ST. LOUIS (AP) — Quinn Mathews took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Alec Burleson had an RBI single to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.
Rookie catcher Leo Bernal also singled home a run for the Cardinals. Mathews (2-3) retired his first 10 batters before walking Bryce Eldridge in the fourth and didn't give up a hit until Grant McCray doubled leading off the sixth.
The 25-year-old rookie left-hander struck out eight and allowed a run on four hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings — the longest of his seven major league starts.
Ryne Stanek stranded two in a scoreless eighth and Riley O'Brien retired Christian Koss on a groundout with runners at second and third for his 37th save in 45 opportunities.
Thomas Saggese singled with one out in the fifth off Giants starter Landen Roupp (9-14) and stole second. Iván Herrera walked to chase Roupp, and Burleson singled on the first pitch from Reiver Sanmartin for his 110th RBI and 61st hit with runners in scoring position — both totals top the majors.

#singled #louis #Giants #sixth

Is Rashee Rice playing tonight? Why Chiefs WR is off to slow start vs. Broncos originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Rashee Rice is back for another season to serve as the Kansas City Chiefs' top wide receiver.
There are a lot of questions about the Chiefs' pass-catchers group this season, but Rice is the clear-cut No. 1 target for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
But we haven't seen that so far in the Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos, as Rice is off to a quiet start.
Here's a closer look at what's going on.

#rice #chiefs #season

The Cubs lost two of three to the Braves in Atlanta back in May, scoring only five runs in the series.
That was so long ago that Pete Crow-Armstrong batted ninth, eighth and ninth in the three games and Moisés Ballesteros was the starting catcher in the series opener.
Since that series ended the Cubs are 55-51 and the Braves 58-48, only three games apart. Now both teams are trying to nail down postseason positions, the Braves the NL East ****** le and the Cubs the first wild card spot.
For more on the Braves, here's Demetrius Bell, manager of our SB Nation Braves site Battery Power.
The last time these two teams squared off, everybody invested in the Braves was hoping that what they'd seen from this team over the first month-and-a-half of the season was legit. Here we are in September and the Braves have a very tight grip on the NL East lead and they're still fighting for the second seed in the National League, so I'd say that this team has proven to be legit.

#teams

Former Cincinnati Reds great Joey Votto reacted to former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina's induction into the team's Hall of Fame by tweeting, "Class player. Class franchise."
Votto still played for the Reds in 2022 when he tweeted minutes before the start a series finale against the Cardinals at Great American Ball Park and called for "appreciation for the experience of competing against Cards icons" Molina and Albert Pujols.
Pujols was inducted alongside Molina into the Cardinals' Hall of Fame.
Molina and former Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips were the principals in a memorable Reds-Cardinals brawl in August 2010.

#reds #great

The Diamondbacks selected the contract of first baseman Pavin Smith from Triple-A Reno, bringing back the longtime lefty bat a couple of months after his struggles in the majors led to him being designated for ****** ignment.
To make room, the Diamondbacks optioned catcher Adrian Del Castillo.
Smith went a miserable 11 for 78 (.141) with one homer in 28 games before the Diamondbacks moved on from him in July. Smith cleared waivers and was outrighted to Reno, where he hit .287/.423/.504 in 39 games. He was even better in recent weeks, going 15 for 47 (.319) with four homers and a 1.109 OPS over his past 13 games.
"It's an opportunity for Pavin to go and show what he can do against some right-handed pitching," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "He's been performing in Triple-A. We're just curious to see what it looks like this time around. I know the last time around it did not go well at all, but he's going to get a start here and there and it's an opportunity for him to show us where he's at and what he's picked up since he was sent back down."
Lovullo added: "The Triple-A staff felt very strongly he could come back up here and help contribute."

