Tarik Skubal is officially a Los Angeles Dodger. He'll make his debut for his new team on Tuesday.A day after the blockbuster trade to acquire the two-time Cy Young winner from the Detroit Tigers, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman discussed the deal with reporters. Friedman said that Skubal is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in what could be a postseason preview between the World Series hopefuls. He also discussed what motivated a Dodgers team that already rostered one of baseball's best rotations to add Skubal to at the top."I don't think we went into this thing, this is an acute need," Friedman said Sunday at a news conference. "Whenever there's a star-level player that is available that can really shift championship odds, those are moments that we'll be more aggressive."Friedman scoffs at criticism that Dodgers are bad for baseballThe deal to acquire Skubal was both shocking and not unexpected at the same time. The Dodgers were among the last teams in baseball in need of a pitching upgrade. They're also a team that's acquired two consecutive World Series championships via aggressive deal-making and player acquisition.The big spending has prompted criticism from some circles that the Dodgers stockpiling of talent is bad for baseball. Friedman offered a blunt retort to that criticism on Sunday:"Passionately disagree," he told reporters.Regardless of ones thoughts on whether or not the Dodgers are good for baseball, its hard to argue with the results. The Dodgers left the All-Star break as the favorites to win a third consecutive World Series title, and now theyve added arguably the best pitcher in baseball to an already stacked rotation.

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PORTLAND (AP) Dearica Hamby scored 23 points, Nneka Ogwumike had 20 of her 22 in the second half and the Los Angeles Sparks on a day they learned star teammate Kelsey Plum was traded ended a six-game losing streak with a 106-101 win over the Portland Fire on Sunday.Plum, sidelined since June 21 with a leg injury, was sent to the Phoenix Mercury late Saturday night. The Sparks are now 3-9 without Plum.Ogwumike hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:25 to play, making it 98-96. Hamby followed with a layup off an Ogwumike assist. In the last 24 seconds Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler went 6 for 6 from the foul line.Wheeler, Ariel Atkins, Rae Burrell and reserve Jihyun Park all added 12 points for the Sparks (11-17). Hamby and Ogwumike both had 10 rebounds and Wheeler had eight assists.Bridget Carleton hit seven 3-pointers and scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Fire (11-19), who lost their fifth straight, four times allowing 100-plus points. Carla Leite added 21 points and eight assists and Megan DiLeo scored 19.Portland took advantage of four offensive rebounds and six Los Angeles turnovers to lead 29-22 after one quarter. The lead reached 10 in the second quarter and the Fire were up 49-43 at the break. Wheeler and Ogwumike had back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Sparks their first lead since 10-8 at 65-64. Carletons 3 in the last minute pulled the Fire into a 72-72 tie entering the fourth quarter.Up nextSparks: Play at Chicago on Wednesday.Fire: The third game of a five-game homestand is Thursday against fellow expansion team Toronto.___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Screenings and Scouting Reports byMario CrescibeneI found myself sitting in my 90s Alfa Romeo Spider at the Midway Drive-In Theater in Ravenna, waiting for Bull Durham to begin. There was always something about the nostalgia of a drive-in theater on a hot summer night that I loved. And what better place than the Midway Drive-In?The moment you pull up, youre greeted by a classic 1950s-style marquee with MIDWAY spelled out in red retro boxes with cream-filled letters. A row of flags line the top of the sign, snapping quietly in the evening wind. And below the bold MIDWAY, the nights films are spelled out in red plastic letters each placed by hand one at a time the same way its been done for decades.I settled into the black leather seat of my Spider with a coke propped between my legs, a bag of popcorn resting somewhat precariously against the door, and a hot dog on one leg. The black leather still held the warmth of the day and as the movie started, Susan Sarandons voice came over the speaker. An organ hummed softly in the background as she launched into her opening monologue about the Church of Baseball.The Church of Baseball? In a car with warm leather seats, a hotdog, popcorn, a coke, and a baseball movie? I was already in heaven.At least I thought I was in for a baseball movie. But as Susan Sarandons character kept talking, she started getting into the countless relationships shed had, one season after the other, with one minor leaguer after the next.What kind of a movie is this? I asked myself out loud. Just as her monologue concluded, I heard the crunch of gravel under a cars tires. And as I turned my head, a Buick came rumbling up to the left of me and eased into the spot right next to mine. I had a sneaky suspicion who it was as soon as I saw the old Buick, and hung my elbow out the window to get a good look at my drive-in neighbor and sure enough, there he was.As he put the car in park, Gus