Only two months of the Major League Baseball season remain until the playoffs get underway. That means the races for MLB awards get more intense and interesting specifically an award that has been neither in several years. The National League MVP has been a runaway in the two years Shohei Ohtani has been a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it was looking to be that way again until just recently. The two-way star was having a dominant season on the mound, and a productive (even if slightly subpar by his standards) year at the plate. Early in the summer, the odds for Ohtani to win a fourth straight MVP, (third straight in the National League and fifth overall) were so astronomical that it was nearly off the betting menu, having to risk $100 to win $1 on the Dodgers' superstar at some sportsbooks. Ohtani entered June with a sub-1 era as a pitcher, making him a strong Cy Young candidate in addition to seemingly being a lock for MVP. But since then, Ohtani gave up multiple runs in each of his next four starts, and has not pitched since July 3, as he battles knee discomfort. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The betting odds now reflect what is thought to be a coin flip between Ohtani and Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Crow-Armstrong leads Ohtani and the rest of baseball in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) with 6.5, with Ohtani currently at 6.0. Ohtani is still the slight favorite to win MVP at -130 odds (a $13 bet wins $10), while Crow-Armstrong is +100 (a $10 bet wins $10). It might be boring, but I still think, given the current odds, Ohtani is the bet to make. Maybe a couple of weeks ago, taking Crow-Armstrong at long odds was the right wager, but now I think the price has gotten low enough to back Ohtani to win once again. You will hear the case be made that "voter fatigue" favors someone new winning, that writers prefer not to vote for the same person year after year. However, in baseball, that doesnt seem as prevalent as it might be in other sports. Baseball writers have not only continued to give Ohtani the MVP, but Aaron Judge won a close MVP race in the American League over Cal Raleigh last fall, despite Judge having already won the award multiple times. Last years AL and NL Managers of the Year were Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians and Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers, both repeat winners after also winning the award in 2024. Again, baseball writers have proven they will most likely vote for who they simply feel deserves the award and not punish candidates for prior accomplishments. Ohtani has left the door open for someone else to win since he has not thrown a pitch in nearly a month. But he is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA as a pitcher, and has a .289 batting average with 23 home runs with the bat in his hands. Any return to the mound for Ohtani this season will make it hard for voters to ignore his two-way production, who, unlike PCA, is on a first-place team.

There is always baseball happening almost too much baseball for one person to follow themselves. Don't worry, we're here to help you by figuring out what you missed but shouldn't have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball: Oh Tigers, what could have been. Tarik Skubal, in what very well might have been his final start with Detroit as a pending free agent on a team that is half-in, half-out of postseason contention, it really depends on what the offers are threw 6 innings of one-run ball with the Tigers up 7-1 and then the bullpen arrived on the scene. Earlier, Skubal recorded the 1,000th strikeout of his MLB career, and received a standing ovation for hitting that round number. And the Tigers scored their first runs due to sloppy Orioles defense, which felt pretty in line with the previous day, in which Detroit won 14-0 against Baltimore. Things all fell apart in a hurry, however. Skubal allowed a run on a single by outfielder Leody Taveras, and then was removed from the game for reliever Kyle Finnegan. He entered with two of Skubals runners still on, and failed to strand either of them despite there already being two outs. Finnegan walked second baseman Jeremiah Jackson to begin, then gave up a single to pinch-hitter Jackson Holliday that scored both of the inherited runners. Holliday then stole second base and Finnegan gave up another RBI single to left fielder Taylor Word 7-5, Detroit. Drew Anderson then relieved Finnegan and got the final out of the inning, but the Os werent done yet. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson walked and then pinch-hitter Dylan Beavers reached on a fielders choice. The runners were moved over on a ground out by third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and then Mayo blasted a triple to score both runners and tie the game. The game would end up in extras, still 7-7, and it would take until the 11th for the Orioles to score Baltimore put two on the board, but the Tigers offense once again woke up when first baseman Spencer Torkelson hit the 100th homer of his career and No. 20 of 2026 to force a 12th inning. Ward began the 12th on second, and reliever Drew Sommers managed to retire first baseman Pete Alonso and Henderson, putting Detroit an out away from ending the inning. Instead, Colton Cowser, who had entered in the game as a defensive replacement earlier, ended up being the hero. Detroit didnt score in the bottom of the 12th, and the Orioles had officially come back from down 7-0 to win 10-9. The Tigers are 51-58, six games back in the AL Central and 4.5 back of a wild-card spot, and have to be seriously wondering if the risk of holding on to Skubal is worth it in a crowded postseason picture. The Tigers might be genuinely good after a rough start to the year, but they dug an early hole and have seven teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings and just four behind. Much to think about. What a rough week for the Phillies so far but a great one for the Marlins. Fresh off a 12-game losing streak the longest in franchise history the Marlins are suddenly looking like they did when they were MLBs best team back in June. Miami completed a sweep of Philadelphia on Wednesday, and did it despite being down 6-0 after the top of the fifth inning. Shortstop Otto Lopez grounded out but drove in a run to get the Marlins on the board in the bottom of the fifth, then left fielder Heriberto Hernndez donged dinger No. 16 to make it 6-3. In the bottom of the seventh, Lopez struck again with an RBI single, and then second baseman Xavier Edwards drove in Lopez and another runner to tie this thing up, 6-6. In the bottom of the eighth with his dad, Mr. Marlin himself, in attendance Griffin Conine belted a go-ahead two-run homer 424 feet off Jonathan Bowlan. Miami had not just come back from down 6-0, but were now up, 8-6, and would win with that as the final score. The Phillies have now fallen into a tie with the Diamondbacks for the NLs second wild-card spot, with both teams just 1.5 games up on the Padres also victorious on Wednesday in a two-game sweep of the Rockies and two games ahead of the Marlins, Pirates and Nationals. The Red Sox used closer Aroldis Chapman in a tie game in the ninth inning, and were rewarded for the decision. Chapman allowed one Athletics hitter to reach base but otherwise had a clean inning, and it gave Boston a chance to come to the plate again. There, shortstop Andrew Monasterio came to the plate as the leadoff hitter, against new reliever Jos Suarez, and crushed a two-run homer to put the Sox ahead, 4-2. The Sox didnt go to Chapman again, but relieved him with Greg Weissert, who struck out two and retired the As in order for the extra-inning W. Boston is now 56-51, with a 19-4 record in July its the only month in which the Red Sox dont have a losing record, but its undone so much of the early damage of the season all at once. The Astros are another team that had a terrible start to the year but have since come around. While its been a slower burn than Bostons, Houston managed to get to .500 on the season on Wednesday with a win against the Angels. Los Angeles went up 3-0 in the first inning, but Houston scored a run each in the second and third frames. In the sixth, the Astros scored all they would need for the rest of the game. First on a two-run double by right fielder Cam Smith and then another run on a wild pitch. Houston wasnt done plating runs, though. And the next one was even more embarrassing than giving up a run on a wild pitch. Houston is just one game back of both an AL wild-card spot and the AL West lead, as the Rangers lost on Wednesday to narrow the gap on the latter. It didnt seem like things were going to go this way at first. It was Cam Schlittler vs. Davis Martin in a battle of top pitchers on the Yankees and White Sox, but Martin allowed four first-run innings to put Chicago into an early hole. DH Andrew Benintendi knocked an RBI double to put the White Sox on the board in the seventh, and then back-to-back jacks in the eighth tied the game up, 4-4. Left fielder