#triple #Opportunity

Rafael Devers' recent tear, especially when the San Francisco Giants slugger is driving ****** out to right at Oracle Park, makes it impossible not to think of Barry Bonds.
The at-bats share that don't-go-to-concessions-yet vibe. Opposing pitchers are handling Devers as carefully as they can - All-Star closer Mason Miller walked him in the ninth inning Friday - and there's a general buzz when Devers is up with men on base. Saturday, he lasered a low 1-1 sweeper from Michael King out in the first, a two-run shot in the Giants' 7-6 loss to the Padres.
San Francisco again demonstrated some mettle with a late push after Devers' grand slam the previous night cut the deficit to two and the Giants mounted a two-out rally against Miller that came up just short. Saturday, power was the key: rookie catcher Drew Cavanaugh went deep to right in the eighth, the first of his career, 50 games in. Two batters later, Drew Gilbert crushed a two-run shot to cut the deficit to one before lefty Adrian Morejon entered and struck out Devers and Bryce Eldridge.
Earlier in the day, Shay Whitcomb also went deep for San Francisco, which recorded all its runs via homers.
With 13 games remaining, Devers has 37 homers, one shy of his career high. He has a realistic shot at 40, something no Giants hitter has done since Bonds belted 45 in 2004. Devers has 98 RBIs, too, so 100 is well within reach. The last San Francisco player with 100 RBIs was Buster Posey, the man who traded for Devers last year; Posey recorded 103 RBIs in 2012.

#francisco #rbis #shot #drew

The 2026 regular season is just a few days away from beginning for the Chicago Bears as they make their final preparations before heading to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. It's a battle of two surprise division winners from a year ago, with each team hoping to get a jump start to the season.
For the Bears, they officially turned a corner last year during Ben Johnson's first season as head coach, becoming a dangerous team loaded on offense with talented pass catchers and a punishing rushing attack. And they were spearheaded by quarterback Caleb Williams, who broke out as the prolific playmaker he was billed as during his collegiate days to lead them to an 11-6 record atop the NFC North. The Bears advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs last year and are hoping to take another step in 2026 as contenders.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a successful season of their own under head coach Dave Canales. Carolina was able to hang around .500 all year long with some big wins against playoff contenders and eventually overtook the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South at 8-9. Quarterback Bryce Young took steps towards showing he can be a competent NFL quarterback, in part thanks to weapons such as Tetairoa McMillan, but he's entering a critical year in 2026.
Week 1 can feel like an outlier at times considering how much things can change between now and December. Look at what happened last year with Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. But we're sure to see some big moments on Sunday that turn the tide one way or another. Here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Panthers.
For all of the talk of the Bears starting slow last season, they got off to hot starts early in the season. The game script was working for Ben Johnson and the offense, even when things still weren't totally clicking yet. In Weeks 1 and 2, they opened the game scoring on their first possession. Johnson has had time to game plan for the Panthers and will be ready with a systematic drive to score six early on.

#bears #last #carolina

The Chicago Bears head into Year 2 of the Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson era. They earned a ton of success in the first year of this QB-coach partnership, and this season they are hungry for much more. Another Trojan alumnus, Sam Darnold, made history last season, becoming the first Trojan quarterback to start in and win the Super Bowl. Caleb Williams will try to join Sam as a Super Bowl winner this season.
Here is how Week 1 will pan out for Caleb Williams and the Bears:
The Carolina Panthers' pass defense ranks 28th in the NFL heading into this season. They will be no match for Caleb and the young pass catchers he has. Caleb Williams has weapons with the versatility and speed to find the end zone early and often in this game. I expect each of the Bears' pass catchers to make a couple of plays. Caleb and Ben Johnson will lean on the pass attack, and big plays will set the tone in this game. Caleb will finish with 300 passing yards on Sunday.
All training camp long, Caleb Williams was finding Colston Loveland. Loveland carved up the Bears' defense every practice, it seemed. The trust is there between the two potential stars. Their connection will be special this season, and I think they will get off to a hot start against Carolina. Loveland will explode for 100 yards receiving in Game 1 and will help Caleb get over 300 yards through the air with ease.
The Bears' passing attack will be lethal on Sunday. Caleb Williams will deliver a top-quarterback-level performance. The run game will be a very big complement to it. This game has a very good chance of being a high-scoring type of game. The Bears' offense will showcase why it had a lot of excitement and high expectations heading into the season. Everyone on the offense has a year under their belt with Ben Johnson. That experience will bode extremely well for the Bears this year. It will be evident in Game 1. I think the Bears will win this game in part due to their offense, and the Bears' offense will finish the week being viewed as the best in the league.

