Randy Arozarena is on the move,
The Seattle Mariners are reportedly acquiring Arozarena in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
As part of the trade, which was reported late Thursday by multiple sources, the Mariners are sending the Rays outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later.
Arozarena was named to his first All-Star team last year, but is struggling a bit this season.
He is batting a career-low .213, but does have 15 home runs, 19 doubles and 16 stolen bases in 99 games.
His .717 OPS, however, is higher than any of Seattle's everyday players.
The Mariners are in need of a jolt with their offence suddenly struggling.
After leading the AL West by 10 games on June 18, Seattle has lost 20 of 29 and now trails the Houston Astros by one game for the division lead.
The offence has been the biggest culprit for the recent slide, as the Mariners have plated exactly one run in each of their last three games and have scored two or fewer in seven of their last eight.
Seattle is also in need of another outfielder with star centre fielder Julio Rodríguez sidelined until August with a high-ankle sprain sustained Sunday.
Two years ago, Dylan Cease came within one out of throwing a no-hitter.
Against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, he finished the job, recording all 27 outs without allowing a hit.
Cease threw the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres franchise history, baffling the Nationals during a 3-0 win.
Cease improved to 10-8 and struck out nine in his nine sterling innings of work to win his third straight start.
Despite walking three batters, Cease faced only one over the minimum, with the Nationals caught stealing in the first inning and grounding into a double play in the fourth.
He threw 71 of his 114 pitches for strikes en route to joining Joe Musgrove as the only San Diego pitchers to throw a no-hitter. Musgrove's came against the Texas Rangers on April 9, 2021.
Baseball's latest no-no is the second of the season after the Houston Astros' Ronel Blanco threw one against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1.
Cease's achievement also helps take away some of the sting from his near no-hitter from two years ago.
While pitching for the Chicago White Sox on September 3, 2022, he was one out away from no-hitting the Minnesota Twins, when current teammate Luis Arraez broke it up with a single to right-centre.
In this one, he got CJ Abrams to hit a flyout to right field for the final out.
Cease is in his first year with the Padres after beginning his career with the White Sox, and after a rocky June, has been pitching brilliantly lately.
In his last three outings, he has not allowed a run, while surrendering just two hits and seven walks over 22 innings while piling up 30 strikeouts.
His latest gem helped San Diego to its fifth consecutive win.
The Padres (55-50) didn’t need much offence against the Nationals (47-56) to back Cease, with Ha-Seong Kim plating all three runs on a first-inning single off Patrick Corbin.
Kershaw makes season debut in Dodgers' win over Giants
Clayton Kershaw permitted two runs over four innings in his first start of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4.
The game was tied 4-4 until Nick Ahmed and Shohei Ohtani homered on consecutive pitches in the eighth inning to lead the NL West-leading Dodgers (62-42) to their sixth win in seven games since the All-Star break.
Ohtani's homer was his 31st of the season and his second in the last five games. He also doubled to give him four doubles since the All-Star break.
Kershaw allowed six hits and two walks with six strikeouts, while throwing 47 of his 72 pitches for strikes in his first start since Game 1 of last October's NL Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner had shoulder surgery four weeks later.
Ohtani signed with the Dodgers a month later and this was the first game the Japanese superstar and Kershaw played together.
Heliot Ramos led the Giants (49-55) with three hits and drove in a run while Jorge Soler singled twice.
Logan Webb yielded four runs and nine hits, and now has surrendered 15 runs and 25 hits with eight walks over 16 innings in his last three starts.
Mets beat Braves in 10 innings to stay hot
Jeff McNeil drove in the winning run with a 10th-inning hit on a ball Ramón Laureano misplayed in the New York Mets' 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.
McNeil's hit was just the third of the game for the Mets, and possibly could've been caught had Laureano not overrun it. The ball was hit hard down into the right-field corner and Laureano raced to track it down but ran too far and couldn't catch it as he reached his glove back across his body.
Jose Iglesias scored from second base, giving New York (54-48) its fourth straight win, and 10th victory in 13 games.
The Braves (54-47), meanwhile, lost their fifth straight game, as the Mets moved within one-half game of them for the NL's top wild-card spot.
McNeil and Francisco Lindor have been leading the charge for New York.
McNeil has driven in six runs in the last four games, and is hitting .417 with four home runs and nine RBIs in seven games since the All-Star break.
