Sports
Astros blast Rangers, charge into first place in AL West
Jul 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a single during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker slugged back-to-back home runs, Yordan Alvarez reached base four times, and the Houston Astros moved into first place in the American League West with an 11-2 victory over the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday.
Houston won for the ninth time in 10 games and clinched the season series against its in-state and division rivals. The Astros improved to 36-24 since they were a season-worst 11 games under .500 on May 20, and they reclaimed the top spot in the AL West for the first time since sharing the lead of April 6.
Jeremy Pena added three hits and three RBIs for the Astros, while Yainer Diaz’s four hits included a solo homer.
Evan Carter finished with two hits and an RBI for the Rangers, who took their third loss in a row. Corey Seager, back after missing a month due to lower back inflammation, went 2-for-3.
The Astros pounced on Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (10-9) with a three-spot in the second inning. Taylor Trammell doubled, Diaz singled, and LaMonte Wade Jr. drove home Trammell with a double.
Alvarez added a two-run single later in the inning, extending the lead to 3-0.
Houston’s Cam Smith tripled with two outs in the fourth and scored on Pena’s single to left.
The Astros’ lead swelled to 6-0 in the fifth. Paredes smacked his 15th home run to left field leading off the frame. Walker followed with his 22nd of the season, a 428-foot drive to left-center.
Eovaldi allowed a season-high-tying six runs on 10 hits and one walk with five strikeouts over five innings.
Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (3-1) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Joc Pederson, who walked in the first and third against Brown, smacked his 20th home run leading off the sixth before Seager doubled and scored later in that inning.
Diaz homered in the Astros’ four-run seventh inning and posted his second consecutive four-hit game. Alvarez, Paredes and Smith recorded two-hit games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Blazers sign F Jeremy Sochan to one-year contract
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan (20) runs up court after a basket during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Portland Trail Blazers forward Jeremy Sochan agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, per ESPN.
Sochan was the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
Across three-plus seasons with the Spurs, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 212 games (149 starts). He shot 46.8% from the field and 28.7% from 3-point range.
He was waived by the Spurs in February. He then signed with the New York Knicks.
The 23-year-old only appeared in 16 regular season games for the Knicks, averaging a meager 6.9 minutes per game. In that limited run, he averaged 2.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists, while shooting 56.7% from the field.
During the postseason, he appeared in eight games during the team’s championship run, playing 26 total minutes and averaging 2.5 points.
Now, the former lottery pick will look to earn a bigger role on a revamped Blazers squad. Portland has a loaded backcourt with Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. The 6-foot-8 Sochan will give them frontcourt depth behind Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics select LHP Ben Bowden, demote RHP Luis Morales
Jul 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics relief pitcher Ben Bowden (62) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images The Athletics selected left-hander Ben Bowden from Triple-A Las Vegas prior to Saturday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
The 31-year-old was a second-round pick by the Colorado Rockies back in 2016, but has not had much production at the major league level.
Bowden was 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 32 relief appearances for Las Vegas this season.
In 2021, he made his MLB debut for the Rockies, going 3-2 and posting a 6.56 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 42 strikeouts across 35 2/3 innings.
He returned to the big leagues in 2025, away from hitter-friendly Coors Field, as a member of the Athletics. He had a 4.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and seven strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Luis Morales was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. He was 0-2 and had a 14.06 ERA across 16 innings over five appearances (two starts) this season.
Morales was 1-3 with a 7.18 ERA in 19 appearances (nine starts) for Las Vegas earlier this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trade target Kevin Gausman pitches Jays past Cardinals
Aug 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) pitches to the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images In possibly his final start for Toronto, Kevin Gausman allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Saturday to clinch the three-game series.
Gausman (5-10), a pending free agent who may be dealt by the trade deadline on Monday, scattered nine hits, walked one and struck out four.
George Springer had two hits and two RBIs for the Blue Jays, who have won three in a row. Alejandro Kirk added a two-run single.
Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Blaze Jordan each had two hits for the Cardinals, who lost their third straight despite outhitting Toronto 11-9. St. Louis was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.
Gausman survived three singles in the third with the help of a double play grounder.
The Blue Jays scored once in third against Quinn Mathews (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Davis Schneider led off with a walk, took second on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out single to right and scored on Springer’s two-out single past shortstop Masyn Winn.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Ernie Clement singled to lead off and took third on a double by Myles Straw on a drive that popped out of the glove of diving center fielder Nathan Church approaching the warning track. With one out, Luis Urias lofted a sacrifice fly to center.
The Cardinals scored their only run in the sixth. Ivan Herrera doubled to left-center and scored on Winn’s one-out double to right-center. After Church grounded out, Gausman left to a long standing ovation and Braydon Fisher took over.
Mathews was replaced by Luis Gastelum after Daulton Varsho’s bunt single opened the sixth. Matthews allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five-plus innings.
Toronto stretched the lead to 5-1 in the seventh.
Gastelum plunked pinch hitter Andres Gimenez, Guerrero followed with an infield hit to shortstop and Springer sliced a double to the right field corner past a diving Walker. Peter Strzelecki came in and gave up Kirk’s two-run single to right.
–Field Level Media
Report: Blazers sign F Jeremy Sochan to one-year contract
Athletics select LHP Ben Bowden, demote RHP Luis Morales
