Deadspin | MLB roundup: Nationals extend A’s losing streak to 10 in 23-4 beatdown 
Jul 17, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro (87) acknowledges the dugout after hitting a two RBI single and advancing to second base on an error during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Andres Chaparro hit two homers and had eight RBIs — more than doubling his season total from 7 to 15 — as the Washington Nationals torched the lowly Athletics 23-4 on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
The Nationals opened the scoring with a three-run third before busting the game wide open with four-plus runs in the fifth through seventh innings. That proved to be more than enough for Cade Cavalli (6-4), who gave up two runs and four hits over six innings.
Chaparro went 4-for-5 with a walk and four runs and Daylen Lile and Harry Ford each homered for the Nationals, who set a season high for runs, matching the second-most in franchise history. Curtis Mead was 4-for-6 with four runs, three RBIs and three doubles, and Nasim Nunez had three hits and three runs.
Tyler Soderstrom hit a two-run homer and Shea Langeliers belted a solo shot for the Athletics, who lost their 10th consecutive game. Gage Jump (3-5) of the A’s allowed four runs (three earned) and four hits in 3 2/3 innings before their bullpen was hit hard by Washington’s lineup.
Royals 7, Padres 6 (10 innings)
Carter Jensen’s two-run, walk-off single capped a four-run 10th inning which helped Kansas City rally for a victory over visiting San Diego.
The Padres scored three times in the top of the 10th, beginning with Miguel Andujar’s third double of the night down the right field line against Lucas Erceg (4-3) to score the automatic runner. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with an RBI single, and Xander Bogaerts made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.
However, Michael Massey’s third hit of the game drove in the first run of the bottom of the 10th off Kyle Hart (0-2). Isaac Collins’ RBI groundout left runners on second and third for the Royals, then Jensen delivered his third hit through a drawn-in left side of the infield to score two and snap Kansas City’s five-game skid.
Red Sox 10, Rays 0 (Game 1)
Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth allowed Boston to score a lopsided win over visiting Tampa Bay in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit games and Caleb Durbin went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits.
Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for his first career save. Rays starter Griffin Jax (5-7) struck out six but yielded seven runs in five-plus innings.
Red Sox 5, Rays 3 (Game 2)
Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in his first two at-bats as Boston completed a doubleheader sweep with another win over Tampa Bay, extending its winning streak to 11 games.
Willson Contreras also homered for the Red Sox, who won a bullpen game with six relievers combining to throw 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings. Greg Weissert (2-2) got the win, and Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save.
Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for the Rays. Mason Englert (0-3) was tagged for five runs and eight hits over five innings before the Tampa Bay bullpen combined for three no-hit innings of relief work.
Dodgers 2, Yankees 1
Max Muncy hit a go-ahead two-run homer with nobody out in the seventh inning against Gerrit Cole and Los Angeles earned a victory over New York in the first meeting at Yankee Stadium between the teams since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak in their first trip to the Bronx since scoring five unearned runs off Cole in the fifth inning of Game 5 to clinch the first of their back-to-back titles. Roki Sasaki allowed an unearned run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Dodgers.
Cole (3-5) entered the seventh at 90 pitches and started the inning by walking Mookie Betts. Manager Aaron Boone visited the mound and kept Cole in the game. Muncy fouled off three pitches before ending the at-bat by hammering Cole’s 2-2 slider about halfway up the second deck in right field. Cole had held him hitless in five previous encounters. Cole allowed two runs on four hits in six-plus innings.
Braves 15, Rangers 1
Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley all homered and Chris Sale pitched seven scoreless innings to lead Atlanta to a win over visiting Texas in the opener of a three-game set.
Sale (10-6) became the 10th National League pitcher to reach double-digit wins. He allowed only two hits, never allowed a runner to reach third base and struck out six. Sale also recorded his 2,700th punchout. Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubon and Jim Jarvis also pitched in with two hits apiece.
Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) was roughed up for six runs on 11 hits, both season highs, in four innings. His ERA spiked from 3.11 to 3.93 due to the rough outing. Right-hander Emiliano Teodo followed with 1 2/3 innings and allowed two runs in his major league debut.
White Sox 12, Blue Jays 4
Braden Montgomery had four RBIs and Colson Montgomery added three RBIs as visiting Chicago throttled Toronto.
Sam Antonacci hit a two-run home run for the White Sox, who saw starter Anthony Kay allow two runs and two hits over four innings. Reliever Tyler Schweitzer (1-0) allowed one infield hit and a walk over the final three innings to earn his first major league win.