Sam Antonacci hit a two-run shot, followed by Munetaka Murakami hitting yet another dinger over 400 feet for his 23rd of the season. The game would end up in extras, where the Yankees would score in the 11th, for the first time since that four-run first. Things took a turn in the bottom of the inning, however: a pickoff attempt at third by catcher Ali Snchez went awry, allowing Murakami to score the tying run and force a 12th inning. There, Edgar Quero who had entered the game as a pinch-hitter earlier drove in the winning run with a single. The White Sox came from behind and walked the Yankees off, and now have a chance on Thursday for a series split. Chicago is 1.5 up on the Twins in the AL Central, owing to the two having the same number of wins while Minnesota is saddled with three more defeats. The Cardinals were looking like a genuine threat for a postseason spot for a bit there, but after a 13-12 June, St. Louis is now just 10-16 in July. Sure, the Cards have only been outscored by a few runs this month, so theres some bad luck involved, but a team can only have so much bad luck when the races are as close as they have been in 2026. After losing the first two games of this series with the Cubs, St. Louis managed to keep Chicago scoreless through nine innings. The problem was that Chicago also had a shutout going through the first nine innings, so, on to extras the two went. There, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a 424-foot, two-run homer in the 10th, and it looked like maybe that would be it for St. Louis once more. Not so, though! Right fielder Jordan Walker pushed the bonus runner across on a ground out, but managed to be safe at first himself, leaving two runners on. That setup the next batter, DH Ivn Herrera, to win the game, and that he did with a two-run double to left. The Cardinals are still in a tough spot, at 54-54, but while that has them 13 games out in the NL central, St. Louis is just 2.5 back for an NL wild-card spot. The Mets and Braves played a doubleheader on Wednesday thanks to a rainout on Tuesday, and the first of those like the first game in the series went to the Mets. Which brought Atlantas record against New York this season a year in which the Braves have been great and the Mets have, uh, not to 3-6, as well as one more loss away from being swept. Luckily for Atlanta, Chris Sale was there to do his part in keeping things from getting any worse on those notes. Sale shoved for six innings, with nine strikeouts without a walk and just two hits allowed, then handed things off to a Braves bullpen that kept the shutout going. Christian Scott was great on the mound for the Mets, too, but slightly worse than Sale: first baseman Matt Olson hit a grounder up the middle in the sixth inning to drive in the one and only run of the game for either side, and that was that. The Mets have nothing to be ashamed of here, especially having won the first two games in the series, but thats still a disappointing result for New York when a sweep was that close. And its a sigh of relief kind of W for the Braves, for obvious reasons, and good thing beyond those: next up on the schedule is a four-game set against the wild-card-contending Nationals, then three against the Marlins before taking on the Yankees. The Mariners had the Dodgers number in the first two games of this series, but on Wednesday, Los Angeles finally logged a W against Seattle. The Dodgers went up 4-0 through six, with center fielder Andy Pages driving in two of the first three runs on a homer and a single, respectively, and then Shohei Ohtani doubling in the fourth one in the sixth. Things got a little dicier from there, but only so much. With starter Eric Lauer out of the game after six shutout innings, the Mariners got to the Dodgers bullpen a bit, scoring a run off of Tanner Scott courtesy an RBI single by second baseman Cole Young, then first baseman Josh Naylor hit his 15th double of the year to plate another run in the ninth. That would be all Seattle could muster, however on Thursday, the Dodgers will try to earn a series split, while the Mariners go for the series dub. Heres some news you can use before those afternoon games: Royals longtime catcher and DH Salvador Perez hit his first triple since 2022 on Wednesday, in a 4-0 win against the Twins. Perez crushed this one, hitting it 411 feet to center and nearly 102 mph off his bat off starter Joe Ryan. Mercifully, the 36-year-old, 15-year veteran with miles and miles on his legs was driven in later in the inning, so all that running wasnt for nothing.