#bears #pass

Giants news: Odell Beckham Jr. dedicates MetLife Stadium return to the fans appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys in a key Week 1 contest on Sunday night, it will also mark Odell Beckham Jr.'s first regular-season game back at MetLife Stadium. As Beckham joins the Giants in a vastly different era, he expresses his feelings on what his emotions will probably be like come Sunday night.
Speaking to ESPN on "NFL Live," Beckham was asked about playing in New York again, as the last time he played was during the 2018 season. The 33-year-old pass-catcher kept it real in saying how "special" it is to be back with the team and city that became his first taste of the NFL, emphasizing being excited to experience the fans once again.
"My heart flutters a little bit just thinking about it," Beckham said. "This is a special place to me. I think that it's been a lot of love, you know, and I want to be able to give my all to this organization, this city, and that's kind of why I came back. So I'm expecting the stadium to have a little bit of noise, and it's just something that I'm so grateful for that God's giving me the opportunity to have."
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#Giants

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, catcher Jose Trevino was once again pitcher Jose Trevino as the Cincinnati Reds wrapped up a 14-1 drubbing at the hands of the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds managed just 6 hits in total on the night, their lone run coming off the bat of superstar Elly De La Cruz as he launched a moonshot off Yoshinobu Yamamoto to log a home run in his fifth consecutive game.
The loss sunk the Reds to the third worst run differential in the sport behind only the hilarious Colorado Rockies and homeless Athletics. Not exactly where you want to find yourself when you're supposedly on the upswing of one of Nick Krall's infamous rebuilds.
Now, the Reds head into Milwaukee to face the mighty Brewers, off whom they managed to take two of three in Great American Ball Park just last weekend. Safe to say, I expect there to be some revenge on the minds of those beermakers.
Lefty Andrew Abbott looks to turn the tide on his wayward season with the start in Friday's series opener at American Family Field that I still choose to call Miller Park. Dustin May takes the mound for the Beers, meaning this may well be Cincinnati's best chance to sock some dingers and actually take home a win in the series.
First pitch is set for 7:40 PM ET. Here's how the Reds will line up to start:

#park #take

Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels Describes Team's 'All-Hands' Approach Without A.J. Brown originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Before the Patriots could get a feel for the impact A.J. Brown will have on their offense, they lost him to injury for weeks to come.
Brown will be out until at least Week 6 after being placed on IR on Friday, dealing with a high ankle sprain from his Week 1 exit vs. Seattle. Rather than bringing in any new receivers, it appears New England will be turning to some of its younger pass catchers to alleviate the offense.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Thursday on a radio show that the team will be taking "an all-hands-on-deck approach" to replacing Brown's production at wide receiver, which likely means more playing time for names like DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
"Any injury that you get at this time of the season, you kind of approach it with an all-hands-on-deck approach," McDaniels said Thursday, per ESPN. "We got a lot of different skill guys that can do a lot of different things. There isn't one person on the roster that can replace anybody like A.J. -- in the middle of a game or a stretch of a season. So we'll band together and figure out what we can do well and then try to get guys in positions to play to their strengths."

