Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Beto Coral’s criticism of a presidential candidate in his home country of Colombia undermined U.S. foreign policy.

MILWAUKEE — Before 2022, the Kiel girls soccer team had never made the WIAA state tournament.On June 19, it was the undefeated Raiders' fifth-straight trip and it continued for another day with a 3-2 victory in double overtime over New Berlin Eisenhower.Taavi Saeger got Kiel on the board first in the seventh minute when she took a pass from teammate Jasmine Bink, splitting the defense and tapping it in with the Lions' goalkeeper having fallen down.New Berlin Eisenhower leveled the match in the 13th minute as Evangeline Schaffart took the ball inside the box off a feed by Piper Bissell before slotting it home.Saeger scored again in the 45th minute for the Raiders, assisted by Harper Walsdorf. More girls soccer: Short-handed Ozaukee/Random Lake falls to Xavier in state semifinalIt didn't take long for the Lions to once again equalize, this time it was Bissell scoring off the assist by Schaffart.In the 92nd minute, Walsdorf and Saeger connected once again for the game-winner as Saeger slid the ball past the Eisenhower keeper after Walsdorf found her in the box.More postseason coverage: Cedar Grove-Belgium wins first-ever WIAA state baseball championshipThe stats further illustrated how close the match was with both teams having five shots on goal and Kiel the edge in total shots 9-8.But much like she'd done all season, Saeger made the big plays when the Raiders needed them.Kiel plays fellow unbeaten McFarland on June 20 for the Division 3 state championship. Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Kiel girls soccer tops New Berlin Eisenhower in WIAA D3 state semifinal

Rory McIlroy played the first two rounds in a group with his Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood [Getty Images]US Open, round two leaderboard-7 W Clark (US); -3 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), T Kim (Kor), X Schauffele (US), S Stevens (US)Selected: -2 C Morikawa (US); -1 J Thomas (US); Level A Fitzpatrick (Eng), R McIlroy (NI), S Scheffler (US); +1 A Rai (Eng), J Rose (Eng), L Aberg (Swe), T Fleetwood (Eng); +2 T Hatton (Eng); +4 R MacIntyre (Sco)Once again the weather took top billing at Shinnecock Hills as Wyndham Clark built a healthy four-shot halfway lead at the US Open.Scottie Scheffler called the gusting wind "the biggest challenge", while Rory McIlroy pointed out their "side of the draw played in the windiest conditions and the scores show that" after the world's top two finished the second round on level par for the championship, seven adrift of Clark.It is, of course, one of the hazards of playing an outdoor sport with start times spread across a day. The scoring average shifted from 73.87 on Thursday morning to 71.97 for Friday's early starters.Clark, the 2023 champion, was one of those who took advantage of playing in the more benign conditions late on Thursday and early on Friday, and followed his opening six-under 64 with a 69.England's Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open winner, was also on that side of the draw and is among Clark's nearest challengers on three under after posting a 70. He was joined on that number by two-time major champion Xander Schauffele.But the wind was not solely to blame given two players on McIlroy and Scheffler's side of the draw are also four back and joint second - South Korea's Tom Kim and American Sam Stevens.McIlroy also reached three under after picking up two birdies in his opening eight holes and looked the most likely player to eat into Clark's lead, before he was derailed by a combination of poorly executed shots and the strengthening wind on his second nine holes.The blustery conditions were not as extreme as Thursday's when 40mph gusts of wind buffeted the Long Island course in New York state.But it was clearly penal enough to trouble Scheffler, particularly on the putting surfaces."With the amount of pitch you have on the greens, playing in the wind is extremely difficult, and judging speed on putts when the wind is blowing that hard can be challenging as well," he said.McIlroy makes solid US Open start before conditions alter dynamicUS Open round three tee-timesClark aiming to restore reputationWyndham Clark missed the cut at the US PGA Championship last month [Getty Images]Clark, who won his national title at the Los Angeles Country Club three years ago, had an infamous meltdown 12 months ago, smashing a locker in the clubhouse at Oakmont after missing the US Open cut.That led to him receiving a ban from the Pennsylvania club until he underwent anger management therapy and paid for the repairs.And while he has made reparations off the course, he has now put himself in a position to deliver some sort of public "redemption" on it, over the weekend."I've got a lot of grief since last year, rightfully so. The thing that's unfortunate is that's not who I am, what happened last year," he said."I'm hoping I can win back the fans that I had or some new fans because it was a terrible incident."I really feel like I can show people that I'm fun and outgoing, I'm fierce, competitive, love the game, respect the game, and I just had a bad moment."I really felt like I could be in double digits, but you know, the great thing about that is I didn't feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now. Hopefully I can bring my A-game on the weekend."Having established a healthy advantage on Friday, Clark at least now appears fully in control of his emotions having also broken the clubhead off a driver at the US PGA Championship prior to the locker-room incident.And the 32-year-old also recently showed he is more than capable of playing the pantomime villain to a tee, when he wore a USA hockey jersey to needle home fans at last week's RBC Canadian Open.'I'm only three back off of second'For those in pursuit of Clark, they will take comfort in knowing the past six halfway leaders have not gone on to win the title.Fitzpatrick is the only other former champion under par and the Englishman put together a typically tenacious round, with two birdies in his closing three holes lifting him back to where he started the day.McIlroy was seemingly ready to charge when he too reached three under with a birdie on the eighth but his wedge play cost him dearly.He misjudged shots on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes, with his ball falling off the back of the greens as he posted three successive bogeys.The 37-year-old responded with back-to-back birdies, but a thinned chip on the 15th which ran into a bunker, contributed to a double-bogey six. "Even par going into the weekend isn't terrible. I'm only three back of second place but obviously Wyndham's built a bit of a lead," he said on Sky Sports.Three bogeys on the back nine also curtailed his playing partner Tommy Fleetwood's progress and left him at one over.Scheffler, who is attempting to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam is level with McIlroy, after carding a two-under 68. The American cut a frustrated figure at times despite hitting 12 out of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. His putting - where he ranked 61st on strokes gained - was his frailty, hindering his ability to climb the leaderboard. Fitzpatrick's brother Alex is also at level par on his US Open debut, while his compatriot, the newly crowned US PGA champion Aaron Rai registered a 67 to sit at one over along with Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg. Tyrrell Hatton is a stroke back and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre just made the cut after a second-round 74. However, two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut for a third successive major, while Jon Rahm shipped six shots in five holes on the back nine to play himself out of the weekend.

