Dodgers lose bullpen battle to Yankees on late homer

• July 20, 2026

NEW YORK – It was a battle of the bullpens at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night.

Both teams opted for ‘bullpen games’ in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Reliever after reliever – a combined 12 pitchers wore out paths from the bullpens to the mound – kept hitters on both sides frustrated until Evan Phillips broke the chain, giving up a solo home run to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the eighth inning that gave the New York Yankees a 2-1 victory.

The Dodgers won the opener of the doubleheader, 8-2, splitting Sunday but taking two out of three in the series.

The Yankees got a lead in the first inning against Will Klein when Paul Goldschmidt doubled to right field with two outs and scored on Cody Bellinger’s single.

They were set up to expand the lead in the fourth and fifth innings but Dodgers relievers choked off the threat each time.

Back-to-back walks issued by Edgardo Henriquez and a 101.4 mph wild pitch put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth. With the infield in, Jose Caballero bounced a grounder to third baseman Max Muncy, who went home with his throw. It wasn’t a great throw, but Dodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. handled it and made the tag. Jack Dreyer came in and got Trent Grisham to bounce out to end the threat.

In the fifth, though, Dreyer gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Brock Stewart came in and doused the fire, striking out Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe around a pop up in foul territory.

The Dodgers didn’t even have the comfort of close calls like that.

After ‘opener’ Ryan Yarbrough retired the first eight Dodgers in order, Alfonzo (his first major-league hit) and Shohei Ohtani had back-to-back singles with two outs in the third inning. But Andy Pages flew out. They got the leadoff hitter on base in the fourth and fifth innings against Paul Blackburn. But double plays short-circuited both innings.

The Dodgers didn’t have another hit until Edman came off the bench to pinch-hit in the eighth inning. The second pitch from Fernando Cruz was a flat splitter at 80 mph. It went out at 102 mph, tying the game.

Phillips struck out Dominguez to start the eighth inning but Chisholm took a 97 mph fastball at the bottom of the strike zone the opposite way, clearing the wall in left-center field for the go-ahead home run.

​ Orange County Register 

Mark Zeigler: Spain wins World Cup final against an Argentina team blinded by adulation

• July 20, 2026

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, the Emir of Qatar approached Lionel Messi and adorned him in a bisht, a traditional hand-woven black robe reserved for Arab royalty.

There’s an enormous mural of it on the side of a building in Buenos Aires’ Palermo neighborhood.

There’s also a 5,000-square-foot mural of Messi in his home region of Rosario with the inscription: “From another galaxy, from my city.”

In Patagonia, there’s an 85-foot sculpture of Messi in his No. 10 sky blue jersey, kneeling in supplication with the World Cup trophy between his legs, tapping the crest on his chest and pointing to the heavens.

People have tattoos of Messi. They name children Lionel or Lionela. They sing songs about him. They refer to him as D10S.

Which is another way of saying that, as Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain, still scoreless, went to 30 minutes of extra time with Argentina playing down a man, No. 10 was not coming out.

It was a decision born in reverence approaching religion, in hubris, in tactical defiance, and it was a decision that ultimately — perhaps poetically — led to Spain’s deserved 1-0 victory before 80,663 at MetLife Stadium.

Adulation can be blinding.

Here was the predicament coach Lionel Scaloni found himself in:

Messi has been an offensive marvel in this tournament at age 39, scoring eight goals and providing both assists in the dramatic 2-1 semifinal win against England. But no player has statistically run less, a solitary figure walking at midfield while nine teammates and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez rip their hearts out on defense.

Then midfield workhorse Enzo Fernandez foolishly got a yellow card for shoving a Spanish player and, in the final minutes of regulation, got another for a brutal tackle on Spain’s Pau Cubarsi. They were defending with nine field players before; now it was eight.

Scaloni, Messi’s teammate from the 2006 World Cup who coaxed him into playing for the national team well past the age when most players retire, had already used his five allotted substitutes for regulation. Now, he was granted a sixth for extra time to fill the sudden hole in midfield as Spain poured forward.

The logical choice: Insert a defensive-minded midfielder, remove the 39-year-old Messi, hunker down, get everybody behind the ball and play — pray? — for penalty kicks.

Midfielder Marcos Senesi walked with the fourth official to the sideline, the sub board went up … and indeed a forward was coming out.

