Sean Burke put on a pitching clinic against a chippy Guardians offense. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn ImagesAfter two nights of being walked off, the White Sox reversed course, pushing to a 3-1 lead late and then locking the win up with zero drama. In the process, Sean Burke dazzled through six with a career-high strikeout night, Colson Montgomery celebrated a year since his debut by putting two of the three runs on the board, and Grant Taylor saved the lead by blanking Cleveland in the ninth.But before we break down the game, lets take a moment to celebrate Miguel Vargas, who was selected to represent the White Sox in the All-Star Game!A first-inning walk to Vargas would haunt Parker Messick as Colson Montgomery celebrated the first anniversary of his MLB debut with a broken-bat RBI double:Your browser does not support the video tag. Download the video.Burke dazzled in the second inning, with two strikeouts, then notched his 100th strikeout of the season in the bottom of the third with back-to-back Ks, blanking Cleveland once more.Burke collected his seventh strikeout in the bottom of the fourth, but in the next frame Austin Hedges knotted the game with a homer. Cleveland threatened to take the lead after a Steven Kwan one-out triple, but he was caught in a pickle after the Guardians called for an ill-advised contact play. Burke tidied things up with a punch out of Chase DeLauter, A rundown with Kwan and a strikeout kept Burke away from any further damage, ending the frame at 1-1.View LinkBurke smelled a career high in Ks in the sixth, striking out the first three batters he saw to push is total to 11. However, because Drew Romo couldnt find the ears on a K of Kahlil Watson, Watson scampered safely to first. Despite the speedster then stealing second and third, but Burke escaped the jam by coaxing Cooper Ingle to ground out to first.Your browser does not support the video tag. Download the video.The White Sox offense ultimately did enough for the win, but didnt act with enough haste to earn Burke a much-deserved win. Speaking of that sleepy offense, Colson Montgomery opened the eighth by driving in his second run of the game, a solo homer to make it 2-1:View LinkPeters doubled to start the ninth and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Romo picked up a four-pitch walk, and with a sac fly, Vargas sent Peters home for a much-needed insurance run. Brandon Eisert was fabulous in his two innings of relief of Burke (and vultured the win from him), then handed the ball to Grant Taylor for the save. stepped in to close out the ninth. The win broke a a nine-game losing streak at Progressive Field for the White Sox over the last two years, and knotted the two clubs back up at the top of the AL Central.Who was your White Sox MVP?Colson Montgomery: 2 H, 2 RBITristan Peters: 2 H, 1 R, 1 BBMiguel Vargas: 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BBSean Burke: 6 IP, 11 K (career high), 1 ERpollcode.com free pollsWho was your White Sox Cold Cat?Junior Perez: 0-for-4Chase Meidroth: 0-for-5, 1 KBraden Montgomery: 1-for-4, 1 KRandal Grichuk: 1-for-3pollcode.com free polls