Six years ago, the month of April began a bright spot for yours truly.In the midst of a pandemic that shut down virtually everything, there was a five-week stretch from April into May where, for about two hours each week, I escaped to the world of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls.The ESPN documentary The Last Dance pushed up its release date and gained worldwide popularity at an opportunistic time thanks to the worldwide shutdown. Michael Jordan was no stranger to me — I had heard enough stories from my dad about his ability to seemingly break the laws of gravity — but the 10-episode series made me feel like I had actually lived through each of his six championships.That documentary left such a big imprint on me that I’m just one of many who can sometimes get caught in the trap of referring to any final season for a team or an athlete as “a last dance.” It’s an easy slogan to slap onto a group that has been together for so long and has one last chance to check a box. Sometimes, it’s a fair comparison. Other times, it’s just lazy wording.When I look back on the 2025-26 high school athletic season, I find that the description is appropriate for more teams and more athletes than I can count. The Class of 2026 was historic in so many ways that I feel like I just watched Episode 10 and the credits are rolling over a dark abyss of black pixels. Where did the time go?The state championships won by NorthWood’s Naima Ghaffar and Westview’s Noah Bontrager is obviously at the top of the list of accomplishments by this year’s graduating class. Ghaffar (a Grand Valley State recruit) won her second state title this winter. After competing against the boys for two years (and beating many), Ghaffar never let up once girls wrestling was approved by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. She was 86-2 in her final two seasons for the Panthers.Bontrager deserves all of his flowers following a four-year timeline of distance dominance in the Hoosier State. The four-time state champion and two-time cross country state runner-up earned two more track titles this year and now holds the state record in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. The lone high school athlete from Indiana to run a sub-4-minute mile deserves to go down as one of the best to ever do it in northern Indiana. Notre Dame got a great one.The prep curtain closed on so many other high school athletes this year. Where does one even start?How about future Indiana Wesleyan star Brady Scholl?Before this season, a regional boys basketball title had never been awarded to Northridge High School. It’s no excuse, but the Raiders have long played in the highest class and in a competitive sectional. Turns out that Scholl’s superhero abilities often came to the rescue during Northridge’s best-ever season. The Raiders finished a win away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, succumbing to Crown Point at North Side Gym and ending the year with a remarkable 26-2 mark.Scholl, who earned a spot on the Indiana Senior All-Star team, scored over 1,500 points in his career to finish third on the all-time scoring list at Northridge. He’ll go down as an Elkhart County great in more ways than one.In football, Concord’s Reese Breveard delivered a flashy highlight reel touchdown pretty much every week for the road-ravaging Minutemen. Playing without a true home, Concord trudged through its all-road schedule to earn its first semistate appearance since 2013. To do that, the future Ball State running back had to make a play that typically only exists in folklore.Trailing No. 2 Lafayette Jeff 45-38 with 1:21 to play in the regional championship game at Elkhart’s Rice Field, senior quarterback Bo Brunner scampered for a 20-yard touchdown run with seconds left.Because of an unsuccessful two-point conversion, Concord senior kicker Nathan Potter was called on for an onside kick. His connection took a weird hop and Breveard — maybe the shortest player on the field — won a jump ball to give his school one last shot.“He was two feet above everyone,” Concord coach Craig Koehler said later that night. “He’s ridiculous. He’s the best player in northern Indiana and it’s not even close.”Breveard’s success led to Potter’s. The kicker nailed a 48-yard field goal that caused a field storm at the horn. Pinch myself? No, I would have needed a rubber mallet to wake me up from that dream experience.Back to basketball, how about the wonderful careers a few girls wrapped up this winter? Eva Herbert became a 1,000-point scorer at Fairfield and helped the Falcons to a semistate run with then-junior Madison Jones (also a 1,000-point scorer).In Middlebury, Northridge’s girls basketball established a near-perfect ending to their season by reaching semistate. Lily Scholl’s 42-point game won’t be the final monster performance of her career since she’s got one more season with the Raiders coming up, but seniors Cam Conley and Macey Riegsecker should be remembered by the critical roles each of them played for the fightin’ Doug Springers.On the boys side, no team made it farther in any sport this season than Westview. The Chandler Prible-led Warriors suffered heartbreak at Gainbridge when the game-winning layup bounced thrice and fell off the rim in the Class 2A state title game. Needless to say, Westview’s 27-2 mark was just the latest indicator that the health of Warrior basketball remains significantly strong, especially considering most of that team returns.In volleyball, Hilary Laidig took a largely inexperienced group to semistate. In baseball, Zach Benko took a largely new group to semistate. Laidig and Benko have something special at NorthWood in their respective sports. No matter the names on the roster, their teams always mold to fit into the successful form that each coach requires. What’s best, is that each truly loves their student-athletes. That matters first, wins matter second. For Laidig and Benko, they’ve been getting the best of both worlds recently.Other athletes that ended their prep careers include the Miller twins at Northridge. Baylor and Xavier were remarkable as distance runners, so was counterpart Dakotah Moore on the girls side.Golfers Alex Reschly (Northridge) and Sophie Richmond (NorthWood) are done being friendly Northern Lakes Conference foes and will team up at Marian University. Expect some low scores to roll in from there.Bethany Christian’s Sawyer Beachy will continue playing soccer at Detroit Mercy, Goshen’s Levi Sawatzky will play basketball at Goshen College and the senior-heavy baseball team at Goshen will leave after achieving back-to-back sectional titles and a near-perfect showing in the NLC. Braxton Cline, Ryen, Diaz, Bryson Wilson and Karter Marcum all had large roles for historic RedHawk basketball and baseball teams. Take a bow, boys.I’m going to miss these athletes, as well as several others who didn’t get mentioned here. Their respective last dances were choreographed to near-perfection. The 2025-26 prep season will hopefully be talked about for quite a while.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty ImagesKeith Siau suggested the drink handed to referee Felix Zwayer during USA vs Australia was probably pickle juice.The scene was unusual because referees rarely become the focus of a late-game medical stoppage in a World Cup match.It also showed how one quick sideline decision can explain the link between heat, fatigue and sports science.Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesKeith Siau explains USA vs Australia referee pickle juice momentIn a post from Keith Siau, he said the mysterious drink was probably pickle juice after Zwayer cramped up late in USA vs Australia.Zwayer went down in stoppage time with the United States leading 2-0 at Seattle’s Lumen Field. Folarin Balogun and Australia’s Aiden O’Neill helped stretch him out before fourth official Katia Garcia came over with fluids.Siau’s explanation went beyond a simple hydration fix. He said pickle juice can relieve cramp rapidly, often in under two minutes, because vinegar’s acetic acid triggers sensory receptors in the throat.That sends a signal through the nervous system and helps calm overactive muscles. It is not mainly about replacing electrolytes, because that process would take too long to explain such a quick response.That is why pickle juice has become a sideline tool in elite sport. Tennis players, soccer players and endurance athletes have all used it when cramp hits during competition.USA vs Australia result sends USMNT into World Cup knockout stageThe cramp delay came at the end of a major Group D result for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.The United States won 2-0 after Cameron Burgess turned the ball into his own net in the 11th minute and Alex Freeman added a header before halftime. The result put the USMNT on six points from two matches.That was enough to send the Americans into the knockout stage, even without Christian Pulisic, who missed the match with a calf injury.Australia stayed on three points and still had a route through the group, but the night was frustrating. They pushed harder after halftime and also appealed for a penalty when the ball appeared to hit Sebastian Berhalter’s arm.Zwayer still finished the match, which made the moment easier to laugh about. The quick intervention also showed why officials need the same cramp tools as the players around them.Read more:Taylor Swift reportedly paid for windows at Brazil vs Haiti as she ‘wanted her guests to be air-conditioned’The big difference between USMNT fans in Seattle and Los Angeles revealed by former England star‘Have a bit of class’ – Ex-soccer pro unimpressed by Canada head coach Jesse Marsch

