As the world rediscovers 'The Odyssey,' disabled actors in Greece explore the pain of war

EPIDAURUS, Greece (AP) — As Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” renews global fascination with Homer, a cast of disabled and non-disabled performers in Greece is staging the war’s other story.

It’s not about the triumph of returning heroes, but the suffering they left behind.

“The Trojan Women,” with a cast of 22, was staged at Epidaurus, the ancient open-air stone arena in southern Greece. It marked what organizers called the first fully accessible performance in the ancient theater’s 2,300-year history.

While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement.

The ancient theater offered a full range of accessibility services for the Aug. 2 performance. Blind audience members received Braille programs, tactile models and live audio description, while deaf spectators followed overhead titles. Physical adaptations also improved access throughout the site.

“It’s the first time a performance at Ancient Epidaurus has been made accessible to everyone,” said Greg Polychronidis, a Paralympic gold medalist who attended the event. “Today was a celebration of equality and it should serve as an example for everyone, forever.”

For many of the performers, standing on the ancient stage was itself part of the message: a voice for those often overlooked. Eirini Kourouvani, a 58-year-old cast member who uses a wheelchair, had never set foot inside the theater before.

“It is just grand,” she said. “I feel my heart opening up as wide as this theater is.”

Ioanna-Maria Gertsou, a blind psychologist, attended with Babu, her guide dog.

“We too have the right to attend performances on an equal footing,” she said, relieved that her dog remained quiet during the play.

The National Theater of Greece produced the performance, and accessibility services were designed by the nonprofit Liminal with financial support from Greece’s Alpha Bank.

Argyro Chioti, the National Theater’s artistic director, said the production should become the norm rather than the exception.

“This was complex, not simple. It required months of planning. It cost money. And it required very specific organizational expertise,” she said. “But that’s the standard and venues we need to reach — the major stages and the major theaters.”

—— Gatopoulos reported from Athens

A visually impaired theatergoer and his companion make their way to their seats before a performance of Euripides' tragedy The Trojan Women, staged by the National Theatre of Greece at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Cast members with and without disabilities acknowledge the audience with a curtain call after a performance of Euripides' tragedy The Trojan Women, staged by the National Theatre of Greece at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, Greece, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Audience members watch a performance of Euripides' tragedy The Trojan Women, staged by the National Theatre of Greece at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, Greece, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Oltjana Zoupas, an artist who uses a wheelchair, leaves the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus after attending a performance of Euripides' tragedy The Trojan Women, staged by the National Theatre of Greece, in Epidaurus, Greece, on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

From left to right, Eirini Kourouvani, a wheelchair dancer, Evi Saoulidou and Lydia Fotopoulou perform during a dress rehearsal of Euripides' tragedy The Trojan Women, staged by the National Theatre of Greece, at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, Greece, on Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

NEW YORK (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched seven strong innings and outdueled Chris Sale in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners as the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Saturday.

George Lombard Jr. hit his second career homer in the seventh to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead. The shortstop, who homered in his big league debut Tuesday, also drew a walk in the fifth following consecutive successful ABS challenges.

New York rookie Spencer Jones drove two runs, with a single in the second and his first career triple in the fifth. Jones also scored the tiebreaking run on a balk by Sale in the fifth. Ben Rice added his 32nd homer in the eighth.

Cole allowed two runs in the fifth and four of his six hits in the frame. He struck out nine and walked two in his third straight win.

Cole, who was the 2023 AL Cy Young winner, became the 13th Yankee to reach 1,000 career strikeouts when he got Matt Olson to end the fifth.

Lombard opened the fifth with a walk against Sale. Jones tripled, scoring Lombard. New York went ahead when Sale was called for a balk by plate umpire Dan Merzel before throwing a pitch to Austin Wells.

ATHLETICS 7, RED SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) — Boston failed in their bid for a second winning streak of 10 or more games in the same season, losing to the Athletics.

