PHOENIX — It’s no secret that the Dodgers haven’t played their best baseball over the last nine days. But during their 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, they exacerbated the trend.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski remained in a rut, giving up four runs (three earned) in 3⅓ innings. The two-run homer he surrendered to Diamondbacks switch hitter Ketel Marte in the first inning was the ninth home run he has given up in three starts.
Before his recent struggles, Wrobleski hadn’t surrendered more than three homers in a three-game span this season.
He left a fastball belt-high to Marte, who entered Sunday with a .913 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Marte lined it into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the left-field corner.
After Wrobleski’s last start, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers (70-48) would look into whether the left-hander might be tipping pitches, but he said before the game Sunday that those suspicions seemed “unfounded.”
“I’m just not good enough right now,” Wrobleski said. “It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I feel like [Sunday] just wasn’t good enough. And, again, I’ve got to be better. … I’m not the type to give up. So I’m ready to bear down. This is kind of where you can go two ways, and I’m excited to keep working, and I’m excited for my next one.”
While Wrobleski clearly wasn’t at his best, giving up six hits and three walks, mistakes on defense didn’t help his cause.
Wrobleski could have gotten out of the first before giving up a home run, but baserunner Geraldo Perdomo successfully broke up a potential double play, crossing in front of shortstop Mookie Betts’ sight line as he tried to throw around him.
Kiké Hernández reacts after striking out in the first inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
“Very weird play, but it’s not obstruction,” Roberts said. “But next time, I think we’ve just got to throw through because it wasn’t impeding, but it sort of was intentional.”
The next inning, Wrobleski fielded a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Waldschmidt, but his throw to first was high and wide, allowing a run to score and putting Waldschmidt into scoring position.
“That’s a play that he’s got to make,” Roberts said.
Later in the inning, though the run would have likely scored anyway, the usually strong relay combination of center fielder Andy Pages and Betts ended with Betts throwing over catcher Ben Rortvedt.
The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, went down in order in the first two innings. Betts made the best contact, but his opposite-field fly to the warning track found leather.
The rest of the way, the Dodgers tightened up their defense, and their bullpen shut down the Diamondbacks (63-56). The Dodgers’ lineup strung together hits to score on Pages’ third-inning double and Kyle Tucker‘s sixth-inning triple. But they still lost for the eighth time in nine games.
“This series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary, specifically,” Roberts said before the Dodgers left for L.A., where they’ll open a seven-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals. “Are the Royals going to exploit the fastball that we’re not hitting and the changeup below? I don’t know. But we have to make adjustments. I think for me that’s sort of what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.”
Here are three other takeaways from the Dodgers’ 1-5 road trip:
Hitting into double plays
The Dodgers have grounded into an MLB-leading 99 double plays, including one in the eighth inning Sunday.
Part of that has to do with how often the Dodgers get on base. Entering Sunday, they led the majors in on-base percentage (.339). But hitting into double plays has been a major culprit behind the Dodgers’ recent offensive struggles.
“It’s not age,” Roberts said. “It’s not about putting guys in motion, because you start doing things just to do things. And when a guy swings and misses and gets thrown out by 10 feet, that’s a bad process.
“You have to layer it on who the hitter is, the contact ability; who the pitcher is, the swing-and-miss rate; who the runner is. So there’s a lot of people that can look at the rate that we hit into double plays and have thoughts, but they’re not thought through.”
Roberts pointed instead to the batter’s approach at the plate.
“My thought is our guys need to do a better job at understanding what the pitcher is trying to do,” Roberts said.
Back end of the bullpen
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz delivers in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
(Mike Christy / Getty Images)
Setup man Tanner Scott and closer Edwin Díaz were not available out of the bullpen after pitching Friday and Saturday.
Scott’s velocity has fluctuated over the past week, but Roberts said the Dodgers haven’t yet found an explanation for the trend.
Díaz recorded blown saves in each game. Still, Roberts noted his intensity Saturday, after Díaz gave up the lead with back-to-back triples.
“I don’t know if it’s just, you want to be perfect, you’re trying to get your feet under you, you’ve been in rehab mode a lot,” Roberts said. “But this is something I think can be a springboard for outings to come.”
