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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 19

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – (Reported at this week’s MLB ASG) – Each summer, Major League Baseball takes a little break for the annual All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This season, the Midsummer Classic, as they love to call it, was here in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Phillies were the hosts and their fans – those with a terrible reputation as being just a tad too passionate – were out in force.

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Yes, the same people who threw snowballs at Santa Claus (Eagles) and outwardly boo’d Saint Nick were dressed in Phillies red this week and they were rooting hard for their hometown heroes. The Philly fanatics were especially proud of starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez and sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, although ace Zack “I’m not going to be disrespected” Wheeler declined his late invite to the game when Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns came up lame.

The Philly fans were vocal on Monday night when the MLB Home Run Derby (rumored to be on Netflix) took over the stadium and 43,863 spectators jammed their way into gorgeous Citizens Bank Ballpark 41 years to the day when Sir Bob Geldorfstaged the greatest rock concert of all-time right down the block at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

That concert – coupled with a simultaneously staged show at Wembley in London – raised money in relief of the famine in Ethiopia and what stands as proof from that incredible 1985 rock show and this week’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is that sports and music are two international languages, each with the power to change the world for the better.

Case in point for the All-Star Game; at the end of the 5th inning, all those mean and nasty Philly fans stood as one. They grabbed ‘sharpies’ or whatever marker was handy and scribbled the name of someone they love, loved or maybe someone losing a battle against cancer and they participated in utter silence when the FOX Sports television cameras came back from a very brief break.

On a brighter note, some saluted survivors while others thanked doctors and nurses, surgeons and oncologists who cured their special someone of the dreaded diseases that all form one, terribly tagged as Cancer.

MLB’s “Stand Up to Cancer” is, by far, the most amazing community event any sports or entertainment entity undertakes. While the JIMMY Fund in Boston is doing its thing every summer by raising some $1 billion at a $75 million clip each year with thePan Mass Challenge (PMC) with every cent going to cancer research at Dana Farberand some of the other great research institutions of the USA (thank-you Johns Hopkins), MLB takes a broader approach and simply asks everyone in attendance to “Stand Up” in the fight against cancer.

It is an incredibly powerful moment in time for, as once, everything in the world of baseball – STOPPED 🛑.

How often does that happen? (No labor jokes are allowed).

Philly faves Boyz to Men sang Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there,” as the players, umpires and, most importantly, 43,000+ fans stood in a silent tribute.

The moment is so powerful on site at the game that it actually travels through time and space and into the living rooms, TV rooms, bars and saloons to every single fan watching the game come the break between the home (National League) 5th and the visitor’s (American League) top of the 6th inning.

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

Memories are etched into a small 8 1/2 x 11 placard and tears begin to flow.

Put simply, it’s impossible not to cry, to weep, to bawl unrestrainedly as you recall a loved one lost to cancer.

Personally, I was thanking my lucky stars and the very research money being collected to have had a Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained surgeon work his magic to use an incredible robotic device and his masterful, steady hands to literally “zip out” what he later told me was “quite a bit of it” from my innards.

My thanks to Dr. Douglas M. Dahl of Mass General.

And to his colleague Dr. Anthony Zeitman of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology and his capable team who brought in the cavalry to be sure the cancer was gone for good. Side note: The cocky MD said, “Listen, you’re going to die … pause … but you’re not dying from this!”

Dr. Zeitman learned his craft at the Imperial College London School of Medicine and is always recognized amongst America’s top doctors. I’ll second the motion and will be thinking of him tonight as I do of him, and Dr. Dahl, almost every day of my life.

I was thinking of Heather Walker of the Boston Celtics who was diagnosed with the rare brain cancer, glioblastoma, in January 2021 and passed away on April 26, 2023 after undergoing several clinical trials but also raising more than $644,000 in her #Move4Heather campaign to raise money for very specific cancer glioblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where she had been treated.

TL, Heather Walker, John Caron

Heather was a force of nature and she performed her job with the utmost professionalism, as the Celtics noted in a news release when she passed and later when they dedicated the pressroom at TD Garden to her, “Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character,” the Celtics said. “Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.”

Sadly, I’ve had a few other NBA PR colleagues pass away from various forms of cancer and we remember them all, naming press rooms and celebrating their memories each basketball season. One, “A.T,” has been fighting for what he calls a long journey, fighting the disease in hospitals and cancer centers from Atlanta to Houston.

Tuesday night, after the 5th inning, I was thinking of my high school friend, “J.J.”

He played third base for the Holy Trinity Titans, so an “H.T. (or Titans) for J.J. will be on my placard at Citizens Bank Park and I’ll be thinking of his decade-plus more fight against several different forms of cancer. With some, just as we thought he had it licked, another form of the disease would surface.

Most recently, J.J. has been making monthly trips from New York to Los Angeles, California to see Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong – the man who saved his life two times over. In fact, they have a little saying, “I’m one day closer to being cured and I hope that those you love are one day closer, too.”

Readers of WWYI can still participate in any way you choose. Visit StandUpToCancer.org and make a donation of any dollar figure you can afford.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to shed a tear when you donate, but do so knowing “we’re one day closer to a cure.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Oh my, the D-R-A-M-A in the W-N-B-A continues. Just this week, we had …

  • Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello disparaged Atlanta Dream center-forward Angel Reese
  • Brondello apologized
  • Caitlin Clark put up a record 45-points, 10-assists outing vs. Seattle Storm
  • That performance included a key 3-pt FG to give Indy a 105-102 lead at :39.2
  • On Thursday, in answer to a question on a CNBC Roundtable broadcast, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Clark was being used as a “political football”
  • Going back to a June 24 game between the Indiana Fever and Mercury, Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat in the second quarter.
  • Thomas was not called for a foul on the play during the game, but the league subsequently upgraded the play to a flagrant foul and suspended her one game for “recklessly making contact with her fist.”

Here are some basic thoughts on the big picture issues:

The league is – always was and will be – VERY physical. It’s nothing new. Right from ‘97, we used to say, ‘these girls are NASTY.” At Olympic level, our bigs would BANG with Aussies, Russians like it was football.

Thus, it’s impossible to officiate. – if you replaced WNBA staff with best BIG EAST officials or even the NBA officiating staff, they’d struggle. It’s war under there, and a lot of contact at top of key and perimeter – “Jordan Rules kinda stuff”

Caitlin gets it x2. (racial and/or jealous players). 4). Commish should’ve resigned day after last season as she lost players

And, my opinion – which is not widely agreed upon by the experts – Caitlin Clark was GREAT in college, and she played at such a high confidence level, but no one defended her. Zippo. S

She’s still GREAT – easily one of the Top 10 in WNBA – but she gets bullied and bounced. She’s young, and a bit slight (weight/body strength). Every night, she’s facing more physically gifted players. Think John Wall, Trae Young, or Jeremy Lin as NBA type comparisons.

Now, think of the way the great Allen Iverson dealt with all the pressure, the attention, the tag as “The Franchise and The Answer,” as he was getting decked every time he drove the lane. Iverson kept his mouth shut, barely, maybe never showed aggression after he got clobbered. Iverson just walked to the free throw line and drained two shots.

