The NASCAR Cup Series Chase field was set after the ****** e Zero 400 race on Aug. 29 at Daytona.
Ryan Preece clinched a Chase spot via his first career win in a frantic final lap at Daytona.
Austin Cindric joined him, clinching with a sixth-place run. Shane van Gisbergen dropped out of the top 16 following a 27th-place finish, giving up track position with a pit stop before the overtime restart.
Denny Hamlin clinched the Chase's top seed last week at New Hampshire and goes into the Chase with a 25-point lead.
Here's a look at the 16 NASCAR Cup Series Chase drivers, with the 10-race Chase beginning next week at Darlington:

#week #zero

BOSTON – Joe Lauzon's MMA swan song was likely in October 2019. He raised his hands over his head as he upset the much younger Jonathan Peace at TD Garden.
On Saturday, it may have been his combat sports swan song. While the pose was the same, the parting imagery was much different. Lauzon (1-0) made his bareknuckle boxing debut when he dropped opponent Stash Kuykendall (0-3) five times en route to a TKO stoppage at 0:49 of Round 2. This bout took place at Fenway Park – the historic Green Monster in the background.
Lauzon, 42, still can pack a house, or in this case a ballpark. Custom Lauzon jerseys, looking very similar to that of the Red Sox's, filled the crowd behind home plate.
Kuykendall, 34, hung tough as he was repeatedly dropped with punches. Each knockdown looked like it'd be the last, but Kuykendall kept getting back up – until he couldn't.
After his win, Lauzon sported some swelling and lacerations. He dind't commit one way or another to if Saturday's bout will be his last, and teased that if BKFC comes back to Fenway in 2027, he might consider it.

#dropped #bout

CLEVELAND (AP) — Josh Rojas had his second career game with four RBIs, Salvador Perez hit two doubles and the Kansas City Royals defeated the Cleveland Guardians 8-3 on Saturday for their 12th win in 13 games.
Rojas came into the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. He lined a two-run single to left to extend Kansas City's lead to 6-2 and added a two-run homer in the eighth. Rojas' other game with four RBIs was with Arizona in 2022.
Cleveland's Angel Martínez had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in three runs. The Guardians have dropped their last two after a seven-game winning streak.
Anthony Gose (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings as five Royals relievers combined to allow one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Kansas City broke it open with a four-run sixth as its first five batters reached base. Perez's double to left-center off Colin Holderman (6-4) drove in Bobby Witt Jr. with the go-ahead run.

#cleveland #Guardians

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — San Diego Padres' second baseman Luis Rengifo was carted off the field in the seventh inning of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays with an apparent leg injury.
Rengifo dropped to the infield dirt after throwing wildly on a relay to home plate in an attempt to get Tampa Bay's Cedric Mullins. The throw sailed wide of catcher Luis Campusano, allowing two runners to score on the play and tying the game at 6.
After being attended to by training staff, Rengifo required ****** istance to get to his feet before being loaded onto the back of a medical cart.
With the bases loaded and ****** ody out in the bottom of the seventh, Tampa Bay designated hitter Yandy Diaz hit a line drive to center that bounded off the base of the wall. Center fielder Jackson Merrill grabbed the carom and threw to Rengifo.
The play caught Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls and Mullins near third base. As Rengifo was chasing Walls to third, Mullins ran for home, forcing the Padres' second baseman to throw across his body to the plate. As soon as the ball left his hand, Rengifo fell to the ground.

#luis #baseman

TORONTO (AP) — Alejandro Kirk drove in the tiebreaking run with a two-out single in the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday.
José Soriano (11-7) struck out six in seven innings to win for the second time in three starts. Soriano allowed three runs and three hits.
Tyler Rogers struck out two in the eighth but left after walking Julio Rodríguez. Josh Naylor singled off Mason Fluharty to advance Rodríguez to third, but Fluharty struck out Cal Raleigh to preserve the lead.
Louis Varland finished for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.
Seattle lost its third straight and dropped to 27-41 on the road.

