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3:46 PM ET

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Delayed a year due to the pandemic, the much-awaited Ryder Cup delivered, even if the final-day drama was missing. Plenty of passion and pageantry, a slew of impressive shots and putts, the usual nitpicky irritation between both sides and — in the end — a joyous winning team and a losing side vowing to do better the next time.

The United States defeated Europe 19-9 in the most lopsided result since continental Europe became part of the competition in 1979. The Americans won four of the five sessions and tied the other, never allowing Europe to get any momentum and seemingly taking out years and years of Ryder Cup frustration in the process.

A few American stars emerged. Europe’s Jon Rahm lived up his No. 1 ranking in the world. There was plenty to take away from this competition as the runup to the next Ryder Cup, slated for Rome in 2023, begins.

The U.S. is loaded for years, but …

Youth was served at Whistling Straits. The Americans delivered. The six rookies went 14-4-3, the most by any collection of first-timers in a single Ryder Cup since the 1979 American team. So much for experience.

Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele have staying power among the first-timers. Scottie Scheffler — who became the first player in the modern era to win a Ryder Cup before winning a PGA Tour event — proved more than capable, especially as a partner for Bryson DeChambeau. Throw in Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, and that is a powerhouse bunch of young players.

And that doesn’t include Brooks Koepka or Daniel Berger. And what about Dustin Johnson, who led the way with a 5-0 record? At 37, he is not going anywhere. Tony Finau has been very good in two Ryder Cups and a Presidents Cup. What if Rickie Fowler regains form? Patrick Reed? It’s going to be a tough team to make. Future captains will have enormous firepower.

But … you always have to be careful with the Ryder Cup. This time, the lineup on paper that was favored prevailed in a big way. That rarely happens. Players fall out of form. The venue matters. And Europe, despite the likely loss of some veteran players, will regroup.

The home-course advantage is real

That’s four straight victories for the home team. In each case, there was no secret the courses — Gleneagles (2014), Hazeltine (2016) Le Golf National (2018) and Whistling Straits (2021) — were set up to favor the home side.

“I said at the start of the week, it seems the way the Ryder Cup is going, the home team certainly has an advantage every time that we play this thing,” said Rory McIlroy. “That was apparent in Paris a couple years ago. I think it was pretty apparent this week, as well. You go back to Hazeltine, same sort of thing. This is the pattern that we are on.”

It is fair to wonder if this has gone too far. There is an inherent advantage already for the Europeans when they play a home match. In almost all instances, the venue stages as European Tour event, as will be the case in Rome in two years. The Americans were in a great position at Whistling Straits early this year. Those seem like advantages.

But you can bet that without any kind of change, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club will have narrow fairways and deep rough for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Garcia and Johnson were named the inaugural winners of the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award presented by Aon, which is meant to recognize showing sportsmanship in the manner of Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin and the 1969 “concession.” At times throughout this career, that might have seemed unlikely for Garcia. But he has become an older statesman for the European side and showed plenty of game, despite a singles loss to DeChambeau. At 41, he has now played in 10 Ryder Cups, holds the record for most points earned and most matches won. And he’s not planning on going away.

Dustin Johnson, Ryder Cup star

On Thursday evening — following the opening ceremony — Johnson changed out of his sports coat and tie and headed to the practice range to work on his game. That seemed an ominous sign, with three days of practice already behind and the intensity of the Ryder cup to begin in roughly 14 hours.

Either Johnson found something or he simply was refining what was working, because he had a historic week.

Johnson became the first American to go 5-0 at a Ryder Cup since Larry Nelson in 1979. He was just the fifth person to do so. He was 7-9 in the Ryder Cup before this week. For the week, he never trailed by more than one hole in any of his matches. He made eight birdies on Sunday in his match with Paul Casey.

Last hurrah?

It is quite possible we’ve seen the last of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter in the Ryder Cup. Both won their Sunday singles, so if it is the end, they went out with one last great memory. Both have provided their share over the years.

