
Cal Raleigh successful on first All-Star robot umpire challenge, a day after winning Home Run Derby
Seattle's catcher signaled for an appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System in the first inning Tuesday, getting a strikeout for Detroit's Tarik Subal on San Diego's Manny Machado.
'You take 'em any way you can get 'em, boys,' Skubal said on the mound.
Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson also was successful as the first batter to call for a challenge, reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington's MacKenzie Gore in the fifth inning that had been called a strike.
Skubal had given up Ketel Marte's two-run double and retired the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman on a groundout for his first out when he got ahead of Machado 0-2 in the count. Skubal threw a 89.5 mph changeup, and plate umpire Dan Iassogna yelled" 'Ball down!'
Raleigh tapped his helmet just before Skubal tipped his cap, triggering a review by the computer umpire that was tested in spring training this year and could be adopted for regular-season use in 2026.
'I think it's a strike,' Raleigh said to Skubal in a conversation captured because they were wearing microphones for the Fox broadcast.
An animation of the computer analysis was shown on the Truist Park scoreboard and the broadcast. NL manager Dave Roberts laughed in the dugout after the challenge.
Skubal doesn't intend to use challenges during regular-season games if the ABS is put in place. He says he'll rely on his catchers.
'I was joking around that I was going to burn two of them on the first balls just so that way we didn't have them the rest of the game,' he said. 'I'm just going to assume that it's going to happen next year.'
Before the game, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred indicated the sport's 11-man competition committee will consider the system for next season.
"I think the ability to correct a bad call in a high-leverage situation without interfering with the time of game because it's so fast is something we ought to continue to pursue,' Manfred said.
ABS decisions may have an error of margin up to a half-inch.
'Our guys do have a concern with that half inch, what that might otherwise lead to particularly as it relates to the number of challenges you may have, whether you keep those challenges during the course of the game,' union head Tony Clark told the Baseball Writers Association of America. 'Does there need to be some type of buffer zone consideration? Or do we want to find ourselves in a world where it's the most egregious misses that we want focus in on?'
Manfred sounded less concerned.
'I don't believe that technology supports the notion that you need a buffer zone,' he said. 'To get into the idea that there's something that is not a strike that you're going to call a strike in a review system, I don't know why I would want to do that.'
MLB sets the top of the automated strike zone at 53.5% of a batter's height and the bottom at 27%, basing the decision on the midpoint of the plate, 8 1/2 inches from the front and 8 1/2 inches from the back. That contrasts with the rule book zone called by umpires, which says the zone is a cube.
'We haven't even started talking about the strike zone itself, how that's going to necessarily be measured, and whether or not there are tweaks that need to be made there, too," Clark said. "So there's a lot of discussion that still needs to be had, despite the fact that it seems more inevitable than not.'
Manfred has tested ABS in the minor leagues since 2019, using it for all pitches and then switching to a challenge system. Each team gets two challenges and a successful challenge is retained. Only catchers, batters and pitchers can call for a challenge.
'Where we are on ABS has been fundamentally influenced by player input,' he maintained. "If you had two years ago said to me: What do the owners want to do? I think they would have called every pitch with ABS as soon as possible. That's because there is a fundamental, very fundamental interest in getting it right, right? We owe it to our fans to try to get it right because the players as I talked to them over a couple of years really, expressed a very strong interest or preference for the challenge system that we decided to test."
Skubal wondered is all contingencies had been planned for.
