11 hours ago
Dominant from the get-go, the Dodgers cruised through an 11-5 win over the Rockies. And fair or not, too many times this season, particularly as of late, it has felt as though this team didn't live up to the expectations of dominating a starting pitcher in a matchup they should handle. While the end product has been there, the underlying numbers suggest a complete mismatch for Tomoyuki Sugano against the Dodgers' offense, and that's precisely what transpired on the field.
The three straight groundouts to open the first were just the Dodgers' bats warming up before putting up seven runs past Sugano with long ***** from Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani—the former obliterating a 461-foot home run into the second deck in right field, the latter taking Sugano deep in the big leagues for the fourth time in still a rather small sample size. Mookie Betts and Andy Pages each drove in one in the first three innings before Muncy turned the Dodgers' lead into a commanding one with a three-run shot in the third.
By the time Sugano left the mound, the Dodgers held a 7-1 lead and still had four innings to work with. Aiming to increase his tally of just one multi-homer game this season, which, interestingly enough, came in a Dodgers loss, Ohtani brought the power once again in the sixth. The Dodgers designated hitter got a middle-middle sweeper of his dreams and crushed it for a 452-foot home run, certainly not settling for any cheapies, as he would end the game with a team-high four hits.
It wouldn't have felt right for the Dodgers to do all of this slugging as a team and not have Freddie Freeman in on the action. The veteran first baseman, who came into this game with a .240 SLG in August, without an extra-base hit since the end of July, finally broke through with a classic double down the opposite field line in the sixth—one of a couple of two-baggers he'd hit in this lopsided win.
Traditionally in Coors, it's hard to feel safe, but the same level of dominance displayed offensively could also be seen on the mound. Battling himself more than the Rockies hitters, it seemed, Blake Snell only got into trouble for a brief moment when the Rockies stopped going outside the zone in the third.
#sugano #team #three
The three straight groundouts to open the first were just the Dodgers' bats warming up before putting up seven runs past Sugano with long ***** from Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani—the former obliterating a 461-foot home run into the second deck in right field, the latter taking Sugano deep in the big leagues for the fourth time in still a rather small sample size. Mookie Betts and Andy Pages each drove in one in the first three innings before Muncy turned the Dodgers' lead into a commanding one with a three-run shot in the third.
By the time Sugano left the mound, the Dodgers held a 7-1 lead and still had four innings to work with. Aiming to increase his tally of just one multi-homer game this season, which, interestingly enough, came in a Dodgers loss, Ohtani brought the power once again in the sixth. The Dodgers designated hitter got a middle-middle sweeper of his dreams and crushed it for a 452-foot home run, certainly not settling for any cheapies, as he would end the game with a team-high four hits.
It wouldn't have felt right for the Dodgers to do all of this slugging as a team and not have Freddie Freeman in on the action. The veteran first baseman, who came into this game with a .240 SLG in August, without an extra-base hit since the end of July, finally broke through with a classic double down the opposite field line in the sixth—one of a couple of two-baggers he'd hit in this lopsided win.
Traditionally in Coors, it's hard to feel safe, but the same level of dominance displayed offensively could also be seen on the mound. Battling himself more than the Rockies hitters, it seemed, Blake Snell only got into trouble for a brief moment when the Rockies stopped going outside the zone in the third.
#sugano #team #three
15 hours ago
The days of recruiting an elite group of players and developing them over the course of a few seasons are mostly gone in college football. There are still a few teams that operate that way, but building through the transfer portal is more of a viable option than it's ever been before.
Penn State will be one of those teams this season, with more than 20 transfers on the roster from Iowa State alone. At least one player in that group is bound to have a massive impact, and USA TODAY's Austin Curtright believes it will be quarterback Rocco Becht.
Curtright listed 10 of the most impactful transfers in the Big Ten, and while he didn't rank them numerically, Becht was placed among some heavy hitters. He became one of the most decorated passers in Cyclones history — finishing top-three in passing yards and touchdowns — and hopes that success will translate to a more talented conference.
Becht will have a familiar supporting cast with the Nittany Lions, which should help ease the transition. Wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, tight end Benjamin Brahmer, and running back Carson Hansen came over from Iowa State as well as coach Matt Campbell, so there should be a level of cohesion offensively.
Penn State has a lot of belief in Becht, and it sounds like Curtright does too. Becht has a chance to do big things with this team if he plays to the standard he set while with the Cyclones.
#penn #teams
Penn State will be one of those teams this season, with more than 20 transfers on the roster from Iowa State alone. At least one player in that group is bound to have a massive impact, and USA TODAY's Austin Curtright believes it will be quarterback Rocco Becht.
Curtright listed 10 of the most impactful transfers in the Big Ten, and while he didn't rank them numerically, Becht was placed among some heavy hitters. He became one of the most decorated passers in Cyclones history — finishing top-three in passing yards and touchdowns — and hopes that success will translate to a more talented conference.
Becht will have a familiar supporting cast with the Nittany Lions, which should help ease the transition. Wide receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, tight end Benjamin Brahmer, and running back Carson Hansen came over from Iowa State as well as coach Matt Campbell, so there should be a level of cohesion offensively.
Penn State has a lot of belief in Becht, and it sounds like Curtright does too. Becht has a chance to do big things with this team if he plays to the standard he set while with the Cyclones.
#penn #teams
18 hours ago
What can you really say about the Braves' lineup at this point… or ever? Mauricio Dubon is back in left field tonight, and hitting fifth.
Dubon had a really fun time in June while the rest of the team was imploding offensively, with a .378 wOBA and .368 xwOBA. Unfortunately, he's more or less fallen apart as the team clambered out of its doldrums, with wOBAs and xwOBAs in the .280 range irrespective of how you slice and dice the six-ish weeks since June ended. But, here he is, hitting fifth. It doesn't really matter, but Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley have been on a tear in August, so this is a case where the Braves' lineup construction is relatively staid, even though we've seen it get relatively reactionary earlier in the season with regards to other things.
The Twins lineup gives Martin Perez a steady diet of righties to contend with:
It's kind of an interesting array. Luke Keaschall will hit leadoff for the first time all season; this will be his second career game in that spot. Kaelen Culpepper has hit seventh a few times and ninth a few times, but never eighth (until this game).
This Twins lineup has pretty solid numbers up and down on paper. Hopefully the Perez pachinko comes up favorable for the Braves… or they just crush Bailey Ober.
#lineup #dubon #time
Dubon had a really fun time in June while the rest of the team was imploding offensively, with a .378 wOBA and .368 xwOBA. Unfortunately, he's more or less fallen apart as the team clambered out of its doldrums, with wOBAs and xwOBAs in the .280 range irrespective of how you slice and dice the six-ish weeks since June ended. But, here he is, hitting fifth. It doesn't really matter, but Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley have been on a tear in August, so this is a case where the Braves' lineup construction is relatively staid, even though we've seen it get relatively reactionary earlier in the season with regards to other things.
The Twins lineup gives Martin Perez a steady diet of righties to contend with:
It's kind of an interesting array. Luke Keaschall will hit leadoff for the first time all season; this will be his second career game in that spot. Kaelen Culpepper has hit seventh a few times and ninth a few times, but never eighth (until this game).
This Twins lineup has pretty solid numbers up and down on paper. Hopefully the Perez pachinko comes up favorable for the Braves… or they just crush Bailey Ober.
#lineup #dubon #time
1 day ago
The Los Angeles Dodgers remain one of the favorites to win the World Series, but that doesn't mean it will come easy.
Manager Dave Roberts called out his team both offensively and defensively on Sunday, Aug. 16 after the Dodgers lost three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
"I say this because it's just been four or five, six weeks of below-average production in our offense," Roberts said. "It's just the truth, and I think we just haven't played clean baseball for quite some time, and that speaks to the defense."
When asked which was more concerning, Roberts pointed at both.
"I think both," Roberts said. "Giving extra outs, which causes pitches and the guys are working with the defense and their at-bats, but I still think there's certain intent offensively, but they both need to get better."
#offensively #angeles #World #series
Manager Dave Roberts called out his team both offensively and defensively on Sunday, Aug. 16 after the Dodgers lost three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
"I say this because it's just been four or five, six weeks of below-average production in our offense," Roberts said. "It's just the truth, and I think we just haven't played clean baseball for quite some time, and that speaks to the defense."
When asked which was more concerning, Roberts pointed at both.
