Sports
Shota Imanaga stymies Nationals in Cubs' win
Sep 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws the ball against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Shota Imanaga pitched seven scoreless innings and the Chicago Cubs hit three home runs in a 5-0 win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Mike Tauchman, Michael Busch and Miguel Amaya went deep for Chicago (80-76), which took three of four from Washington (69-87).
The start of the game was delayed two hours and 20 minutes by rain.
Imanaga (15-3) won his sixth consecutive start. He allowed six hits without walking a batter and struck out four in his 10th start this season of at least seven innings. The left-hander is third in the National League in wins and earned run average for a starter (2.91).
Jose Tena and James Wood had two hits each for the Nationals, who went 1-6 on their final road trip of the season.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (10-13) allowed five runs on four hits – three of them home runs – and four walks in four innings. He struck out three.
Tauchman gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead when he led off the bottom of the first with his seventh home run of the season, a shot to right. The Cubs added another run when Dansby Swanson walked, stole second and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s single to right.
Wood was stranded at second after doubling to lead off the fourth. Busch made it 3-0 when he homered leading off the bottom half of the frame. Then with two outs, Pete Crow-Armstrong walked and Amaya homered to left to increase the lead to 5-0.
The Nationals got back-to-back singles with two outs in the fifth, but Imanaga got Dylan Crews to ground out.
Crews and Wood singled against reliever Ethan Roberts with one out in the eighth.
Pinch hitter Joey Gallo followed with a fly ball down the right-field line that was called fair on the field and resulted in a run-scoring ground-rule double. But Cubs manager Craig Counsell challenged the play and the call was overturned. Gallo then struck out.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs C Victor Wembanyama to grace NBA 2K27 cover
Dec 27, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after scoring during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will grace the cover of the NBA 2K27 video game, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
The 7-foot-4 center powered San Antonio to the 2026 NBA Finals, with the Spurs falling to the New York Knicks in five games last month.
In his third NBA season, Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-leading 3.1 blocks.
Previous cover athletes in the NBA 2K series have included Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Jayson Tatum.
Wembanyama, 22, is the third Spurs player to make the cover of at least one version of the game, joining Tony Parker (NBA 2K16, French version) and Pau Gasol (NBA 2K17, Spanish version).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Astros turn to Peter Lambert in bid for sweep of reeling Marlins
Jul 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) comes off the field after he pitches against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images A spate of unrelenting injuries to the rotation resulted in 14 different pitchers making starts for the Houston Astros this season, with Ronel Blanco joining that group on Monday when he made his season debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Hayden Wesneski, slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, should be next to return for Houston.
The Astros claimed their three-game interleague series against the Miami Marlins with a 5-3 victory on Tuesday behind Tatsuya Imai.
Five Astros have made at least 10 starts, a collection that doesn’t include ace Hunter Brown, who returned from an extended stint on the injured list in mid-June.
“Some of those guys that we’re getting back have pitched out of the bullpen, so as we continue to map out the next couple of weeks and consider adding some pitching at the deadline, with all those pieces, would they fit,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.
“We’re going to move some things around so we can make this work.”
Right-hander Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA) is scheduled to start on Wednesday as the Astros pursue the series sweep.
Lambert is 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three starts this month and has allowed one run or fewer in each start, including on June 17 against the Baltimore Orioles. He worked six innings in that game and surrendered one run on three hits and three walks with a season-high 10 strikeouts over six innings.
Lambert is 1-0 with a 6.35 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Marlins. In his previous start against Miami on May 2, 2024, he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings and did not factor into a 5-4 loss with the Colorado Rockies.
Right-hander Sandy Alcantara (10-5, 3.89) has the starting assignment for Miami.
Alcantara has produced a quality start in all three starts this month, going 1-1 with a 2.14 ERA. He went 7-0 with a 2.98 ERA during a seven-start stretch before a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on July 10.
He did not factor into the decision of a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday after allowing one run on three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts over six innings.
Alcantara has faced the Astros once previously. He surrendered six runs on nine hits and one walk with five strikeouts over seven innings in an 8-2 home loss on Aug. 4, 2025.
All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez returned from a two-game injury hiatus (finger) for the Marlins, which allowed Miami manager Clayton McCullough to tinker with his lineup.
Lopez batted leadoff for the ninth time this season and finished 0-for-3 with two walks. McCullough is aiming to build protection around left-handed hitting Kyle Stowers with the right-handed hitting Lopez and Heriberto Hernandez, plus switch-hitting Xavier Edwards.
“Just trying to have Stowers be shielded as best I can from left(-handed pitching), and if they are going to throw left on Stowers, then at least you have Otto and (Hernandez) around him, X (Edwards) behind him,” McCullough said.
“Before Otto got hurt, I was thinking about potentially going this route with hitting him (leadoff), hitting Bert (third). If people still want to bring in left on Stowers to try to mitigate some of his slug, at least they’re going to have to go through Bert and X before they get to (lefty Liam) Hicks.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jason Day (back) withdraws from 3M Open
Jul 17, 2026; Southport, ENG; Jason Day watches his shot from the second tee during the second round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Birkdale. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Australia’s Jason Day withdrew from the 3M Open on Wednesday due to a back injury.
Day, 38, missed the cut at The Open Championship last week and withdrew during the first round of the U.S. Open on June 18, also with a back injury.
The former World No. 1 is a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, including his lone major title at the PGA Championship in 2015.
Charley Hoffman, 49, replaced Day in the field for the 3M Open which begins Thursday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. He has missed the cut in 13 of his 14 PGA Tour events this season.
–Field Level Media
Spurs C Victor Wembanyama to grace NBA 2K27 cover
Astros turn to Peter Lambert in bid for sweep of reeling Marlins