glanced over and did a double take. His eyes glinted as they always did as he realized who hed run into once again.Mario!Gus! What in the world are you doing here?Same as you, Id imagine, he said, nodding toward the screen. Cmon, get in well watch the movie together.I quickly finished my hotdog, gathered up my coke and popcorn, and made the short migration from my car to his. I climbed in and pulled the door shut. Apparently I used too much force, however, because as the door slammed closed, the Buicks alarm exploded to life, blaring its off-key rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame.Sorry, sorry! Gus fumbled with his keys, but finally cut the alarm mid-note. Well at least the alarm fits the theme of the movie, Gus chortled out.Im not so sure, Gus, I countered. I thought this was a baseball movie, but this is starting to feel more like a chick-flick.Never seen it, Gus shot back as he systematically laid four hotdogs in his lap.Me neither, I responded. But its not capturing my attention.As I got situated in Guss car, I took stock of my new surroundings. Scouting reports and notes were jammed into every crevice of the navy blue interior of the Buick. Papers and notes were stuck in the seat pockets, the dash, and even wedged between the seats. A season schedule was taped to the windshield just above the dashboard. And I couldnt help but notice, tucked in the open glove compartment was an old stopwatch sitting next to a folding mustache comb.On the movie screen, the story shifted to Nuke LaLoosh, the talented but brash pitching prospect and the old veteran Crash Davis and of course Annie Savoy the prospect-whisperer-seductress. But between the love triangle and supposed baseball advice, I just couldnt get invested in the story of the prospect pitcher or the washed-up catcher. Watching it, something occurred to me.You know, Gus, I started, we never talk much about pitchers. I dont really care whether Nuke makes the majors, but are there any pitching prospects youve got your eye on?Funny you should ask. Gus said, setting down his hotdog somehow hed already finished two without me noticing and rubbed his palms together excitedly. Franklin Gmez. Kids a steal, Mario. An absolute steal. Cleveland picked him up from the Mets this offseason for next to nothing, just a chunk of international bonus money. Twenty-one years old, lefty, six-foot, weighs two-twenty. He was in the Mets system since he signed out of Venezuela back in 22.As he said that, Annie Savoy told Crash and Nuke she wanted to take them both back to her apartment.What kind of a movie is this? Gus asked, perplexed.I think we bought tickets to Sex and the City by mistake, Gus, I joked leaning over to prod him with my elbow.Gus shook his head and refocused on Gmez. The interesting thing, Mario, is that everyones talking about Braylon Doughty, but he and Gmez had almost identical numbers while at Lake County.Uninterested in the movies drama of the ever-evolving love triangle, I whipped out my phone and pulled up the stats:Gus was right. Doughty and Gmez had almost identical numbers across the board.But dont let the stats fool you, Mario. These two might appear the same on paper, but they are completely different on the mound. Doughtys got the stuff power sinker, cutter, the kind of arm that jumps off a scouting card. Gmez doesnt light up a radar gun. He gets you out because he knows exactly what hes doing up there. Command over stuff, every time.As Gus continued, I pulled up Gmezs advanced stats:Look at his walk rate this year, Gus said, jabbing a finger at the screen. 7.5%. Strikeout rates right there with it at 27.6%. Put those together and you get a K-BB% over 20%. And hes got a FIP of 3.69 although his BABIPs on the higher side at .327. But dont get me wrong the command jump is real, and thats the part thatll set him up for success.I glanced back at the screen to see Annie in a batting cage, shaking her hips at Crash while on a date as she continued to insist that she was monogamous with Nuke.Pucha, I muttered. Esta chica es una trampa.Gus shook his head and went right back to his analysis. Realistically? Youre looking at Gmez being a back-end starter maybe a swingman if the fastball doesnt tick up. But its promising when you see him putting up the same numbers as Doughty. Kids a project worth being patient with.Before I could respond, Nuke appeared on the screen in a dream-sequence with him dripping sweat while pitching in nothing but a garter belt and a jockstrap.What is this? I said, sitting up. Magic Mike?Gus squinted at the screen. I dont know what Magic Mike is, Mario, but I sure know this aint a baseball movie.Youre telling me, I said.Then I added, You know, Gus you always dash away each time I see you. How are you going to do that this time? You cant exactly drive away with me in the car.Gus squinted at Tim Robbins in a garter. Why dont we both make a quick getaway this time, Mario? Patience will pay off with Franklin Gmez, as he makes his way back from an elbow injury, but Ive lost my patience with this movie. Lets head to the Birdie Shack for some ice cream.Sounds good to me, I responded. And then remembering a line from the movie I added, That movies a lot like how Nuke pitches, sort of all over the place.Gus laughed. They got a million-dollar cast, but a five-cent script. And with that, we pulled away.

