Sports
MLB roundup: Tarik Skubal fans 12 as trade deadline nears
Jul 24, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) celebrates after the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Tarik Skubal struck out a season-high 12 in 7 1/3 innings as the host Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Friday night, delivering arguably his best outing of the season in what could have been his final home start with Detroit.
Skubal, who is headed to free agency, has been the subject of massive speculation over whether the Tigers will deal him before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner Skubal (7-5) gave up one run and four hits with two walks. Kenley Jensen got the last three outs for his 12th save in 16 chances.
The Royals’ Noah Cameron did his part, limiting Detroit to two hits, striking out eight and walking three in seven innings. But by the time he entered the game it was too late as Kansas City opener Beck Way (1-1) gave up two runs in the first.
The Royals threatened against Skubal several times, but got their only run of the game in the fourth when Salvador Perez led off with an opposite-field double and scored on Nick Loftin’s two-out double.
Yankees 1, Phillies 0
Cam Schlittler struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings as visiting New York blanked Philadelphia in the opener of a weekend series.
Schlittler (10-6) allowed just three hits and no walks, lowering his ERA to 2.07 and boosting his American League-leading strikeout total to 157. New York hitters weren’t much better, as the Yankees struck out 12 times against Jesus Luzardo (9-5) and two relievers.
Luzardo allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out nine. His only blemish was a home run by Paul Goldschmidt, who had homered just once in his previous 19 games.
Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4
Romy Gonzalez’s pinch-hit RBI double sparked a two-run eighth inning, leading Boston past visiting Toronto in the Red Sox’s first game after their 15-game winning streak was snapped.
The shot into the left field corner brought Jarren Duran home from first base with the go-ahead run before Anthony Seigler capped his 4-for-5 day with a wall-ball double to plate another off Toronto reliever CJ Van Eyk (0-1).
Seigler, who batted leadoff, scored two runs, drove in two more, hit a leadoff homer, and added two doubles while falling just a triple short of a cycle. Garrett Whitlock (6-1) earned the victory in relief, and Aroldis Chapman recorded his 391st career save to take sole possession of ninth on the all-time list.
Braves 7, Orioles 6
Matt Olson hammered a three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning and visiting Atlanta held on to beat Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series.
Drake Baldwin’s 20th homer of the season was a one-out, game-tying blast in the eighth inning for Atlanta, which secured its seventh win in its last nine games. Elieser Hernandez, making his first appearance in the major leagues since 2024, was the winning pitcher with three shutout innings in relief. Hernandez earned his first big-league victory since 2022.
Andrew Kittredge (1-2) took the loss, though none of the four runs he allowed were earned. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, in just his fifth game with the Orioles, drove in four runs, two of which came on a 10th-inning homer as Baltimore’s late rally came up just short.
Dodgers 4, Mets 2
Roki Sasaki struck out nine and allowed just one run over seven innings, earning his first win in two months as visiting Los Angeles defeated New York.
Sasaki (4-5) matched his season high by going seven innings for the third time. The right-hander’s nine strikeouts were his second-highest total in 2026. Kyle Tucker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth that gave the Dodgers some breathing room. Freddie Freeman finished 3-for-4, scoring twice, and Shohei Ohtani (2-for-4) hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh that put Los Angeles on top for the first time.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a solo homer in the second inning for the Mets, who collected only four hits. Francisco Alvarez added a solo shot off Evan Phillips in the eighth.
Astros 9, White Sox 5
Christian Walker hit a three-run double as part of an eight-run sixth inning for visiting Houston, which defeated Chicago.
Cam Smith socked a two-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in a pair of runs for the Astros, who rallied from a five-run deficit to win their fourth straight game. Reliever Kai-Wei Teng (5-6) got the victory despite allowing two runs in two innings.
Braden Montgomery had three hits and an RBI for the White Sox, who had won seven of their previous nine games. Bryan Hudson (3-3) surrendered four runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Mariners 5, Rangers 4
Jake Burger hit a two-run homer and added a tiebreaking single as Texas defeated visiting Seattle in the opener of a four-game series in Arlington.
Wyatt Langford also went deep for Texas, which got a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts from Peyton Gray (5-0) as he earned the victory. All-Star Jacob Latz worked the ninth for his 20th save despite allowing a run to make it a one-run game.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-5) was charged with five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings as the native of nearby Mount Pleasant, Texas, dropped to 0-4 in six career starts against the Rangers. The right-hander walked one and didn’t strike out a batter.
Reds 4, Cardinals 2
Eugenio Suarez delivered a two-run homer in the seventh inning to help Cincinnati prevail at St. Louis.
Sal Stewart and Tyler Stephenson each had two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who have won three straight. Julian Garcia (1-2) retired the only batter he faced for the win, and Emilio Pagan was perfect in the ninth inning for his 10th save.
Blaze Jordan hit a two-run double for the Cardinals, who took their sixth loss in seven games. St. Louis reliever George Soriano (3-3) surrendered two runs in his lone inning.
