Major League Baseball action on Friday saw the Toronto Blue Jays avoid a four-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays with a 3-1 victory in Toronto. Shane Bieber pitched seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out multiple batters, marking his second consecutive win of the season. Outfielder George Springer contributed by reaching base three times and driving in a run, helping the Blue Jays secure the win.
In Atlanta, the Braves edged the San Diego Padres 6-5 in a game highlighted by four home runs from Atlanta’s lineup. Dominic Smith delivered a three-run homer, while Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies each added solo shots. Pitcher Chris Sale struck out 11 batters, tying his seasonal high, as the Braves won three of four games in the series against San Diego.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Minnesota Twins defeated the Guardians 3-1 in 12 innings. Trevor Larnach and Luke Keaschall both delivered clutch RBI singles with two outs, allowing the Twins to split their four-game series. Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal addressed his uncertain future with the team, expressing a preference to remain with the Tigers for the season and compete for a championship. However, Skubal acknowledged that his next start could be his final one in Detroit. The Tigers have until August 3 to decide whether to retain the two-time Cy Young Award winner or potentially trade him in a deal aimed at acquiring players and prospects for the team’s future.
In NFL developments, the Carolina Panthers suffered a significant setback when outside linebacker Nic Scourton tore the ACL in his right knee during the first day of training camp on Thursday. A source familiar with the situation, speaking anonymously as the team had not yet publicly confirmed the injury, said Scourton will be placed on injured reserve. He is expected to seek a second medical opinion on the diagnosis.
Also on the NFL front, the Baltimore Ravens waived quarterback Diego Pavia, a Heisman Trophy runner-up at Vanderbilt last season who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in April. The move came a day before rookies were scheduled to report for training camp.
The NHL saw a notable signing as veteran forward Patrick Kane returned to the Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year, $16 million contract that includes a full no-movement clause. Kane, 37, spent the first 15-plus seasons of his career with Chicago, where he was instrumental in the team’s three Stanley Cup championships.
In golf, Lucas Herbert posted an 11-under-par 61 to take a three-shot lead after the first round of the LIV Golf United Kingdom event in Rochester, England. Herbert, fresh from a sixth-place finish at the Open Championship, set a new course record at JCB Golf and Country Club by one stroke with a birdie on the 16th hole, although he finished the round with pars on 17 and 18, ending his bid to break the 60-stroke barrier.