When the Twins selected him with the 16th overall pick last July, Marek Houston was seen by most scouts as a lock to stick shortstop with elite defensive talent, but a fringy bat that projects for below average production in the major leagues. Just 27 games into his Double-A tenure, Houston is already producing offense at a high level, boasting a .325 batting average with a 135 wRC+. As he begins to pop up on top 100 prospect lists, there is a growing belief that his bat has a chance to provide some real impact for the Twins.
Standing at 6'3", Marek is a twitchy and fluid athlete. He is a plus runner, nabbing 38 bags so far this season while being caught just 4 times. He has an excellent approach at the plate. Very patient hitter who is running a chase rate around 17% this season with above-average walk rates. His swing mechanics have remained largely unchanged from his time at Wake Forest. The pre-swing hand load and leg kick is a little loud, but he breaks it down with 2 strikes, which has helped him limit strikeouts and put together mature at-bats despite posting average zone contact rates. His raw power is below average, but Houston has continued to tap into more and more juice as the season has gone on. There is quality gap power if he can consistently elevate the ball.
While the offensive ceiling is still limited, any doubt that Marek Houston may not have a major league caliber bat is effectively gone. If he doesn't tap into any more power, his profile is similar to that of Austin Martin or Luke Keaschall, a patient hitter who makes a lot of contact and provides value on the bases. While these guys don't hit for much power and have middling offensive numbers, they do more for the offense than the stats show. Combining that with plus defense at the shortstop position makes for an extremely valuable player and a guy who will find a way to make a positive impact on every game.
Marek Houston is squarely on track for a 2027 debut with an outside chance of making his way onto the opening day roster. He looks like a perfect fit for the Twins as a long-term solution at the shortstop position, where the team's -15 FRV since the start of 2025 ranks 28th in MLB. While he doesn't have a dynamite bat like Walker Jenkins or Emmanuel Rodriguez, Houston is worth getting excited about as one of the system's top prospects and arguably the prospect with the highest chance to be a productive big leaguer. He has been a Minnesota Twin for just over 12 months, but fans won't have to wait much longer to see him suited up at Target Field.

#chance

She was there in 1980 when lightning struck, instantly suspending play, and when it happened a second time in 2024.
She was there in 2016 when fans were sent home because the end zone paint wouldn't dry.
From her seat in Section 3BB, Judy Vollono has seen a lot of football at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
On Aug. 6, the Plain Township resident will attend her 57th game to watch the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. She'll be accompanied by her daughter Ann Maddux and grandson, Sam.
Vollono still has the tickets from her first game on Sept. 13, 1969, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 38-24. The first Hall of Fame Game, which now kicks off the NFL preseason, was played in 1962.

#game #fame #first

Anya Taylor-Joy says the stability she has found with husband Malcolm McRae has made her more willing to take risks elsewhere in her life.
In a new interview with Elle U.K., the 30-year-old Lucky star described McRae as her best friend and said their marriage has given her a sense of security she never expected to experience.
Taylor-Joy said having a healthy and dependable relationship has emboldened her to accept unfamiliar challenges and move beyond her comfort zone.
Taylor-Joy admitted that finding a lifelong partner had not been something she placed on a personal checklist. "To have a best friend who goes through life with you, it has given me a sense of security that I didn't really ever dream about," she told Elle U.K..
Now that she has that foundation, Taylor-Joy feels more confident about taking professional and personal risks because she knows she has something "nutritive and solid and healthy" waiting for her. "I don't want to sound smug, but I love him so much," she said. She also described their marriage as unusually joyful, estimating that she spends approximately 90% of their time together laughing.

#elle #life #described #marriage

The Atlanta Braves made the ultra-aggressive move to promote their star infield prospect Tate Southisene to Double-A at the age of 19 after just 104 professional games, but his run with the Clingstones is going to have an unfortunate interruption. In the second inning of his debut on Tuesday night Southisene was hit in the wrist by an errant sinker up-and-in, and while he initially remained in the game to run the bases he was pulled in between innings. The Columbus Clingstones announced that the Braves 2025 first round pick, who received a $2,622,500 signing bonus last summer, would be placed on the injured list, halting his meteoric rise through Atlanta's ranks.
Southisene has been nothing short of phenomenal in his first full season of professional baseball, with a 139 wRC+ split across Single-A Augusta and High-A Rome. He spent most of the season in Single-A, where he hit .297/.429/.500 with eight home runs and 36 stolen bases in 51 games, before what was seen as an aggressive call up to High-A in early June. Southisene took about a series to adjust to High-A pitching before going on a rampage and hitting .272/.393/.456 over his final 30 games in High-A. His power numbers did take a dip, but his ability to work deep counts and recognize the strike zone is years ahead of the typical 19-year-old and that approach is what gave the Braves confidence he could succeed in Double-A. Southisene is starting to get top 100 looks nationally, and though his ultimate defensive home is still up in the air he is seen as one of the best position player prospects in recent seasons for the Braves and a player who projects to being at least a solid major league regular.

