The Sportsletter - Max's Message ⚾️

BY JEFF YODER, MATTHEW CAHILL & MARISSA KASCH

JULY 12, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

The lead-up to the Open Championship and MLB All-Star festivities means we're gearing up for a wild week ahead. But first, Mad Max stole the show on Monday, and NBA summer league action is showing us who's who on the court.

Letter Rip!

MLB

Mad Max Sends a Message

Photo: Brett Davis / Getty Images

Mets Pick up a Much Needed Win Over the Braves Thanks to Another Great Start From Max Scherzer (By Matthew Cahill)

After trailing New York by as many as 10.5 games in the NL East earlier in June, the Braves cut the deficit all the way down to a game and a half heading into Monday night where they kicked off a massive three-game series against the Mets. However, Max Scherzer halted Atlanta in their tracks as he struck out ten batters over seven innings to lead his Mets to a 4-1 victory. The 37 year old recently missed seven weeks with an oblique injury, but his return along with Jacob deGrom set to come back sometime this month couldn’t one at a better time for New York. The Mets now find themselves in a tight division race against the defending champs, who have certainly hit their stride after a slow start. 

Watch: Max Scherzer's Brilliant Performance Leads Mets Past Braves

Additional Storylines

NY Post: Max Scherzer Dominates as Mets Beat Braves in Series-Opener

SI: Jacob deGrom to Make 3rd Rehab Start for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday

NBA

Summer League Standouts

Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Top Performers in the NBA Summer League

While the summer sports schedule hits a lull in the early week, the NBA’s young stars are getting reps in Las Vegas. During Week 1, plenty of rookies and second-year players showed us what they’re capable of. Here are some of the top performers:

Paolo Banchero (Magic)

The No. 1 pick averaged 20 points, six assists and five rebounds in his two summer league showings before the Magic ended his stint in Las Vegas.

Kevon Harris (Timberwolves)

The play of the summer league might belong to Kevon Harris with an and-1 poster on the Nuggets’ Matt Mitchell.

Chet Holmgren (Thunder)

The No. 2 overall pick made his presence felt. He finished three summer league games with an average 15 points, nine rebounds rebounds and a whopping four blocks.

JT Thor (Hornets)

The shot of the week belonged to JT Thor with a game-winning 3 to lift the Hornets to a double-overtime win (89-86).

Additional Storylines

ESPN: NBA Summer League 2022: Memorable Plays From Opening Weekend

SI: Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Drops 30 Points in Summer League Against Hawks

PGA

Schauffele Heating Up

Photo: Steve Welsh / Getty Images

Xander Schauffele Wins Second Straight Tournament Before Open Championship

Xander Schauffele’s victory at the Scottish Open on Sunday marked his third straight win in his last three events, and his fourth victory in the last 12 months. Needless to say, Schauffele is heating up at the right time with The Open Championship coming up this weekend at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. Though The Open will be a much bigger challenge, Schauffele is playing his best game and proving he has what it takes to contend ahead of a major.

The Scottish Open was a weekend of wild ups and downs for Schauffele. On Saturday, he bogeyed his final two holes, dropping two strokes going into Sunday. He carded a 66 on Saturday, finishing four under on the round. Though Schauffele still held a two-stroke lead after his round on Saturday, his final two holes allowed competitors back in as Sunday approached.

On Sunday, Schauffele started strong, birdieing his first two holes and further padding his lead. However, the tide changed again for Schauffele, as he bogeyed three of the four last holes on the front nine. Going into the back nine, Kurt Kitayama and Joohyung Kim shared the lead with Schauffele while Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, and Jordan Spieth made a push of their own.

But then, Schauffele worked the magic once again with two more birdies on the back nine, reclaiming his two shot lead. Though he bogeyed number 18, he still emerged victorious with a one shot win (-7) over Kurt Kitayama.

All eyes are on Schauffele this weekend as he prepares to tee up in golf’s oldest major, facing tough competition.

Watch: Schauffele Wins Scottish Open

Additional Storylines

Golf.com: 3 Weeks, 3 Countries, 3 Wins: Schauffele Shines at Scottish Open

SI: British Open Bettors’ Roundtable: Experts Pick Favorites, Sleepers & Best Bets

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

⚽️ SOC: USWNT Scores Late to Top Mexico

The U.S. Women’s National Team eliminated Mexico from 2023 World Cup qualification with a close-out win in Group A on Monday night (1-0). Kristie Mewis scored in the 89th minute to break the tie. The USWNT will face Costa Rica in the semifinal on Thursday.

THE STORYLINES

⚾️ The Most Desperate MLB Teams

It's at the point of the MLB season when it's time for franchises to make tough decisions. With the Aug. 2 trade deadline approaching, they have to decide whether to buy, sell or stand pat. (Bleacher Report)

⛳️ Rory McIlroy Rips LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour's most vocal critic of the LIV Golf, has spoken out again. “There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf,” said McIlroy. “I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow, I’d be super happy.” (USA Today)

🏀 NBA Summer League Tracker

The league wastes little time getting its newest members into game action, and though Summer League rosters are vastly different from regular-season ones, each game represents a meaningful opportunity for rookies to perform against professional peers. (FOX Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Avalanche Sign Valeri Nichushkin to 8-Year Extension Worth $49 Million (ESPN)

• Deandre Ayton Close to Signing With Pacers in Sign-and-Trade (CBS Sports)

• Warriors Governor Joe Lacob Has ‘Standing Offer’ to Buy Oakland Athletics (B/R)
• Wayne Rooney Set to Become D.C. United’s Next Manager (SI)
• Justice Department Investigating PGA Tour Over LIV Questions (Yahoo! Sports)
• Condoleezza Rice Joins Broncos’ New Ownership Group (ESPN)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Content Intern: Marissa Kasch

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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