“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
PITTSBURGH 4 ATLANTA 2
PHILADELPHIA 7 MIAMI 6
BOSTON 4 SAN DIEGO 1
NY YANKEES 8 TORONTO 1
HOUSTON 10 NY METS 5 (11)
TAMPA BAY 5 WASHINGTON 0
MILWAUKEE 7 CHICAGO CUBS 1
KANSAS CITY 6 CLEVELAND 2
COLORADO 5 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 (14)
ST. LOUIS 2 CINCINNATI 0
SAN FRANCISCO 10 LA DODGERS 4
DETROIT 7 LA ANGELS 6
ARIZONA 5 OAKLAND 1
MINNESOTA 5 SEATTLE 3
TEXAS 11 BALTIMORE 2
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
ROCHESTER 12 INDIANAPOLIS 8
FORT WAYNE 5 DAYTON 1
WISCONSIN 2 SOUTH BEND 1
WNBA SCORES
INDIANA 88 PHOENIX 82
MINNESOTA 70 CHICAGO 62
NEW YORK 81 ATLANTA 75
MLS
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
BASKETBALL NEWS
REPORT: HARDEN RETURNING TO CLIPPERS ON 2-YEAR, $70M CONTRACT
The Los Angeles Clippers will re-sign guard James Harden to a two-year contract worth $70 million, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The contract reportedly features a player option in the second year.
Harden joined the Clippers via trade in November following a disagreement with Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey which prompted Harden to demand a move. In 76 games in L.A., the 34-year-old averaged 16.6 points and registered 8.5 assists per game as the team finished fourth in the West with a 51-31 record.
The 10-time All-Star was also the Clippers’ leading scorer in the postseason. Though they fell in six games in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks, Harden averaged a team-best 21.2 points per game as teammate Kawhi Leonard missed all but two playoff games due to injury.
Harden is one of two big free-agency decisions for L.A. in this window. The organization is also reportedly hopeful of bringing back star wing Paul George.
REPORT: 76ERS, PAUL GEORGE AGREE TO 4-YEAR, $212M CONTRACT
The Philadelphia 76ers and free-agent forward Paul George have agreed to a four-year, $212-million contract, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal includes a player option for 2027-28, Wojnarowski adds.
The Los Angeles Clippers, George’s former team, stated Sunday that there was a “significant” gap in contract negotiations and that the nine-time All-Star was not expected to return to the club.
George, 34, averaged 22.6 points with 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.1% last year over 74 games in his final season of a five-year tenure with the Clippers. He originally landed in L.A. via trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a package that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Over his 14-year career, George is averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 boards, and 3.7 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 38.5% from deep.
The Sixers have been busy in free agency thus far, bringing in Andre Drummond and re-signing Kelly Oubre Jr.
Philadelphia entered the 2023-24 campaign as championship hopefuls but ultimately wound up flaming out in the first round in a tightly contested matchup against the New York Knicks. George will now form a big three in Philly alongside former MVP Joel Embiid and ascendant superstar Tyrese Maxey.
The Orlando Magic had also expressed some interest in the six-time All-NBA forward.
REPORT: WARRIORS WERE ON ‘VERGE OF LANDING’ CLIPPERS’ GEORGE
The Warriors nearly made a huge splash Saturday ahead of Paul George’s deadline to decide on his player option, as Golden State was on the “verge of landing” the nine-time All-Star in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami.
Golden State would’ve reportedly given George a four-year, $221-million max extension upon his arrival.
Veterans Steph Curry and Draymond Green were “100% on board” with Golden State acquiring George, per Kawakami.
The Warriors made the Clippers offers involving some combination of Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, and a first-round draft pick, Kawakami adds. Golden State reportedly believed it proposed multiple trades that L.A. could and would accept.
Golden State recently blocked Wiggins from attending the Canadian national team’s training camp ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics while reportedly exploring trade options for the 29-year-old. Wiggins’ three-year, $84-million contract would’ve likely been the bedrock of any deal between the Warriors and Clippers.
The Warriors also moved Chris Paul’s deadline to guarantee his $30-million salary for next season from Friday to Sunday, giving the franchise time to include him in a trade, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Friday.
Ultimately, George didn’t exercise his $48.7-million player option Saturday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The decision will make George an unrestricted free agent and rule out any potential sign-and-trade option for the Warriors. Golden State will also likely be excluded from the George sweepstakes in free agency since the club has little cap room.
George is meeting with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers after Sunday’s 6 p.m. ET negotiating window opens, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Golden State is reportedly losing franchise legend Klay Thompson in free agency after the two sides failed to agree on a new deal.
The Warriors can still offer Paul’s contract in a trade and could release the 39-year-old to get under the tax apron if nothing arises.
REPORT: PISTONS INK CUNNINGHAM TO 5-YEAR, $226M EXTENSION
The Detroit Pistons are signing guard Cade Cunningham to a five-year, $226-million rookie maximum extension, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III.
Cunningham played in 62 games this season, averaging career highs in both points (22.7) and assists (7.5).
The Pistons have struggled since drafting Cunningham first overall, averaging 18 wins in his three seasons with the franchise. Detroit tied an NBA-record 28-game losing streak this past campaign.
Cunningham suffered a shin injury 12 games into the 2022-23 season and missed the rest of his second professional campaign. The former Oklahoma State product holds career averages of 20 points, 6.5 assists, five rebounds, and a steal.
The Pistons have over $60 million in cap space this summer for new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon to spend. The organization selected Ron Holland II with the fifth pick in the NBA draft.
WARRIORS WAIVE CHRIS PAUL
The move, which came ahead of Sunday’s deadline to guarantee his $30-million salary for next season, makes Paul an unrestricted free agent.
Paul, 39, played just one campaign with the Warriors after being acquired from the Washington Wizards last July. He averaged a career-low 9.2 points in 58 games (18 starts) last season, while his 6.8 assists per game represented his worst mark in four years.
Golden State and Paul previously agreed to push the deadline for his guaranteed salary back from Friday to Sunday while the team tried to find a trade. A deal that would have sent him back to the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul George was reportedly pursued, but it ultimately didn’t come to fruition.
The San Antonio Spurs are showing strong interest in signing Paul, sources told NBA insider Marc Stein.
With Paul off the books, the Warriors’ payroll now sits at approximately $147 million, well below the tax threshold of $171.3 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
BREAKING DOWN THE BIGGEST DEALS FROM DAY 1 OF NBA FREE AGENCY
The NBA offseason’s officially here. In addition to negotiating with their own free agents, teams are now permitted to negotiate with free agents from rival teams (though new contracts can’t be signed until the NBA’s moratorium is lifted July 6). Here’s some quick-hitting analysis on the biggest deals reached on the first day of free agency.
Spurs sign Chris Paul (1 year, $11M)
Sometimes an NBA transaction just feels right. This is one of those times.
San Antonio may not be the ring-chasing endgame some had in mind for one of the best point guards of all time, but in so many ways it feels like the perfect place for Paul to play one of the last seasons (if not the last season) of his illustrious career; a place where he can play for a legendary coach he’s admired and competed against for two decades, and where he can mentor and feed lobs to a generational talent 19 years his junior, without the burden of expectations that soured his brief Golden State sojourn.
This isn’t purely sentimentalism, either. Paul can still play, and the on-court fit makes a lot of sense. On balance, the Spurs were a 22-win doormat last season, but put Victor Wembanyama on the court with anything resembling a competent floor general and they morphed into a playoff-caliber outfit. To wit: they outscored opponents by 4.3 points per 100 possessions in nearly 1,300 minutes with both Wembanyama and Tre Jones on the floor.
What San Antonio needed a lot of the time was someone capable and willing to deliver Wemby the ball. And Paul, even at age 39, is one of the most capable and willing distributors in the sport. Their two-man game could be legitimately dangerous. Paul’s entry passing and hit-aheads will also be helpful in getting the young phenom easy early offense.
Paul has a chance to be a positive influence not only on Wembanyama but on all the Spurs’ youngsters, from Jones to Devin Vassell to Jeremy Sochan to new draftee Stephon Castle. You can scoff at the unquantifiable value of that kind of thing, but players often go out of their way to tell you how much it matters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still talks about the impact Paul had on him during their one season together in Oklahoma City.
Besides, if it doesn’t work out, what’s the downside? The Spurs are on the long-term development track, and aren’t going to hit the accelerator until Wemby forces their hand. This move comes with basically no risk, but with plenty of opportunity for fun, feelings, and some wins along the way. – Joe Wolfond
Clippers re-sign James Harden (2 years/$70M), sign Derrick Jones Jr. (3 years, $30M)
Whatever you think about the Clippers as a concept, however doomed you think they are in their current form, keeping Harden on a short-term deal with a manageable price tag is a win. The second-year player option makes it less team friendly, and the prospect of doing the same year-to-year dance with Harden in 2025 doesn’t sound appealing, but it’s better than feeling pressured into locking up the soon-to-be 35-year-old long term, or letting him walk for nothing.
Of course, the Clippers are letting Paul George walk for nothing, which means this offseason is a disaster no matter what and the team’s championship window is firmly shut (if it wasn’t already). But unless Harden falls off a cliff, he and Kawhi Leonard can still keep this team respectable, and if the front office decides to pivot, this deal should make Harden a very appealing trade chip.
Harden when healthy and engaged is still capable of playing at an All-Star level. He had a rocky start with L.A. after being traded there a couple weeks into last season, but then hit his stride and for about two months played some of the most fluid and selfless basketball of his career. He gave the Clippers the offensive organizer they’d long sorely lacked, and made them look like legit championship contenders in the process. Even after wheezing to the finish line, he ended the season with a 61% true-shooting clip, and the Clippers performed seven points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. He had a couple monster performances in the first round of the playoffs, too.
This deal isn’t going to alleviate any of the despair in Clipperland, but it’s good business all the same.
The same can be said of signing Jones using the bulk of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception that was made available to L.A. when it became clear George wouldn’t be re-signing. Jones provides a massive jolt of athleticism that’s in fairly short supply on this Clippers team, and he’s arguably a better overall defender than George is at this point.
It’s obviously an enormous offensive downgrade, and a team that was once stuffed to the gills with shooters is now going to have a very tough time spacing the floor. Jones did shoot a career-best 34% from 3-point range last season and 37% in the playoffs, but he likely won’t be getting the same kinds of looks in L.A. as he did playing with Luka Doncic in Dallas.
Alas, this is what you get when the MLE is what you have to work with. There was never going to be any replacing George. This is about as well as the Clippers could’ve done under the self-imposed circ*mstances. – Wolfond
Magic sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3 years/$66M)
One of the NBA’s more exciting young teams adds one of the game’s best veteran role players, a two-time champ who gives the Magic’s already-nasty defense another ace point-of-attack stopper while also providing a sorely needed 3-point threat. Caldwell-Pope is basically a way better version of what Gary Harris was for Orlando last season.
He may not shoot 42% from deep like he did across his two seasons alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver, but he should still get plenty of quality looks orbiting Paolo Banchero’s on-ball gravity. His ability to shoot off of movement will be a huge boon to a team that finished 25th in 3-point attempt rate and 24th in 3-point percentage last season. Caldwell-Pope is also an adept and experienced guard screener, and the Magic should mine some great stuff out of him screening for Banchero and Franz Wagner. Meanwhile, he and Jalen Suggs will form one of the league’s most stifling perimeter defensive tandems.
The Magic still need a legitimate offensive lead guard, but adding Caldwell-Pope shouldn’t preclude them from acquiring that missing piece. Though it does jam up their ability (for now) to make a competitive free-agent offer to George, as they’re left with just shy of $30 million in cap space, it wouldn’t have been worth passing up the chance to sign KCP because they were holding out for a PG pipe dream. And hey, if that pipe dream comes true and George indicates he’s prepared to sign there, Orlando can probably find a way to clear another $20-odd million off its books.
Unless or until that happens, this team is probably still too flawed to be taken seriously as a legitimate contender. But it’s a rising young power that’s now a bit more dangerous. – Wolfond
Mavericks sign Naji Marshall (3 years/$27M)
A year ago, a minimum contract for Jones Jr. turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the league, as he played a key role in Dallas’ run to the Finals. This time next year, we might again be talking about how the Mavs made one of the offseason’s best low-key moves.
