Sports
MLB roundup: Astros back atop AL West with rout of rival Rangers
Jul 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) celebrates with first baseman Christian Walker (8) after. hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker slugged back-to-back home runs, Yordan Alvarez reached base four times, and the Houston Astros moved into first place in the American League West with an 11-2 victory over the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday.
Houston won for the ninth time in 10 games and clinched the season series against its in-state and division rival. The Astros reclaimed the top spot in the AL West for the first time since sharing the lead on April 6. Jeremy Pena added three hits and three RBIs for the Astros, while Yainer Diaz’s four hits included a solo homer.
Houston’s Hunter Brown (3-1) allowed two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi (10-9) was roughed up for a season-high-tying six runs on 10 hits over five innings.
Evan Carter finished with two hits and an RBI for the Rangers, who took their third loss in a row. Corey Seager, back after missing a month due to lower back inflammation, went 2-for-3.
Red Sox 9, Dodgers 4
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer and Andruw Monasteiro added a two-run double in a five-run seventh inning as visiting Boston earned a victory over Los Angeles.
The Red Sox improved to 4-1 on a seven-game road trip, 12-3 since the All-Star break and 21-4 in July, their best winning percentage (.840) in any month in franchise history. Boston reliever Brayan Bello (3-6) pitched four scoreless innings.
Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer for Los Angeles one game after he sat out with left knee discomfort. Freddie Freeman went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Cole Irvin (0-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits over six innings in his Dodgers debut.
Yankees 2, Cubs 0
Will Warren tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings to help New York take the opener of a three-game series in Chicago.
Warren (8-5) allowed four hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in his best outing of the season. The third-year right-hander was 0-4 in his previous eight starts. Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones homered for the Yankees, who had lost two in a row.
Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (7-9) had not allowed a run in his previous two outings, but he surrendered two runs and four hits before exiting after 6 2/3 innings. Pedro Ramirez posted two of the five hits for the Cubs, who had won three of four.
Blue Jays 3, Cardinals 1
Pinch hitter Luis Urias snapped a tie with a two-run single in the eighth inning and Toronto defeated visiting St. Louis.
Brandon Valenzuela went 3-for-4 for the Blue Jays. Starter Dylan Cease tossed six innings and allowed one run on three hits. Jeff Hoffman (6-7) threw a perfect eighth with two strikeouts and Louis Varland pitched around a single in the ninth to earn his 24th save in 24 opportunities.
Nathan Church had two hits, a stolen base and a run for the Cardinals, who started a six-game road trip. Kyle Leahy gave up one run and six hits in six innings. Peter Strzelecki (0-1) yielded two runs in one inning.
Orioles 6, Phillies 4
Gunnar Henderson’s two-run triple with two outs in the seventh inning lifted Baltimore past visiting Philadelphia.
Pete Alonso homered and Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run double to help the Orioles record their first back-to-back victories in nearly two weeks. Anthony Nunez (3-2) pitched two-thirds of an inning after starter Brandon Young went 5 2/3 innings and was charged with four runs on five hits.
Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto homered for the Phillies, while Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh also drove in runs. Orion Kerkering (6-1) was saddled with the loss as Philadelphia fell for the eighth time in nine games.
Marlins 5, Mets 2
Janson Junk and four relievers combined on a seven-hitter for Miami, which won at New York.
Junk (5-6) gave up an unearned run on three hits and two walks over five innings. Cade Gibson, Calvin Faucher and Tyler Zuber came on and allowed one run over three innings before Pete Fairbanks threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save. The Marlins’ offense saw Jakob Marsee, Joe Mack and Xavier Edwards notch RBI hits.
Kodai Senga (0-8) took the loss as the last-second starter for the Mets after Freddy Peralta was scratched due to ongoing trade talks. He gave up three runs on two hits over four-plus innings. A.J. Ewing’s run-scoring single and Francisco Lindor’s homer accounted for New York’s runs.
Braves 6, Nationals 2
Matt Olson and Michael Harris II hit home runs and Bryce Elder pitched six strong innings, lifting Atlanta to a win over visiting Washington.
Elder (7-6) allowed one run on four hits. Olson went 2-for-4 with a double and a first-inning solo homer, while Harris finished 2-for-4 and put the game away with a three-run shot in the sixth inning.
Foster Griffin (12-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings and permitted six runs on nine hits. CJ Abrams and Andres Chaparro went deep for the Nationals, but it wasn’t enough offense to overcome the Braves.
Brewers 6, Angels 2
Brice Turang and Jake Bauers homered to highlight a five-run fifth inning and lead Milwaukee to a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Bauers finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, a walk and two runs as the Brewers won for the fourth time in six games. Shane Drohan (6-4) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings.
Denzer Guzman hit a two-run home run for the Angels, who lost their fourth straight. Ryan Johnson (2-6) gave up five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Diamondbacks 4, Guardians 1
Gabriel Moreno finished a fantastic July in style as his RBI single in the eighth inning lifted Arizona to a victory at Cleveland.