In my opinion, and I totally agree it might not be fair, but I think Clark needs to watch a lot of Iverson footage.

HALL ESCORTS: Each year, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame indictees are asked to choose another (or more than one other) Hall of Famer to present them to the masses at the hallowed Hall in Springfield and accompany them on-stage at the ceremony. It is quite an honor.

The 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and Presenters:

Joey Crawford – Danny Crawford (Class of 2025), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Mike D’Antoni – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Bob McAdoo (‘00), Steve Nash (‘18), Amar’e Stoudemire (‘26), Rod Thorn (‘18)

Elena Delle Donne – Sylvia Fowles (‘25), Marianne Stanley (‘22)

Mark Few – John Calipari (‘15), Grant Hill (‘18), John Stockton (‘09)

Chamique Holdsclaw – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Tina Thompson (‘18), Teresa Weatherspoon (‘19)

Candace Parker – Tamika Catchings (‘20), Allen Iverson (‘16), Cheryl Miller (‘95), Dwyane Wade (‘23)

Doc Rivers – Kevin Garnett (‘20), Paul Pierce (‘21)

Amar’e Stoudemire – Jerry Colangelo (‘04), Mike D’Antoni (‘26), Grant Hill (‘18), Tracy McGrady (‘17), Steve Nash (‘18), Rick Welts (‘18)

1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team – Teresa Edwards (‘11), Lisa Leslie (‘15), Rebecca Lobo (‘17), Katrina McClain (‘12), Dawn Staley (‘13), Sheryl Swoopes (‘16), Tara VanDerveer (‘11)

Sizzlin’ Sox Find a Way

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are in unfamiliar territory, and they’ll hope to remain there Sunday when they wrap up a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

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Boston’s 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday extended the team’s winning streak to 12 games and moved Boston’s record to 49-48. It’s the first time the Red Sox have been over the .500 mark this season since they beat Cincinnati on opening day.

Boston pitching held opponents to 17 runs during the first 11 games of the team’s winning streak, but it was power at the plate that produced Saturday’s win. Wilyer Abreu homered twice, including a two-run shot off Garrett Cleavinger that gave Boston a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning. Tampa Bay led 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh.

“Never a doubt,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said with a laugh after the game. “Electric. It was awesome. Once again, we didn’t get a ton of hits early, but the ones we got mattered. The at-bats late, Wilyer obviously, just (an) electric win.”

The winning streak has moved Boston from the bottom of the American League East standings into third place. The Red Sox trail the division-leading Rays by seven games.

“They feel good about themselves and another game that shows, at the moment, they don’t feel like they’re out of it,” Tracy said. “If you keep it close, they feel like they’re gonna make a run at it, so it was awesome, awesome to watch that.”

Abreu, who hit a solo home run to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, has 15 home runs this season, including four in his last two games.

“When (Abreu is) not hot, he still takes quality at-bats,” Tracy said. “When he hits a homer or two, you feel like they come in bunches, and they certainly are right now and they’ve been in big spots.”

The Rays enter Sunday’s matchup looking to end a four-game losing streak.

“(The Red Sox are) having a bunch of good at-bats right now,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We fell behind Abreu right there (in the seventh), who’s as hot as anybody maybe in the game. I think we threw him three fastballs in a row and on the third one he capitalized.”

The Rays outhit the Red Sox 10-6 in the loss, but five of Boston’s six hits went for extra bases. In addition to Abreu’s two home runs, Jahmai Jones hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox. It was his second game with Boston since he was acquired from Detroit.

Tampa Bay received solo home runs from Victor Mesa Jr., and Jonny DeLuca.

“We did some good things offensively,” Cash said. “That was encouraging. Hopefully, we can build off that.”

Sunday’s pitching matchup will feature Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (8-5, 2.83 ERA) and Boston righty Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54).

McClanahan has a 5-1 record and a 2.23 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox. Gray is 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 17 career appearances (15 starts) against Tampa Bay.

–Field Level Media

The Open: Burns in Front

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ROYAL BIRKDALE – (Wire Service Report) – Sam Burns shot a 5-under par 65 with a clean back nine in the third round of The Open Championship to take a two-stroke lead Saturday at Southport, England.

Burns sits at 10-under 200 and ahead of New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who became part of history with a third-round 62, and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, who posted 67, at Royal Birkdale  Golf Club. Fox and Kim are at 8 under.

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Burns is making a run at his first title in a major after strong efforts earlier this year by tying for second in the Masters and finishing as the U.S. Open runner-up.

His 62-65 run over the past two rounds is the lowest 36-hole stretch in major championship history.

Burns has five victories on the PGA Tour, but none this year.

Fox matched a majors record with 62 early in the day to surge into the lead. He’s the third golfer in this tournament to post 62, joining the accomplishments of Burns and second-round leader Lucas Herbert of Australia from Friday.

Fox, who made the cut by two strokes, moved to 8 under for the tournament after a round sparked by playing the first eight holes in 5 under.

Herbert, whose lone PGA Tour triumph came in the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship, slumped to 71 and is tied for fourth place with Ryan Gerard (69) at 7 under.

Bryson DeChambeau, who was embroiled in controversy following the second round after he was assessed a two-stroke penalty, had a steady round of 69 to hold a tie for sixth place. Until the final hole, his only bogey came on the second hole, and he posted birdies on Nos. 6, 15 and 17.

So DeChambeau, who played Saturday in a pairing with Burns, is at 6 under with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (67) and first-round leader Jackson Suber (70).

Defending champion and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who began the round four strokes off the lead, shot 70 and stayed at 4 under. On the surface, it was a quiet round with a birdie on No. 5 and a bogey at No. 16 along with 16 pars.

–Field Level Media

Yo Eleven

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats as the Red Sox won their 11th straight game and swept a day-night doubleheader, defeating the visiting first place Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Friday night.

Abreu cranked a two-run homer — the first of back-to-back shots with Willson Contreras — in the first inning before leading off the third with a go-ahead solo blast.

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The victory came in a bullpen game for Boston, with six relievers combining to 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings.

Greg Weissert (2-2) earned the win, while Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save. Boston relievers faced the minimum over the final three innings.

Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for Tampa Bay.

The Rays scored a pair of two-out runs to jump out to a first-inning lead, forcing Rivera to throw 36 total pitches after the first two batters were retired on five. A Caminero single and two walks in succession loaded the bases for DeLuca to knock a two-run single past diving Boston shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng.

However, the visitors’ lead did not last long. After Ceddanne Rafaela hit a one-out double down the left field line, Abreu cleared the right-center-field bullpen for a game-tying two-run homer, and Contreras flipped the scoreboard with a solo shot over the Green Monster in the next at-bat.

The long ball trend continued for both teams in the third. Caminero knotted the score again with a one-out solo shot just inside the left field foul pole, but Abreu deposited the second pitch of the bottom half of the frame to deep right-center to put Boston back in front 4-3.

Tampa Bay starter Mason Englert (0-3) retired the next three batters after Caleb Durbin was caught stealing and then got two outs in the fourth, but the Red Sox expanded their lead as Cheng walked and scored from first on Anthony Seigler’s two-out double off the base of the wall in the right field corner.