#struck #rodr #Third

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus was looking forward to watching New Zealand counterpart Dave Rennie squirm for the next week after tying their four-test series on Saturday.
The Springboks relied on a masterclass of goalkicking by Cheslin Kolbe — seven from seven off the tee — to win the second test 33-26 after New Zealand outscored them on tries 4-3.
World champion South Africa dropped the first test in Johannesburg and hasn't lost consecutive tests at home on Erasmus' watch — since 2018 — and he was relieved they got back into a series in which they started as the heavy favorite.
"Of course I felt the pressure, and the players will tell you I felt the pressure. I try not to put it on them but I was nervous," Erasmus said.
He noted he and the older Rennie were November babies, both Scorpios, and quipped: "That's why he's able to work me out.

#south #africa #erasmus #series

Head coach Adi Hütter, Younes Ebnoutalib and Noah Atubolu give their ***** sment after the 3-3 draw at Union Berlin.
Head coach Adi Hütter: "From our perspective, I'm not entirely satisfied. We threw away a 3-1 lead, which annoys me but I'm not disappointed. We dropped further and further back in the second half. What does bother me is that we didn't manage to break free and didn't see it through. That said, for a long time it was a very decent performance. Union then almost suffocated us, the equaliser was deserved. We have young players who need time."
Younes Ebnoutalib: "Three goals are always nice – it's a shame it was only enough for a point in the end. Three points would've been nicer. Everyone battled. Union have a lot of big players, so it's hard when they play long ***** . I'm just happy and grateful to the team, I want to help. I always set myself targets and always want to deliver a good performance, but I never really thought I'd score three goals."
Noah Atubolu: "It doesn't feel good right now. We were 3-1 up in Berlin. It's always nasty playing here against Union – the fans, the way they play football, with lots of long ***** and aerial duels. We didn't want to get sucked into that. We stood up to it well in the first half but we conceded the goals too easily – all three from set pieces, sometimes the ball was bouncing back and forth. We must and will work to make sure we don't give away a lead like that in the future."

#always #head

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered their preseason finale with several roster spots and position battles still to sort out. Their 19-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars may have provided some answers, although not necessarily the ones Tampa Bay wanted. The Buccaneers finished with only 120 total yards, went 2 of 12 on third down and failed to score. Still, there were a few positives buried inside an otherwise difficult night.
If anyone helped themselves Friday night, it was Jack Pyburn. The rookie edge rusher finished with two sacks and three tackles for loss, consistently finding his way into Jacksonville's backfield. Tampa Bay's defensive front produced most of the team's bright spots, finishing with four sacks as Anthony Nelson and Josiah Green also got to the quarterback. Pyburn's performance was especially important as final roster decisions approach. Tampa Bay has spent the offseason rebuilding its front seven, and his ability to provide energy and production off the edge gives the coaching staff something to consider as they build the final 53. Pyburn has certainly played himself into a position where the coaching staff has to find him a spot.
Jalon Daniels had arguably his biggest opportunity of the preseason after being given the start, but he wasn't able to capitalize on it. Daniels completed 8 of 15 passes for 57 yards while taking three sacks and losing a botched snap, a glaring issue over the preseason. After helping lead comeback victories in Tampa Bay's first two preseason games, Daniels struggled to generate anything consistently against Jacksonville. He wasn't helped by his receivers, either. Dean Patterson IV and Kameron Johnson dropped third-down passes early, while Garrett Greene also failed to secure a catchable ball. Daniels' previous performances showed why Tampa Bay has been intrigued by the undrafted rookie, but Friday reminded everyone he remains a developmental quarterback. If there was a legitimate opportunity to overtake Jake Browning for the backup job behind Baker Mayfield, the finale did not do anything to solidify his case.
There isn't much positive to say about an offense that finishes with 87 yards and zero points. Tampa Bay punted on six of its first seven possessions and struggled to protect its quarterbacks, sustain drives or establish the running game. The Buccaneers didn't record a single first down in the second half as Jacksonville's defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage. The offensive line remained a major issue, and receivers failed to come down with the ball. Then came the special teams breakdown that put an exclamation point on the night. Michael Wortham returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, extending Jacksonville's lead to 19-0 and turning an already frustrating night into a nightmare final score.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: The good, the bad and the ugly from Buccaneers' 19-0 loss to Jaguars