Marshall’s a grimy defensive forward coming off the best shooting season of his career (38.7% on 2.3 3-point attempts per game) while serving as a member of one of the league’s best benches in New Orleans. His 42% conversion rate from the corners may have been an aberration, but the drive-and-kick creation of Doncic and Kyrie Irving will put Marshall in advantageous positions to build on that career year. It’s also a fantastic result for an unheralded player who went undrafted four years ago.
This is a great get for the reigning Western Conference champions, with the only downside being it appears Jones’ brief time in Dallas is over. – Joseph Casciaro
Pacers re-sign Obi Toppin (4 years/$60M)
After trading for and re-signing two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam, and with 2023 No. 8 pick Jarace Walker entering his sophom*ore season, no one would’ve blinked if fellow power forward Obi Toppin found himself the odd man out in Indiana. That the Pacers instead re-signed him long term is a testament to Toppin’s fit with Tyrese Haliburton.
Toppin’s transition game makes him a perfect match for the Pacers, who look to push the ball up the court at every opportunity. That fit led to a career year for Toppin, who supplemented his efficient interior scoring with an improved stroke from behind the arc. In his first season as a Pacer after three up-and-down seasons as a Knick, Toppin averaged 10.3 points while shooting 70.6% inside the arc and 40.3% from deep.
His lackluster defense is part of a larger problem in Indiana, but Toppin is a low-maintenance offensive role player who knows his job, does it well, and fits the system the Eastern Conference finalists want to play. An average salary of $15 million might seem steep, but it’s far from egregious in today’s booming NBA economy. – Casciaro
76ers sign Andre Drummond (2 years/$10M), Eric Gordon (1 year/$3.3M)
For all of Drummond’s well-documented offensive limitations, he’s quietly become a very solid reserve who’s coming off his best season in years. The 30-year-old remains one of the league’s absolute best rebounders, posting 100th percentile marks in both offensive and defensive rebound rate in 2023-24, according to Cleaning The Glass. In fact, Drummond’s offensive rebound rate ranks in the 96th percentile or higher among big men in every season of his 12-year career, while his defensive rebound rate has ranked in the 98th percentile or higher for 10 straight seasons.
For a Sixers team always looking for quality center minutes off the bench behind Joel Embiid, reuniting with Drummond (who spent part of the 2021-22 campaign in Philly) at this price is nice work.
As for Gordon, the former Sixth Man of the Year may be a shell of his former self, but contenders can never have enough shooting. Bringing him to Philadelphia on a veteran’s minimum is nothing to sneeze at. The 35-year-old still converted 37.8% of his 5.8 3-point attempts per game in 2023-24, which accounted for more than 64% of his shot diet. – Casciaro
Wizards sign Jonas Valanciunas (3 years/$30M)
Valanciunas’ once-improved perimeter shooting fell off last season and his defensive mobility is a concern, but he remains an efficient interior scorer, a good rebounder, and a durable big man. The 12-year vet started all 82 games for a 49-win Pelicans team that ranked sixth on defense and 11th on offense. An average salary of $10 million for a player of that caliber is fine value, but three years for a 32-year-old center who’s declining is a little puzzling from the perspective of a rebuilding Washington team.
The Wizards remain perplexing, though perhaps they view the veteran as a potential trade chip going forward. Valanciunas’ presence (along with the recently re-signed Richaun Holmes) could also be good for recent draft pick Alex Sarr. As for JV, who hasn’t been part of a rebuilding situation since his rookie year in Toronto, it seems obvious Washington outbid other suitors. – Casciaro
Heat re-sign Kevin Love (2 years/$8M)
Love was quietly excellent as Bam Adebayo’s backup last season, gobbling up rebounds and slinging full-court outlet passes while continuing to serve as a credible stretch-big. He put up per-36 averages of 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 60% true shooting, and had the Heat’s second-best on-court net rating.
But he’ll also turn 36 before next season starts, his defense is always going to be an issue (even though he’s held up reasonably well in Miami’s zone-heavy system), and he proved to be unplayable in the first round against Boston. All those things considered, this feels like a pretty fair deal for both player and team. – Wolfond
Suns sign Mason Plumlee (1 year/$3.3M)
Phoenix gets a backup center who’s better than Drew Eubanks.
PISTONS AND COACH J.B. BICKERSTAFF AGREE ON 4-YEAR CONTRACT WITH TEAM OPTION FOR 5TH, AP SOURCE SAYS
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a four-year contract with coach J.B. Bickerstaff with a team option for a fifth season, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The person spoke the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.
The Cleveland Cavaliers fired Bickerstaff in May after they lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals despite them winning 99 games over two years.
The Pistons fired coach Monty Williams one season into a six-year, $78.5 million contract after they had the NBA’s worst record for a second straight year. They also fired general manager Troy Weaver after they won 23% of their games in his four seasons.
Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has been busy trying to turn around a three-time NBA-championship winning franchise that has fallen on hard times.
The 45-year-old Bickerstaff, who twice finished among the top five in NBA Coach of the Year voting, was 170-159 in four-plus seasons in Cleveland. He had six victories in the playoffs. He took over when John Beilein, a former Michigan coach, walked away from the Cavs during the 2019-20 season.
Bickerstaff also was promoted to replace fired coaches in Houston and Memphis, going 37-34 with the Rockets in the 2015-16 season and winning 48 games with the Grizzlies during most of the 2017-18 and all of the following season.
Bickerstaff’s father, Bernie, won 419 NBA games with Seattle, Denver, Washington, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pistons went into free agency with $50 million in salary cap space, desperately looking for an influx in talent to play with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham.
Langdon has begun to reshape the roster by declining a $19 million option for Evan Fournier, extending a qualifying offer to Simone Fontecchio and acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. from Dallas in a trade. He drafted Ron Holland of the G League Ignite with the fifth pick overall.
The Pistons haven’t won a playoff game since 2008, when they appeared in the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth straight year.
MAX CHRISTIE IS GETTING A 4-YEAR, $32 MILLION DEAL TO RETURN TO THE LAKERS, AN AP SOURCE SAYS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Promising wing Max Christie is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers with a four-year, $32 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Lakers haven’t announced the deal for their former second-round draft pick. ESPN first reported it.
The 21-year-old Christie has averaged 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists while playing inconsistently during his first two NBA seasons, but the Lakers clearly believe in his potential.
The Michigan State product is a career 37.8% shooter on 3-point attempts, and he showed promise as a three-and-D wing during his stretches in the Lakers’ rotation last season, including seven starts.
New Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned Christie prominently when he spoke of the team’s promising young talent ripe for development during his introductory news conference last week.
Even with two years of NBA experience, Christie is two years younger than Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ first-round draft pick last Wednesday.
Christie’s brother, Cam, was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
KINGS REPORTEDLY IN TALKS TO ACQUIRE BRANDON INGRAM
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly in talks with the New Orleans Pelicans toward acquiring high-scoring forward Brandon Ingram.
Ingram, who averaged 20.8 points per game and a 49.2 percent field goal percentage, just off his career high, won’t be offered a full four-year maximum contract. The Pelicans were expected to seek a lower-cost extension or look into trading him, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sacramento TV station KTXL noted Ingram’s links to then-Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who is the Kings’ vice president of basketball engagement.
In eight NBA seasons — the first three with the Los Angeles Lakers before he joined New Orleans in a three-team trade that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers — Ingram is averaging 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 33 minutes per game.
REPORT: F DERRICK JONES JR. SIGNING WITH CLIPPERS
Free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. intends to sign a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers worth $30 million, The Athletic reported Sunday night.
Jones spent this past season with the Dallas Mavericks, helping them reach the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics. He averaged 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds across 76 games (66 starts).
In eight NBA seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2016-17), Miami Heat (2018-20), Portland Trail Blazers (2020-21), Chicago Bulls (2021-23) and Mavericks, Jones has career averages of 6.7 points and 3.3 boards in 420 games (163 starts).
Los Angeles is about to enter a new era after star forward Paul George decided earlier Sunday that he will be signing with another team. The Clippers went 51-31 last season and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
REPORT: ALEX LEN TO REMAIN WITH KINGS ON ONE-YEAR DEAL
Veteran backup center Alex Len plans to return to the Sacramento Kings on a one-year, $3.3 million contract, The Athletic reported Sunday.
Len provides depth behind Kings star center Domantas Sabonis, who had 77 double-doubles (including 26 triple-doubles) during the 2023-24 regular season.
Len, 31, averaged 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 48 games as a reserve last season.
Next season would be Len’s fourth in his second tour of duty for Sacramento. He also played for the Kings during part of the 2019-20 season.
Len has career averages of 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 644 games (237 starts) since being a first-round pick (fifth overall) out of Maryland by the Phoenix Suns in the 2013 NBA Draft. He also has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.
REPORTS: BULLS, PATRICK WILLIAMS AGREE ON 5-YEAR, $90M DEAL
Patrick Williams and the Chicago Bulls have come to terms on a five-year, $90 million contract extension, according to multiple outlets.
ESPN reported Saturday that Williams will have a fifth-year player option. He was due to become a restricted free agent next month.
The Bulls selected Williams, who turns 23 in August, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Florida State.
A foot injury limited the 6-foot-7 power forward to just 43 games last season, and he put up 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
He has career averages of 9.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range in 213 games.
The Bulls finished 39-43 last season.
NBA SETS SALARY CAP AT $140.588 MILLION FOR 2024-25 SEASON
The NBA announced Sunday that the salary cap is set at $140.588 million for the 2024-25 season.
The league said the Tax Level will be $170.814 million.
Both figures go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday.
Teams are allowed to begin negotiations with free agents at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. Signings can become official Saturday.
The NBA said the minimum team salary is set at $126.529 million for the 2024-25 season. For teams that exceed the tax, the First Apron Level is $178.132 million and the Second Apron Level is $188.931 million.
Also, the Mid-Level Exceptions were set at $12.822 million (non-taxpayer), $5.168 million (taxpayer) and $7.983 million (room under salary cap).
WNBA NEWS
CAITLIN CLARK AND THE FEVER RALLY FROM 15 DOWN TO BEAT THE MERCURY 88-82
PHOENIX (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 15 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds and the Indiana Fever rallied for an 88-82 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
Clark was just 4 of 14 from the field, and 2 of 10 from 3-point range. But she made a pair of free throws with 19.9 seconds to play to put the Fever up three. Indiana had trailed by as many as 15 in the first half.
Kelsey Mitchell’s basket with 35 seconds to play gave Indiana the lead for good. She made two free throws with 12.9 seconds to go to seal it.
Aliyah Boston had 17 points and eight rebounds and NaLyssa Smith had 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Fever, who closed out June 7-4 after going 1-8 in May. Temi fa*gbenle had 10 points for Indiana.
Brittney Griner scored 24 points, Diana Taurasi had 19 and Natasha Cloud score 15 for Phoenix.
Kahleah Copper, who entered Sunday third in the WNBA at 22.7 points per game, scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting before fouling out in the final seconds, but had most of the responsibility of guarding Clark.
It was the first on-court meeting between Taurasi and Clark. Taurasi, 42, is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer and is in her 20th WNBA season. She was a student at Connecticut when Clark was born. The Fever rookie said before the game Taurasi was one of her idols going back to when she first learned about the WNBA.
When Clark was drafted No. 1 overall after a career at Iowa that saw her lead the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA Championship games, Taurasi said, “Reality is coming,” when asked about Clark entering the league. Later Taurasi said that she meant that it would be a difficult transition to pro basketball.
The Mercury jumped to an 8-0 lead and was ahead 49-38 at halftime, with Griner and Taurasi each scoring 13 points. The Fever went on a 17-0 run to lead by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but Phoenix closed with 67-64 at the end of the period.
There were two skirmishes during the first half, both during dead ball situations. Griner was assessed a technical foul while the teams were lining up for a free throw in the first quarter, and the second one occurred after a foul had been called and the teams got into it while huddling near each other under the Indiana basket.
Two players from each team were given technicals — fa*gbenle and Erica Wheeler for the Fever, and Copper and Cloud for the Mercury.
In the final minute of the half, Smith was charged with a flagrant-1 foul against Taurasi. Cloud later received a flagrant-1 for a foul against Katie Lou Samuelson, who made both free throws to cut the deficit to 78-77 with 2:17 remaining.
Phoenix hosts Connecticut on Monday. Indiana finishes a five-game road trip at Las Vegas on Tuesday.
BREANNA STEWART SCORES HER 5,000TH POINT IN 81-75 LIBERTY WIN OVER DREAM
NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the New York Liberty rally to beat the Atlanta Dream 81-75 on Sunday.
