Worldwide Sports News

The “Second Half” of the 2026 MLB season begins tonight for the Athletics.  They’ll pick up at home in West Sacramento against the Washington Nationals at 6:40 p.m. After finishing the first half on a nine-game losing streak, the team hopes to get off on the right foot against a Nationals team which sits in fourth place in the National League East with a 48-49 record.

There ill be two new faces in the A’s lineup tonight.  Starting at second base is newly acquired infielder Donovan Walton, a seven-year veteran who has made short stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Anaheim. He’ll be batting seventh in Mark Kotsay’s lineup. Tommy White will man first base tonight for the A’s.  He’s making his MLB debut, after being called up from AAA Las Vegas (officially) today.

Taking the mound for the A’s, making his tenth start of the season is 23-year-old lefty Gage Jump. Jump is 3-4 on the season with an ERA of 3.51 in 48.2 innings of work. He’ll face off against 25-year-old righty Cade Cavalli for the Nats. Cavalli is 5-4 with a 3.83 ERA in twenty starts. He’s struck out 110 batters in 98.2 innings. 

Cavalli will face off against this lineup for the A’s who will be without Nick Kurtz and Zack Gelof who went on the Injured List (IL) before the break:

Jump will go up against this lineup for Blake Butera’s Nationals:

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

The Cincinnati Reds turn to righty Brady Singer for the opener of their 2026 second half. The Reds are on the road in Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies under a muggy high sky.

First pitch is set for 8:40 PM ET, and Rockies righty Gabriel Hughes will be the man firing that pitch.

Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

The Mets were among the teams found to have exploited a loophole regarding the use of artificial intelligence for in-game decisions during the first half of the season, sources told The Post.

Major League Baseball banned the practice beginning Wednesday.

The crackdown was issued in a June 11 memo to teams but wasn’t put in place until the day before the second half of the season began following the All-Star break.

As first reported by The Athletic, MLB found that some teams were using league-issued iPads in the dugout “beyond their originally intended purpose to include recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.”

The memo, from MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword and obtained by The Post, was sent to general managers, assistant GMs and video coordinators.

The tablets, which still will be permitted in dugouts, give teams access to league-provided Statcast information, as well as multiple video angles and data related to the automated ball-strike system.

Video accessed during the game in the dugout is only available on delay.

The custom tab allowed teams to access other programs and will no longer be accessible.

The move could impact teams that began calling pitches from the dugout, a trend that has become more widespread this season.

It will no doubt have other impacts as teams throughout the league have relied more heavily on analytics in all aspects of the game.

MLB has permitted the use of iPads in dugouts for over a decade and noted in the memo that a review earlier this year showed that teams were “compliant” with rules regarding sign stealing and electronic device usage, so no penalties were handed out.

Teams were essentially given a month to stop using AI for in-game decision-making purposes “to make any necessary adjustments.”

— Additional reporting by Joel Sherman

Shohei Ohtani was back in the lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, July 17.

He served as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter to open the series on the road against the New York Yankees in a rematch of the 2024 World Series.

Ohtani was pulled from a scheduled start on the mound before the MLB All-Star break due to inflammation and irritation in his left knee. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani did have lubricant injected into his knee but did not have it drained. The injection is expected to provide Ohtani with relief in his knee.

He was the league's leading vote-getter but withdrew from the MLB All-Star Game due to the discomfort in the knee, which impacted his pitching mechanics.

If you recall, prior to the All-Star break the Orioles had just climbed a hurdle they’d failed to yet surpass: a four-game win streak. Now, they’re a bit battered and bruised, what with late-inning relievers Ryan Helsley and Keegan Akin on the shelf, and hottest-hitter-of-late Blaze Alexander sidelined, sadly, with a fractured hand, thanks to KC’s wayward Lucas Erceg.

Tonight, the Birds fly the coop for three games against the Houston Astros. Game 1 is tonight, with right hander Dean Kremer (1-2, 4.09 ERA) facing off against righty Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.14 ERA)

Lambert is only in the Houston rotation due to a surfeit of starter injuries, but the fifth-year journeyman, who’d owned a career 6.28 ERA to date, has been a nice surprise for the Astros. He’s done a good job of limiting contact, with an excellent .204 opposing average against. The righty has a really extensive eight-pitch mix that is primarily fastball and changeup-driven. Back in April, Lambert threw 4.1 innings and allowed two runs.

As for the Orioles’ Kremer, this will be just his start of the year, due, first to his not making the team out of spring training, and then an injured quad. It’s nice to have him back, under the circumstances. In four starts so far, he’s allowed 12 runs in 22 innings. He’s leaning heavily on a pitch that’s new for him, a splitter. So far, so good: hitters are batting just .176 against it. Against these Astros, Kremer has pitched well, although the fearsome Yordan Alvarez has reached base against him in six of 10 PAs, and Jose Altuve is 9-for-20.

Orioles lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson SS
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Taylor Ward LF
4. Pete Alonso 1B
5. Samuel Basallo DH
6. Dylan Beavers RF
7. Colton Cowser CF
8. Coby Mayo 3B
9. Jackson Holliday 2B

Astros lineup

1. Jeremy Peña SS
2. Yordan Alvarez DH
3. Isaac Paredes 3B
4. Christian Walker 1B
5. José Altuve 2B
6. LaMonte Wade Jr. LF
7. Cam Smith RF
8. Lucas Spence CF
9. Christian Vázquez C

This game got smoked out.

Friday’s matchup between the Pirates and Guardians was postponed because of air quality concerns stemming from wildfire smoke coming from Canada, Cleveland announced.

“We have to do what’s best and what’s smart for both teams and for the fans,” Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt told reporters, according to The Athletic.

