The San Francisco Giants have endured the bad, the worse and the ugly throughout a 2026 campaign that started with high hopes and landed with bleak realities.
The Giants have been among the most disappointing teams in Major League Baseball this season. There was optimism in San Francisco when the team brought in first-year manager Tony Vitello from the college ranks with no previous MLB experience. Many experts predicted that the Giants would win 82 games and maybe even sneak into a wild-card berth. It would have been the most success the team has seen in nearly a half decade.
Then the season began and things shifted immediately. San Francisco isn't anywhere near discussions of making a postseason appearance. Instead, the Giants have the second-worst record in the National League (only the division-rival Colorado Rockies have a worse record).
The Giants haven't had the play they were expecting on the diamond. The Giants lacked depth in the bullpen, dealt with a series of injuries which contorted lineups, and key players just looked like a shell of themselves through large parts of the season. Vitello has been ejected from multiple games this season. Frustration has settled in San Francisco like fog covering the Golden Gate Bridge.
It's since seemed like a salvageable season after seeing younger prospects such as Bryce Eldridge see the field more. After a sluggish start, Rafael Devers found his bat as of late and is nearing a 40-homer season. There are few positive takeaways from the Giants this year, which leaves a little excitement for the next season.

#team

Once again the Giants offense made things interesting against the San Diego Padres, and once again they came up short.
A late outburst of power from the unlikely sources of Drew Cavanaugh (his first career HR) and Drew Gilbert forced the Padres bullpen to rally their arms with Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller stopping the buck to serve the Giants their second loss in the series, and seventh of their last nine games against San Diego.
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The afternoon didn't start with the Giants playing catch-up. Two batters into the bottom half of the 1st, Rafael Devers put San Francisco up by two with his 37th home run of the season.
The 2-run jog earned Devers his 61st and 62nd runs batted-in at the intimidating cavern that was/is Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T/Oracle Park, the second highest RBI total after Barry Bonds' 71 in 2001. Devers' 19 home runs at Oracle are the most by a player not named Barry Bonds and is tied with the '02 Bonds model for fifth most HR in a season at 3rd and King. (Fun fact: Devers never hit more than 16 in a single season at Fenway.)

#devers #oracle

Botafogo drew 1-1 with RB Bragantino this Saturday (12) in a match valid for the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship at Nilton Santos. Alvinegro's goal was scored by Vitinho, with a header, after receiving a cross from Alex Telles.
Botafogo's next match will be against Grêmio on the 16th in a postponed match from the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship, at Nilton Santos.
MATCH REPORT:
Date and Time: 09/12/2026 (Sunday), at 8:30 p.m. Location: Nilton Santos
Referee: Fernando Antônio Mendes de Salles Nascimento Filho (PA) ******* istant 1: Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG) ******* istant 2: Rafael Trombeta (PR) 4th official: Thaillan Azevedo Gomes (AP) VAR: José Ricardo Vasconcellos Laranjeira (AL)

#match

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 Houston Rockets recently teamed up with Toyota for an annual day of service, where they honored both first responders and military personnel. Some of Houston's attendees included Reed Sheppard, Jae'Sean Tate, head coach Ime Udoka and general manager Rafael Stone. While there, Stone spoke to the media about his relationship with star center Alperen Sengun, revealing that he went to visit him in Turkey this summer.
"We had some good conversations at the end of last year. Part of it was Alpi putting pressure on me [to communicate better]." Stone went on to say that he spent nearly two weeks with Sengun in Turkey, spending time with one another each day. This is, of course, a great sign for Rockets fans, as Sengun and the front office appear to be on the same page.
Last season, Sengun made his second consecutive all-star appearance, averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.2 ******* ists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks.
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#stone #basketbaltes #last

Boston Red Sox have made a notable change to their lineup for Saturday's meeting with the Kansas City Royals, with Jarren Duran moving up the batting order as Boston looks to respond to three consecutive defeats.
Duran will remain in centre field for the second straight game, but interim manager Chad Tracy has opted to give the outfielder a different spot in the order for the latest Royals clash at Fenway Park.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Duran will bat seventh against the Royals after hitting eighth in Friday night's series opener, which Boston lost 3-2.
The Red Sox have also kept Duran in centre field, with Ceddanne Rafaela and Eli White both on the injured list. Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu will join him in the outfield for Saturday's contest.