"I think both," Roberts said. "Giving extra outs, which causes pitches and the guys are working with the defense and their at-bats, but I still think there's certain intent offensively, but they both need to get better."
#offensively #angeles #World #series
1 day ago
There are still some people who doubt Luka Doncic and his ability to carry a team to the NBA championship, perhaps mostly because he hasn't done so yet. But his basketball abilities are immense and unmatched by very few players in the league today.
His ability to consistently hit contested 3-pointers off the dribble makes him extremely dangerous offensively. While he doesn't shoot a very high percentage overall from 3-point range, NBA 2K27, which will be released to the public on Sept. 4, did show him some love in that category.
The Slovenian superstar was given a 92 rating in 3-point shooting by the video game, and while some disagree with that rating, it is indicative of how potent a shooter he is.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 ***** ists and 1.6 steals a game last season while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from 3-point range. He led the NBA in scoring average for the second time in three years, and he got a bit of MVP consideration.
NBA 2K27 also rated him very high in a somewhat surprising category: ball-handling. He got a 95 rating in that department, which put him sixth overall.
#point #high #overall
His ability to consistently hit contested 3-pointers off the dribble makes him extremely dangerous offensively. While he doesn't shoot a very high percentage overall from 3-point range, NBA 2K27, which will be released to the public on Sept. 4, did show him some love in that category.
The Slovenian superstar was given a 92 rating in 3-point shooting by the video game, and while some disagree with that rating, it is indicative of how potent a shooter he is.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 ***** ists and 1.6 steals a game last season while shooting 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from 3-point range. He led the NBA in scoring average for the second time in three years, and he got a bit of MVP consideration.
NBA 2K27 also rated him very high in a somewhat surprising category: ball-handling. He got a 95 rating in that department, which put him sixth overall.
#point #high #overall
2 days ago
The Dodgers struggled to get anything going offensively on Sunday, as they only mustered one run while falling to the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2.
After a 15-pitch first inning where he abandoned two baserunners, Tarik Skubal was the victim of the Brewers' tenacity with two outs. Jonathan Ornelas lined a single to left before Skubal walked William Contreras to load the bases. Luis Lara hit a soft ground ball to shortstop, but Tommy Edman misplayed the feed from Mookie Betts as Milwaukee struck first again. It took Skubal 33 pitches and seven hitters faced to get out of the inning.
All the Dodgers could do offensively against Logan Henderson over their first two innings were leadoff base hits from Shohei Ohtani and Betts. Both men couldn't advance further on the base paths as Henderson needed just 28 pitches over his first two innings of work.
The Dodgers had gone hitless over their next eight trips to the plate after the Betts single, but Max Muncy gave the Dodgers their first run on the season against Henderson with a two-out, game tying solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Skubal was one out away from setting down eight hitters in a row since the third inning, but Jackson Chourio ignited another two-out rally with a double to right center field. Jake Bauers' third hit against Skubal plated Chourio to give Milwaukee the lead again before Andrew Vaughn made it three straight two-out hits. After combining for just 19 pitches between the third and fourth innings, Skubal needed 28 pitches to complete the fifth.
#skubal #henderson
After a 15-pitch first inning where he abandoned two baserunners, Tarik Skubal was the victim of the Brewers' tenacity with two outs. Jonathan Ornelas lined a single to left before Skubal walked William Contreras to load the bases. Luis Lara hit a soft ground ball to shortstop, but Tommy Edman misplayed the feed from Mookie Betts as Milwaukee struck first again. It took Skubal 33 pitches and seven hitters faced to get out of the inning.
All the Dodgers could do offensively against Logan Henderson over their first two innings were leadoff base hits from Shohei Ohtani and Betts. Both men couldn't advance further on the base paths as Henderson needed just 28 pitches over his first two innings of work.
The Dodgers had gone hitless over their next eight trips to the plate after the Betts single, but Max Muncy gave the Dodgers their first run on the season against Henderson with a two-out, game tying solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Skubal was one out away from setting down eight hitters in a row since the third inning, but Jackson Chourio ignited another two-out rally with a double to right center field. Jake Bauers' third hit against Skubal plated Chourio to give Milwaukee the lead again before Andrew Vaughn made it three straight two-out hits. After combining for just 19 pitches between the third and fourth innings, Skubal needed 28 pitches to complete the fifth.
#skubal #henderson
2 days ago
The Miami Dolphins drafted 13 rookies from this past April's NFL Draft. Hitting nearly every area of need, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had a clear vision of adding certain types of players both offensively and defensively. While many judge performance on the almighty stat, one rookie could become an extremely valuable player immediately for Miami and showed why on Friday night against the Washington Commanders.
Third-round pick (No. 87 overall) tight end Will Kacmarek, from Ohio State, was met with certain shock by many within the Dolphins community. However, when looking at the trend of NFL teams selecting blocking tight ends lately, Kacmarek is arguably one of the best in the 2026 class.
That blocking ability was on display Friday, as Kacmarek did his job very effectively against the Commanders. In a great breakdown on social media, Kacmarek showed why he was selected as a top-90 player.
As Sullivan indicated when becoming Miami's general manager, his goal was to add a tough and physical identity to the Dolphins. He told South Florida reporters his job is to give head coach Jeff Hafley, "the kind of guys that want to chase championships, that are selfless, that are mentally and physically tough, who have a burning desire to be the best football players that they can be."
Sullivan hit the nail on the head here, and after he drafted Kacmarek, he told the media, "His teammates are going to follow him, and he brings a physicality and a toughness to his craft that I think is unmatched."
#Miami #drafted #general #certain
Third-round pick (No. 87 overall) tight end Will Kacmarek, from Ohio State, was met with certain shock by many within the Dolphins community. However, when looking at the trend of NFL teams selecting blocking tight ends lately, Kacmarek is arguably one of the best in the 2026 class.
That blocking ability was on display Friday, as Kacmarek did his job very effectively against the Commanders. In a great breakdown on social media, Kacmarek showed why he was selected as a top-90 player.
As Sullivan indicated when becoming Miami's general manager, his goal was to add a tough and physical identity to the Dolphins. He told South Florida reporters his job is to give head coach Jeff Hafley, "the kind of guys that want to chase championships, that are selfless, that are mentally and physically tough, who have a burning desire to be the best football players that they can be."
Sullivan hit the nail on the head here, and after he drafted Kacmarek, he told the media, "His teammates are going to follow him, and he brings a physicality and a toughness to his craft that I think is unmatched."
#Miami #drafted #general #certain
2 days ago
The Yankees salvaged their three-game series Sunday at the Blue Jays when they escaped Toronto with a 4-3 win in which left-handed starting pitcher Ryan Weathers continued his dominant run.
Weathers (6-7, 3.56 ERA) has been outstanding for New York since July 25, making five starts of five innings pitched or more and consistently giving the offensively struggling Yankees a chance to win. Weathers' 7.1 IP matched his season-best start April 19 against the Kansas City Royals when he scattered five hits in a scoreless outing that saw him strike out eight and walk one. He allowed one run on six hits while fanning four and walking one over 95 pitches with 59 strikes. Especially as the Yankees' offensive struggles continue, Sunday was arguably Weathers' best yet during a stretch in which he has earned his stripes.
Luis Garcia Jr.'s 11th games with New York was a quiet 0-for-2 finish, but the second-batting designated hitter's third-inning sacrifice fly to left field got the Yankees on the board in an otherwise painful performance by the offense, which totaled three hits. Garcia, a top acquisition for New York at the MLB trade deadline, is slashing .220/.267/.366 with one home run and three RBI since joining the Yankees Aug. 3.
Infielder José Caballero, who scored on Garcia's one-out fly ball in the third inning, started the frame with a leadoff walk and subsequently stole third base to reach scoring position. Caballero's two-out RBI single in the seventh inning put the Yankees over the top, scoring shortstop George Lombard Jr. Through 103 games, Caballero is slashing .242/.300/.390 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. He is up to 30 stolen bases this season.
First baseman Ben Rice made up for his costly fielding error to lead off the ninth inning and put the eventual game-tying run on base when he put the Yankees back on top with a two-run home run. Rice's 33rd home run of the season was his first hit of a 1-for-5 game. He is slashing .251/.344/.533 with 78 RBI through 119 games this season, a year in which the Yankees need all the offense that they can get without injured sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
#york #home #five
Weathers (6-7, 3.56 ERA) has been outstanding for New York since July 25, making five starts of five innings pitched or more and consistently giving the offensively struggling Yankees a chance to win. Weathers' 7.1 IP matched his season-best start April 19 against the Kansas City Royals when he scattered five hits in a scoreless outing that saw him strike out eight and walk one. He allowed one run on six hits while fanning four and walking one over 95 pitches with 59 strikes. Especially as the Yankees' offensive struggles continue, Sunday was arguably Weathers' best yet during a stretch in which he has earned his stripes.
