Sports
Spurs battle Suns in Kevin Durant's first return to Austin as pro
University of Texas freshman Kevin Durant walks off the Erwin Center court after playing Texas Tech on Feb. 20, 2007. The San Antonio Spurs will be the de facto home team when they square off against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in Austin, Texas, but they won’t have the game’s most popular player in their huddle.
That’s because the contest will be a homecoming for the Suns’ Kevin Durant. It will mark the first time the former collegiate player of the year has played as a professional in Austin, where he starred for the University of Texas in 2006-07 during his lone college season.
It’s the first of two games for the Spurs in the Texas capital on consecutive nights; San Antonio plays Detroit at the University of Texas’ Moody Center on Friday.
Durant said last week that Thursday’s game will “mean a lot” to the 11-time All-Star and four-time NBA scoring champ.
“I’m excited that we get to go back to play a regular-season game there,” Durant said. “Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. So, I appreciate the NBA for setting this up. This is a unique time.”
The Suns return from the All-Star Break in search of a reboot. Phoenix has lost three games in a row and six of its past seven, including a 119-111 setback Feb. 12 in Houston. Durant was brilliant in defeat, scoring 37 points and dishing out a team-high nine assists, but the shorthanded Suns couldn’t break their losing streak.
Bol Bol added 15 points for Phoenix, which played without Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen in the second game of a back-to-back.
With 26 wins and 28 losses at the break, the Suns have plenty of work to do over their final 28 games.
“We’ve got to think about the day ahead of us and trying to get better,” Durant said. “And figure out how to win the next game and go on from there. We expect a lot out of ourselves individually, and it just hasn’t materialized the way we want it to.
“It’s been disappointing to see us play this way.”
The Spurs return from the break also looking to get back on track after dropping three of their last four games — most recently a 116-103 loss Feb. 12 at Boston. De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 23 points while Victor Wembanyama had 17 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, and Harrison Barnes chipped in 14 points in a game the Spurs trailed by as many as 24 points.
At 23-29, San Antonio has matched its season-worst showing in relation to .500.
The Spurs have emphasized physicality and finding easy shots on offense, but they have sputtered at times — especially when teams have been able to limit Wembanyama. Now the team looks to get back on track without its All-Star big man, who is listed as doubtful for the Thursday game due to an illness.
Adding Fox at the trade deadline was expected to help right the ship in San Antonio, but the Spurs are just 2-3 since the mercurial guard was added to the lineup.
“A lot of things that we preached and a lot of things that when we’ve had rough patches, they’ve been a common theme, so we need to improve in some of those areas,” interim coach Mitch Johnson said. “The team has made tremendous strides in their consistency and their maturity and trying to play and execute in what we ask.
“Any time you improve, expectations come with that. Any time you add a good player, expectations come with that. And I think that we will be stubborn and not skipping steps and trusting that we’re going to go about this the right way.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Scherzer returns Monday for Blue Jays on 42nd birthday
Jun 10, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) celebrates his career 3500th strike out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images Max Scherzer will celebrate his 42nd birthday by returning to the Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation against one of his former teams.
Manager John Schneider announced Sunday that Scherzer will come off the injured list to start Monday’s series opener against the Nationals in Washington. Rookie right-hander Spencer Miles will be moved back to the bullpen.
Scherzer has not pitched in the majors since June 10. He landed on the 15-day IL the following week because of back spasms, then encountered another delay after receiving three cortisone injections in his right thumb during the All-Star break.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner cleared his final test Wednesday with Triple-A Buffalo, throwing five hitless innings while striking out seven. The only batter to reach did so on an error, and Scherzer threw 56 pitches with 40 for strikes.
Schneider said Toronto might limit Scherzer’s workload on Monday, but the veteran recovered well from the rehab start and met the club’s requirements for a return.
“Maybe a little bit limited in pitch count, but I think he kind of checked all the boxes,” Schneider said.
Toronto hopes the layoff allowed Scherzer to reset after a difficult opening half. He is 1-4 with a 10.23 ERA through six starts, allowing 25 earned runs over 22 innings.
His return is particularly timely for a rotation that has been tested by injuries. The Blue Jays have lost seven of their first 10 games since the All-Star break and are trying to remain in the American League playoff race.
Monday’s matchup also sends Scherzer to face the team where he achieved some of his greatest success. He played for Washington from 2015-21, winning two Cy Young Awards and helping the Nationals capture the 2019 World Series.
Scherzer owns a 222-121 record and 3.27 ERA over 19 major league seasons. He won another World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and reached the 3,500-strikeout milestone with Toronto earlier this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jadelyn Allchin's hot bat leads Talons to AUSL title
Jun 2, 2024; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; UCLA Bruins outfielder Jadelyn Allchin (40) hits a single in the third inning against the Stanford Cardinals during a Women’s College World Series softball losers bracket elimination game at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images Championship Series MVP Jadelyn Allchin homered, doubled and drove in three runs to lead the Utah Talons to a 6-1 victory over the Chicago Bandits on Sunday at College Station, Texas, to win the Athletes Unlimited Softball League Championship for the second straight year.
Allchin hit a two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the fourth to lead the Talons to the victory in the clinching Game 2 of the best-of-three championship series. Utah recorded a 2-1 victory over the Bandits in Game 1 on Saturday.
Bri Ellis and Sahvanna Jaquish also homered for the Talons. Right-hander Montana Fouts pitched a complete game and gave up eight hits. She struck out four and walked one.
Skylar Wallace drove in the lone Chicago run with a single in the seventh inning. It was her second hit of the game.
Bandits right-hander Kat Sandercock gave up four runs (two earned) and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Allchin’s double knocked her out of the contest.
The Talons also beat the Bandits in last year’s championship series in the first campaign of the AUSL.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddy Peralta says Sunday was 'probably' his final Mets start
Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Freddy Peralta believes he may have made his final start for the New York Mets on Sunday, with the struggling club expected to trade the right-hander before the Aug. 3 deadline.
Peralta conceded the likelihood of a move after allowing three runs — two earned — on six hits and two walks over four innings in an 8-3 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He needed 93 pitches to record 12 outs and finished with three strikeouts.
“I know it probably is,” Peralta said when asked whether he believes that was his last time pitching for the Mets.
Peralta is currently scheduled to start Friday against the Miami Marlins, but New York has little incentive to retain an impending free agent after falling well outside the National League playoff picture.
The Mets acquired Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers during the offseason with the expectation that he would lead their rotation. Instead, the two-time All-Star has gone 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA through 22 starts, going at least six innings only six times.
His struggles have become more pronounced of late. Peralta has not recorded a quality start since June 3 and has posted a 7.34 ERA since that outing.
“I know so far I’ve let them down,” Peralta said. “I haven’t done what I was supposed to do.”
The 30-year-old entered the season coming off a career-best season going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts over 176 2/3 innings with Milwaukee. That track record, along with the demand for starting pitching among contenders, should keep him among New York’s most marketable deadline pieces despite his recent results.
Peralta said he remains confident he can rediscover his previous form, whether that opportunity comes with the Mets or another organization.
“We haven’t done what we expected to do, in general, but especially myself,” Peralta said. “I know I can be way better than this. I still believe in myself. I was born to be a winner and not a loser. I think I have a lot in me, a lot to show. I know it can change because I still have time to make a change.”
–Field Level Media
Max Scherzer returns Monday for Blue Jays on 42nd birthday
Jadelyn Allchin's hot bat leads Talons to AUSL title
