Rockies play the Brewers’ game in 5-2 series-opening win

Jul 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies played the Milwaukee Brewers’ kind of game better than the Brewers did Friday afternoon.

Colorado attacked Shane Drohan with hard contact, created pressure on the bases, and turned productive outs into runs. Tomoyuki Sugano used his seven-pitch mix to keep Milwaukee from settling into a comfortable look, while the bullpen covered the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run.

The Rockies built a 4-1 lead by scoring in the first, third, and fourth innings. Christian Yelich and Brice Turang supplied Milwaukee’s only damage against Sugano with solo home runs, but TJ Rumfield answered with a pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh to extend the advantage to 5-2.

Milwaukee made one final push in the ninth with back-to-back singles against Jordan Romano, bringing the tying run to the plate with nobody out. Romano recovered by retiring Joey Ortiz, Gary Sánchez and Yelich to secure the win.

The Brewers entered the afternoon 26-7 in series openers under two-time reigning NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy. They also entered allowing fewer stolen bases than any team in baseball.

Colorado showed little concern for either fact.

With the win, the Rockies improved to 42-63, while the Brewers fell to 64-39. Sugano earned the victory, Drohan took the loss, and Romano recorded his eighth save on the season, his fourth with the Rockies.

Sugano keeps changing the picture

Tomoyuki Sugano made one sequencing mistake to begin the bottom of the first, and Christian Yelich punished it.

Sugano opened the game with consecutive 87.9 mph cutters. The first missed off the plate, but the second came back over the zone, and Yelich drove it 413 feet to center at 105.5 mph.

Sugano spent the next four innings doing the opposite.

He used seven pitches and refused to give Milwaukee a steady look. His 24 splitters led the mix, followed by 20 sinkers, 18 cutters, and 16 four-seam fastballs. He also worked in six sweepers, six sliders, and three curveballs.

The raw stuff was not unusually sharp. Sugano’s velocity was down slightly, his movement largely resembled his season norms and he delivered first-pitch strikes to only 48% of the hitters he faced. The variety still produced 12 whiffs on 44 swings, including five against the splitter and four against the four-seam fastball.

Milwaukee put two runners aboard with one out in the third, but Sugano retired Yelich and William Contreras to keep the lead at 3-1. He then settled into his best stretch of the afternoon.

Sugano retired the Brewers in order in the fourth, finishing the inning by getting Jake Bauers to chase a splitter below the zone. He carried that momentum into the fifth.

Joey Ortiz saw a sinker, cutter, and splitter in a five-pitch strikeout to begin the inning. Sugano then put the full mix on display against David Hamilton.

He opened with an 82.2 mph sweeper, followed it with a 93.1 mph four-seam fastball, changed speeds again with an 87.1 mph splitter and finished the at-bat with a 92.8 mph sinker.

Hamilton saw four pitches, four different movement profiles and nearly an 11 mph velocity spread.

That was Sugano’s afternoon in miniature. He did not overpower Milwaukee with one pitch; he kept changing the hitter’s picture until there was no comfortable guess left.

Sugano completed another clean inning and had retired eight straight hitters when Brice Turang came to the plate in the sixth. Turang drove a 93 mph four-seamer 434 feet to center at 108.6 mph, but Sugano had kept the bases empty and limited the damage to another solo home run.

Trouble found him as the workload began to show. William Contreras followed with a 103.9 mph line-drive single to center, and Sugano later walked Garrett Mitchell as his pitch count reached 93.

Warren Schaeffer turned to Victor Vodnik with two runners aboard and one out. Vodnik struck out pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn, then covered first after Troy Johnston fielded Jake Bauers’ high chopper to end the inning without allowing either inherited runner to score.

Sugano came out of the dugout and hugged Vodnik as he walked off the field.

Sugano finished with two runs allowed on six hits across 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out five. Both runs came on solo homers.

Ninety-three pitches through 5.1 innings was not ideal, but it was also a reflection of how Sugano gets outs. Without much strikeout margin, he had to earn nearly every one of them.

Rockies make Drohan work

Shane Drohan brought better velocity than his season averages, but the Rockies never let the extra life on his pitches become the story.

His four-seam fastball averaged 95.5 mph, while his curveball, cutter and changeup were also up from their normal velocity. Drohan used six pitches and generated 11 whiffs, but Colorado combined hard contact with aggressive baserunning and productive outs.

The Rockies began applying pressure in the first.

Kyle Karros lifted a high fly into no man’s land near the shallow right-field line. Luis Lara, Jake Bauers and Brice Turang converged, but Lara pulled up as the three fielders closed on one another. The ball fell fair, kicked off Lara and skipped back toward the infield, allowing Karros to reach second.

Cole Carrigg followed and was visibly unhappy when a first-pitch fastball above the zone was called a strike. He stepped away, reset and smoked Drohan’s next pitch, an 88.1 mph changeup, for an RBI double to left. The ball left Carrigg’s bat at 100.4 mph and traveled 371 feet.

Hunter Goodman followed with an RBI single, giving Colorado a 2-0 lead before Drohan could settle into the afternoon.

The Rockies struck again in the third. Jake McCarthy lined a triple to right, and Karros drove him home with a sharp single. Lara recovered the ball and threw Karros out trying to advance to second, but Colorado had restored its two-run lead.