Sunday at the 2026 FIFA Mens World Cup features two very unpredictable games in the round of 16. Brazil and Norway will open the day in New Jersey with Erling Haaland looking to continue his impressive scoring run against the five-time champions who suffered a real scare in the round of 32 against Japan. The second game takes us to Mexico City where England will need to play much better than it has so far at the tournament against a Mexico team that has won all four of its games without conceding a goal. Here is all you need to know for Sunday at the World Cup. When: Sunday, July 5, 4 p.m. ET Where: New York/New Jersey TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One This will be a matchup of elite attacking teams when Brazil and Norway meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in the round of 16. When looking at their histories against each other and at this stage of the tournament, there are lot of conflicting trends. Beginning with its 2-1 win over Brazil at the 1998 World Cup, Norway enters this game unbeaten in its last four games (two wins, two draws) against the five-time World Cup champions. Brazil, meanwhile, has won nine of its last 10 round of 16 games at the World Cup but has lost all six of its World Cup knockout games (including the 2014 third place game) against European opponents following its win over Germany in the 2002 final. Norway enters this game with the strongest team it has ever had. At this World Cup, Haaland is playing in his first major international tournament and has not disappointed, having scored five goals in three games, and he now has 60 goals for Norway in just 53 caps. In this game, the task for Norway is to absorb Brazils pressure and look to break out quickly on counter attacks. Stle Solbakken's team will likely sit in a mid-block and look for central midfielders Martin degaard and Sander Berge to lead quick transitions that typically are fed out wide before looking to set up Haaland. While Haaland has been excellent at the World Cup, the key to Norways success to this point has been its excellent play from out wide, especially on the left side. Left winger Antonio Nusa and left back David Mller Wolfe have both been dangerous in creating opportunities for themselves and for Haaland. Another issue for Norway is the current heat wave currently hitting the eastern part of the United States. Will that play a role? Can Norway handle the physical demands of playing in high temperatures? For Brazil, the team will likely need another big performance from Vincius Junior, who has been excellent at this World Cup with four goals and an assist. While Vini Jr. featured four years ago in Qatar, this World Cup was when he was supposed to spearhead Brazils attack. So far, he lived up to expectations. The problem for Norway, is that Brazil is historically always deep, and this team is no different. Even if Vin Jr. is held off the scoreboard, Brazil boasts several other top scoring options. In the narrow 2-1 win over Japan in the round of 32, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro were the goal scorers while Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes and Arsenal's Gabriel picked up assists. On the injury front, Brazil is missing two starters as both Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha are sidelined with hamstring injuries. The biggest question heading into this game is how Brazil will defensively try to stop Norway in transition. If Carlo Ancelottis team struggles with that, Norway can definitely pull off the upset. The problem for Brazil is that it is no secret how Norway plays. No team has been able to stop the Scandinavian side when it fields a top lineup. Haaland has scored goals in the last 13 consecutive competitive internationals he has played for Norway, scoring 25 goals in that run. This is a clash of two top offensive teams, but it will be decided on which team plays the best defense. Player to Watch While Brazil has many ways it can beat opponents, Norway is far more limited. Fortunately for The Vikings, its main weapon, Haaland, is one of the best forwards of his generation. If he can find openings in Brazils defense, it might be enough to spark an upset. He is certainly going to be the most consequential player in this game. When: Sunday, July 5, 8 p.m. ET Where: Mexico City TV: FOX Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One Sundays nightcap between Mexico and England features a matchup between two teams who have deep aspirations of making a deep run in this tournament. Played at the iconic Mexico City Stadium where Pel and Diego Maradona were crowned World Cup champions, this will be the biggest test either team has faced so far in this tournament. Entering this game, Mexico has been flawless at this World Cup, defeating all four of its opponents with clean sheets in every game. It has outscored its opponents 8-0 during the tournament. Mexicos star player has been winger Julin Quiones, who was the leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League for the 2025-26 season with 33 goals in 31 games for Al Qadsiah. But here at the World Cup, Quiones has three goals and an assist, with his best performance coming in the 2-0 win over Ecuador in the round of 32 where he shined against a team that conceded just five goals in 18 World Cup qualifiers in South America. But Mexico has several different scoring options. At age 35, forward Raul Jimnez has two goals and has been playing as if he was a decade younger. Chivas attacking midfielder Roberto Alvarado has three assists in this tournament and has been critical to keeping Mexico on the front foot in each game. Then there is midfielder Gilberto Mora, who at age 17 is the youngest player in the tournament and is a budding star. Mora earned the start against Ecuador and was dangerous throughout the first half. For Mexico to be successful against an English team that hopes to lift the trophy on July 19, it is going to require another big effort from its defense, which has been the best in the tournament. This will be, by far, the best attack Mexico has faced. Central defenders Csar Montes and Johan Vsquez, along with fullbacks Jorge Snchez and Jess Gallardo deserve a lot of credit for the teams defensive success for posting four clean sheets has been a total team effort. Javier Aguirre has his team playing with so much raw intensity that no team has been able to match it. England has a very tough assignment in this game. Mexico has not lost a competitive home game since 2013. The venue for this game gives Mexico one of the sports greatest home field advantages. The Three Lions have struggled since its 4-2 win over Croatia in its opening game. The scoreless draw with Ghana showed an offense that can sputter when Harry Kane in not on the top of his game. The win over Panama was pedestrian. In the round of 32 against DR Congo, England needed two late goals from Kane to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win and avoid an embarrassingly early exit. For England, the team is deep with wingers, but none of the options have been consistent at this tournament and that makes it hard for head coach Thomas Tuchel to know who to start. For example, in the win over Croatia, starter Anthony Gordon struggled while Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford were excellent off the bench to propel England to the win. Then against DR Congo, England was on the verge of a loss before Gordon replaced Rashford in the 60th minute and assisted on both of Kane's goals. Tuchel faces a difficult task of getting his starting lineup right and, aside from the expected win over Panama, Tuchel has yet to do so in this tournament. Playing Mexico in Mexico City will be Englands toughest challenge so far, and Tuchel cannot afford to have England start the game poorly as digging out of a hole might be too difficult. Another difficult challenge for England in this game, apart from a good Mexico team and a large and mostly hostile crowd, is altitude. That has not been an issue with the location of its first four games, but now England will have to play at 7,220 feet above sea level and that has historically been very, very difficult for opposing teams to handle. It is not going to be easy for England, and Tuchel will need to be prepared with a starting lineup that is very fit and a roadmap of when to strategically use its substitutes. Player to Watch Along with Haaland, Kane is one of the best center forwards of his generation. Thus far in the tournament, Kane has been very effective in bailing England out of otherwise subpar performances. In this game, Kane will face the tournaments best defensive team that will be highly focused on stopping him. But even if Kane can be stopped from scoring, he can also be very valuable drifting back into midfield and helping create plays. If Kane struggles in this game, it could be a very long day for the Three Lions. On the other hand, if Kane can find the back of the net early, it will make life easier for England to deal with the crowd and the altitude the rest of the way.

