GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — A powerful first-half header by Jude Bellingham sent England on the way to a successful launch of their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 win over Serbia on Sunday that began confidently but saw the Three Lions clinging on for the points by the end.

The excellent Bellingham stormed into the box to connect with Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross that sailed across the box perfectly for the 20-year-old midfielder to put the Euro 2020 runners-up ahead from close range in the 13th minute.

The result put England top of Group C after Denmark and Slovenia drew 1-1 earlier on Sunday.

Bellingham, who began the move for the only goal himself, set the tempo for much of England’s attacking play and was cheered to the rafters of the cavernous Arena AufSchalke by the army of Three Lions fans bellowing his name.

Gareth Southgate’s attack-minded team initially found space down the right as Saka linked up with full back Kyle Walker, whose surging runs threatened to help add to England’s advantage.

But after the break, Serbia began to threaten and England showed little of their earlier fluency.

The tally of 11 shots by the final whistle – six by Serbia, five from England – was the lowest in a European Championship match since at least 1980, according to Opta data.

Bellingham took issue when asked by reporters if England’s loss of momentum showed the team remained a work in progress.

‘I don’t agree with that,’ he said. ‘I think the first half shows why we can score goals against any team and the second half shows why we can keep a clean sheet against any team.’

OPINION: Why Three Lions will (or won’t) win Euro 2024 to end trophy drought

Serbia improve

Serbia upped their game at the start of the second half after bringing on Ivan Ilic for defensive midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, and before long striker Dusan Vlahovic swept a cross dangerously across England’s box, rousing their fans.

Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic doubled down on his switch to a more attacking shape as Dusan Tadic and Luka Jovic came off the bench with just over an hour played.

Southgate responded by introducing the hard-running Conor Gallagher – replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in an unfamiliar midfield role.

Another substitute, Jarrod Bowen, delivered a pinpoint cross for captain Harry Kane, whose header was pushed onto the bar by goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic in the 77th minute.

Five minutes later, a fierce Vlahovic shot was tipped over by Jordan Pickford as Serbia kept up the pressure.

But England, with an unfamiliar-looking defence that featured the impressive Marc Guehi, playing in a major tournament for the first time, and right-footed Kieran Trippier standing in as left back, held out for the win.

Kane acknowledged the performance was not a classic by England. ‘Overall a deserved win. It’s just about getting through,’ said the England captain.

‘There was a spell in the second half where we got camped in our box and we found it hard to get out but it was an important win tonight.’

England next play Denmark on Thursday after Serbia take on Slovenia.

“A lot of people tell me, ‘It must have been so great to be a Ripken.’ And I go, ‘Well, I’m proud to be a Ripken, but not for the reasons you might think.’ ” – Ryan Ripken

When Cal Ripken Jr. gets together with his son, Ryan, they rekindle their rivalry.

“He never let me win when I was a kid,” says Ryan Ripken, Cal’s 30-year-old son. “And I’m glad. I tell you what, though, when I started beating him at basketball, that was fun.”

The two once had a competition going at cribbage on a flight back to the states from South Africa. Ryan won the cards marathon but his dad wanted to continue the game on their connecting flight.

“I’ll play with you, but this doesn’t count,” Ryan said he told his father. “He ended up winning the two games on the flight. And he’s like, ‘Champion.’ ”

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Some would say there’s a Ripken Way to playing baseball. It’s about work and careful dedication to a craft until you excel at it, and until you are a stronger person for it.

It’s about fathers and sons sharing the game together but also loving something, and those around you who believe in your cause, so much that you dedicate your life to it.

And it’s about not letting your kid win.

“I can wholeheartedly say we hated losing,” Ryan says. “Especially as we got older.”

Cal Ripken’s baseball life, and the pains and competitive spirit it took to excel at it, created a movement of fans who have thanked him over the years, sometimes tearfully, for what his enduring Hall of Fame career has meant to their lives. Today, fathers and sons come to his Ripken Baseball complexes, which host youth tournaments but also promote the lessons of his father, Cal Sr.

Twenty-three-years removed from his retirement, Ripken has followed his father’s lead as a baseball lifer and coach into a second baseball career.

After an injury derailed his chance of reaching the major leagues, Cal Sr. dedicated his life to helping young players in the Baltimore Orioles system try to fulfill their own dream of getting there. Along the way, he set a standard for workmanship and services that his family follows.

“I’ve learned that you put in your time, work really hard, you have the power in your own work that can make you better and give you a chance,” Cal Jr., 63, told USA TODAY Sports at last month’s Project Play Summit in Baltimore.

On Father’s Day, let’s look at how the Ripken Way can help you and your young athlete chase dreams, but also keep you grounded.

1. ‘You can observe a lot by watching’

Like Yogi Berra, another proud baseball dad who is credited with that saying, Cal Jr. learned baseball inside and out by watching. More specifically, he and his three siblings watched their dad.

Whether it was edging his driveway with two nails, a string and a hatchet, or hitting ground balls to players, there was an earnestness Cal Sr. lived by that became a guidepost for his son’s record streak 2,632 consecutive games.