What USMNT needs to happen in Paraguay-Turkiye game to win Group D at World Cup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The United States has taken care of business in its first two matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a pair of victories.The next win for the USMNT can come while they aren't even on the pitch. The U.S. can win Group D with a match to spare if the right result takes place on Friday night when Paraguay takes on Turkiye.It's actually two of the three possible match outcomes that would work out for the United States, which has 6 points through 2 matches.Australia has 3 points, while Paraguay and Turkiye both enter their second match of the group stage with 0 points.MORE: How Folarin Balogun's mom being too pregnant to fly led him to USMNTWhat does USMNT need to happen in Paraguay-Turkiye?The USA can win the group in two scenarios:Paraguay winDrawIn both those spots, the absolute most that can happen is the U.S. and either Australia or Paraguay end up on 6 points. But because the United States already beat those teams, they'd hold the tiebreaker in head-to-head matchup over both.And a draw means Paraguay has no chance at getting to 6 points, either.MORE: Mexican goalie saves the day against South KoreaThe one scenario that keeps the group open is:Turkiye winThat would give them 3 points, and they play the U.S. on the final group matchday. In that scenario, Turkiye could still end up with 6 points and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the U.S. with a win in these two matches.So on Friday night, as long as Turkiye doesn't win, the U.S. wins the group.Winning the group in advance would be huge because the United States could rest anyone with injury question marks, or with yellow card suspension question marks. That would set up the USMNT as best as possible for the knockout rounds.More FIFA World Cup news:USA, England can't actually play on July 4thWhy Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World CupMessi, Mbappe, Haaland provide a World Cup day made in heavenCape Verde pulls off one of craziest results in World Cup historyPink cleats are everywhere at the World Cup

NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Mystics are the youngest team in WNBA history, but are growing up fast.Washington snapped New York's eight-game winning streak, stunning the Liberty 86-83 on Friday night. It ended a 10-game regular-season losing streak to New York dating to 2023.It was the second time in the past few games that Washington was able to close out a team in the final seconds, thanks in huge part to the play of second-year players Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen returned to the lineup after missing the last few games with a sprained ankle.“Huge signs of growth,” coach Sydney Johnson said. “We lost a heartbreaker against Indiana. (Caitlin) Clark made a huge shot — big time play there. We are trying to find ways where we can get better. ... Part of this journey we’re on together. I'm proud of them. We applied some of the things we learned.”New York went up eight in the fourth quarter before Iriafen led the comeback, scoring nine points in the final four minutes, including the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds left.“I think this one was huge for us,” Iriafen said. “Given we played the Liberty last week and we didn’t play up to our standards. We know they are a great team, but again we have so much fight and we think we can beat anyone, regardless of who they have."Washington is slightly younger than the 2020 New York team that had an average age of just over 24 years old according to the website “Across the Timeline.”The Mystics are back to .500. They haven't finished above that mark since Elena Delle Donne led the team to a championship in 2019.Citron feels the Mystics are close to being one of the top teams in the league, but need to do it on a nightly basis.“I think right now we're just trying to prove that we can be consistent and deliver this kind of game on a consistent basis,” she said. “We're just trying to take it game-by-game and get better.”___AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

PHILADELPHIA — The Exeter High School girls track 4x800-meter relay team are national champions.The quartet of Bri Paterna, Madie Poteet, Izzy Bremer and Lexi Paterna bested a field of 75 relay teams at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Championships, crossing the finish line first in 8 minutes, 49.48 seconds at Franklin Field.“Perfect execution, and every single girl did their job and competed their hearts out for each other,” Exeter coach Nate Leveille said. “This is a very special group, and they did something absolutely amazing tonight.”According to Exeter High School’s Joe Scascitell, the time is the fastest in championship meet history by a New England team.The foursome of Courtney Krawiecki, Anna McGaffin, Leyla Bhusri and Riley Lynch of Shenendehowa (N.Y.) placed second in 8:52.23, while Kennedy Bryant, Riley Jones, Kimani Tindal and Shirayah Lewis-Williams of Long Beach, Calif., were third in 8:58.60.Lexi Paterna will run in the New Balance Nationals Outdoor Championship girls mile on Saturday, June 20, and the distance medley relay team of Bremer, Bri Paterna, Lexi Paterna and Martelle McBride will compete Sunday, June 21.This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter’s 4x800 relay captures New Balance national championship

DETROIT (AP) — Trei Cruz made family history with his major league debut Friday night — and his grandfather and father were there to watch.The Detroit rookie started in right field against the Chicago White Sox and batted ninth in the Tigers' 4-3 victory. When he took the field in the first inning in front of grandfather Jose Cruz Sr. and father José Cruz Jr., they became the fifth family to send three generations to the majors.“I am really happy for Trei and his family,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "From a baseball standpoint, how cool is it for a family to have three generations of players? It's a rarity."They joined Gus, Buddy, David and Mike Bell; Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron Boone; Joe P., Joe H. and Casey Coleman; and Sam, Jerry, Jerry Jr. and Scott Hairston.Cruz Sr. played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1970-74), Houston Astros (1975-87) and New York Yankees (1988) in a career that saw him put up 2,251 hits and 165 homers. “This is my dream come true,” he said on the Tigers' broadcast. “I wanted to see our third generation make it, and I'm so proud of Trei. He has worked so hard to get here, and I hope he is here to stay.”José Jr. reached the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 1997, and moved to the Toronto Blue Jays later that season. He stayed there until 2002, then spent his final six seasons with San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Boston, the Los Angeles, San Diego and the Astros.“It has been such an exciting 24 hours since we got the news,” he said. “I'm so happy for Trei to get this moment.”Trei took longer than his ancestors to make the majors — he turns 28 on July 5 — but when Wenceel Perez sustained facial fractures in a freak workout accident this week, he got his chance.It wasn't a dream debut — he struck out in each of his three plate appearances before being removed for a defensive replacement in the eighth inning — but it made him a major leaguer.“He's had to work hard to get here,” Hinch said. “Not everyone's journey to the big leagues is a smooth ride. I love that he's been tough enough to handle it.”___P MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi insists his team are "behind" captain Achraf Hakimi after a French appeals court confirmed that he will stand trial in a rape case.Hakimi, who denies any wrongdoing, was booed by members of the Tartan Army during each touch of the ball during the 1-0 win for the African side at the World Cup 2026. But the Paris Saint-Germain star, who is due to stand trial after recommendations from the public prosecutors, remains "very relaxed”, according to his coach Ouahbi.He added: "Did you see the game? I suppose you did. Hakimi was extraordinary so we're very relaxed, he's very relaxed and I believe he played really well.”Hakimi, who had appealed the decision by an investigative judge in February, claimed in a social media post on Friday that he felt he was "an easy target."After being targeted by Scotland fans at the Boston Stadium, Hakimi responded by whipping up the Morocco fans and urging them to raise their voices during several corners. Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and Achraf Hakimi following the FIFA World Cup Group C match (PA)"He did a good job, why talk about management?" Ouahbi questioned. "He woke up in the morning, ate like everybody, he was focused, he played with everybody, he wanted to play strongly and that's what he did."We don't have to say anything -- we're behind him, he's very relaxed and hopefully he's going to show he's the best wingback in the world. I believe this is important for me, the players and the 44 million Moroccans who are following us."A 24-year-old woman said she was raped by Hakimi at his home in a Paris suburb, which led to the player facing preliminary charges of rape in March 2023.The Versailles appeals court stated that Hakimi should be formally charged with rape. The court detailed how investigations conducted during the inquiry and the judicial investigation contributed to the investigating chamber recommending that the player should stand trial due to finding sufficient evidence.Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said her client had “a sense of relief and hope” following more than three years of legal proceedings, while also hitting out at Hakimi’s defense "after being defamed and dragged through the mud."Morocco's Achraf Hakimi (right) and Azzedine Ounahi (PA)While Hakimi’s social media post read: ““Justice looked me in the eyes and said to me: ‘If you weren’t famous, there never would have been a case.’“I chose to remain silent for years. I thought that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.“Today, a story that is not mine is being told to the detriment of my family, my life, and above all, the truth.“I sometimes get the feeling that I have become an easy target. I have been awaiting the trial since day one. And I await it now impatiently. At last, I will be able to speak.”A date for the trial has not yet been announced.