Coming out: No. 9, Julian Alvarez, 26 years old.

Messi was staying on.

They’d defend with eight.

Messi has earned that right, scoring 910 career goals, winning an incomprehensible eight Ballons d’Or awarded annually to the planet’s best soccer player, leading Argentina to an unprecedented run of Copa America, World Cup and Copa America titles in succession, then mystically turning back the clock through the group stage and four knockout matches here.

“I hope that everyone feels proud of him,” Scaloni said, “of what he’s achieved because he’s the best football ​player ever to set foot ​on a field. I ⁠have no doubt about this, and what he did during this World Cup was incredible. But also what he did before this.”

MetLife Stadium, though, has not been kind to D10S. Argentina played to a scoreless tie here against Chile in the 2016 Copa America final despite an 18-4 edge in shots. The game went to a penalty shootout, Messi missed, Argentina lost — and he impulsively announced his international retirement in a fit of frustration.

“I’m done playing with the national team,” Messi said that night. “I tried my hardest. It’s been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen.”

He changed his mind two months later, won four major trophies with Argentina, achieved Messi-anic status back home and a decade later arrived at MetLife again for an afternoon of redemption.

It didn’t happen. He had one touch in the first 15 minutes against a suffocating, organized, disciplined Spanish defense that allowed one goal in eight matches and executed a sophisticated game plan limiting his space and service. He finished with 37 touches, the second fewest among any player who logged at least 90 minutes. Argentina finished with two shots, none on target and none before the 121st minute.

ESPN’s player ratings, on a 1 to 10 scale, gave Messi a 3. The Sporting News and SkySports gave him a 4.

The BBC was more generous with a 6, but noted: “If this was his final appearance on the World Cup stage, what a sad end for the legend.”

Spain finished with 20 shots, 12 on target, and the pressure on Argentina’s goal increased exponentially in extra time, as eight exhausted players tried to repel the onslaught as the 39-year-old guy walked at midfield, praying for a redemptive chance in a MetLife penalty shootout.

Nico Williams found the net in the 96th minute, only for Serbian referee Slavko Vincic to wave it off for a phantom foul, which merely fueled the here-we-go-again sentiment among the World-Cup-is-rigged crowd.

Ten minutes later, Pedro Porro sent a high cross to the far post that Williams headed back to Ferran Torres, who blasted it past Martinez from short range – a goal that even VAR couldn’t overturn.

Messi and Argentina desperately pressed forward for an equalizer, but there was no more magic in his boots.

As Spanish players lifted the trophy in a shower of golden confetti and FIFA president Gianni Infantino awkwardly tried to usher U.S. President Donald J. Trump out of the photo and off the stage, Messi sat alone on the grass to the side, his eyes welling with tears, staring into space.

“They were better, to be honest,” he said later. “We lost the game, and we accept that. That doesn’t mean that we will forget everything we’ve done so far, so I’d like to thank my people, my players and the country.”

It was a sad end for the legend, a passenger on the karma train roaring down the tracks.

Defender Lisandro Martinez was one of four players who held up a banner on the field after the win against England that declared the Falkland Islands — Islas Malvinas to them — to be Argentine despite strict FIFA regulations prohibiting political statements. Martinez went down with an injury late in the first half Sunday and had to be subbed off.

Then there was Fernandez, who is paid $12.6 million per year by English club Chelsea, posting a photo on social media of him laughing with teammates while “Wonderwall,” the English national team’s adopted anthem, played in the background. He got a red card and made the walk of shame to the locker room.

There were all the calls that seemingly always went Argentina’s way on their improbable journey to the final — the nullified goal against Egypt, the red card after a VAR review against Switzerland, all the cleats-up challenges that never drew a whistle, let alone a card.

Even after the final whistle, Argentina’s Facundo Medina shoved Rodri, the classy Spanish captain and Golden Ball winner as the tournament’s best player, as he ran on the field to celebrate. Soon, Leandro Paredes was kicking Spain’s Eric Garcia and hitting him in the throat before violently tackling another Spanish player to the ground.

It’s a big bill, and it came due Sunday afternoon.

Logic said Scaloni should have played the tactical percentages and subbed out D10S in extra time.

Adulation prevented him.

