Sports
Division leaders White Sox, Rays square off in series finale
Jul 26, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker (47) reacts after beating the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Last July, a few weeks before the MLB trade deadline, the Tampa Bay Rays shipped the 37th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Bryan Baker.
With the benefit of hindsight, it looks like the Rays pulled off a coup.
The Rays will finish a typically successful homestand of nine games Sunday afternoon when they host the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tampa Bay enters the finale with a 6-2 record on the homestand, with Baker responsible for saving five of the six victories.
Baker (1-0, 1.45 ERA) has transformed an average and unspectacular six-year career into an All-Star campaign in 2026, slamming the door on the opposition as the AL East frontrunner’s closer.
He arrived in Florida with three saves and eight blown saves in the first 174 games (two starts) of his career. But this season, the 31-year-old from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has blossomed into one of baseball’s top relievers. He leads the majors with 31 saves including 20 consecutive, the third-longest streak in club history.
“It all comes back to going with the game plan these guys have for us — they do such a great job,” Baker said of the Rays’ coaching staff.
In the series’ middle game on Saturday, the Rays found success on the mound as Drew Rasmussen struck out 10 over six scoreless innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Relievers finished the game by allowing one hit and striking out six more batters.
Baker got the save with a very quick, six-pitch ninth inning in a game that zipped along in two hours, 14 minutes.
The pitching performance was better than in the series opener, won 6-1 by the White Sox on the strength of four home runs.
On Saturday, the Rays improved to 41-17 at home and 29-3 in the dome when scoring first.
Despite scoring just two runs through two games in the series, Tampa Bay moved to 20 games above .500.
The White Sox saw their three-game winning streak end, keeping the race in the Central tight with Cleveland and Minnesota. Their lead remained at three games after the Guardians and Twins, tied for second in the division, both lost.
Manager Will Venable’s squad was blanked 1-0 for just the second time on the season — the Toronto Blue Jays did it two weeks ago — and only produced five singles and one at-bat with runners in scoring position.
Losing pitcher Noah Schultz, who tossed five innings behind opener Jordan Hicks, said no blame should have been handed to Chicago’s offense, which is third in homers and second in runs scored in the American League.
“The offense has been so good all year. Games like this happen. It’s baseball. You play 162 for a reason,” the 6-foot-10 left-hander said.
Chicago will send out another left-hander in Sunday’s rubber game when Anthony Kay (7-5, 4.25) makes his 21st start and 23rd appearance.
Kay went 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA in five July starts with wildness (10 walks and five hit batters in 23 2/3 innings) being his primary problem, especially considering he allowed just 17 hits.
Kay has no record and a 3.86 ERA in eight outings, two as a starter, against Tampa Bay.
Griffin Jax (6-8, 3.74) will make his 34th career appearance – his most against any club – when he faces the White Sox on Sunday, though it will be just his fourth start against them.
The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA against the White Sox.
Jax has rotated wins and losses in six consecutive outings. He dropped a hard-luck 4-1 decision to Texas on Tuesday, allowing one earned run, while fanning 10 over 5 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Evander's goal, 3 assists spark Cincinnati over Quakes
Aug 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati forward Evander (10) dribbles against San Jose Earthquakes defender Daniel Munie (5) in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Evander scored his 11th goal on a sensational strike from 35 yards out in the 82nd minute and FC Cincinnati rallied from behind twice to earn a 4-2 victory over the visiting San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.
Evander also assisted on the three other goals for Cincinnati (7-6-5, 26 points), which won its third out of four overall and its second out of three since returning from the World Cup break.
The creative Brazilian midfielder has scored 10 of his 11 goals and 10 of his 11 assists in his last eight league matches stretching back to May 2.
Substitute Tom Barlow leveled it at 2-2 in the 79th minute and Bryan Ramirez knotted it at 1-1 in the 33rd of a match that kicked off more than two hours late due to severe weather. Ayoub Jabbari added an insurance tally in second-half stoppage time.
Timo Werner scored his fifth goal and assisted another for San Jose (10-5-3, 33 points), which has won only once in its last nine across all competitions.
Daniel Munie scored an early goal for San Jose in just the Quakes’ second road loss of the season.
The visitors just had no answer for Evander late.
First, he played an incredible throughball across his body directly into the path of Barlow’s surging run.
Barlow had plenty left to do, and he finished emphatically with a low strike past Angus Gunn and inside the left post.
Three minutes later, Evander took the ball in a seemingly harmless location well beyond the penalty area, picked his head up, and unleashed a sensational bending strike that beat the sprawling Gunn to the top left corner.
After pulling level just after the half-hour mark, Cincinnati began the second half looking the more likely side to take the lead, only to be stung by a well-worked Quakes counter.
