Worldwide Sports News
Former world No 2 would like golf to ‘go back to old times’ if LIV folds
‘I’d hate to see it go away,’ Australian says of rebel tour
Cameron Smith wants LIV Golf to survive but if it doesn’t, he would “100%” return to the PGA Tour.
“I mean, if it was the only option, I think that’s where everyone would want to be for sure, 100%,” the Australian former world No 2 said ahead of this week’s LIV Golf New York event. “It would go back to old times.”
Continue reading...
San Diego Padres (58-55) at Arizona Diamondbacks (60-53), August 4, 2026, 6:4o p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Chase Field – Phoenix, Ariz.
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
Sign up for a user account and get:
And we’re back.
The Mariners return after an off day Monday with a brand new roster. Taylor Ward is here and hitting eighth. Seranthony Domínguez is here and sitting in the bullpen. Brendan Donovan is here and penciled in at the hot corner. Emerson Hancock is still here and standing on the mound. Mitch Garver and Rob Refsnyder are no longer welcome at Seattle Mariners, LLC. Let’s play some ball!
But first, let’s do some reading, and reflect on this moment:
First Pitch: 6:40 p.m.
TV: Mariners.TV
Radio: Ol’ Reliable
The New York Liberty won again Monday night at Barclays Center. Former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and First Lady Hillary Clinton sat courtside with Clara Wu Tsai, getting a standing ovation at one point from the 15,312 fans. It was the first appearance by either Joe or Clara Wu Tsai since last week’s news that the power couple who control the Liberty, New York Nets and Barclays Center were divorcing.
But the game, not the impending split, was the news. It was the Libs fifth win in six games, their best stretch since early in the season … and that’s just fine with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. BSE and no doubt the Tsais would prefer it that way: the game is the the thing … with no one bothering to mention news of the dissolution of the couple’s 30-year marriage. As their original statement to the New York Post’s Page Six claimed,
“Joe will remain Chairman and Clara will remain Vice Chair of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment. Joe will remain Governor of the Brooklyn Nets and Clara will remain Governor of the New York Liberty. They will continue to own and be stewards of the teams with professional management in place as they always have.
“In the long run, they also plan to involve their children.”
A team insider said it more bluntly in talking with ND, “We are not splitting our basketball operation … The Nets and Liberty will work even more closely together in fandom, analytics, performance.”
And why not? While some fans think they see the news of the split as a prelude to a sale, there is no evidence to suggest that but plenty to support the idea that the Brooklyn assets are, as the insider noted, the “family business.” It’s a great business to be in, in some ways even more so than their other corporate holdings whether in Alibaba, the giant Chinese e-commerce, AI and cloud computing business; or their minority investments in everything from SpaceX to Fanatics to ByteDance, developers of TikTok, even the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Brooklyn is generational and all three of the Tsai children have played competitive sports at a high level.
Indeed, a deep dive into the financial structure of the NBA shows that this would be precisely the wrong time for any kind of fire sale of an NBA or WNBA team. The leagues aren’t just booming. They’re exploding. Valuations and profits are about to take off like a rocket once again, putting the league on a trajectory that may never reach the stratosphere of the NFL, but narrow the gap between the two sports.
Currently, Sportico estimates the Nets along with Barclays Center are worth $6.22 billion. That’s around double what the Tsais paid for those assets — $3.3 billion — back in 2019. The Liberty’s value has jumped even more. Earlier in 2019, they paid $12-to-14 million to James Dolan for the then-moribund W team, mostly in debt relief. Sportico put the Liberty value at $600 million. In those ensuing seven years, there’s also been significant investment in the properties. Barclays is midway through a four year, $140 million upgrade and the Liberty’s new $80 million practice facility is underway in Greenpoint.
In the next couple of years, most analysts believe, things will get even more lucrative for the owners of NBA franchises. The league has announced it will add two new teams with Seattle and Las Vegas the leading candidates. In recent weeks, the rumored price tag for each of the two has jumped from early estimates in the $5 billion range to as much as $7 to $8 billion. The fees that new investors pay to get in will be shared among the 30 current owners. Assuming the total price tag is $15 billion, each current owner could wind up with a $500 million windfall.