#Patriots

With 2.5 weeks remaining in the regular season, those in the fantasy baseball playoffs should be focused on adding players with favorable schedules in the coming days. The list this week includes hitters to stream this weekend (Henry Bolte, Jeff McNeil, Colt Keith) as well as those who should be added by Monday (Ty France, Mickey Moniak, Cole Carrigg).
The same can be said on the pitching side, as those who need a weekend streamer can skip to the bottom of this article.
Ty France, 1B, Padres, 31%: France has been one of baseball's best hitters in the second half, batting .324 with a .937 OPS. Unfortunately, he remains on waivers in many leagues, as managers opt to chase an influx of exciting rookies rather than adding a boring veteran. But that should change over the weekend, as France and his teammates will open next week with four games at Coors Field against a Rockies pitching staff that ranks last in baseball with a 5.50 ERA. Managers in deeper formats could also consider Jake Cronenworth (6%), who has hit second in the lineup of late, or catcher Luis Campusano (1%), who is working as a DH often enough to keep him in the regular lineup.
Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies, 26%: Moniak has some similarities to France, as a boring veteran who is having his productive season overshadowed by a constant stream of youngsters on the waiver wire. The 28-year-old has been terrific at home (.957 OPS) and against right-handers (.835 OPS) this season, which makes him a potential league-winner next week when the Rockies play seven games at their hitter-friendly home park, including five versus right-handed starters. Those who cannot add Moniak can consider his teammate, Cole Carrigg (15%).
Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics, 30%: Bolte is the fastest runner in baseball and has a bit of pop, which has made him the Athletics regular leadoff hitter and one of baseball's most explosive players. He is batting .320 since the beginning of August, and during September he has already accumulated four homers and five steals. Like many Athletics hitters, Bolte has fared best at his offense-inducing home park, which is where he will play this weekend. It helps that the series will come against the Mariners, who surprising rank 28th in baseball with a 5.39 ERA since the All-Star break.

#moniak #Rockies #athletics #week

Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football ****** yst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players on here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Kyle Pitts Sr. @ PIT (Projected FPTS - 9.4): Despite the news of Cooper Rush likely being named the Week One starter, I am still high on Pitts. He finished last season as one of the top fantasy tight ends with Kirk Cousins under center. Besides, Atlanta doesn't really have many options for pass catchers after Bijan Robinson and Drake London, and new head coach Kevin Stefanski typically uses his tight ends. Pittsburgh is also a favorable matchup, allowing 11 touchdowns and the third-most points to the position last season.
Dallas Goedert vs. WSH (Projected FPTS - 8.5): Goedert finished last season with a career-high 11 touchdowns. While it's easy to ****** ume some regression, the Eagles traded A.J. Brown, and rookie wideout Makai Lemon is coming off a hamstring injury. Philly's passing attack will likely feature DeVonta Smith and Goedert for at least the early part of the season. He will take on a Commanders team that allowed 12 touchdowns the season before (tied for the second-most). Goedert should expect to see a fair share of targets, making him worth putting in your lineup.

#fantasy #touchdowns #projected

How Orioles' Gunnar Henderson could land with Mets originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Gunnar Henderson's time with the Baltimore Orioles may be running low.
With the Orioles on the outside of the postseason bracket, the Orioles could consider trading him this offseason or next summer.
Baltimore's front office showed that they aren't afraid to move fan favorites midseason, sending catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox at this year's trade deadline.
It does not appear likely that Henderson will re-sign with the Orioles when he becomes a free agent in 2029. However, his recent play may be tanking his trade value.

#henderson #source

It's always fun to joke about air yards.
I do it all the time with my Rotoworld Football Show cohosts in desperately trying to make a case that a player is due for (positive or negative) regression based on his air yards accumulation from the prior week or the past few outings. And it always sounds like one long comedy bit: This player saw so many air yards that could have been converted into actual, real-life receiving yards bro, I swear bro, trust me on this.
Air yards, whether we like it or not — and most fantasy folks definitely do not like it — are a good measure of a pass catcher's opportunity and the type of passing volume in a given offense. That air yards don't always translate into real, edible receiving yards is just part of our frustrating little game. We make small bets here and there and hope things break right from week to week and prove our process correct more often than not. It's not any more complicated than that, even if we desperately want it to be.
Over the past few seasons I have used this ****** e to talk mostly about guys with exceptionally high or low touchdown rates. Air yards has mostly been a side issue in the Regression Files. That will change in 2026: I want Regression Files to be your weekly go-to for (freely available) air yards data and what it means for your various fantasy football teams.
GET YOUR FREE ROTOWORLD FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT HERE!