Lindor homered for the fifth time in four games, and is batting .359 with 14 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak.
Atlanta squandered another stellar outing from Chris Sale.
The eight-time All-Star yielded two runs, two hits and a walk while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings. It marked the eighth straight start in which he allowed two runs or fewer.
San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease threw MLB’s second complete-game no-hitter of the season, baffling the Washington Nationals during a 3-0 win on Thursday.
Cease improved to 10-8 and struck out nine in his nine sterling innings of work as the Padres won their fifth consecutive game.
The Houston Astros’ Ronel Blanco had the season’s first no-hitter on April 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Despite walking three batters, Cease faced only one over the minimum, with the Nationals caught stealing in the first inning and grounding into a double play in the fourth.
Cease threw 71 of his 114 pitches for strikes as he won his third straight start.
Cease has not allowed a run in his last three outings, surrendering just two hits and seven walks over 22 innings while piling up 30 strikeouts.
Cease is in his first year with San Diego after beginning his career with the Chicago White Sox. After a rough June, Cease’s ERA sat at 4.24 on July 2, but his recent hot streak – punctuated by Thursday’s no-hitter – brought that number down to 3.50.
In 2022, while with the White Sox, Cease had a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth by current teammate Luis Arraez, who was then with the Minnesota Twins.
The Padres didn’t need much offence Thursday to back Cease, with Ha-Seong Kim plating all three runs on a first-inning single off Patrick Corbin.
San Diego (55-50) are seven games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West but are in the thick of a crowded NL wild-card race.
Max Verstappen has hit back at critics following his radio frustration during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who has won each of the last three races at the Belgian Grand Prix, which comes up this weekend, became increasingly frustrated at the Hungaroring last week as he finished in fifth place following a coming together with Lewis Hamilton late on.
The three-time reigning Formula One world champion is set for a 10-place grid penalty at Spa this weekend after exceeding his engine allowance for the season.
Verstappen has not won any of the last three races, and has seen his lead at the top of the Driver's Championship cut to 76 points by Lando Norris.
The Dutchman's recent frustrations boiled over in Hungary, spiralling into an X-rated rant at Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
But Verstappen has no regrets.
"People that don't like my language, don't listen in or change the volume down. I'm very driven for success. I've proven that already," said Verstappen.
"I always want to optimise stuff. People can argue that you might not be so vocal on the radio, but that's their opinion.
"My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time to maybe also try and force [things]. That's how it goes.
"We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that's been working for us very well, so I don't expect that to change."
The last time Verstappen failed to win in four races in a row was in the 2020 season, but Red Bull are showing signs of vulnerability.
And he will face an enormous task to triumph for a 62nd time in the competition, although he is ranked as the fourth driver in F1 history with the most wins without starting from the front of the grid (29).
Verstappen made light work of the power unit components penalty he sustained at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, making his way from 14th to win the race.
Should he emerge victorious this time around, he will become only the third driver to win four in a row on Belgian soil after Ayrton Senna (1988 to 1991) and Jim Clark (1962 to 1965).
"If you look at our last few races where we haven't particularly been the fastest, I wouldn't say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning," said Verstappen.
"But a race can always be turned upside down with moments, so you have to be open-minded, try to make the best of it and that's all we will try to do.
"We also don't know how competitive we will be. There's new tarmac, so we need to see how the tyres respond to that as well.
"There's a lot of unknowns with the weather too. Quite a bit of rain is expected tomorrow and Saturday, so we need to follow the weather and our progression this weekend to see how competitive we are."
DRIVERS TO WATCH
Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Despite being beaten in both qualifying and the main event in each of the last two races by team-mate Carlos Sainz, Leclerc will be keen to get points on the board in Belgium.
Leclerc has not been among the podium places since his maiden triumph at Monaco in May, but the omens are in his favour with the Italian team achieving more victories (14), more pole positions (12) and more podiums (41) at Spa.
Ferrari have enjoyed recent races in Belgium, taking pole in the last two editions, with Leclerc doing so in 2023.
Should they repeat the trick, it will be the second time they have done so after 1974 (Clay Regazzoni at Nivelles), 1975 and 1976 (Niki Lauda in both at Zolder).
Leclerc and Sainz will contest their 79th race as Ferrari team-mates, making them the seventh-highets pair with the most races with the same team in F1, surpassing the 78 of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.
