MLB
Aaron Judge hit his major-league leading 48th homer and Gerrit Cole allowed one hit in six innings to become the fourth active pitcher to reach 150 career wins as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 6-0. Judge homered for the third straight game and is on pace to finish with 61, two years after hitting 62 to break Roger Maris’ single-season AL record. Cole joined Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw and reached the 150-win milestone in his 311th start. Tim Hill, Luke Weaver and Michael Tonkin combined on three innings to allow zero hits and finish New York’s 10th shutout.
Luis Severino outdueled Dylan Cease and the New York Mets beat the San Diego Padres 8-3 in the opener of a four-game series between NL playoff contenders. Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil had three hits apiece and Mark Vientos drove in three runs for the Mets, who improved to 4-0 against the Padres this season and have won six of nine overall. The Padres came into the day tied with division rival Arizona for the top wild card spot while the Mets were two games behind the Atlanta Braves for the final spot.
Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach retires 19 hitters in a row and the Atlanta Braves take two of three in their series with NL East-leading Philadelphia, beating the Phillies 3-2. After Schwellenbach surrendered a one-out single to Bryce Harper in the first, he didn’t allow another hitter to reach safely until Bryson Stott’s infield hit off the pitcher’s glove with two outs in the seventh. J.T. Realmuto followed with a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center, cutting into Atlanta’s lead and ending Schwellenbach’s night. Raisel Iglesias struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save in 30 chances. Adam Duvall homered for the Braves.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox were off last night and will kick off their next homestand with a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first game is at 7:10 tonight.
Miguel Amaya hit his first career grand slam and drove in a personal-best five runs, and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Detroit Tigers 10-2. Justin Steele struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings, and the Cubs came away with an easy win in the rubber game as they try to make up ground in the race for the National League’s third wild card. Amaya gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead in the second inning with his drive to left against reliever Kenta Maeda. He also capped a four-run seventh with an RBI single off the ivy in left-center, though he got thrown out stretching for a double. Cody Bellinger doubled and scored in the third. He also singled in a run in the fourth to make it 6-0. Maeda took the loss.
Osvaldo Bido struck out six in five inning and won his third straight start, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. Lawrence Butler, Miguel Andujar and Darell Hernaiz had two hits apiece to help Oakland split the four-game series. Five A’s relievers combined for four scoreless innings. Mason Miller worked the ninth for his 20th save, the third-most by a rookie in franchise history. Christopher Morel singled twice and Kameron Misner had his first career hit in the majors for the Rays.
Ernie Clement homered for the third time in his last three games and the Toronto Blue Jays used a five-run second inning to build an early lead and beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3. Clement’s homer came on an out-of-the-strike zone, eye-level fastball from right-hander Mike Baumann. According to MLB, it was the second-highest pitch hit for a home run since pitch tracking began in 2008. The Blue Jays, who swept a three-game road series against the Angels last week, have won four straight meetings and eight of 10.
Spencer Arrighetti outpitched Corbin Burnes, Ben Gamel drove in two runs in his Houston debut and the Astros extended their lead in the AL West to a season-high 5 1/2 games with a 6-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Arrighetti allowed three hits in six innings, striking out six with one walk. Burnes permitted five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in the second straight rough outing for the Baltimore ace. He allowed a career-high eight runs in his previous start against Boston.
Patrick Corbin pitched six innings to earn career win No. 100, Juan Yepez hit a three-run home run and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-3 to take the rubber game of the series. Luis Garcia Jr. and Jose Tena had two hits each for the Nationals, who have won three of their last four games. In his sixth try for the milestone win, Corbin allowed one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out a season-high eight batters. Rockies starter Cal Quantrill took the loss. Bud Black managed his 1,160th game, passing Clint Hurdle for the most games managed in Colorado history.
Rookie Victor Scott II had three hits and scored the run that snapped a scoreless tie in the seventh, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson each added two hits apiece in the nine-hit attack for St. Louis. The Cardinals won the final two games to take the series after losing seven of their previous nine games. The Central Division-leading Brewers had won six consecutive games before the consecutive losses to the second-place Cardinals, who still trail Milwaukee by 10 games. Milwaukee recorded just three hits, with only one after the first inning.
Rookie Victor Scott II had three hits and scored the run that snapped a scoreless tie in the seventh, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson each added two hits apiece in the nine-hit attack for St. Louis. The Cardinals won the final two games to take the series after losing seven of their previous nine games. The Central Division-leading Brewers had won six consecutive games before the consecutive losses to the second-place Cardinals, who still trail Milwaukee by 10 games. Milwaukee recorded just three hits, with only one after the first inning.
The Seattle Mariners fired manager Scott Servais on Thursday with the team in the midst a two-month collapse that included squandering a 10-game lead in the division and slipping to the fringes of playoff contention in the American League. The team tabbed former Seattle catcher Dan Wilson to take over for Servais. The decision came on the heels of a disastrous 1-8 road trip that dropped the Mariners to 64-64 after being 13 games over .500 in mid-June. The Mariners trail Houston by five games in the AL West and are 7 1/2 back in the wild-card standings. Servais was 680-642 in charge of the Mariners.
