Astros' Framber Valdez beats D-backs for 10th straight win
Matthews followed a one-out walk to pinch hitter Taylor Trammell with a 396-foot homer to left field off Jake Woodford (0-1) for a 2-1 lead. Matthews, playing his sixth major league game, hit his first two career homers on Monday as Houston won the opener of the three-game series.
Valdez (11-4) gave up one run and seven hits in seven innings to extend the majors' longest active winning streak. He has not lost since May 2, and the Astros have won all 13 of his starts since. He struck out four and walked one.
Valdez tied Detroit's Tarik Skubal for the longest winning streak in the majors this season.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth on singles by Josh Naylor, pinch hitter James McCann and Geraldo Perdomo off Bryan King. However, King rebounded to strike out Blaze Alexander, then got Jose Herrera to ground into a double play started by second baseman Matthews for his first career save.
Randal Grichuk and Perdomo had three hits apiece for the D-backs, who lost their second straight game after a four-game winning streak.
Grichuk scored Arizona's only run against Valdez. In the fifth inning, Grichuk led off with his second double of the night, took third on Perdomo's bunt single and came home on Alexander's groundout.
Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubon had two hits apiece for the Astros, who have won three straight.
Altuve singled and scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Kyle Backhus to make it 3-1 in the ninth.
Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez gave up six hits, all singles, in 6 1/3 scoreless innings, the first time he had taken a shutout into the seventh inning this season. He struck out three and walked three.
Rodriguez was forced out of the game with one out in the seventh when he was struck in the right leg by Zack Short's one-hopper that caromed toward third base and went for an infield single.
The Astros have won the first two games of the three-game series, giving them their first series victory since sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers from July 4-6.
--Field Level Media
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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Leah Williamson's defining moment seals her place in England history
Amid the chaos, there was another moment of calm. Leah Williamson had just made history as England captain but first she paused. While her teammates chased after Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton and as Michelle Agyemang and Jess Carter dropped to their knees on the pitch, Williamson turned to her beaten Spanish opponents and began to shake each of them by the hand. No England captain had been here before, with Williamson becoming the first player in the country's history to skipper a team to two tournament victories, as well as the first to lead a side to a title on foreign soil. And while there were many heroes on yet another improbable night, to complete a 'chaotic and ridiculous' tournament in the words of Sarina Wiegman, it was the clear-mindedness of Williamson that repeatedly shone through. To face this Spain team as a center-back across 120 minutes is to essentially be required to perform two jobs at once: first, to constantly evaluate the danger and protect the box by any means possible, and second, to show the bravery and sense to choose the moments where you play, to try and stop Spain from suffocating you by embracing the risks head on. Alongside the equally courageous Jess Carter, England's centre backs were largely faultless. In some ways it was the perfect game for Williamson to have in front of her, an opportunity to display the two defining aspects of her leadership. It helped that she faced a remarkably similar situation in Arsenal's Champions League final win over Barcelona two months ago, a game where they lived on the edge throughout but grew confidence from their defiance. 'I did get a feeling from the Champions League final,' Williamson said 'I thought this is our day today.' Against Spain there were the blocks and the clearances, reading the game superbly to always be in the right place. There can be an accumulation of hundreds of split-second decisions involved when an opponent like Spain moves at pace, and Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Mariona Caldentey rotate to pull a system out of shape. It can be easy to fall into a rudimentary sense of what defending is when required to repeatedly put your body on the line. Williamson did that, but she also played with a clarity to know to jump forward and press, or when to drop in and delay. Each gamble was an intelligent one. There was a moment midway through the second half and after Alessia Russo had equalised in the final where Williamson forcefully stepped up to intercept a pass into midfield, and then kept on going. She continued the run and slid as she squared the ball across the box, a delivery begging for a touch that didn't arrive. But it summed up how England found themselves and finally arrived at something resembling their potential after clawing a path through the tournament. Before the final, Williamson had spoken of how England could not afford to be 'fearful of losing' and that is basically what the Lionesses did after going 1-0 down, led by their captain every time she stepped out of the backline. It was embodied by the brilliance of Carter, back in the team after revealing the racist abuse she had received throughout the Euros but playing the final with a grin on her face after reaching extra time. 'She's a no-nonsense defender,' Williamson said. 'I've called her that before and she just gets sh-- done.' Carter was safe on the ball but secure. Williamson had to play, but only at the right times. She repeatedly found the moments to slow it down and trust Keira Walsh would be in position. Hannah Hampton produced the heroics in the shootout - and perhaps let's not talk about Williamson's own miss - but England's captain had a claim to be the player of the match before the penalties. Afterwards, standing on the pitch at St Jakob Park, Williamson said she felt a pressure to say 'something monumental', in part because of how effortlessly she stepped up to deliver the message and articulate the legacy of what England wanted Euro 2022 to be. It was a role Williamson performed so well that the image of her as a spokesperson for the Lionesses lasted much longer than her impact on the tournament as a player. Missing the 2023 World Cup through injury only prolonged that. But Williamson has left something monumental. In a tournament that has been won by England's grit, the captain of the European champions at both club and country also showed another way. All that remains now is a defining performance to stand alongside her place in history.