Lando Norris - McLaren
While a radio spat of his own at the Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed an eighth podium place of the season, Norris will be eyeing another impressive run at Spa.
And he now has a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on Verstappen.
The Brit has taken pole position in two of the last four races, after taking just one in his previous 113 starts in F1.
Excluding Hamilton, who did it twice in 2012, Norris could be the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back pole positions since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 (Germany and Hungary).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 265
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 162
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 154
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 149
Constructors
1. Red Bull - 389
2. McLaren - 338
3. Ferrari - 322
4. Mercedes - 241
5. Aston Martin - 69
The dates for the substantive anti-doping hearing for Jamaica’s national squash champion Julian Morrison have been set with his fate to be decided by an Independent Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel on September 3-4.
The dates for the substantive hearing were set during an initial hearing featuring the representatives of both Morrison and the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) on Thursday afternoon.
Morrison is challenging the provisional suspension imposed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) after testing positive for trace amounts of Boldenone, a banned anabolic agent.
The suspension came following an out-of-competition test conducted on January 18th, 2024, where Morrison's results showed the presence of Boldenone in his system.
However, Morrison and his representatives strongly assert that the substance entered his body inadvertently, likely through contamination.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins was on the field for the Atlanta Falcons' first training camp practice after being cleared to participate by the team's medical staff.
Head coach Raheem Morris told reporters Thursday that Cousins, recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon sustained in October, will be under slight restrictions during camp but is still expected to handle the majority of first-team reps during team drills.
"Obviously, we'll do some sort of our own modifications [like] some of the things we did with Kirk during the spring, but he's ready to go," Morris said.
"He's fired up, the team's fired up. The limitations for him, you won't notice."
Cousins suffered the injury on Oct. 29 in what turned out to be his final game with the Minnesota Vikings. The four-time Pro Bowl selection signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in March to address the team's most glaring need, a top-tier starting quarterback.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old is expected to open the season as Atlanta's starter despite the Falcons selecting former University of Washington star quarterback Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick of this year's draft.
Cousins did take part in some drills during the Falcons' offseason training activities in May, but was mainly limited to individual work.
"I think the precaution [in OTAs], I think was pretty much helpful for how we go about the business of keeping people away from him," Morris said. "Now there will be people to be around him, and we feel comfortable with that moving forward and doing some of those things.
"Obviously, some of these limitations will come in our individual drills, making sure we don't wear him out to the point where we want to get all the team reps with him."
Cousins was in the midst of another strong season in 2023, as he was leading the NFL in touchdown passes (18) at the time of his injury in Week 8. The 12-year veteran completed 69.5 per cent of his passes for 2,331 yards with five interceptions in eight games, though the injury prevented him from likely reaching 4,000 passing yards for a fourth straight season.
Morris is also in his first season as the Falcons' permanent head coach, though he went 4-7 as the team's interim coach in 2020 after Atlanta fired Dan Quinn during the season.
Atlanta has finished 7-10 in each of the last three seasons and has missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, tied with the Carolina Panthers for the longest active drought among NFC teams.
Jamaican-born British UFC Welterweight Champion Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is predicting a knockout victory over opponent, number 2 ranked Belal Muhammad, in the main event at UFC 304 in Manchester this Saturday.
Edwards (22-3) enters Saturday’s fight coming off four wins in a row since a no contest against Muhammad in their first fight in March 2021 while Muhammad (23-3) has won five straight since that fight.
The 32-year-old southpaw was asked by MyProtein in a pre-fight interview how he plans to get the victory over Muhammad this weekend.
“Knock him out,” was his simple answer.
“I feel like, for this fight, I want to go out there and get a finish. We’ve fought before. I’ve felt his range and distance. I feel like I’m just the better overall mixed martial artist and I’ll prove that come Saturday night,” Edwards added.
If his prediction of a knockout comes true, it would be the fourth knockout for Edwards in 18 UFC fights.
His last win of that method was his famous head kick knockout win over former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August 2022 to win the Welterweight title.
“I’m number one. I’m the best and that’s all it is. He’s another guy that’s in my way for me to get to where I want to get to and that’s it,” he said.
As far as his preparation goes, Edwards said a lot of hard work was put in to prepare for this upcoming fight.