New York, which was down 16 in the first half, led 60-59 heading into the fourth quarter. The Liberty (16-3) scored the first 10 points of the period, started on a free throw by Stewart. The Dream, who were coming off a win at Connecticut on Friday night, cut it to 70-67 before back-to-back 3s by Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich put the game away.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 18 points for New York.
Stewart scored her 5,000th career point, becoming the fastest player to reach that milestone doing it in her 242nd game. Diana Taurasi, the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history, did it in 243.
Allisha Gray had 24 points and Tina Charles added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Dream (7-10). This was a homecoming for Charles, who grew up in New York and played for the Liberty from 2014-19. She received a warm ovation from the crowd when she was introduced pregame.
New York put Courtney Vandersloot back in the starting lineup for the first time since she spent a few weeks away to be with her mom before she passed away from cancer. The guard left the team at the beginning of the month and then played in her first game since June 4 in the Commissioner’s Cup final last Tuesday.
LYNX RALLY PAST SKY 70-62 WHILE CHICAGO’S ANGEL REESE BREAKS RECORD FOR CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
CHICAGO (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 16 points, Napheesa Collier had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx spoiled a record-setting day from Chicago rookie Angel Reese, rallying for a 70-62 victory over the Sky on Sunday.
Reese broke a WNBA single-season record with her 10th straight double-double, finishing with 10 points and 16 rebounds. Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks set the previous record in 2015.
McBride made two 3-pointers and added five rebounds and five assists for the Western Conference-leading Lynx (14-4), who were coming off a 94-88 loss at last-place Dallas that ended their seven-game winning streak.
Collier had six assists while recording her 11th double-double of the season. Alanna Smith had 11 points and seven rebounds.
Reese had a poor shooting day, going 4 of 16 from the floor and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. She got to 10 points on the second of two free throws with 23 seconds to play.
Chennedy Carter scored 15 points for Chicago. Lindsay Allen made three 3-pointers and scored 13, adding seven assists and six rebounds. Marina Mabrey scored 11 on 4-of-17 shooting.
The Lynx trailed by 51-42 on a jumper by Carter with 2:58 left in the third quarter but cut the deficit to by five at the end of the period on a long jumper at the buzzer by Collier.
Minnesota clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter, outscoring Chicago 18-5.
A three-point play by Courtney Williams put the Lynx up 61-59 with 3:14 to go. McBride sank four straight free throws and Minnesota maintained a two-possession lead over the final two minutes.
The Lynx held the Sky to 30.5% shooting from the floor after allowing the last-place Wings to shoot 48.7%, make 9 of 15 from beyond the arc and score the most points against them this season.
Chicago selected Reese with the seventh overall pick in the draft, a spot Minnesota traded down from.
The Sky fell to 3-7 at home.
UP NEXT
Minnesota plays at New York on Tuesday. Chicago travels to play the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NEWS
ANGELS OF MIKE TROUT (KNEE) TARGETING RETURN BY LATE JULY
Los Angeles Angels star center fielder Mike Trout is hopeful to return from knee surgery by late July in what has been another injury-shortened season for the three-time American League MVP.
Trout spoke with reporters on Saturday at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., and he said he was convinced he’d be on the field a month from now following recovery from a torn meniscus in his left knee.
“I feel really good ramping things up,” Trout said. “I’m happy where I’m at right now. It makes me feel relieved. I’m not putting an exact timetable on it. But once I can do all the tests and run, hit and throw, I’ll be out there.”
Trout, 32, said it’s taken longer than expected to heal from the May 3 surgery, as he has dealt with soreness during the rehabilitation process. It’s become more manageable as he plays catch and jogs on an anti-gravity treadmill for reduced impact.
“The problem was I wanted to strengthen it around it, but I was doing exercises to try to do that and it was making it really sore,” Trout said. “But now I’m able to progress on that and do exercises without any soreness. It’s been great. I’m jogging and I’ve done little stuff like play catch with no pain. I haven’t hit yet. The biggest thing for me is just the running part.”
Trout said swinging a bat won’t be a problem. He has yet to hit in cages and is uncertain about needing a rehab assignment.
“He’s feeling much better,” Angels manager Ron Washington said Saturday. “His legs look strong. He’s got a normal gait now. So it’s just a matter of when we’re going to get him out here and let him start taking a pounding.”
Trout led the majors with 10 homers at the time he suffered his knee injury on April 29 in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he doesn’t know how it happened. He was batting just .220 with 14 RBIs and six steals in 29 games.
The injury was frustrating to Trout, who has been derailed by health issues in recent seasons. A calf injury limited him to 36 games in 2021, a back injury helped hold him to 119 games in 2022, and a broken hand last season allowed him to appear in only one game after July 3 and 82 contests for the season.
Trout is a career .299 hitter with 378 career home runs, 954 RBIs and 212 stolen bases in 1,518 games over 14 seasons, all with the Angels after he was a first-round draft pick (25th overall) in 2009.
The 11-time All-Star was voted AL Most Valuable Player in 2014, ’16 and ’19. He also has nine Silver Slugger awards to his credit, and he was the 2012 AL Rookie of the Year.
MLB ROUNDUP: SURGING ASTROS COOL OFF METS IN 11TH
Trey Cabbage’s two-run double capped a five-run 11th inning for the visiting Houston Astros, who moved over .500 for the first time this season with a 10-5 win over the New York Mets on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Matt Festa (0-1) intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez to open the 11th before Yainer Diaz singled. Jake Meyers followed with a go-ahead RBI single before Joey Loperfido laced a two-run single down the third base line. Two outs later, Cabbage doubled to deep right-center field.
Tayler Scott (4-2), the sixth pitcher for the Astros, allowed an unearned run in two innings of relief and came away with the win. Brandon Nimmo finished with three hits, including a two-run, game-tying homer in the seventh, for the Mets.
The Astros went 17-8 in June, the best record in the majors, to improve to 42-41. The Mets, who were 16-8 in June, lost the final two games of the series to fall under .500 (40-41) at the midpoint of their season.
Giants 10, Dodgers 4
Matt Chapman homered, Spencer Bivens worked a season-best five innings and San Francisco completed a series win over visiting Los Angeles with a romp.
Making his first major league start, Bivens (2-1) took a shutout into the fifth inning before serving up a solo home run to Chris Taylor with one out. It was Taylor’s second homer of 2024.
Dodgers starter James Paxton (7-2) was pulled after four innings, charged with nine runs on 12 hits. The Giants finished with 11 extra-base hits and 10 doubles, a San Francisco-era franchise record.
Pirates 4, Braves 2
Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each hit a tape-measure two-run homer in the fifth inning as Pittsburgh defeated host Atlanta to salvage the finale of their three-game series.
Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts for the Pirates to end his 25-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season. Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter (4-6) snapped a personal four-start losing streak with his first victory since May 24, allowing one run on two hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out five.
Sean Murphy doubled and totaled two hits, and Marcell Ozuna doubled, walked and scored a run for the Braves, who finished with just six hits.
Yankees 8, Blue Jays 1
Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run, his major-league-leading 31st blast of the season, Gerrit Cole struck out six in five innings and visiting New York defeated Toronto.
Trent Grisham and DJ LeMahieu added two RBIs each to help the Yankees gain a split in the four-game series. Cole (1-1) allowed one run, three hits and one walk. He hit two batters with pitches.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (6-7) allowed seven runs, seven hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit in the hand by a pitch in the third inning and stayed in the game until leaving for a pinch hitter in the eighth. He said X-rays on the hand were negative.
Rays 5, Nationals 0
Taj Bradley kept rolling with his strong June pitching, Isaac Paredes finished a single shy of the cycle and Tampa Bay earned a fourth straight series win, beating Washington in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Bradley (3-4) struck out 11 and allowed just three hits over 5 2/3 innings, while walking two over 99 pitches. Across his past five starts (29 innings), the 23-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA, striking out 40 and allowing just 18 hits.
Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (1-8) surrendered four runs on eight hits in six innings. The left-hander fanned five, walked one and lost his fifth straight decision.
Red Sox 4, Padres 1
Rafael Devers collected two hits, including a two-run home run, to help Boston avoid a three-game sweep by beating visiting San Diego.
Devers hit his 18th home run of the season in the first against Matt Waldron (5-7). Wilyer Abreu, who reached on a walk, also scored on the home run. The two-run homer gave Devers 600 career RBIs.
Josh Winckowski (2-1) earned the win for tossing five scoreless innings in his second appearance since being recalled from Triple-A.
Phillies 7, Marlins 6
Trea Turner put Philadelphia ahead with a two-run single in the seventh inning, and salvaged a split of a four-game series against visiting Miami.
The Marlins led 6-2 after the top of the fifth inning before Philadelphia battled back and capped their largest comeback of the season on Turner’s two-run single against Anthony Bender.
Seranthony Dominguez (3-2) earned the win in relief and reliever Andrew Nardi (1-1) took the loss.
Rockies 5, White Sox 4 (14 innings)
Michael Toglia hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the 14th inning, helping lead visiting Colorado to a win over Chicago.
After Colorado’s Sam Hilliard moved Ryan McMahon to third on a sacrifice bunt, Toglia’s sacrifice fly was just deep enough to score the game-winner, snapping the Rockies’ five-game losing streak.
Jalen Beeks (5-4) threw a perfect bottom of the 14th to finish the Colorado victory, the team’s longest game since a 16-inning win over the Giants on Sept. 24, 2019. Michael Soroka (0-8) threw the final four innings for Chicago.
Cardinals 2, Reds 0
Lance Lynn and three relievers combined to throw a two-hitter as St. Louis blanked visiting Cincinnati.
Lynn (4-3) surrendered both of the Reds’ hits and tallied six strikeouts over six innings. Ryan Helsley converted his 30th consecutive save to extend his team record. Masyn Winn went 2-for-4 with an RBI double for the Cardinals, who earned a split of the four-game series.
Cincinnati second baseman Jonathan India hit a double to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He has at least one double in eight straight games, which is a team record.
Royals 6, Guardians 2
Seth Lugo tossed six shutout innings for his major league-best 11th win as Kansas City beat visiting Cleveland, taking three of four games in the series.
Lugo (11-2) fanned 10 while allowing four hits and a walk to earn his 14th quality start in 18 games, matching Logan Gilbert for most in the majors.
Starter Logan Allen (8-4) allowed three runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Brewers 7, Cubs 1
Brice Turang belted Milwaukee’s fifth grand slam in eight games to back a dominant start by Freddy Peralta and power the Brewers over visiting Chicago in the rubber game of the three-game series.
Peralta (6-4) allowed a leadoff homer and a one-out single in the first before holding the Cubs hitless over the next six innings. He exited after the seventh and finished with eight strikeouts and two walks in a 103-pitch outing.
Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (1-6) allowed seven runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one.
Tigers 7, Angels 6
Justyn-Henry Malloy’s inside-the-park home run highlighted a rare offensive outburst by Detroit in a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Tigers catcher Carson Kelly hit a three-run homer in support of starting pitcher Casey Mize (2-6). The right-hander threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three singles, but had to leave the game with one out in the sixth when he appeared to injure his left hamstring.
Los Angeles made the Tigers sweat this one out despite trailing 7-1 going into the ninth inning. The Angels got a three-run homer from Zach Neto and a two-run shot from Jo Adell to pull within a run. Detroit turned to Tyler Holton, who struck out Nolan Schanuel to end the game.
Diamondbacks 5, Athletics 1
Christian Walker had three hits and two RBIs to help Arizona beat Oakland in the rubber game of their three-game series in Phoenix.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed one run and five hits over six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Zack Gelof hit his ninth home run of the season and Kyle McCann had two of the five hits for the A’s, who have dropped seven of eight.
Twins 5, Mariners 3
Trevor Larnach hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the eighth inning as Minnesota defeated host Seattle.
Larnach’s blast to right-center off Mariners reliever Ryne Stanek (5-2), following a one-out single by Jose Miranda, gave the Twins home runs in a franchise-record 19 consecutive games.
Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo went five innings and gave up three runs on six hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
MLB TWEAKS HOME RUN DERBY FORMAT; ORIOLES’ HENDERSON TO COMPETE
Major League Baseball revealed updated rules and a new format for the Home Run Derby going into effect this summer.
