We passed the mathematical halfway point of the season last week and we’re less than two weeks away from the All-Star break. The trade deadline is only a month away. Are the various postseason races any clearer now than they were a month ago? No, not really. That could make swinging deals at the deadline even more challenging because there are fewer willing sellers.
Until the trade market really heats up, here are three trends around the league to keep an eye on as we head into the dog days of summer.
By any measure, Pirates ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes is having a fantastic season. Going into Tuesday, he ranked fifth among qualified starters with 2.8 WAR and was second with a 30.6% strikeout rate. His expected ERA, which factors in contact quality allowed (exit velocity, etc.), was second only to Jacob Misiorowski. Skenes has been terrific.
It is also true that Skenes this year has not been quite as dominant as in the last two years. His 3.10 ERA is more than a full run higher than 2024-25, his 2.75 FIP is up almost half a run from 2025, and his overall pitching value per Statcast has slipped from the 100th percentile last season to the 95th percentile this season. Still excellent, obviously, but a step down from 2024-25.
In his last eight starts, Skenes has a 4.40 ERA and 3.45 xERA, and he’s allowed four runs three times. Already three times this year, he’s allowed five runs, and five times he’s allowed at least four runs. Last year, Skenes allowed five runs once and at least four runs only four times. That has prompted a round of “what’s wrong with Skenes?” questions, understandably.
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There are two big and pretty obvious reasons 2026 Skenes has been a (slight) step down from 2024-25 Skenes. Let’s examine.
1. Pittsburgh’s defense is awful. The eye test says it and the numbers confirm it. The Pirates, with an outfield full of DHs, have -12 outs above average as a team. Their Defensive Efficiency, which is simply the percentage of batted balls converted into outs, is sixth-worst in baseball at 0.691 (69.1%). The MLB average is 0.700.
The defense has hurt Skenes more than most. Among the 168 pitchers who’ve had at least 100 defensive opportunities behind them, only three have been hurt more by their defense than Skenes.
The Pirates are at -12 OAA as a team, remember, which means they’re at -6 behind Skenes alone and -6 behind every other pitcher on the staff. They’ve channeled half their poor defense behind a guy who’s thrown 12% of their innings. xERA and barrel rate tell us Skenes doesn’t give up much hard contact, yet the Pirates aren’t making plays behind him.
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2. There’s some sample size noise with men on base. With the bases empty, Skenes is holding hitters to a .178/.244/.342 batting line. With men on, those numbers jump to .254/.286/.328. This is a new issue. Skenes held hitters to a .187/.257/.251 line with men on base from 2024-25 and that looks a lot like his 2026 numbers with the bases empty.
Because he doesn’t allow many baserunners in general, only about one-third of the batters Skenes has faced this year have come with men on base. Those batters have a .319 batting average on baseballs in play, up from .262 with men on the last two years and his .276 career average overall. In a relatively small sample with men on, more balls have found grass this year.
This ties back to Pittsburgh’s shaky defense. We saw it right in the first inning on Opening Day. Surely you remember this:
It is notable that Skenes has lost velocity. His average fastball has dipped from 98.8 mph in 2024 to 98.2 mph in 2025 to 97.0 mph in 2026. Velocity loss is normal. Most pitchers never throw harder than they do in their first year in the big leagues. The velocity loss only shows up in Skenes’ fastball. It’s not an across-the-board decline, suggesting he may be taking something off to locate better.
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Even with the velocity loss, Skenes is getting great results with his fastball. The swing-and-miss and hard contact numbers are not just in line with 2024 and 2025; they’re better. This is the most effective Skenes’ fastball has ever been, really. I understand pointing to the velocity loss and worrying about it, but it’s not the root cause of his recent problems. His fastball’s plenty good.
More than anything, the Pirates have to do a better job catching the ball behind their ace. Playing just below-average defense would be an improvement. The numbers with runners on base scream small sample size weirdness. Skenes showed us the last two years he can dominate in those situations. As long as he’s healthy, and by all accounts he is, I wouldn’t worry about him at all.