“Camp’s been good. A lot of hard work. The team pushed me hard this camp and I’m feeling good for it,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to headlining my second homecoming show back in the UK,” he added.
Lando Norris admits he is "not too proud" of the way he overshadowed team-mate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend.
Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Hungaroring, though the Brit did not allow his team-mate back into the lead following the pit stops until the very end of the race, despite being ordered over team radio to do so.
The incident cast a shadow over McLaren's first one-two since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, at which Norris was second to Daniel Ricciardo.
After the controversy, Piastri became the seventh different race winner in F1 this season. Only 11 seasons have ever seen more – 11 in 1982, nine in 1975, and eight in 1977, 1983, 1985, 2003 and 2012.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Norris acknowledged he had regrets, saying: "Could it have been handled slightly differently from both the team side and a personal side?
"Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't have been having this conversation now in some ways.
"Whether people on the outside are going to come up with their own stories of what happened and what I would and wouldn't have done, I don't mind that.
"The things that I could have done, the fact that I kind of clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt too proud about.
"The fact we had a one-two and that was barely a headline after the race… The fact we had a one-two and nothing was really said about it, that's the bit I felt worst about."
Norris has taken pole position in two of the last four races (in Spain and Hungary) after doing so just once in his previous 113 starts.
Excluding Lewis Hamilton, who achieved the feat twice with the team in 2012, Norris could become the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back poles since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 this weekend.
Norris does feel coming through the incident could make McLaren stronger as a team, adding: "We discussed it, we have spoken about it.
"It's not good that we had it, but it's a good thing we've had it at the same time, because we've learned from it and hopefully it's done better next time."
Ahead of joining compatriot Iga Swiatek at the Paris Olympics, Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech will prepare by contesting the first all-Polish WTA final of the Open Era.
Linette and Frech, ranked 48th and 57th respectively by the WTA, will both take part in the Olympic singles tournament at Roland-Garros, for which four-time French Open champion Swiatek is the firm favourite.
While Swiatek has been drawn to face Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round, Linette will face Mirra Andreeva and Frech is set to take on Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova.
Before then, though, the latter duo will go head-to-head in the final of the Prague Open.
Both overcame home favourites to advance to the showpiece match in Czechia, Linette beating first seed Linda Noskova 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-2).
Frech, meanwhile, benefitted from a walkover against 16-year-old Laura Samsonova, the former Wimbledon girl's champion being forced to retire while down 3-6 6-0 4-2.
Frech, who is yet to win a WTA Tour-level title, won the only previous meeting between the pair in the Saint Malo quarter-finals in 2022, triumphing 7-5 6-7 (2-7) 6-2.
Aaron Rodgers insists he enjoys a "great" relationship with New York Jets coach Robert Saleh, despite being fined for skipping a mandatory mini-camp last month.
Legendary quarterback Rodgers joined the Jets ahead of the 2023 season after 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, only for a ruptured Achilles to end his campaign in Week 1.
The four-time NFL MVP is hoping to make a more meaningful contribution in his second year in New York, but his offseason has not been without controversy.
He joined edge rusher Haason Reddick in skipping a mini-camp in June, with Saleh saying both players would be subject to fines after failing to provide an explanation.
Rodgers was on vacation in Egypt at the time of the missed camp and while he regrets the scheduling conflict, he says there is no ill feeling between Saleh and himself.
"It's obviously more of an issue outside the building than there was inside the building," Rodgers said after practice as the Jets returned for preseason this week.
"Robert and I are great. We had great conversations throughout the offseason. [We] had a fun one last night in his office until later on. So, it is what it is.
"I'm an adult. I knew what I was getting into. I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt.
"I wish there hadn't been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was."
Saleh also played down the incident on Wednesday, telling reporters: "I've had dialogue with Aaron throughout the summer. I got some cool pictures from him.
"We had our normal conversations. Nothing has been broken, but the mini-camp stuff, we talked beforehand, so we are on the same page with everything that happened."
As the 40-year-old approaches his 20th year in the league, his sole focus is on guiding the Jets to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
"The goal is New Orleans. That has to be the focus," Rodgers said. "It's going to take a nice training camp to feel like myself."