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CHICAGO Dante Moore has effectively committed to Oregon three times: first as a top-flight recruit from Detroit in 2022, then as a transfer from UCLA in 2023 and, this past January, as a marquee NFL prospect forgoing the draft for one final year with the Ducks.The most recent of those decisions caused seismic ramifications in the football world. Widely projected as the No. 2 quarterback in this year's draft class, Moore could have been one of the first players off the board back in April. Instead, he opted for a second season as Oregon's QB1, betting on himself to deliver the Ducks heightened success and that he'd level up his game enough to justify leaving what could have very well been $50-some million worth of guaranteed money.Moore, a 21-year-old who once flipped from Oregon to UCLA in his high school recruiting process, is tied to his latest choice. Second-guessing won't do him any good, but he admitted Wednesday at Big Ten media days that he did some of that in the aftermath of his head-turning announcement on "SportsCenter.""Yeah, there was days where I for sure looked back when I first made that decision, because I was kind of just thinking to myself, 'Is this the right way?'" Moore told reporters at Hilton Chicago."But it's the past now. I'm making sure I'm bringing full pressure and applying pressure to this upcoming year. I kind of feel like there's no looking back now. Just got to keep applying pressure."There's plenty of that facing Oregon after back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances that have started with national title promise and ended with blowout defeats. Each time, the Ducks bowed out to the eventual national champion, with Ohio State handing them a 41-21 loss in the Rose Bowl CFP quarterfinal during the 2024 season and Indiana clobbering them 56-22 CFP semifinal last season.Moore backed up now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel for the first of those two lopsided outcomes. He struggled mightily in the second, committing a trio of turnovers in what was billed as a potential battle with Fernando Mendoza for the No. 1 overall pick. Afterward, Moore said he hadn't decided if he was going to enter his name in this year's draft.Five days later, he pledged his allegiance to Oregon for 2026. Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson said he talked to his signal-caller briefly in the lead-up to Moore making that call."It was just like, 'Man, this is your life. It's your decision,'" recalled Johnson, who recorded 32 receptions, 510 receiving yards and 3 touchdown grabs this past season as a redshirt sophomore."So it's like, 'If you're ever ready to take that next step, then take it. I believe in you, bro, but if not, let's stay here and let's bring back home a championship for the Oregon Ducks.'"A decision that had Lanning jumping for joy literally Johnson doesn't remember where he was when Moore revealed his return, except he's sure he saw it on social media."Once I saw it, oh my God, I started going crazy," Johnson said with a smile. "Oh my goodness."Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was bursting with delight, too. That paroxysm of excitement vaulted him straight through the door to Moore."He had no clue, actually," Moore said. "I didn't tell anybody. Actually, my agent, my dad were the only people that knew."Lanning noted: "Yeah, I was pretty excited. I think maybe jumped up on the table. It was a good day for the Ducks."Last season, Moore picked up where Gabriel left off in Eugene. After his prudent redshirt season, much like the one Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola is now preparing for at Oregon, Moore piled up 3,565 passing yards, posted a 30:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio and logged a 71.8% completion rate, a significant jump from the 53.5% mark he set as a true freshman at UCLA amid a rocky 2023 campaign.He piloted Oregon to an 11-1 regular-season record, notably guiding the Ducks to a double-overtime win over then-No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley."It's hard to play in the White Out, especially as a quarterback," Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas said Tuesday, referring to the Nittany Lions' annual tradition to play a home game in front of a Beaver Stadium brimming with fans wearing white.Last season, that game was reserved for Oregon's late-September trip to State College. Moore emerged victorious in a clash between, at the time, two top-six teams."He's very mature and poised," Rojas said. "And that's why he's a high-end quarterback. ... You didn't see him flinch with anything."Dante Moore guided Oregon to a 30-24 double-overtime win over Penn State in State College, Penn., during the 2025 season. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)Isaiah Vazquez via Getty ImagesThe Ducks clocked out 13-2. Their pair of defeats came versus the undefeated Hoosiers. In both outings, Indiana's stifling defense got after Moore. His struggles under duress flared up and were on full display in the CFP. That's an area where he can improve this season. He explained to media Wednesday that he's been working on bettering his pre- and post-snap reads this offseason. Moore's also added muscle mass to his frame. After bowing out to Indiana in the playoff, he weighed 203 pounds, he said. Now he's 220.Plus, he's stepped up his role as a team leader. "I think it starts with self-awareness, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, knowing that it's OK to be vulnerable in front of your team," Lanning said, when asked about Moore's ability to lead. "Guys seeing you and the work that you put in, the effort that you put in to improve. "Not a guy that's resting on his laurels. I think all those things help him become a better leader."What other Big Ten QBs thought about Moore coming backMoore was asked point-blank Wednesday if the New York Jets possessing the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft affected his decision. He said no.Moore ascribed preparation as the biggest factor in him coming back to Oregon for one last hurrah. He's aiming to sharpen his tools. Creating memories along the way, for himself and a team he loves, was part of the equation as well."I won't say anything about anybody else's decisions," USC quarterback Jayden Maiava said Tuesday, when asked about Moore's return, "but I know, just for me, I think being able to live in the moment, take it in if the opportunity presents itself, then I think you just have those conversations with either the people you love or whoever you got to have those talks with. I think it's kind of based on the individual to me."Penn State's Rocco Becht, who followed head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State this offseason for one final go-around in college, shared a similar sentiment this week: "Obviously NIL is super big now in college football, but it's case-by-case. And I'm sure he wanted to come back, play for his boys for one last ride, try to win a national championship. That's exactly what I'm trying to do."As Moore said, he's applying pressure. He's seemingly welcoming it as he empties the tank at Oregon."There ain't nothing else after this, so might as well," he said.That is, in the collegiate ranks the NFL is on the horizon, lurking over the idyllic mountainous views of Autzen Stadium. How Moore performs in 2026 will be constantly evaluated, and so will his decision to press pause on his pro career.But, in Moore's words, "there's no looking back now."

Uefa has announced that it will stage a full boycott of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, if Gianni Infantinos controversial plans to sell off stakes in its tournaments to private investors are voted through. The drastic action, which follows an emergency Uefa meeting on Thursday, was unanimously agreed among all 55 of Uefas member associations. A statement confirmed that no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive. Donald Trump, President of the United States, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino with the World Cup trophy (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)World Cup boycott latest: Uefa agree emergency action after Infantino sell-off planUefa carries significant leverage as a World Cup without major nations such as champions Spain, France, England and Germany would compromise Infantinos designs on extracting as much revenue from the global showpiece as possible. Six of the eight quarter-finalists from this summers World Cup were European. It would also harm next years Womens World Cup in Brazil, with Spain the reigning winners and European champions England also bringing considerable commercial interest in the tournament. England, runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, face two-legged qualification play-offs in October, as do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A spokeswoman for the English FA echoed the Uefa sentiment, saying: We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose Fifas plans the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will. Meanwhile, the majority of the 2030 World Cup will be staged in Europe, with Spain and Portugal sharing hosting rights along with Morocco, following games in South America hosted by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to commemorate the tournaments centenary year. On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new subsidiary to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments, with Fifa president Infantino confirming that the new company - Fifa Forward Enterprises (FFE) - would be open to external capital investment.Uefas confirmation that it would stage a boycott comes ahead of a vote between Fifas 211 member associations on 19 September. Infantinos proposals only require a majority vote of above 50 per cent from as well as backing from the Fifa Council, which means Uefa still requires more support to win the vote. More followsUefas statement in fullUefa and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifas proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of footballs greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifas duty as the custodian of world football.National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of footballs greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a democratic decision, but governance by intimidation an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.But our opposition goes far beyond process.The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.This model has no place in world football. Footballs future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.Europes position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.As a result of todays discussion, no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that Fifa will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.Nobody should be in any doubt: Uefa and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments.Some things are simply too important to sell. The Fifa World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.