Sports
After short-handed victory over Bosnia, U.S. turn focus to Belgium
July 1, 2026; Santa Clara, California, U.S.; Folarin Balogun of the U.S. scores their first goal. Mandatory Credit: Pedro Nunes-Reuters via Imagn Images It took blood and sweat to produce tears of joy as the short-handed U.S. men’s national team moved to the World Cup’s round of 16 with a gritty 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday in Santa Clara, Calif.
The USMNT’s first knockout-stage win in 24 years sets up a meeting with Belgium on Monday in Seattle with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
Amid the postgame jubilation was the realization that leading scorer Folarin Balogun, who popped in his third goal of the tournament in the 45th minute, will miss the next match. The forward received a red card in the 64th minute on Wednesday, leaving the U.S. scrambling to defend a 1-0 lead.
They did and more when Malik Tillman scored from a free kick in the 82nd minute to seal the win. The result ended the United States’ 10-match losing streak to European teams and also marked the first time the U.S. won three matches in the same World Cup.
Tillman paused after the match to reflect on his wonder goal but also to look ahead to Belgium.
“We have to enjoy this moment now,” he said. “(Against Belgium), we want to go as fast possible, and it won’t be an easy game, but now we will analyze them, we will analyze our game and hopefully we keep going.”
In the post-match interview room, Tillman was in his socks with blood noticeable on the right sock by the big toe. He explained that in the second half, his right boot had been cut open and that shortly before the free kick he had to change footwear.
After a potential Christian Pulisic goal was disallowed in the 78th minute because he was offside, Tillman sent an overpowering shot up and over the wall from 21 yards to the upper left corner. The restart was set up when Sergino Dest drew a yellow card as Stjepan Radeljic grabbed his shirt.
“I know some guys doubted me to go over the wall, but I practiced this in training,” Tillman said. “You never know when it’s going to happen, but luckily today it happened and now I was ready for it. I was very confident, and now I’m happy it went in.”
Balogun gave the U.S. a 1-0 halftime lead with a wicked spin and shot from the top of the box. He followed a formula that worked in the first match against Paraguay when he had an early goal reversed because of an offside call before putting one on the scoreboard that stuck.
This time, he was offside in the 31st minute, but he would not be denied 14 minutes later.
The U.S. kept its defensive shape, pinning Bosnia and Herzegovina deep, resulting in a giveaway that led to the ball pinging off Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
Balogun ran onto the loose ball, stopped, turned to his left and fired in his third goal of the tournament.
A few minutes later in first-half stoppage time, Balogun pounded a shot off the crossbar from a pass by Sergino Dest.
The match took an ominous turn for the U.S. early in the second half when Balogun was issued a straight red card. When challenging for a header, his right foot landed on Muharemovic’s left ankle.
There was no foul called initially, but referee Raphael Claus reviewed the play and issued the red card.
When play resumed, the U.S. refused to back down while playing smart and composed for the most part.
“We had to dig deep for that one,” Pulisic said. “Obviously, I felt we put on such a good performance and didn’t deserve the red card. I mean, I didn’t see it, but it’s unfortunate. But for us to dig in deep like that and just to get another goal and to defend the way we did took a real team effort.”
Balogun became the first player to score and be red-carded in a World Cup knockout-phase match since France’s Zinedine Zidane tallied and was sent off in the 2006 championship match vs. Italy.
“For me, never was it a red card,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “… (After that,) I thought that is a moment that we need to be a team. We need to show that we are a team. I could see in the eyes of the players as a coach we are ready to go and to fight, and that’s amazing.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves retire final 20 Cardinals to halt skid, even series
Jul 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) hits a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Ozzie Albies hit a home run and Atlanta pitchers retired the final 20 batters as the Braves took a 5-1 win over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
The win ended Atlanta’s three-game losing streak and evened the three-game series at one game apiece.
Albies went 2-for-4, scored two runs and had two RBIs. The slumping Atlanta offense showed more life by going 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
The Braves got a much-needed lift from starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (4-1), who was able to throw five innings and allowed one run on two hits, both coming in the first inning, and one walk. He struck out six in his second start since returning to the rotation.
The Atlanta bullpen closed the game with four perfect innings. Dylan Dodd, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias each pitched one inning.
St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy (3-7) delivered a quality start, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
The Cardinals scored in the first inning when Ivan Herrera hit a ground-rule double with one out and scored on Jordan Walker’s two-out RBI single to right field.
Atlanta got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Drake Baldwin led off with a hit and scored on Albies’ double to right. Albies was thrown out at third trying to pick up an extra base.
The Braves took a 2-1 lead in the third when Albies hit a solo homer, his 13th, into the stands in right-center.
Atlanta left fielder Mauricio Dubon took a possible homer away from Jose Fermin in the eighth, hauling in a long fly at the base of the fence.
The Braves put the game away by scoring three runs in the ninth. Michael Harris II had an RBI single, Dubon delivered a run-scoring squeeze bunt and Austin Riley ended an 0-for-17 skid with an RBI single. There could have been more damage, but Harris was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Walker after Dominic Smith singled.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels hype Mike Trout for All-Star Game, face Mariners in series finale
Jun 29, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout stands in the dugout before the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images With Phase 2 of All-Star Game voting ending Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels are making a late push for Mike Trout.
