Sports
'Doing it for Peter.' Padres see divine help from late owner in game-ending triple play
The Dodgers scored once in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull to within two runs of the San Diego Padres, they had runners on first and second with no outs and Miguel Rojas up, and in the on-deck circle was Shohei Ohtani, who had hit .778 (14 for 18) with five home runs, two doubles and 13 RBIs in his previous four games.
The Padres, it seemed, would need an act of divine intervention to prevent baseball’s hottest hitter and presumptive National League most valuable player from imposing his will on Tuesday night’s game, and third baseman Manny Machado is convinced they got one from Peter Seidler, the beloved former Padres owner who died last November.
One pitch after squaring to bunt and taking a strike, Rojas ripped a hard ground ball right at Machado, who took two steps to the bag and touched third and fired to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who threw to first base to complete a stunning game-ending triple play to complete the Padres’ 4-2 victory over the Dodgers.
“I think he’s been with us all year, he’s shining upon us right now, smiling down, enjoying this moment, enjoying this victory with us, enjoying the celebration,” Machado said after the Padres clinched a playoff berth and trimmed the Dodgers’ NL West lead to two games with five games remaining.
“In a tough spot, with Ohtani in the on-deck circle, we turn a triple play against one of the best teams in baseball? He’s looking upon us.”
San Diego took a 4-1 lead into the ninth thanks to Cronenworth’s two-run homer in the second inning and RBI hits from Xander Bogaerts (single) and Cronenworth (double) in the fourth off Dodgers starter Landon Knack.
Padres right-hander Michael King gave up one unearned run and three hits in five innings to improve to 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, and relievers Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, Tanner Scott and Jason Adam combined for three scoreless innings.
Closer Robert Suarez, who blew a save by giving up two runs in the ninth inning against the lowly Chicago White Sox last Friday, came on to pitch the ninth and gave up singles to Will Smith, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández, the latter a shattered-bat bloop into center field that cut the lead to 4-2.
Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla came to the mound, and the entire infield huddled around Suarez.
“We’ve been picking each other up all year, and we told Robert on that mound visit, ‘Hey, we got you, man, go out there and keep doing your thing,’ ” Machado said. “We did that a few days ago, when he gave it up–we’ve got your back. That’s what this team is all about.”
What transpired next–a game-ending triple play–is so rare that it has happened only 28 times in major league history and only three times in the wild-card era, according to Major League Baseball researcher Sarah Langs. It was the 10th triple play in Padres’ history and first to end a game.
“That was the perfect play,” Machado said. “We were thinking he was going to bunt, and he showed bunt the first pitch. I was thinking he was going to bunt [again] and he hit a ground ball right at me. Instantly, you know, hey, let’s try to turn this and get us out of it.”
Asked if a triple play even crossed his mind as he strategized for the Rojas at-bat, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “No, not at all.”
Even after Machado fielded the grounder, “I thought he was going to go from third to first,” Roberts said.
“We couldn’t have scripted it any better,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “What a play by Manny.”
After a wild beer-and-champagne celebration in the visiting clubhouse of Dodger Stadium, and long after the home team had departed, the Padres gathered in front of the first-base dugout for a team picture, but there was one key member of the club who was missing.
“Manny! Manny! Manny!” they chanted, and up the dugout steps came a shirtless Machado, dressed in tan pants and nothing else. Machado plopped down in the front row, leaned back into the arms of his teammates for a few pictures, and the Padres returned to the clubhouse for a little more revelry.
“We are celebrating tonight, but we are coming tomorrow with the same energy,” right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. said after the Padres improved to a major league-best 41-17 since the All-Star break. “I want more of this. We are going to make it happen. We are just going to keep coming as a group.This group is special.
“And we are definitely doing it for Peter.”
Sports
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)
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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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.
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?
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.
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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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
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