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Tarik Skubal pitched seven dominant innings, Spencer Torkelson homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Detroit Tigers cruised to a 7-0 win over the Angels on Saturday night.
Skubal, winner of the past two AL Cy Young Awards, gave up five hits and struck out nine without issuing a walk. He induced 19 swinging strikes for the third straight start. Of his 87 pitches, 60 were strikes.
The Angels (38-61) advanced only one runner to second base against the left-hander when Logan O’Hoppe and Mike Trout singled with one out in the sixth, but Skubal (6-5) got Vaughn Grissom to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The Tigers (46-52) have won 11 of 14 games and are 24-14 since June 1 to move within 5½ games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and 3½ games of Boston for the third AL wild card. Detroit was 22-38 and 11½ games back in the division on May 31.
It took only five batters for the Tigers to build a 4-0 lead. Kevin McGonigle opened the game with a double, Dillon Dingler was hit by a pitch, Colt Keith hit an RBI single and Torkelson crushed a three-run homer to left-center with one out.
Detroit tacked on two runs in the second after loading the bases with no outs on singles by James Outman and McGonigle and another Dingler hit by pitch, his third in two games. Keith and Riley Greene followed with sacrifice flies for a 6-0 lead.
Torkelson led the fifth with 18th homer, a 420-foot shot to center off left-hander Brent Suter for a 7-0 lead. That gave the Tigers first baseman his first multihomer game since Sept. 7, 2023, at Yankee Stadium.
Grayson Rodriguez (3-3) lasted only four innings, giving up six runs and seven hits in a shaky start that sent the last-place Angels to their fourth straight loss and 12th in 14 games.
Up next: Tigers RHP Casey Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) opposes RHP Ryan Johnson (1-4, 6.75) in Sunday’s series finale.
In addition to their four yellow cards, England gave away 14 penalties to Argentina’s six, taking their tally for the Nations Championship to 34 conceded in three matches.
Former England wing Chris Ashton believes this pattern of ill-discipline is a weakness opposition teams will look to exploit.
“If you are playing against England, you know they are going to give penalties away and make some stupid errors that result in them losing games,” Ashton told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.
It’s a problem that’s not lost on the players, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored England’s fifth try and lit up the match with his jinking runs, identifying it as something for the team to work on.
“Discipline is a huge thing,” he said. “I don’t know how many cards there were but too many. We can’t be having games where we finish with 13 [players].”
Borthwick was eager to focus on his team’s “incredible spirit” as they hung on to win.
“It’s almost unfair to pull out one example but Henry Slade’s tackle at the end was incredible,” he said.
“It shows the fight that’s in this group of players, as well as their togetherness and connection.
“Right now these players deserve a fantastic holiday, a good night out tonight and a good rest.
“They’ve worked hard and it’s been a season that’s been going a while.
“We all know about the number of minutes the English players play and these guys have stuck to it right to the very end.”
Meanwhile, Argentina head coach Felipe Contepomi accused England of showing a “lack of respect” during his post-match news conference.
Contepomi took exception to the music and cheering that could be heard coming from England’s changing room next door.
Having asked the England representative present in the room to stop the noise, Contepomi lost patience when it did not, and walked out of the room.
Maiara Niehues scored for the fifth straight game and Sveindís Jonsdottir added a late goal to lead Angel City (7-6-1) to its third straight win, 2-0 over the Chicago Stars on Saturday.
Niehues scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute after a video review determined Ary Borges was fouled in the box.
Jonsdottir scored on a breakaway in stoppage time.
Since taking over as interim coach, Leif Smerud has led Angel City to three straight 2-0 wins, the first time the club has had three consecutive shutout wins.
Spain international Leila Ouahabi made her debut for the Stars (4-11-0).
The Real Madrid midfielder was level with both Gary Lineker – who scored six times at Mexico ’86 – and team-mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.
Bellingham, 23, was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line to the France box before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner.
“He has such confidence in his own ability,” former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. “The patience, the skill, the shot. What a goal from England’s best player.”
Twelve minutes earlier he had looked set to take a penalty but instead handed the ball to Bukayo Saka who converted to seal his hat-trick.
After the match, Saka told BBC One: “No, Jude [Bellingham] was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”
DEL MAR — Umberto Rispoli waited nearly 11 months to ride Journalism again and then, well, let track announcer Larry Collmus describe it:
“They’re off in the San Diego Handicap and Journalism brushed the gate just as it opened, and he’s left behind the field. Journalism has been left behind about five lengths. … A disastrous start for the big favorite Journalism.”
“I won’t tell you the swear (word) that I throw out there,” Rispoli said.
“It just kind of took the starch out of everything,” said Aron Wellman, managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, co-owner of the 4-year-old colt.
