Sports
Behind Rafael Devers, Giants seek series sweep of Angels
Jul 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) between pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images The Giants hope Rafael Devers continues to vent the frustration of a recent slump on Los Angeles Angels pitching when the interleague opponents complete a three-game series Sunday afternoon in San Francisco.
The hosts have opened the set with a pair of wins, a 7-6 walk-off victory on Friday night before a 9-2 romp the following afternoon.
Coming off a 3-for-24 trip that had him spinning in a 3-for-30 slump over a 12-day skid, Devers had a hand in both wins over the Angels that came in the wake of a five-game losing streak.
The slugger bounced what was later ruled an RBI single over the left-field fence to end Friday’s dramatic win, then three at-bats later cleared the barrier on a fly for a lead-extending home run in Saturday’s blowout.
In two days, he’s gone 5-for-8 with four runs, a double, two home runs, seven RBIs and a walk. The homers equal his total from the previous 13 games, while the RBIs are one more than he had over that same stretch.
Teammate Luis Arraez, who has five hits in the two wins, still was in amazement during a postgame television interview on the field Saturday.
“Raffy is the best hitter in this league,” Arraez said. “He’s got his approach. He can do a lot of damage. He plays hard every day.”
Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters shortly thereafter that it’s unfair to draw conclusions when a proven hitter is in a slump.
“If you give the guy a whole body of work, it’s going to show up on paper who Raffy is. And if you just go off a month or a couple of weeks, it depends where you catch him at,” Vitello said. “Overall, (this is) Raffy being Raffy, if you will.”
Devers has batted just four times in his career against right-hander Jose Soriano (8-6, 3.43 ERA), the Angels’ scheduled starter on Sunday, and has never hit the ball past shortstop. Then again, he has walked twice and been struck out once aside from the groundout.
Soriano hasn’t allowed a home run in any of his last four starts, a stretch in which he’s gone 0-2 despite a respectable 3.91 ERA. He’s winless in his last six starts overall, watching his record slip back toward .500 after opening the season 5-0.
A popular name in trade discussions, Soriano understands these are important times for both himself and the Angels, who find themselves once again looking to the future.
“I know I’ve had a tough time. But the last couple outings, I feel like I started getting back and that’s the goal,” he told reporters earlier in the week. “Trying to get back to where I was in the beginning (of the season).”
Soriano has faced the Giants just twice in his career, both times in relief, throwing two innings of scoreless ball without getting a decision.
He likely will be opposed by left-hander Carson Whisenhunt (2-0, 3.38), who is scheduled to be promoted from Triple-A to make his third big-league start of the season.
Whisenhunt, 25, has never faced an American League opponent.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Munetaka Murakami strokes 2 of White Sox's 5 homers in rout of Astros
Jul 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Miguel Vargas hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning and Munetaka Murakami added a pair of homers as the host Chicago White Sox routed the Houston Astros 12-3 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.
Chicago clubbed a season high-tying five home runs compared to three from Houston to extend its lead atop the American League Central to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland.
With his parents throwing out first pitches on his bobblehead day, Murakami went 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs. He drilled an opposite-field two-run homer in the first, drove in a run with a third-inning groundout, added a two-run single in a four-run seventh and finished with a solo clout to right in the eighth.
Jeremy Pena cracked solo homers in his first two at-bats and Taylor Trammell added a solo homer for the Astros, whose five-game winning streak came to a close.
The White Sox’s breakout against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco in the sixth turned the tide. Sam Antonacci, who collected two hits, led off with a double and advanced to third on a Murakami groundout. Vargas followed with a two-run blast to left field, his 21st homer this season, to put the White Sox ahead 5-3.
Blanco (0-1) scattered five runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. It marked his second start since rejoining the rotation last week following Tommy John surgery in June 2025.
After Pena opened the game with a home run, Murakami reached Blanco for a two-run home run in the first to stop a 13-game homerless streak.
Houston’s own penchant for the long ball kept the club afloat in the early innings. Jeremy Pena stretched his hitting streak to eight games with a pair of home runs.
White Sox starter Erick Fedde yielded three solo home runs among his five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Pena homered against Fedde with one out in the third, then Taylor Trammell sent Fedde’s first delivery of the fifth over the wall in right center.
