Sports
Wild-card-contending Royals out to halt skid at Nationals
Sep 11, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (55) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The slumping Kansas City Royals will try to get well when they visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
Kansas City (82-74) entered Monday tied for the second wild-card spot in the American League despite losing seven straight games for the second time in less than three weeks.
The Royals finish the regular season with three games at Washington (69-87) and three at the Atlanta Braves as they battle the Detroit Tigers (82-74), Minnesota Twins (81-75) and Seattle Mariners (80-76) for the final two wild-card spots behind the Baltimore Orioles (86-70).
The Royals were shut out for the second straight game Sunday, 2-0 by the Giants, and went 0-6 on their final homestand.
“Just stay the course,” Michael Massey said. “We’ve done things to put ourselves in this position, and the last week of the season is probably not the time to throw darts at a wall blindfolded because things aren’t going our way.”
Kansas City has scored four runs in its past five games.
“No luck, no clutch — those two variables in all the games,” Tommy Pham said. “Our pitchers, for the most part, gave us a chance in all the games. We just didn’t help them out.”
As for the Royals’ final two opponents, Washington is playing out the string, and Atlanta could be as well this weekend depending on how its three-game series against the Mets plays out.
In a matchup of left-handers, the Royals’ Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.24 ERA) opposes the Nationals’ Mitchell Parker (7-10, 4.44) on Tuesday.
Ragans has enjoyed a strong September, going 1-0 in three starts with a 1.42 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 19 innings. Last time out, he allowed one run in seven innings against the Tigers, taking a no-decision in a 3-1 Royals loss.
He has never faced the Nationals.
Parker looks to finish his rookie campaign with a solid outing. He is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his past five starts. In his last outing, he was roughed up by the Mets, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks and one strikeout in 3 2/3 innings. He has never faced the Royals.
“I was getting two strikes (on the hitter) and wasn’t able to put anything away,” Parker said. “You can’t really walk two guys and not expect anything bad to happen, especially against a team like the Mets.”
The Nationals are limping to the finish line of what they hope will be the last season of a multi-year rebuilding campaign. After sending All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minors Saturday for an off-the-field issue, Washington completed a 1-6 road trip with a 5-0 loss to the Cubs on Sunday.
It was the 34th time the Nationals have been held to one run or fewer.
“We had some innings going where we could’ve gotten some runs,” manager Dave Martinez said after his team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. “We just couldn’t drive in any runs. We just start chasing in those moments. Let the pitcher be the guy that feels like he’s got to struggle. We’re going to get better.”
Jose Tena and James Wood had two hits apiece for Washington, which finished with a 33-48 road record.
The Nationals need to win three of their final six games to surpass last year’s win total of 71.
–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
