Sports
Will Smith, Gavin Stone return to life as Dodgers beat Brewers
The Dodgers welcomed back two long-lost members of the team who have been here all season. You might remember them. Veteran catcher by the name of Will Smith. Young pitcher by the name of Gavin Stone.
Both were prominent contributors in the first half, Smith making his second straight All-Star team and Stone positioning himself for National League rookie-of-the-year consideration. Then both went missing in action for a month or more.
But that battery got a much-needed jump start Tuesday night, Smith delivering three hits, including his first homer in more than a month, and Stone throwing five strong innings for his first win in seven weeks to lead the Dodgers to a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in American Family Field.
Smith had hit .094 (five for 53) with a .339 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, one double and five RBIs in his previous 14 games since July 22, dropping his season average from .271 to .245 and OPS from .828 to .757. He hadn’t hit a home run since his four-homer barrage against the Brewers in Los Angeles on July 5 and 6.
But Smith paced a 13-hit attack on Tuesday with a solo homer in the second inning, a single during a five-run rally in the fourth and a double in the fifth for his first multiple-hit game since July 30, helping the Dodgers (71-49) increase their win streak to five.
Stone threw a four-hit shutout against the White Sox in Chicago on June 26 to improve to 9-2 with a 2.73 ERA in his first 15 starts of the season.
The 25-year-old right-hander then went 0-3 with a 6.91 ERA in his next six starts, yielding 21 earned runs and 45 hits — eight of them homers — in 27 ⅓ innings for a .366 average and 1.072 OPS against, dropping him to 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA on the season.
But Stone looked much sharper Tuesday night, giving up one earned run and three hits in five innings, striking out six and walking none, to improve to 10-5 with a 3.63 ERA.
Stone pitched around a one-out double in the first inning, escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the second and struck out the side — Willy Adames, Garrett Mitchell and Rhys Hoskins — with fastballs of 95, 95 and 96 mph.
Stone then retired the side in order in the fifth before yielding to right-hander Landon Knack, who gave up one run and three hits over the final four innings for his first career save, allowing the Dodgers to rest all of their high-leverage relievers for the final two games of the four-game series.
Stone, who relied heavily on a four-seam fastball that averaged 95 mph and an 88-mph changeup, threw 86 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Smith capped a nine-pitch at-bat in the second inning by turning on a 93-mph sinker on the inner-half from right-hander Colin Rea and sending a 412-foot drive over the wall in left field for his 16th homer of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Shohei Ohtani’s NL-leading 37th homer of the season, a 109-mph laser that traveled 413 feet into the second deck in right field, pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0 on the third, but the Brewers cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third when William Contreras hit a towering solo homer to left off Stone.
The Dodgers then blew the game open during a five-run, six-hit fourth inning in which they batted around against Rea.
Teoscar Hernández led off with a single to center field, and Gavin Lux lined a first-pitch sinker 413 feet to right field for a two-run home run and a 4-1 lead. Lux, the team’s hottest hitter for the past month, is batting .345 (29 for 84) with five homers, seven doubles, 20 RBIs and 11 runs in 27 games since July 11.
Smith followed with a soft single to left-center and took third on Miguel Rojas’ double to right. Kiké Hernández’s sacrifice fly to left made it 5-1, and No. 9 batter Andy Pages lined a two-run home run off the bottom of the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer–his first since June 18–and a 7-1 lead.
Short hops
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sidelined since June 16 because of a rotator-cuff strain, threw a two-inning, 40-pitch bullpen session in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The right-hander is scheduled to join the team in St. Louis on Friday to throw a two-inning simulated game, after which the Dodgers will determine if he is ready for a minor league rehab stint. … Jack Flaherty is scheduled to start Thursday’s series finale against the Brewers. Roberts said he hasn’t decided if Tyler Glasnow will start Friday night against the Cardinals on regular rest or if the team will insert a spot starter — most likely left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who would have to be called up from triple-A Oklahoma City — and push Glasnow back to Saturday.
