Weekly Update July 1, 2024

Coming up this month: July

Baseball-MLB: this week in the MLB. Lots of games going into extra innings. Longest was to 14. Lots of streak broken.

Baseball/Softball-NCAA: Game 3 for the CWS first!

Basketball: NBA draft and free agency.

Golf: Rocket Mortgage repeat winner.

Olympic Sports: Finishing up Track trials and setting the GYM team. TdF has begun!

Quick Headlines: F1. Soccer. US Soccer.

Coming up this month – July

Wimbledon July 1–14, Esports World Cup July 4-Aug 24, MLB All Star Game July 13-16, The Open Championship July 18-21, 2024 Paris Olympic Summer Games July 26-Aug 11,

Baseball – MLB:

• This week in the MLB:
  • The Red Sox would come back from being down 4 runs to beat the Blue Jays on Monday 7-6. The Giants broke their 5 game losing streak in a close one 5-4 over the Cubs. The Nationals/Padres game went into extra innings and it was a great one. The Padres got 3 in the 2^nd and wouldn’t score again all game. The Nationals chipped away 1 run at a time before we were tied going into the 10^th 3-3. The Nationals would then put up 3 in the 10th and you’re like ‘ok this has to be it’ but no! The Padres would get their first 3 batters on base and score a run. Washington intentionally walked Arraez which was their downfall as Profar gets a single with 2 outs to get 2 runs in and win the game by 1. Absolutely crazy! Royals P Cole Ragans would KO 11 batters in their win over the Marlins 4-1. That was just their 4^th win in 15 games but their luck was about to change.

• • The Blue Jays finally ended their 7-game losing streak on Tuesday with a win over the Red Sox 9-4. Dodgers Shoehei Ohtani got the NL leading 24^th HR to win over the other Sox (the CHI White Sox). Profar had himself a week. He hit a grand slam to beat the Nationals again 9-7 this time. That is his 2^nd GS this season and 4^th of his career. Even more impressive is that he did it just 5 innings after a bench-clearing fight.
  • The Astros would win 7 in a row this week before running into the Mets on Friday. To add insult to injury, that win would also put the Mets over .500. The Guardians would win 7 game straight before losing 4 of the next 5, 3 to the Royals! The Orioles would be the first team to snap that streak for the Guardians and that would also snap their own 5 game losing streak. They would win the next 4.
  • On Thursday, the Twins destroyed the Diamondbacks beating the AZ team 13-6. The Cubs broke their 5-game losing streak with an extra innings win over the Cubs. The Phillies not only lost the Marlins in an upset but Bryce Harper got injured on the final play of the game. TBD on his status now.
  • The Yankees killed the Blue Jays 16-5 on Friday. Combined, the teams had 28 hits between them. NY would have 2 big innings with 6 runs and 7 in the 9^th. The Giants ended their game with a walkoff HR to win over the Dodgers. They weren’t the only ones to get a walkoff win, the Mariners did it over the Twins in 10. The other LA team also won in extra innings over the Tigers 6-5 in the 10^th.

• • On Saturday the Dodgers/Giants game went into extra innings after being tied 6-6. Both teams had a 4-run inning a piece. They would both get a run in the 10^th before heading into the 11^th. Then the Dodgers went off. It started with the Giants intentionally walking Ohtani and then they got 8 different batters to the plate. They had 2 doubles, a triple and 2 singles to score 7 in the 11^th and put the game away. The Astros would channel the Dodgers on Sunday with a similar game. They would score 5 runs in the 11^th to beat the Mets after initially being tied 4-4 at the end of regulation.
  • The Rangers have now lost 7 in a row. The Brewers swept them earlier in the week and then the Orioles. They would be outscored 40-22 in those games.
• The longest game of the week was the Rockies/White Sox game that went into the 14^th inning before finally getting a result. We were only tied 2-2 after regulation. Both teams got a run in the 10^th and another apiece in the 13^th. But the Rockies would get the last laugh with a sac fly to bring in the winning run in the 14^th. For as long of a game as it was, there were only 16 hits.