The fourth inning showed another way to score.

Willi Castro opened the frame by ripping a 104.4 mph line drive into left field. He then stole second against a Milwaukee team that entered the day allowing an MLB-low 0.35 stolen bases per game.

Troy Johnston grounded out to move Castro to third, and Mickey Moniak lifted a sacrifice fly deep enough to bring him home.

That was the Rockies at their most complete. Hard contact put Castro aboard. His legs moved him into scoring position. Johnston traded an out for 90 feet, and Moniak finished the sequence.

The Rockies have too often watched that kind of opportunity dissolve somewhere between second base and home plate. This time, they moved the runner, put the ball in the air, and took the run.

Drohan still had stretches of control. He struck out six and completed two 1-2-3 innings, including a clean fifth and a scoreless sixth. Colorado was not creating constant traffic, but they scored in the first, third and fourth by repeatedly converting the chances it did create.

Drohan returned for the seventh and walked Moniak in a left-on-left matchup before Pat Murphy went to the bullpen. Schaeffer countered by sending the left-handed TJ Rumfield to pinch-hit for Tyler Freeman against right-hander Grant Anderson.

Rumfield made the move count immediately, lining a double down the right-field line. Moniak scored without a throw, and Rumfield cruised into second with his 22nd double and 53rd RBI.

Drohan’s velocity was up, and his arsenal had enough to miss bats. The Rockies still found several ways to beat him. They hit mistakes hard, stayed composed through difficult at-bats and manufactured a run when the game called for something simpler.

For much of the afternoon, they were playing Brewer ball better than the Brewers.

Bullpen finishes the job

Victor Vodnik inherited two runners from Tomoyuki Sugano in the sixth and kept both from scoring. He struck out pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn, then covered first on Troy Johnston’s play to retire Jake Bauers and end the threat.

Vodnik followed with a scoreless seventh, and Antonio Senzatela worked around a two-out infield single in the eighth. Senzatela attacked the zone, threw first-pitch strikes to all four hitters he faced and struck out Brice Turang before handing a 5-2 lead to Jordan Romano.

Romano made the ninth uncomfortable.

Andrew Vaughn singled to center, and Bauers followed with a sharp single to right. Romano had thrown first-pitch strikes to only one of the first five hitters he faced, and Milwaukee suddenly had the tying run at the plate with nobody out.

Pitching coach Alon Leichman visited the mound, and Romano found another gear.

Joey Ortiz popped out under the infield-fly rule, Romano blew away pinch-hitter Gary Sánchez for the second out, and Christian Yelich lined out to Johnston in right to end the game.

Romano allowed two hits and was not especially sharp, but he retired three straight hitters once the inning reached its most dangerous point. The bullpen combined for 3.2 scoreless innings, and the Rockies held on for a 5-2 win.

Final thoughts

Tomoyuki Sugano earned his 10th win of the season, improving to 10-4 after allowing two runs across 5.1 innings. He is the first Rockies pitcher to reach double-digit wins since Germán Márquez won 12 games in 2021.

TJ Rumfield delivered the game’s final run with his pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh, then added a single in the ninth. His 22 doubles and 53 RBI both rank second among National League rookies.

Luis Lara wanted no part of the three-body collision that allowed Kyle Karros’ first-inning double, but he showed no hesitation at the wall in the sixth. Lara tracked Cole Carrigg’s drive to right and made a leaping catch at the top of the fence to take away extra bases.

Milwaukee entered the game ranked 30th in MLB in home runs, yet both Brewers runs came on solo shots from Christian Yelich and Brice Turang. The Rockies did not homer, instead scoring five runs through hard contact, baserunning and situational execution.

Colorado went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and produced two two-out RBI. Milwaukee finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and did not record a two-out RBI.

Willi Castro successfully challenged Milwaukee’s league-best stolen-base prevention in the fourth, swiping second before scoring on Mickey Moniak’s sacrifice fly. Ezequiel Tovar was caught stealing to end the ninth, capping a difficult all-around game in which the struggling shortstop went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Up next

The series in Milwaukee continues Saturday evening, with the Rockies hoping for a better turn from Ryan Feltner. The right-hander enters at 3-4 with a 5.48 ERA across 14 starts and is coming off an especially rough outing his last time out.

The Brewers will counter with left-hander Robert Gasser, who is 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 10 starts. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. MT.


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Why Vince Carter feels the 76ers adding LeBron James is ‘cheating’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Joel Embiid (21) and LeBron James (23) Los Angeles Lakers will be in the 76ers starting lineup this season. , Image 2 shows A bald man wearing a white polo shirt with a small flag logo on the chest
lebron vince carter

Vince Carter thinks the 76ers with LeBron James are going to be stacked.

The 76ers and LeBron James agreed Friday to the NBA’s veteran minimum on a two-year deal, capping off a major overhaul to their roster this offseason.

“That’s cheating,” Carter said one day before James was added by Philly on the show “Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady.”

Carter clarified by saying, “That’s cheating if he goes there, because he doesn’t have to do much to still be him.”

Carter noted that the 76ers are loaded on a roster that will include Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and V.J. Edgecombe.

Philadelphia also added Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall in the draft while also bringing in Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti.