#night

Anthony Eyanson recorded another standout start for the Double-A Chesapeake Baysox on Thursday. The former LSU baseball star dropped his overall ERA to 1.51 and continues to impress after a trade sent him from the Boston Red Sox to the Baltimore Orioles at the summer deadline.
Against the Harrisburg Senators, Eyanson hurled 3.2 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and three walk but also picked up eight strikeouts, three of which came in the first inning. After Eyanson allowed two singles and walk to load the bases with two outs, he got the final batter to go down swinging.
Through four stars with the Baysox, Eyanson owns a 2.14 ERA and 32 strikeouts through 21 innings pitched. He logged the longest outing of the season on August 20, pitching seven innings of one run ball while picking up eight strikeouts.
Eyanson started 2026 in High-A with the Greenville Drive, then earned a promotion to Double-A within the Red Sox organization. Across all three teams he represented in his first season of professional baseball, Eyanson has a 6-1 record with 19 starts. He boasts a 0.95 WHIP and 126 strikeouts over 89.1 innings pitched.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Former LSU baseball star Anthony Eyanson excels with new team

#innings #anthony #baysox #former

Nvidia (NVDA) just posted another banger earnings report on Aug. 26, blowing past Wall Street's expectations as sales more than doubled and adjusted profit handily cleared estimates.
Then Raymond James raised the temperature further when the firm's 5-star ****** yst Simon Leopold dropped an eye-popping new Nvidia price target, which is comfortably above other major Wall Street forecasts.
Investors responded with force post earnings, as, per Bloomberg, Nvidia stock jumped 8.7% the following session to $227.9. This added $442 billion in market value, while finishing just below its record close after another punishing choppy stretch.
Moreover, it's important to note that Leopold's call lands after Nvidia stock has gained nearly 21% year to date and around 8% over the past three months, according to Seeking Alpha, despite concerns that AI spending, competition, and elevated memory costs might slow the company's momentum.
Leopold believes Wall Street is still underestimating Nvidia's massive scale and sees supply, rather than customer demand, as arguably the biggest obstacle ahead.

#NVIDIA #wall #nvda

The Green Bay Packers finished the preseason on Friday night at Lambeau Field, and now attention turns to finishing the initial 53-man roster before Sunday afternoon's cutdown. Strong performances during training camp and the preseason will create some difficult choices for Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur in creating the initial roster, which is due by 5:00 p.m. CT on Sunday.
Toughest decisions awaiting the Packers on their path to 53 players:
Matt LaFleur wasn't able to confirm the injury timelines for defensive tackle Warren Brinson, receiver Savion Williams or edge rusher Collin Oliver, who were all injured within the last week and could be candidates to start the season on injured reserve. The roster math changes pretty quick if any of those three miss the start of the season. Any player placed on IR to start the season has to miss at least the first four games.
To his credit, Kyle McCord turned this into a legitimate question over three excellent preseason games. Tyrod Taylor is going to be the backup behind Jordan Love, but are the Packers willing to risk McCord to waivers? He looks like the right long-term developmental option, and teams don't like risking good quarterbacks. But keeping three quarterbacks would be a roster luxury for a team with a settled situation at the top.
J. Michael Sturdivant and Will Sheppard both made terrific final arguments on Friday night, and Isaiah Neyor was one dropped touchdown pass away from doing the same. The battle between these three has been raging all summer, and now the Packers must decide: Is there room on the roster for a seventh receiver? It's possible one of the three makes it comfortably if Savion Williams goes on IR. The Packers have all the boxes checked with their top six receivers, but Sturdivant and Sheppard can both play a role on special teams. Sturdivant might be too good to risk, especially after prioritizing him as a free agent following the draft and his 112-yard performance on Friday night.