The Shacman/Tank-Weld 200 Bird Sporting Clay Shoot concluded on Sunday after two days of intense competition at the lush Worthy Park Sugar Estate in Ewarton, St. Catherine. The event saw Craig Simpson crowned as the national sporting clay champion, while Aliana McMaster retained her title as the Ladies champion for the third consecutive year.
Participants faced challenging conditions, including rain, wind, high humidity, and extreme heat. These elements, combined with tricky target presentations, tested the shooters' skills and resilience. After the regulation 200 bird shoot, the top six scorers were selected for the decisive Super Six shoot-off.
Craig Simpson, Chad Zaidie, Christian Sasso, Andrew Hopwood, Roman Tavares-Finson, and JJ Ralston emerged as the top six shooters. The Super Six shoot-off, consisting of a 25-bird target shot over three rounds, ended in a tie between Simpson and Zaidie at 178 each. A subsequent shoot-off saw them tied again at 190 after two rounds. The third and final shoot-off broke the tie, with Simpson hitting seven out of eight targets under extreme pressure to clinch the championship by just one bird.
Reflecting on his victory, Simpson shared, “Yesterday was one of the most difficult sporting shoots I have shot in a long time, and I had to dig deep. I wanted the sporting clay title this year. This is my third win this year, and I was really hungry for it. I wanted to close out the year with the 200 Bird championship.”
Regarding the Super Six shoot-off, Simpson added, “I had a strong first station, shooting all eight targets. The middle was tough, but I managed to hold on and tie with Chad. Chad is a top-quality shooter and pushed me to earn it today. It was a very entertaining, high-class shoot-off.”
Khaleel Azan, past president of the Jamaica Skeet Club and coach of many local shooters, praised Simpson for his hard work, dedication, and passion for the sport. He also commended all the Super Six shooters, especially the two junior shooters, Roman Tavares-Finson and JJ Ralston, for their exceptional performance.
In the Ladies category, Aliana McMaster scored 142 to secure her third consecutive title. Her mother, Wendy McMaster, finished second with a total score of 132, while Toni Barnes placed third with 113. Aliana expressed her satisfaction with her performance, especially given the challenges she faced this year. “It feels amazing because I had to battle with so many things this year, especially with CSEC and school. I’m really happy that I could pull through and defend my title.”
Aliana described the competition as particularly challenging, noting, “It was my first time being in the super squad for A Class, and it was definitely a new environment. The course was very tough on the first day, and I had to be on my game. Today, I did much better.”
The top three shooters in the various classes were:
A Class:
Christian Sasso: 168
Roman Tavares-Finson: 165 (S/O)
Andrew Hopwood: 165 (S/O)
B Class:
Brandon Laing: 149
Todd Lazarus: 139
Dominic Simpson: 115
C Class:
Justin Samuda: 140
Anthony Desnes: 137
Richy Duquesnay: 135
D Class:
Stephen McConnell: 131
Cameron Lee: 125
Philip Burgess: 123
E Class:
Fraser McConnell: 112
Che Rowe: 109
Kevin Chin Shue: 102
Ladies Class:
Aliana McMaster: 142
Wendy McMaster: 132
Toni Barnes: 113
Juniors:
JJ Ralston: 154 (S/O)
Roman Tavares-Finson: 154 (S/O)
Mark Desnoes: 151
Hunters or Beginners:
Tatrecia Mitchell: 112
Nick Dawson: 109
John Chin: 102
Esteban Ocon will partner Oliver Bearman for the 2025 Formula One season with US-based Haas, the team confirmed on Thursday.
Ocon, who made his debut in 2016, becomes the first winner of a Grand Prix to drive for the American outfit since their formation eight years ago.
The Frenchman's only victory came in Hungary back in 2021 for Alpine-Renault, their first win since the Australian Grand Prix in 2013.
Ocon has 146 Formula One starts since his debut, amassing 425 points, which includes three podium finishes, the most recent of which came in Monaco last year.
The decision comes after Haas announced the departure of Kevin Magnussen a week ago, meaning the US-based team will have an all-new line-up for 2025.
Magnussen's current team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is moving to the Sauber team as it morphs into Audi in time for the German company's official F1 entry in 2026.
“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter in my Formula 1 career and join MoneyGram Haas F1 Team from the start of the 2025 season,” said Ocon.
“I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me.
"I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months.
"On a more personal note, I’m very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he’s been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than ten years ago.