#duran #boston #jarren

For 23 years, it has been the world's most annoying sports trivia question: Who's the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles ****** le?
Ben Shelton has always been the one with the ability to change it.
No disrespect to any of the others who have carried the red, white and blue banner for more than two decades across the men's tennis tour since Andy Roddick won his US Open ****** le in 2003. John Isner served his way to millions of dollars and a few nice tournament wins. The likes of Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey did the best they could in the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal/Novak Djokovic era. Taylor Fritz has worked tirelessly to improve his game and continues to be a factor among the best players in the world.
But there is no divine right for any country, even one as big and athletically successful as the USA, to produce Grand Slam champions in a global sport where only a select few are going to rise to the top. It takes everything: Talent, development, the right set of circumstances and maybe a little bit of luck.
And for Shelton, the 23-year old who was born in Atlanta, raised to be an NCAA champion in Gainesville, Fla., and unleashed onto the world stage by a meticulously patient father/coach, only one more match stands in his way of the ultimate American story.

#grand #slam #best #andy

NEW YORK (AP) — Ninety Grand Slam tournaments have passed since Andy Roddick defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 final at Flushing Meadows. Since then, no other U.S. male player has managed to win the U.S. Open on home soil or any of the other three majors.
Apart from Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro at the 2009 U.S. Open and his compatriot Gastón Gaudio at the 2004 French Open, every champion across the world's four major tournaments has been European.
Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton — who face off in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday night — could end this drought for American men.
"You know the history; it was the era of the 'Big Three' (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic) — something unmatched," Del Potro told reporters. "But American tennis has the potential to break this pattern. There are so many good players now with the potential to be Grand Slam champions, and I sincerely believe Tiafoe or Shelton can do it."
As the last Grand Slam champion born outside of Europe, Del Potro takes pride in walking the grounds of the U.S. Open.

#grand #potro #since

Red Sox OF Ceddanne Rafaela predicted to win MLB award despite IL news originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox have bounced back from a bad start and look likely to make the MLB postseason. With a strong pitching staff in the rotation and bullpen, plus a resurgent offense, this team can go very far.
But it's not just those phases of the game where the Red Sox have thrived. Boston has also gotten plenty of great value from their defense. More specifically, from a few select defenders, one of which being center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
Unfortunately, he recently hit the injured list for the Red Sox and will miss some time. However, that shouldn't stop him from winning an MLB award. As MLB.com's Jared Greenspan, Brian Murphy, and Jason Foster predict, Rafaela should be the AL's Gold Glove-winning center fielder.
"When healthy, there's no one better at that spot in the junior circuit. Rafaela, a first-time Gold Glove Award winner last season, has made the most five-star catches of any player in the Majors (nine)," the MLB.com trio write.

#award #glove

If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to make a playoff push, it has to start in San Francisco. That's why Monday's game against the Giants was so vital. It didn't start well for Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy as the Giants grabbed an early lead. Cardinals bats would eventually claw their way all the way back by the 9th inning, but it wasn't quite enough to secure a crucial victory.
There are few batters in baseball more on a tear than Rafael Devers of the Giants. After Turner Hill walked to leadoff the bottom of the 1st inning, Devers turned on an 84 mph Michael McGreevy curve and drove it off the huge wall in right for a RBI double and a 1-0 San Francisco lead.
The Giants added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning when Christian Koss reached on an infield single that glanced off of McGreevy's glove and then advanced to second after Michael flipped the ball over Burleson at first. Koss advanced to third on a groundout by Hill and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Eldredge to double the San Francisco lead to 2-0.
Rafael Devers would kickstart a two-out rally in the bottom of the 5th inning when he smoked another double. Bryce Eldredge followed that with a double that scored Devers giving the Giants a 3-0 lead.
The St. Louis Cardinals didn't get their first hit off of Giants starter Logan Webb until the top of the 3rd inning. They didn't get their first run of the game until the top of the 6th inning, but it was a dramatic one. Alec Burleson gave a 92 mph sinker a bath as he launched it 431 feet into the bay cutting into the San Francisco lead making it 3-1.