Ousenni Bouda collected a pass near the midfield line, turned and fed the ball forward for Preston Judd, apparently just in time to beat Cincinnati’s offside trap.
Judd immediately hit an early low cross into the path of Werner on the opposite flank, and Werner guided a first-time finish past the charging Roman Celentano and into the net for his first MLS tally since late April.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat to the fans after delivering his 1,000 strikeout against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The Los Angeles Dodgers are landing the biggest trade piece at this year’s deadline in two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The addition of the left-handed ace is a major boost to a Los Angeles side looking to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
ESPN and The Athletic reported that Detroit would in turn receive three prospects in outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.
Skubal, 29, elevated from ninth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University to one of the best pitchers in baseball. He became the 12th player in major league history to win consecutive Cy Young awards in 2024-25, leading the Tigers to their first two postseason appearances since 2014.
However, he’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and this year’s Detroit team is three games back from the final AL wild-card spot.
Skubal has a 61-42 record and 3.04 career ERA over seven seasons with the Tigers. He’s posted ERAs of 2.80 or better in each of his last four seasons, including a league leading 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025 — earning All-Star nods both years.
He missed six weeks earlier this season after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. However, he returned ahead of schedule in June and has a 2.87 ERA with 71 strikeouts and eight walks in nine starts since returning. Overall, Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA, 14 walks and 114 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings over 16 starts.
He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (153 games) in what was his final start for Detroit on Wednesday.
The Dodgers’ need for starting pitching depth ramped up in the last few weeks as star slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani has been sidelined from pitching due to knee inflammation and bicep soreness. While his timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain, it becomes less of a major need with the addition of Skubal.
Hope, 21, is the biggest piece of the return haul for the Tigers. He ranks as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He’s hitting .293 with 23 homers, 87 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts in 94 games this season at Double-A Tulsa.
Ryan, 27, is the Dodgers’ seventh-ranked prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball. He made his major league debut in 2024 for Los Angeles, posting a 1-0 record and 1.33 ERA over four starts and 20 1/3 innings.
However, he hasn’t been back to the majors in the last two seasons and was sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He returned this spring and was 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 43 and walking eight over 36 1/3 innings.
Smith, 21, is Los Angeles’ No. 17 prospect, reaching High-A earlier this season after he was a third-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2023. He has a career 0-10 minor league record with a 4.72 ERA over 31 outings (30 starts). He’s a combined 0-7 this season for two teams with a 4.36 ERA across 21 starts, with 113 strikeouts and 30 walks in 74 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
White Sox add veteran RHP Luis Castillo, send 3 players to Mariners
Jul 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring three-time All-Star right-hander Luis Castillo from the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
The Mariners receive right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, Chicago’s No. 15 prospect in minor league catcher Boston Smith and conditional cash considerations. The White Sox will pay the remainder of Castillo’s salary, according to multiple reports, which is about $30 million guaranteed from now through the 2027 season.
Castillo is in the fourth year of a five-year, $108 million contract with a $25 million vesting option for 2028. He is having his worst season at 3-9 with a 5.06 ERA in 20 games (17 starts). The 33-year-old has recorded 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings.
For his career, Castillo is 87-93 with a 3.65 ERA, 485 walks and 1,579 strikeouts in 1,510 1/3 innings over 263 regular-season games (260 starts) for the Cincinnati Reds (2017-22) and Mariners (2022-26).
He was selected to the All-Star Game with the Reds (2019, 2022) and the Mariners (2023) — finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award voting that season.
Castillo is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings over six postseason games (five starts) — experience lacking in Chicago’s other starters.
Dominguez, 31, is 4-3 with 12 saves, a 4.10 ERA, 23 walks and 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings over 42 relief appearances in his first season with the White Sox.
He has a career record of 27-26 with 52 saves, a 3.57 ERA in 343 1/3 innings over 364 relief appearances. He has pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-19, 2021-24), Baltimore Orioles (2024-25), Toronto Blue Jays (2025) and White Sox. He went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 12 appearances during the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season.
Jones, 28, is batting .247 with 30 home runs and 137 RBIs in 349 games with Cleveland (2022, 2025) and the Colorado Rockies (2023-24). Jones was batting a combined .257 with 14 homers and 59 RBIs in 90 games with the Guardians’ and White Sox’s Triple-A affiliates this year.
Cleveland selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was traded to the White Sox for $250,000 in bonus pool money and cash considerations on June 11.
Smith, 23, has played 78 games in the White Sox’s minor league system from Single-A to High-A to Double-A this season and batted .291 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs.
The Washington Nationals picked Smith in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Wright State.
–Field Level Media
Sam Altman and AI’s decel debate
Evander's goal, 3 assists spark Cincinnati over Quakes
