LOS ANGELES Ceddanne Rafaela is accustomed to making big contributions to Red Sox wins.He won a Gold Glove for his defensive play a year ago, and given that he leads all American League center fielders in defensive runs saved, is likely on his way to another.But in the last week, Rafaela is reminding everyone that he can help win games in other ways, too. On Monday night in Sacramento, his sixth-inning grand slam accounted for all four runs in a win over the Athletics.In the series opener here Friday night, he smoked a two-run homer that propelled the Sox to a five-run seventh inning in a 9-4 Red Sox victory.Then, as if to top that, he launched solo homers off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first and third innings. Those stood as the only hits off Yamamoto through the first seven innings of what turned out to be a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers.Off of a very good pitcher, two big swings from him, said interim manager Chad Tracy. Hes otherworldly right now. Hes been outstanding, really good all year, obviously. The home runs on this road trip are showing up and so many of them have been massive home runs.I think its safe to say hes been probably the most key contributor to some of these wins.Prior to this season, Rafaelas performance could be boom-or-bust. When he was hot, he could fire an offense for a week or so. But be could just as quickly turn cold, chase pitches out of the zone and pile up strikeouts.This year has been different. Rafaela has found a consistency at the plate and largely avoided dramatic downturns.Meanwhile, the highs have remained. He now has 14 homers and is virtually guaranteed to top his career-best in homers of 16, achieved last season.I think I was hunting something hard, out over (the plate), said Rafaela of his two shots against Yamamoto, both on split-finger fastballs. His fastball is really good, so I was ready for the fastball, but always knowing that Im good hitting off-speed. I was just ready.Rafaela, though happy that the runs were critical to the Red Sox win, said he took no particular satisfaction from hitting them off Yamamoto, one of the games most dominant starters.I think weve been beating a lot of good pitchers and putting up good ABs, he said. I think weve been doing a good job against good team, so I think we already know what were capable of. Were just going to keep winning ballgames.Still, theres no denying that Rafaelas stretch at the plate matches the heatwave currently sweeping southern California. Hes hit safely in seven games with four homers and 11 RBI.Right now, I do feel good at the plate. Im making the right decision on the right pitches and thats what I need to keep doing to have these results.That Rafaela has contributed three homers in the first two games of this series is especially welcome, since the team has been without its best run-producer Willson Contreras since the first baseman was hit in the helmet in the third inning Friday night.At a time when the Sox lost an important power bat from the right, Rafaela stepped to the forefront.To have him out of the lineup is sad for us, said Rafaela of the absence of Contreras, because I think hes the most important bat for us on the team. Hes been doing a great job for us and carrying us. So, yeah, I feel good to help the team today and hopefully well see him (back in the lineup) tomorrow.More Red Sox coverageRed Sox await trade deadline with anticipation, uncertainty; Well figure it out as we goAre Red Sox two star rookie starters actually related? Payton Tolle explainsRed Sox have top slugger back in lineup Sunday as they try to sweep Dodgers in L.A.Some Things I Think I Think: Red Sox and Jarren Duran no longer a good fit As Red Sox try to trade for a shortstop, outstanding fill-in at the position making a case to stayRead the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Most of the NFL's 32 teams haven't completed a full week of training camp practices yet, but there's still been plenty of news and updates from around the league. The Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition has dominated some of the social media chatter through the opening days of training camp. Who has the upper hand there? Elsewhere, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made more headlines over the weekend, and the Denver Broncos might be in the mix to add some depth at quarterback as Bo Nix shared an encouraging update about his ankle. Here's what to know from what happened around the NFL this weekend: In Cleveland, the competition for the starting quarterback spot is officially underway. Browns general manager Andrew Berry noted that Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders still have a "long way to go" in their depth chart battle. "Both those guys, and really that entire room, deserve a lot of credit for putting together a really good offseason program, really working hard with the new staff, learning the offense," Berry told NFL Network. "The reality of it is, we're only three days into training camp. So we've got a long way to go before any decisions are made." Berry emphasized that head coach Todd Monken and his staff will ultimately decide who takes the field in Week 1, evaluating a room that also includes Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green. The decision will be performance-based, taking into account the full body of work over the coming weeks. Sanders is coming off a rookie campaign where he started seven games, leading Cleveland to three wins while completing 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Watson hasn't played since 2024 following injuries and inconsistent play across his three seasons in Cleveland. Highlighting early camp adjustments, Watson was intercepted in the end zone by safety Donovan McMillon during Saturday's practice session. Sanders has completed 