#inning #cardinals #devers #michael

As the Boston Red Sox make a run toward the postseason, the team will be without its center fielder for at least the next week with a right quadriceps strain.
On Sunday, the Red Sox announced that Ceddanne Rafaela was placed on the 10-day injured list. But the IL stint will be dated back to Sept. 3, so Rafaela could return in a week depending on how he recovers from the injury.
However, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy believes Rafaela could be activated when eligible on Sept. 13.
"That's my expectation," Tracy said, via MLB.com's Ian Browne. "Obviously, he has to go through running stuff next week, and you don't know how he's going to respond to that.
"But the way he's progressing right now, that's my expectation. We have to see how everything goes with the running. But we just got past the point of being able to wait [for him], and not have an extra player here for another four games or so."

#sept #tracy #next

The Boston Red Sox made a late-season roster move Sunday, calling up utility player Nate Eaton rather than top prospect Kristian Campbell.
Interim manager Chad Tracy explained the decision, noting that Eaton is simply the better option in the outfield right now. Eaton has appeared in 14 games with Boston this season, posting a .125 batting average with one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases across 32 at-bats.
MORE: Red Sox manager provides Ceddanne Rafaela update after loss to Mariners
His value is not in his bat but in his glove, as he has shown the ability to play third base, center field, right field, shortstop, left field, designated hitter and second base at the big-league level.
Campbell, 24, remains at Triple-A Worcester, where the Red Sox want him getting consistent at-bats rather than sitting on a bench in a limited role.

#season

By Ben Steiner
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Let it be known, St. Louis CITY SC mean business.
After a week that saw them shell out $12 million to the Colorado Rapids in a cash-for-player trade for Rafael Navarro, the Missouri side picked up a massive 3–1 road win at Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
While Navarro and fellow new striker signing Damion Downs made their debuts off the bench, it was Simon Becher — scoring against his former team — Tomas Totland and Conrad Wallem who netted the goals that extended St. Louis's MLS-best unbeaten streak to 13 games.
With the win, CITY pushed into fifth in the West, level on points with FC Dallas for the coveted top-four spot among the Audi MLS Cup Playoff seeds. At the same time, it put their opponents on notice for trophy aspirations for the rest of the year.