For the Dodgers’ bullpen to function effectively, they need Díaz to turn around his injury-disrupted season (10.80 ERA in 12 appearances).
Home sweet home
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 4.
(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
For the first time, the Dodgers are set to roll out their new one-two punch of two-time Cy Young winners. Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his home debut at Dodger Stadium on Monday against the Royals, followed by Blake Snell’s return from the injured list Tuesday.
“On one side of it, you feel it as the home team because you feel the confidence of who you’re running out there,” Roberts said. “But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back to back. It’s a lot to take in as an offense. So it feels really good to have those two guys on our side.”
Along with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of the rotation, the trio has the potential to be even more impactful in the postseason.
“I think you have to win with starting pitching,” Roberts said of the playoffs. “You really do. I know in ‘24 we did it a different way, but starting pitching is kind of your backbone.”
MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara struck out eight in seven innings, becoming the Miami Marlins’ career leader in innings pitched, and Xavier Edwards had three RBIs in a 7-0 victory over the Angels on Saturday.
Alcantara (13-6) broke the record in the third, working his 1,226th inning and passing Ricky Nolasco, who pitched 1,225⅔ innings for the Marlins (59-59) from 2006-13. He gave up three hits and walked one. Reliever Pete Fairbanks struck out all three batters in the ninth to end the game.
Edwards hit an RBI double as Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third, followed by Otto Lopez’s two-run single to double the Marlins’ lead. Jakob Marsee tripled to lead off the fifth, and Edwards singled to send him home.
Griffin Conine singled and Heriberto Hernández doubled in the fifth to make it 7-0.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña (7-8) pitched the first 2⅓ innings. He gave up four hits and four earned runs. He walked three and struck out two. Brett Kerry pitched the final 5⅔ innings, striking out seven and walking one. He gave up six hits.
Up next: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-4, 7.24 ERA) will start on the mound for the Angels (45-72) in the series finale on Sunday. RHP Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.80) will start for the Marlins.
The competition will reduce to 10 events from next season, with five in the United States and five held around the world.
There were 14 events planned for the 2026 season but in April, LIV postponed June’s New Orleans competition amid questions over its future and has not announced a rescheduled date.
O’Neil said LIV is focused on “delivering a great week for fans and players at Bedminster” in New York, starting on Sunday and “finishing the 2026 season strong” – but made no explicit mention of the final two events scheduled this season, in Indianapolis from 23 August and the concluding team championship in Michigan from 30 August.
Major winners including Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia remain part of the LIV roster after having left the PGA Tour.
American major champions Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed rejoined the PGA Tour after it introduced a returning member programme.
In July, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour struck an alliance with the Asian Tour in another blow to LIV Golf.
O’Neil added: “We’re also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.”
LIV was founded in 2021 and launched the following year with 54-hole events and took its name from the Roman numeral for 54.
However, it moved to the tradition 72-hole format for golf tournaments from this season.
Skye Anderson, who has been with the company for 26 years, was tapped to oversee nearly 14,000 restaurants as president of McDonald’s USA. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 4 (UPI) — McDonald’s on Tuesday named a company veteran to lead the burger chain’s largest market.
Skye Anderson, who has been with the company for 26 years, will oversee nearly 14,000 restaurants as president of McDonald’s USA. She had previously been chief operating officer of the company’s U.S. business.
Chris Kempczinski, chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation, said Anderson combines “deep operational discipline with strong financial judgement.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Skye throughout much of her career, and I’ve repeatedly turned to her to lead some of our most important businesses and transformation efforts because she’s a proven change agent who can act with urgency to mobilize our System,” Kempczinski said in a statement.
Anderson succeeds Joe Erlinger, a 20-year McDonald’s veteran who had been president for the past seven years before deciding to leave the company.
Kempczinski said Erlinger will work closely with Anderson during the transition period.
Anderson’s appointment comes at a tricky time for McDonald’s, as the company on Tuesday reported quarterly results falling short of its expectations.
Executives described the performance as “disappointing,” CNBC reported.