Vince Carter on the NBA on NBC set after Game 5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs on May 26, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images

The 76ers are also expected to bring back Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow, Dalen Terry, Johni Broome and Justin Edwards, who will provide depth on the roster.

Instead of asking the 41-year-old James to carry a franchise, Philadelphia can deploy him alongside Embiid, Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe.

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season with the Lakers, proving he’s still an All-Star-caliber player in production, not just in name.

James was also the Lakers’ most effective player in the playoffs last season, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds, leading Los Angeles to a Round 2 appearance, where they were without Luka Doncic and had Austin Reaves for six of 10 games.

Joel Embiid (21) and LeBron James (23) will be in the 76ers’ starting lineup this season. NBAE via Getty Images

The Sixers now feature one of the NBA’s deepest collections of proven talent, with a former MVP center in Embiid, one of the league’s fastest young guards in Maxey, an All-NBA-caliber wing in Brown and arguably the greatest player in league history in James.

The 76ers have immediately been bet up to being one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, along with the Knicks.

Although the 76ers will likely not have James and Embiid for portions of the season due to expected injury management and possible actual ailments, given James’ age and Embiid’s history.

James missed 22 games last season, while Embiid hasn’t played at least 40 regular-season games since 2022-23 and has often faced injuries during the playoffs, as he did this past spring.

Game Thread: Astros (50-54) at White Sox (54-47)

If Davis Martin wants to keep the good times rolling, he’ll need to find a way to stymie the big bat of Yordan Alvarez.

Coming out of the All-Star break neck-and-neck with the Cleveland Guardians, the Chicago White Sox knew they had to hit the ground running. With two road series on deck against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers, winning each respective series was all that mattered and the White Sox did exactly that.

Thanks to a recent slip in form for the Guardians, the White Sox now hold a slim 1 1/2-game lead in the AL Central. With the Guardians having to face the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds on the road the next six games, the time is now for the White Sox, starting with this first game against the Houston Astros.

Another series win would likely keep their lead in the division before the big, bad New York Yankees come into town. With the Tampa Bay Rays and red-hot Boston Red Sox on deck after that, results are imperative here in this series.

The same goes for the Astros, who may not be benefiting from stealing signs any longer but are certainly taking advantage of an unusually weak AL West division. Although they come into this series with a 50-54 record, they somehow find themselves just two games out of first.

Looking to turn the tide of their poor season, the Astros turn to Spencer Arrighetti to toe the rubber tonight. Arrighetti started out the season as one of the best pitchers in the American League but has since fallen off a cliff. After jumping out to a blistering 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.34 in his first eight starts, Arrighetti has yet to record a single win since. He posted an ERA of nine in the month of June before “settling down” with an ERA of six in three starts so far this month.

Arrighetti excels at limiting hard hits, but that’s pretty much all he does well. Much like Vin Diesel, he’s mostly a one-trick pony. Arrighetti is simply average in every other metric that matters. As a matter of fact, he’s quite poor at getting batters to swing and miss, and with a fastball that sits slower than 93 miles per hour he can’t blow anybody away, either. As long as the White Sox stay disciplined and patient, they should have plenty of opportunities to score some runs tonight.

As for the White Sox, they have Davis Martin on the hill and it’s clear why he’s largely considered the team’s ace. His results have diminished as of late, with blowups against the Minnesota Twins, Yankees and Red Sox of late. With that being said, he’s been unfortunate to be without a win since June 10, with Davis having four starts since then allowing just two runs or less.

Martin excels at getting hitters to chase this year, which he’ll need to continue if he wants to have any chance against a player like Yordan Alvarez tonight. With Alvarez being the only qualified player on the Astros with an OPS better than .800 this season, if Martin can limit the damage he causes the White Sox should be able to take care of the Astros. Unfortunately, that’s a much easier task than it may seem on paper.

Here are the starting lineups for the Chicago White Sox:

Here are the starting lineups for the Houston Astros:

First pitch is 6:40 p.m. CST. You can watch on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. Let us know your thoughts and predictions below!

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Brewers Alumni Legends Game Discussion

Jul 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Former Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Ryan Braun is introduced before an alumni game at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Welcome back! The Brewers are following today’s regular game with what they’re calling an Alumni Legends Game, a very fun concept after the success of last season’s Alumni Home Run Derby. Stick around after the game to see franchise legends like Ryan Braun, Geoff Jenkins, Jeff Bianchi, and Brad Boxberger!

In all seriousness, this should be a great time as we see some of our favorite Brewers from the 21st century, including a few who we don’t often see in Milwaukee. Personally, I’m jazzed to see Richie Sexson, Bill Hall, Dan Kolb, and Doug Davis. Full rosters below.

If you’re looking for today’s game recap, find that here.

Brewers drop series opener to Rockies 5-2

Jul 24, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) reacts after striking out in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Box Score

The Brewers and Rockies kicked off a series this afternoon at American Family Field, and while the Brewers never looked out of it and had far more hard contact in the game than the Rockies did, things just weren’t going their way. A couple of solo home runs were all that Milwaukee could muster, and the Rockies’ early offense against starter Shane Drohan held up.