But in 2023, Westwood will be 50, Poulter 47. Both did not rule out making the team, but know how difficult the task will be. Westwood came to tears afterward talking about playing with his son, Sam, as his caddie. It was his 47th Ryder Cup match, tying the record held by Phil Mickelson. Poulter said the situation makes “you wish you were 20 years old again.”

“I’ve only lost one other one, and it’s dismal,” Poulter said of being on only two losing teams. “Watching the guys out on 18 enjoying themselves is something that you come into this week with visions of that happening for you as a team.

“We’ve got a great team this week, and we were outplayed. Every session was difficult. They did their job, and they made it painful for us. This one’s going to hurt for a bit. But you know what, it’s things like that that make you stronger going forward.”

Brooks-Bryson are buds

Well, at least they were for a few hours. We will see how that whole scenario plays out after months of bickering, some of it silly. They put their differences aside at the Ryder Cup. Stricker claims they wanted to play together. They hugged. Posed for photos.

And if they do, indeed, end up in some made-for-TV match, feel free to be skeptical over these last months of tension.

The next captains

Nobody was willing to go there at this point, but both teams will have new captains within months, almost certainly after the beginning of the new year. Stricker made it clear he would be moving aside, because a plan is in place for the next American captain.

And you can read between the lines. All signs pointed to Zach Johnson being the 2022 U.S. Presidents Cup captain in Charlotte. But a major curveball was thrown when the PGA Tour announced Davis Love III as the captain instead. He’s already captained two U.S. Ryder Cup teams. He was an assistant in Paris and at Whistling Straits. It seems an odd choice, and it likely meant some other plans fell through.

It is possible that both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have passed on the 2023 Ryder Cup. Mickelson wasn’t going to take the Presidents Cup job next year, and Johnson can’t take it if he’s going to be the 2023 Ryder Cup captain. So Johnson, a two-time major winner who has assisted on numerous teams, seems likely to lead the Americans to Rome and try to break a 30-year road winless streak.

For Europe, Westwood is the likely choice … unless he decides he wants to try to play, in which case he has a big decision to make — and soon. Poulter seems destined for Bethpage in 2025 — where Woods or Mickelson could go against him. Other possibilities for Europe would be Luke Donald, Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell. But it gets complicated if Westwood declines in the short term.

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

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July 8, 2025

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: Who is the slugger to beat?

Jul 7, 2025, 04:11 PM ET

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is starting to take shape.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. become the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He has since been followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins.

As the entrants are announced, we’ll add them to the running list below — and break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more

2025 home runs: 9 | Longest: 467 feet

Why he could win: Acuna has been crushing it since he returned to the lineup May 23 after knee surgery. Indeed, his numbers are even better than during his MVP season in 2023. It should help that he’ll be hitting in front of his home fans in Atlanta: Todd Frazier in Cincinnati in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018 rode the loud support to Derby titles. Acuna’s raw power should also translate well to the Derby: Among players with at least 500 at-bats since 2023, he has the longest average home run distance in the majors.

Why he might not: Will he run into Pete Alonso again? Acuna competed in the 2019 and 2022 contests, losing both times to Alonso by a single home run (in the semifinals in 2019 and in the first round in 2022). The home-field advantage can also perhaps be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first with 41 home runs but then tired out in the second round.

2025 home runs: 35 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, with 32 home runs, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.

2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.

2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he can win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he won’t: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.

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Pham homer ends Pirates’ 30-inning scoreless run

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July 8, 2025

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Pham homer ends Pirates' 30-inning scoreless run

  • ESPN News Services

Jul 7, 2025, 09:23 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Pittsburgh Pirates are back on the board after Tommy Pham‘s two-run home run in the third inning at Kansas City on Monday night ended a 30-inning scoreless streak.

The Pirates had been shut out in all three games at Seattle during their previous series.

However, they tallied another loss against the Royals, losing 9-3.