Giants 7, Angels 6 (10 innings)
Rafael Devers’ game-winning hit bounced over the left field fence in the 10th inning to deliver host San Francisco a win over Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series.
Having already homered earlier in the game, Devers came to the plate in the 10th against Angels reliever Chase Silseth (3-2) after Bryce Eldridge drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out. Even though the hit over a drawn-in outfield bounced into the bleachers, Devers was awarded only a single. Automatic runner Jesus Rodriguez came home with the decisive run.
Caleb Kilian (3-6), who pitched a scoreless top of the 10th, was credited with the win in the opener of a three-game interleague series. Casey Schmitt also homered for the Giants, a three-run blast in the third inning for a his 21st blast of the season and a 5-1 Giants lead.
Rockies 5, Brewers 2
Tomoyuki Sugano pitched 5 1/3 effective innings to pace visiting Colorado past Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series.
Sugano (10-4) scattered six hits with two runs on a pair of solo homers, striking out five and walking one to improve to 6-0 over his last seven starts. Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield each finished with two hits and an RBI for the Rockies.
Christian Yelich and Brice Turang homered for the Brewers, who lost for just the second time after the All-Star break. Shane Drohan (5-4) gave up five runs on six hits in six-plus innings.
Diamondbacks 3, Nationals 2
Gabriel Moreno drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly as visiting Arizona beat Washington.
Moreno and Tim Tawa each had two hits and an RBI for Arizona, which has won four straight and six of seven. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer for Washington, which had won three of four. Washington bulk reliever Zack Littell (7-8) gave up a run on four hits over five innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Opener Carson Palmquist was charged with two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Padres 4, Marlins 2
Luis Rengifo hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning and visiting San Diego held on for a win against Miami in the opener of their three-game series.
Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and run scored and Ty France also delivered a pair of hits for the Padres, who avoided falling a season-low four games under .500. Padres starter German Marquez was lifted after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches. He gave up one run and three hits, striking out four without a walk.
Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez homered and Xavier Edwards contributed two hits for Miami, which has lost 10 in a row.
Cubs 3, Pirates 2 (10 innings)
Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, fueling visiting Chicago to a victory over Pittsburgh.
Pete Crow-Armstrong belted a solo homer and had two of the six hits for the Cubs, who have won four of their past six games. Caleb Thielbar (3-2) threw a perfect ninth inning, and Gavin Hollowell yielded a run in the 10th before securing his first save of the season.
Henry Davis had an RBI single and joined Jake Mangum and Ryan O’Hearn in recording two hits apiece for the Pirates. Yohan Ramirez (6-3) permitted both Cubs runs in the 10th inning.
Rays 11, Guardians 3
Ryan Vilade hit a two-run homer and Richie Palacios added a three-run blast as Tampa Bay opened a three-game series against Cleveland with an 11-3 win on Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Shane McClanahan (9-6) allowed one run on two hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 71 pitches. Chris Roycroft closed the game with three scoreless innings for his first career save.
Nick Fortes went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as the Rays won for the fourth time in its last five games. Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Cleveland, which was outhit 15-7 and lost its third straight.
Athletics 2, Twins 0
Jacob Lopez and four relievers combined to toss a two-hit shutout as the Athletics held on for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom drove in one run apiece for the A’s, who snapped a two-game skid. Lopez (5-4) allowed one hit in five scoreless innings. Hogan Harris threw a scoreless ninth inning to collect his eighth save.
Austin Martin doubled and Ryan Jeffers singled for the Twins’ only hits. Zebby Matthews (4-8) permitted two runs on three hits in six innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luis Rengifo blasts 2-run HR as Padres hand Marlins 10th-straight loss
Jul 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher German Marquez (33) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Luis Rengifo hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting San Diego Padres held on for a 4-2 win against the Miami Marlins in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.
Miami reliever Tyler Zuber (0-1) came back out for the eighth, and Ty France greeted him with an opposite-field double into the right-center field gap. After getting a strikeout, Zuber left a sweeper over the plate to Rengifo, who lifted it over the fence in right for a two-run homer and a 4-2 lead.
Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and run scored and France also delivered a pair of hits for the Padres, who avoided falling a season-low four games under .500.
Padres starter German Marquez was lifted after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches. He gave up one run and three hits, striking out four without a walk.
Five relievers followed, with Adrian Morejon (8-2) earning the win and Mason Miller securing his 26th save.
Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez homered and Xavier Edwards contributed two hits for Miami, which has lost 10 in a row.
Marlins starter Ryan Gusto went 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run and two hits, striking out four and walking one.
After the Marlins stranded the bases full in the first inning, Mack came up with two outs in the second and the rookie catcher pulled an inside fastball over the fence in right for his 10th home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Machado and France had back-to-back one-out singles in the fourth to put runners on the corners and end Gusto’s day. Cade Gibson entered and gave up a sacrifice fly to Jackson Merrill that tied the score 1-1.
Xander Bogaerts drew a four-pitch walk off Gibson to start the fifth. After he was bunted over to second, Michael Petersen came out of the bullpen and surrendered a two-out RBI single to left by Machado to score Bogaerts for a 2-1 lead.