BELGRADE, SERBIA - AUGUST 01: (L-R) Michael Oliveira of Brazil punches Oban Elliott of England in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Belgrade Arena on August 01, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!NINE rookies stepped into the Octagon yesterday (Sat., Aug. 1, 2026) at UFC Belgrade inside Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. Collectively, the newcomers went 5-4, with most of them either finishing opponents in the first round or getting finished themselves.Now that the dust has settled, lets grade their respective performances below:Vlasto CepoVlasto Cepo entered UFC riding a two-fight win streak as a longtime Oktagon MMA veteran. but unfortunately, his debut went horribly wrong.Cepo and Gilbert Urbina went from 0 to 100 immediately, with Cepo throwing bombs from the opening bell. He landed one good right hand early, but then continued swinging with his chin straight up in the air.And he paid for it.Urbina popped him with a power jab that sent him crashing to the canvas, then pounced with follow-up punches to finish the fight in just one minute (watch highlights).Whew what a disaster debut for Cepo.He entered as a -355 favorite and got slept by a fighter who was 1-3 in UFC. This was supposed to be a showcase fight for Cepo, and instead, he got showcased.If he cannot beat Urbina, who was moving back up to Middleweight, it is tough to see Cepo having a long UFC career. He will probably be involved in some fun fights because he owns a 100 percent finish rate with 10 knockouts and four submissions, all in the first round.But long term? He may end up on more highlight reels than he creates.For his next fight, give me Cepo vs. Zach Reese.Final grade: FMilos Janicic & Noah GugnonThe matchmakers knew exactly what they were doing when they put Lightweight prospects Milos Janicic and Noah Gugnon together: Violence.And it delivered for as long as it lasted Kind of.Janicic appeared to badly hurt or possibly break his foot on the first kick he threw after it slammed into Gugnons elbow. That was basically the beginning of the end for the Serbian fan favorite.Gugnon did not waste time, and he followed Janicic to the ground, took advantage of the injury and strangled him in just 90 seconds.It is tough to take too much away from both of their debuts because the injury changed everything almost immediately, but Gugnon did exactly what he was supposed to do. He stayed composed, recognized the opening and finished the fight without letting Janicic off the hook.That matters.I would not be opposed to UFC running this one back, maybe this time on Gugnons turf at UFC Paris.Gugnon finale grade: AJanicic final grade: FMichael OliveiraAt long last, Michael Oliveira, who is basically carved out of stone, made his highly anticipated UFC debut against Oban Elliott, and it was a quick night.Elliott landed a few right hands early, but within the first minute, Oliveira dropped him with a jab. From that moment on, it never felt like Elliott fully recovered.A few seconds later, Oliveira cracked Elliott with a right hand, dropped him again and pounced with follow-up shots until the referee pulled him off (watch highlights).Coming off season nine of Contender Series, Oliveira was one of the most impressive UFC signings and looked like one of the highest-ceiling prospects from that class. He is built like a Brazilian god, has nasty power, is technical enough to set up his big shots and appears to have solid takedown defense.The big question is how much longer he can make and stay at Welterweight as he is massive.But until that day comes, Oliveira is going to be a serious problem at 170 pounds. I cannot wait to see him fight again.Oliveira revealed that he wants to step in and face Chidi Njokuani at UFC 330.Im insanely down.Final grade: A+Borislav NikolicBorislav Nikolic entered the Octagon as the BRAVE Bantamweight champion, riding a six-fight win streak and carrying some hype because of his 94 percent finish rate. Oh, and he took the fight on eight days notice.Nikolic came rushing after Mark Vologdin to start the fight and immediately got dropped with a left hook before eating knees in the clinch. It was a rough opening sequence, but Nikolic survived and slowly started to settle in. He went to work with leg kicks, jabs and even landed a takedown before the round ended with Vologdin scoring a takedown of his own.Nikolic again started Round 2 aggressively, charging after Vologdin. He was taken down within the first minute and nearly caught in a choke, but Vologdin scrambled wrong, allowing Nikolic to end up on top.From there, Nikolic had a much better round, pressuring Vologdin and landing crisp strikes.Then came Round 