Caitlin Clark hit in throat during WNBA loose-ball scramble, sparking backlash and game suspension
WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was hit in the throat during a loose-ball scramble, sparking outrage and a one-game suspension for Alyssa Thomas. Fox News’ Garrett Tenney reports on the ‘absolutely unacceptable’ incident and the coach’s reaction. Political analyst Gianno Caldwell discusses Clark’s immense impact on WNBA viewership, including a $2.2 billion deal, and the role of gender and race in the controversy.
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Phoenix Mercury All-Star Alyssa Thomas is the latest villain to Caitlin Clark fans after punching Clark in the throat during a game on Wednesday night.
The referees missed the punch in real time, but fans and the league office did not.
A viral clip of the punch in slow motion spread across social media, pouring gasoline on the ongoing culture war surrounding Clark’s physical treatment by opposing players, which has been a controversial issue dating back to Clark’s rookie season in 2024.
And Less than 24 hours after the incident, the WNBA slapped Thomas with a one-game suspension for what was deemed a “reckless” and “non-basketball act.”
Who is the woman behind the punch?
If Thomas wasn’t in the WNBA, she says she would go pro in combat sports
In a 2019 interview with Nike PLAYlist, Thomas answered what sport she would have gone pro in if she didn’t go pro in basketball.
“Either boxing or MMA,” Thomas said.
If Thomas never went pro in any sport, she said she would have gotten into dentistry.
“Since I was a kid, I loved going to the dentist. I just was fascinated with teeth and still am. I’m passionate about that whole process of cleaning,” according to a profile on WNBA.com.
The first time Thomas stepped on a basketball court, she threw a ‘hissy fit’
Thomas was signed up to try basketball for the first time at the age of five by her mother, Tina, per the WNBA.
Thomas said she “Threw myself all down the stairs, down the hallway,” while her mom said “She just threw an absolute hissy fit.”
WNBA SUSPENDS ALYSSA THOMAS FOR ‘RECKLESSLY’ HITTING CAITLIN CLARK IN THROAT DURING SCRAMBLE
Her parents didn’t let her win a popular board game
Thomas’ parents never took it easy on her when they played “Candyland” as she was growing up.
“We weren’t the parents that were just going to let you win,” Tina said, per the WNBA.
“In life, you have to fight, and how are you going to fight if you don’t teach your kids to fight? So if she fell over, ‘get up, you’re alright,’ and if she didn’t get up, you knew something was wrong.”
It was a parenting tactic also used by the father of New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who famously never let Jeter win in board games or card games when he was growing up, to instill harsh competitiveness at an early age.
Thomas added that her mom was especially hard on her and helped develop her toughness.
“By no means was it easy, and it’s still not easy,” Thomas said.
Thomas plays more physically because shoulder issues hinder her shooting ability
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 24, 2026. The Phoenix Mercury defeated the Indiana Fever 111-109. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Thomas currently plays basketball with torn labrums in both of her shoulders.
The injuries are so severe that she completely lacks the structural integrity to lift her arms and shoot a traditional, fluid jump shot. Instead, she is forced to use a rigid, one-handed pushing motion from her chest just to get the ball to the rim.
Because she cannot rely on outside shooting, Thomas adapted by leaning entirely into her physical frame. She drives directly into the teeth of opposing defenses, absorbing heavy contact in the paint to score closer to the basket.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shown after falling in the lane while Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas watches the ball at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24, 2026. (Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
That brutal, driving style requires her to initiate intense physical collisions on nearly every single possession.
Despite the mechanical limitations and constant pain, the tactical shift worked. She transformed herself into a six-time All-Star, three-time First-Team All-WNBA, an Olympic gold medalist and the undisputed triple-double queen of the WNBA.
Thomas has been the center of immense criticism this week
The throat punch on Clark ignited a fierce wave of backlash.
