Galatasaray sweep past Lille; 10-man Inter edge Shakhtar
Real Madrid claimed a third Champions League victory in as many games by thrashing RB Leipzig 4-1 on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande among the goals for José Mourinho’s side.
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for Madrid from close range towards the end of a tight first half, with Arda Guler doubling the record 15-time European champions’ advantage soon after the interval.
Galatasaray sweep past Lille; 10-man Inter edge Shakhtar
Real Madrid claimed a third Champions League victory in as many games by thrashing RB Leipzig 4-1 on Wednesday, with Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomande among the goals for José Mourinho’s side.
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring for Madrid from close range towards the end of a tight first half, with Arda Guler doubling the record 15-time European champions’ advantage soon after the interval.
Declan Rice struck to earn Arsenal a point after Harry Kane scored from the spot, but Bukayo Saka’s early injury will be a concern
The teams are out! Bayern are in one of their all-red phases, while Arsenal are harking back to the early 90s with a blue version of the famous bruised banana. Vincent Kompany is in the house, by the way, having recovered from a virus that threatened to keep him in bed. And so is Germany boss Jurgen Klopp, in the stands flashing that smile and throwing his arm around the shoulder of another erstwhile Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez. Everyone having a good time, it seems, and looking forward to this big showdown, including Arsenal fan Charles Antaki … well, kind of: “Pretty dismal, the fare served up in the game against Forest. But! Pundits have assured us that because Bayern are going to be on the attack, Arsenal will be free to entertain us with a dazzling display of skill, ambition, irresistible cheeks and above all, goals. Not much to say about that except We Shall See.” We’ll be off in a minute or two.
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports. “We’re gonna have to play, I expect, three or four different games at different stages … we need everybody ready because we need to change and adapt to that … freshness … very excited … we have talked about our enthusiasm for playing on these big stages … that’s where you want to get tested … play with a lot of courage … a lot of aggression … be decisive … we have prepared for what we have to do.”
Declan Rice struck to earn Arsenal a point after Harry Kane scored from the spot, but Bukayo Saka’s early injury will be a concern
The teams are out! Bayern are in one of their all-red phases, while Arsenal are harking back to the early 90s with a blue version of the famous bruised banana. Vincent Kompany is in the house, by the way, having recovered from a virus that threatened to keep him in bed. And so is Germany boss Jurgen Klopp, in the stands flashing that smile and throwing his arm around the shoulder of another erstwhile Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez. Everyone having a good time, it seems, and looking forward to this big showdown, including Arsenal fan Charles Antaki … well, kind of: “Pretty dismal, the fare served up in the game against Forest. But! Pundits have assured us that because Bayern are going to be on the attack, Arsenal will be free to entertain us with a dazzling display of skill, ambition, irresistible cheeks and above all, goals. Not much to say about that except We Shall See.” We’ll be off in a minute or two.
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports. “We’re gonna have to play, I expect, three or four different games at different stages … we need everybody ready because we need to change and adapt to that … freshness … very excited … we have talked about our enthusiasm for playing on these big stages … that’s where you want to get tested … play with a lot of courage … a lot of aggression … be decisive … we have prepared for what we have to do.”
With the careers of at least three Australians either in the balance or kaput after a dismal day in Gqeberha against South Africa, Australian coach Andrew McDonald conceded the nation’s batting order was far from a perfect one.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Would you believe that Kristaps Porzingis graded out as one of the better players in the NBA last season? It’s true. Porzingis ranked No. 50 in the league in Estimated Plus-Minus and nearly cracked the top-25 in LEBRON, which are a pair of metrics that measure a player’s impact with some luck adjustments and player tracking data built in. Every all-in-one stat is going to have blindspots and needs to be taken with a large grain of salt, but both teams Porzingis played for last season — the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors — were much better with him on the court in his 32 total games, and that’s no coincidence.
Porzingis showed the whole world how good he could be on the Boston Celtics’ run to the 2024 NBA championship, when his combination of outside shooting and rim protection made him the rare center who could space the floor to the max without giving much back on defense. Porzingis’ effectiveness hasn’t been much of a question since his career-defining season in Boston, but his availability has been. Unfortunately, Porzingis remains out for the Warriors as they begin the 2026-27 season, and now the team appears ready to move on without him.