Baseball/Softball – NCAA:

• The CWS came down to a winner-take-all Game 3 between #2 Tennessee and #3 Texas A&M. and the game couldn’t be closer with the same number of hits and an error a piece. The Vols scored with a HR in the 1^st to kick it off. The Aggies got 1 in the 3^rd but TN put up 2 more then they added 3 in the 7^th and it was looking grim for the Aggies down 5-1. But they are not #3 for nothing, they would score 2 more in 8 and in 9 but would fall 1 run short and lose 5-6. Tennessee won their first MWCS in school history!

Basketball – NBA:

• For the 2^nd year in a row, a FRA was the top pick in the draft. Zaccharie Risacher was taken first by the Hawks. For the first time ever, a Frenchman was also taken 2^nd. We did finally get an American in 3^rd, Reed Sheppard from Kentucky to the Rockets. Also and the biggest news that I forgot on the podcast, Bronny James has been drafted! He will play with his dad of course!
• You have seen a lot of free agency notifications over the last week as things are getting interesting. Clippers Paul George will become a free agent turning down a contract from the LA team. Westbrook will be returning. Oh and so much more.

Golf:

• Cam Davis won his second Rocket Mortgage title this weekend. It was more dramatic than I just made it sound. Akshay Bhatia’s 4-foot putt to tie it up went right and he missed to take it to a playoff. He actually 3-putred inside 32 feet and they were tied as of the 17^th Bhatia has won 2xs on the PGA Tour. This is Davis’ only other title 3 years ago. Looks like the Rocket agrees with him.

Hockey:

• The Stanley Cup finals went to a winner take all Game 7 on Monday. The Oilers came back from 0-3 in the series but Florida would ultimately still get it done. It took Game 7 to do it but they get their first Stanley Cup ever. The Panthers would score first after a power play. But less than 3 minutes later, Oilers Janmark had a brilliant one on one with the goalie to even it up. The Panthers would get their final and 2^nd goal in the 2P and that would be it! Pretty impressive though that Captain Connor McDavid would still won the MVP of the Stanley Cup (called the Conn Smythe Trophy) despite being on the losing team. He is only the 6^th player to win on the losing team.

• The Sharks got the first pick in the NHL draft and they chose Macklin Celebrini from CAN (and Boston U). Only 3 Americans were taken in the first round with the highest going 12^th

Olympic Sports:

• The USA Track & Field team is set! Team USA better be ready as JAM had their trials and look good. Kishane Thompson ran a 9.77 100m, the fastest time in 2 years..
  • Remember from last week that a 16 year old qualified for the final in the M 400m? Well Quincy Wilson did one better, he finished 6^th which might qualify him for relay duty in the final. Quincy Hall PRs to win and Michael Norman came back to the field after going out quick. Chris Bailey completes the individuals competing but there will be more taken for the relays. Quincy officially got the news on Monday that he is IN for relay duty, making him the youngest US male track athletes to qualify for the Olympics.
  • In my event (the hept), Anna Hall qualified for her first Olympics just 6 months after having surgery. The other two wait as they do not have the Olympic standard. Chari Hawkins is 33 making her first team! Taliyah Brooks would also be a first time Olympian.
  • Grant Holloway won silver in Tokyo which was a huge upset. He had not lost a race in forever except that one. He made sure everyone knew he will be the favorite this time setting the World Leading time.
  • Speaking of a similar story, Noah Lyles has only lost 2 200m races – 1 was at the Olympics in Tokyo. He has let it be known that that will not be happening again. Saturday he broke the US Trials record that was set back in 1996 by the great Michael Johnson with a time of 19.53. Kenny Bednarek got 2^nd just like in the 100m final. And just like that, Christian Coleman got 4^th so he will not be competing in this event. 3^rd went to the young Olympian from Tokyo, Erriyon Knighton.
  • Another Olympic Trials record went down Saturday, the W 3k Steeplechase by Val Constien lowering that record to 9:03!

• • In the W 200m, Gabby Thomas, the Harvard grad and Bronze medalist in this event in Tokyo, led basically from the start and never gave it up. Brittany Brown would get 2^nd and McKenzie Long from Ole Miss would get 3^rd. Sha’Carri was 4^th on the outside looking in.
  • One of the biggest upsets of this trials has to be in the W 800m. The reigning Olympic gold medalist, Athing Mu has been battling injury all year but looked great in the rounds. However it was not her day in the final. She got tripped up and fell to the track finishing last. She did protest the result but it was denied. This is a familiar story in this event as Nia Akins was the one who fell last trials and she now finished 1^st. All 3 women to qualify are first time Olympians.
  • The women’s distance events came down to the final seconds literally. W 5k came down to .2 seconds to grab the title after 14 minutes of racing. It’s a veteran group as Elle St. Pierre, Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer would make the team. Swiezter would also get 3^rd in the 10k by .004 seconds after 30 minutes of racing. UA Weini Kelati won in a sprint and Florida’s Parker Valby qualified in 2nd, however only Kelati has the Olympic Standard.