Luis Urias, George Springer and Brandon Valenzuela hit solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have lost all four games against the White Sox this season. Spencer Miles (4-2) was tagged for six runs on six hits in four-plus innings.
Orioles 3, Astros 2
Taylor Ward hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift Baltimore to a road victory against Houston.
The Orioles extended their season-best winning streak to five games. They had barely mustered any offense until Adley Rutschman led off the eighth with a double and Ward followed with his seventh homer of the season. Baltimore collected five hits and four walks while striking out 13 times.
Astros starter Peter Lambert struck out 10 batters in six innings but his efforts weren’t enough. Lambert was charged with one run on three hits. Yordan Alvarez drove in a run and Jeremy Pena scored both runs for the Astros.
Giants 7, Mariners 0
Willy Adames hit a grand slam and Landen Roupp pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as San Francisco returned from the All-Star break with a shutout victory against host Seattle.
Bryce Eldridge added a two-run shot for the Giants, who won their third game in a row to tie their season-long winning streak. Roupp (7-8) allowed only a two-out single to Josh Naylor in the fourth inning and a leadoff single to Luke Raley in the fifth.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-4) gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Twins 5, Cubs 2
Ryan Jeffers belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the third inning and Minnesota held on for a win over host Chicago.
Trevor Larnach and Ryan Kreidler also drove in one run apiece for the Twins, who have won three games in a row after entering the All-Star break with back-to-back victories. Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a double and a run for Chicago. Michael Busch notched the lone RBI for the Cubs. Colin Rea (7-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings.
Brewers 2, Marlins 1 (10 innings)
Garrett Mitchell grounded an RBI single up the middle with two outs to score Jackson Chourio from second base, giving Milwaukee an extra-inning win over visiting Miami in the opener of the three-game series.
Joey Ortiz homered and singled for the Brewers, who had lost their last three games before the All-Star break. Logan Henderson was trying to win his fourth straight start, but did not earn a decision after allowing one run and three hits over five innings. Craig Yoho (1-0) recorded his first major league win with a scoreless 10th.
Griffin Conine homered and Otto Lopez had two hits for the Marlins, who had also lost their last three games before the break. Sandy Alcantara limited the Brewers to one run and three hits in six innings, and Lake Bachar (1-1) took the loss.
Reds 7, Rockies 2
Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer and an inside-the-park solo home run, Brady Singer tossed seven strong innings and Cincinnati opened a three-game series against Colorado with a win in Denver.
Elly De La Cruz went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and Eugenio Suarez homered in his third straight game for the Reds, who have won 17 of their last 20 against the Rockies, including seven straight at Coors Field. Singer (4-9) allowed two runs on four hits.
Willi Castro homered among his two hits for the National League-worst Rockies (39-60), who have lost five of their last six. Gabriel Hughes (1-0) yielded two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings before his replacement, Jimmy Herget, allowed homers to the first two batters he faced in Cincinnati’s three-run sixth.
Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 4
Ivan Herrera delivered the game-winning RBI on a ninth-inning sacrifice fly to lift St. Louis to a win against Arizona in Phoenix.
After their 2-0 first-inning lead was erased, JJ Wetherholt put the Cardinals ahead 3-2 in the fifth inning on a solo homer. Masyn Winn added an eighth-inning sac fly to make it 4-2 St. Louis. Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy allowed two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Diamondbacks tied the game on a two-run homer off the right field foul pole from Corbin Carroll in the bottom of the eighth. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits in five innings for the Diamondbacks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Tim Tawa also homered for Arizona.
Tigers 2, Angels 1
Hao-Yu Lee lined a two-run double into the gap in right-center with two outs in the top of the ninth as Detroit rallied for a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Matt Vierling had two hits and a stolen base and Riley Greene and Ben Malgeri each doubled for the Tigers, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the 10th time in the last 13 games.
Zach Neto had two hits and scored a run and Mike Trout had a double for the Angels, who lost their third straight game and fell to 2-11 in the last 13 games. Reid Detmers was denied his first win since June 16 at Arizona after allowing four hits over six shutout innings.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #MLB #roundup #Nationals #extend #losing #streak #beatdown
Jul 17, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro (87) acknowledges the dugout after hitting a two RBI single and advancing to second base on an error during the sixth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Andres Chaparro hit two homers and had eight RBIs — more than doubling his season total from 7 to 15 — as the Washington Nationals torched the lowly Athletics 23-4 on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
The Nationals opened the scoring with a three-run third before busting the game wide open with four-plus runs in the fifth through seventh innings. That proved to be more than enough for Cade Cavalli (6-4), who gave up two runs and four hits over six innings.
