WORLD CUP
The once-dominant Americans crashed out of the Women’s World Cup on penalties after a scoreless draw with Sweden in the Round of 16. It was the earliest exit ever for the four-time tournament champions. The Americans struggled from the start of the World Cup. With the rest of the world catching up in skill and physical conditioning, the future of the team could look dramatically different. There's no guarantee that coach Vlatko Andonovski will continue with the team as it prepares for the next big tournament, the Olympics in France next year.
Megan Rapinoe wanted a different finish for her final Women’s World Cup. Even with the disappointing conclusion, she was grateful for her wildly successful run with the U.S. national team. Rapinoe’s World Cup career ended in the Round of 16, when the United States lost to Sweden on penalties after a scoreless draw. The outspoken 38-year-old announced last month that this would be her last international tournament. She teared up as she spoke to reporters after the match. She missed her penalty, as did teammates Kelley O’Hara and Sophia Smith.
In today’s World Cup action, England – Nigeria, and Australia’s match with Denmark began at 6 a.m.
MLB
Kyle Bradish and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, and the Baltimore Orioles completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets with a 2-0 victory. Adley Rutschman and Ryan O’Hearn each drove in a run for American League-leading Baltimore, which won for the eighth time in 10 games. The Orioles managed to win this close game without using two of their top relievers, giving All-Star Yennier Cano and left-hander Danny Coulombe the day off. Félix Bautista did pitch the ninth for his 30th save in 35 chances. New York has lost six straight since trading star pitcher Justin Verlander on Tuesday.
Jake Meyers hit two long three-run homers and the Houston Astros beat New York 9-7 after struggling Yankees starter Carlos Rodón exited early with another injury. Yordan Alvarez and Martín Maldonado also went deep to help Houston split a four-game series in the first meeting between the teams since the Astros swept the ALCS last October. Houston, which holds an AL wild-card spot, remained 2 1/2 games behind first-place Texas in the AL West. Jeremy Peña scored twice for the Astros, who have won 11 of their past 15 matchups with the Yankees — including last year’s playoff series. Gleyber Torres homered and reached base five times for New York. The fourth-place Yankees who fell 4 1/2 games behind Toronto for the final AL wild card.
Davis Schneider went 4 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a weekend sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 13-1 rout. Matt Chapman had a two-run double after Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran misplayed a fly ball that would have been the final out of a four-run third inning. Toronto moved five games ahead of the last-place Red Sox in the AL East for the third and final American League wild-card spot. The third-place Blue Jays lost their first seven games against Boston this season before the three-game sweep at Fenway Park. Triston Casas homered for Boston, which has dropped seven of eight. Chris Bassitt went seven innings for the win.
Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4. Bryce Harper had two hits and drove in a run for the defending champion Phillies, who have won five of seven. Philadelphia began play in second in the NL wild-card standings. MJ Melendez homered for Kansas City. Taijuan Walker recovered from a shaky first inning to become the first NL pitcher to reach 13 victories.
Chicago's Tim Anderson and Cleveland's José Ramírez could be facing multi-game suspensions for fighting and triggering a benches-clearing scuffle during Saturday's game between the White Sox and Guardians. Major League Baseball is expected to announce discipline on Monday, and both teams are expecting to be without the infielders for an extended period. Ramírez decked Anderson with a punch after the two squared off near second base. Both players were ejected, along with Cleveland manager Terry Francona, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, closer Emmanuel Clase and Chicago manager Pedro Grifol. All are facing some kind of penalty.
NHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Erik Karlsson in a blockbuster trade with the San Jose Sharks. Pittsburgh traded a 2024 first-round pick, forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Jan Rutta to San Jose and a 2025 second-round pick, goaltender Casey DeSmith, defenseman Jeff Petry and prospect Nathan Legare to Montreal as part of the deal for the reigning Norris Trophy winner. The Canadiens got involved to make the salary cap work. The Sharks are retaining just over 13% what's left on Karlsson's contract. Karlsson is the first defenseman to be traded fresh off winning the Norris since Doug Harvey in 1961.
PAC-12
A mass exodus has led to a seismic shift in the Pac-12 Conference. The “Conference of Champions” suffered what could be crushing blows after five schools announced defections from the league within hours of each other. Oregon and Washington were the first to go, heading to the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State and Utah then announced plans to leave for the Big 12. The losses leave the Pac-12 with four schools and an uncertain future. The conference that has won more national championships than any other may be left with its storied history and nothing else.