13 of 22 passes with four touchdowns and an interception during team drills, while Watson has completed 12 of 19 passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions, according to ESPN Cleveland. The quarterback battle could stretch well into the preseason, which opens Aug. 15 against the Chicago Bears. Cleveland hopes to have its starter locked in before opening the regular season on Sept. 13 at Jacksonville. The Denver Broncos enter the season with unfinished business. Coming off an AFC Championship loss that saw quarterback Bo Nix sidelined by a broken right ankle in the divisional round, the team faces high expectations as they look for another deep playoffrun. Expectations in Denver are at an all-time high following the offseason addition of Pro Bowl wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. To make matters better, Nix says he feels "great" as he returns from his season-ending ankle injury, according to DNVR Sports. "Nothing is holding me back," Nix told reporters after the weekend. Even after adding Waddle and getting Nix back, the Broncos may not be finished retooling their roster for the season. Head coach Sean Payton said the team will explore signing free agent quarterback and Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill, according to NFL Network. Hill played for Payton when the latter was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints for five seasons. Hill announced last week that his time in New Orleans was over. After Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger are the other quarterbacks on the Broncos' roster. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is open to adjusting the iconic glare at AT&T Stadium. After FIFA required the stadium to close its curtains during the World Cup to block the sun during matches played in the afternoon, Jones admitted he is giving thought to tinting the windows facing west. "Thinking about it and doing something about it are two different things... But Ill think about it," Jones told reporters. "The sun changes, and the angle of that sun changes from September through year-round. But as we look at it, I like some of the effects of the tinting. And so were giving that a thought." While the stadium's East-West setup has historically forced teams to navigate direct sunlight during afternoon kickoffs, it hasn't always been an advantage to the Cowboys, who have also had to deal with the blinding sun. In fact, there was a memorable moment when Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said he couldn't catch a ball thrown at him due to the sun getting in his eyesight in 2024. Travis Hunters return to the field this season will be one of the biggest storylines among the league's young players as he tries to once again play both sides of the ball for the Jaguars. As Hunter works his way back from an injury that cut his rookie season short, he gave Jaguars fans a reason to be excited over the weekend. The Jaguars released a video showing Hunter making a tightly contested catch on a pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Shortly after, he delivered another standout play on defense, intercepting backup Nick Mullens. While Hunter stars at Jaguars camp, he's looking to bounce back from an underwhelming rookie campaign. He played in just seven games before he suffered a knee injury in practice that cut his season short. Hunter didn't produce much when he was healthy, either. He had 28 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown to go with 15 total tackles and zero interceptions. He played 324 snaps at receiver and 162 snaps at cornerback. The Jaguars' plan to use Hunter on both sides of the ball has not changed, especially after the Jaguars shored up the core of their secondary by re-signing Montaric "Buster" Brown in March. "How do we balance his reps here, knowing that were trying to ease him in, but he also at some point needs to get double the amount that a normal player gets," Jaguars coach Liam Coen recently told reporters. "So what does that ramp-up look like? We have it all kind of mapped out ... on every single practice schedule, his reps are highlighted in here where hes in, what plays hes in, where hes at on the field. Weve been extremely intentional about it." Hunter was limited during offseason workouts because of his surgery in November. But he used that time to build up some 10 pounds of muscle in his upper body and managed to get even faster.He was actually clocked running at 22.6 mph at the teams facility last week. "I was a small guy coming in. Everybody was like, Gain weight, gain weight," Hunter told reporters. "I was scared at first. Im like Dang, Ive never played at this weight. Im going to feel heavy, not going to be able to do what I do. Training and being able to put those months in not just on the grass but in the weight room just putting in extra work, it made me feel lighter on my feet when I finally touched the grass." Rams head coach Sean McVay only intensified the chatter that Aaron Donald will unretire and re-join the team for the 2026 season. McVay told reporters that Donald is "trending upwards" following the Rams' practice on Friday. However, McVay also indicated that Donald's return likely won't happen until later in August, at the earliest. "Thatll be something that, I think, once we get back to Woodland Hills, well have a better idea of what that timeline looks like. There wont be any decision and anything in terms of Aarons situation while were here. Thats kind of already been set out when weve talked for the past couple weeks," McVay said. Los Angeles is practicing at Marymount University through Aug. 6, and it's scheduled to return to its practice facility in San Fernando Valley after that. Our Eric D. Williams reported in late July that Donald was leaning toward returning after multiple months of speculation.

