PETOSKEY — Lily Flynn could have had a totally different approach to her senior season on the volleyball court.
An outside hitter for Petoskey throughout her career, Flynn was asked to change positions, leaving behind the glory of racking up kills for the back row as a libero.
She would also spend most of the season surrounded by players she didn't grow up playing with, as freshmen and sophomores filled the court, including a pair that would step into that outside job.
"I kept asking, 'Yes, no? Are you good with this?' And she was," Petoskey coach Erin Luckhardt said. "That's not a role that she's played before. She's played back row, but playing back row exclusively is different for her and she's stepped into it and done a great job."
Flynn's attitude to change and an up and down 2026 campaign wasn't the kind you might expect.

#flynn #season #change

CLEVELAND — Jose Ramirez rescued the Guardians in the American League Division Series with a tremendous three-game run to lift Cleveland to the ALCS, but with their playoff journey coming to an end all the focus turns to an injury that hamstrung him for the second half of the season.
Ramirez underwent hamate bone surgery in mid-June and returned to the lineup July 22, but he was struggling to be as productive while playing through the left wrist/hand issue. It can often be difficult for hitters to fully return to form in the aftermath of a hamate bone surgery.
His season numbers had already been a bit down from his career averages, but after the procedure he hit just .229 with a .598 OPS over the final 53 games, a stretch that included only two home runs, as his power seemed to be sapped.
It was painfully clear Ramirez was playing while hurt and the procedure was having a negative impact. It was also unlikely he'd do further damage, and the Guardians appreciated anything the star third baseman might be able to give them. A one-handed Ramirez is still a better sight in the everyday lineup than calling someone off the bench, especially as he insisted to play every day.
"I mean, obviously, it took a toll on him," said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who also reiterated his commitment to Cleveland while some rumors about the Seattle Mariners had stated to run rampant. "He was out there giving us everything he had. He wasn't playing at 100 percent, but that never changed his demeanor or the way he went about his business. And I think that just speaks to who he is as a person and a baseball player.

#surgery

Braves predicted to sign $85M ex-Cubs Gold Glove finalist with power bat after career-best season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves won the NL East last season and nearly reached 100 wins, which was a great accomplishment. However, the beginning of the season was plagued by injuries and a suspension.
The Braves signed Jurickson Profar two offseasons ago, but the move has been nothing but detrimental. In fact, he has missed 243 games due to suspensions, including a year-long suspension in 2026.
"Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote.
Heading into the offseason, one of the biggest questions for Atlanta will be how it addresses left field.

#season #sporting

Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan had six receptions for 58 yards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. He was targeted a team-high 11 times in the loss.
SOURCE: USA TODAY
Why It Matters: With Bryce Young under duress on Thursday night, the passing game was primarily quick hitters with the hope that the wideouts could break a tackle or two and make a big play. It rarely worked out that way, however, and as a result McMillan averaged just 9.7 yards per catch. It was his third largely disappointing performance in his last five games and second in a row. We all saw what this passing attack could look like early this season, so McMillan's upside remains substantial, but the Panthers need to figure out a way to keep Young upright so he can take more downfield shots. While it's too soon to downgrade McMillan below WR2 status, his recent production has not been on that level.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tetairoa McMillan leads Carolina in receiving on Thursday night

#mcmillan

Yankees predicted to replace Jazz Chisholm with $12M two-time Silver Slugger winner, 4x All-Star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Yankees have a big offseason ahead after getting swept by their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees wanted to make a deep postseason run, but ultimately fell short.
All eyes are now on free agents and players who could leave the team. One of those players is Jazz Chisholm Jr., but he would like to stay in New York.
"Chisholm, an All-Star for the second time in 2025, endured a down year at the plate and struggled both offensively and defensively in four appearances in the playoffs. Manager Aaron Boone left Chisholm out of the Yankees' starting lineup for two postseason games, including their season-ending loss on Wednesday. The fans at Yankee Stadium booed Chisholm after he fouled out to first base as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nevertheless, Chisholm would rather continue his career with the Yankees than exit in free agency," MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
Early in Chisholm's career, he wasn't always the best player off the field. Yankees legend Derek Jeter even had to get on him when he was an owner of the Miami Marlins.

