With four training camp practices complete for the Indianapolis Colts, let's take a look at each positional battle taking place and predict the winner based on what we currently know.
The caveat, of course, is that there are still several weeks of practices and preseason games remaining that can change the current landscape. Also, how the coaches are evaluating these competitions behind the scenes could differ from how the outside world sees things.
That said, what the starting lineups look like in practice and which players are making regular plays provide us with some potential insights into where things stand.
Shane Steichen said on Day 1 that Leonard and Anthony Richardson would rotate with the second-team offense, but on Saturday, Leonard took the bulk of those snaps.
Rookie Seth McGowan has seemingly been the steadier of the two, with Giddens dealing with dropped passes. That said, Giddens bounced back on Saturday and seems to offer more playmaking upside.

#saturday #shane

In the Indianapolis Colts' backup quarterback competition, has an early leader emerged in training camp?
According to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan, during Saturday's practice, Riley Leonard "definitely received the bulk of the second-team work."
Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports added that Leonard was "noticeably more active than Anthony Richardson Sr." Arthur noted that Leonard was 8-for-15 passing, while Richardson was only 1-for-3.
Shane Steichen did say after the first training camp practice that the plan was for Leonard and Richardson to rotate with the second-team offense, although that wasn't the case on Saturday.
While Richardson competes for the backup role, his trade request is still on the table. GM Chris Ballard's intention at this time is to keep Richardson. The Colts aren't going to "give him away," he said, but a trade is still a possibility.

#second

BALTIMORE (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez struck out 11 in six innings, helping the Philadelphia Phillies snap their four-game losing streak with a 5-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Sánchez kept the Orioles off the scoreboard despite five walks. Twice, he retired Baltimore's Leody Taveras with the bases loaded to end an inning.
Sánchez (14-4) allowed just two hits after yielding 35 in 21 1/3 innings in July.
Shane Baz (4-10) gave up a run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He was pulled after a 15-pitch battle with Bryson Stott that ended with an infield single.
The Phillies blew a two-run lead in the seventh Friday night and entered the middle game of this series with only a one-game lead for the final wild card in the National League. The bullpen held on this time, and the offense added four runs in the eighth.

#four

Shane Drohan turned in six strong innings in a bounce-back outing, while the Brewers broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning fueled by home runs from Brice Turang and Jake Bauers. After dropping two of three to the Giants to open their California road trip, Milwaukee got back on track tonight with a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
After neither team managed to score in the first, Bauers and Garrett Mitchell led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles off Angels starter Ryan Johnson. Up next was Cooper Pratt, who slapped a line drive into left field. With Bauers rounding third, Angels left fielder Jose Siri charged the ball in an attempt to gun him down at the plate but couldn't come up with it cleanly. By the time the dust settled, Pratt had reached second, Mitchell advanced to third, and Bauers had scored the Brewers' first run of the game.
Neither team scored again until the fifth, when Johnson walked Pratt to open the frame. Turang then hit a towering fly ball that had just enough carry to clear the center-field fence.
Johnson continued to unravel, allowing Jackson Chourio to single before walking William Contreras to put another rally in motion. He managed just one more out—a sharp lineout off the bat of Christian Yelich—before being pulled in favor of Jose Fermín, whose second pitch to Bauers, a slider low and inside, hung just long enough. Bauers crushed it 424 feet into the seats to make it 6-0, a lead that proved to be more than enough with Drohan on the mound.
Drohan was perfect the first time through the order. In the fourth, he allowed back-to-back singles to Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel before bouncing back to get Jorge Soler to ground into an inning-ending double play. He surrendered a two-run homer to Denzer Guzman in the fifth, bringing the Angels within four, but retired the side in order in the sixth to finish his night. After allowing five earned runs against Colorado in his previous outing, Drohan responded with one of his better starts of the season, earning his sixth win. He's now gone at least 5 2/3 innings in all six of his starts during the month of July.

#drohan #pratt #second

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) —
Brice Turang and Jake Bauers powered a five-run fifth inning with home runs, Shane Drohan struck out seven in six innings, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 on Friday night.
Drohan (6-4) allowed two runs on four hits and walked one while delivering his fifth straight start of six innings or more for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who have won nine of 13 games.
Milwaukee reliever Grant Anderson threw a one-two-three seventh and got the first out of the eighth, Abner Uribe retired two batters in the eighth, and closer Trevor Megill retired the side in order with a strikeout in the ninth.
Starter Ryan Johnson (2-6) gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Angels, who have lost four straight, seven of eight and 19 of 24.