#packers #roster #Friday #sunday

In the UFC Shanghai co-featured fight, former **** le challenger and No. 4 ranked Yan Xiaonan faced and No. 9 ranked octagon veteran Denise Gomes.
Xiaonan entered the match at Shanghai Oriental Sports Center coming off a decision loss to Virna Jandiroba in her last outing. She had lost two of her last three fights and needed a win to stay in the top tier of the division. She last fought in April 2025.
Gomes brought with her a four-fight winning streak having emerged victorious in six of her last seven bouts. The Brazilian was looking to pick up the biggest win of her career and jump several spots in the rankings.
Xiaonan took the center of the cage. She connected with a right hand the two exchanged leg kicks. Xiaonan began mixing in side kicks to the lead leg of Gomes. Gomes pressed forward and connected with a huge right hand., Xiaonan took it and fired back. Xiaonan landed a combination with two minutes remaining in the round. She fought a home with an overhand right. Gomes connected with an elbow that dropped Xiaonan. A follow up combination left her unconscious on the canvas grabbing the referee's leg. Gomes left the crowd silent.
The official time of the stoppage was 4:49 of the first round.

#xiaonan #connected #center #ranked

Red Sox Face Daunting Doubleheader Challenge Against Yankees Aces originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox could not solve Cam Schlittler on Friday night. Their reward is a Saturday date with two of the New New York Yankees' top pitchers.
New York will activate Max Fried from the injured list to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Rodón will start the opener against Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early.
Fried's return comes exactly 15 days after the Yankees placed him on the injured list, allowing him to return following a minimum-length absence. The timing presents another difficult test for Boston's struggling lineup.
The Red Sox entered Saturday after being shut out in consecutive games. They dropped Friday's series opener 1-0 despite recording five hits and drawing six walks against New York's pitching staff. Boston went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners. The loss extended its scoreless streak to 18 innings.

#york #start #opener

India's World Test Championship hopes have taken a hit after the Colombo Test ended in a draw, with former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth warning that the missed opportunity could have serious consequences for their qualification campaign.

India appeared well placed to complete a 2-0 series sweep after taking control of the second Test. Sri Lanka began the final day with six wickets down, leaving India needing only four more wickets to seal victory.

Instead, the visitors could manage just two wickets as Sonal Dinusha produced a stunning unbeaten century to frustrate India. The Sri Lankan batter remained unbeaten on 133 and stitched together vital partnerships with the lower order, helping the hosts survive and force a draw after following on.

The result meant India had to settle for a 1-0 series victory rather than the 2-0 sweep that had looked within reach.

The dropped opportunity in Colombo could prove significant in the race for the WTC Final. India remain fifth in the standings, with Sri Lanka sixth, and now have very little room for error across their remaining seven Tests.

According to Srikkanth, India may need an almost perfect run from here to stay in control of their qualification hopes.

"This draw will make it difficult for India to qualify for the WTC final. Even if India wins five or six of the last seven matches, they'll have to depend on other results. It's questionable if India can beat Australia 5-0 at home. If we give rank turners in that series, Australia can also beat India," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

India have seven Tests left in their WTC campaign and need to win at least six of them to control their own destiny.

A major challenge will come when Australia travel to India. Srikkanth cautioned against ****** uming that home conditions will guarantee results, particularly if India prepare heavily turning pitches.

Srikkanth was particularly critical of India's failure to close out the Colombo Test after creating a strong position.

He also highlighted Dinusha's contribution, with the Sri Lankan batter producing twin centuries at the Sinhalese Sports Club and playing a decisive role in keeping his team alive on the final day.

"India messed up big time. Sonal Dinusha was amazing throughout the series. This is where you miss a bowler like ****** rah. You need a finishing bowler like him. Though rain helped Sri Lanka a bit, India should have won the match hands down," said Srikkanth.

Dinusha's unbeaten 133 proved crucial as Sri Lanka survived India's late push and secured a draw, leaving the visitors with a 1-0 series win but also a potentially costly setback in their WTC campaign.

#India #lanka #final #draw

What a week for the Washington Commanders. After a disappointing performance in last week's 17-13 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions, the Commanders headed to Maryland this week for a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, followed by the preseason finale two days later.
Baltimore held the upper hand in Wednesday's scrimmage, dominating Washington's offensive line, which was full of backups. Friday's preseason game was even worse, with the Ravens crushing the Commanders 41-3.
Yes, it's the preseason. Yes, it's meaningless. Yes, Washington sat 41 players, but so did Baltimore. That's no excuse. So, recent events in totality should have Commanders' fans a little bit concerned.
What did we learn from Friday's preseason finale? Here are five takeaways from a rough night in Charm City.
Just like you couldn't blame Jayden Daniels in his lone series against the Lions last week, you couldn't blame rookie Athan Kaliakmanis or Sam Hartman on Friday. Were they perfect? No, but they also didn't have a chance. For the third consecutive game, Kaliakmanis was better than Hartman, but by no means was Hartman the reason for Washington's offensive struggles. Neither quarterback had much time to throw. Neither had a running game, and both were let down by dropped passes.