#chisholm #time #postseason

The Tampa Bay Rays are one win away from reaching the World Series after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday. Behind another outstanding postseason performance from starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen and timely hitting throughout the lineup, Tampa Bay took a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series.
The Rays entered the matchup looking to build on Saturday's 7-3 victory, which evened the series at two games apiece. They delivered another strong performance in Cleveland, putting themselves in position to clinch the American League pennant on their home field.
Rasmussen was the biggest difference-maker Sunday, holding Cleveland to one run on four hits across seven innings. He consistently kept the Guardians' hitters off balance, limiting scoring opportunities and giving Tampa Bay's offense time to build an advantage.
The outing continued Rasmussen's impressive postseason run. His performance helped the Rays control the game from the early innings and put pressure on Cleveland to find answers against Tampa Bay's pitching staff.
Rasmussen's ability to work deep into the game also protected the bullpen, allowing the Rays to turn the final two innings over to their relievers with a lead.

#innings

CLEVELAND (AP) — Yandy Díaz has sparked the Tampa Bay Rays to the verge of their first World Series trip since 2020.
Díaz had three hits, including a double, and scored the first run in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians that gave the Rays 3-2 lead in the AL Championship Series.
Díaz has hits in seven of eight postseason games and is batting .314 with four doubles, a home run and an .847 OPS as the Rays' leadoff hitter.
"I'm probably a little biased, but Yandy is one of my favorite players to watch," Rays closer Bryan Baker said. "When he gets going, we're a different team with the way he works at-bats."
Game 6 is Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Rays are 58-27 during the regular season and playoffs. A potential Game 7 would be Tuesday in the same stadium.

#rays #Guardians

Hollywood superstar Ben Affleck ended up using MLB legends Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan as examples of how athletes shouldn't act on camera.
All the best sports athletes have to face the camera at some point. They do it regularly for press conferences and media appearances, but those don't involve acting. For those at the very top, though, advertisements and endorsement deals mean they do have to act a little.
Some, like NBA superstar LeBron James or the NFL's Patrick Mahomes can do it well. Others have struggled with it at times. Often, they work with the biggest Hollywood superstars on such projects. Ben Affleck is among those, and he recently used two MLB stars as examples of what not to do.
Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan are two of the greatest pitchers ever. Clemens built a 24-year career with 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a record seven Cy Young Awards. Ryan pitched for 27 seasons, winning 324 games and setting MLB records with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters.
They were undoubtedly great at what they did. However, they weren't so good on camera, and that's exactly what Affleck pointed out.

#affleck #clemens #examples #athletes

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

This one had everything. Troy Melton struggled and got knocked out early, but the bullpen managed to bend without breaking. Meanwhile, the young Tigers hitters were centre stage as they fought back repeatedly with good at-bats late in this one. Kenley Jansen picked up his 496th major league save to wrap up the victory.
Monday night's first of three at the Rogers Centre featured Melton against right-hander José Soriano. The Blue Jays have had almost as strange a season as the Tigers. Struggling through the first half, they moved long time top starter Kevin Gausman, but acquired Soriano at the deadline as well, and have kept themselves in the thick of the wild card race.
Things didn't start off too well as the Tigers quickly went 1-2-3 in the first, and Melton immediately dug himself a hole. Brett Bateman led off by slashing a single the opposite way past a diving Hao-Yu Lee for a leadoff single. Bateman appeared to be thrown out stealing second on a pitch that was called a ball and incorrectly challenged by Dillon Dingler to walk George Springer. So everyone was safe, and after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to advance the runners, Alejandro Kirk singled home Bateman for a 1-0 lead.
Melton didn't help his cause against Nathan Lukes by yanking a wild pitch to score Springer, but he retired Lukes and Kazuma Okamoto flew out to Clark to end the first inning. 2-0 Blue Jays.
A Dingler strikeout started the second inning, and Max Clark and Brett Callahan grounded out.