#innings #seven

The Rays entered Friday's game with a three-game lead in the AL East, after the Yankees beat the Cubs in an afternoon affair at Wrigley Field, By the end of Friday's game, which saw the division lead cut to 2.5, the last completed trade was AJ Minter to the Twins. There is now less than three days until Monday's 6 pm deadline.
Nick Martinez took the mound for the Rays, and it wasn't a night to remember for the All-Star pitcher. He gave up six runs over six innings, all of them coming on four White Sox home runs. It's a scary thought to think about Martinez, who doesn't have overpowering stuff, facing teams like this in a postseason setting. There's still time to bolster this rotation, Erik.
The one bright spot for the Rays on Friday night was Junior Caminero hitting his 30th home run of the season. He's on pace to reach the 40 mark for a second straight season.
Alex Cook, who replaced Shane McClanahan on the active roster, made his Major League debut, pitching the seventh and eighth innings. Cook walked a pair and didn't record any strikeouts, but kept the White Sox off the board in his two innings of work. He leaned on his fastball, throwing it 76% of the time, occasionally mixing in a slider and changeup.
In Durham this season, Cook has thrown 33.1 innings with a 3.78 ERA.

#rays #martinez

The Brewers didn't get off to the best start on their six-game California road trip, dropping two of three to the San Francisco Giants. After an off day to regroup, they'll have as good an opportunity as any to get back on track against a Los Angeles Angels team that's tied with the Rockies for the worst record in baseball.
On the mound for the Brewers is left-hander Shane Drohan, who's been excellent in his first season with the organization. Drohan has posted a 3.51 ERA while striking out 82 batters in 82 innings this year. He was originally scheduled to start the series finale against the Giants, but Brewers manager Pat Murphy instead called up Thomas Pannone for a spot start to give his rotation a little extra rest.
The Angels will counter with 23-year-old right-hander Ryan Johnson, their second-round competitive balance selection in the 2024 draft. Johnson made headlines last season after breaking camp with the big league club despite never pitching in the minor leagues. He struggled to a 7.36 ERA across 14 relief appearances as a rookie and has posted an almost identical 7.34 ERA through 11 appearances (eight starts) this season.
As for the lineup, Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio will bat first and second for the second straight game, followed by designated hitter Christian Yelich. William Contreras will hit cleanup, with Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell batting fifth and sixth. Rounding out the lineup are Luis Lara (.832 OPS in his first 42 at-bats as a Brewer), David Hamilton, and Cooper Pratt. With Hamilton starting at third base, Joey Ortiz is out of the lineup again tonight.
One final piece of roster news: left-hander DL Hall, who owns a 2.03 ERA in 24 appearances this season, has been activated from the injured list. Pannone was designated for **** ignment in a corresponding move.

#brewers #hander

WESTFIELD — Every member of the Colts' brain trust, from Indianapolis principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon to general manager Chris Ballard to head coach Shane Steichen, has opened their comments at training camp this week by singing the praises of Grand Park and the city of Westfield.
Words that remain a little bittersweet this year.
The Colts are in the eighth and final year they will hold training camp at Grand Park, preparing to move training camp back to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on West 56th next summer.
"It was a tough decision to come to, because as I said, Grand Park has been a great host," Irsay-Gordon said. "It wasn't a financial decision, it was really more about the operational efficiency and making sure our team can prepare to perform on game day."
The Colts initially paid the city of Westfield $653,000 to host training camp at Grand Park for 10 years.

#grand #park #colts #camp

WESTFIELD — Every member of the Colts' brain trust, from Indianapolis principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon to general manager Chris Ballard to head coach Shane Steichen, has opened their comments at training camp this week by singing the praises of Grand Park and the city of Westfield.
Words that remain a little bittersweet this year.
The Colts are in the eighth and final year they will hold training camp at Grand Park, preparing to move training camp back to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on West 56th next summer.
"It was a tough decision to come to, because as I said, Grand Park has been a great host," Irsay-Gordon said. "It wasn't a financial decision, it was really more about the operational efficiency and making sure our team can prepare to perform on game day."
The Colts initially paid the city of Westfield $653,000 to host training camp at Grand Park for 10 years.

