Rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz became the first Reds player to hit for a cycle in 34 years and Cincinnati outslugged the Atlanta Braves 11-10 for their 12th straight victory.
De La Cruz led off the second inning with a double, hit a two-run homer in the third, had a run-scoring single in the fifth and completed the cycle with a triple in the sixth for his fourth RBI of the game.
The cycle is the seventh overall in Reds’ history and the first since Eric Davis on June 2, 1989. The 21-year-old De La Cruz achieved the feat in just his 15th game – the third fewest since 1900.
Cincinnati matched the 1939 and 1957 teams for the franchise’s longest single season winning streak since 1900.
Atlanta, which had an eight-game winning streak stopped, scored five runs in the first off Luke Weaver, with Travis d’Arnaud’s three-run homer the big blow.
Cincinnati got two runs back in the second inning on Jake Fraley’s home run and pulled within 5-4 an inning later on De La Cruz’s two-run blast.
Joey Votto’s first home run of the game in the fourth inning tied it, but the Braves went back on top in the fifth as Matt Olson’s homer scored Austin Riley.
The Reds went ahead for good with four runs in their half of the fifth. De La Cruz singled in a run and Votto delivered a three-run homer.
Atlanta got solo home runs from Ronald Acuna, Jr., Riley and Olson again in the eighth but was unable to push across the tying run in just its third loss in 18 games.
Ohtani hits MLB-best 25th home run in Angels’ loss
Shohei Ohtani extended his major league lead with his 25th home run and fell a triple shy of the cycle in the Los Angles Angels’ 7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Ohtani homered off starter Kyle Freeland in the fifth inning and Mike Trout followed with his 16th home run to give the Angels a 4-2 lead.
Ohtani has at least one extra-base hit in 10 straight road games, a franchise record and the longest such streak in the majors since 2009.
Colorado, which had lost eight in a row, went ahead in the eighth on Elias Diaz’s grand slam.
Conforto leads Giants past Diamondbacks in NL West matchup
Michael Conforto had three hits and four RBIs to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a battle between the top teams in the NL West.
Conforto had a two-run double in San Francisco’s three-run third inning and came through with another two-run double as part of a four-run fifth. Patrick Bailey capped the uprising with a two-run homer.
The Giants have won 11 of 12 to get within 2 ½ games of NL West-leading Arizona.
Allianz Premier 15s chief executive Belinda Moore believes that women’s sport is beginning to “stand alone” as interest continues to grow.
The RFU announced in June 2022 that up to £220m would be invested into the professional women’s game over 10 years and Moore was announced as CEO of the Premier 15s last October.
It comes as part of an exciting time of growth in women’s sport which will be seen this summer with England’s cricketers and netballers in action alongside the Lionesses, who will be aiming to build on last year’s Euro win at the World Cup.
There has also been success in rugby as the Red Roses reached the World Cup final last November before scooping a fifth successive Six Nations title in front of a record-breaking crowd of 58,498 at Twickenham in April, and Moore insists women’s sport is now providing entertainment in its own right.
“We all know what an amazing job the Lionesses did and the growth that’s come off the back of that,” she told the PA news agency.
“One of the things they proved very eloquently was that women’s sport now is starting to stand alone.
“It’s recognised for what it is, so it’s not regarded as men’s sport – there’s a women’s brand of football, a women’s brand of rugby and they’re really entertaining games in their own right.”
Women’s domestic rugby is set to take centre stage on Saturday when Exeter Chiefs face Gloucester-Hartpury in the Premier 15s final at the renamed “Queensholm” Stadium.
Neither team has previously won the competition and so far 8,000 tickets have been sold for the West Country clash.
“I’m hugely looking forward to Saturday, I think the two semi-finals set a really good benchmark for what we can expect this weekend,” Moore said.
“It’s been amazing to see the growth of women’s rugby, even in the short time since the World Cup last year and that crowd last year, and the crowd at Twickenham for the England-France game.
“They’ve sold over 7,000 tickets for this match this weekend, which is a huge uptake on last year.
“The great news is we can see the interest in the sport is growing and I’m looking forward to a cracking final at Queensholm, as they’ve aptly renamed it this weekend!”
