SOCCER
Stunning goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Michael Olise helped France to a 3-0 victory over the United States in the Olympic men’s soccer tournament. Loic Bade added the third with a late header to seal a win that had looked in doubt until former Arsenal striker Lacazette struck with a long-range effort in the 61st minute in Marseille. Earlier, Morocco secured a wild 2-1 win over Argentina at the start of the tournament — but not before furious fans invaded the pitch to protest what appeared to be an equalizer by Cristian Medina in the 16th-minute of stoppage time. Objects were thrown onto the field and security had to restrain fans, causing the game in Saint-Etienne to be suspended for nearly two hours.
The U.S. women’s team plays Zambia at 3 p.m. today.
Israel’s national anthem was loudly jeered before its soccer team kicked off play at the Paris Olympics against Mali. The game began with a massive security presence outside the stadium amid an increasingly strained international climate that has Paris’ safety efforts squarely in the spotlight. The Israel team arrived under a heavy police escort, with motorbike riders at the front and about a dozen riot police vans following behind. Armed police officers patrolled the Parc des Princes stadium, one with a rifle resting on his shoulder. A few fans held up Palestine flags in the stadium and security had to defuse tensions. The game finished 1-1.
The official Olympic opening ceremonies are tomorrow.
Paris has long been a city of dreamers: Just look at the Eiffel Tower, for decades the world’s loftiest structure. But France’s capital is aiming higher still with its first Olympic Games in a century, which open Friday. The most audacious Olympic opening ceremony ever — a gala spectacular on the River Seine that even French President Emmanuel Macron says initially felt like “a crazy and not very serious idea” — kicks off 16 days of competition that promise to be ground-breaking. Expect a heady blend of Olympic sports, iconic Paris monuments and France’s famous “savoir faire” in its world-renowned capital of fashion, gastronomy and culture could help secure the Games’ longer-term future. But Paris’ challenges are huge, too.
As expected, Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid. The capital city of Utah was the only candidate after the International Olympic Committee gave Salt Lake City exclusive negotiating rights last year in a fast-track contest for 2034. Salt Lake City’s final approval was in a vote Wednesday by IOC members. The IOC also made an unusual demand, pushing local officials to pledge to help end an FBI investigation into actions taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency regarding Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete at the last Olympics despite positive drug tests.
Morocco fans crashed the pitch to protest a late goal by Argentina at the opening match of the Paris Olympics men’s soccer tournament. It was an angry and bizarre scene that left the game suspended for nearly two hours with only minutes remaining. Moments before play resumed, the goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, and Morocco held on for a 2-1 victory. But not before a furious reaction from Morocco fans who thought they’d been denied a critical win.
MLB
Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor homered off Gerrit Cole, Lindor added a three-run shot against the bullpen and the New York Mets routed the Yankees 12-3 to sweep the season Subway Series for the first time since 2013. Lindor hit a two-run drive left-handed against Cole and connected right-handed off Caleb Ferguson for a season-high five RBIs. Mark Vientos went deep against Tim Hill in a five-run eighth. The Mets finished 4-0 against the Yankees this year, matching their sweep in 2013, and outscored them 36-14. The Mets improved to 29-13 after a 24-35 start.
Brenton Doyle hit a grand slam, one of four home runs by Colorado, and the Rockies tied a franchise record for runs in a 20-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox yesterday. Ezequiel Tovar homered and singled twice, extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his homer. Jacob Stallings also homered, Brendan Rodgers had four hits and Kris Bryant singled three times for the Rockies. Cal Quantrill tossed six solid innings as Colorado took two of three from the scuffling Red Sox. Boston has lost five of its first six to begin the second half of the season.
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2027 season.. The deal to end his lame-duck status will keep him in Boston for a total of $21.75 million, sources told ESPN. The 48-year-old Cora is in his second stint as Boston’s manager, and his contract had been set to expire after this season. He was first hired before the 2018 season and led the Red Sox to a World Series title that year, his second with the franchise. He was a player on the 2007 championship team that swept the Rockies in the Fall Classic. Cora was suspended by Major League Baseball for the 2020 season and fired by the Red Sox for his role in a 2017 sign-stealing scandal as bench coach of the Houston Astros. Boston rehired him in 2021.