The league said Sunday that in the first round and semifinals, participants will see a maximum of 40 pitches over three minutes. That is followed by three bonus outs; players will continue hitting until they make three more outs. They can earn a fourth bonus out if they hit a home run of 425 feet or longer during bonus time.
The same rules will apply to the finals, but that will be a max of 27 pitches over two minutes for each finalist.
Gone are the days of an eight-player bracket. All eight contestants will take turns during the first round, and the players with the top four totals will advance, seeded one through four. Any ties will be broken based on the longest home run each player hit in the round.
The No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 in the semifinals, and No. 2 will oppose No. 3.
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is the first known player in the field. Henderson announced his intent to compete during an in-game interview for “Sunday Night Baseball” as his Orioles faced the Texas Rangers.
The Home Run Derby is July 15 in Arlington, Texas, one day before the All-Star Game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays is the defending champion.
COLLEGE BASEBALL NEWS
TEXAS A&M HIRES MICHAEL EARLEY TO REPLACE JIM SCHLOSSNAGLE AS BASEBALL COACH
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M has hired Michael Earley to take over as the 21st baseball coach at the school.
Earley was the hitting coach for the Aggies for the past three seasons, helping the team to two College World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish in 2024.
“Michael is a very talented coach and recruiter, but what stood out to me was his character and the relationships he has built with his current and former players,” athletic director Trev Alberts said Sunday in a release. “During our interview process he was really impressive. … I am excited about the future of Aggie baseball.”
Earley is replacing Jim Schlossnagle, who left last week to become the coach at arch-rival Texas. The Aggies will be facing Texas on a regular basis now that the Longhorns are moving from the Big 12 to the SEC next season.
Earley played his college ball at Indiana. He was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 29th round of the 2010 amateur draft. He spent six seasons in the White Sox organization, making it to Triple-A Charlotte.
Before he started at Texas A&M, Earley spent five seasons at Arizona State, including four as the hitting coach.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity. … Being a part of this university and this program are a dream come true. I will not let you down,” Earley said in a release.
COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS
BYE TO THE BIG 12 AND HELLO SEC: IT’S PARTY TIME FOR TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Bye-bye Big 12, hello SEC. Texas and Oklahoma are finally making their long-awaited conference switch.
But first, it’s time to party with Bevo (the longhorn) and Pitbull (the human).
The three-years-in-the-making switch to the Southeastern Conference for two programs that were co-founders of the Big 12 in 1996 officially happens Monday.
And for their move to a league where “It Just Means More,” Texas and Oklahoma have scheduled big campus celebrations Sunday and Monday with carnivals, live music and fireworks. Oklahoma’s even stretches to events statewide.
The SEC Network planned live programming from both campuses over the two days, and Longhorns and Sooners fans had their first chance to buy SEC-branded school merchandise.
“This is a day we have been building toward for years,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said.
It’s a moment college sports in general has been building toward in the era of major realignment. The Texas and Oklahoma break from the Big 12 helped trigger myriad conference shifts with more on the way. By the first kickoff of the 2024 season, 11 so-called Power 4 programs will be in new conferences.
The Big Ten will grow to 18 teams with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington poached from the Pac-12. The beleaguered West Coast league also lost Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Arizona State to the Big 12, and California and Stanford to the Atlantic Coast Conference. SMU leaps from the American Athletic Conference to the ACC on Monday as well.
As for Oklahoma and Texas, they originally planned to join the SEC in 2025, but ultimately reached a financial deal with the Big 12 for an early exit. And they leave with a whole lot of hardware.
Between them, the Sooners (14) and Longhorns (four) won 18 Big 12 football titles in 25 years, with Texas winning the crown last season for the first time since 2009.
In its final year in the league, Texas won 15 league regular season or tournament championships across all sports, and national titles in volleyball and rowing. Oklahoma capped its final season with its dominant softball program winning its fourth consecutive national title in May. The Sooners beat Texas in the final.
“Texas brings more tradition, more talent, more passion and more fight,” to the SEC, the school said on its athletics website.
All that winning will be much more difficult to duplicate in the SEC. Oklahoma opens its first SEC football schedule at home against Tennessee on Sept. 21. The Longhorns debut at Mississippi State on Sept. 28.
Since the start of the College Football Playoff in 2014, SEC schools have won the championship six times.
Texas (2005) and Oklahoma (2000) were the only two schools to win national titles in football while in the Big 12.
Some traditional rivalries will be stitched back together, and some torn apart.
The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry is reborn. It had been on hiatus since A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. Oklahoma’s Bedlam rivalry with Oklahoma State is ruptured.
Texas spiced things up with Texas A&M last week when it poached Aggies baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle to Austin. At his introductory news conference, Schlossnagle warned Longhorns fans that the SEC is the “major leagues” of college baseball. The league has won the past five national championships.
Texas and Oklahoma planned for thousands of fans to join their celebrations.
Texas set up a central campus carnival. Fans will get autograph sessions with team coaches, and a chance to pose with the Bevo longhorn mascot for photos in the afternoon.
Sunday night includes a scheduled concert by “Mr. Worldwide” pop star Pitbull on a stage underneath the campus’ iconic clock tower.
Oklahoma’s celebration started Sunday night with a “Race to the SEC” 5k race through the heart of campus, with midnight sales of SEC merchandise and fireworks.
Monday morning, former Sooners coach Barry Switzer will co-host a celebration breakfast in Tulsa and Oklahoma will host a campus party at the football stadium with live music and entertainment.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join the SEC. Our teams are poised for success and look forward to the competition with many of America’s most outstanding universities,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said.
MAKING SENSE OF COLLEGE SPORTS REALIGNMENT. WHICH SCHOOLS ARE CHANGING CONFERENCE AFFILIATION?
(AP) College sports in the U.S. has seen scores of schools change conference affiliation over the past century, but the pace has quickened over the past three decades and certainly over the past two years. It is no longer a surprise to see storied programs leave their longtime conference home in search of more stability and more revenue in the college athletics arms race.
By early August, a dozen more schools will officially change affiliation, from Stanford and USC to Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona State, Colorado and SMU. A look at football membership in the Power Five and the Group of Five, largely dating to the launch of the Big 12 in 1996:
ACC
1996 (9): Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Virginia.
2023 (14): Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
2024 (17): Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
BIG TEN
1996 (11): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin.
2023 (14): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin.
2024 (18): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Southern California, UCLA, Washington, Wisconsin.
BIG 12
1996 (12): Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech.
2023 (14): BYU, Baylor, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia.
2024 (16): Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Baylor, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Utah, West Virginia.
PAC-12
1996 (10): Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Washington State.
2023 (12): Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Southern California, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Washington State.
2024 (2): Oregon State, Washington State.
SEC
1996 (12): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.
2023 (14): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt.
2024 (16): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC
2013 (10, first season): Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, SMU, South Florida, Temple.
2023 (14): Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, SMU, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA.
2024 (14): Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA.
CONFERENCE USA
1996 (6): Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Tulane.
2023 (9): Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, UTEP, Western Kentucky.
2024 (10): Florida International, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, UTEP, Western Kentucky.
2025 (11): Delaware, Florida International, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, UTEP, Western Kentucky.
MID-AMERICAN
1996 (10): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan.
2023 (12): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan.
2025 (13): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Massachusetts, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan.
BIG WEST/WAC/MOUNTAIN WEST
1996 (Big West, 6): Boise State, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico State, North Texas, Utah State.
1996 (WAC, 16): Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, Rice, San Diego State, San Jose State, SMU, TCU, Tulsa, UNLV, Utah, UTEP, Wyoming.
2024 (MWC, 12): Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming.
SUN BELT
2001 (7, first season): Arkansas State, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, North Texas.
2024 (14): Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, Troy.
INDEPENDENTS
1996 (11): Arkansas State, Army, Central Florida, East Carolina, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Navy, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, UAB.
2023 (4): Army, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Notre Dame.
2024 (3): Connecticut, Massachusetts, Notre Dame.
2025 (2): Connecticut, Notre Dame.
HOCKEY NEWS
‘UNPREDICTABLE’ FREE AGENCY IS ON TAP AROUND THE NHL AS PART OF A FAST-TRACKED OFFSEASON
NHL free agency opens Monday, less than a week since Commissioner Gary Bettman presented the Stanley Cup to the Florida Panthers.
The offseason comes at you fast, and with all of it packed into a short period of time and more extra money to spend since before the pandemic, general managers are not quite sure what’s to come when the free agent frenzy gets underway.
“It’s going to be unpredictable, really,” San Jose general manager Mike Grier said Saturday on NHL Network. “It’ll be interesting. Every team’s trying to get better, and there’s only so many seats at the table.”
Sixteen seats at the playoff table, but nearly all of the league’s 32 teams will make a signing of some sort, and hundreds of millions of dollars are expected to be committed to players this week. This summer marks the first big salary cap increase since 2019 — a $4.5 million bump to $88 million — and there is no shortage of top players who will cash in as part of a free agent class headlined by longtime Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos, 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault and three-time Cup champion Patrick Kane.
Some moves got done Sunday, including Toronto re-signing forward Max Domi (four years, $15 million) and defenseman Timothy Liljegren (two years, $6 million) and Utah keeping Sean Durzi around for the next four seasons with a $24 million contract.
“Sean is a reliable two-way defenseman who can anchor the power play and provide offense from the blueline,” GM Bill Armstrong said. “He’s a young, highly skilled defenseman with an incredibly bright future, and we look forward to having him as a core player for this organization.”
Beyond signings, more trades are also in the offing, after Detroit GM Steve Yzerman called some of the activity at the draft over the weekend “eye opening” and moves he didn’t see coming.
“Every team’s got a little bit more cap space,” Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille said. “And we’re seeing where things are going to be (going up) in the next two or three years. We expect some movement, and it should be exciting.”
So much that at least a couple of teams’ front offices are staying in Las Vegas following the draft to handle free agency from there. That includes the Washington Capitals, who have been one of the busiest teams lately, trading for center Pierre-Luc Dubois and goaltender Logan Thompson among a bevy of moves.
“We’re retooling and adding prospects and competing,” GM Brian MacLellan said, adding he “maybe” has some more up his sleeve by way of trade or free agency, particularly to change up his defense. “We’re going to shop around and see what we can find.”
Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, fresh off helping the Panthers win their first title in franchise history, are among the experienced defensem*n available, along with Brady Skjei, three-time Cup winner Alec Martinez and Sean Walker, a trade deadline pickup by Colorado. Brett Pesce, a longtime teammate of Skjei’s with Carolina, has been linked to New Jersey after the Devils cleared room for him.
The pool of forward talent available is stronger, even if Sam Reinhart stays with Florida following his 57-goal season and Jake Guentzel signs with the Lightning after they acquired the high-scoring winger’s rights. Kane alone, even at age 35, could have a half-dozen or more suitors after being nearly a point-a-game producer last season for Detroit, and a reunion with New York Rangers cannot be ruled out among his many options.
Similar interest should materialize for Marchessault, an original member of the Vegas Golden Knights who is coming off scoring a career-best 42 goals. There may not be room left for him after the team added $6.7 million-a-year center Tomas Hertl and $7.35 million defenseman Noah Hanifin in March, though GM Kelly McCrimmon was unwilling in the big picture to speculate about how free agency will unfold.
“It’s not completely in any club’s control,” McCrimmon said. “We have a real good handle on what that market is, what that landscape is, what it looks like and we’ll make our decisions accordingly. But it takes two parties to come to an agreement, and free agency is free agency. You’re never quite sure. We’ll see what plays out.”
The goaltending market has been playing out for some time now, with the Devils acquiring Jacob Markstrom, the Kings getting Darcy Kuemper and Boston sending ’23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to Ottawa for Joonas Korpisalo and more. Plenty more teams need help in net, including Detroit and Toronto.
The Maple Leafs, joining the Capitals remaining in Vegas for the free agent festivities, are willing to roll the dice that they can find a solution.
“How concerned am I of the goalie market? Well, we’ll see what the goalie market is,” GM Brad Treliving said. “We’ve been poking around in it, and we know we’ve got to shore that up on our end but we’re confident that we can.”
REPORTS: F MAX DOMI, LEAFS AGREE TO 4-YEAR, $15M DEAL
Forward Max Domi and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed on a four-year, $15 million deal on Sunday, multiple media outlets reported.
The two sides avoided going to free agency, which begins Monday at noon ET.
Domi, 29, totaled nine goals and 38 assists in 80 games this past season, his first in Toronto after signing a one-year, $3 million contract. He added one goal and three assists in the Leafs’ first-round playoff loss to the Boston Bruins.