The Warriors are exploring trade packages for Porzingis as he deals with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a nervous system disorder that causes dizziness, brain fog, chronic fatigue, and other unwanted symptoms. Porzingis is “contemplating his future in basketball” according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Speculation on Porzingis’ rampant health problems dating back to the Celtics’ 2024 playoff run had grown so out of control that the 31-year-old felt obligated to put out a pair of statements clarifying that doesn’t have AIDS or HIV last week. Now his NBA career might be over as the Warriors scramble for a backup plan.
Hello people, I'm working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I'm getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I'll be feeling great again soon.
It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some…
I appreciate all the internet doctors trying to diagnose and help, but I'm in the best hands. So everyone can relax now 😄🙏🏼 and I don’t have hiv or aids.
The biggest story here is the premature end of Porzingis’ career for health problems entirely out of his control. It’s an incredibly sad development for such a talented player who had so much promise early in his career, and appeared to find renewed value after being dumped to the Washington Wizards in 2022. This is also deeply disappointing news for the Warriors, because it’s going to be tough to find another player who can approximate his skill set without adding the type of valuable future assets Golden State has resisted including in other deals.
What team would trade for a player who might be finished? Porzingis’ contract could still make him valuable around the league depending on a few factors. He only has $3 million guaranteed for next season, but counts for $20 million in a trade. If another team was looking to dump a player they don’t want around anymore with long-term money on the books, they might be incentivized to trade for Porzingis and then just cut him while stomaching the $3 million next season.
Let’s say the Milwaukee Bucks decide that they just want Myles Turner off the books as he enters the second season of a four-year, $109 million deal. The Warriors could take Turner, the Bucks could take Porzingis, and then Milwaukee could waive him to save some money. The Chicago Bulls could build a similar trade around Patrick Williams, who has three years remaining on his contract as this season begins.
The Turner idea in particular could sound good in theory, but it takes two sides to make a deal, and the Warriors don’t have much leverage. Golden State’s only real backup center is Al Horford, who is 40 years old. Charles Bassey is around too, but he’s never been counted on for more than a small role. Losing Quentin Post to the Memphis Grizzlies over the summer in free agency was a tough blow, and now the Warriors seem like they’re totally out of options in the front court unless they want to part with a meaningful asset.
Warriors lead executive Mike Dunleavy is already on the record saying fixing the team’s center problem is “not as simple as hey, let’s go find someone new” with 15 players already on the roster. Golden State is already without Jimmy Butler as he recovers from a torn ACL, and Moses Moody as he tries to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon. That’s $90 million in salary not in the lineup to start the year.
This is no way to build around Stephen Curry in his age-38 season. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg looks amazing, but it’s hard to win without a reliable center, and the Warriors are being immediately put in a compromising position.
This is a bummer of a story. Let’s hope Porzingis can find peace after basketball if this really is it for his career.
The Golden State Warriors have grown increasingly concerned about Kristaps Porzingis's availability and are exploring other options for the 31-year-old center, according to a new report.
Golden State has begun to search for trade partners to part ways with Porzingis, according to ESPN. Porzingis is reportedly contemplating his basketball future as he continues to deal with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) autoimmune symptoms.
USA TODAY Sports reached out to the team, but the Warriors were not available to comment on the matter.
Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after practice Tuesday that he and Porzingis spoke recently, exchanging phone calls "a couple days ago" and text messages throughout the last couple of weeks.
"Other than my concern for him and his own well-being, I don't think of it," Kerr said when asked how he's handling the situation. "When we come to practice, I don't think of it because I have to focus on the guys who are here. That's my concern."
"When we come into the building, it's 'how are we going to play? How are we going to start? Who's going to back up the 5s? If Al (Horford) doesn't play, does (Ike) Graham play? Do we use one of the two-way games that he has? Those are all the basketball thoughts," Kerr added. "But as I've mentioned to you guys out first order of business is to support Kristaps and help him through this."
The team said the details of that meeting would "remain private," but Porzingis posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was working with medical professionals to figure out how to get back to full health.
"I'm working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap. Honestly, I'm getting better and better. I just have to stay patient, and I believe I'll be feeling great again soon," Porzingis wrote. "It has definitely been frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can't exactly pinpoint, on top of injuries throughout my career, so it has added up for sure, but we will get through it. Health is wealth. Thank you for all the support at the Warriors practice facility"
He's heard the jokes and seen the Internet trolls who have had think-pieces about Porzingis's health.
"I appreciate all the internet doctors trying to diagnose and help, but I'm in the best hands," Porzingis wrote on social media. "So everyone can relax now and I don’t have HIV or Aids."
The Golden State Warriors have begun exploring trades of center Kristaps Porziņģis, who remains away from the team and is "seriously contemplating his future in basketball," ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Porziņģis has been away from the Warriors since before training camp, and Charania's report confirms he is still dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS. People with this condition see their heart rate race for a minute or more after standing up from sitting or lying down (as part of the disorder, more blood stays in your lower body even after a person stands, causing the heart rate to race as it tries to get blood flowing again). This condition has limited Porziņģis' ability to play for a couple of seasons.
Porziņģis signed a two-year, $40 million contract extension with the Warriors last offseason, but only $3 million of the 2027-28 season is guaranteed, essentially making him an expiring contract. Golden State is looking into packaging Porzingis (mostly as salary ballast) with players or picks to bring in someone of value in a trade. Teams that acquire Porziņģis would very likely waive him next summer, as they'd get the financial savings plus the real draw of whatever the Warriors add to the trade package.
Porziņģis came into the Warriors' practice facility last week to discuss his situation with team doctors and management. Afterward, he posted this on X.
I appreciate all the internet doctors trying to diagnose and help, but I'm in the best hands. So everyone can relax now and I don’t have hiv or aids.
Golden State acquired Porziņģis at last year's trade deadline, envisioning him as a stretch big who can protect the rim and fit very well next to Stephen Curry. Porziņģis played in 15 games for Golden State last season and averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Based on that, the Warriors bet on Porziņģis this summer and gave him an extension.
3 Nov 2001: Luis Gonzalez #20 of the Arizona Diamondbacks swings at a pitch during game 6 of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks beat the Yankees 15-2 to force a game 7. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Jeff Gross/ALLSPORT | Getty Images
With the 25th anniversary of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series title approaching, MLB Network Presents will debut Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, October 29th at 5 p.m. Arizona time. Marking the 50th film in the MLB Network Presents series since its launch in 2015, the 90-minute documentary recounts the remarkable rise of the Diamondbacks from expansion franchise to World Series Champions in four seasons, culminating in their unforgettable seven-game victory over the three-time defending champion New York Yankees in 2001.
Among those interviewed are World Series co-MVPs Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, former Diamondbacks general manager Joe Garagiola Jr., 2001 manager Bob Brenly, and championship players Jay Bell, Steve Finley, Luis Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Damian Miller, Reggie Sanders, Matt Williams and Tony Womack. Together, they provide firsthand perspectives on the organization’s beginnings, the construction of the championship roster and the experiences that defined the 2001 season.
“When you put the right people in the right room, there is no unachievable goal. …I think the 2001 season was the perfect baseball season for that team … everything about it was perfect,” said Schilling during the film.
MLB Network Presents – Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks features past-and-present-day interviews, along with extensive archival footage from the Diamondbacks’ historic 2001 season. The film revisits the decisions, personalities and performances that shaped one of the fastest championship ascents in MLB history, from the organization’s creation to the arrival of Johnson and the credibility he brought to the franchise.
Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks details Gonzalez’s leadership and career year as well as big-game pitcher Schilling joining forces with Johnson to form a historic combination atop Arizona’s starting rotation. Featured in the film, Schilling shares original notes he took with him to the dugout during his playing career, offering a look at the preparation and attention to detail behind his performance during Arizona’s championship run.
The film also explores how Brenly proved to be the right manager for a veteran roster largely united by a common goal: winning the first World Series championship in franchise history. Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks reflects on the 2001 World Series against the backdrop of the September 11th attacks, including the emotional return of World Series baseball to New York, a series of dramatic late-inning finishes and Arizona’s comeback against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, capped by Gonzalez’s championship-winning hit.
The film features new footage and exclusive access captured during the Diamondbacks’ 25th anniversary ceremony for the 2001 championship team this past September, as former teammates reunited to commemorate their historic season.
Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks marks the 50th film in the series and will re-air following its premiere at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: Kurt Suzuki #8 of the Los Angeles Angels watches the game in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Anaheim Angels have announced that manager Kurt Suzuki will not return as the team’s manager in 2027.
In my much younger days, I regularly watched the HBO stand up comedy specials. One that I watched probably dozens of times was the 13th Annual Young Comedians Special, which came out in 1989. Dennis Miller hosted the special, and the young comedians were Jann Karam, Drake Sather, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Fred Stoller, and Warren Thomas. Stoller, now a character and voice-over actor, wrote a book about the experience, and how each of their lives and careers progressed afterwards, which is a really good read.
Sather had a particular line that stuck with me:
People get so weird when celebrities die. I was watching this documentary on Fred Astaire. They said “Friends and family were shocked at the death of the 88-year-old.” Yeah, I was shocked, too: I thought he died 10 years ago.
Similarly, my first reaction was, damn, I thought the Angels canned Suzuki well before now.
Actually, my first reaction to reading this was, “Wait, isn’t Ron Washington the Angels’ manager?” before remembering that he was fired in the middle of the 2025 season. But then after that it was, oh yeah, they hired Suzuki, and I thought he was cut loose already. That’s probably because general manager Perry Minasian — who, like Suzuki, was under contract only through the end of the 2026 season — was fired four months ago, and while I knew Suzuki was not fired at the same time as Minasian was, I think in my mind I had just already consigned Suzuki to the ranks of former managers.
Suzuki appeared to be brought in as a caretaker manager. He was hired as the manager exactly one year ago after the Angels failed to convince Albert Pujols to take the job. Suzuki had been in the front office as a special assistant to the general manager since 2023, after spending the previous two seasons as part of the Angels’ active roster. The announcement today indicated Suzuki had been offered the opportunity to return to his previous role.
Suzuki is now the second A.L. West manager who is a former major league catcher to be fired this month, with the Mariners’ having terminated Dan Wilson already. Another A.L. West team, the Astros, fired their manager, Joe Espada, though he was never a major league catcher. I don’t think the Rangers’ other divisional rival, the Sacramento A’s, have fired their manager this year, though honestly, I’m not really sure they have a manager. They may just pick a random fan from the stands every game to fill out the lineup card and make pitching changes.
Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama didn't have fun during the Spurs' opening-season loss to the Thunder. He started the game by missing his first 12 shots, and while he had six blocked shots and impacted the game in other ways, he was the key reason San Antonio started the season 0-1.
"I need to go back to playing the basketball I like. This is not the sport I like, right here," Wembanyama said. "I got no reason to be hesitant, no reason to not be myself. For me, it's as simple as that. I'm good when I have fun...
"I missed lots of lots of shots, which I usually don't miss. But after that, I didn't go back to these shots. I wasn't decisive. I might be overthinking it, and I feel like it's a chance for me. What I have to do is really let go. I don't need to do more. I need to think less, probably."
Was part of his overthinking it the adjustment to new spacing — less of it — with the three-guard De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper lineups?
"I would say we haven't been good enough to find that out," Wembanyama said.
Part of that also is that the Spurs were playing the Thunder, the best defensive team in the NBA last season and one of the few teams with the depth and size to throw multiple 7-footers at Wembanyama to be physical with him. OKC is also loaded with quality perimeter defenders who made life tough for the Spurs trio of guards.
Wembanyama still made his presence felt with six blocks, fantastic overall defense and 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama, at 22, is a thoughtful, high-IQ player, but he would be far from the first great player to suffer "paralysis through analysis." When Wembanyama is playing his best, there is a flow to what he is doing, it happens naturally, instinctively.
If the Spurs are going back to the NBA Finals, they need more out of Wembanyama — and specifically more against the Thunder. This was just one of 82, there is a long road ahead, but Wemby understands he has to get back to being himself, to having fun, or that road will seem even longer.
TALKING STICK, AZ - OCTOBER 05: Luke Holman #29 of the Peoria Javelinas pitches during the game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Monday, October 5, 2026 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
There have been ample foibles foisted in the laps of Cincinnati Reds fans from the seemingly bulletproof front office over the last few decades of copious losing. We need not rehash them all here, of course, as this is simply put out to highlight that perhaps the lone reason why the powers that be are still the powers that be is due to their ability to draft rather well each and every year.
It’s looking more and more like the front office nailed the 2024 draft, for instance.
Chase Burns cracked the big leagues within his first full season as a professional and during the 2025 season established himself as a bona fide ace who was in NL Cy Young Award talk before the Reds chose to curtail the innings on his prized young arm. He also landed a nine-figure contract, and rightfully so.
Tyson Lewis was who the Reds selected with their next pick in 2024. He rocketed into Top 100 overall prospect lists on the backs of a 2025 season that featured incredible exit velocities, the SS/3B now firmly on the national radar.
Lewis isn’t even the top rated prospect drafted by the Reds in this class, though. That honor goes to Mike Sirota, who eschewed concerns about his college production coming up north from tiny Northeastern University to surge all the way into many Top 20 overall prospect lists by late 2026. The only problem there is, though, that the front office saw fit to deal him away for a single awful season of Gavin Lux, so Sirota is doing this within the system of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Leading a draft class with that trio would be impressive enough, but the Reds actually took someone else in between Lewis and Sirota in 2024. That honor belongs to former LSU righty Luke Holman, who we’ve seen for a grand total of 15.2 IP across two years after being drafted.
Holman, now 23, needed Tommy John surgery early in 2025 in his first year as a pro, and that paired with a groin problem in 2026 cost him almost two full seasons of rehab with only 6 games on the mound in any form. That was before this month’s Arizona Fall League, however, and like many of the recent players the Reds have sent to the AFL, Holman’s job there wasn’t simply to soak up the spotlight in a great environment for future experience, it was to use it as a bridge after injury-plagued seasons so that he can hit the ground running again in 2027.
So far, that’s precisely what he’s done. David Laurila of FanGraphs caught up with Holman after his most recent outing left him having fired 9.0 IP in AFL play and having allowed just a lone earned run – with a brilliant 15 strikeouts against just a lone walk in that time. Holman talks shop about his bevy of pitches and how his arm feels as good as ever at the moment, and it’s enough to give hope that the arm FanGraphs rates as the #17 prospect in the system (he ranks 23rd at MLB Pipeline) may well be back and 100% within a Reds farm system that’s seriously devoid of solid starting pitching prospects at the upper levels.
‘Upper levels’ may sound like a stretch when talking about a guy who’s thrown just 15.2 IP in two years across rookie ball and Low-A Daytona, but at 23 with a trio of years spent in the SEC with LSU it wouldn’t shock me at all to see him climb quickly this season if he can simply stay on the mound and prove he’s healthy.
And if he does, the Reds have some long-awaited depth in their pitching ranks again.
Kurt Suzuki never really had a chance as manager of the Los Angeles Angels. Signed to a one-year contract by a lame-duck owner with an industry lockout looming, Suzuki might have needed to win the World Series to save his job.
Suffice to say he didn’t do either.
The Angels announced Wednesday, Oct. 21 that they have fired Suzuki after one season as their manager, during which he presided over the first 100-loss season in franchise history.
Suzuki, 42, served as a special assistant in former general manager Perry Minasian’s front office. After Ron Washington’s managerial tenure ended after last season, Minasian appointed Suzuki to run the club, although the former catcher was granted just a one-year contract to do so. He had a club option for 2027 and the club announced he will be offered a position as a special assistant with the organization, which he held from 2023-2025.
Minasian was fired midway through the season and interim GM John Mozeliak traded away veterans more aggressively than his predecessor, signaling at least a shift toward rebuilding.
Eventually, Moreno agreed to sell the team to Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who has collected a very successful sports portfolio. If the one-year deal and Minasian’s firing didn’t seal Suzuki’s fate, the agreement to sell the team certainly did.
A new owner will surely want to select his dugout boss, and the impending Dec. 1 lockout means Kroenke might not need to hire a manager until after the sale of the club is finalized early in 2027. The club announced that "in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, will search for a new manager and coaching staff for the 2027 season."
Suzuki played 16 seasons in the major leagues, winning a World Series with the 2019 Washington Nationals before finishing his catching career with the Angels in 2021 and 2022. He joins Brad Ausmus – who managed the club in 2019 – as an Angels skipper for just one season.