“He’s 39 years old, it’s unbelievable,” Scaloni said of D10S’s career. “It was crystal clear for me that he was going to play until he decided not to.”

​ Orange County Register 

Girls basketball camp held by USC’s Juju Watkins is ‘what basketball should feel like’

• July 20, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Juju Watkins ran through a pair of defenders and tossed up a pass to 10-year-old Kennedy Beyen, who was wide open and easy to find in her hot pink shorts and sneakers.

Beyen heaved the ball up for a layup that sent Watkins, an All-American and Naismith Trophy winner, running in circles. She finished the celebration with a body check against Beyen, who was half her height.

“This is what basketball should feel like,” Watkins told reporters.

Over 150 girls basketball players in grades third through eighth poured into the Galen Center practice court on Sunday afternoon for a day-long basketball camp hosted by Watkins. Volunteer coaches directed campers through drills and scrimmages, but fun was clearly the priority.

The camp was free for all participants, but the opportunity to be on the court with Watkins was priceless.

“She woke up this morning excited,” Ben Beyen said of his daughter, Kennedy. “Usually, on a school day, she’s tired. But this morning she got up bright and early, ate breakfast, and was ready to come. Once she figured out Juju was gonna be here, it was automatic.”

Beyen, who lives in Valley Village, said that Watkins is a natural choice as a role model for his two daughters because of her dedication to school and sports, and her willingness to give back to the community.

Sitting out last season due to an ACL injury amplified those characteristics rather than silenced them.

Nike released LeBron NXXT Gen By Juju “Silver Lining” basketball shoes in partnership with Watkins on May 27, and her motto “don’t move…improve” is sketched on the side. All of the coaches wore her signature shoe in either the silver or red “With Love” colorway at the camp.

“I’m on the other end of my rehab journey, and I’m really grateful,” Watkins said. “At the time when I was creating the shoe, ‘silver lining’ stuck out to me because I just think it’s really important when going through something to know that the grass is greener on the other side. It definitely gave me a lot of perspective and hope.”

Sunday’s preteen campers provided a source of joy, too. They didn’t hesitate to double- or triple-team Watkins as she attempted shots and were playfully fired up whenever she dished out some good-natured teasing.

She then signed every shirt, headband and ball that came her way as the post-camp autograph line stretched across the court.

“The girls coming in, they’re super excited,” Watkins said. “They’re curious. They’re asking questions. I know a lot of them are younger, but it’s really cool to be around such youthful and fun energy.

“Just knowing that they look up to me and they think I’m cool — it’s cool to know that they think I’m cool.”

Watkins, who is cleared to play, will return to the court this season with a loaded roster around her.

Six-foot-1 guard Jazzy Davidson, last season’s USBWA Freshman of the Year, enters her sophomore season after leading the Trojans in every statistical category with 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, two steals and two blocks per game.

Kennedy Smith, another 6-foot-1 guard, will also return after averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game and three freshmen will join the team as part of the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation — Sitaya Fagan, Saniyah Hall and Sara Okeke.

The Trojans went 31-4 overall last season and fell to NCAA Tournament runner-up South Carolina in the second round of the tournament.

“Just discipline,” Watkins said of what the team needs this season. “Just attacking every day like there’s no tomorrow. I think it’s really essential that we do that. It’s my senior year. So super excited for that and not taking any moment for granted.”

​ Orange County Register 

Fans worry Jackie is Big Bear eagle rescued after fight, found on ground

• July 20, 2026

Officials are working to identify an adult eagle that was rescued in Big Bear Valley after community members saw it on the ground for hours and fighting with other eagles, leading fans to believe the bird may be part of the beloved Big Bear eagle pair, Jackie and Shadow.

The eagle is being treated at a specialty care facility after it was picked up by county officials. Jenny Voisard, media manager with Friends of Big Bear Valley, said the bird has not been identified – and nor has its gender – but the organization has not seen Jackie, mama of famous eaglets Sandy and Luna, on its livestream cameras for several days.

The organization said Jackie is not banded, and they don’t yet know how many visiting eagles are in the area.

Neighbors saw the grounded bird on land near Dana Point Park on Friday, peculiar behavior for eagles, Voisard said, who prefer to perch when they’re not flying. It could be a sign the eagle is tired or injured, but no root cause has been determined, Voisard said.

