Sports
Seeking home series win, Orioles ride momentum into rematch vs. Royals
Jul 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Samuel Basallo (29) celebrates as he runs to first base after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The last two times the Baltimore Orioles opened a home series with a victory, in June, they lost the next two games.
They’ll try to reverse that trend when they have a rematch with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
Baltimore rode Samuel Basallo’s two-run homer in the eighth inning to Friday night’s 5-3 victory. His two-handed bat throw toward the Orioles’ dugout became part of the celebration.
“That’s me having fun right there,” Basallo said. “Obviously a big moment; we’re enjoying that right there.”
The Orioles need more outcomes like that.
“We’ve been fighting, competing, sticking together,” Basallo said. “But we just trust that things are going to get better and start going our way here soon.”
Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was back with the team to begin the series after a stint on the injured list with a hand injury. He wasn’t used in Friday’s game.
“We obviously wouldn’t do it if I didn’t feel comfortable or they didn’t feel comfortable,” Pasquantino said of returning to the active roster following this week’s rehabilitation stint with Triple-A Omaha. “It’s one of those things where I think I can help this team win, and I’m going to do whatever I can to do my part.”
Pasquantino, a left-handed batter, was considered available for late-inning duty in the series opener. But manager Matt Quatraro chose to allow Salvador Perez, who was the first baseman, to bat with one out in the ninth representing the potential tying run against right-handed reliever Andrew Kittredge.
Perez fouled out to the catcher.
Still, Quatraro said Pasquantino can make an impact that’s needed for the Royals.
“He set his goal really early to get back before the All-Star break, and he had to do a lot of hard work to get here,” Quatraro said. “It’s nice to have him back. … He hasn’t been facing major league pitching every day, so we’ll see what the results are. We’ll see how his body reacts.”
Left-hander Noah Cameron (5-6, 4.77 ERA) will start for the Royals on Saturday.
After four consecutive rough outings, he’s coming off a solid effort and picked up the victory Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies, 15-1, after allowing one run on six hits across five innings. That marked only the third time in Cameron’s last 12 starts that the Royals won the game.
This will be Cameron’s first career matchup against the Orioles.
The Orioles will send right-hander Kyle Bradish (5-9, 3.75 ERA) to the mound. He’ll try to avoid becoming this year’s first 10-game loser in the majors, although he has the most wins among pitchers with nine losses.
Bradish had a peculiar outing at Kansas City on April 20, when he allowed 10 hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings but gave up only one run in a no-decision. That was his only career outing vs. the Royals. The Orioles won the game 7-5 in 12 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s 2-run homer in 9th lifts Yankees past Nationals
Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run ninth-inning homer and the New York Yankees rallied past the Nationals 5-3 in Washington on Friday night.
With New York trailing 3-2, Jasson Dominguez singled with one out against Matt Krook (0-1) and Chisholm homered into the second deck in right, his 13th of the season. Austin Wells provided some insurance when he homered off Justin Lawrence with two outs.
Keibert Ruiz and James Wood hit back-to-back solo home runs in the seventh to give Washington a 3-2 lead.
Ben Rice hit his third homer in two games for New York and Dominguez also homered.
David Bednar (3-3) pitched the final two innings for the win.
Wood finished a triple short of the cycle and scored twice.
The start of the game was delayed two hours by rain, and Rice gave the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead when he lined a 2-2 pitch the opposite way for a solo homer in the first. One out later, Paul Goldschmidt snapped an 0-for-34 skid with a single and Cody Bellinger singled, but Dominguez struck out.
Washington tied it in the third. Wood led off with a double, went to third on Curtis Mead’s single and scored when Dylan Crews grounded into a double play.
Bellinger singled with one out in the New York fourth. He was caught stealing just before Dominguez homered to right center to make it 2-1.
CJ Abrams doubled with one out in the Washington sixth. Jacob Young singled to left, but Abrams fell rounding third and had to stay there. Fernando Cruz replaced Weathers and Daylen Lile, pinch hitting for Andres Chaparro, struck out. Jorbit Vivas pinch hit for Nasim Nunez and struck out.