3, which was easily Nikolics best frame.The Serbian dropped Vologdin twice and nearly finished him with a knee. Vologdin did manage to land another takedown, but Nikolic reversed it straight into a tight guillotine. He eventually gave up the choke and unloaded nasty ground-and-pound that almost ended the fight.Ultimately, Nikolic won a unanimous decision.It was a great debut and Bantamweight rocks.Nikolic had to battle through real adversity early, but he fought back and showed UFC fans that he is going to be must-watch television. He is wild, aggressive, and constantly looking to finish.Give me Nikolic vs. Hecher Sosa next.Final grade: A-Nina MilosevicRiding an impressive eight-fight win streak, Serbias Nina Milosevic got the call to the big show and she delivered.Milosevic and Hailey Cowan went to battle immediately, with both women landing power shots during a chaotic three-minute fight. But Milosevic eventually found the target that mattered most: The body.The 29-year-old landed a crushing shot to Cowans solar plexus that stopped her in her tracks. Cowan tried to fight back, but Milosevic landed one more body shot, and that was enough to force the finish.Milosevic is an excellent addition to a lackluster Bantamweight division, even if she did beat arguably the worst fighter in the weight class. She has very good striking, throws with real intent and has grappling if she needs it.That is enough to make her interesting.I would love to see Milosevic take on Melissa Croden, who is Cowans good friend and training partner, later this year at UFC Edmonton.Final grade: AJovan Leka & Alexander PoppeckAfter a terrible Contender Series fight last year, Jovan Leka got busy on the regional scene, rattling off three straight finish wins to earn a call to the big show.This time, he made the most of it.Leka took on short-notice replacement Alexander Poppeck, and the size difference was obvious. Poppeck started with feints, low kicks and combinations, but it only took Leka around two minutes to find the kill shot.Leka ripped a brutal liver kick that dropped Poppeck, then pounced with follow-up shots until the referee pulled him off (watch highlights).It was a perfect debut.Leka completely redeemed himself from Contender Series and showed why UFC was willing to take another look. He is young, only 24 years old, talented, big, and competing in a Heavyweight division that badly needs fresh names.He probably is not going to be a future champion, but he has the tools to stick around for a long time think a solid, long Marcin Tybura-type UFC career.For his second outing, Leka should be rebooked against Max Gimenis.Final grade: A+Nothing but props to Alexander Poppeck for stepping in on short notice to fight Leka.That said, this went exactly how it probably should have gone.Poppeck was obviously undersized, coming in at 215 pounds while Leka weighed 262. That is an enormous gap, and it showed almost immediately once Leka landed clean.Since losing to Jamahal Hill on season three of Contender Series, Poppeck has put together a solid career and really found his stride in Oktagon MMA. He is violent and fun, and I am looking forward to seeing him return to Light Heavyweight.I like Ibo Aslan for his second UFC opponent.Final grade: FMarina SpasicMarina Spasic started her UFC debut on fire.Until she did not.The 32-year-old was aggressive early, marching down Stephanie Luciano and landing just about everything she threw. She connected with solid combinations, sharp 1-2s, and looked like she might overwhelm Luciano with pressure.The problem?Her chin was way up in the air.Halfway through the round, Luciano finally started firing back and cracked Spasic. Then, Luciano had enough of the striking exchanges, took Spasic down, and strangled her almost immediately (watch highlights).Rough.Spasic felt like she only got signed because UFC wanted to fill out the card with as many Serbian fighters as possible. That became even more obvious considering she entered the promotion off just one win.Still, she does have an 86 percent finish rate with six knockouts, so maybe she can produce some fun chaos if matched correctly.But do I foresee a long UFC career?Not really.Give her Shauna Bannon in her second outing.Final grade: FFor complete UFC Belgrade results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