#city #rafael #missouri #western

Zac Thornton entered today's game with a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts. It's been quite the surprising season for the rookie lefty, who has managed those impressive topline numbers despite boasting less than flashy stuff and underlying peripherals. Alas, those topline numbers look a little bit worse after today's game, as Thornton underwent his worst start as a major leaguer, and the Mets were not able to work themselves out of the hole he put them in, resulting in a 9-5 loss to the Giants.
San Francisco struck within minutes of the game's start, as Rafael Devers socked Thornton's fourth pitch of the afternoon over the right field wall for a one-out solo homer. The Mets answered back in the bottom of the second when A.J. Ewing—who has been struggling mightily in the second-half—socked a two-out, two-run homer off Giants starter Anthony Molina. That gave the Amazins a 2-1 lead, but unfortunately they would not hold it for long. Thornton surrendered a lead-off single in the third inning, followed by a two-run blast to Christian Koss to put the Giants back in front.
Thornton went on to retire his next eight batters, right up until Koss—who entered today's game with just one homer this season—came to the plate again in the top of the fifth, and he hit his second home run of the afternoon. Not to be outdone, Devers came up two batters later following a single and socked his second home run of the day. Thornton surrendered one hit—a double from Bryce Eldridge, the fourth straight two-out hit of the inning—before finally retiring the Giants, but it was now a 6-2 ballgame.
Meanwhile, the Mets's bats did little against Molina after Ewing's homer (that hit in fact remained the only one surrendered by the Giants through six innings). Both teams went to their bullpens in the sixth inning—albeit with Molina's final line looking a lot better than Thornton's ugly one (5 innings, 7 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, 6 runs). Chris Devenski was the first reliever up for the Mets, and he did his job by tossing two scoreless innings. The bats finally got something going in the bottom of the seventh, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Francisco Alvarez struck out swinging for the second out, but the Mets then finally got another run on the board when Brett Baty walked to bring in a run and make it 6-3. Alas, the potential tying run was stranded, as Francisco Lindor grounded out to first to end the threat.
And the Giants quickly acted to make sure the Mets would not continue to claw their way back into the game. Jefry Yan took the mound in the top of the eighth and issued a one-out walk to Eldridge, followed by a two-run homer from Osleivis Basabe. That made it 8-3, but San Francisco still wasn't quite done. Justin Hagenman pitched the ninth, and just like every non-Devenski Mets pitcher of the day, he surrendered a homer—this one a one-out solo shot for Grant McCray. That made it six dingers for the Giants, in case you weren't keeping count.

#METS #h

Red Sox Make Notable Lineup Change For Friday Game Vs. Orioles originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox will have Trevor Story back in the starting lineup Friday night as they attempt to secure another important road victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Boston revealed its lineup for the second game of the four-game series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Story will start at shortstop and bat eighth after sitting out Thursday's 6-5 victory.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa started at shortstop in the series opener but will move to the bench Friday. Story's return represents the only change to the batting order submitted by Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. Ceddanne Rafaela remains out because of tightness in his right quadriceps. Rafaela is considered day-to-day, but his absence will extend to a second consecutive game. Eli White will start in center field and bat ninth.
Roman Anthony will lead off as Boston's designated hitter, followed by Mickey Gasper at first base. Adley Rutschman will catch and bat third one night after delivering his biggest performance since joining the Red Sox. Rutschman homered twice Thursday in his first game back at Camden Yards following the blockbuster trade that sent him from Baltimore to Boston on Aug. 3. His two solo shots helped the Red Sox capture the series opener and improve to 76-65.
Friday plans! pic.twitter.com/yObWkS7Cn8

#boston #story #baltimore #camden

Chad Tracy Gives Injury Update on Ceddanne Rafaela After Missing Game vs. Orioles originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Red Sox would like to claim the AL's top wild-card spot, but their focus appears to be squarely on getting as healthy as possible for the postseason.
Roman Anthony is back after a long absence and already hitting like a superstar, but a new injury concern popped up Thursday night when Ceddanne Rafaela was held out of Boston's lineup.
After the 6-5 win over the Orioles, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy gave an update on Rafaela that should have concerned fans breathing somewhat of a sigh of relief.
Here's what Tracy had to say and when Rafaela could return.

#tracy #chad #update #like

Rafael Ribeiro / CBFCredits: Palmeiras and Vasco go after the ***** le
It's time to find out who will be the 2026 Brazilian U-20 champion. Palmeiras and Vasco face off this Friday (4), at 7 p.m. (Brasília time), at Nubank Parque, in São Paulo (SP), for the second and decisive leg of the final. After a 1-0 win in the first match at São Januário (look back here), in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Verdão takes the field with the advantage in the ***** le race.
Palmeiras' winning goal in the first game was scored by Erick Belé late in the first half. As a result, a draw is enough to secure the trophy for Verdão. If Vasco manage to win by a one-goal margin and level the aggregate score, the champion will be decided on penalties.
The advantage, however, does not mean peace of mind. Vasco showed in the first match that they can trouble their opponent and will now have 90 minutes to try to change the course of the final. The Rio side have reached the final for the first time in the history of the Brazilian U-20 Championship and need to win away from home to take the trophy back to São Januário.
The first match was at São Januário Credits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBF

#ribeiro

The Houston Rockets locked up a member of their young core Thursday morning, agreeing to a five-year $208 million contract extension with Amen Thompson, which equates to an average annual value of $41.6 million per season. The deal also includes a 10% trade kicker if Thompson were to be moved in the future.
Overall this was a sound move made by Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. Signing Thompson well below the value of a max contract ($255 million) will give Houston more flexibility moving forward. Additionally, had the Rockets waited until next summer, Thompson may have had the chance to earn a supermax deal if he were to make an All-NBA Team, win an MVP award or win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Considering one of those three outcomes isn't out of the realm of possibility, the Rockets saved even more money by reaching an agreement with Thompson as soon as they did.
With two seasons remaining on Kevin Durant's deal, Houston has put themselves in a position to succeed with their young core following his eventual retirement.
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#rockets

The San Francisco Giants notched a feel-good 5-4 win in extra-innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
The win ought to put a better taste in the team's mouth after Tuesday's loss in which they erased a five-run deficit in the eighth, but were walked off in the bottom of the ninth when Rafael Devers couldn't snag a tricky throw across the diamond from Osleivis Basabe.
Here are takeaways from the Giants' win:
Bryce Eldridge fastballs:
With his grandmother watching him play at the big league level for the first time - several days after his grandfather passed away - Eldridge delivered the go-ahead run with an RBI double smacked the other way in the 10th inning.

#eldridge #pirates #osleivis

Red Sox Receive Encouraging Ceddanne Rafaela Update After Early Exit originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox did not have many reasons to feel good after Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, but the initial news on Ceddanne Rafaela appears encouraging. Rafaela was removed after the sixth inning because of quad tightness. Interim manager Chad Tracy indicated the move was precautionary, especially with the Red Sox trailing 8-1 at the time.
"Ceddanne Rafaela exited today with quad tightness," The Boston Globe's Tim Healey reported after speaking with Tracy. "He tried to keep playing, but in a blowout, the Red Sox decided it wasn't worth it."
Rafaela finished 1-for-3 before Eli White replaced him in center field. The fact that Rafaela attempted to remain in the game suggests Boston is not immediately anticipating an extended absence. He should still be considered day to day entering Thursday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.
Boston has already been forced to navigate several physical issues during a critical portion of its schedule. Willson Contreras recently landed on the injured list with a hamstring injury. Adley Rutschman has been dealing with a hyperextended right elbow, while Garrett Crochet is still working toward a return from his lat and shoulder issue.

#ceddanne #tracy #tightness #receive

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pirates fought back in the late innings to force extras but fell 5-4 to the Giants in the 10th on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
Top 1st, 1-0 SFG: For the second straight game, Rafael Devers homered to center. His solo blast off Bubba Chandler gave the Giants (58-82) an early lead.
Bottom 4th, 1-1: The Pirates (68-72) tied the game when Landen Roupp issued a two-out walk to Esmerlyn Valdez with the bases loaded.
Top 5th, 3-1 SFG: The Giants loaded the bases after Oneil Cruz and Valdez watched a ball fall in shallow right-center. Bryce Eldridge followed with a sacrifice fly to center and Turner Hill delivered a two-out RBI single to right.

#Giants #game #wednesday

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates fought back in the late innings to force extras but fell 5-4 to the Giants in the 10th on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
Top 1st, 1-0 SFG: For the second straight game, Rafael Devers homered to center. His solo blast off Bubba Chandler gave the Giants (58-82) an early lead.
Bottom 4th, 1-1: The Pirates (68-72) tied the game when Landen Roupp issued a two-out walk to Esmerlyn Valdez with the bases loaded.
Top 5th, 3-1 SFG: The Giants loaded the bases after Oneil Cruz and Valdez watched a ball fall in shallow right-center. Bryce Eldridge followed with a sacrifice fly to center and Turner Hill delivered a two-out RBI single to right.
Bottom 7th, 3-2 SFG: The Pirates put two runners in scoring position with one out against Ryan Walker. After the Giants turned to Ryan Walker, Spencer Horwitz got his team within a run on an RBI groundout to short.