Chaparro went 4-for-5 with a walk and four runs and Daylen Lile and Harry Ford each homered for the Nationals, who set a season high for runs, matching the second-most in franchise history. Curtis Mead was 4-for-6 with four runs, three RBIs and three doubles, and Nasim Nunez had three hits and three runs.
Tyler Soderstrom hit a two-run homer and Shea Langeliers belted a solo shot for the Athletics, who lost their 10th consecutive game. Gage Jump (3-5) of the A’s allowed four runs (three earned) and four hits in 3 2/3 innings before their bullpen was hit hard by Washington’s lineup.
Royals 7, Padres 6 (10 innings)
Carter Jensen’s two-run, walk-off single capped a four-run 10th inning which helped Kansas City rally for a victory over visiting San Diego.
The Padres scored three times in the top of the 10th, beginning with Miguel Andujar’s third double of the night down the right field line against Lucas Erceg (4-3) to score the automatic runner. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with an RBI single, and Xander Bogaerts made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.
However, Michael Massey’s third hit of the game drove in the first run of the bottom of the 10th off Kyle Hart (0-2). Isaac Collins’ RBI groundout left runners on second and third for the Royals, then Jensen delivered his third hit through a drawn-in left side of the infield to score two and snap Kansas City’s five-game skid.
Red Sox 10, Rays 0 (Game 1)
Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth allowed Boston to score a lopsided win over visiting Tampa Bay in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit games and Caleb Durbin went 3-for-4 for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits.
Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for his first career save. Rays starter Griffin Jax (5-7) struck out six but yielded seven runs in five-plus innings.
Red Sox 5, Rays 3 (Game 2)
Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in his first two at-bats as Boston completed a doubleheader sweep with another win over Tampa Bay, extending its winning streak to 11 games.
Willson Contreras also homered for the Red Sox, who won a bullpen game with six relievers combining to throw 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings. Greg Weissert (2-2) got the win, and Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save.
Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for the Rays. Mason Englert (0-3) was tagged for five runs and eight hits over five innings before the Tampa Bay bullpen combined for three no-hit innings of relief work.
Dodgers 2, Yankees 1
Max Muncy hit a go-ahead two-run homer with nobody out in the seventh inning against Gerrit Cole and Los Angeles earned a victory over New York in the first meeting at Yankee Stadium between the teams since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak in their first trip to the Bronx since scoring five unearned runs off Cole in the fifth inning of Game 5 to clinch the first of their back-to-back titles. Roki Sasaki allowed an unearned run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings for the Dodgers.
Cole (3-5) entered the seventh at 90 pitches and started the inning by walking Mookie Betts. Manager Aaron Boone visited the mound and kept Cole in the game. Muncy fouled off three pitches before ending the at-bat by hammering Cole’s 2-2 slider about halfway up the second deck in right field. Cole had held him hitless in five previous encounters. Cole allowed two runs on four hits in six-plus innings.
Braves 15, Rangers 1
Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson and Austin Riley all homered and Chris Sale pitched seven scoreless innings to lead Atlanta to a win over visiting Texas in the opener of a three-game set.
Sale (10-6) became the 10th National League pitcher to reach double-digit wins. He allowed only two hits, never allowed a runner to reach third base and struck out six. Sale also recorded his 2,700th punchout. Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubon and Jim Jarvis also pitched in with two hits apiece.
Rangers starter Cal Quantrill (3-2) was roughed up for six runs on 11 hits, both season highs, in four innings. His ERA spiked from 3.11 to 3.93 due to the rough outing. Right-hander Emiliano Teodo followed with 1 2/3 innings and allowed two runs in his major league debut.
White Sox 12, Blue Jays 4
Braden Montgomery had four RBIs and Colson Montgomery added three RBIs as visiting Chicago throttled Toronto.
Sam Antonacci hit a two-run home run for the White Sox, who saw starter Anthony Kay allow two runs and two hits over four innings. Reliever Tyler Schweitzer (1-0) allowed one infield hit and a walk over the final three innings to earn his first major league win.
Luis Urias, George Springer and Brandon Valenzuela hit solo shots for the Blue Jays, who have lost all four games against the White Sox this season. Spencer Miles (4-2) was tagged for six runs on six hits in four-plus innings.
Orioles 3, Astros 2
Taylor Ward hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to lift Baltimore to a road victory against Houston.