The Toronto Blue Jays have traded starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs signaling a sell-off at the MLB trade deadline months after they took the Dodgers to extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series. The Athletics Ken Rosenthal reported the trade on Sunday. Details of the deal including the return were not initially reported.The move in part cements a season of disappointment for the Blue Jays, who started 2026 with hopes of competing for the AL East title and returning to the postseason. Instead, they've entered the stretch run in last place in the division at 52-60with long-shot hopes of competing for a wild-card spot. Whether the Blue Jays would be sellers at the deadline or hold steady for a shot at the postseason was unclear before the All-Star break. But they lost five of their first six games coming out of the break, including three to the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays.Gausman is playing on the final season of a five-year, $110 million contract. He was a prime candidate for a deadline deal to a contending team seeking a contributor with an expiring contract. A two-time All-Star, Gausman isn't at his peak form at 35 years old. But he's been a reliable starter for much of his career, including this season as one of MLB's leaders in starts and innings pitched.This story will be updated.

TheHouston Rocketshave had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course ofRockets history.To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades,Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatestRockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.And for today's article, we will continue with the third of 14 who wore the No. 25, forward C.J. Kupec. After ending his college career at Michigan, Kupec was picked up with the 56th overall selection of the 1975 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.The Oak Lawn, Illinois native played the first 2 seasons of his pro career with L.A. before he was cut, the Houston Rockets claiming him in 1977. His stay with the team lasted until he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1978.During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Kupec wore only jersey No. 25 and put up 4.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Houston Rockets jersey history No. 25 CJ Kupec (1977-78)

Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. was not in contention for going to the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft prior to joining the Nets. Most of the noise related to the draft centered around AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, but Brooklyn believes that they may have come away with the best player in the class with the No. 6 pick."Youre probably going to hear this about every guy, including A.J. (Dybantsa) at No. 1, but we feel like Mikel is the steal of the draft," a Nets front-office executive said of Brown, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Brown had some hype around him coming into the draft, especially after he boosted his draft stock during the NBA Combine in May where he showed his skillset along with how much he recovered from his nagging back injury."He was a little wild here (at Summer League) and in California (at California Classic Summer League), but thatll round out with time," the front-office executive continued on Brown before explaining how much the veteran presence on the team will help him improve. "Having him go against Keon (Ellis) and Terance (Mann) every day in practice is going to be huge for him."Brown, 20, had a slow start to the summer circuit as he played just one of the three games that the Nets played in the California Classic, a game in which he put up 10 points and four assists on just 36.4% shooting from the field. However, Brown showed more of the ability that had many scouts fantasizing about his potential during his time in Las Vegas as he averaged 16.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 39.5% from the floor and 33.3% from behind the three-point line.While Brown was not regarded by most scouts/pundits to be as promising of a prospect as the aforementioned Dybantsa and Peterson, he was still taken with the No. 6 pick to be in a position to be Brooklyn's point guard of the future. Brown's rookie season will show how much of his potential he'll be able to realize from the beginning, but no matter what happens, it seems that the Nets' front-office is already sold on him and his future.This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets FO exec discusses Mikel Brown Jr. being steal of 2026 NBA Draft

Texas A&M has built a reputation for producing elite NFL talent, and if youre a young pass rusher looking to maximize your potential, College Station might be the best launching pad in the country. Just ask Myles Garrett, who continues to stack accolades at a pace few defenders in league history can match and now even Madden is giving him the kind of respect reserved for legends.Garrett dominated the NFL last season, racking up award after award while cementing himself as the leagues premier defensive force. His historic campaign was headlined by 23 sacks, breaking the singleseason record of 22.5 previously shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. He also set personal bests in solo tackles (43), sacks (23), and tackles for loss (33), leading the league in both sacks and TFLs. That dominance earned him the ESPY for Best NFL Player.Just before training camp, Garrett added two more trophies to his collection at the 2026 ESPYS. Best RecordBreaking Performance and Best NFL Player, further validating one of the greatest defensive seasons the league has ever seen.Now hes picked up another honor not as flashy as an ESPY, but still a meaningful nod to his status in the sport. In Madden 27, Garrett stands alone as the only edge rusher with a 99 overall rating, marking the third time hes earned the games highest distinction. Hes one of just six players in the league with a 99 rating and the only defender to reach that tier. Former Dallas Cowboy and current Packers star Micah Parsons follows closely behind at 98.High praise from Madden, high praise from the NFL, and yet another reminder. If you want to become one of the best players in football, Texas A&M might be the place to start.The Games Premier Pass Rusher.@Flash_Garrett makes his third appearance in the 99 Club and is the highest-rated edge rusher in Madden 27.#GigEm | #NFLAggiespic.twitter.com/qGnnJc0XEb Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 2, 2026Contact/Follow us@AggiesWireon X and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X:@whosnextsports1.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M Hall of Famer is the highestrated edge rusher in Madden 27