Cal could also see a healthy mix of humanity in it all as a bat boy during his childhood summers. He watched how his father asked a pitcher to chart games and mark players’ mistakes with a red dot by their names. The dots became index cards his father created to remember the situations.

But they never became heat-of-the-moment exchanges. The next day, Cal Sr. casually called the player into his office, looked at him with his deep blue eyes and went over the mistake. He offered a small compliment when he was finished. I love how you’re swinging the bat, keep going.

“The guy who walked out of the room like 30 seconds later, his chest would be all up, he’d be all happy,” Cal Jr. recalled. “If you tried to do that during the course of the game, they’re already upset they made a mistake and they would fight you a little bit, and then nothing would get done.”

Years later, when he helped coach Ryan’s Little League team, Cal watched other coaches scream out to his son’s teammates during games. Cal marked his observations in a notebook.

“Don’t yell out,” he told the other coaches. “Just write it down. And then we’ll figure it out together. You don’t want to embarrass them. You want to explain what happens because kids are really sensitive to that.”

Cal Sr. didn’t know he was giving lessons. He was just being himself and living his life. It’s a reminder how we are always on display for our kids, showing off the best – or worst – we have to offer.

“I never saw my dad be upset with any outcome of the game,” says Ryan Ripken, who played in the minors for seven years and is now a sports media personality in Baltimore. “The biggest thing was, ‘Are you giving your effort? Are you working hard? And if you’re doing those things, we can work on the other stuff.”

Coach Steve: What sons of famous MLB players can teach sports parents

2. ‘Figure out who you are’

There is at least one outcome that brightens Cal Ripken’s day. It occurs when working with a kid, perhaps an at-risk kid through the foundation he and his family created in his father’s name, and you ‘hook’ them.

Imagine you’re teaching someone hitting for the first time, but you realize he is athletic and brimming with potential. You notice he’s holding the bat too high on the handle or cross-handed, so you make the slight adjustment.

“All of a sudden … POW! … The ball comes off his bat, the eyes light up,” says Ripken, his own deep blue eyes widening. “Now you’ve kind of hooked him, and now you can kind of guide them.

‘We’ve used baseball as the icebreaker or sports as the icebreaker. And then once you create a trusting relationship through mentorships, and those sorts of things, then you can help guide the kids in other ways as well.”

When kids are having fun with their sports, as Cal did playing baseball, basketball and soccer when he was a boy, they don’t even realize the lessons they are learning.

Ripken says if he had the ability to make one thing happen all across youth sports, it would be to remove the pressure we put on kids during games. His advice: At an early age, expose them to different sports and see which ones makes them most happy. When they find the game they love, you both will know.

It’s the way Cal and Kelly Ripken, Ryan’s mother, allowed their kids to grow through their sports and activities.

“My family would have loved me if I’d never ever picked up a baseball once in my life,” Ryan says. “There was never pressure to do it. I almost chose playing basketball, but I could never put down the glove or the bat. [It was] something deep inside of me that I wanted to do, not that I was being pushed by my family members at all.”

Coach Steve: What makes pickleball the perfect sport for everybody

3. ‘You are guaranteed to fail’ and it’s never as bad as you think

When Ryan reached Class AAA ball, the minor leagues’ highest rung, he still felt the weight of his family name. But he remembers Cal Sr.’s example: Sometimes the pursuit of a goal, and what you do after you don’t achieve it, is more worthwhile.

As he got older, Ryan began to work with kids, too, at camps and clinics. Like his grandfather, he has thought about how to help kids beyond each specific game so they can understand themselves better.

“Who helps you when you’re in there?” he has asked kids when they are hitting. Some tell him it’s that coach who’s yelling at them. Others realize they’re in the batter’s box doing the work by themselves.

“I will always be here to help you, but my goal is, ‘How can you figure out who you are?’ ” he tells them. “And in the process of working that style, I think they learn how to deal with failures themselves.”

Yes, his dad was physically talented, a seemingly overgrown shortstop who made things look so easy. But he was also someone who seemed to change his stance dozens of times during his 21-year professional career. He was trying to find a feel, a comfort level with himself in a game of ups and downs.

“He always had frustrations just like everyone else did,” Ryan said. “But how do you learn to leave what had happened in the past behind?”

Cal Sr. managed the Orioles for just over two seasons. He was fired after the team began its infamous 1988 season 0-6. It would go on to start 0-21. Cal Jr. said the experience taught him not to run away from a challenge but to try and figure out how to solve it.

Its’s that mental makeup, learning how to move past failure, Ryan says, that set his dad apart. We can’t be Cal Ripken, but we can teach our kids that even when we lose, or when we strike out, there is still a lesson. Each instance as an opportunity.

“How many times did I worry about failing and worry about, ‘What if something goes wrong?’” Ryan says. “I think for me that opened up my mind of, ‘Life’s hard enough. Things are hard, but every bad moment’s gonna pass.’ And that was something I wished as a kid I understood. It’s never as bad as it seems. And don’t let your fear of someone else stop you from doing what you love to do.