Wandy Peralta replaced fellow San Diego left-hander Kyle Hart with one out in the fifth and Hernandez lined his first pitch over the fence in center to tie it at 2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Noah Lyles blazes to 100m win at USA Outdoor Championships
Jul 24, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Noah Lyles celebrates after winning the 100m in 9.79 during the USATF Championships at Icahn Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Noah Lyles posted the world’s fastest 100-meter time of 2026 while winning the event at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Friday in New York.
Lyles crossed the finish line in 9.79 seconds, nearly identical to the time that earned him the 2024 Olympic 100-meter gold medal (9.784).
“I think I made that ‘I’m still the world’s fastest man’ statement,” Lyles said, according to NBC Sports.
Ronnie Baker came in second at 9.88 seconds, the same time as the third-place finisher, Kenny Bednarek.
The previous best 100 time this year was 9.82, logged by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville last month.
Lyles, 29, is looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond.
“I am now on the other side of my career. I have spent a good 75% preparing for my exit,” he said, per NBC Sports. “Whether that’s how am I going to be making my money, how am I going to be running my business, who’s going to be helping me to run my business and then just how I’m going to have kids, have a family, grow and a lot of that stuff. So that’s what I’d say I’ve been focusing on.”
In the women’s 100, Sha’Carri Richardson prevailed in 10.77 seconds, equaling her best time of the season. Richardson took silver in the 100 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It just feels phenomenal to be back in a better place healthy — mentally, physically, emotionally,” she told NBC Sports. “It shows that hard work pays off.”
Kayla White was the runner-up in the women’s 100 at 10.90 seconds, and Tamari Davis took third place at 11.00.
Tyus Wilson matched his personal best while winning the men’s high jump at 2.29 meters. Scottie Vines claimed second place at 2.26 meters, and Shelby McEwen came in third at 2.20 meters.
Euphenie Andre logged a personal-best triple jump of 13.94 meters to claim the women’s title. Kayla Woods took second place in a personal-best 13.75 meters and Kayla Pinkard wound up third at 13.48 meters.
Annette Echikunwoke produced the winning women’s hammer throw distance on her first attempt, 75.47 meters. Rachel Richeson (73.02 meters) and Erin Reese (72.94 meters) rounded out the top three.
Nick Christie won the men’s half marathon race walk in 1 hour, 31 minutes, 57.11 seconds, topping Jordan Crawford (1:36:17.18) and Michael Mannozzi (1:50:52).
Lauren Harris captured the women’s half marathon race walk with a time of 1:38:35.56. Maria Michta-Coffey (1:47:44) and Angelica Harris (1:49:03) finished second and third, respectively.
The event is being held in New York for the first time since 1991 as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in the city where the inaugural edition was contested.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Azzi Fudd becomes first rookie to win WNBA 3-point contest
Jul 24, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd (35) shoots during the 2026 State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Simply making the WNBA 3-point contest wasn’t enough for Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd. She made some history, too.
Fudd became the first rookie to win the 3-point event, catching fire in the championship round to defeat the Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton 30-19 on Friday in Chicago.
The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft was the fourth rookie in history to compete in the contest. She made 20 of her 26 shots in the final round, with all but two of her final 10 shots going in.
“You say ‘only’ six shots, but I feel like that was a lot,” Fudd said after being told of her low number of misses. “But honestly, I was really nervous. I was excited.”
Fudd added, “It’s fun to do because — and I don’t want to sound cocky — but it’s easy to me, just the set shot. Take the ball from the rack. It really is muscle memory. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was young.”
She took home $60,000 for her win, getting $20,000 from the league and an extra $40,000 from Aflac and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association.
She advanced to the final with 24 points in the first round, second to Carleton’s 29.
While most of Fudd’s shots fell, Sabrina Ionescu’s final-round record of 37 points held up. Fudd is prepared to make a run at the mark in the future.
“If they’ll have me,” Fudd said. “I’d be honored to be here again. … That’s not up to me.”
But Fudd saved her best shooting for last, firing a shot across the bow of the greatest shooter of all time.
“Steph, if you’re listening, I’ve been asking for a rematch since high school,” Fudd said in challenging Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry to a shooting contest. “Maybe it’s our time to figure out a time and a place.”
The two of them faced off in a 3-point contest at Curry’s SC30 Select Camp in 2018 when Fudd was a high schooler. After beating all campers — boys and girls — Fudd got a shot at Curry but lost by four.
In the first contest Friday night, Team Washington downed Team Seattle 31-24 to win the Shooting Stars contest.
The four-team event featured three players on each squad — a WNBA legend, a current player in the league, and a high school player selected through the Nike EYBL youth basketball circuit.
The Washington squad of Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne, current Mystics center Shakira Austin and high school player Jezelle “GG” Banks defeated the Seattle team of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, current Storm rookie Flau’Jae Johnson and high schooler Tatianna Griffin 31-24.
–Field Level Media
Luis Rengifo blasts 2-run HR as Padres hand Marlins 10th-straight loss
India’s move against Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat sparks legal debate
