As you may have heard, Pete Alonso returned with his new team to Citi Field tonight, and the Mets lost to the Orioles 2-1. Although Jonah Tong pitched admirably, the Mets could not capitalize on their six hits and left nine runners on base.
After Jonah Tong struck out Dylan Beavers to lead off the first inning, Alonso stepped up to thunderous applause, cheers, and chants of his name. He flied out to Carson Benge in right field, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Tong then retired Gunnar Henderson as well for a 1-2-3 start to his day. In the bottom of the inning, Francisco Lindor walked to lead off, but Juan Soto popped out, and Bo Bichette grounded into a double play for the second and third outs to end the inning.
At the top of the second inning, Jackson Holliday looped a one-out single into right field. He reached second on a passed ball by Francisco Alvarez, which had popped out of Alvarez's glove. It proved costly when Heston Kjerstad drilled a double into right field past Brett Baty. The ball made a weird hop past Baty, and Holliday scored the first run of the game. When the Mets came to bat in the second, they loaded the bases with two outs. Marcus Semien drilled a single down the left-field line, and then A.J. Ewing and Baty walked. Unfortunately, they were all stranded when Alvarez struck out on a foul tip for the third out, and the second inning ended with the score Orioles 1, Mets 0.
Alonso drew a two-out walk in the third inning, but was stranded there when Tong struck out Henderson. At the bottom of the third, Juan Soto smacked a one-out single into right field. Benge sneaked a single past third base, but both runners were again stranded when Jared Young grounded out for the third out. At the top of the fourth inning, Holliday hit a ground ball straight to Semien, but Semien could not get it out of his glove in a timely manner, and Holliday made it to first base safely. He was stranded as well, though. At the bottom of the inning, Ewing drilled a home run into right field. Alvarez smacked a ground ball to third base that Coby Mayo initially fielded but bobbled, allowing Alvarez to reach base safely on an infield hit. However, he was also stranded when Lindor struck out, leaving the score Mets 1, Orioles 1, at the end of the fourth inning.
To lead off the fifth inning, Colton Cowser hit a single that Semien knocked down but couldn't get to first base in time. The next three batters went down in order. Soto walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth and, with two outs, stole second base. Young also drew a walk, but Semien grounded out to end the rally attempt there. Tong came back out for the top of the sixth inning and only needed six pitches to retire the three batters he saw. Josh Walker replaced Brandon Young for the Orioles at the bottom of the sixth, and he also worked a 1-2-3 inning. The score remained 1-1.

#field

In the Arizona Cardinals' 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, 19 players participated in at least one of the 75 offensive snaps.
How was the playing time divided up?
The first number after each name is their snap count, while the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Jacoby Brissett (75/100)
Did not play: Gardner Minshew II

#gardner

The NFL, perhaps more than any other professional sports league, is built by its little moments — the numerous individual tiles inside the mosaic of 60 minutes of Sunday football.
The little moment that might have stood out the brightest from the Arizona Cardinals' 26-14 upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday wasn't necessarily Jeremiyah Love's or Trey McBride's first touchdowns of the year.
It might not have even been the sight of new head coach Mike LaFleur, fighting off emotion on the sideline while calling for victory formation, as he became the first non-interim Cardinals coach to win his first game since Don Coryell did so in 1973.
It was a moment following a poor play in the fourth quarter. With under five minutes to play, a third-and-short pass play saw QB Jacoby Brissett run out of both time and room, forcing him out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.
As Brissett walked off the field, LaFleur — animatedly — took responsibility, offering a "my bad" to his quarterback.