The Orioles extended their season-best winning streak to five games. They had barely mustered any offense until Adley Rutschman led off the eighth with a double and Ward followed with his seventh homer of the season. Baltimore collected five hits and four walks while striking out 13 times.
Astros starter Peter Lambert struck out 10 batters in six innings but his efforts weren’t enough. Lambert was charged with one run on three hits. Yordan Alvarez drove in a run and Jeremy Pena scored both runs for the Astros.
Giants 7, Mariners 0
Willy Adames hit a grand slam and Landen Roupp pitched seven innings of two-hit ball as San Francisco returned from the All-Star break with a shutout victory against host Seattle.
Bryce Eldridge added a two-run shot for the Giants, who won their third game in a row to tie their season-long winning streak. Roupp (7-8) allowed only a two-out single to Josh Naylor in the fourth inning and a leadoff single to Luke Raley in the fifth.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (4-4) gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Twins 5, Cubs 2
Ryan Jeffers belted a go-ahead three-run home run in the third inning and Minnesota held on for a win over host Chicago.
Trevor Larnach and Ryan Kreidler also drove in one run apiece for the Twins, who have won three games in a row after entering the All-Star break with back-to-back victories. Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (7-3) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a double and a run for Chicago. Michael Busch notched the lone RBI for the Cubs. Colin Rea (7-6) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings.
Brewers 2, Marlins 1 (10 innings)
Garrett Mitchell grounded an RBI single up the middle with two outs to score Jackson Chourio from second base, giving Milwaukee an extra-inning win over visiting Miami in the opener of the three-game series.
Joey Ortiz homered and singled for the Brewers, who had lost their last three games before the All-Star break. Logan Henderson was trying to win his fourth straight start, but did not earn a decision after allowing one run and three hits over five innings. Craig Yoho (1-0) recorded his first major league win with a scoreless 10th.
Griffin Conine homered and Otto Lopez had two hits for the Marlins, who had also lost their last three games before the break. Sandy Alcantara limited the Brewers to one run and three hits in six innings, and Lake Bachar (1-1) took the loss.
Reds 7, Rockies 2
Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer and an inside-the-park solo home run, Brady Singer tossed seven strong innings and Cincinnati opened a three-game series against Colorado with a win in Denver.
Elly De La Cruz went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and Eugenio Suarez homered in his third straight game for the Reds, who have won 17 of their last 20 against the Rockies, including seven straight at Coors Field. Singer (4-9) allowed two runs on four hits.
Willi Castro homered among his two hits for the National League-worst Rockies (39-60), who have lost five of their last six. Gabriel Hughes (1-0) yielded two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings before his replacement, Jimmy Herget, allowed homers to the first two batters he faced in Cincinnati’s three-run sixth.
Cardinals 5, Diamondbacks 4
Ivan Herrera delivered the game-winning RBI on a ninth-inning sacrifice fly to lift St. Louis to a win against Arizona in Phoenix.
After their 2-0 first-inning lead was erased, JJ Wetherholt put the Cardinals ahead 3-2 in the fifth inning on a solo homer. Masyn Winn added an eighth-inning sac fly to make it 4-2 St. Louis. Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy allowed two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Diamondbacks tied the game on a two-run homer off the right field foul pole from Corbin Carroll in the bottom of the eighth. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly gave up three runs (one earned) on four hits in five innings for the Diamondbacks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Tim Tawa also homered for Arizona.
Tigers 2, Angels 1
Hao-Yu Lee lined a two-run double into the gap in right-center with two outs in the top of the ninth as Detroit rallied for a victory over Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Matt Vierling had two hits and a stolen base and Riley Greene and Ben Malgeri each doubled for the Tigers, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the 10th time in the last 13 games.
Zach Neto had two hits and scored a run and Mike Trout had a double for the Angels, who lost their third straight game and fell to 2-11 in the last 13 games. Reid Detmers was denied his first win since June 16 at Arizona after allowing four hits over six shutout innings.
