The summer break is often viewed as a chance for Formula 1 teams and drivers to reset, but history shows it can also be a turning point in a championship battle.
While some drivers return from the shutdown with renewed momentum and find another level of performance, others struggle to maintain their early-season form. From ******* le contenders and regular podium finishers to championship challenges falling apart and car performance dropping, the post-summer stretch has produced some dramatic swings in recent F1 history.
GPblog looks back at some drivers who improved after the summer break and others who saw their form disappear.
Verstappen's ******* le hopes looked dead and buried going into the summer break of 2025, as after a ninth place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he sat 97 points off the championship lead. However, the Dutchman found another level after the summer break, finishing on the podium in each of the 10 remaining races.
He won six of the final races and ultimately only lost out on the ******* le by two points to Lando Norris. His consistency, qualifying pace and ability to maximise difficult weekends helped somehow revive his championship hopes, and he came close to achieving the greatest comeback in Formula 1 history.

#title #formula

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. went 5 for 5 with two RBIs in the first five-hit game of his career, and Xander Bogaerts' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the San Diego Padres an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
Tatis became the first major leaguer with five singles in a game this season and the first Padres player to do it since Adrián González on Aug. 11, 2009.
Manny Machado had three hits for the Padres, including an eighth-inning single that was misplayed by right fielder Jake McCarthy for an error — allowing Jake Cronenworth to score the tying run.
San Diego loaded the bases against Jimmy Herget (0-4) with ***** ody out in the ninth on Jackson Merrill's leadoff single and two walks. Merrill scored on Bogaerts' fly to center field.
Mason Miller (3-1) struck out all three batters in the top of the ninth to keep it tied at 7.

#diego #Padres #game #inning

WEST SACRAMENTO — Reactions from the Red Sox' 4-3 loss to the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Tuesday:
1. The Red Sox dropped to 55-51 while the Athletics improved to 45-62. The loss ended Boston's 10-game road winning streak dating back to July 3.
2. Connor Wong blasted a two-out, two-run home run off A's lefty Hogan Harris to cut Boston's deficit to 4-3 in the ninth. Anthony Seigler made an attempt to tie it but flied out 397 feet to center field to end the game. The A's had scored in the eighth inning to go ahead by three runs.
3. Boston made a questionable decision in the seventh inning to play for one run while trailing 1-0 after Athletics starter Gage Jump left the game following six dominant innings.
Ceddanne Rafaela led off with a sharp single to right field against reliever Luis Medina.

#inning

PITTSBURGH — The Arizona Diamondbacks' Tuesday win over the Pittsburgh Pirates had fans feeling every emotion, but one feeling that resonated throughout the fan base was exasperation.
Jul 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) gestures as he circles the bases on a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
What looked like a dominant 6-0 Diamondbacks lead turned into a 6-3 game before the ninth inning, forcing Arizona to turn to closer Paul Sewald as a blowout became a save opportunity. The Pirates, who trailed throughout, rallied in the ninth, tying the game on a two-run shot and a solo home run off Sewald.
The closer was eventually pulled after recording one out and allowing three earned runs, but questions about his role lingered long after the Snakes secured an 8-7 win in extra innings.
May 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald (38) throws the plate during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

#pirates #sewald #credit #imagn

SAN DIEGO – After spending the later innings feeling like they were pushing a rock up a hill, the San Diego Padres finally got over the top on a game-winning sacrifice fly by Xander Bogaerts in a wild 8-7 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Petco Park.
Fernando Tatis Jr. set a new career high with five hits while driving in a pair of RBI, as the Padres (54-53) cracked a home-season-best 16 hits to extend their win streak to four games. Encinitas-born Mickey Moniak hit a two-run home run, the eighth of his career against San Diego, part of his three-RBI night for the Rockies (42-56), who saw four costly errors all come back to hurt.
Jackson Merrill led off the ninth with a single, his third of the game, then stole second and advanced to third when Hunter Goodman's throw went into center field. Back-to-back walks to Luis Rengifo and pinch-hitter Sung-Mun Song cued up Bogaerts' decisive RBI, which made for the seventh walk-off win of the season by San Diego and their third time against Colorado.
The Padres rallied to tie in three consecutive innings, with Manny Machado lacing a single to the right-center alley that Hunter McCarthy bobbled and allowed Jake Cronenworth to score in the eighth. Mason Miller then came on to set the Rockies down in order, whiffing all three he faced to set the stage and ultimately earn his third win.
Reliever Adrian Morejon was able to limit the damage in the top, as after a Bogaerts error loaded the bases and a walk to Ezequiel Tovar pushed across a run, the lefty got a ground out to end the inning.