• • Tara Davis Woodhall gave us all a scare after she scratched her first two jumps in the LJ. She had to get a 3^rd one in or she wouldn’t even make the final when she was the odds on favorite to win! She does manage to advance on her final jump and the relief was apparent on her face. She would then take the lead on her 5^th attempt jumping 7m exactly (22-11.5). Jasmine Moore finished 2^nd and will be doing the TJ, LJ double.
  • The throw events have some collegiates making the team. Oregon’s Jada Ross in the shot, Jayden Ulrich (Louisville) in the discuss. They would not win the event but make the team. Chase Jackson and Valarie Allman won the Shot and Discuss respectively and not surprisingly.

• • Sunday had so many MR broken! The W Jav, M 1500, M 800, W 100h, W 1500, M 400h, W 400h all on the final night. It was a great night for lady hurdlers. Masai Russell set the World Leading time as well as the MR. All 3 top women set PBs as well. The 400h for the men was a similar story. Rai Benjamin showed that he is ready and set the WL time to send that message to BRA and NOR. CJ Allen and Trevor Bassitt also PB’d. But no other news was as big as the W 400h. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said she was going to go after it and she did. She broke her own WR to lower it to 50.65 – that’s the 5^th time BTW. Anna Cockell made her 2^nd Olympic team and Jasmin Jones finished 2 seconds after Sydney’s time. Your move Femke Bol. Shamier Little who did the 400m double this trials looked like it took a toll on her as she finished 4^th for I swear is the 3^rd time in trials. Olympic Gold medalist Dalilah Muhammad finished 6^th and is retiring so she stops her career knowing she has shaped this bout of amazing women hurdlers.

• The Gymnastics team is set!
  • On the men’s side, the team was determined by math and who had the best scores across multiple days of competition which is a new scoring system. Michigan Fred Richard beat 3x national champ, Brody Malone by .2 points. Asher Hong, Paul Juda and Stephen Nedoroscik complete the team. Nedoroscik is a pommel horse specialist and will not compete on another apparatus. The Men’s side has not been nearly as successful as the women’s lately. They did manage to get bronze at worlds last year which was the first podium in decades for Team USA. Khoi Young and Shane Wiskus are the alternates. Wiskus was an Olympian in 2020 and will retire after this year. You might remember him as the Minnesota Gopher who left as the school cut the men’s program.

• • On the women’s side, we had a couple of injuries that knocked out some big names. Kayla DiCello had an awkward landing n the vault and was wheeled off the mat with an Achilles rupture. Skye Blakely also tore her Achilles tendon in training this week after she got 2nd at US Championships a month ago. Also Shilese Jones tweaked her knee on the vault in warm ups. She did post the best uneven bars after that but did not compete in other events and eventually pulled out of the final day Sunday. With those withdrawals, supposedly our point total went down 2 whole points on the final day! As you watched the final day of competition by the women, there were 4 veteran favorites for the team of 5 and then there were still 4 women competing for the 5^th Former 2008 Olympians ran this year’s panel who decided the team, Alicia Sacramone and Chellsie Mummel. The veterans did not look as dominant as America would hope. I could practically hear RUS and CHN salivating over the mistakes we made. Multiple falls, along with the big competitors getting injured opened the doors for other countries to have some confidence going into the games. Simone Biles dominated but fell on Beam. Suni Lee fell once and put her hands on the beam in her routine. Jordan Chiles crushed the Floor having as much fun as ever. Jade Carey, the Oregon State Beaver, who didn’t make the team part of gymnastics last time but was an Olympic gold medalist rounded out the 4 favorites. The final spot went to an unlikely young lady, Hezly Rivera – a 16 year old. Unfortunately this left poor Leanne Wong as an alternate again! Arkansas incoming freshman Roberson was the other alternate.
• The Tour de France has started. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are setting themselves apart. Pogacar already has the yellow jersey after stage 2.

