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Orioles unsure of Ryan Helsley's status entering series in Cincinnati

Jun 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (21) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesJun 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (21) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Two teams with their share of recent struggles will meet in Cincinnati this weekend as the Reds face the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series starting Friday night.

Both teams are coming off wins that ended four-game skids.

The Reds on Thursday beat Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers 7-2 to salvage the finale of the four-game series in Milwaukee. Baltimore had Thursday off after defeating the visiting Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Wednesday in the last contest of a three-game set.

The Orioles could be without closer Ryan Helsley for the Friday game and possibly longer. Helsley, 31, tried warming up to enter the Wednesday game but stopped after feeling something in his right (pitching) elbow.

Manager Craig Albernaz expressed some trepidation after the game.

“My level of concern, something like that, is always high,” he said. “It’s almost like you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully everything comes out and he’s fine, but you’re always concerned when the bullpen calls out and says that he can’t go.”

Helsley was out from late April to mid-June due to soreness in the same elbow. Since returning, he is 1-for-2 on save chances while losing both of his decisions and compiling a 7.71 ERA in five outings.

Trevor Rogers (5-7, 4.99 ERA) will start the series opener for Baltimore, with the left-hander looking to continue his recent dominant stretch. In his past two starts, both wins, he allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old yielded six hits and issued two walks while striking out 13 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.

The Reds perform better, though, against southpaws. They are hitting .243 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage vs. left-handers, compared to .224/.303/.379 when facing right-handers.

Rogers has faced the Reds twice, starting both times, and he allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 9 1/3 innings while going 0-1. He last went against Cincinnati on July 14, 2024, when he was with the Marlins. Rogers threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks and earning a no-decision in a 3-2 Miami win.

Cincinnati is returning home after a 3-4 road trip. Manager Terry Francona’s team struggled in May and June but will look to build off the Thursday win against one of the game’s best pitchers.

Rookie Sal Stewart, who leads the Reds with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs, is riding an eight-game hitting streak. The corner infielder is batting .353 (12-for-34) during that stretch with three homers and six RBIs. He homered on Thursday against Misiorowski, the major leagues’ hardest thrower.

“That kid’s got pretty special stuff, but Sal stayed short to right field, and he’s strong enough to get rewarded for it,” Francona said about the right-handed hitter.

Brady Singer (3-7, 5.12 ERA) will start for the Reds, with the 29-year-old right-hander hoping to end a 10-start slump that has seen him win just once. Singer is 1-6 with a 5.21 ERA in that span. Most recently, he lost 9-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday after surrendering five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Singer owns an 0-2 record with a 15.63 ERA in just 6 1/3 innings over two starts against the Orioles. Baltimore batters have racked up 14 hits off him but only one homer.

Reds ace Hunter Greene has yet to pitch this season but is expected to make his first start on Saturday. He is recovering after having bone chips surgically removed from his elbow in spring training.

–Field Level Media

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Bryce Miller's strong outing propels Mariners past Angels

Jul 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller (50) pitches to the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesJul 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller (50) pitches to the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Bryce Miller took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 1-0 Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep of their American League West rivals.

Cal Raleigh drew a bases-loaded walk off Angels starter Walbert Urena (5-7) with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to score the game’s lone run.

Miller (4-2) allowed two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight after the right-hander had lost his previous two starts.

Neither team had a hit until Seattle’s J.P. Crawford led off the bottom of the sixth with a double into right-center field. Dominic Canzone and Randy Arozarena drew one-out walks before Urena struck out Josh Naylor on three pitches. Urena got ahead 0-2 in the count to Raleigh before last season’s home-run champ rebounded to draw a walk.

The Angels’ only baserunner through six innings came on a throwing error by third baseman Crawford after a grounder by Denzer Guzman with two outs in the fourth.

Los Angeles’ first hit came when Nolan Schanuel hit a bloop nearly off his hands into shallow right leading off the seventh, the ball falling just past the reach of second baseman Cole Young and in front of sliding right fielder Weston Wilson. Guzman followed with a fly ball down the right-field line that went off the glove of a diving Wilson, putting runners at first and second.

Miller struck out Jorge Soler, got Wade Meckler to fly out to center field and got Jo Adell to ground into a force out to get out of the jam.

Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo retired the side in order in the eighth with two strikeouts and closer Andres Munoz worked the ninth for his 16th save of the season.

Munoz issued a leadoff walk to Zach Neto before picking him off first base. Schanuel lined a single to center and Soler grounded a two-out single to left, putting runners at first and second. Munoz got Meckler to ground out to short to end the game.

The Mariners threatened in the first, loading the bases with one out on a walk, error and hit by pitch, before Urena got Josh Naylor to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Urena gave up one run on one hit over 5 2/3 innings. The righty walked four, hit two batters with pitches and fanned six.

Mariners outfielders Julio Rodriguez and Victor Robles both left the game due to injuries. Rodriguez was hit in the back of the helmet by an errant throw from first baseman Schanuel while running the bases in the first inning and Robles, who replaced Rodriguez in the third, was hit by a pitch in the right wrist/forearm area by a 97.9 mph Urena sinker and exited in the fifth.

–Field Level Media

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Paige Bueckers leads Wings to comeback win over 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 ImagesJul 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 and by eight at halftime but by just seven after an uneven third period. Dallas closed within 72-68 on Azzi Fudd’s jumper with 5:05 to play and within 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 1 of 2 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 five seconds left, and the rebound was taken by Shepard, who was fouled and made both free throws with three seconds to play.

Connecticut could not get off a 3-point attempt in the final seconds.

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 points, 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 14 points.

–Field Level Media

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Switzerland blank Algeria, reach round of 16 for 4th straight World Cup

July 2, 2026; Vancouver, Canada; Switzerland's Breel Embolo celebrates scoring their first goal.  Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images July 2, 2026; Vancouver, Canada; Switzerland’s Breel Embolo celebrates scoring their first goal. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Breel Embolo scored in the first half, Dan Ndoye tallied at the start of the second half and Switzerland advanced to the World Cup’s round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday night in Vancouver.

Johan Manzambi set up the first goal with a dazzling run and Gregor Kobel made two saves as the Swiss reached the round of 16 for the fourth consecutive World Cup.

Switzerland will face either Colombia or Ghana on Tuesday in Vancouver. The latter two squads meet Friday night in Kansas City, Mo. The Swiss will be looking to earn their first World Cup quarterfinal berth since 1954.

Luca Zidane made two saves for Algeria.

Switzerland’s first goal came in the 10th minute after a long run by Manzambi.

As Manzambi neared the goal line, he sent a pass back toward Embolo in front of the net. Embolo was able to get his left leg on the ball for an easy tap-in.

Switzerland had a solid chance in the 37th minute off a free kick, but Denis Zakaria sent a header high and wide of the right post.

Switzerland made it 2-0 in the first minute of the second half after Algeria’s Rafik Belghali sent a clearance attempt directly to Ndoye.

Ndoye capitalized by immediately sending a sharp right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.

The quick goal right after the break took some of the charge out of Algeria, who struggled to create chances.

Switzerland failed to pad the lead in the 81st minute as Zakaria’s centering pass went by a sliding Embolo to a wide-open Fabian Rieder at the far post. But despite the net being wide open, Rieder meekly hit the ball with his left heel and Zidane recovered to make the save.

In the 88th minute, Algeria seemed to have a rare chance when Anis Hadj Moussa took a left-footed shot from beyond the box. Kobel knocked the ball aside, but an offside call wiped out the play anyway.

Switzerland outshot Algeria 11-8 and had a 5-2 advantage in shots on target.

–Field Level Media

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