“I think kids compare themselves and worry about so many other things besides you get to be with friends, you get to learn a game that you love.”

4. It’s OK to lose sometimes. It doesn’t mean you are giving in.

Let’s go back to a game when Ryan was 8. The opposing coach was playing to win. You’ve likely seen the scenario before. The Ripken team’s pitcher wasn’t throwing strikes, and every time he tossed another ball, that coach would yell to his hitter, “Make sure he throws a strike!”

Ryan’s teammate walked the bases loaded, throwing wild pitch after wild pitch. Parents from the other team cheered, clapped and high-fived. The pitcher cried.

As the moment was unfolding, Cal Jr. thought to himself: We’ll get through this.

“If you wanted to win at 8 years old, tell your kids to take until they get to two strikes, don’t swing the bat at all. They’ll walk you. Then they’ll run around the bases, and then you’ll win the game,’ he says. ‘But you haven’t learned how to hit. You haven’t learned how to field.

“Sometimes we as parents get a little bit into the game, and we press and our competitive nature comes out and we want to win, win, win. My advice would be take a step back, realize the bigger picture, be a little bit more patient, let them develop and to try to alleviate pressure.”

Ripken called over the other coach. Even the dad who doesn’t let his son win knows when to tap the breaks.

‘We forfeit,’ he said. ‘So now let’s just play a practice game.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for a high schooler and middle schooler. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

PHOENIX − Ron Washington’s wife pleaded with him.

His friends from New Orleans openly questioned whether he should do this.

Those closest to him in the game asked if it made sense to trade security for volatility.

Come on, leave the third-base coach job with Atlanta, one of baseball’s elite franchises, to become manager for one of baseball’s most troubled clubs in the Los Angeles Angels?

“People kept saying how bad the Angels are, and why would you want to go there?’ Ron Washington says, sipping a beer at the Angels’ team hotel in Phoenix. “Come on, it’s a big-league job. There are only 30 of these [expletives]. I waited 10 damn years to get back.

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“I told everyone, I wasn’t going there because of what they’ve done in the past. I’m going there to create what they’re going to do in the future.

“I’m telling you, I’m going to turn this [expletive] around.

“I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t believe I could make a difference.’

Well, three months into his first year on the job and the Angels (27-42) have the fifth-worst record in baseball, with Washington’s own coaches apologizing watching his career winning percentage (.514, 691-653) eroding every day after producing four consecutive 90-victory seasons and back-to-back pennants with the Texas Rangers.

You know who it bothers the least?

“I haven’t had a sleepless night since I took this job,’ Washington tells USA TODAY Sports in a three-hour conversation. “This record isn’t anything what I hoped, and we’re not playing like I expect. But we’ve got such a young team. There are nights when we’ve got everyone on the field making the minimum salary.

“But you know what?

“It’s coming. I know it coming.

“We’ll get it done here, and it’s going to be a beautiful damn thing when we’re on top.’’

This is pure, unfiltered Washington, who at 72 truly believes he can be the one to rejuvenate this dormant franchise, leading them back to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

“I ain’t no damn failure,’ Washington says. “I’ve never been a failure in my damn life. I might be failing, but I ain’t no failure. There’s a difference.

“I’m going to do what it takes to not fail. I’m not going to let it just keep happening to me and say I’m a failure. [Expletive] that. I’m going to do what I have to do to come out of it.

“Sometimes you can snap out of it, and sometimes it can take a minute.’

If Washington, who last managed in 2014, didn’t believe he could turn around the Angels, he would have just stayed in Atlanta where he had just agreed to a three-year contract extension to remain their third-base coach. The salary was good and the postseason shares were lucrative.

He received plenty of inquiries over the years to leave Atlanta and become another team’s bench coach, with the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox showing the most recent interest, but he told Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos he would leave only if a manager’s job became available.

So here he is, managing a team with no Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers), no Mike Trout (meniscus knee surgery, out until after the All-Star break), no Anthony Rendon (strained hamstring, likely July return), no Brandon Drury (strained hamstring, likely late June return) and a lineup filled with kids making the minimum and veterans just hanging on to their careers.

Those Amstel Lights and oatmeal cookies have never tasted so good on these tough nights.

“If we play solid baseball, we have a chance,’ says Washington, whose team is 12-21 in one- and two-run games. “It’s not like teams are just coming in and waxing our ass. We’ve had opportunities, we just didn’t come through. We’ve been missing that one hit. One base hit.

“We just have to learn how to win. It takes time. It’ll be different next year.’

Washington, perhaps the greatest infield coach in baseball history, has been instrumental in his infielders winning 14 Gold Gloves and eight Platinum Gloves with Oakland, Texas and Atlanta. He has coached or managed three different MVP winners.

The man is a winner, and although the Angels certainly are deficient in talent, they sure aren’t going to be out-worked. Washington not only arrives early every day to work with infielders along with infield coach Ryan Goins, but conducts a classroom during the daily hitters’ meeting.