Boston’s bullpen did the rest. After Weissert recorded the final two outs of the third, Jovani Moran had the longest outing of the bunch, throwing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.

The Rays’ stable of relievers was also strong. Craig Kimbrel, Cole Sulser and Cam Booser did not allow a hit over three innings behind Englert, who was tagged for eight hits and five runs across the first five frames.

–Field Level Media

 

Ten in a Row, Here They Go

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth inning allowed the Boston Red Sox to blow open a 10-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit days for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits en route to their 10th consecutive victory dating back to July 3.

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Yoshida (3-for-5) added a double and finished a triple shy of a cycle, while Narvaez and Caleb Durbin were both 3-for-4.

Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. He has won four straight outings.

Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for a save.

The Red Sox quickly bounced back from going down 1-2-3 to start the game against Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax (5-7), as back-to-back hits by Durbin and Yoshida led to second-inning runs. Jarren Duran drove in the opening run on a sacrifice fly before Narvaez dropped an RBI single into center for a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Bennett threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings before Junior Caminero’s one-out single in the fourth. Jonathan Aranda was Tampa Bay’s lone baserunner before that knock, drawing a one-out walk as the second batter of the game.

In the fourth, Yoshida tucked a leadoff solo homer around Pesky’s Pole in right field to extend the Boston advantage to 3-0.

The first six Red Sox batters reached base and five scored in the sixth. Durbin was hit by a pitch, Yoshida singled to center and Romy Gonzalez walked to load the bases, and then Duran continued the merry-go-round by chopping a two-run single through the right side.

After Chris Roycroft relieved Jax, Narvaez and Tsung-Che Cheng laid down back-to-back bunt singles that produced runs. Catcher Nick Fortes’ throwing error on Narvaez’s chopper plated another.

Roycroft did induce a double play ball, but two more runs came home with two outs, as Ceddanne Rafaela battled through a nine-pitch at-bat for an RBI double off the Green Monster and Durbin knocked another RBI single to right after Wilyer Abreu was intentionally walked.

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In the eighth, Gamboa — who was recalled as Boston’s 26th man for the twin bill — worked around a Taylor Walls one-out double as only the second Tampa Bay hit before Narvaez socked a solo homer over everything in left field to move the Boston lead to double digits.

The Red Sox took their last at-bats with position player Ben Williamson pitching for the Rays.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Acquire Jahmai Jones

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox added a right-handed batter to their outfield platoon on Tuesday by acquiring Juhmai Jones from the Detroit Tigers for a player to be named later.

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In a corresponding move, the Red Sox optioned outfielder Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester.

The Tigers designated Jones, 28, for assignment last Thursday after he batted .137 (13-for-95) with two home runs and seven RBIs in 57 games for Detroit this season.

Jones is a career .214 hitter with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 198 regular-season games for the Los Angeles Angels (2020), Baltimore Orioles (2021), Milwaukee Brewers (2023), New York Yankees (2024) and Tigers (2025-26).

The Angels selected Jones in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

He joins a Red Sox roster with left-handed-hitting Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida rotating through the lineup in the outfield and at designated hitter.

Eaton, 29, is 4-for-32 (.125) with one homer and five RBIs in 14 games for Boston this season. He is a career .221 hitter with three homers and 22 RBIs in 127 games for the Kansas City Royals (2022-23) and Red Sox (2025-present).

The right-handed hitter is batting .283 with five homers and 22 RBIs, a .348 on-base percentage and .450 slugging percentage in 48 games for Worcester this season.

–Field Level Media

A National Disgrace

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – It took outfielder Cody Bellinger seven years to get back to the MLB Midsummer Classic. Now he’s part of a select club in the event’s history.

Bellinger and New York Yankees teammate Ben Rice hit consecutive RBI singles during a three-run first inning, and the American League pitched a three-hitter in a 4-0 victory over the National League in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night.

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With Bellinger driving in two, he was ultimately named the game’s MVP, joining fellow Yankees Derek Jeter (2000), Mariano Rivera (2013) and Giancarlo Stanton (2022) who have earned the honor. The game’s MVP award was introduced in 1962.

“It’s special, man,” said Bellinger, who appeared twice previously in the event with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 and 2019. “I mean, you know, wearing this jersey, I feel proud wearing it. It comes with a lot. And I just try to put my best foot forward every day and give it everything I got.”

Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning solo shot in his All-Star debut as the AL avenged a 7-6 loss to the NL by swing-off tiebreaker in 2025. There haven’t been consecutive wins by the same side in the exhibition since the AL won nine in a row from 2013 to 2022.

Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease struck out the side in the bottom of the first in his All-Star debut. The Kansas City Royals’ Michael Wacha, Minnesota Twins’ Joe Ryan and Cleveland Guardians’ Cade Smith fanned two batters each in respective shutout innings of relief.

“It’s the game now,” said Blue Jays and AL manager John Schneider. “Guys’ stuff is unbelievable. To see Luis Arraez strike out and Yandy Diaz strike out a couple times. It’s just kind of like, you never see it. So it speaks volumes to how good these guys are.”

Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero exited in the third after taking a 1-0 offering from the St. Louis Cardinals’ Riley O’Brien to the left hand. He underwent X-rays, which were negative, and Caminero said he expects to be available on Friday when the regular season resumes.

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“In the moment I was just scared, right?” Caminero said through an interpreter. “Kind of in that situation right then and there you’re thinking the worst, and I honestly thought something might have been broken, but look, you know, thank you to God that everything’s fine and you know, now it’s just a little bit sore, but we’re all good.”

It was a rough night for the hometown Philadelphia Phillies, beginning when starter Cristopher Sanchez worked into first-inning trouble.

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After a leadoff strikeout, the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez singled, and the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers walked. Sanchez made a nice play on a chopper in front of the mound to retire the next batter, but then walked the bases loaded before Bellinger and Rice both hit hard grounders up the middle to make it 3-0.

Phillies hitters Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh and Bryce Harper combined to finish 0-for-5 on the evening with four strikeouts. Harper also lost an ABS challenge during his at-bat.

Then again, there were only five total NL baserunners. The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman and Cincinnati Reds’ Sal Stewart both worked walks. The New York Mets’ Juan Soto singled in his second at-bat, the Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong singled in the eighth and the Miami Marlins’ Otto Lopez singled with two outs in the ninth.

National League batters totaled 15 strikeouts, the AL had 12 to go along with seven hits.

Philadelphia closer Jhoan Duran received his ceremonial, strobe light-aided entrance with one out in the final frame and retired the final few batters in the top of the ninth. But even his showing lacked some ballpark energy, with many of the announced crowd of 43,916 already having departed.

It was an underwhelming end for an event resoundingly embraced by its host.

Philadelphian recording artists Patti LaBelle and Boyz II Men as well as Jennifer Hudson were among the pregame and in-game entertainment. There were also appearances by former Phillies All-Stars Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

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Schneider, who grew up in nearby Princeton, N.J., even greeted Boyz II Men in the visiting dugout.

“Everything was really cool, but awesome to shake their hand and say, hey, huge fan. You know what I mean?” he said. “A-46-year-old dude saying, hey, huge fan. But everything about tonight was pretty special.”

