Sports
Pirates' Paul Skenes, facing Cubs, pursues fourth straight win
Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.
Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.
“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”
Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.
That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.
Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.
He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.
Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.
Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.
“Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”
Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.
Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Luis Rengifo blasts 2-run HR as Padres hand Marlins 10th-straight loss
Jul 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher German Marquez (33) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Luis Rengifo hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting San Diego Padres held on for a 4-2 win against the Miami Marlins in the opener of their three-game series on Friday night.
Miami reliever Tyler Zuber (0-1) came back out for the eighth, and Ty France greeted him with an opposite-field double into the right-center field gap. After getting a strikeout, Zuber left a sweeper over the plate to Rengifo, who lifted it over the fence in right for a two-run homer and a 4-2 lead.
Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and run scored and France also delivered a pair of hits for the Padres, who avoided falling a season-low four games under .500.
Padres starter German Marquez was lifted after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches. He gave up one run and three hits, striking out four without a walk.
Five relievers followed, with Adrian Morejon (8-2) earning the win and Mason Miller securing his 26th save.
Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez homered and Xavier Edwards contributed two hits for Miami, which has lost 10 in a row.
Marlins starter Ryan Gusto went 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run and two hits, striking out four and walking one.
After the Marlins stranded the bases full in the first inning, Mack came up with two outs in the second and the rookie catcher pulled an inside fastball over the fence in right for his 10th home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Machado and France had back-to-back one-out singles in the fourth to put runners on the corners and end Gusto’s day. Cade Gibson entered and gave up a sacrifice fly to Jackson Merrill that tied the score 1-1.
Xander Bogaerts drew a four-pitch walk off Gibson to start the fifth. After he was bunted over to second, Michael Petersen came out of the bullpen and surrendered a two-out RBI single to left by Machado to score Bogaerts for a 2-1 lead.
Wandy Peralta replaced fellow San Diego left-hander Kyle Hart with one out in the fifth and Hernandez lined his first pitch over the fence in center to tie it at 2.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Noah Lyles blazes to 100m win at USA Outdoor Championships
Jul 24, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Noah Lyles celebrates after winning the 100m in 9.79 during the USATF Championships at Icahn Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Noah Lyles posted the world’s fastest 100-meter time of 2026 while winning the event at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Friday in New York.
Lyles crossed the finish line in 9.79 seconds, nearly identical to the time that earned him the 2024 Olympic 100-meter gold medal (9.784).
“I think I made that ‘I’m still the world’s fastest man’ statement,” Lyles said, according to NBC Sports.
Ronnie Baker came in second at 9.88 seconds, the same time as the third-place finisher, Kenny Bednarek.
The previous best 100 time this year was 9.82, logged by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville last month.
Lyles, 29, is looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and beyond.
“I am now on the other side of my career. I have spent a good 75% preparing for my exit,” he said, per NBC Sports. “Whether that’s how am I going to be making my money, how am I going to be running my business, who’s going to be helping me to run my business and then just how I’m going to have kids, have a family, grow and a lot of that stuff. So that’s what I’d say I’ve been focusing on.”
In the women’s 100, Sha’Carri Richardson prevailed in 10.77 seconds, equaling her best time of the season. Richardson took silver in the 100 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It just feels phenomenal to be back in a better place healthy — mentally, physically, emotionally,” she told NBC Sports. “It shows that hard work pays off.”
Kayla White was the runner-up in the women’s 100 at 10.90 seconds, and Tamari Davis took third place at 11.00.
Tyus Wilson matched his personal best while winning the men’s high jump at 2.29 meters. Scottie Vines claimed second place at 2.26 meters, and Shelby McEwen came in third at 2.20 meters.
Euphenie Andre logged a personal-best triple jump of 13.94 meters to claim the women’s title. Kayla Woods took second place in a personal-best 13.75 meters and Kayla Pinkard wound up third at 13.48 meters.
Annette Echikunwoke produced the winning women’s hammer throw distance on her first attempt, 75.47 meters. Rachel Richeson (73.02 meters) and Erin Reese (72.94 meters) rounded out the top three.
Nick Christie won the men’s half marathon race walk in 1 hour, 31 minutes, 57.11 seconds, topping Jordan Crawford (1:36:17.18) and Michael Mannozzi (1:50:52).
Lauren Harris captured the women’s half marathon race walk with a time of 1:38:35.56. Maria Michta-Coffey (1:47:44) and Angelica Harris (1:49:03) finished second and third, respectively.
The event is being held in New York for the first time since 1991 as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in the city where the inaugural edition was contested.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Azzi Fudd becomes first rookie to win WNBA 3-point contest
Jul 24, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd (35) shoots during the 2026 State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Simply making the WNBA 3-point contest wasn’t enough for Dallas Wings star Azzi Fudd. She made some history, too.
Fudd became the first rookie to win the 3-point event, catching fire in the championship round to defeat the Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton 30-19 on Friday in Chicago.
The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft was the fourth rookie in history to compete in the contest. She made 20 of her 26 shots in the final round, with all but two of her final 10 shots going in.
“You say ‘only’ six shots, but I feel like that was a lot,” Fudd said after being told of her low number of misses. “But honestly, I was really nervous. I was excited.”
Fudd added, “It’s fun to do because — and I don’t want to sound cocky — but it’s easy to me, just the set shot. Take the ball from the rack. It really is muscle memory. It’s what I’ve been doing since I was young.”
She took home $60,000 for her win, getting $20,000 from the league and an extra $40,000 from Aflac and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association.
She advanced to the final with 24 points in the first round, second to Carleton’s 29.
While most of Fudd’s shots fell, Sabrina Ionescu’s final-round record of 37 points held up. Fudd is prepared to make a run at the mark in the future.
“If they’ll have me,” Fudd said. “I’d be honored to be here again. … That’s not up to me.”
But Fudd saved her best shooting for last, firing a shot across the bow of the greatest shooter of all time.
“Steph, if you’re listening, I’ve been asking for a rematch since high school,” Fudd said in challenging Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry to a shooting contest. “Maybe it’s our time to figure out a time and a place.”
The two of them faced off in a 3-point contest at Curry’s SC30 Select Camp in 2018 when Fudd was a high schooler. After beating all campers — boys and girls — Fudd got a shot at Curry but lost by four.
In the first contest Friday night, Team Washington downed Team Seattle 31-24 to win the Shooting Stars contest.
The four-team event featured three players on each squad — a WNBA legend, a current player in the league, and a high school player selected through the Nike EYBL youth basketball circuit.
The Washington squad of Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne, current Mystics center Shakira Austin and high school player Jezelle “GG” Banks defeated the Seattle team of Hall of Famer Lauren Jackson, current Storm rookie Flau’Jae Johnson and high schooler Tatianna Griffin 31-24.
–Field Level Media
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