#diego #Rockies #Third

PITTSBURGH — The Arizona Diamondbacks' 8-7 extra-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night was a nail-biter. More importantly, it continued to raise one question: Is Paul Sewald still the right person to close games?
Jul 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) gestures as he circles the bases on a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The D-Backs looked poised to take the win in regulation, leading the Pirates 6-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning. However, a turbulent inning by right-hander Ryan Thompson allowed Pittsburgh to cut the lead in half heading into the ninth. Instead of a comfortable win, it became a save opportunity for Sewald — and it wasn't his night.
A two-run homer followed by a solo shot tied the game, marking the closer's third blown save of the season. He eventually recorded one out before being pulled as the game went into extra innings.
Jul 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald (38) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

#inning #sewald

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Brian Serven hit his first major league home run in almost four years and Gage Jump pitched six scoreless innings as the Athletics cooled off the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 victory Tuesday night.
Tommy White went 4 for 4 and scored twice for the A's, who had lost three straight and five of six. Henry Bolte had an early RBI single, and pinch-hitter Lawrence Butler provided a critical insurance run with an RBI double in the eighth.
Connor Wong launched a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth for the Red Sox, who had won 18 of 20.
Batting ninth, Serven gave the Athletics a 3-0 lead with a two-run drive to center field in the seventh that chased starter Jake Bennett (6-4). It was his seventh career homer and first since Aug. 21, 2022, for the Colorado Rockies against San Francisco.
___

#serven #athletics

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered and hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Christian Walker added a solo homer while Houston relievers Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert and Josh Hader combined for four hitless innings. Okert (4-1) threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Hader threw a four-pitch ninth for his 14th save.
The Astros won for the seventh time in eight games to remain two games behind Texas in the American League West. The last-place Angels have lost 17 of 22 games.
Nick Allen started the winning rally with a pinch-hit double off Angels left-hander Mitch Farris (0-2). Christian Vázquez flared a one-out single to shallow right, advancing Allen to third. After Jeremy Peña struck out, Alvarez lined a single to right-center.
Angels left-hander Red Detmers allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out nine and walking none. Astros right-hander Peter Lambert gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.

#right #alvarez #houston

SEATTLE (AP) — Caitlin Clark scored 32 points, Kelsey Mitchell added 28 and the Indiana Fever won their fourth straight game, beating the Seattle Storm 105-95 on Tuesday night.
Clark and Mitchell took over for Indiana (18-10) after Aliyah Boston took a hard fall and had to exit in the second quarter with a lower-leg injury. Boston had 11 points and did not return, but wasn't ruled out.
Clark went 9 for 14 with four 3-pointers, made all 10 of her free throws and added seven ****** ists. It was the ninth time she has scored 30-plus points with five-plus ****** ists. It has happened only eight other times in the team's history.
Mitchell has scored 20-plus points for a franchise-record 12th straight game, tied for the third-longest streak in league history.
Monique Billings had 14 points and 11 rebounds to help Indiana top 100 points for a league-record 12th time this season. Sophie Cunningham scored 11.

#scored #plus #straight

The White Sox (55-51) waited until the bottom of the ninth to score any runs, and ironically ended up outhitting the Yankees (61-46), but they couldn't make the full comeback and fell just short, 3-2. Chase Meidroth saved the day from a 3-0 shutout, mashing a homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the bats were mostly quiet and couldn't provide run support for their pitching staff.
Giving the White Sox bullpen a bit of a reprieve from Monday night, Anthony Kay labored through 5 1/3 innings, looking sharp outside of his 29-pitch second inning. The lefty started the game on a high note by striking out the side in the top of the first — the first three of seven Ks during today's outing — but we can't say the same about the next frame.
Back-to-back singles from Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham led off the second frame and kicked off their three-run rally. Kay uncorked a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position before Anthony Volpe lined a double off the top of the wall in right, scoring Domínguez. The southpaw worked around Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a strikeout, but Max Schuemann doubled to left to score another two runs to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
Kay was otherwise solid, and when a batter did reach base, he was able to work around it. The main issue, however, is that he received zero run support from the offense, which mustered only three hits while Kay was in the game. It helped that Kay gutted through five-plus innings, but without any run support, it hardly mattered.
Kay put Domínguez on for the second time to lead off the sixth, hitting his 20th batter of the season, and his 10th batter in his last nine starts. Though there was some weird communication between Tristan Peters and Braden Montgomery in right-center, Braden was able to snow cone the ball at the last second for the out.