“We don’t have a strategy problem,” Kempczinski said, the outlet reported. “We simply didn’t execute at the level we needed to in the second quarter.”
President Donald Trump announces a program to allow veterans to expedite a career in commercial trucking on Thursday. Known as the Freedom Haulers program, the initiative would allow any veterans who drove heavy equipment to be automatically eligible for a commercial trucking license. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo
After he took his first win in Estonia, Pajari made it back-to-back WRC victories to move into second in the standings behind Evans.
Pajari was the beneficiary when nine-time champion Sebastien Ogier crashed out of the lead on Saturday’s penultimate stage on a high-speed right-hand corner on the fast gravel roads.
Both Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia were taken to hospital after the accident but the French driver posted on social media on Saturday night that the pair would remain in hospital overnight as a precaution but “we both feel okay, which is the most important”.
Oliver Solberg, who was battling back pain on the fast jumps on the stages, and co-driver Elliott Edmondson finished in second place to complete a Toyota lock-out of the podium places.
The Hyundai duo of Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville were fourth and fifth, while Takamoto Katsuta and Northern Ireland co-driver Aaron Johnston crashed into trees on the final stage but recovered to finish in sixth place.
After the issues for Katsuta and Ogier, Pajari is now second in the standings behind Evans ahead 11th round of the season in Paraguay from 27-30 August.
Motorsport Ireland driver Josh McErlean finished the rally in seventh position as the best of the M-Sport Ford drivers.
Team-mate Martins Sesks crashed heavily on Saturday to drop out of fifth place, while Jon Armstrong’s chances of a strong result came to an end on Friday after he spun and got stuck in a ditch.
“It’s been a crazy weekend in terms of all the crews,” McErlean said.
“A lot of new stages, a lot of new pace notes and whenever you come to a rally this fast it is super-difficult to get right.
“So we have to be pleased to get through cleanly”.
Rally Finland results
1. Sami Pajari FIN/Marko Salminen FIN (Toyota) 2:27.358.0
2. Oliver Solberg SWE/Elliott Edmundson GB (Toyota) +26.7 seconds
3. Elfyn Evans GB/Scott Martin GB (Toyota) +1:19.5
4. Adrien Fourmaux FRA/Alex Coria FRA (Hyundai) +1:35.4
Brice Turang and Jake Bauers powered a five-run fifth inning with home runs, Shane Drohan struck out seven in six innings, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Angels 6-2 on Friday night.
Drohan (6-4) gave up two runs on four hits and walked one while delivering his fifth straight start of six innings or more for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have won nine of 13 games.
Milwaukee reliever Grant Anderson threw a one-two-three seventh and got the first out of the eighth, Abner Uribe retired two batters in the eighth, and closer Trevor Megill retired the side in order with a strikeout in the ninth.
Starter Ryan Johnson (2-6) gave up five runs and six hits in 4⅓ innings for the Angels (42-68), who have lost four straight, seven of eight and 19 of 24.
Milwaukee (68-41) took a 1-0 lead in the second when Bauers and Garrett Mitchell singled and No. 9 batter Cooper Pratt dunked a two-out RBI single to shallow left.
Pratt led off the fifth with a walk and Turang, the leadoff man who leads major league second basemen in OPS (.834), doubles (25), RBIs (68), runs (71) and walks (61), drove an inside cutter from Johnson 398 feet over the wall in left-center for his 16th homer and a 3-0 lead.
Jackson Chourio singled, William Contreras walked with one out, and Johnson was pulled in favor of Angels right-hander Jose Fermin. Bauers then crushed a three-run homer to right, the ball leaving his bat at 110 mph and traveling 424 feet, for a 6-0 lead.
The Halos trimmed the deficit to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Vaughn Grissom singled and Denzer Guzman drove an opposite-field, two-run homer to right-center, his fifth of the season.
Up next: Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.71 ERA) will oppose Angels RHP Jose Soriano (9-6, 3.29 ERA) on Saturday night.
Cam Smith gave Houston the lead with a two-run double in the sixth inning, Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Peña hit solo homers and the Astros beat the Angels 7-4 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.