#sunday #cardinals #brissett

The Seattle Seahawks are 1-0, so it's time to start scouting their next opponent.
The Arizona Cardinals shocked the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 with a 26-14 win in which Mike LaFleur became the franchise's first non-interim head coach to win their first game in charge. The matchup was projected as one of the opening week's most lopsided in favor of Jim Harbaugh and Los Angeles, who were coming off an 11-6 record in 2025. Los Angeles made the playoffs and lost to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots in the Wild Card round, albeit without either of their starting offensive tackles—Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt—who were both expected to boost the offense upon their return this season. Arizona's defense had other ideas, and became one of the biggest surprises of any unit across Week 1's Sunday slate, while their offense simply looked more talented and outplayed LA with complementary football. That's what the Seahawks will be looking for in Week 2.
The Cardinals defense played with an energy that stifled Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who only held the ball for 51 plays and 22:29. Arizona ran 21 more plays and had the ball for 15:02 more of the game (more than an entire quarter?!) When watching this game, the attitude from Arizona's defense seemed to disregard the stature of its opponent. LaFleur retained defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who Phoenix-based sports radio host John Gambadoro credits for helping set the temperature.
It's easy to see Rallis' results. The intensity of the defense that showed up on tape is just as evident on paper. His Cardinals defense ranks second to last in blitz rate so far this season, yet they held McDaniel and Herbert to a measly 2-for-8 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth downs. Their front seven was far more formidable than the Chargers on the day, producing 17 pressures on 55 snaps while LA could only muster 12 on 75 opportunities. On the flipside, the Cardinals' offensive line has been projected as their downfall this season. The Seahawks have a clear opportunity to establish their presence as a physically dominant team if they kill the Cardinals momentum. This will be the game for elite run blockers like AJ Barner and run stoppers like Uchenna Nwosu to put the new age film community on watch.
Offensive talent is far from the problem in Arizona. Trey McBride is the best tight end in football. They've got two running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier who can both be a problem for any team. Marvin Harrison Jr. was a matchup nightmare against the Seahawks last season. In Week 3, he had one of the best battles against Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen of any wide receiver all year. When partnered with a seasoned veteran quarterback with a quick release, they were able to make life easy on their OL. Jacoby Brissett looked like at least an average starting QB, completing 27/37 passes for a respectable 73.0% completion rate while taking only 1 sack on 39 dropbacks. Loo

The 2024-25 Boston Celtics set the NBA single-season three-point record with 1,457 makes across 82 games. Three different Celtics players made at least 250 threes that season, something no team had ever seen before. The question heading into 2026-27 is whether the Hornets can break the NBA three-point record.
Analyst Tom Haberstroh specifically named Charlotte as a genuine contender. Looking at the roster, it is not hard to see why.
" I think this Charlotte Hornets team, even though they lost LaMelo Ball, who was at times the most high-volume scorer, shooter in the NBA from downtown, still, I think this team, dude, I think they have a chance to break the three-point record next year," Haberstroh said on The Kevin O'Connor Show. "You got Coby White, who's a 95, 96 percentile volume three-point shooter. Good three-point shooter off the dribble. Kon Knueppel, we already know; the fact that he led the league in threes as a rookie is insane. Brandon Miller, also a high-volume three-point shooter."
Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics in the second half at TD Garden. Photo Credit: David Butler II, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Look at what Charlotte is putting on the floor. Kon Knueppel made 273 threes in his rookie season — the most in NBA history by a first-year player. Grayson Allen is 40.3% from three in his career. Royce O'Neale shoots 38.9% from deep while White (36.9%) and Naz Reid (37.1%) connect at 36.9% and 37.1%, respectively.

#celtics #season #record #threes

The Baltimore Orioles (70-75) and the Cleveland Guardians (73-72) continue their three-game series tonight at Camden Yards. The Orioles opened the series last night with a 6-4 win to snap a six-game losing streak and pull them to within three games in the race with Cleveland for the final Wild Card spot.
Baltimore grabbed control early. Dylan Beavers delivered an RBI double in the second inning to score Samuel Basallo, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. In the third, the O's advantage increased to 4-0 thanks to a Coby Mayo solo homer followed by control issues for Cleveland's hurlers as evidenced by the fact they walked in a couple runs prior to the end of the inning. Mayo added a two-run blast in the sixth, extending the Orioles' lead to 6-1. On the mound, Trevor Rogers was excellent, working 7.1 innings, allowing just one earned run, six hits, and striking out six without a walk. The Guardians made things interesting in the ninth when Nathaniel Lowe blasted a three-run homer, but Baltimore closer Jordan Walker recorded the final out to preserve the win and arguably, Baltimore's season.
Tanner Bibee (5-15, 4.06 ERA) takes the ball for the Guardians tonight. His last outing came against the Blue Jays on September 3. As he has for much of the season, Bibee struggled, lasting only four innings while allowing five earned runs on four hits. Over his last five starts, Bibee has posted a 5.08 ERA. Brandon Young (9-3, 3.42 ERA) is expected to be on the mound for the O's. Young's most recent appearance came against Boston on September 3, when he worked 6.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Over his last five outings Young owns a 3.37 ERA.
Lets dive further into tonight's game and find a sweat or two.
We've got all the info and **** ysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