The scoreless streak included Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Mariners in which Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes threw 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings before the Pirates gave up a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Before beginning this nine-game trip with the sweep by the Mariners, the Pirates had blanked the St. Louis Cardinals in three consecutive home games. Their streak of playing in six straight shutouts matched the longest in major league history.

Pham, a 12-year veteran who is in his first season with the Pirates, bookended the scoreless skid with RBIs. He drove in a seventh-inning run with a groundout Wednesday during the 5-0 victory over the Cardinals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Vaughn homers in first Brewers AB: ‘It’s special’

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July 8, 2025

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Vaughn homers in first Brewers AB: 'It's special'

  • Associated Press

Jul 7, 2025, 05:12 PM ET

MILWAUKEE — Andrew Vaughn is back in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers and making quite an early impression with his new team.

The Brewers called up the former Chicago White Sox slugger from the minors on Monday after a sprained left thumb landed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the injured list. In his Brewers debut, Vaughn smashed a three-run homer off All-Star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first inning of Milwaukee’s 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vaughn acknowledged his homer felt particularly good given the circumstances.

“You definitely black out running around the bases,” he said. “It’s special. It put us ahead against a really good pitcher and really good team.”

Vaughn became the fifth player in franchise history to homer in his first plate appearance with the club. He was the first Brewers hitter to accomplish the feat since Gabe Gross in 2006.

And it’s just the start Vaughn could use as he seeks to rejuvenate his career.

The 27-year-old Vaughn hit 72 homers for the White Sox from 2021-24, but he had tailed off lately. He posted a .699 OPS last year that was a career low at the time. He followed that up by batting .189 with a .218 on-base percentage, five homers and 19 RBI in 48 games for Chicago before getting sent to the minors on May 23.

After acquiring Vaughn in a June 13 trade that sent pitcher Aaron Civale to the White Sox, the Brewers kept him in the minors. A spot on the big league roster opened up when Hoskins got hurt last weekend.

Vaughn gives the Brewers a right-handed option to pair with left-handed hitter Jake Bauers at first base while Hoskins is out. Bauers, 29, is batting .214 with a .331 on-base percentage, five homers and 18 RBI in 54 games this season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Hoskins’ stay on the injured list “can be weeks, not days,” potentially giving Vaughn an extended audition. Hoskins, 32, has hit .242 with a .340 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 42 RBI in 82 games.

Vaughn had been hitting .259 with a .338 on-base percentage, three homers and 16 RBI in 16 games with the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville affiliate.

That represented a major step forward after his struggles with the White Sox.

“I feel like my swing consistency’s been a lot better – swing decisions, just working in the cage and getting it right,” Vaughn said before Monday’s game. “There were some keys I worked on, just simple things. Don’t want to do a whole revamp of the swing because it’s probably impossible during the season, most hitters would say. Just small keys and getting it right.”

Vaughn wasted no time endearing himself to his new teammates. He started a 3-6-3 double play to end the top of the first inning before delivering his 409-foot shot over the wall in left-center field in the bottom half.

“To have him show up first day, not know anybody at noon, and then he’s in there and then kind of get a huge hit in the first inning to kind of open things up was a great way to say, ‘Here I am,'” Murphy said.

Vaughn is eager to keep making those kind of statements.

“That’s pretty cool, just to be a part of something bigger than myself, being part of the Brewers,” Vaughn said. “Just trying to do anything I can to help this team win.”

In other Brewers news, shortstop Joey Ortiz was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight game after going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts Saturday in a 4-2 loss at Miami. Ortiz is hitting .209 with a .269 on-base percentage, six homers and 28 RBI in 87 games this season, though he showed progress by posting a .748 OPS in June.

Murphy said Ortiz has been swinging better lately, but must make better swing decisions.

“I want him to give me his best approach at the plate,” Murphy said before Monday’s game. “We’ve given him a lot. We’re playing him every day, and we need him, and he can’t just have lapses at the plate like that. He’s got to fight through that.”

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