#melton #soriano #brett

Hits were at a premium with both sides combining for seven, and the Dodgers made the most of theirs, out-homering the Reds two-to-one and relying on Tarik Skubal's best performance as a Dodger to secure a 4-1 win. While Reds starter Nick Lodolo was responsible for all four runs in his seven innings, it doesn't necessarily reflect just how effectively he held down this potent Dodgers lineup for large periods of the game—especially dealing with such an ungrateful task.
It didn't take more than a couple of hitters to find out, or at least get a glimpse of the type of performance Skubal was about to bring to the mound. Facing Cincinnati's most dangerous hitter, Elly De La Cruz, Skubal was down 3-0 in the count following two bad misses, remembering that De La Cruz took him deep last week. The Dodgers' starter not only got back in the count and punched out De La Cruz, but almost as impressively, he did so in a manner of simply imposing his will that few starting pitchers can even hope to accomplish. Skubal threw three straight heaters, none of them particularly dotted, two up and one down, almost as if indicating that today he'd do as he pleased and the Reds were mere spectators to it.
That initial at-bat against De La Cruz was also indicative of the approach that Skubal would carry into this game. Whether due to a lack of feel for a particular off-speed pitch or, more likely, from an adjustment after seeing the Reds' swings against the four-seamer, Skubal went to that pitch far more often than he normally does—throwing it 44 percent of the time across seven scoreless innings, needing just 90 pitches to do so.
The first and only time the Reds managed to put multiple players on base against Skubal came in the fifth inning, when Juan Brito singled, and J.J. Bleday walked, later moving to second and third on a wild pitch. In a nine-pitch at-bat, Hector Rodríguez would go down on a four-seam fastball, this one up and well outside the zone. In fact, each of Skubal's first seven punchouts came on heaters.
Offensively, the Dodgers made the most of their rare hits count, securing just three in seven innings against a dialed-in Nick Lodolo. Unfortunately for the Reds starter, both of the hits he allowed were home runs, first a solo shot to Kyle Tucker in the second and, a couple of innings later, a two-run bomb to Teoscar Hernández.

#hits

Mets news: Ex-GM drops 'disappointed' admission on NY not re-signing Pete Alonso appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Mets have the difficult task of facing the man who set their all-time home run record a little more than a year ago. He also happens to be responsible for one of the most famous dingers in recent playoff history. That is not the type of player fans want to see in a different uniform. Beloved first baseman Pete Alonso will return to Citi Field for the first time since inking a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles last December, and with that big reunion comes endless evaluation and nitpicking.
Former Mets executive Sandy Alderson was running the front office when the organization selected the Polar Bear in the 2016 MLB Draft, so it is no surprise to hear how he feels about New York failing to re-sign Alonso.
"I was disappointed," Alderson told Brian Kenny on MLB Now, one day after being inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. "Pete Alonso was drafted by Tommy Tanous, the scouting director at that time, in the second round. Basically a home-run hitter who got on base. And that's what he's been since he came to the big leagues. Let's say his defense is not…. superb. Poor defense doesn't outweigh the kind of homegrown, home-run, impact talent that Pete Alonso can provide.
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#alonso #pete #first