Luis Garcia Jr.'s 11th games with New York was a quiet 0-for-2 finish, but the second-batting designated hitter's third-inning sacrifice fly to left field got the Yankees on the board in an otherwise painful performance by the offense, which totaled three hits. Garcia, a top acquisition for New York at the MLB trade deadline, is slashing .220/.267/.366 with one home run and three RBI since joining the Yankees Aug. 3.
Infielder José Caballero, who scored on Garcia's one-out fly ball in the third inning, started the frame with a leadoff walk and subsequently stole third base to reach scoring position. Caballero's two-out RBI single in the seventh inning put the Yankees over the top, scoring shortstop George Lombard Jr. Through 103 games, Caballero is slashing .242/.300/.390 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. He is up to 30 stolen bases this season.
First baseman Ben Rice made up for his costly fielding error to lead off the ninth inning and put the eventual game-tying run on base when he put the Yankees back on top with a two-run home run. Rice's 33rd home run of the season was his first hit of a 1-for-5 game. He is slashing .251/.344/.533 with 78 RBI through 119 games this season, a year in which the Yankees need all the offense that they can get without injured sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
#york #home #five
2 days ago
It was but a mere glimpse, but what an encouraging view of Klint Kubiak's Las Vegas Raiders offense in the preseason opener, no?
A mix of both efficiency and staples of the Kubiak scheme, the Silver & Black's head coach and offensive play caller provided a window into what he's cooking up this season in Las Vegas' 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Thursday.
The opening drive showcases the ever-efficient Kirk Cousins in the driver seat as the veteran quarterback and looking sharp pacing a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. Behind an offensive line that kept him clean and comfortable, Cousins went 5-of-6 for 50 yards with his touchdown pass going to tight end Michael Mayer. It was a script featuring the heavy personnel packages — multiple tight ends — a (gasp!) fullback in Connor Heyward, pre-snap motions, and balanced air and ground attacks.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, of course. And Kubiak — a rookie head coach — admitted as much in the post-game press conference.
"I think the thing that stands out to me, ***** ytically or not, is our penalties. We really hurt ourselves," the Raiders head coach said. "We put ourselves in some negative situations, and that's not winning football. Offensively, the fact that we didn't turn the ball over is always good. That's something that didn't stand out last night, but offensively, you can't go into a half a football and not score points. So, we didn't help the defense there. We weren't playing team football in that second half."
#didn 't
A mix of both efficiency and staples of the Kubiak scheme, the Silver & Black's head coach and offensive play caller provided a window into what he's cooking up this season in Las Vegas' 27-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Thursday.
The opening drive showcases the ever-efficient Kirk Cousins in the driver seat as the veteran quarterback and looking sharp pacing a 10-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. Behind an offensive line that kept him clean and comfortable, Cousins went 5-of-6 for 50 yards with his touchdown pass going to tight end Michael Mayer. It was a script featuring the heavy personnel packages — multiple tight ends — a (gasp!) fullback in Connor Heyward, pre-snap motions, and balanced air and ground attacks.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, of course. And Kubiak — a rookie head coach — admitted as much in the post-game press conference.
"I think the thing that stands out to me, ***** ytically or not, is our penalties. We really hurt ourselves," the Raiders head coach said. "We put ourselves in some negative situations, and that's not winning football. Offensively, the fact that we didn't turn the ball over is always good. That's something that didn't stand out last night, but offensively, you can't go into a half a football and not score points. So, we didn't help the defense there. We weren't playing team football in that second half."
#didn 't
2 days ago
Today, on August 16th, it feels like the Yankees' offense is in such a hole that the prospect of a deep postseason run—this team's ultimate goal—is as unlikely a proposition as one could hope for. Ultimately, though, no matter how real these issues are, we know that there is an element of a local low in a 162-game season that won't last. In the meantime, these struggles could easily snowball into problems for the few healthy standouts in the Yankees lineup this season. Specifically speaking, Ben Rice and George Lombard Jr.
Carrying on the success of last season's breakout campaign, Rice is now indisputably one of the more powerful hitters in the American League in 2026. Early in the year, with a fully healthy lineup, Rice was legitimately producing like one of the MVP candidates, but that has changed since the start of June. As much as we could dive into those struggles, ***** uming we're confident of his long-term abilities, the focus here is on addressing a change in expectations and need.
Inadvertently suffering from the absence of Aaron Judge and the way pitchers can attack him because of it—from a psychological standpoint—Rice, for the first time in his career, is dealing with the pressure of anchoring a lineup. He is the one, in the current situation, the only one, in this lineup that opposing teams single out to create a plan of attack.
While the worst performers in this lineup seem to test the limits of this theory, frustration may only come from a place of expectation. Having seen what Rice can do at his best, a 4-for-40 run with which he starts August all of a sudden is under a microscope that it otherwise wouldn't have been had the team not been slumping this badly, offensively.
Sure, Rice is the type of hitter that could go on a tear at any moment; in fact, we saw that right around the All-Star Break, but his production shined the most when inserted into a context completely different from the one he is currently in. A potential failure to raise his game even further in this moment should not be held against him, especially when you address that on paper, this lineup, even in its current construction, should not be struggling this much. Asking ***** iot Ramos to mash lefties, Trent Grisham to get on base often, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to do something are all far more reasonable requests than having Rice carry the lineup on his back. Yes, fairness is often brushed to the side in the cruel reality of high-level sports, but the healthiest course of action for this team's success moving forward lies in acknowledging all of this.
#rice #like
Carrying on the success of last season's breakout campaign, Rice is now indisputably one of the more powerful hitters in the American League in 2026. Early in the year, with a fully healthy lineup, Rice was legitimately producing like one of the MVP candidates, but that has changed since the start of June. As much as we could dive into those struggles, ***** uming we're confident of his long-term abilities, the focus here is on addressing a change in expectations and need.
Inadvertently suffering from the absence of Aaron Judge and the way pitchers can attack him because of it—from a psychological standpoint—Rice, for the first time in his career, is dealing with the pressure of anchoring a lineup. He is the one, in the current situation, the only one, in this lineup that opposing teams single out to create a plan of attack.
While the worst performers in this lineup seem to test the limits of this theory, frustration may only come from a place of expectation. Having seen what Rice can do at his best, a 4-for-40 run with which he starts August all of a sudden is under a microscope that it otherwise wouldn't have been had the team not been slumping this badly, offensively.
Sure, Rice is the type of hitter that could go on a tear at any moment; in fact, we saw that right around the All-Star Break, but his production shined the most when inserted into a context completely different from the one he is currently in. A potential failure to raise his game even further in this moment should not be held against him, especially when you address that on paper, this lineup, even in its current construction, should not be struggling this much. Asking ***** iot Ramos to mash lefties, Trent Grisham to get on base often, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to do something are all far more reasonable requests than having Rice carry the lineup on his back. Yes, fairness is often brushed to the side in the cruel reality of high-level sports, but the healthiest course of action for this team's success moving forward lies in acknowledging all of this.
#rice #like
3 days ago
ORCHARD PARK - On a picture perfect summer Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills inaugurated Highmark Stadium and the Joe Brady coaching era with a solid 29-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The new-look defense could not have gotten off to a better start as it dominated the Panthers, while Josh Allen and the offense looked like it was in midseason form in the preseason opener.
Yeah, it was a good day to be Joe Brady, the youngest head coach in the NFL, checking off his first victory box.
"I was pleased how the guys offensively came out and went down the field and got points," Brady said. "But I'd like for us to be able to finish on some of those red zone opportunities. Defense coming out with three straight three and outs was a lot of fun to see so I was pleased with that."
We know the Buffalo offense is going to be dynamic; how could it not be with Allen at the controls, a nice upgrade at receiver with the addition of DJ Moore, and the return of NFL rushing champ James Cook.
#buffalo #allen #offense
The new-look defense could not have gotten off to a better start as it dominated the Panthers, while Josh Allen and the offense looked like it was in midseason form in the preseason opener.
