Sports
Twins focusing on results, not trade deadline amidst success vs. Cubs
May 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers (27) celebrates his solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Ryan Jeffers knows he cannot control the trade rumors swirling around him.
Jeffers also knows he can control his approach at the plate. Lately, the sound of his bat smacking against the ball has seemed at least as loud as any trade speculation.
Jeffers and the Minnesota Twins will try to keep up their recent success when they face off against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Twins will go for their fourth straight win after taking Friday’s series opener 5-2.
In the win, Jeffers clubbed a three-run homer. His successful return from the injured list after missing time with a broken hamate bone in his left hand has reignited discussions that the Twins could move him before the trade deadline.
Jeffers will be a free agent this offseason, and the Twins are deep at catcher.
“I’m really happy,” Jeffers said. “I feel like I picked up not missing a beat from where I was early in the year. It’s always in the back of your head when you go down with an injury when you’re playing well: Are you able to find that quickly? I felt like I found it pretty quickly on my rehab assignment.”
The Cubs will try to bounce back after losing their first game after the All-Star break. Chicago won 20 of 28 games heading into the break and wants to regain its winning ways as it eyes a possible postseason run 10 years after its last World Series title.
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson should be good to stay in the lineup after avoiding serious injury Friday. Swanson covered second base and waited to catch a throw, but the ball deflected off a Twins baserunner and hit Swanson squarely in the face.
The Cubs’ medical staff attended to Swanson, who eventually got back to his feet and stayed in the game.
“He’s not a dramatic person at all, so I know when he’s going down, there’s something going on,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Obviously, a baseball to the face never feels good. He’s a tough guy, but that still doesn’t feel good.”
Twins right-hander Taj Bradley (9-3, 3.59 ERA) will make his 19th start of the season. He ranks second on the team with 118 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings this season.
This will be Bradley’s third career start against the Cubs. He has been terrific in his first two appearances, limiting Chicago to three unearned runs on six hits in 12 2/3 innings.
Despite boasting a 0.00 ERA against the Cubs, Bradley is 1-1 in those two outings because of the unearned runs.
The Cubs will counter with veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd (5-1, 4.50), who will make his 10th start of 2026.
Boyd will try to earn a victory for the fourth start in a row. Before the All-Star break, he reeled off wins against the San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds.
In 24 career starts against the Twins, Boyd is 9-8 with a 4.67 ERA. He has 43 walks and 139 strikeouts in 135 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braden Montgomery's 4 RBIs help White Sox pound Blue Jays
Jul 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Colson Montgomery (12) reacts after hitting a fly ball against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Braden Montgomery had four RBIs and Colson Montgomery added three RBIs Friday night as the visiting Chicago White Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 12-4.
Sam Antonacci hit a two-run home run for the White Sox in the opener of a three-game series that followed the All-Star break. Reliever Tyler Schweitzer (1-0) allowed one infield hit and a walk over the final three innings to earn his first major league win.
Luis Arias, George Springer and Brandon Valenzuela hit solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have lost all four games against the White Sox this season.
The White Sox took a 5-0 lead in the second against Spencer Miles (4-2).
Colson Montgomery and Andrew Benintendi started with singles. Kyle Teel blooped an RBI double to left. Braden Montgomery’s grounder to shortstop resulted in an out at third while Benintendi scored. Chase Meidroth stroked an RBI single to center then Antonacci homered to right on a 3-1 fastball.
Toronto scored once against Anthony Kay in the third. Ernie Clement was hit by a pitch and took third when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined a single off the glove of first baseman Munetaka Murakami. Kazuma Okamoto walked to load the bases. Clement scored on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop by George Springer.
Urias lined a homer into the Blue Jays’ bullpen in left on a first-pitch sinker with one out in the fourth.
Meidroth led off the fifth with a single to right and Adam Macko replaced Miles. Antonacci singled to left and Murakami walked to load the bases. Colson Montgomery cleared the bases with a double to left center.
Miles allowed six runs, six hits and no walks with four strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Kay allowed two runs, two hits and three walks with two hit batters and five strikeouts in four innings.
Springer homered to left on a 3-1 fastball from Trevor Richards with two out in the fifth. Valenzuela led off the home sixth with a homer to right against Richards on a 1-0 fastball.
