Sports
Phillies try to rebound against Mets with storms looming
Jul 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a home run during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Major League Baseball determined the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets could play through the haze caused by the wildfires on Thursday night.
Mother Nature may make the decision for everyone Saturday afternoon, when heavy thunderstorms are in the forecast around the time the Phillies are slated to host the Mets in the second game of the three-game series between the National League East rivals.
If the game is played, All-Star Jesus Luzardo (8-4, 3.51 ERA) is slated to start for the Phillies against fellow left-hander Sean Manaea (2-4, 4.56).
The Mets and Phillies were off Friday after opening the post-break schedule Thursday, when Francisco Alvarez hit two homers to help New York to a 4-1 win.
The first pitch Thursday was moved up an hour to 6:10 p.m. ET because of the smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting across the northeast United States. The air quality index (AQI) was listed as unhealthy throughout the game, but a MLB spokesperson told Newsday that “…(t)here’s not an AQI that automatically triggers postponement.”
The standalone second-half opener was broadcast on ESPN.
“Not the greatest idea, I guess, to come out here and play in this type of weather,” Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said during an in-game interview with ESPN. “But we’re doing it.”
Alvarez, the Mets’ catcher, said it was difficult to catch and see. Starting pitcher Christian Scott, who earned the win with 5 2/3 scoreless innings, said it “…felt like I was breathing some metal out there.”
Another potential concern for the last-place Mets was eased after the game, when interim manager Andy Green said All-Star left fielder Juan Soto should be fine after exiting in the eighth due to a sore left calf. Soto missed more than two weeks in April with a strained left calf.
“Just given that he played the All-Star Game, came through a lot of activity the last few days, it made sense just to get him off his feet,” Green said. “I think our expectation is he’s playing this weekend.”
The loss continued an inconsistent stretch for the Phillies, who are 8-8 since June 27, a span in which they’ve neither won nor lost more than two straight games. Philadelphia entered Friday as the second wild card in the National League, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Miami Marlins.
“The weather was a bit different tonight but it played no part in the final result,” Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh said. “We just didn’t play as good as we should have.”
Luzardo and Manaea each earned the win in their most recent starts on July 9.
Luzardo allowed two hits and struck out 11 over seven scoreless innings as the Phillies edged the Cincinnati Reds 1-0. The 28-year-old made his first All-Star Game appearance Tuesday, when he tossed a perfect fourth inning for the National League in a 4-0 loss to the American League.
Manaea also went seven innings July 9, giving up three runs (two earned) as the Mets beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3.
Against the Mets, Luzardo is 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 career starts. Manaea is 2-3 with a 5.05 ERA in nine games (seven starts) against the Phillies.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stampeders aim to improve defense in rematch against Alouettes
Nov 8, 2025; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot (6) runs with the football during warm up before the start of the Eastern Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Hamilton Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images It’s a simple proposition for the Calgary Stampeders. Improve defensively or languish around .500 this year.
Heading into a rematch Saturday against the visiting Montreal Alouettes, Calgary (2-3) is permitting 35.2 points and 433.8 yards per game. Even with points and yardage up across the league, those figures aren’t good enough.
“When you let them score that many points, it proves a bigger challenge,” said defensive end Folarin Orimolade. “We’re giving up a few more explosive plays and we’re giving up a few more touchdowns.”
Some of those happened last week in Montreal, where the Als outscored the Stamps 37-30. Montreal quarterback Davis Alexander has thrown for 1,779 yards, second only to Toronto’s Chad Kelly, and receiver Tyson Philpot already has 719 yards — 240 more than anyone else.
Calgary coach Dave Dickenson said playing the same opponent in consecutive weeks makes preparation easier.
“You kind of start trying to predict,” he said. “It’s like, ‘OK, if they did this, what is the counterpunch to that?’ But sometimes, it’s actually counterproductive to do that.”
While the Stamps aim for a split, the Als (4-1) try to keep rolling behind their pitch-catch combination. Philpot riddled Calgary for nine catches, 132 yards and a touchdown. It was his fourth straight 100-yard game.