Yeah, it was a good day to be Joe Brady, the youngest head coach in the NFL, checking off his first victory box.
"I was pleased how the guys offensively came out and went down the field and got points," Brady said. "But I'd like for us to be able to finish on some of those red zone opportunities. Defense coming out with three straight three and outs was a lot of fun to see so I was pleased with that."
We know the Buffalo offense is going to be dynamic; how could it not be with Allen at the controls, a nice upgrade at receiver with the addition of DJ Moore, and the return of NFL rushing champ James Cook.
#buffalo #allen #offense
3 days ago
Former Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron continues to impress at the start of his professional baseball career.
After an impressive debut, Lebron was back in action this past Friday night for the Cincinnati Reds' High-A affiliate, the Daytona Dragons, and during the game, hit the first home run of his professional career. The solo shot came in the fourth inning for Daytona, hitting a no-doubter down the left field line.
Through the first four games of his professional career with Daytona, Lebron is 6-for-16 offensively with a home run, one RBI, and one stolen base. Lebron has also doubled once, scored three runs, and owns an impressive 1.037 OPS.
Selected by Cincinnati with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, Lebron currently ranks as the Reds' No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Lebron is joined by fellow 2026 draft pick Brady Neal among the former Alabama players currently in the Reds organization.
Contact/Follow us RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
#lebron
After an impressive debut, Lebron was back in action this past Friday night for the Cincinnati Reds' High-A affiliate, the Daytona Dragons, and during the game, hit the first home run of his professional career. The solo shot came in the fourth inning for Daytona, hitting a no-doubter down the left field line.
Through the first four games of his professional career with Daytona, Lebron is 6-for-16 offensively with a home run, one RBI, and one stolen base. Lebron has also doubled once, scored three runs, and owns an impressive 1.037 OPS.
Selected by Cincinnati with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, Lebron currently ranks as the Reds' No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Lebron is joined by fellow 2026 draft pick Brady Neal among the former Alabama players currently in the Reds organization.
Contact/Follow us RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
#lebron
3 days ago
Detroit – The Tigers have added some veteran outfield depth to their system, signing 27-year-old Michael Siani to a minor league deal and ******* igning him to Triple-A Toledo.
Siani, a plus-defender, has played parts of five seasons in the big leagues, including one game for the Orioles this season.
In one full season, with the Cardinals in 2024, he posted a .570 OPS in 124 games.
He's struggled offensively in Triple-A this season, .167/.281/.242 with both the Dodgers and Orioles.
The Tigers were left short on outfielders because of injuries to James Outman, Kerry Carpenter and Wenceel Perez. They've already called up Ben Malgeri, Trei Cruz and Corey Julks from Triple-A Toledo.
#siani #orioles #michael
Siani, a plus-defender, has played parts of five seasons in the big leagues, including one game for the Orioles this season.
In one full season, with the Cardinals in 2024, he posted a .570 OPS in 124 games.
He's struggled offensively in Triple-A this season, .167/.281/.242 with both the Dodgers and Orioles.
The Tigers were left short on outfielders because of injuries to James Outman, Kerry Carpenter and Wenceel Perez. They've already called up Ben Malgeri, Trei Cruz and Corey Julks from Triple-A Toledo.
#siani #orioles #michael
4 days ago
Most of the New Orleans Saints' starters are expected to sit out Saturday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That will give the team's reserves and roster-bubble candidates an extended opportunity to make their cases. Some players have more riding on the game than others. Here are seven Saints under the most pressure to perform in the preseason opener.
Spencer Rattler has strengthened his hold on the backup quarterback job throughout training camp. Wilson needs to operate the offense efficiently and avoid costly mistakes to begin closing the gap. The Saints brought in a fourth training camp quarterback, Hunter Dekkers, who is expected to play at some point on Saturday.
Provided his back injury doesn't keep him out of this game, Miller needs to prove he still belongs in the Saints' crowded backfield. The former third-round pick is returning from a torn ACL and entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he cannot perform, Miller could be a cut candidate.
Means has made plays in camp — and he made a big one in the joint practice with the Jaguars — but rookies Barion Brown and Bryce Lance have generated more momentum thus far. He needs to produce offensively while also demonstrating that he can contribute consistently on special teams.
Smyth made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts after taking over the starting job last season. Still, the Saints brought in competition. Every preseason kick will matter as he attempts to hold off UFL standout Tanner Brown.
#brown
Spencer Rattler has strengthened his hold on the backup quarterback job throughout training camp. Wilson needs to operate the offense efficiently and avoid costly mistakes to begin closing the gap. The Saints brought in a fourth training camp quarterback, Hunter Dekkers, who is expected to play at some point on Saturday.
Provided his back injury doesn't keep him out of this game, Miller needs to prove he still belongs in the Saints' crowded backfield. The former third-round pick is returning from a torn ACL and entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he cannot perform, Miller could be a cut candidate.
Means has made plays in camp — and he made a big one in the joint practice with the Jaguars — but rookies Barion Brown and Bryce Lance have generated more momentum thus far. He needs to produce offensively while also demonstrating that he can contribute consistently on special teams.
Smyth made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts after taking over the starting job last season. Still, the Saints brought in competition. Every preseason kick will matter as he attempts to hold off UFL standout Tanner Brown.
#brown
4 days ago
Rutgers Basketball has announced that it has scheduled an exhibition game against Villanova, slated for Sunday, October 11th at Jersey Mike's Arena. Tickets for the game will be available for purchase on the program's website, as fans will have the opportunity to get a first look at the team against a quality opponent before the season officially tips off about a month later.
The Scarlet Knights and the Wildcats have some history together, as both played in the Big East Conference for a time. Villanova currently holds a 10-4 series advantage over Rutgers, with the most recent game being a 71-63 loss for the Knights in the 2012-2013 season. Since this is an exhibition game, it will not count as a win for either side.
Last season, Villanova went 24-9 with a 15-5 record in conference play. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Georgetown and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Utah State.
The Wildcats' leading scorer from last season, guard Tyler Perkins, is returning for next season. Last season, he averaged 13.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent on all field goals. In addition, Villanova is adding two high-major transfers in the portal, Devin Royal from Ohio State and Kwame Evans Jr. from Oregon. Both are rated as four-star transfer portal prospects by On3.
While it will be interesting to see how the projected leaders of the team have developed in the off-season, there is also a good chance that some players further down the depth chart see some decent playing time in this game in order to preserve the top guys for the regular season. This game will also provide good experience playing together for a team that saw a lot of change in the off-season, on top of giving fans a first look at the new players in scarlet. For me personally, I'll have my eyes on how having a new center with the skills of Christian Gurdak (assuming he is the starter) changes the team offensively.
#villanova #team
The Scarlet Knights and the Wildcats have some history together, as both played in the Big East Conference for a time. Villanova currently holds a 10-4 series advantage over Rutgers, with the most recent game being a 71-63 loss for the Knights in the 2012-2013 season. Since this is an exhibition game, it will not count as a win for either side.
Last season, Villanova went 24-9 with a 15-5 record in conference play. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Georgetown and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Utah State.
The Wildcats' leading scorer from last season, guard Tyler Perkins, is returning for next season. Last season, he averaged 13.4 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent on all field goals. In addition, Villanova is adding two high-major transfers in the portal, Devin Royal from Ohio State and Kwame Evans Jr. from Oregon. Both are rated as four-star transfer portal prospects by On3.
While it will be interesting to see how the projected leaders of the team have developed in the off-season, there is also a good chance that some players further down the depth chart see some decent playing time in this game in order to preserve the top guys for the regular season. This game will also provide good experience playing together for a team that saw a lot of change in the off-season, on top of giving fans a first look at the new players in scarlet. For me personally, I'll have my eyes on how having a new center with the skills of Christian Gurdak (assuming he is the starter) changes the team offensively.
#villanova #team
6 days ago
For the first seven innings, it certainly seemed like the White Sox (61-57) channeled the Pope in the series opener, mashing three solo home runs for three of their four runs in front of a 40,000-person crowd, all wearing Pope hats.
Unfortunately, the Chicago bullpen wasn't as blessed, and wound up blowing the save in the top of the eighth, allowing the Reds (57-61) to come all the way back and steal the game in the top of the 10th, 5-4.