“We’ve had more bad days than good,’ says Angels GM Perry Minasian, who was with Washington in Texas and Atlanta, “but he hasn’t wavered. He’s the same consistent person in the energy level. The passion for the game was something he’s always had, but the endurance has been really incredible.’

Washington’s daily classroom pores over what transpired the previous game, forcing players to explain why they made a particular play, particularly if it was caused by a fundamental or mental mistake. It doesn’t matter if you’re Jo Adell getting thrown out at second base to end a game without sliding, Trout looking at a game-ending third strike or infielder Luis Guillorme failing to put down a squeeze.

Washington isn’t afraid to call anyone out, and still finds it strange that his sharp criticism ridicule of Guillorme in his postgame press conference a month ago about his failed bunt became national news. He wants to know when it became a sin to publicly point out a players’ shortcomings.

When an Angels official asked Washington if he wanted to apologize the next day, or at least soften his criticism, Washington refused. He instead brought the beat writers in to show a replay of video, explaining why he was angry with the effort.

“I’m not apologizing for [expletive],’ Washington told the official. “I can’t have emotions. I can’t compete. I’m supposed to be stoic all of the [expletive] time. I can’t react to [expletive] that’s not right. Come on man.

“It’s been great ever since.’

The only team meeting he called all season to condemn their performance was in late April when they suffered back-to-back losses of 16-5 and 11-5 to the Minnesota Twins.

Instead of getting upset, or overly sensitive to the criticism, the players have embraced the tough love.

“He’s definitely brought the old school back to the new school that we’re playing now,’ Angels 23-year-old shortstop Zach Neto says. “He just wants us to play good baseball, man, that’s going back to the small things. Laying down bunts, moving guys over, doing whatever we got to do to manufacture runs. A lot of praise to him to be able to come in here and change to what we had the last couple of years.

“It’s about ownership, guys just having accountability.’

Says Angels infielder/outfielder Cole Tucker: “Everyone saw what Wash did for those guys in Atlanta, and now he’s doing the same thing here. He just exudes energy and work ethic and positivity and just baseball, what it used to be.

“He’s a straight shooter. You know where you stand. You’re going to know what he wants and the demands of you. As we get more analytical and smarter and nerdier, that is the stuff that works.’’

When the Angels played a sloppy game Tuesday night in a 9-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, there were four players who stood up and spoke at the daily meeting, with Washington providing the closing arguments. The meeting was so emotional that Washington called it one of the most moving events of his career.

“I’ve just got to stay in the process, stay the course,’ says Washington, one of only two Black managers in the game. “Every day when they get to the ballpark, I want them to see the same guy busting my ass, trying to get people better and having fun. I want them to feed off me and my coaching staff.

“If I was dealing with stars and this [expletive] was happening, oh, I’d have headaches. But I’m dealing with kids that haven’t even experienced baseball. They’re still learning how to win. So, I can’t get pissed at that. What are you going to do?’

Really, it’s as if Tom Brady took a page out of Washington’s playbook during his jersey retirement ceremony this past week when he said: “To be successful at anything, the truth is you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t – consistent, determined and willing to work for it.’

It’s all that Washington asks.

“He has energy, passion, and a realistic expectation of where this unit’s at,’ veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar says. “He wants to win. And he expects to win. But he also has a realistic view of like when we lost Trout and Rendon, like the lineup we’re rolling out there is going to be tough to win.

“Every day our goal is to win, but if we don’t win, he’s a big believer in the process and building culture. He knows it’s not done overnight. Despite our record, we have put ourselves in a position to win a lot of games. We just don’t know how to win those games. We have a lot of young guys here. Some of these guys are being relied on to drive the bus, when really our lineup is made up of bunch of passengers right now.

“Culture is a huge part of it, but you can’t win without superstars.’

Maybe there will be a day when Angels owner Arte Moreno opens his checkbook again after refusing to match the Dodgers’ $700 million heavily-deferred contract proposal for Ohtani, declining to make offers for any other marquee free agent this past winter, with their biggest a three-year, $33 million deal to reliever Robert Stephenson.

Maybe pitchers like Jose Soriano will really turn into Yankees starter Luis Gil, as Washington predicts, Adell will become the power-hitting All-Star outfielder they projected, infielders Nolan Schanuel and Neto will become stars, and Logan O’Hoppe will be one of the best young catchers in the game.

And maybe, Washington, who signed a two-year contract with an option, will be around to see it all to fruition.

“I remember when I took this job,’ Washington says, “some people thought I would be out by the All-Star break. I ain’t going anywhere. This is where I belong.

“I know this is going to change going forward. I have no doubt. We’re not going to be losers. That [expletive] is going to change.

“I’m telling you, “I’m going to turn this [expletive] around with my coaches and players.

“You just watch.’’

Staying ahead of the (security) curve

While MLB players are faced with growing threats against themselves and their families from gamblers, including death threats, former New York City police detective John Timpanaro warns players to start being proactive.

“This is just the beginning, the next level problem,’ Timpanaro, a 25-year veteran who now works private security for celebrities and wealthy clients, tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s dangerous out there. You’re dealing with folks who have an addiction, a sickness, which is gambling. These players have inadvertently become the substance, the gambler’s addiction. They didn’t ever want to become part of this.’’