Houston right-hander Hayden Wesneski, making his first start in almost 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2025, gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two, to earn the win. Bryan Abreu got the final four outs for his seventh save.
Wesneski (1-0) survived a three-run, four-hit first to blank the Angels on three hits over the next 4 2/3 innings to help the Astros win for the eighth time in nine games and reach .500 (55-55) for the first time since April 7, when they were 6-6. Houston also pulled within a game of first-place Texas in the American League West.
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez gave up two runs and five hits in five innings, striking out six and walking two, for the Angels, who lost for the 18th time in 23 games.
Vaughn Grissom’s two-run double and Jo Adell’s RBI single gave the Angels a 3-0 lead in the first. Homers by Diaz in the second and Peña in the third trimmed the deficit to 3-2.
Rodriguez retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings, but with his pitch count at 98, he was replaced by left-hander Mitch Farris (0-3) to start the sixth.
Tyler Trammell walked with one out, Diaz singled and Smith lined a two-run double into the left-field corner for a 4-3 Houston lead. Smith took third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch for a 5-3 lead.
Houston pushed the lead to 6-3 in the seventh when Altuve singled and scored from first on Diaz’s bloop single to shallow right field. Adell hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the Angels, and Houston scored on an error in the ninth.
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 Angels 6-4 on Monday night.
The Astros rallied on a hit, two walks, two errors and two hit batters to hand the Angels (42-65) their ninth loss this season when leading after eight innings.
Houston (53-55) 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.
Sam Bachman entered and got an out before walking Alvarez intentionally to load the bases. Bachman grazed Isaac Paredes with a pitch to tie it, and Wade walked to give Houston the lead. Alvarez scored the final run when Jose Altuve reached on a fielding error by Bachman.
Tatsuya Imai didn’t make it out of the first inning for the third time this season in a start for Houston. He gave up a sacrifice fly to Nolan Schanuel and an RBI single to Grissom before AJ Blubaugh came in to get the final out of the inning.
Grissom hit his seventh homer — off Blubaugh — and Jo Adell blooped an RBI double to make it 4-0 in the third.
Cristian Javier (1-1) followed Blubaugh and struck out seven over five shutout innings for the win. Josh Hader walked two in the ninth before earning his 13th save.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña gave up a run on two hits in six innings and left with a 4-1 lead. Fermin got one out and was charged with three runs — one earned.
Up next: Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA) starts Tuesday against Angels LHP Reid Detmers (3-7, 4.05).
Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo speaks during a recent industry event in Seoul. Photo by Hana Financial Group
SEOUL, July 27 (UPI) — South Korea’s Hana Financial Group said Friday it posted record earnings for the first half of this year, driven by its banking and brokerage businesses.
The Seoul-based financial conglomerate noted its net profit amounted to $1.6 billion during the first six months of 2026, up 4.4% from a year earlier. Its flagship subsidiary, Hana Bank, made the largest contribution, with a bottom line of $1.45 billion.
Non-banking affiliates also delivered robust results. Hana Securities, one of the country’s major brokerages, more than doubled its net income to $186 million year-on-year during the January-June period.
During the third quarter, Hana Financial said it would spend $171 million on share buybacks and cancellations, bringing the annual total to $478 million. It also plans to increase 2026 dividends payments by 26.5% from a year ago.
The company expects overall cash dividends for this year to reach $820 million, up more than 10% from 2025.
Hana Financial CFO Park Jong-moo said that the group would raise its target for return on equity, or ROE, to 12% from the previous goal of 10%. The group’s ROE stood at 10.62% in the first half.
ROE measures how efficiently a company generates profit from the shareholders’ equity. In other words, Hana Financial aims to earn 12 cents of yearly net profit for every dollar of shareholders’ equity.
“We will create a virtuous cycle in which higher ROE leads to greater shareholder returns and enhanced corporate value,” Park told an earnings call. “We have raised our ROE target to 12% and set our shareholder payout ratio at 50% or higher.”
Hana Financial shares rose 1.46% on the Seoul bourse Friday before falling 1.36% Monday.
