Jordan Walker Needed Four Straight Homers on His Last Swing. He Hit Four.
The Derby got robbed in Philly, Sinner did Sinner things at Wimbledon, and the Mets are somehow 17 games under .500 at the break.
Last night a 24-year-old walked into the loudest building in baseball, took 43,863 boos to the face, and walked out a millionaire.
💣 The Derby Ended the Only Way Philly Deserved
Kyle Schwarber looked like he had the storybook ending written.
Playing in front of his home crowd at Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber launched 11 home runs in the final round of the Home Run Derby, chasing history as just the fourth player ever to win the Derby in his home stadium. Bryce Harper was already celebrating from the top step of the dugout.
“It’s over.”
It wasn’t.
Jordan Walker entered his final swing sitting on eight home runs. Under this year’s new Derby format, your final swing stays alive as long as every ball leaves the yard. Miss once, and it’s finished.
Walker needed four straight home runs to win.
He hit exactly four.
Final score: 12–11.
Just like that, the 24-year-old became the first St. Louis Cardinal ever to win the Home Run Derby.
Philadelphia booed him during introductions.
Philadelphia booed him between swings.
Philadelphia celebrated every out.
Walker smiled afterward and delivered the quote of the night:
“I was once told you don’t boo nobodies.”
The financial side somehow makes the story even better.
Walker is still a pre-arbitration player earning $799,400 this season.
Winning the Derby paid him $1 million.
He literally made more money in one Monday night than he’ll earn playing the entire regular season.
Schwarber still collected $500,000 as runner-up—plus whatever fantasy-football punishment Bryce Harper now owes him after Harper was bounced in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Junior Caminero crushed the night’s longest homer at 491 feet…and still didn’t reach the finals.
That’s baseball.
🎾 Sinner Doesn’t Lose These Anymore
Jannik Sinner added another chapter to what’s becoming one of tennis’ most predictable rivalries.
The world No. 1 defended his Wimbledon title by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a marathon lasting 3 hours, 46 minutes.
The opening two sets featured zero service breaks and consecutive tiebreaks—the first Grand Slam final to begin that way since Federer and Djokovic in 2015.
Then Sinner did what Sinner usually does.
He solved the puzzle.
The victory pushed him to 10 consecutive wins over Zverev, improved his season record to 38-3, gave him his 100th career Grand Slam match victory, and secured Grand Slam No. 5, along with roughly $4.8 million in prize money.
Zverev earned another unwanted milestone.
He’s now reached the final at all four Grand Slams—the first player born in the 1990s to do so.
He’s also lost to Sinner 10 straight times.
Sometimes history has a cruel sense of humor.
Saturday belonged to the Czech Republic.
Twenty-one-year-old Linda Nosková defeated Karolína Muchová 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in an all-Czech final to capture her first Grand Slam title. She became the youngest Wimbledon women’s champion since Petra Kvitová in 2011 after surviving a match point back in the third round.
Even crazier?
There have now been 10 different women’s champions in the last 10 Wimbledons.
The men’s draw has a king.
The women’s draw has chaos.
📊 First-Half Standings Check
The Dodgers remain baseball’s standard at 61-36.
Quietly sitting right behind them?
The Brewers.
Milwaukee enters the break at 59-37, just two games back, yet somehow remains one of baseball’s least-discussed contenders.
Over in the American League, Tampa Bay owns the best record at 56-38.
Now…because this is a New York publication, we have to address the local situation.
The Yankees sit at 54-42, second in the AL East and well within striking distance of the Rays.
The Mets?
40-57.
Seventeen games under .500.
Dead last in the NL East.
And somehow…
Four and a half games behind the Nationals.
Read that again.
Behind the Nationals.
Walker’s Derby victory isn’t just a fun headline, either.
The Cardinals head into the second half at 50-45, firmly in the National League Wild Card race despite playing in one of baseball’s toughest divisions alongside Milwaukee and the Cubs.
One swing can change a career.
Walker may have had his on national television.
🗓️ The Week Ahead
The All-Star Game takes center stage Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Kyle Schwarber, baseball’s home run leader with 32, gets one more chance to hear the Philadelphia crowd before the second half begins Friday.
Then the real season starts.
Can Milwaukee stay with Los Angeles?
Can anyone in the American League chase down Tampa Bay?
Can the Mets salvage anything—or is the second half simply an audition for the trade deadline?
The break ends Friday.
The pretending ends with it.
— The Bandicoots ⚾🎾