#preseason #week #game

X Financial (NYSE:XYF) reported a dramatically smaller lending platform on August 24. Second-quarter net revenue fell 56.3% year over year and 15.5% sequentially to RMB 993.6 million. The active-borrower count declined 74.8% from a year earlier to approximately 720,258, while the total loan amount facilitated and originated dropped 70.2% to RMB11.63 billion. Shares closed at $5.35 on August 24 following the results.
The question is whether the contraction represents a successful reset toward better borrowers or continuing erosion that improved credit metrics cannot offset. The latest quarter suggests credit performance is stabilizing faster than the business itself.
The strongest argument for X Financial (NYSE:XYF) is that tighter underwriting appears to be improving recent loan performance. The company-reported 31- to 60-day delinquency rate declined to 1.73% from 2.61% at the end of the first quarter. Its 91- to 180-day rate eased to 9.09% from 9.95%. Management attributed the first sequential improvement in several quarters to stricter underwriting for newer loan vintages and additional collection resources.
The average loan amount per transaction increased 21.3% year over year to RMB12,712. Management linked the increase to a transaction mix weighted toward higher-quality borrowers and said newer vintages were performing better. That strategy sacrifices scale but could produce a healthier remaining portfolio if the improvement continues.
Cost reductions also supported sequential profitability. Total operating costs and expenses fell 22.9% from the first quarter, while operating income increased 38.6% to RMB194.9 million. Operating margin improved to 19.6% from 12.0%, although it remained below 29.7% a year earlier.

#loan #august

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball, but are trying to lock up the top seed in the National League.
They have been without Abner Uribe recently, after placing him on the injured list with a right forearm flexor strain. Uribe started a rehab ***** ignment with High-A Wisconsin on Tuesday. He has pitched in one minor league game this season, striking out one batter in a scoreless inning.
Uribe's injury was believed to be non-serious, but Pat Murphy dropped a slightly concerning update on Friday. He will need to throw in another rehab game before he's ready to return.
"It didn't feel great the next day, and we wanted to make sure he had a great catch play the next day," Murphy said of Uribe regarding his Tuesday outing. "If you bring him back here and he gets (hurt again), then you're in a bind. I think it's wise to handle it this way."
Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!

#tuesday #league #game #great

ATLANTA — Ryan Gerard hit it well enough for five relatively easy birdies Friday and dropped a surprise from just inside 80 feet for another, giving him a 5-under 65 and a share of the 36-hole lead with Viktor Hovland at the season-ending Tour Championship.
Hovland had one of five birdies on the peninsula-green 15th hole, a par 3 at only 155 yards but tucked to the left near a sharp slope that feeds off the putting surface. He had a 66 to join Gerard at 10-under 130 going into the weekend.
Right behind? Just about everybody.
That includes Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who had a 67 and was two back. And it included Cameron Young, in last place after the first round and atop the leaderboard for much of the day after a 62. He also wound up two behind.
Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup each shot 67 and were one behind at 9-under 131.

#five #viktor

Three LPGA golfers have won consecutive tournaments in 2026. Might there be a fourth this week?
Miyu Yamashita of ******* an, who won last week's CPKC Women's Open in a rout by nine shots, shot 2-under 70 on Friday. She had it to 10 under and the solo lead at one point but a late bogey dropped her into a three-way tie for the lead at the FM Championship.
Yamashita has two wins this season and a third this week would put her alongside three golfers who have won back-to-back starts in 2026: Hyo Joo Kim (Fortinet and Ford in March), Nelly Korda (Chevron and Riviera Maya in April) and Haeran Ryu (KPMG Women's PGA and Amundi Evian) in late June/early July.
Yamashita started on the back nine and birdie Nos. 16 and 17. A bogey on No. 1 was followed by birdies at Nos. 2 and 6 before one more bogey at the eighth hole. A somewhat ho-hum round but she's co-leading alongside Kim, and Allisen Corpuz, who has yet to win in 2026. Two golfers tied for fourth, Morgane Metraux and Ruoning Yin, posted 7-under 65s. Suvichaya Vinijchaitham, tied for ninth, also shot 65, the best score of the day Friday.
Defending champ Lottie Woad is tied for 27th after a 73 on Friday.