It was an inauspicious start. After a Jake McCarthy strikeout started the game, Kyle Karros hit a blooper down the right field line that fell right in the middle of Luis Lara, Jake Bauers, and Brice Turang, just inside the foul line. Karros ended up on second with a double, and Cole Carrigg, up next, lined one off the wall in left field for an RBI double. Hunter Goodman was up next and hit an RBI single to left, which made it 2-0. Willi Castro was next and hit a ground ball to second that appeared to start an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, but after a Rockies challenge Castro was ruled safe at first. With two outs, Troy Johnston flew out to center to finally end the inning.

The Brewers were down early, but they’re one of the most comfortable teams in baseball when down early. This became immediately apparent when, in a very encouraging sign, Christian Yelich hit a lead-off bomb against Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano, and it was no cheapie, 413 feet over the bullpen to the opposite field.

Jackson Chourio, who was next, just missed another homer when he got a ball a little off the barrel and flew out to center. Brice Turang followed by smoking a line drive into left field for a one-out single, but Sugano retired William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell to end the inning.

Drohan’s second inning went much better than the first, a three-up, three-down inning with two strikeouts, a feat which Sugano matched in the bottom of the inning. The top of Colorado’s lineup was back at it in the third, though; McCarthy hit a triple into the right-field corner to start things, and Karros followed with a hit into right. Karros went to second but was called out—the Rockies again challenged, but it looked like Karros came off the bag and the call stood. Their lead was up to 3-1, but Drohan got the next two to end the inning.

Yelich almost went deep again with one out in the bottom of the third, but this one hung up on the left-field warning track where McCarthy made a jumping catch. Chourio and Turang hit back-to-back two-out singles, but Contreras flew out to center on a pitch that he clearly felt he should’ve done more with.

Drohan had more traffic to deal with in the fourth. Castro led off with a single, then stole second base. A groundout by Johnston advanced Castro to third, and after a Moniak sac fly, the Rockies had manufactured a run in a very Brewers-esque way. After a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning, the Rockies led 4-1 through four.

The Rockies went down in order in the top of the fifth, but the Brewers did in the bottom of the inning, too, even as Yelich, for the third time in the game, almost went deep with a 392-foot fly ball that was caught on the warning track in center.

Carrigg nearly went deep to right to start the sixth, but Lara made a great leaping catch up against the wall. (It wouldn’t have been a home run, but it would’ve been extra bases.) Drohan walked the next batter, Goodman, on four pitches, but Lara made another nice catch on a first-pitch fly ball down the line by Castro. A flyout by Johnston ended the inning.

Chourio hit a ball hard to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but it was caught in center for the eighth straight Brewer out. But Turang finally ended that streak when he got a hold of one for a long home run to right-center, his 15th, which made the score 4-2. Contreras followed with a single to center and Mitchell worked a seven-pitch walk, which ended the afternoon for Sugano.

With two on and one out in a two-run game, the Rockies turned to right-hander Victor Vodnik. The Brewers countered by bringing on Andrew Vaughn to pinch-hit for Lara. Vaughn worked an 0-2 count back full, but struck out, though both runners advanced to scoring position when the third strike got away from Goodman (who recovered it in time to throw Vaughn out at first). Bauers, though, grounded out with the tying run on second and the inning ended. Milwaukee shrunk the Colorado lead, but they also let a good opportunity to do more go by.

Drohan stayed on to face the left-handed Moniak to start the seventh but walked him, after which Pat Murphy called for Grant Anderson. After Anderson entered, the Rockies went to the bench for the left-handed pinch-hitter TJ Rumfield, a good hitter, who lined an RBI double into the right-field corner to get the run that they gave up in the sixth right back. Ezequiel Tovar did the Brewers a favor by popping up on a bunt attempt for the first out, and McCarthy popped out in foul territory for the second. Karros struck out to end the inning, but with three opportunities left for the Brewer offense, they were down three.

Ortiz, Hamilton, and Yelich all grounded out against Vodnik in the bottom of the seventh. Craig Yoho replaced Anderson in the eighth, and he worked around a one-out walk to pitch a scoreless inning. Contreras hit a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, but the Brewers couldn’t make anything of it. Rumfield and Tovar hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the ninth off of Yoho, but McCarthy flew out and Tovar was thrown out trying to steal second.

The Brewers needed three runs in the ninth off of Jordan Romano, in his seventh game with the Rockies. Vaughn started things nicely by lining a single to center on Romano’s second pitch, and after a long at-bat, Bauers singled, too. With two on and nobody out, the Brewers had the tying run at the plate. Ortiz popped out, and pinch-hitter Gary Sánchez struck out. Yelich, who’d nearly homered three times in this game, got a chance with two out, but he flew out to right and the game was over.

It was a tough day—the offense didn’t look great, but Milwaukee also had the top five and nine of the top 11 exit velocities in the game. Balls were just finding gloves. That’s baseball, sometimes.

The bright spot was Turang, who went 3-for-4 with a solo homer. Yelich added a home run, too, and generally just looked more dangerous swinging the bat than he has lately. William Contreras added two singles and the Brewers had nine hits as a team, but the two solo home runs were Milwaukee’s only runs on the day. Drohan didn’t have a great day—he finished with six innings, six hits, two walks, six strikeouts, and five earned runs allowed—but he wasn’t terrible and he gave the Brewers some length. Anderson and Yoho combined for three innings and no earned runs, though Anderson did allow his inherited runner to score.