Alongside plans to grow the Premier 15s competition, England are also set to host the World Cup in 2025.
Last year’s World Cup final saw hosts New Zealand beat the Red Roses in front of 42,579 in Auckland and Moore believes a home tournament is an ideal opportunity to keep generating interest.
She said: “The number of people who got up at daft o’clock in the morning, myself included, was a really big thing.
“It was a great one, the challenge always is when you play rugby of any description down on the southern hemisphere, it’s harder to get that wider attention in a busy, crowded sports market.
“So I think what you got primarily was rugby fans, which is brilliant, but what we also want to do is expand the game out to those who maybe don’t know it so well, sports fans or more general fans of women’s sport.
“The great news is we’ve got a strong base to build on, but we definitely need to build on it and 2025 I think will be that big springboard that puts women’s rugby in people’s living rooms at primetime and starts to change that narrative.”
Mel Reid moved to within a shot of the lead at the second women’s major of the year – nine months after quitting golf.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire fired four late birdies in a second round 68 to take the halfway lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in New Jersey, one clear of a group on four-under which includes England’s Reid after her 67.
She was joined by China’s Xiyu Lin and Norwegian rookie Celine Borge with first round leader Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa and Australia’s Minjee Lee, chasing her second major title after a second round 67.
For Reid, it is a big change from deciding to give up playing due to injury.
“I legit quit,” she said. “When I got my injury, I tried to play through it, which I kind of felt I had to. In September I literally told Carly (her wife), I’m going into the media, I’m not playing golf anymore.
“With things like that, if you just give me a bit of space, I do kind of work it out myself.
“I missed the competitiveness of it and I thought let’s give it one more go. I’ve just been really enjoying myself this year.”
Maguire birdied four of her final six holes as she took the halfway lead in a major for the first time.
“This is uncharted territory for me,” Maguire said. “Whatever happens this week, I’m sure I’ll learn a lot, and just sort of taking it one day at a time.
“I think this golf course demands that. I think you can’t think more than one shot ahead, let alone a hole or a round ahead.”
Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow shot a second round 68 to be in a group on one-under with only 15 players under par on the Lower Course at Baltusrol.
World number nine Lexi Thompson birdied her last four holes to sneak inside the cut at four-over-par, but England’s Georgia Hall, Charley Hull, Bronte Law and Laura Davies all missed out, alongside world number two Nelly Korda, number four Lilia Vi and number six Atthaya Thitikul.
Harriet Dart is confident her game is heading in the right direction after her run at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham was ended by a narrow quarter-final loss to Anastasia Potapova.
Dart defeated top-30 player Anhelina Kalinina for the second week in a row to reach the last eight but was unable to capitalise on a good start against fourth seed Potapova, losing out 4-6 6-3 6-4.
It has been a difficult season for Dart, who has plummeted out of the top 100 after a breakthrough year in 2022, but the 26-year-old has found her form on grass and this was a second consecutive quarter-final appearance following on from Nottingham last week.
“I thought it was a really high-level match,” said Dart, who has been awarded a wild card for Eastbourne next week.
“I don’t think I served particularly very well but managed to find a way to get ahead with the first set. I definitely had a lot of chances. But overall a positive week.
“Of course I wanted to do better today and to keep going but it’s important just to keep building week in, week out to be able to compete with the best players in the world.
“And to also be realistic. This is grass, it’s a unique surface. I really enjoy these couple of weeks and just to try and use this momentum for the rest of the season.
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“Today I played someone who’s 21 in the world and lost 6-4 in the third, and I think there’s a lot of areas I can improve on, so it’s heading in the right direction.”
Dart struggled with her serve throughout the match but managed to win the opening set despite five double faults, producing some fine shots from the back of the court, and she made the first move in the second set with a break for 2-1.
But Potapova, ranked 21st, began to punish Dart’s second serve and the Russian turned the match around with a run of four games in a row, cutting down on the errors that had blighted her game.
Dart recovered from 3-1 down in the deciding set to level at 3-3 but Potapova’s heavy groundstrokes were taking their toll and the Russian broke again before serving out the victory.
Potapova next faces second seed Jelena Ostapenko, who mounted an impressive comeback from a set and 4-0 down to defeat Magdalena Frech 4-6 7-5 6-2.