Max Kepler’s infield single drove in the winning run with one out in the ninth inning, giving the Minnesota Twins a series-clinching 5-4 win over Philadelphia Phillies. Trevor Larnach was hit by a pitch by Philadelphia left-hander Gregory Soto (2-4) to open the bottom of the ninth. Larnach advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Martin. Kepler hit a two-hopper up the middle against a drawn in infield that was backhanded by diving second baseman Bryson Stott, who had no chance to get Larnach at home or Kepler at first. The Twins claimed their fifth walk-off victory of the season. The National League-leading Phillies (64-38) lost their third straight series.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double and the Miami Marlins beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3. Xavier Edwards reached on a leadoff single against reliever Jacob Webb in the seventh, and Cionel Pérez walked Nick Gordon. Ali Sánchez’s sacrifice bunt advanced both runners before Chisholm hit a high bouncer over third baseman Ramon Urías for a 5-3 lead. Bryan De La Cruz capped the three-run inning with an RBI single. Josh Bell homered and Edwards had three hits and a walk for the NL-worst Marlins, who have won four of six since the All-Star break — including the first two in a three-game series against the AL East-leading Orioles. Tanner Scott closed for his 18th save.
Gabriel Moreno gave Arizona the lead in the ninth inning with a two-run double, Ketel Marte added a three-run homer and the Diamondbacks beat the Kansas City Royals 8-6 on Wednesday night. Eugenio Saurez homered for Arizona in the second and Joc Pederson and Christian Walker hit back-to-back shots in the fourth to make it 3-1. Pederson has 200 career homers. With Arizona down 4-3 in the ninth against closer James McArthur (4-4), Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled with one out, Geraldo Perdomo walked and Moreno slashed the double that rolled to the wall in the right-center gap. After Corbin Carroll’s single, Marte blasted a three-run homer to center. The All-Star homered in all three games in the series.
Hunter Brown had eight strikeouts in six innings to remain one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, helping the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 8-1. Chas McCormick homered for the first time in more than a month and Jose Altuve had three hits and two RBIs as the Astros bounced back to win the last game of the series after losing the first two in likely their final regular-season trip to the Coliseum.
Brandon Drury drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep of the struggling Seattle Mariners 2-1. The Mariners were booed by fans after losing for the eighth time in nine game and for the 20th time in 29 games, slipping to 53-51 overall. Despite its extended troubles, Seattle is a game behind first-place Houston (53-49) in the AL West. Angels pitching held the Mariners to one run in all three games of the series.
Josh Naylor singled with two outs in the eighth inning, scoring younger brother Bo Naylor with the go-ahead run, as the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians edged the Detroit Tigers 2-1. Bo Naylor drew a walk against Beau Brieske, then stole second base. Following an intentional walk to José Ramírez, Josh Naylor lined a ball up the middle that second baseman Colt Keith could only deflect into center field. Guardians ace Tanner Bibee left after five innings with leg cramps. The right-hander winced while walking onto the field to begin the sixth and spent several minutes stretching his legs, to no avail.
Justin Turner hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered for the fifth time in six games and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Wednesday night. Turner went 3 for 4 with three singles in his sixth three-hit game of the season. His line drive hit off right-hander Jason Adam (4-2) in the eighth scored George Springer from second base and sparked a four-run rally. Daulton Varsho followed with an RBI single, and Turner scored on a passed ball by catcher Ben Rortvedt. Alejandro Kirk followed with a high pop up but the ball hit off the glove of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls and dropped for an error, allowing Varsho to score. Left-hander Génesis Cabrera (3-2) worked one inning for the victory.
Adolis García snapped out of a long slump with three hits and scored the go-ahead run, Nathan Eovaldi struck out 10 without any walks in seven innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2. Corey Seager and Robbie Grossman had solo homers for the Rangers before Nathaniel Lowe hit a three-run shot. The 22-77 White Sox lost their 10th game in a row to fall 50 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 56-106 in 1970. They are the first team since the expansion Mets in 1962 to lose 77 of their first 104 games. Luis Robert Jr. homered for Chicago.
Martín Pérez pitched six scoreless innings, Rowdy Tellez homered into the Allegheny River and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat St. Louis 5-0 to take two of three games from the Cardinals. Pérez (2-5) allowed four hits, three in his final two innings, and walked five with two strikeouts. Tellez chased Matthew Liberatore (2-3) at the start of the fourth inning by sending a fastball 447 feet into the river beyond the wall in right field, extending the Pirates’ lead to five runs. Liberatore allowed five runs on four hits in three innings, walking three and striking out three.