#rotoworld

The Athletics faced the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series on Labor Day at Sutter Health Park. The Green and Gold got out to an early lead before allowing the Blue Jays to claw back late, only for the A's to win 6-5 in walk-off fashion.
After A's starter Jacob Lopez tossed a scoreless first inning, the A's generated their first scoring chance against Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease in the bottom of that inning. Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third with one out. Zack Gelof knocked Bolte in with an RBI ground-rule double, putting the hosts ahead 1-0.
With two outs, the A's scored a second run when Toronto misplayed a rundown, allowing Gelof to slide home safely.
The Blue Jays immediately answered back. Catcher Alejandro Kirk led off the second inning with his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot just over the right field wall. If he had taken a better route, A's right fielder Lawrence Butler would have had a chance to rob the home run.
Lopez followed that by allowing two straight baserunners before retiring the next three hitters to preserve his team's 2-1 lead.

#jays #inning #home

At this point in the season, the San Francisco Giants languishing near the bottom of the NL West and less than three weeks remaining during the season, Logan Webb could have opted to skip a start after some checkered outings.
He's consistently at or near the lead for MLB innings pitched, so a slightly early end to the season wouldn't be amiss for the team's workhorse. Instead, Webb came out with honed mechanics Monday and snapped back into his usual form in a game the Giants won 5-4 in 11 innings, with Shay Whitcomb's little bouncer to short sending in placed runner Nate Furman from third.
The ninth unraveled enough to cost Webb a win, though, with the Cardinals reaching on two infield singles to kick things off against Dylan Smith, working in his second inning. St. Louis then took the lead in the 10th when Leo Bernal's bloop to right off Jason Foley scored placed runner Alex Burleson.
But Bryce Eldridge was a busy man Monday night, and tied the game with a single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Foley held the Cardinals scoreless in the 11th with an ******* ist to Eldridge for a great scoop to end the game.
Webb gave up just three hits one run, on Burleson's two-out homer in the sixth, in what became Webb's final inning. His eight strikeouts matched his season high, and he got 19 swinging strikes, six of them with his sweeper. His pace was brisk working with veteran backup catcher Andrew Knizner. He's also more than comfortable at his longtime home; he has a 3.26 ERA at Oracle Park this season, against 5.29 on the road.

#season #eldridge

LOS ANGELES – When the Cincinnati Reds walked into Dodger Stadium before the opener of their first series there since the playoffs in October, closer Emilio Pagán looked at teammate Jose Trevino to share his flashbacks.
"It's been almost a calendar year, and it feels like we were just here," Pagán told the catcher.
Which is not to say it hasn't seemed like an especially long season for the Reds.
Reds player moves Cincinnati Reds DFA Sam Moll as Graham Ashcraft returns to bullpen
"It's a good reminder of how fast things change in this league," said Pagán, whose Reds opened the series in last place with a record five games underwater despite a recent hot streak that included consecutive series wins against playoff-positioned teams in the Cubs, Padres and Brewers.

#stadium

Triple. Strikeout. Walk. Hit batter. Hit batter. Error.
That's how the Tigers scored two runs in an ugly second inning by the Twins on Monday, and it proved devastating as Detroit would go on to defeat Minnesota by a score of 5-4.
Joe Ryan, in his return from the injured list, gave up a solo homer to Rookie of the Year favorite Kevin McGonigle in the first inning, and then struggled with control in the second inning.
The All-Star right-hander gave up a triple and struck out a batter to start the second inning, and then his control vanished. Ryan walked Max Clark and then hit John Peck and Colt Keith on back-to-back pitches, the second hit batsman coming with the bases loaded.
The next batter, McGonigle, hit a grounder to Royce Lewis at first base, and Lewis threw home to catcher Ryan Jeffers. What should've been a routine force out turned into a disaster as the throw forced Jeffers to stretch to make the catch, causing his foot to drift an inch away from home plate, allowing the runner to score.