Chicago took a 12-4 lead in the seventh. Miguel Vargas singled against Patrick Corbin and Colson Montgomery walked. The bases were loaded after Okamoto threw errantly to second on Randal Grichuk’s grounder to third. Braydon Fisher replaced Corbin with one out and allowed Braden Montgomery’s triple to right. Tristan Peters hit a sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Frustrations abound as France, England face off in third-place match
July 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; France coach Didier Deschamps and Ousmane Dembele look dejected after the match as France are eliminated from the World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Playing your final World Cup match one day prior to the championship game is not the assignment anybody desires.
But it’s the reality for France and England as the two countries will take the field in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“None of our players, and none of the French players, wants to play the third-place match,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “They want to play the final. We gave everything to achieve it.”
England missed out on the title match after allowing two late goals to Argentina to fall 2-1 on Wednesday in the semifinals. One day earlier, France came up short when largely outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Spain.
France coach Didier Deschamps isn’t the least bit thrilled about competing for the consolation prize.
“The best thing for France and England would be for this match not to exist,” Deschamps said.
The contest will be the final one as Les Bleus coach for the 57-year-old Deschamps, whose 14-year tenure includes guiding the nation to the 2018 World Cup crown.
“I know that it’s the last match and I don’t want anybody to cry, and I don’t think anybody here will cry,” Deschamps said. “I had the privilege to go through amazing moments and to go also through some more difficult moments, so the end is coming near but life goes on.”
France star Kylian Mbappe is tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi with eight goals in the Golden Boot competition. Mbappe is the defending winner after also having eight goals in 2022.
But first, Mbappe is coping with the fact that his side didn’t reach the final.
“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility,” Mbappe said of falling against Spain. “I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”
Mbappe has 20 career World Cup goals, one behind Messi’s record.
Three other players in this match are second-hand contenders for the Golden Boot: England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored six goals and France’s Ousmane Dembele is a longshot at five.
Kane won the 2018 Golden Boot with six goals. This will be the final World Cup match of his “prime” as he turns 33 on July 28.
It could conceivably be his final World Cup match, but Kane isn’t ready to discuss that possibility.
“It’s too early to talk about that,” Kane said. “I mean, as a person, it’s always just about taking it year by year and how I feel. The national team is my pride and joy. It’s what I love to do most, more than anything.
“Obviously, four years is a long way away. I’m 33 in the summer, but as you saw on the other end with Messi (who is 39) there, he’s still performing at the highest level. So, I never want to put a limit on these things.”
Kane and Bellingham have had standout World Cup performances for the Three Lions despite the disappointment of not reaching the final.
Tuchel has been roundly criticized for his tactics after England went up 1-0 in the 55th minute against Argentina on Anthony Gordon’s goal.
England loaded up the back end and played passively on offense. Instead of seeking a two-goal lead, England were playing not to be tied.
The strategy was foiled as Argentina scored goals in the 85th minute and the second minute of stoppage time to dash the dreams of English fans.
“No regrets, the team gave everything, and we were very, very close,” Tuchel said. “We deserved to be up one-nil. We played one of our better matches, maybe the best match. The team was top, but we couldn’t bring it over the line. No regrets.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ryan Jeffers' homer propels Twins past Cubs
Jul 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Bailey Ober (17) throws the ball against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Ryan Jeffers belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 5-2 win over the host Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Trevor Larnach and Ryan Kreidler also drove in one run apiece for Minnesota, which won the opener of a three-game series. The Twins have won three games in a row after entering the All-Star break with back-to-back victories.
Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a double and a run for Chicago. Michael Busch notched the lone RBI for the Cubs.
Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
Cubs right-hander Colin Rea (7-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings. He walked one and fanned six.
Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth to collect his 12th save. The Cubs had the tying run on deck, but Carson Kelly flied out to the warning track in right-center field to end the game.
The Cubs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Busch ripped an RBI single to right to drive in Pete Crow-Armstrong, who worked a leadoff walk and stole second.
The Twins bounced back with four runs in the third.
Larnach sparked the big inning with an RBI single to left to score Luke Keaschall. One batter later, Jeffers lifted a 369-foot shot over the ivy-covered wall in left-center field for his eighth home run of the season and his first since May 17.
Chicago cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth. Suzuki hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch by Twins right-hander Tommy Nance.
The Twins quickly regained a three-run lead in the seventh. Austin Martin and Keaschall drew back-to-back walks, and Kreidler capitalized moments later with an RBI single to left to make it 5-2.
Cubs relievers Drew Pomeranz and Gavin Hollowell teamed up to get the next three outs as the Twins stranded runners on second and third.
-Field Level Media
Braden Montgomery's 4 RBIs help White Sox pound Blue Jays
Frustrations abound as France, England face off in third-place match
