Sports
Braves' leaky bullpen cause for concern entering series vs. Mets
Jul 2, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Dylan Lee (52) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves’ recent struggles may be spilling into the bullpen, an area of the team that has been solid for most of the season.
Atlanta, which will open a four-game series on Friday night against the visiting New York Mets, saw its relievers melt down on Thursday and allow eight runs in an 11-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Braves have lost 14 of their last 19 games to see their lead in the National League East shrink to 2 1/2 games over the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York, which is in last place in the division, did not play on Thursday. The Mets lost a three-game series at Toronto and have dropped 10 of their last 12 games.
The Atlanta bullpen, which posted a 2.14 ERA in June, finished the final four innings on Wednesday without allowing a hit.
It was a different story on Thursday.
Dylan Lee, who entered the game with an 0.95 ERA, allowed three runs in one-third of an inning and saw his ERA grow to 1.64. Reliable Tyler Kinley gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning, and Ian Hamilton and James Karinchak each gave up one run.
“Dylan has pitched a lot, so it’s something we’ve got to keep an eye on,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “We always talk about trying to keep those guys strong all the way through. (Lee) was good to go, and he’s been virtually untouchable this year.”
Atlanta setup man Robert Suarez is out with right elbow inflammation and won’t return until after the All-Star break.
This will be the second series between Atlanta and New York this season. The Mets won two of three games from June 12-14 in New York.
The Mets will send Christian Scott (2-0, 3.20 ERA) to the mound on Friday to face fellow right-hander Grant Holmes (4-4, 3.96) of the Braves.
Scott will make his second start since spending two weeks on the injured list with a hip impingement. He returned on Saturday to start against Philadelphia and threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six in New York’s 6-2 victory.
“I feel great,” Scott said afterward. “Felt like I attacked the zone pretty well for the most part. Just established my off-speed stuff early in the game and then kind of just rode the wave off of that.”
Scott, who made nine starts as a rookie in 2024, missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Since his return this spring, Scott has been reliable. In 10 starts, he has allowed more than three runs just one time — when he gave up four in 4 2/3 innings against St. Louis on June 11 before going on the injured list.
He has made one career start against the Braves, taking a loss after allowing three runs over six innings in 2024.
Holmes has made 15 starts, but his inability to pitch past the fifth inning in four of his last five starts caused the Braves to temporarily move him into a long relief role. In his last appearance against San Francisco on Saturday, he allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings in his team’s 5-0 loss.
Holmes has made two career starts against the Mets, going 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA and striking out 13 in nine innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners CFs Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles exit game with injuries
Jul 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) reacts to getting hit in the back of the helmet by a thrown ball during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Center field was a dangerous spot for the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez left the team’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels after getting hit in the head by an errant throw.
Victor Robles, who replaced Rodriguez, didn’t take the field in the fifth inning after being hit in the right wrist/forearm area by a 97.9 mph pitch from the Angels’ Walbert Urena.
Robles was plunked with two outs in the bottom of the third. He stayed in the game for another inning before Luke Raley moved from right field to center to replace him. Weston Wilson entered the game to play right.
Rodriguez walked with one out in the bottom of the first inning before Dominic Canzone hit a grounder to first base. The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel tried to throw to second base to start an inning-ending double play, but the ball hit Rodriguez in the back of the batting helmet just as he started his slide.
The ball ricocheted into center field, and Rodriguez pumped his fist and yelled toward his teammates in the dugout before bending over with his hands on his knees.
Mariners trainer Kyle Torgerson and manager Dan Wilson came onto the field and chatted with Rodriguez and third base coach Carlos Cardoza for a couple of minutes before Rodriguez stayed in the game.
Rodriguez returned to center field in the top of the second but was seen talking with Torgerson again while sitting on the bench in the bottom of the inning and left with the trainer and headed for the clubhouse.
Robles replaced Rodriguez in center when the Mariners took the field in the third.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers record season-high 17 hits in win over Tigers
Jul 2, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Nicky Lopez (33) rounds third base to come around to score against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Elias Diaz, Josh Smith and Evan Carter homered as the Texas Rangers recorded a season-high 17 hits in a 10-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in Arlington, Texas.