#three #yankees #anthony

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Nico ***** ner drove in two runs apiece and the Chicago Cubs jumped out to a seven-run lead after two innings on the way to a 10-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Happ punctuated an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run double to get the Cubs' scoring started. Pete Crow-Armstrong's sacrifice fly scored Michael Conforto and Suzuki added a double. Michael Busch and ***** ner added RBI singles to make it 7-0, chasing Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy.
McGreevy (4-9) lasted 1 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits and seven earned runs. He walked two and struck out two as the Cardinals lost their third straight game.
Alec Burleson walked and Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn singled as the Cardinals loaded the bases in the fourth. Burelson scored on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Church. Winn hit a ground-rule double that plated the Cardinals' second run of the game in the ninth.
Pedro Ramírez had an infield single that scored ***** ner in the fifth. Suzuki added an RBI single in the eighth, and Carson Kelly drove in a run with a single in the ninth as the Cubs banged out a total of 17 hits.

#hoerner #scored #single

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Royce Lewis hit a two-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Taj Bradley threw six strong innings for the Twins (54-54), who have won three in a row and five of six. They are third in the AL Cental, just two games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox.
Kody Clemens doubled for Minnesota in the fourth and scored on Josh Bell's single. But center fielder Byron Buxton left in the fifth with right hip soreness after running to first base. It's the same joint that caused him to miss the All-Star Game this month.
Kansas City went ahead 2-1 in the sixth when Josh Rojas stole home on the front end of a double steal and Salvador Perez had an RBI single.
___

#first

PITTSBURGH (AP) — James McCann singled in the winning run in the 12th inning with his fourth hit of the game and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night despite blowing a six-run lead.
Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back home runs for the Pirates to spark a three-run rally against closer Paul Sewald in the ninth to tie the game at 6-all and force extra innings. Lowe's two-run shot was his team-leading 22nd of the season.
It was Sewald's third blown save in 27 opportunities.
The Pirates also had a three-run eighth to make it 6-3 on RBI singles by Ryan O'Hearn, Endy Rodríguez and Marcell Ozuna.
Both teams scored runs in the 10th on errors.

#runs

Charlie Woods got off to a slow start at the Junior PGA Championship on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old son of Tiger Woods shot 3-over 75 at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas in the opening round, seven strokes off the lead and tied for 53rd.
Woods bogeyed the first and fourth holes before making his first birdie of the day at the seventh hole. He made a double bogey at the ninth to tour the front nine in 39. On the back nine, Woods traded birdies at Nos. 15 and 18 with bogeys at Nos. 14 and 16.
Woods finished T-9 at the Junior PGA last year at Purdue University's Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, one of the few tournaments his famous father never won. Tiger finished runner-up in 1990.
Conditions were difficult on Tuesday, including 100-degree heat, at the course that will play host to the PGA Championship next May. Only 16 players in the field of 156 managed to break par on a difficult day in which 29 players shot 80 or higher. No one played better than Kailer Stone of Alameda, Calif., who birdied three of the final four holes to shoot 4-under 68 and claim the lead.

#championship #year #shot #holes

The Yankees scored early and held on, despite some ninth inning dramatics, to beat the White Sox, 3-2.
-- Anthony Volpe put the Yankees on the board in the second inning, nearly hitting a three-run home run, but settling for an RBI double that bounced off CF Tristan Peters' glove. Max Schuemann then found a way to drive the other runners in, bouncing a double over third base to give the Yanks an early 3-0 lead.
Luckily, that was all they needed.
-- Gerrit Cole dazzled in his 12th start of the year, tossing six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He allowed just four hits and walked two, lowering his ERA to 3.57.
The right-hander breezed through the first three innings, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts. He then ran into a bit of trouble in the fourth inning as Munetaka Murakami doubled and two walks loaded the bases, but found a way to escape without a run crossing the plate after 32 pitches.

#yankees #three

Charlie Woods of Jupiter turned in one of his strongest performances in competitive golf last year in the Junior PGA Championship at the Purdue University course in West Lafayette, Ind., tying for ninth after starting the fourth round in second place.
Would Woods repeat that performance in the 2026 Junior PGA, being played at the Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, the home course of the PGA of America?
If so, Woods will need to bounce back fast in the second round.
Woods bogeyed his first and fourth holes at the East Course, followed his first birdie of the day at No. 7 with a double-bogey at the ninth hole, then went through a roller-coaster final four holes to finish in a tie for 53rd at 3-over 75, seven shots behind leader Kailer Stone of Alameda, Calif.
Woods made another bogey at No. 14 (his second bogey on a par-5 hole), then birdied No. 15. He finished with a bogey at the 16th hole, a par at No. 17 and a closing birdie at No. 18.