Aug1, 2026; Springfield, IL, USA; WPBL players and coaches take part in the ceremony to mark the Inaugural game of the season at Robin Roberts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectYesterday the Womens Professional Baseball League held its first ever game as the Los Angeles Queens defeated the New York Heights 10 to 8 after a thrilling comeback in the rain. WHAT. A. GAME.Tonight was a night of firsts. First pitches, first strikeouts, first homeruns and the first team to win a WPBL game.The LA Queens won in dramatic fashion, coming back late from down 4 runs to claim the first victory in WPBL history. pic.twitter.com/w5AO2ulPDK Women's Pro Baseball League (@wpbl_official) August 2, 2026Today will bring the season opener for the remaining two teams in the league, the San Francisco Firebells and the Boston Hunters.As continued WPBL coverage is a little outside of Purple Rows usual beat, the same note from yesterdays game thread bears repeating once more:We realize that Purple Row is a Colorado Rockies site, and none of that will change. But we do want to provide a discussion space for those who want to follow this new league, so well be pinning a discussion thread on our homepage to facilitate fan discussion and support this new league in its early days.On to todays game!She wears number 3, but she's our number 1.First-overall draft pick Kelsie Whitmore has been named Captain of the San Francisco Firebells. pic.twitter.com/FtiHKbvuy7 WPBL San Francisco Firebells (@wpbl_firebells) August 1, 2026The Firebells have named Kelsie Whitmore arguably the most well known US born player in the WPBL as their team captain. The first overall pick in the WPBL draft, Whitmore is a two-way player.Whitmore played for the United States in the 2014 and 2018 Womens Baseball World Cup and college softball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. She won the Big West Conferences softball player of the year in 2021. In recent years Whitmore has played for a mixture of independent league teams and was the first woman to be in a starting lineup for an Atlantic League game. Most recently she has been playing Banana Ball for the Savannah Bananas since August of last year.Follow you anywhere, Captain. Alli Schroder has been named Captain of the Boston Hunters. pic.twitter.com/COWTUbqrah WPBL Boston Hunters (@wpbl_hunters) August 1, 2026The Hunters will be led on the field by their own team captain, Alli Schroder. Selected fifth overall in the WPBL draft, Schroder won bronze medals in the 2018 and 2024 Womens Baseball World Cup as a pitcher for Canada. Just this past June, Schroder became the first woman to play in the Grand Forks International baseball tournament. Outside baseball, Schroder has worked as a firefighter with the BC Wildfire Service since 2021. The game is set to begin at 5:30 pm.Those in the United States can watch on either ESPN Select or the Scripps Sports Network and international viewers can find the game on the WPBL Youtube page.Join the conversation!Sign up for a user accountand get:Fewer adsCreatecommunity postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Please keep in mind ourPurple Row Community Guidelineswhen youre commenting. Thanks!

Michael Thorbjornsen has won the Rocket Classic behind a bogey-free final round in Motown. In his first career win, the 24-year-old Thorbjornsen nets $1,800,000 and some much-coveted FedExCup points. Runner-up Xander Schauffele also is walking out of the Motor City with a seven-figure check.Here's a full list of the payouts for every player at Detroit Golf Club (note: the list will be updated as soon as results are final after Sundays final round):2026 Rocket Classic full purse breakdownFINISHPLAYEREARNINGS1Michael Thorbjornsen$1,800,0002Xander Schauffele$1,090,0003Davis Riley$690,0004Rasmus Hojgaard$490,000T5Hideki Matsuyama$370,000T5Matt Wallace$370,000T5Kristoffer Ventura$370,000T8Davis Thompson$252,500T8Ryan Gerard$252,500T8Patrick Cantlay$252,500T8Michael Kim$252,500T8Chris Kirk$252,500T8Rickie Fowler$252,500T8Cameron Young$252,500T15Sungjae Im$162,500T15Keegan Bradley$162,500T15Doug Ghim$162,500T15Rico Hoey$162,500T15Michael Brennan$162,500T20Chandler Blanchet$109,500T20Corey Conners$109,500T20Keita Nakajima$109,500T20Ricky Castillo$109,500T20Russell Henley$109,500T20Luke Clanton$109,500T26Ben Kohles$74,500T26Jacob Bridgeman$74,500T26Mac Meissner$74,500T26Kevin Roy$74,500T26Stephan Jaeger$74,500T31Jordan Spieth$57,214T31Jackson Koivun$57,214T31Jordan Smith$57,214T31Brandt Snedeker$57,214T31Emiliano Grillo$57,214T31Kevin Yu$57,214T31David Lipsky$57,214T38Thorbjrn Olesen$44,500T38Austin Eckroat$44,500T38Ben James$44,500T38Justin Lower$44,500T42Hank Lebioda$37,500T42Joe Highsmith$37,500T42Si Woo Kim$37,500T45Beau Hossler$29,780T45Christiaan Bezuidenhout$29,780T45Gordon Sargent$29,780T45Marco Penge$29,780T45Adrien Saddier$29,780T50Ryo Hisatsune$23,860T50Matt McCarty$23,860T50Jackson Suber$23,860T50Matt Kuchar$23,860T50Zac Blair$23,860T50Neal Shipley$23,860T50Max Greyserman$23,860T50Adam Schenk$23,860T50J.J. Spaun$23,860T50Patrick Fishburn$23,86060Johnny Keefer$22,500T61Mark Hubbard$22,000T61Brian Campbell$22,000T61Nick Taylor$22,000T61Nicolai Hjgaard$22,000T65Dylan Wu$21,300T65Karl Vilips$21,300T65Zecheng Dou$21,300T68William Mouw$20,800T68Peter Malnati$20,80070Adam Svensson$20,500T71Harris English$20,200T71Tony Finau$20,20073Marcelo Rozo$19,900