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Victorious Lionesses to make low-key return to UK after supporters are told to stay away... as England's Euro 2025 champions prepare for trip to Downing Street after partying until 4am
England fans have been told to stay away from the airport the victorious Lionesses are due to arrive at this afternoon after their historic Euro 2025 triumph. Given their efforts, the Lionesses would be forgiven for feeling a little worse for wears, but they will be expected to be back on top form for what promises to be packed celebratory schedule. The victorious squad are set to touch down on Monday afternoon before heading off to Downing Street, where they will be hosted by Angela Rayner with PM Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland meeting Donald Trump. Tuesday brings the eagerly awaited open-top bus procession along The Mall, which is set to get underway at 12.10pm and culminate with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace starting at approximately 12.30pm. The ceremony event will be hosted by Alex Scott. Fans will get the chance to honour their heroes, with scenes expected to rival those of three years ago when the Lionesses paraded the trophy in Trafalgar Square. Though dramatic, England's success that time around was comparatively less tense that the one achieved on Sunday night at the St. Jakob-Park. But they were still ultimately grateful for the contribution of Chloe Kelly, the match winner against Germany at Wembley, who scored the decisive penalty to sink Spain. Kelly's introduction part-way through the first half changed the momentum of a game that Spain dominated and looked set to win. The 27-year-old, who - like her Gunners team-mates - adds Euros glory to Champions League success, assisted Alessia Russo's 57th-minute equaliser after Mariona Caldentey's 25th-minute opener. The two sides could not be separated after 120 minutes of action, leading to the dreaded penalty shootout. England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton produced two saves and saw another go wide of the post in the 3-1 shoot-out win. England stars celebrated long into the night after their dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Spain in Switzerland. Players joined family and friends to let their hair down. Ella Toone sang karaoke as England manager Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson cut a celebratory cake together. Players were still partying into the early hours of the morning, with Toone's partner Joe Bunney posting a picture at 4.10am on Monday morning. Celebrations began in earnest swiftly after their title defence was assured, with the Lionesses performing a musical number as they left the field. Led by captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead, England's players belted out 2010 hit Dancing On My Own by Robyn as they exited down the tunnel. Drinks were flowing as friends and family joined the England players in celebration Keira Walsh (left) and Alex Greenwood (right) are among the Lionesses stars to claim their second title Sarina Wiegman has become only the second women's manager to win three successive Euros The team would later return to the field armed with boxfuls of pizza and cans of beer. Friends and family also joined in the celebrations. Lauren James was seen posing for a group selfie with a large squad of loved-ones, including Chelsea men's captain Reece James. Lauren Hemp celebrated her second European Championship crown by wrapping her arms around girlfriend and former footballer Ashley Hodson. Inside the England dressing room, Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Park shared a selfie with their medals. Beever-Jones had an extra reason to celebrate as Sunday was her 22nd birthday. The Chelsea star captioned an Instagram post: 'BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.' Maya Le Tissier later uploaded a selfie of herself and Beever-Jones flaunting their medals while on the team bus. It was not only the players in the party mood. Indeed, manager Wiegman discussed her plans for the rest of the evening during a post-match interview. 'I'll do some more dancing,' she said. 'I'll have a drink but I don't think I'll drink as much as the players will do.' By late morning, the squad was seen boarding the coach that would take them to the airport ahead of their trip back. Hemp was seen holding a Lego set based on the Disney movie 'Beauty and the Beast' as she leaves the team hotel in Zurich. Georgia Stanway looked a little jaded as she walked to the team coach followed by young starlet Michelle Agyemang.
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
Leah Williamson hails ‘brave' England for being vulnerable in bid for Euro glory
Leah Williamson believes 'brave' England's willingness to be vulnerable was the special ingredient they needed to secure back-to-back European Championship titles. The Arsenal defender became the first England football captain to lift two major tournament trophies – and a first on foreign soil – after Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty in a dramatic 3-1 comeback shootout triumph over Women's World Cup holders Spain in Basel. It was the culmination of a topsy-turvy campaign described by manager Sarina Wiegman as 'ridiculous' and likened to a roller coaster by more than one member of her squad in Switzerland. Williamson said: 'I think, basically, you can have all of those (motivational) words, and sport has all those words circulating all the time, and then you have people that choose, it's really brave to put that into action and then decide that you're going to go for it. 'You leave yourself vulnerable, and if you try really, really hard, and it's not quite enough, then that's an awful feeling. 'I think to put yourself out there like that, the reward is so great, and we were brave enough to do it, and I think that's the key to the team. 'And Sarina, I just think she believes in us so much, it's hard not to believe that yourself. She said the same thing as she said before, 'we don't have to win, we really want to win, and we're capable of winning, so it's up to you girls'.' Sunday's victory was a fairy-tale ending for Kelly, who also scored the extra-time winner at Wembley when England lifted their first major trophy at Euro 2022. In January, the 27-year-old was feeling like an outcast at Manchester City, to the point of wondering if she would carry on in football, desperate for more playing time to earn her spot on England's plane to Switzerland. Kelly secured a deadline-day loan to Arsenal, since signing a permanent contract with the Women's Champions League winners that looked increasingly like a great deal for the Gunners with each passing day of this tournament. Williamson fought through an ankle issue in Switzerland, and it was Kelly who reassured her clubmate after Cata Coll saved the England captain's penalty in the final. 'I hit it a bit too low,' said Williamson. 'I'd have put it a bit higher if I could go back, but on the way back, Chloe said to me, 'don't worry about it, don't worry about it'. 'And I think if there's anybody who is going to tell me that in a penalty shootout, I'll take it off her.' England forward Lauren Hemp had no words to describe how she felt after watching Kelly fire the winner past Coll. She said: 'It's hard to describe, I'm speechless, it's incredible. The fight this team has shown from minute one of the tournament to now, it's incredible and it's nothing short of what this group deserves. 'I feel like this team has shown belief throughout every single fixture and even when it went to penalties, we all believed.' The Lionesses won Euro 2025 despite leading for just four minutes and 52 seconds of the entire knockout stages, including stoppage time. Presented with that statistic, Hemp added: 'It's amazing and this group is so special. The grit, the determination we showed, it's not luck. 'It doesn't happen once, twice or three times for it to be luck. This is pure determination from this group. We're all knackered, we're all absolutely exhausted and we deserve that.'