“They’re built to perch on trees and in branches,” Voisard said. “They’re not usually just hanging out on the ground level. “

People in the area recorded video of the grounded eagle fighting with two subadult eagles, meaning they’re older than eaglets but not yet adults. The eagle was able to flip onto its back and use its talons to defend against the subadult eagles who were trying to steal its fish, Voisard said.

Fighting is normal for subadult eagles, Voisard said, who typically fight other eagles for fish before learning to hunt for themselves.

After the fight, the eagle stayed grounded for hours, and rescuers arrived around 2 a.m. Saturday, Voisard said.

Friends of Big Bear Valley said it is in contact with the organizations caring for the eagle and that concerned community members should refrain from reaching out to not overwhelm them.

“Try not to panic,” Voisard told fans worried about the eagle. “It was good that the eagle was able to get help. I think that we should just be very grateful for that, and we’re all hoping for a positive outcome.”

Jackie and Shadow’s offspring Sandy and her brother Luna made their debut on April 4 and 5, and have been the center of the 24/7 livestream operated by the nonprofit Friends group. As thousands of viewers watched, the eaglets spread their wings and soared in late June, a day apart.

The exact location of Jackie and Shadow’s nest is kept private to protect the birds and their habitat, Voisard has said. The first camera was installed in October 2015 on the branch where the nest currently rests. A second one came in 2021, on a nearby tree, for a wider view. Both are 145 feet in the air and solar powered.

Jackie and Shadow’s fanbase is widespread, with commenters from Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Michigan, West Virginia, Texas, and as far away as Australia.

Big Bear eaglet ‘Sandy’ takes her first flight after steep fall from tree

2026 Big Bear eaglet Luna soars from nest a day after sibling Sandy flew off

​ Orange County Register 

Review: First-ever World Cup final halftime show is an outright winner

• July 19, 2026

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show could have been a world-class mess.

There was just so much to balance — most notably, an overstocked lineup of megastars with accompanying mega-egos — in such a short amount of time. How in the world could organizers make this blockbuster event — with Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and others — manage to feel cohesive and purposeful in just 11 minutes on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Factor in that it had never been done before and the odds against pulling this off seemed to absolutely skyrocket.

And yet the first-ever World Cup Final Halftime Show turned out to be an absolute hit, easily clearing whatever reasonable bars one might have set for its success. The performance moved smoothly along at a breakneck pace, evenly showcasing each of the big stars, while still managing to feel like a cohesive performance as opposed to just a series of snippets sewn together.

Credit so much of that to making the right hire — Hamish Hamilton — who served as director for the show just like he has for every single Super Bowl halftime gig since 2010. He’s been in the captain’s seat for all the successes and failures of those halftime shows — which, besides the Olympics ceremonies, might be the only truly comparable events to what was seen on Sunday — and he knows what has scored or sailed wide right with fans of the “other football.”

Also, Chris Martin of Coldplay — who has heavily involved with the star-studded Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara — reportedly oversaw the bookings and was able to help pull together a nice mix of musicians and styles. Sure, it would have been great to bring in another big-time Latin star, given the significance of the sport in Latin-speaking communities throughout North America. In that regard, I would have particularly liked to have seen a Mexican artist, given that some of these World Cup games were being played in that country. Yet, if you’re only going to book just one Latin artist then Shakira — the undisputed Queen of the World Cup — was definitely the right choice.

The 11-minute performance kicked off with the biggest icon of the bunch — Madonna — which felt like a highly appropriate choice given her nearly-unmatched status in pop music history. She was grooving out of sight of the crowd in attendance, alongside a DJ and some colorful dancers, before boarding a huge jeep-like vehicle — which looked right out of an apocalyptical “Mad Max” movie, only if it was being shot in Ibiza instead of the Australian Outback — as she belted out the 2000 dance-pop anthem “Music.”

Madonna eventually emerged from a tunnel in the stadium and out onto the field, flanked on each side by Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

From there, the hugely recognizable groove of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” — which has been almost as big a part of professional sporting events over the last 20 years as overpriced nachos — boomed out to the crowd. Famed classical musical conductor Gustavo Dudamel — wearing a Dudamel 1 jersey — took the reigns, directing a large-scale musical ensemble that included the Muppets’ famed Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band.

And, as he often does, Animal pretty much stole the show on drums.

