MONDAY GAMES
- The M-L-B all-star festivities continue tonight with the annual Home Run Derby. Hometown favourite Bryce Harper is competing at the event tonight in Nationals Park. Harper will go head-to-head against Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman in the first round. Reigning Derby champion Aaron Judge opted not to participate this year
- Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox have a few days to sit back and enjoy their historic start. The A-L East-leading Red Sox own the major league’s best record at 68-and-30 and have won 12 of their last 13 games. They lead the Yankees by 4-and-a-half games going into the break.
- Croatia threw out a red carpet and staged a heroes’ welcome for the country’s national team today despite its loss to France in the World Cup final. Tens of thousands of people wearing national red-and-white colours and waving Croatian flags poured into the streets in of the capital to greet the players. Croatia lost 4-2 yesterday in Moscow.
- Serena Williams climbed 153 spots in the W-T-A rankings after her runner-up finish at Wimbledon, putting her back in the top 30. Williams is ranked 28th in the list published today. Wimbledon was the former world Number-1’s fourth tournament after returning from childbirth. She reached the final before losing to Angelique Kerber of Germany.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- France is celebrating its second World Cup title after beating Croatia 4-2 in the highest-scoring World Cup final since 1966. Dramatic moments in the match included the first own-goal and the first video-reviewed penalty in a World Cup final, along with a brief pitch invasion orchestrated by Russian protest group Pussy Riot.
- Novak Djokovic is the Wimbledon champion for a fourth time. Djokovic won his 13th Grand Slam title by defeating first-time Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. It’s Djokovic’s first major trophy in more than two years. He has struggled with a painful right elbow that eventually required surgery.
- Former N-H-L goaltender Ray Emery has drowned in his hometown of Hamilton. He was 35. Hamilton Police said Emery was identified as the victim of the swimming accident. Emery played parts of 11 seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks.
- Scott Dixon captured his third career Honda Indy Toronto title. Dixon of New Zealand finished the 85-lap course on the streets surrounding Exhibition Place first, with Simon Pagenaud of France finishing in second and Robert Wickens of Guelph, Ontario in third.
- The Blue Jays head into the All-Star break losers in seven of their last 10 games. Xander Bogaerts homered in his first at-bat a day after hitting a walk-off grand slam to lead Boston past the Blue Jays 5-2. The Red Sox enter the All-Star break with their best record since 1949 at 68-and-30.
- Brian Dozier hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to give the Minnesota Twins an 11-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. His blast capped a testy, back-and-forth finish that featured four lead changes from the bottom of the seventh on.
- Canada’s Brooke Henderson was unable to hold onto her 54-hole lead at the Marathon Classic. The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ontario had a one-shot advantage heading into the final round and cruised through the first 14 holes before running into trouble with bogeyes on 15 and 16 to finish third. Thidapa Suwannapura beat American Brittany Lincicome in a playoff to win the tournament.
Sunday’s Games
World Cup Final
At Moscow
France 4 Croatia 2
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MLB
American League
Baltimore 6 Texas 5
Boston 5 Toronto 2
Cleveland 5 N.Y. Yankees 2
Chicago White Sox 10 Kansas City 1
Detroit 6 Houston 3
Minnesota 11 Tampa Bay 7 (10 innings)
National League
Miami 10 Philadelphia 5
Washington 6 N.Y. Mets 1
Atlanta 5 Arizona 1
Pittsburgh 7 Milwaukee 6 (10 innings)
St. Louis 6 Cincinnati 4
Chicago Cubs 7 San Diego 4
Interleague
Colorado 4 Seattle 3
Oakland 6 San Francisco 2
L.A. Dodgers 5 L.A. Angels 3
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MLS
Seattle 1 Atlanta United FC 1
Portland 0 Los Angeles FC 0