Domi was the No. 12 overall pick by the then-Phoenix Coyotes in the 2013 draft and has also played for the Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars.
In 11 NHL seasons, Domi has 417 points (130 goals, 287 assists) in 661 games.
PENGUINS ACQUIRE F BENNETT MACARTHUR FROM LIGHTNING
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Bennett MacArthur in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas announced Sunday.
Pittsburgh sends forward Lukas Svejkovsky to Tampa Bay.
MacArthur, 23, spent most of last season in the East Coast Hockey League, where he tallied 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) over 55 games with the Allen Americans in Texas and the Orlando Solar Bears. He scored two goals in five playoff games with the Americans.
The 6-foot-1, 196-pound MacArthur has 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 108 career ECHL games across two seasons.
MacArthur’s current contract runs through the 2024-25 and carries an average annual value of $925,000 at the NHL level.
Svejkovsky, 22, posted 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. He also had two goals and two assists over 19 games with the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Pittsburgh selected the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Svejkovsky in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
GOLF NEWS
CAM DAVIS OUTLASTS FIELD TO WIN HIS SECOND ROCKET MORTGAGE TITLE
Australia’s Cam Davis shot a final-round 2-under-par 70 and won the Rocket Mortgage Classic when Akshay Bhatia three-putted on the final hole Sunday in Detroit.
Davis, who had back-to-back 66s in the two previous rounds, was warming up for a potential playoff when he became a winner on the PGA Tour for the second time. His other victory came in this tournament three years ago.
Davis had birdied the 17th hole to pull even with Bhatia and had to wait to learn his fate. He finished at 18-under 270 at Detroit Golf Club’s North Course, where low scores were difficult to come by Sunday after several days of more ideal scoring conditions.
Bhatia, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, shot 72. He tied with Davis Thompson (68), Australia’s Min Woo Lee (69) and England’s Aaron Rai (72) at 17 under.
Rai, who was in the final pairing with Bhatia, had a chance to join the leaders on the last hole, but he was hurt by pushing his drive into the rough. His next shot ended up in the greenside bunker and he ended up with par.
Bhatia endured his first bogey of the tournament with a 5 on the par-4 third hole. He rolled in a 32-foot birdie putt on the next hole.
Later, Bhatia’s mish*t off the 13th tee into the trees resulted in a 97-yard drive, but he saved par with a 4.
Bhatia, a 22-year-old from North Carolina, was aiming to win for the second time this year and the third time in his career.
Lee chipped in from the fringe for a birdie on the 15th as part of three birdies in four holes that lifted him into a share of the lead. But he bogeyed No. 18, and will regret the double-bogey 7 he made on the seventh hole.
Rai was the co-leader with Bhatia after both the second and third rounds, but he faded in pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour after briefly holding the solo lead.
Rai, who had been so flawless most of the tournament, ended up with three bogeys in a six-hole stretch, so he went to the 12th hole looking to just stay in contention.
Rico Hoey of the Philippines (67) joined Eric Cole (69), Cameron Young (73) and South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen (72) in a sixth-place tie at 15 under.
FUJITA LEADS U.S. SENIOR OPEN BY 3 STROKES WHEN RAIN HITS. PLAY RESUMES MONDAY WITH 8 HOLES LEFT
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Hiroyuki Fujita held a three-stroke lead with eight holes to play in the final round of the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday when the tournament was postponed because of severe weather at Newport Country Club.
Fujita was 2 under for the day on the 7,024-yard, par-70 course at the mouth of the Narragansett Bay when the horn sounded at 3 p.m. because of storms. The USGA announced at 4:55 p.m. that the tournament would resume on Monday.
Richard Bland birdied the first three holes to move into second place. The Senior PGA champion was 13 under for the tournament with eight holes left. Richard Green was 1 under for the day and at minus-12 for the tournament. Steve Stricker, the U.S. Senior Open runner-up each of the last two years, was 2 over for the fourth round to fall six shots off the lead.
Vijay Singh was 4 under through 15 holes to move into a tie for fifth place, nine shots behind Fujita; he had three holes left to play when the rains came. Ernie Els was 5 under through 15 holes and was tied for eighth.
Tournament organizers tried to squeeze the golf in between the morning fog, which enshrouded the towers of the nearby Newport Bridge and blocked the view of the greens from the tees, and the severe weather forecast for the afternoon. The leaders teed off two hours late, at 12:20 p.m., and were heading to the 11th tee when the first wave of thunderstorms came through at 3 p.m.
At that point, Fujita was had pulled away from Stricker and Green, his playing partners. Bland, who started the day five strokes back at 9 under, was minus-4 for the day and in second at the turn.
A two-time MVP on the Japan Golf Tour, Fujita has never won on American soil and had not broken 70 in any of his rounds on the PGA Tour Champions. His best finish in a major was a tie for 41st in the 2005 British Open at St. Andrews.
But he has led wire-to-wire, thanks to a 63 in the first round and a nearly flawless performance off the tee, hitting 49 of 50 fairways in the tournament — including his last 38 in a row.
He birdied the second hole but then made just his second bogey of the tournament on No. 3 when a 3-foot par attempt lipped out. He birdied the ninth to move back to 16 under.
ATTHAYA THITIKUL, RUONING YIN NARROWLY WIN DOW CHAMPIONSHIP
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and China’s Ruoning Yin, both former World No. 1 players, shot an 8-under 62 on Sunday to win the Dow Championship in Midland, Mich.
Thitikul and Yin, both 21, partnered for the first time and finished 22 under for the week, defeating Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho by one shot.
Thitikul and Yin both earned their third wins on the LPGA Tour after closing with a 62 in Sunday’s four-ball (best-ball) format. Thitikul, who was playing in the event for the first time, clinched the win with a birdie putt on the par-3 18th.
“She doesn’t have any option,” Thitikul said about teaming up with Yin. “I’m just forcing her to play with me.”
The pair played a bogey-free final round, combining for eight birdies, including three in a row on Nos. 2-4.
Meanwhile, Ewing and Kupcho, who led by a shot after Saturday’s third round, carded a 64 with six birdies and no bogeys in the final round, but it wasn’t enough.
“We got off to a slow start, but we hung in there,” Ewing said. “It wasn’t easy. I think in these tournaments, if you get to hole 18 (and) you have a chance to win the golf tournament or force a playoff, that’s all you ask for.”
South Koreans In Kyung Kim and Haeji Kang shot 65 and finished in a tie for third at 19 under with Danish teammates Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Nicole Broch Estrup (63).
“I was struggling from the start, and then I kind of — yeah, she was playing the first four holes, I think, and then I kind of stepped in a little bit,” Estrup said. “We were in a little bit more trouble today, but when Nanna was in trouble, I kind of stepped in, and the other way around. I’m so happy to have had Nanna by my side this week.”
Friends Georgia Hall and Charley Hull of Great Britain teamed up to shoot 63 and finished 18 under in a tie for fifth with Auston Kim and Australian Grace Kim (65).
Gigi Stoll of the United States and Nataliya Guseva of Russia came in seventh at 17 under after firing a 61. Several pairs tied for eighth at 16 under, including Lexi Thompson and Canada’s Brooke Henderson.
“It was super fun, Henderson said. “Lexi was an incredible partner, and I’m really glad I got to play with her, especially in her last full season out here on Tour. … Overall it was just a really fun week.”
AUTO RACING
MERCEDES DRIVER RUSSELL WINS FORMULA 1’S AUSTRIAN GP AFTER VERSTAPPEN, NORRIS CLASH AT FRONT
SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — George Russell clinched Mercedes’ first win of the season at Formula 1’s Austrian GP after taking advantage of a late clash between McLaren driver Lando Norris and championship leader Max Verstappen in a Red Bull on Sunday.
It was Russell’s second F1 win.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was second, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr.
Norris was trying to take the lead from Verstappen with just seven laps remaining when the pair came together. The incident left Norris’ car unable to continue, and Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty.
Verstappen and Norris had been caught up in a fight for top spot, with the British driver accusing his rival of “dangerous” driving.
On Lap 64, Norris crashed into Verstappen’s Red Bull as he attempted a move for the lead with both cars suffering significant damage. After Norris had gone to the outside, Verstappen’s maneuver saw the front right of the McLaren collide with the rear left of the Red Bull. Verstappen suffered a left-rear puncture and one of Norris’ tires was also shredded.
Verstappen and Norris limped back to the pits with the former able to continue after stopping for repairs. However, Norris was forced to retire.
The flashpoint provided Russell, who was sitting in third place, 15 seconds back, to assume the lead. And the British driver was able to take advantage to win for the first time since the Brazilian GP in November 2022.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, with Verstappen fifth.
Verstappen had dominated the weekend, following up his victory in the sprint race with another dominant performance in qualifying to take pole position.
A processional race dramatically came alive with 20 laps remaining following a botched pit-stop for Verstappen.
Red Bull was slow to bolt on the left-rear tire to allow Norris to take 4.5 seconds out of his seven-second lead.
On Lap 55, Norris made his bid for the lead at Turn 3 but Verstappen put his Red Bull on the apex to stay ahead.
“He reacted to my move and you are not allowed to do that,” Norris protested over the radio.
Three laps later, Norris launched his McLaren down the inside of Verstappen at the third bend but Verstappen swooped back ahead of the next turn.
“He cannot keep moving after I move,” Norris said. “It is just dangerous. We will have a big shunt.”
With eight laps to run, Norris tried again to take the lead. Verstappen ran off the road at the third corner in his defense and rejoined the asphalt with his lead still intact.
“He forced me off again,” Verstappen said. “He just divebombed me. That is not how you overtake.”
Russell wasn’t surprised when the pair clashed again.
“They (Verstappen and Norris) were going for it,” Russell said. “I knew it (the collision) was a possibility. You are always dreaming and you have got to be there to pick up the pieces.”
Verstappen was informed of his 10-second penalty and replied: “That is just ridiculous.”
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg held off Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for sixth place with the other Haas of Kevin Magnussen in eighth. RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.
Verstappen has 237 points, ahead of second-place Norris with 156.
The British GP is the next race on July 7.
JOEY LOGANO PREVAILS IN FIVE OVERTIMES IN NASHVILLE
Joey Logano had enough fuel to hold off Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick in a fifth overtime Sunday to win the NASCAR Cup Series’ Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn.
After nearly claiming the win in the fourth OT, Logano restarted in first for the second time, ahead of Chase Briscoe, and beat Smith by 0.068 seconds in the fifth two-lap shootout for his first victory of 2024.
Polesitter Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain battled over the final laps of regulation and into overtime until Chastain’s No. 1 hit the Turn 1 wall after contact with Kyle Larson.
Hamlin and many other cars ran out of fuel in OT, putting Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford up front and in position to win the 15-caution event, his 33rd career win.
Reddick, Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher completed the top-five finishers.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell led a race-high 131 laps before wrecking on Lap 228 and finished 36th.
After scoring the 42nd pole qualifying start of his career, Hamlin led in his No. 11 Toyota over the first 16 laps until he encountered the potentially lapped No. 51 Ford of Justin Haley, who slowed Hamlin’s progress and allowed teammate Bell to scoot by for the lead.
Bell maintained the point through alternating pit strategies and earned his eighth segment win by claiming Stage 1. The Toyotas of Hamlin and Reddick followed.
With rain and the 300-lap race’s halfway point approaching, most teams elected to take two tires, but Ty Gibbs struck Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet near the start/finish line for the third caution of the event’s first half.
The weather front finally came for good on Lap 136 as cameramen and track workers were vacated from high areas above the grandstands. Bell led them onto pit road with Reddick and Larson behind him as a red-flag condition began before reaching the halfway mark.
After a roughly 90-minute delay for the 1.33-mile track’s drying, the race ran caution-free to the Stage 2 conclusion at Lap 185 when Bell, Reddick and Larson finished top three, respectively.
MEN’S TENNIS
ANDY MURRAY UNSURE IF HE WILL COMPETE AT WIMBLEDON
Andy Murray of Great Britain is slated to play at Wimbledon on Tuesday, but as of Sunday, the three-time Grand Slam winner has not decided if he will compete due to a back issue.
Murray, 37, a two-time Wimbledon champion who is retiring later this year, said he would likely decide by Monday evening.
