“THE SCOREBOARD” MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES TIGERS 2, ROYALS 1 YANKEES 1, PHILLIES 0 RED SOX 6, BLUE JAYS 4 BRAVES 7, ORIOLES 6 DODGERS 4, METS 2 ASTROS 9, WHITE SOX 5 MARINERS 5, RANGERS 4 REDS 4, CARDINALS 2 GIANTS 7, ANGELS 6 (10 INNINGS) ROCKIES 5, BREWERS 2 DIAMONDBACKS 3, NATIONALS 2 PADRES 4, MARLINS 2 CUBS 3, PIRATES 2 (10 INNINGS) RAYS 11, GUARDIANS 3 ATHLETICS 2, TWINS 0 ##################### BASEBALL NEWS https://www.mlb.com ###################### NFL NEWS https://www.nfl.com ###################### NBA NEWS https://www.nba.com ###################### NHL NEWS https://www.nhl.com ###################### MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES LEHIGH VALLEY 6 INDIANAPOLIS 3 SOUTH BEND 9 WISCONSIN 8 FT. WAYNE 8 LAKE COUNTY 3 ####################### WNBA SCORES NO GAMES SCHEDULED ####################### INDIANA HS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/teams.htm#load ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL https://www.maxpreps.com/in/volleyball ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER https://www.maxpreps.com/in/soccer/girls ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/cross-country ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/cross-country ####################### INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TENNIS https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/tennis ###################### NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUG. 6 CAROLINA VS. ARIZONA – 8PM, NBC/PEACOCK WEEK 1 THURSDAY – AUG. 13 DETROIT AT CINCINNATI – 7PM GREEN BAY AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW ENGLAND – 7:30PM LA CHARGERS AT HOUSTON – 8PM ARIZONA AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO – 9PM FRIDAY – AUG. 14 DENVER AT ATLANTA – 7PM TAMPA BAY AT NY JETS – 7PM MIAMI AT WASHINGTON – 7PM SATURDAY – AUG. 15 CAROLINA AT BUFFALO – 1PM CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO – 1PM MINNESOTA AT NY GIANTS – 1PM LA RAMS AT KANSAS CITY – 4PM JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ORLEANS – 4PM PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE – 7PM DALLAS AT SEATTLE – 8PM WEEK 2 THURSDAY – AUG. 20 LAS VEGAS AT HOUSTON – 8PM, ESPN SAN FRANCISCO AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM FRIDAY – AUG. 21 NY JETS AT PITTSBURGH – 7PM CAROLINA AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM GREEN BAY AT DENVER – 9PM SATURDAY – AUG. 22 WASHINGTON AT DETROIT – 12PM BUFFALO AT CLEVELAND – 1PM ATLANTA AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM BALTIMORE AT MINNESOTA – 1PM NEW ORLEANS AT LA RAMS – 4PM NY GIANTS AT MIAMI – 4PM CHICAGO AT CINCINNATI – 7PM PHILADELPHIA AT NEW ENGLAND – 7PM KANSAS CITY AT TAMPA BAY – 7:30PM DALLAS AT ARIZONA – 10PM SUNDAY – AUG. 23 SEATTLE AT TENNESSEE – 8PM, FOX WEEK 3 THURSDAY – AUG. 27 PITTSBURGH AT BUFFALO – 7PM NEW ENGLAND AT CLEVELAND – 8PM, PRIME VIDEO SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS – 8PM LA RAMS AT LA CHARGERS – 10PM FRIDAY – AUG. 28 WASHINGTON AT BALTIMORE – 6PM HOUSTON AT CAROLINA – 7PM ATLANTA AT MIAMI – 7PM TAMPA BAY AT JACKSONVILLE – 7:30PM NY GIANTS AT NY JETS – 7:30PM NEW ORLEANS AT DALLAS – 8PM ARIZONA AT GREEN BAY – 8PM SEATTLE AT KANSAS CITY – 8PM CINCINNATI AT PHILADELPHIA – 8PM, CBS MINNESOTA AT DENVER – 9PM SATURDAY – AUG. 29 DETROIT AT INDIANAPOLIS – 1PM CHICAGO AT TENNESSEE – 6PM ###################################### 2026 NFL TEAM SCHEDULES https://www.nfl.com/schedules/2026/by-team ##################################### 2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE WEEK DATE OPPONENT TV / TIME (ET) WEEK 1 THU, AUG 13 @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LOCAL (7:30 PM) WEEK 2 SAT, AUG 22 VS. ATLANTA FALCONS LOCAL (1:00 PM) WEEK 3 SAT, AUG 29 VS. DETROIT LIONS LOCAL (1:00 PM) ##### 2026 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE WEEK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) TV / STREAMING 1 SUN, SEPT 13 VS. BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00 PM CBS 2 SUN, SEPT 20 @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 8:20 PM NBC 3 SUN, SEPT 27 VS. HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS 4 SUN, OCT 4 @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 9:30 AM NFL NET 5 SUN, OCT 11 @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00 PM CBS 6 SUN, OCT 18 VS. TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM FOX 7 SUN, OCT 25 @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS 1:00 PM CBS 8 SUN, NOV 1 @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS 9 SUN, NOV 8 VS. DALLAS COWBOYS 1:00 PM FOX 10 SUN, NOV 15 VS. MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00 PM CBS 11 THU, NOV 19 @ HOUSTON TEXANS 8:15 PM PRIME VIDEO 12 SUN, NOV 29 VS. NEW YORK GIANTS 1:00 PM FOX 13 BYE WEEK 14 SUN, DEC 13 @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 1:00 PM FOX 15 SUN, DEC 20 @ TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS 16 TBD – FLEX VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS TBD TBD 17 SUN, JAN 3 @ CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00 PM FOX 18 TBD – FLEX GAME VS. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS TBD TBD ####################################### TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES NBA NEWS LEBRON JAMES LANDS WITH 76ERS LeBron James has announced his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, marking a surprising development in the current free agency period. After an extensive three-week deliberation, this decision follows James’ eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, which concluded on June 30, when he informed the organization of his intention to explore alternative opportunities just before the commencement of the official free agency period. At 41 years old, James will don his fourth NBA jersey as he aims to conclude a 43-year championship drought for the franchise in Philadelphia. According to ESPN, James will enter into a two-year contract valued at $8 million. In the lead-up to his decision, James evaluated potential returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, while also considering interest from the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Ultimately, he indicated via social media that he had contemplated retirement but was motivated by the desire to pursue another championship title. The 76ers have not secured an NBA championship since 1983. As of Friday afternoon, Philadelphia held the fourth-best odds for the 2027 championship (+1000 on FanDuel), trailing behind the San Antonio Spurs (+260), Oklahoma City Thunder (+260), and New York Knicks (+900). Notably, the 76ers were positioned as +7500 longshots as recently as June 30. LeBron James articulated his rationale for joining the Philadelphia 76ers, emphasizing his pursuit of a championship as the primary motivation for his decision. “This represents my final decision. I am not pursuing financial incentives or familial considerations. At this juncture in my career, I reflect on what truly drives me. I remain committed to making sacrifices, engaging in hard work, and competing to attain the experience of winning another championship. I am confident in my ability to contribute to the Philadelphia 76ers’ journey towards becoming a championship-caliber team, and I am eager to invigorate a new fan base as I embark on this remarkable endeavor for one last time. I extend my gratitude to Los Angeles, express my enduring affection for Miami, and acknowledge that Northeast Ohio will always be home.” This transition marks the fourth occasion on which James has altered teams through free agency as he approaches his 24th season, which he has declared will be his final one. In 2010, he departed from the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. Following a successful tenure in Miami that yielded two championships, he returned to Cleveland in 2014. After leading the Cavaliers to their inaugural championship in 2016, he transferred to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. Now, James aims to secure success once more as he endeavors to guide Philadelphia to its first championship title since 1983, a year when Moses Malone famously predicted a playoff sweep in all three rounds, narrowly falling short of that expectation by a single game. The Philadelphia 76ers’ Historical Context with LeBron James The Philadelphia 76ers have previously endeavored to acquire LeBron James. In 2018, representatives of the organization engaged with his agent, Rich Paul, during the brief free agency period that ultimately resulted in James signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. At that time, the 76ers were transitioning from their notorious “Process” and had recently reached the playoffs for the first time, with Joel Embiid playing a pivotal role. Currently, Embiid, a former Most Valuable Player (MVP), occupies a unique position, as he is arguably the least critical starter on the roster. During discussions, Paul presented a whiteboard listing options considered by him and James, indicating that only one player received a star designation: Philadelphia’s starting point guard, Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers have recently completed a significant trade, acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. Additionally, VJ Edgecombe, selected as the No. 3 overall pick in the previous draft, is emerging as a potential superstar. On paper, the inclusion of James would enhance the 76ers’ lineup, making it one of the most talent-rich starting units in NBA history. Importantly, this configuration appears equipped to address Embiid’s recurring absences. Although Philadelphia does not possess a second established big man, its depth is noteworthy when considering the level of star power within the roster. New president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey, who was the runner-up to James for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 2001, has brought highly regarded defender Dean Wade to the team from the Cavaliers. Additionally, the organization secured Anfernee Simons on the free-agent market, acquiring him as their primary bench scorer for a modest $5.3 million. With the development of young talents such as Labaron Philon, Dominick Barlow, and Adem Bona, the 76ers appear well-positioned to compete meaningfully for a championship. In leaving Los Angeles, it appears that James harbored doubts regarding the Lakers’ capability to provide him with a comparable competitive environment. Analysis of LeBron James’ Departure from the Los Angeles Lakers** The relationship between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly began to deteriorate following the team’s unsuccessful attempt to acquire Russell Westbrook. However, the pivotal moment that catalyzed this transition occurred one year later during the 2025 trade deadline when the Lakers successfully acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks. This significant move shifted the team’s strategic timeline away from James and Anthony Davis, who was subsequently traded to Dallas as part of the Dončić deal. When James opted into the final year of his contract last season, his agent, Rich Paul, publicly conveyed some dissatisfaction with the Lakers’ future direction. “LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul stated to ESPN at that time. “He is cognizant that the Lakers are building for the future. While he understands this, he prioritizes a realistic opportunity to contend for a title. We are very grateful for the eight-year partnership with owners Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka and consider the Lakers to be an integral part of his career.” At that juncture, there were speculations that James might seek a trade; however, the Philadelphia 76ers were not positioned to accommodate such a transaction. The only feasible matching salary options would have necessitated the inclusion of either Joel Embiid or Paul George, both of whom would have complicated the Lakers’ salary cap plans. Ultimately, James remained with the Lakers for the previous season, and optimism appeared to return when the team achieved a 15-2 record in March. Nevertheless, injuries to Dončić and Austin Reaves, who recently signed a four-year, $185 million maximum extension, hindered James and the Lakers’ ability to mount a serious championship challenge in the spring. James successfully led the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs; however, their campaign concluded in a second-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. This again prompted inquiries regarding his future with the franchise. The Lakers possessed the potential to generate over $50 million in salary cap space, but such a course of action would necessitate renouncing their Bird Rights to James. While they could have utilized part of these funds to re-sign him, no offer appears to have been presented prior to the onset of free agency. Preferring not to await the Lakers’ decisions or their interest in a ninth season together, James notified the organization on the morning free agency commenced that he would not be returning. Recent developments indicate that the Los Angeles Lakers would not have had the financial capacity to extend a significant offer. The franchise commenced free agency with a series of unexpected transactions, notably highlighted by a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade agreement to acquire Walker Kessler, the center from the Utah Jazz. This move was followed by the acquisitions of Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton, effectively reconstituting the team around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The Lakers determined that a comprehensive youth movement was essential to realistically compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs in the upcoming seasons. Conversely, the Philadelphia 76ers pursued a contrasting strategy, adeptly balancing their established core with impactful external additions. LeBron James, at the age of 41, is more than twice the age of the young player Edgecombe, while Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey are strategically positioned between them. The Philadelphia franchise has strategically positioned itself for success both in the present and in the future, thereby providing James with a viable contender for as long as he opts to continue his career. ##### ARE LEBRON’S LOADED SIXERS DESTINED FOR GREATNESS OR DISAPPOINTMENT? LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er, transforming the Sixers into the NBA’s most talented team while simultaneously making Philly the league’s greatest case study for the laws of diminishing returns. First, the good, of which there’s obviously plenty: Even at 41 years old and on the precipice of an unprecedented 24th season, James remains an impact player at worst and a borderline All-NBA talent at best. Adding such a star to a team already boasting All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, former MVP Joel Embiid, former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, and rising youngster V.J. Edgecombe gives head coach Nick Nurse an embarrassment of riches to work with. And that’s before accounting for the general boost to morale, relevance, and fan fervor acquiring the game’s all-time leading scorer provides. This is an obvious win for Philadelphia as a market eight years after the Sixers failed to land a prime version of James in 2018 free agency. James was slower to get in rhythm last season after sciatica issues sidelined him for training camp and the first chunk of the regular season, but he still finished with averages of roughly 21 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two stocks. He excelled in a new role as a tertiary scorer and creator playing alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, then reminded the world what he’s still capable of as a No. 1 option when Doncic and Reaves were sidelined. Carrying a minimum cap hit worth less than $4 million, James – one of the planet’s only billionaire athletes – is suddenly the biggest bargain in basketball. Maxey, in particular, is an excellent match for James. The star guard’s combination of self-creation, speed, and movement shooting makes him a great partner for LeBron. The pair can run screening actions for each other, with Maxey capable of handling the duties of a primary creator but also thriving as an off-ball threat playing off of James, one of the sharpest and most gifted playmakers in basketball history. Maxey and James also provide Nurse with some insurance for the absence of the other, whether merely in the moment or for prolonged stretches. Add Edgecombe’s two-way activity to the mix and Embiid’s defensive dominance when healthy, and that four-man core would’ve already given Philly arguably the league’s highest upside. Much of that would’ve depended on the health of Embiid, who’s missed 150 games over the last three seasons and hasn’t even cracked the 40-game mark since the 2022-23 campaign, so skepticism would’ve been fair. But again, the upside would’ve been undeniable. Philly has all that and the newly acquired Brown, who is coming off a career year in which he finished sixth in MVP voting after averaging roughly 29 points, seven rebounds, and five assists as the top dog on a 56-win Celtics team. To a casual observer or one merely reading each player’s stat line, they’d be shocked to learn there’s any downside to this loaded roster at all. But, about those diminishing returns … Brown, alone, comes with question marks that have sparked yet another debate between traditional box-score readers and those who prefer advanced metrics. If there’s a modern example of the great analytics debate, it’s Brown, a prolific superstar on a supermax contract whose advanced numbers suggest he doesn’t provide superstar impact or supermax value. The biggest issue is that while Brown can produce