It was a nail biter, but the San Diego Padres came away from it with a seven-game win streak and back-to-back sweeps for the third time this season. It was a great game to cap off the sweep. Ethan Salas finally notched his first big-league hit with a triple in Oracle Park, Fernando Tatis Jr. went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Manny Machado launched his 27th home run of the season.
The Friars will now turn to the Colorado Rockies to round out their penultimate road trip of the 2026 season. It's a four-game set in the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field. With the way the Padres have been swinging their bats lately (37 runs in their last six games; 6.2 runs per game), they should have no problem keeping the good vibes rolling.
Sugano has been surprisingly good in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. That said, he's still pitched to a 5.30 ERA. But that number goes down to 4.96 at home compared to 5.64 away. It's an interesting split to have when Colorado is known for being a hitter's dream.
The righty has been particularly awful recently. In his last seven starts, Sugano has pitched to a 7.71 ERA across 35 innings pitched. In his last three starts, he's surrendered a whopping 14 runs (16.0 IP). If San Diego's recently potent lineup can take advantage of that, they would be well on their way to their eighth straight win.
Since joining the Padres, it's no secret that Mize has struggled. He's posted a dismal 6.34 ERA in his first seven games. Much of that is believed to be due to a groin injury that Mize has been pitching through. It was reported earlier this week that that injury was the reason many scouts decided against Mize, lowering his trade stock.

#game #runs #last #Colorado

Alaina Ruiz, LEE: senior, outside hitter - Ruiz had 48 kills. 36 digs and two aces in the Volunteers' five-set victories against Johnson and Roosevelt. LEE is now 2-0 in District 28-6A and tied with Reagan.
Reagan's Kennedy Crider had 36 kills with a .463 hitting percentage in sweeps against Brandeis and Churchill.
Clemens' McKenna Gobin had 20 kills (.541 hitting percentage) and seven digs in a sweep against Judson.
Incarnate Word's Lorena Gomez had 82 ***** ists in victories against Stockdale and New Braunfels Christian to push her past 3,000 for her career.
David Hinojosa

#ruiz #hitting #volunteers #roosevelt

I've used the word "penultimate" seemingly endless times in the last month or so, so here's one more. The WooSox capped off their finale in Lehigh Valley (Phillies AAA), finishing the PENULTIMATE series of 2026 in dramatic fashion despite outplaying the IronPigs for most of the game. Gage Ziehl had a gritty if not spectacular performance, pitching into the sixth and coming back from being taken yard in the fourth without his confidence shaken. All told, the 23-year-old righty struck out eight to bring his total to 126 in 116 innings pitched (96/85, respectively, of those being in Portland) and is really shaping up into someone to watch in 2027. The pitching staff as a whole issued zero walks despite being taken for nine hits, but the game never looked out of control save for when Noah Song came in to let two runs up in the sixth.
Luckily, though, the WooSox offense had a home run derby, sending five over the fence, including two from Allan Castro. That second one hoisted the WooSox from a deficit to a lead that Sam McWilliams wouldn't give up. Arias also hit his 24th home run of the season (and his 5th in Triple-A.)
Rain cancelled the last game of the season against Binghamton (Mets AA) in an anticlimactic fashion. But what a season it was for the Sea Dogs.
The season began with interested eyes watching Franklin Arias become an absolute hitting machine in the spring, along with Anthony Eyannson dealing, only for the former to be promoted to Triple-A and the latter dealt to Baltimore (or rather, Chesapeake) in the Adley Rutschman deal. Still, Brooks Brannon raked, the team had 8 walk-off wins and generally found ways to come up on top. The pitching staff headed by Hayden Mullins, in his own right a guy to watch, pitched a combined no hitter in April (but not a shutout). And Justin Gonzales looks formidable as an everyday outfielder a few years in the future. Overall, the cupboard is not as fully stocked as some teams, but there's some players to feel good about starting to make their mark in the mid-levels of the farm.

