Sports
Fresh off bitter loss, Cards take aim at MLB-worst Angels
Jul 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) throws against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Coming in off arguably their worst loss of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night in Anaheim, Calif.
St. Louis, in a three-way tie for the final wild-card spot in the National League, squandered a 7-0 lead while dropping the decisive contest of their three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-7, in 10 innings on Sunday in Phoenix.
The seven-run comeback matched the largest in team history for the Diamondbacks, who are just a half-game back of the Cardinals, Miami and Pittsburgh in the race for the final wild card.
Max Kepler lined a double over the head of right fielder Lars Nootbaar with one out in the 10th inning to drive in automatic runner Jorge Barrosa to win it for Arizona, which trailed 7-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
It marked the first time since July 2010 that St. Louis blew a lead of seven or more runs in a loss. Rubbing more salt in the wound was the fact ex-Cardinal Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to forge a 7-7 tie.
“We don’t deserve to win that game in any way, to be quite honest with you,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “We did a nice job early getting ahead, but the way that one unfolded … I tell you what, there’s a lot of learning opportunities in that one. It stings. It (stinks), and no one is more mad than me. At the end of the day, we gave that one away.”
Marmol said it was important for his team to move on from the bitter loss and focus on its three-game series against a Los Angeles team that owns the worst record in baseball at 39-61.
“We already talked about it,” Marmol said. “Dwell on (the loss) for the time being, take what you need out of it. Before you guys were let in here, they were already talking about some of the things that we felt that we gave away. Their ability to (rebound) quickly and move on to the next day is, at this point, part of our identity.”
Kyle Leahy (7-4, 3.73 ERA) gets the start in the potential bounce-back game for St. Louis. He will be opposed by fellow right-hander Jose Soriano (8-6, 3.49).
Leahy is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three career relief appearances against the Angels. He hasn’t allowed a hit over 5 1/3 innings.
He threw three shutout innings and allowed one hit in a 2-1 home win over Atlanta in his last start on July 10. He departed after throwing just three pitches in the fourth inning because of a two-hour, 44-minute rain delay.
Soriano has started against the Cardinals once in his career. That came in 2024 when he allowed two hits over 5 1/3 shutout innings and struck out six in a game that St. Louis used an eight-run seventh to rally for a 10-5 victory at Angel Stadium. Even more coincidental is the fact Leahy picked up the win with 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief.
Soriano, the American League Pitcher of the Month in April, is 0-2 in his last five starts following an 8-0 home victory over Tampa Bay on June 13.
The Angels held on for a 3-2 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon to snap a four-game losing streak. It was just the third win in the last 15 games for Kurt Suzuki’s squad.
Right-hander Ryan Johnson allowed a leadoff homer to fellow rookie Kevin McGonigle on the third pitch of the game but rebounded to allow no more runs and just one more hit over five innings to pick up his third career victory.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever given up a leadoff home run, so that’s a new experience,” said Johnson, 23. “But I was able to stay focused, stay with the game plan and attack.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nationals place LHP PJ Poulin (flexor) on 15-day injured list
Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher PJ Poulin (50) throws to the New York Yankees during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images The Washington Nationals placed left-hander PJ Poulin on the 15-day injured list on Sunday because of a left flexor strain.
The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Nationals signed free agent lefty Matt Krook. Washington transferred lefty Richard Lovelady (left triceps strain) from the 15- to 60-day IL to make room for Krook on the 40-man roster.
Poulin, who turns 30 on July 25, last pitched on July 11, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings as the opener in a 4-2 home loss to the New York Yankees.
Poulin is 3-0 with three saves, a 2.70 ERA, 21 walks and 25 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings over 35 games (11 starts) this season. Since making his major league debut last season, Poulin is 5-1 with four saves, a 3.08 ERA, 34 walks and 52 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings over 63 games (11 starts).
The Nationals selected Krook, 31, off waivers from the Athletics on July 4 and designated him for assignment on July 12. He was granted free agency last Tuesday.
Krook was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, two walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings across three relief appearances for the Nationals. He was 0-0 with a 14.73 ERA in 3 2/3 innings for the Athletics earlier this season.
For his career, Krook is 0-1 with a 14.11 ERA, 14 walks and 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over 16 games with four teams since 2023.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals scouting director to appeal NFL's gambling suspension
Arizona Cardinals logo at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe on May 6, 2016. Two days after Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold was suspended indefinitely by the NFL, his attorney responded, calling the allegations “blatantly false” and stating that they would be appealing the ruling.
On Friday, the league took the action after determining that Gold had disclosed confidential draft details and placed wagers involving football games. The NFL did not state to which parties that Gold had provided the information.
The league revealed that Gold disclosed inside information regarding Arizona’s 2026 draft picks prior to their announcement. Additionally, investigators discovered he took part in parlays involving NFL and college football games.
The suspension took effect immediately, but an appeal is permitted.
“Ryan Gold has been an outstanding NFL executive for over a decade,” attorney Mike Caspino said in a statement on Sunday. “The accusations made by the league regarding his participation in prohibited gambling activities are blatantly false. We have demanded an appeal and we look forward to clearing his good name.”
Caspino claimed that Gold’s wife, Jennifer, was making $10 weekly bets with a group of high school friends on parlays and that Gold played no role in that activity.
He added that Gold did not know whom the Cardinals were selecting because only team owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Monti Ossenfort knew and did not share that information.
NFL rules prohibit league and club employees from betting on sports, assisting others with wagers or providing information that is not available to the public.
“Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected,” the NFL said in Friday’s statement, “the league takes any violation of the gambling policy with the utmost seriousness.”
The league said its investigation included interviews and a review of electronic records. It found no evidence that any Cardinals player, coach or other employee knew about or participated in Gold’s actions. There was also no indication that a play or game had been compromised.
The Cardinals on Friday issued a statement saying they “fully support the league’s decision in this matter.” They removed Gold’s bio from the team’s official website.
Gold was entering his 13th year with the organization and his second as director of college scouting. He was promoted to the position in June 2025 after three seasons as Arizona’s assistant director of college scouting. He previously spent four years with the organization as a college scouting coordinator.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Thunder deal Luguentz Dort to Hawks in 3-team trade
May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images The Atlanta Hawks acquired 2025 All-Defensive wing Luguentz Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ryan Nembhard from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal on Sunday.
The Hawks sent former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and a protected future second-round draft pick to the Mavericks, with two more future second-rounders going to the Thunder. Dallas is shipping one second-rounder to Oklahoma City.
While Dort has been a mainstay in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup for years, the move completed a necessary stretch of offseason deals for the Thunder. They acquired seven second-round picks while going under the second apron with their trades of Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.
Oklahoma City picked up Dort’s $17.7 million team option, acquired three future assets and created a $17 million trade exception. Dort is now in position to sign a long-term contract in Atlanta that was infeasible with the Thunder.
Dort, 27, joins a young Hawks team led by Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker that won more playoff games against the NBA champion New York Knicks than any other opponent. Atlanta also freed up $40-plus million in cap space next summer.
Dort, who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25, averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 69 games last season. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in seven seasons with the Thunder.
In his second NBA season, the 21-year-old Risacher averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games. However, he received just 23 minutes during the playoffs. The forward finished second to the Spurs’ Stephon Castle in the NBA’s 2025 Rookie of the Year voting.
Nembhard, 23, played in 60 games for the Mavericks as a rookie guard last season. The undrafted free agent made 27 starts and averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
Nationals place LHP PJ Poulin (flexor) on 15-day injured list
Cardinals scouting director to appeal NFL's gambling suspension