"MoneyGram Haas F1 Team has exciting plans and clear targets for the future, and I’m very much looking forward to working with everyone in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello, and being part of this great project.”
Ocon currently sits 18th in the driver's championship after enduring a difficult start to the season, but has managed three top 10 finishes in 2024.
The 27-year-old's strongest season came in 2022, finishing eighth in the driver's championship, 11 points ahead of former team-mate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
Ocon will be reunited with Haas principal Ayao Komatsu after being involved as race engineer for Lotus - which is now Alpine - during the Frenchman's debut year in the competition.
Francisco Lindor homered twice and drove in five runs and the New York Mets went deep a season high-tying five times to complete a season sweep of the New York Yankees with a 12-3 rout on Wednesday night.
Tyrone Taylor, Pete Alonso and Lindor all homered off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Mark Vientos added a solo shot in the eighth before Lindor’s three-run shot off Caleb Ferguson later in the inning extended the lead to 11-2.
The Mets (53-48), who moved a season-high five games over .500, have won three straight, 11 of 15 and are 29-13 after a 24-35 start.
The Mets won all four meetings this season against their crosstown rivals by a combined score of 36-14. They swept the Subway Series for the first time since 2013.
Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto homered for the Yankees, who have lost 20 of their last 29 games.
Cole tied a season high with six runs allowed on eight hits in six innings as his ERA ballooned to 5.40.
Rockies match franchise runs record
Brenton Doyle had a grand slam and five RBIs and Jacob Stallings added two doubles, a homer and four RBIs as the Colorado Rockies matched a franchise record for runs in a 20-7 drubbing of the Boston Red Sox.
Ezequiel Tovar and Ryan McMahon also went deep and Brendan Rodgers had four hits for the Rockies, who pounded out 21 hits and scored 20 runs for the fourth time in franchise history and first time since 2006.
Cal Quantrill pitched six solid innings to help Colorado take two of three from Boston.
Both benches and bullpens cleared in the fourth when Reese McGuire and Quantrill exchanged words. McGuire took exception when Quantrill pumped his fist after getting him to fly out to end the top of the fourth and the players had to be separated.
Jarren Duran fell a double shy of the cycle and drove in three runs for Boston, which completed a 1-5 road trip after winning 10 of 13.
The Red Sox committed a season-high four errors that led to six unearned runs. Three of the errors came with Nick Pivetta on the mound. Pivetta, who entered with a 13.85 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies, was lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Astros’ Brown stays hot, beats A’s
Hunter Brown pitched six innings to win for the eighth time in nine starts as the Houston Astros avoided a series sweep to the Oakland Athletics with an 8-1 win.
Brown worked around traffic in every inning but limited the Athletics to one run and eight hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The right-hander is 8-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last nine starts with 58 strikeouts in 55 innings.
Bryan Abreu, Tayler Scott and Bryan King retired three batters each to finish the game.
Chas McCormick homered for the first time in over a month and Jose Altuve had three hits and two RBIs as Houston bounced back after losing the first two games of the series.
Seth Brown had three hits for Oakland, which had won five of six.
Alex Cora will be staying with the Boston Red Sox for next season and beyond, as MLB Network reported Wednesday that the veteran manager has agreed to a three-year contract extension that will make him among the highest-paid skippers in baseball.
Cora's new deal will run through the 2027 season and will be worth more than $7 million annually, according to MLB Network. ESPN reported earlier Wednesday that the 48-year-old was nearing an agreement on a three-year, $21.75 million extension.
The agreement also ends speculation on Cora's future in Boston with his current contract due to expire at the end of this season. The 2018 World Series champion will become the second-highest paid manager in the majors behind Craig Counsell, who left the Milwaukee Brewers for the Chicago Cubs in the offseason on a deal that pays him $8 million annually.
Cora is in his fourth consecutive season as the Red Sox's manager and sixth overall with the club. He was dismissed following the 2019 season as he served a one-year suspension in 2020 as part of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal of 2017, then rehired by Boston after being reinstated by Major League Baseball.
The Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 regular-season games and captured their most recent World Series title in Cora's first season in 2018. Boston also reached the post-season during Cora's return to the team in 2021, though the Red Sox have missed the playoffs in each of the past two years.
Cora has the Red Sox back in the mix for a playoff spot this season, however. Boston enters Wednesday's play one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the American League's final wild card berth with a 54-46 record.
