Sports
Sonny Gray, Red Sox hand Angels fifth straight loss
Jun 23, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Sonny Gray allowed a run and four hits in six innings and Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez hit home runs as the Boston Red Sox routed the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Wilyer Abreu added two RBIs and scored two runs for the Red Sox, who have won the first two games of the series.
Josh Lowe homered for the Angels, who lost their fifth in a row.
Gray (10-1, 2.61 ERA) walked two and struck out seven. Neither he nor Contreras (19 HR, 56 RBI, .285 batting average, .914 OPS) were among the All-Star Game participants announced earlier in the day.
Los Angeles starter Sam Aldegheri (3-4) gave up three runs and one hit in four innings with four walks and two strikeouts.
Contreras’ three-run homer in the first inning gave Boston a 3-0 lead.
He belted Aldegheri’s 2-1 changeup an estimated 421 feet into the left field stands. Anthony Seigler and Abreu, who had both walked, scored ahead of Contreras.
Lowe’s solo homer in the second put the Angels on the board and made it 3-1. He drove Gray’s first-pitch cutter high over the center field fence an estimated 437 feet. It was Lowe’s seventh homer of the season.
Los Angeles had runners on first and second with one out later in the inning, but Gray struck out Donovan Walton and Tyler Heineman.
Boston put the game out of reach with four runs in the fifth for a 7-1 lead. Abreu hit a two-run double and Gonzalez lofted a two-run homer just inside the foul pole in left for his first home run.
All four runs came off of reliever Samy Natera Jr.
Ceddanne Rafaela doubled in a run in the eighth for the final margin.
Relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman and starter Ranger Suarez were selected for the All-Star Game for Boston and Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout, who is on the injured list with a hamstring injury, was picked as a starter for the game in Philadelphia on July 14.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves deliver fireworks with 5 homers in bludgeoning of Mets
Jul 4, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Eli White (36) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images
Eli White homered and drove in four runs to spark the Atlanta Braves to a 14-3 win over the visiting New York Mets on Saturday.
The Braves have won the first two games of the four-game series. New York has lost 12 of its last 14 and fell 17 games behind Atlanta in the National League East.
White was 2-for-2, hit one of the Braves’ five home runs and matched his career high with four RBIs. Also going deep were Mauricio Dubon, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Riley, who ended a 36-game homerless streak, and Michael Harris II, who homered off position player Luis Torrens.
Chris Sale (9-6) pitched five innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three, matching his season low.
Rookie JR Ritchie closed the game with three scoreless innings, striking out four, to earn his first save.
New York starter Sean Manaea (1-4) allowed six runs on six hits and one walk, striking out four over five innings.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when White hit a solo homer, his fourth, into the Mets bullpen. Manaea had not allowed a home run since White tagged him for one in New York on June 13.
Atlanta added four runs in the third. Michael Harris II drove home a run with a bases-loaded single. White followed with a shallow popup that glanced off the glove of center fielder Tyrone Taylor, who nearly collided with shortstop Francisco Lindor, and into left field, clearing the bases.
The Braves upped the lead to 6-0 when Dubon hit a solo homer, his ninth.
Taylor helped atone for his earlier gaffe with a solo homer, his fourth, in the fifth.
The Mets knocked Sale out of the game in the sixth. Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer, his 11th, and had two runners on base with no outs when Sale was lifted in favor of Dylan Lee. The left-handed reliever struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fire rally past Storm in first-ever Pacific Northwest meeting
Jul 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler (21) shoots the ball against Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga (14) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Carla Leite scored a team-high 20 points as the expansion Portland Fire defeated the host Seattle Storm 77-72 Saturday night in the first meeting between the WNBA’s Pacific Northwest rivals at Climate Pledge Arena.
Bridget Carleton scored 14 points and Megan Gustafson added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Fire (9-12), which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Portland’s Emily Engstler and Frieda Buhner combined for 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Dominique Malonga led the Storm (5-17) with 22 points. Natisha Hiedeman scored 15 and rookie Awa Fam added 12. Seattle remained winless in 12 games against Western Conference foes.
Fam made a 3-pointer from the left corner with 6:29 remaining to pull the Storm within 61-58. The Fire answered with a 5-0 run, capped by Carleton’s three-point play, to maintain command.
Malonga made two free throws with 2:39 left as Seattle again pulled within three, but Carleton made a driving, second-chance layup after an offensive rebound by Gustafson with 1:48 left. Gustafson sank a lay-in and free throw with 1:04 to go to put Portland up 71-63.
Malonga made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute, but Portland clinched the victory at the free-throw line.
The Fire made 36.8% of their field-goal attempts (25 of 68), but were just 4 of 25 from 3-point range. The Storm shot 33.8% (24 of 71) from the floor and were 8 of 29 from distance. Portland outrebounded Seattle 47-31 despite a size disadvantage inside.
After leading by two at the half, the Fire began pulling away late in the third.
Gustafson’s 3-pointer broke a 38-all tie with 6:01 left in the quarter to give Portland the lead for good. Buhner scored seven points in a 9-3 run to put the Fire up by seven and they took a 54-47 lead into the fourth.
The Fire opened the second quarter with an 8-0 streak as Leite converted a three-point play and Engstler added a 3-pointer and a driving layup to pull Portland within 20-18. The teams traded the lead until late layups by Engstler and Barker broke a tie and helped the Fire take a 32-30 lead at the intermission.