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 04: Ali Sanchez #39 of the New York Yankees speaks with Jake Bird #59 during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on July 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 04: Jake Bird #59 of the New York Yankees celebrates after getting the final out of the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 04, 2026 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 19: Pitcher Jake Bird #59 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning at Coors Field on June 19, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Jake Bird had been in the middle of his second season with the New York Yankees.At the current moment, he is pitching for the SWB RailRiders (Triple-A) after getting demoted earlier this month.The Yankees wrote (via X) on July 19: Optioned RHP Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.Prior to Game 2 of todays doubleheader, the Yankees made the following roster moves: Appointed RHP Elmer Rodrguez (#71) as their 27th Man. Recalled RHP Kervin Castro (#74) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Optioned RHP Jake Bird to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 19, 2026Bird is currently 1-1 with a 5.93 ERA in 36 MLB games this year.Jason Kempf (who works for the Iowa Cubs) wrote: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had just put Jake Bird into the game here in Des Moines when the staff must have found out he was part of the trade to Washington. They slow played a couple at-bats to let a reliever warm and then pulled him. He was out to pitch the ninth.Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had just put Jake Bird into the game here in Des Moines when the staff must have found out he was part of the trade to Washington. They slow played a couple at-bats to let a reliever warm and then pulled him. He was out to pitch the ninth. Jason Kempf (@jkempradio) August 2, 2026On Sunday, ESPNs Jeff Passan reported that the Yankees had made a big trade with the Washington Nationals to acquire Luis Garca Jr.Bird was among the players sent to Washington in the deal.Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote: The Nationals will receive RHP Ben Grable, RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jack Cebert and RHP Jake Bird from the Yankees for Garcia, per source.The Nationals will receive RHP Ben Grable, RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jack Cebert and RHP Jake Bird from the Yankees for Garcia, per source. Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 2, 2026Looking At BirdGettyJake Bird #59 of the New York Yankees celebrates after getting the final out of the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on May 04, 2026 in New York City, New York.Bird was picked in the 5th round of the 2018 MLB Draft.He spent the first 3.5 seasons of his career with the Colorado Rockies.The 30-year-old had been traded to New York during the middle of the 2025 season.The Yankees wrote (via X) on July 31, 2025: The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league infielder Roc Riggio and left-handed pitcher Ben Shields.GettyPitcher Jake Bird #59 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning at Coors Field on June 19, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.Bird has gone 12-12 with a 4.90 ERA in 227 career MLB games.He could be a good addition to the Nationals for pitching depth.Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post New York Yankees Trade Demoted 5-Year MLB Player To Nationals appeared first on HEAVY.

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Veteran starting pitcher Kevin Gausman will join the Chicago Cubs for the final months of his current deal. The Toronto Blue Jays traded Gausman to the Cubs in exhange for outfielder Brett Bateman and infielder Ty Southisene, per FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and The Athletic, providing Chicago with a dependable arm in its chase for the postseason. Gausman is in the final months of the five-year, $110 million deal he signed with Toronto in 2021. He'll be a free agent at the end of this season. Over 22 starts this season, the 35-year-old right-handed pitcher has thrown 121 innings, going 4-10 with a 4.51 ERA. He has struck out 123 and walked 35. Gausman was a key contributor to the Blue Jays' AL pennant season in 2025. He finished the regular season with a 1011 record, 3.59 ERA, and 189 strikeouts in 193 innings pitched. He made five postseason starts, going 23 with a 2.93 ERA as Toronto reached the World Series for the first time since 1993.

TORONTO (AP) Kamilla Rakhimova beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in a rain-delayed match Sunday to kick off the National Bank Open womens main draw.Granted a singles wild-card entry at the WTA 1000 event, the 46-year-old Williams has lost 12 straight matches dating to July 2025.We play outside you cant control the weather, Williams said. But the fans were amazing. They were with me right in every point that was fantastic. I was just fighting to put the ball on the court."The 24-year-old Rakhimova is from Uzbekistan. She's ranked 82nd in the world.Playing Venus is not an everyday experience, Rakhimova said. Im very glad to actually get a chance to play against her. I was looking forward to that match. I knew it was going to be a center-court match. I was trying to enjoy my time on it, no matter what the result."___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis