Mauritian claims landmark victory at Leamington Spa
Wiebes finishes second after 137th career stage win
Kim Le Court sealed overall victory in the Tour of Britain Women in Royal Leamington Spa, as Lorena Wiebes took her fourth sprint win in this year’s race and the 11th stage victory of her career.
Wiebes has surpassed Mark Cavendish’s career mark of 10 stage wins and now has the most victories of any rider competing in either the men’s or women’s Tour of Britain. Le Court, who won a stage and finished ninth overall in the Tour de France Femmes earlier this month, based her success on a solo victory in Friday’s uphill finish to the Great Orme, overlooking Llandudno. It was the most significant race victory of the Mauritian rider’s career.
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 22: A detail shot of a Texas Rangers 1996 30th Anniversary base prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Saturday, August 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tenley Wright/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers fell to the Anaheim Angels last night by a score of 3-0.
Evan Grant’s game story talks about how the Rangers can’t score runs without Josh Jung in the lineup.
Feb 22, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jackson Ferris against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A recap of Saturday in the Dodgers minor leagues.
Player of the day
Cam Leiter struck out seven in 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his High-A debut for Great Lakes, stranding two hits and two walks.
The Dodgers’ second-round draft pick in 2025 out of Florida State is in his first professional season and was promoted from Class-A after a 3.09 ERA and 36.1-percent strikeout rate in 18 starts for Ontario.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Jackson Ferris allowed a run in five innings in the Comets’ win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).
Austin Gauthier had two hits in the win. James Tibbs III doubled and walked. Zach Ehrhard had an RBI single and stole a base.
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 21: Jonny DeLuca #21 of the Tampa Bay Rays watches as fans compete for a home run ball hit by Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 21, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One could argue that the Yankees’ loss yesterday was maybe the fourth- or fifth-most impactful bit of news from the day, but if we were to zero in on that? Yeah, that was annoying. They had a legitimate chance to steal a second Dylan Cease start for a win in the span of a week, even one in which he was no-hitting the Yanks into the seventh. But long before then, they stranded a pair of runner-on-third/one-out opportunities in the first and second. Maybe Luis García Jr. doesn’t get the chance to hit that same kind of pitch from Tyler Rogers to make it a 4-3 game later, but … ah. Whatever.
Here’s what else was going on around the American League on Saturday.
Tampa Bay Rays (76-53) 2, Baltimore Orioles (63-67) 3 (10 innings)
The Orioles have really been the Yankees’ best friend during the past week. They won three out of four against the AL East-leading Rays last weekend, lost to the Yanks in a three-game sweep from Tuesday through Thursday, and have now rallied to beat the Rays again on consecutive nights. The Yanks trimming a 6.5-game Tampa Bay lead in the division down to three as of now gets a big assist from Baltimore. It honestly should be closer at this point, too!
Anyway, on the topic of Saturday night’s game, the Rays held a 2-0 lead through six thanks to a solo shot by Liam Hicks off Brandon Young, and then a Junior Caminero RBI single to knock Young out of the game in the sixth. That, however, was Tampa Bay’s only hit with a man in scoring position all night, as they went 1-for-8 in such opportunities, bouncing into multiple double plays and running into outs on the bases.
Shane McClanahan threw five scoreless innings for the Rays, but with him long gone from the ballgame by the eighth, the O’s pounced. Kevin Kelly started the frame for Tampa Bay and allowed a leadoff single to Jackson Holliday. He fanned the surging Pete Alonso but gave a sinker a little too much plate to rookie pinch-hitter Samuel Basallo, who launched it over the wall in center for a game-tying homer.
In the ninth, the Rays missed another chance to tack on when Andrew Kittredge got Richie Palacios to fly out to right after Jonny DeLuca’s double. Garrett Cleavinger retired the O’s in order to send this to extras … where the Rays again squandered an opportunity. This time, it was with the zombie runner and a one-out squeeze play by Taylor Walls. Former Yankees legend Rico Garcia got to the ball quickly and flipped it home in time to nail Palacios at the plate.
Kevin Cash called upon the reliever who the Orioles traded in a minor move 13 months ago, only to see him become an All-Star closer in 2026. But while Bryan Baker handled his old team on Monday, he looked more like the version that also lost the game in extras exactly one week prior. Baker got ahead of his first hitter on Saturday, Dylan Beavers, with an 0-2 count. Then he fired two out of the strike zone before Beavers cracked one off the right-center-field wall, walking it off for the O’s.
Boston Red Sox (70-59) 3, San Francisco Giants (52-77) 2: I do hope that you didn’t invest too much mental space in hoping that this lousy Tony Vitello-led Giants club would actually do something worthwhile at Fenway Park. It didn’t matter that Blade Tidwell threw 5.2 scoreless innings for San Francisco or that they took a 2-0 lead into the final frame on long balls from Willy Adames and Andrew Knizner. This team is wretched. Behold, the bottom of the ninth:
Walk-off grounder by Wilyer Abreu, with White beating Bryce Eldrige’s throw home
Great job, great work.
Chicago White Sox (67-62) 5, New York Mets (59-71) 10: Luis Castillo looked like the version of himself that got squeezed out of the Mariners’ rotation despite his contract. He was knocked out before the end of the third, allowing four runs on eight hits, including homers to Bo Bichette and one-time White Sox phenom Luis Robert Jr. The latter would go yard again off former Mets teammate Huascar Brazobán in the seventh, with Carson Benge and Luis Torrens hitting dingers against other members of the Chicago bullpen. You can’t give up five homers to the 2026 Mets and expect to win! The White Sox still hold a 3.5-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central.
Houston Astros (65-65) 3, The Athletics (50-80) 4: The A’s had literally only won 11 games since the beginning of summer, but while they’re lousy, the AL West as a whole is also lousy in its own way. Bennett Sousa couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead in the eighth at home, with Lawrence Butler tying the game on an RBI single and Jonah Heim plating the eventual winner on a grounder. Elvis Alvarado struck out two in the ninth for the A’s win.
Texas Rangers (64-66) 0, Los Angeles Angels (52-78) 3: Despite sitting at exactly .500, the Astros still hold sole possession of the AL West lead because the Rangers had their own embarrassing loss to an awful division rival. Ryan Johnson and two Angels relievers combined to spin a one-hit shutout in the Rangers’ own ballpark. Even with a stirring, Randy Arozarena-led walk-off win over the Cubs last night in Kade Anderson’s MLB debut, the Mariners are still three games behind Houston! It cannot be overstated how much the AL West stinks on ice. They are the silverfish skittering across the floor in your weird friend’s basement.
Cleveland Guardians (64-66) 4, Colorado Rockies (50-79) 3: This section is called “AL Wild Card Rock Fight” so I must also zero in on them as well as the AL West (though really the races are almost one and the same). The Rangers still inexplicably hold the last Wild Card spot at two games under .500, but the Guardians tied them there with their third win in a row, as a Jo Adell three-run bomb and a Patrick Bailey single led them to victory at Coors. Cleveland has one of the easiest schedules in baseball down the stretch so to me, it’s honestly theirs to lose. But the AL Wild Card race has been all about losing, so… yeah.
Minnesota Twins (63-67) 5, San Diego Padres (70-60) 7: I’ve had very little faith in the Twins’ realistic chances all year long and really only had them added to the re-introduced Rock Fight section this weekend because they actually held that third Wild Card spot a couple days ago. But they lost on Friday and blew a 5-1 lead yesterday even though the Padres lost starter Casey Mize to a rolled ankle in the third. Yuck.
For those curious, here’s the race for the last AL Wild Card spot:
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 22: Harry Ford #17 of the Washington Nationals hugs Erik Tolman #73 of the Washington Nationals in the dugout in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on August 22, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by JC Ruiz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Saturday night’s content between the Nationals and the Miami Marlins was, by just about all accounts, a very forgettable night of baseball. Starter Jake Irvin tossed an up-and-down 6.0 innings of 4-run ball, and the Nats only put up 2 runs en route to a 4-2 loss to drop 9 games below .500.
However, one of the beautiful things about baseball is that an average loss in late August can mean so much more than the box score might show.
While the game ended in defeat for Washington. It was a night of pure triumph for 27-year-old reliever Erik Tolman.
FOURTEENTH round pick. TWO tommy johns. ONE entirely blown out knee.
Tolman joined the Washington organization as a 14th-round selection out of Arizona State University in 2021, and his pro career has been marred by a plethora of struggles.
His career stats look solid on the surface, a 3.78 ERA across 74 games making appearances as both a starter and out of the bullpen. Looking deeper into his story, his journey to the big show is nothing short of remarkable.
Injuries have been at the forefront of Tolman’s playing career since before he made his way into the Nationals’ system, suffering a torn UCL resulting in Tommy John surgery during his junior campaign at ASU. That was just the first of two elbow issues to arise for the southpaw, having to undergo the same procedure in 2022 after having barely made his introduction to the organization.
The setbacks didn’t stop there, either, as a freak injury saw him tear every ligament in his knee back in 2023, marking 3 major injuries in just the span of a few years.
Holman refused to let his health issues derail his MLB future, working as a swing starter across 3 levels in 2025 to a 3.67 ERA in 95.2 innings, and starting 2026 with AAA Rochester.
This season has been statistically his least successful, but an uptick in his metrics and a desperate need for pitching at the MLB level led to the Nats calling him up to the bigs a few days ago.
Despite the aforementioned 4-2 loss, the biggest story of Saturday night’s contest was Tolman.
The first man out of the bullpen, he dazzled in a scoreless inning, picking up his first MLB strikeout along the way. It’s yet to be determined whether or not Tolman will have a future in the Washington bullpen in either the short or long term, but one thing is for certain: years of resilience and refusing to quit have now finally culminated in his place forever being cemented in the MLB history books.
Saturday saw the four teams in the Atlanta Braves farm system split their games, but we got to see Eric Hartman hit his first Double-A home run, and his 25th overall. That was part of a three-hit night for Hartman, though he may have been overshadowed a bit by one of his teammates in Adam Zebrowski hitting two homers, a double, and batting in four runs. We also got to see Patrick Clohisy, John Gil, Carter Beck, and Manuel Campos have strong games at the plate, while Cedric De Grandpre pitched a mostly strong start in Triple-A.
Durham Bulls 3, Gwinnett Stripers 2
Brett Wisely, SS: 3-4, R, .279/.397/.415
Patrick Clohisy, LF: 1-3, 2B, BB, SB, .374/.447/.537
Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 4.50 ERA
Cedric De Grandpre got the start and got through five effectively wild innings, allowing three runs – all unearned, on three hits and five walks as he struck out six and whiffed nine. Cedric threw 53 of his 92 pitches for strikes, but was still effective in this one, not allowing any runs to score outside of the three unearned run second inning. Two scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts from Blake Burkhalter were followed by a scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts apiece from Tyler Uberstine and Joel Payamps. Combined the three relievers pitched four innings without allowing a run as they allowed no hits, one walk, and struck out six.
Once again Patrick Clohisy was an offensive standout for the Stripers. Already in his 35th game since his promotion, he walked, doubled, and stole a base in four trips to the plate. Luke Williams scored one of the two runs when he hit his seventh homer of the season in the sixth inning to get the Stripers on the board. Brett Wisely added a three-hit game and scored the other run outside of the Williams homer.
Columbus Clingstones 14, Montgomery Biscuits 2
Eric Hartman, LF: 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, .239/.353/.313
Braden Scott threw a gem on Saturday, going six scoreless innings and allowing just three hits and two walks. He would add seven strikeouts and six whiffs as he picked up the win. Julio Robaina allowed both Montgomery runs to score in his inning of work in the seventh, before Luis Vargas and Tyler LaPorte threw scoreless innings to finish this game off with ease.
Adam Żebrowski led the offense in this one, but Eric Hartman was the big story in a game filled with big offensive games. Hartman went three for five, a triple shy of the cycle, as he hit his first Double-A homer and his 25th overall this season. Zebrowski went three for five with a pair of homers and a double, giving him 14 homers in just 45 games with Columbus. John Gil also went two for four with a walk and scored a pair of runs to go with a stolen base. Jordan Groshans and Luke Waddell also added home runs in the win, which gives Groshans 26 on the season. Among the other prospects Alex Lodise went one for four and Owen Carey was one for two with a walk.
Hub City Spartanburgers 6, Rome Emperors 0
Carter Beck, CF: 0-2, 3 BB, .222/.333/.333
Dixon Williams, 2B: 1-4, BB, .242/.344/.475
Aiven Cabral, SP: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3.44 ERA
Aiven Cabral started and went seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks, as he picked up the quality start. Cabral struck out four and whiffed seven as he did a good job of keeping this one close. He actually only needed 82 pitches to make it through those seven innings after a very efficient outing. Drew Christo relieved him and went on to allow three runs in his inning of work, before a scoreless inning from Tanner Bauman finished things off for the pitching staff.
Rome was shutout in this one, and managed just three hits – all singles. Dixon Williams singled and walked to reach base twice, while Carter Beck reached three times, all via walks. The other two hits came from Mason Guerra and Logan Braunschweig, each of whom was one for two and drew two walks, as Rome was able to draw seven walks off Spartanburger pitching. Luis Guanipa was hitless in five at bats, while Conor Essenburg sat out this one after leaving the previous game early.
Augusta GreenJackets 5, Columbia Fireflies 2
Manuel Campos, SS: 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, .216/.245/.333
Caleb Klein, CF: 1-3, BB, .300/.370/.300
Luis Arestigueta, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 7.18 ERA
Luis Arestigueta got his first start since going six shutout innings in his last start, and with five scoreless innings here he boosted that streak to 11 scoreless frames in a row. This run has dropped his ERA from 9.07 with Augusta to 7.18, and his WHIP from 1.82 to 1.69. Arestigueta allowed four hits and two walks as he struck out four and whiffed four. The final four innings went to Nico Wagner, who would allow two runs on two hits and three walks, though he finished with no strikeouts and only two whiffs. This was his first ever appearance with Augusta after being drafted late last year, and he had only appeared in one FCL game back in July.
Manuel Campos had a big game, going three for five with a double, and both scoring and batting in a run. It had been a bit of a slow start for Campos in full season ball, and some lost time due to injury didn’t help things – but the 18-year-old is now seven for his last 18 with the double and a homer in the team’s last four games. Caleb Klein and Caden Merritt were the only others to reach base multiple times, as each one went one for three and drew a walk. Parker Brosius and Yamvier Carrero each had a hit, while Juan Mateo walked and batted in a run. Nick Montgomery also drew a walk in the win.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 22: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds runs the bases after hitting his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on August 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The world’s largest single drop waterfall is the Kaieteur Falls.
This is located on the Potaro River in the center of Guyana’s rainforest. The average flow rate of the waterfall is 663 cubic meters per second.
People from the English Midlands use black cats to bless marriages.
New brides are given black cats as a symbol of good luck as a way to bless their marriage. The Japanese also highly believed that black cats were lucky for single women as well.
Apples wake you up more than coffee in the morning.
This is because of the high amounts of sugar that is found in apples. The vitamins from the apples also have similar effects to caffeine, thus making you feel more awake.
The New York Knicks’ first championship in 53 years came in such dominant fashion, fans are quickly turning towards the next one, with all but Mitchell Robinson returning and the season under two months away.
Their oldest rotation piece is 31-years-old and the front office can realistically keep them in place for at least the next two seasons, so their championship window remains open.
Although the league bolstered up and these guys aren’t exactly young, they only hit their peak during last year’s playoff run and it’s possible their ceiling is even higher. Just how long can New York keep this core team together and competitive?
Leon Rose and team have already suffered a loss in keeping under the second apron, as Robinson left for the Boston Celtics with the Knicks unable to match their offer. On the bright side, they locked in Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet for the next three seasons, and Mikal Bridges is under contract for that long as well.
New York’s immediate concerns are Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride. Towns has a $61 million player option for next year but fans are hoping he and the Knicks can come to terms on a fair extension before the season following a legendary postseason run.
A team-friendly deal in the $50 million a year range, short of his near-$70 million max, would lock him up well past his prime and help the Knicks duck the apron in the years to follow. The alternatives would be losing a key starter or trading Towns before he could flee in free agency.
Hart has a team option for next season at $22.3 million, but just became extension eligible. The Athletic reports a likely three-year offer in the range of $20 million per year, which tracks with offering long-term security at a lower price to maintain this aging roster.
The league could throw gaudier numbers Hart’s way, but the Jalen Brunson connection makes a departure hard to imagine. His skillset and culture-setting are perfect for this team, which makes every dollar worth it even if his game starts to slip towards the back end.
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) reacts with guard Jalen Brunson (11) and guard Mikal Bridges (25) against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter during game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena / Kyle Ross - Imagn Images
McBride is a different story, as he and the Knicks didn’t reach an extension before the deadline, setting him up to his free agency this summer. Teams are likely to throw valuable role player numbers at him after New York all but swindled him the past few seasons, so retaining him would make retaining the rest of their rotation near impossible.
It would make sense for the Knicks to shop him this trade deadline to teams interested in picking up his bird rights in exchange for somebody still on their rookie scale or a similarly priced deal. If not, they run the risk of losing him in free agency, though seem to have their backup plans in Tyler Kolek and Jack Kayil (who will play overseas during the 2026-27 season).
Barring catastrophe here, the Knicks can keep their non-McBride minutes the same and continue competing through the next two seasons. They’d have a starting five of 32- and 33-year-olds, but can still keep the math working for even longer.
The assumption is Brunson inks a max extension with New York ahead of time, setting him up to make over $70 million a year starting in 2028-29. This is why the front office needs to pinch pennies with every extension so far.
OG Anunoby’s final year player option also hits in 2029 at $48 million. The magic annual number to keep the party going is somewhere below that - $45 million should work but $40 is even better.
This third year out is the tightest with Brunson’s and potentially Anunoby’s extensions kicking in. If Towns insists on closer to $60 million, or any of the others want bigger bumps, this plan goes awry quickly.
It’s possible this team isn’t worth keeping together past that point as they start to show their wear-and-tear or naturally drift apart like other "superteams." In that case there’s little to worry about here as the Knicks would just pivot, retool or rebuild.
But if it still looks like they could win, they just need to extend Bridges at the $40 million his contract ends on and reload the bench, and they could theoretically keep this team going for the next five seasons. It’s hard to imagine them wreaking havoc for that long, but many didn’t imagine them winning a championship in the first place.
On Kade Anderson day, the hero was Randy Arozarena as he took both the first pitch he saw, and the last pitch he saw deep to secure a stunning 5-4 win! The Mariners have a chance to do the previously considered unthinkable today, as Bryce Miller will try to secure a sweep of Shota Imanaga and the Cubs at 1:10 PST.
In Mariners news…
Randy has already gotten his flowers from every possible source for his otherworldly performance in last night’s game, but I want to call attention to something specific. I don’t get to do this very often because my career Lookout Landing recap counter is at one (1), so you all are going to have to humor me for a second. I want to take a section of this morning’s links to admire Randy Arozarena’s eyes. I have to be at my day job on Saturday nights so I didn’t get to see much of this game live, but this slo-mo replay of Randy’s swing on his leadoff homer immediately clued me in to just how locked in Randy was for yesterday’s game. That baseball must have looked like a beach ball coming in for him. This was a game of destiny for him, we were all just witnesses, and I think that’s awesome.
If you’re at the stadium for today’s game make sure to keep your sunglasses on or risk being blinded by one of the game’s most dazzling smiles!
A familiar face is back at the ballpark to throw out the first pitch tomorrow 👋
Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff announced that he does not need the capsule surgery on his shoulder as he previously believed, as scans taken more recently revealed that the injury is already showing significant improvement. Woodruff and the Brewers are now considering the possibility that he returns to pitch again this season as the Brewers continue to jostle for playoff seeding.
Running remains the single greatest threat to Giancarlo Stanton’s general leg health, as a left calf strain has delayed his return this season, but the team isn’t yet sure for how long that delay will be.
Yankees starter Ryan Weathers left yesterday’s game early with discomfort in his arm. He supposedly went for imaging almost immediately, so results of that will likely come out some time today.
Nick’s pick…
Recession indicator.
‘NATIONAL TREASURE 3’ is officially in the works, confirms director.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Jean Cabrera #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies' prospects pitches during the second inning of a Spring Breakout game against the Minnesota Twins' prospects at the Lee Health Sports Complex on March 19, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Lehigh Valley’s game got rained out, but the other affiliates were in action on Saturday, including the Dominican Summer League Phillies who were eliminated from the DSL Cup tournament.
Reading 5, Portland 2
Raider Tello, Pedro Leon, and Raylin Heredia each had RBIs in the top of the ninth to allow the Fightin’ Phils to surge past the Sea Dogs.
Bryan Rincon got things started in the first inning with his 20th home run of the season, and starting pitcher Jean Cabrera largely kept the Sea Dogs in check, giving up one run in five innings. Dustin McGowan pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to record the save.
Hudson Valley 2, Jersey Shore 1
After giving up a run in the first, the BlueClaws held Hudson Valley scoreless for the next eight innings. Starter Cade Obermueller allowed just the one run while striking out five in four innings. But the BlueClaws’ offense didn’t provide much support, with the lone run coming via a Robert Phelps RBI single in the sixth.
The game was tied heading into the tenth, but a fielding error by first baseman Scott Mudler allowed the winning run to score.
Dunedin 9, Clearwater 6
A shaky start by Matthew Fisher (three runs in one inning) put the Threshers in an early hole, and poor outings by relievers Brian Walters (three runs in one inning) and Luis Avila (two runs in 2.2 innings) kept them from making a comeback.
After going scoreless for the first four innings, Clearwater’s offense came to life with a five-run fifth inning. Reece Moroney had an RBI double in the frame, one of his three hits in the game. Matthew Herrera also chipped in two RBIs in the inning, part of a two-hit, three-RBI effort.
DSL Padres Gold 9, DSL Phillies 3
The DSL Phillies lost their final game of pool play in the Dominican Summer League’s postseason DSL Cup tournament and have been eliminated from contention.
It was a rough game for the Phillies’ pitching with starting pitcher Cristian Rego and Jorge Mitre both allowing multiple runs. Offensively, Elian Adames had two doubles and centerfielder Francisco Renteria had a home run.
Francisco Renteria gets the DSL Phillies within 3-1 with a solo home run. It’s his first postseason homer after hitting 11 in the regular season pic.twitter.com/gxMBEdeY54
Aug 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) celebrates with teammates after defeating the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Giants led for 8 ⅓ innings on Saturday night. It never felt real. Not unreal, like magical or unbelievable, but temporary. Willy Adames solo shot in the 1st off Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval, Andrew Knizner’s follow-up to deep left-center (in his first AB in the Majors this season, playing for his fourth organization) in the 3rd added on — but neither homer tore through the Boston night or cut their opponents to the bone like Willson Contreras’s 3-run shot did yesterday.
The 2-0 lead was always temporary, borrowed. A late lead that was never going to last. It was only a matter of time… This ominous sense was not especially prescient. The dread is fortified and well earned. Giants fans this year aren’t allowed to have nice things, especially that late in a ballgame. But there were individual signs as well…fog began to choke the bridge and fill Gloucester harbor as my friend Tony from East Boston and I walked down to the Crow’s Nest to watch the game. We had to ask the bartender to switch one of the televisions from the Patriots preseason game to the national broadcast and spent the whole game watching against the current of gazes glued to meaningless yards gained and loss, clipboards and adjusting headsets, touchdowns touched down. On the wall to my right was a faded framed photograph of Mark Wahlberg, arm around the owner of the bar, because of course this was the local dive the crew of the Andrea Gail drank at before setting off on their ill-fated journey in The Perfect Storm.
Blade Tidwell put together his best outing of the year by a country mile, striking out 7 over 5 ⅔ IP, allowing only 3 hits, limiting hard contact and scoring opportunities — but I knew the wave was coming.
The innings rolled on, and the offense squandered opportunities to pad their lead: Osleiveis Basabe stranded at second after a lead-off single and error; Jung Hoo Lee with the bases loaded and two outs ripped a 102 MPH grounder right into Contreras’s glove at first. 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. 11 left on base. Tony from East Boston in my ear: Best atmosphere in sports… If you can’t handle the stage… This crowd is pent-up, it’s looking for an excuse to explode… He was right. The cramped confines of Fenway seemed to constrict, getting tighter and tighter as the game progressed. The lead was phony, unearned. It became a burden.
Carson Seymour gave up a double to Mickey Gasper, Boston’s first extra base hit of the night, to lead off the night. Mark Wahlberg, that smile and jawline, over one shoulder. Mike Vrabel and the Keno numbers over the other. A walk and Seymour was out. Dylan Smith came in and immediately gave up a single. Bases loaded, no outs. I kid you not, the “Jaws” theme started to play over the bar’s speakers. But Smith bared down, channeling his performance from Wednesday in Cleveland. He struck out Wilyer Abreu, then Contreras with his four-seam baseball. Adley Rutschman gave one a ride but it proved routine for centerfielder Drew Gilbert.
A masterful performance — that merely prolonged the inevitable. Tony was right: Fenway is a special and awful place. The Red Sox’s 21-7 home record might have something to do with their season’s miraculous turnaround. Bostonians have the unique ability to feel victimized and threatened while standing over you, on top of you. Sweet Caroline plays and everyone sloppily bah-bah-bahs and starts dropping their “r’s” and asking strangers if they like applesand throwing Dunkin’ munchkins at each other while rubbing their crucifixes and praying to their patron saints: Dear Tom Brady…Oh, Bobby Orr…intercede on our behalf, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, give us protection, o’ Big Papi, against these strangers from the West, because this is our f***in’ city, amen — and if you’re Smith, or any reliever in the bottom of the 9th, a 2-run lead becomes a disadvantage, a personal slight, and the pitcher’s mound is not high ground but a boat floating out in the middle of an angry sea as a wave forms.
In those types of situations, and in those environments, the vestments and armor one wears throughout the day gets stripped away. The bad habits that have plagued the San Francisco bullpen all season became their skin. There would be no repeat of Cleveland for Smith. He walked the lead-off man on four pitches. Tony Vitello went to Sam Hentges. The second pitch the lefty threw struck pinch hitter Jahmai Jones and put the tying run on base. Osleivis Basabe couldn’t handle a groundball from Andruw Monasterio cleanly and missed turning a double play by a stud. Then the hits came. Eli White’s 68 MPH lob somehow split the difference between Basabe and Adames to plate one. Nick Sogard forced the count full and ripped a game-tying double. Then, on another 3-2 count, after an intentional walk loaded the bases, Abreu yanked a grounder up the first base line. Bryce Eldridge laid out for it. A nice stop and he scrambled onto his feet as quickly as his long limbs would allow and one-hopped a throw home. The ball beat the runner. Knizner picked on the bang-bang play…but, somehow, his foot wasn’t on the plate. Fielding the high hop caused his shoe to slide from the plate’s edge a cruel fraction of an inch. The tiniest gap between toe and home that no matter how many times they replayed it video review could not close.
What we saw in the 9th was a team playing with purpose against…well, these Giants. Even if the offense had added on when those earlier opportunities presented themselves, and the lead in the 9th was three or four runs, I doubt it would’ve made a difference. Boston, decked out in the Marathon city connects, knew they were going to win. This is their city after all.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 39 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #39.
Let's take a look.
Mike Pandolfo - 2003-04 - Pandolfo was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 3rd round of the 1998 NHL Draft.
Pandolfo was traded to the Blue Jackets at the 2002 NHL Draft. He played in three games for Columbus during the 03-04 season and had zero points. He spent most of his time with Columbus playing for the Syracuse Crunch. He retired after the 2007–08 season.
He's the brother of long-time NHLer Jay Pandolfo, who is currently the head coach of Boston University.
Steven Goertzen - 2006-07 - Goertzen was picked in the 7th round of the 2002 NHL Draft by Columbus.
Steven Goertzen played 46 games for the CBJ from 05-07 and had zero points. He left for Europe in 2011 and retired in 2015. He played in Czechia and England and was a player-coach while playing in England.
He returned to North America in 2018 and has been the Director of Player Development for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds since 2019.
Greg Moore - 2009-10 - Moore was drafted in the 5th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Moore played four games for the Jackets during the 09-10 season and had zero points. On March 1, 2010, Moore was traded by the Islanders to the Columbus Blue Jackets. After signing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, he was traded back to Columbus on February 28, 2011.