Murray is scheduled to face Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
“I don’t think there’s one thing that I’m hoping for. When it comes to the end, I don’t know, maybe a bit of closure,” Murray told BBC Sport on Sunday. “I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there, hopefully on Center Court, and feel that buzz.”
Just over a week ago, the former World No. 1 had surgery to remove a cyst near his spinal cord that was causing nerve pain in his right leg. He said he is not sore but doesn’t have all the feeling back in his leg yet.
Murray may wait until later in the week to play when he is scheduled for a doubles match with his older brother Jamie.
Murray hit at Wimbledon on Saturday and played a practice set on Sunday with fellow British player Jack Pinnington-Jones.
“It’s getting better every single day,” Murray said. “I want to give it every single chance that I can to get there.”
TOUR DE FRANCE RESULTS-SUNDAY
In Italy
2nd
Stage
A 124-mile ride from Cesenatico to Bologne.
1. Kevin Vauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 4:43:42.
2. Jonas Abrahamsen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, :36 behind.
3. Quentin Pacher, Groupama-FDJ, :49.
4. Cristian Rodriguez, Spain, Arkea-B&B Hotels, :49.
5. Harold Tejada, Colombia, Astana Qazapstan Team, :49.
6. Nelson Oliveira, Portugal, Movistar Team, :50.
7. Axel Laurance, France, Alpecin-Deceuninck, 1:12.
8. Mike Teunissen, Netherlands, 1:33.
9. Hugo Houle, Canada, Israel-Premier Tech, 1:36.
10. Richard Carapaz, Ecuador, EF Education-EasyPost, 2:21.
Also
24. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma/Lease a Bike, 02:42 behind.
43. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 3:43.
143. Sean Quinn, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 20:23.
Overall Standings (Yellow Jersey)
1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates, 9:53:30
2. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Soudal Quick-Step/Bel, same time.
3. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma/Lease a Bike, same time.
4. Richard Carapaz, Ecuador, EF Education-EasyPost, same time.
5. Romain Bardet, France, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, :6 seconds back.
6. Maxim Van Gils, Belgium, Lotto Dstny, :21.
7. Egan Bernal, Colombia, INEOS Grenadiers, same time.
8. Pello Bilbao, Spain, Bahrain Victorious, same time.
9. Tom Pidco*ck, INEOS Grenadiers, same time.
10. Giulio Ciccone, Lidl-Trek, same time.
Also
14. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma, :21 behind.
32. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 1:51.
140. Sean Quinn, United States, EF Education-Easypost, 47:11.
Team Standings
1. Movistar Team, 29:40:42
2. UAE Team Emirates, :30 behind.
3. Ineos Grenadiers, :51.
4. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, :51.
5. Soudal Quick-Step, 1:31. .
6. , Bahrain Victorious, 2:42
7. EF Education-Easypost, 3:41.
8. Team DSM_Firmenich PostNL, 5:01.
9. Team Visma/Lease A Bike, :5:47.
10. .LIDL-Trek, 7:04.
Climber (Red Polka Dot Jersey)
1. Jonas Abrahamsen, Norway, Uno-X, 23 pts
2. Valentin Madouas, France, Groupama-FDJ, 11 pts.
3. Frank Van den Broek, Netherlands, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, 9 pts.
4. Ion Izagirre, Spain, Cofidis, 8 pts.
5. Romain Bardet, France, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, 3 pts.
Youth-U26 (White Jersey)
1. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Soudal Quick-Step/Bel, 9:53:30.
2. Maxim Van Gils, Belgium, Lotto DSTNY, :21s behind.
3. Tom Pidco*ck, Great Britain, Ineos Grenadiers, same time.
4. Carlos Rodriguez, Spain, Ineos Grenadiers, same time.
5. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma, same time.
6. Juan Ayuso, Spain, UAE Team Emirates, same time.
7. Santiago Buitrago, Bahrain Victorious, 1:11.
8. Ilan Van Wilder, Soudal Quick-Step, 1:22.
9. Javier Romo, Spain, Movistar Team, same time.
10. Oscar Onley, Great Britian, Team dsm-firmenich Post/NL, 2:31.
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
REPORT: TOPPIN INTENDS TO RE-SIGN WITH PACERS ON 4-YEAR, $60M DEAL
Pacers forward and restricted free agent Obi Toppin plans to sign a four-year, $60-million contract to stay in Indiana, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Pacers acquired Toppin for two second-round picks last offseason.
The 26-year-old averaged 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds while playing in all 82 games this past season. Toppin greatly improved his 3-point shooting with the Pacers, averaging a career-best 40.3% from deep.
Toppin was also a vital piece to Indiana’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, adding speed and athleticism to a lineup that played quickly.
Indiana has reportedly already re-signed Pascal Siakam to a four-year, $189.5-million maximum contract.
The Pacers are well stocked at the forward position, as Toppin joins Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Isaiah Jackson, and Jarace Walker, the team’s No. 8 pick from the 2023 draft.
Indiana selected three players in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, choosing Kansas’ Johnny Furphy, UConn point guard Tristen Newton, and Akron’s Enrique Freeman.
The Pacers now have 12 players under contract and are $6.4 million below the luxury tax, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
INDIANA FEVER
GAME RECAP: FEVER EARN COMEBACK VICTORY AT MERCURY ON SUNDAY
PHOENIX – The Indiana Fever (8-12) overcame a 15-point deficit against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday for an 88-82 win at Footprint Center. Surged by Indiana’s 25-9 run in the second half, the Fever outscored the Mercury 29-15 in the third quarter and secured its first win against Phoenix this season.
For the second consecutive game, five Fever players scored in double figures, spearheaded by Fever center Aliyah Boston’s 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Boston also pulled down eight rebounds and distributed four assists. Trailing behind Boston was Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and rookie Caitlin Clark with 16 and 15 points each. Mitchell went 3-of-6 from 3-point range, went 3-of-3 from the free throw line and also grabbed three rebounds. Clark recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 assists and added nine rebounds in the win as well.
On Sunday, Clark earned the franchise rookie-record for most assists (138) in a debut season, passing Julie Allemand’s 128 assists in her 2020 rookie campaign.
Fever forward NaLyssa Smith pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds, 12 points, two steals, one blocked shot and one steal. Smith passed Natalie Williams for eighth place on the Fever all-time rebounds list. In her second game back since suffering a left foot injury, Fever forward Temi fa*gbenle recorded 10 points off the bench, while reserves guard Erica Wheeler and forward Katie Lou Samuelson tallied six and five points each.
The Fever trailed 53-38 early in the third quarter, but a pair of runs fueled by a three-pointer and an assist from Clark narrowed Indiana’s deficit to 55-50. Mitchell then sank two back-to-back 3-point field goals to bring the score to 60-55, and the Fever secured its first lead of the night. Indiana dominated the second half, outscoring the Mercury, 50-33. Additionally, the Fever outscored Phoenix in paint points, 34-30, bench points, 21-8, fast-break points, 20-5, and outrebounded the Mercury, 42-28.
For Phoenix (9-9), only three Mercury players scored in double figures, led by center Brittney Griner’s 24 points on 8-of-13 field goal shooting and 8-of-10 free throw shooting. Griner also pulled down six rebounds and two assists. Mercury guards Diana Taurasi and Natasha Cloud followed with 19 and 15 points, respectively. Taurasi added three rebounds and three assists while Cloud dished out seven assists and tied a season-high in a game with four steals.
UP NEXT
The Fever conclude the road trip with a 9:30 p.m. ET matchup on Tuesday at the Las Vegas Aces from T-Mobile Arena. Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
SHOCKLEY, BEER HOMER AS INDIANS LOSE IN COMEBACK FASHION, 12-8
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Indianapolis Indians jumped out to an 8-4 lead through four innings after a pair of three-run home runs by Dylan Shockley and Seth Beer, but fell to the Rochester Red Wings 12-4 in Sunday afternoon’s series finale at Innovative Field.
With Rochester (5-1, 43-36) leading 1-0 in the first inning following a solo home run by Riley Adams, Dylan Shockley jumped on Washington Nationals rehabber Josiah Gray with a two-out, three-run home run in the second inning. The long ball, which Jackson Cluff countered with a three-run shot of his own in the bottom half, was Shockley’s first since Aug. 10, 2021, with FCL Pirates.
The Indians (1-5, 34-45) continued to wear down Gray in the third, with a double by Joshua Palacios kicking off a four-run frame. The hot-hitting outfielder came around to score on a Malcom Nuñez sacrifice fly before Seth Beer, swinging another hot bat for Indy in the series, launched a three-run homer to extend the lead to 7-4. Ten of the first 11 runs in the game came via home runs.
The teams traded runs in the fourth before the Red Wings offense took off against the Indians bullpen and defensive miscues. With two outs in the sixth inning, a hanging fly ball off the bat of Cluff dropped beyond the outstretched glove of right fielder Ji Hwan Bae to score Carter Keiboom from first base. One inning later, a two-run single by Keiboom against after back-to-back free bases tied the game, and a bases-loaded walk to Cluff by Ryder Ryan (0-1) gave Rochester the lead.
The Red Wings put up three runs again in the eighth, capped by a two-run double by Juan Yepez that dropped between the center fielder Palacios and second baseman Liover Peguero.
Joan Adon (W, 4-5) was the second of three Rochester relievers to hold Indianapolis scoreless through the final four innings. He combined with Eduardo Salazar and Rico Garcia to strike out six batters out of the bullpen.
Palacios finished the series with a 3-for-5 performance, one day after going a season-high 4-for-5. He ended the series with a .450 batting average (9-for-20) in five games. Beer joined him, hitting safely in four of five games in the series with a .353 batting average (6-for-17), three extra-base hits and eight RBI.
The Indians travel to Louisville Slugger Field before beginning a home-and-home series with the Louisville Bats tomorrow night at 6:35 PM ET. RHP Grant Gavin (0-0, -.–) will make his Bats debut in the series opener while the Indians have yet to name a starter.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS:https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS:https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS:https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS:https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS:https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS:https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS:https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS:https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS:https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS:https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS:https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS:https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS:https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS:https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS:https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS:https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BENDATHLETICS:https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS:https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS:https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS:https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OFTHE WOODS ATHLETICS:https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS:https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS:https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS:https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS:https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
July 1, 1859 – The first intercollegiate baseball game was played, as Amherst defeated Williams 73-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I am not quite sure they had the whole concept down on how to get someone out. According to a SABR.org article, “Amherst College was founded when Zephania Swift Moore, president of Williams College in Williamstown, in the extreme northwest corner of Western Massachusetts, resigned after a dispute over the school’s isolated location. Moore took 15 students with him and started an institution in the town of Amherst, 60 miles to the east. To this day, Williams students and alumni regard those from the upstart Amherst as renegades, “the Defectors of 1821.”
This game was played under the Massachusetts Rules, otherwise known as roundball. Some aspects of this variation of baseball included the fact that all ground was fair, runners could be put out by being hit by a thrown ball, and a single out ended each inning. It didn’t really get measured by an amount of innings or frames as they were called then , but by a predetermined score, in this case 65.
The lopsided 73-32 whooping that Amherst gave Williams, which in fact went over the agreed-upon 65-run limit during a 10-run 26th inning. Remember by rule the innings were all just one-out long, and the 3½ hours to play the game, really pretty much equaled a modern game length. the SABR post also included the fact that all-in-all, “There were only two fewer outs recorded than in a modern nine-inning contest.”
July 1, 1910 – The Chicago’s White Sox Park which was later called Comiskey Park opened up for some business of baseball. – St Louis Browns beat those White Sox, 2-0.
July 1, 1916 – Pittsburgh shortstop Honus Wagner, at the ripe old age of 42 years and 4 months, hit the ball hard and ran like the wind in Cincinnati to become the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park HR. The Bucco needed that run too as they won over the Reds, 2-1.
Maybe there was a bit of revenge one year later when these same two team met on…
July 1, 1917 – As the Reds’ Fred Toney pitched 2 complete games in doubleheader victories over those Pirates, allows 3 hits each game, fewest allowed by any pitcher winning 2 MLB games in one day.
That same day in New York…
July 1, 1917 – It was a direct breaking of NY state blue law as the Brooklyn Robins ( later to become the Dodgers) played their first Sunday MLB game in Brooklyn. The owner and manager arrested but escape with a fine as the Robins edged Philadelphia, 3-2.
July 1, 1920 – Washington Senators pitching legend Walter Johnson no-hit the Boston Red Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. This was the only no-hitter of his illustrious career.
