Euro 2025: England defender Jess Carter not in starting lineup to face Italy in semifinals
Esme Morgan, who plays for Washington Spirit in the United States, was selected to partner England captain Leah Williamson in the center of defense.
Carter revealed on Sunday she has been the target of racist abuse online during the tournament, and the English soccer federation reported the abuse to police at home.
Carter, who is Black, had started in all four of England's games so far at Euro 2025 and she was praised by coach Sarina Wiegman on the eve of the game for being ready to play.
'The decision is based on the tactical challenges we have, and we think that in this game, it is best to put Esme in,' Wiegman told ITV on Tuesday. "Jess is good. Of course a lot of things going on, but she's good, she trained well, she is ready to compete and ready to play.'
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USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
Ichiro Suzuki becomes comedian during Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech
COOPERSTOWN, NY. — The day was filled with passionate speeches, inspirational messages, and ended Sunday with a comedy show by the least suspecting Hall of Famer, with most of the audience unaware he even spoke English. Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese Hall of Famer in baseball history, brought down the house with one of the most humorous speeches since the late Bob Uecker. Suzuki, who has had a full-time interpreter since he arrived in the United States in 2001, delivered his entire speech in English, cracking jokes with a perfect delivery, entertaining the crowd of 30,000 at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. He was one of five players inducted in the 76th induction ceremony, joined by CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner and the late Dick Allen and Dave Parker. 'People often measure me by my records,'' Suzuki said. '3,000 hits, 10 Gold Gloves, 10 seasons of 200 hits. Not bad, huh? But the truth is that without baseball, you would say, 'This guy is such a dumbass.'" Suzuki's comedy act was just beginning, reciting baseball stats, his 3,089 hits, his record 262-hit season, and saying how his career was recognized by the Baseball Writers Association of America, but it still wasn't good enough for the one anonymous writer who didn't vote for him, preventing him from joining Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous Hall of Famers in history. He paused, listened to the laughter from the crowd, and then with a perfect delivery said, 'Oh, by the way, and that offer for that writer to have dinner at my house has now ... expired.'' He thanked the Seattle Mariners and Hall of Fame GM Pat Gillick for believing in him and signing him in 2001, thanked the New York Yankees for his 2 ½ years with them, and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter for his valuable leadership. And then thanked the Miami Marlins for extending his career for three more years, but with a twist: 'Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015,'' Suzuki said, pausing again, 'I had never heard of your team.'' Suzuki's teammates all knew that he spoke perfect English, and had a delightful sense of humor, but now the baseball world became clued into his secret. 'I played with him for three years, so I knew he could do that,'' Sabathia said. 'I was just excited for people to get to know his personality and how funny he is.'' In the press conference after the ceremony, Suzuki said there was never any thought to delivering his speech in Japanese, saying it was important to him to provide humor to the fans and baseball officials in attendance in Cooperstown, while also making sure everyone understood the importance of respecting the game. 'I always said that being a Hall of Famer wasn't a goal,'' Suzuki said, 'but to make people laugh here was a goal of mine.'' The only time Suzuki spoke Japanese during his entire speech was thanking Hideo Nomo for giving him the courage to play Major League Baseball. 'Because of Hideo's courage,'' Suzuki said, my eyes opened to the idea of challenging myself by going somewhere I never imagined.' Nomo was the first Japanese player in 30 years to play in MLB in 1995, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was an inspiration to Suzuki, who wrote an essay when he was in the sixth grade that he wanted to be a professional baseball player. 'I think you can imagine, there was much doubt when I tried to become the first position player from Japan in MLB,' he said. 'But it was more than just that. There was criticism and negativity. Someone even said to me, 'Don't embarrass the nation.' 