Pic by @Dbacks, via TwitterThe National League All-Star roster was announced tonight. The inclusion of Corbin Carroll wasnt really a surprise. He gets his third selection in four years, coming into tonight ranked 6th for bWAR among position players in the league, at 3.3 wins. But in addition, Eduardo Rodriguez was also named to the squad, and thats a bit of a surprise not least because this is his first selection in his 11th season in the majors. However, his 2.21 ERA is fourth in the NL, and his 3.7 bWAR is fifth among pitchers, so youd be hard-pushed to argue that Rodriguez does not deserve his spot. Through 86 games, Eduardos ERA is the lowest by a qualified pitcher on the Diamondbacks for 17 years, since Dan Haren 2.16 figure in 2009. Randy Johnsons 1.77 in 2000 is the only other which is better than the current campaign by Rodriguez. Its a startling and very welcome turnaround for Eduardo, who struggled to an ERA above five in both 2024 and 2025. After signing a four-year, $80 million contract in December 2023, he is now well on the way towards rescuing it from the abyss of all-time awfulness, on the edge of which this deal was certainly teetering. Hopefully itll continue for the remainder of its duration.Carrolls season has been almost as fabulous as the one he put up last year, which got him an All-Star selection, a Silver Slugger award and sixth place in the NL MVP voting. His OPS is just fifteen points down (.883 vs. 868) on the 2025 figure, and his ten triples not only lead the majors, they have propelled him to the all-time franchise career mark in that department. The honor pulls Corbin into a tie with team-mate Ketel Marte on three All-Star nominations. Among position players, only Paul Goldschmidt (6) and Luis Gonzalez (5) have more, with Randy Johnson (5) joining that pair from the mound.