Yankees starter Ryan Weathers pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up a run on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Nationals opener Carson Palmquist allowed a run on three hits over three innings, and bulk reliever Zack Littell allowed a run on five hits over four innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nneka Ogwumike's big night lifts Sparks over Sky
Jul 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) looks to pass against Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud (9) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Nneka Ogwumike scored a season-high 25 points and collected 12 rebounds and five assists to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 102-87 victory over the visiting Chicago Sky on Friday night.
All three of Ogwumike’s 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles recorded its second straight victory. The Sparks made 11 of 15 shots in the final quarter, including 4 of 5 from behind the arc.
Dearica Hamby added 17 points and seven rebounds, Ariel Atkins had 17 points and six assists and Rae Burrell made four 3-pointers while also scoring 17 for the Sparks (10-11).
Erica Wheeler had 15 points and eight assists for Los Angeles, which outscored the Sky 29-17 in the fourth quarter.
Kamilla Cardoso (eight rebounds), Sydney Taylor and reserve Gabriela Jaquez scored 15 points apiece for Chicago (7-15).
Azura Stevens registered 10 points and eight rebounds and backup Jacy Sheldon added 10 points for the Sky.
Skylar Diggins (right knee) missed her second straight game for the Sky, who connected on 43.7% of their attempts, including a lowly 6 of 25 from behind the arc.
Los Angeles made 51.3% of its shots and hit 14 of 31 from 3-point range while continuing to play without Kelsey Plum (lower left leg).
Ogwumike buried a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles an 80-72 lead with 7:46 left in the contest. Burrell hit a 3-pointer 45 seconds later and the Sparks led by nine.
A short time later, Ogwumike canned another 3-pointer and Hamby converted a layup as Los Angeles led 90-80 with 4:32 remaining.
Chicago crept within six before Burrell scored on a layup and Ogwumike sank another trey to make it 95-84 lead with 2:29 left as the Sparks closed it out.
Chicago trailed by five at halftime before starting the third quarter with a 13-5 run. A three-point play by Cardoso and a trey by Taylor capped it to give the Sky a 61-58 lead.
Los Angeles answered with an 11-3 burst. Emma Cannon sank a 3-pointer and Ogwumike made two free throws to end it as the Sparks took a 69-64 lead with 3:10 left.
Cannon scored another basket with just under a minute left as the Sparks led 73-70 entering the fourth quarter.
Wheeler scored 15 points in the first half as the Sparks held a 53-48 advantage. Sheldon scored 10 in the half for Chicago.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kazuma Okamoto's 3-run homer helps Blue Jays power past Padres
Jul 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Kazuma Okamoto belted a historic three-run homer Friday night during a four-run fifth inning as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays stopped the San Diego Padres 5-2.
Okamoto’s 22nd homer of the year came off reliever Jhony Brito, who fired a sinker down and in that was golfed an estimated 377 feet to the left field seats. It scored Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and tied Shohei Ohtani’s Japanese major league rookie record.
Mason Fluharty (4-0) got the win after striking out Gavin Sheets to end the bottom of the fifth. Four other relievers finished up, with Louis Varland pitching the ninth to garner his 19th save in as many chances despite allowing a two-out RBI single to Jackson Merrill.
JP Sears (2-2) absorbed the loss, yielding six hits and three runs over 4 1/3 innings while walking one and fanning three. Toronto starter Shane Bieber fell an out shy of qualifying for the win, getting hooked after 4 2/3 innings and 97 pitches. He permitted six hits and two runs with three walks and four strikeouts.
Sears entered the fifth with a 2-1 lead but found trouble via Myles Straw’s bunt single and Clement’s one-out single that pushed Straw to third. Brito relieved but Guerrero legged out an infield hit, setting the stage for Okamoto’s blast.
The long ball put San Diego up 2-0 after an inning. Bieber walked Merrill with one out and then fired a 2-0 fastball to Xander Bogaerts, who slugged it an estimated 401 feet to left-center for his ninth homer of the year.
Sears kept Toronto off the board until the fourth. He walked Guerrero to start the inning and then allowed a one-out single to George Springer. Alejandro Kirk cashed in Guerrero with an RBI double to center.
Meanwhile, the Padres missed on a chance to add on to the lead in their half of the fourth. Miguel Andujar walked with one out and Rodolfo Duran singled with two outs but Bieber fanned Fernando Tatis Jr.
–Field Level Media
Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s 2-run homer in 9th lifts Yankees past Nationals
Nneka Ogwumike's big night lifts Sparks over Sky