'I encourage young players to dream, and dream big, but to also understand the difference between your dream and the goal. In order to make your dream your goal, you must be honest in thinking about what is important to achieve it.'' CC Sabathia hopes to see more Blacks in baseball Sabathia stressed throughout his speech and afterwards in a press conference, that he wants to do everything in his power to make sure he's not the last Black pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame. He wants to be a role model in hopes of increasing the Black population of baseball, declining to just 6% on opening-day rosters this season. 'When I first started watching baseball, and Dave Parker was crushing homers,'' Sabathia said, 'the number of black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18%. Me and my friends played the game because we saw all of those guys on TV. There was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball unfiorm. 'Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but the baseball culture has not always great for Black people. I hope we're starting to turn that around. ... 'I'm sitting here and thinking about it now, 'Who's next? Who's the next Black starting pitcher to win 20 games? Will there be another? I don't want to be the final Black pitcher standing here giving a Hall of Fame speech. I think it's on me and the next generation to find that next kid.'' Sabathia's speech also was effusive in praise for the women in his life, from his mother, Margie, to his aunts and grandmother, Ethel Rufus, raising him in Vallejo, California. He wouldn't be on stage this day, he said, if not for the love and support of his wife, Amber. His mother used to put on catcher's equipment to help him work on his pitching mechanics, and even talking about pitch selection in the garage. And he spent plenty of nights at his grandmother's house where he would pick grapefruits from her tree and throw them at a folding chair used as a strikezone in the back yard. When he wanted to work at Marine World as a teenager, his grandmother wouldn't let him, telling him he needed to focus on baseball. 'You'd be lucky to have even one of those women in your life,'' Sabathia said, 'and I had them all. A village of women who raised me, guided me, made me laugh, fed me, protected me, and a few times, literally save me, starting with my mom.'' Billy Wagner's wait finally ends Wagner, who had to wait until the 10th and final year of eligibility to enter the Hall of Fame while Suzuki and Sabathia made it on the first ballot, thanked dozens of teammates from Jeff Bagwell to Russ Springer to his pitching coaches to bullpen catchers to managers to writers. Wagner, 5-foot-10, is the second pitcher to be inducted under six feet tall. 'I wasn't the biggest, I wasn't left-handed [until twice breaking his right arm], I wasn't supposed to be here,' Wagner said. 'Perseverance isn't just a trait. It's a path to greatness. 'Being up here today, I feel like my baseball life has come full circle.' Dave Parker: Poet Parker, who died last month after battling Parkinson's since 2012, was able to let his son, David Parker II, present just what he wanted to say in his Hall of Fame speech, and wrote a poem before he passed. Here I am, 39. About damn time. I know I had to wait a little, but that's what you do with fine aged wine. I'm a Pirate for life. Wouldn't have it no other way. That was my family, even though I didn't go on Parade Day. I love y'all, the Bucs on my heart because those two championships I got, y'all played in the first part. I'm in the Hall now, you can't take that away. That statue better look good -- you know I got a pretty face. Top-tier athlete, fashion icon, sex symbol. No reason to list the rest of my credentials. I'm him, period. The Cobra. Known for my rocket arm, and I will run any catcher over. To my friends, families: I love y'all. Thanks for staying by my side. I told y'all Cooperstown would be my last ride.'' Dick Allen presented by his widow Allen's widow, Willa Allen, spoke for the Allen family, letting people know that her husband was a kind and passionate man, and was much more than just a Hall of Fame ballplayer. She told the story about the time a 16-year-old fan asked for his autograph at Dodger Stadium. They talked for two hours, and Allen wound up helping him throughout his life. He was in attendance Sunday at the age of 70. "It's not about where you come from, but where you're determined to go,'' Allen said. 'It's about principle, passion and determination.'' When the ceremony ended, the players retreated to the Otesaga Hotel where they had a dinner for Hall of Fame players only. No family members. No friends. Just the players and commissioner Rob Manfred. But, before they got together and sat down, Suzuki had a request to his new Hall of Fame teammates. 'I hope I can hold the values of the Hall of Fame,'' Suzuki said. 'But please, I am 51 years old now. So easy on the hazing.'' Follow Bob Nightengale on X @Bnightengale.