Fortunately for Rispoli, Wellman and anyone else associated with Journalism, including the fans who bet him down to 1-5 odds Saturday at Del Mar Racetrack, this story ended much happier than it began.
Rispoli patiently guided Journalism back into close contact with the other four horses in the 1 1/16-mile race, swung him outside entering the stretch and the son of Curlin cruised to a victory — his first since the same Saturday a year ago in the Haskell at Monmouth Park.
In the ensuing 12 months, Journalism started four times and finished between second and fourth each time. He didn’t run poorly in any of the races; in fact, of the seven horses who beat him, five were Breeders’ Cup winners and a sixth won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont.
But when your resume includes not only the Haskell but also the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness, sometimes close isn’t good enough.
“Frustrating for sure,” Wellman said earlier in the week.
The San Diego presented the weakest field Journalism had faced since at least the 2025 Preakness, and his task seemed to get easier when Full Serrano, the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner here in 2024, was withdrawn Saturday morning because of recurring foot issues.
But as Rispoli noted, “You can’t go in a race and think of course he’s (1-5). You have to respect everybody in the field. Because you see, everything can happen in horse racing.”
Including your horse starting to move forward just before the gate opens, then hitting the side of the stall and spotting the field several lengths.
“I was concerned [with] the bad start, obviously,” Rispoli said. “But it wasn’t the first time I was in that situation. I know what I have underneath myself. I know what’s he’s capable of.”
The official margin was three-quarters of a length over the Cal-bred Shea Brennan, who was the longest shot in the short field at 23-1. Iron Man Cal, like the runner-up trained by Phil D’Amato, was third, with The Goat fourth and pacesetting Mirahmadi fading to last.
The final time was 1:42.65 and Journalism, who paid $2.40 for his seventh win in 14 starts, earned $180,000 to push his career total to $4.77 million.
“Umberto did a good job of getting him to recover and his class won out,” winning trainer Michael McCarthy said.
And, given what Rispoli has been through, maybe Saturday was supposed to be difficult. The Italian jockey only recently resumed riding a few weeks ago after missing five months beacuse of a fall in January at Gulfstream Park. He sustained a fractured right fibula and tibia as well as a displaced ankle and torn ligaments.
“I was in severe pain,” Rispoli said of his rehab, which included time spent at a specialist in Spain. “The first two weeks [in Spain], I said to myself, this is gonna be hard to do it. You know, I’m almost 38, first time a very hard accident happened to me. It was really bad.
“But this is what gave me the strength, horse racing. And I know I have a job incomplete … so I have to come back for this guy.”
England have to find the management and mentality to somehow take themselves somewhere they have never been since 1966.
Tuchel built a side in a Premier League image with lots of physicality and moulded around their two world-class players – Bellingham and Kane.
As yet, however, there is no clear idea or pattern of how they can reshape quickly ahead of Euro 2028 and actually win a tournament.
And, of course, they will face France and Spain at those Euros.
Tuchel needs to find a way to make England more potent and resilient, less one-dimensional, and he will be able to draft in the emerging, brilliant talents of Liverpool’s 17-year-old forward Rio Ngumoah and Arsenal’s Max Dowman, only 16.
The head coach did appear to let the handbrake off against France on Saturday (admittedly in a game with little pressure) and his rejigged side proved they can dazzle in attack with their six-goal display.
Nevertheless, clouds still hang over how England solve this puzzle after another failure – and the pressure is on Tuchel to come up with the answers.
Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa defender featured in every game and continued to show he has the quality for international football. A starting centre-back and also played at right-back in the win over Norway in the quarter-finals. He ended the tournament with a goal in the third-place play-off. 7
John Stones: It was considered a gamble by Thomas Tuchel to take Stones considering his fitness issues. He started the first game, had some shaky moments and dropped out for the next couple. But he regrouped and started the quarter-final win over Norway and semi-final defeat by Argentina. The 32-year-old showed his quality but was caught under the ball for Lautaro Martinez’s winner. 7
Marc Guehi: A staple of the England backline at major tournaments. Guehi did not start the opening game against Croatia but when he came in he showed his usual calmness and quality. Guehi put in an excellent performance against Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland in the quarter-final against Norway and performed well until England went out. 8
Trevoh Chalobah: The Chelsea defender was called up as a replacement for Tino Livramento. It was a decision that prompted a lot of debate as it was felt it left England short in the full-back areas.Chalobah was brought on in the closing stages of the win over France for his only minutes of the tournament. 5
Jarell Quansah: This was Quansah’s first major tournament and he was arguably a surprise pick in the 26-man squad. But the Bayer Leverkusen defender did show why Tuchel was so keen to have him as a full-back option. Quansah started well against Panama before getting injured, then did likewise against Mexico before he was sent off. He returned for the third-place play-off, and has a bright international future. 6
Dan Burn: The Newcastle defender’s inclusion was the subject of much debate but his performance against Mexico underlined the reasoning. Burn’s aerial prowess gave England a way to see out games, though Tuchel turned to that tactic too early when trying to see out a win against Argentina. 6.5
Nico O’Reilly: This was the 21-year-old’s first tournament and he grew into it after a nervy opening match. O’Reilly only became England’s first-choice left-back in November, and to go from that to a World Cup and start five of the eight matches is very impressive. O’Reilly is very good on the ball but could improve defensively. 6.5
Reece James: The Chelsea captain said it was “boring” when people discussed his fitness, but the first-choice right-back missed three games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Ghana. He recovered to play in the quarter-final and semi-final, and showed his quality. 6.5
Djed Spence: The Tottenham full-back was one of England’s breakout players of the tournament. Spence’s ability to play at both left-back and right-back is extremely valuable in tournament football. He is a very good one-v-one defender and his pace gives an outlet to the team. He produced two of his best performances in the quarter-final and semi-final. Spence also played well against France, winning a penalty. 8
England assistant coach Anthony Berry tells BBC Sport how proud he is of his squad as they lead France 4-0 at half-time in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off at the Miami Stadium.
NEW YORK — The Dodgers’ game against the New York Yankees on Saturday in the Bronx was rained out and rescheduled as the first game in a split doubleheader Sunday.
It was the Dodgers’ first postponement of the season.
They are set to play Game 1 at 9:35 a.m. PDT Sunday, followed by Game 2 at 4:20 p.m.
Saturday’s game was originally scheduled to air on Fox at 5:08 p.m. PDT. But with persistent showers in the forecast, the decision to postpone was made official more than three hours before game time.
Dodgers right-hander Emmett Sheehan (4-6, 4.81 ERA) was scheduled to take the mound opposite Yankees lefty Ryan Weathers on Saturday. The Dodgers didn’t immediately announce how the doubleheader might affect their starting pitching plans.
Argentina wore replicas of the country’s 1986 Fifa World Cup kit for their match against England at rugby union’s Nations Championship.
Argentina wore the dark blue kit during their 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the tournament– which they later won –in a match made famous by Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal, before he scored a brilliant second.
Argentina’s rugby side, known as the Pumas, usually wear the country’s traditional white and light blue striped sporting kit.
“Memories that span generations and remain alive in the collective memory. Today that legacy dresses up again,” Los Pumas posted on X.
The sporting rivalry between the two countries was fuelled last week as Argentina came from behind in dramatic fashion to beat the Three Lions 2-1 and reach the 2026 World Cup final.
Following the match, Argentina players held up a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’, which translates as ‘The Falklands are Argentine’.
Fifa is deciding whether to punish Argentina for the banner that references the Falkland Islands – a British overseas territory in the south west Atlantic Ocean that remains the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina.
Before the Nations Championship match against Argentina, England switched hotels in Buenos Aires to avoid their return home being wrecked by World Cup celebrations should Argentina’s football team beat Spain in Sunday’s final.
The Nations Championship match is taking place at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, with Steve Borthwick’s side aiming for their sixth successive win over Argentina.
Last weekend, England thrashed Fiji 73-8 to end a five-match losing run while Argentina beat Wales 35-21 last weekend after losing 47-38 to Scotland in their Nations opener.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The list of men who have won a World Cup final is less than 500 names long, making it among the most exclusive in sports.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s name is on that list. And if he had known what a special club he would join when he stepped on the pitch for the 1990 final, he might have taken more time to enjoy it.
“How big that actually was, you only realize when when you start traveling the world and you get basically approached everywhere in the world about those moments,” Klinsmann said Friday. “It’s pretty crazy.”
Several new names will be added to that list Sunday, when Spain and Argentina meet at MetLife Stadium to decide the winner of the largest, most complex World Cup in history. A record 48 teams started the tournament 39 days and 103 games ago. Now just two remain: Spain, the reigning European champion, a team that hasn’t lost in 37 games and 27 months, and top-ranked Argentina, the reigning World Cup champion seeking to become the first team to repeat in 64 years.
Argentina leads the tournament in goals with 19, 12 of them coming in the 75th minute or later. In all four of Argentina’s wins in the knockout stages, the go-ahead goal came in stoppage time or extra time. Its captain, Lionel Messi, finished the semifinals leading the tournament with contributions on 12 goals — eight goals and four assists. He‘s also the all-time World Cup leader in goals, assists and games played and seems a shoo-in for a third Golden Ball, which goes to the tournament’s best player. No one else has won that award more than once.