Things are coming together for the Ohio State basketball team for the 2026-27 season. The nonconference schedule is more or less set with several marquee matchups, and the roster is in place after the reclassification of 5-star guard LJ Smith and the return of sharpshooter John Mobley Jr. after he flirted with the NBA draft process.Head coach Jake Diebler held an open practice this past week, and afterwards he took some time to touch on those things and more with a small group of reporters. It wasn't a very long impromptu interview or press conference, but it was still worth the watch to get an idea of how things are progressing in the offseason.In case you didn't get a chance to listen to what Diebler had to say, we have his entire interview, thanks to our friends at the Columbus Dispatch, for you to ingest and absorb. As an added bonus, there's also video of Mobley talking to reporters on why he returned to Columbus.Video! We saw some #OhioState practice today and spoke with #Buckeyes coach Jake Diebler and guard John Mobley Jr. Here's their press conferences:Diebler - https://t.co/mIhnlazEoIMobley - https://t.co/JFU8dcNA4P— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) June 19, 2026There's still quite an offseason to go for the Buckeyes, but the season opener is a contest out in Salt Lake City against BYU on Nov. 2. It'll be here before you know it.Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State coach Jake Diebler dishes on LJ Smith arrival, offseason

Cunha, Hexa's 9️⃣, Vini ON FIRE and more: reactions to 🇧🇷 winThe long-awaited first victory for the Brazilian National Team at the FIFA World Cup has arrived.With standout performances from Matheus Cunha, Vini Jr, and Paquetá.There were also the debuts of Rayan and Endrick, for example. But there was still room for criticism after a below-par second half. Check out some of the reactions on social media after the 3-0 win over Haiti below. Brazil’s number 9, okay?Which Matheus Cunha is he talking about?Good thing he’s OURS!They played REALLY wellHe was REALLY dancing!WE WILLPeople were being pretty harsh...He was CALLED INTO ACTIONWas the pitch like this in the 2nd half?This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Jun 19, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) walks out from the bullpen before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Michael McGreevy did not have his best game Friday night in Kansas City. His outing started decent, but the latter innings not so much. Unfortunately, the St. Louis Cardinals offense didn’t accomplish much either as the Royals were too much for them again. You wouldn’t know that Kansas City has the sixth worst record in MLB so far this season based on how they’ve played St. Louis so far. The Cardinals would prove they never quit, though.The St. Louis Cardinals have had the healthy habit of scoring early this season and Friday night was no exception. In the top of the 1st inning, Iván Herrera drew a one-out walk. Alec Burleson then ripped a double to right as Herrera advanced to third. Jordan Walker had a great team at-bat managing to lift a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Herrera giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. St. Louis would add to their lead in the top of the 3rd inning when Nathan Church drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball charged to Jensen (on a ball in the strike zone, no less). After JJ Wetherholt failed to advance Church when he flew out to left field, Iván Herrera came thru with an inside-out swing that drove a single to right field easily scoring Church and doubling the Cardinals lead to 2-0 which would stand until the bottom of the 4th. About that bottom of the 4th inning…this is where a well-pitched game by Michael McGreevy would begin to come apart. Suddenly, the Kansas City Royals began hitting everything hard and often. Lane Thomas led off with a double and then scored on a double by Jac Caglianone cutting the Cardinals lead in half 2-1. McGreevy was able to get Perez to ground out which advanced Caglianone to third. Michael Massey followed that with a single to center scoring Caglianone and then advanced to second on a throwing error by Nathan Church as the game was then tied 2-2. Michael was able to get the second out as Loftin lined out to center, but Collins crushed a two-out double over Lars Nootbaar’s head in left scoring both Rave and Massey giving the Royals a 4-2 advantage. Kansas City would add another run off in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jac Caglianone would show off his opposite field power hitting a McGreevy 92 mph four-seam fastball 404 feet into the fountains in left field making it 5-2 Royals. Manager Oli Marmol would remove McGreevy from the game after he completed the bottom of the 5th inning. His stat line for the night was 5 innings pitched getting tagged for 8 hits, 5 earned runs while striking out 2 and walking 1. George Soriano was the Cardinals answer for the bottom of the 6th inning and he almost immediately ran into trouble, but it could have been worse. He walked Loftin to lead off the inning and then went on to prove that walks almost always come back to hurt you as Collins doubled to right over Jordan Walker as Loftin was held up at third which proved to be smart as he would score on a deep sacrifice fly to center by Tyler Tolbert as Kansas City started to pull away leading 6-2 after 6 innings. Matt Svanson was solid taking care of the Kansas City Royals bottom of the 7th inning setting the heart of their order down 1-2-3 with 2 pop-outs to short and a groundout to first. He also did a fine job of managing the 8th inning for St. Louis, too. A nice defensive play by Blaze Jordan didn’t hurt his cause. JJ Wetherholt also made an incredible play on a ball that ricocheted off of Svanson’s leg throwing out Collins nearly from his back. If you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned much about the St. Louis Cardinals offense, it’s because there isn’t much to talk about through the first 8 innings. They would have their chances, but couldn’t seem to string hits together. They almost did in the top of the 4th inning when Jordan Walker singled, but he was picked off of first by Seth Lugo right before Lars Nootbaar singled. In the top of the 5th inning, Nathan Church hit a two-out triple, but he was stranded when JJ Wetherholt’s sharp ground ball up the middle was nabbed by the pitcher. In the top of the 6th inning, Herrera drew a leadoff walk, but two groundouts and a flyout made that lead to nothing. The Cardinals didn’t even have any baserunners in the 7th or 8th innings. The Cardinals did prove that they do not quit in the 9th inning. Jordan Walker managed a single, but was forced out at 2nd when Lars Nootbaar hit into a fielder’s choice. Lars would score, though, when Masyn Winn doubled to left making it 6-3 Royals. After Nelson Velazquez walked, Blaze Jordan came up as the tying run which led to Kansas City taking reliever Matt Strom out of the game. Jordan would face Alex Lange and would manage a two-out single to right which scored both runners after they had advanced on a wild pitch making it a real game at 6-5 Royals. Bryan Torres was brought in as a pinch-runner for Jordan as Jose Fermin came to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. He unfortunately grounded out in a fielder’s choice to end the game. The St. Louis Cardinals will return to Kauffman Stadium Sunday after a day off thanks to World Cup activities in Kansas City on Saturday. The Cardinals will ask Dustin May to be the best version of Dustin May as he gets the start Sunday afternoon. He’ll be up against RHP Stephen Kolek who’s 4-1 on the season for the Royals. First pitch scheduled for 1:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.

