Sports
Wilyer Abreu, Red Sox wrap twin bill vs. Rays with 11th straight win
Jul 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) reacts at home plate after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats as the Boston Red Sox won their 11th straight game and swept a day-night doubleheader, defeating the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Friday night.
Abreu cranked a two-run homer — the first of back-to-back shots with Willson Contreras — in the first inning before leading off the third with a go-ahead solo blast.
The victory came in a bullpen game for Boston, with six relievers combining to 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings.
Greg Weissert (2-2) earned the win, while Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save. Boston relievers faced the minimum over the final three innings.
Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for Tampa Bay.
The Rays scored a pair of two-out runs to jump out to a first-inning lead, forcing Rivera to throw 36 total pitches after the first two batters were retired on five. A Caminero single and two walks in succession loaded the bases for DeLuca to knock a two-run single past diving Boston shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng.
However, the visitors’ lead did not last long. After Ceddanne Rafaela hit a one-out double down the left field line, Abreu cleared the right-center-field bullpen for a game-tying two-run homer, and Contreras flipped the scoreboard with a solo shot over the Green Monster in the next at-bat.
The long ball trend continued for both teams in the third. Caminero knotted the score again with a one-out solo shot just inside the left field foul pole, but Abreu deposited the second pitch of the bottom half of the frame to deep right-center to put Boston back in front 4-3.
Tampa Bay starter Mason Englert (0-3) retired the next three batters after Caleb Durbin was caught stealing and then got two outs in the fourth, but the Red Sox expanded their lead as Cheng walked and scored from first on Anthony Seigler’s two-out double off the base of the wall in the right field corner.
Boston’s bullpen did the rest. After Weissert recorded the final two outs of the third, Jovani Moran had the longest outing of the bunch, throwing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.
The Rays’ stable of relievers was also strong. Craig Kimbrel, Cole Sulser and Cam Booser did not allow a hit over three innings behind Englert, who was tagged for eight hits and five runs across the first five frames.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orioles, RHP Kyle Bradish agree to 5-year extension
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a five-year contract extension with right-handed starter Kyle Bradish on Saturday.
The deal is worth $90 million, per ESPN. Per the report, the length of the contract buys out Bradish’s last two years of arbitration and the first three seasons of what would have been his free agency.
The 29-year-old has been a strong starter for the Orioles over the past five seasons, turning in a 3.50 ERA, 1.206 WHIP and 485 strikeouts across 465 innings with a 25-24 record.
This season, Bradish’s output has been in line with his career numbers, going 6-9 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.351 WHIP and 106 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings.
“Keeping players of Kyle’s caliber in an Orioles uniform is an important part of our long-term vision,” Orioles owner David Rubenstein said in a statement. “We are grateful to Kyle for his commitment to our organization and to Baltimore. Thanks to (president of baseball operations and general manager) Mike Elias and the entire baseball operations department for their dedication throughout this process.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner lead Cubs past Twins
Jul 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch (29) hits a home run during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matthew Boyd threw six quality innings and Nico Hoerner delivered the fifth four-hit game of his career on Saturday afternoon, helping the Chicago Cubs earn a 6-2 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Boyd (6-1) allowed one run on three hits, striking out four and walking one for the Cubs, who won their sixth game in nine tries and evened the weekend series after losing 5-2 on Friday. Michael Busch homered, while Pedro Ramirez and Miguel Amaya each drove in a pair of runs.
Taj Bradley (9-4) allowed five runs on seven hits across five innings, striking out six and walking three for the Twins, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Kody Clemens hit two solo home runs for Minnesota, which will search for its three-game series win at Wrigley Field since Sept. 2020 on Sunday.
Chicago opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Busch launched his 12th home run of the season – a 402-foot shot to the right field bleachers.
Minnesota evened the score in the second on Clemens’ 17th homer of the year.
After Bradley allowed Hoerner’s one-out single and Ramirez’ walk, Amaya’s two-run double gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Chicago tacked on two more runs in the third. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ both worked walks off Bradley, before Hoerner’s RBI single and Ramirez’ run-scoring double made it 5-1.
Mike Paredes threw a scoreless sixth in relief of Bradley.
Caleb Thielbar took over for Boyd in the seventh, allowing Clemens’ second home run of the game, cutting Minnesota’s deficit to 5-2. The 391-foot blast cemented Clemens’ second multi-homer game of the year.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ramirez drove in another run with a single to push the margin back to four.
Jacob Webb threw the ninth, surrendering Josh Bell and Victor Caratini’s back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Brooks Lee then singled to center, but both Bell and Lee were caught in a rundown, resulting in a double play. Webb then got Clemens to strike out to end the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees, Dodgers postponed due to heavy rain
Jul 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; A view of the field after the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium was postponed. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees was postponed due to heavy rain on Saturday and the teams will play a split doubleheader a day later.
Rain was projected throughout the New York area, and the game was postponed roughly three hours before the 8:08 EDT first pitch. It is the second time this season the Yankees had a Saturday night FOX game postponed due to rain after being postponed June 6 against Boston.
The first game will start at 12:35 EDT followed by the second game which will air on NBC/Peacock at 7:20 EDT.
The teams share a mutual off-day on Thursday, but the Dodgers are slated to visit the White House and will be honored for their second straight World Series title before returning to New York to face the Mets.
Ryan Weathers was scheduled to pitch for the Yankees and oppose Emmet Sheahan. Both players are likely to pitch Sunday while Cam Schlittler and Yoshinobu Yammamoto were slated to pitch for Sunday night’s contest.
Los Angeles opened the series with a 2-1 victory when Max Muncy hit a go-ahead two-run homer off Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning and Roki Sasaki touched triple digits several times in 5 2/3 innings.
The Yankees are 13-16 in their past 29 games. They will play the first of three doubleheaders over their final 65 games as they also play a doubleheader against Boston Aug. 29 and two games against Tampa Bay on Sept. 22.
–Field Level Media
Orioles, RHP Kyle Bradish agree to 5-year extension
Matthew Boyd, Nico Hoerner lead Cubs past Twins