#southisene #single #aggressive #professional

Our **** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Management attributes strong performance to the 'historic shift' in global workforce redesign, where AI is reshaping tasks rather than eliminating jobs at scale.
The company is embedding AI into the core of HCM through 'ADP **** ist' and 'The Zone' to drive operational efficiency and real-time compliance insights.
Strategic positioning is anchored in 'structural advantages,' specifically a massive data foundation of 42 million wage earners that allows for granular task-level economic **** ysis.
Lyric HCM is gaining significant traction in the enterprise market, with live clients increasing 94% year-over-year and a pipeline heavily weighted toward new logos.

#year #NVIDIA #management

We gave you our updated power rankings for the NBA's Eastern Conference, where LeBron James formed a superteam on the Philadelphia 76ers, where Kawhi Leonard will presumably join the Toronto Raptors, and where Giannis Antetokounmpo changed uniforms, but what kind of operation would we be if we didn't also give you power rankings for the Western Conference?
So, here they are in all their glory. Perfect and inarguable, as always.
We should note: The East is far deeper than the West for the first time in forever, though the West boasts the league's two ******* le favorites, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The defending champion New York Knicks and LeBron's Sixers, among other teams in the East, may have something to say about it in the end, but the depth and youth of the talent in OKC and San Antonio is impossible to ignore. Those two rosters are in a stratosphere all to themselves.
It would be surprising if any of the top six teams here failed to earn a guaranteed playoff spot. The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves form another tier of contenders. Beyond them, it's a ******* shoot, as every team features quality players and only the Sacramento Kings are in real danger of dropping into the draft's relegation zone.

#antonio #rankings #teams

In the definition of a back-and-forth battle, the Mariners outslugged the Dodgers with a season-high five home runs in a 7-6 loss for the reigning champs. Neither team seemed capable of holding onto a lead for any meaningful period until the Mariners jumped in front in the eighth thanks to a two-run shot from Dominic Canzone, his second and Seattle's fifth homer of the game.
As different as the seasons of the two starting pitchers in this matchup might be, for one game, they both encountered the same problem, completely allergic to the prospect of a shutdown inning. On four separate occasions, a team took the lead in the first five innings only to see its starter unable to put a zero on the board in the following half-inning.
Justin Wrobleski has thrived this season with the ability to raise his level according to the situation, but what does he do when the opposition ambushes him? The Mariners managed to score five runs off the left-hander without even having a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position against him—courtesy of not two, not three, but four home runs against a pitcher who had allowed a total of three long ****** prior to this game. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Rob Refsnyder, and Dominic Canzone all left the yard. While the homers hit by Rodríguez and Raleigh could be categorized as mistake pitches, the ones by Canzone and Refsnyder came on well-located fastballs at or well above the strike zone—it stands to reason that Wrobleski's heater didn't have the same life on it, or that the M's guessed right on multiple occasions.
For the Dodgers' offense against Castillo, it was an eventful game from start to finish, but one that could've been more dominant. The M's veteran starter allowed a leadoff bomb to Shohei Ohtani and had to deal with trouble in some form or another for his entire outing.
The Sho has started! pic.twitter.com/rfu4k1gr7W

#runs #Dodgers #dominic

Texans expect David Montgomery to fix their biggest offensive weakness originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When the Houston Texans report for training camp, one of the biggest storylines will be the arrival of veteran running back David Montgomery and the impact he can have on an offense looking to establish a more consistent ground game.
Houston made Montgomery a priority this offseason after its rushing attack struggled throughout 2025. The Texans averaged just 3.9 yards per carry last season, ranking fourth-lowest in the NFL, and the organization believes Montgomery is the physical runner capable of changing that trend.
Known for his toughness, vision, and ability to break tackles, Montgomery brings a downhill running style that fits Houston's desire to become more balanced on offense. He has built a reputation as one of the league's most dependable power backs, consistently finding tough yards between the tackles while wearing down opposing defenses.
Beyond his ability to move the chains, Montgomery has been one of the NFL's most productive goal-line runners. During his three seasons with the Detroit Lions, he rushed for 33 touchdowns, proving to be a reliable finisher in the red zone. That production is exactly what the Texans hope to add to an offense that left valuable points on the field last season.