#grand #park #colts #year

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have not been shy about their efforts to add starting pitching in the lead-up to the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET Monday. The Sox are casting a wide net in their search for playoff-caliber rotation reinforcements, with the hope of getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
The White Sox have been scouring the market in recent days, and sources tell Yahoo Sports that Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber and Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers are two names on Chicago's radar. Bieber is a familiar face to the White Sox, as he faced them for seven seasons while a member of the Cleveland Guardians. This year, the Blue Jays' right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.74 ERA in seven starts.
Rogers, who is 6-7 with a 4.27 ERA in 20 starts this season, has come on strong over the past month and a half. The Orioles' southpaw has a 1.85 ERA with 41 strikeouts across his past seven starts. Both Bieber and Rogers will become free agents at the end of the 2026 season.
Chicago, like other upstart contenders around the sport, would love to add controllable starting pitching to their roster if they can. But the Sox also aren't afraid to go the rental route, depending on what the market presents over the next few days. Yahoo Sports reported on Monday that the White Sox were showing interest in starting pitchers who fit the window of the team's young core, with Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers high on their list.
Chicago has also continued to show interest in New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes. The Sox were one of several teams who had representatives at Holmes' rehab start on Tuesday. The Mets' right-hander, who has a player option for 2027, can become a free agent at the end of this season.

#right

Shane Steichen was very pleased with what he saw from Daniel Jones during the Indianapolis Colts' first practice on Wednesday.
"I thought he looked really good," Steichen said after Day 1.
On Day 2 of training camp, Jones continued to build upon that initial performance.
Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan wrote that Jones was "very sharp" to begin Thursday's practice, starting the day 5-for-5. He was perfect during the 7-on-7 period as well.
Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports noted that after Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner generated some pass breakups on Wednesday, Jones didn't shy away from either defender on Day 2, and completed "successful 10-plus-yard dig routes."

#steichen #colts #bowen

Because Florence Pugh is one of Marvel's biggest current stars, and her character, Yelena Belova, plays a role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it wasn't much of a surprise to see her on the red carpet for the London premiere.
Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images
The British actress has been on an exceptional run of late, so I was delighted to see that continue in this Tamara Ralph Spring 2026 Couture dress.
Remember when I used to cry tears of frustration over Florence's red-carpet choices? Tonight, they were tears of joy as she glided onto the red carpet in this silver bugle-bead fringe gown with its dramatic winged neckline. I'll admit my mind initially wandered to Harris Reed, but Tamara Ralph's execution has a lighter, more fluid elegance, less theatrical feel.
A gown embellished with silver crystal Xilions hardly called for additional jewellery, yet her Bvlgari pieces, particularly the emerald earrings and matching ring, added another layer of glamour.

#tamara #tears #gown #belova

Blue Jays' Shane Bieber loses control with franchise-worse six first-inning walks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During his final outing before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, Toronto Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber tossed a dud, walking six first-inning batters at Nationals Park on Tuesday night.
No other pitcher in Blue Jays history issued that many bases on ******* in one frame in franchise history. He also walked the second-most batters in the first inning in major-league history.
Pulled after 42 pitches and only 15 strikes, Bieber's pitching line was unique. No other hurler in league history surrendered four runs on one hit with zero strikeouts and six walks. He also failed to induce one whiff.
Washington Nationals leadoff batter James Wood worked a six-pitch walk.

