Yankees, Astros Kick Off MLB’s Second Half
Major League Baseball returns for its second half of the season today after an All-Star break that lasted one day shorter than usual because of the lockout that delayed the start of the season. There are plenty of questions that might be answered in the next few weeks, namely what the future holds for Nationals star Juan Soto as trade rumors swirl.
We’ve got a month until the WNBA playoffs, a little more than that until college football and only a bit longer until the NFL season kicks off. Until then, sit back and enjoy America’s Pastime, especially when it produces matchups that could be playoff previews.
A quick note: Due to COVID-19, sports schedules are fluid and subject to change.
MUST WATCH:
New York Yankees at Houston Astros
Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports
Baseball’s second half starts with a bang as the two best teams in the American League meet for a doubleheader in Houston. These two teams met last month in a four-game set in the Bronx that lived up to the hype and more, with the Yankees winning on a pair of walk-off hits by Aaron Judge but the Astros pitching staff mostly neutralizing what is one of the most explosive offenses in baseball. If either of these two games are as exciting as the four these teams played back in June, we’re in for a treat.
Doubleheader: Games at 1:10 and 6:40 p.m. ET, MLB Network, watch on fuboTV
READ MORE:
- The Soto Sweepstakes and Other Top Stories to Follow Over MLB’s Final Months (Tom Verducci)
- Julio Rodríguez Was the Breakout Star of MLB’s All-Star Week (Nick Selbe)
- Along for the Ride As a Cuban Baseball Prospect Defects to the U.S. (Greg Bishop)
- Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani MVP Race Is on a Historic Track (Tom Verducci)
LINEUP:
• Atlanta Dream at Los Angeles Sparks | With less than a month to go in the WNBA regular season, the race is on to secure playoff spots for teams such as the Dream and Sparks. When these teams first met back in May, Atlanta stole a 77–75 win behind 21 points from rookie sensation Rhyne Howard. One other key for the Dream’s playoff push: The play of Aari McDonald, who has reinvented herself after a rough rookie season in 2021. 3:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV, watch on fuboTV
• The Captain | The second and third parts of this seven-part docuseries on Derek Jeter air tonight. These episodes document the beginning of Jeter’s career with the Yankees and early World Series wins that are still a huge part of his legacy. 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, watch on fuboTV
• San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers | The Dodgers own a 10-game lead in the NL West, having pulled away early this year after the Giants beat them for the division crown a season ago. But there’s still plenty to play for in this one as the second half of the season gets underway, as the Giants are in the thick of a wild-card chase and the Dodgers want to lock up the top spot in the National League. 10:09 p.m. ET, ESPN, watch on fuboTV
HIDDEN GEM:
New York Liberty at Washington Mystics
It has been a banner July for Sabrina Ionescu, who tallied the WNBA’s first-ever 30-point triple-double earlier this month and has put up a few other eye-popping statlines of late for the Liberty. But that hasn’t been enough for New York to lock in a playoff spot, as the Liberty now have fallen into 11th place in the crowded bottom of the league standings. The Liberty need wins quickly, so today’s game against Elena Delle Donne and the Mystics feels important … particularly with two games against the league-leading Sky coming up in the next 10 days.
11:30 a.m. ET, NBA TV, watch on fuboTV
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