The Latvian played until after 8pm on Thursday night in her victory over Venus Williams and was back on court on Friday lunchtime to take on Pole Frech.
Ostapenko needed treatment for a left calf problem and at one stage looked like she might not finish the match but she managed to turn things around in the second set before taking the decider.
“It was very little time to recover from yesterday because we finished very late,” she said.
“I was struggling as well with my left calf. I was thinking at some point maybe I should not continue but there is a fighter inside of me so I want to play until I cannot walk or something.
“After winning the second set I felt like I was playing better and my footwork was there. I’m really glad to manage to win this match.”
Top seed Barbora Krejcikova is through to the last four for the first time at a grass-court event having beaten teenage compatriot Linda Fruhvirtova 6-3 6-2, and the Czech will take on China’s Zhu Lin, who was a 4-6 6-3 6-2 winner over Rebecca Marino.
“A paradigm shift for boxing in Jamaica,” is how Jamaica Boxing Board President, Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones described the country’s newest platform for boxers to show off their skills, Wray & Nephew Fight Nights.
“These are exciting times. I think the events will speak for themselves in terms of how we shift the paradigm of boxing in Jamaica going forward,” Jones said at the launch of the event on Wednesday.
“I want to thank Wray & Nephew. They bought into the vision of the Boxing board when our mandate was to expand the footprint of the sport island wide and now, that we’ve got to another level and with the mandate changing to expanding the footprint globally, they didn’t miss a beat,” he added.
The idea, according to Jones, is to have a Pro Am card at least eight times a year with at least six amateur bouts and two professional fights.
The first card will take place at the Kling Kling Oval in Olympic Gardens on July 1 and will be headlined by a pro fight between Jermaine ‘Breezy’ Richards and Omar ‘Crane’ Edmund. The night will also feature seven amateur bouts.
“Breezy who is the main event is a 2-0 fighter and the idea is, if he wins on July 1, that, by next year this time with his proper management and his promoter, you’d have watched him get to at least 9-0 and where there’s a Breezy, we have many more boxers,” Jones said.
“Where it is that we were turning boxers into world champions once every decade, the idea is now to be always having, year after year, talented Jamaican boxers with an opportunity to get a title fight,” he added.
Jones says he wants to use this platform to help Jamaica produce home-grown world champions in the sport.
“It’s common knowledge that for decades, Jamaica has been producing world champions from all different categories and weight classes. People like Mike McCallum, Trevor Berbick and Nicholas ‘Axeman’ Walters to name a few. What those boxers have in common was that they all had to chart their career overseas. This Wray & Nephew Fight Night series is about to change that,” said Jones.
“This is about putting our local boxers on the face of international boxing,” said Wray & Nephew Marketing Manager, Pavel Smith.
“You don’t have to now go overseas to develop your career. You can stay right here, train at the local gyms and have an opportunity to build your professional career and have your title fights here in Jamaica,” he added.
Former West Indies opener, Chris Gayle, the self-proclaimed Universe Boss, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Toronto Blue Jays’ inaugural Cricket Day on Saturday, June 24 and he wants everyone to come see him do it.
Known worldwide as one of the most destructive batters in world cricket, the charismatic Gayle is in Toronto, Canada as a special guest and had a batting practice session prior to the big day on Saturday.
“I’m town, Toronto just comes alive. So tomorrow is Blue Jays Cricket Day and Universe Boss will be doing the first pitch. You don’t want to miss that one,” Gayle declared in a short video on Twitter. “It’s going to be epic; 95 miles per hour pitch from the Universe Boss. You don’t wanna miss it.”
In addition to throwing out the first pitch and engaging in batting sessions, Gayle is also expected to be involved in other activities expected to excite fans in the Canadian city.
Rob Burrow’s daughters Macy and Maya played a starring role ahead of Leeds Rhinos’ Betfred Super League clash against Huddersfield Giants at Headingley on Friday.
The duo led a dance performance and also teamed up to conduct the pre-match interviews with respective coaches Rohan Smith and Ian Watson as part of a ‘Burrow Family Takeover’ in the Rhinos’ annual MND Awareness game.
