The US Virgin Islands secured a 2-1 win over hosts Trinidad & Tobago in Davis Cup Americas Group IV Round Robin play at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua on Tuesday.
The hosts got Tuesday’s tie off to a winning start with Kamran McIntosh-Ross securing a dominant 6-0, 7-5 win over Tomas Del Olmo in an hour and 21 minutes.
McIntosh-Ross had an excellent day on serve, winning 80% of his first serve points and saving all three break points faced.
The 20-year-old also was able to break Del Olmo’s serve four times.
Overall, the Trinidadian won 71 points compared to Del Olmo’s 47.
USVI levelled proceedings at 1-1 when Jan Neuburger-Higby beat Luca Shamsi 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.
Neuburger-Higby won 79% of his first serve points and converted all four of his break opportunities on Shamsi’s serve on his way to a comfortably victory.
The tie then came down to a doubles match between T&T’s Kale Dalla Costa and Alijah Leslie and USVI’s Del Olmo and Neuburger-Higby which the USVI pair dominated on the way to a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed cornerback Tyson Campbell has signed a four-year contract extension worth $76.5million.
Campbell, who will earn a guaranteed $53.4million, has become the sixth-highest-paid corner in the NFL.
The 24-year-old was the first pick of the second round of the 2021 draft and has six interceptions, 30 pass breakups and 203 tackles in three seasons.
Campbell enjoyed his best season in 2023, making three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 70 tackles.
He was limited to 11 games in 2023 because of a hamstring injury and had just one interception and five pass breakups.
Campbell is the third player signed to a long-term deal by the Jaguars this offseason alongside Josh Hines-Allen and Trevor Lawrence.
"I'm blessed to stay in Jacksonville and thankful God is allowing me to continue building something special with my brothers on the field and in the community," Campbell said.
"I want to thank the Jaguars for making my NFL dreams come true three years ago and for still believing in me today."
"Tyson is a young, talented player who is an integral part of our defense and core member of our locker room," general manager Trent Baalke added.
"He is a consummate professional on and off the field and we are confident that his best lies ahead.
"We have consistently messaged the importance of extending our core players and this is another step forward in honouring that commitment."
The NFL Players Association and the NFL have had "very high-level" discussions over a potential 18-game regular season, says NFLPA executive director, Lloyd Howell.
While the talks have not reached a formal negotiation stage between the two parties, Howell noted there were plans in place for the NFLPA to present the issue to the players in the near future.
If the plans were put into place, the 18th game would likely replace one of the three pre-season games, and push the Super Bowl back a week to Presidents' Day weekend.
In the past, players have been opposed to expanding the schedule, with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly speaking out against a 17-game season back in 2021.
Howell admitted there were obstacles to overcome before it could be brought to the players but remained optimistic about the chances of the fixture list expanding.
"We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition about 'Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process'," Howell told the Washington Post.
"Many of our players have said, 'They're going to ask for more games'.
"So, one of the things you learn in business is this applies back to the obvious - I know you're going to ask for more games because that generates more money. And to be fair, don't we all want to grow the pie?"
Audi have appointed former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as the head of their Formula One project, parting company with Andreas Seidl.
Made chief executive officer 19 months ago, Seidl was tasked with overseeing Sauber's progress ahead of Audi taking over the team for 2026.
However, with Sauber the only team on the grid yet to earn a point this season, the German manufacturer has opted to conduct a major shake-up.
Olivier Hoffmann, chairman of the team's board of directors, has joined Seidl in departing.
Binotto, who left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season after the Scuderia's title charge faded in disappointing fashion, will officially take on the role of chief operating and chief technical officer from August 1.
Gernot Dollner, who has taken over Hoffmann's former position, said of Binotto: "With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in F1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.
"Our aim is to bring the entire F1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes.
"For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly."
Binotto had been part of Ferrari's team since 1995, contributing to eight constructors' championship triumphs before becoming team principal in 2019.
San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk is currently in a contract battle with the team, and Fred Warner believes it is a "good issue to have".