Early on, fans roared in approval of their hometown stars, and booed a few select participants, notably Yankees and Mets players, and Home Run Derby winner Jordan Walker of St. Louis, who defeated Schwarber in the event Monday night.

–Field Level Media

When the Baseball World Stops

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PHILADELPHIA – Each summer, Major League Baseball takes a little break for the annual All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This season, the Midsummer Classic, as they love to call it, is here in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Phillies are the host and their fans – those with a terrible reputation as being just a tad too passionate – are out in force.

Yes, the same people who threw snowballs at Santa Claus (Eagles) and outwardly boo’d Saint Nick are dressed in Phillies red this week and they’re rooting hard for their hometown heroes. The Philly fanatics are especially pleased with starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez and sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, although ace Zack “I’m not going to be disrespected” Wheeler declined his late invite to the game when Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns came up lame.

The Philly fans were vocal on Monday night when the MLB Home Run Derby (rumored to be on Netflix) took over the stadium and 43,863 spectators jammed their way into gorgeous Citizens Bank Ballpark 41 years to the day when Sir Bob Geldorf staged the greatest rock concert of all-time right down the block at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

That concert – coupled with a simultaneously stage show at Wembley in London – raised money in relief of the famine in Ethiopia.

What stands as proof from that incredible 1985 rock show and tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game is that sports and music are two international languages, each with the power to change the world for the better.

Case in point for tonight’s game; At the end of the 5th inning, all those mean and nasty Philly fans will stand. They’ll take a ‘sharpie’ or whatever marker is handy and scribble the name of someone they love, loved or maybe someone losing a battle against cancer and they’ll participate in utter silence when the FOX Sports television cameras come back from a very brief break.

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On a brighter note, some will salute survivors while others might thank doctors and nurses, surgeons and oncologists who cured their special someone of the dreaded diseases that all form one, terribly tagged as Cancer.

MLB’s “Stand Up to Cancer” is, by far, the most amazing community event any sports or entertainment entity undertakes. While the JIMMY Fund in Boston is doing its thing every summer by raising some $1 billion at a $75 million clip each year with the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) with every cent going to cancer research at Dana Farber and some of the other great research institutions of the USA (thank-you Johns Hopkins), MLB will take a broader approach and simply ask everyone in attendance to “Stand Up” in the fight against cancer.

It is an incredibly powerful moment in time for, as once, everything in the world of baseball – STOPS.

How often does that happen? (No labor jokes are allowed).

Philly faves Boyz to Men will sing Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there,” as the players, umpires and, most importaly 43,000+ fans stand in a silent tribute.

The moment is so powerful on site at the game that it actually travels through time and space and into the living rooms, TV rooms, bars and saloons to every single fan watching the game come the break between the home (National League) 5th and the visitor’s (American League) top of the 6th inning.

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

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Memories are etched into a small 8 1/2 x 11 placard and tears begin to flow.

Put simply, it’s impossible not to cry, to weep, to bawl unrestrainedly as you recall a loved one lost to cancer.

Personally, I’ll be thanking my lucky stars and the very research money being collected to have had a Johns Hopkins and Harvard trained surgeon work his magic to use an incredible robotic device and his masterful, steady hands to literally “zip out” what he later told me was “quite a bit of it” from my innards.

My thanks to Dr. Douglas M. Dahl of Mass General.

And to his colleague Dr. Anthony Zeitman of Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology and his capable team who brought in the cavalry to be sure the cancer was gone for good. Side note: The cocky MD said, “Listen, you’re going to die … pause … but you’re not dying from this!”

Dr. Zeitman learned his craft at the Imperial College London School of Medicine and is always recognized amongst America’s top doctors. I’ll second the motion and will be thinking of him tonight as I do of him, and Dr. Dahl, almost every day of my life.

I’ll be thinking of Heather Walker of the Boston Celtics who was diagnosed with the rare brain cancer, glioblastoma, in January 2021 and passed away on April 26, 2023 after undergoing several clinical trials but also raising more than $644,000 in her #Move4Heather campaign to raise money for very specific cancer glioblastoma research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where she had been treated.

Heather was a force of nature and she performed her job with the utmost professionalism, as the Celtics noted in a news release when she passed and later when they dedicated the pressroom at TD Garden to her, “Displaying exceptional courage, she made a point of raising awareness for glioblastoma through the Move4Heather movement, wanting to use her situation to help the lives of others, which was entirely consistent with her character,” the Celtics said. “Through her illness, she was resolute and extraordinary in boosting the spirits of those around her, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and essential awareness in hopes of easing the suffering and saving the lives of others.”

Sadly, I’ve had a few other NBA PR colleagues pass away from various forms of cancer and we remember them all, naming press rooms and celebrating their memories each basketball season. One, “A.T,” has been fighting for what he calls a long journey, fighting the disease in hospitals and cancer centers from Atlanta to Houston.

But tonight, after the 5th inning, I’ll also be thinking of my high school friend, “J.J.”

He played third base for the Holy Trinity Titans, so an “H.T. (or Titans) for J.J. will be on my placard at Citizens Bank Park and I’ll be thinking of his decade-plus more fight against several different forms of cancer. With some, just as we thought he had it licked, another form of the disease would surface.

Most recently, J.J. has been making monthly trips from New York to Los Angeles, California to see Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong – the man who saved his life two times over.  In fact, they have a little saying, “I’m one day closer to being cured and I hope that those you love are one day closer, too.”

Tonight, you can participate in any way you choose. Visit StandUpToCancer.org and make a donation of any dollar figure you can afford.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to shed a tear, but do so knowing “we’re one day closer to a cure.”

Phillies’ Sanchez Will Start All-Stars Up

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – In a time when it’s becoming increasingly common for players to opt out of the All-Star Game, the starting pitchers in Tuesday night’s Summer Classic still see the occasion as career-defining.

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will be the first hurler to the hill when the National League takes the field, followed by Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease in the bottom half of the inning for the American League.

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The 29-year-old Sanchez, appearing in his second All-Star Game and finishing as the 2025 NL Cy Young runner-up in between, even said this moment on Broad Street might be his best.

“So far, yes, I think that this could be described as the best moment in my career,” said Sanchez through an interpreter in Monday’s press conference. “And I want to give full credit to God for me being able to be here, thanks to him. And it’s just a result of a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work that we put throughout the season.”

At least a handful of All-Star honorees declined invites despite not currently being on the injured list, mostly citing fatigue or minor health issues.

But Sanchez has been a paragon of durability for some time and is on pace to exceed 30 starts for a third consecutive season, having already taken the ball 20 times in 2026 (tying for most in the majors) while pitching to a 2.62 ERA.

That consistency becomes even more impressive considering three consecutive postseasons with extra work. He was the victim of hard luck last year, settling for a pair of no-decisions in eventual Philadelphia losses to Los Angeles in the NLDS, despite allowing only three runs in 12 innings of work.

Tuesday might mean even more, he suggested, saying he would perform on behalf of his father, who could not attend and remains in his native Dominican Republic.

“I just dedicate this performance to him, dedicate this whole event to him,” Sanchez said. “And I love you a lot. And all that I’ve been able to do throughout my life, both on and off the field, it’s because of you.”