In place of Friday’s game, a split doubleheader is scheduled at Progressive Field on Saturday, with the start times being 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. Eastern.

According to the Guardians’ statement, fans attending the doubleheader must clear the stadium in between games.

“If fans are unable to attend the makeup game on July 18, they will be able to make an exchange based on how their tickets were purchased,” the Guardians stated. “Exchanges must be made no later than July 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Please note that exchanges cannot be made in the MLB Ballpark app.”

Gavin Williams, who was slated to start for the Guardians on Friday, will pitch Game 1 on Saturday, with Cleveland calling up Logan Allen from Triple-A Columbus to start Game 2.

As of Friday afternoon, Cleveland’s Air Quality Index (AQI) registered at 244, which is labeled as “very unhealthy” and health risks are “increased for everyone,” according to AirNow.

A healthy AQI typically ranges between 0 and 50.

Cleveland, along with the surrounding areas of northeast Ohio, has been experiencing smoky and hazy skies for the past two days, though conditions are expected to improve by Saturday afternoon, according to Fox 8.

MLB is also assessing the air quality of several other games Friday night, and the commissioner’s office has the authority to cancel or postpone games based on the AQI, The Athletic reported.

Friday’s game isn’t the first to be affected by the smoky conditions, with the Mets’ 4-1 win over the Phillies on Thursday getting pushed up one hour to try to avoid the weather as much as possible.

The earlier start time did not do much to thwart the conditions, however, as the smoke eventually engulfed Citizens Bank Park midway through the game.

“My eyes were burning and itching a little bit,’’ Mets infielder Brett Baty said following the game. “[Carson] Benge said it felt like you were sitting by a campfire.

“It was fun … but it didn’t feel great playing ball with it.”

Thank goodness Rockies baseball is back.

The Colorado Rockies (39-59) return to action tonight against the Cincinnati Reds (43-52) at Coors Field after four days away for the All-Star break.

The Rockies have not played since last Sunday, when their 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants brought a quiet end to the unofficial first half. Four days without seeing the boys felt considerably longer than they should have.

There was still baseball, of course. It just was not the baseball I wanted to watch.

The Home Run Derby had its moments, and the All-Star Game offered the usual appeal of seeing baseball’s best players up close. But neither did much to fill the Rockies-sized hole in the week. Hunter Goodman barely received a passing mention, which was disappointing but not especially surprising.

After everything this organization has done—and failed to do—the Rockies have not earned national respect. They also have not earned anyone’s confidence that this climb will eventually reach the summit.

But for all the frustration, the Rockies are moving uphill. They reached the break 17 games ahead of last year’s pace, and the product on the field has been considerably more watchable.

And, Rockies fans still get the joy of this team on its own terms.

Anyone who showed up for the climb expecting an easy bandwagon ride has clearly never hiked in the Rockies. There is no wagon to the top. The trip is earned step by step.

Rockies fans learn to enjoy the climb itself: the debuts, the breakouts, the wild Coors Field nights, the heartbreaks, and the evenings spent shouting at the television before tuning in again the next day to watch a young player continue to find his footing.

Meanwhile, the jumpers are still at the trailhead complaining about the breeze.

Tonight, the climb resumes with Gabriel Hughes on the mound.

The 24-year-old right-hander opened his season with three scoreless innings against the Giants, earning a save in his major-league debut. Five days later, he made his first major-league start at Dodger Stadium and struck out seven over six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks.

Through those two appearances, Hughes has a 3.00 ERA with eight strikeouts and three walks over nine innings. He has leaned heavily on a four-seam fastball averaging just over 93 mph. The pitch has accounted for seven of his eight strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .130 average.

The sample is small, but the fastball has already shown that it can miss major-league bats.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Brady Singer. The 29-year-old enters tonight at 3-9 with a 4.72 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 89.2 innings. He was sharp in his final start before the break, holding the Philadelphia Phillies to one run over 7.1 innings.

The Rockies’ offense went quiet before the break, scoring three runs or fewer in four of its final five games. A few days away may have come at a good time.

Now, the break is over. Hughes is on the mound, the gang is back together, and it is simply good to have Rockies baseball back in front of us.

I, for one, am glad to be back on the trail.

First pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150

Reds SB Nation Site: Red Reporter

Lineups

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Two starts ago, Seth Lugo faced off against his original big league team in a wild game that the Royals ultimately won despite him pitching quite poorly. He will look to do better today against his other former club, the one that first gave him a shot to resume starting after what had seemed a permanent shift to the bullpen.

We all know who Lugo is at this point; he throws everything but the kitchen sink. But sometimes he’ll add a faucet in there. When he can avoid the middle of the plate and keep guys guessing, he succeeds, when he gets backed into a corner, he can get pounded. The Padres don’t seem like a team that’s likely to pound him, necessarily, but

The Padres have been a bit up-and-down this season with an elite bullpen, an offense that has struggled to hit home runs, and a starting pitching staff that is extremely suspect after Michael King. Unfortunately for the Royals, King is the one who gets the start tonight.

King throws five pitches. What’s odd about his success from the outside is that, well, it looks like a bit of smoke and mirrors. None of his pitches get chase, none get whiffs, his xwOBACON is awful. His stuff is rated average. His 3.49 ERA is backed by a 4.49 SIERA and 4.01 FIP. His K-BB% of 11.1% is a career low. If the Royals had a good offense, I’d wonder if they could find a way to break him out of his lucky streak. But they’re not.

Lineups

Not much has changed with the Royals’ lineup since last weekend. For some reason, Salvador Perez still has to be in there despite actively making the team worse. But otherwise, this is about as good as it gets with the current group of players. A group that likely won’t be together much longer.