Righthander Sean Burke looked as good as ever, and outside of a solo home run given up to Eugenio Suárez, he was completely under control, only surrendering one run on three hits while striking out eight along the way. Burke put together three true 1-2-3 innings in his seven innings of work: the first, third and fourth (he technically recorded four outs in the third, with Héctor Rodríguez reaching on a dropped-third strike). In fact, Edgar Quero was just as devoured by Burke's knuckle curve that dove out of the zone to the ground as Rodríguez, who completely whiffed. The pitch was so far out of the strike zone that it didn't even appear in the MLB Gameday feed:
Offensively, the South Siders were looking great early in the game, blasting three solo home runs and an RBI double to go up four runs, 4-0.
The White Sox were averaging a long ball an inning through two, beginning with Brenton Doyle smashing a first-pitch, leadoff home run in the first, and Edgar Quero following it up with one of his own in the bottom of the second, giving Burke and Chicago a pair of insurance runs early in the game.
#first
Unfortunately, the Chicago bullpen wasn't as blessed, and wound up blowing the save in the top of the eighth, allowing the Reds (57-61) to come all the way back and steal the game in the top of the 10th, 5-4.
Righthander Sean Burke looked as good as ever, and outside of a solo home run given up to Eugenio Suárez, he was completely under control, only surrendering one run on three hits while striking out eight along the way. Burke put together three true 1-2-3 innings in his seven innings of work: the first, third and fourth (he technically recorded four outs in the third, with Héctor Rodríguez reaching on a dropped-third strike). In fact, Edgar Quero was just as devoured by Burke's knuckle curve that dove out of the zone to the ground as Rodríguez, who completely whiffed. The pitch was so far out of the strike zone that it didn't even appear in the MLB Gameday feed:
Offensively, the South Siders were looking great early in the game, blasting three solo home runs and an RBI double to go up four runs, 4-0.
The White Sox were averaging a long ball an inning through two, beginning with Brenton Doyle smashing a first-pitch, leadoff home run in the first, and Edgar Quero following it up with one of his own in the bottom of the second, giving Burke and Chicago a pair of insurance runs early in the game.
#first
6 days ago
The Yankees are struggling offensively. The Yankees do not hit with runners in scoring position. The Yankees have been too homer-reliant. All three of these tenets are true, especially since the injury bug swept through the Bronx and left them more vulnerable than they've been in several years.
All of their wins and losses are decided by one or two runs. They get excellent pitching, but regardless of the quality of the opposing starter, they often fail to dent home plate due to their middling healthy power options and their struggles with RISP. Since June 18th, they have been batting an absolutely dreadful .170 in these situations, by far the worst in baseball. They are also striking out a league-high 29.4 percent in these spots, limiting opportunities for productive outs.
This game was going like all the others. They squandered three massive opportunities with runners in scoring position off Bryan Woo early on before going down in order in three consecutive innings. Now trailing 1-0 after one measly run scored off a sharp Ryan Weathers, they got one more chance in the seventh and didn't let it go to waste. Two unlikely sources provided two great pieces of hitting to small ball their way to a four-run inning and a 4-1 win.
Weathers started this one out looking to continue the good vibes he's had on the ****** p lately and quickly retired the first two he faced before jumping ahead 0-2 on Julio Rodriguez before throwing four straight ****** and walking him. Things might've gotten hairy with a Dominic Canzone grounder that hit the second base bag if not for a stellar barehanded play by George Lombard Jr., who continues to be a savant defensively.
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#yankees #runners #position
All of their wins and losses are decided by one or two runs. They get excellent pitching, but regardless of the quality of the opposing starter, they often fail to dent home plate due to their middling healthy power options and their struggles with RISP. Since June 18th, they have been batting an absolutely dreadful .170 in these situations, by far the worst in baseball. They are also striking out a league-high 29.4 percent in these spots, limiting opportunities for productive outs.
This game was going like all the others. They squandered three massive opportunities with runners in scoring position off Bryan Woo early on before going down in order in three consecutive innings. Now trailing 1-0 after one measly run scored off a sharp Ryan Weathers, they got one more chance in the seventh and didn't let it go to waste. Two unlikely sources provided two great pieces of hitting to small ball their way to a four-run inning and a 4-1 win.
Weathers started this one out looking to continue the good vibes he's had on the ****** p lately and quickly retired the first two he faced before jumping ahead 0-2 on Julio Rodriguez before throwing four straight ****** and walking him. Things might've gotten hairy with a Dominic Canzone grounder that hit the second base bag if not for a stellar barehanded play by George Lombard Jr., who continues to be a savant defensively.
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#yankees #runners #position
7 days ago
The 2026 Los Angeles Angels had one of the most successful trade deadlines in years.
After the last half-decade of never going all in on selling or buying at the deadline, that finally changed.
On July 29, the Angels announced they were trading catcher Logan O'Hoppe and right-handed pitcher Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers for infielder Angel Arredondo. While the timing of the trade was surprising, the trade itself was not, at least not entirely.
In 75 games this season for the Angels, O'Hoppe hit .209. His slugging percentage sat at .295 with 63 strikeouts. 2026 has been disappointing so far for O'Hoppe, not only offensively but defensively. He's had five errors and has allowed 50 stolen bases while only catching 14.
While O'Hoppe has been a fan favorite among Halo fans, the trade made sense. The 26-year-old just hasn't been doing it for the Angels behind the plate. And with the addition of Tyler Heineman earlier this season and Travis D'Arnaud returning from the injured list, there was no room left for O'Hoppe.
#july
After the last half-decade of never going all in on selling or buying at the deadline, that finally changed.
On July 29, the Angels announced they were trading catcher Logan O'Hoppe and right-handed pitcher Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers for infielder Angel Arredondo. While the timing of the trade was surprising, the trade itself was not, at least not entirely.
In 75 games this season for the Angels, O'Hoppe hit .209. His slugging percentage sat at .295 with 63 strikeouts. 2026 has been disappointing so far for O'Hoppe, not only offensively but defensively. He's had five errors and has allowed 50 stolen bases while only catching 14.
While O'Hoppe has been a fan favorite among Halo fans, the trade made sense. The 26-year-old just hasn't been doing it for the Angels behind the plate. And with the addition of Tyler Heineman earlier this season and Travis D'Arnaud returning from the injured list, there was no room left for O'Hoppe.
#july
7 days ago
Transfer portal linebacker signee Rasheem Biles reminds Texas coach Steve Sarkisian of another star on the Longhorns defense. Sark says the Pitt transfer reminds him of Colin Simmons in that he's a "problem."
Back in spring practice, Sarkisian said Simmons used to "ruin practice." He'd sack the quarterback and the play would have to be re-run so others could learn their jobs. Sark says Simmons doesn't do that anymore, even though he could.
"I showed it in a team meeting the other day," Sark said in April. "He came free on a rush. I don't know if he came within four yards of the quarterback. He just kept rushing by, so that the other 21 guys that were out there ... the quarterback can still throw it, the DBs can still cover. He didn't feel like he had to go get near the quarterback. He's really practicing like a pro right now."
The UT coach says his new linebacker is the same way.
"I'm seeing that with Rasheem Biles," Sark said Monday. "I mean, he's a problem. Guy's a problem when he rushes. He can do it on special teams. I mean, he does it a lot of different ways. But, again, I want them to keep going. I want Colin [Simmons] to make it hard on [left tackle] Trevor [Goosby] and [right tackle] Melvin [Siani] every day. I want Rasheem [Biles] to make it hard on our guards and to make it hard on our backs every day, because iron sharpens iron, and that's how we're going to get better offensively. ... Biles brings it every day."
#sark
Back in spring practice, Sarkisian said Simmons used to "ruin practice." He'd sack the quarterback and the play would have to be re-run so others could learn their jobs. Sark says Simmons doesn't do that anymore, even though he could.
"I showed it in a team meeting the other day," Sark said in April. "He came free on a rush. I don't know if he came within four yards of the quarterback. He just kept rushing by, so that the other 21 guys that were out there ... the quarterback can still throw it, the DBs can still cover. He didn't feel like he had to go get near the quarterback. He's really practicing like a pro right now."
The UT coach says his new linebacker is the same way.
"I'm seeing that with Rasheem Biles," Sark said Monday. "I mean, he's a problem. Guy's a problem when he rushes. He can do it on special teams. I mean, he does it a lot of different ways. But, again, I want them to keep going. I want Colin [Simmons] to make it hard on [left tackle] Trevor [Goosby] and [right tackle] Melvin [Siani] every day. I want Rasheem [Biles] to make it hard on our guards and to make it hard on our backs every day, because iron sharpens iron, and that's how we're going to get better offensively. ... Biles brings it every day."