After this evening’s Alumni Legends Game, our attentions will turn to tomorrow, when the Brewers will look to even the series in a pitching matchup between Robert Gasser and Ryan Feltner at 6:10 p.m.

How Topps beat everyone to the LeBron James-76ers decision — and blindsided NBA

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows LeBron James in a brown jacket, white shirt, and black cap, standing next to a man in a white and black checkered shirt, Image 2 shows Shams Charania standing at the TIME 100 Sports Gala, Image 3 shows Topps Now trading card featuring LeBron James in a Philadelphia 76ers jersey, with a large, black and white portrait of his face in the background, a blue signature, and the text
LeBron James decision announcement.

The NBA spent all summer waiting on LeBron James’ free agency decision, and the scoop went to a trading card company.

News of James’ two-year agreement with the 76ers was printed on cardboard and posted by the Topps social media team in conjunction with James in a collaborative Instagram post before any reporter or even the league could get their hands on the information.

ESPN’s Shams Charania was beaten to the punch when James’ free agency decision was released on social media, first posted by Topps trading cards at 11:30 a.m. ET and in tandem with James’ X account post where he gave a sentimental message to his fans.

Topps had this announcement nearly a full minute ahead of Charania, who posted on X that James was taking his talents to Broad Street.

Multiple league sources confirm that the NBA was blindsided by this type of announcement, as Topps posted what appeared to be an already-autographed one-of-one trading card — perhaps signaling that this was in the works for some time.

The card itself that appears on the Instagram post is a real one that exists, but it is not yet autographed, sources with knowledge of the situation told The Post.

The source added that the image has been digitally modified to show what his autograph will look like on the card, and the actual signature on the card will be done in the coming days.

The NBA did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, and no league entities had posted anything on social media regarding James agreeing to sign with the 76ers for a league minimum contract with a player option for a second year.

Shams Charania was out-scooped by Topps trading cards on Friday. TKPUS / SplashNews.com

NBA social media handles, as well as the 76ers’ accounts, have been radio silent, despite the bombshell news that has spread like wildfire.

James spent last weekend at the Jacob Javits Center for Fanatics Fest, an event that is put on by the Michael Rubin-owned company Fanatics.

LeBron James did a live show of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Tyrese
Haliburton at Fanatics Fest hosted by Michael Rubin. gram @runamileaminute

Fanatics purchased Topps trading cards in 2022 for $500 million.

While at Fanatics Fest, James dropped a hint that he could be joining the 76ers, telling fans during a live recording of his “Mind The Game” podcast that he wants a team that will “trust the process,” a famous slogan of the 76ers.

Rubin and James recently crossed paths at Rubin’s private luncheon at the 40/40 club in New York City, Page Six reported last week — perhaps leading to this planned announcement between James and Topps.

Did LeBron James make right decision? Why signing with 76ers should be celebrated | Opinion

This first part is where I tell you that, now that LeBron James made his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s time for him to deliver.

This second bit is where I acknowledge that we hold him to an unreasonable standard.

Cruising social media in the moments after James surprised the NBA world Friday, July 24 and announced he would be joining his fourth different team, the prevailing sentiment was that a failure to deliver a championship in Philadelphia would derail James’ legacy. And while James’ addition does indeed make the Sixers a superteam, some pragmatism is in order.

This is not a player in his prime; this is one who will turn 42 years old seven weeks into the regular season. This is not a max player, but one who will sign a two-year, $8 million deal on the veteran minimum exception. This is not the 45-point Bron who silenced the TD Garden in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals as his team was facing elimination. This is a veteran who, in defiance of his age, remains relevant and productive.

Our expectations of what he can be in his early 40s should reflect all that in kind because LeBron James, at this point in his career, is not a No. 1 or No. 2 option. He’s a complementary player. He’s someone who does many things well, most of all on-ball creation and ball distribution.

So if the 76ers fail to win an NBA championship during James’ tenure there, it should not be weighed as some sprawling indictment on James as a player.

“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James wrote Friday. “I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.

“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

Paired alongside Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, James will need to carve out his role and will likely have to defer. To make it work, he’ll have to sacrifice his usage rate. This will be new for him.

But what bears repeating is that James is single-handedly rewriting the standard of production for someone his age.

Let’s take a look, for a moment, at the time another goated icon, Michael Jordan, signed with a new team in the twilight of his career.

After three seasons away from the NBA — his second of three career retirements — Jordan signed with the Washington Wizards in 2001 and played two seasons there. Washington posted a pair of 37-45 seasons with Jordan, who was 38 when he made his Wizards debut, nearly four years younger than James will be when he launches his Sixers tenure.

Jordan did earn a pair of All-Stars in Washington, and he did elevate a team that had won just 19 games the season prior to his arrival.

Yet, the Wizards couldn’t even crack the postseason with Jordan. Granted, those Washington teams were nowhere near as talented as James’ Philadelphia outfit will be, but Jordan’s lack of postseason success in Washington did nothing to mar his legacy.