Boston recorded a franchise record-tying 15-game winning stretch, matching a mark from 1946, before it was stopped on July 22. The team’s attempt for a second streak of 10 or more games for the first time in the franchise’s 126-year history fell short against the A’s.

Gage Jump worked six strong innings, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte hit solo homers, and Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton added two-run doubles for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game skid. The A’s hadn’t won since beating the Red Sox at home on July 28.

Jump (5-7) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and six hits.

Andruw Monasterio had a two-run single in the first inning for the Red Sox, whose nine-game run started the day after Jump earned a victory by pitching six scoreless innings.

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras returned after missing two games with an illness, went 0 for 4 and was booed for jogging lightly on a ground out.

The Athletics’ bullpen, which entered with the majors’ highest ERA (5.64), allowed one run in the last three innings. Hogan Harris got the last four outs for his 10th save.

MARLINS 7, ANGELS 0

MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara struck out eight in seven innings, becoming the Miami Marlins’ career leader in innings pitched, and Xavier Edwards had three RBIs in a victory over Los Angeles.

Alcantara (13-6) broke the record in the third, working his 1,226th inning and passing Ricky Nolasco, who pitched 1,225 2/3 innings for the Marlins from 2006-13. He gave up three hits and walked one. Reliever Pete Fairbanks struck out all three batters in the ninth to end the game.

Edwards hit an RBI double as Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third, followed by Otto Lopez’s two-run single to double the Marlins’ lead. Jakob Marsee tripled to lead off the fifth, and Edwards singled to send him home.

Griffin Conine singled and Heriberto Hernández doubled in the fifth to make it 7-0.

Angels starter Walbert Ureña (7-8) pitched the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and four earned runs. He walked three and struck out two. Brett Kerry pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one. He gave up six hits.

BLUE JAYS 7, PHILADELPHIA 5, 11 innings

PHILADELPHIA (AP) —

NATIONALS 8, REDS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrés Chaparro drove in three runs and Washington snapped Cincinnati ace Chase Burns’ 12-game winning streak, beating the Reds.

Rookie Abimelec Ortiz drove in two for Washington. The Nationals have won three of four after dropping a season-worst seven in a row.

Eugenio Suárez homered for Cincinnati as the Reds dropped consecutive games for the first time since July 11-12.

Washington took a 3-2 lead when Dylan Crews opened the sixth with a double and scored on Daylen Lile’s double. Burns (13-2) then loaded the bases before yielding to Sam Moll, who was greeted by Chaparro’s pinch double. Chaparro advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Jacob Young singled.

Burns, who built the fifth-longest winning streak in club history, lost for the first time since April 10. He allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings while striking out six.

Chaparro and CJ Abrams added RBI singles in the eighth.

PIRATES 9, METS 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bubba Chandler allowed three hits in six innings, Jake Mangum had three hits and Pittsburgh beat New York to end a four-game skid.

Chandler (5-8) struck out five and walked one on 85 pitches — 58 for strikes. The 23-year-old former top prospect has surrendered seven earned runs in 26 2/3 innings over his past five starts.

Mangum had two doubles, a single and a stolen base. Nick Gonzales drove in three runs for the Pirates, who hadn’t scored more than four in seven straight games since an 8-7 loss at the Reds on July 31.

Robert Stock (0-2) lasted three innings for the Mets, being charged for eight runs on nine hits and five walks with four strikeouts.

Mangum led off the first with a double off the right-field wall and scored from third when Gonzales grounded back to Stock with the bases loaded. Ronny Simon then slipped a two-out double just inside third base and down the line, tacking on two more.

In the third, Simon reached on a well-placed bunt, stole second and scored on a bloop single to right from Jacob Gonzalez.

Pittsburgh added four runs before recording an out in the fourth. Mangum lined an RBI double to left and scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Stock walked Spencer Horwitz to reload the bases and was pulled after Gonzales lined a two-run double into the right-field corner.