Expansion would also mean the valuations of all NBA teams will rise. If teams in Seattle and Las Vegas are going to be worth $7 to $8 billion on arrival, what valuation would financial analysts pin on the Nets playing in New York in an established arena? Does $10 billion maybe more sound reasonable? (There’s a reason James Dolan, even before his team won the NBA championship, was talking about spinning off the Knicks from the Rangers, and separately suggesting he could sell off a piece to passive investors, perhaps a sovereign wealth fund in the Middle East, reaping a huge billion dollar profit.)
Then, there’s the league’s international expansion. The NBA is finalizing plans to create a 12-team European league which by some estimates could result in another $20 billion for current owners. It won’t end there. The NBA already owns and operates the Basketball Africa League and last October cemented new arrangements with NBA China after a seven-year hiatus.
Ratings under the new NBA TV contract in North America are setting records and the NBA’s popularity worldwide is on the rise. No, it didn’t hurt that a team in the biggest market was in the Finals.
Beyond the league’s overall popularity, the Nets and Liberty have their own advantages that add to a distinct value. To start with, there are few owners better suited for taking advantage of international expansion than the Tsais.
The Nets are the third most popular team in China, the league’s second biggest market, by most measures. Its pages on Weibo, the Chinese combination of Facebook and X.com, are the third most popular in the league, behind only the Warriors and Lakers. They have a five-person team that examines Chinese business opportunities. It was not a coincidence that the Nets hosted the NBA China Games last October in Macao. There are simple things as well. The Nets created a version of the Brooklynettes that tour China called “Cheer Nets,” a dance team that performs around the PRC, pushing the brand. Just this week, they were in Shanghai and Huangzhou along with Day’Ron Sharpe, Kenyon Martin and assistant coach Juwan Howard, a tour sponsored by the team.
Beyond China, the league put out numbers three years ago showing Brooklyn’s team had more than 10 million fans outside North America and estimated they were the third most popular team in France as well as China. As we’ve noted, the Long Island Nets have played 10 “home games” at Place Bell in suburban Montreal over the last two years, hoping to build a fan base in French-speaking Canada. So far, so good, each of the games was a sell-out with sales of “Les Nets” gear to match.
Sure, the Nets, the centerpiece of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, has “issues,” following their two-year tank and the Liberty have had some “growing pains” under new head coach Chris DeMarco. And, of course, the team across the East River just won it all but the Tsais show no indication they’re giving up. That’s from a performance aspect. From a financial aspect, BSE was an attractive enough asset that members of the Koch family invested nearly $700 million for a 15% stake. Nor did Jack Ma, one of China’s richest men, blanch when he bought an approximate 10% stake in the Liberty along with a number of American sportswomen.
Nor are they abandoning generational fandom, getting fans while they’re young. In fact, they are making more use of their latest investment, the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center for the city’s youth, employing it for the first time as a venue for a press conference last month when introducing their draft picks. And their program to offer free basketball clinics to New York school children now encompasses 50,000 kids, up from 44,000, last year.
Division of assets in any divorce proceeding can be a slow, grueling process, but for the Tsais, the big decision appears to have been made: they’re not going anywhere.
What a debut.
George Lombard Jr. already made his presence known on the field with some smooth, sparkling defensive plays, but he had the Yankee Stadium crowd on its feet when he launched his first home run as a major leaguer.
The Yankees' top prospect, making his MLB debut, grounded out in his first at-bat, but in the fifth, with New York holding onto a 1-0 lead, Lombard launched an 81 mph sweeper from Hunter Dobbins 392 feet into the left field seats.
BY GEORGE!
— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 5, 2026
GEORGE LOMBARD JR.'S FIRST MAJOR-LEAGUE HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/O11pXD6teI
Lombard became the 14th Yankee ever to have his first MLB hit be a home run. He's also the third-youngest player in Yankees history to homer in his MLB debut at 21 years and 63 days. He's only older than Jasson Dominguez (September 2023) and John Ellis (May 1969), according to Sarah Langs.
The Yankees called up Lombard ahead of Tuesday's game. He was slashing .268/.405/.440 for an .845 OPS in 56 games with six home runs and 21 RBI at Triple-A this season. In 20 games with Double-A Somerset earlier this year, he had tallied 12 extra-base hits in 20 games with a .312/.400/.571 slash line for a .971 OPS.
BALTIMORE — Mike Trout has seen false hope.
He has seen his Los Angeles Angels loiter in the middle – or much worse – of Major League Baseball’s pecking order yet comport themselves as if a turnaround was just around the corner. And he still has not seen a postseason game since 2014, a drought that will continue through this season.
Yet Trout saw something much different at the Aug. 3 trading deadline, when new general manager John Mozeliak acted appropriately for the steward of a 43-69 team that’s headed for its third consecutive last-place finish.
He saw No. 2 starter Jose Soriano traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-player package that includes a top 100 shortstop prospect, Arjun Nimmala. And outfielder Jo Adell dealt to Cleveland. Reliever Ryan Zeferjahn sent to the Chicago Cubs for a package including promising slugger Moises Ballesteros.
And for good measure, another bullpen piece, veteran Kirby Yates, shipped to Pittsburgh.
Staying put: left-hander Reid Detmers and shortstop Zach Neto, leaving a reputable baseball product roughly in place while practicing dark pragmatism.
And Trout can dig it.
“Obviously, what was happening the last few years wasn’t working,” Trout, the four-time MVP, told USA TODAY Sports. “Just change it up a bit.
“If you look where the team is, I think it’s the right move.”
The moves came as little shock to Trout: As a show of good faith to the franchise player, Mozeliak invited Trout into the team’s trade deadline war room on a recent day. A veteran of 16 big league seasons, Trout, 34, has steadfastly refused to waive his no-trade clause to get out of the Anaheim sinkhole.
In past administrations, most notably GM Perry Minasian, who was fired June 27, that wasn’t even a consideration. Minasian specialized in drafting close-to-the-majors, lower-ceiling players in a constant attempt to plug the many holes at the big league level.
It was an approach that kept the big league product from totally bottoming out, yet never produced anything close to a contender, let alone a sustainable one.
Mozeliak already changed that part up, drafting two-way high school player Jared Grindlinger out of nearby Huntington Beach High. Dealing Adell, Zeferjahn and Soriano was the next step.
“I had a feeling what was going to happen,” says Trout. “Me and Mo, we’ve been talking. But it was good.
“I built some friendships with those guys over the years. To see them go, it’s tough.”
But not all of them. Detmers, 27, has a 1.09 WHIP this season and had an excellent seven-start run – the Angels won six of them – heading into July that put his name on te trade frontburners.
At one point, a false report Monday had him traded to the Chicago Cubs. Detmers’ phone subsequently blew up, foiling his plan of staying away from it as much as possible as he chilled with his teammates on an off day in Baltimore.
A call to his agent quickly quelled the scare.
“If it did happen,” says Detmers, “I figured I’d get a phone call. But I never got a phone call.”
The phony info only served another helping of angst on his Monday.
“A pretty stressful day yesterday,” he says. “But I’m happy to be here. It is what it is. I knew my name was going to be all over the place yesterday, but at the end of the day, nothing happened.
“It’s all a blur, to be honest.”
Detmers will have two more years of club control after this year and the shortstop Neto three. It seems unlikely the Angels can turn the entire ship around in that window, but at least, perhaps, the horizon is visible.
“We feel really good about the deadline and believe in what we’re doing here,” says manager Kurt Suzuki, who is working on a one-year contract. “Everyone believes in what we’re doing and where we’re going. I feel like Mo and the front office did a tremendous job yesterday doing what they did. We feel confident moving forward with this approach.