Denis Bouanga scored two goals, Son Heung-min scored in his third consecutive match since the World Cup break, and LAFC thrashed Sporting Kansas City 4-0 on Saturday night for its fourth consecutive victory.
David Martínez also scored in a 3-0 first half for LAFC, which hasn’t lost since May 17. Bouanga added his second goal in the 85th minute, giving him 10 in 17 matches this season.
With an inspired Son and a top-form Bouanga both scoring in every game since the break, LAFC has outscored its last three opponents by a combined 10-1. They’ve pulled even with Vancouver and San José atop the Western Conference standings with 33 points and 10 victories, although the Whitecaps and Quakes both have games in hand.
Hugo Lloris had to make just one save while keeping his MLS-leading 10th clean sheet for LAFC.
Sporting Kansas City didn’t get a shot on target until the 77th minute of a loss that kept them at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Son struck in the fifth minute when he chased down a lead pass from Mark Delgado, shook off defender Wyatt Meyer and fired home his third goal of the season. The former Tottenham star played his first 13 matches without a goal for LAFC despite leading MLS in assists, but the South Korea captain has looked rejuvenated with the World Cup pressure off his shoulders.
Bouanga doubled LAFC’s lead in the 37th minute with the type of counterattacking goal that his team scored relentlessly last season. The French forward controlled Mathieu Choinière’s long pass, shrugged off a defender and finished.
Bouanga’s pass then set Martínez loose on a counterattack with Son in injury time, and Martínez buried his sixth goal.
LAFC added yet another transition goal late when Ryan Porteous’ long pass found Tyler Boyd, who fed Bouanga for the brace.
Tony Thorpe, the guitarist for the English glam-rock combo the Rubettes, has died. He was 80.
“It is with great sadness that we officially announce the passing of Anthony John Thorpe. He was a father to Clay, a husband to Shirle, a friend to many, and a mentor to countless musicians young and old,” read a statement posted to his Facebook page. “His recently failing health did little to diminish his fierce intellect and sharp sense of humour. He will leave an unfillable hole in the lives of all who knew him, or his music.”
The Rubettes formed in 1973 after a session-musician team cut several doo-wop inspired tracks including the single “Sugar Baby Love.” The song hit number one on the UK charts in 1974 when the band, known for its uniform of white suits, performed on Top of the Pops. The single also charted in the U.S. top 40 and became their best-known song, along with European hits including “Tonight,” “Juke Box Jive,” “I Can Do It.”
The band sold millions of singles, primarily in Europe, over its career. Thorpe sang lead on several songs in the band’s catalog, including the country-influenced single “Baby I Know.” He left the group in 1979, and the Rubettes continued to perform and record in various incarnations.
The Rubettes classic-lineup singer, Alan Williams, posted on the band’s official Facebook page, saying Thorpe was “Mercifully now at peace.”
“Dear Tony, our paths having crossed but fleetingly during which time was conceived wondrous music and often hilariously memorable moments. Your brilliance with the axe and the pen cannot be denied and remains with us, never forgotten. Rest now Cowboy.”
Vaughn Grissom drove in the tying run with a one-out double in the ninth inning and Jo Adell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give the Angels a 3-2 comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
Nolan Schanuel, batting .367 since June 21, sparked the late rally with a one-out single off All-Star closer Riley O’Brien, who is tied for the National League lead with 25 saves.
Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch and Grissom sent a line drive off the right-field wall that eluded a leaping Jordan Walker. Pinch-runner Oswald Peraza scored from second base and pinch-runner Jose Siri reached third.
Josh Lowe was walked intentionally to load the bases. Adell, who homered in the third inning, took three straight balls from O’Brien (3-4) before getting plunked by the next pitch to force in the winning run.
Angels reliever José Fermín (3-1) struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
O’Brien’s fifth blown save laid to waste a strong start by St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy, who gave up one run and three hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Angels starter José Soriano threw his best game since early May, giving up two runs and four hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking one.
The right-hander, who went 3-6 with a 5.15 ERA in his previous 14 starts, retired the side in order five times and became the first Angels starter to get an out in the seventh since June 16.