Cease is improbably making his first All-Star appearance despite being a regular in Cy Young conversations for several years.

It was an honor the right-hander and much of baseball thought he deserved in 2022, when he pitched to a 2.20 ERA and a runner-up AL Cy Young finish. He was 7-4 with a 2.45 ERA when pitching staffs were announced on July 10 of that year.

“I was definitely upset in 2022,” said Cease, who has a 2.56 ERA and AL-best 148 strikeouts so far in his first season in Toronto. “Four years later, I don’t know if it was still fueling me, but I feel like getting to start my first one maybe made up for it. Yeah, that was disappointing, but this is such a cool experience.”

In his fourth time taking charge of the NL, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts regularly manages the biggest star who opted out.

Two-way talent Shohei Ohtani skipped his last pitching start on Friday night to rest an ailing left knee, at that point deciding not to attend the All-Star Game. He still served as designated hitter through the weekend for Los Angeles.

Roberts said he understands players’ decisions but always pushes them to show up if they can.

“It’s a huge honor to be named an All-Star, to be able to participate in this game,” Roberts said. “I didn’t have that. I wasn’t a good enough player to be an All-Star.

“The way the world is, the game is now where there’s rest, recovery, injuries, which are certainly validated. I still try to encourage players to participate because it is for the fans. It’s a fans’ game. And to be able to showcase your talents in front of everyone — it’s a special moment.”

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout is slated to lead off for the AL in his first appearance in the contest since 2019 due to injuries. Trout grew up roughly 45 miles away in Millville, N.J.

National League starting lineup:
1. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies, DH
2. Juan Soto, Mets, LF
3. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers, 1B
4. CJ Abrams, Nationals, SS
5. Max Muncy, Dodgers, 3B
6. Ozzie Albies, Braves, 2B
7. Brandon Marsh, Phillies, RF
8. Andy Pages, Dodgers, CF
9. Drake Baldwin, Braves, C

American League starting lineup:
1. Mike Trout, Angels, CF
2. Yordan Alvarez, Astros, DH
3. Shea Langeliers, Athletics, C
4. Junior Caminero, Rays, 3B
5. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals, SS
6. Cody Bellinger, Yankees, RF
7. Ben Rice, Yankees, 1B
8. Riley Greene, Tigers, LF
9. Ernie Clement, Blue Jays, 2B

– Field Level Media

Nine Lives

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FLUSHING – (Wire Service Report) – Anthony Siegler had the tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning Sunday for the visiting Boston Red Sox, who won their ninth straight game by edging the New York Mets 3-2 in the finale of a three-game interleague series.

The Red Sox forced extras in the ninth, when Andrew Monasterio had a bases-loaded walk and Jarren Duran had an RBI single. Connor Wong led off the 10th by sacrificing Masataka Yoshida to third before Siegler followed with a fly ball three pitches later against Brooks Raley (4-4).

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Monasterio, Duran, Connor Wong and Cedanne Rafaela had one hit each for the Red Sox, whose winning streak is their longest since a 10-game run last July.

This winning streak has been built entirely on the road by the Red Sox, who swept three-game sets from the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox before never trailing the Mets Friday or Saturday.

Aroldis Chapman (1-3) worked around Jared Young’s one-out single in the ninth and Garrett Whitlock notched his second save by retiring all three batters in the 10th.

Francisco Lindor had a run-scoring double in the first and homered in the sixth before his one-out error extended the ninth inning for the Mets, who fell to 4-7 this month.

Red Sox starter Peyton Tolle allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out seven over 3 2/3 innings.

Mets rookie Zach Thornton, pitching in the majors for the first time since June 26, gave up two hits and walked two while striking out five over seven innings. Thornton didn’t allow a hit until Monasterio doubled to left field with one out in the fifth.

Luke Weaver threw a 1-2-3 eighth before Rafaela began the Red Sox’s comeback by singling to lead off the ninth against closer Devin Williams, who got Wilyer Abreu to pop out before Romy Gonzalez grounded to short.

 

Every Sinner has a Future

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LONDON – (Wire Service Report) – Italy’s Jannik Sinner found another Wimbledon title waiting on the other side of disappointment in Paris.

The world No. 1 successfully defended his championship at the All England Club on Sunday, rallying past Germany’s Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court. Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title came in his first tournament since a second-round collapse at the French Open ended his 30-match winning streak.

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It marked the second straight year the Italian star responded to a painful Roland Garros exit by lifting the trophy in London. Last year, Sinner arrived at Wimbledon after letting three championship points slip away against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the French Open final.

“There is no better place to play tennis,” Sinner said afterward. “You can feel the nerves Sunday morning waking up and it is a very special day and you never know how many times you will be able to come back on Sunday, so I never take things for granted.”

Zverev gave Sinner little room early Sunday. The German repeatedly leaned on his serve and captured a tight opening-set tiebreaker, ending a run of 14 consecutive sets lost to Sinner.

Sinner answered by taking control of the second tiebreaker. The first break point for either player did not arrive until the third set, more than 2 1/2 hours into the match.

That game also raised the biggest concern of the final. Zverev slipped behind the baseline while trying to change direction on a Sinner drop shot and grabbed his right knee. He kept playing after Sinner crossed the net to help him up, but soon missed a forehand, losing the first break of the match and falling behind 5-3.

Sinner served out the third set, then struck again in the fourth. He held the advantage until match point, when a forehand winner down the line ended the contest and sent him onto his back on the grass in celebration.

“It has been an amazing final once again and it always takes two players and Sascha (Zverev’s nickname) and I tried to give everything we had,” Sinner said. “I am very happy about the win, but also the level that we both played.”

Sinner had a 58-49 edge in winners and committed just 25 unforced errors to Zverev’s 45.

The victory extended Sinner’s winning streak against Zverev to 10 matches and made him the 10th man in the Open Era to successfully defend the Wimbledon singles title.

“I’m very happy that I’m trying to do my best every day,” Sinner said. “Sometimes you have a tournament with a good outcome, and sometimes you just don’t.

“There is no failure if you don’t win a Grand Slam. Now I have five in my whole life. We talk about five Grand Slams, but that’s five days out of so many other days. These are very, very rare days.

“You just want to enjoy it. Today was a very tough day. If I lose, it’s still a great day. Playing a Grand Slam final, it’s so rare and so special.”

Zverev was looking for his second straight major championship. He won the French Open last month.

“At 29 years old, this is the first time that I believe I can actually win this trophy,” Zverev said of the Wimbledon hardware. “… We had a pretty good two months even though we lost this final. An amazing two months.”

–Field Level Media

Nine in a Row? Can It Be True?

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FLUSHING (Wire Service Report) – The last time the Boston Red Sox won nine straight games on the road, it was 1977 and their stars were named Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski and Carlton Fisk.

Back in the 2026 playoff hunt going into the All-Star break, Boston will try to not just sweep the weekend series with the New York Mets on Sunday, it will also attempt to polish off a 9-0 road trip. The eight-game win streak started with three-contest sweeps at the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox before arriving in New York.