gaudy numbers with the ball in his hands, any team employing him to run its offense would see its ceiling capped by his middling efficiency and playmaking limitations. However, his subpar shooting makes him less effective off the ball (even though he does work hard without the rock). Maxey’s movement and marksmanship allow him to thrive off the ball, but ideally, the All-NBA guard would have the ball in his hands more often than not. That will prove difficult to accomplish given the way Brown and Embiid like to pound the air out of the basketball, especially with James now in the fold. In finding nits to pick about this loaded team, it is worth mentioning that former Cavs forward Dean Wade should be an excellent fit who can glue many lineups together. Wade fits Philly’s roster as a low-maintenance, 3-and-D forward who can play alongside any combination of the team’s ball-dominant stars. He can also moonlight as a starter when need be, though he’s clearly now a projected reserve. No one can question the overall talent at the Sixers’ disposal or the championship ceiling Philly has if everything breaks right. But what’s fascinating about James choosing Philadelphia over Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, and Minnesota is that among all his reported suitors, the new-look Sixers were the club that had the least to lose if they struck out on James. In many ways, LeBron was a perfect fit for the Sixers until they acquired Brown. For example, one win projection model had James merely bumping the Sixers up from seventh in the East without him to sixth with him. That doesn’t mean this experiment won’t work or that there isn’t cause for celebration in the city of brotherly love, where the Sixers haven’t won a championship since 1983 and haven’t even made a conference final since 2001. It just makes James’ decision all the more fascinating, and quite frankly, curious. That’s not an indictment of James’ lasting abilities at this stage of his career, which continue to give Father Time his toughest bout on record. It’s more of a commentary on what, exactly, the Sixers are trying to build with this particular group of ill-fitting stars. ########################################## MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS DUKE-MICHIGAN GAME IN MIAMI CALLED OFF; BLUE DEVILS WILL INSTEAD FACE TEXAS TECH AT MSG ON DEC. 21 The Duke-Michigan game previously in the works to be played in Miami on Dec. 21, at the Marlins’ baseball stadium, has been called off, sources told CBS Sports. The matchup between the two powerhouse schools was first revealed at the end of April. Initially the plan was for the teams to play at Madison Square Garden and in coordination with an innovative new three-game TV deal Duke negotiated this year with Amazon Prime Video. Complications with the Big Ten’s broadcasting deal — specifically, with that conference’s TV partners believing Amazon did not have the rights to air that game — led the schools to look elsewhere to play, since New York City falls within the Big Ten’s television footprint. In mid-Spring, Jon Scheyer and Dusty May agreed to continue to try and make the game happen elsewhere. That led May to pursue playing the game at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, due to his relationship with the Marlins’ team owner. Back on June 3 a source told CBS Sports, “The game is going to be played at the baseball stadium barring something drastic happening.” Nineteen days later, something drastic happened: May left college basketball for the NBA. With May no longer around, and with the game still coming under dispute from broadcast television partners in the past month, Duke and Michigan decided in recent days to walk away from the game due to the ongoing complexities with pulling off the matchup under unique circumstances. The end of July usually finds most high-major basketball teams having already filled their allotment of power-conference non-con opponents, but there are usually a handful of big programs still with a spot still open. (For example: Illinois is one such team, but the Illini and Duke already have a game on the docket for next season.) So, Scheyer found a familiar and willing opponent earlier this week: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders and Blue Devils played last season at MSG, with Grant McCasland’s group handing Duke its only loss across the first 22 games of its season, a dramatic 82-81 outcome on Dec. 20. It was one of the best games of the regular season. ########################################## COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS SEC PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 2026: MEDIA TABS GEORGIA OVER TEXAS, OLE MISS AS LEAGUE CHAMPION The first glimpse of the 2026 SEC football race has arrived following the conclusion of media days. Georgia was selected as the preseason favorite to win its third consecutive SEC Championship, according to the annual media poll released on Friday. The Bulldogs received 88 votes to capture the conference title and are projected to face Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Longhorns, who reached the SEC title game in their first season as a conference member in 2024, received 57 votes to win the league. Eight of the SEC’s 16 teams received at least one vote to win the conference championship. Texas finished second behind Georgia in the predicted order of finish, with the Bulldogs earning 2,519 total points compared to Longhorns’ 2,449. History suggests the preseason favorite faces a difficult challenge. Since the league began holding its championship game in 1992, the team picked to win the SEC prior to the season has gone on to claim the title just 10 times. Texas received the most champion votes prior to last season and missed the College Football Playoff. ##### AMERICAN NOTEBOOK: TIM PERNETTI WANTS G6 ACCESS TO DOUBLE IF CFP EXPANDS To hear Tim Pernetti tell it, elected officials on Capitol Hill don’t like to see him coming. “I’ve walked the halls in D.C. more than Frank Underwood did in ‘House of Cards,’” the commissioner of the American Conference said Friday at the league’s football media day. “The American has a seat at the table. That’s great news. We have a national respected voice.” Pernetti has made a point of being the most visible commissioner of a Group of Six conference and fighting for representation for the so-called little guys. In Friday’s address to reporters in St. Petersburg, Fla., he expressed his support for the Protect College Sports Act progressing through Congress and said that if the size of the College Football Playoff doubles, G6 bids should double, too. “The American’s position on the CFP is clear,” Pernetti said. “We’re supportive of an expanded playoff that provides more access for every conference. “We’re asking for two things — fairness and common sense. Here’s a fact – 51% of FBS schools competing in football are outside the autonomy conferences. So, in any expanded format, including the one you’re reading about that could double the field to 24 teams, access should double for everyone.” As for the Protect College Sports Act, the latest version of the bill, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, would focus on NIL regulation and the implementation of a one-time transfer policy. “It’s time for structure in college sports,” Pernetti said. “While this bill isn’t perfect, it addresses the core challenges facing the industry, led and headlined by transfers and eligibility.Sports news website “It demands that NIL deals have a legitimate business purpose. I promise you this, that will put an end to these sham pay-for-play deals that are turning recruiting into this unchecked auction. “It’s progress over perfection.” –Navy was voted the preseason favorite in the American Conference preseason media poll, garnering half the 14 first-place votes and finishing 12 total points above Memphis. Navy has gone 11-2 and 10-3 over the past two seasons, including a 13-3 mark in conference games. The Midshipmen appeared in the AP poll both years. The service academies may have done more for the American Conference than put their historic football programs in the mix. Pernetti pointed to the additions of Army and Navy as a gateway to getting more attention in Washington. Navy has been a football member since 2015, while Army only joined in 2024. “Army and Navy being in our conferences has been great for us, but their engagement enabled me to create engagement in Washington, D.C., which got me in the room as part of these committees for college sports,” Pernetti said. “Their national profile and the relationships they brought to the table has really enabled the American to get to the table, and now we’re in the group. So we have a national voice in all this change.” –Charles Huff was not shy in the way he introduced himself as the head coach of Memphis at his first American media day. “Seventy-one new players,” Huff said of his roster. “I’ve kind of become the Lane Kiffin of the Group of Five. Which is the portal king.” Huff’s rapid rise through the coaching ranks has taken him from Marshall (2021-24) to Southern Miss (2025) and then to Memphis in just a few years. The 43-year-old guided Marshall to a 10-3 season in 2024, and he took 21 of those players with him when he accepted the job at Southern Miss, which finished 7-5 in his lone season. This time, 17 players followed Huff to his new post, meaning not all 71 newcomers at Memphis are starting from scratch. “The first thing you’ve got to realize is it doesn’t matter about talent if you can’t get them to come together,” Huff said. “For us, we’ve been blessed to be in a situation where we’ve been able to retain some of them even though we’ve moved locations, which helps. And that’s the first step.” At Memphis, Huff replaces Ryan Silverfield, who became the coach at Arkansas. ########################################## NFL NEWS DEANDRE HOPKINS IS WITH THE PATRIOTS AT TRAINING CAMP, SHADOWING COACHES AND OTHER STAFF FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — DeAndre Hopkins will be with the New England Patriots for the start of training camp this week, but the three-time NFL All-Pro receiver and five-time Pro Bowler isn’t in town for a tryout. He’s exploring the idea of entering the coaching ranks. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Monday that Hopkins, a current free agent who played under Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, will be shadowing various members of the staff when New England opens practice on Tuesday. “When he and I talked, he asked if he could come out and hang out for a couple of days and be around the coaches, be around the personnel department,” Vrabel said. “And I called the league to make sure that would be OK. And then I invited him back, and that’s where he’s been the last couple of days. He’ll be here for the next couple of days.” Hopkins has played 13 NFL seasons, spending last year in Baltimore playing in a mostly reserve role at age 33. Now 34, he is far removed from producing more than 1,300 receiving yards four times in his first eight NFL seasons. He’s played for five teams and went unsigned this offseason. The Patriots made a long-anticipated splash last month when they traded for receiver A.J. Brown — another of Vrabel’s former players — adding some heft to quarterback Drake Maye’s receiving corps. But Vrabel was clear that the presence of Hopkins at the Patriots’ facility in no way constituted a tryout. “He is not coaching here and he is helping out the offensive coaches and being with our personnel guys,” Vrabel said. “He loves football and people that love football and playing football for the length of time that he did wants I think to explore the opportunities and what that looks like after his playing career is over.” Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane said he thinks Hopkins would be an excellent coach if that’s the route he chooses to pursue. “I gave him a big hug,” Spillane said. “Obviously, a potential Hall of Fame guy, a guy that has played the game the right way and, I’m sure he’ll do great as a coach.” ##################################### THE NFL’S TOP BACK-UPS (TOP 10) A quality backup quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) does not typically attract the same level of attention as an All-Pro-caliber starting quarterback; however, their value should not be underestimated. In the event that a franchise’s starting quarterback is sidelined for a game, several games, or an extended period, the team’s prospects for the season may deteriorate significantly if they lack a capable replacement. Therefore, while it is undesirable to contemplate the possibility of an established starter missing time, having a reliable backup serves as a crucial form of insurance. The previous season serves as a pertinent illustration of this point. Several backup quarterbacks responded effectively when called upon, impacting the playoff landscape. A key factor in the Houston Texans’ ability to navigate the absence of C.J. Stroud, who suffered a concussion in Week 9, was the performance of backup Davis Mills. Mills achieved a 3-0 record during his time as the starter, which contributed to Houston’s successful playoff qualification. In the National Football Conference, Mac Jones led the San Francisco 49ers to a 5-3 record while Brock Purdy was unavailable, enabling the team to maintain a competitive position for the No. 1 seed in the conference until the final week of the regular season. Notably, one of the most compelling recent examples of a proficient backup quarterback is Nick Foles, who, in 2017, stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz and guided the Philadelphia Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII. In light of these considerations, this analysis will evaluate a range of teams contending for the championship and assess their respective backup quarterback situations. For the purpose of defining “contender,” this study will focus on franchises with odds of +2500 or shorter to win Super Bowl LXI, as established by DraftKings Sportsbook, encompassing a total of 16 teams. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Backups: Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez, Kurtis Rourke It is noteworthy that, while there was a general expectation that Davis Mills would be acquired by another team, it is particularly surprising that Mac Jones continues to serve as a backup. This situation is especially striking considering his performance when Brock Purdy sustained an injury last season. Reports indicate that San Francisco has established a high asking price for the former first-round pick, which may elucidate his retention within the organization. During his tenure as a starter, Jones achieved a commendable 5-3 record, contributing significantly to the team’s positioning within the division and the pursuit of the top seed in the conference. His statistics were impressive, as he completed 69.6% of his passes, amassing 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 97.4. As he anticipates free agency in the upcoming offseason, it may be reasonable to expect that he could reemerge as a team’s starting quarterback by the subsequent year. For the present, however, he stands as the premier backup quarterback in the league. HOUSTON TEXANS Backups: Davis Mills, Graham Mertz In a league characterized by veteran quarterbacks reviving their careers on an annual basis, it is somewhat unexpected that no team has sought to acquire Davis Mills in order to evaluate his potential as a long-term starter. The 27-year-old began his tenure with the Houston Texans as the starting quarterback after being selected in the third round of the draft from Stanford University. However, he recorded a disheartening record of 5 wins, 19 losses, and 1 tie during his first two seasons, a performance that ultimately contributed to the team’s decision to draft C.J. Stroud, resulting in Mills’ relegation to the bench. Nonetheless, Mills has demonstrated notable capabilities during sporadic appearances and has garnered attention through his performance in three starting opportunities last season. He led the Texans to an impressive record of 3-0 as a starter, completing 59.5% of his passes while averaging 239.7 passing yards per game. During this period, he achieved five passing touchdowns against a single interception, culminating in a passer rating of 88.3. This successful run was instrumental in maintaining the team’s trajectory toward securing a playoff berth as a wild-card entry, exemplifying the standard that teams hope to achieve from their backup quarterbacks when the initial starter sustains an injury and is unable to compete for multiple games. CINCINNATI BENGALS Backups: Joe Flacco, Josh Johnson, Sean Clifford Joe Flacco, now at 41 years of age, continues to demonstrate his capabilities as a competent quarterback. Following his role as a substitute for the injured Joe Burrow during the previous season, the Cincinnati Bengals opted to re-sign Flacco to a one-year contract valued at $6 million. This decision is well-founded, considering his commendable performance last season, which enabled the offense to maintain an effective pace. Upon his arrival from Cleveland, Flacco achieved a completion rate of 61.7% on his passes, recording 13 touchdowns against merely four interceptions, and achieving a passer rating of 91.0. Although his record of 1-5 as Cincinnati’s starter is indicative of the team’s defensive challenges rather than his performance, the Bengals are understandably apprehensive about the possibility of Burrow requiring additional recovery time. Nevertheless, Flacco has proven he can provide adequate support during such periods, contingent on receiving sufficient assistance from the defensive unit. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Backups: Drew Lock, Jalen Milroe At this juncture, including Justin Fields, one observes a significant tier differentiation among quarterbacks. Previously, one might have had confidence in the aforementioned backups to perform adequately for a half or an entire game. However, we now enter a classification in which there exists a level of comfort regarding these backups assuming a starting role for an extended period, including Drew Lock. The 29-year-old veteran served as the backup to Sam Darnold during Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning season in 2025, although he saw limited action, making only three pass attempts. Nonetheless, he is regarded as one of the more reputable backups in the league, possessing a substantial amount of starting experience. Over the course of his career, Lock has served as a starter in 28 games, achieving a record of 10 wins and 18 losses, while completing just under 60% of his passing attempts, resulting in a passer rating of 78.8. His most recent tenure as a starter unfolded with the New York Giants in 2024, where he averaged 212.4 passing yards per game, recorded eight total touchdowns (six passing and two rushing), and threw five interceptions. Conversely, Jalen Milroe is poised to enter his second season in the league after Seattle selected the Alabama alumnus with a third-round pick in the previous year’s draft. While Lock may be perceived as the more reliable backup, Milroe represents a high-upside project with significant potential. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Backups: Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier (R), Chris Oladokun The Kansas City Chiefs acquired Justin Fields through a trade with the New York Jets in March. The former first-round draft pick is positioned to serve as the primary backup to Patrick Mahomes. The team will closely assess Mahomes’ recovery from a torn ACL to determine if he will be ready for the beginning of the season; should he be unavailable, Fields may be called into action immediately. Although Fields did not meet the expectations associated with his No. 11 overall selection by the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, he possesses the potential to be an effective backup, particularly within a system with which he is already familiar, given his transition to Kansas City. His record of 16 wins and 37 losses as a starting quarterback raises concerns about his consistency; however, there remains untapped talent in him for emergency situations. Additionally, Fields’ rushing ability adds a further dimension to his skill set that can benefit the team in critical moments. The Chiefs also have selected seventh-round rookie Garrett Nussmeier from Louisiana State University as a developmental player within their quarterback roster. CHICAGO BEARS Backups: Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, Miller Moss (Undrafted Free Agent) Caleb Williams is widely regarded as the primary quarterback for the Chicago Bears; however, Tyson Bagent has garnered affection from both the fanbase and the organization. Last summer, he signed a two-year contract extension valued at $10 million, ensuring his position as the primary backup. Although Bagent has had limited opportunities in the previous seasons, he demonstrated competence during a four-game stretch as the starter in 2023, ultimately leading the team to a 2-2 record. During this period, he achieved a completion rate of 65.1%, accumulating a total of four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing) alongside five interceptions. In addition to Bagent, the Bears have acquired Case Keenum, who brings over a decade of experience in the National Football League, including 66 regular-season starts. His most notable season occurred in 2017, when he guided the Minnesota Vikings to an impressive 11-3 record as the starting quarterback, culminating in their advancement to the NFC Championship following the renowned “Minneapolis Miracle.” Keenum’s most recent appearances as a starter transpired over a two-week period in 2023 while he was with the Houston Texans, during which he completed 64.2% of his passes, recording one passing touchdown and three interceptions. While Bagent is positioned as the immediate backup to Williams, the presence of Keenum as a third option provides additional security, given his extensive experience in the league. BALTIMORE RAVENS Backups:Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson, Diego Pavia (Undrafted Free Agent), Joe Fagnano (Undrafted Free Agent) Tyler Huntley, a 28-year-old veteran, has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, having been called upon for starting roles throughout his career. Notably, in 2025, he stepped in for an injured Lamar Jackson on two occasions. During Week 8, Huntley completed 17 of 22 passing attempts for 186 yards and one touchdown, while also contributing 53 yards on the ground in a 30-16 victory against the Chicago Bears. Subsequently, in Week 17, he delivered another strong performance at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, completing 16 of 20 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown, coupled with an additional 60 rushing yards, leading to a 41-24 win. These crucial victories were instrumental in maintaining the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff aspirations and subsequently resulted in Huntley signing a two-year contract extension valued at up to $11 million earlier this offseason. In addition to Huntley, Skylar Thompson serves as another experienced backup, accumulating starting experience during his initial four years in the National Football League. While Huntley and Thompson represent the primary backup options, undrafted rookie Diego Pavia emerges as an intriguing developmental prospect. The former Vanderbilt quarterback enters the NFL following a standout 2025 season, during which he was honored as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, having surpassed 3,500 passing yards and achieved a completion rate of 70.6%. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Backups: Tommy DeVito, Behren Morton (R) Tommy DeVito is assuming the role of primary backup to Drake Maye after serving as the third-string option behind Joshua Dobbs in 2025. DeVito is notably recognized for his tenure as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants in 2023, during which he achieved a record of three wins and three losses across six starts. In total, he participated in nine games that season, completing 64% of his passes for a total of 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and only three interceptions. In 202, he started two games for New York; although the team did not secure a victory in those contests, he managed to complete 70.5% of his passes. At the age of 27, he signed a two-year contract extension valued at $7.4 million with the New England Patriots in March and should be considered one of the more competent veteran backups in the league. Additionally, New England selected former Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Backups: Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton, Cole Payton (R) The Philadelphia Eagles selected Tanner McKee in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has since served as one of the team’s backups to Jalen Hurts. McKee possesses two professional starts, each characterized by distinctly different performances. His initial start occurred during the 2024 season, specifically in a Week 18 contest against the New York Giants, where he achieved a completion rate of 65.9% for a total of 269 yards and two touchdowns. Conversely, his more recent start, also in Week 18 of the previous season, yielded a less favorable outcome. In that game, McKee completed 21 of 40 pass attempts (52.5%) for 241 yards, accompanied by one touchdown and one interception. While McKee may hold the position of the longest-tenured backup for the Eagles, his experience significantly contrasts with that of Andy Dalton, who was acquired by Philadelphia through a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Although Dalton’s tenure as a consistent starting quarterback has ended, he brings considerable experience as a backup, with 169 starts throughout his career. Dalton has begun at least one game in each of his 15 professional seasons. This includes a Week 8 start for Carolina last season, where he completed 16 of 24 attempts for 175 yards, along with one interception, in a defeat against Buffalo. While Dalton may not possess the capability to secure victories through prolific passing, he consistently demonstrates reliability, an attribute that is often essential in a backup quarterback. LA RAMS Backups: Ty Simpson (R), Stetson Bennett, Matthew Caldwell (UDFA) It is notably challenging to categorize the backup quarterbacks of the Rams within this analysis. Typically, when discussing contenders, one would not expect to find a first-round quarterback positioned as a backup, yet that is precisely the situation in Los Angeles. The selection of Ty Simpson by the Rams with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was one of the more surprising developments of the event; however, it represents a prudent strategy for the organization, particularly with quarterback Matthew Stafford approaching his 38th season. Although Simpson has yet to participate in any significant NFL gameplay—an outcome the Rams hope will continue in 2026—his talent is undeniable. The Alabama alumnus recorded an impressive 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and only five interceptions during 15 games in the previous season. Conversely, Stetson Bennett, a fourth-round selection in the 2023 Draft, has also not yet had the opportunity to compete at the NFL level; he assumed the role of third-string quarterback behind former backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Nevertheless, Bennett possesses an exceptional collegiate record, having secured two national championships with the University of Georgia. While this group may lack extensive NFL experience, the inherent talent within the roster is noteworthy. ##### CBS NFL ANALYST TONY ROMO ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF OWI Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo was arrested in Milwaukee Thursday night on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence, according to a Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The 46-year-old was stopped Thursday around 6:18 p.m. and “performed poorly” on standardized field sobriety tests, per the report. He was taken into custody and booked before being released at approximately 11 p.m., and has a court date scheduled for Sept. 21. A first-offense OWI is generally a civil offense, not a criminal charge, in Wisconsin, with a citation typically carrying a fine between $150-$300. The police stop occurred while Romo was traveling southbound on Interstate 43. Romo is a native of nearby Burlington, Wis., where he was the first Burlington High School student-athlete to be named all-state in three sports: football, basketball, and golf. His high school football team, the Burlington Demons, plays on a field that was named Tony Romo Field in 2020. Romo has been the lead NFL game analyst at CBS since 2017, paired with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson to cover games. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 out of Eastern Illinois, Romo spent the next 14 seasons with the Cowboys. He became their starting quarterback in 2006 and led Dallas to five playoff appearances. A four-time Pro Bowler, he holds a 78-49 record in 156 regular-season games (127 starts). He had a career 65.3% completion rate, amassing 34,183 yards with 248 touchdowns and 117 interceptions. ###################################### MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TARIK SKUBAL FANS 12 AS TRADE DEADLINE NEARS Tarik Skubal struck out a season-high 12 in 7 1/3 innings as the host Detroit Tigers edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Friday night, delivering arguably his best outing of the season in what could have been his final home start with Detroit. Skubal, who is headed to free agency, has been the subject of massive speculation over whether the Tigers will deal him before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner Skubal (7-5) gave up one run and four hits with two walks. Kenley Jensen got the last three outs for his 12th save in 16 chances. The Royals’ Noah Cameron did his part, limiting Detroit to two hits, striking out eight and walking three in seven innings. But by the time he entered the game it was too late as Kansas City opener Beck Way (1-1) gave up two runs in the first. The Royals threatened against Skubal several times, but got their only run of the game in the fourth when Salvador Perez led off with an opposite-field double and scored on Nick Loftin’s two-out double. Yankees 1, Phillies 0 Cam Schlittler struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings as visiting New York blanked Philadelphia in the opener of a weekend series. Schlittler (10-6) allowed just three hits and no walks, lowering his ERA to 2.07 and boosting his American League-leading strikeout total to 157. New York hitters weren’t much better, as the Yankees struck out 12 times against Jesus Luzardo (9-5) and two relievers. Luzardo allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out nine. His only blemish was a home run by Paul Goldschmidt, who had homered just once in his previous 19 games. Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4 Romy Gonzalez’s pinch-hit RBI double sparked a two-run eighth inning, leading Boston past visiting Toronto in the Red Sox’s first game after their 15-game winning streak was snapped. The shot into the left field corner brought Jarren Duran home from first base with the go-ahead run before Anthony Seigler capped his 4-for-5 day with a wall-ball double to plate another off Toronto reliever CJ Van Eyk (0-1). Seigler, who batted leadoff, scored two runs, drove in two more, hit a leadoff homer, and added two doubles while falling just a triple short of a cycle. Garrett Whitlock (6-1) earned the victory in relief, and Aroldis Chapman recorded his 391st career save to take sole possession of ninth on the all-time list. Braves 7, Orioles 6 Matt Olson hammered a three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning and visiting Atlanta held on to beat Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series. Drake Baldwin’s 20th homer of the season was a one-out, game-tying blast in the eighth inning for Atlanta, which secured its seventh win in its last nine games. Elieser Hernandez, making his first appearance in the major leagues since 2024, was the winning pitcher with three shutout innings in relief. Hernandez earned his first big-league victory since 2022. Andrew Kittredge (1-2) took the loss, though none of the four runs he allowed were earned. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, in just his fifth game with the Orioles, drove in four runs, two of which came on a 10th-inning homer as Baltimore’s late rally came up just short. Dodgers 4, Mets 2 Roki Sasaki struck out nine and allowed just one run over seven innings, earning his first win in two months as visiting Los Angeles defeated New York. Sasaki (4-5) matched his season high by going seven innings for the third time. The right-hander’s nine strikeouts were his second-highest total in 2026. Kyle Tucker went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth that gave the Dodgers some breathing room. Freddie Freeman finished 3-for-4, scoring twice, and Shohei Ohtani (2-for-4) hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh that put Los Angeles on top for the first time. Luis Robert Jr. hit a solo homer in the second inning for the Mets, who collected only four hits. Francisco Alvarez added a solo shot off Evan Phillips in the eighth. Astros 9, White Sox 5 Christian Walker hit a three-run double as part of an eight-run sixth inning for visiting Houston, which defeated Chicago. Cam Smith socked a two-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. drove in a pair of runs for the Astros, who rallied from a five-run deficit to win their fourth straight game. Reliever Kai-Wei Teng (5-6) got the victory despite allowing two runs in two innings. Braden Montgomery had three hits and an RBI for the White Sox, who had won seven of their previous nine games. Bryan Hudson (3-3) surrendered four runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning. Mariners 5, Rangers 4 Jake Burger hit a two-run homer and added a tiebreaking single as Texas defeated visiting Seattle in the opener of a four-game series in Arlington. Wyatt Langford also went deep for Texas, which got a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts from Peyton Gray (5-0) as he earned the victory. All-Star Jacob Latz worked the ninth for his 20th save despite allowing a run to make it a one-run game. Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-5) was charged with five runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings as the native of nearby Mount Pleasant, Texas, dropped to 0-4 in six career starts against the Rangers. The right-hander walked one and didn’t strike out a batter. Reds 4, Cardinals 2 Eugenio Suarez delivered a two-run homer in the seventh inning to help Cincinnati prevail at St. Louis. Sal Stewart and Tyler Stephenson each had two hits and an RBI for the Reds, who have won three straight. Julian Garcia (1-2) retired the only batter he faced for the win, and Emilio Pagan was perfect in the ninth inning for his 10th save. Blaze Jordan hit a two-run double for the Cardinals, who took their sixth loss in seven games. St. Louis reliever George Soriano (3-3) surrendered two runs in his lone inning. Giants 7, Angels 6 (10 innings) Rafael Devers’ game-winning hit bounced over the left field fence in the 10th inning to deliver host San Francisco a win over Los Angeles in the opener of a three-game series. Having already homered earlier in the game, Devers came to the plate in the 10th against Angels reliever Chase Silseth (3-2) after Bryce Eldridge drew a full-count walk to load the bases with one out. Even though the hit over a drawn-in outfield bounced into the bleachers, Devers was awarded only a single. Automatic runner Jesus Rodriguez came home with the decisive run. Caleb Kilian (3-6), who pitched a scoreless top of the 10th, was credited with the win in the opener of a three-game interleague series. Casey Schmitt also homered for the Giants, a three-run blast in the third inning for a his 21st blast of the season and a 5-1 Giants lead. Rockies 5, Brewers 2 Tomoyuki Sugano pitched 5 1/3 effective innings to pace visiting Colorado past Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series. Sugano (10-4) scattered six hits with two runs on a pair of solo homers, striking out five and walking one to improve to 6-0 over his last seven starts. Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield each finished with two hits and an RBI for the Rockies. Christian Yelich and Brice Turang homered for the Brewers, who lost for just the second time after the All-Star break. Shane Drohan (5-4) gave up five runs on six hits in six-plus innings. Diamondbacks 3, Nationals 2 Gabriel Moreno drove in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly as visiting Arizona beat Washington. Moreno and Tim Tawa each had two hits and an RBI for Arizona, which has won four straight and six of seven. Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked three. Dylan Crews hit a two-run homer for Washington, which had won three of four. Washington bulk reliever Zack Littell (7-8) gave up a run on four hits over five innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Opener Carson Palmquist was charged with two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Padres 4, Marlins 2 Luis Rengifo hit a tie-breaking pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning and visiting San Diego held on for a win against Miami in the opener of their three-game series. Manny Machado had two hits, an RBI and run scored and Ty France also delivered a pair of hits for the Padres, who avoided falling a season-low four games under .500. Padres starter German Marquez was lifted after just 2 1/3 innings and 37 pitches. He gave up one run and three hits, striking out four without a walk. Joe Mack and Heriberto Hernandez homered and Xavier Edwards contributed two hits for Miami, which has lost 10 in a row. Cubs 3, Pirates 2 (10 innings) Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, fueling visiting Chicago to a victory over Pittsburgh. Pete Crow-Armstrong belted a solo homer and had two of the six hits for the Cubs, who have won four of their past six games. Caleb Thielbar (3-2) threw a perfect ninth inning, and Gavin Hollowell yielded a run in the 10th before securing his first save of the season. Henry Davis had an RBI single and joined Jake Mangum and Ryan O’Hearn in recording two hits apiece for the Pirates. Yohan Ramirez (6-3) permitted both Cubs runs in the 10th inning. Rays 11, Guardians 3 Ryan Vilade hit a two-run homer and Richie Palacios added a three-run blast as Tampa Bay opened a three-game series against Cleveland with an 11-3 win on Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Shane McClanahan (9-6) allowed one run on two hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three while throwing 71 pitches. Chris Roycroft closed the game with three scoreless innings for his first career save. Nick Fortes went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as the Rays won for the fourth time in its last five games. Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Cleveland, which was outhit 15-7 and lost its third straight. Athletics 2, Twins 0 Jacob Lopez and four relievers combined to toss a two-hit shutout as the Athletics held on for a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis. Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom drove in one run apiece for the A’s, who snapped a two-game skid. Lopez (5-4) allowed one hit in five scoreless innings. Hogan Harris threw a scoreless ninth inning to collect his eighth save. Austin Martin doubled and Ryan Jeffers singled for the Twins’ only hits. Zebby Matthews (4-8) permitted two runs on three hits in six innings. ######################################### GOLF NEWS MICHAEL KIM’S 59 LANDS HIM 3-SHOT LEAD AT HALFWAY POINT OF 3M OPEN Michael Kim posted the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history on Friday, shooting 12-under-par 59 to take the lead following second-round play at the 3M Open in Blaine, Minn. Kim sank a 24-foot, 4-inch birdie putt on the 18th hole for his 12th birdie of the day. In conquering the par-5 18th hole to set a course record at TPC Twin Cities, Kim aggressively pumped his fist in celebration. At 14-under 128 for the tournament, Kim leads by three strokes. Kim, 33, is the first PGA player to card a 59 or better this season. He has one PGA Tour win on his resume (2018 John Deere Classic). “I kind of remember thinking on 18 that you have to go for it, 60 or 61 doesn’t really make too much of a difference,” Kim said. “To shoot 59 today was pretty cool and feels like I’m part of the history books, which is great.” Kim was the first golfer to score a 59 or better on tour since Jake Knapp, who did so at the 2025 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Kim’s day began with back-to-back pars, which belied his upcoming round. He’d only dip back down to par four more times. He recorded the first of five straight birdies at the third hole and added another on No. 9 to sit at 6-under 29 at the turn. He added birdies at Nos. 10, 12, 15, 16 and 17 before sinking his long putt to end his day. “Yeah, funny enough, some shots I didn’t feel like supremely confident over, but that’s kind of golf,” Kim said. “I was kind of happy I got away with par on 13. But other parts of my game, like my putting, felt fantastic. When you hit a putt and it does exactly what you kind of envisioned before you hit it, it’s an awesome feeling. Felt like that all day out there.” First-round leader Ben Kohles suffered his first bogey of the tournament on the par-5 sixth, but he carded three birdies and finished with a 2-under 69 to sit three shots behind Kim. Kohles is tied at 11 under with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (67) and Chandler Phillips (65). “Obviously not as good as yesterday, but yeah, still played just fine,” Kohles said. “Hit some really good shots though in there and gave myself some good looks, didn’t just quite make them today. Hit good putts, just didn’t go in.” Phillips had an impressive eagle on the par-5 12th to go along with four birdies. Grillo had five birdies and a bogey. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, making his debut at the event, fell off the pace a little on Day 2. He had been tied for fifth at 6 under coming into the day, but he fell into a tie for 13th at 7 under with his 1-under 70. Jackson Koivun (68) and Troy Merritt (66) are tied for fifth at 10 under. Three golfers are tied for seventh at 9 under: Zac Blair (65), Billy Horschel (66) and Brian Harman (64). Notables who failed to make the cut of 3 under or better included Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard (2 under), South Korea’s Sungjae Im (1 under), Tony Finau (1 over) and Max Homa (4 over). ##### CAMERON PERCY OVERCOMES TOUGH CONDITIONS TO EXTEND SENIOR OPEN LEAD Despite windy conditions bringing scores up, Cameron Percy extended his lead to three strokes at the halfway point of the ISPS Handa Senior Open in Perth, Scotland, on Friday. The Australian shot a two-under-par 68 at Gleneagles Golf Course to post a 9-under 131 through two rounds, improving on the one-stroke lead he held after shooting an opening 63 at the final PGA Tour Champions’ major of the year. Jerry Kelly (68) has sole possession of second place at 6 under, while Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (68), Austria’s Markus Brier (69) and South Africa’s Ernie Els (71) are tied for third at 4 under. Percy, 52, is halfway to his first career Champions Tour victory after a pair of playoff losses last year. His last win of any kind — and the only one of his six that came on an America-based tour — was at the 2014 Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Web.com Tour. “Obviously very happy. It’s such a hard golf course,” Percy said. “You’ve got to concentrate on every single shot. There’s no easy holes or anything. You can lose your ball on every shot. That’s what I like. It keeps me tuned in.” Percy seemed destined for a much worse second round when he was two over through eight holes. But he was bogey-free over the final 10 holes, notching birdies on Nos. 9, 13, 14 and 18 to redeem the day. “Yesterday I hit it everywhere I was looking, so it was pretty easy. Today was way harder trying to judge how much the wind would hit stuff,” Percy said. “I got it around okay. That was the difference, I think.” Kelly had a more even-keel day, with a pair of birdies and a bogey on both the front and back nines. “I had a good feel with my longer putts,” Kelly said. “I certainly didn’t hit it close. But some of the really, really good two-putts out there, using the slopes, and just trying to keep the ball in front of me, not do too much. It’s fun playing this type of golf. It’s difficult.” On a day where the scoring average was 73.8, England’s Matthew Cort (67) posted the round of the day to surge into a tie for 14th at 1 under. France’s Lionel Alexandre was one shot back after the first round at 6 under before shooting a 73 on Friday to fall back into a tie for sixth. Pat Perez, who was tied for third at 5 under after Thursday, shot a 75 and fell into a tie for 17th at even-par. Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink, who won the first two Champions majors of the season, is tied for 46th at 3 over. ##### JENNY SHIN BREAKS OUT TO 5-SHOT LEAD AT WOMEN’S SCOTTISH OPEN Jenny Shin raced out to a five-shot lead halfway through the Women’s Scottish Open on Friday at Dundonald Links in North Ayrshire. The 33-year-old from South Korea began the day tied for the lead with Lauren Coughlin. Shin proceeded to shoot a 5-under-par 67, which turned out to be the low round of the day, to rise to 11-under 133. Germany’s Esther Henseleit is a distant second at 6 under following a round of 68. South Korea’s A Lim Kim (72) sits in third place at 5 under, and Coughlin struggled to a 74 to drop into a tie for fourth at 4 under with Japan’s Erika Hara (70) and a pair of Thai players who shot 69, Patty Tavatanakit and Pajaree Anannarukarn. A veteran on tour, Shin’s only LPGA victory came 10 years ago at the now-defunct Volunteers of America Texas Shootout. “I never had a five-shot lead before,” Shin said. “I’m going to try and stay patient the next two days.” Shin bogeyed her opening hole but made sure that was the only bogey she’d put on her card. She bounced back at No. 2 with the first of six total birdies, three on each nine. “First hole slightly unlucky,” she said. “I thought I hit a pretty good shot but it ended up in the bushes. Yeah, I had to stay real patient. Hit some weird shots. Yeah, just stayed patient. “I had 20 putts inside 5 feet,” Shin added. “Tried to get it close when I had a wedge in my hand.” Shin does not mind the different style of play that links golf demands. Getting a long-sought win while she’s in Scotland would only enhance those feelings. “I really like coming here,” Shin said. “I don’t mind the weather. I don’t mind — I love links golf courses. It’s one of my favorite type of golf courses. Yeah, it’s always been my favorite stop. I don’t think I’ve ever skipped the Scottish Open.” Henseleit, 27, has yet to win since joining the LPGA Tour in 2020, but she’s risen to No. 53 in the world rankings with two top-10s this year. She posted a bogey-free round with consecutive birdies on her first nine (the back nine), followed by an eagle at the par-5 third. “Didn’t really get into trouble off the tee,” Henseleit said. “Hit a lot of greens. Just had a lot of 25- to 30-footers, a lot of two-putts. Yeah, pretty steady day out there.” Anannarukarn is enjoying herself in the United Kingdom, explaining that she prefers the potatoes overseas and she visited the stadium of football giant Manchester City. “Like I think I told my friends or caddie, I always miss coming back here,” she said. “Once a year is good. “Definitely coming back here and then getting more experience off the course and as well as, you know, battling the elements here, it’s always great fun.” Only 10 players are under par through 36 holes, and the cut line fell at 6 over par. Notables to miss the cut included Alison Lee (8 over), South Korea’s Jin Young Ko (8 over), Lilia Vu (9 over), Ayaka Furue of Japan (10 over) and Linn Grant of Sweden (12 over). ######################################## AUTO RACING BUBBA WALLACE LOOKING FOR RARE REPEAT AT BRICKYARD 400 Bubba Wallace is raring to go back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 30th running of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Brickyard 400, a race he claimed last July in his 23XI Racing Toyota. Thirteenth in points after 21 races, the 32-year-old Wallace may just have the momentum after his recent runs to make it happen Sunday afternoon and become the fourth repeat winner and first since Kevin Harvick in 2020. The Camry driver has two top-five finishes plus a pair of sixths and has led five of the seven races since the start of June. The other three runs were enormous hits to his Chase hopes: A 21st-place effort at Pocono, 22nd at Sonoma and 29th at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway. Of course, that Georgia finish is deceiving because of the last-lap pass Wallace made on Carson Hocevar, whipping his No. 23 partially below the yellow line on the backstretch and coming home second to good friend Ryan Blaney. However, the team was penalized, disappeared from the live leaderboard and tumbled to just one spot ahead of 30th. “We got a better understanding of the rule,” Wallace said the next week at North Wilkesboro. “To me, I always thought it was like gaining position, but no, it’s gaining track position, which I totally did. … I thought they would care about the data that I tried to give (the spot) back, but the damage was already done.” Wallace scored his third career victory by running eight overtime laps a year ago and topping 2024 Indy winner Kyle Larson to win the scheduled 160-lapper. It would be impossible to go back home again to Indiana without revisiting Sunday night and where North Wilkesboro Speedway now stands in the sport’s future. Was the Window World 450 and its strange distance in laps perfect? Absolutely not. Not even close. However, the short track that lay dormant for almost three decades raced like it always has to those who have watched it for decades: minimal cautions, not much contact, little body damage and a few cars on the lead lap. Wallace was the final driver on Sunday night’s lead lap, and the track record for most cars finishing on it is just 13 in the 1992 Spring event won by Davey Allison, while only two — winner Geoffrey Bodine and Mark Martin — completed all 400 later that Fall. In those respects, NWS is different from many short tracks: It does not race like a bullring. Yet going there last weekend was like walking into a museum boarded up since 1996. It was a racing experience that was good for the soul. Keeping the dilapidated “Winston Cup Series” ads and other weathered Winston red on the walls near the track entrance was a chef’s kiss to racing fans. NASCAR shouldn’t go there twice a season like it did in the previous century, but neither should it ever be left off the schedule again and ignored. At Daytona in 2014 with crew chief Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr. waited out a nearly six-hour rain delay and won his second 500 by beating Denny Hamlin, who was victorious in both of his Speedweeks starts, to snap a 55-race skid that wore on his legion of Junior Nation fans. Said teammate Jeff Gordon of Dale Jr.’s long-awaited victory: “All is right with the world again.” With North Wilkesboro back in the fray, that opinion is seconded. ###################################### WNBA NEWS WNBA ALL-STARS SET TO SHINE IN CHICAGO AMID GROWTH, ANNIVERSARY SEASON Chicago last hosted the WNBA All-Star game in 2022 at Wintrust Arena, the 10,387-seat home of the then-defending league champion Chicago Sky. The event is returning to the Windy City on Saturday at the United Center, a venue that houses the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and seats more than 20,000 for basketball. Talk about putting the “W” in “growth.” “I think that the difference between this experience and 2022 is that I don’t think there was WNBA Live,” said New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart, referring to the fan festival that was still in its infancy then. “… So it’s really cool to see the fan engagement part of it, just the overall growth of women’s sports. And now, we’re going to play it at United Center.” As the league celebrates its pioneers during the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season — Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the teams for this year’s midseason showcase — the sport certainly boasts plenty to celebrate in the now and beyond.Sports news website “I’m focused head-down on executing this highly, highly successful 30th season,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert recently told ESPN. “I love this league. We’re going to drive the business. … I’m really, really optimistic about where we’re going in the future.” Players in the All-Star game will represent 12 of the 15 teams in the “W,” with the expansion Portland Fire, Connecticut Sun and Sky as outliers. Home fans certainly should know the rosters, however, and not simply from the Sky hosting games down the road. All-Stars Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey, Angel Reese and Courtney Williams previously played for Chicago, while Weatherspoon coached the team in 2024. Although one team will bear her nickname, Weatherspoon will not coach Team Spoon. Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx matches up against Becky Hammon of the reigning league champion Las Vegas Aces, who’ll guide Team Coop. The starting lineups, for Team Coop: Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, Minnesota Lynx forward Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams and Stewart. And Team Spoon: Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, Indiana guard Caitlin Clark, Minnesota guard Olivia Miles, Dallas forward Jessica Shepard and Las Vegas center A’ja Wilson. The No. 2 overall draft pick, Miles is the only rookie named to this year’s game and has had an eye-popping first season with averages of 19.3 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting close to 50%. Asked what her favorite All-Star moment was so far, Miles said it was hard to choose just one. “The ‘orange carpet’ (Thursday) was special,” Miles said. “We really feel your impact on the community, and it’s just special to see what I built as a basketball player and the people who have helped me get there and obviously Minnesota has helped me boost my brand times 10. I just can’t wait to continue that impact.” Multiple players will wear microphones during the game broadcast on ABC. A team captained by Wilson topped one led by Stewart 134-112 during the 2022 game in Chicago. The WNBA pivoted from the traditional East versus West format in 2018. ##### WINGS’ FUDD BECOMES 1ST ROOKIE TO WIN WNBA 3-POINT CONTEST Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd became the first rookie to win the WNBA’s 3-Point Contest on Friday evening at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Fudd had a show-stopping performance in the final round, registering a score of 30 to beat Portland Fire forward Bridget Carleton in the 2026 edition of the All-Star competition. Fudd’s 30-point showing was tied for the second-most ever, trailing only Sabrina Ionescu’s final-round score of 37 in 2023.“I was shocked. That’s crazy,” Fudd told reporters of being the first rookie to win the 3-Point Contest. “To be the first is definitely an honor.” Fudd went a perfect 5-of-5 on her opening rack and didn’t look back. She’s also the first player in Wings history to capture the 3-Point Contest title. Fudd, who has torn her right ACL multiple times, said rehabbing from previous injuries gave her an advantage in the All-Star Weekend event. “Honestly, coming back from injuries, it was a lot of chair shooting. A lot of stationary shots. And so, you get really good at shooting off a rack … and having your shot down to a T,” Fudd said. Fudd was awarded $40,000 for winning the 3-Point Contest, while Carleton and Howard went home with $30,000 and $15,000, respectively. Fudd, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 13.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals across 26 appearances this season. The 5-foot-11 guard is shooting 38.7% from deep and 45.7% from the field overall. ###################################### TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/SPORTS RELEASES INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS INDIANAPOLIS – Mitch Jebb returned from the injured list and hit a solo home run in his first at-bat, but the Indianapolis Indians lost to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 6-3, on Friday night at Victory Field. Jebb collected three hits in his first game with Indy since April 26 vs. St. Paul. Jebb opened the scoring for the Indians (16-9, 47-53) to lead off the second inning. His third long ball of the season was hit 386 feet into right field for a 1-0 lead. Felix Reyes answered for the IronPigs (12-13, 47-53) in the top of the third with a two-run blast and Otto Kemp hit an RBI groundout for a 3-1 lead. Major league rehabber Endy Rodríguez, who today joined the Indians, drove in Dominic Fletcher on a groundout in the bottom of the third, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Two Lehigh Valley sacrifice flies in the fifth inning put the score at 5-2, and Jebb came through again in the sixth inning with an RBI single to cut the deficit to two runs. Dylan Moore homered for the IronPigs in the eighth for another three-run advantage. CD Pelham opened for Indy and tossed a scoreless first inning. Hunter Barco (L, 3-6) then allowed three runs across his 2.2 frames. Former Indians hurler Drake Fellows (W, 2-1) led the IronPigs to the win with 6.0 innings of three-run ball. Kirby Snead (S, 1) blanked Indy over the final 3.0 stanzas. Indianapolis and Lehigh Valley continue their six-game series on Saturday night at 7:05 PM. The Indians will have a yet-to-be-named opener ahead of RHP Antwone Kelly (4-5, 4.58), who will pitch the bulk innings. The IronPigs have not named a starting pitcher. ###################################### INDY ELEVEN Indy Eleven vs. Loudoun United FCSat., July 25, 2026 | 7:00 pmCarroll Stadium | Indianapolis Follow LiveWatch: WISH-TV, ESPN+, Greg Rakestraw & Dan KapsalisIn-game updates: IndyElevenStats: #INDvLDN MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com Setting the SceneIndy Eleven puts its 10-game unbeaten streak at Carroll Stadium dating back to August 30, 2025 on the line vs. Loudoun United FC on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on WISH-TV and ESPN+. Indy Eleven USL-C Home Unbeaten Streak (9-0-1) 2025 (3-0-0) 9/21 Birmingham Legion FC W, 2-1 9/27 FC Tulsa W, 2-1 10/18 Loudoun United FC W, 2-1 2026 (6-0-1) 3/21 Detroit City FC W, 2-1 4/4 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC D, 1-1 4/11 Monterey Bay FC W, 3-1 5/9 Sporting JAX W, 2-1 5/23 Lexington SC W, 3-1 5/30 Rhode Island FC W, 1-0 7/4 Charleston Battery W, 2-0 Series Saturday is the 12th meeting between the two sides, with Indy holding a 7-3-1 edge. The Boys in Blue are 5-1-1 in the last seven games. Indy Leads 7-3-1 | GF 16, GA 13 Recent Meetings Oct. 18, 2025 | W, 2-1 | Home Aug. 16, 2025 | L, 3-2 | Away Oct. 8, 2024 | W, 1-0 | Away July 13, 2024 | D, 1-1 | Home Aug. 26, 2023 | W, 2-1 | Home May 6, 2023 | W, 2-1 | Away Sept. 25, 2022 | W, 1-0 | Home Last Meeting Indy Eleven stayed in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a critical 2-1 home win vs. Loudoun United on October 18, 2025. Bruno Rendon led the Indy Eleven attack with his first career brace at the USL-C level. Captain Aodhan Quinn set up Rendon’s first goal in the 11th minute with a long ball over the top. Rendon chipped the pass over goalkeeper Ryan Jack on his first touch outside the area to give his team a 1-0 lead. Quinn became the second player in USLC history to record 60 career assists with his team-record 10th assist this season, becoming the first player in USL-C history to record 10 assists in the regular season three times. Midfielder Cam Lindley set up Rendon’s second goal in the 54th minute with a pass from the center circle in between two defenders into the left corner of the area. Rendon applied pressure and got the ball off a deflection, took one touch, and buried it into the top right corner to give his team a 2-0 lead. Goalkeeper Hunter Sulte’s stop on a free kick by Omari Glasgow in the 91st minute was a nominee for the “Save of the Week”. USL Championship Indy Eleven 2:1 Loudoun United FC Sat., Oct. 18, 2025 – 9:00 p.m. Carroll Stadium | Indianapolis Weather: Rain, 64 degrees Scoring Summary IND – Bruno Rendón (Aodhan Quinn) 11’ IND – Bruno Rendón 54’ LDN – Own Goal 65’ Discipline Summary LDN – Riley Bidois (caution) 26’ LDN – Drew Skundrich (caution) 34’ IND – James Murphy (caution) 44’ LDN – Kwame Awuah (caution) 70’ Indy Eleven Lineup: Hunter Sulte, Joey Zalinsky (Hayden White 71’), Ben Ofeimu, Brian Schaefer, James Musa, Aodhan Quinn (captain), James Murphy (Josh O’Brien 71’), Cam Lindley, Jack Blake, Romario Williams (Elvis Amoh 71’), Bruno Rendón (Edward Kizza 77’). Indy Eleven Subs Not Used: Elliot Collier, Luke Pruter, Brem Soumaoro. Loudoun United FC Lineup: Ryan Jack, Kwame Awuah, Bolu Akinyode, Cole Turner (Robby Dambrot 75’), Keegan Tingey, Pedro Santos (Arquimides Ordonez 59’), Tommy McCabe, Drew Skundrich (captain) (Moses Nyeman 75’), Riley Bidois (Zach Ryan 59’), Florian Valot, Abdellatif Aboukoura (Omari Glasgow 75’). Loudoun United FC Subs Not Used: Alex Nagy, Lorenzo Herrera. Last Saturday Indy Eleven goalkeeper Eric Dick made five saves in a scoreless first half, but host Detroit City FC scored two goals early in the second for a 2-0 win. Dick had six saves, one shy of his season-high seven stops vs. Pittsburgh on April 4. He has 288 in his USL Championship career, good for 20th on the league all-time list. The Boys in Blue recorded 12 shots in the contest, with Bruno Rendon leading the way with four and Charlie Sharp having two. Boys in Blue midfielder Jack Blake moved into third on the franchise all-time list for appearances in all competitions with his 116th, breaking a tie with current Indy Eleven TV analyst Brad Ring. Defender Paco Craig returned to the lineup after missing the past two matches, playing his 249th USL-C regular-season game. He needs one more to become the 21st player in league history to reach the 250-mark. Defender Anthony Herbert made his first appearance for the Boys in Blue since May 23 after suffering an injury while on international duty with the Trinidad & Tobago National Team in Russia. USL Championship Indy Eleven 0:2 Detroit City FC Sat., July 18, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. Keyworth Stadium | Hamtramck, Mich. Weather: Windy, 86 degrees Attendance: 6,509 Scoring Summary DET – Rafa Mentzingen (Aedan Stanley) 47’ DET – Maxi Rodriguez (Rafa Mentzingen) 52’ Discipline Summary DET – Maxi Rodriguez (caution) 11’ DET – Haruki Yamazaki (caution) 35’ DET – Ates Diouf (caution) 55’ IND – Makel Rasheed (caution) 83’ IND – Bruno Rendón (caution) 87’ IND – Cam Lindley (caution) 89’ IND – Alejandro Mitrano (caution) 93’ Indy Eleven Lineup: Eric Dick, Aodhan Quinn (captain), Paco Craig (Anthony Herbert 74’), Makel Rasheed, Logan Neidlinger, Noble Okello (Charlie Sharp 74’), Cam Lindley, Josh O’Brien, Jack Blake (Mohamed Omar 57’), Bruno Rendón, Loïc Mesanvi (Alejandro Mitrano 57’). Indy Eleven Subs not used: Kian Williams, Reice Charles-Cook, Nabi Kibunguchy. USL Championship Regular Season Shutout % (min. 30) 6. Eric Dick 35.1% 34 Clean Sheets, 97 Games Played Indy Eleven Appearances (All Competitions) 1. Cam Lindley 133 2020, 2023- 2. Ayoze 126 2018-22 3. Jack Blake 116 2023- 4. Brad Ring 115 2014-18 5. Karl Ouimette 108 2018-22 6. Don Smart 101 2014-17 Indy Eleven Goals (All Competitions) 1. Jack Blake 28 2023- 2. Eamon Zayed 27 2016-17 3. Tyler Pasher 24 2018-20 Indy Eleven USL Era (2018-) Goals (All Competitions) 1. Jack Blake 28 2023- 2. Tyler Pasher 24 2018-20 3. Sebastian Guenzatti 16 2023-24 4. Manuel Arteaga 15 2021-22 5. Aodhan Quinn 14 2023- Aodhan Quinn USL Championship All-Time Rankings Minutes | 25,338 | 1st Games Started | 289 | 1st Assists | 64 | 2nd Appearances | 303 | 2nd Tackles Won | 213 | T17th USL Championship Regular Season Goal Contributions 1. Dane Kelly 132 (106 goals, 26 assists) 2. Enzo Martinez 131 (78 goals, 53 assists) 3. Aodhan Quinn 121 (57 goals, 64 assists) Most USLC Regular Seasons with 10 Assists 1. Aodhan Quinn – 3 (2018-OC, 2021-PHX, 2025-IND) 2. Kenardo Forbes – 2 (2022-PIT, 2023-PIT) 2. Antoine Hoppenot – 2 (2018-RNO; 2022-DET) Paco Craig USL Championship All-Time Rankings Aerial Duels Won | 755 | 1st Clearances | 1,031 | 1st Blocks | 176 | 4th Duels Won | 1,281 | 4th Interceptions | 337 | 4th Games Started | 237 | 14th Minutes | 20,997 | 15th 2026 USL Championship Stats Individual Category Player Rank Total Saves-Eric Dick T5th, 42 Crosses-Aodhan Quinn T6th, 85 Cam Lindley 17th, 63 Chances Created-Aodhan Quinn 7th, 29 Bruno Rendon T18th, 22 Goals-Bruno Rendon T8th, 7 Shots on Target-Bruno Rendon T8th, 16 Aerial Duels Won-Paco Craig, Bruno Rendon T10th, 46 Clearances-Paco Craig 13th, 78 Shots-Bruno Rendon 15th, 26 Assists-Aodhan Quinn T19th, 3 Team Category Rank Total Goals Conceded T6th, 16 Goals, Second Half T7th, 14 Team Leaders (USL Championship stats) Stat Player # Goals-Bruno Rendon, 7 Assists-Aodhan Quinn 3 Shots-Bruno Rendon, 26 Shots on Target-Bruno Rendon, 16 Chances Created-Aodhan Quinn, 29 Crosses-Aodhan Quinn, 85 Fouls Won-Jack Blake, 24 Duels Won-Bruno Rendon, 84 Aerial Duels Won-Paco Craig/Bruno Rendon, 46 Clearances-Paco Craig, 78 Blocks-Aodhan Quinn, 9 Interceptions-Cam Lindley, 12 Minutes-Eric Dick, Cam Lindley, Josh O’Brien, 1260 USL Career Regular Season Individual Rankings Clean Sheets T13. Eric Dick – 34 Saves 20. Eric Dick – 288 Assists 2. Aodhan Quinn – 64 T19. Cam Lindley – 32 Goals T23. Aodhan Quinn – 57 40 Goals Jack Blake – 44 20 Goals Edward Kizza – 21 Goals+Assists 3. Aodhan Quinn – 121 (57 goals, 64 assists) 20 Assists Jack Blake – 27 70 Goals+Assists Jack Blake – 71 (44 goals, 27 assists) 30 Goals+Assists Cam Lindley – 37 (5 goals, 32 assists) 20 Goals+Assists Edward Kizza – 24 (21 goals, 3 assists) Penalties Converted (attempted) 1. Aodhan Quinn – 25 (28) T5. Jack Blake – 15 (17) 20,000 Minutes 1. Aodhan Quinn – 25,338 15. Paco Craig – 20,997 15,000 Minutes Jack Blake – 15,408 Cam Lindley – 15,402 200 Appearances Paco Craig – 249 Jack Blake – 210 Cam Lindley – 202 100 Appearances Edward Kizza – 118 Pat Hogan – 107 Games Started 1. Aodhan Quinn – 289 14. Paco Craig – 237 150 Games Started Jack Blake – 180 Cam Lindley – 175 Team Highs/Lows Single-Match Highs Shots: 26 | May 9 vs. JAX SOT: 9 | May 9 vs. JAX Possession: 54.2% | May 9 vs. JAX Corners: 12 | May 9 vs. JAX Single-Match Lows Shots: 7 | May 30 vs. RI SOT: 2 | May 30 vs. RI, June 13 at PIT Possession: 29% | Mar. 21 vs. DET Corners: 2 | Mar. 28 at HFD, Apr. 4 vs. PIT, Apr. 19 at BHM Opponent Highs Shots: 20 | May 30 vs. RI SOT: 8 | Apr. 4 vs. PIT, July 18 at DET Possession: 71% | Mar. 21 vs. DET Corners: 11 | Mar. 21 vs. DET Opponent Lows Shots: 6 | May 9 vs. JAX SOT: 1 | May 9 vs. JAX Possession: 45.8% | May 9 vs. JAX Corners: 1 | July 15 at MIA Coach Sean McAuley Sean McAuley was named to the USL-C “Team of the Week” for Week 12 of 2026. His team is undefeated in league matches at Carroll Stadium since August 30, 2025 (9-0-1). McAuley earned USLC “Coach of the Month” in May 2024 and was nominated for USLC Midseason “Coach of the Year” after leading his team to a 12-match unbeaten streak (4/17-6/15). The Sheffield, England, native led Indy Eleven to the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals with four straight victories, including a 2-1 triumph at MLS-side Atlanta United on July 9. In 2025, Indy Eleven continued its run of Cup success under McAuley with a 4-0-3 record in cup play. The Boys in Blue won their U.S. Open Cup Third Round match vs. Miami FC on Hayden’s White’s stoppage-time goal from Cam Lindley. ALL: 40-35-22 (.526) | USL Championship: 30-31-17 | US Open Cup: 6-2-1 | USL Cup: 4-1-4 2026 Roster Breakdown (7/20/26) Goalkeepers (2): Reice Charles-Cook, Eric Dick Defenders (9): Hesron Barry, Paco Craig, Anthony Herbert, Pat Hogan, Nabi Kibunguchy, Alejandro Mitrano, Josh O’Brien, Makel Rasheed, Hayden White Midfielders (6): Jack Blake, Cam Lindley, Logan Neidlinger, Noble Okello, Mohamed Omar, Aodhan Quinn Forwards (6): Edward Kizza, Tyler Lowden, Loïc Mesanvi, Bruno Rendon, Charlie Sharp, Kian Williams On Loan (2): Allen Gavilanes, Dylan Sing Newcomers (15) USL-C (7): Paco Craig (North Carolina), Eric Dick (Pittsburgh), Allen Gavilanes (Miami), Anthony Herbert (Las Vegas), Alejandro Mitrano (Miami), Noble Okello (Phoenix), Mohamed Omar (San Antonio) USL League One (1): Makel Rasheed (South Georgia Tormenta) MLS NEXT Pro (4): Hesron Barry (New England), Loïc Mesanvi (Minnesota), Charlie Sharp (Toronto), Dylan Sing (Charlotte) Canadian Premier League (1): Kian Williams (Valour FC) Singapore Premier League (1): Nabi Kibunguchy (Hougang United FC) Indy Eleven Academy (1): Tyler Lowden Player Transactions July 14, 2026: Signed D Nabi Kibunguchy from Hougang United FC July 1, 2026: Loaned F Dylan Sing to Portland Hearts of Pine (USL1) May 29, 2026: Signed F Tyler Lowden to USL Academy Contract. May 15, 2026: Loaned M Allen Gavilanes to Union Omaha (USL1) Apr. 9, 2026: Signed M Mo Omar from San Antonio FC (USL-C). Mar. 16, 2026: Signed GK Ryan Hunsucker to Academy Contract Mar. 12, 2026: Acquired D Mikah Thomas on loan from Charlotte Mar. 2, 2026: Signed F Loïc Mesanvi from Minnesota United (MLS) Jan. 21, 2026: Signed D Paco Craig from North Carolina (USL-C) Jan. 20, 2026: Signed D Hesron Barry from New England (MLSN) Jan. 15, 2026: Signed M Noble Okello from Phoenix (USL-C) Jan. 12, 2026: Signed F Kian Williams from Valour FC (CPL) Jan. 8, 2026: Signed D Alejandro Mitrano from Miami (USL-C) Jan. 7, 2026: Signed D Anthony Herbert from Las Vegas (USL-C) Dec. 18 2025: Signed M Allen Gavilanes from Miami (USL-C) Dec. 11, 2025: Signed D Makel Rasheed from South Georgia Tormenta (USL League One) Dec. 9, 2025: Signed GK Eric Dick from Pittsburgh (USL-C) Dec. 4, 2025: Signed F Dylan Sing from Charlotte FC (MLS) Dec. 2, 2025: Signed F Charlie Sharp from Toronto FC (MLS) Nov. 26, 2025: Announced 10 players returning from 2025: M Jack Blake, GK Reice Charles-Cook, D Pat Hogan, F Edward Kizza, M Cam Lindley, M Logan Neidlinger, D Josh O’Brien, M Aodhan Quinn, F Bruno Rendon, and D Hayden White. ###################################### INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana men’s basketball program will travel to Hinkle Fieldhouse for an exhibition game against Butler on Sunday, Oct. 11. Tip time and television designation will be announced at a later date. Butler will return an exhibition to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in the 2027 preseason. The three-game Hoosier exhibition slate will feature games at Butler (Oct. 11), versus North Carolina (Oct. 18), and against Western Kentucky (Oct. 25). Indiana