Sports
MLB roundup: Jays' Dylan Cease loses no-hit bid in 9th vs. Giants
Jul 8, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) reacts after his no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants ended during the ninth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images Dylan Cease came within three outs of becoming the first Toronto Blue Jay in 36 years to throw a no-hitter, striking out 11 in a 10-0 road victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.
Kazuma Okamoto capped a five-run first inning with a grand slam and center fielder Daulton Varsho prevented an extra-base hit by the Giants’ Bryce Eldridge with a leaping catch on the center field warning track in the eighth, helping Cease’s cause.
The All-Star right-hander, who walked three, saw his no-hit bid end when Heliot Ramos singled to lead off the ninth inning. Cease was removed after that pitch, his 118th of the night.
Daulton Varsho and Nathan Lukes each had two hits and two runs for Toronto, which won the last two games of the three-game series. Giants starter Logan Webb (5-7) allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings.
Braves 3, Pirates 0
Joey Bart’s eighth-inning two-run homer led Atlanta to a victory at Pittsburgh.
Bart’s blast off Pirates reliever Dennis Santana (2-4) scored Mike Yastrzemski, who hit a two-out double to start the rally. The homer broke a scoreless tie and helped the Braves snap their three-game skid and Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak.
Braves reliever Dylan Dodd (1-0) threw one inning, and Raisel Iglesias handled the ninth for his 18th save. Pirates starter Jared Jones exited after six perfect innings. It was Jones’ longest and best start since returning on May 29 from right UCL surgery. Due to a strict pitch count, Jones was lifted after 77 pitches.
Cubs 9, Orioles 7
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two of Chicago’s five home runs and the visiting Cubs held on to beat Baltimore for their third win in a row.
Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back solo blasts for the Cubs in the fifth, and two batters later, Crow-Armstrong went deep. Crow-Armstrong hit a solo shot in the third inning, and Seiya Suzuki added a three-run homer in the seventh.
Tyler O’Neill hit two home runs across the final three innings for the Orioles, who took their third consecutive defeat. Pete Alonso and Coby Mayo also homered.
Rays 3, Yankees 0
Jonathan Aranda drove in all three runs as Tampa Bay blanked New York in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Aranda knocked in single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings. Yandy Diaz was 4-for-4 with a double and a run. Over 6 1/3 innings, Rays starter Shane McClanahan (8-5) permitted just four hits. Bryan Baker logged three strikeouts in the ninth for his 25th save in 28 chances.
Jasson Dominguez went 2-for-4, but the Yankees were shut out for the sixth time. Gerrit Cole (3-4) went 6 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits.
Reds 11, Phillies 5
Sal Stewart hit two of five homers blasted by Cincinnati, which downed visiting Philadelphia.
The Reds had a five-run fourth in which they belted four home runs, including three straight from Elly De La Cruz, Stewart and JJ Bleday. All-Star Chase Burns (11-1) labored through five innings of three-run ball to take the major league lead in wins among starting pitchers.
The Phillies were tagged for double-digit runs for the second time in three games while taking their third loss in four contests. Kyle Schwarber unloaded his big-league-leading 32nd home run in the ninth.
Tigers 6, Athletics 1
Spencer Torkelson blasted a three-run homer, Troy Melton struck out a career-high nine batters, and streaking Detroit rolled past the struggling Athletics.
Jake Rogers came off the Tigers’ bench and contributed two hits, including a two-run homer, while scoring twice. Riley Greene added two hits and drove in a run. Melton allowed one run, which was unearned, and four hits in 5 1/3 innings as Detroit won for the seventh time in eight games.
A’s starter Jeffrey Springs gave up six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer had three hits for the Athletics, who have lost five straight and nine of their past 10.
Nationals 8, Astros 2
Foster Griffin pitched seven strong innings, Luis Garcia Jr. had three hits including a three-run homer and Washington beat visiting Houston.
CJ Abrams also homered for the Nationals, who took two of three in the series. James Wood drew three walks and scored twice. Griffin (10-2) gave up a run on five hits and struck out nine.
Isaac Paredes and Zach Dezenzo each had two hits for the Astros. Spencer Arrighetti (7-5) permitted eight runs on seven hits and six walks in four-plus innings.
Marlins 2, Mariners 0
Kyle Stowers homered and Tyler Phillips (2-3) pitched five scoreless innings, leading host Miami to a win over Seattle.
Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards each went 2-for-4 to aid the Marlins’ offense, which totaled eight hits, including one triple and three doubles. Rookie right fielder Owen Caissie was removed from the game in the first inning due to right calf tightness.
Seattle starter George Kirby (7-8) took the loss despite turning in a quality start. He struck out seven in six innings, allowing eight hits, no walks and two runs.
Mets 6, Royals 2
Brett Baty delivered a two-RBI single during a five-run eighth inning for host New York in a victory over Kansas City.
A.J. Ewing hit a leadoff homer and finished with two hits for the Mets, who have won three of four. Brooks Raley (3-3), the third of four New York pitchers, allowed one hit a scoreless top of the eighth.
