Dodgers' Roki Sasaki aims for better showing in clash vs. Tigers
Mar 19, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) waves to the crowd after defeating the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images After feeling the love in his home country while making his major league debut, rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki now will get plenty of support from his new home fans when the Los Angeles Dodgers try for a series sweep against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
In a rare Saturday series finale, Sasaki (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will square off against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson (4-8, 3.53 last season), who will be making his 2025 debut.
Sasaki’s second start will come before Dodgers right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May even take their first turns in the rotation.
In his debut in Japan on March 19 against the Chicago Cubs, Sasaki gave up one run on one hit but went just three innings after he walked five with three strikeouts.
An ability to work his way out of jams, while allowing just one hit was more than enough for the Dodgers to be satisfied with the debut from their offseason addition. Known for a devastating splitter, the signature pitch was a bit lacking against the Cubs.
“I think it was a really good thing that I was able to pitch with a good nervousness,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “I think it was a really excellent environment created by the Japanese fans, an environment that’s unique to Japan. I think it’ll be different from what it’ll be like in the United States.”
If the first two games of the current series are any indication, Sasaki’s goal will be to keep the Dodgers close.
An early deficit is nothing to fear. Los Angeles rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Tigers on Thursday and overcame multiple deficits Friday.
Mookie Betts showed he is feeling just fine with a pair of home runs, including a three-run shot in the 10th inning for an 8-5 victory. Betts lost nearly 20 pounds because of a stomach virus and had been questionable to play in the current series.
“I can’t say enough about Mookie and the offense,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “They just keep persevering.”
Olson, 24, made his second consecutive Opening Day roster for the Tigers but did miss two months with a shoulder strain in the second half of last season. He returned in time to make two appearances (one start) in the American League Division Series loss to the Cleveland Guardians, pitching to a 2.00 ERA in nine innings.
He had a start against the Dodgers in his rookie season of 2023, earning the win by allowing one run on two hits over six innings with five strikeouts.
The Tigers had leads in each of their first two games, including a two-run advantage in the 10th inning Friday, but lost both times. Detroit right-hander Beau Brieske gave up five runs (four earned) in the 10th, including Betts’ game-ending three-run blast.
“I love the way we’re battling and staying in these games,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “We just need one more extra thing to happen our way … and this entire series could be different, but they’re a tough team to put away.”
After Spencer Torkelson hit a home run in Thursday’s opener, and reached base five times with four walks, Dillon Dingler and Gleyber Torres each hit home runs for Detroit on Friday. Dingler also had a two-run triple in the 10th inning Friday.
Torres is scheduled to be examined for a rib cage injury that appeared to occur on his homer.
–Field Level Media
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for July 19, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you like things large.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Big talk
The words are related to size.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe large things.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
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NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Supersize it.
NYT Strands word list for July 19
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Giant
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Behemoth
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Leviathan
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Mammoth
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Colossum
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 19, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to make food from scratch.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A way to make butter.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
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Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter C.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
CHURN
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Sports
Rain threatens rematch between Yankees, Dodgers
Jul 17, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates his two run home run against the New York Yankees with shortstop Mookie Betts (50) during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Dodgers returned from the All-Star break on Friday and earned a win on a night when stars Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts were quiet at the plate against the New York Yankees.
Instead, the Dodgers relied on dominant pitching and a clutch hit in the late innings of a 2-1 victory.
The teams will continue their three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night, though bad weather is forecast. Heavy rain is projected for the New York area for most of Saturday, and if the game gets rained out, the teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday.
The Dodgers are 31-17 on the road this season and own 18 one-run victories after opening the series with the one-run victory Friday on Max Muncy’s go-ahead, two-run homer off Gerrit Cole with no outs in the seventh inning.
Muncy’s homer was among five hits for the Dodgers, who struck out 10 times. Ohtani, Freeman and Betts were a combined 0-for-11, though Betts drew a walk before Muncy homered.
“It was good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Any time you can find a way to win a game when Gerrit Cole is pitching is a good thing.”
The Yankees were held to one run or less for the 16th time this season, and for the seventh time since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured right rib.
New York allowed Muncy’s homer after Yankees manager Aaron Boone elected to keep Cole in after a mound visit.
The Yankees finished with six hits, including a double by Ben Rice, who is batting .412 during a nine-game hitting streak. Rice’s double nearly tied the game in the eighth, but Trent Grisham was thrown out at the plate on a throw by Betts.
“It’s just baseball,” Grisham said. “Sometimes you score 10, sometimes you score one.”
Left-hander Ryan Weathers (3-7, 4.15 ERA) will start for the Yankees on Saturday after allowing one run on six hits in 5 1/3 innings during a no-decision in his team’s 5-3 victory over Washington on July 10.
Weathers is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in his past three outings. He is 0-3 with a 5.46 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) against the Dodgers, though he has held Betts to one hit in 12 at-bats and Ohtani to 1-for-8. Weathers has struggled against Freeman, as the first baseman is 5-for-10 against him.
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan (4-6, 4.81 ERA) will start for Los Angeles on Saturday and is 1-5 in his past nine starts since May 14. This will be his first career appearance against the Yankees.
Sheehan last pitched on Sunday, when he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in 5 1/3 innings during a no-decision in the Dodgers’ 5-3 loss to Arizona.
–Field Level Media
NYT Strands hints, answers for July 19, 2026
Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 19, 2026