ROYALS 6, CUBS 3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals made Clay Holmes’ debut with Chicago a forgettable affair, hammering him for four runs in his return from the injured list, while Jac Calgianone helped to power Kansas City to a victory.

Caglianone hit two homers, two doubles and finished with four RBIs for the Royals. Josh Rojas also had a pair of RBIs.

Seth Lugo (5-7) out-shined Holmes with his eight-pitch repertoire, which included a looping 65 mph curve that fanned MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. Lugo wound up allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings, striking out five.

Nate Pearson handled the ninth against his former team to pick up his second save of the season.

Holmes (4-5) last started a big league game May 15, when he was still with the Mets, and a 111 mph liner from the Yankees’ Spencer Jones fractured his right fibula. He was in the midst of making rehab starts when the Cubs traded for him earlier this week.

Holmes needed 70 pitches to go four innings, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out one.

RANGERS 5, ORIOLES 1

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out nine over five innings for his first victory in more than a month and Texas beat Baltimore for their fourth consecutive victory.

The Rangers (59-58) moved back over .500 with the winning streak since a season-worst six-game losing streak that knocked them out of the AL West lead.

Texas went ahead to stay with two unearned runs in the second inning, on two infield singles and two throwing errors. Corey Seager hit a three-run homer in the eighth.

It was the first start for deGrom (8-7) since he told the Rangers before last Monday’s trade deadline that he wanted to stay in Texas. At least one contending team inquired about the two-time Cy Young Award winner who has a full no-trade clause in his contract

The right-hander struck out half of the 18 batters he faced and walked one while throwing 88 pitches (55 strikes). He had gone 0-2 while allowing 13 earned runs in 18 innings his previous four starts since a win June 30 at Cleveland.

Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish (7-11) struck out four without a walk over six innings.

Jackson Holliday homered for the Orioles (56-61), with the 403-foot homer snapping his 0-for-18 slide after deGrom struck out the game’s first two batters. Baltimore has lost five of seven games while scoring a combined three runs in the losses.

TIGERS 8, GIANTS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jackson Jobe held the San Francisco Giants to one hit in five scoreless innings in his first outing in the majors in more than a year and Detroit broke it open with a six-run seventh inning, for the victory.

Jobe (1-0) had been sidelined after Tommy John surgery in 2025. The right-hander struck out four and walked one. Willy Adames’ one-out single in the fourth was the only hit Jobe allowed.

Relievers Tyler Holton and Ty Madden combined on the two-hitter. San Francisco did not get a runner past first base.

Jobe’s most recent big-league appearance came May 28, 2025, when he started against the Giants in a 4-3 Tigers win in Detroit.

On Saturday, it was a 0-0 game through five innings. In the sixth, Giants starter Landen Roupp (7-11) walked the bases loaded. With one out, reliever Keaton Winn walked Spencer Torkelson to force home a run.

Detroit put up the six-spot in the seventh. The Tigers got to Trent Harris for three runs. Making his major-league debut, Harris allowed a double to Zach McKinstry and an RBI single by Kevin McGonigle before retiring Gleyber Torres on a grounder to second.

Dillon Dingler followed with a double down the left-field line to bring home McGonigle to make it 3-0. That was Dingler’s 80th RBI of the season.

PADRES 3, ASTROS 2

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jackson Merrill hit his 17th home run of the season to help San Diego beat Houston.

Fernando Tatis Jr. walked to leadoff the first inning, Jake Cronenworth singled and Ty France walked to load the bases before Merrill hit into a forceout to take a 1-0 lead.

Merrill hit a 421-foot solo shot off Astros starter Peter Lambert in the third.

Gavin Sheets singled to leadoff the fourth and scored when Tatis reached on fielding error by shortstop Jeremy Peña.

Michael King (7-8) pitched six innings for the Padres and struck out six. He gave up three hits, an earned run and walked one. Mason Miller allowed one run in the ninth and earned his career-high 28th save of the season.

Houston’s Taylor Trammell hit a solo shot, seventh of the year, with two out in the second. Yainer Diaz hit an RBI single that made it 3-2 with two out in the ninth, but pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out to end the game.