For whatever reason, James tends to be judged more harshly. Much of this is due to the impossible constraints we place on him and others when debating legacy. We tend to prefer tidy, conventional narratives: players who remain with one team their entire career, players who fit easily-defined roles, players who take pay cuts for the good of the team.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) controls the ball against Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 7, 2025.

James could become the first player in NBA history to win championships with four different franchises. It would be yet another clear marker of his longevity, excellence and adaptability.

James sacrificed the neater legacy fits (the Cavaliers and Heat) and is taking on a larger risk by joining a new team. Ultimately, these are the very traits — sacrifice, hard work and the pursuit of greatness — that we love to celebrate in sport. Why should James chasing it, at 41 years old, be any different?

“This is my last decision,” he said. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did LeBron James make right decision? Why signing with 76ers should be celebrated | Opinion

Game 103 Game Day Thread – Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 19: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers looks on during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers

Friday, July 24, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / CW33)

The Shed

RHP Bryce Miller vs. LHP MacKenzie Gore

Today’s Lineups

MARINERSRANGERS
Randy Arozarena – LFJoc Pederson – DH
Julio Rodriguez – CFWyatt Langford – LF
Dominic Canzone – RFEzequiel Duran – 3B
Cal Raleigh – CBrandon Nimmo – RF
Josh Naylor – 1BEvan Carter – CF
Cole Young – 2BJake Burger – 1B
Mitch Garver – DHNicky Lopez – SS
Weston Wilson – 3BElias Diaz – C
Colt Emerson – SSCam Cauley – 2B
Bryce Miller – RHPMacKenzie Gore – LHP

Go Rangers!

Mariners Game #104 Preview and Discussion: 7/24, SEA at TEX

Cue the tumbleweed and the ocarina (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Big Tex gets a chance to be bigger than Texas tonight. Bryce Miller, owner of the nickname, will face off against the Rangers in Arlington at 5:05 PT. Since coming back from an oblique strain that cost him the first quarter of the season, Miller has been having the best year of his career. He’s striking out 29.5% of batters while walking just 4.1%, a K-BB% that’s good for fourth-best in MLB (min. 60 IP), nestled right between the folks in the Cy Young conversation. The rest of the top eight is Miz, Skubal, Cease, Wheeler, Schittler, deGrom, and Skenes. Unfortunately, Miller’s fastball velocity, and his results, have been on a downward trajectory over the past month.

He’ll face off against MacKenzie Gore, jewel of the Rangers’ offseason. On one hand, he’s pitched much better than his 4.80 ERA suggests, with xERA, FIP, xFIP, and SIERRA about a full point lower. On the other hand, about 4.00 still isn’t what the Rangers were hoping for. And even worse, he’s historically been a much worse performer in the second half, sort of the anti-Julio.

Lineups

J.P. Crawford is still out of the lineup, so Weston Wilson gets another start at third base. But with Dominic Canzone having worked his way into starts against lefties, the only other change from the typical lineup is that Mitch Garver will DH. It’s masked in his overall stats from all the times he had to face righties while Cal Raleigh was on the IL, but Garver’s been actively good against left-handed pitching this year. He’s at a 107 wRC+ against southpaws, and even amid his decline over the past three years combined, he’s at 114. For context, across MLB, designated hitters have a 108 wRC+ against lefties over the past three seasons.

While this still seems like the same era of Rangers baseball as 2023, this is quite a different looking lineup than their World Series run, especially when Corey Seager’s out.

Game Info

First pitch: 5:05 PDT
TV: Mariners TV
Radio: Old Reliable

Good vibes only

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The Flames Have the NHL's Worst Contract, But Also One of Its Best

On July 23, The Athletic released its revised lists of the NHL's best and worst contracts, and as expected, the Calgary Flames found themselves on the worst list, but in an odd twist to the rankings, also found themselves on the best list.

As a rebuilding team with good NHL Draft Lottery odds, it is quite surprising to see them with such a bad contract that they'd be on the worst list, since the goal is to be younger and cheaper. Still, there's no denying that Jonathan Huberdeau's $10.5 million salary does complicate bookkeeping at the Saddledome. 

With all this negative press about one player's mosterous contract, it kinda overshadows the excitement that the Flames have Dustin Wolf locked up until the next decade on a relatively inexpensive deal. If he happens to win the Vezina Trophy before his deal expires in 2033, there's no denying his $7.5 million could be considered the heist of the century

Today, we discuss why these deals popped up on The Athletic's lists and what it means long term for the organization as they move into Scotia Place next season.

Huberdeau's contract continues to be the NHL's worst

For the third consecutive year, Huberdeau's $84 million contract, which pays him $10.5 million annually, ranks as the league's worst contract. After scoring 115 points in 2021-22, he came to Calgary via a trade and was immediately signed to a blockbuster deal.

In his first season, he scored 15 goals and 55 points, exactly 60 points fewer than the year before. He collected even fewer points in 2023-24, with just 12 goals and 52 points and a team-worst minus-29 rating. Despite bouncing back with 28 goals and 62 points in 2024-25, he only skated in 50 games last year, scoring 10 goals and 25 points. 

In 2026-27, Huberdeau's contract will count 10.1% towards the Flames' cap, and at 33, many believe his best days are behind him. Hopefully, coming back from hip surgery will give him a chance to find chemistry with the team's young core, but for the past few seasons, Calgary has been one of the lowest teams in the NHL.

