Sports
Familiar narratives when Grizzlies, Jazz open season
Oct 18, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a dunk during the first half against the Miami Heat at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Memphis Grizzlies and the host Utah Jazz will be dealing with some familiar issues when they open the 2024-25 NBA season on Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
A youth movement will be the Jazz’s central theme for another season, while injuries are once again affecting the Grizzlies.
Though Memphis welcomes back Ja Morant after the star point guard was limited last year by a 25-game suspension and a season-ending shoulder injury, the team will start this season without key contributor Jaren Jackson Jr., who is sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Memphis players missed an NBA-high 578 total player games due to injury last season. Along with Jackson’s absence, the Grizzlies will be without guard Luke Kennard (foot), forward GG Jackson (foot), guard Vince Williams Jr. (shin) and guard Cam Spencer (ankle) as the regular season gets underway.
“We’ll have 12 guys going into that first night and we’ll see what we’re willing to roll out there versus the Jazz,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said, per the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
A healthy Memphis team is anticipated to be among the Western Conference playoff contenders. ESPN.com ranks the Grizzlies as the 11th-best NBA team, projecting them to 44.4 wins and a playoff likelihood of 69.3 percent.
The team drafted big man Zach Edey with the ninth overall pick, and he’s expected to play a big role in his first season. Guards Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart also figure to play important roles for Memphis.
The Jazz have a strong leader in power forward Lauri Markkanen. Though the 27-year-old has several veterans around him in Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Utah newcomer Patty Mills, the team has vocalized that its youth movement is a high priority.
Utah has six players less than 23 years old: Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski.
“There’s going to be opportunities where it’s going to look different,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said. “Our growth is going to come from developing our talent base so that we can win more games now and in the future. That doesn’t happen overnight.
“But what’s important about development is playing,” he continued. “I think there’s going to be multiple opportunities for more young guys to play this year because we simply have more young guys as part of our rotation. So it’s going to look different.”
Utah had one of the least efficient defenses in the NBA last season, allowing 120.5 points a game (tied for 28th). Opposing teams shot a league-high 39.5 percent from 3-point range, so improvement on that side of the court is critical for long-term success.
The Jazz, projected to win just 33 games with only a 2.7 percent chance of making the playoffs per ESPN.com, are in their third season of a rebuilding project after trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in 2022. They secured Markkanen for the long haul this offseason, signing him to a five-year, $238-million extension.
“As the coach, when the best player on the team wants to be here, he wants to be in Utah, he believes in what we’re doing … it’s big for us, because it also helps our ecosystem function,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “But I think more than anything, it just shows that Lauri is committed to the Jazz, committed to Utah, and he really believes in what we’re doing.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Coby Mayo leads Orioles past Tigers
Jul 27, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Coby Mayo (16) receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a two run home run in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Coby Mayo homered and drove in three runs as the visiting Baltimore Orioles powered past the Detroit Tigers, 8-5, on Monday.
Leody Tavares and pinch-hitter Tyler O’Neill also homered, while Jackson Holliday supplied four hits and scored twice. Pete Alonso added two hits and scored a run.
Orioles starter Kyle Bradish gave up five runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Grant Wolfram (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and was credited with the victory. Rico Garcia got the last three outs for his fifth save.
Hao-Yu Lee drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost three straight. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry each had two hits, a run scored and an RBI.
Detroit starter Keider Montero (7-6) allowed six runs, four earned, and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Baltimore scored a run in the first on Taylor Ward’s fielder’s choice, which knocked in Alonso.
The Orioles extended their lead to 3-0 in the second. Holliday doubled and Mayo reached on a Colt Keith error before Jeremiah Jackson’s RBI grounder. Dylan Beavers drove in the next run with a single.
McKinstry led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and scored on Lee’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
Mayo drove in the Orioles’ fourth run in the third with a single.
Detroit pulled within 4-3 in the fourth after loading the bases without an out. Lee knocked in a run with an infield single and Matt Vierling drove in the next run with a one-out sacrifice fly.
Tavares blasted his homer with one out in the fifth. After a Holliday single, Montero was replaced by Brenan Hanifee. Mayo greeted him with a 390-foot shot over the left-center field wall for a 7-3 Orioles lead.