#pitching

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A second straight game without Yordan Alvarez reinforced a reality. The Houston Astros need more consistent sources of offense, with time running short for them to emerge.
A lineup missing its leading threat mustered five hits in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, undermining a determined start by right-hander Peter Lambert and ensuring a series loss to the American League's first playoff entrant at Tropicana Field.
The Astros, who entered with the fifth-fewest runs in the majors since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, scored three or fewer for the 21st time in 35 games in that stretch. The offensive downturn might be presenting a direr threat to their playoff hopes if not for an inept division. The loss left Houston with a 2 ½-game AL West lead over the Rangers, who entered the day four games under .500, pending Texas' result.
The Astros are 75-74 with 13 games remaining on their schedule. Yainer Diaz had three of their five hits Saturday, including a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Isaac Paredes' solo home run in the first against Rays starter Ian Seymour, who worked six strong frames, provided their only other run. Houston hitters were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.
The first was Seymour's rockiest inning, as three straight batters reached. Daulton Varsho and Christian Walker struck out to defuse the threat. Richie Palacios' two-run single wrought the first blemish against Lambert in his six-plus innings. Nick Madrigal broke a 2-2 tie for the Rays with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.

#houston #astros #rays #lambert

After an epic 11-inning win Friday night against the Phillies, the Braves were hoping to finish them off in the division race. They got a bit of a boost from the Phillies scratching Jesus Luzardo with long-running shoulder soreness.
Tyler Mahle cruised through the first two hitters before Bryce Harper hit a monster homer and took a comical amount of time rounding the bases, clearly hitting back at the controversy from Zach Wheeler's comments about Ronald Acuna's home run celebrations last week. The Phillies had to be feeling good with a 1-0 lead for a couple innings there, until the Braves essentially ended the game with 8 runs in the fourth inning. Ronald Acuna kicked things off with a towering homer (and a normal home run trot).
La Bestia mode activated 🔥#LocalFordDealer | ronaldacunajr24 pic.twitter.com/blKPAhoG0w
The Braves then got a walk, single, single, single, error, wild pitch, walk, double, and single to score another 7 runs. Drake Baldwin provided the double before things got all the way back around to Acuna for the last single, bringing home the last run of the inning.
Mahle continued to cruise after that Harper homer, finishing 7.0 innings of 1-run ball with no walks, even though he only had 7 whiffs and 3 strikeouts. The Braves added another run on in the sixth with a Ronald ABS strikeout-turned-walk, an error on an Olson ground ball, and an Ozzie sac fly. The Phillies got one back with a solo homer from Crawford in the eighth against Brent Suter. The Braves got another 3 runs against the position-player pitcher for Philly in the eighth, as Kiersey singled, Albies doubled, and Harris hit a homer off the right field foul pole. Suter finished off the Phillies in the ninth, as the Braves only needed to throw Mahle and Suter on the night. The Phillies' bullpen is in rough shape on the other side, after the 11-inning game Friday and the blowout bullpen game they suffered today.

#Phillies #home

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 Los Angeles Dodgers lost 4-3 to the Miami Marlins as their offense returned to its previous lows.
Both of the Dodgers' runs came in the first inning from two different homers by Mookie Betts and Max Muncy.
They were back-to-back long **** that looked to start the game off with a bang, but after that, the Dodgers struggled to get consistent contact and hits.
Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) runs toward second base during a steal attempt in the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Dodgers got only three hits and five walks, and without the home runs, it was just two hits.

#Dodgers #Miami #mookie

Dodgers news: What impressed Dave Roberts most about Josue De Paula's MLB debut appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
While the Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Shohei Ohtani for at least the next few games, Dave Roberts and company have found a way to replace his spot in the lineup in a must-watch way, calling up star prospect Josue De Paula from Double-A to DH in his place.
Discussing what he saw from De Paula's debut against the Miami Marlins, Roberts noted that he was really impressed with the 21-year-old's pitch selection, as he looked like a professional hitter despite his inexperience.
"I was very impressed. I'm not sure or certain 100%, but I don't think he swung at a ball out of the hitting zone, and so that's really impressive," Roberts said. "So to offer at ***** in the strike zone, not chase at all, earn a walk, get behind and line the ball to left field, get count leverage, hit a ball hard to the first baseman, I thought it was a fantastic night for him."
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#impressed