Aiyuk was in contract negotiations with the 49ers to extend his current deal but reportedly has not held talks with them since May.
Unable to reach a deal, the 26-year-old instead asked for a trade.
It is not the first time the 49ers have found themselves in lengthy contract disputes, going through the same process to resign Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuels and Warner himself.
The linebacker was unfazed by the controversies though, instead choosing to focus on the positives.
"When you're part of such a talented roster, I feel like this is something that goes on every season," Warner said via NBC Sports Bay Area.
"It's a good issue to have because, obviously, that means that your players are performing at such a high level that you have to have these kinds of conversations."
Aiyuk is under contract with San Francisco for 2024 in the option year of his rookie deal.
He impressed last season on their run to Super Bowl LVIII, earning second-team All-Pro honours and ranking seventh in the NFL with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards.
His average of 17.9 yards per catch ranked second in the league, while only the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill bettered his 16 receptions of 25 or more yards.
Overall, since being picked in the 2020 draft, Aiyuk has 269 receptions for 3,931 yards, with 25 touchdown catches in 62 games.
As a key figure in the team, Aiyuk has been supported by his team-mates throughout the dispute, and Warner said he is ready to welcome him back when the saga is sorted.
"It's a part of the business, and so we all just let them handle that. And when he's back, he's back. We'll welcome him with open arms."
Dan Ryan has never been shy about his admiration for Jamaican Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and so it comes as no surprise that the West Coach Fever head coach believes the towering goal shooter is the best to ever grace that position in netball history.
Fowler-Nembhard celebrated her 35th birthday by putting on yet another shooting masterclass in the Fever’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League minor semi-final victory over Sunshine Coast Lightning at the RAC Arena in Perth on Sunday.
The five-time league MVP scored 67 goals from 69 attempts—the two missed chances being late Super Shot attempts—as the Fever downed the Sunshine Coast Lightning 72-62 to book a preliminary final date with Melbourne Vixens.
On the back of that performance, Fowler-Nembhard extended her lead atop the Nissan Net Points (1704.5) standings as well as the goals scored ladder, shooting her 880 goals with 96% accuracy.
For Ryan, the Perth-based franchise could not have asked for a better first-choice goal shooter.
“She’s the greatest goal shooter our game has ever seen,” Ryan declared.
“Because she has such high standards every single weekend, everyone has such incredibly high standards for her. We’re so grateful that she’s in our team, and we have a real priority to ensure we get the best out of Jhaniele, with who sits in front of her,” he added.
Beyond her scoring abilities, Ryan also praised Fowler-Nembhard’s leadership skills, which he pointed out often come to the fore when her compatriot and goal attack Shanice Beckford has an off-game.
“She’s been an incredible leader. The way she’s leading that front line, she’s happy to take a 2v1 if she needs to, and she’s backing in Shanice when she needs to. We’re seeing mum mode from Jhaniele out there, and we absolutely love it,” Ryan noted.
Shanice Beckford
Fowler-Nembhard’s perfect first half performance kept the Fever in touch with the Lightning, 16-18 at the end of the first quarter, before the 2022 champions put the foot down in the second half to keep their premiership hopes alive.
They outscored the Lightning 36-27 after the main break, had nine gains—eight of which they converted to goals—and five defensive rebounds to put an end to the Lightning’s season.
The performance was much to the delight of Ryan, who believes the manner in which his team upped their tempo in the second half augurs well going into their next encounter.
“We’ve been tracking really nicely over the last month and playing some great netball. We knew we were in a good spot heading into Sunday’s game, and we really wanted to make sure we found an extra gear,” Ryan reasoned.
“The first half was a real grind and a real challenge, and we were certainly under the pump. I am really proud of the girls for the way they stuck at their jobs, and when the moments popped up in that second half, we took them. To win by ten in a do-or-die semi-final is an amazing result.” he shared.
The Fever’s renewed form in winning their last four encounters, comes at the right time, following a mid-season wobble that saw them slip from the top of the standings into third place at the end of regular season play.
