Sports
Nationals, in thick of wild-card race, turn to hot Cade Cavalli vs. Jays
Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) throws to the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Cade Cavalli will look to continue his torrid stretch and help the Washington Nationals bounce back against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Toronto took the opening game of the three-game series 3-2 on Monday behind some stellar bullpen work after Max Scherzer kicked things off in his return to Nationals Park.
The Blue Jays’ Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.70 ERA) will oppose fellow right-hander Cavalli (7-4, 3.58) in the middle game of the series.
Bieber, 31, will make his seventh start of the season. Over his past two efforts, he has allowed only one earned run in 13 innings. On Thursday, he gave up a run on three hits over seven innings in a 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Rays in one of his best outings of the season.
“That was outstanding,” manager John Schneider said of Bieber’s effort. “Limiting hard contact against a really good offensive team, especially the top of the order. And we played really good defense behind him.”
Bieber has faced the Nationals once in his career, pitching six innings and allowing three runs on nine hits in a no-decision while a member of the Cleveland Guardians in 2023.
Cavalli is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA, 45 strikeouts and six walks over his past six starts. Last time out, he struck out eight and pitched six scoreless innings in an 8-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. It was Cavalli’s third straight six-inning start, and five of the past six outings have been quality starts.
“His stuff’s so good,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said afterward. “He’s able to, it seems like, take it to a next level or another level when guys do get into scoring position, and there’s running threatening. He made some big pitches for us.”
Cavalli has never faced the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays helped Scherzer celebrate his 42nd birthday Monday night, though he did not pick up the individual win after allowing a run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. He threw 75 pitches against the Nationals, whom he played for from 2015-21.
Six relievers combined to allow one run as closer Louis Varland finished — though he made it interesting by giving up a two-out single and a walk before striking out Luis Garcia Jr. to end the game.
Luis Urias homered, Myles Straw had an RBI single and a double, and Ernie Clement doubled in a run for Toronto, which had lost seven of 10 games since the All-Star break heading into Monday’s game.
“It’s frustrating as heck that we’re in this position, but we’re professionals,” Scherzer said of Toronto’s last-place standing in the American League East. “We have a job to do. … You’ve got to go out there and do everything you can to win, every single day. That’s the mentality we have in the clubhouse, and we kind of let the other stuff just be noise.”
Andres Chaparro hit a pinch-hit homer, and Garcia and Nasim Nunez had two hits each for the Nationals, who had won two straight entering the game.
Washington sits one game out of the third and final wild-card spot in the National League.
“It just felt like a night when we had opportunities and couldn’t capitalize,” Butera said after Washington went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position. “It’s frustrating doing that when the pitching’s as good as it was for us tonight.”
Chaparro is batting .323 (10-for-31) with five homers, eight runs and 14 RBIs across his past 14 games.
CJ Abrams — named NL Player of the Week after going 15-for-26 (.577) with six home runs, 12 RBIs, and eight runs scored in six games — went 0-for2 with two walks.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Conor McGregor calls for 'Last Dance' vs. Max Holloway in '27
Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor on the ground during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Conor McGregor laid out his long-term plan on Monday, seeking a rematch of his recent loss to Max Holloway in what would be the final bout of his UFC deal.
In an Instagram post that references the UFC’s International Fight Week next July, McGregor wrote, “What was to be a generational beating is now to be reset. IFW 2027. The Last Dance.”
Should McGregor oppose Holloway again, it would be the pair’s third matchup.
In a welterweight fight at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11, Holloway (28-9) won by technical knockout in just 69 seconds after McGregor (22-7) hurt his right knee on an early kick.
The two fighters also squared off in August 2013, when McGregor won by unanimous decision.
McGregor, a 38-year-old Irishman, is due to have his torn anterior cruciate ligament surgically repaired, which likely explains the long wait for the rematch.
Even though McGregor recently posted an Instagram video showing him going through leg exercises, UFC president Dana White said Sunday of McGregor, “Conor McGregor’s out for a year.”