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Yordan Alvarez was out of the Houston Astros' lineup for a second straight game due to a sore right ankle Saturday.
Alvarez turned his ankle running the bases Thursday in Philadelphia and was not used off the bench in a close game Friday against Tampa Bay. Manager Joe Espada said that he was hopeful Alvarez could return to the lineup for Sunday's finale against the Rays.
"He came out and moved around, hit in the cages, but still sore," Espada said before Saturday's game. "More when he swings the bat and he's got to turn that right ankle once he's going to spin. So it's still not there."
This marks the first time Alvarez has been out of Houston's lineup in back-to-back games this season. He started 145 of the team's first 147 games prior to Friday, with 123 starts at DH and 22 in left field.
Alvarez entered Saturday leading the majors with a 1.017 OPS. A Triple Crown candidate, he led qualified American League hitters with a .310 average and ranked second in home runs (38), after Junior Caminero (40) of the Rays, and second in RBIs (96), behind Pete Alonso (97) of the Orioles.

#alvarez #Friday #sore

Regular readers know that I've followed one of the great Cy Young horse races in recent memory, with Cam Schlittler going great start-for-great start with the Blue Jays' Dylan Cease. We got a little bit of separation this week, as the Athletics touched up Cease for four runs in five innings on Monday, and then Schlittler allowed just a solo shot in seven frames against the Rockies on Tuesday. Cam has crept just ahead by fWAR, enjoys a considerable lead in bWAR, and right now I think would end up at the top of most voters' ballots.
But something struck me in the aftermath of Cam's night against Colorado, the same night that Aaron Judge returned to the lineup. Cam Schlittler isn't just the Cy Young favorite, but he's built himself an MVP case. No pitcher has won the award since Clayton Kershaw for the 2014 Dodgers, and the last AL winner was 2011 Justin Verlander. Yordan Alvarez is in the hunt for the first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Witt Jr. is probably the best overall player in the league, and if Junior Caminero tops the AL in home runs and plays on the Junior Circuit's best team, he probably gets his share of votes too.
And yet here's the thing: Cam stacks up fairly against all three of them!
Let's take Yordan, who I think has the inside track on the award right now. Schlittler's 0.1 fWAR back, a difference that is literally negligible, and more than three-quarters of a win better by bWAR. Alvarez's candidacy is based around the Triple Crown, probably being the best hitter in baseball, and dragging what we thought was a finally-deflated Houston Astros team to a division ****** le. ****** py AL West or not, that is exactly the blueprint for an MVP, if one for a slightly older voter.
Should Alvarez not win the Triple Crown, he loses a bit of his case, though he's likely still the best hitter in the game on a division winner, one who will have played in the neighborhood of 155 games. That's the big thing both undercutting Witt's MVP claim while bolstering his position as best all-around player — the Kansas City shortstop has only played 128 games at time of writing, yet leads the league in fWAR and bWAR among position players. With a solid-but-not-spectacular 18 homers and 124 wRC+, the parts of his game beyond hitting are doing the heavy lifting there as well. All that and the fact that the Royals are so bad work against him when it comes to end of season awards though, and Bobby seems cursed to be the Dave Stieb of shortstops.

#schlittler #young #cease

The New England Patriots may need to address their edge rusher unit after another injury landed on Harold Landry's doorstep to begin the 2026 NFL season.
The Patriots have a productive unit when healthy, led by Landry and Dre'Mont Jones, with rookie Gabe Jacas expected to produce meaningfully for the team. However, more may be needed.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox labeled Maxx Crosby and Kayvon Thibodeaux as being two star edge rushers that the Patriots ought to trade for in 2026, in the event that they pursue a player to fill their needs in the trade market.
"If another team comes calling about Crosby, the Raiders will undoubtedly listen," Knox said. "They're in the early stages of a rebuild and may not be ready to contend while Crosby is still in his playing prime. The asking price will be high, but teams that believe they can chase a Super Bowl are bound to target him before November 10."
Crosby is a superstar edge rusher who has the talent to take New England over the top in the Super Bowl race. Giving up draft picks and a player or two will do the Patriots much good to stack their roster with Drake Maye, A.J. Brown, Christian Gonzalez, Romeo Doubs and Crosby as the heaviest-hitters on their team.