Those off colour mid-season games, Ryan said, have served as motivation for his side, which is now aiming to possibly carry their rich vein of form all the way to the grand final against reigning champions Adelaide Thunderbirds.
But first, West Coast Fever will have to get past the Vixens on their return to John Cain Arena this Saturday.
“Our team has been on a really important journey across the season, and we always connect back to the mid part of the season where we went win-loss-win-loss for a while,” Ryan stated.
“The learnings we were getting out of those moments were invaluable, and we’ve got great confidence now in these pressure games. We’re really grateful for another opportunity to play netball under finals pressure; we know we’re in great form and we’re going to be really hard to beat at our best,” he ended.
Andy Murray has confirmed he will retire after the Olympic Games in Paris.
The 37-year-old is set to compete in both the men's singles and doubles at what will be his fifth Olympics.
Murray first competed in Beijing in 2008 and won his first gold medal four years later in London with a straight-sets victory over Roger Federer.
He then became the first male player to win two singles titles at the Games by beating Juan Martin del Potro in Rio in 2016.
In a post on X, Murray wrote: "Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament.
"Competing for Team GB has been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I'm extremely proud to get to do it one final time!"
Murray made his final appearance at Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion, before the Olympics, suffering a first-round defeat with brother Jamie in the doubles.
He later received an emotional tribute on Centre Court to mark his achievements at the tournament.
Nick Gonzales' single in the eighth inning drove in the go-ahead run as the Pittsburgh Pirates continued their mid-season surge with Monday's 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Gonzales hit that scored All-Star Bryan Reynolds snapped a 1-1 tie and helped give Pittsburgh its seventh win in eight games as it pushes for a play-off spot in the National League. The Pirates, who last reached the post-season in 2015, sit a half-game behind the New York Mets for the NL's final wild card spot.
Pittsburgh also moved within a game of St. Louis for the second wild card.
Reynolds led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by St. Louis reliever John King. Two batters later, Gonzales hit a slow grounder that got through the infield to score Reynolds for a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead.
David Bednar then held the Cardinals scoreless in the ninth to earn his 18th save of the season. Aroldis Chapman received the win with one scoreless inning in relief of Mitch Keller, who allowed just one run on six hits in a seven-inning no-decision.
The Cardinals also got a solid outing from their starter, as Andre Pallante yielded just one run and three hits through six innings.
Nolan Gorman accounted for St. Louis' lone run by hitting a solo homer off Keller in the fifth inning that tied the score at 1-1. The Pirates had gone ahead in the third when Andrew McCutchen doubled and later scored on Oneil Cruz's single.
Witt just misses cycle in Royals' rout of Diamondbacks
Bobby Witt Jr. finished a single short of hitting for the cycle and had one of three Kansas City home runs as the Royals rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to extend their winning streak to four games.
Witt tripled in the first inning, doubled in the third and delivered a three-run homer in the fourth that gave the Royals an 8-3 lead. The All-Star shortstop was hit by a pitch and flied out in his final two at-bats, though, to narrowly miss becoming the first Kansas City player to record a cycle since Hall of Famer George Brett in 1990.
Salvador Perez had a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning and Hunter Renfroe later added a solo shot as part of the Royals' 15-hit attack. Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Isbel each collected three hits, with Isbel driving in two runs and Perez three.
Arizona had taken a 3-1 lead when Ketel Marte followed Alek Thomas' RBI double in the top of the third with a two-run homer off Cole Ragans. The Royals countered with three runs in their half of the inning, however, to quickly move back ahead.
Witt started the rally with a lead-off double and scored on Pasquantino's single before Perez launched Arizona starter Yilber Diaz's pitch over the center field wall for a 4-3 Kansas City edge.
The Royals then extended the margin with four runs in the fourth.
Isbel doubled in Maikel Garcia and Adam Frazier followed with an infield single to chase Diaz. Witt then greeted Miguel Castro with a home run on the reliever's first pitch to put Arizona at a five-run deficit.
