World Cup News
Seattle hosted its first World Cup match this afternoon as we hit Day 5 of the international soccer tournament.
Belgium and Egypt played to a 1-1 draw at Lumen Field, which has been renamed “Seattle Stadium” for the duration of the World Cup.
Seattle will host its next match this Friday when the US plays Australia at noon. The US is riding high after earning a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay in its group-stage opener last Friday.
Also today, Cape Verde stunned the world by notching a scoreless draw against Spain, who entered as the odds-on favorite to win the tournament.
Mariners News
The Mariners are back home this week after a disappointing end to their road trip out East.
The M’s pitching struggled over the weekend, losing their final two games against the Nationals by a combined score of 18-3. Emerson Hancock got lit up yesterday and the Nationals used a five-run fourth inning to clinch the series in DC.
The Mariners have the day off today, as their lead in the AL West has been cut to just a single game over the Athletics and Rangers.
They’ve also fallen victim to the injury bug as Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Andres Munoz all left games with injuries during their series against the Nats. But reinforcements are on the way, with Cal Raleigh and JP Crawford expected to return to the team this week after stints on the Injured List. Cal has caught fire with the Tacoma Rainiers, hitting two more home runs on Saturday after missing the past month of Seattle’s games with an oblique strain.
The M’s are now back at T-Mobile Park for a six-game homestand, starting tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles. Coverage begins at 5:30 and first pitch is at 6:40 on KPUG.
Bells News
Meanwhile, the Bells are about to hit the road after a successful stand at home.
Bellingham beat the Portland Pickles 9-5 yesterday to win the series in a rematch of last year’s West Coast League championship.
The Pickles opened with a monster five-run first inning, but the Bells went on to score nine unanswered runs in a resilient win. First baseman Matt Churchill hit a home run and five other Bells had a multi-hit game.
They now own a 9-6 record, which is good for second place in the North Division and two games behind the first-place Wenatchee AppleSox.
The Bells have the day off today before hitting the road for a three-game series in Port Angeles.
NBA/NHL Finals News
The NBA and NHL each crowned a new champion over the weekend.
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on Saturday to win their first championship since 1973. Jalen Brunson earned Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in the clincher, including 13 straight in the 4th quarter.
It caps off a historic stretch where the Knicks rallied from double-digit deficits in all four of their wins throughout the five-game series.
Then, yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 to win their first Stanley Cup in 20 years. Jordan Staal won playoff MVP after leading the team with six goals throughout the finals.
College Football News
There’s been a new development in the legal saga that has split the college football world.
ESPN reports that the NCAA claims a district judge overstepped in granting Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction that will allow him to play the upcoming season. The association is now asking an appeals court for an expedited resolution before the season kicks off.
Under last week’s district court ruling, Sorsby could play for Texas Tech after sitting out the first two games of the season. But the decision has come under fire from opposing schools since Sorsby has admitted to gambling on college football.