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The Red Sox kept rolling Saturday with a 4-0 win as fill-in starter Eduardo Rivera fired 3 2/3 innings and allowed only one hit. Boston interim manager Chad Tracy opted for a bullpen game instead of starting Brayan Bello, and five relievers teamed for a three-hitter, the team’s ninth shutout of the year.

“It feels good, obviously,” Tracy said of the difference between this stretch and most of the season. “You could feel the vibes at times. We were struggling to score and things didn’t feel good. Now we’re doing a fantastic job.”

As is often the case when teams get on a roll, Boston is receiving contributions up and down the roster. Andruw Monasterio and Masataka Yoshida each belted two-run homers on Saturday to support the pitching staff’s efforts.

Each homer scored Chad Durbin, who batted cleanup for the first time this year. Durbin normally bats lower but Tracy didn’t make a big deal of moving him up to a glamour spot in the order.

“Just take your at-bats,” he said. “You get on base and try to make it as good as you can.”

Rookie left-hander Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA) attempts to help Boston complete the perfect road trip in the series finale. He’s coming off an 8-1 win Tuesday night at the Chicago White Sox, yielding just two hits and a walk in six scoreless innings while fanning six. This will be his first career outing against the Mets.

New York will turn to Zach Thornton (0-1, 4.35) for his third career start. The rookie lefty last pitched on June 26, receiving a no-decision in a 2-1 home loss to Philadelphia despite allowing only five hits and a run in six innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Interim manager Andy Green was impressed with how Thornton did not back down from hitters in his two big league starts.

“Most days, he’s gonna fill up the strike zone and he’s gonna attack,” Green said. “He’s unafraid, he’s gonna give you what he’s got, he’s gonna step on the mound and he’s gonna be aggressive.”

Given how little New York has done with the bats in the first two games, Thornton might need to be outstanding. The Mets have managed just two runs, both on Friday, and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Saturday while stranding nine men.

Offense has been an issue for New York. It ranks 26th in the majors in batting average (.234), 28th in on-base percentage (.304) and 27th in slugging (.381). Injuries to projected mainstays like shortstop Bo Bichette and second baseman Marcus Semien haven’t helped.

Bichette (ankle) was able to serve as a pinch hitter Saturday and drew a walk. He could play Sunday, while Semien (hip) will likely remain out until early August.

–Field Level Media

Boys of Summer / Gone

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – Charles De Ketelaere of Bruges scored a brace and added an assist as Belgium eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 4-1 win in their round of 16 match on Monday. It was a convincing performance against the co-hosts for Belgium, who advance to play Spain in a quarterfinal match in Inglewood, California this Friday.

After Belgium thoroughly dominated in taking a 2-1 halftime lead, the U.S. ratcheted up the pressure coming out of the break seeking the equalizer. Instead, Belgium built a two-goal advantage when U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese left his area only to misplay a long ball, leading to a goal into an empty net by Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute.

De Ketelaere was credited with the assist, which came after a pair of goals that asserted the Red Devils’ superiority in the first half. The Atalanta forward scored in the ninth and 33rd minutes, both times taking advantage of an overmatched United States backline to leave Freese with no chance.

“We played with mastery, with willingness and with determination,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “We showed a great face to the world.”

U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman tied the  game at 1-1 in the 31st minute when his free kick from just outside Belgium’s box was deflected and found the back of the net with Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois diving in the opposite direction.

It finally gave the partisan sellout crowd of 66,925 something to cheer about, but the momentum was very short-lived.

Less than two minutes later, De Ketelaere connected with a header off a cross from Leandro Trossard. It was the second time De Ketelaere got between American defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, this time out-jumping Ream for the clean header.

His first goal came in the ninth minute, when the U.S. failed to clear their lines despite having numerous players in the box. Nicolas Raskin, starting in place of Kevin De Bruyne, collected the ball on the edge of the penalty box. He sent a short cross to De Ketelaere, who easily converted after sneaking between Ream and Robinson.

“I think when you concede goals that easily against a team of that quality and that caliber, it’s going to be difficult,” U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said. “We gave them good chances, or even half-chances, and they finished them.

“It was just a little bit too easy today.”

It marked the seventh and eighth international goals for De Ketelaere, who also scored in Belgium’s 5-2 win over the USMNT in a March friendly in Atlanta. He was predictably named the player of the match.

“It is something you dream of as a kid,” De Ketelaere said. “Being a decisive player in a knockout game is a dream come true.”

The American backline that had been considered the team’s weakness entering the World Cup appeared overwhelmed by the step up in competition from the outset against the ninth-ranked Belgians.

“Today we did not show our real quality,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We started in a really poor way. Wasn’t our day, in a collective or an individual way.”

Garcia made four changes to his starting XI from his team’s dramatic 3-2 win over Senegal in the round of 32. He said that after going to extra time to get past Senegal, some players were still not fully recovered as of Sunday and that he did not settle on his starting lineup until hours before the Monday match.

“I wanted speed in the attack,” Garcia said. “They wanted to have a high press, and that’s what we did, not them.”

The Red Devils were aggressive from the outset, logging their first shot attempt in the first minute, forcing a diving save from Freese. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans also failed to convert an excellent look a few minutes later.

Pochettino brought on Giovanni Reyna to begin the second half in an attempt to find more scoring opportunities. However, the U.S. were forced to substitute off star Christian Pulisic in the 59th minute after the forward was injured attempting to line up a shot attempt and instead kicking the leg of a defender.

Another mistake by the U.S. backline led to Belgium’s fourth goal when Romelu Lukaku scored in second-half stoppage time after a turnover by Chris Richards.

“There’s so many different thoughts and emotions that are running through me at the minute that I’m not even thinking tactically or what could have been different or what should we have done,” Ream said.

“It’s just one of those that I probably won’t be able to personally think about for a few days, until I really sit back and allow the emotions to subside.”

Pochettino added, “It just hurts to be eliminated.

“We did not play at the level that we had shown in the past. In spite of that, we are very proud of our whole campaign together. And today hurts.”

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

The NEXT Best Player in Baseball

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief

BOSTON – He’s the only player in the Majors with 20+ home runs and 10+ stolen bases. He ranks first in runs scored, and first in the National League in base-on-balls drawn. He’s first among NL outfielders in extra base hits which ranks second in the entire NL. He’s tops amongst NL outfielders in home runs, and tied for third amongst the National League home run leaders (Matt Olson). The stats and the rankings continue right through On Base Percentage, total bases, OPS (On base + Slugging).

James Wood is the best player no one has heard much about.

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He made the NL All-Star team, he robs opponents of home runs with his 6-foot-6 frame and lengthy reach. He’s even hit an inside-the-park Grand Slam (May 19 vs. New York Mets).

Wood was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2021 amateur draft but later traded to Washington as part of a massive deal that sent Juan Soto to Southern California. Wood’s Nationals teammate in shortstop C.J. Abrams was part of the same deal and they’re both destined for many an All-Star Game appearance.

Wood is 23 years old. Abrams is 25.

On Monday night, just as the folks at Fenway Park were settling in for a gorgeous summer night, Wood stepped up to face Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez – left handed batter vs. left handed pitcher. The second pitch of the game landed 441 feet away from home plate. Gone.