and Butler have met 55 times on the court with the Hoosiers claiming 40 victories. IU has played 20 previous games at Hinkle Fieldhouse, which opened in 1928, with 14 resulting in wins. Indiana last played at Butler to open the 1993-94 season. ###################################### INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indianan State men’s basketball announced its exhibition with Butler has been rescheduled. The Sycamores were previously slated to open the preseason inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, October 10. The exhibition has been rescheduled and will be played on Sunday, October 18 with the time still to be announced. Additional information regarding tip time, tickets, and streaming availability is also to be announced. Head coach Matthew Graves spent 17 combined seasons at Butler between his coaching and playing days. As a player, he finished his Butler career with 994 total points. This will be the first time Coach Graves returns to Hinkle as an opposing head coach, missing last year’s exhibition due to a medical procedure in mid-October. “I am extremely thankful to Coach Nored for reaching out and asking about running the game back from last season,” said Coach Graves. “Obviously, Butler holds a special place for me and to be able to coach in Hinkle Fieldhouse is a thrilling experience.” Butler’s head coach Ronald Nored and Coach Graves go back, as Graves coached Nored through Nored’s time as a player at Butler. A 2012 graduate, the two head coaches were together from 2009-2012 as the team compiled a 89-21 record in the three seasons. A season ago when the Indiana State traveled to Hinkle, the Sycamores fell 105-80 in a 12-minute, four-quarter formatted matchup. Indiana State as a team shot 41.1% from the field (30-for-73) and 33.3% from deep (11-for-33). Butler shot 50.0% from the floor (37-for-74) and 45.8% from three (11-for-24). The Sycamores finished 9-for-18 from the line while the Bulldogs shot 69.0% (20-for-29). Indiana State and Butler haven’t met in the regular season since 2016 when Indiana State escaped the nationally ranked No. 15 Bulldogs with a 72-71 victory in Hulman Center. Brenton Scott made a free throw with 1.5 seconds remaining in the game to send the Sycamores to victory. ######################################### BALL STATE SOFTBALL MUNCIE, Ind. – – After finishing her collegiate playing career at Western Michigan this past spring, Jadeyn Merrill will join the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant for the Ball State softball program for the 2027 season. “I’m very excited to add Jadeyn to our staff this year,” head coach Helen Peña said. “Because of her versatility, on the field I will look to her to throw to our hitters, assist in hitting stations, and assist with pitchers in the bullpen. She has a passion for helping others especially when it comes to the mental side of the game, which I know our players will benefit greatly from. She has a tenacious work ethic, a team first mentality and a genuine love for the game that I know will be infectious to anyone around her.” Merrill registered a .285 career batting average over her four playing seasons, which included two-year stints at both Rider (2023-24) and WMU (2025-26). A starter in 124 of her 173 career games played, she boasted 22 career doubles and 10 career home runs. Merrill, who was credited with 72 RBIs and 36 runs scored over her career, highlighted her senior campaign with two home run games at South Alabama (Feb. 13) and versus Butler (March 6). “I am so grateful to begin my coaching journey at Ball State,” Merrill said. “I’m excited to learn from an amazing staff and help create an environment where our student-athletes can grow in confidence, compete freely, and be their best.” Along with her solid presence at the plate, Merrill saw time in the circle, throwing 71.1 total innings and compiling 53 strikeouts. She started eight career games as a pitcher, including at least one start in each of her four seasons, while making 39 appearances and earning three victories. A two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree (2023-24) and a member of the 2026 Academic All-Mid-American Conference squad, Merrill earned Second Team All-MAAC honors and MAAC All-Rookie Team accolades as a freshman at Rider. She also helped Western Michigan reach the title game of the 2026 MAC Softball Championship, including a 7-4 upset of four-time defending champion Miami in the team’s tournament opener. A spring 2026 graduate of Western Michigan University with a degree in psychology, Merrill will be pursuing her master’s in sport psychology at Ball State. ####################################### INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/ MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/ INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/ EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/ WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/ FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/ ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/ ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/ DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/ HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/ MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/ HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/ OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/ ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/ IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/ IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/ PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/ INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/ ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/ GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/ HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/ VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index ############################################# TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY JULY 25 1900: The Boston Beaneaters score 13 runs in the 1st inning against the Cardinals on ten hits, including two triples by Buck Freeman, and four errors. The game is shortened by rain after six innings and Boston wins, 18 – 5. Christy Mathewson makes his second appearance, relieving in the 3rd against the Pirates with the score 3 – 1. The Bucs rattle the rookie for six runs in the inning to lead, 9 – 1. Matty gives up another run in his seven innings, as Pittsburgh coasts to victory. 1901 – Brooklyn righty Frank Kitson outpitches Christy Mathewson, allowing just one Giant hit in beating New York, 5 – 0. Four of the Brooklyn runs are unearned. Algie McBride has the only safety, a single, for New York. 1902 – At Chicago, the Reds’ Cy Seymour sets a major-league record by hitting four sacrifice flies in a 6 – 1 win over the Chicago Orphans. Seymour will be tied but never topped. 1903 – At New York, the Americans bang seven doubles and beat the Highlanders, 7 – 5. Buck Freeman and Freddy Parent each have two doubles. 1904 – Before 1,522 in New York, veteran Al Orth makes his first start for the Highlanders and matches zeroes with Chicago’s Yip Owen. In the bottom of the 9th, Patsy Dougherty leads off with a triple and scores on Willie Keeler’s bouncer through the infield. 1905 – Christy Mathewson wins his 16th, defeating the Reds, 7 – 2. The game is close until Frank Bowerman belts a three-run homer in the 8th for the Giants. Cincy fans get a scare in the 1st inning when Reds catcher Ed Phelps is knocked unconscious when he is struck by the back swing of Sam Mertes. Phelps is rushed to a hospital. 1907 – Red Sox manager Deacon McGuire belts a pinch-hit solo homer off Detroit’s Ed Siever. At age 43, McGuire is the oldest player to ever hit a pinch homer. His first round tripper came back in 1884. 1908: Future Red Sox pitcher Hugh Bedient, pitching for a semi-pro Falconer, NY team, strikes out 42 batters in what is heralded as a world’s record. He does it in 23 innings against Corry, PA, finally winning, 3 – 1. He is matched all the way by Charles Bickford. When the wire services pick up the story, Bedient will receive 19 pro offers. Before an overflow crowd of 30,000 in New York, the Pirates’ Lefty Leifield tops the Giants and Christy Mathewson, 7 – 2. The loss drops New York to third place. Two errors by Larry Doyle in the 7th open the gates for five Pirate runs. Pittsburgh is led by Honus Wagner who goes 5 for 5 to take over the batting lead from a hitless Mike Donlin. After each hit, Wagner holds up a finger to show the number of safeties to the RF Donlin. With the Highlanders leading the Tigers, 3 – 2, in the 8th, Detroit scores two runs on a Ty Cobb triple. With lefty Claude Rossman the next hitter, New York’s new manager Kid Elberfeld moves righty pitcher Jack Chesbro to 1B and replaces him with first baseman Hal Chase. Chase allows a fly ball that scores Cobb, then goes back to 1B and Chesbro resumes his spot on the mound. It is Chase’s only pitching appearance as the Tigers win, 5 – 3. 1910 – Connie Mack trades Joe Jackson to Cleveland for Bris Lord, a former A’s outfielder. 1913: A 15-inning, 8 – 8, tie game between St. Louis and the Nationals is called for darkness. Reliever Walter Johnson fans a major-league record 15 in the last 11 innings, but he hits rookie catcher Sam Agnew with a pitch, breaking his jaw. Browns P Carl Weilman sets a major-league record by striking out six times. He becomes the first player in history to strike out six consecutive times in a game, as Johnson gets him four times, and Joe Engel and Long Tom Hughes once each. Johnson’s strikeout mark for relievers will last this century before another Johnson, Randy, breaks it, in 2001. At Philadelphia, Pirates outfielder Max Carey scores five runs against the Phils without a hit, reaching first on an error and four walks, as the Bucs win, 12 – 2. He also steals four bases and advances twice on wild pitches. A student at St. Louis Theological Seminary, he will lead the National League in runs this season; he’ll lead in stolen bases as well, the first of ten such seasons. 1914 – At Boston, the Cubs belt Otto Hess for a 5 – 4 win. Boston is now 12 back of the Giants, winners of six straight. 1915 – In the first of two games, the Browns cuff Red Sox starter Babe Ruth for four unearned runs in the 3rd, and the young lefty is relieved by Carl Mays. Boston ties the score, 4 – 4, in the 4th, but the Browns eventually win, 9 – 8. In the nitecap, a 1 – 1 tie, George Sisler pitches the last two innings for the Browns. 1916 – Tris Speaker has three hits against lefty Babe Ruth to finally drive him from the mound in the 8th inning. Reliever Rube Foster wild pitches home a run and Braggo Roth’s second double gives Cleveland a 5 – 3 lead. The Tribe wins it, 5 – 4, with Ruth the loser. Ruth is 2 for 4 with a two-run single. 1918 – Walter Johnson gives up one hit (a triple by George Sisler) in the first 11 innings of a 15-inning, four-hit, 1 – 0 win. 1921 – Max Carey flags down 11 flies in centerfield in the Pirates’ 6 – 3 win over New York, tying three others for the National League record. 1926 – Braves coach Art Devlin is riding Reds 3B Babe Pinelli. Coming off the field in the 3rd, Pinelli brushes against him. Devlin swings, starting one of the great baseball fights of the century. Police restore order, but not before Boston outfielder Frank Wilson is arrested and taken to jail for hitting a police inspector. In the 4th, Boston OF Jimmy Welsh crashes into C Val Picinich in a play at the plate. Picinich takes a poke at him, starting round two, and is ejected. 1930 – The A’s pull off triple steals twice in one game against the Indians. Al Simmons, Bing Miller, and Dib Williams are the base thieves in the 1st inning, and Mickey Cochrane, Simmons, and Jimmie Foxx steal together in the 4th. 1931 – Pittsburgh’s Larry French pitches a 14-inning game, the longest National League contest of the season, to beat Brooklyn, 3 – 2. 1936: In the A’s 15 – 12 win over the Indians, Philadelphia catcher Frankie Hayes equals a major-league record with four doubles, the last coming in the 9th with the bases loaded. Reliever Harry Kelley is the winner, despite he and Carl Doyle giving up 18 hits. Veteran pitcher George Uhle, recently added to the Indians’ roster, hits a homer, but is replaced by Lloyd Brown. The Red Sox tally 20 hits to crush the Tigers, 18 – 3, scoring all their runs in two big innings. The Sox score six in the 2nd to drive Tommy Bridges from the mound, then tally 12 more in the 5th; it is the second time this month that the Red Sox have scored more than ten runs in an inning. Doc Cramer has four Boston hits, while three others have three hits. Lefty Grove gives up nine hits in the easy win. The Cubs pound out 19 hits to beat the Phils, 17 – 4, and extend their lead over the Cardinals to three games. Curt Davis is the winner, holding his former teammates to six safeties. Three of the Philly hits come in the 9th when they score three runs on Walt Bashore’s single and consecutive homers by Chuck Klein and Dolph Camilli. The Cubs are led by homers from Augie Galan and Ethan Allen as they chase Bucky Walters with four runs in the 3rd, and add another nine off Syl Johnson in three innings. 1937 – Washington’s Mel Almada ties the major-league record by scoring five runs in the first game of a doubleheader. When he adds four in the second game, he sets an 18-inning record, that still stands today. The Senators win, 16 – 10 and 15 – 5, in St. Louis. In 1987, Mark McGwire will score nine runs in consecutive days. 1938 – Cleveland’s Johnny Allen has his 12-game win streak snapped by the Red Sox. 1939: Yankee freshman Atley Donald sets the American League rookie record for consecutive wins. “Swampy” beats the Browns for his 12th straight victory, 5 – 1. Salisbury’s (Eastern Shore League) Count Henri S. “Hank” Bertrand de la Vigne, known as the only titled pitcher in history, wins his 11th of the year, beating Milford, 8 – 0, and striking out 11. The Count will be 14-9 for the year, but he will never make it to the majors. With the score tied, 3 – 3, Cleveland scores nine runs and Philadelphia five in a record-setting 9th inning. 1941 – Forty-one-year-old Lefty Grove wins his 300th game as the Boston Red Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians, 10 – 6, before a Fenway Park Ladies Day crowd of 16,000. Though he will make six more starts, this will be Grove’s last career win. 1948: In the tight four-team American League race, Joe DiMaggio leads the Yanks to a sweep over the White Sox, 5 – 3 and 7 – 3. Joe D is 3 for 3 in the first game to back Ed Lopat, then adds a triple and two doubles in the nitecap. His three RBIs in game two gives him an AL-high 86. In Boston, the other DiMaggio, Dom, makes two spectacular catches against the Indians as well as homering off Satchel Paige. The Red Sox beat Cleveland, 3 – 0, for their 15th win in 16 games. Joe Dobson tops Steve Gromek to leave the Sox percentage points ahead of the 2nd-place A’s. Cleveland and New York are each 1 1/2 games back. With the Braves in first place, it is the first time since 1916 that both Boston teams are at the top spot. 1950: After ten straight losses at Ebbets Field dating back to 1949, the Cards win, 9 – 5. Phillies pitchers Bubba Church and Robin Roberts shut out the Cubs, 7 – 0 and 1 – 0, in a doubleheader sweep. The wins put the Phils in first place by a half-game over St. Louis. 1951 – Ouch!! Willie Mays’s oft-recalled bare-handed grab of left-handed Rocky Nelson’s screaming opposite field line drive takes place in Forbes Field in the 1st inning of a 5 – 4 Giant loss to Pittsburgh. Mays runs to the left-center corner of the bullpen (also known as Greenberg Gardens, or Kiner’s Corner), about 410 feet from the plate. At the last minute, the wind gets a hold of Nelson’s slicing shot and starts pushing it back towards right. Mays looks up and locates the ball but too late to adjust. As he will recall on June 3, 1957, after robbing Roberto Clemente on a shot to almost the same spot, “I couldn’t get my glove around. So I just stuck my bare hand up and the ball stuck.” 1954: White Sox pitcher Jack Harshman sets a team record by striking out 16 in a 5 – 2 win over Boston. Montreal Royals rookie outfielder Roberto Clemente hits his first North American home run over the left field fence at Delorimier Stadium. The 10th-inning, walk-off bomb comes off Havana reliever Bubba Harris; it also represents a distinct turning point in Clemente’s frustrating, increasingly bench-warming tenure with Brooklyn’s International League affiliate. It comes on Clemente’s first at-bat after having entered the game as a defensive replacement, and his first plate appearance in more than two weeks; in fact, prior to today’s action, Clemente had not played at all in 14 of the last 15 games, his sole appearance coming as a pinch-runner. From this point forward, he will be back in the starting lineup but strictly on a platoon basis: he will start every remaining game against southpaw starters and none against righties, raising his average from .207 at the start of today’s action to .257 by season’s end. In today’s nightcap, Clemente makes his first start since July 7th, helping Montreal secure a sweep with an RBI double. 1956: Brooklyn’s right fielder Carl Furillo is the first Dodger player to homer in Jersey City, as the Dodgers lose to the Redlegs, 2 – 1. Pittsburgh’s right fielder Roberto Clemente hits Cubs reliever Jim Brosnan’s first pitch off the cage surrounding the base of Forbes Field’s left field light tower, just to the right of the scoreboard, then circles the bases just in time to become the first big league player in the post-Deadball Era to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam, turning a three-run 9th-inning deficit into a dramatic win. It is Clemente’s first career grand slam. 1958 – When is scoring position not scoring position? When Roberto Clemente’s in right field, of course – as his tutor, Willie Mays, is reminded, to his great embarrassment. “The Giants only had one shot at Pirates’ starter Curt Raydon,” writes Bob Stevens in the San Francisco Chronicle. “In the 7th, Willie Mays, after walking in the 1st and 4th innings, led off with a line-drive single to right. Leon Wagner walked and Orlando Cepeda belted one safely to the same field. Even though the Giants were trailing 8 – 0 and had none away, Mays tried to score and was thrown out – Roberto Clemente to Bill Hall. Willie was out by so far he didn’t even try to slide. After the game Herman Franks, the traffic cop at third base, said, ‘I sent him in. It wasn’t Willie’s fault.'” 