"Three's a crowd" is a cliché for a reason. It's playing out for the world to see on Fox's World Cup anchor desk.In addition to host Rebecca Lowe, the desk features three retired World Cup veterans as analysts — French great and 1998 World Cup champion Thierry Henry, Sweden's all-time leading goal-scorer and two-time World Cup participant Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Alexi Lalas, the face of USA's 1994 World Cup team the last time the tournament was held on U.S. soil.Through the first week of the tournament's coverage, Lalas is clearly the odd man out. Just listen to his fellow analysts, who appear to have run out of patience with Lalas with a full month remaining of World Cup coverage.Is Zlatan's and Henry's tension with Lalas real?The latest example played out Friday as Lalas was away from the desk to cover USA's win over Australia in Seattle. Here's how news that Lalas was gone hit the desk when Lowe announced it on the early Friday broadcast:Lowe: "Chaps, Alexi left us."Ibrahimović: "Who?"Lowe: "Alexi will be back."Henry: "Your plan worked, Rebecca."Lowe: "Don't you bring me into this, no chance."Ibrahimović, to the camera: "America, you're welcome."Lest you conclude that's just good-natured ribbing among former athletes that prevalent on any sports broadcast desk, take into consideration the following interactions:Ibrahimović, Henry play keepaway from LalasHere's video from the studio of Henry, Ibrahimović and, notably, not Lalas showing off some soccer skills with each other. The video starts with Henry faking a pass to Lalas then gloating into the camera after juking out his co-host. The video goes on to feature more than a minute of Ibrahimović and Henry doing tricks and passing the ball back and forth with no further sighting of Lalas. Ibrahimović gleefully shared it on social media with the caption: "The studio will never forget"Ibrahimović implies Lalas' analysis is 'ignorant'The context here appears to be lack of respect by Ibrahimović of Lalas' presence and analysis on the air. Take, for instance, this commentary following France's 3-1 win over Senegal in the first round. Henry took issue with former U.S. player Landon Donovan calling France "arrogant" and "casual" after a scoreless first half. Lalas resurfaced the topic on the postgame set and agreed with Donovan that France was playing "arrogant.""We can have that discussion but the reality is that if they are arrogant, it's because they can do things like that," Lalas said. "The patience that they showed after a poor first half to come back and provide a masterful second half with the talent that they have, and the big stars showing up, that's pretty special."Ibrahimović had this to say to close out the conversation:"It's not arrogance, it's confidence," Ibrahimović said. "Ignorant people will say it's arrogance, intelligent people will say it's confidence."Notice Henry's eyes after Ibrahimović's thinly veiled implication that Lalas is "ignorant." Lowe could only manage to laugh it off before steering the conversation elsewhere.Zlatan's lie detector bitThen there's Ibrahimović's lie detector bit on Fox's nightly World Cup wrap show, "After Hours with James Corden."For his last question of the bit with Ibrahimović' strapped up to a lie detector, Corden asked: "Do you respect the opinions of all of your fellow Fox Sports analysts?"Ibrahimović' answered, simply, "yes."It was Ibrahimović's only answer of that bit that was determined to be a lie. The bit, of course, was fodder for back on the set. Ibrahimović couldn't resist the opportunity to take another shot at Lalas. This crew has four more weeks working together. It will be interesting to watch everything play out.

The Ohio State men's hockey team had a bit of a disappointing season last winter after surprising a lot of folks the prior year, and it'll look to rebound in the 2026-27 season. To do it, the Buckeyes will have to navigate a challenging schedule, and a lot of that has to do with the quality inside the Big Ten conference.This week, the conference released the Big Ten schedule so that we can get our first look at when, where, and who Ohio State plays inside the conference and how difficult the journey might be to try and get back to the NCAA Tournament.Here's how things line up for the OSU men's hockey team in 2026-27, including the newly released games inside the conference:Oct. 9-10 – at RPIOct. 16-17 – at Sacred HeartOct. 23-24 – vs. AugustanaOct. 29-Nov. 1 – vs. MichiganNov. 12-15 – at WisconsinNov. 19-22 – vs. Notre DameNov. 27-28 – at UnionDec. 3-6 – vs. Michigan StateDec. 11-12 – vs. UConnJan. 7-10 – at Penn StateJan. 14-17 – vs. MinnesotaJan. 21-24 – at MichiganJan. 28-31 – vs. WisconsinFeb. 4-7 – at Notre DameFeb. 18-21 – at MinnesotaFeb. 25-28 - vs. Penn StateMarch 4-5 – at Michigan StateThe 2026-27 @B1GHockey conference schedule is here! 🤩🔗 https://t.co/Sep1iQwwyIpic.twitter.com/f7B15JQyZ4— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) June 18, 2026It's a daunting schedule, but hopefully the Scarlet and Gray can grab some momentum early and continue it through the winter to where we are talking about bigger things when the time comes for the postseason.Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State 2026-27 men's hockey schedule announced | Buckeyes Wire

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vinícius Júnior showed why he's the most valuable player for five-time World Cup champion Brazil, scoring one goal and helping to create two others in a 3-0 victory over Haiti on Friday night.The soon-to-be 26-year-old left winger scored at the end of the first half on a breakaway, casually flicking the ball past Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide. He also assisted on one goal by Matheus Cunha and set up a rebound that led to another.Vinícius' breakout performance brought Brazil back in the wake of a 1-1 draw against Morocco last week that left coach Carlo Ancelotti apologizing to fans. After applying steady pressure against Haiti in the opening minutes, Brazil broke through with an offensive torrent.Vinícius took a bending shot that rebounded off Placide's gloves and set up Cunha for the put-away that made it 1-0. Thirteen minutes later, he set Cunha up with a long feed that Cunha drove into the net.In the third minute of injury time, it was Vinícius who corralled a long pass and easily won the 1-on-1 matchup with the diving goalkeeper.He nearly had another assist halfway through the second half with a one-touch pass to an open Gabriel Martinelli, who launched the ball off the post.Before the game, the player nicknamed “Viní” had said he thought he had more to show in the tournament — even after scoring the goal that brought Brazil even with Morocco. Coming off scoring 16 goals in 36 games with Real Madrid, he made an effort to help the defense on several occasions against Haiti and created numerous scoring chances.Brazil and Morocco are tied atop Group C with four points, followed by Scotland with three.The Brazilians are ranked sixth in the world; Haiti is 85th and became the first team eliminated from the tournament.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Although he saw little action in Canada's World Cup victory over Qatar, there was a moment when goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was almost persuaded to get more involved in the offense. Crépeau, speaking to reporters on Friday after Canada's dominant 6-0 win the day before, addressed the final moments of the match, when he delivered the ball up the field and red-clad fans in the crowd at BC Place bellowed, “Shoot!”“I swear I had the little devil here saying do it and the little angel said just pass the ball and go back,” he laughed. “I heard the crowd and I was like, 'Oh no, I'm not doing it.'”Crépeau didn't see a shot on goal from Qatar during Canada's first-ever World Cup victory. Canada all but sealed its spot in the knockout round with one final group match remaining, on Wednesday against Switzerland.“Max’s presence was really important yesterday. But let’s be honest, he hardly had anything to do,” coach Jesse Marsch said. “I don’t think in World Cup history, there’s been such a dominant performance. That’s the truth. I think our team will take a lot of confidence from that, and Max will as well.”The match was chaotic, with a pair of red cards taking Qatar down to nine players and a devastating injury to Canada midfielder Ismaël Koné, who broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg on a tackle from behind by Assim Madibo.Crépeau was among the teammates who rushed to Koné's side. He could certainly relate to both the physical and emotional pain that Koné was going through.In 2022, Crépeau broke his right leg during extra time of Los Angeles FC's MLS Cup victory over the Philadelphia Union. Crépeau was taken from the field by ambulance and later underwent surgery.The injury knocked the goalkeeper out of the 2022 World Cup, where he was expected to back up Milan Borjan.After leaving LAFC, Crepeau remained in Major League Soccer with the Portland Timbers. The 32-year-old currently plays for Orlando City.In the aftermath of Koné’s injury, Crépeau also consoled 20-year-old defender Luc de Fougerolles.“Every guy lives the emotions a certain way, and we went through the emotions in that time,” Crépeau said. “Man, it’s so difficult to put into words, but it’s just a moment to say, ‘Hey, you’re not alone. I’m feeling the same thing as you, but we have a job to finish for him.’”___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jac Caglianone hit a home run and drove in two as the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 Friday night to clinch the three-game series and snap a three-series losing streak.Seth Lugo (3-4) pitched six innings in his return from the concussion list after being hit on the forehead by a line drive June 10. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits. Alex Lange earned his fifth save. Michael McGreevy (3-6) took the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.Caglianone's shot was his 10th of the season.The Cardinals scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Walker, scoring Ivan Herrera. Walker's 58th RBI gave him the MLB lead, pending the Athletics' Nick Kurtz's game later Friday against the Angels.Herrera drove in Nathan Church with a single in the third to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.The Royals seized the lead with four runs in the fourth. Lane Thomas led off with a double and scored on a single by Caglianone. Michael Massey's single drove home Caglianone. After John Rave walked, Isaac Collins drove home Massey and Rave with a double.The Royals added a run in the fifth on Caglianone's homer and another on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Tolbert in the sixth.The Cardinals got three in the ninth off Matt Strahm, but Lange stranded the tying run.Up nextFollowing a rare Saturday off-day because of a World Cup match at neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, the Cardinals and Royals conclude their three-game series Sunday. The Cards will send RHP Dusty May (5-6, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Stephen Kolek (4-1, 2.68).___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