#david #running

One training camp battle for the Los Angeles Rams that is under the radar is at center.
Could Beaux Limmer potentially unseat Coleman Shelton in the starting lineup?
Rookies rarely crack the rotation under Sean McVay. Limmer started 17 games in his first year including two playoff contests. He did not make a single start during his sophomore campaign.
That's because the Rams watched the 2024 season end at the hands of Limmer in a missed blocking ***** ignment that allowed Jalen Carter to wreck a red zone possession in the NFC divisional round. LA responded by signing Coleman Shelton in free agency. Shelton may not be a Pro Bowl caliber player in terms of performance; however, he excels in the key area that Limmer lacked: communication.
Player

#limmer #shelton #rookies #mcvay

Getting rid of the football before it becomes a sack is one of the least appreciated skills a quarterback can have. Fortunately for the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford has shown to be one of the best in the NFL at doing just that — and landed among one of the best quarterbacks all-time.
NFL **** yst Ryan Paganetti plotted projected 2026 starting quarterbacks' early-down sack rate against early-down throwaway rate, using data from 2022-2025 (regular season and playoffs). He added Tom Brady's final 10 seasons as the historical measuring stick.
Brady, unsurprisingly, sits at the bottom of the sack-rate scale — lower than every other quarterback on the board, a testament to the pocket awareness and quick decision-making that defined the back half of his career. But Stafford isn't far behind. He landed next to Bills quarterback Josh Allen within shouting distance of Brady's territory, both comfortably inside the green zone that denotes a better-than-average sack rate.
For a Rams team that just spent the offseason loading up on defensive talent around him, Stafford's ability to protect himself and keep the offense on schedule matters as much as ever.
At 38 and coming off an MVP-caliber, league-leading season in yards and touchdowns, Stafford pairing that vertical aggression with Brady-like pocket discipline is a big part of what's kept Los Angeles' offense humming. And, according to these numbers, it's a skill that hasn't gotten nearly enough attention.

#stafford #angeles #Rams #landed

The Yankees got some of the worst news possible when MRI scans revealed that Cody Bellinger had suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Saturday's win over the Phillies and will likely miss 4-to-6 weeks. As it happens, it is from that very same game, an inning prior to the injury, that we find our nominee for At-bat of the Week, Jasson Domínguez crushing a solo home run off José Alvarado.
We join Domínguez leading off the seventh on Saturday night in Philadelphia. The Yankees are clinging to a 2-1 lead courtesy of an Austin Wells solo bomb and Bellinger RBI single. However, the Phillies have their flame throwing lefty Alvarado in the game and the dangerous top of their order due up in the bottom half of the frame, so the Yankees would love to tack on another insurance run.
There is no mystery to how Alvarado is going to attack you, the lefty throwing the fastball 97.3 percent of the time. The one wrinkle he introduces is the type of fastball he's going to throw, using the sinker about two-thirds of the time and the cutter about one-third of the time. He goes with his primary offering to start things off here.
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Domínguez takes this 96 mph sinker for a called strike one. You might wonder how he could take a pitch right down the middle. The camera angle doesn't quite do this pitch justice, but this sinker starts about a half-foot in off the plate before its 16 inches of arm-side run carries it back into the zone. It's therefore easy to see how a hitter might give up early on a pitch initially aimed toward him.

#yankees #solo

Do you hear wedding bells? You do?
That's because love is in the air as the Chargers veterans report to training camp on Tuesday on the back of quarterback Justin Herbert popping the question to girlfriend and pop star Madison Beer.
On Tuesday morning, the couple posted a joint instagram announcement with all the types of photos you'd come to expect from one of the happiest moments of their lives.
Herbert and Beer began dating in 2025, sometime prior to the start of the season. Their first sighting together came in mid-August when Herbert was seen alongside Beer during the shoot of a music video as she introduced him to members of her production team.
We got to watch that relationship blossom over the course of the last year and slowly but surely watched as the Chargers' humble and quiet passer stepped out of his usual comfort zone and into more of a spotlight than he'd ever had while off the field.