#ryan #score #gave

Dallas Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith is scheduled to undergo thumb surgery Tuesday and will be placed on injured reserve, the team announced Sunday. A pro bowler each of the last three years, Smith is set to miss the first four weeks of the season, at least, and potentially more after head coach Brian Schottenheimer put his timeline at 4-6 weeks.
It's a tough break for a Cowboys offensive line looking to take another step forward in 2026 after paving the way for a top-10 rushing offense last season. With questions still remaining at right tackle, Smith's absence makes the line significantly weaker and changes the fantasy outlook for starting running back Javonte Williams.
One of the breakout fantasy stars of 2025, Williams won't find it easy repeating last year's 1,200-yard campaign and 4.8 yards per carry with Smith out.
Depending how Smith's backup performs in pass protection, this injury could also have an impact on Dak Prescott and his pass catchers after Dallas' line allowed the ninth-fewest sacks in 2025. But as a guard, Smith's impact begins in the rushing attack.
On the bright side, the pro bowler who only missed one game last season will return at some point. So any dip in fantasy value for Williams and others should only be temporary.

#last #fantasy

LOS ANGELES — Tommy Edman made a fantastic defensive play to rob extra bases, then rounded said bases after a three-run home run that helped the Dodgers to a 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Down two runs in the seventh inning, Alex Freeland walked with one out and Kiké Hernández singled with two out. That set the stage for Edman, who jumped on a high slider from former Dodgers draft pick Clayton Beeter for a three-run home run, turning the game around.
Edman in five games on the homestand has nine hits in 22 at-bats (.409), what a way to make a living.
With no Shohei Ohtani in the lineup for a third straight day, the Dodgers were also without two other planned starters with Dalton Rushing scratched with elbow soreness and Max Muncy sick. They still managed to score a pair off Washington's best starter, Cade Cavalli in the opening frame. Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch and Mookie Betts singled with one out. Teoscar Hernández continued his solid week or so with an RBI single, and catcher Hunter Feduccia added another.
Tyler Glasnow struck out eight but pitched through traffic most of his night, and allowed four runs.

#Dodgers #night

Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is buying into Eagles OC Sean Mannion's new West Coast scheme, which asks him to play more under center rather than in shotgun with more timing-based connections to the Eagles' pass-catchers, according to Tim McManus of ESPN on Saturday, Sept. 6.
SOURCE: Tim McManus - ESPN
Why It Matters: Hurts' connection with his pass-catchers this season will never be more important, as he'll be without A.J. Brown for the first time since 2022. Philadelphia added first-round rookie WR Makai Lemon and the team also traded for Dontayvion Wicks to add to mainstays WR DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert. The run game has worked and will continue to work, but for fantasy, getting the ball in the air and with some passing volume will really boost Hurts' fantasy profile. Consider Hurts a locked-in QB1 this season, but if the passing component works in tandem with his rushing ability, then overall QB1 is within reach this season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Hurts Buying Into New Scheme in 2026

#hurts #jalen #buying #scheme

As the Oregon Ducks take the field and prepare for their Week 1 game against the Boise State Broncos, some significant injury news is being confirmed.
It appears that true freshman wide receiver Jalen Lott will miss this game for Oregon, as he was not seen with the rest of his teammates warming up. The Ducks also appear to be without WR Iverson Hooks, who came out for warm-ups in street clothes, not going through drills with the other pass-catchers.
Rumors swirled in fall camp that Lott was dealing with a hand injury suffered in practice, but we were not able to confirm it until seeing him in person. The timeline for his recovery is unknown, but head coach Dan Lanning may give clarity on that front after the game when asked.
Lott, a former 5-star recruit who was rated as the No. 19 overall player and No. 3 WR in the 2026 class, arrived in Eugene earlier this summer after completing his senior track and field season at Frisco Panther Creek in Texas.
While he was a bit behind the 8-ball in terms of getting up to speed on the playbook and cracking the wide receiver rotation, Lott's unreal athleticism acted as an early differentiator, allowing him to stand out during the first few practices of fall camp.