The Puerto Rico native has compiled a 494-416 regular-season record during his time in Boston.
Prior to his initial stint with the Red Sox, Cora spent the 2017 season as the Astros' bench coach and was part of Houston's controversial run to that year's World Series title. Major League Baseball later conducted a thorough investigation of an alleged sign-stealing scheme the Astros had put in place that season, which led to Commissioner Rob Manfred suspending Cora for the entire 2020 campaign for his role.
The New York Knicks and head coach Tom Thibodeau have agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
New York went 50-32 last season to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals of the play-offs.
The Knicks were also ousted in the East semis in 2022-23 and reached the play-offs during Thibodeau’s first season in 2021-22, when he won his second NBA Coach of the Year award.
Prior to 2021-22, New York’s previous post-season appearance came in 2013.
The Knicks have gone 175-143 over the last four seasons under Thibodeau, who earned his first NBA Coach of the Year award in 2011 as a rookie head coach with the Chicago Bulls.
The 66-year-old Thibodeau owns a 527-389 record in 12 seasons as a head coach with Chicago, the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York.
His teams have gone 38-47 in the post-season, and Thibodeau’s only appearance in the conference finals came in his rookie head coach season.
Saquon Barkley has accused the New York Giants of adopting a "disrespectful" approach during the failed contract talks that led to him joining the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75million deal with the Eagles in free agency earlier this year, having failed to agree fresh terms with the Giants.
Having been taken second overall by New York in the 2018 NFL Draft, the running back managed 5,211 rushing yards and 2,100 receiving yards through 74 regular-season games with the team.
He only enjoyed one playoff run with the team, however, losing 38-7 to the Eagles in the divisional round to cap the 2022 season.
Barkley has repeatedly claimed he wished to stay with the Giants, only to be left feeling undervalued by the offers put forward by general manager Joe Schoen.
He reiterated those claims in an interview with The Athletic, saying: "I was a little fed up, to be honest.
"It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me was if I was able to go show my worth to someone else.
"I had to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me.
"I felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it's kind of like a slap in the face. It was over after that phone call.
"I never felt like we really got a fair negotiation. Joe, he made a comment that negotiations took 10 years off his life. What do you think it did for me?"
The Eagles open their 2024 campaign against the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo on September 7, with their meeting with Barkley's former team set for October 20.
With a robust investment from Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, the 2024 Jamaican Basketball Association Star Search Basketball and Life Skills Camp soared to new heights, attracting increased participation from young basketball enthusiasts and drawing attention from international scouts. This initiative, designed to identify and nurture emerging basketball talent, brought together hundreds of Jamaica’s youth for a memorable week-long camp, culminating last Friday at the G.C Foster College in St. Catherine.
KFC's significant contribution—JMD $2 million in cash and JMD$1 million in meal sponsorship—enabled young athletes to benefit from the expertise of seasoned coaches while exploring opportunities for scholarships to study and play overseas, potentially paving their way to professional basketball careers at the highest level.
Among the standout participants, Joel Ricketts of Wolmer’s Boys and Bri’an Barrow of Immaculate Conception High were honored with the camp’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. “It was an exciting experience,” Ricketts said. “I never expected to earn this award but I put my best foot forward and ensured I had fun at every step of the way.”
International scouts, who regularly attend the camp to identify new talent, were equally impressed. Chief Scout Mark Cooke, based in the U.S., remarked, “The level of talent here is phenomenal. These young athletes have demonstrated exceptional skill and determination. It’s been a privilege to work with them and help them reach their potential.”
KFC’s sponsorship has delivered immediate benefits to the camp participants and has also made a significant impact on the broader community. By supporting initiatives like the Star Search Basketball Programme, KFC is paving the way for young athletes to achieve their dreams and build brighter futures.
Andrei Roper, Marketing Manager at Restaurants of Jamaica, expressed his enthusiasm for the camp’s success. "We're grateful for another fantastic year of Star Search. This program is near and dear to our hearts at KFC as we are dedicated to developing Jamaica's youth and shaping them for greatness. We continue to see the amazing talent that Jamaica has to offer in basketball. We share the Jamaica Basketball Association's vision of creating well-rounded individuals who contribute both on and off the court."