#beer

The U.S. dollar, euro and British pound enter a pivotal week as investors prepare for the Federal Reserve's July 29 to 30 meeting and the ECB's decision last week while new data comes through. Most **** ysts expect that the Fed will leave rates where they are, although the market will be watching out for clues from Chair Jerome Powell given that the latest US data has confirmed the strength of the economy.
June retail sales were up by 0.2% on the month, while the control group increased by 0.4%, and initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped to 208,000, a three-month low, underlining the strength of the consumer and the labour market. This week brings out the second-quarter GDP, the PCE inflation print for June and July non-farm payrolls which could alter thinking around the second half of the year.
The ECB decided to keep its deposit rate at 2.25% as it sees inflation edging toward its 2% target while remaining data-dependent. ECB President Christine Lagarde said growth remains weak, with members continuing to **** s the impact of the economic effect of trade and higher energy costs on the economic environment.
Sterling remains supported by expectations that the Bank of England will proceed cautiously after it kept Bank Rate at 3.75%, and it sees the UK policymakers juggle between curbing inflation and a steady wage-growth and a cooling labour market. UK mortgage approvals, consumer credit and business surveys are released this week as they provide evidence for the economy ahead of the next Bank of England meeting.
The U.S. Dollar Index is maintaining a healthy uptrend after bouncing off support in the 100.50 zone along the uptrend line. Currently, the index trades at 101.28, keeping the 50-day EMA (101.12) and 100-day EMA (101.01) beneath the index level. The RSI is sitting at 53.

#market #inflation #england

Demolition derbies are all about the destruction, but a crash in Ohio resulted in one driver being airlifted to the hospital as well as a lifetime ban for the other driver involved.
The crash happened at the Fayette County Fairgrounds, roughly halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, on Saturday, July 25. The Washington Court House Record Herald reports that driver Hunter Wolf of Lynchburg, Ohio, delivered a direct hit to the driver-side door of a competitor, causing serious injuries to that driver.
Emergency crews extricated the victim from his vehicle and established a landing zone at the fairgrounds for a medical helicopter due to the severity of the driver's injuries. The Record Herald reports that the victim has not been identified and the extent of the injuries are not known.
Derbydog Inc., which organized the demolition derby, issued a lifetime ban to Wolf on Monday, July 27, according to a statement posted to Facebook by owners Jeremy and Frances Hejduk.
"While we can't absolutely know the intentions of every driver, the obvious nature of the direct driver's door hit by Hunter Wolf proves he has absolutely no concern for safety for fellow drivers," the Hejduks said in the statement. "This type of behavior will not be tolerated by Derbydog."

#driver #hunter #derbydog #demolition

Demolition derbies are all about the destruction, but a crash in Ohio resulted in one driver being airlifted to the hospital as well as a lifetime ban for the other driver involved.
The crash happened at the Fayette County Fairgrounds, roughly halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, on Saturday, July 25. The Washington Court House Record Herald reports that driver Hunter Wolf of Lynchburg, Ohio, delivered a direct hit to the driver-side door of a competitor, causing serious injuries to that driver.
Emergency crews extricated the victim from his vehicle and established a landing zone at the fairgrounds for a medical helicopter due to the severity of the driver's injuries. The Record Herald reports that the victim has not been identified and the extent of the injuries are not known.
Derbydog Inc., which organized the demolition derby, issued a lifetime ban to Wolf on Monday, July 27, according to a statement posted to Facebook by owners Jeremy and Frances Hejduk.
"While we can't absolutely know the intentions of every driver, the obvious nature of the direct driver's door hit by Hunter Wolf proves he has absolutely no concern for safety for fellow drivers," the Hejduks said in the statement. "This type of behavior will not be tolerated by Derbydog."

#hunter

After a dominant run through the East Zone Tournament, the Hagerstown PONY-13 All-Stars will fly to California to play in the PONY-13 World Series in Carlsbad starting Friday, July 31.
"I don't think it will set in completely until they get out to California and see the Dominican Republic, ****** an, France, Mexico," said manager Jeff Mills. "When they start seeing these guys they get to play against, it's going to kind of hit them. But I don't think these boys will get nervous."
Hagerstown outscored its opponents by a combined 39-8 in the East Zone. Hagerstown broke a 4-4 tie with a pair of runs in the sixth inning of a 7-4 win over Athletix in the opener, then blew open its other two games with 10-run innings while defeating the Ohio Prospects 16-1 and Athletix 16-3 in the ****** le game.
"They played great the whole weekend," Mills said. "They're very mature for their age. They never got down at any point in the tournament, just stayed strong. The pitchers threw great. ****** ody had a really rough outing. Defensively, there were only two or three errors. They're solid the whole way around.
"When they put up 10 runs on Ohio, that was a big confidence boost because at that point they knew they'd have to get beat twice in the championship round. Then they put up 10 again."

#zone

The Diamondbacks dropped the opener of The Most Important Series of the Season™, losing 3-2 in ten innings to the Pirates. Merrill Kelly pitched well, and Max Kepler gave Arizona a 2-0 lead. But a throwing error by Kelly allowed a key Pittsburgh run, and Juan Morillo then gave up the tying score, which pushed the contest into extras. The Diamondbacks were unable to take advantage of a major Pirates gaffe, stranding the Manfred Man. A ball which was clanked off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas let the home team walk off, but the key stat tonight was the D-backs going just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. And one of those hits didn't score a run either.
But to focus on the positives. Merrill Kelly continued his resurgence. He finished June with an ERA above six (6.11, to be precise). But since the calendar turned to July, he has been much improved. Tonight, he allowed only an unearned run over 5.2 innings, on four hits – all of which were singles. He walked one and struck out six. [That is still an area of concern. Through nineteen starts last year, he had 7 or more K's eight times: he hasn't gone past six at all this year] He did hit a batter, Pirates' rookie Esmerlyn Valdez wearing a pitch around the wrist area, and having to leave the game in obvious discomfort. Hopefully, there's no serious damage there.
Through five innings, both Kelley and his opposite number – confusingly, called M. Keller – were basically cruising. Each side has managed to advance only one runner past first-base to that point. In the top of the second, Max Kepler led off with a single, advanced to third on a pair of outs, but was stranded there when Ildemaro Vargas grounded out. For the Pirates, they got a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, and the runner stole second before being left there. Kelly even got a pick-off, ending the fourth by nailing the pinch-runner who had come in to replace Valdez. Rather embarrassing for them, I imagine.
Both pitchers were also being highly efficient. Through five innings, Keller had needed just 63 pitches, and Kelly less than a handful more at 67. I particularly enjoyed this strikeout by Kelly which ended the fifth inning. None of the six pitches in the zone, and zero contact by the batter on his three swings. However, my hopes of a quick recap foundered thereafter, as neither starting pitcher would make it through the sixth. Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo singled to lead off the top of the frame, though Gabriel Moreno would strike out looking, on a master-class of ABS by the Pirates catcher, which reversed two ******* to strikes, by very narrow margins.
[Conversely, Moreno was 0-for-2 in his challenges tonight. Though it is worth noting that the team's overall challenge rate when on defense is still 66.7%, significantly better than the MLB average of 58.1%.]

#innings #tonight #runner

As the Minnesota Vikings get ready for the start of training camp, one thing the Vikings' offensive coaching staff is likely preparing for is continuing the installation of the offense. That carries added importance this season if the Vikings have a new starting quarterback, particularly in the passing game, but the run game is also likely to get a bit of a makeover with the addition of ****** istant head coach Frank Smith, who is focusing on the run game.
Kevin O'Connell is an offshoot of the McVay branch of the Shanahan coaching tree while Frank Smith worked under Mike McDaniel in Miami, who is an offshoot of the Kyle Shanahan branch. McDaniel specialized in the run game working under Kyle Shanahan and Frank Smith will bring a lot of those concepts to Minnesota. I won't go into the Shanahan coaching tree history, which you can get it here, but there is a lot of overlap between various offshoots, even as each of them evolve too.
A core feature of the Shanahan offense is the wide zone run scheme. When you see all the offensive linemen take a drop or bucket step and then all block horizontally in the same direction, that is zone blocking. In wide zone, the running back aims for the ****** of the tight end or if there is no tight end on the play side, then the outside leg of the tackle. The back then reads the defensive end and makes his cut after 3-5 steps. If he moves inside, the back bounces the run outside, if he pursues outside, the back bends it back inside, if the hole is open, he bangs through. Below is a classic outside zone play, called on 1st and 10.
This isn't new for the Vikings or Kevin O'Connell's scheme. It's been a staple for years. In fact, it's not all that different than 'super power left' power sweeps we used to run in pee-wee football back in the 1970s
And if you watch the play, it didn't fool the Bengals defense. The defensive formation was toward the play side, countering the double tight-end set, the linebackers flow toward the run immediately, there is even a backside defensive back blitzing to try and get to Mason behind the line of scrimmage. The play was successful because it was well blocked and Mason didn't hesitate, but the play design itself didn't do much to tilt the outcome in the Vikings' favor.