#history #sporting #franchise

Shane Bieber melted down, which cost the Jays a chance to win but probably more importantly derailed a string of solid starts that had hopefully been pushing his trade value back up. Also, Vladimir Guerrero jr. left the game before the bottom of the fourth after legging out an infield single and throwing error in the third. It was later reported to be a right hamstring injury. So a good day all around.
We got a fun moment before the game as Louis Varland and his brother Gus, recently recalled from AAA by the Nationals, got to do the lineup card exchange.
There was an hour long rain delay before we could get going tonight. Cade Cavalli didn't look bothered, but it looked like the delay really threw Shane Bieber. He couldn't get any of his pitches across, missing badly all over the plate. After the Jays were retired in the first with just a Nathan Lukes single erased by a Vladimir Guerrero jr. double play ball, Bieber walked two the first three Washington hitters. Then CJ Abrams reached on an infield ground ball when Bieber couldn't find the bag while recieving Luis Urias' toss, loading the bases with just one out. Walks to Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile forced in a pair of runs. A Nasim Nunez sac fly plated Abrams to make it 3-0. Then another walk, to Jorbit Vivas, re-loaded the bases, and a sixth, to Jacob Young, pushed yet another run across. That was enough for the Jays, who called for Brendon Little. He got a ground out to finally end the inning.
The Jays had a chance in the second, with George Springer walking and Ernie Clement lining a single, but they failed to capitalize. Little returned for the bottom half and struck out the side.
Toronto got on board in the third. Yohendrick Pinango walked with one out, but was traded for Lukes on a fielder's choice. The speed upgrade mattered, as Vlad hit a slow roller to third and Vivas's throw to first went wide, allowing Lukes to come all the way around to score, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Little kept dealing, getting a ground out and a strikeout among the first two batters. Nunez reached when Ernie Clement bobbled a soft chopper to third, but Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down stealing second with a beautiful throw.

#lukes

Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Jeana Keough was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, her daughter Kara and son Shane revealed on July 19
As a result of her chemotherapy and radiation, she has suffered severe pain, malnutrition and a blood clot
Her daughter announced on Monday, July 27, that due to the pain and treatment, her mother can't speak
Jeana Keough continues to face difficult challenges amid her tongue cancer treatment.
The two older children of the Real Housewives of Orange County alum, 70, Kara, 37, and Shane, 39, revealed on July 19 that their mother was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue after she noticed a painful spot on her tongue and decided to get a biopsy. (Jeana also shares 34-year-old son Colton with her late husband, Matt Keough.)

#county

WESTFIELD – As he marveled at the zip on the ball and the fluidity with which his starting quarterback moved during recent private workouts in Florida, Colts receiver Josh Downs says he had to remind himself that Daniel Jones was ever injured.
"That's how good he looked out there. I'm excited to see him out there, full-go and getting after it," Downs said Tuesday.
Wednesday marks a monumental day for the 29-year-old quarterback, who a year ago entered camp on a one-year, $14 million prove-it deal that only promised him the chance to compete with 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson Sr. for the Colts' starting role, and no more.
In Indianapolis, Jones matched wits with head coach Shane Steichen and found himself holding the car keys to what in September and October was the league's most electric offense, and seemed a shoo-in to compete for the AFC's top seed and threaten for a deep playoff push.
Not yet even eight months ago, Jones collapsed onto the turf in Indianapolis' house of horrors in Jacksonville. A resurgent campaign that had sparked MVP conversations had been first hampered by a fractured fibula and then ended with the snap of his right Achilles tendon Dec. 7. But Wednesday, Jones returned to the field without restrictions. What once was a very real question -- whether Jones would be ready for a Week 1 return -- seems a foregone conclusion.

#jones #colts #downs #quarterback

WESTFIELD – As he marveled at the zip on the ball and the fluidity with which his starting quarterback moved during recent private workouts in Florida, Colts receiver Josh Downs says he had to remind himself that Daniel Jones was ever injured.
"That's how good he looked out there. I'm excited to see him out there, full-go and getting after it," Downs said Tuesday.
Wednesday marks a monumental day for the 29-year-old quarterback, who a year ago entered camp on a one-year, $14 million prove-it deal that only promised him the chance to compete with 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson Sr. for the Colts' starting role, and no more.
In Indianapolis, Jones matched wits with head coach Shane Steichen and found himself holding the car keys to what in September and October was the league's most electric offense, and seemed a shoo-in to compete for the AFC's top seed and threaten for a deep playoff push.
Not yet even eight months ago, Jones collapsed onto the turf in Indianapolis' house of horrors in Jacksonville. A resurgent campaign that had sparked MVP conversations had been first hampered by a fractured fibula and then ended with the snap of his right Achilles tendon Dec. 7. But Wednesday, Jones returned to the field without restrictions. What once was a very real question -- whether Jones would be ready for a Week 1 return -- seems a foregone conclusion.

