Sports
Rays, Rangers open clash of AL division leaders
Jul 26, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker (47) reacts after beating the Cleveland Guardians in the ninth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images After a slow start out of the All-Star break, the Tampa Bay Rays regrouped to have an outstanding week and will look to start another one Tuesday night when they host the Texas Rangers in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Following a four-game sweep by the Boston Red Sox right after the break, the Rays won six of seven, taking three of four in Toronto before shutting down the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game weekend sweep to start a nine-game homestand.
However, the American League East leaders are the top team in the Junior Circuit for a reason, mainly relying on excellent starting pitching with a punchy top of the order, featuring standout hitter Yandy Diaz leading off and slugger Junior Caminero two batters later.
Pitching loomed large against the Guardians as starters Shane McClanahan, Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen completely dominated the visitors.
Over 18 innings, the trio allowed just one run (an ERA of 0.50), seven hits and three walks, totaling 17 strikeouts as the Rays outscored Cleveland 15-3, including shutouts in the final two games.
“Just a well-executed, masterful performance,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Rasmussen’s seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Sunday’s 1-0 win. “We’re definitely built around our pitching, no doubt. Most of the year, (our starters) have been spot on, quality outing after quality outing, 1 through 5, probably highlighted by Ras and Nick.”
Rays starter Griffin Jax (6-7, 3.89 ERA) has won five of his past seven starts, and holds a 5-5 record and a 3.38 ERA with an opposing batting average of .236 since moving from the bullpen to the rotation.
Like the Rays, manager Skip Schumaker and his Rangers enter the matchup in first place in their division, leading the AL West over the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners, though they will travel to Houston after facing Tampa Bay.
Texas homered its way to victory Monday afternoon to claim the series over Seattle, going deep four times in the first three innings off nemesis George Kirby in a 7-3 bashing.
Leadoff hitter Joc Pederson homered in his first two at-bats off the right-hander. The lefty-swinging Pederson went 2-for-4 with four RBIs and pushed his long-ball total to 19.
“It just shows the mentality we’ve had lately,” Pederson said of beating Kirby, who entered the contest 9-1 with a 1.33 ERA in 12 career starts versus Texas. “We were able to get (to) a really good pitcher. That’s one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.”
Texas did not announce Tuesday’s starter, but its radio network said the options are Jordan Montgomery, who had Tommy John surgery in March 2025, or Nathan Eovaldi on four days’ rest.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) has taken two live batting practice sessions and looked sharp. The team is expected to announce a rehab assignment for him soon.
Seager hit the 15-day injured list on July 1 and has only appeared in 51 games.
“I would love to tell you ‘Yes,'” Seager said when asked if he understood his back injury, which started with lower back inflammation. “Well, as you know, backs are not … what you want. Honestly, just getting back is kind of the priority.”
He is batting just .182 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox tackle Blue Jays to secure sixth straight series win
Jul 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Boston Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez and four relievers combined to shut down the visiting Toronto Blue Jays in a 6-1 win Sunday.
Boston, which has won 17 of its last 19 games, won a sixth straight series.
Suarez, pitching for the first time since July 5 due to a groin strain, was taken out after four scoreless innings and 64 pitches. The southpaw allowed four hits with no walks and struck out six.
Greg Weissert (3-2), Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten and Ryan Watson scattered five Blue Jays hits the rest of the way.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (4-10) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out six in 98 pitches.
Toronto has lost eight straight Gausman starts, and the 35-year-old has not won since May 22.
Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Andruw Monasterio led off with a single off the Green Monster. He scored on a two-out single by Ceddanne Rafaela.
The Red Sox added two more in the fourth when Willson Contreras led off with a walk and Caleb Durbin singled. Romy Gonzalez laid down a bunt to sacrifice the runners to second and third, and Jarren Duran drove them both in with a single to center for a 3-0 lead.
Suarez, meanwhile, kept the Blue Jays off balance.
His only trouble came in the fourth inning when Alejandro Kirk and George Springer hit back-to-back one-out singles. Suarez, however, induced Daulton Varsho to hit into a fielder’s choice and then struck out Kazuma Okamoto looking to end the threat.
The Red Sox scored three more in the seventh.
Duran led off with a single and Monasterio walked. Carlos Narvaez bunted them over and pinch hitter Jahmai Jones doubled them both in with a drive off the wall in center.
Jones came home when Wilyer Abreu broke an 0-for-20 streak with a double off the wall in left.
