Baseball-MLB: Lots of updates. KC sliding down as well as the Astros. 2 managers ejected. Angels put up 25. Mets comedy of errors leads to loss.
Baseball-NCAA: We are still champion-less. Final is LSU vs Florida and tied 1-1. Last game tonight!
Basketball-NBA: Wemby #1 draft pick – 1st from FRA.
Football: USFL Championship set. Miles could be left out of HoF due to vacated wins.
Golf: Bradley wins Travelers.
Hockey: Warm-up jerseys banned.
Olympic Sports: USATF warms up the USA team before Nationals. BEL shot putter runs hurdles. TdF begins this week and Bernal is back.
Baseball – MLB:
- Some quick highlights from the week: The Tigers may be 31-40 on the season but they beat the Royals on Monday after a 5-run 7th That is the 12th loss for the KC team in 13 games. Pirates were so excited to debut top draft pick Henry Davis but it was spoiled by Cubs shutting them out 8-0. The Padres/Giants game went into the 10th before Giants CF Mike Yastrzemski hit a 3-run HR to win 7-4. The Astros have slid the wrong direction, racking up more losses than wins including 5 straight. But on Tuesday, the Houston team played their former Cy-Young winner P Verlander and got the best of him, winning 4-2. Yankees P Garret Cole wagged his finger to the Mariners and their manager during their 3-1 win. The Cubs also won their 2nd game of the Pirates/Cubs game was a win for P Stroman, his 7th in a row. The A’s put up a fight in their game against the Guardians taking the game to the 10th before dropping the game 2-3. Giants DH Joc Pederson hit the game-tying HR in the 8th inning against the Padres and he also clinched the game in the 9th by taking the walk to win their 9th straight game. Rangers manager, Bruce Bochy was ejected from Tuesday’s game after the call on the field was overturned (and the go-ahead run) because the C blocked the plate. This is the 80th time he has been ejected. The Tigers beat the Royals on Wed SS Baez got his 1000th career hit. The Giants won 10 games in a row, their longest win streak since 2004, but it ended Thursday when they got shutout 10-0 against the Pirates. The Nationals manager got ejected in their makeup game against the Diamondbacks after arguing with the umpire about his strike zone. The Diamondbacks got the last laugh winning 5-3. The Twins had their first complete game shutout in 5 years beating the Red Sox 6-0. The A’s lost 8 in a row before the beat the Blue Jays. The Pirates ended their 10 game loss streak against the Marlins. Ohtani hit 25th HR, the league’s top HRs this season, back to back with Trout but still lose to the Rockies 7-4. The London Series was won by the Cubs 9-1 over the Cardinals and then the Cardinals won game 2 7-5. The Reds racked up 12 wins in a row before the Braves spoiled the fun on Saturday. The Braves won 7-6 on both Saturday and Sunday. The Angels scored 13 runs in a single inning (3rd) setting a franchise record for runs and hits. They won 25-1 against the Rockies. Crazy enough, the Rockies rallied back the next say to beat the Angels 4-3. The Astros won their first game in extra innings on Sunday against the Dodgers 6-5 in the 11th. RF George Springer hit his 55th career leadoff HR in the Blue Jays 12-1 win over the A’s. The Mets had a breakdown aka choke in the 8th inning on Sunday’s game. The Phillies were down 3-6 before the 8th when they scored 4 runs off of just one hit – they were walked 3xs, hit 2xs and reached base on an error.
Baseball/Softball – NCAA:
- We don’t have a champion yet as we are headed to a winner-take-all Game 3!
- But let’s back it up, on Monday #1 Wake beat #5 LSU 3-2 in a close game which put LSU on the brink of elimination. On the same day, unranked Tennessee sent #8 Stanford home winning 6-4. LSU then shutout Tennessee the next day in that elimination game beating the Vols 5-0. TCU finally managed to beat ORU 6-1. ORU made it further than most people expected – solid season Golden Eagles! LSU then had to rematch against Wake Forest on Wednesday and had to win to stay alive, which they managed (5-2). All the scoring was done early in hat game as no one scored a point past the 3rd So we know there would be a game on Thursday. The other semifinal didn’t need game 3 as #2 Florida beat TCU 3-2. It was 2-1 Florida until the 8th when TCU scored the tying run. But Florida did not want to go to extra innings and got another in the 9th to advance to the CWS final. Now who they were playing was decided Thursday in a winner-advances game. And man that game was a nail-biter. We were 0-0 into extra innings. Only 8 hits total for the entire game (after it ended). And LSU gets a walk-off 2 run HR in the 11th to advance. Needless to say, fans went crazy and sent #1 Wake Forest home upset.