Then BTS, which sold out three nights at Stanford Stadium earlier this year, took over the field — to the delight of the millions of BTS Army members around the globe — and the K-pop superstars proceeded to dance and sing their way through an explosive “Dynamite.”

As BTS boogied to a close, it was now time to call in a true ace to the field. But who would be the right person to make the call on who to bring in? Better call Ted Lasso — aka, actor Jason Sudeikis, who is known for playing the title role as the soccer coach on the hit TV series “Ted Lasso.” Lasso — um, we mean, Sudeikis — made the call to bring in Justin Bieber for what would arguably be the best part of the show.

While everyone else championed upbeat, body-rocking dance music, the Biebs went the complete opposite director and managed to charm the tens of thousands in the house — as well an estimated global TV audience of 1.5 billion — with just his voice and acoustic guitar on the beautiful ballad “Everything Hallelujah.”

That left just the World Cup’s favorite artist — the one and only Shakira — to embrace the final spotlight. The Colombian powerhouse, who has now made a record-setting fourth appearance at this global tournament that happens every four years, was joined by Nigerian singer Burna Boy on a strong version of “Dai Dai” (translation: “Come on, come on”).

As the Shakira segment came to a close, the camera zoomed back to an all-star finale — featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, a children’s choir, most (if not all) of the stars who had already made an appearance and even more Muppets, including Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Dudamel was once again directing traffic as the voices joined together on a memorable closing rendition of Coldplay’s “Believe In Love.”

​ Orange County Register 

JD and Usha Vance welcome a baby boy, the first child born to a sitting VP in more than 150 years

• July 19, 2026

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, on Sunday announced the birth of their fourth child, the first born to a sitting vice president in more than 150 years.

Born Sunday, Alec Neel Vance joins older siblings Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4.

Vance announced the birth on social media with a statement signed by him and his wife.

“We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” the statement said.

They thanked doctors and staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and with the White House medical team.

​ Orange County Register 

Spain prevails in World Cup extra-time final over Argentina

• July 19, 2026

By TIM REYNOLDS | AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ferran Torres’ first goal of this year’s World Cup was the goal of his life, and it put Spain back atop the soccer world.

Denying Lionel Messi a second straight title in what he has indicated would be his final World Cup match, Torres came off the bench and scored in the 106th minute and Spain — in a match it simply dominated — ended Argentina’s reign with a 1-0 win on Sunday.

Torres pounced on a bouncing ball in the box and used his left foot to bury a shot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.

“It was a goal scored by 47 million people,” Torres said, referring to Spain’s population.

Maybe not by them — but certainly for them.

It was Spain’s second title, this trophy getting added to the one claimed in 2010. And there’s no question about the center of the soccer universe now, not after this display.

Spain allowed only one goal in eight matches at the tournament, setting a World Cup record for fewest goals allowed by a champion. And this title, combined with the World Cup won by Spain’s women in 2023, makes the European nation the first to hold both the men’s and women’s titles simultaneously.

The score indicates this match was close, but only one team was in command.

Spain took the game’s first 20 shots on goal before Argentina — desperate for an equalizer — got its first attempt off in the second half of extra time. Spain took nine of the game’s first 10 corner kicks, and only a World Cup final-record 12 saves by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gave the 2022 champions a shot at going back-to-back.

Spain is now unbeaten in its last 38 matches — 29 wins, nine draws — and now is the outright holder of the longest such streak by any European team ever. Italy went 37 matches (28 wins, nine draws) from October 2018 through September 2021, before Spain ended that streak.

And for the last two-plus years, nobody has beaten Spain. Not even Messi. An Argentina team that was the kings of the late-game rally in this tournament had no answer this time.

Messi took a corner kick with about four minutes left before the final whistle and the ball took a fortunate skip toward reserve Giuliano Simeone — who sent it high and over the crossbar, holding his head in disbelief afterward.

The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to lead a team to the World Cup title.

“We are world champions,” de la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”

There was some pushing and shoving after the final whistle, which was quickly cleaned up and Spain commenced its celebration as most Argentina players sat on the turf in disbelief. Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’s players lined up minutes later to form an honor guard of sorts for Argentina’s squad to walk through on its way to the stage for the runner-up medals.

Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time after getting his second yellow card, meaning Argentina was forced to finish the match with only 10 players. Fernandez was carded for a reckless play that sent Spain defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air, and the card came out immediately.