Renfroe's solo homer in the fifth increased the lead to 9-3. Perez drove in Witt with the Royals' final run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Ragans (7-6) shook off his early troubles to work six innings while allowing three runs on five hits and striking out six.
Diaz (1-1), making his third MLB start, was tagged for seven runs in three-plus innings.
Isbel previously knocked in Kansas City's first run with a second-inning single. The Diamondbacks managed a late run in the eighth when Christian Walker doubled and later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sac fly.
Ober pitches Twins past struggling Phillies
Bailey Ober bounced back strongly after allowing an early home run to Bryce Harper to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 7-2 win over the struggling Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game series.
After giving up hits to three of the game's first four batters, including Harper's two-run homer, Ober (9-5) yielded just one more hit over the remainder of his seven-inning stint to improve to 4-1 over his last six starts. The right-hander retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced.
Manuel Margot led Minnesota offensively with two hits, including a two-run single that gave the Twins a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. Willi Castro also knocked in two runs to help Minnesota snap a three-game losing streak, while Carlos Santana and Max Kepler each had two hits and an RBI.
The Phillies still own the majors' best record at 63-37 but have now lost four of their last five games.
After Castro's third-inning single plated Diego Castillo to trim Philadelphia's lead to 2-1, the Twins struck twice more in the fifth to forge ahead.
Kepler led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and Castillo followed with a ground-rule double to put two on for Margot, who sent both runners home with a go-ahead single to right off Philadelphia All-Star Ranger Suarez.
Suarez (10-5) lost his third straight start after surrendering three runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.
The Twins extended their lead in the seventh when Ryan Jeffers doubled and later crossed the plate on a Santana double, then put the game out of reach with three runs in the eighth.
Kepler followed a Trevor Larnach double with a run-scoring single to put Minnesota up 5-2, and the Twins later loaded the bases before scoring twice more on a walk to Castro and a wild pitch from reliever Yunior Marte.
Cole Sands worked the final two innings for Minnesota to notch his third save of the season.
The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) is thrilled to unveil the official rosters for the Jamaican U19 Boys and Girls teams set to compete in the 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships. The prestigious event will be hosted at GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport from July 26 to August 4, 2024, promising an exciting showcase of young talent.
The Championship will bring together teams from across the CAZOVA region, competing fiercely for the coveted title. For Jamaica, this tournament presents an excellent platform for young athletes to gain invaluable international experience and exposure. The selected players, having undergone rigorous preparation, are eager to demonstrate their skills and represent their country on home soil, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of local fans.
Leading the charge for the Jamaica U19 Boys Team is Toshiro Jones from Wolmer’s High School for Boys, who will serve as the captain. Jones is joined by Joshua Auboine of Oracabessa High School, Schillachi Batchelor from St. Jago High School, and Jordyn-Rhy Davis of Jamaica College. Renaldo Doeman from Mannings School, David Douglas of Wolmer’s High School for Boys, and Malik Ferron and Ajani Gordon, both from St. Jago High School, will also be key players. The team is rounded out by Jantje Neil and Edward Sterling from Wolmer’s High School for Boys, Ithran Softley from Papine High School, and Nicholas Watson of Suncoast Community High School. Guiding the boys through the competition will be Head Coach Adrian Ramdeen, supported by Assistant Coach Adrian James and Team Manager Travis Clarke.
The Jamaica U19 Girls Team features Kalia Baker from Paint Branch High School as the captain. Baker will lead a dynamic group that includes Ria Bertram of Campion College, Patrina Chisholm from Wolmer’s High School for Girls, and Morgan Esmie of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. Tashari Gordon from Knox College, Jada-Lee Grant from St. Jago High School, and Mary Massias from The Rock School will add strength to the lineup. Winnifred Mitchell from Stouffville District Secondary School, Quaciann Stewart from Wolmer’s High School for Girls, and Treviann Taylor from Knox College will also bring their talents to the court. Completing the team are Ava Grace Troyer from Hiland High School and Hadijah Wallace from Knox College. Leading the girls' squad is Head Coach O’Neil Ebanks, with Colin Rose as the Assistant Coach and Erica Harris serving as Team Manager.
As the Jamaican teams gear up for the 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships, the anticipation and excitement build. The local support is expected to be a crucial factor in their performance, driving them to showcase their best on this international stage. This championship is more than just a competition; it's a chance for these young athletes to make their mark and potentially set the foundation for a bright future in volleyball.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Gianpiero Lambiase's "childish" remark was not aimed at Max Verstappen during the pair's unhappy radio exchange at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Drivers' Championship leader Verstappen was forced to settle for fifth at the Hungaroring - his second-lowest finish of the season - Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris comprising a McLaren one-two.
The three-time world champion was involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap 63, after overshooting a corner on an attempted overtake.
It led Verstappen to vent his frustrations towards race engineer Lambiase, telling him over the team radio: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."
The Italian responded: "I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We'll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish."
It was a surprising exchange given the close-knit relationship shared between the pair, who have worked together for eight years.
However, Horner said Lambiase's comments were instead aimed at the radio traffic from rival teams hoping the stewards would penalise them.
"I don't think GP's [Lambiase] reference at that point was in reference to Max," he told reporters. "Others [were] obviously goading for penalties because obviously the stewards are listening to the radio as well.
"Max was frustrated, which you can understand. He has a very direct line of communication with his engineer. It's something that they’ll discuss between the two of them.
"They've been together for eight years and, yes, there are things we could have done better in the race today that we'll talk about as a team.
"I think everybody sees we need to find more performance, and everybody is working hard to do that and we'll have whatever discussions behind closed doors."
Verstappen, who still holds a 76-point lead over Norris at the Drivers' Championship summit, will head to next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix having not won any of his last three races; last going four without success during the 2020 season.
However, the Dutchman has won each of the last three races in Belgium, and could become only the third driver after Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark to win four in a row.
Rafael Nadal is "convinced" Carlos Alcaraz will be at a "great level" for the Olympics ahead of their anticipated doubles team-up.
The pair will be representing Spain at the upcoming Games in Paris, with both also participating in the singles event.
Nadal reached his first final since his French Open triumph in 2022 at the Swedish Open on Sunday, eventually losing out to Nuno Borges in straight sets.
He has previously won two Olympic gold medals though, his first in the singles at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and the second at Rio 2016 in the doubles.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz has won back-to-back grand slams this year, winning at Roland Garros in June before beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon earlier this month.
The 21-year-old is competing at the Olympics for the first time in his career ahead of the hard-court swing of the season.
Nadal admitted he was not happy with his performance level in the final in Bastad and is determined to improve to match Alcaraz's level.
"I'm really looking forward to being part of the Olympic team and representing Spain," Nadal said.
"This is the most important event in sport. I hope I can find the energy I need and do some good training.
"If I manage to play good tennis, I will also do so in doubles, but I must analyse well what happened this week and work hard.
"I am convinced that Carlos will be at a great level because he is coming in with confidence. We will train together this week."
Rafael Nadal felt his performance levels at the Swedish Open were "so far from what they should be", but was pleased to emerge from his run to the final in Bastad without any injuries.
The 22-time major winner reached his first ATP championship match since winning his 14th French Open title two years ago, losing out to Nuno Borges in straight sets.
Nadal saw off Leo Borg and Cameron Norrie, before battling past Mariano Navone and Duje Ajdukovic in three sets. However, he was no match for Borges, who was a commanding 6-3 6-2 winner in the final.
The injury-plagued Spaniard opted to skip Wimbledon to focus on participating in the forthcoming Paris Olympics, where he will play in the singles and doubles events.
And though he admitted he wanted to play better in Bastad, Nadal was thrilled to come through multiple demanding matches unscathed.
"The level was so far from what it should be. Probably, the energy too. It has been a long week with long matches," Nadal told reporters.