Nathan Eovaldi (9-7) allowed three runs on six hits over five-plus innings. He struck out nine with one walk and improved to 6-0 in nine career starts against Detroit.
Alejandro Osuna and Nicky Lopez each had three hits and an RBI for Texas, which won for the seventh time in eight games. Josh Jung, Ezequiel Duran and Smith each contributed two hits and two RBIs.
Hao-Yu Lee hit a two-run homer and Colt Keith added a solo shot for Detroit, which had its three-game win streak snapped. Zach McKinstry, Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle each had two hits.
Tigers starter Framber Valdez (4-6) yielded five runs on nine hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Texas claimed a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Diaz opened the scoring with his second homer in as many games, a one-out solo blast.
Osuna and Lopez followed with back-to-back singles before Justin Foscue walked to load the bases. Jung walked to drive in a run, and another scored on Duran’s sacrifice fly.
The Rangers added to their lead with two runs in the fourth inning. Jung doubled in a run with one out and scored on Duran’s single to center field.
Eovaldi no-hit the Tigers through four innings before Keith’s leadoff homer in the fifth. With two outs and a runner on, Lee’s long ball cut the deficit to 5-3.
Texas extended its lead with one out in the bottom of the sixth on Smith’s pinch-hit homer.
The Rangers sent nine batters to the plate and tacked on three runs in the seventh. The rally included consecutive run-scoring singles from Osuna, Lopez and Smith against Drew Sommers.
Detroit pushed a run across in the eighth when Ben Malgeri’s one-out single scored McKinstry, who had doubled.
Carter added a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.
The three-game series will take a break on Friday due to the World Cup round of 32 match between Australia and Egypt being played across the street at the home field of the Dallas Cowboys.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kahleah Copper pours in 30 points as Mercury blitz Storm
Jul 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) passes the ball against Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Kahleah Copper finished with 30 points and Lexi Held had 17 points while making a career-high five 3-pointers in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-67 win over the visiting Seattle Storm on Thursday.
Phoenix (8-13) has achieved its first three-game winning streak of the season.
Seattle (5-16) had its two-game winning streak snapped.
The Storm are 0-3 against Phoenix and 0-11 against Western Conference teams this season.
Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas returned from her one-game suspension issued by the WNBA for planting a fist on Caitlin Clark’s neck in the Mercury’s win at Indiana last week. Thomas had a near triple-double on Thursday with nine points, nine assists and 13 rebounds.
Valeriane Ayayi added 18 points for the Mercury.
Seattle was led by Natisha Hiedeman and Awa Fam, both of whom had 13 points. Flau’jae Johnson and Jade Melbourne each posted 11 points.
Phoenix did not trail again after going ahead 5-4 with 8:46 left in the first quarter on an Ayayi 3-pointer.
The hosts took a 55-36 halftime lead behind 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field by Copper.
Ayayi had 13 points despite picking up three fouls and sitting for more than six minutes in the half.
Phoenix led by as many as 26 points in the third quarter, and Seattle could get no closer than 10 points in the second half.
The Mercury recorded 23 assists on their 33 made field goals, and they outrebounded Seattle 40-29.
Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner, who had eight rebounds, secured the seventh spot on the WNBA’s all-time rebound list with her sixth board of the night. She ended the game with 3,310 for her career, three more than Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie.
The starting lineups for both teams dominated the scoring with Phoenix’s reserves scoring only 10 points and Seattle’s bench finishing with 14.
Seattle starters Johnson, Fam, Dominique Malonga, Hiedeman and Melbourne had 53 points, but the team struggled from the field, shooting 41.9% while committing 13 turnovers.
The Mercury shot 45.2% from the floor and gave the ball away 11 times.
Phoenix has won four of its last five after losing 10 of 12 games.
Seattle had won two straight after enduring a franchise-record 11 straight games.
–Field Level Media
Mariners CFs Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles exit game with injuries
Rangers record season-high 17 hits in win over Tigers