Now, with no choice, athletes can start mitigating the damage by doing due diligence, Timpanaro says:

”Go on the web browser, and put their personal information on, full name, research themselves, and see what comes up. Even though they have resources and apparatuses in place, I think most would be very surprised. They may see parts of their social security number, emails, phone numbers, and their home addresses. … Don’t assume people don’t know who you are. You’ve got to do some due diligence. You’ll find it alarming. … So what you’ve got to do is personally scrub your information and remove anything you don’t want on the internet.’’
”Spend a few bucks and do some advance work on your personal travels. I’m talking about bugs, cameras, recording decides, all of those things. You’ve got to presume things are out there, and take those extra steps, especially when you’ve been a victim of a threat.’
”Social media is a problem. If you just remove social footprint all together, you’re safer. I know it’s not always reasonable or practical in the world we live in, but if you want to safer, you do it.’’
”If you’re a victim of a threat, take it seriously. When you leave for the ballpark every day and drive the same car with the same route, you’re just becoming an easy target.’’

Does it sound extreme?

Well, Timparano warns, with MLB and other sports promoting gambling, a nightmare scenario is just around the corner.

“I know there are resources through MLB and the players association,’ Timparanaro says, “but don’t be too proud to take the steps. Don’t be shy. Be forceful of it. Don’t be embarrassed to hire executive protection. We see things as law enforcement veterans.

“The next level is scary.’’

Around the basepaths

≻ The Chicago White Sox realize that Garrett Crochet’s value may never be higher so their asking price is exorbitant, hoping that contenders aren’t deterred by Crochet’s injury history and the need to curtail his innings in the second half, perhaps making him a reliever in the postseason.

Certainly, it’s a potential trade that could shape the White Sox franchise for the next decade.

The last time they were in a full-scale rebuild with a left-handed ace was in 2016 when they traded Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects: Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz.

It was an absolute bust, which has left the White Sox resorting to yet another rebuild.

While the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series with Sale, who still had three years remaining on his contract, the White Sox chose the wrong prospects, passing up on future All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers and taking Moncada.

The White Sox can ill afford to make the same blunder with Crochet, who has been the game’s most dominant pitcher the last three starts and perhaps the most coveted starter on the market.

≻ Several GMs and baseball executives say they can’t help but laugh at the breathless reports about the trade deadline, which is still six weeks away on July 30.

“Come on, nothing is going to happen until the final 48 to 72 hours,’’ one GM said. “That’s the way it always works. And right now, it’s quiet. We’re all focused on the draft.’’

≻ It has been nearly six weeks since Los Angeles Angels All-Star outfielder Mike Trout had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and he has yet to begin baseball activities.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia Phillies All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto, who also had surgery to repair torn meniscus, vows he’ll be back in a month.

≻ While the Houston Astros are baseball’s biggest disappointment and most underachieving team, GM Dana Brown’s job is safe. He still has two years left on his contract.

≻ The most intriguing question at the trade deadline will be whether the Los Angeles Dodgers decide to stick with Mookie Betts as their everyday shortstop, or more him to second base.

Betts is having another fabulous season and could be the leading MVP contender, but it’s been a rough adjustment learning shortstop on the fly, making nine errors with a .957 fielding percentage − third worst among all shortstops.

≻ When catcher William Contreras was traded from Atlanta to Milwaukee, Ron Washington, Atlanta’s third-base coach at the time, sent him an inspirational note telling him that he will be a star.

Well, look who’s in the middle of the NL MVP race helping carry the Brewers to a big NL Central lead?

≻ The Baltimore Orioles are on the lookout for a center fielder while All-Star Cedric Mullins’ struggles continue. He is hitting just .186 with a .234 on-base percentage and .325 slugging percentage.

≻ The annual GM meetings, for the first time, will be in San Antonio, Texas, beginning Nov. 5.

≻ Just how much has the Chicago Cubs’ back end of the bullpen struggled this year?

The Cubs would be 50-19 if games lasted only seven innings this season. Instead, they are 33-36.

≻ Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, now an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago, on being charged $60 to park in the Wrigley Field parking lot last week: “For that kind of money I should be parking in the bullpen.”

≻ The Orioles’ streak of playing 21 consecutive series against a powerful AL East opponent without losing one will certainly be tested Tuesday when they visit Yankee Stadium for a three-game series against the New York Yankees.

The last time the Orioles lost a series in the division? Would you believe April 9, 2023?

≻ It was an ugly Friday for first basemen/DHs across the game:

Garrett Cooper of the Red Sox, Harold Ramirez of the Tampa Bay Rays, Daniel Vogelbach of the Toronto Blue Jays and Jose Abreu of the Houston Astros were all dumped.

Abreu, who’s still owed $30.8 million, was easily the most painful cut.

≻ The greatest non-trade this winter belongs to the Cleveland Guardians, who were openly shopping closer Emmanuel Clase, and decided to hang onto him when no one met their asking price.

This year, he’s the most dominant closer in the American League with a league-leading 21 saves and a 0.81 ERA.

He has given up just three earned runs in 34 games this season.

≻ Just how great has Cubs rookie starter Shota Imanaga’s control been this season?

He has walked just 11 batters, the fewest by a Cubs pitcher in his first 13 career starts since 1901, while his 78 strikeouts are the third-most by a Cubs’ starter.

≻ The only teams guaranteed to be sellers at this point: the White Sox, Rockies, Marlins, Angels and A’s.

≻ If you have a starter available, Brewers GM Matt Arnold will be calling. They have already had to use 12 starters this season.

≻ The Colorado Rockies will trade All-Star catcher Elias Diaz. They will not trade infielder Ryan McMahon, who should make the All-Star team this year.

≻ The Brewers are taking on the personality of manager Pat Murphy this year with their play despite all of the obstacles in their way, heeding the advice on Murphy’s arms.

Tattoos on feft forearm: “No retreat. No Surrender.”

Right wrist black bracelet: “Relentless.”

≻ Kudos to Orioles GM Mike Elias who beat out everyone for Brewers ace Corbin Burnes this winter.

Burnes has been a godsend, and has been one of the most consistent starters in Orioles history. He has pitched at least five innings and yielded three or fewer runs in all 14 of his starts with a 2.08 ERA.

≻ It has been nearly a half-century since the Phillies had a divisional lead this big, 10 games ahead of Atlanta this week. The last time they had such a massive lead in June was 1976.

It’s stunning the Phillies were able to run away and hide in the NL East considering that All-Star shortstop Trea Turner has been out since May 3. His replacements had an .868 OPS, fifth in baseball.

Now, we’ll see how they fare without All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto the next month.

≻ Let’s put Paul Skenes on the NL All-Star team and Crochet on the AL team right now to see if they can duplicate Pedro Martinez’s magical performance in the 1999 All-Star Game when he struck out five of the six batters he faced.

≻ The World Series teams of a year ago should be bolstered by huge reinforcements at the trade deadline:

The Rangers are expected to have starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle back in July, along with third baseman Josh Jung.

The D-backs are expecting starters Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez back next month.

Those five veteran starters have combined for just four games this season, all started by Kelly.

≻ How rare is the Mariners’ AL West lead? It’s the first time they entered June in first place since 2003.

≻ The Cincinnati Reds don’t play another game West of the Central Time zone the rest of the season. Their longest remaining trip is 2 ½ hours.

The first-place Brewers, on the other hand, still have 23 games left out West.

≻ Whatever happened to the first basemen in the American League?

There is only one qualified first baseman in the AL who has a batting average higher than .230, an on-base percentage higher than .300 and a slugging percentage higher than .430.

Take a bow, Orioles Ryan Mountcastle, who is slashing .271/.318/.478.

≻ The Marlins plan to trade first baseman Josh Bell but realize they will have to eat most of his remaining $16 million contract.

≻ The Orioles’ best trade chip they may be willing to part with at the trade deadline is prized catching prospect Samuel Basallo, who is blocked by All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.

≻ Scouts are openly concerned about Diamondbacks prized prospect Druw Jones, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, one spot behind Orioles’ Jackson Holliday. They question whether his swing will work at the major league level.

≻ So much for the idea that limiting shifts would increase offense.

Teams are batting .240 this season, down from .248 a year ago, and on pace to be the lowest since teams batted .237 in 1968, with MLB lowering the pitching mound the following year.

The .699 OPS, down from .734 in 2023, is on pace to be MLB’s lowest average since 1989.

≻ Pretty cool that Detroit Tigers rookie Justyn-Henry Malloy is wearing No. 44 in honor of his father, Henry Malloy, who is named after Henry Aaron.

‘My dad, his name is Henry,’ Malloy told the Detroit Free Press. “He was named after Hank Aaron, and then, I’m Justyn-Henry. I think every Black kid’s dream is to wear 42 in the big leagues, but you can’t, so the best alternative that I always thought was 44 as a kid growing up.’’

≻ So, how long had it been until last week that Atlanta had lost five consecutive games?

Can you believe 934 games, dating back to 2017, the second-longest streak in history behind only the Yankees in 1938.

≻ The Royals, who went 56-106 last season, are on pace to win 92 games this year.

How crazy is that improvement?

It would be the greatest single-season turnaround since the 1903 New York Giants went 84-55-3 after going 38-88-5 in 1902.

≻ Ok, which was a greater move this winter?

Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos signing Reynaldo Lopez (4-2, 1.69 ERA) to a three-year, $30 million contract or trading for Chris Sale (9-2 with a 2.98 ERA)?

≻ Look out for the Cincinnati Reds, who suddenly have won 14 of their last 19, and just pulled off a zany victory Friday when they made five errors, walked eight batters, hit another, and still won. They entered Saturday six games behind the Brewers, and just one-half game out of a wild-card berth.

≻ Happy 75th birthday to Dusty Baker, who was treated to a surprise birthday party by his beautiful wife, Melissa, in front of 100 guests in Sacramento.