___
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Hamilton Spectator
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The Latest: England beats Spain in a penalty shootout after 1-1 draw to retain title
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Defending champion England has won the Women's European Championship after defeating Spain in the final. The match in Basel was a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final where Spain defeated the Lionesses 1-0. Coincidentally, the same countries played in the men's European Championship final last year. Spain won that match 2-1. Here's the latest: England wins on penalties England has defended its European title by defeating Spain in a penalty shootout. The game was tied at 1-1 after extra time. England won the shootout 3-1 with Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty kick. Extra time It's 1-1 at full time and the players are coming off the pitch for a quick break. Then it's extra time: two times 15 minutes to break the deadlock. England equalizer England equalized when Alessia Russo made it 1-1 in the 57th minute. Chloe Kelly whipped one of her trademark crosses into the box from the left and Russo rose above the defense to make it 1-1. Spain leads 1-0 at halftime Spain heads into the break in the lead after Mariona Caldentey's goal in the 25th. Both teams traded early blows but Spain looked stronger after the goal. La Roja kept most of the possession and did not allow England to threaten much. England also trailed at halftime in the quarterfinal against Sweden and semifinal against Italy, but still won both games. Spain takes the lead Mariona Caldentey has made it 1-0 for Spain in the 25th minute. Ona Batlle whipped in a cross from the right, after good work by Aitana Bonmati, and Caldentey headed it powerfully home. Closing ceremony Swiss former player Lara Dickenmann carried the trophy out onto the field after the closing ceremony of Euro 2025. A large circular banner was unfurled in the center of the field in tribute to the host nation, while smaller banners were displayed nearby with 'Thank You' in Switzerland's four official languages —Italian, French, German, and Romansh. Two large Alpine-inspired shapes were then carried onto the field, with the England flag on one and Spain's on the other. Nearly 30,000 inflatable clappers had been distributed to the fans beforehand, while 40 members of the closing ceremony cast also had them on the field. The Asturia Quartet, an all-female string ensemble, performed the national anthems. Del Castillo starts for Spain In somewhat of a surprise change, Athenea Del Castillo has been named in Spain's starting lineup in place of Claudia Pina. Del Castillo's only other start in the tournament was in the final group-stage match, against Italy, when many regular starters were rested with Spain already through. The Real Madrid forward scored one and set up another. She also scored the opener in the quarterfinal win against Switzerland just four minutes after coming onto the field. Pina was decisive the last time Spain played England, scoring twice to help her team to a 2-1 comeback victory in the Nations League last month. The only other change to Spain's lineup from its semifinal victory over Germany is the return of defender Laia Aleixandri from suspension, with María Méndez dropping back down to the bench. Spain's lineup: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Olga; Bonmatí, Patri, Putellas; Mariona, González, Del Castillo. James is back for England Lauren James has recovered from injury and starts for England with coach Sarina Wiegman making just one change. James had to come off at halftime in England's semifinal victory over Italy on Tuesday with an ankle problem and was seen applying ice to her injury during the match. James has started all five of England's games at Euro 2025 and has been named in the lineup for the final. Defender Jess Carter returns after being omitted from the starting lineup for the first time against Italy, for tactical reasons, two days after revealing she was the target of racist abuse online during the tournament. England's lineup: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood; Toone, Walsh, Stanway; James, Russo, Hemp. St. Jakob-Park is filling up Basel's soccer stadium has a capacity of 34,250 during Euro 2025 and no empty seats are expected at the final. With an hour to go until kickoff, thousands of fans have already taken their seats. Even before the final, the tournament has broken the total attendance record for a Women's European Championship. A total of 623,088 spectators have attended the 30 matches so far, surpassing the previous total attendance record of 574,875 from Euro 2022. Skies clear up after heavy rain in Basel There have been intermittent torrential showers and thunderstorms but that has not dampened the spirits of thousands of Spanish and England fans that have been gathering in the fan zones in Basel. The rain teemed down about two hours before kickoff but the sun came out shortly afterward and the skies above St. Jakob-Park have cleared up for now. Defending champions did it the hard way England got off to a rough start with a 2-1 defeat to France, becoming the first reigning champion to lose its opening match at a women's Euros. The team bounced back with a 4-0 victory over the Netherlands and a 6-1 thrashing of Wales. Then came the craziness of its quarterfinal against Sweden when it was trailing 2-0 with 12 minutes to go before equalizing and taking the match to extra time and a penalty shootout. There were nine failed penalty attempts before England finally triumphed 3-2. England left it even later in its semifinal against Italy. Teenager Michelle Agyemang leveled in stoppage time to force extra time and fellow substitute Chloe Kelly scored in the 119th minute to secure a 2-1 win, just as it appeared another penalty shootout was looming. (Almost) smooth sailing for Spain Spain swept through the group stage, winning all three matches against Portugal, Belgium and Italy — scoring 14 goals and conceding three. Spain found it tougher to get past Switzerland in the quarterfinals but finally broke the resistance of the host nation with two quickfire goals midway through the second half. Spain also missed two penalties and hit the woodwork three times. Like England, its semifinal lasted 120 minutes. It took a moment of magic from two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí in the 113th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Germany. ___ AP soccer:


Hamilton Spectator
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From hoops to Hall of Fame: Antonio Gates' unique NFL journey to Canton