1959: Fidel Castro supporters, enjoying a raucous July 26th Celebration in La Gran Stadium in downtown Havana, bring a halt to the International League contest between the Red Wings and the Sugar Kings with random gunshots from the grandstand. Red Wings 3B coach Frank Verdi and Havana SS Leo Cardenas both suffer minor flesh wounds, which causes manager Cot Deal to pull his players from the field and retreat to their hotel. League officials cancel the remainder of the Havana team’s homestand, and, with pressure on Ford Frick from U.S. Secretary of State Christian Herter, eventually relocate the franchise to Newark for the 1960 season. Against Detroit, Yankee first baseman Moose Skowron reaching for a wide throw, collides with Tiger runner Coot Veal. Skowron’s arm is broken in two places and he is out for the rest of the season. Marv Throneberry will fill in at 1B. The Yanks win, 9 – 8, when Yogi Berra hits a home run in the 9th with Mickey Mantle on. Prior to the Yogi home run, Bobby Richardson and Fritz Brickell hit their first major league homers for New York. Berra’s home run erases five Yankee errors, three by 3B Hector Lopez. 1960: The Reds spot the Cubs a 5 – 0 lead after six innings, then come back to win, 6 – 5, at Wrigley Field. The Bucs return to first place as Bob Friend defeats the Cardinals, 4 – 2, in St. Louis. As UPI tells it: “Bob Skinner’s home run in the 8th inning broke a 2-all tie and Roberto Clemente iced it with a tremendous blast into the bleachers for the Pirates’ final run in the 9th.” Pittsburgh will remain atop the National League for the rest of the season. Clemente’s long home run – actually off the scoreboard behind Busch Stadium’s left-centerfield bleachers, according to The Sporting News’s Les Biederman – breaks a 73-game home run drought, dating back to a similarly prodigious shot launched at Candlestick Park on May 6. 1961 – With his four-home run performance in the doubleheader sweep over the White Sox, Roger Maris moves 25 games ahead of Babe Ruth’s 1927 pace. The Yankee slugger now has 40 for the year and will finish the season with a record 61 round trippers. Mickey Mantle also homers off Frank Baumann in the first game. He ends the day with 38 home runs. 1962: Stan Musial becomes the National League’s all-time leader in runs batted in with 1,862, driving in both of the Cardinal runs in a 5 – 2 loss to the Dodgers. The Reds pound out 21 hits in defeating the Pirates, 13 – 6. 1963 – Roberto Clemente’s three-run, 3rd-inning blast off Sandy Koufax breaks a scoreless tie between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, en route to a 6 – 2 Pirate win. 1964 – The Twins tie an American League record by using nine pitchers in a 13-inning game they lose, 6 – 5, to the White Sox. Jerry Fosnow is the loser; Don Mossi, the fifth Chicago pitcher, is the winner. 1966 – Red Sox great Ted Williams is inducted into the Hall of Fame. In his induction speech the “Spendid Splinter” makes a strong appeal for the inclusion of Negro League stars at Cooperstown. 1967: Race riots in Detroit force the postponement of a Tigers-Orioles game. The games scheduled for the 26th and 27th are shifted to Baltimore. At Yankee Stadium, American League home run leader Harmon Killebrew gives the Twins a 1 – 0 lead with a 1st-inning homer off Al Downing. Jim Kaat holds New York scoreless until two outs in the 9th inning when Mickey Mantle clocks a ball over the 457-foot mark to tie the score. The game is rained out with the score 1 – 1 and will be replayed on August 18th. New York will win the replay, 1 – 0. 1968 – Reds pitchers George Culver and Clay Carroll allow 13 hits between them but still shut out the Pirates, 2 – 0. Culver allows eight hits in six innings and Carroll gives up five hits in three innings. 1969 – Tony Conigliaro of the Red Sox suffers a wrenched back while hitting a home run against the Seattle Pilots. The injury forces him to walk slowly around the bases before being replaced. The Red Sox win, 7 – 6. 1972: The National League wins the All-Star Game, 4 – 3, at Atlanta behind hometown hero Hank Aaron’s two-run home run and Joe Morgan’s 10th-inning RBI single. It is the seventh time the classic has gone into extra innings. Cubs GM John Holland announces that Leo Durocher has stepped down as manager in favor of Whitey Lockman. Leo contends he was not fired, but has “stepped aside.” The Astros will hire Durocher in late August to replace Harry Walker. 1974 – At Riverfront Stadium, Tony Perez caps a five-run Reds rally in the 9th by hitting a two out, two-strike home run. The Reds rally to top the Giants, 14 – 13. 1975 – The Cards trade OF Jim Dwyer to Montreal for INF Larry Lintz. 1977 – Pete Rose singles in the 4th inning of the Reds’ 9 – 8 loss to the Cardinals. It is Rose’s 2,881st career hit, enabling him to surpass Frankie Frisch as the all-time leader among switch-hitters. His hit comes off Pete Falcone. 1978: The Lodi Dodgers (California League) pull off two triple plays during an 11 – 6 win over Fresno. Bob Brenly is a victimized baserunner each time. It is the first time a pro team has had two triple plays in one game since 1904. The Reds lose to the Mets, 9 – 2, but Pete Rose collects three hits to break Tommy Holmes’ record for the longest hitting streak in National League annals. Holmes is in attendance at Shea Stadium and shakes Rose’s hand after his 3rd-inning single off Craig Swan. 1980: In the first game of a doubleheader split with the Braves, Mike Schmidt hits his 25th and 26th home runs of the season to pass Del Ennis as the Phillies’ all-time home run leader with 261. The Phils win, 5 – 4, then fall, 3 – 0, to Tommy Boggs. The Cubs fire manager Preston Gomez and replace him with Joey Amalfitano. Chicago is 38-52, last in the National League East. 1982 – Steve Carlton pitches his 50th career shutout, a 1 – 0 five-hitter against the Dodgers and Jerry Reuss. 1990: For the second time in his career, George Brett hits for the cycle, as Kansas City beats Toronto, 6 – 1. Twenty-five-year veteran umpire Bob Engel resigns after pleading no contest to charges of shoplifting baseball cards in California. After having a commanding 9 – 0 lead and still ahead, 10 – 3, entering the bottom of the 9th, the Mets barely hold on to beat the Phillies at Veterans Stadium, 10 – 9. The nail biter causes the usually even-mannered Bob Murphy to use a mild obscenity in his call of the final out, “they win the damn thing by a score of 10 to 9!”. Before the start of the Padres-Reds game in San Diego, comedienne Roseanne Barr screeches out a rendition of the National Anthem, finishing with a crotch grab that causes a crescendo of boos. Ed Whitson then wins, 2 – 1, for the Pads. 1991 – A jersey once worn by Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle is sold for $71,500 at an auction in Manhattan. A Ty Cobb tobacco card brings in $62,700. 1992: The Braves defeat the Pirates, 1 – 0, despite getting only one hit. The one safety is a 2nd-inning homer by OF David Justice off Danny Jackson. Charlie Leibrandt goes eight innings for the win. Angels rookie P Tim Fortugno defeats the Tigers, 3 – 0, becoming, at age 30, the oldest pitcher to win his first major league game since Tony Fossas of the Brewers did so at age 31 in 1989. 1993 – Detroit P Mike Moore hurls a one-hit, 3 – 0 shutout over the Royals. Wally Joyner’s 2nd-inning single is the only Kansas City safety. 1995 – Yankees 2B Randy Velarde strokes five hits in New York’s 8 – 1 win over the Royals. Velarde’s hits include four singles and a home run. 1996: Royals rookie Jose Rosado wins his first major league game, 7 – 0, shutting down the Yankees on four hits at Yankee Stadium. Mark McGwire clouts his 37th homer into the fifth deck at Toronto’s Skydome, just the second player to reach there. The 488-foot drive off Huck Flener lands four rows up from where Jose Canseco hit one in the 1989 ALCS. The A’s still lose the game to the Jays, 4 – 3, when Joe Carter hits a dramatic two-run two-out homer in the bottom of the 9th. McGwire will hit his 38th tomorrow in an A’s win. 1997: Jesse Ibarra of the Jacksonville Suns hits grand slams from both sides of the plate in a 12 – 9 win over the Memphis Chicks. It is later concluded to be the first Organized Baseball game in which such a feat has occurred. The balls are flying out that day as Memphis’s Shane Monahan sets the Southern League record with his fourth grand slam of the season. The Reds name Jack McKeon as their manager, replacing Ray Knight. The Royals acquire 3B Dean Palmer, slated to become a free agent at the end of the season, from the Rangers in exchange for OF Tom Goodwin. 1998: Former Yankees P Jim Bouton makes his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since 1970 at Oldtimers Day and is greeted with cheers all around. Bouton had been persona non grata in New York since writing Ball Four, which broke a long-standing taboo in sports by taking readers into the locker room and revealing players’ extracurricular escapades. The Yanks invited the Bulldog back after his son wrote a Father’s Day article in the New York Times suggesting it. The Padres top Houston, 6 – 5, as Mark Langston gets the win with five-plus innings of work. Trevor Hoffman picks up his 41st consecutive save and 33rd this year, tying a major league record. He’ll blow his next save opportunity tomorrow in San Diego’s 5 – 4 win, ending his streak. 1999: The Orioles defeat the Angels, 8 – 7, behind three home runs and six RBI from slugger Albert Belle. The Tigers defeat the Red Sox, 9 – 1, as 1B Tony Clark homers from both sides of the plate for the second time this season. Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount, George Brett, Nestor Chylak, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Selee and ‘Smokey’ Joe Williams are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. 2001: The Diamondbacks get P Albie Lopez from the Devil Rays in exchange for P Nick Bierbrodt and OF Jason Conti. The Mets leave a club-record 16 runners on base, but still beat the Marlins, 5 – 2, pinning the loss on Ryan Dempster. Glendon Rusch is the winner. Lenny Harris ties Smoky Burgess for second place on the all-time pinch hit list when he doubles. 2002: The Dodgers send OF Hiram Bocachica to the Tigers for minor league P Tom Farmer and a player to be named later. The Athletics obtain 2B Ray Durham from the White Sox in exchange for AAA pitcher Jon Adkins. 2004: Carlos Delgado’s three-run homer in the Blue Jays’ 5 – 3 victory over the Devil Rays makes the slugger the first Toronto player to drive in 1,000 runs in franchise history. Paul Molitor, a member of the 3000 hit club, and Dennis Eckersley, who appeared in the most games of any Hall of Fame pitcher (1,071 games), are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Long-time Bay Area (A’s and Giants) broadcaster Lon Simmons wins the Ford C. Frick Award and the J.G. Taylor Spink Award is won by the New York Times’ Murray Chass, enabling both to be honored by the Hall for their outstanding reporting of the national pastime. 2005 – The Baseball-Reference Bullpen is launched on-line by Sean Forman as a complement to the seminal Baseball-Reference.com, four days after the creation of its first pages. 2006: Marlins rookie P Anibal Sanchez ends the Braves’ streak of 23 consecutive games with a home run in the Marlins’ 2 – 1 victory. The Braves streak was two shy of the National League record that they themselves set in 1997. The Royals trade P Elmer Dessens to the Dodgers in exchange for P Odalis Perez and two minor league pitchers. 2008: Brad Ziegler throws his 25th consecutive scoreless inning, tying the record for the start of a major league career. George McQuillan set the record in 1907. Ziegler’s A’s still lose, 14 – 6, to the Rangers. The IBAF announces it will change baseball’s long-standing rules in order to try to get it back into the Olympics. From now on, in international competitions, contests will only be played by baseball rules for ten innings. Starting in the 11th, each team will begin with runners on first and second base and a hitter of its choice leading off. The rule, copied on a similar one in women’s softball, will begin in the 2008 World Junior Championship and be used in the 2008 Olympics; it will become known as the “Schiller Rule”, after the IBAF’s President. 2009: The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 14 – 6, at Citizens Bank Park for the 9,000th regular season win in team history. Jimmy Rollins, with a grand slam, and Shane Victorino hit back-to-back home runs in the 6th inning to propel the Phils to the milestone victory. Down 9 – 1 coming into the 7th, the Rays tie the game on 9th-inning solo homers by Carlos Pena and Willy Aybar off Blue Jays closer Scott Downs, then add a run in the 12th on a double by Jason Bartlett for a 10 – 9 win. The Jays load the bases with one out in the bottom of the 12th, but Joe Nelson wiggles out of the jam to save J.P. Howell’s victory. It is the biggest comeback win in Rays history. After dropping five straight All-Star Games, the West beats the East, 7 – 3, in the Korea Baseball Organization midsummer Classic. Jae-kyun Hwang hits a two-run homer for the West, as does Chi-hong An. An, at age 19, becomes the youngest rookie ever to be named All-Star Game MVP. 2010: In a ceremony held in Cooperstown, NY, outfielder Andre Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey are inducted into the Hall of Fame. During his acceptance speech, Dawson urges the election of former teammates Tim Raines and Lee Smith. The Angels acquire pitcher Dan Haren in a trade with the Diamondbacks, giving up Joe Saunders and three prospects. For the second time this year, a star player is injured in a celebration after a game-winning hit. Following the Angels’ Kendry Morales’s broken leg in May, Florida’s Chris Coghlan tears a meniscus in his left knee while attempting to throw a cream pie in the face of teammate Wes Helms, who hit a walk-off single in the 11th inning for a 5 – 4 win over the Braves. 2011: One day after being shut out at home on four singles by Brett Cecil, the Rangers explode for 27 hits in a 20 – 6 drubbing of the Minnesota Twins. They score at least three runs in each of the first five innings, a scoring feat only accomplished two other times since 1900, to cruise to the highest run total in the American League this year. Lead-off hitter Ian Kinsler drives in five runs for Texas, while All-Star RF Michael Cuddyer of the Twins moves to the mound in the 8th inning and escapes without allowing a run after loading the bases. The Yankees extend the Mariners’ franchise-worst losing streak to 16 games with a 10 – 3 win in New York. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira homer and have three RBI each. The Pirates get another good performance from James McDonald to stay in the middle of the tight NL Central division race. McDonald strikes out nine in 5 2/3 innings, a career high and the most by a Bucs pitcher in almost two years, as the Pirates defeat the Braves, 3 – 1. Pittsburgh is tied with St. Louis atop the division, half a game ahead of Milwaukee. 2012: Deals continue to be announced ahead of the trading deadline, with Los Angeles acquiring 3B Hanley Ramirez and P Randy Choate from Miami in return for Ps Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough. In other moves, the Phillies sign P Cole Hamels to a six-year extension worth $144 million, taking him off the market, while the Rays release veteran DH Hideki Matsui, who is hitting only .147, to make room for Ryan Roberts, who was acquired in a trade yesterday. In his first game for the Dodgers, Hanley Ramirez goes 2 for 4 with a walk, a run and a RBI, but the Cardinals win, 3 – 2, as Rafael Furcal singles home the winning run in the 12th inning. The Athletics crush the Blue Jays, 16 – 0, for their seventh straight win, handing the Jays the most lopsided loss in team history. Coco Crisp homers twice in support of A.J. Griffin as the A’s erupt for eight runs in the 2nd inning off Ricky Romero. If that isn’t enough, Brandon Inge fouls a ball off C J.P. Arencibia’s bare right hand, breaking a bone, then RF Josh Reddick rubs some salt in the wound by making a Spiderman catch in the bottom of the frame, climbing the fence and holding on with his right hand for a pair of seconds before catching the ball, robbing Travis Snider of extra bases. 2014 – Yasiel Puig hits three of the Dodgers’ five triples to lead Los Angeles to an 8 – 1 win in the opening game of a three-game series with the Giants with leadership of the NL West at stake. Puig adds a double as well and ties a team record with his three-base hits, as do the five hit by the team. Zack Greinke gets the win and also records a four-strikeout inning in the 3rd. 2015: Cole Hamels of the Phillies no-hits the Cubs, 5 – 0, at Wrigley Field. It is the first time the Cubs have been victims of a no-hitter since 1965. Alex Rodriguez continues his remarkable comeback season by hitting three homers in an 8 – 5 Yankees win over the Twins. His third long ball ties the score against closer Glen Perkins in the 9th, and John Ryan Murphy follows with a three-run game-winning shot. The semifinal of the women’s bracket is held at the 2015 Pan American Games, with the winner advancing to the Gold Medal game and the loser taking Bronze. Canada starter Autumn Mills throws a four-hit, one-run complete game, but Canada fails to score against Esquiea Rengel for four innings, trailing 1 – 0. They then explode for six runs in the 5th on three hits, two walks, an error, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly. Becky Hartley’s two-run single off reliever Giddelys Cumaná puts Canada ahead for good, giving Venezuela the Bronze. 