UC Riverside guard Nate Pickens (11) drives against North Carolina forward Zayden High (1) and guard Paxson Wojcik (8) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C. | Chris Seward, Associated Press Nate Pickens had high hopes for last season.Upon transferring to BYU from UC Riverside, the senior guard envisioned himself playing a key role for the Cougars in their most highly-anticipated campaign in school history. Being part of a deep NCAA tournament run was his prime focus. It would be the perfect conclusion to his college career.But Pickens’ season was over before it even began.During summer practices a year ago, Pickens suffered what he believed to be a minor ankle injury. He took it easy for a few weeks, but when he got back on the court, he further aggravated the ankle to the point of torn cartilage, requiring season-ending surgery in early November.Thus, Pickens watched from the sidelines as other injuries to his teammates and defensive struggles caused the Cougars to underachieve relative to their preseason hype. He often couldn’t help but feel like BYU’s fortunes would be better if he was available.But rather than breed bitterness, such hypotheticals lit a fire under Pickens, and he vowed to turn the first major health setback of his life into fuel for his future return.“It was definitely tough, especially mentally, having never gone through something like that,” Pickens told the Deseret News of his injury. “It was supposed to be my last year. I was a senior and I had a lot of goals for myself. I knew I wanted to have a really good year, and with the team we had, I wanted to make a good impact on BYU and help us have a better year than (going to the Sweet 16 in 2025).“I was kind of bummed out, but going through the year, I just took it as a learning experience and just sat back to see how much I could take in from being at this level in the Big 12 and around all these good players, like AJ (Dybantsa), Rob (Wright III) and Richie (Saunders). So honestly, it was a blessing in disguise.”Pickens, who is now a full participant in BYU’s summer practices, may not have expected to still be playing college basketball at this point, but he’s grateful to be in Provo and has no regrets about his transfer decision from May of 2025.Furthermore, Pickens says he never once considered leaving BYU during the offseason, remaining committed to someday donning a Cougars jersey once his health permitted.“I knew I wanted to play this level and I had no reason to go anywhere else, I just wanted to be here,” Pickens said. “The love (the fans) showed me, and with (Kevin Young) and the whole staff and just the belief they have in me, it just felt like it was the right place to be.”As a junior at UC Riverside in 2024-25, Pickens averaged 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting just shy of 40% from 3-point range, even pouring in 18 points against his future school in December 2024 at the Marriott Center.“He’s a tenacious defender, he can guard with the best of them and guard in a lot of different ways,” said Wright of Pickens. “He’s super athletic, and he’s starting to get that athleticism back. “It’s just great to see because he’s a great guy. He can shoot the ball well, really well off the dribble and catch-and-shoot. I think Cougar Nation is going to get a big surprise when he gets on the court.”Since joining the Cougars, the 6-foot-3 Pickens has worked to make quicker decisions as a ball-handler and become a more aggressive rebounder. Given BYU’s weaknesses last year, however, his “3-and-D” skillset will perhaps prove most valuable as a bench weapon for Young, especially considering the immense pride Pickens takes in his defense.“I just feel like ever since I was young, my mindset was just wanting to stop whoever the best player is, wanting to guard him and just not letting people score on me,” he said. “It’s always been a mindset of mine, and as the years have gone by that’s always been my role to go guard the (opponent’s) best player, and that jump starts my game.”Pickens says he looks up to NBA veteran Jrue Holiday, a two-time All-Star guard who has made six All-Defense teams and is among the premier and most versatile “3-and-D” players of his era. In the past five years, Holiday has been the final ingredient for championship squads in Milwaukee and Boston, and Pickens loves the idea of becoming a similar winning-obsessed glue guy for BYU.“(I want to be) someone who can do all the little things, like guard the best player defensively, use physicality and definitely shoot it,” Pickens said. “I just want to be a player who coaches can trust to make the right plays, count on to lead on and off the court, and just bring guys up and keep the team together.”Being that type of player will require constant effort and intention as a leader — something the self-described “quiet” Pickens is working to accomplish after seeing where he could have done more in the past.“I think I can really connect with players, but just being a vocal leader more on the court is probably where I just want to step up, just being more vocal and just keeping the guys together, especially when we’re going through adversity,” Pickens said. “... It was just hard to bring the guys together when we were going through adversity (last year), when we were just getting down. I feel like we’ve just got to keep bringing each other up, especially when we’re going through hard things, so I’ll just be more vocal on that.“... I just want to win as a team, and have a better year than we did last year. I think this team can go really far, and I can impact the winning.”As for his individual goals, Pickens is looking to be one of the Big 12’s best bench players and potentially earn conference Sixth Man of the Year recognition, but everything is secondary to his main driving motivation — winning at BYU.“Last year we didn’t have that much depth after all the injuries, and I feel like we could use some guys that can come in and make an impact right away off the bench ... if that’s my role, I’ll just embrace it and be one of the best six or seven players that coach needs.“... We have some good team chemistry already, and I’m just excited to give everything I’ve got and just be the player that the coaches and my teammates need me to be and just impact winning any way I can.” Nate Pickens poses for a picture during his official BYU recruiting visit. | BYU Photo