Salvador Perez tied the game with a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Royals, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Kansas City reliever Alex Lange (0-4) surrendered five runs while getting just two outs.
Red Sox 5, White Sox 0
Jake Bennett and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout and Tsung-Che Cheng had a pair of RBI singles as visiting Boston beat Chicago.
The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 12 games while improving to 5-0 on a nine-game road trip, though Anthony Seigler (right trap contusion) and Willson Contreras (left foot contusion) exited in the third inning. Bennett (4-3) yielded four hits in seven innings.
Luisangel Acuna singled twice for the White Sox, who have lost five of seven. Davis Martin (9-4) gave up five runs on six hits in four innings.
Cardinals 5, Brewers 1
Michael McGreevy tossed a season-high 6 1/3 innings to get his first win in two months for St. Louis, which snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over visiting Milwaukee.
Pitching on his 26th birthday, McGreevy (4-7) gave up one run on five hits. Alec Burleson and Jose Fermin homered for the Cardinals. Burleson went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Cooper Pratt and Garrett Mitchell each had two hits for the Brewers, whose four-game winning streak ended. Kyle Harrison (8-2) allowed three runs on four hits in four innings.
Angels 13, Rangers 1
Jo Adell hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs as Los Angeles snapped a seven-game losing streak with a rout of Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Vaughn Grissom had four hits and four RBIs and Mike Trout homered in his return off the injured list for the Angels. Samy Natera Jr. (1-0) picked up his first major league victory, striking out five in two perfect innings.
Kyle Higashioka homered for the Rangers, who finished with three hits. MacKenzie Gore (5-8) allowed seven runs on nine hits in five innings.
Twins 6, Guardians 5
Alan Roden delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning in his season debut, lifting Minnesota past Cleveland in Minneapolis.
Roden finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs one day after Minnesota promoted him from Triple-A Saint Paul. Kody Clemens went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Twins, who increased their winning streak to four games. Yoendrys Gomez (1-0) earned the victory with a scoreless inning of relief.
Brayan Rocchio homered and drove in three runs for the Guardians, who took their fourth loss in a row. Rhys Hoskins added a solo home run. Cleveland reliever Matt Festa (2-2) allowed one run on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Dodgers 4, Rockies 3
Mookie Betts delivered a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Kyle Tucker drove in two runs as Los Angeles pulled off a victory over visiting Colorado.
Roki Sasaki allowed three runs over six innings as the Dodgers managed to win two of three in the series despite having early leads erased in all three games. Edgardo Henriquez (4-0) recorded one out to earn the victory, and Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13th save.
In his first career start and second appearance, Colorado’s Gabriel Hughes allowed three runs over six innings, and he retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced. Kyle Karros and Edouard Julien homered for the Rockies. Antonio Senzatela (8-1) gave up the decisive run in the ninth.
Padres 10, Diamondbacks 4
Luis Campusano homered while Miguel Andujar collected three doubles as San Diego tied its season high for runs in a rout of visiting Arizona.
Michael King (6-7) pitched six solid innings for the Padres, allowing four hits and a run. It marked the first time that San Diego won consecutive games since a four-game stretch from June 22-26. The Padres scored in five consecutive innings, finishing with a total of 13 hits while adding three stolen bases.
Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera (0-2) yielded four runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings. Tommy Troy cracked a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for Arizona, his fourth of the year.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs make savvy offseason moves to build around Victor Wembanyama
Certain as his native France is a front-runner among a dwindling World Cup field, Victor Wembanyama vaulted the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals last month behind durability and dependability.
Despite the prevailing notion that the Spurs can return to the Finals – and ideally win them – simply by employing their 7-foot-4 center, San Antonio has just as surely strengthened its bid through early free-agency savvy.
Signing veteran Tobias Harris to a two-year contract and adding Billy Donovan as coach Mitch Johnson’s lead assistant should go a long way toward fortifying San Antonio.
Harris recently agreed to terms with the Spurs after bringing grit and glue to another young franchise on the rise. The power forward averaged 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one steal in 136 regular-season games with the Detroit Pistons over the past two seasons.
More importantly, Harris elevated his game in the playoffs, providing consistency as Detroit’s second-leading scorer at 18.1 points a game this spring. While his rebounding average (7.2) was up from his regular-season output and his assists (1.5) were on par, Harris differentiated himself as a sure hand in crunch time.
Beginning with Game 3 of the Pistons’ first-round series against Orlando, Harris scored 20-plus points in eight straight playoff games.
Considering San Antonio’s much-publicized struggles down the stretch in the Finals, having another reliable option late in games will be a boon.
How many times was San Antonio left searching for someone as cold-blooded as Knicks point guard and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson to put things away in the final five minutes?
Harris can help lead his younger counterparts to that point through example and experience even among a group that exceeded expectations without him last season.
Donovan figures to provide tutelage all his own. Counting his time as Rick Pitino’s Kentucky assistant before 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach and 11 leading teams in the NBA, Donovan has been coaching for nearly as long as Johnson, 39, has been alive.
