This is the digital version of El Pulso. If you want it sooner, start each morning with The Pulse delivered to your inbox. sign up here.
Good day! Hit a 2 iron today.
dreams
Give me old Griffey in a HR Derby ASAP
We have important news to cover today, but this type of story is not long in coming. Jayson Stark has a tempting update in what we call the Legends Home Run Derby, which sounds like something you dream of with a few drinks of your choice. Instead, it could be reality.
These are the names currently committed to the idea:
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- David Ortiz
- alberto pujols
- Jim Thorne
I don’t care if these guys are getting out of their jerseys. I want to see Griffey hit again. I want to see Big Papi kick off his shoes after a massive hack and laugh at how old he is. Pujols and Thome could still hit 50 bombs in a Derby setting, though Jayson proposes a single/throwback format idea for the new competition.
It all started with Griffey talking trash on live TV and now, according to Jayson, he has real legs. Read more about the proposed format and how it all came together here.
usurpers
Carlos Alcaraz wastes no time
The day before yesterday, Novak Djokovic was the one. He had outlived Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He had 23 Grand Slam titles. we even asked in these digital pages, who is going to prevent me from running away like the GOAT?
A month later, we have an answer: Carlos Alcaraz, the fiery 20-year-old Spaniard who has already completely taken over the tennis world after his Wimbledon won yesterday. The question now: Outside of Djokovic, who will stop? him?
Alcaraz was already number 1 in the world ahead of the tournament. Now look at his record against the rest of the top five:
- No. 2 Djokovic: 2-1
- No. 3 Daniil Medvedev: 2-1
- No. 4 Casper Ruud: 3-0
- No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas: 5-0
Alcaraz broke Djokovic yesterday, literally and figuratively. He broke Djokovic’s serve five times in the five sets. He broke Djokovic’s will in a 26-minute service game in the third set that involved 32 points and seven break points. All this happened in Alcaraz’s fourth tournament on grass.
He now has two Grand Slam titles at 20. Nadal also had two at 20, but the other two legends? He is already ahead of them.
Djokovic, to his credit, He seemed as stunned as everyone else. after seeing Alcaraz’s performance. The 36-year-old officially has a foil now. Good for us.
complete groomsmen
it happened again
shohei ohtani hit his league-leading 34th home run last night, putting him on pace to hit 58 home runs this season. Everything for a guy who too he leads the majors in opposing batting average as a starting pitcher.
And yet (lol) the angels lost 9-8 to go Complete Akron Groomsmen at the worst time. kyle tucker decided to bring the joke back with this game-winning catch:
The Angels entered the second half clinging to the hope of a wild card berth. They’re 46-48, six games behind the final seed, with two weeks to go before the trade deadline. Perhaps the most important decision in franchise history (trading with ohtani) should be done by then. Fun.
Panties
A messy intro for Messi
The scenes in Miami last night for the official presentation of Lionel Messi were… something. The stadium was packed, a gigantic reminder that, yes, the most famous soccer star on the planet will be playing in MLS this year. However, it was a strange night. Rain drenched the night, technical difficulties marred the home viewing experience and the Inter Miami owner turned downright religious, calling Sunday the start of a sacred chapter: “There will always be a before and after for Lionel Messi.” Read the multiple in vivo reaction Athletic employees on scene it’s a fun time.
Titans try again
Tennessee is expected to sign DeAndre Hopkins, according to multiple reports. While Hopkins will likely have success with the Titans, it’s hard not to look back on the organization’s history with this type of wide receiver and wonder why we’re here again. as joe rexrode he pointed, Hopkins joins big names like Julio Jones, Randy Moss and Andre Johnson as receivers who landed in Tennessee a little past their prime and produced little like the Titans. Hopkins pairs very well with Treylon Burks. Read more about his adjustment, and the timing of the agreement, here.
reds call another prospect
Arguably the best farm system in the majors has thrown yet another hyped major league prospect in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who will debut today. The 23-year-old has beaten Triple-A and can play multiple positions defensively. The Reds could complete a Futures Game team of their own right now. Read more about where Encarnacion-Strand fits in with the young team here.
mixed bag
A victory like a curse? Maybe
Rory McIlroy was in his prime yesterday. For once, he wasn’t a fan favorite, even across the Atlantic. But he was ruthless in the last nine of his victory at the Scottish Openachieving shots like this:
That’s a 2-iron from 205 yards on the 18th, with the wind howling in your face, and it puts you 10 feet away. He called it one of the best shots of his career. He pushed McIlroy ahead of Robert MacIntyre, the Scotsman who shot a 64 in the final round in front of a home crowd. McIlroy was smooth in his final round, something we haven’t seen from him in recent majors. He seemed relaxed.
Did I mention the Open Championship? start this week?
Like Brody Miller wrote last week, picking the Scottish Open champion to win this week’s major is an easy sell. The winner will have just succeeded on another links course in the windy conditions of Great Britain. However, in the last two years… not exactly a big gamble:
- 2021: Min Woo Lee defeated Thomas Detry in a tiebreaker to win. Neither made the open cut.
- 2022: Xander Schauffele won and finished tied for 15th at the Open, but was never in contention.
The Open Championship kicks off on Thursday at Royal Liverpool, which underwent significant changes before the tournament.
pulse selections
Joe Vardon knows the history of LeBron James better than anyone. debut today the athletic‘s new narrative podcast, titled “A King’s Reign,” containing dozens of never-before-heard stories about the player many consider to be the greatest hoop player. Read Joe’s introduction herewhich includes a link to the podcast.
He Women’s World Cup starts this week. We have The Radar, a massive interactive exploration guide, up here.
Tim Britton wonders: Are the mets fair delaying the inevitable in this point?
Nick Baumgardner and Diante Lee embark on a cool new series, where they build a nfl franchise from scratch. First hire: How do you choose a good head coach?
He NHL season never In fact The test is over our july mail bagwhich raised so many questions that there will have to be a Part 2. Eric Duhatschek gives us some insight on Alex DeBrincat, salary cap numbers, William Nylander and more.
The Suns were busy yesterday, picking up Bol Bol and making a trade. They are working hard to create a competitive roster alongside their three superstars.
Kylian Mbappé returns to work today, according to his status at PSG reaches a crescendo.
(Photo: Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