Smith dodged Macy’s cutting question about his favourite player by responding: “I think my favourite player is your dad”, while Maya nudged Watson into revealing he was “a bit nervous” given the magnitude of the match.
Burrow’s four-year-old son Jackson also had a crucial job as he presented a special Rob Burrow/MND Association match ball to referee Ben Thaler.
Burrow was set to pick the man of the match after what Smith described as a “mini Grand Final”, with both clubs clinging onto increasingly tenuous hopes of landing a play-off place.
The Rhinos wore their special Doddie Weir celebration shirt for the fixture, from which 20 per cent of all gate receipts would be donated to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation set up by the late Scotland rugby union forward who died last year of motor neurone disease, the same condition afflicting Burrow.
Harriet Dart’s run at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham ended in the quarter-finals with defeat by Anastasia Potapova.
Dart defeated top-30 player Anhelina Kalinina for the second week in a row to reach the last eight but was unable to capitalise on a good start against fourth seed Potapova, losing out 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Dart struggled with her serve throughout the match but managed to win the opening set despite five double faults, producing some fine shots from the back of the court.
The 26-year-old was bidding to reach a first WTA semi-final having lost three previous quarter-finals, all on the British grass, and she made the first move in the second set with a break for 2-1.
But Potapova, ranked 21st, began to punish Dart’s second serve and the Russian turned the match around with a run of four games in a row, cutting down on the errors that had blighted her game.
Dart recovered from 3-1 down in the deciding set to level at 3-3 but Potapova’s heavy groundstrokes were taking their toll and the Russian broke again before serving out the victory.
It has nevertheless been a strong tournament for Dart to back up last week’s run to the last eight in Nottingham, and she will have another chance to pick up more wins ahead of Wimbledon having been awarded a wild card for next week’s tournament in Eastbourne.
Potapova next faces second seed Jelena Ostapenko, who mounted an impressive comeback from a set and 4-0 down to defeat Magdalena Frech 4-6 7-5 6-2.
The Latvian played until after 8pm on Thursday night in her victory over Venus Williams and was back on court on Friday lunchtime to take on Pole Frech.
Ostapenko needed treatment for a left calf problem and at one stage looked like she might not finish the match but she managed to turn things around in the second set before taking the decider.
“It was very little time to recover from yesterday because we finished very late,” she said.
“I was struggling as well with my left calf. I was thinking at some point maybe I should not continue but there is a fighter inside of me so I want to play until I cannot walk or something.
“After winning the second set I felt like I was playing better and my footwork was there. I’m really glad to manage to win this match.”
Top seed Barbora Krejcikova is through to the last four for the first time at a grass-court event having beaten teenage compatriot Linda Fruhvirtova 6-3 6-2, and the Czech will take on China’s Zhu Lin, who was a 4-6 6-3 6-2 winner over Rebecca Marino.
Cameron Norrie’s bid for a first grass-court title was ended by Sebastian Korda in the quarter-finals of the cinch Championships.
The British number one and fifth seed was beaten 6-4 7-6 (1) by American Korda, the world number 32.
His defeat means there will be no British interest, in singles or doubles, going into the weekend at Queen’s Club for the first time since 2012.
Korda, who also accounted for British number two Dan Evans in the first round, broke Norrie for 3-2 and had another break point for 5-2 in the opening set.
Norrie wriggled out of that tight spot with a pair of aces, but he was unable to prevent Korda wrapping up the set in 37 minutes.
Norrie, runner-up here in 2021 and a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, hauled a break back for 3-3 in the second, the first time he had got anywhere near the Korda serve.
But Korda, the son of former Australian Open winner Petr and brother of major champion golfer Nelly, raced away with the tie-break to reach the last four on his Queen’s debut.
The 22-year-old, who recently recovered from three months out with a wrist injury, said: “It’s massive. I’m playing really well on grass, I feel comfortable and I’m really enjoying myself here.
“As many matches as I can get, I’m always super happy. Everything is clicking right now.”
Saturday’s first semi-final will see Alex De Minaur face Danish second seed Holger Rune.
Australian De Minaur was watched by his girlfriend, Britain’s Katie Boulter, as he beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4 4-6 6-4.
Rising star Rune, 20, got past Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 7-5.