The Tigers cut their deficit in half during the bottom of the frame. Torkelson had a sacrifice fly and McKinstry followed with an RBI single.
O’Neill homered to lead off the sixth against Tyler Horton, driving the ball 400 feet over the left-center field wall.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Scherzer comes off IL as Blue Jays eke past Nationals
Jul 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mason Fluharty (68) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Luis Urias homered, Myles Straw had two hits and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Nationals 3-2 on Monday in Max Scherzer’s return to Washington.
Scherzer, who spent 6 1/2 seasons in Washington and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, came off the injured list to make his seventh start of the season. He gave up a run on four hits, walking three and striking out four on 75 pitches in 2 2/3 innings.
Mason Fluharty (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Louis Varland, the last of six Toronto relievers, pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
The Blue Jays have alternated losses and wins for six games.
Andres Chaparro homered for the Nationals, who had won two straight.
Nationals opener Eddy Yean (0-1) gave up two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings. He didn’t issue a walk nor fan a batter.
Scherzer, making his 100th start at Nationals Park and working on his 42nd birthday, had been sidelined due to back and thumb issues. He pitched in and out of trouble in the first inning.
James Wood led off with a single and stole second, and Luis Garcia Jr. singled him to third. Jose Tena struck out before CJ Abrams walked to load the bases. Scherzer struck out Dylan Crews, and Daylen Lile grounded out.
Nasim Nunez singled with one out in the Washington second and stole second. Wood walked and Garcia doubled off the wall in right, scoring Nunez to give Washington a 1-0 lead.
Urias tied it 1-1 with a solo homer in the third, and Straw and Ernie Clement followed with back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1 Blue Jays.
Scherzer left after striking out Lile to end a 12-pitch at-bat in the third. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and he waved as he entered the dugout.
In the fourth, Toronto’s Kazuma Okamoto singled, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Straw to make it 3-1.
With runners on first and third and two outs in the top of the fifth, George Springer got in a rundown between first and second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke for home but was tagged out on a close play.
Chaparro’s pinch-hit homer made it 3-2 in the fifth.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Nunez singled and Wood walked, but Varland fanned Garcia to end the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Marlins end 12-game slide as Griffin Conine walks off Phillies
Jul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins left fielder Griffin Conine (18) celebrates his home run with second baseman Javier Sanoja (8) against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Griffin Conine’s walk-off single capped a three-run ninth inning for the Miami Marlins, who snapped a franchise-record 12-game losing streak with an 8-7 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Heriberto Hernandez and Conine homered for Miami, which had not won since July 9. The Marlins appeared destined for another defeat before Hernandez’s two-run single tied it against Jhoan Duran (1-4), who had previously blown only one save this season.
Bryce Harper hit an early two-run homer and J.T. Realmuto also had two RBIs for Philadelphia, which has lost seven of 10 since the All-Star break. Zack Wheeler struggled through three innings, allowing a season-high five runs and six hits.
With Miami trailing 7-5, Jakob Marsee opened the ninth with a single up the middle and advanced to third on Otto Lopez’s single to right. Duran hit Kyle Stowers to load the bases for Hernandez, whose single up the middle tied the game.
Three batters later, the bases were loaded with one out when Conine lined one into right field, over a drawn-in Philadelphia infield.
There was plenty of early action, beginning with Harper’s two-run homer off Tyler Phillips in the top of the first. In the bottom half, Miami answered with two runs of its own, highlighted by Hernandez’s solo shot off Wheeler.
The veteran right-hander struggled in the second inning as well, as he allowed three more runs, including Conine’s leadoff blast.
The fourth and fifth innings were uneventful, but Philadelphia rallied to take the lead with four runs in the sixth. Alec Bohm, Realmuto and Justin Crawford had run-scoring hits in the frame.
The Phillies led 7-5 after Bryson Stott tripled and scored an insurance run in the eighth before things fell apart in the ninth.
Phillips received a no-decision, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings. Calvin Faucher (5-5) worked the top of the ninth to earn the win.
–Field Level Media
