Sports
Padres optimistic offensive resurgence will continue against Rangers
Jun 17, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23, left) congratulates San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) at the dugout after Merrill hit a ninth inning home run against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have endured up-and-down seasons at the plate.
The San Diego Padres’ most recent game showed a glimpse of what the team’s offense can look like if both players are swinging hot bats.
The Padres will look for more good things from Tatis and Merrill when they open a three-game series against the Texas Rangers on Friday in Arlington, Texas.
San Diego is coming off a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. The Padres salvaged a victory in the finale of the three-game series and improved to 3-3 on a road trip that will conclude with the trio of games in Texas.
Tatis drove in a pair of runs and Merrill belted a two-run homer in the latest win, with each providing three hits.
“You get two of those guys going at the same time and that produces some runs,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “That’s what we’ve been lacking a little bit. We’ve been hitting OK, but we just haven’t been able to score the runs.
“Getting those two guys hot, being able to hit in those types of situations which they’re really good in typically, it’s only going to bode well for our offense.”
In his past 22 games, Tatis is hitting .376 (35-for-93) with two homers and 10 RBIs. Over his previous 50 games to start the year, he batted .238 (44-for-185) with no homers and 16 RBIs.
Merrill is batting a modest .260 (20-for-77) with four home runs and 11 RBIs since May 27, but that’s still an improvement on his prior figures this season: .194 (37-for-191) with four homers and 19 RBIs in 51 games.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are desperate for a spark at the plate and a good performance on the mound. They will try to bounce back from a three-game sweep at the hands of the visiting Minnesota Twins, who outscored them 25-7 in the series.
Texas manager Skip Schumaker said slow starts have cost his team in recent losses. The Rangers allowed four runs in the top of the first inning during a 9-3 loss Thursday afternoon.
“The first inning, I don’t know if it’s becoming a thing like mentally, maybe,” Schumaker said. “But it’s something that we’ve got to continue to address because we’re playing from behind too often, and it’s tough to play catch-up.
“… We have to clean up a lot of different areas. The good news is we have the talent to do it, but we can’t continue to start games like that.”
Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (5-4, 3.17 ERA) is scheduled to make the start on his 38th birthday. He has 89 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings this season.
In his most recent outing, deGrom drew a no-decision on Saturday despite limiting the Boston Red Sox to two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked none and fanned five.
In 10 career starts against San Diego, deGrom is 6-3 with a stellar 1.28 ERA to go with 12 walks and 82 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. However, he hasn’t opposed the Padres since 2021.
San Diego is set to counter with Randy Vasquez (6-4, 3.63 ERA). The 27-year-old right-hander is looking for back-to-back victories after holding the Baltimore Orioles to two runs on six hits in five innings on Saturday.
Vasquez has made one career start against the Rangers, last July 4 in San Diego. He wound up with a no-decision but posted a quality start by allowing two runs on three hits in six innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kerry Carpenter's double propels Tigers past White Sox
Jun 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Kerry Carpenter had a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and the host Detroit Tigers held on for a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
Matt Vierling hit a two-run homer and Dillon Dingler supplied three hits and scored two runs for the Tigers.
Detroit ace Tarik Skubal allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Skubal, who recorded eight strikeouts, was making his second start since undergoing a surgical procedure on his pitching elbow.
Drew Anderson (3-3) struck out three in 1 1/3 innings of relief to get the win. Kenley Jensen pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Junior Perez had the first two hits of his career, including a solo homer, for the White Sox. Randal Grichuk also homered.
Erick Fedde (2-6) gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings for Chicago, striking out four and walking one.
Grichuk, the second batter of the game, drove a 1-2 changeup over the left-field wall to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. The Tigers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Dingler smacked a single before Vierling drove a Brandon Eisert fastball over the left-center-field wall. Eisert was used as an opener, allowing the two runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Kevin McGonigle led off the bottom of the third with a double, but Fedde retired the next three batters to leave him stranded.
Chicago pushed across a run in the fifth to tie the score.
Sam Antonacci and Luisangel Acuna led off with singles to put runners on the corners. Tristan Peters hit into a fielder’s choice as Antonacci scored. Miguel Vargas singled and Grichuk walked to load the bases. Peters was thrown out at home on Chase Meidroth’s groundout and Colson Montgomery struck out, leaving the score at 2-all.
Perez gave the White Sox the lead on his breakthrough homer with one out in the sixth. He drove a Skubal changeup over the left-center-field wall.
Detroit regained the lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the frame. Dingler led off with a single and Riley Greene drew a one-out walk. With two down, Carpenter blooped a double to center to bring in both runners
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby goes through warmups before the spring football game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Big 12 is not ready to close the book on the Brendan Sorsby case, even after the Texas Tech quarterback moved to leave college football behind.
The conference’s presidents and chancellors have not withdrawn the federal lawsuit filed earlier this week, with lingering questions about Sorsby’s NFL future and whether Texas Tech could still face consequences from the legal fight, a Big 12 source told ESPN. The league’s board of directors is expected to meet early next week to discuss its options.
“We don’t know the answer to those questions,” the source said. “We haven’t done anything different at this point. We’re going to reconvene next week to run through all the options. Right now that case is still active.”
The Big 12 filed suit Monday in the Northern District of Texas, looking for a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief that would allow the conference to use its bylaws to potentially discipline Sorsby. Hours later, Sorsby moved toward the NFL supplemental draft and dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, a step needed for him to be declared ineligible in college by Monday’s deadline.
Sorsby admitted to violating NCAA rules by placing thousands of bets, including 40 on Indiana football while he was on the Hoosiers’ roster. The NFL still has to approve his application for the supplemental draft, which has not produced a selected player since 2019.
The Big 12 could also revisit whether Texas Tech should be responsible for the costs associated with the dispute. One Big 12 athletic director said the issue is less about punishment and more about whether the entire league should absorb legal fees from a case that other schools did not start..
–Field Level Media
Sports
Brazil's Raphinha (leg) departs match vs. Haiti
June 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.; Brazil’s Raphinha in action with Haiti’s Martin Experience. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Brazil attacker Raphinha departed in the 40th minute of Friday night’s World Cup Group C clash against Haiti in Philadelphia with an apparent leg injury.
The 29-year-old FC Barcelona winger was making his second start of the tournament for manager Carlo Ancelotti after going the full 90 in a 1-1 draw against Morocco last Saturday.
He was a critical part of Brazil’s most recent qualifying effort, scoring five of the Selecao’s 24 goals while appearing in 13 of their 18 matches.
It was unclear what caused him to drop to his haunches shortly before halftime and eventually exit in favor of Rayan. He departed with his side leading 2-0 through Matheus Cunha’s brace, before Vinicius Junior added a third in first-half stoppage time.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Kerry Carpenter's double propels Tigers past White Sox
Report: Big 12 keeps Brendan Sorsby lawsuit active amid draft questions