#shanahan #game

SINGAPORE, July 24 (Reuters) - For months, Chinese chip manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) had been hiking prices on Huawei, one of the country's biggest technology companies. The chipmaker held firm when Huawei demanded relief from the escalating costs, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The standoff came to a head on CXMT's factory floor in June. A group of engineers from a chipmaking-equipment vendor with deep strategic ties to Huawei had been working in the cleanrooms at CXMT's core research and development zone in Hefei, Anhui province. Without warning, CXMT ordered the engineers, who had been helping with equipment maintenance, to pack their tools and ‌leave the factory floor immediately, the two sources said.
Executives at the Huawei-connected equipment vendor, SiCarrier, concluded the confrontation was the result of the power struggle between CXMT and Huawei, the people told Reuters. The companies still do business but the engineers haven't been allowed back into the R&D zone, the two people said.
CXMT, Huawei and SiCarrier didn't ‌respond to questions about the incident.
The clash illustrates the changing dynamics of China's semiconductor industry. CXMT has risen to become the world's fourth-biggest maker of memory, including the DRAM variety used in smartphones, laptops and servers. Now, the company is powerful enough to charge prices even Huawei can't stomach.

#engineers #memory

(Corrects para 18 to say that CXMT will debut on the market, not launch its IPO)
SINGAPORE, July 24 (Reuters) - For months, Chinese chip manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) had been hiking prices on Huawei, one of the country's biggest technology companies. The chipmaker held firm when Huawei demanded relief from the escalating costs, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The standoff came to a head on CXMT's factory floor in June. A group of engineers from a chipmaking-equipment vendor with deep strategic ties to Huawei had been working in the cleanrooms at CXMT's core research and development zone in Hefei, Anhui province. Without warning, CXMT ordered ‌the engineers, who had been helping with equipment maintenance, to pack their tools and leave the factory floor immediately, the two sources said.
Executives at the Huawei-connected equipment vendor, SiCarrier, concluded the confrontation was the result of the power struggle between CXMT and Huawei, the people told Reuters. The companies still do business but the engineers haven't been allowed ‌back into the R&D zone, the two people said.
CXMT, Huawei and SiCarrier didn't respond to questions about the incident.

#cxmt #people #factory

CARROLL — Brayden Kennedy was not going to let his team be denied another Class 2A Iowa high school state baseball championship.
Kennedy threw a masterful game and also drove in three runs to lead Pleasantville to an 8-1 rout of Durant in the state ***** le game on Friday, July 24, at Merchants Park.
The Pleasantville ace went the full seven innings and only allowed one run on six hits. He struck out eight batters and walked only two to help the Trojans cruise to the ***** le.
"I had my stuff working pretty well tonight," Kennedy said. "Throwing the sliders and then working in some fastballs. Catcher (Logan Roff) called a great game. I just had to fill the zone up for my guys and they're going to have the bats behind me."
The only time Kennedy got into trouble was in the top of the third inning.

#game #working

It's been a bit of a janky week for Yankee baseball, with a pair of rain-induced doubleheaders and a scheduled offday in the past six. We return to what is hopefully normal programming today, with the Bombers coming into Philadelphia for a three-game set against the second-place Phillies.
It's Cam ****** p Day, as the ace Cam Schlittler looks to pull himself over the 4.0 fWAR mark if he can really strut on the Phils tonight. I've remarked a number of times this year how Cam will variate between "real good" and "meh" starts this year, with a handful of dominant performances and only one real stinker in the mix. His last outing was certainly in the "meh" column, as the Dodgers were able to chase him before the end of the fifth last Sunday.
I need to do the math on this, but it feels like because Cam throws so many pitches in the zone, he's most vulnerable against teams that make contact and offer at pitches in-zone. The Phillies boast the sixth-highest strikeout rate in baseball and the 10th-highest Z-Swing percentage, along with the 16th-best Z-Contact rate. To me that sounds like this should be a good matchup for Schlittler's game plan, but Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are still who they are.
Jesús Luzardo, who is still just 28 despite me feeling like I've heard his name for 15 years, goes for Philly. After a five-win season of his own last year, he's returned that pace and then some in 2026, making the All-Star team with a 3.43 ERA and 2.90 FIP, led by a sparkling ability to keep the ball in the park. The Yankees have managed to induce some immediate regression in other homer-suppressing pitchers this year, if they can manage that tonight they'll set themselves up well for a win.
Do note this game is on AppleTV+. I wish it were not.