The outfielder grew up in Millville, N.J., about 45 miles from Philadelphia, which hosts the midsummer classic July 14 at Citizens Bank Park.
While Trout remains on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, he traveled with the Angels for their trip to Seattle this week. The three-game series wraps up Thursday at T-Mobile Park after taking Wednesday off for a FIFA World Cup match at Lumen Field across the street.
Nearly the entire Angels roster, along with the coaching staff, wore “Vote Trout” T-shirts during batting practice Monday before a 6-2 loss. The Angels’ social media team also visited nearby Pike Place Market and got fishmongers to toss around a few trout while wearing fish-shaped red foam Trout hats that featured his signature and number on the side.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Trout, an 11-time All-Star. “One of my things when I was coming into spring training, I knew the game was going to be in Philly, so it would be cool to go back. I love my teammates and I take care of them and they take care of me. We have a tight group, and it’s pretty cool to see that.”
In results announced Wednesday on MLB.com, Trout leads all American League outfielders with 23% of the vote, followed by Minnesota’s Byron Buxton (20%) and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge (19%) and Cody Bellinger (16%).
Trout has been on the IL since June 18. Before the injury, he missed only one of the Angels’ first 75 games and produced a .234/.394/.472 slash line along with 17 home runs and 36 RBIs.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Tuesday that Trout has been increasing his baseball activities each day and feels good.
“Obviously, Mike doesn’t need the extra notoriety and support. … He’s Mike Trout,” Suzuki said. “Just having the organization behind you and helping to promote like Mike to get to the All-Star Game is definitely a great thing.”
The Angels lost the first two games of the series after winning six of their previous eight. They dropped an 8-3 decision Tuesday.
The Mariners, who entered the week with a franchise record-tying streak of 13 consecutive games scoring three runs or fewer, have scored 19 over their past three. That includes a 6-5 loss Sunday in Cleveland in which they blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning.
Julio Rodriguez and rookie Colt Emerson each had three hits Tuesday, part of a 13-hit attack.
“We’re starting to see the results come through,” Emerson said. “We know our process. We know everything we’re doing is going to lead to wins, so I think you’re just now seeing the results. A lot of guys are working super hard behind the scenes, a lot of guys are staying committed to their plans, and it’s cool to see a lot of great at-bats (Tuesday) in such a good game.”
Thursday’s series finale will feature a pair of right-handers in the Angels’ Walbert Urena (5-6, 3.14 ERA) and the Mariners’ Bryce Miller (3-2, 1.97).
Urena suffered a 9-3 loss to the visiting Athletics last Friday, allowing seven runs over 4 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old rookie had won four of his previous five decisions, including when he pitched five scoreless innings against the A’s in a 7-0 victory on June 20. This will be Urena’s first appearance against Seattle.
Miller lost his past two starts, though he gave up just four earned runs over 10 2/3 innings in that span. He allowed three runs in 5 2/ 3 innings Thursday in a 5-1 defeat in Pittsburgh.
Miller, who has issued just four unintentional walks versus 54 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings this season, is 2-2 with a 3.05 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lakers' Walker Kessler Trade Could Be a Costly Gamble Around Luka Doncic
With LeBron and the Lakers deciding to part ways with one another, Los Angeles got to work this offseason building a team around Luka Doncic.
The Lakers were incredibly active at the start of free agency, signing Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. They also generated a large package to acquire Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade, flipping two unprotected first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps, and signing Kessler to a 4-year $130 million deal.
I think the Jazz came out of this deal like bandits. Kessler can provide elite defensive rim protection, but I’m very unsure of his ability to be a consistent positive on the other end. Also, when he’s forced to guard mobile bigs on the perimeter, I’m not sure he has the footwork necessary to stop good athletes off the dribble.
On the offensive side of the ball, he’s going to be asked to do far more pick-and-roll and dribble handoffs with Luka Doncic. Kessler had a 4th-percentile cTOV, meaning he was one of the worst playmakers in the league, a role that will be far bigger when playing alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves. He has a nice touch around the rim and could turn into a decent lob threat, but I just don’t think that’s a strength in his game.
He will also have to carry a massive load on the defensive end. The Lakers also lost Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart, two of their grittiest defenders, and replaced them with undersized, bad defensive options in Grimes and Sexton. This postseason, we saw how valuable perimeter defense can be, and the Lakers will have some of the league’s worst perimeter defenders.
If the offense can be properly spaced around Kessler, they will be one of the most efficient units in the league; however, their defense will be a massive issue in the playoffs.
The Lakers’ projected starting lineup will most likely look like:
PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Quentin Grimes
PF: Sandro Mamukelashvili
C: Walker Kessler
After acquiring Kessler, the Lakers now only have one first-round pick available to be traded for the next seven years. When you move off a guy like LeBron James and fully build around Luka, you need to have your next moves carefully planned out.
If this was Rob Pelinka’s grand plan to appease Doncic, I’m not sure it’s going to be a successful long-term endeavor. I think those first-round picks and swaps will be very valuable for the Jazz down the road, and the Lakers will still be far behind any serious Western Conference contender.
Braves retire final 20 Cardinals to halt skid, even series
Angels hype Mike Trout for All-Star Game, face Mariners in series finale
