July 24 (UPI) -- All 30 MLB teams will be in action, and the National Women's Soccer League will play a championship game this weekend to boost the weekend sports schedule in the United States.
The 60-game MLB regular season began Thursday night and will run through October. The Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants took the field Thursday, while 24 teams will have their opening-day games Friday.
Fourteen games are scheduled for Saturday and 12 on Sunday.
In addition to baseball and soccer, this weekend's live sports schedule also features NBA scrimmages, a PGA Tour tournament and a UFC Fight.
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Baseball is back
Thursday's MLB slate included a wealth of pitching talent, with Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto on the mound as the aces for their respective teams.
Most of the matchups Saturday and Sunday are divisional clashes. The Milwaukee Brewers will battle the Chicago Cubs in the first game at 1:05 p.m. EDT on Saturday. The Baltimore Orioles take on the Boston Red Sox in the next game at 1:35 p.m. EDT. The St. Louis Cardinals then host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 2:15 p.m. EDT. The Toronto Blue Jays have a 3:10 p.m. EDT start pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays.
A dozen MLB squads will take the field for first pitches between 4:05 and 4:10 p.m. EDT Saturday. The Nationals will host the Yankees in the second game of their three-game series at 7:15 p.m. EDT. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres end Saturday's slate with a 9:10 p.m. EDT first pitch.
Some of Sunday's best matchups should include the Yankees-Nationals finale, the Brewers against the Cubs, the Colorado Rockies at the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves at the New York Mets.
Soccer tournaments heat up
Top players from the National Women's Soccer League will compete in the NWSL Challenge Cup championship game at 12:30 p.m. EDT Sunday. The Houston Dash will take on the Chicago Red Stars in the final game of the tournament in Utah. The game will air on CBS.
United States Women's National Team stars Julie Ertz and Naeher also are Red Stars teammates. Ertz will patrol the midfield against the Dash while Naeher plays goalie.
Sixteen teams will battle in the MLS Is Back Tournament knockout stage, which starts Saturday in Orlando, Fla. The winner of each matchup will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament. The MLS Is Back Tournament began July 8 and concludes with an Aug. 11 championship game.
Orlando City SC will face the Montreal Impact in the first round of 16 matchup at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. The Philadelphia Union will play the New England Revolution in the next game at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday. Sporting Kansas City and Toronto FC will each play in round of 16 matchups Sunday, but their opponents haven't been determined.
The knockout stage continues Sunday and Monday, with games airing on ESPN, ESPN and FS1.
NBA scrimmages
NBA players are on the same ESPN Wide World of Sports complex as MLS players in Orlando, Fla., but the leagues' venues and hotels are separated. The NBA's resumed season doesn't get underway until July 30.
Fans can watch the teams early as they participate in preseason action this weekend in Orlando. The Los Angeles Lakers face the Orlando Magic at noon EDT Saturday. The Miami Heat battle the Utah Jazz at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday.
Sunday's slate includes a quadruple-header, which starts with the Philadelphia 76ers in a noon EDT preseason clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Indianapolis Pacers then have a 4 p.m. EDT matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors have a game at 6 p.m. EDT Sunday. The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies will take the floor at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday in Orlando.
The games will air on NBA TV.
Saturday
Golf
3M Open: The third-round featured groups canbe seen from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT on PGA Tour Live; 1 to 3 p.m. EDT on the Golf Channel; and 3 to 6 p.m. EDT on CBS.
Baseball
Brewers at Cubs at 1:05 p.m. EDT on Fox
Giants at Dodgers at 4:10 p.m. EDT on Fox
Yankees at Nationals at 7:15 p.m. EDT on Fox
Diamondbacks at Padres at 9:10 p.m. EDT on FS1
Soccer
MLS Is Back Tournament: Orlando City SC vs. Montreal Impact at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
MLS Is Back Tournament: Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2
Basketball on NBATV
Lakers vs. Magic at noon EDT
Heat vs. Jazz at 4 p.m. EDT
UFC Fight Night on ESPN
Rhys McKee vs. Khamzat Chimaev at 8 p.m. EDT
Alex Oliveira vs. Peter Sobotta after first fight
Paul Craig vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov after second fight
Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez after third fight
Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson after fourth fight
Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira after fifth fight
Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till after sixth fight
Sunday
Golf
3M Open: Fourth round featured groups from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT on PGA Tour Live; 1 to 3 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel; 3 to 6 p.m. EDT on CBS
Baseball
Yankees at Nationals at 1:05 p.m. EDT on TBS
Angels at Athletics at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network
Braves at Mets at 7:08 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Giants at Dodgers at 10:08 p.m. EDT on ESPN
Soccer
NWSL Challenge Cup championship: Houston Dash vs. Chicago Red Stars at 12:30 p.m. EDT on CBS
MLS Is Back Tournament: Toronto FC vs. TBD at 8:30 p.m. EDT on FS1
MLS Is Back Tournament: Sporting KC vs. TBD at 11 p.m. EDT on FS1
Basketball on NBATV
76ers vs. Thunder at noon EDT
Pacers at Mavericks at 4 p.m. EDT
Blazers vs. Raptors at 6 p.m. EDT
Rockets vs. Grizzlies at 8 p.m. EDT