Roper also highlighted the camp’s dual focus on basketball and life skills. "It's not just a basketball camp; it’s also a life skills camp. We are proud to provide campers with knowledge and resources that will benefit them during the camp, in the sport of basketball, and beyond," he added.
The Star Search camp has produced notable talent, including former Cleveland Cavaliers player Samardo Samuels and current Charlotte Hornets player Nick Richards. This legacy underscores the camp's role in shaping the future of Jamaican basketball.
Lando Norris is convinced he can still chase down Max Verstappen to end his reign as Formula One world champion, though he knows McLaren must remain grounded.
Norris is second in the drivers' championship standings after 13 races, 76 points behind three-time champion Verstappen.
It looked like Verstappen would stroll to a fourth successive championship when he opened 2024 with seven wins in 10 races, but he has failed to win any of the last three, finishing fifth at the Austrian Grand Prix and last week's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris finished second behind team-mate Oscar Piastri at the Hungaroring, and he now has seven podiums in his last nine races, including a victory in Miami in May.
Asked about McLaren's upturn by Sky Sports, Norris said: "I said at the end of last year that we were going to win races this year. I said at the beginning of the year that it was not going to be an easy one for Red Bull, and all of that's come true.
"I think we've done an amazing job as a team. First of all, we have to give credit to the team for giving us a car in order to do that.
"We won in Hungary, but this is the second win of the year. Red Bull have had way more wins. Mercedes have had the same amount of wins as we've had.
"So just because we won one race and had a dominant weekend doesn't mean we're the quickest car. I think maybe two weekends this year, we've had the best car of the grid.
"Do we have opportunities to maybe win more? Yes. Did we necessarily have the quickest car on those days? I don't think so. But when I think of what we're doing now, we can have more days like Hungary."
Asked whether he still had a chance of capturing the title, he added: "You would be silly to say no.
"Don't get me wrong, I know it's like 70, 80 points that I've got to catch up. I know a lot of people are going to say that there's no chance.
"But we're going to keep fighting and I'm going to give myself the best opportunity to do so.
"Especially when you see Max and Red Bull not performing so well, making mistakes, crashing. You want to make the most of those opportunities and plenty more can happen in the future. So, yes, I think it's still on."
The Belgian Grand Prix takes place at Spa this weekend, with the four-week mid-season break following ahead of the final 10 fixtures of the campaign.
Piastri's victory last week made him the seventh different race winner in F1 this year, with only seven seasons ever producing more victors – 11 in 1982, nine in 1975, and eight in 1977, 1983, 1985, 2003 and 2012.
Paul George is "all-in" with the Philadelphia 76ers, who he believes have a great shot at winning the NBA championship.
George joined the Sixers after the Los Angeles Clippers did not offer him a full max contract.
However, George holds no ill will towards the Clippers.
The 34-year-old said: "Amazing time. No regret, they went out and gave me an opportunity to play at home, which, at that point in time was a ton of value for myself to be able to play in front of my family, my friends, and have a legitimate shot to chase a championship every season.
"Obviously, injuries kind of deterred us a little bit. But just to speak on that situation as a whole, there's no ill will.
"Again, forever grateful for the opportunity that they gave me to come back.
"We had a great mutual talk as it all played out, and I felt it was great closure on the situation. I'm happy for them, they're happy for me, and I'm a Sixer now. So that's behind me."
And George feels everything is lining up perfectly for the Sixers.
"I thought everything just aligned perfectly," George said.
"Where they're at and where they're trying to go and where I'm trying to get to, as well.
"I think we got a real legitimate shot. I've always been a fan of Tyrese and Joel from afar, and Joel has secretly been one of my closest All-Star Game friends. And so, it kind of felt inevitable that at some point we would link up and be teammates.
"So, I'm all-in. My family's here all-in, and I'm excited, and looking forward to this next opportunity."
George feels one key asset he can bring is to help share the load with 76ers talisman Joel Embiid, who suffered an injury-hit season last term.
"I think just taking the pressure off Joel," George said.
"I think I can kind of help him get through a season healthy. And again, it's just not putting so much pressure on him.
"Regardless of how good you feel, I think pressure causes a lot of injuries as well, and you think you have to get overplayed, you have to touch every possession, that kind of just wears you down, especially for how physical he is.
"So that's the key. Everybody do their part, make sure we're working on our bodies, and that we don't just put that pressure on one individual to go out and win games for us."
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