#oregon #receiver #camp

Red Sox receive criticism for Adley Rutschman trade that doesn't make sense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox swung a massive trade with the Baltimore Orioles for Adley Rutschman. Landing the All-Star catcher should be a huge help for the Red Sox in their postseason hunt against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees for a better seeding.
However, Rutschman hasn't really been as good as he could be, as he's struggled a bit since coming over in the trade. That doesn't mean the Red Sox should be criticized for the deal.
But that's exactly what Dayn Perry of CBS Sports did, calling the Rutschman move a disappointing one. It was a premature ****** ysis, as Rutschman hasn't played nearly enough to warrant calling this move a disappointment.
"The Sox acquired Rutschman from the division-rival O's in order to upgrade the position of catcher, which has been a trouble spot for Boston all season," Perry writes. "Thus far, Rutschman has not delivered as hoped."

#trade #sporting

The Athletics played spoiler with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in a nearly three-and-a-half-hour series opener. The A's pitching staff overcame eight walks with 18 strikeouts, while the offense scored early and late in the team's 55th victory of the season.
The A's took the lead immediately against Mariners starter Kade Anderson. The second batter of the game, left fielder Zack Gelof, hit his 16th home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center field, putting the A's up 1-0 before the Mariners came to bat.
The Mariners answered right back. A's starter Jack Perkins walked Seattle's leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena, who proceeded to score on Julio Rodríguez's RBI single. The next batter, Cal Raleigh, hit an RBI single, putting the Mariners up 2-1. With two outs, Lazaro Montes hit an RBI single, bringing home the Mariners' third run of the first inning.
Seattle sent all nine batters to the plate in the first inning, forcing Perkins to throw 40 pitches to complete one frame. The inning could have been worse had A's catcher Brian Serven not made a smart play to record the third out at home after a wild pitch.
Seeking a response of their own, the A's first three batters reached in the bottom of the second, setting up a bases-loaded no-out opportunity.

#first

The good thing about this week's series in the land of the Crawford Boxes and the choo-choo is that both Sean Burke and Davis Martin pitched extremely well, a big turnaround from their recent starts and a good sign for the stretch run. The bad thing — well, besides nearly the entire offense — is that Luis Castillo once again demonstrated that while Chris Getz may have had a very nice offseason, he had a miserable trade deadline.
Castillo started out looking good, striking out Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez. He then walked Isaac Paredes on 10 pitches and threw José Altuve a fastball that would have been a strike on Aaron Judge but was nose-high on Altuve. Altuve still sent it into the Crawford Boxes to make it 2-0 Astros.
The lead didn't last long. Braden Montgomery singled off Hunter Brown to lead off the second, and Colson Montgomery followed with a routine ground ball to second. Peña blew the relay, though, and Chase Meidroth followed with an unplayable 50-mph dribbler. Jake Rogers and Sam Antonacci then delivered actual singles to tie the score.
There being no other Sox offensive highlights, what the heck, let's show you the RBIs. First, Jake's:
Nice stop by Peña, nice hustle by a catcher to avoid the DP. Then Sam's, which actually made it to the outfield.

#good #choo

Coming into the season, Austin Wells had a .224 career batting average and a .717 OPS. He had never been an elite producer at the plate, but posted 20 homers last season and was good enough for the Yankees to stick with him.
However, he was having an awful season through June. In his first 56 games, he had a .155/.255/.238 slash line and just four home runs. The Yankees reportedly tried trading for a catcher, but were unable to land one. Wells has lost at-bats and starts to Ali Sánchez lately, but he has turned his awful season around.
Since July 1, Wells is slashing .238/.314/.426. He has a .740 OPS and six home runs. He is never going to be a guy who hits for a high average, but his .740 OPS is a big boost for the Yankees. He is producing for an offense that is without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and his contributions are not going unnoticed. On Wednesday night, he gave the Yankees the lead in extra innings with a two-out, two-RBI single.
"You feel like he's that threat again down there. That's massive," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, per The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.
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#aaron #home

The Las Vegas Raiders received a troubling ***** sment of their wide receiver room entering the 2026 season, creating another concern for quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. A low ranking for the position group highlights the uncertainty surrounding an offense that will need reliable production from its pass catchers to find consistency.
The Raiders have spent the offseason attempting to build an offense capable of supporting multiple options at quarterback. Whether Mendoza earns meaningful opportunities or Cousins takes control of the offense, both players could face a difficult situation if the receiving corps cannot consistently create separation and finish plays.
Jan 4, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass during the game against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Injuries and uneven preseason performances have only added to the concern. Las Vegas has dealt with questions about the availability of promising young receivers, while the broader group has yet to establish the kind of dependable hierarchy that can give a quarterback confidence on critical downs.
The ranking also reflects the pressure facing the Raiders' offensive staff to get more from the talent already on the roster. Coaches have publicly challenged the receivers to raise their level, signaling that the organization understands the position could become a major obstacle if improvement does not arrive quickly.

#cousins #ranking

The Mets (63-77) took the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays (83-56), 10-4 the final score.
-- The Amazins wasted no time taking an early lead over Rays right-handed starter Griffin Jax. Juan Soto reached base on a single up the middle, but was retired on a fielder's choice groundout by Bo Bichette. Carson Benge walked to put runners on first and second with two outs, and Jared Young capitalized with an RBI single. Tampa catcher Liam Hicks couldn't hold onto the ball when applying the late tag on Bichette, and the ball skittered away, the error allowing Benge to score and Young to move up to second base on the play as well. Marcus Semien added to the damage with a double down the left field line to bring Young across home plate, and the Mets were up 3-0.
-- The Mets engineered another two-out rally in the third inning. They loaded the bases after A.J. Ewing hustled out an infield single, and Brett Baty capitalized with a big opposite-field swing which ricocheted off the very top of the wall in left-center field, clearing the bases and knocking Jax out of the game.
-- 29-year-old righty Justin Hagenman was called on to make the start for the Mets on Wednesday, marking his first MLB appearance of the season. He threw 46 pitches, allowed two hits, walked one batter, and allowed one earned run while striking out two over three full innings.
-- Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski came in for Hagenman, and had a nightmare outing. After recording two outs in the fourth inning, Devenski unraveled, allowing three earned runs on three hits, including a two-run homer off the bat of Richie Palacios. Taylor Walls extended the inning with a double to force Mets interim skipper Andy Green to call on Dedniel Núñez to strand the runner in scoring position and hold the Mets' 6-4 lead.

#single #field #bichette

The Baltimore Ravens announced the signing of offensive tackle A.J. Arcuri and tight end Nick Vannett to their practice squad on Tuesday.
Arcuri and Vannett completed the team's initial practice squad. However, veteran offensive lineman Chuma Edoga is expected to join the group after a successful workout on Wednesday, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Ravens will have to clear a spot on Thursday to formalize the move, either by releasing a player or placing on on injured reserve.
Vannett, 33, has played for nine teams in his career, including a 18-month stint with the Saints in 2021 and 2022 while now-Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was serving as an offensive ****** istant on Sean Payton's staff. Doyle became the Broncos' tight end coach in 2023, so he likely worked closely with Vannett in New Orleans.
The familiarity between the two likely brought about this reunion in Baltimore, where the Ravens are short on experienced tight ends. Rookies Matt Hibner, Josh Cuevas, and Ty Pezza (practice squad) all flashed as pass-catchers in the preseason, but left plenty to be desired in the run game. Vannett brings a decade of experience as a blocker, though he only appeared in 10 games last year (four for the Vikings, six for the Rams) with 131 total snaps.
Arcuri, 29, was a Rams seventh-round pick in 2022 who appeared in eight games as a rookie and two in 2024. The Michigan State product has only played left tackle during the regular season with a Week 12 start against the Chiefs during his rookie year, but he has taken snaps at left guard and right tackle in the preseason, per Pro Football Focus. Arcuri's experience in McVay's system aligns with what the Ravens have been prioritizing along their offensive line this year.

#arcuri #practice