After stepping down as Chicago Bulls coach after six seasons to seemingly pursue another head job in the NBA or college, Donovan, 61, found the Spurs to be a fine fit. Johnson’s previous lead assistant, Sean Sweeney, departed to take over as Orlando head coach.
As some Spurs fans still stew over various late-game Finals decisions (see especially Harper, Dylan), there should be solace in knowing Donovan will be closest to Johnson’s ear.
Not only is Donovan a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, he arguably brings a unique tough love to the huddle if Johnson needs guidance in the clutch or elsewhere. In 2017, Johnson coached alongside Donovan’s son, Billy III, for the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ affiliate in the G League.
Advice from a friend’s dad sometimes just hits harder.
Of course, Donovan won’t simply be advising his boss. Wembanyama and the rest of the team are ripe for the teaching, and Wemby’s financial acumen could ensure the team’s young core is around for a long time.
On Friday, Wembanyama and the Spurs agreed to a five-year, $252 million rookie extension that reportedly could have been even larger.
However, Wembanyama chose to leave money on the table as Stephon Castle and Harper approach extension eligibility in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
“Vic never comes in and has an ego. He’s always worried about the team first and us getting wins,” Devin Vassell said last season of his towering teammate.
So is the Spurs’ front office, as landing Harris and Donovan suggest.
Sports
Belgium captain Youri Tielemans out with injury vs. Spain
July 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, U.S.; Belgium’s Youri Tielemans celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Blake Dahlin-Imagn Images Belgium captain Youri Tielemans sustained an undisclosed injury while warming up and was scratched from the starting lineup, adding to the Red Devils’ woes in the midfield before facing Spain in a quarterfinal match of the World Cup at Inglewood, Calif., on Friday.
The midfielder had played in all five of Belgium’s World Cup games, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over Senegal in the round of 32.
Hans Vanaken replaced Tielemans on the field, and Kevin De Bruyne was named captain.
The injury comes after midfielder Amadou Onana went down with an anterior cruciate ligament injury early vs. the United States on Monday, ending his World Cup.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rory McIlroy in three-way tie at Scottish Open; Scottie Scheffler misses cut
(File photo) Rory McIlroy pictured at the 153rd Open Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy shot 66 in the second round to keep pace with co-leaders Tom Kim of South Korea and PGA Tour rookie Jordan Smith at 9-under at the Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
Smith’s eight birdies propelled him to the round of the day on Friday with a 63. McIlroy remained a co-leader after his first-round 65 on the strength of four birdies on the front nine on Friday.
“I thought I played well again,” McIlroy said. “It would have been nice to be a couple better. But you know, it’s obviously another good day and in good position.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is accustomed to separating from the pack, but not typically in this fashion. He finished even par through 36 holes and missed the cut for the first time since 2022.
Kim has matched McIlroy from the start of the tournament with equal rounds of 65-66.
“I stayed really patient out there, just tried to position myself,” Kim said. “The wind got tricky a little bit as it started to pick up, and of obviously completely different wind than yesterday. So I think my experience over here the last few years has helped. I’ve played in both wind directions.”
Local favorite Robert MacIntyre is two shots off the lead as is defending champion Chris Gotterup. Gotterup was one shot better than McIlroy on Friday. His 65 was nearly a 64 until he wrapped up Friday’s 18 with a bogey.
The wind shifted in the afternoon and pristine playing conditions were closer to the expected Scottish Open or Open Championship weather. For McIlroy, MacIntyre and Gotterup, the back nine played extremely long due to the wind. McIlroy went light instead of trying to hit the green on No. 14, a par-4, because of the unpredictable gusts.
He recognized the game had gone from target practice aiming for pins to grabbing hold with both hands and hoping for the best.
“Once we turned for home the wind got its strongest for the day and it was hard to hit it close,” McIlroy said. “Felt like I did well to hang on. Maybe could have been one or two better but overall it was a good day.”
Matt Fitzpatrick and Min Woo Lee are tied one off the lead at 8-under.
Scheffler had made the cut in 78 consecutive events. He’ll have a few unplanned days off this weekend before the Open Championship kicks off Thursday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. And it’s a safe assumption he’ll be spending the extra time working on tee shots. Scheffler hit only 11 of 26 fairways at the Scottish Open.
“I got off to a tough start,” Scheffler said of Friday’s round. “And then on the back nine I didn’t feel like I was hitting it close enough to give myself enough opportunities. I think that’s what it really comes down to. I got off to a poor start and didn’t really hit it close enough to give myself a bunch of looks, and that’s how you shoot over par.”
Germany’s Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, Victor Perez of France and 24-year-old Australian Karl Vilips had rounds of 64 on Friday and are among the more than two dozen players in the field within three shots of the lead entering the weekend. None of the trio walked onto the opening tee Thursday at the Scottish Open with a world ranking above 175.
–Field Level Media
Spurs make savvy offseason moves to build around Victor Wembanyama
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