Trainer Denis Hogan has lodged an appeal against the decision to suspend his licence for three months and his €5,000 fine after one of his horses tested positive for a prohibited substance.
Ballyadam Destiny showed elevated levels of triamcinolone acetonide (TCA) and dexamethasone after winning at Galway last October.
Dr Lynn Hillyer, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board chief veterinary officer, stated in a report published on Friday that Hogan had been advised not to run his horse for 40 days after being treated by his vet, Donncha Houlihan.
Hogan accepted the findings in the report, stating he had mistaken the withdrawal period due to an administration error and has now employed additional staff as well as putting new measures in place to avoid a reoccurrence.
It is the fourth time in the previous five years a horse of Hogan’s has failed a post-race drugs test – including point-to-points. His ban is due to begin on August 1.
Hogan said: “We have lodged an appeal, while we have the appeal in, I don’t want to say too much.
“I was shocked and it took me a day or two to digest (the findings) but it is what it is now and we’ll have to make the best of it. I haven’t thought beyond August 1 and will have to speak to my solicitor and see what he thinks and take it from there.”
King Of Steel gained compensation for his Derby near miss when storming to an impressive victory in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Roger Varian’s lightly-raced son of Wootton Bassett produced a tremendous effort on just his third start when touched off by Auguste Rodin at Epsom and confirmed the promise of that performance in the hands of Kevin Stott at the Berkshire track.
Dubai Mile led from Artistic Star in the early stages, with John and Thady Gosden’s Arrest keen in the hands of Frankie Dettori. But an ultra-confident Stott was in no rush and happy to bide his time aboard the 11-10 favourite, anchoring the King Of Steel in rear.
Stott asked his mount to improve as the six-strong field rounded the turn for home and having made stylish progress to the front, he soon defied momentary greenness to put the race to bed in fine style.
The rider, who was enjoying the his third Royal Ascot winner and first as retained rider for owner Amo Racing, was able to salute the crowd as he crossed the line three and a half lengths clear of Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous who kept on well for second, with Artistic Star a further two and a half lengths back in third.
It was a second winner of the week for Amo and also for the trainer, who struck on day one with Royal Champion, but has since seen big fancies Eldar Eldarov and Sakheer turned over and was making a welcome return visit to the winner’s enclosure.
Varian said: “It’s relief, when they run so well in the Derby you want them to back it up. We were confident he would but we know horse racing! It’s a tough game.
“He’d come out of the Derby so well, he’s such an agile horse and he’s got a great constitution. He’s never left an oat since the Derby, he’s been training super.
“I tried to put into the back of my mind that it was the Derby because we all know they can bounce after their effort at Epsom. I just went on the signs the horse was giving us, which were great.
“Raul Da Silva has done a wonderful job riding this horse most mornings, and the whole team at home. I’m delighted for Kia (Joorabchian of Amo), I was delighted he got his winner yesterday to take a bit of the pressure off for us!
“I’m delighted for the horse, he’s a super horse and he confirmed today what he did in the Derby which is very satisfying.”
Connections had been eyeing the Grand Prix de Paris as a next port of call, and Varian added: “That’s what we’d like to do, but we all know horses so we’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
Stott admitted he had felt the pressure following King Of Steel’s Derby run.
He said: “From the first time I sat on him at Roger’s, he’s always given me a lovely feel. I remember coming home and saying to Meg (Nicholls, agent and partner) that I was really excited about this horse.
“Not running in the Dante, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to see if he was what I felt at home.
“His run in the Derby was incredible, so coming here obviously there was a huge amount of pressure on me and Roger.
“He was a bit keen, we didn’t go overly quick. We could easily drop him back if we had to, he’s got plenty of speed and in four strides he put the race to bed. It’s brilliant for everyone here.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from June 23.
FootballJamie Carragher enjoyed Glastonbury.
A landmark day for Newcastle’s women’s team.
John McGinn put pen to paper.
Brendan Rodgers was back on familiar territory.
Happy birthday to a pair of midfield maestros…
…And a doyen of the dugout.
Sol Campbell likened himself to sprint king Usain Bolt.
Alan Shearer gave a warm welcome to Newcastle’s newest fan.
TennisPaula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas got reacquainted with Wimbledon.