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BOSTON – Kyrie Irving left Boston disappointed and frustrated after the first two games of the NBA Finals in Boston.

Not only did the Dallas Mavericks lose the first two games on their way to a 3-0 series deficit, Irving did not play well against his former team in front of a crowd he desperately wanted to silence with his play.

Irving averaged just 14 points, shot 35.1% from the field, missed his eight 3-point attempts and struggled with his ball-handling in Game 1 and Game 2 in Boston.

“Being back in Boston, there’s such a level of desire that I have inside of me to play well,” the Mavericks guard said earlier in the series.

Irving is back in Boston for Game 5 Monday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), and if Irving isn’t better than he was in the first two games, Dallas’ chances of extending the series dwindle.

“I’m not speaking for him, but just from experience, just as an athlete, you want to get another opportunity, and he has that opportunity here,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Sunday. “Make some adjustments and look back at Game 1 and 2 and see what they were doing to him defensively and hopefully take advantage in Game 5.”

Celtics fans have been as relentless on Irving, who played for the Celtics in 2017-18 and 2018-19, as Boston’s defense has been. They have screamed obscenities at him, let him know what they think of him as a basketball player (hint: they don’t think he’s good) and beat up an effigy of Irving outside the arena.

“Let’s just call it what it is. When the fans are cheering, ‘Kyrie sucks,’ they feel like they have a psychological edge, and that’s fair,” Irving said. “Of course, if I’m not making shots or turning the ball over, that makes it even more of a pressing issue that they can stay on me for.”

Irving expounded on the Celtics mystique at Sunday’s media availability. He was asked what it was like joining a franchise (Celtics) that is expected to win championships more often than not.

“You have to show your respect here,” he said. “I think that’s what I struggled with initially – figuring out how I’m going to be a great player here while winning championships and also leading a team and selflessly joining the Celtics’ organization or the cult that they have here.’

He then drew a laugh from himself and reporters with his next comment.

“That’s what they expect you to do as a player. They expect you to seamlessly buy into the Celtics’ pride, buy into everything Celtics.

‘And if you don’t, then you’ll be outed. I’m one of the people that’s on the outs.”

He’s on the outs all right. Irving is one of the most disliked former Celtics, at least among fans.

“I’m perfectly fine with that. I did it to myself,” he said. “They don’t welcome me with a warm embrace, even though I know a lot of people in the organization and I’m friends still with some of them.”

It’s clear Irving has given the topic – playing against the Celtics in Boston – considerable thought. He is honest about his shortcomings as a player, teammate and person in his two-year stint with the Celtics that ended with Irving leaving for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency in 2019.

His return has been a constant storyline from the start of this matchup and remains a focal point with Dallas’ season on the line, down 3-1 in the Finals.

“In order to silence even the self-doubt, let alone the crowd doubt, but the self-doubt when you make or miss shots, that’s just as important as making sure I’m leading the team the right way and being human through this experience, too, and telling them how I feel,” Irving said.

Irving played better in the two games in Dallas, averaging 28 points and shooting 50% from the field, 41.7% on 3s and 100% on free throws. He had 21 points, six assists and four rebounds in just three quarters of Dallas’ 122-84 victory in Game 4 Friday.

He is the Mavericks player with the most Finals experience. He played in three consecutive Finals for Cleveland against Golden State, and in 2016, when the Cavaliers beat Golden State in Game 7, Irving made what turned out to be the winning 3-pointer. It is one of the most clutch shots in Finals history.

The Mavericks traded for Irving in 2023 and signed him to a three-year, $120 million extension a year ago because they believed he was the right player to put alongside All-NBA guard Luka Doncic. It’s hard to argue with the result – the Mavs won the Western Conference and beat three 50-win teams to reach the Finals.

If Boston wins the title, it won’t be because of Irving’s play solely. The Celtics are tremendous and have advantages throughout the rotation. But if Dallas wants a chance of winning Game 5, they need Irving to play more like he did in Dallas.

“I try to pay attention to the positive things that got us wins here earlier in my career, but also thinking about things that I can learn from in performances that I’ve had here where I didn’t play up to par,” Irving said. “It’s just being honest about it and just breathing through the experience and having fun with it.”

Ryan Blaney saved his best moment of 2024 for the home crowd.

In front of roughly 80 family members in the Iowa Speedway stands, Blaney finally found his way into the win column by leading a career-high 201 laps Sunday night, taking the inaugural Iowa Corn 350 NASCAR Cup Series race in Newton, Iowa.

The reigning series champion broke a 17-race winless streak by taking two tires on his No. 12 Ford on the final pit stop while most of the field took four, including runner-up finisher William Byron.

But in the season’s 17th event, the 30-year-old Blaney became the 10th different winner by beating Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet by 0.716 seconds.

The Team Penske driver has at least one win in seven of his past eight Cup seasons. He went winless in 2022.

Blaney now has 11 career victories, two on a short track, in 323 races.

A victory escaped him two weeks ago at Gateway outside St. Louis when he ran out of fuel coming to the white flag while leading.