“I’m happy with it overall,” Skenes said about his season to date last week (via MLB.com). “I think it’s been a little bit odd. But in terms of the controllables, I’ve been happy with how I’ve been throwing, and just gonna continue to get better.”
For several years now, the Guardians boasted one of baseball’s best and deepest bullpens. By OPS+, Cleveland has not had even a league-average offense since 2022. The formula has been good starting pitching, scratch out a few runs, then smother the other team with the bullpen. It’s worked well for them. The Guardians have won the last two and three of the last four AL Central titles.
This year, things are not quite going according to plan. José Ramírez’s hamate injury has, predictably, been a significant blow. Going into Tuesday, the Guardians were averaging 3.46 runs per game since Ramírez’s injury. It was 4.01 runs per game before that, and even that is well below the 4.49 league average. Cleveland has very little margin of error with this offense now.
To make matters worse, the bullpen is no longer the dominant, best-in-the-league force. It isn’t a bad bullpen by any means, but it’s closer to middle of the pack now rather than elite. Here are the bullpen’s numbers going into Tuesday:
ERA
2.57 (1st in MLB)
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3.44 (3rd in MLB)
3.94 (13th in MLB)
xERA
3.38 (2nd)
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3.63 (3rd)
4.03 (14th)
K rate (per batter faced)
26.0% (3rd)
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24.6% (5th)
26.4% (1st)
BB rate (per batter faced)
8.1% (7th)
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8.6% (9th)
9.7% (15th)
HR rate (per 9 IP)
0.75 (1st)
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0.81 (3rd)
1.07 (18th)
WAR
7.8 (1st)
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6.6 (3rd)
2.6 (11th)
Win probability
14.89 (1st)
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8.45 (3rd)
2.69 (7th)
By win probability added, the 2024 Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball history. That was a dominant, suffocating unit that carried a not-quite-league-average offense to 92 wins and an ALCS berth. Last year’s bullpen was not 2024 good, but it was very good, and one of the best in baseball. Manager Stephen Vogt has almost no bad options out there.
This year’s bullpen piles up strikeouts but is middle of the pack everywhere else. xERA, or expected ERA, incorporates exit velocity, and tells us Cleveland’s bullpen is giving up more hard contact this year than in the past. That shows up in the home run rate too. Closer Cade Smith has given up three homers already this year. He gave up five over the previous two years combined.
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Last week, Smith gave up home runs on back-to-back pitches to blow a save against the White Sox. The Guardians came back to win that game, but it was the sort of ninth-inning meltdown that a) Cleveland can’t afford with their current offense, and b) is uncharacteristic for Smith, who has otherwise been terrific this season.
The elephant in the room here is Emmanuel Clase, who will almost certainly never pitch in MLB again given the gambling scandal. Clase’s last game was last July 26 and he was a top closer right up until he was put on administrative leave. He’s gone now and that’s one fewer high-end reliever the Guardians have to work with. Clase’s on-field production has been missed.
Without a top-tier bullpen, the plan becomes much harder to execute. Only the Padres average fewer runs scored per game than the Guardians. Whatever leads they can build, the bullpen must make stand up, and the bullpen hasn’t always made things easy this year. Again, it’s a good bullpen. It’s just not a great bullpen, and the Guardians were built around great bullpens for years.
The sudden drop in ‘drag’
Three months into the season, offense has been up and down league-wide. Up and down and then up again, more accurately. It’s easiest if I just show you the numbers:
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April
4.51
1.07
.243/.323/.393
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May
4.30
1.07
.239/.314/.390
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June
4.65
1.29
.249/.320/.419
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The league’s home run rate and thus overall offense always tick up in the summer. The weather warms up and the ball flies farther, plus hitters get into midseason form. There’s also attrition on the pitching side. Whenever a pitcher gets hurt, he is replaced by someone who was in Triple-A. A diluted pitching pool contributes to the league’s offensive environment as well.
Offense ticks up as we get into the summer, though it rarely dips in May like it did this year. It dipped significantly. The difference between April (4.51 runs per game) and May (4.30 runs per game) is one run per team every five games, give or take. It’s six additional runs each night across the league for an entire month. It adds up. For whatever reason, offense dipped in May.