But if Argentina is the unstoppable force, Spain is the immovable object. It has given up just one goal in the tournament with its goalie, Unai Simón, pitching shutouts in seven of his last eight World Cup games, dating to 2022. Slowing Messi won’t be up to Simón alone, however. Midfielder Rodri, Spain’s captain and the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner as the best player in the world, is the team’s defensive anchor. He said the best way to try to control Messi is to keep him out of the box — although Messi’s two decisive assists in Argentina’s semifinal comeback against England came from outside the penalty area.
And while Klinsmann’s one-and-done experience in a World Cup final is typical of most players, Messi, 39, is the exception: When the whistle blows Sunday, he’ll become just the second player, after Brazil’s Cafu, to play in three World Cup finals. When he made his World Cup debut in 2006, two starters on Spain’s team — center back Pau Cubarsí and winger Lamine Yamal — had yet to be born.
East Rutherford was hit with heavy thunderstorms Saturday, which helped knock down the hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires that had blanketed the tri-state area for days. The poor air quality, which is dangerous for both players and fans, led FIFA and the White House to hold informal discussions over moving the World Cup final.
So while the air won’t be clear Sunday, the greatest risk appears to have passed and the threat of rain or lightning interrupting the game has also decreased, with the forecast calling for temperatures in the mid- 80s and 55% humidity at kickoff.
President Trump is expected to attend the game, after which he will present the World Cup trophy to the victor. And Klinsmann’s advice to the players who will walk across that stage to get their winners’ medals is to savor every moment because they might not come again.
Jurgen Klinsmann, a World Cup champion with West Germany and the former U.S. men’s national team coach, understands players often forget to savor the moment of playing in soccer’s biggest game.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
“Take it all in to and really enjoy every second of it,” he said. “Make it special. Don’t miss out on anything.”
Klinsmann was 25 and less than three years into his international career when he helped West Germany win the World Cup in 1990. So naturally he figured there would be more to come.
“I said, ‘Well, if this is so cool to win a title, then I want to win more titles,” he said. “The magnitude of it, I did not understand.”
In two more tournaments as a player, he never got past the quarterfinals and in two World Cups as a manager he made the semifinals once. Never again would he hold the most cherished trophy in sports, though his 11 World Cup goals are tied for ninth all-time, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and one behind Pelé.
Mario Gotze scored only two goals in his World Cup career but the last one will never be forgotten. In the 88th minute of the 2014 final against Argentina, just before sending Gotze on as a sub, German manager Joachim Löw called Gotze over and said, “Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup.”
With seven minutes left in extra time he did just that, chesting down a cross, then lobbing a volley into the net for the game’s only score, giving Germany its first title since Klinsmann’s team in 1990. It was a moment Gotze, then 22, had long dreamed of and one he had rehearsed as a kid.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, shaking hands with France’s Kylian Mbappe after the World Cup semifinal, has given up only one goal in the tournament.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
Yet it was also one he was not prepared for.
“That was a dream come true. But you can’t prepare for these kind of moments,” he said. “I get reminded about that goal and even speaking nowadays with people in Germany, and they say, ‘I still remember where I [was] in that moment.’ That’s very special. You have that connection to a lot of different people. I’m very happy about that.
“When I look back now, OK, I was there. I played 30 minutes of football in a World Cup final and I scored one goal. That impact is huge and to even be in that moment is rare.”
So rare Gotze never held the World Cup trophy again either. As a result he, like Klinsmann, would urge the players in Sunday’s game to drink in the memories, because win or lose, if your name isn’t Messi the odds are great you’ll never be back.
“You can’t describe the feelings because everything happens so fast,” he said. “You’re in the zone, you do a lot of things out of instinct, especially on the pitch. And then, at least with me, I had that relief after the final whistle.
“You get to understand over the years how special that moment was. Because in the end you only can play every four years. And then to be in the final and score a goal? That, of course, was very special.”
South Africa: Fassi; Williams, Kriel, de Allende, Arendse; Moyo, Reinach; Steenekamp, Marx, Sadie, C Wiese, van Heerden, de Villiers, PS du Toit (capt), J Wiese
Replacements: Venter, Wessels, Louw, Dixon, van Staden, Jantjies, Libbok, Willemse.
Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, Llewellyn, B Thomas, Mee; Edwards, Tomos Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), D Lewis, Teddy Williams, Beard, Mann, J Morgan, Wainwright
Replacements: Elias, N Smith, Warren, F Thomas, Reffell, Botham, Morgan-Williams, Hawkins.
Yellow card: Warren 65
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
Assistant Referees: Pierre Brousset (FFR) & James Doleman (NZRFU)
Bet your bottom dollar that Son Heung-min, LAFC’s $26 million man — the record MLS fee for an incoming player — would peel himself off the mat and clear away the cobwebs and sorrows of the past few weeks and months.