That is the power of Washington’s young lead-off hitter. It was his ninth lead-off homer of his career and the sixth of the 2026 season. The blast was his 61st major league home run, 31 in 2025 and 21 this season (and counting).

Wood played in 157 of 162 regular season games in 2025. As of Monday, he played in every single one of Washington’s 86 games, reaching base safely in 34 of his last 42 games. His No. 1 ranking in runs scored means he’s crossed the plate 73 times and it’s not even the 4th of July.

To say Wood is the best player in baseball is a tough statement to make, considering the Ohtani, Judge, Schwarber trifecta, and a host of other talented veteran players. But to say he’s the best young, 23-year old player in baseball might be the way to go.

Wood grew up in Richmond, Virginia, the son of a talented University of Richmond basketball star in his father, Kenny. Wood’s 6-foot-8 uncle, Howard, grew up in East Hampton, Long Island and went on to play basketball for the University of Tennessee and then with the NBA’s Utah Jazz but played only 48 games as a pro. Suffice to say, the athleticism is there and the 6-foot-6 frame provides the younger Wood with some serious base-running, defense and torque producing swings which can send baseballs into space.

After zipping through the minors, Wood is now in his third season in the big leagues.

He’ll surely be representing the Nationals when the All-Star Game celebrates America’s 250th in Philadelphia in mid-July.

His next goal will be to play Major League Baseball in October. But, with Boston shelling Nationals starter Miles Mikolas in the first inning Monday night, then adding insurance in the second and third frames, Woods’ Nats are playing only .500 ball (43-43). Mikolas pitched seven innings, allowed nine hits, six earned runs, and two home runs in defeat.

Boston’s starter, Ranger Suarez, pitched six innings, allowing five hits and three runs, including the solo, lead-off HR to Woods.

The victory, a 6-3 breeze, was Boston’s fifth straight, their sixth of seven and eighth of the last 11 games.

The two clubs will play two additional games Tuesday and Wednesday before the Red Sox take an off day to fly to California to face the LA Angels.

The Nationals will enjoy an off day on July 2, then head home to play a nine game homestand surrounding the 4th of July festivities and concluding with the MLB All-Star break – July 13-16.

Could This Be Sox Turning Point?

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston rookie left-hander Jake Bennett allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings,  designated hitter Masataka Yoshida and rookie infielder Anthony Seigler each belted a solo home run and the host Boston Red Sox earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon. It was Seigler’s first homer of his career and proved to be the 25th Boston home run off New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole since 2020, when Cole joined the Yanks.

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The first hit allowed by Bennett (2-3) came with two outs in the fifth inning, courtesy of a solo homer by Max Schuemann. Bennett yielded two more hits and struck out three batters before exiting to a standing ovation.

Yoshida launched a solo shot in the first inning and Seigler — a first-round pick of the Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft — added his homer in the second.

Boston’s Willson Contreras ripped a two-run double in the third inning, one day after sparking a benches-clearing push-and-shove incident in a 6-1 win over New York on Friday night.

The early offense on Saturday powered the Red Sox to their third straight win to open the four-game series. The Yankees, in turn, have lost six of their last eight games.

Justin Slaten relieved Bennett and struck out Jose Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to end the seventh inning. Garrett Whitlock retired the side in order in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs in the ninth to secure his 16th save.

Boston bolted out of the blocks as Yoshida deposited the second pitch of the game from Gerrit Cole (2-3) over the wall in right-center field. The homer was the second of the season for Yoshida and first since May 24.

Seigler doubled the advantage in the second inning by sending a 3-1 fastball from Cole just over the Green Monster.

Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela each singled to center to lead off the third inning before both runners sprinted home on Contreras’ hard-hit smash to left-center field.

New York finally solved Bennett in the fifth, as Schuemann deposited a first-pitch sinker over the wall in center field.

Cole struggled in his second straight outing, permitting four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

 

NFL Schedule: Here’s a Top Ten

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – Not only do the Los Angeles Rams have a reasonable shot at becoming the first team to win the Super Bowl on its homefield twice, the NFC West runner-up is by far the easiest team to find on the NFL’s 2026 broadcast schedule.

Seven times the Rams are positioned for a primetime slot — tying a league record — barring a slip from contender status that would prompt networks to invoke the “flex” option and reassign Sean McVay’s team to an afternoon kickoff.

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You’ve got to appreciate McVay’s offensive machine as much as the next NFL fan, but let’s survey the broader landscape for the 10 games we are circling on the 2026 schedule.

1. Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Friday, Dec. 25
Are the Packers still gutted by two heartbreaking losses to the Bears? They’ll never admit it. The drama on the field and sidelines restored one of the  game’s best rivalries. Chicago’s schedule strength adds a degree of difficulty the Bears didn’t face rising from the bottom of the NFC North to a division title in Ben Johnson’s first season. The Packers had owned this series in recent years and want to pull the pendulum northward.

2. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, Nov. 26
Thanksgiving Day amplifies whatever the state of the Dallas Cowboys happens to be, and this one should be extra spicy. It hasn’t happened since 2014 and will be the third Turkey Day meeting between the teams. Cowboys fans are crossing their fingers the results will be better than the last time (33-10 loss in ‘14) and 1989, when the Eagles used two Randall Cunningham-to-Cris Carter TDs and Philly’s defense ransacked Troy Aikman at Texas Stadium, 27-0. Philadelphia hosts the first meeting of the 2026 season with Dallas on “Monday Night Football” in October.

3. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 6
Josh Allen ran the AFC East for nearly a decade and Drake Maye was more than the new kid on the block in 2025. He played like an MVP candidate — even winning in Buffalo — and the Patriots went 5-1 in the division. The only loss was a 35-31 barnburner at Gillette Stadium won by the Bills on Dec. 14. It was New England’s only loss between Sept. 28 and the Super Bowl.

4. Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, Friday, Dec. 25
Fine, we can talk Rams, too Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, the NFL wrapped up a matchup between teams who combined for 26 regular-season wins and took the division duel down to the wire last season. Lumen Field won’t be a present for the Rams, but Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have usually done just fine in enemy territory. The game falls one week after the one-year anniversary of Seattle’s memorable fourth-quarter rally from 16 down, forced overtime and walked it off with a 38-37 victory over the Rams.

5. Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 31
Last season wasn’t a typical set of Bengals-Ravens games. The AFC North rivals split with an average margin of victory of 21 points. Rewind to 2025 and unleashed Lamar Jackson vs. bomb-happy Joe Burrow produced scores of 35-34 and 41-38 (overtime). If we get a New Year’s Eve snow game with division and playoff consequences, even better.

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6. New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9
A Wednesday night opener ahead of the Thursday Rams-49ers matchup in Australia, we’ll find out if the Patriots are better prepared for a Super Bowl rematch with months to prepare. New England oscillated from disjointed to complete disarray in the February loss to Seattle and didn’t have all oars in the water during an offseason when Mike Vrabel’s off-field, ahem, affairs were a constant talking point.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 8
Baker Mayfield vs. Caleb Williams piques our interest in a midseason “Sunday Night Football” matchup with the undercard of Buccaneers head coach and defensive maestro Todd Bowles against Bears coach and offensive brain Ben Johnson. The Bucs fell short of the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2019, while the Bears are trending upward after the franchise won a playoff game (well, two of them, actually) in January to snap a 15-year drought dating to 2011.

8. Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks, Monday, Dec. 7
Crossover games with the NFC West add a degree of difficulty to the Dallas schedule this season. While we wait to offer judgment on the revamped defense, the Cowboys are likely to bring all the smoke to test Seattle’s versatile, attacking defense in a game sandwiched between matchups with the Eagles and Rams for Dallas.

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9. Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos, Sunday, Sept. 20
Some called the Denver AFC West run last season but far fewer anticipated Jacksonville winning 13  games and dealing the Broncos one of the team’s three regular-season losses. First-year head coach Liam Coen reflects many of Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s qualities as a play-caller and designer, adding built-in entertainment value.

10. San Francisco 49ers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 27
What will the 49ers have left in the tank? San Francisco is setting a record for miles traveled in a season thanks to international treks to Mexico and Australia and the closing stretch for the 49ers is some kind of minefield from NFL schedulers. Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy are familiar foes but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has not beaten Andy Reid as a head coach (0-3). Two of those losses were agonizing Super Bowl defeats (LIV, 2020 and LVIII, 2024). After falling short of historical track and expectations in 2025, is the window closed on one or both of these longtime contenders?

–Field Level Media

Red Sox vs Rays: Put Up, or Shut Up

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FENWAY – (Wire Service Preview) – The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays certainly hope their players had a restful MLB All-Star break.

It will be a busy return to play for the American League East rivals on Friday as they begin a four-game, three-day series with a day-night doubleheader in Boston. The Red Sox return to play with a nine-game winning streak that has brought them only a half-game outside the playoff picture.

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Since a July 1 loss to the Washington Nationals, the Red Sox rolled to three straight road sweeps against the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and New York Mets before the break. Incredibly, interim manager Chad Tracy’s club allowed more than two runs in only one of those nine games, including a pair of shutouts.

“When you’re winning, everything is good,” All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman said.

The Red Sox got timely hitting in Sunday’s final game in New York, winning when trailing after eight innings for the first time this season. Boston scored twice in the ninth to tie the game at 2-2 and Anthony Seigler delivered the game-winning RBI in the 10th inning.

Brayan Bello, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to join the bullpen, threw 4 1/3 crucial innings while piggybacking starter Payton Tolle to set the stage for the late-game combination of Chapman and Garrett Whitlock.

It was a good stretch, but important games are ahead. It all starts with the division-leading Rays, who have won four straight and five of the first six head-to-head meetings between the teams this season.

Heading into the break, Tracy’s message was simple.

“Let’s make sure we’re ready to go coming out of the break,” he said. “Do what needs to be done over the break to physically and mentally not let it slip too far from your mind. Make sure we’re ready.”

Tampa Bay went 13-5 in an 18-game span before the All-Star break, splitting a four-game set against the New York Yankees before taking two of three from the Seattle Mariners. Despite the latter series ending with an 8-2 loss, the Rays still boast the best record in the AL by three games.

Manager Kevin Cash had a scare during Tuesday’s All-Star Game. All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero was hit on the finger by a 97-mph pitch in the third inning, but appears to have avoided a major injury as the unofficial second half of the season begins.

“In the moment, I was just scared, right?” Caminero said through an interpreter. “Kind of in that situation, right there in the moment, you’re thinking the worst, and I honestly thought something might have been broken. But look, thank you to God that everything’s fine, and now it’s just a little bit sore, but we’re all good.”

Rumors have swirled that the Rays plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline in a few weeks, with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal being among the targets.

“Know that (Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander) will do everything he can to improve our club, like he always does,” Cash said. “Definitely appreciative of the guys that are here right now and feel like we’ve got a very strong group with us right now.”

The Rays have righty Griffin Jax (5-6, 3.47 ERA) taking the ball against Red Sox southpaw Jake Bennett (4-3, 2.64) in Friday’s opening game. Neither team has announced a pitcher for the nightcap.

Jax has won four of his last five starts, with the lone loss coming in a July 6 outing against the Yankees in which he struck out 10 over five innings. He pitched five innings of one-run ball to beat the Mariners in his last start on Saturday.

Jax will look to turn around his career fortunes against the Red Sox, having posted a 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA in 15 career appearances. Only two of them have been starts, including a four-inning no-decision (two earned runs on four hits) on May 7 this season at Fenway Park.

The 25-year-old Bennett has won three straight starts, working at least seven innings in back-to-back victories over the Angels and White Sox. He held the Chicago to four hits over seven scoreless frames on July 8.

Bennett has lost two starts against the Rays this season, however, going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA in 10 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

 

Down Goes Schwarber

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – Not even the partisan Philadelphia Phillies fans could get St. Louis Cardinals breakout star Jordan Walker out of his groove when it mattered most.

Walker homered on his last four swings to extend his final round and pull off a shocking victory over hometown hero Kyle Schwarber, finishing the round with 12 homers to Schwarber’s 11 to capture the 2026 Home Run Derby on Monday night.

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Walker had arguably the best performance in every stage of the event, tying the Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras with 13 blasts in Round 1, then besting Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero with several swings to spare in the semifinal.

But he needed a little extra in the final round, silencing 43,863 booing fans by taking advantage of the event’s magenta ball rule that allowed hitters to extend their stay at the plate if they homered on their final swing, given bonus swings until a ball fell short of the fences.

It was just another exceptional moment in the 24-year-old Walker’s first career All-Star campaign that has included 22 home runs and an MLB-best 74 RBIs.

For Schwarber, it was eerily reminiscent of his first Derby appearance eight years ago, when now-Philadelphia teammate Bryce Harper went on a similarly exceptional late run to win the 2018 event in front of his then-hometown Washington fans.

The 33-year-old Schwarber also added a bonus home run in his final round, and when it was over, he raised his arms skyward to the delight of the crowd, perhaps believing he’d done enough.

Harper also competed again, but only homered only eight times in the 20-swing first round, one of four who failed to make the cut.

Schwarber defeated Contreras by one homer with nine in his semifinal, while Walker made easy work of Caminero in the other.

In the first round, Contreras and Walker each clubbed 13 homers, while Caminero had 12 and Schwarber hit 10 to round out the top four.

Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami (nine), the Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone (eight) and the New York Yankees’ Ben Rice (seven) joined Harper among those eliminated in the first round.

Schwarber needed a late surge in the first round to qualify for the latter stages, but was in his element once he got there.

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With three swings to go in his semifinal against Contreras, he raised an arm to implore the crowd for more noise, then clubbed his eighth and ninth homers. Those fans then cheered every Contreras miss, eventually roaring approval when he fell one short of forcing a tiebreaker.

Caminero had the evening’s longest home run at 491 feet in his semifinal. And while Caglianone did not move on, he became the first hitter to touch the third deck in right field since Phillies legend Ryan Howard did it on a 2009 grand slam.

In the city of Rocky Balboa, Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins, Philadelphia leaned into its combative spirit from the start.

Famous boxing master of ceremonies Michael Buffer introduced the eight contestants, who strode into a makeshift ring at second base, as the crowd booed everyone but their hometown heroes.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media