It’s also notable that the offensive uptick in June came with a decline in “drag” on the baseball. In English, drag measures how the baseball interacts with the air. When there’s more drag, the ball doesn’t fly as much. When drag is low, the ball carries. The seams on the baseball, how tightly wound the core of the ball is, things like that affect the drag on the baseball.
On Wednesday, MLB issued a statement to The Athletic saying there was a recent aesthetic issue related to “excess oil from the yarn inside the baseball,” and added they don’t see any evidence showing this issue is causing the decline in drag. Here is the league’s statement:
In early February, Rawlings notified MLB of an aesthetic issue with the baseballs that shipped for 2026 Spring Training and the Regular Season. In approximately 50% of the baseballs, some excess oil from the yarn inside the baseball filtered through the leather cover of the ball, creating some yellow discoloration. Both Rawlings and MLB’s independent laboratory at UMass-Lowell completed testing on these baseballs, and the baseballs were within specifications and performed consistent with prior years. We notified the Clubs and the MLBPA of the issue in February, and consistent with baseball chain of custody procedures, MLB’s gameday compliance monitors remove any baseballs that show cosmetic imperfections after the pregame mudding process. Rawlings has resolved the issue with the yarn supplier, but due to the necessary lead times associated with baseball production, the balls without the staining will not be shipped to Clubs until late in the 2026 season or early 2027.
MLB makes drag data available to the public on Baseball Savant and we are aware of the recent reduction in drag. To be clear, there has been no change in the materials or manufacturing process of the baseball. Because the baseball is hand-sewn and is made with natural materials, we expect variation in performance both throughout the season and between seasons. Rawlings and our scientists do not see any evidence to date that the yellow staining is related to this change in drag. We will continue to monitor the performance of the baseball as the season progresses.
Every baseball is handmade at the Rawlings factory in Costa Rica (MLB owns Rawlings) and every handmade process will come with variations. Some baseballs have higher seams than others, a tighter core, etc. The league has specification ranges for the baseball and even little variations within those ranges (seam height, etc.) can have a big impact on the way the baseball plays.
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Whatever the reason, drag on the baseball has declined these last few weeks, and when drag is down, the ball carries more. We’re seeing that show up in the league’s home run rate. Drag is one of several factors explaining why offense was up last month. Drag, the weather, pitching talent, games in Las Vegas, all that contributes to the state of offense.
Great Britain won golds in the women’s synchronised 10m diving and artistic swimming mixed duet at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
Maisie Bond and Lois Toulson achieved a score of 300.06 to clinch the women’s 10m – just ahead of second-placed Germany (298.20) and Ukraine (286.20) in third.
“We came into these championships wanting to win and knowing it was possible,” said Toulson. “We’d been training really hard and looking good I think.
“That was a [personal best] for us. To be able to do that and get a gold medal – we’re really proud.”
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In the mixed duet, Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin narrowly claimed their first European title in the event.
The pair won with a score of 258.2383 as they beat Spain by just 0.2650 to take victory, with Italy (255.1641) in third.
“It’s incredible. I’m really happy and to have done it with Ranjuo is incredible.” said Olympic silver medallist Thorpe.
“We didn’t have the most smooth sailing preparation due to injury, but it’s good we have been able to come through it and be on top.”
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Tomblin, who defended his title in the men’s solo technical event on Friday, added: “Today is more special because I get to do it with Izzy, so it’s incredible.”
In the men’s 1m springboard diving final, Jack Laugher claimed silver with a score of 418.25 and fellow Briton Jordan Houlden took bronze with 410.30 as they finished behind winner Germany Moritz Linus Wesemann (431.45).
Alex Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the fame and her continuous rise in tennis, Alex Eala always makes sure to keep her feet on the ground.
The 21-year-old Eala is playing her best tennis yet, and despite her rapidly growing popularity, she has also remained steadfast and focused on becoming better on and off the court.
“For one, I still have so much motivation to become a better player, become a better person. I’m 21, so it’s not like I’m the queen of the world or anything,” Eala said.
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“I think another thing is that tennis is such a humbling sport. Another thing is I look back at how far I’ve come or where I’ve come from. And I’ve come a long way. That’s another thing that keeps me grounded.”