Walker sparked the Cardinals’ second-inning rally with a leadoff double over Lowe’s head in left field. He went to third on Lars Nootbaar’s single and scored on Nathan Church’s one-out single for a 1-0 lead.
Blaze Jordan followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to third base, but Denzer Guzman bobbled the ball and his only play was to first as Nootbaar scored for a 2-0 lead.
The Angels cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third when Adell, mired in an 0-for-24 slump that dropped his batting average to .237 entering the game, led off with his 14th homer of the season.
Up next: Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-6, 5.00 ERA) faces Angels RHP Walbert Ureña (5-7, 2.88) on Tuesday night.
Many white evangelical Christians view Donald Trump as chosen by God to lead despite not seeing him as personally devout. A recent study suggests 60 percent of them believe Trump has pushed the US closer to Christian principles, blurring the line between church and state.
For the full segment, watch Al Jazeera’s ‘This is America’.
Mercedes driver won his sixth GP of 2026 as championship rival and teammate George Russell crashes out on first lap.
Published On 19 Jul 202619 Jul 2026
Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday to stretch his Formula One lead to 45 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on a bleak day for teammate George Russell, his closest title rival heading into the race.
Russell had been the 19-year-old Italian’s closest rival before the start at Spa-Francorchamps, but the Briton spun off into the gravel on the opening lap after a collision with Hamilton while trying to make up places lost at lights out.
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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second in the 44-lap race, 1.952 seconds behind after leading, thanks to a pit stop while a virtual safety car was deployed, with Max Verstappen third to give Red Bull their 300th Formula One podium.
Hamilton finished fourth, despite serving a five-second penalty for the collision with Russell, but remained under investigation for an unsafe release from a pit stop that could drop him to fifth and further stretch Antonelli’s lead.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leads Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen at the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix [Sarah Meyssonnier/POOL via AFP]
It was Antonelli’s sixth win in 10 rounds this season, leaving him 50 points clear of Russell. Antonelli was first in qualifying, continuing Mercedes’ clean sweep of pole positions this season.
“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” said Antonelli, who had drawn a blank in two of the past three rounds.
“It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with the VSC but then we managed to make our way back.
“The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the results,” he added. “Today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship but you have to take every opportunity because we saw how much it can swing.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished fifth, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull from last on the grid. Reigning champion Lando Norris was seventh for McLaren after starting 13th due to a 10-place grid drop.
Gabriel Bortoleto brought more points for Audi in eighth place, with Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls and Argentine Franco Colapinto completing the scoring in 10th place for Renault-owned Alpine.
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.
Son Heung-min scored his first goal of the season, Denis Bouanga continued his scoring streak in El Tráfico, and LAFC beat the Galaxy 3-0 on Friday night at Dignity Health Sports Park following an international break for the World Cup.
LAFC (8-5-3) evened the all-time series with the Galaxy at 10-10-7. The Galaxy (5-6-5) entered unbeaten in their last three meetings with LAFC.
Mark Delgado, who played for the Galaxy from 2022-24, opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Delgado’s initial header was blocked but it came right back to him for a shot past goalkeeper Novak Micovic.
Bouanga made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time on a penalty kick that Micovic got a hand on. Bouanga has scored 11 goals in 10 matches against the Galaxy across all competitions and has scored in the last seven meetings, the longest streak in the rivalry’s history.
LAFC forward Denis Bouanga does a flip after scoring on a penalty kick against the Galaxy in the first half Friday.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Son scored in the 57th after getting a pass back from Delgado.
Up next for LAFC: Hosts Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.
Up next for the Galaxy: Host St. Louis on Wednesday.
Steve Cherundolo, who took LAFC to two MLS Cup finals in four years as manager, was named Thursday as head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team that will compete at the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
A three-time World Cup veteran and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Cherundolo, 47, had 30 caps with three U.S. junior teams before making his senior debut in 1999. He went on to play 87 times for the senior national team and played 15 seasons at Bundesliga club Hannover 96, making 415 appearances.