Indiana Fever Head Coach Stephanie White led the charge, completely unloading on Thomas and the league’s officials during her postgame press conference.
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called,” White said, pointing directly at Thomas’s actions. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
White argued that Thomas regularly crosses the line from playing physical defense into inflicting dangerous, non-basketball contact.
“It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White continued to fume to reporters. “The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
On Thursday, Fever President Kelly Krauskopf released a statement praising the decision to suspend Thomas.
“Player safety should be paramount in our league. We appreciate the WNBA’s review of last night’s incident and the action taken. Right now our focus is on Caitlin and our entire team as we prepare for Saturday,” Krauskopf wrote.
Former Minnesota Vikings captain and prominent conservative activist Jack Brewer said the punch would be considered a “hate crime” if the roles were reversed.
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“This would be considered a hate crime if it were the other way around,” Brewer told Fox News Digital.
Other critics have expressed their own outrage on social media.
Sports
Parents of ex-NFL player Doug Martin allege excessive force by Oakland police in wrongful death suit
The parents of Doug Martin filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that police officers used excessive force in trying to subdue the former NFL running back while he was “experiencing a mental health crisis” last October.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Northern District of California, also claims that paramedics contributed to Martin’s death by failing to “provide timely medical care.” The city of Oakland, several police officers and emergency medical service provider Falck USA/Northern California were named as defendants.
Martin died Oct. 18 in a hospital following his arrest by officers responding to reports of a break-in at a residence. He was 36. His death remains under investigation by Oakland police.
According to the Alameda County coroner’s office, Martin’s autopsy reports still are being finalized. Martin family attorney John Burris told the Athletic that an independent pathologist told the family that Martin potentially died from restraint asphyxia.
“Plaintiffs allege, on information and belief, that Decedent Martin died from restraint asphyxia caused by Oakland police officers and the FALCK NORCAL paramedics’ failure to provide timely medical care,” the lawsuit states.
The Oakland Police Department and Falck Norcal did not immediately respond to messages from The Times.
According to the complaint, Martin was “experiencing a mental health crisis” when his mother called for paramedics. He then fled and hid in a neighbor’s basement, where officers found him.
“After a brief struggle, defendant police officers physically restrained him,” the complaint states. “During the restraint, decedent Martin was placed face down while one or more officers pressed on his back. After a period of time, defendant Officers turned him onto his side.
“When they did so decedent Martin was unresponsive seemingly unconscious; However, the defendant officers initially believed he was sleeping or pretending to be sleep. When decedent Martin remained unresponsive, an officer requested medical assistance.
“Plaintiffs are informed and believe that decedent Martin did not receive immediate medical attention. Falck paramedics arrived over 15 minutes after the call for service and, and when they arrived, did not promptly provide medical care.”
A Stockton native, Martin was a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2012 draft. He played six seasons for the Buccaneers, making the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2015, before spending his final season with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. In his career, Martin rushed for 5,356 yards and 30 touchdowns.
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With 48 teams competing and a grueling path through the knockout stage, reaching the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be an accomplishment in itself.
Only four nations will survive the tournament’s first 100 matches and earn a spot in the final four, putting themselves within two victories of lifting the most coveted trophy in sports.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds to reach the semifinals at FanDuel Sportsbook as of June 26.
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To Reach Semifinals
Argentina: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
France: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Spain: +120 (bet $10 to win $22 total)
England: +165 (bet $10 to win $26.50 total)
Portugal: +210 (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Brazil: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Netherlands: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Germany: +330 (bet $10 to win $43 total)
USA: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Norway: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Colombia: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Belgium: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Morocco: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Switzerland: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mexico: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Japan: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Croatia: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Ecuador: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Canada: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Austria: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
The Top 10: Argentina, France, Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands and Germany — all considered powerhouse countries — stand at the top of the board, with each nation listed at +330 or better to reach the semifinals. But right after that group? The USA and Norway. The Americans have never made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, and this is Norway’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998.
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