Sports
Paraguay used to heat, but not expecting major edge vs. France
June 29, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.; Paraguay’s Junior Alonso. Mandatory Credit: David Butler Ii-Imagn Images PHILADELPHIA — Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro suggested the extreme heat predicted for Saturday’s round of 16 match against heavily favored France could help his side, but only so much.
High temperatures around 100 Fahrenheit with significant humidity are forecast for the Mid-Atlantic city, with the highs coming an hour or two before the 5 p.m. ET scheduled kickoff.
Paraguay play their home qualifiers in the capital of Asuncion, where average summer highs rise into the 90s.
“We are used to the heat. Yes, we are,” Alfaro said on Friday via an interpreter. “However, you suffer the heat. What knockout match do you have in Paraguay at five in the afternoon? None. Maybe it happened once and there was a defeat. You don’t play at that time.”
He also noted it wouldn’t be the same as Mexico’s advantage playing at high altitude, conditions that Mexico have trained in for weeks.
“Even though you might have this memory, physical memory of understanding what happens with high altitude (or) what happens with heat, it’s different from what happens when you’re there,” he said.
“But the heat will affect both teams. And high altitude affects both teams, yes. But those that have a slight advantage are the ones that were able to prepare in that situation.”
Paraguay pulled off their round of 32 shock over Germany without center back Omar Alderete, who picked up a knee injury in the Albirroja’s group finale against Australia.
Alfaro said Alderete has not yet returned to full team training, but did not rule him out.
“Omar worked well yesterday, but he didn’t do anything on the field,” Alfaro said. “He did tough physical work. He responded well to the work. We’ll see today at our training to see how he responds. … “
“Let’s see if he can start or if he can come in later. He wants to be there. He’s told me, ‘Coach, I don’t want to miss this game.'”
Even though Monday’s triumph over Germany was celebrated with a national holiday, veteran Paraguay defender Junior Alonso insisted there would be no letdown in preparations to face Les Bleus.
“We have worked so hard, we have made so many sacrifices at the professional level, at the personal level, because our dream was to have Paraguay in a World Cup,” he said.
“So whether we have lost or not against Germany, it wouldn’t have meant a defeat to us because we did everything humanly possible to obtain that result and we were able to achieve that. And in this case, in the match against France, it won’t be different because we have the same mindset.
“We know what we are capable of. And the only thing that we could promise to the Paraguayan people is that we are going to give it all. Hopefully, God will be on our side and we will get the result that we want. But if that is not the case, we would have peace of mind anyway because we got prepared for this every day after getting so tired playing with Germany.”
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
Sports
England's Reece James (hamstring) doubtful against Mexico
June 6, 2026; Tampa, Florida, U.S.; England’s Reece James celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images England defender Reece James has a lingering hamstring injury and is doubtful to play in the Three Lions’ round of 16 match against Mexico on Sunday in Mexico City.
Manager Thomas Tuchel said on Saturday that James would have to get medical clearance to possibly be a substitute for the match after not training fully with the team since the injury in the scoreless draw with Ghana on June 23.
The Chelsea defender, 26, missed the 2-0 group-stage win over Panama on June 27 and the 2-1 victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo last Wednesday in the round of 32. James was the only player absent from Saturday’s training session in Mexico City, according to a BBC report.
England’s Jarell Quansah, 23, played right-back against Panama before exiting with an ankle injury. The Bayer Leverkusen defender missed the last match against DR Congo but is available to play Sunday, Tuchel said.
“You saw that Jarell trained, Jarell trained fully, is fully available,” Tuchel said. “Reece can maybe make it onto the bench. He needs a last assessment from the doctors and medical opinion if this makes sense.”
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, 27, has been dealing with a hamstring issue but is expected to start for England against Mexico, per reports.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves' Martin Perez looks to maintain perfect record against Mets
Jun 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Martin Perez (33) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Veteran Atlanta Braves left-hander Martin Perez will try to maintain his perfect record against the visiting New York Mets on Sunday afternoon when the teams play the third game of their wraparound four-game series.
The Braves have rediscovered their offense. Atlanta hit four homers in Friday’s 5-3 series opener and launched five home runs in Saturday’s 14-3 win.
Perez is 5-0 with a 2.94 ERA in 11 career appearances (seven starts) against the Mets. He beat them in New York on June 13, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings.
New York right-hander Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78 ERA) will be matched against Perez (6-5, 3.27).
Perez took a loss in his last start, a 5-3 home setback to St. Louis on Tuesday. He allowed four runs in five innings, all of them coming in one inning when he surrendered a pair of home runs, one of them a three-run shot.
“It was one pitch, really one pitch was three runs,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “Other that, like he always does, he kept us in the game and worked around some things.”
Since rejoining the starting rotation on May 19, Perez had made eight starts and gone 4-3 with a 4.17 ERA. He has allowed three or fewer runs in six of those appearances.
“It’s obviously a long season and there’s going to be highs and lows,” Perez said. “One of the things this team can focus on is trying to get that momentum swung back this way.”
McLean is coming off a six-inning scoreless effort at Toronto on Tuesday, when he allowed five hits and two walks while striking out seven. It was a nice rebound from his previous start against the Chicago Cubs, when he was tagged for six runs in six innings.
“That’s who he is,” interim Mets manager Andy Green said on Tuesday. “It’s been fun seeing him kind of bounce back from a tougher stretch. I know last game, a little bit was made out of like a couple of home runs that skewed the line, but (today) he was just mixing his pitches incredibly well.”
McLean has made two career starts against Atlanta, going 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA. He started against the Braves on June 12 in New York and did not receive a decision, allowing two runs in four innings.
“He’s got different ways to end at-bats,” Green said. “He was competitive the whole day, he was in the zone the whole day and that was, start to finish, as just clean and dominant as he’s been all year, so it was awesome.”
The Atlanta offense has come to life and scored at least five runs in each of the last four games, three of them wins. Austin Riley hit a three-run homer on Saturday to end a 36-game homerless streak; his last homer had been May 20 at Miami.
A bright spot for the Mets continues to be Carson Benge. He singled on Saturday and has hit safely in nine straight and reached base safely in 16 consecutive games. Shortstop Francisco Lindor was back in the leadoff spot and had two hits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nats' Cade Cavalli takes mound vs. Pirates as he awaits suspension appeal
Jun 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli (24) throws to the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to keep manufacturing runs as they go for a series win on the road against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
In Saturday’s 7-1 win, the Pirates did all their damage without an extra-base hit. Pittsburgh had 11 singles — four of which didn’t leave the infield — and stole four bases.
The ability to generate offense by stringing together hits, taking extra bases and swiping bags is a trait Pirates manager Don Kelly said has become a strength.
“We have a lot of resilience,” Kelly said. “We’ve talked about how we’ve shown the ability to bounce back.”
The Pirates shook up their bullpen prior to Saturday’s game. Evan Sisk (left elbow inflammation) was placed on the 15-day injured list, and Hunter Stratton was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. The right-handed reliever developed a two-seam fastball while in the minors.
“(It’s) something that goes arm-side,” Stratton said. “I think it’s really going to help me moving forward.”
The Pirates selected Stratton in the 16th round of the 2017 MLB Draft and he appeared in 47 games between 2023 and 2025. He was reacquired in a trade with the Braves on June 18 and is looking forward to helping stabilize the Pirates’ bullpen.
“Everybody has been great,” Stratton said. “They’ve welcomed me. I’m just happy to be back. I can go out there, have quick innings and fill up the zone. Just help in any way I can.”
Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.62 ERA) is scheduled to start for Pittsburgh. The right-hander’s last outing was in an 8-0 road loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. Chandler allowed five earned runs — his most since April 23 — on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings.
He’s made one career start against the Nationals and is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA. He has walked none and struck out seven. Chandler has lasted at least five innings in his last eight starts.
The Nationals are set to give the ball to right-hander Cade Cavalli (5-4, 3.69), who tossed a gem in his last outing. Cavalli held the Boston Red Sox to one run on one hit with no walks and 13 strikeouts in an 8-1 win on Tuesday.
Cavalli is making the start as he appeals a seven-game suspension issued after a bench-clearing incident against the Red Sox which resulted from him taunting Willson Contreras after striking him out.
Cavalli has two career starts against the Pirates and is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA. His last appearance against Pittsburgh was on April 13 where he was tagged with the loss, lasting 1 1/3 innings and giving up four runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
After James Wood crushed a first-pitch fastball to deep right field in the first inning on Saturday, the Nationals’ bats went quiet. Wood’s 23rd homer accounted for the lone extra-base hit of the six hits Washington managed.
Nationals manager Blake Butera said he wants the club’s leadoff hitter to get as many at-bats as possible.
“Woody is a really good hitter,” Butera said. “When we get him up to the plate as many times as possible, we like our chances.”
After piling up 12 hits in the 9-5 series-opening win, Wood said the Washington hitters have to wisely choose the pitches they want to drive.
“We need to take the same approach,” Wood said. “Be disciplined and get a good pitch to hit.”
–Field Level Media
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