#Baseball #real

Fund managers now see gold (XAU) as the most undervalued **** et since March 2023, according to Bank of America's July survey. The reading arrives as the metal bounces 3.5% in two days from the $3,900-$4,000 support zone.
The last time the survey flipped this way, gold traded below $2,000 and then rallied to $5,598 in January. Whether history repeats may depend on the Federal Reserve and a possible US-Iran truce.
The July edition of the BofA Global Fund Manager Survey polled 181 institutional managers overseeing $484 billion in **** ets. A net 6% of them now call gold undervalued, the first negative overvaluation reading in more than three years.
The shift is dramatic. Through 2025 and early 2026, the same survey showed extreme readings, with a net 40% or more of managers calling gold overvalued near the January peak.
Sentiment has reset after a brutal repricing. Gold trades about 26% below its record, a drawdown that already pushed the metal into bear market territory earlier this month.

#Gold #survey #july

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi believes his record-breaking maiden international half-century has given him the confidence he needs after a difficult start to life in international cricket.

The 15-year-old announced his arrival in style by smashing an 18-ball fifty against Zimbabwe in the opening T20I in Harare on Thursday, becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in men's international cricket.

The knock marked a dramatic turnaround for the teenage opener, who had endured a disappointing debut series against England. Sooryavanshi managed just 42 runs across his first three T20I innings, scoring 14 off 10 **** , 13 off five deliveries and 15 off 10 **** .

After helping India secure a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Sooryavanshi said the innings would play a key role in boosting his self-belief at the start of his international journey.

"When you are in the starting phase of your career, and you get such an innings at the start, you get confidence for the next matches. It felt like I was in my zone and I backed my own strength," Sooryavanshi said in a video posted by the BCCI.

At 15 years and 118 days, Sooryavanshi eclipsed a long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian batting legend was 16 years and 213 days old when he scored his maiden international fifty against Pakistan in the Faisalabad Test in 1989.

Harare has become a particularly memorable venue for the youngster. Earlier this year, he lit up the same ground with a breathtaking 175 off 80 **** against England in the final of the 2026 Under-19 World Cup. Months later, he returned to the venue to produce another innings that underlined his immense potential.

Despite enjoying success in Harare, Sooryavanshi insisted he is not taking any venue or opportunity for granted and remains focused on making meaningful contributions wherever he plays.

"There are some grounds where you like to make runs. I am not taking it for granted. I am just trying to play wherever I can, give my best, contribute to the team and do well," he said.

The teenager also acknowledged the role played by those who have supported him throughout his rise, dedicating the milestone to his family and coaches.

"I will dedicate myself to my family, to my coaches, to everyone who supported me in my journey," he concluded.

Sooryavanshi's explosive knock laid the foundation for India's comfortable chase of Zimbabwe's 125 for seven, with the visitors sealing victory by seven wickets and taking an early advantage in the three-match T20I series.
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#international #series #three

We've reached Day 51 in our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' 2026 season opener, so we're looking back to 1999 for our Saints Play of the Day. A rookie quarterback stunned the Dallas Cowboys in front of a big crowd when Jake Delhomme scored a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eddie Kennison. You can see it for yourself right here.
While the Saints jumped out to a surprising 10-0 lead early on, the Cowboys fought back to get ahead 17-10 midway through the third quarter. So imagine their surprise when Delhomme struck back to tie it all up? It was a great throw off of play action, traveling from the New Orleans 41-yard line to the Dallas 19, where Kennison corralled the catch and jogged into the end zone. The Cowboys had Hall of Famers like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Deion Sanders on their side, and it didn't matter.
This is a game we've highlighted before; Saints cornerback Fred Weary picked off Aikman and scored the game-winning touchdown on a Smith fumble recovery. Good on him and Delhomme for making such a difference. This was a big win for a Saints team that really needed it. New Orleans went into the game with a 2-12 record, and this ended up being a great gift for fans on Christmas Eve. They couldn't sustain that success, but with wins so rare in those days, this became an easy rallying point for fans to enjoy late in a lost season.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Jake Delhomme's 51-yard touchdown pass is the Saints Play of the Day