#jones #compete

Here's a terrifying thought for you: one day in the distant future college football fans may forget just how amazing Brock Bowers was during his Georgia Bulldogs career.
I know, it's difficult to imagine. Bowers played three seasons of college football and was named All-SEC and All-American in each of them. He won the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end two years running. Over 50 catches every season, 2538 receiving yards, and 26 receiving touchdowns. Every honor and number is truly impressive.
But a picture is worth a thousand words. Just ask the South Carolina Gamecocks.
In 2022 Bowers could have beaten Shane Beamer's squad all by himself, scoring three touchdowns, one on the ground and two through the air, including a 78 yarder in which he made the Gamecock defense look like it was stuck in concrete.
Unfortunately for the Garnet and Black Bowers had teammates, on both sides of the ball. The Gamecocks ran only 34 plays on offense in a first half that saw them shut out while the Bulldogs cruised out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Somehow it got even worse in the second half, with Georgia veritably tap dancing to a three more touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 45-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dawgs would tack on one more field goal before the 'Cocks got on the board late to avoid a shutout, losing "only" 48-7.

#bulldogs #Football

While talking season is in full swing, only 40 days remain before the preseason predictions cease and SEC football officially begins.
Five head coaches in the league are set to make their debuts with their new respective squads, as they attempt to usher in a new era by rebuilding and revamping. Others, like Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, are on the hot seat if they can't turn things around and improve from last season's efforts.
Outside of coaching headlines, major quarterback battles are occurring at Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, as they look to find their starter for the upcoming campaign. Meanwhile, established gunslingers like Trinidad Chambliss and Arch Manning are looking to exceed expectations and bring hardware to the SEC once again.
That's just a small glimpse of all the storylines set to unfold in a few short weeks. The time for talking is almost over, with Missouri opening the season for the SEC against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on September 3.
Based on talent, coaching staff and scheduling, here are my predictions of where each SEC team will finish the 2026-27 season:

#head #predictions #like

The Colorado Rockies played the Milwaukee Brewers' kind of game better than the Brewers did Friday afternoon.
Colorado attacked Shane Drohan with hard contact, created pressure on the bases, and turned productive outs into runs. Tomoyuki Sugano used his seven-pitch mix to keep Milwaukee from settling into a comfortable look, while the bullpen covered the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run.
The Rockies built a 4-1 lead by scoring in the first, third, and fourth innings. Christian Yelich and Brice Turang supplied Milwaukee's only damage against Sugano with solo home runs, but TJ Rumfield answered with a pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh to extend the advantage to 5-2.
Milwaukee made one final push in the ninth with back-to-back singles against Jordan Romano, bringing the tying run to the plate with **** ody out. Romano recovered by retiring Joey Ortiz, Gary Sánchez and Yelich to secure the win.
The Brewers entered the afternoon 26-7 in series openers under two-time reigning NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy. They also entered allowing fewer stolen bases than any team in baseball.

#runs

Barcelona took on Club Esportiu Europa in a friendly training match on Friday evening and came away with a 4-1 victory.
The two teams played behind closed doors, which means details are a little thin on the ground, but we do know Hansi Flick picked a very youthful team for the first half.
Here's a look at the team:
Barcelona starting XI: Wojciech Szczęsny; Hector Fort, Andreas Christensen, Gerard Martín, Jofre Torrents; Guille Fernández, Brian Fariñas; Roony Bardghji, Ibrahim Diarra, Hamza Abdelkarim and Shane Kluivert.
New signing Karim Adeyemi was present but didn't feature for Barcelona after only meeting up with his new team-mates for training for the first time today.

#team

Every player wants to hit the ground running and start the new season fast once training camp begins. But for which Indianapolis Colts players is this a must?
The reasons a strong training camp showing is vital can vary from player to player, but all three of these offensive players require a quick start once practices begin.
Treadwell finds himself in the mix for the starting WR3 role, competing with Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. But even if Treadwell doesn't secure that job, he is still positioned to make a run at earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
Up to this point in his Colts' tenure, Treadwell has spent his share of time on the practice squad. But with the wide receiver depth taking a hit this offseason, his experience -- both in the NFL and in Shane Steichen's offense -- could be quite valuable. The Colts could also utilize more of a rotation at that WR3 spot, with matchups and in-game situations dictating who is on the field, which could provide Treadwell with another opportunity to earn playing time.
He's also shown he can contribute to multiple special teams phases as well, which will factor into the equation as Steichen and Chris Ballard construct the final roster.

