six-game road trip. Kay, who was with Toronto from 2019-2022, is 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA in one career start against the Blue Jays. The 31-year-old allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings on April 4.
The Blue Jays are expected to start right-hander Spencer Miles (4-1, 2.85) for the opener of a seven-game homestand. He has faced the White Sox once, tossing two scoreless innings in relief on April 5.
The White Sox entered the break by completing a three-game home sweep of the Athletics with a 9-1 victory on Sunday. They are going for their 12th win in the past 20 games.
Despite a three-game home sweep of the Blue Jays April 3-5, the White Sox finished April at 14-17. They are 36-28 since and are tied with the Cleveland Guardians atop the division.
“We just settled in,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “If you’re going to survive in this league, you have to deal with adversity. I thought we did a good job of really staying the course there in the early going. To find our way means a lot.”
The White Sox are 31-17 at home. They should benefit from the recent return of first baseman Munetaka Murakami from a strained hamstring injury. The White Sox were 17-18 in his absence. He was 1-for-11 on his return this past weekend against the Athletics but has 20 home runs and 42 RBIs with a .911 on-base-plus-slugging percentage after 60 games.
The Blue Jays have been trying to regain the magic of last season when they were two outs from winning Game 7 of the World Series. They reached .500 on June 22 but have dropped to six games below entering the break after a 4-5 road trip that ended with a 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
“This is not where we want to be, obviously,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “We’ve been trending in the right direction offensively the last two weeks, minus the Seattle series (when they scored two runs over three games in losing two of three to the Mariners). We definitely have to be better in some areas — on the mound, at the plate, whatever it is. There are little things we have to be better at and we’re looking for more consistency from regular guys up and down the lineup.”
Right-hander Kevin Gausman summed it up: “Listen, it’s kind of make-or-break. We’ve got to start playing better.”
The Blue Jays need more production from first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who entered the break with six home runs, 41 RBIs and a .703 OPS.
The Blue Jays have relied heavily on the offensive power of third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, who has 22 homers, 62 RBIs and an OPS of .788.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Frustrations abound as France, England face off in third-place match
July 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; France coach Didier Deschamps and Ousmane Dembele look dejected after the match as France are eliminated from the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Playing your final World Cup match one day prior to the championship game is not the assignment anybody desires.
But it’s the reality for France and England as the two countries will take the field in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“None of our players, and none of the French players, wants to play the third-place match,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve it.”
England missed out on the title match after allowing two late goals to Argentina to fall 2-1 on Wednesday in the semifinals. One day earlier, France came up short when largely outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Spain.
France coach Didier Deschamps isn’t the least bit thrilled about competing for the consolation prize.
“The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to exist,” Deschamps said.
The contest will be the final one as Les Bleus coach for the 57-year-old Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure includes guiding the nation to the 2018 World Cup crown.
“I know that it’s the last match and I don’t want anybody to cry, and I don’t think anybody here will cry,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege to go through amazing moments and to go also through some more difficult moments, so the end is coming near but life goes on.”
France star Kylian Mbappe is tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi with eight goals in the Golden Boot competition. Mbappe is the defending winner after also having eight goals in 2022.
But first, Mbappe is coping with the fact that his side didn’t reach the final.
“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility,” Mbappe said of falling against Spain. “I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”
Mbappe has 20 career World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s record.
Three other players in this match are second-hand contenders for the Golden Boot: England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored six goals and France’s Ousmane Dembele is a longshot at five.
Kane won the 2018 Golden Boot with six goals. This will be the final World Cup match of his “prime” as he turns 33 on July 28.
It could conceivably be his final World Cup match, but Kane isn’t ready to discuss that possibility.
“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane said. “I mean, as a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel. The national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do most, more than anything.
“Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’m 33 in the summer, but as you saw on the other end with Messi (who is 39) there, he’s still performing at the highest level. So, I never want to put a limit on these things.”
Kane and Bellingham have had standout World Cup performances for the Three Lions despite the disappointment of not reaching the final.
Tuchel has been roundly criticized for his tactics after England went up 1-0 in the 55th minute against Argentina on Anthony Gordon’s goal.
England loaded up the back end and played passively on offense. Instead of seeking a two-goal lead, England were playing not to be tied.
The strategy was foiled as Argentina scored goals in the 85th minute and the second minute of stoppage time to dash the dreams of English fans.
“No regrets, the team gave everything, and we were very, very close,” Tuchel said. “We deserved to be up one-nil. We played one of our better matches, maybe the best match. The team was top, but we couldn’t bring it over the line. No regrets.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ryan Jeffers' homer propels Twins past Cubs
Jul 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober (17) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Ryan Jeffers belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 5-2 win over the host Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Trevor Larnach and Ryan Kreidler also drove in one run apiece for Minnesota, which won the opener of a three-game series. The Twins have won three games in a row after entering the All-Star break with back-to-back victories.
Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a double and a run for Chicago. Michael Busch notched the lone RBI for the Cubs.
Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (7-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings. He walked one and fanned six.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth to collect his 12th save. The Cubs had the tying run on deck, but Carson Kelly flied out to the warning track in right-center field to end the game.
The Cubs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Busch ripped an RBI single to right to drive in Pete Crow-Armstrong, who worked a leadoff walk and stole second.
The Twins bounced back with four runs in the third.
Larnach sparked the big inning with an RBI single to left to score Luke Keaschall. One batter later, Jeffers lifted a 369-foot shot over the ivy-covered wall in left-center field for his eighth home run of the season and his first since May 17.
Chicago cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth. Suzuki hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Twins right-hander Tommy Nance.
The Twins quickly regained a three-run lead in the seventh. Austin Martin and Keaschall drew back-to-back walks, and Kreidler capitalized moments later with an RBI single to left to make it 5-2.
Cubs relievers Drew Pomeranz and Gavin Hollowell teamed up to get the next three outs as the Twins stranded runners on second and third.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Garrett Mitchell's walk-off single in 10th lifts Brewers past Marlins
Jul 17, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Garrett Mitchell grounded an RBI single up the middle with two outs in the 10th to score Jackson Chourio from second base, giving the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-1 win in the opener of the three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday night.
Joey Ortiz homered and singled for the Brewers, who had lost their last three games before the All-Star break, but still set a franchise record with 59 wins before the break.
Milwaukee righty Logan Henderson was trying to win his fourth straight start, but did not earn a decision after allowing one run and three hits over five innings, striking out four without a walk.
Brewers relievers Chad Patrick, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill threw shutout innings before Craig Yoho (1-0) did the same in the 10th with Heriberto Hernandez on second base to start the inning for his first MLB win.
Griffin Conine homered and Otto Lopez had two hits for the Marlins, who had also lost their last three games before the break.
Miami right-hander Sandy Alcantara limited the Brewers to one run and three hits in six innings. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner struck out seven and walked four.
Lake Bachar (1-1) took the loss for Miami.
Conine waited on a full-count changeup with one out in the fifth and pulled it over the fence in right-center field for a 1-0 lead.
Milwaukee had just one hit off Alcantara when Ortiz came up with one in the bottom half of the inning and pulled a solo homer over the fence in left to tie it 1-1.
Christian Yelich followed with a double, but the Brewers would strand two runners for the second consecutive inning.
Lopez, who came in leading the majors with a .334 batting average, lined an opposite-field double down the right-field line with one out in the fourth, but second baseman Brice Turang made a backhand stop on a grounder up the middle by Kyle Stowers with two outs and Lopez at third, throwing Stowers out on the hop to end the inning.
–Field Level Media
Frustrations abound as France, England face off in third-place match
Ryan Jeffers' homer propels Twins past Cubs