He did it with a sizzling, right-footed goal in the 57th minute of LAFC’s 3-0 victory Friday over the Galaxy in the 27th rendition of El Tráfico and the first this year. Also, the first crosstown showdown of Son’s so-far, so-so tenure in L.A.
His arrival last August from Tottenham Hotspur in England’s Premier League was met with uncommon fanfare. Here came another global soccer icon to Major League Soccer — and to L.A., where the South Korean sensation was welcomed enthusiastically by a Korean diaspora that’s about 250,000 strong.
LAFC forward Son Heung-Min celebrates after scoring a goal against the Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on Friday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
The first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot, Mayor Karen Bass spoke at Son’s introductory news conference. The Dodgers invited him to throw out the first pitch on Shohei Ohtani’s bobblehead night (and turned around this season and produced a bobblehead of Son throwing that pitch).
His first LAFC goal — a free kick over the wall in a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas — was named the MLS’s goal of the year. After notching 173 goals across all competitions with Tottenham Hotspur, he finished with nine goals in his first 10 regular-season appearances for LAFC.
Then the scoring stopped. As if someone turned off the spigot.
Before Friday, Son recorded nine assists but no goals over 13 unlucky matches this season. He went 44 shots without striking a goal. And 237 days between goals, according to The Chosun Daily’s tally.
Yeah, just a bit of what his LAFC teammate Mark Delgado described as “a drought.”
Most painfully, Son also was shut out in South Korea’s disastrously short World Cup stay.
South Korea entered the tournament with the expectation that its “golden generation” – led by Son – would reach the knockout stage. But after it opened Group A with a 2-1 win over Czechia, the Koreans lost 1-0 to Mexico and 1-0 to South Africa and failed to qualify for the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
The uproar in South Korea that followed included the country’s president demanding an investigation.
Mexico’s Julián Quiñones and South Korea’s Son Heung-min vie for the ball during a World Cup match on June 18 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
(Ricardo Mazalan / Ap Photo/ricardo Mazalan)
For his part, a heartbroken Son shared a statement on Instagram: “I don’t dare to convey the disappointment and hurt of the fans with a single word ‘sorry.’ So even saying those words feels insufficient.”
It was impossible not to wonder: What the heck?
Where was the version of Son that everyone was celebrating a year ago?
How did the 34-year-old’s game decline so suddenly?
Was this a classic case of overpromising and underdelivering?
It still might be. LAFC — now 8-5-3 and third in MLS’s Western Conference — is going to face tougher competition in the days ahead than the work-in-progress Galaxy.
But on Friday, the center-forward was aggressive and in control. He took two shots in the first seven minutes, both blocked by defenders. He toyed with the Galaxy just before halftime, lining up to take a penalty before turning it over to Denis Bouanga, who scored to make it 2-0.
Then he and Delgado exchanged passes in the second half to set up Son’s first goal in darn near forever.
LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos gave Son 10 days off after the World Cup, but Son said he was eager to return to L.A., because he so enjoys the camaraderie of this club.
Those good vibes were on display when Son’s shot whizzed between two defenders and the outstretched arms of Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic.
Son put his finger to his lips in the universal “shhh” sign and then did his patented camera celebration — click! — miming a snapshot. Because every goal is precious, and let’s be real, you never know when another will come.
LAFC’s Son Heung-Min celebrates after scoring what could be a breakthough goal against the rival Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson on Friday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Around him, the crowd and his colleagues went wild.
Dos Santos did some vein-popping flexing on the sideline. Mathieu Choinière pumped his fists as though he were operating a handcrank. Jacob Shaffelburg and Ryan Hollingshead flanked him on either side as though posing for a family photo. Son’s hair got tousled and nobody wearing black and gold could stop smiling.
“He deserves it, coming back from an emotional World Cup, and joining us right away,” Dos Santos said.
“He’s a great guy,” Delgado said. “He’s been in a bit of a goal drought, and, you know, we all want him to score. We all, he’s always smiling, and in training, he’s always scoring.
“And we’re like, ‘yeah, we need that, we need that!’ Trying to give him confidence,” Delgado continued. “And in games, he finally is getting that confidence back. So to see him score and put the ball in the net and just see his face light up with a smile is awesome. We all want to see him succeed here. We all want him to lead this club like we know he can.”
Now the goal is to keep the goals coming.
“Scoring the first goal of this season, I think it [will] help me,” Son said. “I think, definitely, going forward through the second part of the season. So, let’s keep going, and hope Wednesday [against Salt Lake] I can score another goal.”
Warrington Wolves rediscovered their early-season form to dominate reigning Super League champions Hull KR and move within two points of second place.