The Diamondbacks catcher went 1-for-3 and also reached on a hit by pitch as he extended his on-base streaks to 27 games and a franchise-record 46 starts. In 25 games during July, he batted .362 (34-for-94) with two home runs and 19 RBIs.
Arizona did all of its damage in the top of the eighth, spoiling what was a masterful performance by Tanner Bibee (4-11). The Guardians starter wound up yielding two runs on three hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Rockies 3, Royals 1
Tomoyuki Sugano pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Kyle Karros had two hits in his return and Colorado beat Kansas City in Denver.
Sugano (11-4) allowed one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. Jordan Romano picked up his ninth save, while TJ Rumfield had an RBI single to help the Rockies’ cause.
Royals starter Michael Wacha (5-8) gave up three runs (one earned), struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in six innings. Only Carter Jensen, who homered, could give him any support.
Reds 8, Pirates 7
Nathaniel Lowe’s fielder’s choice scored Sal Stewart in the eighth inning as host Cincinnati registered a comeback victory over Pittsburgh and nemesis Paul Skenes.
Stewart went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs while JJ Bleday added a solo shot — the first two homers Skenes ever allowed to Reds batters. Skenes entered the game 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in seven career games against Cincinnati. Skenes gave up five runs on seven hits in four innings.
Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-4) took the loss, while Emilio Pagan (4-1) was credited with the win after pitching a scoreless ninth. Jake Mangum went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs for Pittsburgh.
White Sox 6, Rays 1
Miguel Vargas, Andrew Benintendi and Munetaka Murakami homered in the first three innings as Chicago began a six-game road trip by pounding Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Murakami went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Benintendi totaled two hits and a walk. Colson Montgomery hit a two-run shot to round out the club’s four-homer showing. Starter Erick Fedde (6-6) allowed one run on four hits in five innings.
Junior Caminero, who walked twice, joined Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Brandon Lowe as the only Rays with multiple 30-homer seasons thanks to a massive solo blast. Starter Nick Martinez (10-3) was roughed up in six innings for six runs on seven hits, including all four home runs.
Padres 7, Giants 0
Jase Bowen belted his first major league homer, Ty France knocked in three runs and three San Diego pitchers combined for a two-hitter in a shutout of visiting San Francisco.
On the mound, San Diego got a 1-2-3 first inning from opener Bradgley Rodriguez, then three one-hit innings from Yuki Matsui (2-1). German Marquez followed that up with five one-hit frames, logging the first save of his 11-year big league career.
San Francisco left-hander Carson Whisenhunt (2-2) absorbed a beating in 3 1/3 innings, yielding seven hits and six runs.
Twins 5, Mariners 3
Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers homered as Minnesota rallied for a victory against host Seattle.
The Twins won for the seventh time in nine games to move into a tie with the Guardians for the AL’s third and final wild-card spot. Kody Funderburk (2-1) tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings, and Yoendrys Gomez worked around two walks in the ninth for his 14th save.
Cole Young went deep for the Mariners, who lost their third in a row and fell for the eighth time in their past 10.
Tigers 13, Athletics 1
Dillon Dingler hit his first career grand slam and Kevin McGonigle and Ben Malgeri also homered to lead Detroit past the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Javier Baez had three hits and three RBIs and Max Clark had three hits, two runs and an RBI in his major league debut for the Tigers, who broke the game open with 11 runs over the final two innings. Reliever Ty Madden (1-0) tossed three shutout innings.
Jonah Heim drove in the lone run for the Athletics, who have dropped six of seven games and 27 of 34. Jeffrey Springs (3-11) allowed two runs and four hits over four innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ty France leads charge as Padres blank Giants
Jul 31, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Yuki Matsui (1) throws a pitch during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Jase Bowen belted his first major league homer Friday night, Ty France knocked in three runs and three San Diego Padres pitchers combined for a two-hitter in a 7-0 blanking of the visiting San Francisco Giants.
A night after San Francisco ended San Diego’s five-game winning streak with a 4-1 triumph to open the four-game series, the Padres banged out 12 hits and scored in four of the first six innings to enjoy an easy victory.
On the mound, San Diego got a 1-2-3 first inning from opener Bradgley Rodriguez, then three one-hit innings from Yuki Matsui in the longest outing of his three-year major league career. German Marquez followed that up with five one-hit frames. Matsui (2-1) got the win, and Marquez logged the first save of his 11-year big league career.
Left-hander Carson Whisenhunt (2-2) absorbed a beating in 3 1/3 innings, yielding seven hits and six runs while walking four and fanning three.
The Padres wasted little time coming after Whisenhunt, taking a 1-0 lead after six pitches as Fernando Tatis Jr. doubled, Luis Rengifo singled and Manny Machado rifled a sacrifice fly to left. Luis Campusano cashed in Rengifo with a two-out RBI single to left.