Fedde walked one and struck out two. Sean Newcomb (1-2) worked around a hit and walk to get the final two outs in the sixth to notch the victory.
Chase Meidroth homered in the seventh for Chicago and Junior Perez added a two-run blast in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves win in 11 innings as Orioles squander opportunities
Jul 26, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) attempting to make a tag on Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) and is safe in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images Austin Riley doubled in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the host Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of the three-game series.
Dominic Smith drove in two runs with a pair of singles and finished with three hits while starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for the Braves, who won for the eighth time in their last 11 games. Tyler Kinley (6-4) was the winning pitcher by going 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pete Alonso homered for the Orioles, who tied the game in the bottom of the ninth but then wasted game-winning opportunities in the next two innings. Andrew Kittredge (1-3) took the loss.
After a wild pitch and two walks, the Orioles had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th. But Gunnar Henderson lined into a double play and Taylor Ward was retired on a flyout. They reloaded the bases with two outs in the 11th but didn’t score.
The Orioles tied the game with an unearned run on Jackson Holliday’s groundout, which accounted for the second out of the ninth inning. The Braves stranded two runners in the top of the 10th.
Lopez allowed five hits and one walk with six strikeouts before Dylan Dodd, Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias followed him in relief.
Orioles starter Shane Baz lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks. Alonso and Ward each had two of Baltimore’s six hits.
The Braves struck first on Smith’s run-scoring single in the second inning. That gave Smith his first 40-RBI season since 2023 when he was with the Washington Nationals.
Smith singled in another run in the fourth.
Alonso’s 22nd long ball of the season came off Lee in the eighth inning to cut the gap to 2-1.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Coby Mayo ran for him. Mayo took third on a fielding error by Ozzie Albies at second base before Holliday drove him in, but Iglesias retired Jeremiah Jackson to force extras.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Twins roll up big lead, hold on to beat Athletics
Jul 26, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins right fielder Kody Clemens (2) slides into third base for a run scoring triple as Athletics third baseman Tommy White (47) looks to catch the ball. White would be unable to gather the ball and Clemens would score on the play during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Ryan Jeffers went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for an 11-8 win over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Ryan Kreidler finished 3-for-4 with three doubles and an RBI for Minnesota, which won the rubber match of the three-game series. Kody Clemens went 3-for-5 with two triples and an RBI.
Nick Kurtz hit a three-run home run to lead the Athletics. Jeff McNeil was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (3-5) held the Athletics to one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs (3-10) gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Minnesota started the scoring with three runs in the first.
Royce Lewis drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice groundout. Clemens delivered in the next at-bat with a triple to right-center field, and he trotted home to score after Athletics shortstop Alika Williams fired an errant cutoff throw toward third that bounced out of play.
The Twins doubled their lead to 6-0 with three more runs in the second.
Minnesota loaded the bases for two outs for Jeffers, and the Twins made it 4-0 before he made contact. Athletics right-hander Luis Morales committed a bases-loaded walk to allow Alex Jackson to score from third.
Moments later, Jeffers ripped a two-run single to right.
Another miscue by the Athletics allowed the Twins to push their lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Catcher Jonah Heim committed a throwing error that allowed Ryan Kreidler to score.
The Athletics got on the scoreboard in the sixth. Kurtz belted a three-run, 412-foot shot to center for his 21st homer of the season.
Minnesota made it 8-3 on a sacrifice fly by Austin Martin in the sixth.
The Athletics cut the deficit to 8-6 with three runs in the seventh. Donovan Walton drew a bases-loaded walk, McNeil notched an RBI groundout and Carlos Cortes hit a sacrifice fly.
The Twins responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 9-6. Clemens tripled off the right-field wall, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Keaschall.
Kreidler and Jeffers drove in one run apiece in the eighth to give the Twins an 11-6 lead.
McNeil and Cortes each drove in a run in the ninth to finish the scoring for the Athletics.
-Field Level Media
Munetaka Murakami strokes 2 of White Sox's 5 homers in rout of Astros
Braves win in 11 innings as Orioles squander opportunities