#super

By the end of the third inning, Friday's game against the Padres didn't seem to promise much of a contest. The tally: 7-1 in favor of the visiting San Diegans after a barrage of extra basehits and two-out knocks. A
nthony Molina, who looked somewhat sharp in the 1st with two strikeouts with his four-seam, ran out of ideas in the 2nd and 3rd. He pressed hard on that fastball and the Padres bats welcomed it. Jackson Merrill bounced an outside fastball over the wall for a ground-rule double to start the 2nd. Molina retired the next two hitters he faced but couldn't find a way out of the frame cleanly. Dustin Harris deflected another elevated fastball to score Merrill. Freddy Fermin punched another 340 feet, easily scoring Harris from first.
Molina tried to adapt, shifting off his primary weapon his second time through the San Diego order, but nothing worked. Jake Cronenworth set the tone in the 3rd with a feisty 8-pitch scuffle that ended with a 107 MPH single off a change-up. Luis Campusano plated him by punishing a hanging slider. That double would be the first of four RBI extra base knocks in the inning. Seven Padres reached, five scored in all. Molina became less as a road-block and more as a facilitator, the operator of a fast food drive-thru, the In-N-Out at Tejon Ranch, taking each hitter's order, efficiently moving the high-volume of customers from window to window before sending them on their way with exactly what they asked for.
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As Molina's fortunes plummeted, San Diego starter, Robbie Ray, making his first start against the Giants since his trade, steadied himself after a prolonged 1st inning.

#molina #fastball #merrill #knocks

Update morning 9/12: Ben Shelton outlasted fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the all-American semifinal to set up a dramatic men's final vs. top-seeded German Alexander Zverev on Sunday afternoon. Zverev has had quite an easy draw to the final, and he'll be the favorite to win his second major this year. Shelton's big serve will test him, and it will be on Shelton to hit competitive backhands to match strokes with Zverev, who also won the French Open. Meanwhile, the women's final between No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina should be a banger, and that kicks off in just a few hours.
Update late night 9/10: It will be No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina for the women's ****** le at the 2026 US Open on Saturday afternoon. The men take the spotlight on Friday with an all-American semifinal between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, plus No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev vs. unseeded Karen Khachanov.
The 2026 US Open is down to the Final Four, and both the men's and women's draws have produced some fantastic matchups. It's been 23 years since an American man won a tennis Grand Slam, but there are two U.S. natives facing off against each other in the semifinals — on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, no less. The women's draw went straight chalk with the top four seeds advancing to the semis, promising to bring fans the highest level of tennis possible.
The women's semifinals both take place on Thursday, September 10. Top-seeded masher Aryna Sabalenka takes on American No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula to open play at 7 p.m. ET at Arthur Ashe. Sabalenka looked to be on the brink of a meltdown in the quarterfinals against Wimbledon champ Linda Nosková, but she dug deep to win the match and stay alive. Sabalenka is the biggest hitter on tour, but she's been in a slump in 2026 without a major championship. She has already lost her world No. 1 ranking after the tournament, but she won't care if she can win her fifth major and third straight US Open ****** le. The 32-year-old Pegula is enjoying a late career peak, and she's still chasing her first Grand Slam. Pegula's steady nature could be an advantage against the more emotional Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina faces American Coco Gauff in the night cap. Rybakina is the No. 2 seed in this tournament, but she will surpass Sabalenka for the world No. 1 ranking when it's over regardless of what happens. At 27, Rybakina is the second-oldest woman to ever ascend to world No. 1 in the rankings for the first time. Gauff will be the fan favorite. She was not at her top level in her quarterfinal victory over Mirra Andreeva, but she still got the job done to advance. Gauff beat Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final and the 2025 French Open final. She's seeking her third major at age-22.