"I don't have damage [to my body], that's important - but mentally and physically, I'm not used to playing four days in a row and playing long matches.
"I need to analyse well and find the reason why I played that way, even if the energy wasn't right. Things like this can happen, and that's the situation.
"I played the final, that's positive. I was able to play long matches without having an injury. That's good.
"In some ways, I felt that I arrived here practising much better than what I played in the tournament during the whole week. That's something that I am not satisfied with."
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh believes Lemar Jackson will become the "greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the NFL".
In February, at 27, Jackson became the youngest-ever two-time NFL MVP since the AFL merger.
Since he joined in 2018, he has led the Ravens to their best records in the league, going 14-2 in 2019 and 13-4 last year. In the regular-season, Jackson has the second-best record at 58-19 (.753).
However, he has been known to struggle in the postseason, losing four of his six playoff games, including the AFC Championship game against eventual Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs last season.
When asked about Jackson's failure to reach the showpiece game, Harbaugh passionately defended the quarterback, reiterating the team's faith in him.
"There's a lot of great things said about Lamar, but there's a lot of stuff that's said that you just got to scratch your head about and kind of wonder, 'What's that person even thinking?'" Harbaugh said on Sunday. "But we take it personally.
"All his life, Lamar Jackson has been a guy who's been answering those same questions.
"I'm talking about since he was a kid. Junior high, high school, college, the draft. The success he's had in the [NFL], again, it still comes up.
"OK, now he's still growing. He's got a growth mindset. He's going to get better and better, no doubt. But what does he have to do to prove himself to some people? Right?"
"The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.
"It's going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team and by the grace of God and God's goodwill."
Since being picked by Baltimore in the 2018 NFL draft, Jackson has run more yards than any other quarterback (5,258) and has thrown 125 touchdown passes in 77 starts.
The Ravens will kick off the new season against the Chiefs on September 6.
Sam Hauser has agreed to a four-year, $45million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, his agent told ESPN on Sunday.
Hauser signed with the Celtics in 2021 as an undrafted rookie and has since established himself as one of the NBA's most accurate 3-point shooters.
His current rookie contract is due to expire in 2025, but this extension will keep him with the team until the end of the 2028-29 season.
Hauser shot 42.4% on 3-pointers last season, the fourth-best in the league among players with over 400 attempts, and became just the third player in Celtics history to make 10 3-pointers in a game in 2023-24.
The 26-year-old also made 179 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, the sixth most in the NBA.
His extension is the third of the offseason already, with All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum signing a $315million five-year deal and guard Derrick White committing to $125million over four years.
The Seattle Mariners overcame an injury to Julio Rodriguez and a cycle by Houston's Yordan Alvarez to earn a 6-4 win over the Astros in Sunday's finale of an important three-game series.
Luke Raley had a three-run homer and Jorge Polanco added a solo shot while going 2 for 4 as the Mariners avoided a series sweep and moved back into a virtual tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.
Seattle also halted a season-high five-game losing streak despite Rodriguez exiting the contest in the sixth inning. The star center fielder sustained an ankle injury when he crashed into the outfield wall while attempting a play on a ball hit by Alvarez that resulted in a triple.
Alvarez went 4 for 4 and knocked in two runs to record the 10th cycle in Astros history. The All-Star slugger singled in the first inning and homered in the top of the fourth, with the 429-foot blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo cutting Houston's deficit to 2-1.
The Mariners had gone ahead on Dylan Moore's two-out triple in the second inning that brought in Josh Rojas and Raley. Rojas had reached on a ground-rule double before Houston starter Ronel Blanco walked Mitch Haniger, who was thrown out at second on Raley's fielder's choice grounder.
Polanco's homer off Blanco in the bottom of the fourth increased Seattle's lead, though the Astros moved within 3-2 when Mauricio Dubon doubled in the top of the sixth and scored on Alvarez's triple that injured Rodriguez.
