July 23, 2025 4:25 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Venus Williams has become the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova. Williams delivered some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns — a player who is 22 years younger — by a 6-3, 6-4 score at the DC Open. Tuesday night’s victory in Washington was the first for Williams in nearly two years. Navratilova was 47 in 2004 when she won for the final time. The former No. 1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids.
July 22, 2025 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed three hits over six efficient innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0. In his first outing since starting the All-Star Game for the NL, Skenes struck out six, walked one and a hit batter to pick up his first victory since late May. The 23-year-old lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.91 as Pittsburgh responded from a weekend sweep at home by the lowly Chicago White Sox by keeping the team that entered Monday with the best record in the majors in check. The Pirates did enough against Jack Flaherty to give Skenes a bit of breathing room.
July 22, 2025 4:26 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes says he’s OK with the team monitoring his workload. Skenes lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.91 after throwing six scoreless innings in a victory over Detroit. The 23-year-old was removed after 86 pitches, the fifth straight start in which he’s thrown 88 pitches or fewer. Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly says the club is trying to make sure Skenes gets through his first full season in the majors healthy, adding that there is no secret formula on how to get there. Skenes says he’s all in on the plan as long as the Pirates don’t ask him to skip a start.
July 22, 2025 4:33 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Edmundo Sosa’s teammates on the Philadelphia Phillies mobbed him beyond first base after a 3-2, walk-off win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. In the moment, it didn’t matter to him that he’d gotten there thanks to a call of catcher’s interference. Sosa won the game when, with the bases loaded and no out in the 10th inning, his check swing on a 2-2 pitch struck the glove of catcher Carlos Narvaez. The Phillies dugout called for a review, which showed the contact, allowing Sosa to take first and automatic runner Brandon Marsh to score the winning run.
July 22, 2025 4:32 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Will Levis will have season-ending shoulder surgery, keeping him from competing for playing time in his third season with the Titans. The Titans announced Monday that Levis made his decision after consulting with doctors and his representatives. The Titans report Tuesday for training camp. The Titans said in a statement they support Levis’ decision to focus on his long-term health. Tennessee opens the preseason until Aug. 9 at Tampa Bay with the regular-season opener Sept. 7 at Denver. The Titans used the No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Cam Ward in April after going 3-14 with Levis struggling as a starter.
July 21, 2025 4:35 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Miguel Vargas and Mike Tauchman hit back-to-back homers in a four-run first inning, and the Chicago White Sox cruised to a 7-2 victory over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates for their first series sweep this season. Vargas hit a three-run shot to open the scoring against Andrew Heaney, his 11th homer of the year but first since June 15. Tauchman followed by launching a drive that carried over the right-field stands and bounced into the Allegheny River. The White Sox became the last major league team to sweep a series this season as they sent the Pirates to their 11th loss in 12 games.
July 21, 2025 4:38 am
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the champion golfer of the year and one step closer to the career Grand Slam. The world’s No. 1 player dominated the British Open on Sunday at Royal Portrush. He led by as many as seven shots and shot a 68 to win by four shots. Scheffler won his second major of the year after the PGA Championship. Now he goes to the U.S. Open next year with a chance to complete the Grand Slam. Harris English was runner-up. Rory McIlroy started slowly and never had a chance before an adoring gallery in his native Northern Ireland.
July 21, 2025 4:37 am
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark says he wants to make good for damaging a locker at Oakmont. Clark damaged the locker at the century-old Pittsburgh-area club when he missed the cut at the U.S. Open last month. Oakmont Country Club’s president sent a letter to members informing them Clark had been banned from the property until he pays for damage, donates to charity and goes through anger management. Clark says he will pay for the damage. He says he wants to give back to the community and do anything he can to make the club realize it won’t happen again.
July 21, 2025 4:40 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to hold up a stadium deal for Washington’s football team if it doesn’t restore its old name. Trump said Sunday on his social media site that the Washington Commanders should revert to the Redskins and the Cleveland Guardians should return to the Indians. Later in the day, he threatened the NFL team’s stadium deal. The Commanders and Guardians changed their names in 2022 after years of debate over logos and names considered offensive. Both teams have stated they have no plans to change them back.
July 20, 2025 7:26 am
The Pirates are looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox in the third game of the series and third meeting of the two teams this season on Sunday. The Pirates have struggled all around as of late, only claiming one victory in their last ten games. Their bats have been hovering just above the Mendoza line at a .201 average, and the pitching arms have allowed a 5.74 ERA, the team has been outscored by 33 runs in that time. Chicago has been struggling in their own right, though not to the same degree. The White Sox, in their last ten games, have collectively batted .223, their pitchers have permitted an ERA of 4.44, but they have only been outscored by a single run and won four of those games.