#game #Guardians

The NFL is kicking off again with an absolutely loaded first week of games. The biggest face-offs launching the 2026 season include a Super Bowl rematch and a battle in Oz, with plenty of roster additions and subtractions that will transform your favorite teams. But for better or worse?
Read on to find out, in our top five most anticipated Week 1 matchups.
When: 8:20 p.m. ET
Where: NBC, Peacock
Week 1's opening game is also its most anticipated, as the Patriots take on the team that wiped the floor with them in a Super Bowl rematch. Will the Seahawks' dominant defense hold after the loss of key pieces like Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant? Or will New England QB Drake Maye achieve redemption (he had six sacks and two interceptions in Super Bowl LX) now that he's got protection from guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs catching passes instead of the other team?

#week #rematch #peacock

The Arizona Cardinals start their 2026 regular season this week. They have selected new captains.
Head coach Mike LaFleur announced the team's 2026 captains, as voted on by the players.
The Cardinals have five captains — two on offense, two on defense and one on special teams.
QB Jacoby Brissett
C Hjalte Froholdt

#captains #jacoby

BALTIMORE (AP) — Aroldis Chapman notched his 400th career save, Eli White hit a three-run homer following an error by Gunnar Henderson and the Boston Red Sox capped a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 3-1 victory Sunday.
Chapman gave up a one-out single in the ninth before striking out Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to become the ninth player in major league history to record 400 saves. The 38-year-old Chapman earned his first save in 2011 with Cincinnati went on to have 10 seasons with 30 or more, including 33 this season.
Over his lengthy career, Chapman has totaled 24 saves against Baltimore. The lefty got one Friday night that started Boston on its sweep of the sinking Orioles.
Coming off two straight shutout losses, the Orioles used successive two-out doubles by Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
In the second, with two outs and a runner on, Henderson failed to make a backhand stab of a grounder to shortstop. White followed with a drive off Kyle Bradish (7-13) that cleared the left-field wall.

#baltimore #mayo #encarnacion #Career

When the Chicago Bears selected Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, there was already going to be pressure. First-round picks are expected to contribute, and Thieneman was viewed as a player talented enough to compete for a starting role immediately.
But the circumstances around him have changed.
What was supposed to be a relatively normal transition into the NFL has turned into a situation where Thieneman may be asked to play a much bigger role than the Bears initially planned.
Chicago entered the offseason knowing it needed to improve at safety. The team signed Coby Bryant in free agency and then used its first-round pick on Thieneman, creating what looked like a promising new safety combination.
Then Bryant suffered a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for four to six months, which changes everything.

#safety

Sep. 3—Section 1, Class 2A football turned into a slugfest in 2025. It was as wide-open and competitive of a section as there was in the state.
Five of the seven teams in the section finished the regular season at or better than .500, and the top two seeds were defeated on their home fields in the section semifinals. The No. 3 seed won the section championship, which should actually be no surprise considering it was ...
It was rinse and repeat in 2025 for the Warriors, who finished 9-3 overall and won their 15th section championship in 20 years.
The Warriors allowed a section-best 11.3 points per game, and will again feature playmakers all over the field. That group includes two of the best juniors in southeastern Minnesota and the state — defensive lineman Max Schmitz (57 tackles, 8 sacks) and linebacker Cooper Allen (114 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles).
Senior wide receiver/linebacker Coby Hammell is a talented two-way player. The University of North Dakota commit had 21 catches for 415 yards and 5 touchdowns last fall, and on defense he recorded 28 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception.

#Warriors #state #finished #best

The Eastern Conference is stacked right now following all the massive changes that happened this summer. The Chicago Bulls may not be part of the conversation, but Josh Giddey wants them to be.
The Bulls underwent changes of their own, and it started before the February trade deadline. They traded Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets and Ayo Dosunmu to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They failed to make the playoffs and quickly got to work this summer, starting with the hiring of Tiago Splitter as their new head coach. Splitter replaced Billy Donovan, who had been with the team for six seasons.
The Bulls selected Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and later landed Norman Powell in free agency.
They don't have marquee signings like the Philadelphia 76ers, who acquired Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, or the Miami Heat, who traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. Still, Giddey believes the Bulls are capable of surprising people.