NFL
Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the New York Jets’ starters won't play in the preseason finale against the Giants on Saturday night. Coach Robert Saleh announced his decision Thursday, a day after the Jets' joint practice with the Giants. Rodgers said Tuesday he didn't have a preference as to whether he played in the game, which will be the Jets’ final dress rehearsal leading into the regular-season opener at San Francisco on Sept. 9. That will mark the first game action for the 40-year-old Rodgers since he tore his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap in his debut with the Jets last year.
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired wide receiver Jahan Dotson and a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft from the Washington Commanders for a third-round pick and two seventh-round picks from the 2025 draft. Dotson was a first-rounder out of Penn State in 2022. He is one of several high draft picks from the previous regime under Ron Rivera who did not look to be part of the long-term plan moving forward with new general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn. Washington’s first-round selections in 2023, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, and 2021, linebacker Jamin Davis, have also been buried on the depth chart.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent ran for a touchdown on the opening drive of the Bears’ game against the Chiefs on Thursday night, and they went on to win 34-21 in a preseason finale in which both teams sat nearly all their starters. The game was halted briefly after the first play of the second half, when Chicago cornerback Douglas Coleman III made a tackle along the Kansas City sideline and lay motionless on the ground. He was tended to by doctors as players from both teams took a knee, and eventually was immobilized on a stretcher and driven out of Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs open the season Sept. 5 against Baltimore. The Bears play Tennessee in their opener three days later.
Anthony Richardson led a touchdown drive on his first series against Bengals backups, but the rest of his night was a struggle, even though the Colts won the preseason game 27-14. The Indianapolis quarterback got his first significant chunk of playing time with the rest of the offensive starters and showed he still has work to do on his accuracy and consistency. The fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft played the first five offensive series, finishing 8 for 14 for 86 yards.
Bears cornerback Douglas Coleman III was immobilized on a stretcher and taken from Arrowhead Stadium on a cart Thursday night after making a tackle on the Chiefs’ Cornell Powell on the first play of the second half in the preseason game. Coleman had his head up when he came in to make the tackle near the Chiefs sideline. The former CFL standout went down on impact and remained motionless on the ground as trainers from both teams checked on him. They were quickly joined by doctors who removed his facemask but left his helmet on while strapping him to the backboard.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Creed Humphrey have agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension that makes him the highest-paid center in NFL history, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had yet to be signed. Humphrey will be guaranteed $50 million. The numbers of the contract outpace the total value of the five-year, $60 million deal the Saints signed with Erik McCoy and the $42 million that was guaranteed Frank Ragnow on his four-year, $54 million contract with the Lions.
WNBA
Breanna Stewart scored 19 points, Jonquel Jones finished with her third straight double-double and the New York Liberty upped their win streak to eight with a 79-71 victory over the Dallas Wings. Stewart sank just 5 of 18 shots from the floor for New York, but she made 9 of 11 free throws and added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. Jones totaled 13 points and 13 rebounds as the Liberty picked up their second win over Dallas in three days. Arike Ogunbowale had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds to pace the Wings, who have lost three in a row and six of seven.
GOLF
Keegan Bradley went from sweating whether he would get to the BMW Championship to taking the lead at Castle Pines. He had to wait all of Sunday afternoon at the PGA Tour playoffs opener before getting the 50th and final spot in the BMW Championship field. He was feeling a lot more peaceful at Castle Pines and it showed. He made six birdies for a 66 and was in the lead. Hideki Matsuyama missed a 2-foot birdie putt on the final hole after a three-hour rain delay and was one behind. Xander Schauffele shot 69 and Scottie Scheffler shot 71.
Charley Hull rolled in a 6-foot putt on No. 18 for the last of her six birdies to shoot 5-under 67 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Women's British Open. It is the year’s fifth and final major in the female game and being staged at the home of golf. Hull is seeking her first major title and has plenty of high-profile company at the top of the leaderboard after a day when gusts of up to 40 mph (64 kph) played havoc with the best female golfers in the world. Top-ranked Nelly Korda birdied her last two holes to join fellow major champion Ruoning Yin of China on 4 under.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Missouri and Tennessee typically aren’t confused for Georgia and Ohio State when it comes to college football’s powers. Those teams are more in the conversation thanks to the expansion of the College Football Playoff field from four to 12 teams. That has given hope to more teams to be in the running for the national championship. Westgate executive vice president for race and sports operations Jay Kornegay said such schools are attracting noticeable attention as bettors search for value wagers.
HORSE RACING
The Grade I Travers Stakes, Saratoga’s “Midsummer Derby,” is set for Saturday. Dornoch, a colt jockeyed by Luis Saez and trained by Danny Gargan, is the favorite to take the 10-furlong $1,250,000 dirt race for three-year-old horses at 5-2 odds. The race is set to start at 6:10 p.m.
A celebration of the life of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame chair John Hendrickson is scheduled for August 30th in Saratoga Springs. The pillar of the horse racing community died this week at age 59. He became chair in 2017 and was a New York Racing Association board member. The 59-year-old widower of Marylou Whitney invested in efforts to support Saratoga Race Course’s backstretch employees, including raising funds for the Saratoga Backstretch Clinic, which provides healthcare to track employees from a partnership between Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team. The museum says funeral services will be private.
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