SportsLine's soccer experts have revealed their World Cup picks and World Cup predictions for Saturday, July 4

In the last 2026 World Cup match in Philadelphia, Paraguay played a style that has been seen many times before at the citys football stadium. La Albirroja's physical approach in their 1-0 loss to France in the Round of 16 looked more like what might be seen on a Sunday in the fall from the NFLs Philadelphia Eagles, who play their home games at Lincoln Financial Field. Eagles coach Nick Siranni might have liked what he saw. Les Bleus sure didnt. "I had never played a match like this, with so many hits," France midfielder Manu Kon said. "I mean, cheap shots, shoves in the back. So, yes, it was complicated." Paraguay seemed to target star forward Kylian Mbapp, who converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute. Andrs Cubas grabbed Mbapp in the offensive third, resulting in mass confrontation in the 35th minute. Later in the first half, Matias Galarza made contact with Mbapp off the ball, sending him sprawling to the turf. And in the 77th minute, Juan Jos Cceres kicked the France forward in the right shin. None of these fouls resulted in yellow cards. In fact, France received the only three yellow cards issued during the match. Paraguay got one after the final whistle for dissent toward the referee. Paraguays tactics came as no surprise to its opponent. "We knew what kind of match it was going to be," Mbapp said. "We can also get our hands dirty. We know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready. Even at that kind of game, we were better than them." Things remained heated both figuratively and literally, with the game played in scorching temperatures after the match. Players from both sides converged near the center circle, and Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill threw a ball at Mbapps back. "I tried to shake his hand, but since he didnt pay me any attention, I lost my temper," Gill said. Tempers werent exactly under control during the match, either. La Albirroja planned to make it tough. "From the very first moment, we set out to make our presence felt on the pitch to play hard," Gill said. "If the ball gets through, the man doesnt. And, honestly, I think the team handled itself well." France felt otherwise. "They pull out every trick in the book," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "Its not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium. Each team played the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I could do without." There also appeared to be bad words flying on the pitch, with Mbapp and Galarza verbally sparring at one point. It seemed, at times, as if the referee could have used some yellow flags, like in American football, in addition to yellow cards. "We fought a battle," Frances William Saliba said. "We won the battle." Reporting by The Associated Press.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras made an unprompted and tearful apology on Saturday for his role in two recent bench clearings, according to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.Contreras was at the plate for both incidents against the New York Yankees last Friday and the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, the latter of which landed him a seven-game suspension from MLB. He is currently playing while appealing the suspension.Per Healey, Contreras alluded to a difficult week as a factor for his behavior:"Very emotional time for me," he said. "Those situations could have been avoided and controlled and handled better.""It's been a really tough week, emotional week for me. I hope that they understand how emotional it has been, and I'll prove myself with my actions on the field from here moving forward and show the kind of person that I truly am."Its unclear if Contreras specified why its been a difficult week, but one would assume it has to do with the recent earthquakes in his native Venezuela.Soon after his apology, Contreras continued a career season with a three-run homer against the Los Angeles Angels. He was widely considered a major All-Star snub, but could be in line to take a spot after the withdrawal of starter Vladimir Guerrero Jr.The first incident against the Yankees saw Contreras and pitcher Will Warren exchange words after the slugger took a high and inside fastball his elbow protector. Both benches and bullpens immediately cleared, though the situation didnt escalate further than some heated discussions.The Nationals incident was far more heated and controversial.The confrontation began when Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli struck out Contreras and yelled Sit down boy! Contreras changed his trajectory from the dugout to Cavalli and began exchanging words. This time, the bench clearing actually led to something that could actually be described as a brawl, with Conteras having to be pulled away from the scrum. Contreras, Red Sox pitcher Nate Eaton, interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy and Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas were all ejected from the game.The Red Sox made their outrage over Cavallis Boy comment clear after the game, which led to Cavalli apologizing and insisting he had no knowledge of the racial undertones associated with that phrase. Like Contreras, Cavalli was also suspended seven games. Mikolas also got five games while Eaton got three games.

