MLB
Rafael Ortega had two hits during a six-run fifth inning, leading the New York Mets to a 7-6 win over the major league-best Atlanta Braves. The Mets avoided falling into last place in the NL East as they remained a half-game ahead of Washington. Ortega singled leading off the fifth and hit a two-run single to complete a rally that included four singles, three walks and a run-scoring catcher’s interference call on the Braves’ Sean Murphy. Kodai Senga allowed three runs in six innings for the win. Matt Olson hit his major league-leading 43rd homer for the Braves.
Jake Burger’s game-ending single capped a five-run, ninth-inning comeback against Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle, giving the Miami Marlins an 8-7 win over the struggling New York Yankees. New York, which led 7-1 in the sixth inning behind ace Gerrit Cole, dropped five games back of the AL’s last wild card berth and is on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Yankees lost for the first time when leading by four runs in the ninth inning since July 11, 2021. New York is 3-8-1 in its last 12 series.
Adam Duvall had four RBIs that included a three-run homer, Justin Turner added a solo shot and the Boston Red Sox won their series against the Detroit Tigers with a 6-3 victory. Trevor Story went 4 for 4 with three doubles and two stolen bases for Boston, Connor Wong had an RBI triple and Duvall added a run-scoring single. Boston went 5-5 on a season-high 10-game homestand and wore their City Connect uniforms of bright yellow and power blue for the seventh straight game, the Red Sox improved to 11-2 in their alternate uniforms this season.
Stuart Fairchild drove in the tying run in the eighth inning and the go-ahead run in the 10th, helping the Cincinnati Reds to overcome a two-run deficit and split a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-5 victory Sunday night. Jared Triolo hit his first major league home run in the opener, a three-run drive as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning that lifted the Pirates to a 4-2 win. Cincinnati had lost nine of 11 before winning the nightcap. Bryan Reynolds homered twice in the night game, raising his season total to 17.
Cedric Mullins robbed Ty France of a homer in the ninth inning and hit a two-run homer in the 10th, and the AL-best Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners in extra innings for the second straight day, 5-3. Mullins leaped and reached over the wall in center field to snag France’s deep drive off Mike Baumann. Mullins fell face-first to the warning track with the ball in his glove and pumped his fist as he jumped to his feet. Two pitches later, Dominic Canzone hit a 402-foot homer to tie the game at 3-all. Mullins went deep in the 10th against Trent Thornton to score the automatic runner.
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will skip his next scheduled pitching start Wednesday at Texas after telling manager Phil Nevin he was feeling some arm fatigue. Nevin says Ohtani isn't injured and will return to the rotation during a series at home against the Reds that begins Aug. 21. The right-hander is 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts this season. He is hitting .305 with an American League-leading 40 homers and 83 RBIs.
WNBA
Breanna Stewart scored 30 of her 42 points in the first half to help the New York Liberty beat the Indiana Fever 100-89 and set a franchise record for wins in a season. New York has won six games in a row and 10 of its last 11. Stewart, who scored 45 points in a 90-73 win over the Fever on May 21 and a 43-point performance against the Phoenix Mercury on July 5, became the first player in WNBA history to score at least 40 points three times in the same season. Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points and Erica Wheeler 22 to lead Indiana.
NFL
Derek Carr threw a touchdown pass in his New Orleans preseason debut and rookie Blake Grupe kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Saints to a 26-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes started but took just five snaps before Kansas City’s first drive ended with a failed fourth-and-1 play on a direct snap to reserve tight end Blake Bell. Carr looked comfortable taking his first live snaps in his new offense, completing six of eight passes for 70 yards on the game’s opening drive. Carr connected with Keith Kirkwood for a 4-yard touchdown.
Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and Las Vegas beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-7 on Sunday in the preseason opener for both teams. O’Connell is third on the depth chart behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo and veteran Brian Hoyer. The Raiders drafted O’Connell in the fourth round this year out of Purdue. He outplayed 49ers counterparts Trey Lance and Sam Darnold. They are competing to back up starter Brock Purdy.