#sark
7 days ago
Well, I'm not sure what I expected. The Royals stars (Witt, Cags) were showing out both offensively and defensively, but it wasn't enough to overcome the moribund bullpen in a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers that was full of punch-counterpunch.
The 6th inning was the key part. The Royals held a 3-2 lead and Noah Cameron, who had pitched pretty well up to this point, gave up a few hard-hit ****** in a row to put runners on second and third with two outs. John Schreiber came in and promptly blew the game by walking Kyle Tucker and giving up a weak line drive down the right field line just beyond Cags' outstretched glove. All three runners scored to give the Dodgers the lead. Sigh.
The Royals counterpunched with a Kyle Isbel two-run homer in the seventh inning to bring the game back to even-steven at 5-5, but Alex Lange gave up two singles in the bottom of the seventh to relinquish the lead for good. It goes as two runs total charged to Schreiber and Lange, but I don't think Cameron really deserved those runs being charged to him.
It's a shame. Facing Tarik Skubal, the Royals position players put up a good fight.
In the first inning, in his first-ever at-bat against Skubal (really?), Cags fouled off four pitches to hit a grounder that squeaked through the middle to score Witt from second (Cags extended his hitting streak to 9 games with that hit).
#inning #Dodgers #cameron #lange
The 6th inning was the key part. The Royals held a 3-2 lead and Noah Cameron, who had pitched pretty well up to this point, gave up a few hard-hit ****** in a row to put runners on second and third with two outs. John Schreiber came in and promptly blew the game by walking Kyle Tucker and giving up a weak line drive down the right field line just beyond Cags' outstretched glove. All three runners scored to give the Dodgers the lead. Sigh.
The Royals counterpunched with a Kyle Isbel two-run homer in the seventh inning to bring the game back to even-steven at 5-5, but Alex Lange gave up two singles in the bottom of the seventh to relinquish the lead for good. It goes as two runs total charged to Schreiber and Lange, but I don't think Cameron really deserved those runs being charged to him.
It's a shame. Facing Tarik Skubal, the Royals position players put up a good fight.
In the first inning, in his first-ever at-bat against Skubal (really?), Cags fouled off four pitches to hit a grounder that squeaked through the middle to score Witt from second (Cags extended his hitting streak to 9 games with that hit).
#inning #Dodgers #cameron #lange
7 days ago
The Colorado Rockies have had a few games in recent weeks where mistakes piled up and got the best of them. They have also had their fair share of games where the bats go cold and nothing comes together offensively. On top of that, they've had some games where starting pitching puts them in an insurmountable hole.
Tonight, all three of those were true.
Michael Soroka, coming back to the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation after a stint on the injured list, kept the Rockies' bats at bay. They couldn't get much going when he was gone, either.
Gabriel Hughes struggled with his command tonight and what could have been a clean first inning turned quickly into a disaster thanks to an early grand slam.
Wild pitches, walks, fielding miscues, and a do-nothing offense were all the recipe for the wrong end of a very forgettable shutout to start this series.
#diamondbacks
Tonight, all three of those were true.
Michael Soroka, coming back to the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation after a stint on the injured list, kept the Rockies' bats at bay. They couldn't get much going when he was gone, either.
Gabriel Hughes struggled with his command tonight and what could have been a clean first inning turned quickly into a disaster thanks to an early grand slam.
Wild pitches, walks, fielding miscues, and a do-nothing offense were all the recipe for the wrong end of a very forgettable shutout to start this series.
#diamondbacks
8 days ago
The Milwaukee Brewers — fresh off a solid 5-2 homestand to push them to 74-44 on the season — are headed back to the West Coast after visiting the Giants and Angels last week. This time, they'll face two slightly more formidable opponents in the Padres and Dodgers. First up is San Diego, currently in a fight for an NL Wild Card spot alongside the Phillies and D-backs (among several others). At 62-57, the Padres have turned things on in recent weeks to put themselves firmly into the playoff race.
The Brewers have lost several position players in recent days, as shortstop Cooper Pratt hit the IL on Sunday with a hamstring strain and Joey Ortiz is considered day-to-day with neck tightness. The team also lost prospect Jett Williams, who, in his first at-bat back from injury, re-injured his hand while swinging. Outfielder Sal Frelick is also out, though he's on his way back as he began a rehab ***** ignment over the weekend. Pitchers Joel Kuhnel (on rehab), JoJo Romero (mid- to late August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season) are all on the IL.
San Diego's injured list currently includes pitchers Joe Musgrove (on rehab), Nick Pivetta (exited rehab outing last week), David Morgan (on rehab), Jason Adam (late August or early September), Lucas Giolito (late August), Bryan Hoeing (out for season), and Yu Darvish (considering retirement). Outfielders Ramón Laureano (likely out for season) and Samad Taylor (close to a rehab ***** ignment) are also out, as well as utility man Miguel Andujar (late August).
Jake Bauers leads Milwaukee with 21 homers, though Jackson Chourio's four-homer week has him closing in with 21 on the season. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, Ortiz, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton round out the regulars, with Brandon Lockridge, Gary Sánchez, and new addition Jihwan Bae serving as depth. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.337/.398 (.735 OPS ranks seventh), with 109 homers (last), 585 runs (fifth), and 117 steals (fourth).
Despite an ice-cold start offensively, the Padres have turned it around a bit offensively in recent weeks. Manny Machado, who's hitting just .212 for the year, leads the team with 23 homers, good for a .420 slugging percentage. He's followed by Jackson Merrill (18 homers), Ty France (16 homers), Gavin Sheets (15 homers), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (11 homers). Xander Bogaerts, Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Jake Cronenworth, recent former Brewer Luis Rengifo round out the regulars, with Austin Hays, Jase Bowen, and Sung-Mun Song, providing depth. As a team, the Padres are hitting .236/.313/.382 (.695 OPS ranks 25th), with 124 homers (20th), 497 runs (22nd), and 119 steals (third).
#homers #august #brewers #late
The Brewers have lost several position players in recent days, as shortstop Cooper Pratt hit the IL on Sunday with a hamstring strain and Joey Ortiz is considered day-to-day with neck tightness. The team also lost prospect Jett Williams, who, in his first at-bat back from injury, re-injured his hand while swinging. Outfielder Sal Frelick is also out, though he's on his way back as he began a rehab ***** ignment over the weekend. Pitchers Joel Kuhnel (on rehab), JoJo Romero (mid- to late August), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season) are all on the IL.
San Diego's injured list currently includes pitchers Joe Musgrove (on rehab), Nick Pivetta (exited rehab outing last week), David Morgan (on rehab), Jason Adam (late August or early September), Lucas Giolito (late August), Bryan Hoeing (out for season), and Yu Darvish (considering retirement). Outfielders Ramón Laureano (likely out for season) and Samad Taylor (close to a rehab ***** ignment) are also out, as well as utility man Miguel Andujar (late August).
Jake Bauers leads Milwaukee with 21 homers, though Jackson Chourio's four-homer week has him closing in with 21 on the season. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich, Ortiz, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton round out the regulars, with Brandon Lockridge, Gary Sánchez, and new addition Jihwan Bae serving as depth. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.337/.398 (.735 OPS ranks seventh), with 109 homers (last), 585 runs (fifth), and 117 steals (fourth).
Despite an ice-cold start offensively, the Padres have turned it around a bit offensively in recent weeks. Manny Machado, who's hitting just .212 for the year, leads the team with 23 homers, good for a .420 slugging percentage. He's followed by Jackson Merrill (18 homers), Ty France (16 homers), Gavin Sheets (15 homers), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (11 homers). Xander Bogaerts, Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, Jake Cronenworth, recent former Brewer Luis Rengifo round out the regulars, with Austin Hays, Jase Bowen, and Sung-Mun Song, providing depth. As a team, the Padres are hitting .236/.313/.382 (.695 OPS ranks 25th), with 124 homers (20th), 497 runs (22nd), and 119 steals (third).
#homers #august #brewers #late
10 days ago
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams returned home Saturday, trading their training camp surroundings at Loyola Marymount University for the familiar confines of their practice facility in Woodland Hills.
The change of scenery also brought a change in temperature.
"It's good. It's a little bit hotter out here, but it's good to be back home," Rams coach Sean McVay said after Saturday's practice.