#yamashita #bogey #back

The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped all three games of the recent series against the Atlanta Braves, defeats that were significantly caused by a lack of offense from the Boys in Blue.
Thursday night's game was especially frustrating, given that the Dodgers were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
While the other games had more Dodgers hits, including going 3-for-12 with RISP on Tuesday and 4-for-14 on Wednesday, fans will remember those one-loss games for missed opportunities.
Aug 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) strikes out against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
On Tuesday, superstar Shohei Ohtani led off the top of the ninth inning with a triple, then was left stranded 90 feet short of tying the game.

#Dodgers

The Dallas Cowboys have a chance to go undefeated in the preseason for the first time in two decades if they can defeat the New Orleans Saints on Friday night. Given the culture forged by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the team wants to make it happen. While preseason results don't matter in regards to the regular season and playoffs, for some on the bottom of the roster fighting for a spot, it's everything.
The Cowboys might not know who's making the team at the end of the depth chart at receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, or safety. It's rare, but occasionally a great showing in the final preseason game can be the thing that pushes someone onto the 53-man roster over someone else who doesn't have a good showing.
The Cowboys have one of the best defensive tackle combos in the NFL. If Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark aren't the best, they're definitely top tier. Otito Ogbonnia is an impactful veteran run stopper, and then the cupboard looks bare.
Jonathan Bullard should be a good veteran, but he has been out all camp and could be a cut candidate who goes to the practice squad and then is called up once he is completely healthy. In 326 snaps last season, he had a run defense grade of 63.9, average at best.
The other three in the group include 2025 draft pick Jay Toia and undrafted free agent (UDFA) rookies D.J. Withers and Tommy Dunn. Through two preseason games, Toia's run defense grade dropped from 65.9 against the Seattle Seahawks to 23.1 against the Cardinals. Dunn was consistent with a PFF run grade of 66.8 in both contests, and Withers had a run grade of 70.2 in game one and 68.2 in game two.

#cowboys #grade #game #withers

San Antonio FC will try to halt a recent slide and regain their footing in the USL Championship Western Conference table when they take on a hot New Mexico United club Saturday on the road.
SAFC (8-5-8, 32 points), which sits in fifth place, and conference leading New Mexico (11-4-4, 37 points) kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque.
San Antonio steps into the challenging high-altitude environment of Albuquerque against New Mexico, which has propelled itself to the top spot in Western Conference based on winning nine of its last 11 league matches. New Mexico has not lost a league match in more than three months - the last of which came in a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on May 20.
In contrast, SAFC is trying to shake off last week's 1-0 home loss to the Oakland Roots SC, which was its second straight loss at Toyota Field. The back-to-back home losses have dropped SAFC from second place to fifth in the Western Conference standings.
"I do think it's going to be a difficult game, obviously, in that environment (at New Mexico)," SAFC midfielder Nicky Hernandez said. "They have a lot of fans, they're very loud and they're hot right now and we got to come in there and try to ruin that for them. It will be an interesting game."

#fifth

The Browns have started the process of setting their initial 53-man roster.
They announced 15 cuts from their training camp roster and one cut from injured reserve on Friday afternoon. All 32 teams need to get down to 53 players by Sunday afternoon's deadline.
Four of the players were released as vested veterans. Cornerbacks Tre Avery and Tyler Hall joined offensive tackle Tyre Phillips in getting dropped from the active roster while tight end Jack Stoll was released from injured reserve.
They also waived tight end Drew Biber, offensive tackle Jeremiah Byers, punter Nik Constantinou, safety Christopher Edmonds, cornerback Nate Evans, defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins, cornerback Jeremiah McClendon, offensive tacke Izavion Miller, defensive end Jamil Muhammad, wide receiver Ben Patterson, and tight end Jermaine Terry.
Cleveland has many more moves to make to hit the roster limit and there will likely be some immediate churning as other players shake free around the league in the coming days.