- But moving onto the final and in similar fashion, we went to extra innings. To the 11th to be exact and it was the same result as Thursday with the LSU Tigers winning that game on a walk-off HR. This game had more runs scored though as we went back and forth, LSU scored in the 1st, both scored 1 in the 3rd, Florida had back to back 1-0run innings in 5 & 6, LSU tied it up in 8th and sealed it in the 11th. LSU was just one game away. So we head into Sunday’s game, and it too started back and forth with LSU up 3-2 going into the 3rd but that was when Florida took off with no mercy. The Gators put up 6 in the 3rd and 24 total. If there was a run-rule in baseball we would’ve hit it. FL was up 13-3 after the 6th and continued to pile on, scoring every inning 6-9. The 5 errors on LSU helped as well. 24 runs is a MCWS record and just 1 run short of the largest margin of victory. 24-4 doesn’t feel good. But it all comes down to tonight…
Basketball – NBA:
- NBA Draft was this week and there was plenty of action before, after and all around the draft. But let’s start there, FRA Victor Wembanyama went as the #1 draft pick to the Spurs who has had great success with French national players *cough* Tony Parker *cough*. He has had a lot of anticipation around him due to the fact that he is 7’4” and yet plays like a guard. #2 went to Brandon Miller (formerly Bama) to the Hornets. Coincidentally those two teams will play each other Day 1 of Summer league. The Thompson brothers are the first brothers to go top 10 in the draft going 4th & 5th. The draft also saw record ratings with 4.9mm viewers in the first round.
- Before the draft, there as some crazy movement and blockbuster trades.
- Celtics acquire Wizards Kristapas Porzingis and send Marcus Smart to Grizzlies
- Wizards acquired Chris Paul from the Suns in exchange for Bradley Beal and then immediately sent Paul to the Warriors for Jordon Poole.
- Free agency begins this week so expect things to get even crazier.
Football:
- LSU vacated their wins from 2012-2015 due to recruiting violations (benefits were paid to a father of a former athlete by a booster). These wins were self-imposed but could effect is Les Miles is eligible for the HoF. Most coaches in the HoF have a winning percentage of .600. without the wins during that time period, Miles has a winning percentage of .597 between LSU, OSU and Kansas. With those wins, his percentage was .665. His overall record at those 3 schools was 145-73. Wins would drop to 103. A coach is eligible for HoF 3 years after he retires.
- The USFL playoffs were this past weekend and the championship is Saturday!
- The Pittsburgh Maulers vs the Michigan Panthers was a thriller. Michigan took the late lead after a successful 55 yard TD pass just 2:04 before the end of the game. Pitt was 4th & goal from the 6 yard line with 44 seconds left when their TD was successful to take the lead back. Finally with just 4 seconds left, Panthers kicked a 47 yard FG to take the game to OT. But it was all the Maulers in OT to win 31-27 and advance to the championship.
- The NOLA Breakers vs Birmingham Stallions game wasn’t nearly as close. The Stallions came in hot, leading 40-7 at the end of the 3Q. And although NOLA scored more than double their points in the 4Q, it was not enough. Birmingham wins 47-22.
Golf:
- Keagan Bradley dominated the Travelers Championship. He shot a 62 and 63 to make it to the weekend, tying Denny McCarthy for the lowest in tournament history through 36 holes. McCarthy was just inches short of the coveted 59 but settled for 60 in the opening round, his best round on tour ever. Also Rory McIlroy had his first ace. This was Bradley’s 6th PGA Tour win and did it in record fashion with a score of -23, beating the field by 3 strokes. Could’ve been more as he only had 1 bogey going into the final round but dropped 3 shots in his final 6 holes. This win means a lot to the Vermont native as it was his first tournament he ever attended so he always had his eyes set on this win.
Hockey:
- The NHL announced a ban on players wearing warmups that are specialty jerseys, which has angered the LGBTQ community as some of their artwork was displayed on Pride nights (or was supposed to be). This comes in response to the fact that some players were scrutinized for refusing to wear Pride Night sweaters last year. But it is all specialty jerseys including Fights Cancer, Military Appreciation, Women’s and Black History Month, etc.