Three defeats in their previous four games had cast doubts over Wire’s play-off credentials but they made light of those fears as tries from Lachlan Webster, James Harrison, Matty Ashton and Danny Walker put them virtually out of sight by the break.
Joe Philbin celebrated his return to action with another in the second half and, after Oliver Gildart had hit back, Ashton took his Warrington try tally to two on the night and 101 in total with a late second score.
Defeat left the Robins, who have now lost three of the last four, in danger of falling out of the top six, with rivals Leigh Leopards kicking off later.
Both sides badly needed a win to reinvigorate their respective flagging bids for the play-offs, with Robins boss Willie Peters conceding before the game that defeat would probably end their defence of the League Leaders’ Shield which they won in such style last summer.
There was little sign of that panache at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, as they began well but misfired at crucial moments, and 19-year-old Wolves full-back Webster punished them with his first Super League try.
Harrison cut through an out-of-sorts defence to extend the lead and, after Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis had been brilliantly held up in-goal by Albert Hopoate, Ashton bagged his 100th try for the club.
Walker was soon in support to score another after Toafofoa Sipley had raced through a gaping hole in the visitors’ defence.
The Robins tried to raise their game at the start of the second half but Wire again soaked it up and hit back as Philbin, back after being out injured for five games, took the lead to 28-0.
Gildart made use of a brilliant Jack Broadbent pass to finally get the away side on the scoreboard, but Lewis’ mounting frustration finally boiled over as he was sin-binned for a late challenge on Ewan Irwin, who kicked the resulting penalty.
Ashton added his second try of the afternoon before James Batchelor notched a late consolation for the visitors.
Great Britain’s Josh Kerr breaks the world record for the fastest mile, held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999, by half a second in the Diamond League London event at the London Stadium.
Paul Lambert believes former club Celtic are “nowhere near good enough” without further recruitment – but has guarded against “panic”.
Striker Camilo Duran is the sole summer arrival so far for the Scottish champions, while midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has signed a new contract after a short-term deal last term.
But forward Kelechi Iheanacho and former left-back loanee Marcelo Saracchi, who had been linked with returns, will not be back in Glasgow this season.
Iheanacho has joined Bursaspor as a free agent, while Saracchi bade farewell to Celtic fans on social media and said he and his agent “did absolutely everything within our power to make a return to Glasgow happen”.
Furthermore, German centre-half Maik Nawrocki has been sold to Lens.
“The squad’s not strong enough,” Lambert told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound.
“I’ve seen Celtic, they’re nowhere near good enough at this moment in time, nowhere near it. Everybody recognises it.
“They’ll compete, but I don’t think they’re strong enough to go and win it [the league] again at this moment in time. The problems were there last season, so they’re not going to change again this season.
“The squad was very, very limited on what it was last season. They won’t get away with that again – the manager knows it.”
NEW YORK — Dodgers All-Star third baseman Max Muncy didn’t get a break this week, traveling to Philadelphia to compete in the Midsummer Classic. But even without the extra rest, he put a charge into his go-ahead swing Friday.
The Dodgers struggled against veteran Yankees starter Gerrit Cole — until he hung a slider to Muncy in the seventh inning. Muncy launched it for a two-run blast to carry the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory.
“Anytime you can find a way to win a game when Gerrit Cole’s pitching, it’s a good thing,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Between the come-from-behind win, a strong showing from Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki and a defensive turnaround, the Dodgers (62-36) came out of the All-Star break on a positive note.
It was clear early on that Sasaki, who didn’t give up an earned run in 5 ⅔ innings, had something a little extra.
Pitching at Yankee Stadium for the first time, he punctuated a clean first inning by getting ahead of Paul Goldschmidt with 101.8- and 101.7-mph fastballs, en route to a five-pitch strikeout.
“I got a big smile on my face when I saw 102,” Roberts said.
It was the first time Sasaki topped 101 mph in a regular-season game, according to Statcast. He threw 21 pitches at 100 mph or harder, the most of any Dodger since pitch tracking began in 2008. Sasaki pointed to the rest he got over the All-Star break and a delivery tweak for his increase in velocity.
“I kind of changed the way I use my lower body,” Sasaki said. “So I’m really happy to get that velo up.”
The Yankees (54-43) scored their only run against Sasaki by taking advantage of a pair of defensive mistakes.
With two outs in the fourth, center fielder Andy Pages bobbled Jasson Domínguez’s double in right-center field, giving him time to get to third. The next pitch, a forkball, got past catcher Dalton Rushing, and Domínguez raced home.
Pages later found some redemption with a defensive gem to end the fifth. He made a full-speed tumbling catch in the right-field gap to rob Austin Wells of an extra-base hit.
