w Page 18 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Mets slowly picking up steam ahead of opener vs. Red Sox
Over their last two games, the New York Mets have displayed the formula necessary to begin the long climb back to respectability.,The Boston Red Sox are two weeks into a similar climb.,The Mets and Red Sox each will aim to remain hot Friday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series in N...

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani gets another shot at D-backs before All-Star break
Shohei Ohtani makes his last pitching start prior to the All-Star break when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.,Ohtani has been battling right bicep, left knee and right hand blister issues recently but was cleared to make this start.,Ohtani will see limited actio...

Rangers ride momentum of walk-off win into opener vs. Astros
Thanks to a walk-off win on Thursday, the Texas Rangers head into their final series before the All-Star break atop the standings in the American League West.,The Rangers will open a three-game set against the Houston Astros on Friday night in Arlington, Texas., ,Wyatt Langford drove in Alejandro Os...

Padres, Blue Jays in search of missing offenses as series opens
After routing the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 on Wednesday night, the San Diego Padres felt they might be turning the corner offensively.,But a 3-1 loss in the finale of its four-game series with Arizona on Thursday night displayed San Diego still has more than a few weaknesses to iron out with the ba...

Munetaka Murakami, White Sox get fresh start vs. A's
Limited to two runs and 15 hits in a three-game sweep at the hands of the visiting Boston Red Sox this week, the Chicago White Sox are expecting a much-needed offensive reinforcement on Friday.,Chicago anticipates activating slugging first baseman Munetaka Murakami from the injured list before hosti...

Reds, Cubs eager to bounce back from close losses
The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs will try to put one-run losses behind them when they open a three-game series Friday night in Cincinnati. ,For the Reds, it will be a chance for some revenge after the Cubs swept them in a four-game series May 4-7 at Wrigley Field.,The Cubs were denied a three-ga...

Mariners seek better luck in Florida in opener vs. Rays
The first half of the Seattle Mariners' six-game road trip to Florida has not played out like a typical summer vacation in the Sunshine State. ,After being swept in their three games against the red-hot Miami Marlins, the Mariners will visit St. Petersburg, Fla., to play the Tampa Bay Rays for the f...

Guardians All-Star Parker Messick returns to home state to face Marlins
Cleveland Guardians All-Star rookie Parker Messick is returning to his home state of Florida this weekend as he is set to start on Friday night against the host Miami Marlins.,Messick (7-5, 2.80 ERA) looks like one of the steals of the 2022 MLB Draft, selected in the second round out of Florida Stat...

Royals expected to get Vinnie Pasquantino back in series vs. Orioles
The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles will search for any edge they can find to try to climb from the depths of the American League pecking order.,The teams will begin a three-game series Friday night in Baltimore.,The Orioles, who are in last place in the AL East, have lost four straight hom...

Brewers seek more from Brandon Sproat, open series at Pirates
The Milwaukee Brewers will try to head into the All-Star break on a high note when they make their first trip to Pittsburgh this season to face the Pirates on Friday night in the first of a three-game series.,The National League Central-leading Brewers will send right-hander Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.1...

Yankees brace for Nationals in battle of top two HR teams
The New York Yankees will look to build on Thursday's offensive surge when they end the first half of the season with a three-game series at the Washington Nationals starting Friday night.,New York entered Thursday having lost 14 of its past 18 games and struggling to score. Behind two home runs fro...

Trending Tigers prep for pre-All-Star test vs. Phillies
The Detroit Tigers will look to finish a strong push to the All-Star break when they host the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend.,The Tigers have won five straight games to move within 4 1/2 games of first place in the American League Central ahead of their final three contests of the first half of ...

Conor McGregor makes long-awaited return vs. Max Holloway at UFC 329
Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in five years when he faces Max Holloway in a five-round welterweight main event on Saturday night at UFC 329, closing out International Fight Week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.,McGregor (22-6 MMA) has not competed since sustaining a broken ...

Brewers take down Cardinals to win 4 of 5 in series
Jake Bauers and Brice Turang went deep for the Milwaukee Brewers, who capped a long week in St. Louis by beating the Cardinals 8-4 on Thursday and taking four of the five games.,Turang (2-for-5) and Bauers (2-for-4) were joined by Jackson Chourio (2-for-5), Sal Frelick (2-for-4) and Cooper Pratt (2-...

Team Falcons grab group lead in Esports World Cup Dota tourney
Team Falcons took sole possession of first place in Group A with their second straight win at the Dota 2 event of the Esports World Cup on Thursday in Paris.,Falcons defeated GamerLegion 2-0 to emerge from a three-way tie at the top with BetBoom Team and Xtreme Gaming. BetBoom Team split a 1-1 decis...

Don Mattingly open to becoming Phillies' full-time manager
Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly made it clear Thursday that he's open to staying on beyond this season.,Talking to reporters after ESPN reported his interest on Wednesday, Mattingly confirmed the possibility.,"I like doing it," Mattingly said. "I didn't come here to do it, but I ...

Phillies' Bryce Harper, Cardinals' Jordan Walker enter HR Derby
Bryce Harper will represent the home team at a Home Run Derby once again.,"Derby at home? Sure why not?" Harper wrote in an Instagram post Thursday evening, becoming the sixth known entrant out of eight.,Harper last appeared in the Derby in 2018, when he was a member of the Nationals and All-Star fe...

Skylar Diggins remains sidelined as resurgent Sky face Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks would just like to put together consecutive solid games.,The Sparks are halfway to that modest goal as they enter Friday night's home contest against the Chicago Sky.,The Sparks (9-11) had lost three straight games and five of six before notching a 106-92 home victory over the...

Dru Brown steps in for Blue Bombers against Argonauts
Zach Collaros will miss the contest and Dru Brown will be the starting quarterback when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night.,Collaros sustained a neck injury during the second quarter of Sunday's 14-13 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He didn't practice Wednesda...

Report: Two groups emerge as favorites in Seahawks' sale process
One group from the Boston Celtics and another from the San Francisco 49ers are the leading candidates to buy the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Front Office Sports reported on Thursday.,Current Celtics minority owner Aditya Mittal and former Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck lead one gr...