Hiedeman scored nine points in the first as the Storm took a 20-10 lead. Portland shot just 2 for 16 in the opening quarter, including missing all eight of its 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers, Phillies, Braves land 5 players for All-Star Game in Philadelphia
Jul 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates with two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) and teammates in the dugout after scoring against the San Diego Padres in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will have four hitters in the National League’s starting lineup when the world’s best players gather July 14 in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who received the most votes among National League players to guarantee his sixth consecutive All-Star spot last week, learned Saturday that he will be joined in the lineup by first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and center fielder Andy Pages.
“I wanted to participate, but that wasn’t in my control. I didn’t want to put it out there until I knew it was for sure,” Pages said in Spanish, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “It’s exciting to be able to participate in my first one. I’m really proud of the work that I’ve been doing and to have the opportunity.”
Fans and players also elected Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto as starters. Baldwin, Marsh and Pages are first-time all-stars.
Baldwin said he got called into the office by Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Walt Weiss, who asked him if he had plans for the All-Star break.
“I was like, ‘I don’t have anything.’ And they’re like, ‘well, you’re going to Philly,'” Baldwin said. “It’s pretty cool. It’s something you always watch growing up. And then being able to do this for the first time is, I’m super excited for it. And it’s pretty special to see some of the hard work, it’s paying off.”
The American League starting lineup features a mix of perpetual All-Stars and new faces. The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout and Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton comprise the AL’s outfield, though Judge (rib stress fracture) likely won’t be available and Trout (strained right hamstring) might not be activated from the injured list in time to play.
Trout was voted in for a 12th time and 11th as a starter to lead all active players, but injuries have marred his career including a torn meniscus in the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. The three-time AL MVP and All-Star Game MVP in 2014 and 2015 hasn’t been able to play in the game since 2019. Playing this year in Philadelphia, not far from his hometown of Millville, N.J., adding another layer to the selection.
“It was definitely on my list when it came out, so it’s pretty cool,” Trout said. “Just the kids, friends, family. It just means a lot.”
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, who was elected to the 2014 All-Star Game with Trout, noted Trout has been a fan of Philadelphia sports teams since his youth.
“He’s been to it a lot of times, but I know this one meant a lot to him, obviously being in Philly,” Suzuki said. “Just how hard he’s worked to get to this spot. I played with Mike for two years. I appreciated the way he went about it. But now being a manager and seeing how he goes about it and what he means to the team, it couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement make their All-Star Game debuts alongside Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.
Guerrero, a six-time All-Star, announced Saturday that he will miss the game to rest his injured lower back. The Athletics’ Nick Kurtz, who had the most votes for AL first basemen on the players’ ballots, now will start instead of being a reserve. That makes this All-Star Game the first to have two Athletics players start — Langeliers and Kurtz — since Rickey Henderson and Dave Henderson in 1991.
The unanimous AL Rookie of the Year in 2025, Kurtz is from Lancaster, Pa., making the game in Philadelphia even more special. He led the Athletics with a .282 batting average, 66 RBIs, 76 walks, 89 hits, a .424 on-base percentage and a .525 slugging percentage, and was tied with Langeliers with 20 home runs entering Saturday night’s home game against the Miami Marlins.
Alvarez cracked his league-high 28th and 29th home runs on Saturday night against Tampa Bay while Caminero delivered his 11th blast in the Rays’ last 11 games to move his home run total to 26 for the year.
Clement, who owns a .293 batting average and .746 OPS for the 42-47 Blue Jays, received the most fan votes to become the first AL player to secure his spot in the lineup. Langeliers is the first A’s catcher selected to start since Terry Steinbach made consecutive starts in 1988 and 1989.
The American League pitching staff features 11 hurlers making either their first or second All-Star Game appearance. Only Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman (ninth selection) knows the ropes extensively.
Toronto’s Dylan Cease, Cleveland’s Parker Messick, Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, New York’s Cam Schlittler, Boston’s Ranger Suarez and Kansas City’s Michael Wacha are the starters selected while Chapman is joined in the bullpen by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, Texas’ Jacob Latz, Cleveland’s Cade Smith and Toronto’s Louis Varland.
The NL staff features slightly more experience as Atlanta ace Chris Sale (10th selection) is the only pitcher with more than three All-Star Games on his resume. Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Miami’s Max Meyer, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, San Francisco’s Logan Webb and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto join Sale on the starting staff.
San Diego closer Mason Miller leads a bullpen that includes Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran and Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias.
In addition to Marsh, Sanchez and Duran, Phillies fans will get to cheer for first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber as reserves. Harper (ninth All-Star appearance) was deemed a “legend pick” while Schwarber leads the majors with 30 homers.
The National League bench consists of catchers William Contreras (Milwaukee) and Hunter Goodman (Colorado), first baseman Matt Olson (Atlanta), shortstop Otto Lopez (Miami), utility infielders Luis Arraez (San Francisco) and Sal Stewart (Cincinnati) and outfielders Corbin Carroll (Arizona), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Jordan Walker (St. Louis) and James Wood (Washington).
The American League reserves are catchers Dillon Dingler (Detroit) and Adley Rutschman (Baltimore), designated hitter Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay), first basemen Ben Rice (Yankees) and Kurtz, rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana (Cleveland), rookie shortstop/third baseman Kevin McGonigle (Detroit), third baseman Miguel Vargas (White Sox) and outfielders Randy Arozarena (Seattle), Cody Bellinger (Yankees) and Riley Greene (Detroit).
The Phillies, Dodgers and Braves boast the most All-Stars with five apiece. Twenty-six players — including 15 of the 32 players on the American League roster — are making their first All-Star appearance.
–Field Level Media