Cherundolo, who grew up in San Diego, transitioned into coaching in Germany at the youth level, then returned to the U.S. in 2021 to lead the Las Vegas Lights, then LAFC’s affiliate in the USL Championship. A season later he replaced Bob Bradley as the head coach at LAFC.
In his first season in MLS, he guided the club to an MLS Cup victory and won the Supporters’ Shield, breaking the record for most victories by a first-year manager with 21. He also had the most wins (29), most points (96) and best winning percentage through 50 games of any coach in league history, won a U.S. Open Cup and took LAFC to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final before leaving the club last November, saying he was returning to Germany with his family.
“Throughout his career, Steve Cherundolo has been a proven winner, an elite talent developer, and a great ambassador for American soccer,” Dan Helfrich, U.S. Soccer’s chief operating officer and the man who led the coaching search, said in a statement. “The 2028 Olympics present a critical platform to develop our next generation of players.”
Cherundolo’s main responsibility as the new head coach for the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team will be to build a roster for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“Representing the United States at the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honors in sports, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead this team,” Cherundolo said in a statement. “I believe we have an exciting group of players with tremendous potential, and I’m looking forward to building an environment where they can challenge themselves, grow together, and represent our country with pride.
“Our responsibility is to compete with courage, humility, and a clear identity, one that reflects the values of U.S. Soccer and gives our supporters a team they can be proud of.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Cameron Brink scored 10 points in her first game since June 15, but it wasn’t enough to list the Sparks past the host Lynx on Wednesday afternoon.
Kayla McBride scored 24 for her fifth straight 20-point performance, Courtney Williams added 19 points, and the Minnesota beat the Sparks 96-87 to record their fourth straight victory. The inconsistent Sparks have dropped back-to-back games since firing GM Raegan Pebley.
Minnesota went on a 19-3 run, scoring on 10 straight possessions, to take a 63-56 lead with 2:36 left in the third quarter.
McBride made her first three-pointer with four minutes left in the fourth for an 84-74 lead. Nia Coffey banked in a 3-pointer on the Lynx’s next possession for an 11-point lead.
Minnesota went 8 of 14 from 3-point range in the second half after missing 11 straight before halftime. Six of those makes came from different players.
Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles had 18 points in 26 minutes for Minnesota (19-6). Miles went to the floor with 6:03 left in the fourth and she did not return after appearing to roll her ankle on a driving layup.
Rae Burrell scored 24 points, and Nneka Ogwumike had 23 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Sparks (10-13). Los Angeles turned it over 20 times, leading to 30 points for Minnesota. Sparks point guard Kelsey Plum remains sidelined with a lower left leg injury and is expected to be re-evaluated next week following a four-week recovery.
MINNEAPOLIS — Vaughn Grissom went two for three with a home run and two RBIs, and the Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on Friday night to break a five-game skid at Target Field.
Grayson Rodriguez (3-2) gave up three runs and six hits in 5⅓ innings while Kirby Yates pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save this season.
Wade Meckler and Tyler Heineman also had two hits apiece for the Angels, whose previous win at Minnesota was in September 2024.
Brooks Lee and Josh Bell each went two for four with a double for the Twins (46-49).
The Angels (38-57), who have lost eight of their last 10 games, have the worst record in the major leagues.
Grissom hit the first pitch of the fourth inning over the wall in left field. Jorge Soler followed with a double and later scored on a balk by Twins starter Zebby Matthews (4-6) that gave the Angels a 2-1 lead.
Matthews surrendered four runs and nine hits in six innings.
Meckler scored when Nolan Schanuel hit the last of four consecutive singles to lead off the fifth inning before Grissom followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 4-1.
Trevor Larnach doubled to lead off the first inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kody Clemens. Lee hit a run-scoring double and pinch-hitter Austin Martin had an RBI groundout in the sixth that made it a one-run game.
Larnach walked with one out and moved to third when Ryan Jeffers doubled in the seventh, but Samy Natera Jr. retired Clemens and Bell to end the threat and preserve Minnesota’s 4-3 lead.
Minnesota is 10-4 with a plus-41 run differential in its last 14 against the Angels, dating to September 2023.
