Sports

Curveballs are disappearing in MLB as velocity obsession reshapes pitching landscape

ATLANTA (AP) — Curveballs are disappearing from Major League Baseball as pitchers prioritize velocity, emphasizing sliders and sweepers. Curveball usage dropped from 10.7% in 2019 to 8.4% this season, with 22,962 fewer thrown in 2024 than five years earlier. Pitchers and coaches say the focus has shifted to harder, faster pitches that generate more swings and misses. Batters are hitting .225 against curveballs this season, lower than fastballs. The game continues evolving toward power and speed.

Club World Cup marked by empty seats, searing heat, weather-delayed matches and Chelsea victory

An expanded Club World Cup marked by empty seats, slashed ticket prices, searing heat, weather-delayed matches and a criticized field surface ended in a surprise victory by Chelsea, the fourth-best team in the Premier League. Among the lasting lessons was FIFA’s decision to dramatically drop ticket costs as some kickoff times approached, which could impact decisions by fans thinking of attending next year’s World Cup. The 63 matches drew 2.49 million, about 62% of the listed capacity. While many matches were competitive, only a few games will be remembered for iconic moments.

Jannik Sinner wanted to win Wimbledon but he really needed to beat Carlos Alcaraz

LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner can look forward to his next matchup against Carlos Alcaraz now because he has finally ended a losing streak against his rival. Sinner wanted to win Wimbledon and it would have meant a lot to him no matter who the opponent was in the final. But that his fourth Grand Slam title came via a victory against Alcaraz in the final at the All England Club on Sunday means a lot to Sinner. The 23-year-old Italian had lost his past five matches in a row against Alcaraz. That included a setback in the French Open final five weeks ago.

Rory McIlroy returns home for the British Open ready to embrace the love

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Rory McIlroy is back at Royal Portrush and feeling plenty of love as the Masters champion. It’s far different from when the British Open was last held in Northern Ireland. He was overwhelmed by the support and wound up missing the cut. McIlroy says he tried to treat 2019 like another Open. This time he is ready to embrace it. He now has the career Grand Slam. He wants to play well for the home crowd. But he’s a lot more at peace and energized about another crack at Royal Portrush. He played 18 holes before bad weather arrived.

NASCAR teams 23XI and Front Row seek urgent court order to retain charters

The two race teams suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations filed for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to be recognized as chartered organizations for the remainder of 2025. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked into a lengthy legal battle over the charter system, which is the equivalent of the franchise model in other sports. The case is winding its way through the court system but now with urgency: the teams are set to lose their charters Wednesday and in the latest filing, they allege NASCAR has indicated it will immediately begin the process of selling the six tags that guarantee entry into every race as well as monetary rewards and other benefits.

British Open: How to watch, what’s at stake, betting odds

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — The British Open is the final major of the year and unlike the other three. It starts Thursday at Royal Portrush. This is the only major played on links golf, where the excitement starts when the ball returns to the turf. Shane Lowry won the last time at Royal Portrush. Xander Schauffele won last year. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the leading favorites. This is only the third time the R&A has taken the Open Championship to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. The crowd is expected to be 278,000 for the week, the second-largest in British Open history.

Iga Swiatek is at No. 3 after Wimbledon and Amanda Anisimova is in the top 10. Sinner still No. 1

LONDON (AP) — Iga Swiatek’s Wimbledon championship has moved her up to No. 3 in the WTA rankings, and Amanda Anisimova’s runner-up finish allowed the American to break into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7. Jannik Sinner’s title at the All England Club kept him at No. 1 in the ATP, followed by runner-up Carlos Alcaraz. A year ago, Anisimova was ranked 189th and wasn’t able to get into the field at the All England Club automatically. So she tried to qualify but lost. This year, Anisimova was seeded at Wimbledon and made it all the way to her first Grand Slam final, beating No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals before losing to Swiatek 6-0, 6-0.

Aaron Judge is barreling toward the hallowed 500-homer club. He might be joined by several peers

Aaron Judge became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 350 home runs on Saturday. It feels inevitable that the Bronx slugger will eventually join the hallowed 500-homer club in the coming years. He might have some company. Roughly a dozen players could reach 500 over the next decade, including Mike Trout, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. The group is reminiscent of a stretch from 2001 to 2009 when Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. were among nine sluggers to reach 500.

Saquon Barkley is selected as top running back by the AP after a record-setting season

Saquon Barkley’s first season in Philadelphia featured record performances on the field, a Super Bowl title and a new contract that is the richest ever for a running back. Barkley’s performance with the Eagles also helped him score the honor of being voted the top running back in the league by The Associated Press. A panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked Barkley first, followed by Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey.

A mix of youth and chemistry has Red Sox rolling into All-Star break on 10-game winning streak

BOSTON (AP) — Many of the Boston Red Sox players started wearing T-shirts during batting practice and in the clubhouse the past week with a quote from teammate Romy Gonzalez written across the front. It says: “Tremendously locked in.” They certainly look that way heading into the All-Star break.