Some quick highlights:

• F1 was actually interesting! George Russell won the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring this weekend. It was a battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the top late in the race. Lap 64 they actually hit each other. Russell was in third and came up from there to take the lead. Norris pitted with 6 laps to go after his car was limping along. Verstappen finished 5^th.

• The reigning Euro Cup champions, ITA is now out of the Euros. They lost to SUI 2-0 on Saturday in the Round of 16. ESP, GER, ENG and SUI are all onto the quarterfinal. FRA, BEL, POR, SLO, ROM, NED, AUT, TUR are still competing in the round of 16.

• In contrast to the WBB national team, the USWNT in soccer went with 9 first time Olympians in the roster of 18. A big shock was that Alex Morgan left off Olympic team.

• SportsCenter sportscaster John Anderson gave his last broadcast.

What to watch this week

Baseball – MLB:

• Tues 7/2
  • Phillies at Cubs @ 7:05pm on TBS
    • Mercado vs Wesneski
• Fri 7/5
  • Tigers at Reds @ 6:10pm on Apple TV+
  • Phillies at Braves @ 6:20pm on Apple TV+
• Sat 7/6
  • Red Sox at Yankees @ 12:05pm on FS1
    • Winckowski vs Cole
  • Brewers at Dodgers – or – Phillies at Braves @ 6:15pm on FOX
• Sun 7/7
  • Red Sox at Yankees @ 6pm on ESPN
    • Crawford vs Gil

Golf:

• Thurs 7/4
  • John Deere Classic – Round 1 @ 3pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 7/5
  • John Deere Classic – Round 2 @ 3pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 7/6
  • John Deere Classic – Round 3
    • @ 12pm on Golf Channel
    • @ 2pm on CBS
• Sun 7/7
  • John Deere Classic – Round 4
    • @ 12pm on Golf Channel
    • @ 2pm on CBS

Motor Sports:

• Sun 7/7
  • F1: British GP @ 9am on ESPN2

Olympic Sports:

• Sat 7/6
  • Cycling: Tour de France @ 7am on NBC

Soccer:

• Tues 7/2
  • UEFA Euro: ROM vs NED @ 11am on FS1
  • UEFA Euro: AUT vs TUR @ 2pm on FOX
  • Copa America: BRA vs COL @ 8pm on FS1
• Wed 7/3
  • USL League One: Richmond Kickers vs Forward Madison FC @ 7pm on CBSSN
  • USL: Sacramento Republic FC vs Las Vegas Lights FC @ 9:30pm on CBSSN
• Thurs 7/4
  • Copa America: ARG vs ECU @ 8pm on FOX
  • USL: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs FC Tulsa @ 8pm on CBSSN
• Fri 7/5
  • UEFA Euro: EASP vs GER @ 11am on FOX
  • UEFA Euro: POR vs FRA @ 2pm on FOX
  • USL: Charleston Battery vs Birmingham Legion @ 6pm on ESPN2
  • Copa America: VEN vs CAN @ 8pm on FS1
• Sat 7/6
  • UEFA Euro: ENG vs SUI @ 11am on FOX
  • NWSL: Chicago Red Stars vs Houston Dash @ 12pm on ESPN
  • UEFA Euro: Quarterfinal 2 @ 2pm on FOX
  • Copa America: 1D vs 2C @ 5pm on FS1
  • Copa America: 1C vs 2D @ 8pm on FS1
• Sun 7/7
  • NWSL: NC Courage vs Racing Louisville FC @ 3:30pm on CBSSN

Tennis:

• Mon 7/1
  • Wimbledon – Round 1 @ 5am on ESPN
• Tues 7/2
  • Wimbledon – Round 1 @ 5am on ESPN
• Wed 7/3
  • Wimbledon – Round 2 @ 5am on ESPN
• Thurs 7/4
  • Wimbledon – Round 2 @ 5am on ESPN
• Fri 7/5
  • Wimbledon – Round 3 @ 5am on ESPN
• Sat 7/6
  • Wimbledon – Round 3 @ 6am on ESPN
• Sun 7/7
  • Wimbledon – Round of 16 @ 6am on ESPN