The Mariners answered in their half of the sixth, however. Polanco and Haniger reached on singles before Raley launched the first pitch he saw from Seth Martinez into the right field seats for a 6-2 Seattle advantage.
After Houston got closer on Jeremy Pena's solo homer in the seventh, Alvarez completed his cycle with a double in the eighth and later crossed the plate on Chas McCormick's single that cut the lead to 6-4.
The Astros would get no closer, however, as Mariners' closer Andres Munoz struck out the side in the ninth to record his 16th save.
Woo improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.
Ohtani's mammoth homer helps Dodgers sweep Red Sox
The Los Angeles Dodgers belted a season-high six home runs, including a titanic blast from Shohei Ohtani that cleared the Dodger Stadium bleachers, in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox that finished a three-game series sweep.
Ohtani's 30th homer of the season, a massive drive off Kutter Crawford in the fifth inning that travelled an estimated 473 feet, highlighted a power barrage that carried the National League West leaders to their first three-game sweep since June 24-26 against the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers entered the series having lost six of their final seven games before the All-Star break.
Fellow All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez also went deep for Los Angeles, as did Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward. Lux added a run-scoring double while finishing 3 for 4.
All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran knocked in four runs for the slumping Red Sox, two of which came on a first-inning home run off James Paxton that staked Boston to a brief 2-0 lead.
Freeman answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning before the Dodgers quickly tied the game on consecutive doubles from Andy Pages and Lux.
Hernandez, the 2024 Home Run Derby champion, put Los Angeles ahead in the third with his 20th homer of the season, and Lux reached the seats in the fourth to extend the Dodgers' advantage to 4-2.
Barnes continued the power surge with a lead-off homer in the fifth that preceded Ohtani's monstrous shot, the fifth home run surrendered by Crawford (6-8) on the night.
Crawford allowed six runs in all over five innings, while the ex-Red Sox hurler Paxton overcame a shaky beginning to limit his former team to three runs across five-plus innings to improve to 8-2 on the season.
Paxton was removed after permitting a walk to Connor Wong and a Masataka Yoshida single to open the sixth, with Wong later scoring on Ceddanne's Rafaela's single off reliever Joe Kelly that brought Boston within 6-3.
The Dodgers' offence came back to life in the eighth, however. Lux singled, stole second and came home on Cavan Biggio's single before Heyward followed with a two-run homer off former Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen for a 9-3 lead.
Boston then threatened in the ninth, with Duran's two-run double off Evan Phillips cutting into the margin. Phillips later issued a pair of walks to load the bases before giving way to Daniel Hudson, who got Yoshida to hit into a fielder's choice that scored Duran and closed the gap to 9-6.
Hudson then retired Wilyer Abreu on a fly ball with the tying run at the plate to end the game and pick up his sixth save of the season.
Rookie Phillips stars as Phillies end Pirates' win streak
Tyler Phillips cooled off the Pittsburgh Pirates' hot bats with six outstanding innings as the Philadelphia Phillies prevented a three-game series sweep by their Pennsylvania rivals with Sunday's 6-0 victory.
Phillips (2-0), a rookie making his second career MLB start, yielded just four hits and a walk to help the NL leaders end a three-game skid and halt the surging Pirates' season-high six-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh had totalled 23 hits in the series' first two meetings and scored 27 runs over its previous four games.
The Phillies gave Phillips all the support he needed by reaching Pittsburgh starter Marco Gonzales for a pair of runs on three hits in the second inning.
Alec Bohm led off the second with a single and took third on Edmundo Sosa's one-out double before scoring the first run on Weston Wilson's sacrifice fly. Garrett Stubbs followed with a single that plated Sosa for a 2-0 lead.
Gonzalez (2-2) held the Phillies scoreless over the remainder of his 4 2/3-inning stint, but a costly error by Pittsburgh shortstop Oneil Cruz allowed Philadelphia to break the game open in the seventh.
