Sports
Liberty make clutch shots, rally past Sky in wild finish
Jul 22, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) grabs a rebound in the second quarter against the Chicago Sky at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Jonquel Jones sank one of two free throws with 3.4 seconds left as the New York Liberty made a dramatic fourth-quarter rally to edge the Chicago Sky 95-94 on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
Jones’ free throw capped a wild final minute for the Liberty (15-12), who trailed the Sky by eight with 58 seconds left. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made a long three with 56 seconds left, then another with 27 seconds to go to make it a two-point game, 93-91.
After Ionescu’s second three, teammate Breanna Stewart was called for a foul on Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, but Vandersloot made only one of two free throws with 26 seconds to go in regulation. Ionescu then drove to the basket, scored and was fouled with 15 seconds to play. She made her free throw to tie the game at 94.
Chicago had time to set up and Vandersloot fired a pass to Kamilla Cardoso inside, but Cardoso’s layup rolled off and Cardoso was whistled for a foul grabbing at Jones for the rebound.
The Sky (9-18) have now lost their last two games in the final seconds after losing to the host Atlanta Dream on Jordin Canada’s buzzer-beating layup on Sunday. Chicago led by as many as 12 points on Wednesday.
Ionescu finished with a team-high 29 points and made five threes. Jones, hampered with foul trouble most of the night, finished with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Stewart totaled 20 points and nine boards.
Sky rookie Sydney Taylor was magnificent in the loss, finishing with a career-high 31. Vandersloot added 14 and Cardoso 10.
In the first half, the Liberty achieved the unusual circumstance of leading after the first bucket of the half, and leading after the last, but with Chicago ahead the whole way in between.
After the Liberty took a 2-0 lead, Chicago seized control and led 12-5 after a long three by Taylor with 7:23 remaining in the quarter. Chicago carried a 32-26 advantage after one.
The Sky went on a 6-0 run midway through the second quarter with Azura Stevens converting a pair of free throws for a 46-39 lead with 2:54 left, matching the biggest lead of the first half.
With Jones on the bench with three fouls, things looked bad for the Liberty, but they dominated the last three minutes of the half. Han Xu, Jones’ replacement, scored inside, then Stewart put back her own miss.
Rebekah Gardner scored on a putback with 52 seconds left to pull the Liberty to 46-45, then Ionescu drained a long three to give New York a 48-46 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
JJ Wetherholt's HR stands up as Cardinals blank Angels
Jul 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images JJ Wetherholt hit a home run and four St. Louis pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Cardinals blanked the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 to salvage the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
Hunter Dobbins (2-1) picked up the victory, allowing six hits over six innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five to pick up his sixth career major league win.
Luis Gastelum, George Soriano and All-Star closer Riley O’Brien each pitched a scoreless inning of relief after that with O’Brien notching his 26th save.
The win, just the fifth in the last 15 games for the Cardinals, snapped a season-high matching four-game losing streak for St. Louis. It marked the first time since May 17, 2025 at Kansas City that the Cardinals won a 1-0 game.
Wade Meckler and Josh Lowe each had two hits for Los Angeles, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Reid Detmers (3-7) was the hard-luck loser, giving up one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings. It marked his 19th straight start at Angel Stadium without picking up a win dating back to 2024.
St. Louis took a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning on Wetherholt’s 15th home run of the season, a 409-foot drive to left-center.
Los Angeles had multiple runners on base in four different innings, including the bottom of the ninth against O’Brien. Jo Adell and Meckler both walked with one out but O’Brien bounced back to strike out Oswald Peraza and Josh Lowe to get out of the jam.
St. Louis had blown six leads in its 10 losses over a 15-game stretch, including back-to-back walk-off losses at Arizona on Sunday and to the Angels on Monday night when O’Brien hit Adell with a pitch with the bases loaded. That snapped a streak of 106 games that the Angels had lost when trailing after eight innings, including 48 this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees LHP Max Fried activated for Game 2 of Pirates doubleheader
New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) throws during the first inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday, May 8, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Between games of their day/night doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, the New York Yankees activated left-hander Max Fried so he could start Game 2.
Fried, 32, had not appeared in a major league game since May 13, when he left after three innings against the Baltimore Orioles. He went on the injured list three days later (retroactive to May 14) with a bone bruise on his left elbow.
Fried entered Wednesday’s game with a 4-3 record and a 3.21 ERA in 61 2/3 innings spread across 10 starts. He owned a 4-1 mark and a 2.09 ERA through April, but surrendered 11 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings during May before going on the shelf.
To make room for Fried, the Yankees sent right-hander Kervin Castro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Castro, 27, was called up in the middle of Sunday’s doubleheader with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed one run in two innings on May 8 in his only game for the Yankees, which doubled as his first MLB appearance since 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates scratch CF Jake Mangum (foot) for Game 2 vs. Yankees
Jul 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Billy Cook (25) scores on a RBI single hit by center fielder Jake Mangum (not pictured) against New York Yankees catcher Ali Sanchez (39) during the tenth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Jake Mangum was scratched from the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the host New York Yankees due to right foot discomfort.
Mangum was slated to lead off against New York left-hander Max Fried before getting scratched to have his foot examined. Nick Gonzales moved up to the leadoff spot and Billy Cook replaced Mangum in center.
Mangum fouled a ball off his foot during Pittsburgh’s 5-3 win in Game 1, but he stayed in the game. He had two hits in Pittsburgh’s ninth win in 13 games, including an RBI single in a two-run 10th inning off Fernando Cruz.
Mangum is hitting .303 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 81 games this season. His 19 stolen bases rank third on the Pirates behind Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz, both of whom are on the injured list.
–Field Level Media
JJ Wetherholt's HR stands up as Cardinals blank Angels
King Of The Hill’s Newest Season Is Dadcore Perfection