Considering his hefty salary, everyone expects more from Huberdeau, but with unappealing statistics, it makes it almost impossible to trade him and offer him a change of scenery and a fresh start.

Wolf is the only reason the Flames haven't hit rock bottom

All-Rookie goalie Wolf is about to begin his new contract extension, which will pay him $7.5 million for the next seven seasons. As the undisputed number one goalie, the Flames will only go as far as Wolf can carry them. Last year, for the first time in his professional hockey career, he produced a losing season, posting a 23-29-3 record as Calgary secured the fourth-best draft lottery odds. 

As the organization continues to rebuild, Wolf is the only reason one of the lowest-scoring teams isn't being run out of every building they play in. He had a spectacular 2024-25 campaign, going 29-16-8 and kept the Flames close to a wildcard spot, only losing out in the final weeks of the season.

Throughout their history, Calgary has had some great goalies, but there hasn't been a single youngster to come in and ignite the fanbase as Wolf has since Miikka Kiprusoff in the early 2000s. 


Do you agree with The Athletic's assessments of the league's best and worst contracts? Are their opinions on Huberdeau and Wolf valid? Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Dodgers vs. Mets game chat

BRONX, NY - JULY 17: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game against the New York Yankees on July 17, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Dodgers (65-38) continue their long road trip with a three game series against the Mets (43-60) in New York.

Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) hopes to build off his impressive start against the Yankees. 

Left-hander Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.74 ERA, 1.36) takes the mound for the Mets.

Lineups


Friday game info

  • Teams: Dodgers at Mets
  • Ballpark: Citi Field, Queens
  • Start time: 4:10 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Astros at White Sox Game Discussion: 7/24/2026

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 18: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros pitches in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Daikin Park on July 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (50-54) begin a 3-game series tonight vs. the Chicago White Sox (54-47) at Rate Field.

RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-5, 4.34 ERA) will start for the Astros as he takes on White Sox RHP Davis Martin (9-5, 3.31 ERA).

ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the 1st game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros, during which they are scheduled to play 3-game sets vs. the Chicago White Sox (Fri.-Sun.) and the Los Angeles Angels (Mon.-Wed.).

The Astros are 17-12 on their last four road trips combined and are 23-18 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.

ROAD SLUGGING: The Astros are T-1st in the AL in road HR while ranking 2nd in road OPS (.743) and road SLG (.420) and 4th in road runs scored (243).

VS. THE CHISOX: The Astros are facing the White Sox for the 1st time in 2026. They were 3-3 vs. CWS last season, going 2-1 at home and 1-2 here in Chicago. The Astros are 20-13 vs. CWS over the past 5 seasons (2021-25), posting winning records in each of those seasons. HOU is 53-46 all-time vs. CWS.

SPENCER’S GIFTS: RHP Spencer Arrighetti will make his 17th start of the season tonight and his 2nd since the All-Star Break. In his last start on July 18 vs. BAL, he was solid, allowing just 1 hit and 1 R in 5.0 IP, but ended up with ND in an eventual, 4-2 Astros loss in 11.0 innings.

Pitcher of the Month: Named AL Pitcher of the Month for May, after posting a 4-1 record in his 5 starts with an 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP) and a .165 opponent batting average. Tonight will be Arrighetti’s 3rd career start/app. vs. CWS and his first since Aug. 16, 2024 at Daikin Park (11-5 loss, 5.2 IP, 4 ER). He has made 1 career start/app. at Rate Field, which was on June 20, 2024 (ND in 5-3 win, 4.1 IP, 3 ER).

MOVING UP THE LIST: Manager Joe Espada earned his 225th win as the Astros skipper on Wednesday night, moving him past Terry Collins and into 10th place all-time in club history. Hal Lanier (254 wins) is 9th on the list.

FIRST BLOOD: The Astros rank 1st in the AL and 2nd in the Majors in 1st-inning runs (68). Additionally, HOU is 35-15 when scoring 1st this season.

CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 31-20 in games decided by 2 runs or less, 22-12 in 2-run games, 9-8 in 1-run games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez is a strong AL MVP candidate as he enters tonight leading the league in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking 1st in batting average (.328), HR (34), and RBI (77). Additionally, he currently leads all of baseball in OPS (1.089), OBP (.433), SLG (.656) TB (244), and in the AL, he also ranks 1st in hits (122), 1st in XBH (54), tied 1st in runs (69), and 4th in walks (66).

HOT STREAK: Yordan Alvarez enters tonight with a 9-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting a sizzling .515 (17×33) with 4 2B, 5 HR and 10 RBI with a 1.691 OPS.

HISTORIC HOMERS: Yordan Alvarez has 34 HR through the Astros’ 1st 104 games, which are the 2nd-most in franchise history at this point in a season(per Elias):

Most HR thru 104 G: Jeff Bagwell-35 (‘94)

Most HR thru 105 G: Jeff Bagwell-36 (‘94), Jeff Bagwell-35 (‘99)

PEÑA POWER: Jeremy Peña has homered in 3 consecutive games, becoming the 5th different Astros SS to do so. The others are: Carlos Correa, Jed Lowrie, Andujar Cedeno, Craig Reynolds. In Peña’s last 3 games, he is 5×12 (.417) with 3 HR, 5 R and 6 RBI.