“It’s kind of an exciting time moving forward and where we’re heading.”
Trout would like to think so. After battling injuries throughout his 30s, Trout returned to the All-Star Game this season after a two-year absence, has 18 home runs and an .845 OPS and is on pace to play in at least 130 games for the second consecutive season.
Perhaps the organization will feel a little more spry, too, after a necessary first step.
“This is what we have,” says Suzuki. “And we’re excited about this opportunity going forward. I thought Mo and the front office did a great job moving forward.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Trout commends Angels' step back at trade deadline: 'It's the right move'
Go Rays!
Sign up for a user account and get:
Go get ‘em, Javier.
Sign up for a user account and get:
The Dodgers try to snap a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night, with a new guy on the mound, and two new old friend catchers on the roster.
Sign up for a user account and get:
The Reds care nothing for your service time games. After trading Nathaniel Lowe, they wasted no time in promoting Rodríguez to the majors on Tuesday. They could have held off for 10 days and kept Rodríguez's rookie eligibility intact for 2027, but in trying to remain competitive, they wanted him to replace Lowe right away. He might prove to be an upgrade after hitting .274/.347/.533 with 27 homers in 104 games for Triple-A Louisville.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Rodríguez was signed by the Mets out of the Dominican Republic in 2021 and then gifted to the Reds in a trade deadline deal for Tyler Naquin in 2022. He's scarcely stopped hitting since, but he's been dinged as a prospect because of his lack of plate discipline and whether he truly possessed the power to make up for it. He's done his best to answer both questions by upping his walk rate from five percent in 2024 to seven percent last year and nine percent this season while continuing to improve his homer totals. 27 in Triple-A at age 22 is remarkable. 453 of the 455 pitchers he's faced this year were older than he was.
Héctor is just on another level
— Louisville Bats (@LouisvilleBats) May 27, 2026
3rd HR. OF THE DAY. pic.twitter.com/9IKtaEXzPo
Rodriguez is almost certainly going to need to be platooned in the majors. The left-handed hitter was batting .220/.275/.371 in same-side matchups this year, compared to .302/.368/.649 against righties. But that might not stop him from being useful in mixed leagues right away. It helps that he's in a terrific ballpark for offense. He also might steal the occasional base, though he has curtailed his running this year; he was 6-for-8 for Louisville after going 15-for-22 last season. He's worth a try.
Aside from Luke Weaver in Pittsburgh, Monday's trade deadline didn't create many new closers. However, one situation that's now wide open in San Francisco's, and Smith, who had been recently slotted into the eighth inning in between the traded Caleb Kilian and Erik Miller, seems poised for a go at the ninth.
Smith, 26, made his major league debut with the Tigers last year and allowed just two runs over 13 innings in his seven relief appearances. In spite of that, he was one of the team's earliest cuts this spring and then found himself off the 40-man roster to create a spot for Kevin McGonigle prior to Opening Day. The Giants acquired him and sent him to Triple-A to start the year. He made one appearance in May before being sent back down. He returned in June, earned a save by pitching a perfect 10th inning in his third big-league appearance and has remained very good since; he's sporting a 2.75 ERA and a 23/9 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings. Two of his nine walks were intentional. He's limited hitters to a .100 average and slugging percentage on the slider he throws a bit more than one-third of the time.
Smith probably isn't a long-term closer, but with his fastball having added two mph in two years, putting it at 95.7 mph on average, he seems poised to stick around as a quality reliever. If there's anyone else to worry about in San Francisco's pen, it's probably Keaton Winn. However, manager Tony Vitello has shown time and time again that he likes Winn earlier in games. That's how he used him Monday, when Winn replaced Logan Webb to start the seventh inning and was lifted after getting two outs. The Giants probably won't go with a sole closer right away and they might not win enough games to give any member of their bullpen all that much value. Still, Smith seems like a better pickup than other fringe guys right now.