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Having a solid support system plays a big factor in keeping Eala grounded.
“There are so many things. My family keeps me grounded. My team keeps me grounded. Every error I hit on the court keeps me grounded. Every time I’m mad on the court keeps me grounded,” Eala said. “When I wake up in the morning, I have bad hair. There are so many things that keep you grounded. And I feel like these people, they’re here with me. And of course, they’re here for me.”
Apart from her family, Eala said her coach Joan Bosch is also a vital piece in her career.
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“He’s the best, and I trust him so, so much on court.I trust him so much with my tennis and, lowkey, just in life. I’ve been telling him everything, and it makes me feel like I’m not alone on court, along with the rest of my team,” Eala said. “All of us have that dedication and that drive for us to improve. I would think of all the people on tour, you would feel the least alone on court.”
Eala also attributed her rise to the Rafa Nadal Academy.
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“I’ve been there for a really long time, and I spent a lot of my formative years there. I’ve made so many great relationships. And of course, the coaching staff at the academy are so knowledgeable, so experienced. And of course, Rafa himself. So I’ve learned so many things. I left at 13, and now I’m 21. So how much has improved from then to now? I think tactically, physically, technically, so many aspects,” she said.
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The 29-year-old is also set to undergo a medical on Monday before the transfer is officially announced.
Newcastle have been picked apart this summer, with Guimaraes the latest key figure on the way out of St. James’ Park in what has been a chaotic transfer window for the Magpies.
With Guimaraes on his way out, Newcastle will need significant investment to rebuild an already depleted squad to boost their chances of competing at the top end of the table this season.
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They’ve already sorted out their managerial dilemma, with Matthias Jassle set to replace Howe.
Guimaraes’ desire to join Arsenal reportedly played a huge role in helping the transfer move forward, while Newcastle were prepared to consider offers after missing out on Champions League football.
The Brazilian has been a talismanic figure for Newcastle since joining from Olympique Lyon in January 2022 in a deal worth around £40m.
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Over the past few years, he has established himself as one of the team’s leaders and a fan favourite.
He’s also considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, which explains why Arsenal were ready to pay a premium fee to secure his services.
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Despite missing two months of last season through injury, the Brazilian still finished as Newcastle’s top Premier League goalscorer with nine goals.
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He’d become Arsenal’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Leeds United.
Welcome to our special cricket edition of our Who am I? game.
The rules are simple. Each day of The Hundred there’s a new cricketer taking part in the tournament who we want you to guess in as few attempts as possible.
After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.
Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.
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So take part and return for more tomorrow.
Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Callum Matthews.
After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Sports Quizzes page and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.
Aug 1, 2026; Carson, California, USA; FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) kicks the ball into the face of LA Galaxy midfielder Justin Haak (15) during the first half at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images
Jonathan Sirois made nine saves to help FC Dallas preserve a 0-0 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night at Carson, Calif.
It was only Dallas’ fifth clean sheet, and the first of the season for the 25-year-old Canadian, who returned to the net last weekend when new acquisition Daniel had to depart with a hamstring injury.
Sirois’ performance helped Dallas (7-5-6, 27 points) improve to 2-2-1 five matches into a stretch of nine consecutive away league fixtures during the latest phase of an ongoing construction project at its home stadium.
J.T. Marcinkowski made four stops to keep his second clean sheet and a third for the Galaxy (5-7-7, 22 points), who are winless in their last five.
Los Angeles led 18-16 in shots and 9-4 in efforts on target, but missed a chance to go above the playoff line had it been able to find a goal and earn a third home win of the season.
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Sirois’ best moment in the first half came on saves of John Nelson and Marco Reus in the 37th and 38th minutes before Harbor Miller followed with another attempt that missed high of the frame.
He was even busier after the break.
He denied Joseph Paintsil in the 58th minute with a lunging stop to his left, and substitute Kyogo Furuhashi 10 minutes later with a comfortable save from the Galaxy newcomer’s first real involvement in the game.
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Then came the dying stages, when the Galaxy finally showed some desperation but could not solve Sirois.