#bogey #junior

Once again on Monday night, New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe came under immense scrutiny regarding his defensive miscue. However, the Chicago White Sox failed to make a comeback out of it.
In the ninth inning with one out remaining and the Yankees leading by five runs, Volpe dropped a routine fly ball off Colson Montgomery. As a result, White Sox's leading runner, Sam Antonacci, came around to score as the game continued. Yankees reliever Camilo Doval was taken out of the game, and David Bednar had to walk in to get the final out. In the end, the Yankees won 9-5.
Despite Volpe's error not impacting the result of the game significantly, the Yankees shortstop received harsh treatment from fans.
"The never ending proof of why he should be nowhere near the majors. HE IS NOT FIT FOR THIS LEVEL OF BALL Yankees!!!" one fan wrote. "Can somebody, ANYBODY, send him down for good or trade him already?!?!? What's it gonna take?!?!?"
"He had no business trying to catch that. Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] should've been there or an outfielder. This is ridiculous," another added.

#game #volpe #ball #leading

Jalen Carter has signed a four-year extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, the club said Tuesday, in a deal that reportedly makes him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.
Though the 2025 Super Bowl winners did not disclose financial terms, US media said the extension was worth $152 million (133.5 million euros), or $38 million per year, with $106 million guaranteed.
Carter, 25, is one of the NFL's most highly-rated young defenders, having been selected to each of the last two Pro Bowls.
He was drafted ninth in the first round in 2023, and became a cornerstone of the Eagles' vaunted defense.
Carter has 13.5 quarterback sacks and 108 tackles across his first three seasons with Philadelphia.

#carter #million #Eagles #jalen

The Minnesota Vikings locked up one of their longest-tenured players on Tuesday, agreeing to an extension with right tackle Brian O'Neill, per Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, the deal is four years, $96 million, keeping O'Neill in purple through the 2030 season.
O'Neill was entering the final year of his deal, with no guaranteed money in the 2026 season. There was speculation that he may do a "hold-in" to protect himself in the case of injury until a new deal was done, but now he and the team don't have to worry about that scenario.
Veterans were set to report on Tuesday, with quarterbacks having done so on Monday and rookies on Sunday. So the deal removes any questions about O'Neill's short and long-term status with the team.
O'Neill is entering his ninth season with the team. If Harrison Smith retires, O'Neill will be the longest-tenured player on the roster. His 81.6 PFF grade in 2025 ranked second among all offensive players, even while fighting through injuries that held him out of three games.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings sign star offensive tackle Brian O'Neill to an extension

#o 'neill #deal #team #brian

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles are set to make two-time Pro Bowl selection Jalen Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, a person with knowledge of the deal told The **** ociated Press on Tuesday.
The Eagles and Carter announced that they agreed to terms on a four-year extension through the 2031 season. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because financial terms hadn't been announced, said the contract includes $106 million guaranteed.
The Eagles already had picked up the fifth-year option for the 2027 season for Carter, the ninth selection in the 2023 draft. His extension is one less distraction for the Eagles as they open training camp this week.
Carter was runner-up for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2023 to Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson. He has 13 1/2 sacks in 43 career games — he missed three games last season with injuries — and was a key contributor when the Eagles won the Super Bowl for the 2024 season.
The 25-year-old Carter won two national championships in college at Georgia, where he was involved in a crash that killed a teammate and a recruiting staffer. He was given probation and a fine.

#carter #person

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — LaMonte Wade Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home the go-ahead run in a four-run ninth inning, and the Houston Astros came back to beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Monday night.
The Astros rallied in their final at-bat on a hit, two walks, two errors and two hit batters to hand the Angels their ninth loss this season when leading after eight innings.
Houston trailed 4-0 after three, but Taylor Trammell homered for a second straight game and the fifth time this season to cut it to 4-1 in the fourth.
Jeremy Peña doubled leading off the eighth against Ryan Zeferjahn, extending his hitting streak to nine games. Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI single to make it 4-2.
José Fermin (3-2) hit Trammell with a pitch leading off the ninth. Christian Walker singled and Trammell scored to make it 4-3 when second baseman Vaughn Grissom let Lucas Spence's potential double-play grounder go through his legs for a costly error.