I was certainly disheartened to see O'Neill excluded from the Orioles' lineup again Tuesday. Especially now with Taylor Ward gone, it's hard to understand the team is not playing him fairly regularly, unless maybe he's just not interested in doing so? O'Neill is hitting .289/.333/.667 with five homers in 48 plate appearances since July 1. He's certainly producing like he's healthy. Maybe he won't actually be healthy for very long, but why not take advantage?
O'Neill has, of course, been a massive disappointment since signing a three-year, $49.5 million contract prior to last season. Statcast, though, thought last year's ugly results in limited action (209 plate appearances) were almost entirely bad luck; he hit .199 and slugged .323, but he did so with a .243 xBA and a .523 xSLG, and he had the lowest strikeout rate of his career. O'Neill has put up weak numbers again this year — he's sporting a .209/.294/.368 line in 204 plate appearances — and Statcast didn't think bad luck was involved in his early struggles this time around. However, he obviously has picked it up. His hard-hit rate was 50 percent in June and 53 percent in July. He's also pulling the ball in the air at a career-best rate. His strikeout rate is back up to 28 percent, but that's still better than his career mark of 30 percent. Heck, he came in at 34 percent with Boston in 2024 before the Orioles were so excited to sign him.
So, I'm sticking with O'Neill here in the hopes that the Orioles begin to use him regularly. They have the DH spot open. They have left field open. Maybe he'll even play well enough for the Orioles to dump much of his contract in November, since that's probably the primary goal here.
- The Royals' Noah Cameron posted the highest average fastball velocity of his career (94.0 mph) while shutting out the Tigers for seven innings two starts ago and then the second highest (93.8 mph) in eight scoreless innings against the Twins last week. He's still available in 72 percent of Yahoo leagues and really shouldn't be.
8 IP
— MLB (@MLB) July 30, 2026
1 H
0 R
2 BB
7 Ks
Noah Cameron took a no-hitter into the 7th inning in Minnesota! pic.twitter.com/ux1YtHZbpT
- The Nationals initially decided not to try Andrés Chaparro as a regular after sending Luis García Jr. to the Yankees, instead calling up Abimelec Ortiz to play first base. However, James Wood's oblique strain has reopened the door, freeing up the DH spot in D.C. Chaparro has mostly started against lefties, but he's gone 4-for-12 with a couple of homers against righties. He's showing more bat speed than ever before, and he has an incredible .438 xwOBA (and a 1.064 OPS) in his last 50 plate appearances. He'd seem to deserve a real shot while Wood is out.
Game Two of three with the Astros. Another win would be nice.
Trey Yesavage is coming off a good start against the Nationals.
Hayden Wesneski is making his second start of the season. He went 5.2 in his first start, getting the win, despite giving up three runs.
Last night’s San Diego Padres vs Arizona Diamondbacks game was a well-pitched affair. Brandon Pfaadt was brilliant, allowing just one unearned run over 6.2 innings for the victory.
Michael King was not sharp, but did labor through six innings. His lone mistake was a D-Backs Tim Tawa three-run home run that proved to be the difference in a 5-1 defeat.
The Snakes’ home victory extended their lead to two games over the Padres in the National League Wild-Card standings.
The Friar Faithful’s eyes were on a Single-A morning contest between the Ontario Tower Buzzers vs the Lake Elsinore Storm. The game’s starting pitching matchup had a major league feel, as Tyler Glasnow faced Joe Musgrove in a rehab start. Plus, the Padres added Nick Pivetta in a “piggyback” role following Musgrove’s appearance.
The hope was for all the pitchers to ease themselves back into game action. From the Friars’ perspective, the results were not promising.
Musgrove easily transitioned himself from a non-playing mindset to his former big-game executioner. He threw 39 pitches in 1.2 innings pitched. Observers could tell his stamina was being tested after a perfect first inning.
On the other side of the coin, Pivetta’s outing was not encouraging. He exited with an apparent arm injury after recording two outs in the third inning. The Padres were hoping for a late August return to the rotation. According to media reports, Pivetta did throw 20 pitches in the bullpen after leaving the game. The organization did not offer an explanation for his early exit from the game.
Suddenly, an extended stay on the injured list becomes expensive for the right-hander. Pivetta will be on the IL for 130 consecutive days, which triggers a clause in his contract that converts a player option into a club option. The odds are good that the club will decline a two-year player option to save $32 million in salary.
Tomorrow is important for Pivetta; team doctors will determine how long the path back to the majors will be.
The Padres are looking to bounce back in the second game of the series by sending out Randy Vasquez (6-6, 4.45 ERA) to the mound. Hopefully, he can set the tone tonight.
Vasquez has been effective in the bulk relief role after the opener. He has posted a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings. His last outing was outstanding, as Vasquez threw 4.2 scoreless innings on 65 pitches. Friars skipper Craig Stammen confirmed that appearance earned him another shot as a starter.
The D-Backs will offer a tough assignment this evening. Their lineup is right-handed dominant, as they scored five runs on nine hits in yesterday’s contest. Vasquez will need to use his entire pitching repertoire to keep their hitters in check.
Diamondbacks Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3, 2.48 ERA) has been highly effective all season. He did struggle locating his pitches following the All-Star break. In five starts, the left-hander went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA, allowing 11 runs across 28.2 innings.
Rodriguez will try to keep the Padres lineup off balance by throwing his changeup and four-seam on the outside corner for strikes. San Diego has struggled against left-handed starting pitching with a 13-14 record this season.
In Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Colorado Rockies were unable to prevail despite a late-game comeback attempt.
Tonight, they will look to even things up.
Starting for the Rays is RHP Freddy Peralta. This will be his Rays debut given that the two-time All-Star was traded to Tampa Bay from the New York Mets on Tuesday.
However, he has had a solid season. This will be Peralta’s 23rd start of the MLB season. Currently, he has a 4.99 ERA in 113.2 IP. He’s struck out 113, walked 48, and given up 17 home runs. Peralta has a 1.48 WHIP.
Taking the mound for the Rockies will be RHP Gabriel Hughes.
He has lost three of his four starts (Rockies 0-4) despite allowing three runs or fewer and pitching at least vies innings in each outing.
Currently, he has an ERA of 3.33 in 24.1 IP. He’s struck out 21 while giving up seven walks and no home runs with a 1.19 WHIP.
There are a couple of notable roster moves as well.
First, Jordan Beck has rejoined the Rockies. He will play right field and bat eighth.
Second, today, the Rockies selected the contract of LHP Parker Mushinski.
And now to the details.
First Pitch: 6:40 pm MDT
TV: Rockies TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
SB Nation site:DRays Bay
Lineups:
For the visiting Rays:
And the Rockies:
Sign up for a user account and get:
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game road series against the Texas Rangers this afternoon.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Blade Tidwell, who enters today’s game with a 3.00 ERA, 3.51 FIP, with 10 strikeouts to three walks in 12 innings pitched in relief for the Giants this season, this will be his first start of the year. His last appearance was back on April 28th, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk in two innings.
He’ll be facing off against Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore, who enters today’s game with a 4.77 ERA, 3.80 FIP, with 136 strikeouts to 44 walks in 122.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rangers’ 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last Wednesday, in which he allowed three runs on three hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
Sign up for a user account and get:
Who: San Francisco Giants (48-65) vs. Texas Rangers (55-58)
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
When: 5:05 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (58-56), who had their six-game winning streak snapped last night, will look to begin a new streak tonight in the middle game of their three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (53-60).
RHP Hayden Wesneski (1-0, 4.76 ERA) will make his second Major league start of the season in his return from Tommy John surgery, this time opposite RHP Trey Yesavage (5-5, 3.73 ERA) and the Blue Jays.
BIG WES: After missing 14 months with injury, RHP Hayden Wesneski made his return to a big league mound his last time out, on July 29 at LAA (3ER/5.2IP), earning the win over the Angels. This solid start continued a strong run for Wesneski, who was great in his rehab appearances, posting a 2.25 (5ER/20IP) combined ERA in five minor league rehab starts.