Chicago Tribune
25 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Ichiro Suzuki adds humor to Hall of Fame ceremonies as Dick Allen and other honorees are inducted
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy. Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown. Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the ceremonies by an hour, but the moisture gave way to bright skies and warm temperatures. The sun seemed its brightest during Suzuki's acceptance speech. The outfielder was joined by pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers' ballot. Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous selection and he took a jab at the unidentified sports writer who didn't vote for him. 'Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one,' Suzuki said to roaring laughter. 'By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,' he added, with emphasis on 'expired' for good measure. A pair of Era Committee selections rounded out the Class of 2025: Dave Parker, who earned the nickname Cobra during 20 big league seasons, and slugger Dick Allen. Parker died June 28, just a month before he was to be inducted. An estimated 30,000 fans crowded onto the field adjacent to the Clark Sports Center, sun umbrellas and Japanese flags sprinkled around. Suzuki's No. 51 was seemingly everywhere as fans, thousands of them Seattle Mariners boosters who made the trek from the Pacific Northwest, chanted 'Ichiro' several times throughout the day. A sign that read 'Thank You Ichiro! Forever a Legend' in English and Japanese summed up the admiration for Suzuki on his special day. Column: City Series and Dick Allen's Hall of Fame induction highlight a great Chicago baseball weekendWith 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career. 'Honestly, when you guys offered me a contract in 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Suzuki joked. He kidded that he showed up at spring training every year with his arm 'already in shape' just to hear Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs scream, '`Holy smokes! Another laser-beam throw from Ichiro!'' He even took a moment for some tongue-in-cheek modesty. 'People often measure me by my records. Three thousand hits. Ten Gold Gloves. Ten seasons of 200 hits. 'Not bad, huh?' Suzuki said to more laughs. He thanked his late agent Tony Anastasio for 'getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine.' But he also took time to get to the root of what made him extraordinary. 'Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely,' he said. 'When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10. 'Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.' Now he's reached the pinnacle, overcoming doubters, one of whom said to him: '`Don't embarrass the nation.'' He's made his homeland proud. 'Going into America's Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn't even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.' Ahead of Dick Allen's Baseball Hall of Fame induction, Chicago White Sox teammates reflect on his lasting impactSabathia thanked 'the great players sitting behind me, even Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001).' He paid homage to Parker and spoke about Black culture in today's game. 'It's an extra honor to be a part of Dave's Hall of Fame class. He was a father figure for a generation of Black stars. In the '80s and early '90s when I first started watching baseball and Dave Parker was crushing homers, the number of Black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18%. Me and my friends played the game because we saw those guys on TV and there was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball uniform. 'Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great to Black people. I hope we're starting to turn that around. I don't want to be the final member of the Black aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games. And I don't want to be the final Black pitcher giving a Hall of Fame speech.' Wagner urged young players to treat obstacles not as 'roadblocks, but stepping stones.' 'I wasn't the biggest player. I wasn't supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was picked on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. After arriving in the majors in 2001, Suzuki joined Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's major league record of 4,256. Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees. A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta. Tom Hamilton and Tom Boswell were also honored during Hall of Fame weekend. Hamilton has been the primary radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Guardians franchise for 35 seasons and received the Ford C. Frick Award. Boswell, a retired sports columnist who spent his entire career with The Washington Post, was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
San Francisco Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tomoyuki Sugano throws 6 sharp innings, Tyler O'Neill homers again to help Orioles beat Rockies
BALTIMORE (AP) — Tomoyuki Sugano pitched six innings of four-hit ball, Tyler O'Neill homered in a third straight game and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Sunday. Dylan Carlson drove in two runs for the Orioles, who followed Saturday night's 18-0 blowout with a more conventional victory in the deciding matchup of a three-game series between last-place clubs. Sugano (8-5) gave up one run, walked two and matched his career high with eight strikeouts. The 35-year-old righty, who signed a one-year contract with Baltimore in December, could be headed to a contender before Friday's trade deadline. Although he was impressive on Sunday, Sugano has yielded 21 homers in 20 games and had a 7.88 ERA over his previous seven starts. BOSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning and Boston hung on to beat Los Angeles for a series win. Rookie Roman Anthony added an RBI triple for the Red Sox, who captured their first series since the All-Star break. Boston had a 10-game winning streak entering the break. Boston closer Aroldis Chapman walked off the mound with an apparent injury in the eighth inning. In to face the top of the Dodgers' order, his velocity was noticeably down to the mid-90 mph on his fastball instead of the high 90s to low 100s. Michael Conforto hit a solo homer and had two doubles for the Dodgers. PIRATES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 0 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes struck out nine and gave up three hits in six innings, Oneil Cruz and Ke'Bryan Hayes drove in two runs each, and Pittsburgh shut out Arizona for the second straight game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Skenes (6-8) is the first pitcher to have an ERA below 2 through his first 45 starts. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year sits at 1.89 for his career and 1.83 this year, which leads the majors. Skenes is the only starter this season who hasn't allowed a first-inning run. He struck out two in the first, including Geraldo Perdomo, who hadn't fanned in a league-best 39 straight at-bats. Gallen (7-12) allowed four runs on five hits in six innings. Arizona scored one run in the three-game series, winning 1-0 in 11 innings Friday night. YANKEES 4, PHILLIES 3 NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan McMahon sparked a comeback with a tying, two-run double in a four-run second inning against Zack Wheeler, and New York beat Philadelphia to salvage the finale of a three-game series. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto made a spectacular leaping grab and tag of Cody Bellinger at the plate for an inning-ending double play that denied the Yankees a run in the third. Austin Wells hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Trent Grisham an RBI single against Wheeler (9-4), who tied his career high with three hit batters — including two in a row in the second. Rookie Otto Kemp had his first big league multi-homer game and Nick Castellanos also went deep as the Phillies hit three solo shots off Carlos Rodón (11-8), who allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings. Jonathan Loáisiga, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill and Devin Williams combined for one-hit shutout relief, with Williams striking out two in a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances. Yankees relievers entered with a big league-worst 7.11 ERA since June 28. New York stopped a three-game slide ended a sloppy streak of five straight games with errors. Singer (8-8) left after allowing Taylor Walls' one-out homer in the eighth. The right-hander gave up three hits and a walk and struck out eight in his longest outing of the season. Tony Santillan got the final two outs in the eighth. Emilio Pagán pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 25 opportunities. Rays starter Shane Baz (8-7) gave up singles to TJ Friedl and Matt McLain leading off the first. Baz struck out Elly De La Cruz on three pitches, but Friedl scored from second on an infield hit by Austin Hays. McLain and Hays pulled off a double steal before McLain scored on Gavin Lux's groundout for a 2-0 lead. Baz gave up two runs on five hits in five innings — losing his fourth straight start. Tampa Bay has lost four straight and 10 of 13 to fall to 53-53. TIGERS 10, BLUE JAYS 4 DETROIT (AP) — Jack Flaherty pitched six scoreless innings, Gleyer Torres hit a three-run homer and Detroit ended a six-game losing streak with a victory over Toronto. Detroit had lost 12 of its past 13 games. Toronto fell to 8-2 since the All-Star break. Flaherty (6-10) allowed a double and four singles. He struck out seven and walked one to end a seven-start winless streak. Max Scherzer (1-1), pitching on his 41st birthday, fell to 2-3 in five career starts against his former team. He allowed three hits in seven innings, including Torres' homer, and struck out 11 without issuing a walk. The Tigers put the game away with seven runs in the eighth inning, including six with two out. Toronto scored four runs in the ninth off reliever Luke Jackson, who was making his Tigers debut. Bo Bichette had five of Toronto's 10 hits, extending his on-base streak to 19 games. ROYALS 4, GUARDIANS 1 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Noah Cameron escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first before tossing five innings of three-hit ball, Maikel Garcia homered for the second time in three games, and Kansas City beat Cleveland. Garcia finished with two RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino and Luke Maile also drove in runs, while the Kansas City bullpen allowed only Gabriel Arias' homer amid four hits over the final four innings. Carlos Estévez worked around a leadoff double in the ninth for his 27th save. Cameron (5-4) was stingy after the first, when Steven Kwan, Angel Martínez and José Ramírez began the game by loading the bases with nobody out. Cameron rebounded to retire David Fry, Carlos Santana and Arias, then allowed only two baserunners in the next four innings. He also struck out six in another dominant performance. The 26-year-old left-hander from nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, lowered his ERA to 2.44 and has not lost a game since June 27. Joey Cantillo (2-1) lasted only four innings for Cleveland on a hot, humid day in Kansas City. He allowed three runs and three hits and four walks while striking out four in his fifth start since joining the Guardians' rotation. Cantillo had twice faced Kansas City in relief this season, retiring all six he faced and striking out four of them. ATHLETICS 7, ASTROS 1 HOUSTON (AP) — Miguel Andujar and Shea Langeliers homered in the first inning, J.T. Ginn threw six shutout innings and the Athletics beat Houston to sweep the four-game series. Starting in the leadoff spot for the first time in his nine-year career, Andujar homered on Colton Gordon's fifth pitch. With two out, Langeliers sent a 3-0 fastball over the train tracks in left for his 17th home run of the season. Langeliers has homered in three straight games for the first time in his career. He went 2 for 4 with two runs. Ginn (2-2) held the Astros to three hits in his longest start of the season. He struck