While the Rams were happy to be home, it was their defense that appeared most comfortable on the field. McVay came away particularly impressed with the first-team defense after it forced several turnovers and made life difficult for the offense throughout practice.
"Oh yeah, defense was outstanding," McVay said. "There was great coverage, some great individual plays, disrupting timing and rhythm. It was a great day for the defense. Offensively, they were able to run the football with some success, but throwing and catching was a real struggle. That was a real credit to great defensive play. I was really pleased with the way that our first defense looked."
#Rams #woodland #change #good
The change of scenery also brought a change in temperature.
"It's good. It's a little bit hotter out here, but it's good to be back home," Rams coach Sean McVay said after Saturday's practice.
While the Rams were happy to be home, it was their defense that appeared most comfortable on the field. McVay came away particularly impressed with the first-team defense after it forced several turnovers and made life difficult for the offense throughout practice.
"Oh yeah, defense was outstanding," McVay said. "There was great coverage, some great individual plays, disrupting timing and rhythm. It was a great day for the defense. Offensively, they were able to run the football with some success, but throwing and catching was a real struggle. That was a real credit to great defensive play. I was really pleased with the way that our first defense looked."
#Rams #woodland #change #good
10 days ago
Olympique de Marseille have made enquiries over KAA Gent forward Hyllarion Goore (20), according to L'Équipe.
Marseille are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, with the club currently prioritising sales as they look to improve their financial position. However, sporting director Grégory Lorenzi is already working on potential reinforcements ahead of the new season.
One of the attacking profiles being considered is Goore. L'Équipe reports that Marseille have taken information on the Ivory Coast forward, although the interest remains at an exploratory stage and no offer has yet been made.
Gent are counting on the 20-year-old, who signed a contract extension with the Belgian club in April which ties him down until 2029.
Goore made 43 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring five goals and providing four ******* ists. However, just 19 of those appearances came from the starting line-up.It will add to a significant shake-up offensively for OM, who could yet see the departures of Amine Gouiri and Igor Paixao. The former is being targeted by Serie A side Como, whilst the latter has been tracked by Leeds United in the Premier League.
#gent
Marseille are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, with the club currently prioritising sales as they look to improve their financial position. However, sporting director Grégory Lorenzi is already working on potential reinforcements ahead of the new season.
One of the attacking profiles being considered is Goore. L'Équipe reports that Marseille have taken information on the Ivory Coast forward, although the interest remains at an exploratory stage and no offer has yet been made.
Gent are counting on the 20-year-old, who signed a contract extension with the Belgian club in April which ties him down until 2029.
Goore made 43 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring five goals and providing four ******* ists. However, just 19 of those appearances came from the starting line-up.It will add to a significant shake-up offensively for OM, who could yet see the departures of Amine Gouiri and Igor Paixao. The former is being targeted by Serie A side Como, whilst the latter has been tracked by Leeds United in the Premier League.
#gent
12 days ago
Whew. The hype building up around Barion Brown isn't dying down. On Thursday, the rookie wide receiver ended the New Orleans Saints' seventh training camp practice with an exclamation point by catching a touchdown pass deep downfield from Spencer Rattler. It's just the latest explosive play from a sixth-round pick most fans expected to make the squad for his skills in the return game on special teams. Instead, it's looking like Brown has real potential to help out offensively.
Rattler deserves a lot of credit on the throw that ended Thursday's practice session. He was throwing on the move, outside the pocket and under duress, but kept his eyes downfield and placed the pass where only Brown had a chance at catching it. It officially went down as a 46-yard completion that traveled more than 30 yards through the air. That's a Sunday throw. Brown came down with the pass even with veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom covering him tightly. He's made a lot of plays against Yiadom and his fellow backup Martin Emerson Jr. on the second-string defense. There's 5,159 career defensive snaps and 169 games played between the two of them (including the playoffs).
But you can count Saints coach Kellen Moore as one of those observers who wasn't surprised to see Brown thriving on offense. Even if the team drafted him for his chops on special teams, Moore saw plenty of quality reps through Brown's college tape. Brown caught 122 passes in three years at Kentucky before transferring to LSU in 2025, where he posted a personal-best 53 receptions. That experience against a strong quality of competition prepared him for the challenges he's now facing in the NFL.
"I think we watched a lot of evidence of him playing receiver, and playing impactful plays in the SEC for a number of years, not just the LSU year, but the Kentucky year(s)," Moore told reporters after practice on Wednesday. "And when you watch all that exposure and get to know Barion, you're really fired up to have this guy, and so he's doing a great job. And I think the hardest part for these young guys really isn't the physical. You know, there's an acclimation there, but there's so much mental and so I think that's a credit to him that he's been really prepared to go out there and play."
It's a wide-open competition for the fourth and fifth roster spots at wide receiver. With the Saints having their top three locked in between Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, and Devaughn Vele, guys who started training camp on the roster bubble like Brown need every rep they can get to stand out and build their case. Brown is certainly making the most of his chances so far. With joint practices and preseason games against other teams coming up fast, he'll get more opportunities to prove he belongs.
#down
Rattler deserves a lot of credit on the throw that ended Thursday's practice session. He was throwing on the move, outside the pocket and under duress, but kept his eyes downfield and placed the pass where only Brown had a chance at catching it. It officially went down as a 46-yard completion that traveled more than 30 yards through the air. That's a Sunday throw. Brown came down with the pass even with veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom covering him tightly. He's made a lot of plays against Yiadom and his fellow backup Martin Emerson Jr. on the second-string defense. There's 5,159 career defensive snaps and 169 games played between the two of them (including the playoffs).
But you can count Saints coach Kellen Moore as one of those observers who wasn't surprised to see Brown thriving on offense. Even if the team drafted him for his chops on special teams, Moore saw plenty of quality reps through Brown's college tape. Brown caught 122 passes in three years at Kentucky before transferring to LSU in 2025, where he posted a personal-best 53 receptions. That experience against a strong quality of competition prepared him for the challenges he's now facing in the NFL.
"I think we watched a lot of evidence of him playing receiver, and playing impactful plays in the SEC for a number of years, not just the LSU year, but the Kentucky year(s)," Moore told reporters after practice on Wednesday. "And when you watch all that exposure and get to know Barion, you're really fired up to have this guy, and so he's doing a great job. And I think the hardest part for these young guys really isn't the physical. You know, there's an acclimation there, but there's so much mental and so I think that's a credit to him that he's been really prepared to go out there and play."
It's a wide-open competition for the fourth and fifth roster spots at wide receiver. With the Saints having their top three locked in between Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson, and Devaughn Vele, guys who started training camp on the roster bubble like Brown need every rep they can get to stand out and build their case. Brown is certainly making the most of his chances so far. With joint practices and preseason games against other teams coming up fast, he'll get more opportunities to prove he belongs.
#down
13 days ago
Despite Trading Marcelo Mayer, Red Sox Have High Hopes for His Career originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Moving on from top prospects before they debut in Major League Baseball is common, though we haven't seen the Boston Red Sox do that recently.
The Red Sox have given a lot of their young players a chance to prove whether they're legitimate players in the big leagues, but not all of them have worked out. One player who obviously didn't work out was Marcelo Mayer.
Mayer, who has dealt with some health struggles over his professional career, really hasn't been able to figure things out offensively in Boston.
Still, at just 23 years old, it felt like the Red Sox could look past his .220 average on the year with just three home runs, 22 RBIs and 205 at-bats.
#nesn #despite #hopes
Moving on from top prospects before they debut in Major League Baseball is common, though we haven't seen the Boston Red Sox do that recently.
The Red Sox have given a lot of their young players a chance to prove whether they're legitimate players in the big leagues, but not all of them have worked out. One player who obviously didn't work out was Marcelo Mayer.
Mayer, who has dealt with some health struggles over his professional career, really hasn't been able to figure things out offensively in Boston.
Still, at just 23 years old, it felt like the Red Sox could look past his .220 average on the year with just three home runs, 22 RBIs and 205 at-bats.
#nesn #despite #hopes
13 days ago
The Minnesota Vikings are turning the page and starting a new chapter in their long battle with the quarterback position. There is nothing they would love more than for former top pick J.J. McCarthy to be able to prove himself and be the guy for them. However, the arrival of Kyler Murray brings with it new energy, as a former player of theirs has recently been discussed.