#reserve

NEW YORK — The Mets' momentum after the trade deadline is beginning to evaporate.
With the Mets dropping Thursday's series finale to the Brewers, 8-2, they have now dropped back-to-back series. They are now 13-8 since the deadline.
After the Mets fell in two out of three to the team with the best record in baseball, they will face a different challenge beginning on Friday night.
The Mets open a three-game series with the Astros, who are looking to hold on to first place in the AL West, at 7:10 p.m. on Friday at Citi Field.
The Mets enter the series with a 60-74 record, while the Astros are 67-67.

#Friday

About a million Americans had to find new health insurance at the start of 2026. CVS Health's Aetna subsidiary pulled out of the Affordable Care Act marketplace in 17 states, and at least a dozen more carriers announced they'll stop selling plans next year. When that happens, several hundred thousand more people will need to find coverage elsewhere.
The departures aren't random. When enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025, premiums jumped, and healthier enrollees dropped coverage. Insurers found themselves covering a smaller, sicker group, and one by one, they decided to stop. The numbers were no longer adding up.
Texas has lost three carriers in two years. Oregon is down another two. For the millions of people who depend on marketplace coverage, every exit gives the insurers who stay less reason to keep prices low.
CVS Health was the first major provider to leave. Its Aetna marketplace enrollees were running up medical bills that exceeded what the company collected in premiums, and CVS projected losses of up to $400 million on its ACA plans in 2025. It was the company's second retreat from the exchanges: Aetna had pulled out in 2017, returned in 2022, expanded into more states in 2023, and still couldn't make the business work.
Cigna followed in late April. The insurer's marketplace enrollment had already fallen 17% from a year earlier, and its president and incoming CEO, Brian Evanko, told ***** ysts there was no viable path to growth. Cigna will leave all 11 states where it sells plans, displacing about 369,000 enrollees, according to healthinsurance.org and Becker's Payer Issues.

#coverage #Health #insurers

Two eagles propelled overnight leader Casandra Alexander to a second-round 66 as the South African seized control of the Women's Irish Open at the K Club.
Following a bogey-free 63 on Thursday, Alexander eagled the par-five 10th - her opening hole - on Friday and followed that with back-to-back birdies.
Having dropped a shot on 13, the 27-year-old carded a birdie two on 17 before recording her second eagle of the round at the third.
After a bogey on six, a birdie on seven gave Alexander a 36-hole total of 129 to sit five shots clear of the Czech Republic's Sara Kouskova, who followed an opening 68 with a 66.
Canice Screene leads the home challenge on five under after mixing seven birdies with two bogeys in a five-under 67, but Aine Donegan slipped back to two under with a disappointing 73.

#alexander #second #round #followed

When Andrew Foley won the net division of the men's club championship at Green Hill Municipal Golf Course this summer, the day was memorable in more ways than one.
With his mother caddying for him, he captured the championship on July 26, the fifth anniversary of the death of his father.
"It was pretty unbelievable," Andrew said. "I woke up that day and it was definitely dominating my thoughts and I could feel him with me the whole way through. If you saw some of the putts fall, you'd probably believe that there was somebody up there helping me knock some shots in."
On the par-3 eighth hole, Andrew, 27, sank a 35-foot birdie putt that he thought he hit too far right, but it rolled left at the last minute and dropped into the cup.
Andrew played with his father's clubs and golf bag that he inherited.