ATLANTA (AP) Luis Garca Jr. wanted to help but could only watch as the Washington Nationals suffered their fifth straight loss on Sunday.As the Nationals inched closer to completing a trade to send Garca to the New York Yankees, Garca was scratched about 30 minutes before a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He watched the game from the dugout.I mean, it was weird, uncomfortable, going out to a dugout and then having all the other teammates look at you, Garca said through a translator.Garca has spent his career with the Nationals but acknowledged he would be excited to move to the Yankees.I mean its a mix of both sad and happy, Garca said. Theres a new chapter in my career, so yeah, 50-50 right now.As of early Sunday night, the Nationals and Yankees had not announced the trade. The New York Post and ESPN 's Jeff Passan reported the Yankees will send the Nationals four right-handed pitchers: Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jake Bird and Jack Cebert.When asked after Sunday's 2-1 win at the Chicago Cubs about a trade for Garca, Yankees manager Aaron Boone All I know is its very close, so you guys can speculate all you want.Garca said he would fly with the Nationals to Philadelphia, where they open a four-game series on Monday.Bird, 30, has a 5.93 ERA in 30 games with the Yankees this season, all in relief. Cruz, 26, has a 1.69 ERA in four games. Grable and Cebert have spent the full season in the minors.Nationals manager Blake Butera confirmed he was instructed to hold Garca out even though a trade was not yet final.I was told something was really close, Butera said. Also heard nothings official yet. But look, if Luis is here, if hes not here, hes an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable leader for this clubhouse, unbelievable player, you name it. Done everything weve asked him to. ... However this shakes out, well always love Luis and he can always play on my team."Being swept in a four-game series for the first time this season was painful for the Nationals, who fell three games below .500.Perhaps more painful was the realization the Nationals were also losing Garca, a popular teammate who joined the organization when he was a teenager and this year has become one of the National League's top sluggers. Entering Sunday's games, Garca's .560 slugging percentage led the league. He ranked fifth in the NL with 76 RBIs while hitting .283 with 23 homers.When asked about Garca as a player, Boone said He rakes.Added Yankees shortstop Jos Caballero: "I know that he is a great hitter. I know that. ... So Im just excited to see him here and what he can contribute for the team, for sure.Garca, 26, said watching from the dugout was especially painful when fill-in starting first baseman Andrs Chapparo was hit by a pitch from JR Ritchie on his helmet in the fourth inning. When Chapparo was replaced the following inning, Butera turned to Brady House, who usually plays third base but made his first appearance in a game at first base.Butera stuck with House, who only recently began taking fielding practice at first base. Butera said he removed Chapparo from the game because he was dizzy and just didnt feel very well. And any time somebody hits hit the head, just dont want to chance it.Butera said Chapparo was doing better and had passed a concussion test.___Associated Press freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) Shiho Kuwaki became the fifth Japanese player in the last three years to win a major Sunday when she outlasted Esther Henseleit of Germany with a par on the second playoff hole to win the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.Kuwaki closed with a 1-under 70 and looked like a winner as she waited in the scoring room to see if anyone could match her 5-under 279. Henseleit holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 70 to force only the second playoff since the Women's British Open became a major in 2001.Kuwaki saved par from the fairway after a tee shot into deep rough on the 18th in the playoff and Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win. On the 18th again, Henseleit drove under a gorse bush, chipped out and couldn't make par. Kuwaki two-putted for par from 30 feet.Kuwaki, a 23-year-old with two wins on the Japan LPGA this year, followed major champions Miyu Yamashita, Mao Saigo, Ayaka Furue and Yuka Saso since 