Glover registered his first bogey of the tournament on Moving Day with one eye on an unexpected victory

Stu Holden and John Strong share their perspectives on the epic Argentina-Cape Verde World Cup match.

Denny Hamlin will lead the field to the green flag Sunday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in one of the closest qualifying sessions of the 2026 season.Hamlin turned a lap of 30.296 seconds (178.241 mph), edging Kyle Larson by just 0.001 seconds. Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski continued RFK Racings strong weekend by qualifying third and fourth, while Ty Gibbs completed the top five.Toyota placed five drivers inside the top eight, while reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano will have plenty of work to do after qualifying 31st.Heres the complete starting lineup for Sundays Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.NASCAR Cup Series Starting Lineup for ChicagolandDenny HamlinKyle LarsonChris BuescherBrad KeselowskiTy GibbsChristopher BellChase BriscoeBubba WallaceChase ElliottWilliam ByronAJ AllmendingerAlex BowmanTyler ReddickRyan BlaneyCarson HocevarZane SmithJohn Hunter NemechekRiley HerbstRoss ChastainRyan PreeceConnor ZilischErik JonesAustin CindricRicky Stenhouse Jr.Austin DillonDaniel SurezTy DillonCorey HeimTodd GillilandShane van GisbergenJoey LoganoNoah GragsonCole CusterJosh BerryAustin HillJJ YeleyCody Ware*Michael McDowell**Did not post a qualifying lap.Five Quick Takeaways From QualifyingDenny Hamlin earned the pole by the slimmest of margins, beating Kyle Larson by just 0.001 seconds.RFK Racing qualified both Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski inside the top four.Toyota placed five cars in the top eight, continuing the manufacturers dominant 2026 campaign.Connor Zilisch qualified 21st for his latest Cup Series start.Joey Logano will roll off 31st as he continues searching for his first points-paying victory of the season.

SportsLine's Martin Green reveals his England vs. Mexico best bets for their knockout stage match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday at

This weekend, England faces the ultimate road game at this World Cup. Here's a look at home field advantage through the years.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be fielding five All-Stars at this years game in Philadelphia. Pitching-wise, the Dodgers get just one player, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani, who may end up pitching though likely not. Additionally, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Andy Pages are the four players who will start the game. This is Pages first-ever selection, and it is a very deserving one, playing outstanding defense in center field, while making real strides at the plate as a bat-to-ball guy. Mar 26, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Fans stand under a 2026 All Star Game sign during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesMuncy is making his third All-Star Game, Freeman now has 10 appearances to his name, while Ohtani has six All-Star Games. In fact, Max Muncy has become the first Dodgers player to start at third base since Ron Cey in 1997. He will be just the fourth Dodger to start in the hot corner. Were any Dodgers snubbed from the All-Star team?Tanner Scott is a puzzling omission, given his 1.88 ERA and a stunning 0.72 WHIP. He was flat-out not good last year, and his status in baseball took a hit, but this year, he is pitching better than ever. Additionally, fellow bullpen-mate Alex Vesia has been stellar this year, with a great strikeout rate and only a 2.51 ERA. Scott and Vesia, while not having some of the lights-out stuff that other dominant relievers have, deserved to be in the All-Star game. Jul 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott (66) celebrates a save in the top of the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn ImagesMookie Betts has been hitting the ball so well recently, and his defense remains reliable, but his poor start rightfully leaves him out of the running for an All-Star spot.Similarly, Kyle Tucker has not been his usual All-Star self with the Dodgers and deserves to be watching from home, a brutal development since he is making $60 million this year. Teoscar Hernandez was hitting the ball so well before he got injured that he might have pushed for at least an All-Star reserve spot. The post Five Dodgers Officially Named to National League All-Star Team appeared first on LA Sports Report.