The July 11 fight was McGregor’s first action in the Octagon in five years, since a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in Las Vegas. McGregor has lost each of his past three bouts and four of the past five.
Holloway, a 34-year-old Honolulu native, dropped a unanimous decision to Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 in March in Las Vegas before bouncing back to defeat McGregor.
–Field Level Media
Sports
2B Curtis Mead (wrist) leaves Red Sox debut; X-rays negative
Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images Curtis Mead didn’t make it all the way through his Boston Red Sox debut on Monday, but the team is hopeful his injury isn’t serious.
The second baseman was plunked on the left wrist by a fastball from Athletics right-hander Jack Perkins in the fourth inning of Boston’s 4-2 victory at West Sacramento, Calif.
X-rays were negative, and the Red Sox termed Mead day-to-day with a bruised wrist.
“Squeezing my hand feels OK,” Mead said. “Just a little bit of pain rotating. We already got an X-ray and everything looked OK, so I’m hopeful that I’ll feel better (Tuesday) morning and it won’t be a problem.”
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said, “It looks like we dodged a bullet, maybe.”
Mead struck out in his lone at-bat before getting injured.
“Just super disappointed,” Mead said of leaving his club debut. “I wanted to come here and help the team and wanted to play. So yeah, it’s frustrating. But it was a pretty fun game. At least we were able to win my first game. That was the cool part of it.”
On Sunday, the Red Sox acquired Mead from the Washington Nationals in exchange for left-hander Connelly Early.
Mead was enjoying the best of his four major league seasons before the swap. In 87 games for Washington this year, he hit .254 with 17 homers, 17 doubles and 48 RBIs — all career highs.
The 25-year-old Australian played for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25) and the Chicago White Sox (2025) before the Nationals traded for him just before the start of the 2026 season.
In 240 career games, Mead owns a .244 batting average, a .321 on-base percentage, a .388 slugging percentage, 22 homers and 79 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
MLB roundup: Marlins end 12-game skid by overtaking Phillies in ninth
Jul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack (80) douses left fielder Griffin Conine (18) after his winning hit against the Philadelphia Phillies following the game at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Griffin Conine’s walk-off single capped a three-run ninth inning for the Miami Marlins, who snapped a franchise-record 12-game losing streak with an 8-7 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Heriberto Hernandez and Conine homered for Miami, which had not won since July 9. The Marlins appeared destined for another defeat before Hernandez’s two-run single tied it against Jhoan Duran (1-4), who had previously blown only one save this season.
Bryce Harper hit an early two-run homer and J.T. Realmuto also had two RBIs for Philadelphia, which has lost seven of 10 since the All-Star break. Zack Wheeler struggled through three innings, allowing a season-high five runs and six hits.
With Miami trailing 7-5, Jakob Marsee opened the ninth with a single up the middle and advanced to third on Otto Lopez’s single to right. Duran hit Kyle Stowers with a pitch, loading the bases for Hernandez, whose single up the middle tied the game.
Pirates 3, Diamondbacks 2 (10 innings)
Brandon Lowe’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Billy Cook and propelled host Pittsburgh to a victory over Arizona.
Lowe’s game-winner off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) was a liner that got past first baseman Ildemaro Vargas. Lowe finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Max Kepler had three hits, drove two runs and had a chance to give the Diamondbacks a lead in the top of the 10th. However, with the bases loaded and two outs, Kepler lined out to center against Mason Montgomery (4-3).
Yankees 9, White Sox 5
Jazz Chisholm Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Ali Sanchez blasted his first major league homer in the eighth inning to break the game open as visiting New York defeated Chicago.
New York overcame an early three-run deficit for its fourth win in five games. The Yankees scored a total of five runs in the seventh and eighth innings and navigated two errors in the ninth to hold on. Jasson Dominguez and Ben Rice contributed two hits each for New York.