#houston

Wasn't it 35 years ago when the Red-Hot Chili Peppers sang "Give it away, Give it away now?" That's exactly what the Angels did on this night. They gave it away; fortunately for Houston. Astros 6. Angels 4.
In the ninth inning, the Astros would do it by a matter of inches. First, Isaac Paredes would be slightly grazed by a pitch with the bases loaded which would tie things up. Moments later LaMonte Wade Jr., by the narrowest of margins, would draw a walk which gave Houston their first lead of the night. A fielding error by Angels reliever Sam Bachman would allow Yordan Alvarez to score an insurance run and that would be your final. It was an improbable comeback, just like Friday night in Chicago.
Even with the jubilation of the end result, much of the night was painted by a sad commentary. The Astros were fortunate to only be down by two runs at the end of the first inning. That was the boat the Astros found themselves in, which actually seemed like more like a sinking ship. The culprit once again was Tatsuya Imai, who allowed four walks and received the quick hook from Manager Joe Espada after tossing just 33 pitches. The issue was 21 of those pitches were ****** , which resulted in a disastrous start from Anaheim.
Upon Imai's departure, AJ Blubaugh would get Angels 3B Denzer Guzman to fly out to end the first frame, stranding three Angels runners. However, in the bottom of the third, Vaughn Grissom would drive in his second run of the night, hitting a solo shot to center field. It was Grissom's 7th home run of season. Josh Lowe would then reach on a throwing error by Jose Altuve. Moments later, Lowe would come around to score on a double by Jo Adell. By the time the third was in the books, the Angels had increased their lead to 4-0. Blubaugh would work 2 1/3 innings, allowing 2 hits, a run, while registering a strikeout.
In the fourth inning, Taylor Trammell would notch his fifth home run of the year on a two out blast to get the Astros on the board. In the bottom of the fourth, Christian Javier (W, 1-1) would enter in relief. Javier would go five innings, striking out seven while scattering three hits. Javier would strike out the side in the bottom of the 8th, throwing just 70 pitches through his performance. It's possible that Javier's outing will ultimately propel him back into the starting rotation next month.

#night #away #pitches

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
Bregman had sat out Sunday's game in Pittsburgh after going hitless in his previous three games. Against the Cardinals, he snapped out of an 0-for-12 slump with four hits and scored three runs in a game that was delayed an hour and 46 at the start due to rain.
Nico ****** ner also had four hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth as the Cubs banged out 14 hits in the win.
David Peterson (6-7) worked 5 2/3 innings and earned the win. The 30-year-old left-hander, who was acquired on June 25 from the New York Mets, struck out two and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks.
Matthew Liberatore (5-8) was tagged for three runs on eight hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings.

#hits #Cubs #homer

Vita Vea has been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for eight seasons. But on the eve of his ninth training camp with the team, why is the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle requesting a trade?
Online rumors were quick to point the finger at Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, but a team insider was quick to dispel that narrative.
The 31-year-old is heading into the final year of his contract with the Buccaneers, but is set to have a robust cap hit of $22.2 million in 2026. Typically, when stars are heading into a contract year, they're looking to secure a long-term extension. After all, that's what Baker Mayfield has been angling for, but Bucs general manager Jason Licht has yet to strike a deal.
That's the same story here with Vea. Only, rather than try to negotiate, he wants a trade. But is it because of coaching?
According to The Athletic's Buccaneers insider Greg Auman, Vea doesn't have an issue with Bowles. The man simply wants to get paid.

#heading

WASHINGTON — This time, there was little argument when Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider came to the mound to take the ball from Max Scherzer.
This time, as Scherzer departed the mound for the dugout and a small but spirited Nationals Park crowd of 17,618 offered a standing ovation, Scherzer didn't stare daggers and skulk into the dugout.
Instead, he turned and wearily offered a wave of his right hand to a crowd that still reveres him for his work in Washington.
On Monday, July 27, Scherzer celebrated his 42nd birthday by returning to a major league mound for the first time since June 10 and just the ninth time this season. Back spasms shelved him most recently for six weeks, just one start after he returned from another six-week absence due to right forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation.
Yet the details are almost irrelevant. Simply, Scherzer is old.