#championship #green

Ben Roethlisberger's arm ligaments turned al dente sometime around 2019. The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense behind him remained strong. That juxtaposition created the broken path that leads us to 2026. That's the year where the Steelers, in a league where most teams will have only two quarterbacks on their active roster, plan to keep four passers at the 53-man cutdown day.
That's what first-year head coach Mike McCarthy told ESPN's Brooke Pryor to expect when rosters as finalized August 30 at 6 p.m. ET. His QB1 will be a soon-to-be 43-year-old Aaron Rodgers, heavily diminished from his MVP peak. His veteran backup will be Mason Rudolph, exiled to Nashville in 2024 to bring his special brand of underwhelming football to the Tennessee ***** ans before reuniting with the team last year. Behind them, for now, is the duo of mid-round draft picks Pittsburgh picked up as lottery tickets in hopes they may have dug a diamond from a coal mine: Will Howard (sixth round, 2026) and Drew Allar (third round, 2026).
The need for four quarterbacks can be traced back to the end of the Roethlisberger era. This team was too competent to fall to a top 10 draft pick as the two-time Super Bowl champion's arm weakened and his average target distance dropped to league lows. Stopgap solutions followed; Mitchell Trubisky. Kenny Pickett. Rudolph. Russell Wilson. Justin Fields. Now, it's Rodgers.
When Pickett, the first quarterback selected in one of the worst quarterback drafts of all time, failed, the Steelers bought in to retread passers just good enough to keep the team at slightly above average. Playoff appearances followed. Playoff wins did not. Between weak draft position and the franchise's general distaste for big free agent splashes -- missing out on Kirk Cousins (good!) and Sam Darnold (not as good!) -- Pittsburgh went from renting to owning its place in contender's limbo.
2026 has marked the franchise's desire to stay there. Mike Tomlin, architect of zero losing seasons in 19 years at the helm, parted ways with the team. Rather than start fresh with a rising young head coach, the team hired Mike McCarthy, a man with a 126-80-2 record in the regular season since 2011 and a 6-9 playoff record. It brought back Rodgers, who can no longer use his legs to extend plays and has been forced into a diet of short, quick passes to avoid pressure even as his otherworldly arm talent remains in flashes of "remember when?" And, importantly, rather than casting his lot with Howard and Allar in case of injury and letting the chips fall where they may, McCarthy is keeping Rudolph as QB2.

#team #year #mike #rodgers

GREENSBORO, N.C. — After a blowout win on Wednesday night, Hub City could not follow up against Greensboro on Thursday. The Grasshoppers (75-48, 34-23) attacked the Spartanburgers (56-67, 22-35) early en route to an 11-4 win.
Greensboro turned to lefty Reinold Navarro on the mound against Hub City's Jormy Nivar, making his High-A debut. Both starters faced the minimum in the first before finding trouble in the second.
Maxton Martin reached to kick off the frame on a dropped third strike. Quincy Scott immediately capitalized with a two-run homer the opposite way. Navarro worked around two walks later in the inning to limit the damage to two. The Grasshoppers immediately tied the game again on back-to-back home runs from Jared Jones and Tony Blanco Jr. to lead off the bottom of the second. Blanco was batting out of order when he slugged the second home run, but it came without appeal from the Spartanburgers. Jhonny Severino then struck out, a spot later than **** igned.
After a scoreless top of the third, Greensboro took its first lead. A single and hit batter started the inning. After two outs from Nivar (L, 0-1), Jones walked to load the bases. Severino came to the plate in the correct order and lined in two runs with a single to center field. Blanco followed suit with an RBI single to make it 5-2 Grasshoppers. Anthony Susac relieved Nivar and provided the final out of the third.
Hub City forced Greensboro to its 'pen with the bases full and one out in the fourth. Cesar Aquino entered and rolled a fielder's choice off the bat of Evan Morrison to bring in a run. Gleider Figuereo added another tally with an RBI single to make it 5-4.

#grasshoppers #single #second #spartanburgers

IREN fell 5% and Core Scientific dropped 4% as traders de-risked ahead of a consensus-expected 49-cent per share loss Thursday.
NVIDIA's last five earnings beats still averaged a 2% same-day stock decline, creating a harder read-across setup for IREN reporting Thursday night.
DTCR's near-flat 0.6% decline while IREN and Core Scientific sold off confirms targeted event-driven de-risking, not broad digital infrastructure pressure.
Act now: the ******* yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Iren didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) stock is down 6% to $39.85 midday Wednesday, as traders trim exposure ahead of a busy earnings sequence for the AI hosting group. Meanwhile, Core Scientific (NASDAQ:CORZ) stock is down 4% to $17.40 in sympathy, marking a coordinated de-risk in two Bitcoin miners turned AI hosts.

#core #Stock