Reigning champion Elena Rybakina’s backhand was on point.
Billie Jean King marked a major anniversary.
RacingFrankie’s way.
CricketTammy Beaumont was on fire.
CyclingChris Froome found an upside to missing out on Tour de France selection.
SnookerRob Walker reached Land’s End.
BaseballLondon (Stadium) calling for the Chicago Cubs.
A pre-dawn wake up call and a fumbled start could not prevent Shaquille from securing a landmark success for connections in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
The three-year-old was homebred by his co-owner Martin Hughes and is trained counties away in Norton, North Yorkshire, by Julie Camacho.
He was loaded into the gates a 9-1 chance for the six-furlong Group One, middling odds that began to look far too short as he bounced upwards in his stall instead of outwards and let the field gain lengths on him from the off.
A little mischief has never been beyond the bay, who had only been beaten once prior to the Royal meeting but has looked a handful on both sides of the starter’s rostrum.
The phrase ‘pulled hard’ and ‘took a keen hold’ appear in the descriptions of almost all of his races, but under Oisin Murphy he was able to settle into a rhythm at the rear of the pack as the jostling took place ahead of him.
A few furlongs in he was gaining ground and looked like he might run into a place, but once he began to gun for Little Big Bear, the leader and 10-11 favourite, he dug deeper and deeper still to triumph by a length and a quarter.
The victory is hugely significant for Camacho and her husband and assistant Steve Brown, whose greatest success beforehand was the Group Three honours gained by Judicial, another sprinter, in the Chipchase Stakes and the Coral Charge.
“I watched it on my own, I was very nervous actually. I started to feel a bit sick and very nervous!” she said.
Of his steady start, the trainer added: “I thought well that’s it, isn’t it? He’s blown his chance. I’ve just watched it live and I’d like to go back and watch it properly but he was good, wasn’t he?
“It’s massive, we never thought we’d train a Group One winner, not at Royal Ascot anyway. For Martin (Hughes) it’s massive, he bred him, he’s got his mother at home and his siblings. Dad (Maurice, former trainer) looks after the stud and I’m sure he was screaming at home.
“When he started to run on I thought ‘oh he’s going to be place, he’s going to run a big race’.
“Then ‘oh my god, he’s going to win!’. I’m a bit speechless actually.”
Camacho, who does not seek out the limelight, reluctantly went up to collect the trophy as Brown pondered how good the horse could be with a neat start and a smooth passage.
He said: “I still maintain that we haven’t brought him racing and seen him do everything right, it’s fascinating. We’re enjoying the journey and hoping for a few more, he’s in the July Cup.
“It’s a good story. You come hoping, don’t you? We’re all dreamers and you’ve got to be in this game. We fed him at three o’clock this morning so he could have a smooth journey down, we didn’t want to bring him overnight as he’s never stayed overnight. We wanted him to sleep in his own bed and he left at quarter past four this morning.
“I think the making of him has been a paddock for him, every evening stables now he’s turned out and it’s just brought such a change about in him.
“He wouldn’t have walked around the paddock like he did before, he just goes out there and puts his head down – it’s made a huge difference to him and though it’s punchy for a colt, I’m so glad we did it.”
Major League Baseball’s second series in London is no holiday for Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad and his touring team-mates.
The 162-game regular season is only just approaching its halfway point, but this weekend’s two games against bitter National League Central rivals the St Louis Cardinals could still prove critical to the Cubs’ playoff ambitions.
So while the travelling pack from Illinois did briefly marvel at Westminster Abbey and other highlights of the capital, it became business as usual once workout day started at London Stadium.
“When we get the chance to explore and visit we definitely will do it and enjoy it and get to talk to the fans and get to know the area, but when it comes time to play we’re looking to have the same result and getting the victory and staying focused,” the right-hander told the PA news agency.
If the season ended today, the 2016 World Series winners would miss the playoffs as they currently sit third place in their division and three places out of the NL wild card spot.
Last season saw the Cubs finish 19 games behind the division-winning Cardinals, but the standings so far this campaign look very different.
With 74 games behind them, the Cubs sit just 3.5 games behind the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds while the Cardinals are bottom of the division after getting off to a terrible start.
Still, St Louis have won four of their last five games heading into the London Series which gets under way on Saturday.