out four without issuing a walk. Colby Thomas went 1 for 2 with a double and the first RBI of his major league career. NATIONALS 7, TWINS 2 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a leadoff homer, stole three bases and scored three runs as Washington beat Minnesota. Nationals starter Jake Irvin (8-5), a Twin Cities native pitching at Target Field for the first time, gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings. Josh Bell went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Matt Wallner homered and Harrison Bader had two hits for Minnesota, which has lost six of nine since the All-Star break. Daylen Lile tripled and scored on Paul DeJong's sacrifice fly in the fourth to put the Nationals on top 3-2. Washington broke it open with four runs in the fifth off Travis Adams (1-1), keyed by Alex Call's two-run single. Abrams hit the first pitch of the game from Twins opener Cole Sands for his 14th home run of the season. CUBS 5, WHITE SOX 4 CHICAGO (AP) — Ben Brown pitched five effective innings, Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in two runs and the Chicago Cubs topped the Chicago White Sox. Nico Hoerner added two hits and a key defensive play as the Cubs won the rubber game in the weekend set. The North Siders went 5-1 in the season series against the South Siders. The Cubs (62-43) remained tied with Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central. They open a three-game series against the Brewers on Monday night. Andrew Benintendi homered twice and drove in four runs for the White Sox (38-68), who finished with three errors. Brown (5-7) got his first win since June 17. The right-hander went 1-4 with an 8.10 ERA in his previous five appearances. BREWERS 3, MARLINS 2 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Blake Perkins singled home the winning run in the ninth inning as Milwaukee rallied to beat Miami. Milwaukee erased a 2-1 deficit by scoring in each of the final two innings to avoid the sweep. The Brewers have been swept just once, in their opening series of the season at Yankee Stadium. The Brewers remain tied for first in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs, who come to Milwaukee for a three-game series beginning Monday. The Cubs beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Sunday. Eric Haase hit a one-out bloop single to center off Cade Gibson (2-5) in the ninth and advanced to third on Brice Turang's broken-bat double down the left-field line. Gibson intentionally walked Jackson Chourio to load the bases. Perkins then lofted a 3-2 pitch well over the head of center fielder Dane Myers. Perkins had scored the tying run in the eighth after entering as a pinch-runner, stealing second and coming home on Andrew Vaughn's two-out, ground-rule double off Ronny Henriquez. PADRES 9, CARDINALS 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Manny Machado went 4 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs one day after twice being hit by pitches, and San Diego breezed to a victory over St. Louis to split a four-game series. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off with a walk from Michael McGreevy (2-2) and advanced to third on a single by Luis Arraez. Machado doubled in Tatis and Arraez scored on a throwing error by center fielder Victor Scott II for a 2-0 lead three batters into the game. Machado added a two-run double to cap four-run fourth for a 7-0 lead. Tatis had two of San Diego's 16 hits and scored three runs. Arraez went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Xander Bogaerts hit his seventh homer — a solo shot off Andre Granillo in the seventh — and Jackson Merrill had a run-scoring infield hit off John King in the eighth to cap the scoring. Rookie Stephen Kolek (4-5) allowed four hits and two runs — on Alec Burleson's 13th homer — in six innings. He hadn't won since beating the Marlins 8-6 on May 27. McGreevy gave up seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been called up from Triple-A Memphis five times this season to make his five starts. San Diego is 5-5 since the All-Star break while St. Louis has gone 3-7. RANGERS 8, BRAVES 1 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Smith hit a two-run home run, Wyatt Langford had a bases-clearing double and surging Texas piled up eight runs in the first three innings in a victory over struggling Atlanta. Josh Jung added a two-run single to help the Rangers sweep the three-game series. Rookie Jack Leiter (7-6) set a career high with 100 pitches and matched a career mark with seven strikeouts. He allowed a run on two hits and three walks over six innings. Texas (56-50) has won six straight games, going six games over .500 for the first time since April 6. The Rangers are four games out of first place in the AL West, gaining seven games since July 8, and are a half-game out of a wild-card spot. Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (4-7), who grew up about an hour's drive northwest of Arlington in Decatur, gave up all eight runs. The Braves (44-60) managed only four hits in dropping their fifth straight. Having played in the last seven postseasons, they're 12 games out of a wild-card position. ANGELS 4, MARINERS 1 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit a two-run homer in a four-run fifth inning to reach 1,000 career RBIs, and Los Angeles beat Seattle. Kyle Hendricks (6-7) gave up one run on two hits over six-plus innings and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 18th save as the Angels earned a split of the four-game series. Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 41st home run for the Mariners. The Angels broke a scoreless tie when Kevin Newman's grounder brought home Travis d'Arnaud in the fifth. Luis Rengifo then scored on Logan Gilbert's wild pitch. Trout crushed a 443-foot drive to center field off Gilbert to give him 1,001 RBIs. It was his 397th career homer and 19th this season. Raleigh connected against Hendricks in the seventh, his second home run in two nights and fourth this year against Los Angeles. Hendricks, who had one walk and three strikeouts, won for the first time since June 17.