2024.PGA TourDETROIT (AP) Michael Thorbjornsen made a 26-foot birdie putt on his last hole for a 7-under 63 and a two-shot victory in the Rocket Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs after rolling into the Motor City at No. 69 in the standings. The top 70 advance to the postseason after next weeks Wyndham Championship. He also earned a spot in the Masters for the first time next April.Hes the eighth first-time winner this season on the PGA Tour and the second straight, following Jackson Koivun's victory last week in the 3M Open.Xander Schauffele (65) briefly led during the final round and finished second, two shots back. Davis Riley (70) was another stroke behind in third, falling out of the lead with four bogeys.PGA Tour ChampionsVILAMOURA, Portugal (AP) Zach Johnson opened with three straight birdies and closed with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot victory over Stewart Cink in the inaugural Portugal Invitational. Johnson won for the fourth time in his rookie season on the 50-and-older circuit, and it was his third Champions title in his last four starts.Cink, who closed with a 68, remains atop the Charles Schwab Cup standings. Johnson and Cink have combined to win eight of the 18 tournaments this year on the PGA Tour Champions.Padraig Harrington closed with a 70 and finished third in his eighth consecutive week playing the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions and European tour.Other toursRory Franssen of Scotland played bogey-free Sunday for a 5-under 67 and won the Infortar Estonian Challenge by three shots over Andrew Wilson for his first title on the European tour's developmental circuit. ... Dayeon Lee closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory in the Aurora World Championship for her first title this year on the Korea LPGA.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Kevin Owens made a massive, successful return at WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. To start Sundays show, reappointed "SmackDown" general manager Nick Aldis announced that Gunther and Owens were added to the No. 1 contender match between Finn Balor and Sami Zayn. In his first match in 17 months, Owens then claimed the right to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk.Owens immediately got in his first licks in 17 months, taking out Gunther and Balor with corner cannonballs, leaving him alone in the ring with a stunned Zayn. The two old frenemies embraced and then began throwing down for an epic, emotional start.KEVIN OWENS IS BACK!!!! THIS IS MADNESS!!! pic.twitter.com/W1BWKhNuVb WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026KEVIN OWENS IS SO BACK pic.twitter.com/kOQMwCwd2l WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026Owens momentum continued fast and furious, as he dropped Zayn with a senton, followed by a Swanton Bomb onto all three men outside. Gunther received another in the ring before countering Owens Stunner with a sleeper hold. Balor swiftly broke things up, leaving Gunther in control of the action.Balor then found his chance to shine when he hit Zayn and Gunther with Slingblades before a double shotgun dropkick. The Coup de Grace missed on Gunther, allowing The Ring General" to find his patented powerbomb, right into a Boston Crab off Balor's kick-out. Owens broke it up and stomped out Gunther in the corner. The crowd couldn't have been more hyped for Canada's finest.A massive avalanche brainbuster from Owens planted Balor in the middle of the ring, with Zayn trying to steal the pin. Balor kicked out, and they went straight back to the top rope. Owens wound up knocking off Balor, stopping the Coup de Grace, and going for a Swanton Bomb on Zayn. The knees got up, sending Owens to the corner and lining him up for a Helluva Kick. Gunther intercepted with a big sleeper hold, only for Balor to hit a Coup de Grace on both. Gunther broke up Balors pin with his fingertips, somewhat botching the near-fall.Owens returned to the mix to hit Stunners on both Balor and Gunther. Zayn had one teed up, but reversed into a big Blue Thunder Bomb for the near-fall. Yet Owens perservered and found it again on Zayn after halting the Helluva with a super kick, then scored the pin to polish off massive return win and become the official No. 1 contender.KO IS NO. 1 CONTENDER Welcome BACK to the KEVIN OWENS SHOW!!! @FightOwensFightpic.twitter.com/P7Lj5LuV2i WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026What a moment for @FightOwensFight #SummerSlampic.twitter.com/tLoLIo5akU WWE (@WWE) August 2, 2026Check out full WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night 2 results, highlights and match-by-match updates here.