#Bulls #giddey #traded #conference

Fantasy Football draft season is in full swing. Those with teams are perusing rosters and stats to see what players are worth selecting. The quarterback position creates a great divide. Many believe it pays to wait because there won't be that big of a difference over the course of a season. Those who have selected Josh Allen in recent years would beg to disagree. What quarterbacks are worth a pick and when? And for leagues that go with a team quarterback, will look at the overall picture.
Jacoby Brissett and his QB room is worthy of a mid-to-late round pick. The Cardinals have a wealth of receivers, starting with Michael Wilson and TE Trey McBride. Those two alone will catch a ton of footballs and should find the end zone.
Lord, no. Hard pass.
So, Lamar Jackson is going to be more of a pocket passer? Does that mean the days of his 1,000-yard rushing seasons are finito? If so, he goes from a high pick to a mid-rounder. The question is whether Jackson can keep his mind on throwing the football and not take off.
Josh Allen is a must pick even at age 30. He can deliver points with his arm and legs.

#Football

Happy Saturday, folks! Hope you're having a nice weekend. If you decide to spend it watching late-night West Coast baseball, I hope the Orioles grace you with a series win tonight. They ******* ed a win in Game One last night with a 4-3 victory in ten innings. Although Brandon Young pitched a strong seven innings, the bullpen couldn't hold onto a meager 2-0 lead, and it took extras to sort things out: two clutch base hits by Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand gave the birds the winning margin of victory.
Let's hope the Orioles make Game Two worth staying up for. Tonight, taking the mound at Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for the Athletics is Jack Perkins, a 26-year-old righty who debuted for the A's in 2025, and has been used mostly as a swingman. In 11 starts and 20 relief appearances in 2026, he has an ugly 6.68 ERA, although it seems he's been the victim of bad defense, to judge by his FIP (4.79) and xERA (3.96). He's still been much more effective as a reliever, going by his ERA splits (4.76 ERA in relief/8.17 ERA as a starter). His best pitch is the sweeper, which generates a 36.1% whiff rate, followed by a decent changeup and cutter. The soft spot in Perkins' ******* nal is his mid-90s four-seamer: it's been his most hittable pitch by far (.318 average, .664 slugging against, Run Value -14), and he still throws it nearly a third of the time. Perkins is also ******* e to the long ball (1.69 HR/9) and to putting runners on via the walk (3.79 BB/9) or hit-by-pitch (9 on the year).
As for the O's starter, I don't know if it's crazy or reasonable to hope for a win, given that it's unlucky Shane Baz who takes his turn on the mound tonight. Despite the fact that Baz (4.04 ERA, 3.34 FIP) has allowed three or fewer runs in 19 of his 26 starts, he doesn't have a win in his last twelve starts (which is incredible to process). And he's been pretty good! He had a 3.68 ERA in June, a 3.00 one in July, and August, while slightly worse, shows him at a 4.30 mark. Poor Baz. Can the schneid please end tonight?
Tonight's lineup features a surplus of lefties. Jackson Holliday back in the leadoff spot, and Henderson, hopefully rested after his day off, hitting third. Dylan Beavers, hot lately, is back in, and so is Cowser playing center field. The newly activated Blaze Alexander is sitting today. However, Coby Mayo, slayer of lefties, is getting a start against the right-handed Perkins anyway, hitting seventh. And Pete Alonso, lately called our team's "iron man," is still out there, hitting, even with a sore calf.
Last night saw these Orioles ******* a game back from Cleveland's lead to put them just two games back of the third and final Wild Card spot. Earlier today, the lowly Royals did the Orioles a huge favor, pummeling the Guardians 8-3, which gives the team chance to make up yet another game! The next four games against the A's and the Rockies, whom the O's visit next, represent a best chance to make score some easy wins in the wild card race

Ahead of the 2026 US Open, five Last Word on Tennis writers – Ilemona Onekutu, Shane Black, Amanda Bergman, Zain Mustafa, Coby Spratte – made their US Open predictions. Let's dive in.
I know picking a guy whose best US Open is R2 sounds risky, but Fils just won his first Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, crushing Tiafoe 6-3 1-6 6-0. His serve is a weapon (94.3% holds), paired with athleticism and a heavy forehand. He's 10-0 in deciding sets this year and 8-0 against Americans.
At 22, he's the youngest French Masters 1000 champion ever—and peaking as the draw opens up. After missing eight months with a stress fracture, he's reached the Doha final, Miami and Madrid semis, and won Barcelona and Cincinnati. In a tournament where Sinner is out, Alcaraz is rusty, and Djokovic is 39, I'm not saying it's likely—but I'm saying it's possible, and that's more than you can say for almost anyone else.
All eyes are pointed on Carlos Alcaraz, and rightfully so. I don't believe his team would have him play this event if he wasn't 100 percent healthy (wrist injuries are no joke; look at Dominic Thiem). That said, just because he is healthy does not mean he will have the consistency to win 21 sets.
In steps Alexander Zverev. The 29-year-old German got the Grand Slam monkey off his back at the French Open. He followed that up with a Wimbledon runner-up. Even before his ***** le in Paris, Zverev was a final eight mainstay at majors. With the pressure removed from looking for that elusive maiden slam, paired with his hunt for year-end No. 1, he is going to be very tough to beat in New York.

#open

For those who stayed up well into Saturday morning to watch the opener of this Orioles-Athletics series, well, I wouldn't exactly say you witnessed an instant classic. There was a whole lot of silly baseball going on. Baserunning blunders. Defensive butchery. Inexplicable managerial decisions. The Orioles couldn't score more than two runs in regulation against the league's worst pitching staff, and let a late lead slip away.
But in the end, Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand saved the Orioles' bacon with back-to-back RBI singles in the top of the 10th, and Alex Hoppe hung on in the bottom half for his first career save, bringing a happy ending to an often bewildering game. To quote Camden Chat commenter Knightley: "This game was so stupid, but at least we won."
If you were expecting the Orioles to storm into Sacramento and easily put away the third-worst team in baseball, well, you don't know the Orioles. Every game seems to be a struggle for the Birds, no matter the quality of the opponent. You might think that the O's, after scoring 26 runs in three games in St. Louis, could at least keep up their offensive momentum against an awful Athletics pitching staff, whose 5.75 ERA entering the game was the worst in the American League. Again, you'd be wrong.
In the first nine innings against these supposedly atrocious A's pitchers, the Orioles scored two (2) runs. That's it. Both came in a weird top of the second inning against Athletics starter Jacob Lopez. The lefty's first pitch drilled Coby Mayo in the shoulder, and later he walked Leody Taveras on four pitches. With two down, Dylan Beavers — starting against a lefty for only the fifth time this year — delivered a clutch hit, roping an RBI single to right to plate Mayo with the game's first run.
Then things went haywire. Carlos Narváez tapped a 43-mph dribbler down the first base line. It should have been a simple task for Lopez to simply pick the ball up and tag out Narváez on his way to first, but somehow the A's hurler let the ball pop out of his glove, then collided with Narváez in the baseline, leading to visits from both team's trainers (both players stayed in). Taveras scored on the error, extending the O's lead to 2-0.

#athletics #coby

The Kansas City Chiefs will face the toughest opponent on their 2026 preseason schedule when they take on the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium this evening.
Fresh off a victory in Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks are among the NFL's best teams and should prove to be a formidable opponent for the Chiefs to face in Kansas City's preseason finale.
This week, Chiefs Wire sat down with Kole Musgrove of Seahawks Wire to get the inside scoop on Seattle ahead of today's game.
Take a look at Musgrove's answers to our top questions:
"I'm not sure if "improved" is the right word here… I prefer 'maintained.' Yes, Seattle lost their Super Bowl MVP (as y'all are aware!), but they managed to keep so many core, foundational pieces of their roster. Guys like Rashid Shaheed, Derick Hall, and keeping DeMarcus Lawrence around for his final season in 2026. Yes, stars get you over the championship hump, but an incredibly deep roster of quality players is what gets you to compete for the Lombardi. Seattle also managed to flawlessly draft the immediate replacements for Kenneth Walker, Riq Woolen, and Coby Bryant… although with Bud Clark out, they have a new pressing need at safety. The Seahawks are bringing back their offensive and defensive lines intact, their top four pass catchers, and most of their coaching staff with the exception of Klint Kubiak. Seattle is as geared up as any Super Bowl champion I can think of to be able to repeat."

#super #kansas #wire

A week has passed since our last look at the NFC, and while the top order hasn't shifted much, several injury situations and one big contract now look different as the NFL's Week 1 kickoff is on the horizon.
Vita Vea ended his hold-in with a new deal in Tampa Bay. Coby Bryant's timeline got worse in Chicago. Malik Nabers took live reps for the first time since tearing his ACL.
Here is where all 16 NFC teams stand heading into the final week of the preseason.
MORE: Printable one-page fantasy football rankings cheat sheets for PPR, half-PPR, standard, superflex leagues
Running back Jeremiyah Love sat out the entire week of practice as he continues to rehab the high ankle sprain he suffered against the Raiders. He is still on track for Week 1, but the team is being cautious.

#week #since #vita #tampa

The NFL is back to monopolize our minds and, in some cases, our souls. There's really no such thing as an offseason for football in America, but if you have managed to avoid the NFL machine over the past six months, I'm here to help.
The preseason is the land of possibilities, ripe territory for hot takes and predictions. None of us have any idea what will actually unfold over the next six months. If most of these preseason predictions are destined to age poorly, we should at least get a solid playlist out of it. So, I took it upon myself to project all 32 teams' definitive theme songs for the 2026 NFL season.
Consider this your guide — a cheat sheet when you need a talking point at your next watch party — before the 2026 regular-season opener between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9. Check it out below.
The Cardinals are in denial, and the kids are suffering. Marvin Harrison Jr. has been miserable since arriving in Arizona. Trey McBride lashed out at Cardinals fans, or the lack thereof, and later retracted his criticism. We'll see what happens with rookie sensation Jeremiyah Love, but he's already hurt. In the daunting NFC West, Arizona will string its marriage of convenience with Jacoby Brissett along for one more season, and we'll see what happens in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The Falcons boast Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Sr., an extremely talented group of offensive weapons. But with Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, it won't matter in the end. It's really sad to watch Penix Jr. and Tagovailoa's bodies betray them. It also really stinks to consider Atlanta wasting another talented roster in the quarterback wilderness and missing the playoffs for a ninth straight season.

#cardinals #we 'll #predictions

Coby White reveals how he and his Hornets teammates are getting along in the offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a massive shift in the 2026 offseason, it seems like the Charlotte Hornets are already making preparations ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. It is a big deal for this team because they made franchise-altering moves by trading pillars like LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
Now, they will be building around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel as the star players. To replace Ball, they gave Coby White the starting point guard spot, and it seems they are already getting along ahead of the new season with a refreshed roster.
White has secured a long-term future with the Hornets as the starting point guard. He has the right skill set to pair alongside the likes of Knueppel and Miller, as he is a decent playmaker, but he is also a high-level scorer with his natural driving ability and his affinity for jump shots.
Through the years, White has also built a solid reputation for being a good locker room guy. Now that he is stepping into a leadership role in Charlotte, it seems that he is prepared to be one of the Hornets' best leaders ahead of the 2026-27 season.

#ahead #coby #miller

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dylan Beavers led off the 10th inning with a pinch double to right-center to score automatic runner Leody Taveras from second and give the Baltimore Orioles a 3-2 victory over the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.
Samuel Basallo tied it at 2 for Baltimore in the eighth with a two-run pinch homer off Kevin Kelly. Bryan Baker (1-2) gave up Beavers' double.
Coby Mayo had two doubles for the Orioles and Pete Alonso had two hits to extend his career-high hitting streak to 14 games. Rico Garcia (5-1) pitched an inning for the victory.
Liam Hicks homered for Tampa Bay, and Chandler Simpson singled to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. The Rays have lost three straight and seven of nine. They remain three games ahead of the Yankees.
Hicks led off the second and lined a homer over the scoreboard in right to make it 1-0.

#beavers

The Arizona Cardinals will start Gardner Minshew against the Dallas Cowboys in this weekend's preseason game. That much has been announced.
Minshew has been getting plenty of first-team reps, and is at the ready for the backup role or for a starting position.
RELATED: LOVE DEALING WITH A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN
Currently, Jacoby Brissett is listed on the Cardinals depth chart as the starting quarterback, with Minshew the backup and rookie Carson Beck and Kedon Slovis battling it out for QB3. This is not to say that any of these signalcallers can slide up and down the depth chart. That is what training camp and the preseason games are for.
Minshew is expected to start and play the first half along with the remainder of the second-team offense. It will be interesting to see who plays right guard for the injured Chase Bisontis. Slovis will man the second half with some second-string guys, and then the third team will get on the field. These guys are fighting for roster spots. It is ******* umed that Minshew will come out of the halftime locker room and start the second half, then sit.

#cardinals

After falling just one game short of the postseason last year, the Charlotte Hornets still hold the longest current playoff drought in the NBA, which spans back to the 2015-16 season. However, in four offseason trades, the Hornets added plenty of playoff experience.
Between the trio of Pat Connaughton, Grant Williams and Coby White, they've combined for 152 games of playoff experience. That said, four of their main additions have an abundance of playoff minutes as well. Charlotte's most recent addition, Dennis Schroder, has appeared in 91 career playoff games. Veteran wing Royce O'Neale has played in 52 playoff games. Naz Reid has played in 48 playoff contests while Grayson Allen has suited up in 28. Lastly, 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith has played in 44 postseason matchups as well.
Not only will this added experience aid the Hornets in pursuit of the postseason, but these veterans will also be able to mentor Charlotte's young core headlined by Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel that has yet to reach the playoffs.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...

#playoff #basketbaltes #well

It was a good-looking Shane Baz that greeted New York tonight. Not only did the O's starter make a big first impression, striking out three Yankees in the first inning (and on three different pitches!—curveball, heater, changeup), he also pinched into the seventh and struck out a season-high ten batters.
Alas, as my colleague Paul Folkemer put it in his preview of this series, through no fault of his own, Baz has been something of a bad-luck charm for this Orioles offense, and tonight, it was like that again. In total, the Birds managed just four hits (all but one singles). They scored just once, on a Coby Mayo solo homer (his second four-bagger in two nights), instead going 0-for-6 as a team with runners in scoring position, with seven men left on.
There's probably blame to be allotted for the bad hitting, but let's start with cheers for the good pitching. The box score says Shane Baz gave us 6 1/3 innings and three earned runs, but this is largely due to a Josh Walker stumble in the seventh. I'll be darned if Baz didn't look much better than that. So let's give him his deserved kudos.
Baz whiffed the first three Yankees hitters he saw, plus two more in the second. It was a ruthless beginning. Four of his first five outs were by K. The fastball was zippy, the sinker was running, and the knuckle curve was unhittable.
For six innings, Baz made just one mistake, a hung changeup to leadoff man Trent Grisham, who somehow was well out front of the offspeed pitch, put a weird swing on it, and still managed to send it to the flag court. Baseball is full of random things like that, but seeing how the two starters looked it was a real surprise, truthfully, that the Yankees had struck first.

#yankees #shane #good #tonight

BALTIMORE (AP) — Trent Grisham hit his 17th home run in the third inning and had a two-run single in the seventh to propel the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
Yerry De los Santos (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Yankees (70-55), who began the series opener in possession of the top AL wild-card place and six games behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead.
Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón allowed Coby Mayo's 17th homer during four innings in his first start after nearly two months on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.
Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz got through the seventh, Paul Blackburn completed the eighth and David Bednar worked a perfect ninth for his 28th save in New York's second straight win.
Orioles right-hander Shane Baz (4-13) struck out a season-high 10 in 6 1/3 innings but was charged with all three New York runs after he departed with two men on.

#trent #tuesday

ESPN recently dropped their annual set of "future" power rankings, which are based on how well the franchise is set up to be successful over the next three or so seasons. The Cardinals were unfortunately ranked dead last thanks to a lackluster quarterback situation.
Jacoby Brissett is not what any team wants as their long-term franchise guy, and Carson Beck as not played enough to show if he's the answer there, either. If the latter does work out, the Cardinals would understandably shoot upwards in these rankings. If he doesn't, it would all hinge on whether or not they land their guy in 2027.
It's a ******* mer to think that their young nucleus of offensive talent doesn't add up to much for these rankings, but if there's a silver lining at all right now, it's that.
In the comments below, let us know all of your thoughts below on where the Cardinals ranked in this exercise and what your outlook should be on the team over the next three seasons!
Marvin Harrison Jr. is finding a way to smile through all of the noise (AZCardinals.com)

#team

Recent Hornets trade acquisition Dennis Schroder spoke about joining Charlotte this offseason as the 2026-27 season approaches. Although the Cavaliers and Hornets just finalized the deal last week, it had been in the works for a long time, as Cleveland had been aiming to free up cap ******* e.
Officially, Schroder was dealt to the Hornets along with $4 million for Tre Mann, Charlotte's backup point guard. For Schroder, the move continues what has been a well-traveled career for the German international. ******* uming he suits up with the Hornets, Schroder will have played for 12 different franchises in 14 NBA seasons. Additionally, Schroder is the second-most traded player in NBA history, having been dealt nine times.
Following the move, Schroder opened up about his new fit and his time with the Cavaliers, saying, "I've known for a month (about the trade). I think it's a better situation for me because I can play the way I normally play. (Behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell) you somehow have to be effective in a different way, an extremely difficult role."
Behind Coby White, Schroder will provide plenty of experience as a backup. He'll also be able to continue mentoring two of his current German national teammates, rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:

#schroder #cavaliers #dealt #move

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Jonny DeLuca put the Rays in front with a two-run single in the seventh inning, and AL-best Tampa Bay rallied for a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night to avoid a four-game sweep.
Yandy Díaz, Ryan Vilade and Jorge Mateo homered for Tampa Bay. Mateo's two-run shot with two out in the fourth was his first for the Rays and gave them a 4-3 lead.
Coby Mayo hit a 468-foot homer, and Pete Alonso and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also went deep for Baltimore (61-64), which moved into the AL's third wild-card spot by taking the first three games against its division rival at Tropicana Field.
Jonathan Aranda's RBI single against Yennier Cano (2-3) got the Rays within 6-5 in the seventh. After Junior Caminero hit an infield single to load the bases, Josh Walker came in and gave up DeLuca's go-ahead single to center, the last of four lead changes in the game.
All-Star Bryan Baker got the final five outs for his majors-leading 35th save. Left-hander Cam Booser (1-0) struck out the side in the seventh and earned his first win in a Rays.

#single #four #game #lead

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai appears to have avoided a serious knee injury but his status for Week 1 may be in jeopardy. According to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Monangai suffered a hyperextended knee after getting tangled up with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett during Sunday's practice that will cause him to miss multiple weeks.
It's been a tough camp for the Bears when it comes to managing injuries. Key players such as safety Coby Bryant and wide receiver Luther Burden are out for multiple weeks at a minimum, while other players like tackle Braxton Jones and defensive end Montez Sweat have been banged up throughout camp. Monangai is the latest player to go down and, at a minimum, will miss the rest of training camp.
The hope is the Bears' second-year back will be good to go for the team's regular season opener against the Carolina Panthers, taking place in less than four weeks. Monangai is a critical aspect of the ground game, along with D'Andre Swift, and is being counted on to pick up where he left off last year. As a rookie, Monangai rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season.
With Monangai sidelined, running backs Roschon Johnson, Salvon Ahmed, Brittain Brown, and Coleman Bennett will see extended carries with a chance to earn a roster spot as training camp continues.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Latest injury update on Bears running back Kyle Monangai

#running

The Chicago Bears suffered some more bad luck to the defensive back department on Saturday when new safety Xavier Woods sustained what we know to be a groin injury.
Woods was signed by the Bears on August 7 following a significant injury to Coby Bryant, who is slated to miss 4-6 months. Woods has started 121 games in the NFL, and he played under current Bears' DB coach Al Harris while he was with Dallas in 2020.
At this point, it is unknown how long Woods will be out and how severe the injury is. Head coach Ben Johnson commented on the injury following the Bears' preseason win over Cleveland, but that's all that we have heard so far.
I went back and dissected the tape on Sunday morning to see if I could find any clues as to where the injury occurred, as well as to get an idea of how severe it could be. I should point out, of course, that I am not a medical professional. Sometimes injuries like this are tricky and are more severe than they appear, but I'd like to share with you what I observed.
Woods only played 9 snaps on defense on Saturday, all in the first quarter. I watched all of them as closely as possible, and it was hard to decipher when the injury occurred as nothing really stood out. Woods never reacts like someone who was injured, nor does he appear to suffer when it comes to his mobility on the field. The closest thing I could find to a possible injury happened on Woods' third-to-last play in the game.

#severe #coach