In the 90th minute, he arched back to push Jakob Glesnes’ arcing header over the crossbar for arguably his finest stop of the match.
Just a moment later in second-half stoppage time, he intervened on what may have been an intended cross by Paintsil from the right side of the penalty area, nonetheless providing an important pair of sure hands for the visitors.
After that, he easily handled another effort from Nelson that came in at a catchable height, and punched away Reus’ free-kick service on what was the final kick of the game.
The trade deadline is closing in, and the dominoes have begun to fall. Whatever happens, the best place to find out what it means for your Fantasy Baseball team is right here in the Trade Deadline Tracker. Over the next week-plus, Scott White and Chris Towers will use this space to break down every move that’s of some significance for Fantasy, updating the feed as trades happen. Be sure to bookmark it so you’ll always have the latest insights and information.
Tarik Skubal traded to Dodgers
This was entirely expected. The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that. So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith. If you didn’t already have Skubal as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now that he’s joined the best supporting cast in baseball. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9. For more on the impact of this trade, and particularly what it means for the league as a whole, check out my full article here. –Scott White
Luis Castillo traded to White Sox
While Luis Castillo is the biggest player on the move, the most impacted player for Fantasy is one that’s staying put: Kade Anderson. The top-flight pitching prospect, drafted third overall last year, has been a force of nature at Double-A, as you can see from the numbers, and because the Mariners typically have their best pitching prospects skip Triple-A, the only obstacle to his promotion has been a stacked rotation that was already six deep.
The Mariners recently had Anderson take three weeks off from pitching, obviously wanting to reserve some bullets for stretch run. The only question, then, is whether they bring him up right away and stick with a six-man rotation or wait a couple weeks so as to preserve his rookie eligibility. The latter option makes them eligible for certain draft pick incentives, but they may need all the help they can get right now. Either way, Anderson needs to be rostered in all Fantasy leagues because his impact down the stretch could be enormous.
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As for Castillo, he wouldn’t seem to have much left in the tank anymore. He’s not the bat-misser nor ground-ball generator he used to be and has struggled to keep his ERA under 5.00. He’s still capable of going six-plus innings on a good day, though, so he’ll be worth streaming at times. Presumably, he’ll be taking Noah Schultz’s place in the rotation, though Erick Fedde and Anthony Kay aren’t exactly mainstays either. What about the Mariners’ return, you ask? Part of it is salary relief, but they’re also getting reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones and catcher Boston Smith, a 23-year-old with a .291/.448/.589 slash line between Low-A, High-A and Double-A. Smith isn’t the most highly regarded prospect, but numbers like that are sure to draw attention now that a trade has put him on everyone’s radar. –Scott White
Lane Thomas traded to Braves
The 30-year-old Lane Thomas, who had a couple years of Fantasy relevance with the Nationals, had begun to draw some Fantasy interest again in July, batting .268 with five homers and three steals. Of course, that was as an everyday player. He’s likely to form the lesser half of a platoon with Mike Yastrzemski in Atlanta, effectively replacing Eli White, given that he has an .800 OPS against lefties this season and an .850 OPS against them for his career. There’s moderate pop and good speed here when he’s playing well, but he’s probably not going to play enough to matter. The other players involved in this deal — left-hander Bailey Falter going to Atlanta and minor league pitchers Lucas Braun and Carter Holton going to Kansas City — are of no real interest in Fantasy. –Scott White
Dean Kremer traded to Twins
For a minute there, it looked like Dean Kremer might be of some interest in Fantasy. I’m referring mainly to that time when he allowed one earned run in six innings against the White Sox after a three-month absence for a quad strain. He was leaning into his splitter more than ever before, and it’s a pitch that yields excellent results with a .204 batting average against and 41.5 percent whiff rate. As the pitch selection normalized, though, the ERA took an ugly turn, and now he finds himself on a Twins staff that doesn’t have an obvious opening for him. At first glance, he wouldn’t appear to be any better than the pitchers occupying the fourth and fifth spots, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp, but both are entering unfamiliar territory with regard to innings, Prielipp especially. This trade serves as a reminder that those two pitchers, who are pretty fringy in Fantasy to begin with, have an expiration date. You can expect Kremer to fill a swingman role until he needs to step in full-time. –Scott White
Curtis Mead traded to Red Sox for Connelly Early
Update: Curtis Mead fractured his wrist in his second plate appearance for the Red Sox and will likely miss the rest of the season. The outlook depicted here now belongs to the theoretical. Perhaps it will apply to 2027, though the Red Sox could make moves between now and then that would alter it.
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How refreshing to see a trade that’s more about matching up needs than shedding salary for prospects. Mead and Connelly Early both have several years of control left and, with this trade, become foundational pieces for clubs that lacked what they can provide. The big winner for Fantasy is Mead, who has had a breakout season in every respect but was required to sit occasionally on account of the Nationals‘ infield surplus. He should play every day for the Red Sox — and at second base, no less, likely preserving his triple eligibility for next year. He also has a batted-ball profile that’s perfectly suited for Fenway Park, lacking in high-end exit velocities but abounding in fly balls pulled from the right side. He was already having an offensive breakthrough, but you can expect his batting average to rise as some of his fly ball outs become singles and doubles off the Green Monster. This trade puts him on the fringes of the top 12 at third base, where he’s of the most use in Fantasy.
From a real-world perspective, this trade probably seems like a coup for the Nationals, seeing as Early was a top prospect coming into the year while Mead had already flopped with two organizations and is challenged defensively. Mead’s stock has obviously risen since then, however, while Early’s has probably slipped a little. Notably, the Nationals are acquiring Early while he’s sidelined by elbow inflammation, which doesn’t sound serious but does introduce an element of uncertainty. Even prior to the injury, Early’s control had been shaky and his stuff had played down, putting his ERA estimators well above his actual ERA. Perhaps the Red Sox thought they should get while the getting was good. –Scott White
Alexandra Eala stunned former world number one Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the women’s final of the WTA and ATP Washington Open, where she will face third-ranked Jessica Pegula. The 21-year-old Philippines left-hander delivered an impressive victory over the four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan to reach her second WTA final, having lost her first last year at Eastbourne. “I’m super proud of my performance,” Eala said.
“I played really well and I had a great mentality and I stayed locked in until the end.”
Eala, set to jump to a career-best 24th in the world rankings, had previously ousted second seed Elina Svitolina for her sixth top-10 victory of the year after dethroning 2025 Washington champion Leylah Fernandez.
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It was the first meeting of the Asian stars, Eala facing one of the idols of her youth.
“She definitely has an aura and she definitely has power,” Eala said of Osaka.
“I remember watching her finals in the Australian Open and US Open, so really a great experience to share the court with her.
“I’m really happy I was able to produce that level against her.”
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Osaka, ranked 13th, was thwarted in her bid for an eighth WTA title and first since taking the 2021 Australian Open.
“I hit a lot of unforced errors, so that was probably one of the main reasons (for losing),” Osaka said.
Pegula, seeking her 12th WTA title and third of the year, eliminated Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4 in the other semi-final.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Pegula said of the final. “Alex, I’m a big fan of hers. She’s the future of the tour and she’s already here.”
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Pegula, who won her first WTA title in 2019 at Washington, fell behind 5-2 against Schnaider, but the 32-year-old American top seed battled back to reach her fourth final of the year.
A semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Open, Pegula has lifted trophies at Dubai and Charleston this season.
– ‘More well rounded’ –
Pegula beat Eala in a 2025 Miami semi-final in their only career meeting.
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“I’m more well rounded. I’m physically a little bit better. I’ve improved on a couple of my strokes. Serve has also improved quite a bit,” Eala said of her game then and now.
The men’s final will pit American Taylor Fritz, ranked 10th, against 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar.
Fritz fired 13 aces in ousting 33rd-ranked countryman Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
“I dug very deep just to keep holding,” said Fritz, who seeks an 11th career ATP title and first since last year at Eastbourne.
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Jodar, assured of cracking the top 20 in the rankings next week, beat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4.
Jodar kept his composure despite dropping the tight first set and seized the momentum with a break for a 4-3 lead in the second.
