Sports
Nationals' Foster Griffin aims to continue recent success vs. Pirates
Jun 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin (22) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Washington Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin no longer has the high-velocity stuff that made him a first-round selection in the 2014 draft.
Instead, the 30-year-old left-hander is having a breakout season with a seven-pitch repertoire he will deploy when the Nationals open a three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
A self-described “journeyman, four-A player spending time between Triple-A and the big leagues,” Griffin (8-2, 2.93 ERA) has learned to throttle back his approach and set up hitters.
“For me, I am not going for a strikeout from the start of the at-bat, I am letting it develop,” Griffin said. “If I get into an 0-2, 1-2 situation and I want to go for a kill count, and go for a swing and miss, I will. As soon as I get to even or behind, though, I am not really going for a punchout. I don’t want those free passes.”
On Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles, Griffin threw 112 pitches, allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks while matching his career high with nine strikeouts. He didn’t factor into the decision as Washington earned a 4-3, 10-inning victory.
Griffin went 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA in five June starts. His only career start against the Pirates came on the road on April 16, a no-decision in which he gave up four runs on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Nationals manager Blake Butera has quickly developed belief in Griffin.
“I appreciate every time he’s on the mound,” Butera said. “We all have a ton of confidence in Foster. He pitches his tail off for us and leaves it all out there every single time.”
Washington had Thursday off after winning two of three games at Boston. The Nationals cruised to a 10-2 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday behind James Wood’s 22nd home run, a three-run shot in the seventh. Andres Chaparro added a two-run bomb and Nasim Nunez hit a solo shot, the first homers of the season for both players.
The Pirates are set to counter with right-hander Mitch Keller (6-5, 4.87 ERA). After going 0-3 with an 8.25 ERA in his previous five starts, Keller earned his lone win of June on Sunday, a 9-4 home decision against the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed five hits and four runs (three earned) with one walk and four strikeouts.
Keller made his second straight six-inning start, and he feels things are pointed in the right direction.
“I’m starting to feel like I am getting in a little more of a rhythm,” Keller said. “Obviously, there’s still a lot more that I can clean up and just execute a little better.”
In eight career starts against Washington, Keller is 1-4 with a 5.31 ERA. He lost 5-4 to the Nationals on April 14 in Pittsburgh after yielding five runs on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in four innings.
The Pirates’ offense is trending in the right direction. Rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez continues to establish his place in the batting order.
Pittsburgh split a four-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies this week, and Valdez was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs in a 6-1 win on Thursday.
Valdez homered in four consecutive games — including the series opener against the Phillies on Monday after going deep in each game of Pittsburgh’s previous three-game set against the Reds — a stretch that has highlighted his impressive start in the majors. Since his big league debut on May 22, Valdez has a .316 batting average, six homers and 15 RBIs in 19 games.
“The staff plays a big role,” Valdez said. “Even when you fail, they are right by your side. They bring the energy and give you the information you need to succeed.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Paige Bueckers leads Wings to close win over fading Sun
Jul 2, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) passes the ball against Connecticut Sun forward Diamond Miller (1) in the first half at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Paige Bueckers scored a game-high 25 points and Jessica Shepard made two key free throws in the final seconds as the Dallas Wings came back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Connecticut Sun 86-83 on Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
The Sun led by 13 points in the second quarter, by eight at halftime but by just seven after an uneven third period. Dallas closed to within 72-68 on Azzi Fudd’s jumper with 5:05 to play and to 74-72 on a layup by Bueckers with 3:08 left.
Dallas (12-8) tied the game at 78 on Li Yueru’s 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining and then took the lead on a three-point play by Bueckers with 1:17 to play. The Sun responded with a basket and free throw by Aaliyah Edwards on the ensuing possession that tied the game again. Fudd and Edwards traded buckets before Bueckers converted one of two free throw chances with 25.9 seconds left to put the Wings up by a point.