Mexico-born Assad, 25, grins when he admits he is a huge Manchester City fan.
But it was memories of a former Manchester United and West Ham player that made the trip to this particular ground extra-special for the Tijuana native.
“It’s incredible,” said Assad. “Especially being Mexican, seeing ‘Chicharito’ (Javier) Hernandez having played here, it’s really, really cool to be sharing this field in this stadium as well. So it’s just incredible.”
Like his compatriot Hernandez, Assad has represented his country, most recently in the World Baseball Classic, the closest thing the sport has to a World Cup.
The 2023 edition was a historic moment for Great Britain, who qualified a team for the first time – and performed well enough to earn a berth for the next edition and a shout-out from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in Friday’s press conference.
Assad agreed that baseball being seen solely as an American pastime was hugely inaccurate and hopes events like the London Series and MLB’s Parisian debut in 2025 will help grow interest globally and shift those perceptions.
“It’s definitely a worldwide sport,” he added. “There’s a lot of talent in different countries, worldwide. It’s just incredible.”
Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, who made his debut with the Cubs in 2016 before signing a five-year deal with St Louis in December, said his side was taking the London Series just as seriously as his old club.
He said: “I didn’t realise when I signed with the Cardinals that we were coming out here, so I was excited. I’m really thankful to be here with the Cardinals and to be in London, out of Venezuela.
“I never expected to be here to be honest. I think we’ve come here to do business. My main thing is to go do business the same way I go about playing in the USA. I don’t care who we’re facing, I don’t care about them.”
Chris Hayes celebrated his first Royal Ascot winner as Tahiyra landed the odds in the Coronation Stakes.
Veteran trainer Dermot Weld has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the filly and having gone down narrowly in the Newmarket Guineas, she made amends in the Irish equivalent.
With her Newmarket conqueror Mawj absent on this occasion, it was left to Meditate to take the field along but Ryan Moore set only a steady pace with Tahiyra settled in last.
Not surprisingly the field bunched up two furlongs out, with Tahiyra needing to pass them all and while she came across the eventual second Remarquee when quickening up, the result was confirmed after a stewards’ inquiry.
Tahiyra (8-13 favourite) crossed the line a length clear of Remarquee, with Sounds Of Heaven a further head back in third.
Weld saddled his first Royal Ascot winner 50 years ago with Klairvimy in the 1973 King Edward VII Stakes.
Aidan O’Brien offered no excuses for Little Big Bear’s defeat as he finished second to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup.
Sent off one of the shortest-priced favourites of the week at odds of 10-11, he grabbed the lead entering the final furlong but was run down late by Julie Camacho’s improver, who had also missed the break badly by rearing when the stalls opened.
Little Big Bear was last year’s champion juvenile but having finished last when tried over a mile in the 2000 Guineas first time out, he seems set to stick to sprinting for the time being, with O’Brien eyeing a possible rematch with the winner in the July Cup.
The Ballydoyle handler said: “He ran very well. Ryan (Moore) was delighted with the run. It was a very good run. He just got beaten by a better horse on the day.
“I don’t know where he’ll go. It could be the July Cup or something like that. It was only his second sprint, so we’ll see.
“I think the winner missed the break, but he usually makes the running. I think he’s an out-and-out sprinter, so we will train him for the July Cup.”
Karl Burke’s Swingalong was third at 66-1, a return to the form she showed as a juvenile.
“It was a great run. Delighted she got that Group One placing – it is so important for a filly,” Burke said.
“She was a Lowther winner and she’s a good filly. She wasn’t right in France (when last in the French 1000 Guineas) and would not have won at any trip in France, although she didn’t stay the mile. I don’t know what went wrong there.
“After that we gave her plenty of time to come back and we were always targeting this. I said to the guys that I could see her running a big race and be third or fourth and that’s what she has done, so we’re delighted.
“We are thinking more Prix Maurice de Gheest than July Cup. She was not stopping and was third over seven (furlongs) first time out in the Guineas trial and she stayed that well. I think six and a half will be very nice for her.”
Roger Varian was at a loss to explain Sakheer’s lacklustre run, however. The 17-2 shot came home last of the 13 runners.
“It’s mystifying at the moment and we’re obviously all very disappointed,” Varian told ITV Racing.
“He was a bit slow from the gates, he travelled well through halfway and David (Egan) was happy, he took a peek to the other side to see how they were going.
“But then he very quickly emptied out and his stride shortened when he let him down.
“His initial reaction was that the ground felt too firm and he didn’t let himself down.
“He pulled up sound and looks fine, we’ll carry out all the usual post-race checks. At the moment we are scratching our heads but something might come to light. Obviously it wasn’t his true form.”
The Buffalo Bills announced Friday that head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have agreed to two-year contract extensions through the 2027 season.
McDermott had three seasons remaining on a six-year extension he signed in March 2020. Beane previously received an extension through 2025 in December 2020.
The move keeps one of the NFL's most successful coach-GM pairings under contract for five more seasons. The Bills have gone 62-36 since hiring McDermott and Beane in 2017, a .639 winning percentage that ranks third in the league over that period behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (74-24, .756) and New Orleans Saints (65-33, .663).
Buffalo has won three consecutive AFC East titles and has reached the playoffs in four straight seasons. Only the Chiefs (eight) have a longer active streak of making the postseason.
The Bills have made five playoff trips overall during McDermott's six-year tenure, including an appearance in the 2020 AFC championship game.
"Sean is a proud, Christian, determined man," Bills owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "I remember before his interview for the Bills head coaching job thinking about him being a two-time National Prep Wrestling Champ. I thought to myself, you wrestled, you're determined, you love what you're doing, and you won.
"He comes to the Bills every day and will never ask anyone, player or coach, to do anything he wouldn't do."
Beane's personnel moves have played a big role in Buffalo's success as well. Most notably, he traded up in the 2018 draft to select franchise quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick and orchestrated a trade for All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs in 2020.
"Brandon is a very competitive person," Pegula said. "I know he likes to win, but I also know he hates to lose. He's not afraid to say what he's thinking and if he disagrees with something he will say so, even to the owner. I love it."
McDermott and Beane have a history together that extends beyond their time with the Bills, as the duo both worked for the Carolina Panthers from 2011-16 prior to being hired by Pegula.
"(Brandon), Sean, Kim (Pegula) and I have a very good relationship with open discussions, debate and a lot of communication," Terry Pegula said.
Ryan Moore’s stellar week at Royal Ascot continued when he steered Okita Soushi to a battling success in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.
The 39-year-old had to be at his strongest aboard the Joseph O’Brien-trained five-year-old and from a position near the rear of the 18-strong field, Moore was urging his mount to improve his position as the turn for home approached.
Swinging the bend, Moore angled Okita Soushi wide to lay down a challenge and he soon hit top gear to join Alan King’s HMS President on the front end entering the final furlong, as the duo went on to fight out a thrilling finish.
Okita Soushi held on to return a neck verdict at 9-1 and continue a special day for the O’Brien family following the success of Joseph’s brother Donnacha in the Albany Stakes earlier in the day.
O’Brien: “It was a great ride from Ryan. He ran a very good race here last year in a mile-and-six handicap.
“It is special to get a winner this week. We’ve hit the crossbar a bit. The horses have all run well, but haven’t won.
“I’m delighted for the owners as well. Ryan is the best jockey in the world, isn’t he. When we are lucky enough to get him on the odd time, it is very special.
“I think anyone will tell you he’s the best in the world. He’s been riding at the top of his game for a number of years and he is riding at the top of his game now.
“He is a special jockey. I’m not sure he’s ridden a winner for me before, I’m not sure. But it is special to get him anyway.”
Shaquille produced a remarkable performance to provide Julie Camacho with her first winner at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup.
The three-year-old arrived on the crest of a wave having won his last four races but all hope looked to have gone when he reared up on leaving the stalls.
Three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy did not panic though, and by halfway he was back in contention but it remained to be seen if his early exertions had taken their toll.
The hot favourite Little Big Bear hit the front on entering the final furlong but Shaquille (9-1) was creeping into it and when Murphy asked for everything, there was still plenty left.
Camacho, and her partner Steve Brown, were registering their first Group One victory as Shaquille came home a length and a quarter clear, with 66-1 shot Swingalong in third.
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