BREWERS 4, TWINS 3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Andrew Vaughn singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning as Milwaukee edged Minnesota.

William Contreras led off the eighth with a bloop single to center off Jeff Hoffman (6-8). Brandon Lockridge pinch-ran for Contreras and stole second.

After Hoffman retired Garrett Mitchell on a fly to center, Vaughn singled to right. Lockridge made a head-first slide across the plate as the throw from Austin Martin was off line.

Brice Turang went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs for Milwaukee.

Trevor Megill retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 21st save in 23 opportunities. Trevor Larnach led off the ninth with a fly ball that right fielder Luis Lara caught at the warning track.

Aaron Ashby (13-2) worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning to earn the win. Abner Uribe worked the seventh inning in his 20th straight scoreless appearance.

Milwaukee took an early 1-0 lead when Contreras was hit by a Taj Bradley pitch with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning. Bradley responded by retiring the next three batters.

ROCKIES 8, CARDINALS 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake McCarthy homered twice in a four-hit night, Cole Carrigg and TJ Rumfield each had two hits and Colorado beat St. Louis.

McCarthy gave Colorado the lead on the first pitch of the game with his 420-foot drive to right-center field off Matthew Liberatore (5-9), and the Rockies went on to snap a four-game skid.

McCarthy hit his second of the game and 13th of the season in the sixth. He is hitting .305 and has seven hits in his last two games.

Liberatore went five innings and struck out three while giving up five runs on nine hits.

José Fermín had a two-run double to put the Cardinals ahead, but Carrigg hit a two-run double of his own in the third that gave the Rockies the lead for good. Hunter Goodman drove in one more before the end of the inning.

Rumfield got another across in the fifth, and McCarthy belted a two-run shot to center in the sixth.

The Cardinals got within two after Jordan Walker’s eighth-inning homer, and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Jordan Romano struck out César Prieto swinging for his 10th save.

WHITE SOX 6, GUARDIANS 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Munetaka Murakami homered and Tristan Peters and Chase Meidroth each drove in a pair of runs in Chicago’s five-run sixth inning as the White Sox beat Cleveland, snapping a season-worst four-game skid.

Braden Montgomery singled in a run in the eighth as Chicago (60-56) increased its first-place lead in the AL Central to three games over Cleveland and Minnesota.

Rhys Hoskins had two hits, including a two-run homer. Angel Genao went deep in the seventh and added a single for Cleveland, which has lost four of five.

Anthony Kay (9-5) allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked one in a second straight solid start. Four relievers followed, and Grant Taylor worked around a single in the the ninth for his sixth save.

Gavin Williams allowed two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walked two.

The starters were locked in a scoreless duel through five innings.

Hoskins lined Kay’s low sweeper into the left field stands to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 with one out in the sixth.

DODGERS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1, 10 INNINGS

PHOENIX (AP) — Shohei Ohtani brought home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on an infield single and Los Angeles snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating Arizona.

The Dodgers won despite Edwin Diaz blowing his second consecutive save after losing a 1-0 lead in the ninth.

Los Angeles rallied with two outs in the 10th when Hunter Feduccia walked and automatic runner Kyle Tucker moved to third on a wild pitch. Ohtani followed with a grounder to the right side that first baseman Tim Tawa dove to knock down, but couldn’t recover to make an out.

Jack Dreyer earned his first save of the season, retiring the final two outs by fielding a comebacker from Ryan Waldschmidt and starting a double play.

The D-backs trailed 1-0 entering the ninth, but Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll connected for back-to-back triples off closer Diaz to tie it. Diaz recovered to retire the next three batters, stranding Carroll at third to send the game to extra innings.

L.A.’s Kyle Tucker hit a solo homer to break a scoreless tie in the eighth, driving the second pitch he saw from reliever Jonathan Loáisiga over the right-field wall.

Arizona left 15 runners on base.

New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)