#saints

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, quarterback Marcel Reed, linebacker Daymion Sanford, and safety Marcus Ratcliffe spoke to the local and national media during SEC Media Days, previewing the 2026 season at length, especially for those outside the Aggie media sphere who have not paid attention until now.
Entering his second full starting season, Marcel Reed is on track to match his career-high 3,169 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025, while his 12 interceptions were tied for the second most in the SEC; but after adding former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton this offseason, Reed is well equipped to take more shots down the field given Horton's size advantage, especially in the red zone.
However, after offensive coordinator Collin Klein departed to take over as Kansas State's head coach, and instead of hiring outside the program, Mike Elko elevated wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins, who, despite his lack of play-calling experience, served as Klein's Co-OC over the last two seasons, and was former Alabama head coach Nick Saban's long-time WR coach and AHC before making his way to College Station.
On Wednesday, Austin, Texas-based reporter Cory Mose asked Marcel Reed how the transition from Collin Klein to Holmon Wiggins has been just over 40 days before Texas A&M's season-opener vs. Missouri State, citing his strong relationship with new quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch and Wiggins' experience in the program.
"Hasn't been a crazy transition...I'm in the room with coach Wiggins and my quarterbacks coach, coach Lynch a lot this offseason. Just trying to pick their brains a little bit, let them pick mine. So we're on the when it comes to each and every weekend"

#texas #elko

Socceroos World Cup star Cristian Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine after police twice stopped him for speeding in Sydney on the same night.
The 22-year-old Australia midfielder was stopped in a BMW Coupe on the Anzac Bridge at 11:05pm local time on Thursday night after he was caught travelling between 86-94km/h in a 60km/h zone, police said.
He was subjected to a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result.
However, Volpato allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine when he was stopped two hours later for travelling at 109km/h in the same 60km/h zone.
New South Wales state police said Volpato was issued an infringement notice for excess speed, while his international driver's licence was suspended for six months - which means he cannot drive in New South Wales.

#positive #cocaine

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

Aftermath Silver Ltd (TSX-V:AAG, OTCQX:AAGFF, FRA:FLM1) announced that it has started drilling at the eastern edge of its Berenguela project in Peru to test for high-grade copper mineralization beyond the current mineral resource estimate, while also launching a drill program at its Challacollo silver-gold project in northern Chile.
The company said the Berenguela program will initially include up to 1,000 metres of core drilling targeting an eastern copper zone, following previous drill results that intersected high-grade copper and silver mineralization. The program may be expanded depending on results.
Shares of Aftermath gained 6.2% in Toronto on Wednesday morning.
Aftermath Silver CEO Ralph Rushton said the company is investigating the potential for additional high-grade copper mineralization outside the current resource area after encouraging drilling results from 2024 and 2025.
"Our previous drilling in 2024/2025 on the eastern margins of the MRE was extremely positive and with the copper spot price close to its all-time high I look forward to reporting on the results of the drilling later this year," Rushton said in a statement.

#copper #eastern #mineralization

PHILADELPHIA — In a near-silent, near-empty room, Zack Wheeler sauntered over to a tablet connected to the clubhouse speakers and tapped on Young Thug's landmark album "So Much Fun."
Sporting a dark gray tee emblazoned with the logo of a British animated children's show called "Number Blocks," the Philadelphia Phillies' pitcher scooped up an undersized basketball with his oversized hands and leisurely took aim at the locker room's 7-foot hoop.
It looked like a stay-at-home dad biding his time until the kids got home from school, not one of the best pitchers on Earth preparing for his next start. Nothing about Wheeler's demeanor suggested that, in a few hours, he would attempt to stymie the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in front of 40,000.
But that's Wheeler: cool, calm, collected, in total control and fully aware of it. He is a throwback, a bulldog, unafraid to speak his mind and eager to take the ball. And now, at age 36, after a half-decade as one of the game's best pitchers, Wheeler is enjoying the best season of his career.
That Wheeler is shining is simultaneously against all odds and entirely predictable. This outwardly gruff rail of a man has been the sport's most valuable pitcher in the post-pandemic era. He is one of just four hurlers who have thrown at least 1,000 innings over that span, making his 2.83 ERA all the more impressive. And Wheeler has been even better in October, sporting a 2.18 ERA across 70 1/3 postseason innings. Since joining the Phillies in 2021, he has been the textbook definition of an ace.

#wheeler #best #pitcher