If Philpot can continue at this pace for 18 games, he would finish with 2,588 yards, obliterating the CFL record of 2,036 set by Calgary’s Allen Pitts in 1994. Philpot also has 45 receptions, putting him on pace to break the 28-year-old mark of 160 that Derrell Mitchell achieved for Toronto in 1998.
“When I hear my number called, all I think about is making a play for these guys,” Philpot said. “As long as I keep doing that, I’ll continue having my number called. It’s in my DNA. I’ve done this since I was a young kid. In my mind, the guy across from me can’t guard me.”
Like the Stamps, Montreal is seeking better defensive performance. Even though they’re tied for the league’s best record with Edmonton and Saskatchewan, the Als are yielding 30.8 ppg.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox win 10th straight in first game of doubleheader vs. Rays
Jul 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida (7) hits a single during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth inning allowed the Boston Red Sox to blow open a 10-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit days for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits en route to their 10th consecutive victory dating back to July 3.
Yoshida (3-for-5) added a double and finished a triple shy of a cycle, while Narvaez and Caleb Durbin were both 3-for-4.
Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. He has won four straight outings.
Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for a save.
The Red Sox quickly bounced back from going down 1-2-3 to start the game against Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax (5-7), as back-to-back hits by Durbin and Yoshida led to second-inning runs. Jarren Duran drove in the opening run on a sacrifice fly before Narvaez dropped an RBI single into center for a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Bennett threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings before Junior Caminero’s one-out single in the fourth. Jonathan Aranda was Tampa Bay’s lone baserunner before that knock, drawing a one-out walk as the second batter of the game.
In the fourth, Yoshida tucked a leadoff solo homer around Pesky’s Pole in right field to extend the Boston advantage to 3-0.
The first six Red Sox batters reached base and five scored in the sixth. Durbin was hit by a pitch, Yoshida singled to center and Romy Gonzalez walked to load the bases, and then Duran continued the merry-go-round by chopping a two-run single through the right side.
After Chris Roycroft relieved Jax, Narvaez and Tsung-Che Cheng laid down back-to-back bunt singles that produced runs. Catcher Nick Fortes’ throwing error on Narvaez’s chopper plated another.
Roycroft did induce a double play ball, but two more runs came home with two outs, as Ceddanne Rafaela battled through a nine-pitch at-bat for an RBI double off the Green Monster and Durbin knocked another RBI single to right after Wilyer Abreu was intentionally walked.
In the eighth, Gamboa — who was recalled as Boston’s 26th man for the twin bill — worked around a Taylor Walls one-out double as only the second Tampa Bay hit before Narvaez socked a solo homer over everything in left field to move the Boston lead to double digits.
The Red Sox took their last at-bats with position player Ben Williamson pitching for the Rays.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bryson DeChambeau penalized 2 strokes at The Open for improving lie
Jul 17, 2026; Southport, ENG; Bryson DeChambeau walks from the second tee during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bryson DeChambeau was handed a two-stroke penalty following his second round at the Open Championship on Friday in Southport, England, after R&A rules officials determined he had taken actions to improve his lie on a shot on the fifth hole.
A popular but divisive figure in the world of golf, the member of LIV Golf originally posted a 4-under 66 to take second place at 7 under, one shot behind Australia’s Lucas Herbert. Now, DeChambeau will enter the weekend three behind Herbert instead of one, his bogey 5 at the fifth hole changed to a triple-bogey 7.
DeChambeau hit his drive at the par-4 fifth hole far right and eventually found the ball in a native area. Replays showed the two-time major winner stamping down on different patches of tall grass near his ball. It may have affected not the lie of the ball, but the path for his eventual swing.
After news broke that officials were considering a two-stroke penalty, DeChambeau went back to the scene on the fifth hole with his caddie and two rules officials to discuss the sequence of events. U.S. TV cameras captured a discussion several minutes long, and at points DeChambeau could be seen gesticulating and getting animated.
More than an hour after his round ended, the R&A, who organize The Open, finalized their official decision, his new score being reflected on the leaderboard online.
Neither the R&A nor DeChambeau or his representatives had commented as of 4:35 p.m. ET.
–Field Level Media