AL Central-leading Chicago committed three errors as its lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians fell to two games. The White Sox have lost three of their past four. Chicago reliever Bryan Hudson (3-4) allowed one run and two hits in the seventh.
Mets 14, Braves 3
Francisco Lindor hit two homers and drove in six runs as New York battered visiting Atlanta.
Tyrone Taylor went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and Marcus Semien also had three hits and a homer for the Mets, who have won consecutive games for the first time since July 8-9. New York starter Zac Thornton (2-1) tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
Braves reliever Connor Thomas (0-1) was blasted for 11 runs on 10 hits across 2 2/3 innings. Ozzie Albies homered, singled and drove in three for Atlanta.
Rangers 7, Mariners 3
Joc Pederson homered in each of the first two innings as Texas defeated Seattle in Arlington, Texas.
Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger both homered in the third for the Rangers, who won three of four games in the series to take a 2 1/2-game lead over the Mariners atop the AL West. Brandon Nimmo hit a pair of doubles and Evan Carter had another as seven of the Rangers’ 11 hits were for extra bases.
Randy Arozarena went deep for the Mariners, who have lost five of their past six.
Orioles 8, Tigers 5
Coby Mayo homered and drove in three runs as visiting Baltimore powered past Detroit.
Leody Taveras and pinch hitter Tyler O’Neill also homered for the Orioles, while Jackson Holliday supplied four hits and scored twice. Grant Wolfram (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and was credited with the victory.
Hao-Yu Lee drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost three straight. Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry each had two hits, a run and an RBI. Detroit starter Keider Montero (7-6) allowed six runs, four earned, and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Blue Jays 3, Nationals 2
Luis Urias homered, Myles Straw had two hits and Toronto beat the Nationals in Max Scherzer’s return to Washington.
Scherzer, who spent 6 1/2 seasons in Washington and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, came off the injured list to make the start. He gave up a run on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Mason Fluharty (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win for the Blue Jays, who have alternated losses and wins for six games.
Andres Chaparro homered for the Nationals, who had won two straight. Nationals opener Eddy Yean (0-1) gave up two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Cubs 7, Cardinals 3
Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner homered and had four hits apiece as Chicago opened a four-game series at St. Louis with a win.
Bregman doubled twice and drove in two runs and Hoerner had four RBIs for the Cubs, who tallied 14 hits and won for the third time in four games. David Peterson (6-7) allowed two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Jose Fermin hit a solo homer and Masyn Winn had two hits for the Cardinals, who have lost eight of 11 games since the All-Star break. Matthew Liberatore (5-8) gave up three runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Astros 6, Angels 4
LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk during a four-run ninth inning as Houston rallied past Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
The decisive rally featured just one hit, a single that did not knock in a run. Taylor Trammell homered, walked twice, was hit by a pitch and scored twice as Houston earned its sixth win in seven games. Astros reliever Cristian Javier (1-1) allowed three hits and no walks over five shutout innings, striking out seven.
Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Los Angeles, which lost for the ninth time this season when leading after eight innings. Jose Fermin (3-2) was charged with three runs, one earned, while recording only one out.
Red Sox 4, Athletics 2
Ceddanne Rafaela smacked his first career grand slam and scorching Boston won for the 18th time in 20 games, beating the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Payton Tolle (6-6) struck out seven and gave up two runs over 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. Aroldis Chapman worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 25th save in 27 opportunities.
Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim homered for the Athletics, who lost for the 24th time in their past 30 games. A’s starter Jack Perkins (2-6) was charged with two runs and one hit over 5 2/3 innings.
Giants 3, Brewers 0
Tyler Mahle limited Milwaukee to three hits over six-plus innings, Grant McCray smacked a two-run homer and San Francisco defeated the visiting National League Central leaders.
Mahle (3-9) never allowed a runner past second base, aided by three double plays. En route to their third win in four games on their current homestand, the Giants took the lead for good in the third.
Brewers starter Brandon Sproat (3-6) went six innings and was charged with all three Giants runs on six hits.
–Field Level Media
