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Juan Soto sends the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in 15 years

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Juan Soto sends the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in 15 years

The New York Yankees are going to the World Series for the first time since Obama’s first year in office. 

Juan Soto hit a three-run home run on Saturday to bring the American League pennant back to the Bronx for the first time since 2009. The 25-year-old superstar outfielder worked seven pitches against Cleveland Guardians pitcher Hunter Gaddis, and with two strikes, he smashed a high fastball into deep center field. He watched it with an unsteady face as it left his bat, seeing just how far it was going to go. 

And then it landed over the centerfield fence. The Yankees won 5-2 in Game 5 of the American League Championship series to clinch a 4-1 series victory.

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto celebrates after hitting a three run home run during the tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field.  (David Dermer-Imagn Images)

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The crowd in Cleveland was three quarters stunned silent, and one quarter ruthless Yankees chants. Those traveling Yankees fans kept the Progressive Field crowd loud and rowdy long after the final out, as chants of “Let’s Go Yankees!” echoed across an otherwise silent city, into the distance of Ohio’s Lake Erie. 

For Cleveland, it is another chapter in an infamous list of heartbreaking moments and a continued trend of October defeat to the evil empire. 

Cleveland has now lost four postseason series to the Yankees dating back to 2017, Aaron Judge’s rookie season. That year, Cleveland was coming off its own American League pennant, a 102-win season and had the longest winning streak in American League history under its belt. But then with a 2-0 series lead in the ALDS, Cleveland let the wild card Yankees win three straight. 

The team hasn’t been the same team since. The Yankees beat Cleveland again in the 2020 wild card series, the 2022 divisional series, and have now denied the city a World Series appearance. The franchise literally hasn’t been the same, branding wise, as it was forced to change its name in that time as well. 

GUARDIANS CLOSER EMMANUEL CLASE SHOWS OFF ACCOLADES RIGHT AFTER BLOWING SAVE TO YANKEES IN ALCS

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Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during Game Four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 18, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.  (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

But for the Yankees, Saturday’s win marks just another step in a high-stakes mission to claim their 28th championship. 

Soto, the hero of the night, was traded for last offseason with just one year left on his contract. Soto has proven to transform the power of the Yankees lineup this year, batting alongside Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman knew they had to win it this year to make the trade worth it. 

There’s no guarantee Soto will be back.

He could command the richest contract in MLB history this upcoming offseason. He could have commanded that kind of contract even before hitting the signature home run on Saturday. Now, the price could be even higher. His agent is the infamous baseball super negotiator Scott Boras, who has a history of yielding oversized contracts for his star clients. 

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There will be a lot of seats at the table for Soto’s services in the winter, and the bidding war will be steep. 

But before that, Soto and the Yankees have a World Series to play. They must now await the winner of the National League Championship series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. 

The New York Yankees celebrates after beating the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images (SScott Galvin-Imagn Images)

The Dodgers lead the series 3-2, and could punch their ticket to their 12th World Series against the Yankees in their storied shared history with one more win at home. The Mets would need to win two in a row on the road to face their hometown rival in the first Subway Series since 2000. 

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No matter who the Yankees play, the expectation will be the same. But they’ll hope that this time, they actually live up to the expectation of the Yankee brand for the first time in far too long. 

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Lakers’ Arthur Kaluma erupts for 34 points in breakout Summer League performance

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Lakers’ Arthur Kaluma erupts for 34 points in breakout Summer League performance

The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.

He did so in a big way.

Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.

He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.

With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role. Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.

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“Cam doesn’t play tonight, so he gets a little bit more minutes, gets a couple more touches,” said Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott about Kaluma. “But he’s done a really good job of making the most of it when he doesn’t have actions run for him. So the way that he’s been able to stay ready, find windows for himself has kept him in a rhythm. So, on a night like tonight, when we can run some actions for him, he knocks them down and just plays out of his mind. It was great.”

Kaluma said he was “a little nervous” but his three-point shooting said otherwise.

“When [teammate] Jon Elmore came down and he pitched it back to me for a three … I just knew when it came off my hand it was cash,” Kaluma said. “So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m hot.’ It went on from there.”

Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.

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“We have such a great group of guys this year at Summer League and going through this it’s hard to get that camaraderie with a group,” Kaluma said. “But I feel like everybody wants to see everybody succeed and I felt that tonight. I’m not going to lie to you. They tell me to shoot the ball. I passed up a couple of shots and they were mad at me the other day.”

Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.

“The G can get grimey, you know what I’m saying? It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G,” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”

Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.

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Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.

But the night belonged to Kaluma.

“I pride myself on the defensive end,” he said. “I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling today, you know what I’m saying? My game is three-and-D. I lock-up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot today and I’m not going to try to let it get to my head.”

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Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship

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Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship

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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.

Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.

Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.

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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.

“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”

If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.

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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.

The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.

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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

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Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.

“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Q&A: Partner, chance to play in Long Beach reignited AVP star Taylor Crabb’s Olympic fire

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Q&A: Partner, chance to play in Long Beach reignited AVP star Taylor Crabb’s Olympic fire

Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.

It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.

Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.

After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.

The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.

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Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?

Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.

When was the last time you were in Long Beach?

Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.

You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?

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Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.

You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?

Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.

You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?

Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.

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Why do you love volleyball?

Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.

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