WINNING WAYS: Even with last night’s loss, the Astros have won 11 of their last 13 games. The Astros are two games over .500, and lead the AL West by 2.5 games over the Rangers and Mariners, who both enter tonight with identical 55-58 records.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 38-25 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
Winning Percentage since May 22, AL
1. Red Sox 38-24 (.613)
2. Astros 38-25 (.603)
3. Tigers 34-27 (.557)
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs (155) and third in runs scored (529), just behind the Twins (532) and White Sox (531). Also among AL clubs, the Astros rank first in slugging (.416) and in OPS (.737), and second in batting average (.246), OBP (.321) and hits (946).
YESTERDAY’S MOVES: The Astros made one trade yesterday, acquiring OF Daulton Varsho and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Spencer Arrighetti. The Astros activated Varsho last night and optioned OF Lucas Spence to Triple A.
JULY HONORS: Announced yesterday, DH Yordan Alvarez was named the AL Player of the Month for July. This marks the fourth career AL Player of the Month Award for Alvarez and his second in 2026. In July, Alvarez hit .360 (31×86) with nine HR, 22 RBI, a .467 OBP, a .721 SLG, and a 1.188 OPS in 23 games.
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking first in batting average (.330), HR (35), and RBI (84). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.091), OBP (.443), SLG (.648), extra-base hits (59), and TB (263). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (134) and runs (77), and tied for second in walks (79).
HEAVY TRAFFIC: DH Yordan Alvarez has reached base safely in 19 straight games (since July 10), batting .433 (29×67) with 15 runs, eight doubles, six home runs, 17 RBI, 20 walks, a .568 OBP and a 1.389 OPS during the streak. Alvarez also has on-base streaks of 25 games (May 22-June 19) and 22 games (April 4-28) this season.
GOOD INTENTIONS: DH Yordan Alvarez has been intentionally walked 23 times this season, by far the most in the Majors. Alvarez’s 23 intentional walks are the third-highest total in a single season by an Astros player in club history, trailing only seasons produced by 1B Jeff Bagwell (27 IBB in 1997) and OF Rusty Staub (24 IBB in 1968).
STREAKING: SS Jeremy Peña is on a career-high 15-game hitting streak, in which he’s hit .422 (27×64) with three doubles, one triple, seven homers, 15 RBI and a 1.292 OPS. Peña’s streak is the longest active streak in the Majors, and is the longest streak by an Astro since 3B Alex Bregman had a 16-game streak from May 28-June 15, 2024.
WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader, who is 15-for-15 in save chances with a 1.17 ERA, recorded his 77th career save as an Astro on Saturday, moving him past RHP Fred Gladding (76) for fifth place in saves all-time among Astros relievers. He now trails RHP Ryan Pressly (111) for fourth on that all-time list.
STALKING 500: RHP Bryan Abreu has 499 career strikeouts, needing just one strikeout to reach 500 for his career. He would become just the fourth reliever in franchise history to record 500 strikeouts with the club, joining LHP Billy Wagner (694), RHP Brad Lidge (557) and RHP Dave Smith (529).
MINOR LEAGUE HONORS: Earlier today, IF Waner Luciano and RHP Bryce Mayer were named the Astros minor league Player and Pitcher of the Month for July. Luciano, 21, hit .316 (24×76) with 20 RBI, nine stolen bases and a 1.021 OPS in 22 games in July with Class A Fayetteville. Mayer, 24, the Astros top pitching prospect, went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA (1ER/19IP) in July with Double A Corpus Christi.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1991 – The Astros turn their eighth triple play in franchise history in a 2-1 walk-off win in 10 innings vs. the Dodgers. LHP Jim Deshaies is the beneficiary after inducing a foul pop up to SS Alfredo Griffin. Two Dodgers are thrown out advancing on the play to end the 5th inning. Houston wins on a walk-off single by C Craig Biggio in the 10th.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, August 4, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: SCHN, SCHN 2
Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)