Olympic Sports:
- We had some fireworks at the USATF NY GP with big names as nationals is only 2 weeks away. Noah Lyles won the 200m easily. Athing Mu made her debut in the 800m and looked in control. Sydney McLaughlin is perfecting her 400m flat. The 100h women’s team looks like it is going to be as hard as ever to make the US team but so does the men. Eagles WR Devon Allen ran the 4th fastest time in the world this year and got 2nd!
- Way to be a good sport like this Belgium shot putter who ran the hurdles so that her team would not be DQ’d. Jolien Boumkwo ran the 100h in 32.81, 19 seconds slower then the 1st player finisher. This meet was a team event so BEL would’ve been DQ’d after both of their hurdlers pulled out due to injury.
- 2019 TdF champion and COL, Egan Bernal, is returning to the race for the first time since his near-death crash last year. He will be one of the 8 riders on the Ineos Grenadiers team. The race begins Saturday in ESP.
What to watch this week
Baseball – MLB:
- Tues 6/27
- Twins at Braves @ 6:20pm on TBS
- Ryan vs Elder
- Twins at Braves @ 6:20pm on TBS
- Fri 6/30
- Brewers at Pirates @ 6:05pm on Apple TV+
- Diamondbacks at Angels @ 8:38pm on Apple TV+
- Sat 7/1
- Yankees at Cardinals @ 1:15pm on FS1
- Cole vs Liberatore
- 3 games depending on location @ 6:15pm on FOX
- Guardians at Cubs
- Dodgers at Royals
- Rays at Mariners
- Yankees at Cardinals @ 1:15pm on FS1
- Sun 7/2
- Twins at Orioles @ 11:05am on Peacock
- Giants at Mets @ 6pm on ESPN
Baseball – NCAA:
- Mon 6/26
- CWS Final LSU vs Florida – Game 3 @ 6pm on ESPN
- Series tied 1-1
- CWS Final LSU vs Florida – Game 3 @ 6pm on ESPN
Football:
- Sat 7/1
- USFL Championship: Pitt Maulers vs Birmingham Stallions @ 7pm on NBC
Golf:
- Thurs 6/29
- Rocket Mortgage Classic – Round 1 @ 3pm on Golf Channel
- Fri 6/30
- Rocket Mortgage Classic – Round 2 @ 3pm on Golf Channel
- Sat 7/1
- LIV Tour: ESP Round 2 @ 12pm on CW
- Rocket Mortgage Classic – Round 3
- @ 1pm on Golf Channel
- @ 3pm on CBS
- US Senior Open @ 1pm on NBC
- Sun 7/2
- LIV Tour: ESP Final Round @ 12pm on CW
- Rocket Mortgage Classic – Final Round
- @ 1pm on Golf Channel
- @ 3pm on CBS
- US Senior Open @ 1pm on NBC
Hockey:
- Wed 6/28
- NHL Draft @ 7pm on ESPN
Motorsports:
- Sun 7/2
- F1: Austrian GP @ 8am on ESPN
Olympic Sports:
- Sat 7/1
- Cycling: Tour de France @ 7am on NBC
- Swimming: US Nationals @ 12pm on NBC
- Catch it all on Peacock starting tomorrow at 7pm every night
- Sun 7/2
- Cycling: Tour de France Stage 1 @ 1am on USA
- Swimming: US Nationals @ 11am on NBC
- Swimming: US Nationals @ 1pm on CNBC
Soccer:
- Mon 6/26
- CONCACAF: CRC vs PAN @ 8pm on FS1
- Tues 6/27
- CONCACAF: CAN vs Guadeloupe @ 6pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: GUA vs CUB @ 8pm on FS1
- Wed 6/28
- CONCACAF: JAM vs TTO @ 6:30pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: St. Kitts (SKN) vs USA @ 9pm on FS1
- Thurs 6/29
- CONCACAF: QTR vs HON @ 6:30pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: HAI vs MEX @ 9pm on FS1
- Fri 6/30
- CONCACAF: Martinique vs PAN @ 5:30pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: EL Salvador vs CRC @ 8pm on FS1
- Sat 7/1
- CONCACAF: CUB vs Guadeloupe @ 6:30pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: GUA vs CAN @ 9pm on FS1
- Sun 7/2
- CONCACAF: JAM vs SKN @ 6pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: MEX vs QTR @ 8:30pm on FS1