Up next: Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (1-4, 6.99 ERA) starts Saturday opposite Joe Ryan (6-5, 2.85) in the second of a three-game series.
Syria’s new central bank governor faces a daunting task: economic reconstruction.
Safwat Raslan, a former refugee who fled to Germany during his country’s 14-year civil war, is the new governor of the Central Bank of Syria. His first order of the day will be to standardize banking operations, expand Sharia-compliant banking products, and stabilize the Syrian pound to restore confidence in international markets.
The challenge is daunting.
The Assad regime, in power for more than 50 years before collapsing in 2024, left a hefty bill. The World Bank estimates direct physical damage to buildings and infrastructure from the Syrian conflict at $108 billion, with reconstruction costs of up to $345 billion.
Even though Western nations lifted most sanctions last year, Damascus is still in the early stages of reconnecting to the global financial system. Last year, the government executed its first international transfer via SWIFT since 2011. Still, Syrian banks remain relatively isolated, hampering efforts to attract outside capital.
Mixed Reactions to New Central Bank Governor
Raslan’s appointment has generated both optimism and skepticism. Supporters see him as part of a new generation of internationally experienced professionals returning from the diaspora to help rebuild state institutions. A former branch manager at Byblos Bank Syria, he also worked for EY and Deutsche Bank in Germany. Returning home in 2025, he successfully led the newly created Syrian Development Fund. Critics, however, point to his limited monetary-policy résumé at a moment when credibility matters.
“The fact that there have been three central bank directors in two years underscores the difficulty Syria is having in stabilizing its currency,” says Joshua Landis, the Sandra Mackey chair and professor of Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. “The Syrian pound ranks as the world’s sixth-worst currency, and in the past year alone it has depreciated by 30% against the U.S. dollar, which is widely used as the currency of business.”
Real investments, Landis notes, have been scarce: “Oil is the one sector that seems to be getting some love. It provided roughly 40% of export earnings under Assad and will again be a major source of state income once it can be brought back up and running, but it needs massive investment.”
Having someone competent at the head of the central bank, Landis argues, will go a long way toward reassuring the business world: “Is Raslan that man? We will have to see.”
Luca Ventura is a contributing writer based in Italy.
A new poll has crowned the UK’s 20 most beautiful views, with London landmarks Big Ben and Tower Bridge topping the list of Britain’s most scenic spots
Social media is a key source of inspiration (Image: Getty Images)
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament have been named Britain’s most spectacular view, a new survey has revealed. The London landmarks came out on top, with 38% of the 2,000 Britons surveyed selecting these as the most iconic sights.
Respondents chose them due to their instantly recognisable silhouette (67%) and post-card worthy setting (26%). Another London landmark, Tower Bridge (36%), came in a close second, with voters highlighting the bridge’s legendary status (60%) and global recognition (58%).
The study, commissioned by Samsung, which will be unveiling innovative new form factors live from Galaxy Unpacked in London on 22nd July, also revealed favourites from across the UK including Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland (21%).
Alongside the imposing heights of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh (13%) and St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall (12%). Elsewhere, the natural arch of Durdle Door in Dorset (12%), the rugged Cheddar Gorge in Somerset (12%), and hidden gem Glencoe, Scotland (10%) also proved popular picks.
Meanwhile, 25% say they will post a beautiful view on social media within hours of finding it, underlining just how quickly Britain’s beauty spots are making their way online.
Nearly half admitted (49%) they have travelled to an area primarily because they had seen photos or videos of it online, with social media the most likely platform to inspire those trips (64%).
For younger Brits, the internet is no longer just inspiring the itinerary, it is setting it – shown by the 80% who have visited somewhere after seeing it online, more than three times the number of Boomers (25%).
They’re also over four times more inclined to hunt down iconic city skylines while travelling (25% versus 6%).
Regarding capturing that crucial photograph, the study indicates amateur snappers want greater control to edit them.
The findings, conducted to spotlight Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its Photo Assist feature, which makes it easier to remove unwanted background distractions, revealed 28% would find the ability to remove people from photo backgrounds most useful.
Another 24% added they would most value being able to remove unwanted objects from their pictures.