The Blue Jays finally broke through in the ninth with three hits. Andres Gimenez drove in Varsho with two outs for their lone run.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Birthday boy Ryan O'Hearn leads Pirates past Cubs
Jul 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (left) and designated hitter Bryan Reynolds (10) greet first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (29) crossing home plate on a grand slam home run against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Ryan O’Hearn celebrated his 32nd birthday by belting his second grand slam of the season and fourth of his career as the host Pittsburgh Pirates held on for an 8-7 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Pittsburgh’s Shawn Ross launched a two-run homer in his second MLB game while rookie Esmerlyn Valdez also went deep and added an RBI single
Brandon Lowe collected three hits and two runs as the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak in the finale of the three-game series.
The offensive explosion proved just enough for Braxton Ashcraft (10-4), who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.
Carmen Mlodzinski bridged the gap to Mason Montgomery, who surrendered Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer in the ninth before retiring the next two batters to secure his second save.
Pete Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI triple and Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez each had an RBI single for the Cubs.
Swanson opened the scoring in the second with an RBI single, but that slim advantage didn’t last long.
Valdez sent a 1-1 cutter from Jameson Taillon (2-6) over the left center wall to lead off the second inning. Valdez’s homer was his 14th of the season and eighth in his last 13 games. After O’Hearn walked, Ross deposited a 3-2 cutter over the wall in left.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the third before O’Hearn deposited a 0-1 fastball from Taillon over the wall in center to stake his team to a 7-1 lead. The homer by O’Hearn was his 17th of the season and first since he went deep three times — highlighted by a grand slam — in a 12-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on July 7.
Taillon permitted seven runs on six hits in four innings to fall to 0-5 in his last eight outings.
Chicago scored three times in the fourth before Valdez’s broken-bat RBI single off Ryan Rolison extended Pittsburgh’s advantage to 8-5 in the fifth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jerry Kelly holds on to win 'indescribable' Senior Open title
Jerry Kelly hits out of a bunker on hole No. 14 during round 3 of the Kaulig Companies PGA Championship, July 11, 2026, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Jerry Kelly turned a clutch bunker shot on the final hole into a birdie and won the ISPS Handa Senior Open by two shots on Sunday in Auchterarder, Scotland.
Kelly, 59, delivered his third consecutive round of 2-under-par 68 on The King’s Gleneagles course and finished at 10-under 270 to win the fifth and final major tournament of the season.
Matt Gogel, Darren Fichardt of South Africa and Cameron Percy of Australia all finished two shots back in a tie for second place.
With a one-shot lead on the par-5 closing hole, Kelly found the bunker with his second shot. The Madison, Wisc., native put the bunker shot to within 4 feet and made the putt for his first Senior Open title and his third major victory on the Champions Tour.
“It’s indescribable to win it,” said Kelly, who now has 15 overall victories on the Champions Tour. “The senior Claret Jug is the trophy that I’ve wanted as an over-50 golfer other than any other. To do it in Scotland, at the home of golf … I mean, I’m absolutely speechless.”
Tied for the lead with Percy at the start of the final round, Kelly was 2 under through five holes before his first bogey of the day at No. 6. He bounced back by birdieing the par-3 eighth. Kelly also had a bogey at No. 11 before he reeled off six consecutive pars that led into his birdie at 18.
“My brain, actually, was the most successful part of my game,” Kelly said. “In the past I would have gotten down that I wasn’t striking it the way I’d like to strike it. But instead of worrying about that, I just went and took care of the next shot.
“I learned a lot about myself today, and I wish I would have learned it about 20, 30 years ago.”
Gogel worked his way into contention with a 7-under 63 in the final round as he shot a 4-under 30 on the front nine. He also had birdies at Nos. 10 and 12 to close the gap, then wrapped his round with his seventh birdie of the day at No. 18.
“Certainly by 10, when I had a two-putt birdie there, I was thinking, ‘Geez, we keep this thing going, we have a chance to get a high finish,'” Gogel said.
Percy (even-par 70) had a rocky ride in the final round and was at 2 over the front nine. He had his first birdie of the day at No. 10 before another bogey at No. 11. He gathered himself down the stretch for two more birdies but was unable to collect another at the 18th.
Percy missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have put more pressure on Kelly.
Fichardt shot a 4-under 66 to close in on Kelly. He started his round with a bogey on the first hole, but had a strong finish with birdies at Nos. 14, 15 and 18.
Kely remained undaunted with his one-putt birdie to win it.
“To be on this trophy, to be a part of this trophy, to be a part of the R&A — I just love it over here, I really do,” Kelly said. “It brings it full circle that I didn’t do what I wanted to in the Open Championship but to get it done here, I mean, I’m over the moon.”
–Field Level Media
The Ozlo Sleepbuds 2 launch with better battery life and a lower price point than their predecessor
Red Sox tackle Blue Jays to secure sixth straight series win