Brazil 3-0 Haiti: Cunha brace eliminates Caribbean side from World CupStandings provided bySofascoreBrazil swept Haiti aside 3-0 as the Caribbean side became the first nation to be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup at the Philadelphia Stadium. Matheus Cunha’s impressive before Vinícius Júnior added a third sent Seleção well on their way to an easy victory, despite the Haitians’ valiant high press as they neared an exit with one group game to spare.Their perfect night did take a hit before the break as Raphinha was forced off with a suspected muscle injury, yet Carlo Ancelotti’s side made amends for a subpar display against Morocco with a showpiece performance to go top of Group C.While Cunha had an air of fortune about his first goal, tucking away the rebound from Vini Jr’s shot after it was parried by Haiti captain Johny Placide, his second almost ripped the net off flying into the top left corner with 36 minutes gone.Then the Manchester United’s provider became Brazil’s third goalscorer with his second of the World Cup, latching onto Lucas Paquetá’s lofted pass over the Haiti defence before slotting cooly into around the goalkeeper and into the net.Raphinha had been replaced by exciting Bournemouth winger Rayan, with local media suspecting he had sustained a hamstring injury with the Barcelona man clutching his thigh while sat on the pitch in conversation with the team physios.But there was soon a buzz around the stadium to replace the anguish at the sight of Raphinha’s departure as Real Madrid teenager Endrick entered the frame from the bench late into the second half.Brazil cruised through the second half to an easy victory, going top of Group C ahead of Morocco on goal difference and one point ahead of Scotland before they meet with the latter team next Wednesday in pole position for the round of 32.Raphinha being ruled out will be yet another unwanted hit to Brazil’s wide areas, with his country level on four points with Morocco after their 1-0 victory over Scotland – who themselves lie just a single point behind in third.It will remain all to play for when Seleção face off with Scotland in their final group stage game next Wednesday at 23:00 (BST), and to Carlo Ancelotti’s anguish he may oversee the crucial game without one of his key attacking assets.For more detailed reports, reaction, and analysis of the World Cup as it happens, head to our website and favourite our page on OneFootball. Brazil – Haiti Live Score

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run, Jeremy Peña had two solo shots and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Friday night.Altuve’s eighth home run of the season came on the first pitch of the night from Guardians reliever Matt Festa. It landed in the first row of the left- field Crawford Boxes.Peña’s first home run of the night came in the third inning to cut Cleveland’s lead to a run, and then he led off the seventh with his sixth home run of the season and third multi-homer game of his career. He finished the night 3 for 5 with three RBIs.Altuve added an RBI double later in the inning for a season-high four RBIs.After failing to complete the first inning in his previous start, Tatsuya Imai (4-3) struck out a career-high 11 batters while allowing three runs on six hits over six innings without issuing a walk. He retired the final 11 he faced after giving up a two-run homer to Rhys Hoskins in the third inning.The 11 strikeouts were a season high by an Astros pitcher, and it’s the first time they’ve had a pitcher strike out at least 11 without walking a batter since Yusei Kikuchi on Aug. 31, 2024.Houston's Yordan Alvarez was 1 for 4 with a walk to extend his on-base streak to 25 games.Tanner Bibee (2-8) was charged with four runs, three earned, over 5 1/3 innings.Erik Sabrowski allowed two runs over 1/3 of an inning for Cleveland after being reinstated from the injured list before the game.Up nextAstros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-2, 2.57 ERA) was set to face LHP Joey Cantillo (5-3, 4.38 ERA) on Saturday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 17: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kairi Mano/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images Friday Night was a mini redemption tour of sorts. Jose Altuve was stuck in the midst of a 0-12 slump, with visible frustrations boiling over prior to launching a decisive 3 run shot in the 6th inning. One week ago, teammate Tatsuya Imai had been rocked in Kansas City failing to survive even a single inning of work. Fast forward things, Imai would strike out six Guardians throughout the course of two innings, and before it was all said and done, he’d register 11 K’s along with zero walks in a comeback 9-3 victory over Cleveland. The win represents the 9th for the month of June, and the 3rd in a row for a Houston squad gaining more and more momentum. For Altuve and Imai, it’s a chance to exhale and celebrate. The Astros would actually start off the scoring. In the bottom of the first, Cleveland would gift the first run of the evening. After Isaac Paredes singled to right field, Christian Walker would score on a throwing error by Kahlil Watson. However, in the bottom of the third, Imai would run into trouble. Travis Bazzana would start off things with a stand up double. Brayan Rocchio would bring him home with his 33rd double of the season and then he’d come around to score on the strength of Rhys Hoskins home run to left field. All told, Cleveland would post three runs, but that was all. Jeremy Pena would respond in the fourth with a line drive solo shot, the Astros 100th home run of the season. That cut the deficit to 3-2. The Astros would next do damage in the bottom of the six off reliever Matt Festa. Festa would allow 3 hits in just 2/3’s of work after replacing starter Tanner Bibee. Pena would go yard again the next time up. He now has 6 home runs on the season. Altuve would pick up an RBI double in the 7th, finishing the night with 4 RBIs in total. In the bottom of the 8th, Cam Smith would come around and score after leading off the inning with a walk thanks to an extra base hit from Jake Meyers who’s fresh off his 30th birthday. Meyers would be brought home by a Pena single. Pena would finish with 3 hits on the night. After a pair of solid innings of relief from Steven Okert, Mike Burrows would come out of the pen to close the door in the 9th in his first relief appearance of the season. Odds & Ends:Lance McCullers threw 25 pitches of live b.p. on Friday Night as he continues his rehab. Yanier Diaz would catch Imai for the first time in his young career.Yordan Alvarez has now reached base safely in 25 straight contests. Tomorrow, Spencer Arrighetti will take the mound for the Astros searching for his 8th win. First pitch @ 6:15 CDT.

Brighton reignite talks over Tottenham wonderkid with £45 million bid originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Brighton have gotten off to a strong start to the transfer window, as they secured a huge fee for their longtime defender, Jan Paul van Hecke, who made the move to North London with Tottenham following the Lilywhites' bid of £52 million. That fee made it certain that the Seagulls made quite a profit off their initial €6.5 million fee to NAC Breda back in the 2020/21 campaign when the English side acquired the Dutchman.This has left a hole in the South Coast side's backline, which could lead them to explore their options in the transfer window, with one of their desired players being Luka Vuskovic from the club they just sold their former defender to.The Croatian wonderkid has been the target of interest from the Seagulls for some time now, with the South Coast recently getting transfer talks going, as they submitted a bid of £30m, which was subsequently rejected by the Lilywhites.It appears, however, that Brighton remains interested in acquiring the young Croatian, as they have found their way back to Tottenham with another offer, according to a recent report.The Seagulls' improved bid🚨🔵⚪️ More on exclusive story about new bid from Brighton to Spurs for Luka Vuskovic.Proposal worth £42m plus £3m add-ons, as revealed — also understand Vušković keen on the deal to find more space and play regularly.#BHAFC and #THFC remain locked in negotiations. pic.twitter.com/ITNv9VFwnI— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 19, 2026As explained by Fabrizio Romano, Brighton have launched an improved bid totaling £45 million towards Tottenham, which is a £15 million step up from where they were during their first time around for the Croatian. When Brighton's initial fee was rejected, it was with the Lilywhites' hopes of receiving a higher bid for Vuskovic, but the desired amount wasn't disclosed across the various reports.If Tottenham are to accept the offer from Brighton, it would give Vuskovic what he wants as he desires playing time at the higher level, with the wonderkid being rather discontent in North London at the moment, according to recent reports.The Croatian's desired playing time comes after a season in which he played a big role in Hamburg's mid-table finish in the German top flight, recording 44 interceptions and 18 won tackles across a total of 30 matches.It's worth noting that Brighton and the footballing world will have their eyes glued to Croatia's schedule at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, given that Vuskovic was named to the camp, which resulted in him making his debut in the global spectacle during his national team's opening match against England.MORE TRANSFER NEWSAston Villa among six Premier League teams eyeing Barcelona wingerArsenal, Manchester United among teams eyeing Brazilian wonderkidArsenal, Liverpool among teams interested in Moroccan wonderkidLiverpool, Manchester United tied to relegated West Ham starFormer Champions League winning striker's move to MLS on the cardsLiverpool, Bayern Munich lose race to sign German wonderkidBayern Munich's €65m transfer target has stellar World Cup debut