–Field Level Media
![Caitlin Clark rewrites record books with historic 45-point outing INDIANAPOLIS — Even before Caitlin Clark took the floor on Friday, she had the feeling something special was in store. If nothing else, she was trying to will it into existence.Individually, she had struggled to find a rhythm since returning from injury. As a team, the Fever needed a big night from their superstar with fellow All-Star Aliyah Boston out.But even by Clark’s lofty standards, Friday was something special.Clark tallied a franchise record 45 points to go along with 10 assists, becoming the first player in WNBA history with a 40-10 game, to lead the Fever to a dramatic 110-107 win over the Seattle Storm.“I feel like you just have to believe you’re going to have those types of nights and you have to visualize having those types of nights and I feel like that’s what I did,” Clark said. “It’s not always going to go your way…I know all the time and the work that I’ve put in and people believe in me and, more than anything, I believe in myself.“You just got to dig your feet in a little bit and, when it’s not going your way, nobody cares. Like you find a way to make it better and find a way to help your team win and make this team better and I feel like that’s what I always try to do.”When her team needed her most on Friday, Clark dug in for a fourth quarter masterpiece. Not only did she finish with 16 points in the frame, but she scored or assisted on 17 of the final 19 points for Indiana. No shot was bigger, though, than her stepback three with 39 seconds left to put the Fever up 105-102, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.“It’s incredible,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said. “It’s special. She does things that we haven’t seen…In the moment, sometimes it’s surreal to see. Heck, I looked down at the stat sheet at the end of the game and it’s like, ‘Holy s—, 45 [points] and 10 [assists].’ I mean, it’s just incredible.”After starting the season hot, things haven’t been smooth sailing for Clark. A back injury has plagued her in recent weeks, limiting her to just four games since June 24. For most of those outings, she’s looked like someone searching for her rhythm.But Friday felt different from the jump. Not only did Clark sense it, but her coach could see it, too.“She seemed lighter,” White said of Clark pregame. “She seemed positive. She seemed like she was bouncy. I think she felt good. I think every day we’ve seen a little bit more of it.”Ironically, it was Clark’s backcourt mate who looked destined for the big night in the first quarter. Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 of her 30 points in the opening frame, helping the Fever to an early double-digit lead. In another bit of history from the night, Clark and Mitchell’s 75 combined points are the most by a duo in franchise history.It wasn’t until the second quarter that Clark really found her groove, doing so predominantly at the free throw line, helping her to 14 points in the period. The Fever desperately needed it as the Storm pulled themselves back into the game to trail by just three at the break.Seattle only kept coming in the second half and eventually built up an eight-point lead in the fourth with 5:23 remaining. However, that became the turning point for both Clark and the Fever as they steadily chipped away at the deficit.Clark showed off her growing array of ways to get buckets, mixing mid-range jumpers with drives to the basket and her patented stepback jumper. A 3-pointer with 2:23 gave her a career-high 38 points and closed the deficit to one. A few possessions later, Clark found Monique Billings for an and-one layup with 1:11 left to tie the game.The sequence of the night, though, came shortly after.Following a Fever turnover in a tie game with just under a minute remaining, Clark raced back on the fastbreak to strip Flau’jae Johnson and win back possession. She followed that up with the biggest shot of the game, turning a broken play into the go-ahead 3-pointer to blow the roof off the arena.“I just think that when she’s really in a flow, [she] reads the game as good, if not better than anybody,” White said. “I think she’s grown into taking what the defense gives her and we always know she has the ability to make big shots and she did all of that tonight.”There’s never a bad time for a 45-point night, but this could hardly come at a better one for Clark. Limited by injury and a minutes restriction, Clark hadn’t found a groove since returning to the lineup on July 8. Finding her rhythm again, then, was a positive in itself on Friday.The 45 points? A welcome bonus.“It’s tough when you come back from injury,” White added. “Your body feels different. Mentally, you want it to happen so badly. Sometimes you second-guess yourself and that’s part of it. Rhythm, timing, all the things that happen when you haven’t played for a little while. So it was huge. It was big time for her and for us.”Funnily enough, White noted pregame that Clark was still on a minutes restriction that had hovered right at 25. That number came and went in the fourth quarter without a hint of Clark coming off the floor.Nothing was taking her out of that game. Not on a night as special as Friday.“Steph knows better than that,” Clark joked with a smile. “Trainers know better than that. They would get an earful. But I told Steph at halftime, like I felt really good and I didn’t want to lose this game…I’ve spent a ton of time on [my body] and I trust the people around me that have really helped me. I always find confidence in that, so I know I’m doing all the right things and there’s no way I was ever coming out of the game in the 4th quarter.“It didn’t matter. I would play with one leg.” #Caitlin #Clark #rewrites #record #books #historic #45point #outing](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/gettyimages-2285922189.