Antonio Gates thought his path to a Hall of Fame career would have been in basketball. Instead, he became one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Gates will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, getting elected to Canton without playing college football. He played his entire 16-year career for the Bolts and finished with 116 receiving touchdowns, the most by a tight end in NFL history. 'My journey was probably the most unique journey in all of football because I came in as a former basketball player, not knowing what to expect,' Gates said. 'Some of those guys who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, they wanted to be Pro Football Hall of Famers when they were 14 years old. I wanted to play in the NBA. That was my dream. Like I said, I still haven't wrapped my head around it all.' Gates played both football and basketball during high school at Detroit Central. Nick Saban recruited Gates to play football at Michigan State, but he didn't play as a freshman. Gates also wanted to play basketball, but Saban disagreed. Gates transferred to Eastern Michigan, then to two junior colleges, and eventually to Kent State. It was at Kent State that Gates reached national prominence. He led the Golden Flashes to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament as a junior and an Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection as a senior after averaging 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Even though Gates was convinced he would get drafted in the NBA, at 6-foot-4, scouts saw him as an undersized post player. However, Tim Brewster, who was the Chargers' tight ends coach in 2003, saw in Gates the size and speed that he thought would make him a great tight end. Brewster saw Gates during a private workout and immediately began making his pitch to Marty Schottenheimer and the Chargers' front office to sign him as a free agent. 'A lot of people like to take credit, but Tim is the number one reason why I am in the Hall of Fame,' Gates said. 'He found me, believed what I could become, and was around me constantly. He really got me into a position where I look up, and I was All-Pro my second year in the field.' After having 24 receptions for 389 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, Gates had a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2004 en route to the first of three straight Associated Press All-Pro honors and eight consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl. He also had 81 catches for 964 yards. Even though he was catching a lot of passes, Gates' route-running didn't always get high marks from coaches. 'What I was doing as a rookie and in my second year was considered nontraditional. I would play well, but grade out bad because I creating a lane. And unfortunately, when you're creating something that's never been done or seen, it gets scrutinized. I would use my instinct to make the play.' Many of the things that Gates did with shape routes, pivot routes over the ball and tight ends releasing at the line of scrimmage are commonplace today with Kansas City's Travis Kelce and San Francisco's George Kittle. Gates utilized his basketball skills on the football field, as catching the ball at its highest point is similar to rebounding in the paint, as well as boxing out on the hardwood and trying to get open against a defensive back. Gates might have been outsized as a power forward, but he had an advantage going up against defensive backs who often were smaller than he was. Gates' career flourished under Norv Turner, the Chargers coach from 2007 through '12. Turner lined Gates up in different spots and also used more two tight end sets. Gates' route-running also improved under Turner and with Philip Rivers as the quarterback. 'He had to win on his route-running and his ability to separate and his understanding of coverages and all those things. Philip is as good a passer as there's been in a long time, but Philip wasn't going to move around and make a lot of plays off schedule,' Turner said. Gates finished with 955 receptions for 11,841 yards. He had 21 multi-touchdown games, the most among tight ends. Of his 116 touchdowns, 39 came on third down, which is tied for third all time. He had eight seasons with at least eight touchdowns and was a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Gates said the biggest thing he is looking forward to is being able to thank the people who helped him get to Canton. 'I've always been in a space where from a popularity standpoint, people know my name. It's my chance to thank everyone else,' he said. 'Although you are the face and the focus point, it's truly not about you. You're letting everybody understand what it took to get to this point and who were influential.' ___ AP NFL:


Newsweek
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This Cubs Rookie Could Be Crucial Down Stretch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Chicago Cubs are beginning to get excellent contributions from rookies. Between the post-All-Star break hot streak from rookie third baseman Matt Shaw to Saturday's excellent start from rookie right-hander Cade Horton, the rookies are producing. Horton especially, could be a pivotal part of what Cubs fans and front office members hope will be a deep postseason run. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 26: Pitcher Cade Horton #22 and catcher Carson Kelly #15 of the Chicago Cubs fist bump at the conclusion of the third inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox... CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 26: Pitcher Cade Horton #22 and catcher Carson Kelly #15 of the Chicago Cubs fist bump at the conclusion of the third inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 26, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. MoreHorton was Chicago's top pitching prospect entering the season after an offseason of recovering from injuries. He was promoted to make his MLB debut May 10 against the New York Mets and has been a mainstay in the rotation since then. After 6 1/3 shutout innings and a win against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, Horton is now 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA in his rookie campaign. Horton has been especially good over his last seven outings, as four of those have been scoreless outings with 5 2/3 innings pitched in each one of them. Four pitchers have had 4 scoreless starts of 5+ innings since June 1. Cade Horton Matthew Boyd Tarik Skubal Paul Skenes — Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) July 27, 2025 Horton had been struggling in road starts to the tune of a 6.35 ERA prior to Saturday's stellar outing. Saturday surely could've been a huge confidence boost and exactly what Horton needed to re-gain a little confidence. The Cubs will need him to maintain that confidence, as contributions from rookies in the postseason can be one of the keys to a deep run. Take the standout performance from Evan Carter two seasons ago. Carter burst onto the scene and had a .300 average with 10 extra-base hits and a .917 OPS during the Ranger's run to the World Series. Nobody will be expecting Horton to turn into prime Jake Arrieta during the postseason, bit if he can give Chicago multiple starts of five or six innings, the Cubs will have to like their chances of winnings those games. A postseason trio of Horton, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga would be one of the best in all of baseball and could be the reason Chicago wins its first World Series since 2016. More MLB: Dodgers to Consider Reunion With Playoff Hero: Report