BASKETBALL WORLD CUP
The U.S. World Cup basketball team got its first big test of the summer Sunday, and a perfect shooting night from Jalen Brunson helped ensure the Americans passed. Brunson was 9 for 9 from the field on the way to a team-best 21 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 14 and the U.S. pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Spain 98-88 in a pre-World Cup exhibition between tournament favorites. Spain is the No. 1-ranked team in the world according to FIBA; the U.S. is No. 2. The U.S. improved to 3-0 in its pre-World Cup tour with two games left before arriving in Manila for the tournament.
GOLF
American golfer Lilia Vu has won the Women’s British Open to claim her second major title of 2023. She took any potential drama out of the final round by shooting 5-under 67 for a six-stroke victory. The 25-year-old Californian also won the Chevron Championship in April. She became the first female player to win two majors in the same year since Jin Young Ko in 2019 and the first American woman since Juli Inkster in 1999. Vu began the final round tied for the lead with Charley Hull with 11 players within five shots of them. Vu led by five after 10 holes as all of her rivals faltered at Walton Heath.
Cameron Smith has won his second LIV Golf title of the year. Phil Mickelson's hope for his first title in the Saudi-backed league came to a spectacular and early end. Mickelson was three shots behind when he put two tee shots into the water on the par-3 seventh hole at Trump National. He made a quintuple-bogey 8 and was never a factor. Smith cruised to a 68 and won LIV Golf-Bedminster by seven shots over Anirban Lahiri. Smith now gets a five-week break before LIV plays again. He leads the points list in the race for the $18 million bonus.
Lucas Glover is on a roll. One week after a clutch win just to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs, Glover beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff at the St. Jude Championship. He was looking at an early end to his season two weeks ago. Now Glover is up to No. 4 in the FedEx Cup and assured a spot in the Tour Championship. He made one clutch putt after another to stay in the game and shot 69. Cantlay shot a 64. But in the playoff, Cantlay's tee shot found the water. Glover won it with a par.
NASCAR
Michael McDowell raced to his second NASCAR crown jewel victory Sunday, dominating the Brickyard 200 — and putting himself in the playoffs for the second time in three years. The 38-year-old Arizona driver who has made more than 450 career starts beat Chase Elliott across the yard of bricks by 0.937 seconds in the road-course race that had only one yellow flag. Pole winner Daniel Suarez was third as the regular season winds down. McDowell, also the 2021 Daytona 500 winner, gave Front Row Motorsports its fourth victory. McDowell led a career-best 54 laps in the 82-lap race.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
There will be a first-time winner of the Women’s World Cup this year. Maybe, just maybe, it will be host country Australia. The Matildas are co-hosting this tournament with New Zealand. They became the first home team since the United States in 1999 to win a quarterfinal in nine Women’s World Cups. Australia has reached its first semifinal in team history and faces England on Wednesday for a chance to play for the title. Spain plays Sweden on Tuesday in the first semifinal. Spain has never before reached this stage of the tournament while Sweden has been to the finals four times.
SARATOGA RACE COURSE
Carl Spackler, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Chad C. Brown, took first in the rescheduled Grade III $500,000 National Museum of Racing Stakes on Friday in 1:36.29. On Saturday, Casa Creed, ridden by Luis Saez and trained by Bill Mott, won the Grade 1 $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap in a final time of 1:34.20. In the Grade 2 $200,000 Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special Stakes, Rhyme Schemes, ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and trained by Norm Casse, won in a final time of 1:17.12. In the $150,000 Galway Stakes, L J’s Emma, ridden by Luiz Saez and trained by Eddie Kenneally, took first in 1:02.27.
In Sunday’s $150,000 Mahony Stakes, Closeinthegame Sugar, ridden by Jose Lezcano and trained by Adam Rice, won in 1:02.54.
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