Cole held the Dodgers to just four hits in six-plus innings. Before the seventh, only one Dodgers runner reached second base, when Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández hit back-to-back singles in the second.
Cole came back out for the seventh and walked Mookie Betts to lead off the inning. After a mound visit, he stayed in to face Muncy.
“It was a tough decision for [Yankees manager Aaron Boone],” Roberts said. “You’re thinking about going to the ‘pen, or do you let your ace go after Max and Tucker. And Max spoiled some good pitches and then got a pitch in his wheelhouse and put a good swing on it.”
Muncy fell into a two-strike count, but he kept battling. On the seventh pitch, he saw something he could drive — 416 feet at a 30-degree launch angle, to be exact.
“The swing felt great,” Muncy said on the Spectrum SportsNet LA broadcast. “The result was better and it gave us a chance to win.”
Dodgers relievers Jack Dreyer, Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott chipped in a combined 3⅓ scoreless innings to secure the win. The Yankees came inches away from tying the score in the eighth, but the Dodgers, shaking off their pre-All-Star break rough patch, delivered on defense.
With Trent Grisham on first after a walk, Ben Rice hit a double into the right-field gap off Vesia. Pages chased down the ball and quickly fired to shortstop Betts, who threw it home. Rushing’s sweeping tag beat Grisham to the plate.
“I think it was huge,” Betts said. “We still had a couple mishaps in this game. We’ve got to clean that up for sure. You can’t win a World Series doing what we did today. But we’ll keep working and try to clean it up.”
NEW YORK — Lost amid the headlines about Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers face this unexpected reality as the trade deadline looms: They would like to add a starting pitcher, but they need to add a catcher.
Will Smith has not played in six weeks. In a “best case” scenario, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday, Smith would miss another month.
That left Roberts to make a jolting admission, when I asked him if the team really can count on Smith returning this season.
“We don’t know,” Roberts said, “but we certainly are counting on it.”
Would it be nice for the Dodgers to get their three-time All-Star catcher back in time for October? Of course.
Should the Dodgers count on it? Of course not.
The Dodgers won’t know where Smith stands by the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That means now is the time to acquire a catching option they may or may not need later.
Dalton Rushing, the primary catcher in Smith’s absence, has a .799 OPS. Among the 24 major league catchers with at least 200 plate appearances entering play Friday, Rushing ranked fifth in OPS.
He is hitless in his last 13 at-bats. His batting average: .266 before Smith’s injury, .233 since then.
On defense, Rushing ranks next-to-last in defensive runs saved among major league catchers, ahead of only the Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe. On Friday, in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees scored their only run on Rushing’s passed ball.
In past Octobers, the Dodgers have prioritized defense at catcher. In the 2020 World Series, Austin Barnes caught ahead of Smith in four of the six games, including the final two.
In 2025, with Smith recovering from a hand injury, Ben Rortvedt started ahead of Rushing in the Dodgers’ first four postseason games. Rortvedt was a trade deadline acquisition last summer, picked up with pitcher Paul Gervase from the Tampa Bay Rays for catcher Hunter Feduccia.
Will Smith bats for the Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants on April 22.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Rortvedt, currently playing in triple-A for the New York Mets, fits the profile of what the Dodgers need now: a defense-first catcher with major league readiness. With Smith injured, the Dodgers first tried and then cut minor league journeyman Chuckie Robinson at backup catcher. Their current backup, Eliezer Alfonso, made his major league debut in his ninth professional season; he is hitless in nine at-bats.
Could the Dodgers pursue an established catcher, say Ryan Jeffers of the Minnesota Twins or Francisco Alvarez or Luis Torrens of the New York Mets? Possible, but probably not necessary.
Rushing could be their guy. Smith could be back.
Smith has started and re-started baseball activities, only to find out that the inflamed disk in his neck flares up.
“He hasn’t been able to get over the hump,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers are trying another round of complete rest before asking him to try hitting or throwing again.
“We felt that, if he’s inactive, it gives it a good chance to get all the inflammation out, the soreness out, the pain, increase flexibility, all of it,” Roberts said. “Then he has a fighting chance to work his way back. Trying to do everything — even at a lesser dosage — just wasn’t feasible.”
Trying to trade for Skubal might not be feasible, at least so long as his Detroit Tigers remain in the American League wild-card race. The Tigers won seven of their final 10 games in the first half, and they face teams with losing records in 13 of their 16 second-half games ahead of the trade deadline, starting with the Angels this weekend in Anaheim.
The Dodgers do not need a depth starter. However, they might do well to find someone they would feel comfortable starting the third or fourth game of a playoff series, lest they count on Blake Snell (elbow) and Tyler Glasnow (back) and Shohei Ohtani (knee) all returning to the mound healthy and effective.
Important, yes. As important as another catcher, no.