#roster

It is tough to sweep a four-game series, unless you are the impossibly hot Boston Red Sox. Perhaps Shane Bieber took it upon himself to make Kyle Snyder, Kevin Cash, and the front office beliebers and effort to acquire him before the August 3rd deadline. Bieber had his second consecutive fantastic outing since the break with seven innings of one-run baseball allowing just three baserunners before handing it over to the A-pen to finish the game.
This was the type of game Toronto envisioned this winter, but has rarely been able to put together throguhout this frustrating season. The three runs scored today was the most runs the team has scored in their last six games, but it was the pitching that was story of the game and why the Rays offense was mostly lifeless today.
Bieber himself had just 8 swings and misses on 39 pitches, but he did a fantastic job working an extremely liberal strike zone to his advantage for seven innings:
The zone was questionable all day, but it was not until the 7th inning that any Rays batter challenged a pitch. Jonny DeLuca challenged a first pitch cutter that was well off the plate and had it overturned:
There were not many pitches more aggregiously wrong than this one, but Bieber certainly enjoyed a fair number of favorable strike calls in this contest yet the Rays were stubborn in using their challenges until DeLuca apparently had enough in the 7th inning:

#game #deluca #three #runs

TORONTO (AP) — Shane Bieber pitched a season-high seven innings to win his second straight start, George Springer reached base three times and drove in a run, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Thursday to avoid a four-game sweep.
Bieber (2-1) allowed one run and three hits. He walked none and struck out three.
Tyler Rogers worked the eighth and Louis Varland finished for his 21st save in 21 opportunities.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two singles and an RBI, and Springer went 2 for 3 with a walk as Toronto won for the second time in 10 meetings with the Rays.
The Blue Jays are 2-5 since the All-Star break, scoring just 13 runs.

#springer #second #george

The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (59-42) will look to complete a four-game sweep of the struggling Toronto Blue Jays (46-56) this afternoon. Tampa Bay has outscored Toronto 23-5 through the first three games of the series. The Rays lead the AL East by 2.5 games over the Yankees while the Jays sit in the cellar 13.5 games behind Tampa.
Last night, the Rays rode a dominant start from Griffin Jax and a couple RBIs from Victor Mesa Jr. to a 4-2 win. Jax allowed just one run over six innings to earn his sixth win of the season. Mesa failed to go yard for the first time in four games, but he did pick up a couple hits. He has now hit in four straight games (5-15) with three home runs and five runs batted in.
The pitching matchup today features Ian Seymour (6-2, 4.79 ERA) for Tampa Bay against former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber (1-1, 5.70 ERA) for Toronto.
The 27-year-old Seymour has struggled in each of his last three starts allowing 12 runs in just 11.2 innings. In his most recent start, Seymour faced Boston on July 18 and lasted only three innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits (both home runs) and two walks while striking out four.
Shane Bieber (elbow) is still working his way back into form after missing significant time and has made only five starts this season. He threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts against the White Sox on July 18. The question entering Thursday is whether that outing represented a true turning point or simply a one-start rebound.

#runs #rays #start

With training camp near, ESPN's Stephen Holder put together his pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction, and absent from it were two offseason additions made by Indianapolis Colts' GM Chris Ballard.
At the wide receiver position, Holder had the Colts keeping six players, but not included was seventh-round pick Deion Burks. Instead, Holder had Indianapolis keeping Laquon Treadwell.
Burks brings impressive speed to the offense, and although listed at 5-10, 180 pounds, the Colts view him as a player who can line up both in the slot and outside. He could double as a return man as well.
That said, from the jump, Treadwell, with his experience in the NFL and in Shane Steichen's offense, can potentially make a greater impact early on. He can also contribute to more special teams phases.
But releasing Burks comes with an obvious risk; there's no guarantee that he makes it back to the practice squad. Another team could swoop in and claim him.