July 1, 1920 – The St Louis Cardinals became the renting tenants of their American League counter part the St Louis Browns, as the Cards abandoned Robison Field midway through the MLB season and returned to Sportsman’s Park.
July 1, 1931 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium home of the MLB: Indians and the NFL: Browns, openedup with 78,189 in seating capacity. The Old Stadium was demolished 1996.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
July 1, 1916 – Coca Cola markets its current formula to the public along with its distinct contoured bottle. co*ke has been a long time sponsor of football at all levels.
July 1, 1931 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium officially opened on this day. The first event though did not happen until a couple of days later and it wasn’t an Indians game either according to the site BallParksofBaseball.com. According to an article in the Coshocton Tribune in Coshocton, Ohio on July 10, 1931 the Indians did not even have a lease with the new stadium, called Lakefront Stadium then, when it opened though negotiations were in progress. The Indians played their first home game at Municipal Stadium on July 3, 1932. Lakefront Stadium was used as a venue for professional football too. Wikipedia says that prior to the arrival of the Browns, the stadium was briefly the home field for two other NFL teams, the Cleveland Indians in 1931, and the Cleveland Rams from 1936 to 1937 and again from 1939 to 1941. The football Indians played two home games in their 1931 season, a 6-0 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers and a 14-0 loss to the Chicago Cardinals. The Rams were founded in 1936 as members of the second American Football League and joined the NFL in 1937. They played home games at the stadium their first two seasons, before moving to the smaller Shaw Stadium in 1938. The Browns called it home in 1946 in their inaugural season in the AAFC. The stadium was the home of the Indians and the Browns until it closed in 1993. According to an article by the UP in the Akron Beacon on July 1, 1931 the first event that the old stadium saw was the Heavy Weight Boxing tilt between Max Schemling and Young Stribling.
July 1, 1941 – The Bulova Watch Company became the first to purchase TV advertising when it paid a sum of $9 to air a first ever network commercial. According to the Sporting News.com the average cost of a Super Bowl Commercial in February 2020 was about $5.6 Million per every 30 second spot.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for July 1
July 1, 1922 – Giles County, Tennessee – Don Whitmire who was with the University of Alabama in 1941 and 1942 as then Navy’s tackle from 1943 to 1944 arrived into this life. The NFF’s bio on Don says he made one All America for the NEA in 1942, was consensus All-America 1943, and unanimous All-America 1944. Rip Miller, Navy’s line coach, recruited him for the Midshipmen after spotting his picture in Street and Smith Football Magazine in 1943. Don Whitmire was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes. Right after this event his hometown of Decatur, Alabama held a parade, with 9,000 spectators lining the road to cheer the accomplishments of this gridiron legend. At his Hall of Fame induction, he said, “Football taught me the virtue of team play and enhanced my leadership qualities. These traits have been most valuable in my Navy career. Football taught me to take hard knocks and come up fighting.” This young man went to even greater heights after football. Whitmire was a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and directed the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. It was the biggest evacuation in world history, with 82,000 men, women and children escaping to freedom.
July 1, 1953 – Denison, Texas – Mike Haynes the great defensive back from Arizona State from 1972 to 1975 was born. This Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback played for the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. Mr. Haynes was a 9 time Pro Bowl selection including earning First Team All-Pro honors twice in his 14 seasons in the League. He groomed his aggressive playing style while he attended Arizona State University where he earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 per the National Football Foundation website. As a Pro he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1976 and eventually earned a Super Bowl ring while with the Raiders.
July 1, 1979 – Gainesville, Florida – Adrian Peterson the fine Georgia Southern running back of 1998 to 2001 was born. The National Football Foundation says Adrian is one of the most decorated players in college football history. Adrian Peterson of George Southern remains the all-time leading rusher in Division I (FBS and FCS) history with 6,559 yards. In 1998, Peterson set the NCAA record for most-rushing yards by a freshman with 1,932, and he finished his career as Division I’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, a record that lasted until 2015. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Adrian Peterson into their legendary museum in 2017. Adrian was picked in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Peterson then played for the franchise from 2002-09 and participated in Super Bowl XLI with the team.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 1
1910 — Comiskey Park — then known as White Sox Park — held its first major league game, with the St. Louis Browns beating Chicago 2-0.
1917 — Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds pitched complete-game victories in a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Toney threw a three-hitter in each game for 4-1 and 5-1 wins, setting a record for the fewest hits allowed in a doubleheader by a pitcher.
1920 — Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators defeated the Boston Red Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park with the season’s only no-hitter.
1925 — Hack Wilson of the New York Giants hit two home runs in the third inning of a 16-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the second game of a doubleheader. Wilson also doubled twice during the game.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees singled off Boston’s Jack Wilson in the fourth inning, tying Willie Keeler’s hitting streak of 44 games.
1951 — Bob Feller of the Indians pitched his third career no-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 2-1 in the first game of a doubleheader at Cleveland.
1990 — Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees pitched the sixth no-hitter in the majors this season and the third in less than 48 hours, but lost 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox on two outfield errors in the eighth inning.
1997 — Detroit’s Bobby Higginson homered in the first inning against the New York Mets, tying a major league record by homering in four consecutive at-bats over two games. Higginson, who struck out looking in his next at-bat, became the 23rd player since 1900 to accomplish the feat and the fourth Tiger.
2009 — One run was enough for a victory for three National League teams, the first time in 33 years there were three 1-0 games in one league on the same day. The Mets, Dodgers and Reds came away with 1-0 victories. The last time there were three 1-0 games in one league was Sept. 1, 1976, in the NL.
2009 — Hanley Ramirez extended his RBI streak to 10 games in the Florida Marlins’ 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. Ramirez hit a two-run double in the third inning to become the first shortstop in NL history with an RBI streak of double-digit games.
2013 — Andy Pettitte passes Whitey Ford for the most strikeouts in New York Yankees history when he records his 1,957th in the Yankees’ 10 – 4 win over the Twins. The win goes to reliever Joba Chamberlain, his first of the year, as he benefits from a three-run outburst off reliever Jared Burton in the 8th. The Yankees then add four runs in the top of the 9th as they end a five-game losing streak.
2014 — The Cleveland Indians executed an unorthodox triple play in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers that required two video replay reviews to sort out. With runners on first and third, Adrian Gonzalez lifted a fly ball to left fielder Michael Brantley, who threw out Dee Gordon at the plate. Catcher Yan Gomes then fired to second baseman Jason Kipnis for the tag on Yasiel Puig as he slid headfirst. Cleveland manager Terry Francona challenged the original safe call at second and got the play overturned after a replay delay that lasted 1 minute, 29 seconds. Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly then challenged the call at the plate, but that call stood after another wait of 1 minute, 34 seconds. Cleveland went on to a 10-3 win.
2015 — Carlos Carrasco came within one strike of throwing the Cleveland Indians’ first no-hitter since 1981, giving up an RBI single to Joey Butler over leaping second baseman Jason Kipnis’ glove in an 8-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
2019 — Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs is found dead in his hotel room a few hour before the team’s scheduled game with the Texas Rangers. Police confirm that no foul play is suspected.
2021 — The results of the vote for starters at the 2021 All-Star Game are announced and youth is well represented as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads all players for most votes received, and other brash youngsters such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Shohei Ohtani, Rafael Devers, Adam Frazier, Teoscar Hernandez and Jesse Winker join him as first-timers voted in by fans, while Ronald Acuna is a second-timer at 23. It’s veterans like Salvador Perez and Mike Trout – who is injured and likely to miss the game – who stand out in this group.
July 2
1903 — Washington outfielder Ed Delahanty went over a railroad bridge at Niagara Falls and drowned. The exact circ*mstances of his death never were determined.
1909 — The Chicago White Sox stole 12 bases, including home plate three times, in a 15-3 rout of the St. Louis Browns.
1930 — Chicago outfielder Carl Reynolds homered in the first, second and third innings, leading the White Sox to a 15-4 win over the New York Yankees. Reynolds, the second player in history to hit home runs in three consecutive innings, had two inside-the-park homers.
1933 — Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 in an 18-inning game. He allowed six hits and no walks. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Cardinals were blanked 1-0, with Roy Parmelee outdueling Dizzy Dean.
1933 — Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics set and American League record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader. Foxx hit two solo homers in the opener, a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Browns. In the nightcap, an 11-6 loss, Foxx had two homers, a double and a triple.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees hit a home run to extend his consecutive game hitting streak to 45 games, surpassing Willie Keeler’s record of 44 straight games for the Orioles in 1897.
1963 — Juan Marichal of San Francisco beat Warren Spahn and the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in 16 innings on Willie Mays’ homer.
1986 — Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox fell short of a record-tying 15th consecutive winning decision when the Toronto Blue Jays scored three runs in the eighth inning for a 4-2 victory.
1995 — Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Japanese player picked for baseball’s All-Star game. Nomo was the NL’s leader in strikeouts and second in ERA.
2007 — Roger Clemens reached a rare milestone, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball to earn his 350th career win and lead the New York Yankees past Minnesota 5-1. Clemens became the first major leaguer to win 350 games since Hall of Famer Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves accomplished the feat in 1963.
2009 — Houston Astros beat the Padres 7-2, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at San Diego’s Petco Park.
2013 — Homer Bailey pitched his second no-hitter in 10 months and the first in the majors this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants. Bailey beat the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh last Sept. 28.
2014 — Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz became the 36th player in major league history to collect 1,000 extra-base hits with a ground-rule double during a 16-9 lost to the Chicago Cubs.
2016 — Cleveland’s franchise-record 14-game winning streak was snapped by a 9-6 loss to Toronto, with the Blue Jays scoring three runs in the eighth to overcome a cycle by Rajai Davis.
2016 — C.J. Cron went 6 for 6 with two homers and five RBIs, Carlos Perez had five hits and drove in six and the Los Angeles Angels ended a four-game losing streak with 21-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox.
2019 — The New York Yankees record streak of consecutive games with at least one home run comes to an end at 31.
2022 — The Cardinals become the first team to hit four consecutive homers in the 1st inning when Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson all go deep against Kyle Gibson of the Phillies. Gibson retires the first two batters before giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, followed by the homer barrage. Lars Nootbaar then hits a ball that is caught at the warning track to end the inning. It is the 11th time time this has been done in any inning, but the Cards need another homer by Arenado, this one in the 9th, to end up as 7 – 6 winners.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
July 1
1859 — Amherst defeats Williams 73-32 in the first intercollegiate baseball game. The game is played by Massachusetts Rules, a wide-open form of the sport commonly known as roundball and Amherst wins by reaching the pre-established score of 65 runs. Amherst exceeds 65-run limit during a 10-run 26th inning.
1903 — Maurice Garin wins the first stage of the first Tour de France bicycle race. Garin finishes 55 seconds ahead of Emile Pagie. The first stage, from Paris to Lyon, is 467 kilometers long, and takes 17 hours and 45 minutes, riding both day and night. Only 37 riders of 60 are able to complete the day’s race.
1920 — Suzanne Lenglen of France becomes the first player to win three Wimbledon titles in one year, taking the singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
1932 — Helen Moody wins her fifth women’s singles title in six years at Wimbledon, defeating Helen Jacobs 6-3, 6-1.
1938 — Don Budge defeats Henry Austin 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 to win the men’s singles title and sweep the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon for the second straight year.
1947 — Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later became the National Basketball Association (NBA), holds its inaugural college player draft.
1951 — Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians pitches his third career no-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 2-1.
1951 — Beverly Hanson wins the Eastern Open by three strokes over Babe Zaharias in her first start on the LPGA Tour. Hanson is the only golfer to win a tournament in her first professional start.
1961 — Mickey Wright beats defending champion Betsy Rawls by six strokes to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
1977 — Britain’s Virginia Wade wins the singles title on the 100th anniversary of Wimbledon, defeating Betty Stove 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
1982 — Cal Ripken Jr. makes the first of his record 2,216 consecutive MLB starts at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
1990 — Cathy Johnston completes a wire-to-wire performance, beating Patty Sheehan by two strokes to win the LPGA du Maurier Classic.
1995 — The NBA locks out its players at 12:01 a.m., the first work stoppage in league history.
1997 — Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Mike Tyson indefinitely & withholds $20m purse for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear during their heavyweight title fight 28 June.
2007 — Cristie Kerr wins the U.S. Women’s Open by making only two bogeys over her final 45 holes. Kerr finishes at 5-under 279 for her 10th career victory.
