The Sportsletter - Midsummer Mash-Up

BY JEFF YODER

JULY 9, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

It was a slow sports Monday coming back from the break, but we're picking up steam into the week ahead. The MLB Home Run Derby field is almost set. The WNBA halftime checkpoint has arrived. And there's an American underdog scorching Wimbledon. T-minus two weeks to Olympics coverage (but who's counting?).

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MLB

Pre-All-Star Power Rankings 📊

Photo: G Flume / Getty Images

Orioles & Yankees Swap in Final MLB Power Rankings Before MLB All-Star Week

The MLB season is beyond the 90-game mark and speeding towards All-Star Week. The ASG rosters are set, and pennant races are starting to take shape leading up to the end-of-the-month trade deadline. July is a make-or-break month for several clubs on the bubble. Buyers and sellers are coming. For now, it’s our first July look at the power rankings before the All-Star break. The Yankees fell apart the past two weeks. The Orioles took their place atop the AL East. The Twins, Guardians, Brewers, and the resurgent Braves are also kicking things up a notch. Here’s how we see it:

MLB Power Rankings

1. Phillies (58-32) —

2. Orioles (57-33) ↑3

3. Guardians (56-33) —

4. Dodgers (55-36) —

5. Yankees (55-37) ↓3

6. Brewers (53-38) —

7. Twins (52-39) ↑1

8. Braves (50-39) ↑2

9. Red Sox (49-40) —

10. Mariners (49-43) ↓3

Teams 11-20: 11. Royals (49-43), 12. Padres (49-45), 13. Cardinals (48-42), 14. Astros (46-44), 15. Mets (44-45), 16. Diamondbacks (45-46), 17. Giants (44-47), 18. Rangers (43-48), 19. Tigers (43-48), 20. Rays (44-46)

Teams 21-30: 21. Pirates (43-47), 22. Reds (43-48), 23. Cubs (42-29), 24. Nationals (42-49), 25. Blue Jays (41-49), 26. Angels (37-53), 27. Athletics (34-58), 28. Rockies (32-59), 29. Marlins (32-58), 30. White Sox (26-67)

B/R: MLB Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands 1 Week Before All-Star Break

CBS Sports: MLB Power Rankings: Yankees Giving Fans 2022 Deja Vu With Recent Slide

TENNIS

Wimbledon: Fritz on Fire 🔥

Photo: Julian Finney / Getty Images

American #13 Taylor Fritz Rallies From 2 Sets Down to Upset #4 Alexander Zverev in 5-Set Stunner

The first men’s singles stunner at Wimbledon! American #13 Taylor Fritz knocked off #4 Alexander Zverev with a vigorous comeback Monday at the All England Club. Zverev was the first top-4 seed to fall from the men’s draw. The German juggernaut led 2-0 in what looked to be a runaway before Fritz caught fire. The American pulled off a fourth-set tiebreaker worthy of legend before cruising in the fifth set with an attitude. Zverev held the advantage in aces (19-15) and serve percentage (76-71), but Fritz never folded. The 26-year-old Fritz has never won a grand slam, but he’s as close once again. The quarterfinal bid equals his best major finish — a feat he’s accomplished four times in the past two years. He’s never reached the semis.

Watch: Fritz Rallies Past Zverev in 5-Set Stunner

#13 T. Fritz def. #4 A. Zverev (4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3)

Men’s Singles (Round of 16)

#2 N. Djokovic def. #15 H. Rune (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)

#9 A. de Minaur def. A. Fils (6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3)

#25 L. Musetti def. G. M-Perricard (4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2)

Women’s Singles (Round of 16)

#11 D. Collins def. #31 B. Krejcikova (7-5, 6-3)

#13 J. Ostapenko def. Y. Putintseva (6-2, 6-3)

#4 E. Rybakina def. #17 A. Kalinskaya (6-3, 3-0 W/O)

Today’s Schedule (Quarterfinals)

M: #1 J. Sinner vs. #5 D. Medvedev (8:30 am ET)

M: #3 C. Alcaraz vs. #12 T. Paul (9:15 am ET)

W: L. Radovcic vs. D. Vekic (8:00 am ET)

W: #7 J. Paolini vs. #19 E. Navarro (10:30 am ET)

Reuters: Victorious Svitolina Wears Black Ribbon for Ukraine After Tough Day

WNBA

The 'W' Midseason Checkpoint

Photo: Michael Hickey / Getty Images

WNBA All-Star Rosters Were Announced Over the Holiday Break as Season Passes Halftime Point

It’s time for the mid-season WNBA check-in. From Caitlin Clark’s revival of the Fever to the Minnesota Lynx’s Commissioner’s Cup title, a lot has happened in the first half of the season. The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game rosters were revealed last week for next week's game (July 20). The contest will serve as a tune-up for the Women’s Team USA roster against the next 12 selections via fan voting. It’s the second time the ‘W’ star showcase will feature the Team WNBA vs. Team USA format. We’ve also got a quick look at the current WNBA standings after 20 games (with 20 to play). Here’s the snapshot:

🏀 Team WNBA: DeWanna Bonner (Sun), Brionna Jones (Sun), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Caitlin Clark (Fever), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever), Arike Ogunbowale (Wings), Angel Reese (Sky), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Allisha Gray (Dream), Dearica Hamby (Sparks), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Nneka Ogwumike (Storm)

🇺🇸 Team USA (National Team): Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Aces), A’ja Wilson (Aces), Jackie Young (Aces), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (Sun), Jewell Loyd (Storm)

WNBA Standings

1. New York Liberty (17-4)

2. Connecticut Sun (17-4)

3. Minnesota Lynx (15-6)

4. Seattle Storm (14-7)

5. Las Vegas Aces (13-7)

6. Phoenix Mercury (11-10)

7. Indiana Fever (9-13)

8. Chicago Sky (8-12)

In the Hunt: Atlanta Dream (7-13), Los Angeles Sparks (5-16), Washington Mystics (5-17), Dallas Wings (5-17) | *Top-8 Make Playoffs

CBS Sports: 2024 WNBA All-Star Rosters: Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese to Unite for 1st Time

HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

⚾️ MLB

Reds Blank Rockies (6-0)

Elly De La Cruz Steals 45th Base

Braves Best D-Backs in Extras (5-4, 11 Innings)

Eddie Rosario Returns, Sean Murphy Hits HR in 9th

Twins Escape White Sox (8-6, 11 Innings)

Minnesota Hits 3 HRs, Wins 3rd Straight

🏀 NBA Summer League

76ers def. Thunder (102-92)

Rickie Council IV Drops 29 Points

Jazz def. Grizzlies (97-95, OT)

Zach Edey Forces OT With Buzzer-Beater Tip-In

STORYLINES

⚾️ Reactions to MLB All-Star Picks

Thirty-two new All-Stars. Seventeen new pitchers. All ready to rock and roll next week at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Here’s one thing to know about each of the 64 2024 MLB All-Stars in this year’s Midsummer Classic. (Yahoo! Sports)

⛳️ The 2025 USA Ryder Cup Captain

Tiger Woods won’t be the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain. Woods reportedly turned down the offer, leading the PGA of America to go off-script with a unique choice for next year’s event at Bethpage Black: Keegan Bradley. (Sports Illustrated)

⚽️ Who Should Coach USMNT?

Calls for Gregg Berhalter’s job are growing louder by the day. It’s clear the U.S. men’s national team needs a new direction. Which coaches might be able to right the ship? Here are 16 potential replacements. (ESPN)

NEWS 📰

⚾️ Marcell Ozuna & Bobby Witt Jr. Join MLB Home Run Derby Field (CBS Sports)

⛳️ Tiger Woods Declines Ryder Cup Captaincy for Team USA in 2025 (B/R)

🏀 Dan Hurley Agrees to New 6-Year, $50 Million Extension at UConn (CBS Sports)

⚽️ England-Netherlands Referee Previously Served Match-Fixing Ban (ESPN)

🏀 After Klay Thompson Exit, Steph Curry Believes Warriors Are Last NBA Dynasty (SI)

🏈 NFL Suspends Steelers CB Cam Sutton 8 Games for Violating Personal Conduct Policy (AP News)

🏅 LSU’s Multimillionaire Gymnast Olivia Dunne Returning for 5th Year (Yahoo! Sports)

⛳️ Nelly Korda Returns to LPGA Tour After Dog Bite Incident (NBC Sports)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

🎾 Wimbledon (Quarterfinals)

M: #1 J. Sinner vs. #5 D. Medvedev (8:30 am ET)

M: #3 C. Alcaraz vs. #12 T. Paul (9:15 am ET)

W: L. Radovcic vs. D. Vekic (8:00 am ET)

W: #7 J. Paolini vs. #19 E. Navarro (10:30 am ET)

*Wimbledon Coverage on ESPN

⚽️ Soccer (Semi-Finals)

EURO: 🇪🇸 Spain vs. 🇫🇷 France (3:00 pm ET, FOX)

COPA: 🇦🇷 Argentina vs. 🇨🇦 Canada (8:00 pm ET, FS1)

⚾️ MLB

Dodgers at Phillies (7:10 pm ET, TBS)

Braves at Diamondbacks (9:40 pm ET, MLBN)

Blue Jays at Giants (9:45 pm ET, ESPN+)

POLL 🗓️

Question of the Day

The month of July brings a twist to our usual sports programming. We’re curious: Aside from the Olympics, which July sports event are you most excited about? (click to vote)

🎾 Wimbledon

⚾️ MLB All-Star Week / Home Run Derby

⚽️ International Soccer (Euros, Copa America)

⛳️ The Open Championship

🚴 Tour de France

🏀 WNBA All-Star Game

*We’ll Shift to our Olympics Coverage in Mid-July

THE TEAM

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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