#final

Wow. It took an extra inning for it to be decided but the A's came out on top thanks to some late-game heroics from an unexpected hero. The Athletics took the first game of the series against the Mariners, walking them off en route to a 6-5 victory. Seattle's playoff hopes are on life support.
Springs solid again
The A's had veteran southpaw Jeffrey Springs on the ***** p tonight. It's no secret he's in the final month donning the Green & Gold but there's no reason his tenure has to end on a low note.
Springs had literally just seen these guys, pitching against them within the past week. That start was in Seattle though and he's been much better on the road. How would he do against them in the hitters ballpark that is the Athletics' current home?
Seattle struck first tonight, going small-ball to bring in a run in the first against Springs to give the M's a quick lead. They'd go small-ball again in the second for their second run, pushing across that baserunner off a groundout. That was all the damage Seattle could muster tonight against the lefty though as he would toss three more innings without allowing another run.

#athletics #small #ball

Justin Martinez was immaculate on Friday.
To be more specific, the Arizona Diamondbacks reliever threw an immaculate inning against the Texas Rangers, striking out three hitters on three pitches each in the sixth frame. Six of those pitchers were faster than 100 mph.
The victims: Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and Jake Burger.
Justin Martinez pitches an IMMACULATE INNING! pic.twitter.com/UzNjg4Tu4y
With only 123 immaculate innings in MLB history, it remains a feat more rare than a no-hitter, though there have been far more in recent years as pitchers dial up their velocity and throw fewer complete games.

#pitches

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Garrett Mitchell hit the Brewers' first grand slam of the season, one of four homers for Milwaukee in a 20-0 rout of the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night that clinched a playoff spot for the majors' best team.
William Contreras, Bryce Turang and Jake Bauers also went deep for the Brewers (92-56), who have a commanding lead in the NL Central but for now are **** ured of at least a wild-card spot. They lead second-place Chicago by 10 games in the division, and their magic number to clinch that **** le is four.
Dustin May (7-9) and Garrett Stallings combined on a two-hitter while Milwaukee pounded out a season-high 23 hits. May worked six innings, giving up two singles to standout Reds rookie Sal Stewart in his seventh start for the Brewers. He was acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline.
Stallings got the last nine outs for his first save.
Andrew Abbott (6-11) allowed eight runs on nine hits in two innings, his shortest start of the season.

#season #first #spot

MIAMI — Josue De Paula's major league debut was never going to be judged by the box score alone.
The 21-year-old Dodgers prospect went 0-for-3 with a walk Friday night at LoanDepot Park, hardly the kind of debut that jumps off the page. But for a player who has spent years building toward this moment, the more meaningful signs came in the at-bats themselves.
Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) and left fielder Alex Call (12) hug before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) and left fielder Alex Call (12) hug before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.

#park #angeles #call

Nebraska volleyball schedule 2026: Dates, times, TV channels, live streams for Huskers home and away matches originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fall sports season is back, which means it's time for women's college volleyball. As always, one of the nation's top programs is ready to dominate — get ready for Nebraska to hit the court.
Even with a lethal core squad, the Huskers fell short of a ***** le last year, losing to eventual champions Texas A&M in the Elite Eight. Prior to the regional final, Nebraska had sat strongly at the top of the national polls as it won 33 consecutive matches.
But a curtain call is looming for this era of Nebraska volleyball, as many of the program's star players are heading into their senior year. Outside hitter Harper Murray, middle blocker Andi Jackson, setter Bergen Reilly and libero Laney Choboy will all have an extra sense of determination as they look to secure a national ***** le before graduating.
Nebraska ranked No. 1 in the preseason AVCA coaches poll. Can Dani Busboom-Kelly lead the Huskers to a ***** le in her second year at the helm?

#volleyball #sporting #national