WNBA
Sabrina Ionescu scored 31 points, hitting six of New York’s 17 3-pointers to lead the Liberty to a 99-61 rout of the Las Vegas Aces in a matchup of the top two teams in the WNBA. The Liberty have won four straight and snapped the Aces’ eight-game winning streak, handing Las Vegas (24-3) only its third loss of the season in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 11,418. The Aces were bidding to match the 1998 Houston Comets for most wins before suffering a third defeat. These two squads will play three more times this month, including for the Commissioner’s Cup championship on Aug. 15 in Las Vegas. Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 16 points. Breanna Stewart added 23 for New York (22-6).
SOCCER
Lionel Messi scored on another mesmerizing free kick in his third consecutive two-goal game for Inter Miami. The tying tally led to a victory over FC Dallas on penalty kicks in a Leagues Cup elimination game. Messi’s goal in the 85th minute was reminiscent of the game-winner in his Inter Miami debut. Both were on free kicks from just outside the penalty box in the waning moments, each sneaking past the goalkeeper into the upper corner of the net. The victory in the round of 16 sent Inter Miami into the Leagues Cup quarterfinals against the winner between Charlotte FC and Houston.
US CLASSIC
Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is not getting ahead of herself in her return from a two-year break. Biles dominated at the U.S. Classic, winning by a full five points in her first competition since the Tokyo Olympics. The 26-year-old says her focus is trying to enjoy the moments as they come and not get ahead of herself. Biles added she's in a good place both mentally and physically but stressed she isn't ready to talk about the 2024 Paris Games. Up next for Biles is the U.S. Championships in San Jose in late August.
LIV GOLF GREENBRIER
Bryson DeChambeau has his first LIV Golf victory and his name in the record book. He shot a 58 on a rain-softened White Course at Greenbrier to win LIV Golf-Greenbrier by six shots. DeChambeau is the fourth player on a top-level tour to shoot 58. Jim Furyk had a 58 at the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour in 2016, while Ryo Ishikawa and S.H. Kim had a 58 in different events on the Japan Golf Tour. DeChambeau's round was so amazing that he shot 58 with a bogey. He had 13 birdies. Mito Pereira finished second.
WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas Glover has won the Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour title in more than two years. And it couldn't have come at a better time. The two-shot victory moves Glover to No. 49 in the FedEx Cup and gets him into the lucrative postseason. He got help from Russell Henley who bogeyed his last three holes. The final round was delayed two hours by storms. For Justin Thomas, his season is over. His birdie chip on the 18th hit the base of the pin. Thomas missed by one spot going to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
DC OPEN
Coco Gauff has defeated Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the DC Open women’s final for the fourth WTA Tour singles title of her career. Dan Evans beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-5, 6-3 in a rain-interrupted men’s final later Sunday. Gauff is a 19-year-old from Florida. She did not drop a set all week in the hard-court tournament that is a tuneup for the U.S. Open. Sunday's victory allowed Gauff to earn her second trophy of the season, alongside one in Auckland, New Zealand, in January. Gauff is ranked No. 7 and was seeded No. 3 in Washington. The fourth-seeded Sakkari dropped to 1-7 in WTA finals.
SARATOGA RACE COURSE
A 4-year-old filly broke down in the fourth race at Saratoga Sunday and was euthanized. It's the second straight day a racing death has occurred at the track in upstate New York. Ever Summer sustained a catastrophic injury to her left front leg in the final turn of the turf race. Irad Ortiz Jr. was unseated, but later cleared to ride the rest of his races. Ortiz Jr. is the leading rider at Saratoga's summer meet. New York Racing Association officials moved the final three turf races on Sunday's card to the main dirt track after jockeys voiced concern with the overall condition of the turf after heavy rain last week.
This weekend’s races also saw Maple Leaf Mel, who was leading the Test Stakes when she broke down just before the wire having injured her right front leg, euthanized.
In this weekend’s feature action at Saratoga:
On Friday, Elusive Princess, ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Jean-Philippe Dubois, won the $ 400,000 Grade III Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes in a final time of 1:57.08.
The Grade III $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes were postponed by rain and will be run August 11.
On Saturday, Pretty Mischievous, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Brendan P. Walsh, won the $500,000 Grade I Test Stakes in a final time of 1:23.40; White Abarrio, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by Richard E. Dutrow, Jr., took first in the $1 million Grade I Whitney in 1:48.45, and Program Trading, ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Chad C Brown, won the $600,000 Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational in a final time of 1:56.63.
In Sunday’s feature action, Brightwork, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and trained by John Alexander Ortiz, won the Grade III $200,000 Adirondack Stakes on a final time of 1:16.86.
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