Former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson spoke to Kyle Odegard of Rotogrinders recently about a plethora of topics related to the team's quarterback battle. One of them was the idea of Kyler Murray getting a fresh start with Minnesota and what it could do for him.
He said, "A lot of people give Kyler Murray a hard time for not being able to perform at a high level all the time and consistently, but he just needed a fresh start, something new to revive him. A different outlook on things and give them a boost they needed. When they picked him up, I thought this was an opportunity to change his mindset and say, 'You know what? I've been blessed to go to an incredible team that's very talented offensively and defensively, and now I can be that piece.' I feel like if he comes in with that mindset, he can be the one that gets us over the hump."
We have seen quarterbacks get fresh starts with Minnesota before, and the results spoke for themselves. The team has to be rooting for another Sam Darnold-ish type of season, with something more than a Wild Card game being the final game they play.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Former Vikings player sees the upside that Kyler Murray brings
#kyler #minnesota #fresh #able
Former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson spoke to Kyle Odegard of Rotogrinders recently about a plethora of topics related to the team's quarterback battle. One of them was the idea of Kyler Murray getting a fresh start with Minnesota and what it could do for him.
He said, "A lot of people give Kyler Murray a hard time for not being able to perform at a high level all the time and consistently, but he just needed a fresh start, something new to revive him. A different outlook on things and give them a boost they needed. When they picked him up, I thought this was an opportunity to change his mindset and say, 'You know what? I've been blessed to go to an incredible team that's very talented offensively and defensively, and now I can be that piece.' I feel like if he comes in with that mindset, he can be the one that gets us over the hump."
We have seen quarterbacks get fresh starts with Minnesota before, and the results spoke for themselves. The team has to be rooting for another Sam Darnold-ish type of season, with something more than a Wild Card game being the final game they play.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Former Vikings player sees the upside that Kyler Murray brings
#kyler #minnesota #fresh #able
14 days ago
The St. Louis Cardinals (56-57) and New York Yankees (63-50) continue their three-game series tonight at Yankee Stadium.
Its been a challenge offensively for these teams for much of the season, but last night the bats were alive as the teams combined for 20 runs and 23 hits as the Cards rallied in the eighth inning to win 13-7. Alec Burleson put on a show all by himself with three home runs and six runs batted in but he was not the only player who went yard. Jimmy Crooks and Nathan Church also homered for St. Louis and the Yankees went deep five times. Recently acquired Luis Garcia Jr., Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham, Jose Caballero, and Austin Wells circled the bases for the hometown Pinstripes. Buried behind all the offensive fireworks was a poor outing from Cam Schlittler who walked five and gave up four hits and four runs over just three innings.
With the loss New York dropped to 3.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East while the Cardinals kept pace in the NL Wild Card chase with the win.
St. Louis is expected to turn to right-hander Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.74 ERA). The 26-year-old has been inconsistent this season. Last Monday he allowed seven hits and four runs over 5.1 innings against the Cubs. The previous Wednesday, though, Dobbins threw six shutout innings against the Angels. The Yankees counter with Ryan Weathers (4-7, 3.99 ERA). The southpaw has been sharp his last two starts allowing just nine hits and one earned run over 12.2 innings.
After Monday's offensive explosion, the biggest question entering Game 2 is whether the sudden offense stays around or if either side's pitching regains control.
#cardinals
Its been a challenge offensively for these teams for much of the season, but last night the bats were alive as the teams combined for 20 runs and 23 hits as the Cards rallied in the eighth inning to win 13-7. Alec Burleson put on a show all by himself with three home runs and six runs batted in but he was not the only player who went yard. Jimmy Crooks and Nathan Church also homered for St. Louis and the Yankees went deep five times. Recently acquired Luis Garcia Jr., Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham, Jose Caballero, and Austin Wells circled the bases for the hometown Pinstripes. Buried behind all the offensive fireworks was a poor outing from Cam Schlittler who walked five and gave up four hits and four runs over just three innings.
With the loss New York dropped to 3.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East while the Cardinals kept pace in the NL Wild Card chase with the win.
St. Louis is expected to turn to right-hander Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.74 ERA). The 26-year-old has been inconsistent this season. Last Monday he allowed seven hits and four runs over 5.1 innings against the Cubs. The previous Wednesday, though, Dobbins threw six shutout innings against the Angels. The Yankees counter with Ryan Weathers (4-7, 3.99 ERA). The southpaw has been sharp his last two starts allowing just nine hits and one earned run over 12.2 innings.
After Monday's offensive explosion, the biggest question entering Game 2 is whether the sudden offense stays around or if either side's pitching regains control.
#cardinals
14 days ago
The New York Yankees are promoting shortstop George Lombard Jr., the top prospect in the organization and a consensus Top-100 prospect in all of MLB, from Triple-A to make his major league debut according to multiple reports Aug. 3.
Jack Curry reported the promotion first on the YES Network.
The report follows the Yankees' loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, and the debut of Luis Garcia Jr. — one of two players, along with San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos — that they acquired before the MLB trade deadline earlier in the day.
MORE: Three-year MLB infielder, 26, opts out of Yankees contract
"He'll be the starting shortstop for the Yankees," Curry said. "They feel Lombard Jr. will handle everything he needs to handle defensively, and we will see what he's able to give the Yankees offensively."
#curry #handle
Jack Curry reported the promotion first on the YES Network.
The report follows the Yankees' loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, and the debut of Luis Garcia Jr. — one of two players, along with San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos — that they acquired before the MLB trade deadline earlier in the day.
MORE: Three-year MLB infielder, 26, opts out of Yankees contract
"He'll be the starting shortstop for the Yankees," Curry said. "They feel Lombard Jr. will handle everything he needs to handle defensively, and we will see what he's able to give the Yankees offensively."
#curry #handle
14 days ago
You may never know in Wrigley, but that doesn't mean you don't know early on. And here that was the case with the ball flying out of the yard right from the get-go in a 10 to 5 defeat against the Cubs, with the Dodgers outmatched offensively.
The first inning alone saw five runs cross the plate, as Matthew Boyd had to contend with one of a pitcher's worst nightmares, seeing one mistake turned into a 3-0 game. Tommy Edman hit a home run, driving in Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages, who had both reached base on soft contacts.
Any idea the Dodgers had of quickly controlling this game went away just as that first-inning lead came. The Cubs immediately countered with a two-run shot from Seiya Suzuki two batters into their offensive performance. And that would be one of three two-run homers in as many innings that Justin Wrobleski would allow, eventually conceding a fourth one as well.
In the second inning, it was Kevin Alcántara helping the Cubs take the 4-3 lead with the first home run of his big league career. From youth to experience, Carson Kelly then managed to isolate the Dodgers number as his favorite victim, knocking a ninth long ball versus LA. Lastly, in Kyle Tucker's first game with the Cubs, it was a different player facing his former club that did the real damage: Michael Busch's fifth-inning solo shot knocked Wrobleski out of the game.
In still a short sample, Busch is building up quite the resume versus his former team with nearly an extra-base hit a game against them (15 in 16), including five long ******* . A pitcher who had allowed just eight home runs prior to his last start, Wrobleski doubled that mark in the span of two games, with back-to-back appearances allowing four home runs.
#Cubs #runs
The first inning alone saw five runs cross the plate, as Matthew Boyd had to contend with one of a pitcher's worst nightmares, seeing one mistake turned into a 3-0 game. Tommy Edman hit a home run, driving in Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages, who had both reached base on soft contacts.
Any idea the Dodgers had of quickly controlling this game went away just as that first-inning lead came. The Cubs immediately countered with a two-run shot from Seiya Suzuki two batters into their offensive performance. And that would be one of three two-run homers in as many innings that Justin Wrobleski would allow, eventually conceding a fourth one as well.
In the second inning, it was Kevin Alcántara helping the Cubs take the 4-3 lead with the first home run of his big league career. From youth to experience, Carson Kelly then managed to isolate the Dodgers number as his favorite victim, knocking a ninth long ball versus LA. Lastly, in Kyle Tucker's first game with the Cubs, it was a different player facing his former club that did the real damage: Michael Busch's fifth-inning solo shot knocked Wrobleski out of the game.
In still a short sample, Busch is building up quite the resume versus his former team with nearly an extra-base hit a game against them (15 in 16), including five long ******* . A pitcher who had allowed just eight home runs prior to his last start, Wrobleski doubled that mark in the span of two games, with back-to-back appearances allowing four home runs.
#Cubs #runs
