Sports
Fresh off stellar MLB debut, Tigers' Max Clark looks for encore vs. A's
Jul 31, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Max Clark (15) hits a double against the Athletics deighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Max Clark didn’t wait long to put on a show, reaching base four times and excelling in his major league debut.
Clark will attempt to make Game No. 2 a hit as well when the Detroit Tigers battle the Athletics on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
The 21-year-old Clark, the Tigers’ No. 1 prospect, went 3-for-4 with a walk in his first big league outing as Detroit rolled to a 13-1 victory over the A’s on Friday night. The center fielder scored twice and drove in one with his parents, wife and other family members in the stands.
“It has been surreal. It’s a childhood dream come true,” the left-handed-hitting Clark said after a performance that included two doubles. “I’m blessed to say the least. … I felt very confident coming in (Friday), just backed by the guys and we got it done.”
Clark was rated as the No. 13 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. The No. 3 overall pick in 2023, he arrives at a time in which Detroit’s season hangs in the balance.
The Tigers are six games below .500 and stand eighth in the American League wild-card battle in which only three teams will make the postseason.
The trade deadline is Monday and starting pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are among the players who could be on the move.
Clark isn’t worried about that aspect. He‘s focused on making an impact.
“I’m going to do everything I can to play winning baseball,” Clark said. “The stats will come and go. Baseball has an ebb of ups and downs when it comes to the hitting side.”
Dillon Dingler belted his first career grand slam, Ben Malgeri hit his first career homer and Kevin McGonigle also went deep in Friday’s game.
Jonah Heim had an RBI double for the struggling Athletics, who have dropped six of seven games and 27 of 34.
All-Star slugger Nick Kurtz went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a walk and is 1-for-36 over the past 12 games.
But nobody is happy with a month that saw the Athletics go 5-19.
“We need to improve, right? That’s a fact,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “It’s never fun going through a month like this. We need to turn the page, start fresh in August, and start stacking as many wins together as we can.”
The Athletics will look to solve Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez (5-7, 4.53 ERA), who has a 1.38 WHIP and only 92 strikeouts in 21 starts. He fanned 187 batters in 31 outings for the Houston Astros last season.
Valdez, 32, defeated the Athletics on July 9 when he gave up one run and three hits over seven innings. He struck out a season-best nine and walked none.
However, he gave up six runs in two-thirds of an inning while losing to the Chicago Cubs on July 21. He then received a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals five days later when he allowed three runs (two earned) and four hits over five innings.
Valdez is 9-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) against the A’s. Heim (7-for-32) has hit two homers off Valdez and Kurtz (4-for-9) has taken him deep once.
Right-hander Jack Perkins (2-6, 6.45) takes the mound for the Athletics. He lost to the Boston Red Sox on Monday despite taking a no-hitter into the sixth — he gave up two runs and one hit over 5 2/3 innings.
Perkins struggled in July by going 0-3 with a 7.79 ERA in four appearances (three starts). One of the losses came in relief against the Tigers when he gave up three runs and two hits in three innings in the contest started by Valdez.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lynx put 9-game winning streak on line vs. surging Fever
Jul 28, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks with guard Olivia Miles (5) during a game against the Toronto Tempo in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve appreciates the WNBA’s history.
On Sunday afternoon, Reeve and fans everywhere will be able to witness the league’s present — and its future.
Star players like Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Minnesota’s Olivia Miles will square off when the Fever (19-10) play the Lynx (24-6) in Minneapolis. The Lynx have won nine games in a row, while the Fever have won five straight.
Clark and Miles have been huge reasons for their teams’ success.
“We knew a time when we had (Sue Bird) and Diana (Taurasi), and that sort of thing,” Reeve said. “This next era of guard play — Caitlin Clark will be a big part of that. Olivia Miles will be a big part of that.”
It’s no surprise that both players are receiving buzz as Most Valuable Player candidates.
Clark is averaging 21.6 points, 8.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds for Indiana. She is shooting 44.6% overall, 35.5% from 3-point range and 86.8% from the free-throw line.