He also won previously at the Iowa track in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.

‘What a cool way to win here. This place means a lot to me, means a lot to my mom,’ said Blaney, whose mother, Lisa, is a Chariton, Iowa, native. ‘We had a lot of people here tonight cheering us on. They willed us to that one.

‘The two tires was a good call there. I didn’t know how well I’d hold on. I kind of started to struggle a little bit at the end but had enough to hang on.’

Following Byron were Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The tire problems that surfaced in Friday’s practice, when a few teams had their cars blow tires and hit the wall, finally showed up with 19 circuits to go in the 70-lap Stage 1.

As polesitter Kyle Larson topped the field around the 0.875-mile short track, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet popped a right front tire and smacked the Turn 1 wall.

Larson emerged from the ensuing pit stops in third as Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski stayed out on their original tires to win stage points.

However, that strategy largely failed as Larson and Blaney easily passed the duo. Blaney beat Larson for the top playoff bonus points in the 70-lap segment, while Suarez managed third and Keselowski eighth.

Tire failures took place for Larson, Ross Chastain and Erik Jones as pitting began at Lap 166. Leader Blaney came in on Lap 172, and the fifth caution waved on Lap 182 before pit stops cycled around.

Larson regained the point late in Stage 2 and pulled away for his series-high eighth stage win, while Josh Berry and Elliott followed him to the line.

However, Larson’s chances of winning came to an end on a Lap 219 restart when he went three-wide in the middle and bumped Suarez’s No. 99, turning the No. 5 into Denny Hamlin’s Toyota. Larson’s Chevy subsequently banged the Turn 4 wall.

The UEFA Euro 2024 debut of France, one of the tournament favorites and 2018 World Cup winner and 2022 World Cup runner-up, highlights Monday’s slate of games in Germany.

France will take on Austria in Düsseldorf in the day’s third game. France manager Didier Deschamps attempts to become the first person to win the World Cup and Euros as both a player and coach. Austria – under the guidance of manager Ralf Rangnick – could present a challenge for one of the tournament favorites, as it has lost just once in its past 16 matches.

In Monday’s first game, the Ukraine plays Romania in Munich, which also hosted the Euro 2024 opener between Germany and Scotland. Ukraine is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the Euros, and reached the quarterfinals at UEFA Euro 2020. Romania is relatively inexperienced, but did go unbeaten during Euro qualification.

Belgium’s golden generation is aging and will look to redeem themselves after a brutal showing at the 2022 World Cup, in which the Red Devils didn’t make it out of the group stage after finishing in third place at the 2018 World Cup. Slovakia enters its matchup with the group favorite having won a pair of Euro tune-up games by 4-0 scorelines (over San Marino and Wales).

Here’s everything you need to know for Monday’s UEFA Euro 2024 matches:

How to watch Monday’s UEFA Euro 2024 games

➤ Romania vs. Ukraine, 9 a.m. ET (Fubo)

This is one of five Euro 2024 games that will stream exclusively on fubo.

➤ Belgium vs. Slovakia, noon ET (FS1)

Jacqui Oatley (play-by-play), Warren Barton (analyst) and Dr. Joe Machnik (rules analyst) will provide coverage for FOX Sports.

➤ Austria vs. France, 3 p.m. ET (FOX)

Ian Darke (play-by-play), Landon Donovan (analyst), Geoff Shreeves (sideline reporter) and Mark Clattenburg (rules analyst) will provide coverage for FOX Sports.

Spanish-language television broadcasts are available on TUDN, Unvision, and UniMás.

How to stream UEFA Euro 2024 games

FOX Sports will provide live streams for matches. Vix will provide a streaming option for Spanish-language broadcasts. Streaming also available on fubo.

Where are Monday’s UEFA Euro 2024 games being played?

Romania vs. Ukraine — Munich (Allianz Arena): Allianz Arena – or Fußball Arena München – opened in 2005 and is the primary home stadium of German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. The stadium hosted six games during the 2006 World Cup and four games during UEFA Euro 2020. On Nov. 13, 2022, Allianz Arena hosted the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Germany, which saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-16.

Belgium vs. Slovakia — Frankfurt (Deutsche Bank Park): Also known as the Waldstadion, it is the regular home stadium for German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. The stadium hosted five games during the 1974 World Cup, five games during the 2006 World Cup and four games for the 2011 Women’s World Cup – including the final, won by Japan over the United States. In 2023, it hosted two NFL games: the Kansas City Chiefs’ 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 5 and the Indianapolis Colts’ 10-6 win over the New England Patriots on Nov. 12.

Austria vs. France — Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Arena): The stadium is the regular home for German Bundesliga club Fortuna Düsseldorf. This will be the first major tournament match played at the venue, which also hosted two World Bowls while it was the home stadium for NFL Europa’s Rhein Fire.

What UEFA Euro 2024 groups are teams playing on Monday in?

Austria and France are in Group D along with the Netherlands and Poland. The Netherlands is the early group leader after Sunday’s 2-1 win over Poland.

Belgium, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine are all in Group E.

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