It was the 104th and last match of the biggest World Cup ever, a 48-team event that played out over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions.

The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.

Celebrities — from all walks of life — were there. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Will Ferrell, Cillian Murphy, Daniel Craig, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Hudson, Jon Hamm, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker were among the actors at the game.

The NBA had enough talent there for a full All-Star Game, with the list of players attending including Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bronny James, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Draymond Green, Jalen Brunson, Jalen Williams, James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton.

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were among the tennis royalty watching, the NFL had names like Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley in attendance, two of the greatest U.S. skiers ever in Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn were at the match — and, of course, there were soccer royalty with the likes of Kaka, David Beckham, Didier Drogba and Zinedine Zidane.

They came to see a show. So did 80,000 other people, not to mention perhaps as many as 2 billion watching around the globe.

Spain didn’t disappoint.

Mbappé wins another Golden Boot

Kylian Mbappé is now the owner of World Cup Golden Boots.

The French striker became the first player to finish as the leading scorer at multiple World Cups, winning his second Golden Boot award when Lionel Messi was blanked in Argentina’s 1-0 loss to Spain on Sunday in the final.

Mbappé totaled 10 goals and four assists for a France team that finished fourth. Messi ended up with eight goals and four assists after going without a goal or an assist for the first time in his last 12 World Cup games.

Messi was still hoping to win a record-extending third Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. He’s already the only player to win the award multiple times since it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina’s run to a second straight final at age 39 gives him a strong case for another.

The Golden Boot is one of the few things Messi has never won in his storied career, but he went into the final weekend with the lead. Both Messi and Mbappé had eight goals through the semifinals, but Messi owned the tiebreaker with one more assist.

Mbappé then scored two goals and had an assist Saturday in France’s 6-4 loss to England in the third-place game, making him the first player with 10 goals in a World Cup since Germany great Gerd Müller had 10 in 1970.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels edge Tigers, snap 4-game skid

• July 19, 2026

ANAHEIM — Ryan Johnson made the pitch that was the difference between a good outing and a bad one.

With the bases loaded and Detroit Tigers’ All-Star Dillon Dingler at the plate in the fifth inning, the Angels right-hander threw a sweeper to get the strikeout.

His 91st and final pitch of the game was the biggest one, and the Angels then scored a run to take the lead, on their way to a 3-2 victory over the Tigers on Sunday afternoon.

While the Angels didn’t do much with their opportunities at the plate, their pitchers all came through, starting with Johnson and continuing with relievers Samy Natera Jr., Chase Silseth, Sam Bachman and Ryan Zeferjahn.

It was noteworthy that manager Kurt Suzuki went with Zeferjahn in the ninth instead of Kirby Yates, who blew Friday’s game. Zeferjahn entered with a two-run lead and gave up a homer to Riley Greene before recording the save.

Johnson got the victory with the second best of his seven starts. In the six starts since he’s been back in the rotation, he has a 3.60 ERA.

In previous outings, his problem has often been one inning that got away from him, ruining his other good work.

This time, he was on the way to having that inning in the fifth. With two outs and the bases empty in a 1-1 game, Johnson gave up an infield single. He then walked two consecutive hitters to load the bases for Dingler.

Johnson’s first pitch to Dingler was a sinker low. His second pitch was also called a ball, but catcher Tyler Heineman challenged and it was reversed. The critical flip from 2-and-0 to 1-and-1 gave Johnson a boost.

Three pitches later, the count was 2-and-2 when Johnson threw a sweeper out of the zone, and Dingler waved his bat through it. Johnson yelled and clenched his fist as he walked off the mound.

From there, the bullpen did its job, helping the Angels (39-61) snap their four-game losing streak.

The bullpen was working without much margin for error because the hitters made the least of their nine hits and five walks. The Angels were 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

The Angels should have had more runs than they did.

Vaughn Grissom led off the second with a double, and he scored on Oswald Peraza’s infield hit.

In the third, the Angels had runners at first and second with no outs and didn’t score. In the fifth, they loaded the bases with no outs and managed only one run, on a Jorge Soler groundout.

They manufactured a run in the sixth when Peraza led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a ground ball and scored on a Zach Neto single.

In the seventh, they also stranded two runners.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register