Spencer Steer drove in three runs with three extra-base hits, Elly De La Cruz also had three hits, including a home run, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 9-4. The second game of a scheduled split doubleheader was postponed due to inclement weather. Steer drove in a run with a first-inning triple off Allan Winans and had a two-run double in the fourth. Jake Fraley hit a two-run homer. Winans gave up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in the Braves’ fourth consecutive loss. The Braves’ depleted rotation may need to be addressed before the July 30 trade deadline.
William Contreras hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2. Blake Perkins singled leading off the ninth against Héctor Neris. Contreras put Milwaukee on top one out later when he lined a double to left-center, helping the NL Central leaders end a rough day on a winning note. Before the game, the Brewers placed Christian Yelich on the 10-day injured list because of inflammation in his lower back and they were bracing for the possibility that their All-Star outfielder will miss significant time. Reliever Bryse Wilson held Chicago to one run in four innings. Jakob Junis then pitched one-hit ball over three innings before Joel Payamps worked the ninth for his fifth save. Chicago's Seiya Suzuki homered.
Jurickson Profar homered for the second consecutive game, Kyle Higashioka also went deep, and the San Diego Padres beat the Washington Nationals 12-3. Jackson Merrill came within a home run of hitting for the cycle and matched a career high with four hits for San Diego, which has won four in a row. Xander Bogaerts had a season-high four hits as the Padres finished with a season-high 20. It was the Padres’ highest scoring total since a 13-1 win over Arizona on June 8. Juan Yepez homered to extend his hitting streak to 15 games for Washington, which is 0-5 against the Padres this season. It was the most runs allowed by the Nationals since a 12-3 loss to Philadelphia last Aug. 19.
Robbie Ray pitched five hitless innings in his San Francisco debut, Matt Chapman homered and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3. The Giants held the Dodgers without a hit until Chris Taylor doubled to right off reliever Tyler Rogers with two outs in the seventh inning. Ray had his first outing since Tommy John surgery in May 2023. He was electric after the first inning, allowing just one earned run on a bases-loaded walk. He struck out eight and was taken out after 86 pitches. The Giants pulled away in the eighth inning when they got to the fatigued Dodgers bullpen. They scored six runs on five hits, with five earned runs charged to reliever Yohan Ramirez.
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout will not play Wednesday night for Triple-A Salt Lake and is leaving his minor league rehab assignment after one game to be re-evaluated in Southern California. Trout began a rehab stint Tuesday with Salt Lake but exited after just two innings because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. Before the Angels’ game Wednesday in Seattle, manager Ron Washington said Trout reported he was feeling better, and Washington hoped the three-time MVP would be able to serve as the designated hitter for Salt Lake that night. But later on Wednesday, the Angels announced that Trout would not be in the lineup and was returning to Southern California. Trout went on the injured list April 30 with a torn meniscus.
NBA
The NBA signed its 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday after saying it was not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league. The media rights deals were approved by the league’s Board of Governors last week and will bring the league about $76 billion over those 11 years. WBD had five days to match a part of those deals and said it was exercising its right to do so, but its offer was not considered a true match by the NBA. It says it will now take appropriate action.
NFL
Aaron Rodgers’ offseason excursion to Egypt during mandatory minicamp made quite a few headlines. The New York Jets quarterback has another trip in mind. And it would be even bigger news. Rodgers said Wednesday the goal for the Jets is getting to New Orleans, referring to the site of this season’s Super Bowl. The 40-year-old Rodgers is putting the torn left Achilles tendon that abruptly ended his season last year after just four snaps behind him and focusing on big dreams for a franchise that has the NFL’s longest active playoff drought at 13 years.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts says he's in a great place with head coach Nick Sirianni. The duo have had their relationship scrutinized after a late-season collapse knocked the Eagles from Super Bowl contender to one-and-done in the playoffs. Sirianni says his relationship with Hurts is “good.” The 25-year-old Hurts accounted for a combined 38 touchdowns passing and rushing last season. Hurts enters this season with his third straight new offensive coordinator.
SOCCER
Juan Brunetta and Maximiliano Meza scored a minute apart in the second half, and Mexico’s Liga MX All-Stars beat the Major League Soccer All-Stars 4-1 in the MLS All-Star Game. Brunetta scored in transition in the 68th minute to make it 3-1 and set up Meza soon after in front of a record crowd of 20,931 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. It was the first MLS All-Star Game victory for Liga MX in three tries. Lionel Messi, the biggest star in MLS, didn’t play because of ligament damage to his right ankle. Messi was injured while playing for Argentina in its victory over Colombia in the Copa America final.
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