#Giants #bottom #game #bases

The Boston Red Sox lost Wednesday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners at home by a final score of 8-3. Even with the series loss, Boston remains in position to earn a spot in the American League wild card race for the second consecutive season.
The priority moving forward will be not only securing their spot but also getting as close to full strength as possible before October arrives. That means keeping all their core players healthy, including center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
MORE: Red Sox forced to replace Willson Contreras after Yankees series
Rafaela departed Wednesday's game in the top of the seventh inning with backup outfielder Eli White entering in his place in center field. After the game, interim manager Chad Tracy provided the reasoning behind his exit.
Tracy revealed that Rafaela is dealing with quad tightness and with the game out of reach he decided the smart move was to not push it and remove him from the contes, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

#series #spot #Seattle

China's Bu Yunchaokete produced one of the US Open's most surprising results so far on Wednesday, drubbing rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar in straight sets.
Bu, ranked 124th, needed less than two hours to take down 12th-seeded Jodar, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 in one of the most one-sided scorelines of this year's championships.
A native of Xinjiang, Bu lost in the final round of qualifying, but was granted a spot as a "lucky loser" when Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew with an injury.
Bu had finished his warmup Tuesday morning ahead of a planned flight that evening when he found out he could play. Now he's in the second round against American Michael Zheng, a two-time US collegiate champion.
"It's nothing you can lose with a lucky loser," Bu said after the match, describing his approach as "enjoy the crowd and enjoy the court and play one of the best players in this year."

#loser #spanish

In his second media interview in three days, Dana Brown, who was dismissed as Houston Astros general manager Aug. 24, stood up for Jeff Bagwell, Jim Crane and Joe Espada.
Speaking with A.J. Pierzynski, Erik Kratz and Scott Braun on Tuesday's episode of "Foul Territory," Brown made it clear he had no hard feelings about the people trying to keep the Astros in first place in the American League West, especially Bagwell, the senior advisor for the franchise, who works closely with Crane, the team's owner, on baseball decisions.
"Jeff Bagwell's a good baseball man," Brown said in the 16-minute interview. "I have no problems with Jeff Bagwell. I love talking with Jeff. We have some great conversations."
Bagwell, a Hall of Famer for the 15 years he manned first base for the Astros, has become a bit of a divisive figure among fans concerned about his influence in front-office decisions. After general manager James Click was let go shortly after the team won the 2022 World Series, Bagwell and Crane orchestrated many of the moves that offseason, including signing first baseman José Abreu and reuniting with reliever Rafael Montero and outfielder Michael Brantley. Neither Abreu or Montero made it to the final season of their three-year contracts and Brantley was able to play just 15 games after signing his deal.
With Brown gone, Crane has taken over baseball operations with Bagwell working with the team's three ******* istant general managers to take over Brown's duties until the next general manager is in place.

#astros

Following a 9-8, 10-inning win for Boston in the opener last night, the Mariners (64-74) and the Red Sox (75-63) continue their three-game series tonight at Fenway.
Seattle appeared poised to steal the opener after battling back and generating offense throughout the night. The Mariners totaled 11 hits receiving contributions up and down the lineup. The Sox got one more hit and ultimately, one more run. They forced extra innings with two runs in the eighth on a Trevor Story double and one in the ninth on a sac fly from Ceddanne Rafaela before Story again picked up a big hit in the tenth, a single to center, driving in Eli White to win it for the Red Sox. Aroldis Chapman picked up the win. Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh went yard for the Mariners, but it was not enough.
Seattle closed the month of August with five straight losses and now sit six games behind the Astros in the AL West and 5.5 games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Red Sox snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the win to pull within three games of the Yankees and the top Wild Card spot in the American League.
Seattle looks to snap the skid with right-hander Bryan Woo (9-9, 4.36 ERA) on the ******* p. Woo's most recent outing came August 26 against Philadelphia, and it was one of his rougher starts of the year. The Phillies tagged him for six earned runs on five hits over four innings, including a pair of home runs. He struck out five but was unable to work deep into the game as Seattle lost 6-0. The righthander fared far better in his previous two starts. He allowed two runs in six innings at Houston on August 16 and threw five scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on August 11. The Red Sox have yet to announce their starter for tonight. It was Sonny Gray's (16-4, 2.79 ERA) turn to take the ball but Boston earlier announced they planned to give him an extra day of rest.
Lets dive further into today's game and find a sweat or two.

#games #boston #story

And so it ends…
Just as the Atlanta Braves were on a hot streak, the San Francisco Giants took the power back in this makeup game with a 7-3 win.
The Giants' Rafael Devers set the tone with a home run in the top of the first inning. Matt Olson answered right after in the bottom half with an RBI groundout to bring Drake Baldwin in and put the Braves on the board.
A Michael Harris II home run then gave the Braves a 2-1 lead in the second inning.
San Francisco wouldn't let them have the last word, however, after knocking in an RBI single of their own in the top of the fifth to tie things back up.

#rafael

WNBA star Angel Reese addressed online critics head-on after facing backlash over swimsuit selfies posted to her social media. Refusing to apologize or change her personal brand, Reese pushed back against public commentary about how female athletes choose to present themselves outside of basketball.
Reese defended her right to share lifestyle content without facing unwanted ******* ual attention. She also said fame can make people forget that she is still a young woman dealing with the pressure of public life.
The comments came on "Unapologetically Angel," the podcast Reese hosts with co-host Maya Reese. The conversation started after co-host Maya Reese asked Angel for her take on people in the media and online who treat her confidence in her body as justification for ******* ualizing her.
Reese said she simply does not accept that logic. "I don't know what that means because I'm a beautiful woman, I've been posting pictures in my bikinis, I got a nice body, and I work hard for it," Reese said. "If I want to post a picture of my bikini, I should be able to without being ******* ualized where I'm saying I'm asking for it."
Jul 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) waits for play to start against the Washington Mystics during the third quarter at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

#angel #maya

After making a strong impression in Ligue 1 and Serie A, Rafael Leão is leaving Europe's top five leagues to move to Turkey.
The now former AC Milan winger has signed for Galatasaray for a transfer fee estimated at €38 million, according to the Istanbul club's statement. The Rossoneri are also said to have secured a 20% sell-on clause.
Long expected to join the Premier League, particularly Aston Villa, Leão was ultimately won over by Galatasaray's sporting and financial arguments.
Voted Serie A's best player in 2022, the Portuguese dribbling specialist joins the growing list of stars who have chosen to move to the Süper Lig this year, including N'Golo Kanté, Romelu Lukaku, Mohamed Salah, Leandro Trossard, and Dušan Vlahović.
Leão leaves AC Milan behind with a mixed legacy: that of a dynamic and likeable forward, but one too often plagued by inconsistency.

#turkey #galatasaray #istanbul

Rafael Leao is flying out to Istanbul to undergo his medical tests with Galatasaray: 'Thanks for everything, ' he said before leaving. ' I've felt at home since day one.'
Portuguese winger Leao is ready to join Galatasaray. Last night, he was at San Siro for Milan's 2-0 loss against Venezia, but was not available and spoke to journalists after the final whistle.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – AUGUST 08: Rafael Leao of AC Milan shoots against Moises Caicedo of Chelsea FC during the pre-season friendly between Chelsea FC and AC Milan at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Peksi Cahyo/Getty Images)
A few hours later, he packed his luggage and prepared for his trip to Turkey, where he'll join Galatasaray on a permanent deal exceeding €45m.
"I wanted to be on the field, say goodbye to the fans and feel their energy, but it wasn't possible," he told reporters.

#galatasaray