On this episode of Yesterday in Sports, Chris Horwedel recaps a packed Thursday across The Open Championship, Major League Baseball, the WNBA, NBA news, Summer League and a record-setting night in Major League Cricket.

The show begins at Royal Birkdale with the opening round of The Open Championship. Chris highlights surprise contender Jackson Suber, who entered the tournament with limited major-championship experience and had never previously played traditional links golf. His first round features a dramatic finish, including a crucial save, a late birdie and an outstanding approach at the par-5 17th.

The crowded Open leaderboard also includes Sungjae Im, Dan Brown, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Chris examines the challenge of following a career-best round while established major champions remain close enough to apply pressure throughout the weekend.

Major League Baseball returns from the All-Star break with the New York Mets visiting the Philadelphia Phillies in Thursday’s only game. Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, Aaron Nola and Christian Scott feature prominently as both NL East clubs begin the second half. The episode also covers the game’s earlier start time because of air-quality concerns caused by wildfire smoke.

The WNBA section begins with NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressing the intense national conversation surrounding Caitlin Clark, officiating and physical play. Silver argues that Clark has become a “political football,” with ordinary on-court incidents now expanding into debates about race, politics, league growth and the direction of women’s basketball.

Chris also discusses the Portland Fire’s matchup with the Washington Mystics and the postponement of New York Liberty-Dallas Wings after mechanical problems kept Liberty players aboard a grounded charter plane for more than 10 hours.

In the NBA, the league is investigating the circumstances surrounding Gary Trent Jr.’s new four-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. Chris explains why the size of the agreement and Milwaukee’s ability to exceed the salary cap attracted attention, while emphasizing that no violation or wrongdoing has been established.

The episode also runs through the complete NBA Summer League schedule, including Mavericks-Thunder, Rockets-Nets, Lakers-Bulls, Warriors-Knicks, Grizzlies-Hawks, Raptors-Heat and Trail Blazers-Nuggets. Cameron Boozer’s latest performance and the race for the Summer League semifinals are among the key storylines.

The show closes with one of the most statistically extraordinary games in cricket history. MI New York and Washington Freedom combine for an enormous scoring total in a Major League Cricket T20 match at the Oakland Coliseum.

Chris explains the basic T20 format before breaking down historic performances from Nicholas Pooran, Andries Gous and Steve Smith. The match features 3 individual centuries, 51 sixes and a record chase, producing the cricket equivalent of 2 basketball teams approaching 200 points apiece.

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