#mound #dugout

MIAMI (AP) — Clayton McCullough breathed a sigh of relief. The Marlins finally won a game.
Miami overcame two-run, ninth-inning deficit in the ninth on Monday to beat division-rival Philadelphia 8-7 and snap a 12-game losing streak — the longest such stretch in franchise history.
It was the Marlins' first win since beating Seattle at home on July 9 and ensured they would not suffer their fifth straight sweep.
"Everybody feels good," McCullough said. "It's no lie everyone in the building has been grinding hard now for a couple of weeks and frustrated with things, but certainly it feels great to get a win and I think in the fashion that we did it'd be hard to ever question this group's toughness and willingness to compete."
Griffin Conine singled in the winning run against Philadelphia closer Jhoan Duran, who entered in the ninth with a 7-5 lead before loading the bases with no outs.

#ninth #Monday

Jaelan Phillips was already going to be shouldering a heavy load for the Carolina Panthers defense this year. The four-year, $120 million contract he signed in March was the biggest for player in free agency—even more than former sack champion Trey Hendrickson got from the Baltimore Ravens.
And now, after Thursday's news revealed that fellow starting outside linebacker Nic Scourton would miss the entire 2026 season due to an ACL tear, the pressure is even greater.
From Phillips' perspective, he's focused on turning his high pressure rate into more sacks. Here's what he told NFL Network national reporter Cameron Wolfe after the opening session of training camp:
Phillips entered the 2025 campaign with a career high of 8.5 sacks, which he posted during his rookie season in 2021. Last year, he managed just 5.0 while playing a full 17-game slate between the Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The under-the-hood numbers, however, tell a bit of a different story. Phillips tallied 76 pressures in 2025, tied for the ninth-most in the league.

#phillips #sacks

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: L, 1-8 vs. Syracuse Mets
SS George Lombard Jr. 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K — no fretting about him not starting this time
C J.C. Escarra 1-4, 3 K, catchers' interference
CF Spencer Jones 0-4, 2 K
DH Marco Luciano 0-3, 1 BB, 3 K
RF Yanquiel Fernández 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB
2B Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4
3B Tyler Hardman 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, 2 K
LF Kenedy Corona 0-4, 3 K

Adam Kloffenstein 4 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 HR (loss)
Chris Kean 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 BB
Carson Coleman 0.2 IP, 3 R, 4 H
Danny Watson 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Yerry De Los Santos 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots: W, 5-4 at New Hampshire Fisher Cats
2B Connor McGinnis 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K
DH Jace Avina 2-5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K
3B Coby Morales 3-5, 1 R, 1 SB
CF DJ Gladney 3-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB — go-ahead RBI single in the ninth
LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, 1 RBI, 1 SB
RF Cole Gabrielson 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
1B Josh Moylan 1-4, 1 RBI
C Manuel Palencia 1-4, 1 K, throwing error
SS Owen Cobb 0-4, 1 K, throwing error

Jack Cebert 5 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 7 K — 1.74 ERA in July after being north of five in May and June
Geoffrey Gilbert 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Kevin Stevens 1.2 IP, 0 R, 2 K
Michael Arias 0.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 K (win)
Tony Rossi 0.2 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades: L, 1-9 at Wilmington Blue Rocks

#scranton #wilkes #barre

BALTIMORE — Both the Ravens and Lamar Jackson are in ideal situations when it comes to current contract talks.
If Jackson, 29, leads the Ravens to a Super Bowl **** le or plays well in the postseason, then the team has to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. If he has a dismal or disappointing showing like he did last season, then the Ravens should offer him a contract worthy of a top-10 player at his position.
This isn't rocket science.
Of course, Jackson, in his ninth season, wants Patrick Mahomes-type money. Earlier this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs star reworked an eight-year contract worth $504.75 million with $397 million guaranteed, averaging $54.45 million beginning in 2027 through 2033.
Needless to say, Jackson is no Mahomes.

#season #super #bowl

This is the ninth in a 10-part series of questions facing the Buffalo Bills as they head into training camp at St. John Fisher University.
One of the many things the safety tandem of Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde delivered for the Buffalo Bills during their tenure together was their innate ability to make game-altering plays, namely in the area of turnovers.
They played side-by-side in Sean McDermott's defense for seven seasons and during that time they combined for 38 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and 10 recoveries, and there were another two picks, three forced fumbles and a recovery in the postseason.
This year, with veteran playmaker CJ Gardner-Johnson joining emerging Cole Bishop in the back end of new coordinator Jim Leonhard's defense, the Bills are hoping they can get a few more big plays from the safety position.
Bishop enjoyed a stellar second NFL season, his first as a full-time starter, when he made three interceptions, two sacks, broke up seven passes and was in on a team-high 85 tackles.

#seven