#colts #training #offense

SEC Media Days usually center around topics involving improvement for programs and goals for the upcoming season. During Shane Beamer's session, his status as a quasi-streaming celebrity came up during his opening remarks.
Beamer spoke about an offseason trip he took with his family in Turks and Caicos, and how he was recognized in an unlikely location.
"My family and I were in Turks and Caicos back in February and was going through the TSA line down in Turks, and the guy that was doing everything in TSA looked at me and said, You look familiar. And then it hit him. He said, You're an SEC football coach. I watched that Netflix special "Fantasia," because he saw the episode where I sang "Fantasia" to my wife after the A&M game," Beamer shared during SEC Media Days.
The TSA agent might not have remembered the correct name of the show, but Beamer spoke to the impact Netflix's Any Given Saturday has had on the program from a branding standpoint. The Gamecocks have players from Ireland and Germany on their roster this season.
"One, kind of go back to what I said about the whole Netflix special. When we agreed to be one of the teams to participate on the Netflix "Any Given Saturday" documentary, that was one of the things that I thought about, was just the amount of people that would see that and they'd be exposed to SEC football and say, Man, South Carolina looks like a place that I would love to go to school," Beamer said.

#turks #days #fantasia #saturday

The Indianapolis Colts were well on their way last season, but a Week 14 injury to Daniel Jones all but derailed any hope that they had of making a run. Looking back, the Colts have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL over the last three years under head coach Shane Steichen. After getting nine wins, then eight wins, and eight again, year four is going to be crucial for everyone on the Colts staff.
Obviously, Daniel Jones comes up when unanswered questions from Colts training camp arrive. Is the team's long-term/final answer to go with him? He was rewarded with a two-year contract worth upwards of $100 million with incentives, so it sure seems that way. Although, like our last article in this series, he will be one of the quarterbacks in the AFC South division under the microscope alongside Texans' C.J. Stroud.
Rookie tight end Tyler Warren had an excellent season. His workload will more than likely increase because the Colts sent WR1 Michael Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will also provide a security blanket for Daniel Jones until he is completely healthy. Warren's 76 catches last year were second on the team, and that number may reach triple digits in 2026.
The Colts need a clear WR2, or someone to separate themselves from the pack this season on the outside. Last year's WR2, Alec Pierce, will move up the depth chart and will need to live up to the four-year, $114 million contract. He is considered a serious deep threat, and the Colts decided he was worth keeping over Pittman. Last season, he caught 33 fewer passes than Pittman, so we shall see.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 3 unanswered questions before camp: Indianapolis Colts edition

#last #season

According to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue, Indianapolis Colts passing game coordinator Alex Tanney is listed among their breakout ****** istant coaching candidates for each of the NFL's 32 teams ahead of the 2026 campaign:
Indianapolis Colts: Alex Tanney, Passing Game Coordinator
his season-ending injury, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was enjoying a career season, and Tanney was one of the coaches who served as a behind-the-scenes architect. He worked with head coach Shane Steichen at his previous stop in Philadelphia and has become an extremely valuable ****** istant to him.
Cam Turner, the Colts' quarterbacks coach, also gets a nod here. He was described to me as a "glue guy" in Indianapolis who, like Tanney, helps set the schematic table for offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Steichen.
The 38-year-old former NFL backup quarterback joined the Colts coaching staff as Indianapolis' offensive passing game coordinator. He rejoined Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who Tanney coached under with the Philadelphia Eagles offense from 2021-22—when Steichen previously served as their offensive coordinator.

#colts #tanney

The last time South Carolina football welcomed Tennessee to Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks scored so many touchdowns they ran out of fireworks.
The 63-38 victory over the Vols is a major highlight from the last five seasons under coach Shane Beamer but that was four years ago.
The Vols got revenge a season later with a 41-20 victory in Knoxville but the two teams haven't met since. They will this year when South Carolina hosts Tennessee on Oct. 24.
Beamer fielded various questions at 2026 SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, on July 21, mostly about improving from the 4-8 record last year. But Beamer got one question about whether South Carolina upped its fireworks budget in anticipation of the Vols' arrival.
"You said that not me," Beamer said to the reporter. "That was a great night back in 2022, there's no doubt about it. We know it'll be a huge challenge when they come to town this year."

#beamer #carolina #last #fireworks