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "Caitlin Clark rewrites record books with historic 45-point outing INDIANAPOLIS — Even before Caitlin Clark took the floor on Friday, she had the feeling something special was in store. If nothing else, she was trying to will it into existence.Individually, she had struggled to find a rhythm since returning from injury. As a team, the Fever needed a big night from their superstar with fellow All-Star Aliyah Boston out.But even by Clark’s lofty standards, Friday was something special.Clark tallied a franchise record 45 points to go along with 10 assists, becoming the first player in WNBA history with a 40-10 game, to lead the Fever to a dramatic 110-107 win over the Seattle Storm.“I feel like you just have to believe you’re going to have those types of nights and you have to visualize having those types of nights and I feel like that’s what I did,” Clark said. “It’s not always going to go your way…I know all the time and the work that I’ve put in and people believe in me and, more than anything, I believe in myself.“You just got to dig your feet in a little bit and, when it’s not going your way, nobody cares. Like you find a way to make it better and find a way to help your team win and make this team better and I feel like that’s what I always try to do.”When her team needed her most on Friday, Clark dug in for a fourth quarter masterpiece. Not only did she finish with 16 points in the frame, but she scored or assisted on 17 of the final 19 points for Indiana. No shot was bigger, though, than her stepback three with 39 seconds left to put the Fever up 105-102, giving them a lead they would not relinquish.“It’s incredible,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said. “It’s special. She does things that we haven’t seen…In the moment, sometimes it’s surreal to see. Heck, I looked down at the stat sheet at the end of the game and it’s like, ‘Holy s—, 45 [points] and 10 [assists].’ I mean, it’s just incredible.”After starting the season hot, things haven’t been smooth sailing for Clark. A back injury has plagued her in recent weeks, limiting her to just four games since June 24. For most of those outings, she’s looked like someone searching for her rhythm.But Friday felt different from the jump. Not only did Clark sense it, but her coach could see it, too.“She seemed lighter,” White said of Clark pregame. “She seemed positive. She seemed like she was bouncy. I think she felt good. I think every day we’ve seen a little bit more of it.”Ironically, it was Clark’s backcourt mate who looked destined for the big night in the first quarter. Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 of her 30 points in the opening frame, helping the Fever to an early double-digit lead. In another bit of history from the night, Clark and Mitchell’s 75 combined points are the most by a duo in franchise history.It wasn’t until the second quarter that Clark really found her groove, doing so predominantly at the free throw line, helping her to 14 points in the period. The Fever desperately needed it as the Storm pulled themselves back into the game to trail by just three at the break.Seattle only kept coming in the second half and eventually built up an eight-point lead in the fourth with 5:23 remaining. However, that became the turning point for both Clark and the Fever as they steadily chipped away at the deficit.Clark showed off her growing array of ways to get buckets, mixing mid-range jumpers with drives to the basket and her patented stepback jumper. A 3-pointer with 2:23 gave her a career-high 38 points and closed the deficit to one. A few possessions later, Clark found Monique Billings for an and-one layup with 1:11 left to tie the game.The sequence of the night, though, came shortly after.Following a Fever turnover in a tie game with just under a minute remaining, Clark raced back on the fastbreak to strip Flau’jae Johnson and win back possession. She followed that up with the biggest shot of the game, turning a broken play into the go-ahead 3-pointer to blow the roof off the arena.“I just think that when she’s really in a flow, [she] reads the game as good, if not better than anybody,” White said. “I think she’s grown into taking what the defense gives her and we always know she has the ability to make big shots and she did all of that tonight.”There’s never a bad time for a 45-point night, but this could hardly come at a better one for Clark. Limited by injury and a minutes restriction, Clark hadn’t found a groove since returning to the lineup on July 8. Finding her rhythm again, then, was a positive in itself on Friday.The 45 points? A welcome bonus.“It’s tough when you come back from injury,” White added. “Your body feels different. Mentally, you want it to happen so badly. Sometimes you second-guess yourself and that’s part of it. Rhythm, timing, all the things that happen when you haven’t played for a little while. So it was huge. It was big time for her and for us.”Funnily enough, White noted pregame that Clark was still on a minutes restriction that had hovered right at 25. That number came and went in the fourth quarter without a hint of Clark coming off the floor.Nothing was taking her out of that game. Not on a night as special as Friday.“Steph knows better than that,” Clark joked with a smile. “Trainers know better than that. They would get an earful. But I told Steph at halftime, like I felt really good and I didn’t want to lose this game…I’ve spent a ton of time on [my body] and I trust the people around me that have really helped me. I always find confidence in that, so I know I’m doing all the right things and there’s no way I was ever coming out of the game in the 4th quarter.“It didn’t matter. I would play with one leg.” #Caitlin #Clark #rewrites #record #books #historic #45point #outing")
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