For a team that will spend almost half a billion dollars on its player payroll and luxury tax this season, its most important trade deadline pickup could be a catcher making maybe $1 million.
It is difficult to find words to express my disgust for the coming White House visit. Like the man they are going to see, the Dodgers are without honor.
Rico Gardiner San Diego
Sports do not transcend or evade association with politics, especially in the current period of America’s decline under President Trump. It’s disgraceful that the Dodgers would again honor a rank authoritarian, a brazenly corrupt kleptocrat, criminal, malignant narcissist and wrecker of our democracy and rule of law.
Trump is not honoring the Dodgers; he’s using their presence to honor him and give him a bit more gaslight glory. The organization has smeared itself with the dishonor, serving the PR agenda of our vainglorious tyrant. If they cared about the optics, their civic duty and the good of the country, they would decline.
T.R. Jahns Hemet
Dodgers, you are out. Out of our house. In normal times, a White House visit is a grand honor for a championship club. I get that. These are NOT normal times. For you to pretend they are and honor this man with your presence is unforgivable. Spineless. A statement that makes the wrong statement. We will not be watching or rooting for you this season. You are out at home. Our home.
William Lewis Burbank
Ever since the Dodgers accepted their World Series visit to the White House, they’ve been error-prone on the field, and losing most games. In the All-Star Game, the players were hitless and the pitcher served up the only home run. To add more insult, their former player received the MVP award! Most importantly, is the disappointment and loss of respect from the fans. Karma has a way to haunt.
Robert Torres Torrance
Your letters to the editor section regarding the Dodgers’ planned visit to the White House continues the left bias of the L.A. Times. Four letters were published praising the article and one was published critical of the article. I doubt that the 4-to-1 ratio reflects the opinions of the L.A. population, but it may reflect the opinions of readers that your left-leaning paper attracts. I read the paper only to see what the lefties are up to.
The Crown Prosecution Service sees first-hand the impact that domestic abuse has on victims.
It says that of every five cases the police refers to it, four result in charges being brought.
Olivia Rose, the CPS’s National Stalking Lead, says it does not just see physical abuse. There is coercive and controlling abuse too.
“It’s crucial for victims to spot the signs early,” Rose said. “What our prosecutors see can include monitoring of victims’ phones and social media, often inundating them with dozens of messages.
“There’s also emotional blackmail, such as threatening to kill themselves if their partner leaves.
“It’s incredibly important that we get the message out to say that behaviour like this is not just unacceptable: it’s illegal.”
The CPS, the government department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases, say it works closely with the police and women’s charities to ensure that action is taken to stop such behaviour and to help victims to get away.
It says it needs help from communities too. And it is urging people to look out for friends, family and neighbours who could be vulnerable during the World Cup.
“If you can step in to help, you could be making a life-changing difference,” Rose said.
She also wants to get the message to victims that they will be supported if they speak out.
“We understand how difficult it can be to report domestic abuse,” she added. “But if you come forward, you will be taken seriously, and we will bring offenders to justice.
“The World Cup should bring communities together, and it should never be an excuse to fuel abusive behaviour.”
Anyone experiencing domestic abuse who is in immediate danger should always call 999. Victims can also report abuse to the police on 101.
Confidential support services are available. Anyone affected can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 in England, or the Live Fear Free helpline on 0808 80 10 800 in Wales.
For Seattle, Awa Fam carved out a slice of history for herself, becoming the youngest player ever at the age of 20 to hit four three-point shots in a single quarter.
Dominique Malonga scored 28 points, the second most in her career, and 14 rebounds – but it wasn’t enough for Seattle, who set a team record for points scored in a normal-time loss.
Clark’s record-breaking night came a day after she was labelled a “political football” by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
The star point-guard has become one of the biggest draws in the WNBA since being drafted by the Fever in 2024, and there has been a lot of attention paid to the way she is treated by opposing teams and the tactics they employ to try to limit her impact during games.
Last month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas received a retrospective one-game ban and a $1,000 (£743) fine for appearing to knee Clark in the groin and push her fist into her neck during a tussle for possession.
A group of 11 Republican lawmakers then sent a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert asking the league to take “accountability”, and expressed concern that “attacks against Clark may be racially motivated”.
Political commentators on the right have also weighed in, suggesting the treatment of Clark is rooted in racism and jealousy.
Speaking as part of a panel at an event in New York on Thursday, Silver said the debates surrounding Clark had become about broader political and cultural issues in the United States rather than basketball alone.
“That particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time of the game or whether that was ultimately a flagrant non-review,” said Silver.
“I’ve come to know Caitlin really well. She’s an incredible player and also an incredible person.
“And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. And she’s become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it’s incredibly unfair to her.”