He left for Europe in 2011 and would play in Germany and Czechia until he retired in 2015. He went into coaching immediately after retiring. He has coached at various levels for the United States Development Team and is currently the Head Coach for the U.S. National U-17 Team. He's also been a head coach for the USHL's Chicago Steel and for three seasons for the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Moore has been brought back as an asst. coach for the Toronto Marlies for next season.
Michael Chaput - 2014-16 - Chaput was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 NHL Draft by Philadelphia.
Chaput was traded to the Blue Jackets on April 28, 2012, and signed a three-year entry-level contract. He would play 58 career games for the CBJ and total 8 points. He spent most of his time playing for the Springfield Falcons and Lake Erie Monsters.
In 2016, he was not tendered a contract and left for the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent. He's also played for the Montréal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. He left for the KHL for a season and then returned to North America. After taking two seasons off, he played for the Québec National of the La Ligue nord-américaine de hockey (LNAH).
Tyler Angle - 2023-24 - Angle was drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
After turning pro in 2020, Angle spent most of his time playing for the Monsters. Angle would only play in 4 games for the CBJ and total one point.
After his contract with Columbus was up, Angle left for Germany and played for
Düsseldorfer EG of the DEL last season on a one-year deal. He returned to the AHL last season but has since returned to Europe and will play in Sweden in 26-27.
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West Brom’s head coach, James Morrison, insisted his side must “stay humble” after Isaac Price inspired them to a 3-1 comeback win against promotion favourites Burnley in the Championship at the Hawthorns. The Northern Ireland international scored twice in the second half after setting up Harry Whitwell’s equaliser to cancel out Callum Styles’s early own goal.
“I felt it was a top performance. I enjoyed it at times for the intensity with the lads willing to run for each other,” Morrison said. “We did the basics really well – we won tackles, and when we lost the ball, we ran back and when the opportunities were given to us, we took advantage.
TORONTO, CANADA - OCTOBER 24: Collin Murray-Boyles #12 and Ja'Kobe Walter #14 of the Toronto Raptors smile during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 24, 2025 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Beyond Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors likely won’t see another needle-moving (even by a centimetre) type of player walk through the doors of the Scotiabank Arena before the start of the 2026-27 season.
This is especially true after DeMar DeRozan signed with the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
That means the answer must already exist inside Toronto’s locker room. Leonard is still a superstar, but for the Raptors to make a meaningful run in an uber-competitive Eastern Conference, he needs the supporting cast to step up.
After Leonard hit the game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2019 championship run, injuries temporarily slowed him down. Leonard’s teammates picked him up until he was ready to save the day. Fred VanVleet went nuclear from deep against the Milwaukee Bucks. Pascal Siakam ascended and hit the last field goal in the title-clinching game. Game Six Kyle Lowry went berserk in the opening minutes.
On this team, especially when Leonard misses time, it will again take a village. But for the Raptors to truly take advantage of however many years Leonard has in the tank, fans believe Ja’Kobe Walter must unlock another level.
Walter has the potential to be a more dynamic version of what Danny Green was in 2019. The third-year guard averaged one steal last season and should continue to grow into one of the better perimeter defenders on the team. He’s also one of the best shooters on the roster after averaging 40.9 per cent from deep in his sophomore season. If Walter can continue to develop his in-between game, he’ll play a significant role in reducing the scoring droughts that have typically plagued the Raptors in the past.
With the start of pre-season beginning on Oct. 3, Raptors fans can continue to voice their expertise, knowledge, and concerns about the upcoming year on FanDuel.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 21: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering #50 pitches the ball during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals on August 21st, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Let’s say that right now, the Phillies had a high leverage situation in which neither Jonathan Bowlan or Jhoan Duran are available. Both of those pitchers are ones the Phillies want to use in the eighth and ninth innings in games in which they are tied or have a lead, something that has been established in the days since Brad Keller went down for the season.
In this high leverage spot, the team needs a right handed pitcher to get them out of a jam. Which pitcher are you hoping the Phillies go to – Alex McFarlane or Orion Kerkering?
Both of them have good, strikeout stuff that can get outs on their own, not needing a defense to get involved if need be. Both of them have had control issues in their past. We haven’t seen how McFarlane would react in a big spot, but we have seen how Kerkering will pitch when the chips are down. It’s hard to predict how that at bat would end up going, but which would you rather see?