2016: In a rare development, the Yankees are sellers at the trading deadline as they send P Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in return for a very rich package of prospects that includes OFs Rashad Crawford and Billy McKinney, IF Gleyber Torres and P Adam Warren. The Yankees were dealing from a position of strength, with two other top-class relievers on hand in Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances, while Chapman is headed for free agency after the season. He will re-sign with the Yankees, allowing them to have their cake and eat it too. In the 20th season of interleague play since its launch in 1997, the last remaining possible match-up occurs, as the Padres visit Toronto for the first time ever, meaning that every team has now visited every other major league team at least once. The Jays win the game, 4 – 2, behind Aaron Sanchez, who records his tenth straight win, the first Blue Jays pitcher to do so since Roy Halladay in 2003. Alex Dickerson hits a two-run homer for the Padres in the 9th, extending the team’s record streak of games with at least one home run to 23. 2017 – In his first plate appearance at home as a member of the Yankees, Todd Frazier hits into one of the rarest plays in baseball: a triple play that actually scores a run. Batting with the bases loaded and none out in the 2nd, he hits a hard grounder to SS Jose Peraza, who steps on second and throws to first for the first two outs. Meanwhile, Didi Gregorius, who was on second base, freezes up between second and third, thinking Peraza may catch the ball on the fly. 1B Joey Votto throws to third and catches Gregorius in a rundown. He is called out for leaving the base line – but not before Matt Holliday has crossed the plate. Because the final out was not the result of a force out, the run stands. The Yankees go on to beat the Reds, 4 – 2. 2018 – The Rays continue a selling movement begun in earnest during spring training by sending SP Nathan Eovaldi to the Red Sox in return for P Jalen Beeks and RP Matt Andriese to the Diamondbacks for C Michael Perez and P Brian Shaffer. 2019: The Red Sox author another chapter in the long saga that is their rivalry with the Yankees by defeating them by a score of 19 – 3 at Fenway Park. Masahiro Tanaka allows 12 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, the most by a Yankee pitcher against the Sox. Xander Bogaerts sets the tone with a three-run homer in the 1st as part of a four-hit night in which he adds another long ball, against C Austin Romine pitching mop-up relief in the 8th. The 19 runs by the Red Sox are the most they have scored in the 117-year history of facing the New Yorkers. OF Stevie Wilkerson of the Orioles becomes the first position player to earn a save as he pitches a perfect 16th inning to preserve a 10 – 8 victory over the Angels. The tenth pitcher of the night for Baltimore, he uses slow lobs never topping 55 mph to put an end to a game that lasts over six hours. Jonathan Villar throws out the potential winning run at the plate in the 15th, then in the top of the 16th hits a two-run homer off Griffin Canning, the Angels’ scheduled starter for the next day’s game. The win is a rare highlight this year for an Orioles team that was 0-62 when trailing after seven innings before erasing such a deficit for the first time today. 2020 – Seven years after his last major league appearance, Daniel Bard earns the win in Colorado’s 3 – 2 victory over the Rangers with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. In between, Bard was affected by the so-called yips, losing his ability to throw strikes, and had given up his pitching career, working as a mental skills coach, before making his unlikely comeback. 2021 – The Pirates trade 2B Adam Frazier, the starter in the recent All-Star Game, to the Padres in return for three prospects. 2023: The Braves turn the first triple play of the MLB season and it comes in highly unusual fashion. The play goes 8-3-5, a combination of outs not seen since 1884, as with runners on first and second in the 3rd, CF Michael Harris II catches a fly ball hit by Triston Casas of the Red Sox and fires to 1B Matt Olson to retire Adam Duvall, who had misjudged the force with which the ball was hit. Olson then fires to 3B Austin Riley to nab Masataka Yoshida, who had tagged up and was trying to advance while the Braves were busy attending to the other runner. In spite of the triple killing, Boston wins the game handily, 7 – 1. The Dodgers reacquire utility player Kiké Hernandez in a trade with the Red Sox in return for two minor leaguers; Hernandez had been a major contributor to the Dodgers’ World Series title in 2020, and will do so again in 2024. 2024: Dylan Cease throws the second no-hitter in Padres franchise history, defeating Washington, 3 – 0. In the first big deal of this year’s trading deadline the Marlins send reliever A.J. Puk to the Diamondbacks in return for two prospects. 2025: Nick Kurtz has what is perhaps the best game ever by a rookie as he goes 6-for-6 with six runs and eight RBIs, homers four times and posts record-tying totals of five extra-base hits and 19 total bases in a 15 – 3 win by the Athletics over Houston. He is the 20th player to have a four-homer game, and the second this season, after Eugenio Suarez had done so in a losing cause on April 26th. A couple of trades take place today, with the Yankees acquiring 3B Ryan McMahon from the Rockies in return for two prospects, and the Mets getting relief pitcher Gregory Soto from Baltimore, also for a pair of prospects. Births[edit] 1848 – Louis Kramer, owner (d. 1922) 1863 – John Tener, pitcher (d. 1946) 1866 – Louis Graff, catcher (d. 1955) 1874 – Doc Reisling, pitcher (d. 1955) 1877 – Bill Eagle, outfielder (d. 1951) 1888 – Frank Gregory, pitcher (d. 1955) 1894 – Red Holt, infielder (d. 1961) 1905 – Frank Walsh, umpire (d. 1985) 1907 – Bill Andrus, infielder (d. 1982) 1907 – Joe Zapustas, outfielder (d. 2001) 1909 – Sherman Edwards, pitcher (d. 1992) 1910 – Le Grant Scott, outfielder (d. 1993) 1911 – Otis Douglas, coach (d. 1989) 1913 – Cy Williams, scout (d. 2006) 1914 – Kermit Aase, minor league pitcher (d. 2003) 1914 – Tokichi Ishimaru, NPB infielder (d. 1991) 1917 – William Jeffcoat, minor league pitcher (d. 1998) 1918 – Katsuma Shimoo, NPB outfielder and pitcher (d. 1992) 1921 – Hiroshi Morishita, NPB pitcher (d. ????) 1921 – Marv Rackley, outfielder (d. 2018) 1921 – Sandy Ullrich, pitcher (d. 2001) 1922 – Earl Gillespie, broadcaster (d. 2003) 1926 – Whitey Lockman, infielder, manager; All-Star (d. 2009) 1926 – Katsuo Takemoto, NPB pitcher and umpire (d. 2006) 1931 – Shizuo Kusumi, NPB outfielder (d. ????) 1931 – Hiroya Tomizawa, NPB umpire; Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame 1935 – Larry Sherry, pitcher (d. 2006) 1936 – Makoto Inagawa, NPB pitcher 1936 – Takanori Sato, NPB pitcher 1939 – Lance Nichols, minor league catcher and manager (d. 2024) 1939 – James A. Riley, author (d. 2026) 1939 – Santiago Rosario, infielder (d. 2013) 1940 – Norimoto Sugawara, NPB pitcher 1941 – Rolando Macías, Cuban league pitcher 1944 – Buddy Bradford, outfielder 1944 – Fred Scherman, pitcher 1947 – Mick Kelleher, infielder 1947 – Mickey Scott, pitcher (d. 2011) 1948 – Jesús Guerra, Cuban league pitcher (d. 2017) 1949 – Santiago Guzman, pitcher 1950 – Toshihiko Yamada, NPB outfielder 1951 – Haruhiko Suzuki, NPB infielder 1952 – Ace Adams, coach 1953 – Biff Pocoroba, catcher; All-Star (d. 2020) 1953 – Shigeki Tsurusaki, NPB infielder 1956 – Dave Patterson, pitcher 1957 – Katsusuke Nakajima, NPB outfielder 1958 – Mike Hurdle, minor league outfielder 1958 – Shinji Kuroda, NPB pitcher (d. 2020) 1958 – Marc Sullivan, catcher 1959 – Matt Williams, pitcher 1962 – Doug Drabek, pitcher; All-Star 1962 – Hun-ki Kim, KBO pitcher (d. 2009) 1964 – Matt Huff, minor league infielder 1965 – Torey Lovullo, infielder, manager 1965 – Andy Skeels, coach 1966 – Akihiro Harada, NPB pitcher 1966 – Keith Kimberlin, minor league infielder 1967 – Arthur Bonevacia Sr., Netherlands Antilles national team pitcher 1967 – Yasuhiro Sato, Japanese national team pitcher 1967 – Ed Sprague, infielder; All-Star 1968 – Greg D’Alexander, minor league infielder 1968 – Katsumi Manabe, minor league pitcher and NPB umpire 1969 – Makoto Ito, NPB pitcher 1969 – Eiji Ochiai, NPB pitcher 1970 – Julien Fountain, Great Britain national team pitcher 1970 – Garey Ingram, infielder 1971 – Fabrizio Chirici, Serie A1 umpire 1971 – Kazuki Inoue, NPB outfielder and manager 1971 – Takumi Shiigi, NPB catcher 1971 – Billy Wagner, pitcher; All-Star 1972 – Kevin Hooker, scout 1973 – Guillermo Mota, pitcher 1974 – Yoide Castillo, Cuban league pitcher 1974 – John Crane, college coach 1974 – Chris Schwab, minor league outfielder 1975 – Anton French, minor league outfielder 1975 – Alex Slattery, scout 1976 – Nikoloz Bezhuashvili, minor league pitcher 1976 – Eric Maleski, minor league pitcher 1976 – Javier Vazquez, pitcher; All-Star 1977 – Hun-ho Kyung, KBO pitcher 1977 – Travis Phelps, pitcher 1979 – Zsolt Zalabai, Hungarian national team player 1979 – Ben Rosenthal, coach 1980 – Santiago Casilla, pitcher 1980 – Shawn Riggans, catcher 1980 – Shiro Teramoto, NPB outfielder and pitcher 1981 – Kevin Kouzmanoff, infielder 1982 – Frailyn Florian, minor league pitcher 1982 – Issmael Salas, minor league infielder 1982 – Nino Tator, Philippines national team outfielder 1983 – Santiago Gonzalez, minor league outfielder 1984 – Mathieu Beauchamp, French Division I player and coach 1984 – Lenin Gazo, minor league pitcher 1984 – Baptiste Polidor, French Division I outfielder 1985 – Erlis Casanova, Cuban league pitcher 1985 – Alex Presley, outfielder 1985 – Ryan Trask, Great Britain national team outfielder 1986 – Willy Azama, Peruvian national team pitcher 1986 – Rogelio Del Campo, minor league catcher 1986 – Eui-yoon Jung, KBO outfielder 1986 – Ciro Rosero, minor league outfielder 1986 – Chun-Tai Wang, CPBL catcher 1987 – Alex Sogard, minor league pitcher 1988 – José Martínez, outfielder 1988 – Dawei Zhu, China Baseball League pitcher 1989 – Shi Dong, China Baseball League pitcher 1989 – Daisuke Fujimura, NPB infielder 1989 – Keisuke Okazaki, Japanese national team infielder 1990 – Roman Mendez, pitcher 1990 – Robelys Reyes, minor league infielder 1990 – Alton Tamanitoakula, Fijian national team outfielder 1991 – Kota Ito, NPB pitcher 1991 – Maxx Tissenbaum, minor league catcher/infielder 1991 – Joey Wagman, minor league pitcher 1993 – Hannah Martensen, Canada women’s national team player 1993 – Ricky Rivera, minor league manager 1994 – Gan Erdene Ganbold, Mongolian national team player 1994 – Alixon Suárez, minor league catcher 1994 – Gianfranco Wawoe, minor league infielder 1995 – Darick Hall, outfielder 1995 – Min-woo Kim, KBO pitcher 1995 – Curtis Taylor, minor league pitcher 1996 – Cam Alldred, pitcher 1996 – PJ Poulin, pitcher 1996 – Tao Zhang, minor league pitcher 1997 – Nick Avila, pitcher 1997 – Kevin Strohschein, minor league outfielder 1998 – Korey Lee, catcher 1998 – T.J. Sikkema, minor league pitcher 1998 – Jesús Vargas, Peruvian national team pitcher 1999 – Keisuke Nakata, NPB infielder 2001 – Borna Strelec, Croatian national team pitcher 2002 – Luca Rammelmann, Bundesliga outfielder Deaths[edit] 1894 – Joe Leggett, pre-MLB catcher (b. 1828) 1924 – Dan Penno, Negro Leagues infielder (b. ~1861) 1939 – Peaches Graham, catcher (b. 1877) 1944 – Yukio Muramatsu, NPB pitcher (b. 1920) 1944 – José Pérez, Venezuelan national team player (b. 1914) 1953 – Pat Hilly, outfielder (b. 1887) 1956 – John Kane, infielder (b. 1900) 1957 – Frank Welch, outfielder (b. 1897) 1958 – Dizzy Nutter, outfielder (b. 1893) 1959 – Jim Boyer, umpire (b. 1909) 1959 – Buck O’Brien, pitcher (b. 1882) 1959 – Joe Schepner, infielder (b. 1895) 1961 – Carlton Molesworth, pitcher (b. 1876) 1963 – Rags Roberts, outfielder (b. 1895) 1964 – Mo Harris, infielder; umpire (b. 1898) 1967 – Mike Chartak, outfielder (b. 1916) 1970 – Herb Hunter, infielder (b. 1896) 1971 – Jack Meyers, catcher (b. 1880) 1971 – Jack Powell, umpire (b. 1885) 1979 – Jimmy Binder, infielder (b. 1902) 1986 – Ted Lyons, pitcher, manager; All-Star, Hall of Famer (b. 1900) 1988 – Glenn Killinger, minor league infielder and manager (b. 1898) 1991 – Chris Whitehead, minor league infielder (b. 1967) 1996 – Tsuneo Tsuri, NPB pitcher (b. 1917) 1999 – Harry Pletersek, minor league outfielder (b. 1915) 2002 – Bob Barr, pitcher (b. 1908) 2002 – Izzy Leon, pitcher (b. 1911) 2002 – Ed Runge, umpire (b. 1918) 2003 – Norm McRae, pitcher (b. 1947) 2004 – Herb Barnhill, catcher (b. 1913) 2005 – Joe Justice, college coach (b. 1916) 2006 – Aldo Notari, IBAF president (b. 1932) 2011 – Len Tucker, minor league outfielder (b. 1929) 2013 – Jim McNally, umpire (b. 1953) 2013 – Kazunori Seto, NPB pitcher (b. 1950) 2014 – Harry Psutka, minor league catcher (b. 1928) 2014 – Art Schult, infielder (b. 1928) 2016 – Haruki Mihira, NPB pitcher (b. 1938) 2018 – Marv Rackley, outfielder (b. 1921) 2021 – Helen Fox, AAGPBL pitcher (b. 1920) 2022 – Chuck Roys, college coach (b. 1939) 2025 – Bob Homolka, umpire (b. 1942) ############################################ TV SPORTS TODAY Saturday, July 25 AUTO RACING 6:30 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary 10 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: Practice, Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary 7:30 p.m. CW — NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind. CYCLING 6 a.m. NBCSN — UCI: Tour de France, Stage 20 8 a.m. NBC — UCI: Tour de France, Stage 20 GOLF 5:30 a.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, Third Round, Dundonald Links, Gailes, North Ayrshire, Scotland 8 a.m. FOX — LIV Golf League: Third Round, JCB Golf & Country Club, Rocester, England 8:30 a.m. GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Third Round, Gleneagles Hotel (Kings Course), Auchterarder, Scotland Noon NBC — PGA Tour Champions: ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Third Round, Gleneagles Hotel (Kings Course), Auchterarder, Scotland 1 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour: 3M Open, Third Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn. 3 p.m. CBS — PGA Tour: 3M Open, Third Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn. 4:30 a.m. (Sunday) GOLF — LPGA Tour: ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, Final Round, Dundonald Links, Gailes, North Ayrshire, Scotland LACROSSE (MEN’S) 9 p.m. ESPN2 — PLL: Philadelphia at Denver MIXED MARTIAL ARTS 10 p.m. ESPN — PFL: Main Card, Washington MLB BASEBALL 4 p.m. FS1 — San Diego at Miami (4:10 p.m.) 7 p.m. FOX — Regional Coverage: L.A. Dodgers at N.Y. Mets (7:15 p.m.) OR Seattle at Texas (7:15 p.m.) SOCCER (MEN’S) 7 p.m. ESPN2 — USL Championship: Las Vegas at Detroit SOFTBALL 1 p.m. ABC — Athletes Unlimited Postseason: TBD, Championship – Game 1, College Station, Texas TRACK AND FIELD 2 p.m. NBC — USATF: 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships, New York WNBA BASKETBALL 8:30 p.m. ABC — 2026 WNBA All-Star Game: Team Cooper vs. Team Weatherspoon, Chicago X GAMES 3 p.m. ABC — MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026: Day 2, New Orleans 7 p.m. ESPN — MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026: Day 2, New Orleans _____ Sunday, July 26 AUTO RACING 9 a.m. APPLE TV — Formula 1: AWS Hungarian Grand Prix 2026, Hungaroring, Mogyoród, Hungary 2 p.m. TNT — NASCAR Cup Series: Brickyard 400, In-Season Challenge – Challenge, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind. TRUTV — NASCAR Cup Series: Brickyard 400, In-Season Challenge – Challenge, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind. 4 p.m. FOX — NHRA: Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. BIG3 BASKETBALL 1 p.m. CBS — Week 6: DMV Trilogy vs. Miami 305, Houston Rig Hands at Dallas Power, Houston CYCLING 9:30 a.m. NBCSN — UCI: Tour de France, Final Stage 2 p.m. NBC — UCI: Tour de France, Final Stage (taped) GOLF 4:30 a.m. GOLF — LPGA Tour: ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, Final Round, Dundonald Links, Gailes, North Ayrshire, Scotland 8 a.m. FS1 — LIV Golf League: Final Round, JCB Golf & Country Club, Rocester, England 8:30 a.m. GOLF — PGA Tour Champions: ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Final Round, Gleneagles Hotel (Kings Course), Auchterarder, Scotland Noon NBC — PGA Tour Champions: ISPS HANDA Senior Open, Final Round, Gleneagles Hotel (Kings Course), Auchterarder, Scotland 1 p.m. GOLF — PGA Tour: 3M Open, Final Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn. 3 p.m. CBS — PGA Tour: 3M Open, Final Round, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minn. MLB BASEBALL Noon NBCSN — Cleveland at Tampa Bay (12:15 p.m.) PEACOCK — Cleveland at Tampa Bay (12:15 p.m.) 1:30 p.m. MLBN — 2026 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: From Cooperstown, Pa. 4:30 p.m. MLBN — L.A. Angels at San Francisco (joined in progress) (4:05 p.m.) 7 p.m. NBC — N.Y. Yankees at Philadelphia (7:20 p.m.) PEACOCK — N.Y. Yankees at Philadelphia (7:20 p.m.) SOCCER (WOMEN’S) 9 p.m. ESPN — NWSL: Louisville at Angel City SOFTBALL 2 p.m. ESPN — Athletes Unlimited Postseason: TBD, Championship – Game 2, College Station, Texas TRACK AND FIELD 2 p.m. NBC — USATF: 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships, New York X GAMES 2 p.m. ABC — MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026: Day 3, New Orleans 6 p.m. ESPN — MoonPay X Games New Orleans 2026: Day 3, New Orleans About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation JAMES TO PHILLY. THE INSIDE STORY THE INDIANA SRN “SCOREBOARD” JULY 25