Native American youth baseball players from across the Southwest and beyond are gathering at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick this weekend for the Na7ive Na7ions 16U National Baseball Tournament, an event that blends elite athletic competition with Indigenous culture, community, and youth development.The four-day tournament features 11 teams representing Tribal and Indigenous communities competing for a national championship and a berth in the prestigious Babe Ruth World Series.Hosted at the same complex used by Major League Baseball teams during Spring Training, the tournament aims to elevate the visibility of Indigenous athletes while bringing together families, Tribal leaders, Native-owned businesses, artists, and community organizations.“Na7ive Na7ions was created to ensure Native youth have access to the same opportunities as any other athlete while celebrating who they are and where they come from,” said DJ Carrasco, founder and executive director of Na7ive Na7ions. “This event is about much more than baseball. It is about representation, visibility, culture, and creating opportunities that many Native youth have not had access to before.”Carrasco, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, founded the organization after spending more than 15 years in professional baseball. Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 26th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft, he played professionally from 1997 through 2012, including stints with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.Today, he has redirected that experience toward creating opportunities for Indigenous youth through sports.“Growing up, I rarely saw Native players represented in professional baseball,” Carrasco said. “Native Nations is about changing that narrative. We want Native youth to know they belong in this game, can compete at the highest levels, and never have to leave their culture behind to pursue their dreams.”The tournament extends beyond the baseball diamond by intentionally incorporating Native culture and community into the event. Throughout the weekend, attendees can support Native-owned vendors, artists, food businesses, jewelers, and entrepreneurs, creating an atmosphere that reflects the diverse communities represented by participating teams.Na7ive Na7ions also emphasizes youth wellness through its HomePlate initiative, which integrates healthy snacks, hydration stations, wellness education, leadership development, and lifestyle resources into tournament programming.“We’re not just developing athletes; we’re helping to develop healthy, confident young people,” Carrasco said. “HomePlate reflects our belief that athletic success, wellness, culture, and community are interconnected.”Families who attended last year’s inaugural tournament described it as more than a sporting event, emphasizing its sense of community and accessibility.“It was the first time his grandpa was able to see his grandson play because Na7ive Na7ions made it affordable,” one family shared.Another attendee reflected on the atmosphere, saying, “We felt like we were on the rez, a big community with our own food, jewelry, and energy.”Those experiences align with the organization’s broader mission of ensuring Indigenous athletes have access to the same opportunities, exposure, and resources as their peers while remaining connected to their cultures, families, and communities.Na7ive Na7ions also works to remove barriers for athletes from Tribal and rural communities by creating opportunities for free-agent players and coaches who may not have access to a complete team roster, helping ensure talented Indigenous youth have a pathway to compete at the national level.The post Na7ive Na7ions Baseball Tournament Brings Indigenous Youth Athletes Together for National Competition appeared first on Native News Online.

The 2026 World Cup continues on Saturday as Germany looks to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds for the first time since 2014.Here's what you need to know for Day 10 of the World Cup.Netherlands vs. SwedenSaturday, June 20 | 1 p.m. ET | Houston | TV: FoxOdds: Netherlands (-140), Sweden (+380), Tie (+280)Sweden is riding high after its blowout win over Tunisia to open group play. The Swedes scored five against Tunisia and currently top the group. Sweden has two great attackers in Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak, who scored in that blowout win after a rough season at Liverpool.The Netherlands tied 2-2 with Japan to open group play. The Dutch failed to hold onto two different leads in the game aas all four goals came in the second half. Was that real defensive frailty on display, or just a testament to how good Japan is?A win for the Netherlands sets it up famously heading into a final group stage game against Tunisia. Sweden will be looking for at least a point to be in a similar position.Germany vs. Ivory CoastSaturday, June 20 | 4 p.m. ET | Toronto | TV: FoxOdds: Germany (-195), Ivory Coast (+490), Tie (+360)The winner could clinch Group E on Saturday based on the result of the Ecuador vs. Curaçao game. Both Germany and Ivory Coast won their first games of the tournament and Germany had the biggest blowout (so far) in its 7-1 win over Curaçao.Another convincing win over Ivory Coast will go a long way to showing that this Germany squad is a real contender. Remember, Germany is trying to get out of the group stage at the World Cup since it won the whole tournament in 2014.Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi could start again after he was allowed to enter Canada. Wahi, who was arrested in May on accusations that he potentially manipulated actions in games for bettors, was initially denied entry to the country before he was permitted to be part of the team’s traveling party.Ecuador vs. CuraçaoSaturday, June 20 | 8 p.m. ET | Kansas City, Mo. | TV: FS1Odds: Ecuador (-1000), Curaçao (+2000), Tie (+1000)Can Curaçao get a second World Cup goal after its fleeting moment of hope against Germany? The one goal Ecuador allowed against Ivory Coast is already 20% of the total number of goals it allowed all through World Cup Qualifying.Ecuador’s ability to defend is a big reason why it’s such a significant favorite. And you have to think its shooting luck will improve too. Ecuador had just one shot on target among 12 shots against Ivory Coast, but it hit the post three different times throughout the game. A win will be massive for Ecuador’s expectations of making it out of the group stage for the first time since the 2006 World Cup.Tunisia vs. JapanSaturday, June 20 | 12 a.m. ET | Guadalupe, Mexico | TV: FS1Odds: Tunisia (+600), Japan (-195), Tie (+300)It’s the first game of the tournament for new Tunisia coach Hervé Renard. He was appointed Tuesday after the team fired Sabri Lamouchi the day after the defeat to Sweden. Once the game begins, Renard will become the first manager to coach in three consecutive World Cups for three different countries. In 2018, he was Morocco’s coach at the World Cup and was in charge of Saudi Arabia in 2022 as the team pulled one of the upsets of the tournament with its win over eventual champion Argentina.Renard will have to work similar magic to get Tunisia into the knockout rounds with a game against the Netherlands still to come. Japan showed against the Dutch why it’s a real threat to make the quarterfinals even without Wataru Endo, Kauro Mitoma and Takumi Minamino in the squad because of injuries. A win for Japan coupled with a win over the Netherlands eliminates Tunisia from the World Cup.

PHOENIX (AP) — Diamondbacks starter Michael Soroka walked off the field after appearing to hurt his leg while warming up to start the second inning against Minnesota on Friday night in a development that could further deplete Arizona’s pitching depth.The team has yet to reveal the nature or severity of the injury.The 28-year-old right-hander allowed two hits on nine pitches in a scoreless first inning. He then came out for the second and appeared to hurt himself after one warm-up pitch. Soroka met with a trainer before leaving the field. He was replaced by Taylor Clarke.With a 3.11 ERA, Soroka (8-3) leads the Diamondbacks in wins, though he’s gone 4-3 in his last seven decisions following a 4-0 start. His injury comes the same day right-hander Ryne Nelson was placed on the injured list with a sprained elbow and strained forearm. Nelson (3-5) experienced discomfort after going seven innings in a 4-3 win over Anaheim on Monday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb