Sports
Royals ride momentum of shutout into finale vs. Twins
Jul 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron (65) delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Kansas City Royals have an opportunity to win their second series in Minneapolis this season when they face the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon.
Despite a forgettable 2026, Kansas City has won six of nine against the Twins this year after a 4-0 victory on Wednesday. The Royals took three of four from Minnesota at Target Field from June 4-7.
“We’re just going to keep stacking the days,” said Kansas City shortstop Tyler Tolbert, who had two hits and a home run on Wednesday.
“We’re just trying to focus on today and trust our preparation and let chips fall where they may as long as we give it our all.”
Kansas City is slated to start left-hander Noah Cameron (5-8, 4.93 ERA) in the series finale, who will be coming off arguably the best outing of his second major-league season.
Appearing out of the bullpen for the first time since debuting in April 2025, Cameron tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of hits while striking out eight and walking three in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers on Friday. The Royals lost 2-1 as opener Beck Way surrendered two first-inning runs.
“(Cameron’s) fastball was down in the zone and his breaking ball was down below the zone. You saw a lot of uncomfortable swings, a lot of chase,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I thought his cutter was really good, but that was by far the best hit curveball and slider have been. … He was really, really good and he threw with more conviction than he had been doing.”
Cameron, 27, has dominated Minnesota, sporting a 3-0 record and a 0.77 ERA in four career matchups. The left-hander has allowed just one earned run in 11 innings across two starts against the Twins this year, earning wins on April 1 and June 7.
Boasting an American League high-tying 514 runs, Minnesota was blanked for the second time in five games on Wednesday.
The Twins also failed to gain ground in the American League Central. Minnesota trails the division-leading Chicago White Sox by three games while sitting behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians by 1 1/2 games.
Right-hander Bailey Ober (7-3, 4.56) will make his fourth start since returning from a month-plus absence due to right elbow inflammation. Ober is 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA in three starts since his reappearance.
Last time out, the 6-foot-9 right-hander tied a season-low with four innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking one on 89 pitches in a no-decision against Cleveland on July 22. The Twins won 10-4.
“It looked like he was out of sync with his delivery,” Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said of Ober’s latest start. “After we took him out, he said the same thing. The first two innings, he was just battling himself. You very rarely see him throw that many pitches. The execution wasn’t bad, it was just inconsistent.”
Ober, 31, is 1-5 with a 4.74 ERA in 14 career starts against the Royals.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Goldeneyes move Cara Gardner Morey from GM to head coach
A general view of hockey sticks. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images The Vancouver Goldeneyes are moving Cara Gardner Morey to head coach after serving as general manager during their inaugural PWHL season in 2025-26.
Gardner Morey, 47, previously served as head coach of the women’s ice hockey team at Princeton from 2017-25.
“I’m excited to return to coaching,” she said in a news release on Thursday. “Over the course of the offseason, I spent a lot of time reflecting and discussing what was best for our team and for me personally. Through that process, I realized how much I missed being behind the bench.
“While I continue to be incredibly proud of what we built in Vancouver during our inaugural season, coaching is where I know I can make the biggest impact. To have the opportunity to coach the roster we’ve assembled is an incredible privilege, and I can’t wait for us to take the ice later this year.”
Coach Cara ??
°The Vancouver Goldeneyes announced today that Cara Gardner Morey has been named Head Coach after serving as the team’s General Manager during its inaugural season.
°A search for the team’s next General Manager will begin now.
Details: https://t.co/urKPuV7R3B pic.twitter.com/JeymVedqjx
— Vancouver Goldeneyes (@PWHL__Vancouver) July 30, 2026
Gardner Morey helped Princeton win an Ivy League title and capture its first ECAC Tournament championship during her time with the Tigers.
Under previous head coach Brian Idalski, the Goldeneyes finished in sixth place in the PWHL standings during their debut season with 37 points. Idalski is now the head coach of the women’s team at Syracuse.
The league will lead the search for Vancouver’s next general manager.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Zach Johnson grabs first-round lead at Portugal Invitational
Zach Johnson participates in the trophy presentation after winning the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship Final Round, July 12, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. PGA Tour Champions rookie Zach Johnson carded an 8-under-par 64 on Friday to take the first-round lead at the Portugal Invitational in Algarve.
Johnson posted nine birdies and one bogey at The Els Club Vilamoura to build a one-shot lead against Slovakia’s Rory Sabbatini, who is in solo second place after a bogey-free round with seven birdies.
Alex Cejka of Germany, Charlie Wi of South Korea, Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Mikael Lundberg of Sweden are tied for third place at 6-under-par, with six golfers another shot behind in a tie for seventh place.
Johnson, 50, already has won three times on the senior tour this season, including two of his last three tournaments at the Principal Charity Classic and Kaulig Companies Championship. He finished T7 at last week’s Senior Open.
“I would argue it’s the best tour in the world,” he said. “I’m enjoying it. I would love to have my family out more, but I know my wife’s enjoying it as well. She likes to watch golf and take a nap, so that works out well.”
Johnson opened with birdies at the first three holes, suffered his only bogey at the par-4 13th hole and grabbed the clubhouse lead with another birdie at the par-4 18th. He birdied all five par-5s on the course.
“It was just solid,” Johnson said. “There were very few stressful situations. I hit an errant tee shot on 13, just complete brain meltdown, just lack of focus on the tee shot, and it cost me a bogey. But other than that, it was a very simple day.”
Sabbatini started on the back nine and also played the par-5 holes in 5-under.
“The par-5s are scoring opportunities but you still have to be very cautious because if you try and be overly aggressive on them, they tend to bite you pretty hard,” Sabbatini said. “So you’ve got to try and remain within yourself on those holes and give yourself opportunities, but be prepared that if you try and take off a little bit more than you should, it’s probably going to result in either a par if you’re lucky and sometimes some bogeys.”
This is the first PGA Tour Champions tournament ever held on Portuguese soil.
Sixty-four of the 78 golfers shot even par or better on Friday. In addition to Harrington, the field includes World Golf Hall of Famers Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tigers scratch RHP Casey Mize with trade deadline looming
Jul 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The Detroit Tigers scratched right-hander Casey Mize with a non-injury designation ahead of Friday’s game against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Mize, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, may be joining two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in departing Detroit ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. Both become free agents at the end of this season.
“There’s a lot of unknown with what the next (few) days are going to bring,” Mize said Wednesday. “I’m just as curious as anybody. It’s all around us, can’t really avoid it. We’ll see. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m aware. (Last Saturday) could’ve been my last home start.”
Mize, 29, has battled a nagging groin issue all season and made a pair of stints on the injured list.
He owns a 4-6 record with a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts this season.
The Tigers, who did not announce a replacement for Mize on Friday, are seven games below .500 and rank among the American League’s biggest disappointments as the trade deadline nears.
Detroit was part of the playoff field the past two seasons but enter Friday’s play 4 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who hold the AL’s third wild-card spot. Four teams stand between the Guardians and Tigers, with the Toronto Blue Jays just one game worse than Detroit.
–Field Level Media
Goldeneyes move Cara Gardner Morey from GM to head coach
Zach Johnson grabs first-round lead at Portugal Invitational