Last Time It Happened (Astros)

Last SS to Homer in 3 consecutive games: Correa (8/9-11, 2016)

Last SS to Homer in 4 consecutive games: Has never happened

Last Astro to Homer in 4 consecutive games: Alex Bregman (8/10-12, 2024)

HIT PAREDES: Isaac Paredes has hit safely in 8 straight games at .387 (12×31) with 2 HR and 7 RBI in that span. Since June 3, Paredes is batting .303 (46×152) with 21 runs scored, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 30 RBI and 18 walks in 41 games.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros rank 2nd in the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and have the 2nd-fewest errors in the AL (43). 1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 99 games played at 1B…dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 127 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).

TAPPING FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 73 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (60%). 2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-23 challenges (65%), ranking third in the Majors in challenges won. 3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-12) has been the most efficient challenger for the Astros.

BRYAN’S BACK: RHP Bryan Abreu has a 1.86 ERA (2ER/9.2IP) in his last 9 apps. with a .156 opp. avg. in that span. Additionally, since May 1, he has a 2.55 ERA (7ER/24.2IP) in 26 apps., and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities in that span. Prior to May 1, Abreu had a 12.54 ERA in his 1st 11 apps. of the season.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader, who is 11-for-11 in save opp. with a 1.47 ERA, enters tonight with 238 career SV, needing 1 more to move past LHP Sparky Lyle for 5th place all-time among LH relievers.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – After nearly four months of delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Astros host the Mariners for Opening Day 2020 at an empty Daikin Park. It marks the latest Opening Day in club history. The game ends in an 8-2 Astros win, giving the club their 8th straight Opening Day victory. RHP Justin Verlander makes his 12th career Opening Day start and earns the win after tossing 6.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 6:40 p.m. CT

Location: Rate Field, Chicago, IL

TV: SCHN

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Micah Parsons erupts after LeBron James snubs Steph Curry, Warriors

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Stephen Curry (4) and guard LeBron James (6) of Team USA react in the second half against France, Image 2 shows Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) celebrates after sacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
Stephen Curry, Micah Parsons

Micah Parsons had one question after LeBron James chose Philadelphia over Golden State: Why does nobody seem to want to play with Stephen Curry?

“Nobody wants to play with my man Curry man I don’t get it!!” Parsons wrote on X. “All he do is win!! What is going on in the Bay!!???”

James became the latest major name to pass on Golden State, agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers. The Warriors had spent weeks trying to sell LeBron on the notion of a final championship run alongside Curry and Draymond Green. But, James instead joined Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid.

For Parsons, the frustration was personal.

Myles Garrett Flexes on Micah Parsons for 35 Minutes Bleacher Report

The Packers pass rusher has spent years defending Curry against critics and campaigning for him in basketball debates. During the Warriors’ 2022 playoff run, Parsons regularly celebrated Curry’s performances, compared his impact to Michael Jordan and continued backing him even when Golden State was eliminating the Dallas Mavericks while Parsons was still playing for the Cowboys.

More recently, Parsons took issue with Emmanuel Acho, who ranked Curry fifth among active NBA players at their peaks.

“I’m sorry, not having Curry first is disrespectful!” Parsons wrote.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) celebrates after sacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Acho argued that LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo offered more two-way value. Parsons’ position was simpler: Curry’s four championships, two MVP awards and transformation of modern basketball should place him at the front of the conversation.

He has even turned Curry’s name into a universal compliment. When Travis Kelce began dating Taylor Swift, Parsons compared Kelce’s new relationship to reaching the god-like status of Curry.

That long-running admiration explains why James’ decision struck a nerve.

The Warriors have repeatedly explored adding another star as Curry’s championship window narrows, only to fall short with targets including James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George and a possible Kevin Durant reunion.

Stephen Curry (4) and guard LeBron James (6) of Team USA react in the second half against France USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Curry remains one of basketball’s most accomplished and unselfish stars. Yet Golden State keeps discovering that his résumé alone cannot erase concerns about age, injuries, roster depth and the Western Conference.

Parsons may not understand why stars keep passing.

Warriors fans would probably like an answer, too.

Blue Jays @ Red Sox Game Thread

Apr 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view outside Fenway Park before the Boston Red Sox home opener game against the San Diego Padres. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

An Apple TV game, because MLB will never turn down a dollar.

It would be nice to win a game or two this series.

Today’s Lineups

BLUE JAYSRED SOX
Ernie Clement – SSAnthony Seigler – 2B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1BCeddanne Rafaela – CF
Kazuma Okamoto – 3BWilyer Abreu – RF
George Springer – DHWillson Contreras – 1B
Alejandro Kirk – CMasataka Yoshida – DH
Davis Schneider – LFCaleb Durbin – 3B
Daulton Varsho – CFJarren Duran – LF
Luis Urias – 2BAndruw Monasterio – SS
Myles Straw – RFConnor Wong – C
Trey Yesavage – RHPPatrick Sandoval – LHP

Go Jays Go

Game Thread: How are the Guardians *not* in first place?

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians gestures while rounding the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

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