Mariners News

The Mariners have a chance to clinch their series in Game 2 against the Angels tonight.

The M’s won the series opener 6-2 last night thanks to a pair of homers by Cole Young.

LA scored the first two runs of the game, but Young hit a solo shot before Cal Raleigh hit a two-run single to take the lead. The M’s tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth inning when Dom Canzone homered and Young added another 2-run shot for good measure.

George Kirby backed them up with eight strong innings of two-run ball to earn his seventh win of the season. Seattle has now evened up their record to 43-43 on the season and still sit a half-game behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West.

Bryan Woo is on the mound tonight for a duel against the Angels’ Jose Soriano, who’s making a case for his first All-Star selection with the strong first half of the season he’s put together.

Coverage begins at 5:30 and first pitch is at 6:40 on KPUG.

Bells News

The Bells are opening the second half of their season tonight.

They’re in Edmonton for the start of a three-game series against the RiverHawks.

The Bells just missed out on a guaranteed spot in the West Coast League Playoffs over the weekend, getting edged out by Wenatchee who owned the head-to-head tiebreaker as they finished in a tie first place in the North Division. The division race now resets, and the Bells will try to secure one of three playoff spots left in the North.

They’re now taking on a red-hot RiverHawks team that’s won four straight. First pitch for tonight’s series opener is at 6:05 local time.

The Bells will return home one week from today.

World Cup News

Downtown Bellingham will be buzzing tomorrow for Team USA’s first knockout match of the World Cup.

The US is playing Bosnia-Herzegovina at 5 pm from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the same spot where the Seahawks won the Super Bowl earlier this year. If the US wins, they’ll move on to the Round of 16, where they’d play in Seattle next Monday, while a loss would bounce them from the tournament.

Bellingham’s official Fan Zone watch party will take place at the Kulshan Trackside Beer Garden. It features a doubleheader, starting with Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle at 1 pm before the US takes the pitch in Santa Clara at 5.

WTA is running extra trips between downtown Bellingham and the waterfront from noon until 8 pm.

Seahawks News

We could soon get a better idea of who the next owner of the Seahawks could be.

Bloomberg reports that the first round of bids for the reigning Super Bowl champs are due today. The report also stated that the sale is expected to be the largest ever for an NFL franchise, which would eclipse the Washington Commanders $6 billion price tag in 2023.

So far, three potential bidders have been reported to have emerged. They include groups led by former Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, San Francisco 49ers minority owner Vinod Khosla and Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers investor Todd Boehly.

NBA News

A pair of NBA superstars are on the move as free agency opened today.

LeBron James has told the Los Angeles Lakers that he plans to return for his 24th season, but it won’t be with the Lakers, according to his agent. There’s still no reports of what team the league’s all-time leading scorer could land with, or whether this will be his final season.

Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard is heading back up north for a reunion with the Toronto Raptors.

ESPN reports the Raptors acquired Leonard from the Clippers in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and two first round picks. Leonard will now return to the city where he won an NBA title and earned Finals MVP in 2019.

National Sports News

The Supreme Court has upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school sports teams.

The court ruled today that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution.  The court unanimously agreed that barring transgender girls and women also doesn’t violate Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. 

The Washington State Superintendent’s Office responded with a statement that the ruling effectively also upheld the right of states to allow students to participate in sports in alignment with their gender identity.

It says the court’s decision does not impact state law, but the issue will be in the hands of Washington voters this fall when they decide on an initiative that would institute those same bans at the state level.