With one on and one out, Cruz dropped a relay throw on a potential double-play grounder off the bat of Kyle Schwarber. Trea Turner then drove in a run with a single before Schwarber scored on Bryce Harper's groundout for a 4-0 advantage, and Turner came home on a Bohm single to further increase the margin.
Nick Castellanos accounted for the Phillies' final run with a solo homer in the ninth. Castellanos, Bohm and Stubbs each recorded two hits in the win.
Xander Schauffele set his sights on a career grand slam after a brilliant final round saw him claim victory at The Open on Sunday.
Schauffele managed a six-under 65 through his fourth round at Royal Troon, with a run of four birdies in six holes down the back nine seeing him pull clear.
He finished two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, with Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Shane Lowry rounding out the top of the leaderboard.
Having also triumphed at the PGA Championship at Valhalla earlier this year, Schauffele has become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA) to win two majors in the same year.
Rory McIlroy was the last player to win those same two tournaments in one year, achieving the feat back in 2014.
Only five players have ever previously won all four majors in their careers – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.
Schauffele is looking to follow in their footsteps in the coming years, telling reporters: "If you look hard enough, you can always find it.
"It's something, when you feel like you need an extra kick in the butt, there's several easy ways to motivate yourself.
"There's still a lot of things that I'd like to do in my career, and this is a very big leap towards that. The fire is still burning, maybe brighter than ever."
Looking at the Claret Jug in his post-tournament press conference, the world number three added: "It's an honour. I've always dreamed of doing it.
"That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation. It really is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had in my life."
Justin Rose accepted he had lost out to a "cold competitor" in Xander Schauffele after the American triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon on Sunday.
Schauffele shot a magnificent final round of 65 to seal a two-shot victory in Scotland, winning his second major after he also came out on top at May's PGA Championship.
Rose joined Billy Horschel in a share of second, the Englishman managing two birdies in his final three holes to close the gap.
Rose – who has gone 11 years without winning a major since claiming the U.S. Open title in 2013 – was proud of his efforts and acknowledged he had simply been beaten by the better player.
"Obviously I tried to enjoy the walk down 18 because we did an incredible job out there," Rose told Sky Sports. "I felt like we played unbelievable golf.
"But Xander, every credit to him, he made it look so easy on the back nine. He's a cold, cold competitor, but I couldn't be more proud of myself with the way I competed today.
"There was just one little spell in the round where there were putts on 12, 13 and 14 that didn't drop and that's where the momentum shifted to Xander.
"That putt on 18, to finish strong, I knew it was for second place and I think I at least deserved that for the week.
"It's okay to be beaten by someone who shoots 31 on the back nine but I gave that everything."
Fellow runner-up Horschel, who held a one-stroke lead going into Sunday's final round, was disappointed to drop away, saying: "I'm going to always fight until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.
"I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to.
"But we'll look back on this in an hour and I'll be very happy with what I did this week.
"I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."
Xander Schauffele said his earlier victory at the PGA Championship gave him a sense of calm as he claimed his second major triumph at The Open on Sunday.
Schauffele shot a sensational six-under 65 in the fourth round to come out on top at Royal Troon, beating overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots.
The world number three played a brilliant back nine to streak clear of his rivals, birdying the 14th and 16th holes before an excellent shot onto the green on the 17th all but sealed his win.
Speaking to Sky Sports after claiming the Claret Jug, Schauffele said his earlier victory at Valhalla took any nerves out of the occasion.
"I thought that would help me and it actually did," he said. "I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn't have when I played earlier at the PGA.
"For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!
"I told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.
"I played that back nine yesterday in really bad weather so I just told myself today is technically easier so go out and get it.
"To have two [major wins] is unbelievable. It took me so long to get one and it gets in your head a little bit, and now I'm just spoiling myself."
The last seven majors have now been won by American players, the longest streak of major victories by Americans since 1982.
While Schauffele won two of four majors this year, Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA), Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have also triumphed in that span.
Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday.
Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining.
The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres.
Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision.
"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports.
"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.
"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."
“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.
"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.
“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."
Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone.
The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021.
“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said.
“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."
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