The Sun’s Leila Lacan missed a contested jumper in the lane with 5 seconds left, and the rebound was taken by Shepard, who was fouled and made both free throws with 3 seconds to play. Connecticut’s final 3-point attempt from Edwards from the corner bounced off the rim and away, allowing the Wings to escape with the victory.
Shepard finished with 14 points while Alanna Smith added 11 for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Lacan led the Sun (4-16) with 18 points. Charlisse Leger-Walker had 14, Brittney Griner amassed 13 points and 11 rebounds and Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 11 points apiece as Connecticut had a two-game winning streak snapped.
The Sun racked up the final seven points in the first period to take a 22-16 lead after 10 minutes of play. Connecticut expanded its advantage to 32-20 after a three-point play from Kennedy Burke with 5:23 left in the second quarter but Bueckers’ floater with 42 seconds remaining in the first half allowed the Wings to pull to within 43-35 at the break.
Bueckers and Lacan scored 12 points each to lead their respective teams before halftime.
Griner’s turnaround jumper four minutes into the third quarter rebuilt the Sun’s lead to a baker’s dozen.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Active 76ers add LeBron James to wish list
Feb 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Anfernee Simons (22) shoots against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers, after dealing for former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and agreeing to a contract with free agent guard Anfernee Simons, apparently aren’t done with their offseason makeover.
The 76ers are attempting to land the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, ESPN reported on Thursday.
James is an unrestricted free agent, and he told the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week that he would play elsewhere next season.
Per the report, the other leading contenders for James’ services are two of his former teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, as well as the Golden State Warriors. James will be in no rush to choose his new home, according to ESPN.
On Wednesday, the 76ers agreed to send Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, which could be a swap more favorable to Boston, and an unprotected 2031 pick), and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030) to Boston in exchange for Brown.
The deal can’t be officially announced until Monday.
On Thursday, Simons agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with the 76ers.
The 27-year-old guard, who played with Brown in Boston for part of last season, will have a player option in the second season, per ESPN.
Simons joined the Celtics last July in the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, and he averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range in 49 games.
Simons was on the move again in February, dealt to the Bulls in exchange for forward Nikola Vucevic, but a left wrist injury limited the guard to just six games with Chicago before ending his season. For the season, Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 55 games (five starts).
A first-round pick (No. 24 overall) of the Trail Blazers in the 2018 draft, Simons will give the Sixers’ bench an offensive lift it was lacking last season. He has averaged at least 17 ppg four times and is a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter.
Over eight NBA seasons, Simons has averaged 14.9 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 444 games (218 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mariners CFs Julio Rodriguez, Victor Robles exit game with injuries
Jul 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) reacts to getting hit in the back of the helmet by a thrown ball during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Center field was a dangerous spot for the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez left the team’s game against the visiting Los Angeles Angels after getting hit in the head by an errant throw.
Victor Robles, who replaced Rodriguez, didn’t take the field in the fifth inning after being hit in the right wrist/forearm area by a 97.9 mph pitch from the Angels’ Walbert Urena.
Robles was plunked with two outs in the bottom of the third. He stayed in the game for another inning before Luke Raley moved from right field to center to replace him. Weston Wilson entered the game to play right.
Rodriguez walked with one out in the bottom of the first inning before Dominic Canzone hit a grounder to first base. The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel tried to throw to second base to start an inning-ending double play, but the ball hit Rodriguez in the back of the batting helmet just as he started his slide.
The ball ricocheted into center field, and Rodriguez pumped his fist and yelled toward his teammates in the dugout before bending over with his hands on his knees.
Mariners trainer Kyle Torgerson and manager Dan Wilson came onto the field and chatted with Rodriguez and third base coach Carlos Cardoza for a couple of minutes before Rodriguez stayed in the game.
Rodriguez returned to center field in the top of the second but was seen talking with Torgerson again while sitting on the bench in the bottom of the inning and left with the trainer and headed for the clubhouse.
Robles replaced Rodriguez in center when the Mariners took the field in the third.
–Field Level Media
Paige Bueckers leads Wings to close win over fading Sun
Report: Active 76ers add LeBron James to wish list