San Diego made it 3-0 after three innings via an unusual play. With runners at the corners and one out, Xander Bogaerts’ bouncer was fielded by first baseman Rafael Devers at the bag. He whirled and fired to second for a tag play on Campusano, but Jackson Merrill touched the plate before the tag, enabling the run to score.
Bowen cracked his homer with one out in the fourth into the second level of the Western Metal Supply building. The Padres blew it open later in the inning when France lined a two-run single that scored Tatis and Rengifo, who walked and then worked a double steal.
France capped the scoring in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Rengifo.
Campusano went 3-for-4, while Bowen and France each collected two hits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Caitlin Clark's triple-double sends high-scoring Fever past Fire
Jul 31, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots the ball against Portland Fire guard Holly Winterburn (77) during the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Jump-started by Caitlin Clark’s first triple-double of the season, the Indiana Fever extended their winning streak to five games with a 112-98 decision over the host Portland Fire on Friday.
Clark put up 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Fever broke their own WNBA offensive records on Friday, rewriting league marks with a fifth straight 100-plus-point game and their 13th such game on the season.
Indiana (19-10) scored the last eight points of the first half to claim a 56-47 halftime edge. The Fever stretched the gap to 20 points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter before Portland pulled within 100-93 on a Bridget Carleton layup with 2:49 remaining.
The Fire were poised to take possession again after an offensive-foul call, but a review overturned the ruling and gave the Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell a pair of free throws that she sank. Indiana then pulled away.
Portland (11-18) dropped its fourth game in a row, allowing an opponent to reach 100 points for the third time in that span (with the fourth opponent scoring 98). The Fire entered play on Friday third-worst in the WNBA in scoring defense, allowing 90.9 points per game.
Clark was strong early, putting up 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half. Seven of her assists came after halftime. On the night, she shot 5-for-9 from the floor and connected on 14 of 17 free-throw tries in posting her fourth career triple-double.
Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points for the Fever, shooting 4-for-12 from 3-point range. Monique Billings chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds. Aliyah Boston returned from a knee injury in the first half of the Fever’s previous game to post 14 points, nine boards and six assists.
Indiana reserves Makayla Timpson and Sophie Cunningham also reached double-digit scoring. Timpson scored 15 on 7-for-8 shooting, while Cunningham drained 3 of 5 3-point tries en route to 13 points.
The Fire were led by 26 points from Carleton, who wound up 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Carla Leite notched 20 points and 12 assists in the loss, and reserve Katie Samuelson added 13 points, connecting on 3 of 8 from long range. Emily Engstler, Nyadiew Puoch and Serah Williams each scored 10 points for Portland.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dillon Dingler's slam highlights Tigers' late eruption vs. A's
Jul 31, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Dillon Dingler hit his first career grand slam and Kevin McGonigle and Ben Malgeri also homered to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 13-1 victory over the Athletics on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Javier Baez had three hits and three RBIs and Max Clark had three hits, two runs and an RBI in his major league debut for the Tigers, who broke the game open with 11 runs over the final two innings. Spencer Torkelson had three hits and scored three times while Dingler added two hits for Detroit.
With the trade deadline arriving Monday, the Tigers scratched right-hander Casey Mize on Friday and went with a bullpen game.
Tyler Holton was the first pitcher and gave up one run and one hit in two innings. Ty Madden (1-0) allowed two hits over three shutout innings, Drew Sommers struck out three in two perfect innings and Enmanuel De Jesus finished up with two scoreless frames.
Jonah Heim drove in the lone run for the Athletics, who have dropped six of seven games and 27 of 34.
Starter Jeffrey Springs (3-11) allowed two runs and four hits over four innings. He walked five and struck out two and is winless in his last 18 starts.
The Tigers tied the score at 1 with one out in the third when McGonigle smacked a 3-1 fastball over the wall in center, the 10th homer of his rookie season.
One inning later, Torkelson walked and Clark singled to left for his first big league hit. After Baez lined out, Malgeri walked to load the bases before McGonigle hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Torkelson.
The Tigers created distance in the eighth with a seven-run uprising.
Pinch hitter Eduardo Valencia doubled and Torkelson singled to start the inning. Clark doubled to the wall in left to give Detroit a 3-1 lead and end Brady Basso’s outing.
Luis Morales entered and Baez hit a blooper over the head of second baseman Jeff McNeil to knock in Torkelson. Malgeri hit a bouncer to third that was booted by Tommy White and Clark scored to make it 5-1.
McGonigle walked before Gleyber Torres was retired on a scorching liner hit directly at Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson. Dingler followed with his grand slam, a shot over the wall in center that increased the lead to 9-1. The homer was his team-leading 23rd of the season.
Detroit poured it on in the ninth as Torkelson singled, Clark doubled and Baez hit a two-run ground single. Malgeri followed with his first career homer to left to make it 13-1.
The Athletics struck in the opening inning when Wilson walked with one out and scored on Heim’s RBI double to center.
–Field Level Media
Ty France leads charge as Padres blank Giants
New York sues Kalshi, claiming its unlicensed gambling
