Sports
Luis Urias comes up clutch, Blue Jays top Cardinals
Jul 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Luis Urias (48) reacts after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images Pinch hitter Luis Urias snapped a tie with a two-run single in the eighth inning Friday night and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 3-1.
Brandon Valenzuela was 3-for-4 for the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series.
Jeff Hoffman (6-7) threw a perfect eighth with two strikeouts to earn the win.
Louis Varland pitched around a single in the ninth to earn his 24th save in 24 opportunities this season.
Nathan Church had two hits and a stolen base for the Cardinals, who started a six-game road trip.
Toronto starter Dylan Cease got out of trouble following a leadoff double in the fourth, but Church’s leadoff single in the fifth led to a run. Church stole second and took third on a groundout. JJ Wetherholt walked with two outs and Jordan Walker looped an RBI single to center.
St. Louis starter Kyle Leahy gave up consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the fifth before getting Nathan Lukes to fly out and end the threat.
Cease went six innings and allowed one run, three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
Toronto tied the score in the sixth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double off the wall in left-center and scored on Kazuma Okamoto’s double to the left field corner.
Leahy gave up one run, six hits and one walk with three strikeouts in six innings.
Toronto’s Spencer Miles bounced back for three straight outs after allowing a leadoff single to Church in the seventh.
In the bottom half, Cardinals reliever Justin Bruihl allowed a one-out single to Valenzuela and an infield hit to Andres Gimenez on a chopper that first baseman Alec Burleson fumbled. Peter Strzelecki (0-1) replaced Bruihl and plunked pinch hitter Myles Straw with a pitch to load the bases before Guerrero grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Strzelecki walked George Springer and Daulton Varsho with one out in the home eighth. He was replaced by Gordon Graceffo, who walked Ernie Clement to load the bases. That’s when Urias came through and grounded his two-run single to left.
Toronto’s Jesus Sanchez returned from a sprained right ankle to get the start in left field Friday and Yohendrick Pinango was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Sanchez was 0-for-2 before leaving for a pinch hitter.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Austin FC sign F Jorge Alastuey to first-team contract
Apr 22, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Earthquakes defender Jamar Ricketts (2) and Austin FC midfielder Jorge Alastuey (24) battle for the ball in the second half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Austin FC signed Spanish midfielder Jorge Alastuey to a first-team contract on Friday.
Alastuey, 23, is signed through the end of the 2026 season with options through 2027-28.
“I’m very happy to sign a contract with the first team and I want to thank the Club, and all my coaches and teammates, for their support and belief in me,” he said. “I got a first taste of what MLS is like in making my debut earlier this season, and I’m hungry to keep improving and to help the team achieve its goals this season.”
Playing on a short-term agreement, Alastuey made his MLS debut on March 14 against Real Salt Lake and logged his first start on April 22 against the San Jose Earthquakes.
“Jorge has consistently displayed a high level of performance with Austin FC II and has impressed when given the opportunity to train and play at the first team level,” Austin FC interim coach Davy Arnaud said. “We congratulate him on earning a first team contract.”
Alastuey has recorded 19 goals and eight assists in 39 MLS NEXT Pro matches with Austin FC II since January 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
CBS puts Tony Romo on indefinite leave after arrest
Feb 6, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; CBS Sports play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz (left), analyst Tony Romo (center) and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson at press conference at the Super Bowl 58 Media Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images CBS Sports has placed No. 1 football analyst Tony Romo on indefinite leave following his arrest on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
The news was announced Friday in a terse statement from the network.
“Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice,” read the statement.
ESPN reported that JJ Watt, former NFL defensive player of the year, will replace Romo and partner with play-by-player caller Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS’ top broadcast team while Romo is on leave.
Romo, 46, was pulled over July 23 at around 6:15 p.m. while traveling southbound on Interstate 43 in Milwaukee. He had been in Wisconsin to play in a golf tournament.
Romo has been the lead analyst at CBS since 2017. The former quarterback took the job following his final season with the Dallas Cowboys.
He is working on a 10-year, $180 million contract that runs through the 2030 season.
Romo, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, was arrested after he “performed poorly” on standardized field sobriety tests, per the police report, and released at approximately 11 p.m.
A citation issued by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office noted an “open bottle of an alcoholic beverage” was found in the passenger side during an inventory of Romo’s vehicle.
According to the citation, Romo faces a $267 fine for the alleged offense. He has a court date scheduled for Sept. 21 on the charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence.
A first-offense OWI generally is a civil offense, not a criminal charge, in Wisconsin. The police report indicated a fine of $1,066 for this charge, as well as a $235 fine for “unsafe passing on the right.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Packers activate TE Tucker Kraft (knee) from PUP list
Sep 11, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) looks on after the game against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images The Green Bay Packers activated tight end Tucker Kraft from the physically unable to perform list on Friday.
Kraft, 25, had surgery last November to repair a torn right ACL and is expected to be eased back into practice.
“No team (drills),” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before Friday’s session at training camp. “So, we’re just going to kind of get him back ingrained into the process and into individual. What’s great is when they do come off PUP, then now he can partake in some of the walk-through periods, especially that we do in the evenings, just to get him back hearing the call, lining up and then just going through that.”
Kraft currently is about 8 1/2 months removed from surgery, just short of the nine-month mark the Packers typically wait for before allowing a player returning from a torn ACL to do 11-on-11 drills.
“The way he looks, you’d think he’s ready to go … but there’s a lot of science behind the nine-month mark, and so we’ll be very cautious as we head into it,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
Kraft had 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games before the injury last season.
The 2023 second-round draft pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for a long-term deal.
“I think it would be best if we got it done as soon as possible,” Kraft said on Wednesday, per ESPN.
Kraft has 113 receptions for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns in 42 career games (33 starts).
–Field Level Media
Austin FC sign F Jorge Alastuey to first-team contract
CBS puts Tony Romo on indefinite leave after arrest