He broke Tabilo to open the third set and marched to the win, giving himself a shot at a second ATP title after capturing his first in Morocco in April.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Featured Video Of The Day
Yamal Laughs At Paredes vs Gavi ‘Fight Of The Year’ Poster During Parade
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has been praised by defender Josko Gvardiol for his early sessions with the team.
Enzo Maresca has been called a ‘perfect’ choice to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City players enjoy working with the new manager. Maresca took on the daunting challenge of succeeding one of the greatest coaches in the game when he left the Etihad in May after a decade at the club.
All eyes are on Maresca and City to see how they will cope without Guardiola, and their rivals are relishing the prospect of no longer having to compete with the Catalan. Maresca has built his reputation as a head coach over the last three years though and relished the opportunity to take charge at the Etihad after leaving Chelsea last season.
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It is still early days for the squad with many still resting after the World Cup, but those players who have started to work with the new coach have been impressed by his training sessions. City defender Josko Gvardiol described Maresca as perfect for the way that he and the team want to play going forward.
“The level is that high and Enzo has been chosen with reason as the manager,” he said. “I think he has a quality, has some new ideas and also we need to see what we’re going to do [with] the style of [play], the football we are going to play and the tactics and everything. I think he is a perfect one, but of course it takes time.
“It’s something totally new, it’s not easy to change the manager, so we will take time. It’s our job to help him as much as possible and also to listen to try to adapt as quick as possible.”
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Gvardiol was speaking in a wide-ranging interview covering the disappointment of last season and why he will have to play through the pain barrier this season. You can read the full article here.
He is one of #France’s most memorable #football players: nearly thirty years later after helping ‘Les Bleus’ win their first #WorldCup – and twenty years after his infamous #redcard, Zinedine #Zidane is coming back to coach the squad.
Jul 31, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) hits a sacrifice fly during the fourth inning of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Kevin McGonigle, Gleyber Torres and Max Clark each homered and drove in two runs apiece as the Detroit Tigers notched an 8-6 victory over the Athletics on Saturday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
McGonigle had three hits on a night in which the Tigers reportedly dealt two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three prospects ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.
Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson each had two hits and one RBI, and Clark, Torres and Eduardo Valencia also had two hits apiece as the Tigers beat the Athletics for the second straight night. Detroit has outscored the A’s 21-7.
Framber Valdez (6-7) allowed two runs and nine hits over seven innings for the Tigers. The left-hander struck out six and walked two.
Henry Bolte had three hits, including a three-run homer, and Tommy White also had three safeties for the Athletics, who have dropped seven of eight games and 28 of 35.
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White and Lawrence Butler singled to start the eighth and Kyle Finnegan retired Jeff McNeil on a flyball before Bolte crushed his three-run blast to center to pull the Athletics within 8-5.
Kenley Jansen allowed a run in the ninth while recording his 13rd save. He allowed a leadoff double to Tyler Soderstrom and struck out the next two batters. Soderstrom, who had moved to third on a wild pitch, scored easily on McNeil’s bunt single before Bolte flew out to left to end it.
Athletics All-Star Nick Kurtz sat out due to his right thumb injury flaring up.
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Jack Perkins (2-7) of the A’s was roughed up for six runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out a career-high nine and walked one.
Detroit moved ahead in the fifth as McGonigle hit a single and Torres followed with a two-run blast to right-center to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
The Tigers added two in the sixth as Torkelson singled and Clark followed with a two-run shot to right-center. Clark, Detroit’s top prospect, is 5-for-9 with a homer after two big league games.
Torkelson hit an RBI single in the seventh to give the Tigers a 7-2 lead. McGonigle’s run-scoring in the eighth made it a six-run margin.
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McGonigle hit the third pitch of the game the opposite way and over the wall in left.
Later in the inning, Keith stroked an RBI single to make it 2-0.
The Athletics got a run back in the third when Jacob Wilson singled, White reached on a two-out infield single and Butler singled in Wilson from third.
In the fourth, Bolte led off with a ground-rule double and moved to third on an infield out. He later scored on Wilson’s fielder’s choice.
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