In her most recent game, Clark notched a triple-double with 26 points, 10 assists and 10 boards. She helped Indiana pull away for a 112-98 road win against the Portland Fire on Friday.
Fever coach Stephanie White said her players still could reach another level of improvement.
“I thought we had some moments where we were really good,” White said. “Obviously, when we get 31 points off of turnovers, I think that’s really good for us. We had some moments where our execution was really good.
“We’re still a work in progress, and a coach is never going to be happy. I liked some of the adjustments we were able to make and execute, and now we’ve got to just continue to work toward growing it for 40 minutes of consistency.”
Meanwhile, Miles has wasted no time showing her skills since the Lynx drafted her No. 2 overall during the offseason. The dazzling rookie playmaker is averaging 19.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds, and she is shooting 49.2% overall, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 87.2% from the charity stripe.
Miles and the Lynx welcomed another superstar back to the lineup when Napheesa Collier returned in July. In her first three games since returning from offseason ankle surgery, Collier is averaging 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Miles’ no-look passes and slithery drives to the paint have caught the league’s attention.
That includes Clark, who joined Miles in Chicago for the WNBA’s All-Star weekend.
“I’ve always been a fan of hers, even when she was in college,” Clark said. “She just plays with incredible pace. It’s never too fast, it’s never too slow.
“You can see her creative juices flowing on the floor. … (It’s fun to see) the way she’s come into the league, and just been pretty flawless, in a way.”
The Lynx are 11-4 at home this season and the Fever are 8-5 on the road. The teams will meet again in the final two games of the regular season on Sept. 22 in Indianapolis and Sept. 24 in Minneapolis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Versatile Taysom Hill could find reunion with Broncos' Sean Payton
Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill (7) runs against Atlanta Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo (0) and cornerback C.J. Henderson (39) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Taysom Hill’s nine-season tenure with the New Orleans Saints is over and former coach Sean Payton could have a landing space for him.
Payton and the Denver Broncos are reportedly interested in bringing in the jack-of-all-trades Hill to discuss a reunion in the Mile High City.
Payton coached Hill in New Orleans from 2017-21 and successfully unleashed his versatility as a receiver, quarterback and rusher.
Hill, who turns 36 next month, could factor in all three roles with the Broncos. He enters this season with 2,426 passing yards and 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions to go with a 7-2 record as a starter.
Hill has rushed for 2,551 yards, 34 touchdowns and recorded first downs on 179 on his 489 career rushing attempts.
As a receiver and tight end, Hill has 110 receptions for 1,034 yards and 11 scores. He accumulated first downs on 48 of his catches.
Hill also has 489 kickoff return yards during his career but it is highly unlikely he would be utilized in that role again.
With Bo Nix coming off ankle surgery, Hill could serve as the running quarterback in short-down situations and help Nix protect the ankle. Jarrett Stidham, who started the AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots in place of the injured Nix, is currently the No. 2 quarterback.
Hill was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2017 before being released shortly before the start of the season and getting scooped up by New Orleans.
He passed for 43 touchdowns and rushed for 32 in parts of five seasons in Provo.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels scratch RHP Jose Soriano from Saturday start vs. Brewers
Jun 30, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano (59) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Angels scratched right-hander Jose Soriano from his scheduled start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
Baseball Operations Consultant John Mozeliak released a statement on the decision:
“Today, Jose Soriano will not make his scheduled start. With the trade deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us.”
Soriano, 27, has posted a career-low 3.29 ERA this season through 22 starts.
For his career, he has a 3.72 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 432 strikeouts in 113 games (73 starts).
The right-hander is under contact through 2028 and carries a salary of $2.9 million this season. So, he should be an appealing trade option for many teams at the deadline.
The Angels already made a move as “sellers” by shipping right-hander Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for minor league infielder Angel Arredondo.
–Field Level Media
Lynx put 9-game winning streak on line vs. surging Fever
Versatile Taysom Hill could find reunion with Broncos' Sean Payton