2011 — The NBA locks out its players, a long-expected move putting the 2011-12 season in jeopardy.
2012 — Spain wins its third straight major soccer title, beating Italy 4-0 in the European Championship final in Kiev, Ukraine. The Spanish, who won the Euro 2008 title and World Cup title in 2010, posts the largest score in a Euro final.
2012 — Tiger Woods wins the AT&T National at Congressional in Bethesda, Md. for the 74th win of his career. That moves him past Jack Nicklaus into second place on the tour list, eight short of Sam Snead.
2018 — NBA super star LeBron James agrees to a 4-year $154m deal with the LA Lakers, moving from Cleveland Cavaliers.
2018 — Park Sung-hyun wins the PGA Women’s Championship at Kemper Lakes Golf Course in a playoff with Nasa Hataoka and Ryu So-yeon.
2018 — David Toms wins the Men’ US Senior Open at Broadmoor Golf Course by one stroke ove Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jerry Kelly and Tim Petrovic.
July 2
1921 — The Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier heavyweight match at Rickard’s Orchard in Jersey City, N.J., becomes the first million-dollar gate in boxing history. The receipts total $1,789,238 with $50 ringside seats. In front of 80,183, Dempsey knocks out Carpentier at 1:16 of the fourth round.
1927 — Helen Wills becomes the first American to win at Wimbledon since May Sutton in 1907, beating Lili de Alvar 6-2, 6-4 for the title.
1937 — Don Budge beats Gottfried von Cramm, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon. Budge sweeps the championships winning the singles, the men’s doubles title with Gene Mako and the mixed doubles crown with Alice Marble.
1938 — Helen Wills Moody wins her eighth and final singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Helen Jacobs 6-4, 6-0.
1966 — Billie Jean King wins the first of her six singles titles at Wimbledon, beating Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
1967 — Catherine Lacoste of France becomes the first foreigner and first amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship. At age 22, she is also the youngest champion.
1976 — Chris Evert beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-3, 4-6, 8-6, to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1988 — Steffi Graf ends Martina Navratilova’s six-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory. It is the first time in nine finals that Navratilova loses a Wimbledon singles match.
1989 — Jockey Steve Cauthen becomes the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major derbies after winning the Irish Derby with Old Vic. He had previously won the Kentucky Derby with Affirmed (1978), the Epsom Derby with Slip Anchor (1985) and Reference Point (1987) and the French Derby with Old Vic (1989).
1994 — Colombian defender Andres Escobar, 27, is killed outside a bar in Colombia in retaliation for deflecting a ball into his own goal in a 2-1 loss to the United States in the World Cup.
1995 — Tom Weiskopf withstands a charge by Jack Nicklaus to win the U.S. Senior Open by four strokes.
1995 — LA Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo is first Japanese player to be selected for a MLB All Star game when he is named in the NL squad.
1999 — Alexandra Stevenson becomes first qualifier in Wimbledon history to reach the women’s semis. She beats another qualifier, 16-year-old Jelena Dokic, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
2000 — UEFA European Championship Final, Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands: David Trezeguet scores in extra time to give France a 2-1 win over Italy.
2005 — Venus Williams overcomes an early deficit and a championship point to beat top-ranked Lindsay Davenport 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7 for her fifth major title and her first in nearly four years.
2010 — The United States beats Japan 7-2 to win its seventh consecutive world softball championship.
2010 — FIFA World Cup: Ghana, only African team remaining in last 8, are beaten 4-2 on penalties by Uruguay; Netherlands upset Brazil 2-1.
2011 — Wladimir Klitschko wins a lopsided unanimous decision over David Haye, adding the WBA title to his heavyweight haul. Klitschko and his older brother, Vitali, hold all three major heavyweight titles. Wladimir already had the IBF title (and minor WBO, IBO belts), while Vitali is the WBC champion.
2016 — Sam Querrey ends Novak Djokovic’s quest for a true Grand Slam in the third round at Wimbledon. In a match interrupted by three rain delays after being suspended in progress because of showers a night earlier, Querrey ousts Djokovic 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) at the All England Club.
2017 — Home town underdog Jeff Horn upsets Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines on points in a highly controversial WBO welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia.
2018 — A wild brawl breaks out between Australia and the Philippines during the Basketball World Cup qualifying game in Manila. Thirteen players, including four Australians, are ejected for their part in the brawl. The game is won 79-48 by Australia.
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July 3
1920 — Suzanne Lenglen beats Dorothea Chambers a second straight year (6-3, 6-0) to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1925 — Suzanne Lenglen wins her sixth and final women’s singles title at Wimbledon, easily beating Joan Fry, 6-2, 6-0.
1931 — Max Schmeling knocks out Young Stribling at 2:46 of the 15th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Cleveland.
1951 — Sam Snead wins his third PGA Championship with a 7 and 6 victory over Walter Burkemo at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
1966 — Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger becomes the first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. He adds a single for nine RBIs in a 17-3 triumph over San Francisco.
1976 — Bjorn Borg beats Ilie Nastase 6-4, 6-2, 9-7, to win his first men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1981 — Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Chris Evert beats Hana Mandlíková 6-2, 6-2 for her third and final Wimbledon singles title.
1982 — Martina Navratilova begins her streak of six straight singles titles at Wimbledon with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Chris Evert Lloyd. It’s the third Wimbledon singles title for Navratilova, all against Evert Lloyd.
1983 — Calvin Smith sets the 100-meter world record at Colorado Springs, with a run of 9.93 seconds. He breaks the previous record of 9.95 set by Jim Hines in 1968.
1983 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: American John McEnroe wins 5th career Grand Slam title; outclasses Chris Lewis of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: In a huge upset Romania eliminates Argentina 3-2 from the round of 16 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
2004 — Maria Sharapova, 17, wins her first Grand Slam title and instant celebrity by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. For the first time since 1999, none of the four major titles is held by a Williams.
2005 — Roger Federer wins his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Federer is the third man since 1936 to win three straight Wimbledon crowns, joining seven-time champion Pete Sampras and five-time winner Bjorn Borg.
2006 — Annika Sorenstam wins the U.S. Women’s Open after 10 years of frustration and wins her 10th major championship. Sorenstam, who shot a 1-under 70 in the 18-hole playoff, beats Pat Hurst by four strokes for the largest margin of victory in a playoff at the major since Kathy Cornelius won by seven shots 50 years ago.
2006 — Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman officially retires from the NHL, finishing with 692 goals and 1,755 points.
2007 — The Alinghi team from Switzerland — a country more often associated with Alpine skiing and winter snowscapes — successfully defends sailing’s coveted America’s Cup, beating Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2.
2010 — Serena Williams wins her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship by sweeping Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the women’s final. Williams, who finishes the tournament without dropping a set, takes 67 minutes to win 6-3, 6-2.
2011 — Novak Djokovic wins his first Wimbledon, beating defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. Djokovic, already guaranteed to take over the No. 1 ranking from the Spaniard on July 4, extends his mastery over Nadal this season with a fifth straight head-to-head victory.
2016 — Serena Williams overwhelms Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in just 51 minutes on Centre Court at Wimbledon, advancing to the fourth round with her 300th career Grand Slam match win.
2018 — Feliciano Lopez makes history just by taking to the court at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old Spaniard breaks Roger Federer’s record by appearing in a 66th consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament, continuing a run that started at the 2002 French Open. Lopez beats Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
2020 — The Major League Baseball All-Star game planned to be hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers is cancelled due to governmental restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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July 4
1907 — Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in round 1 in Colma, California, his 6th title defense.
1910 — Jack Johnson knocks out Jim Jeffries in the 15th round at Reno, Nev., to retain the world heavyweight title and spoil Jeffries’ comeback.
1914 — The Harvard eight wins the Grand Challenge Cup to become the first American crew to capture the top event at the Henley Royal Regatta.
1919 — Jack Dempsey wins the world heavyweight title at Toledo, Ohio, when Jess Willard fails to answer the bell for the fourth round.
1923 — Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbon in 15 for the heavyweight title. The fight almost bankrupts the town of Shelby, Montana, which borrowed heavily to stage it.
1930 — Helen Wills Moody wins her fourth straight singles title at Wimbledon with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Elizabeth Ryan. Moody would go on to win four more Wimbledon singles titles.
1954 — FIFA World Cup Final, Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, Switzerland: Helmut Rahn scores twice as West Germany beats Hungary, 3-2.
1964 — Maria Bueno of Brazil upsets Margaret Smith of Australia 6-4, 7-9, 6-3 for the women’s title at Wimbledon.
1975 — Billie Jean King beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-0, 6-1 for her sixth and final singles title at Wimbledon.
1980 — Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros) fans Reds’ Cesar Geronimo to become 4th pitcher to 3,000 MLB strikeouts.
1982 — Jimmy Connors beats John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 for the men’s singles championship at Wimbledon. The match lasts 4 hours, 16 minutes.
1987 — Martina Navratilova wins her eighth Wimbledon singles title and sixth straight, beating Steffi Graf 7-5, 6-3.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: A Bebeto strike saves Brazil from embarrassment, beat USA 1-0 at Stanford.
1999 — Pete Sampras overwhelms Andre Agassi in three sets to capture his sixth Wimbledon title and tie Roy Emerson’s record with his 12th Grand Slam championship. Sampras is the first man in the Open era with six Wimbledon titles.
2002 — Venus and Serena Williams win in straight sets to set up their third title match at a major in 10 months — and the first all-sister Wimbledon final since 1884. Top-seeded Venus, the two-time defending champion, overpowers Justine Henin 6-3, 6-2. Second-seeded Serena routs Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-1 in 55 minutes.
2003 — LA Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant is arrested in Eagle, Colorado for sexual assault, charges eventually dismissed.
2004 — UEFA European Championship Final, Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal: In a huge upset Greece beats host nation Portugal, 1-0.
2004 — Meg Mallon wins the Women’s U.S. Open with a 6-under 65, the lowest final round by a champion in the 59-year history of the tournament. Mallon finishes at 10-under 274 for a two-shot victory over Annika Sorenstam.
2008 — Dara Torres completes her improbable Olympic comeback, making the U.S. team for the fifth time by winning the 100 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb. The 41-year-old wins in 54.78. A nine-time medalist, she already was the first U.S. swimmer to make four Olympic teams.
2009 — Serena Williams beats her big sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 for her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam championship. In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena comes out on top for the third time. Later, Venus and Serena win their fourth women’s doubles title at Wimbledon and ninth Grand Slam doubles title as a pair.
2010 — Rafael Nadal beats Tomas Berdych in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4, to win his second Wimbledon title and eighth Grand Slam championship.
2011 — Tyler Farrar becomes the first American to win a July 4 Tour de France stage, dominating a sprint finish in the third leg as teammate Thor Hushovd of Norway kept the yellow jersey.
2014 — Germany becomes the first country to reach the semifinals for a fourth straight World Cup by beating France 1-0 in a quarterfinal match settled by a first-half header from Mats Hummels.
2015 — Copa América Final, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago: Chile defeats Argentina, 4-1 penalties to win their first title; 0-0 after extra time.
2015 — Super Rugby Final, Westpac Stadium, Wellington: Otago Highlanders beat Wellington Hurricanes 21-14 for their first title.
2022 — Minnesota Twins turn 1st 8-5 triple play in MLB history as centerfielder Byron Buxton makes a catch and third baseman Gio Urshela tags one runner out in the basepath and doubles-off another runner by tagging second base against White Sox in Chicago.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Monday, July 1
3 p.m.
MLBN — Houston at Toronto
6:30 p.m.
MLBN — N.Y. Mets at Washington
9:30 p.m.
MLBN — Milwaukee at Colorado (8:40 p.m.)
SOCCER (MEN’S)
Noon
FS1 — UEFA EURO 2024 Championships: France vs. Belgium, Round of 16, Düsseldorf, Germany
3 p.m.
FOX — UEFA EURO 2024 Championships: Portugal vs. Slovenia, Round of 16, Leipzig, Germany
FS2 — CPL: Cavalry FC at HFX Wanderers FC
9 p.m.
FS1 — Copa América 2024 Group Stage: U.S. vs. Uruguay, Group C, Kansas City, Mo.
FS2 — Copa América 2024 Group Stage: Bolivia vs. Panama, Group C, Orlando, Fla.
TENNIS
6 a.m.ESPN — ATP/WTA: Wimbledon, First Round, London
