Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

Posted on

Phillies settle at No. 2 seed as Twins silence offense at home

Phillies settle at No. 2 seed as Twins silence offense at home originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies have seen former teammate Mick Abel pitch numerous times, from his stay in their minor league system to the seven starts for the big-league club this season. They are very familiar with what kind of a pitcher he is. They had not, however, ever faced the righthander. And as the old adage in baseball says, it’s always tough facing a pitcher for the first time. That held true on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

Abel, part of the package that brought the Phillies Jhoan Duran from Minnesota at the trade deadline, allowed just three hits and a walk in his six innings and struck out a career-high tying nine in picking up his third career win as the Twins downed the Phillies, 5-0. It was the eleventh time the Phillies have been shut out this season, the first time at home.

Abel’s mastery was a bit surprising as he had given up 22 earned runs in his last five starts encompassing 17 2/3 innings. That’s an 11.21 ERA. Still, the Phillies didn’t come close to solving him.

“He was fantastic. He was really good,” said manager Rob Thomson. “You’ve got to give him credit. Seventy three percent strikes, or something like that, throwing all his pitches for strikes. He kept guys off-balance, power fastball. He was really good.”

Phillies starter Ranger Suárez got hit hard most of the misty night as he allowed nine hits, including two home runs, and three earned runs in his 4 1/3 innings. The most damaging hit came to his left inner thigh off the bat of Ryan Jeffers in the fifth inning. Jeffers hit a 106 mile-an-hour screamer back to the mound that hit Suárez inches away from where it could have been much more serious. \

The lefthander was replaced by Max Luzar due to a contusion that will be evaluated. Suárez left the mound with a “that was close” type of smile. “I was lucky. All muscle (the ball hit),” he kidded after the game.

It wasn’t the best outing for Suárez, in fact, it couldn’t have gone much worse as the Twins were on top of just about everything he offered in his last start before the playoffs begin next weekend. Suárez did throw 57 of his 84 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk anyone, if you’re looking for a silver lining.

“Aside from the getting hit by that liner, that wasn’t what I wanted today as a whole, as a team tonight,” said Suárez, who set a career high with 157 1/3 innings pitched this season. “I feel good. Physically I feel fine as I’ve been saying for the past couple of outings and interviews. I don’t know what’s with it but the last outing of every year for the past two or three years hasn’t been good. But I’m ready to go. My cutter wasn’t landing where I wanted it to, and I was leaving the fastball in the middle of the zone. It’s always a tough night when your primary pitches aren’t doing what you want and you don’t have command of them.”

The Phillies eliminated themselves for a chance at the top seed in the National League with the loss. That spot will now go to the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Phillies will play the winner of the Wild Card Series between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds beginning Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.

Byron Buxton opened the game with a solo home run to start the scoring for the Twins. It was his 11th leadoff home run of the season. James Outman and Ryan Fitzgerald also went yard for Minnesota.

“Last couple of starts his command has been off a little bit, probably average for him,” said Thomson of Suárez. “Not the pinpoint command that he normally has. His stuff was good. He gives up the Buxton home run where he left that 3-2 cutter in the middle of the plate. The other two hits (in the first) weren’t really hit hard and he battled out of it and struck out the side. So, that was good to see.”

The lone bright spot offensively for the Phillies was third baseman Alec Bohm collecting two hits. That extended his hitting streak to eight. Since September 19, he is hitting .500.

Thomson did announce after the game that shortstop Trea Turner, who has been sidelined since September 7 with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, will start at shortstop for the team in Sunday’s regular season finale.

“Now, don’t be shocked if he comes out early,” Thomson said. “When that is, I don’t know. He’s wanting to play, one. And the trainers deemed him healthy.”

The series and regular season will conclude tomorrow when Cristopher Sánchez opposes Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson.

Posted on

Yankees confident Cam Schlittler can start a playoff game after best outing of season

The Yankees are firmly in postseason position and are awaiting whether they'll play in the Wild Card round or win the AL East and get the first-round bye. 

However the playoff seedings shake out, the Yankees need a Game 3 starter and they may have one in rookie Cam Schlittler. The young flamethrower had perhaps his best outing of his short season against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday afternoon. He allowed just two hits and one walk across seven shutout innings while striking out nine batters in the Yankees' 6-1 win.

Schlittler's performance lowered his season ERA to 2.96 and put the pressure on the Blue Jays to keep up in the division race. 

"I thought he was great. Stuff was really good again out of the chute," manager Aaron Boone said of Schlittler's performance. "Good job mixing the secondary with the big fastball. Lost the zone in that inning when he hit a couple of guys and had some uncharacteristic misses by him. But dialed back in and finished great in the sixth and seventh."

Schlittler credited his outing to staying in the strike zone, feeling out his mechanics and taking a step from his last start. Pitching against these same Orioles on Sept. 21, Schlittler went just 5.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits. On Saturday, Schlittler made sure to stay on top of the ball and "finish through the catcher's mask."

And he wasn't affected by the pressure of Saturday's game. With the Blue Jays having the tiebreaker, the Yankees need to keep winning and get help from the Rays in their series with Toronto. Knowing the stakes, Schlittler embraced the pressure to pitch his best game of his young big league career.

"I knew the situation after yesterday. There’s a little bit of pressure, it’s something I do and something I want to pitch through," Schlittler said. "It’s high stakes, I don’t have experience in the playoffs. Take it day to day, but I’m aware of the situation. That’s over with, have to focus on next week. [The pressure] Locks me in a little more. I enjoy everything that comes with that."

That confidence exudes from Schlittler on the mound and the Yankees skipper knows it. When asked if Schlittler's confidence matches former Yankees starter Michael King's, Boone took a beat before playfully saying, "No one's as confident as King."

To Boone, King is at the top of the confidence list, followed by Clarke Schmidt and then Schlittler.

"You walk out there with that equipment, I’d be confident too," Boone quipped. "He definitely has that. But there’s a humility to him; he doesn’t think he has it figured out or anything like that. He does have confidence with a good competitiveness. Good combination."

With Max Fried and Carlos Rodon set to pitch the first two game of either the Wild Card of ALDS, Boone has a decision to make for Game 3. He can go with Schlittler or fellow rookie Will Warren, or 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil. 

Warren gutted out an uneven start in Friday's win with Gil pitching the regular season finale on Sunday with the division potentially on the line. Perhaps Boone will know after Sunday, but does he have the confidence to give Schlittler the ball to start a pivotal third game of a playoff series?

"Yes, absolutely." 

Posted on

Edgecombe stands out and learns, Embiid practices at Sixers training camp

Edgecombe stands out and learns, Embiid practices at Sixers training camp  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Asked about his early impressions of VJ Edgecombe, Andre Drummond didn’t first point to the No. 3 overall pick’s bounce or defensive chops.

“The first day I saw VJ I was instantly impressed, because the first thing he did was just ask me a bunch of questions,” Drummond said Friday at Sixers media day. “He even asked me how my day was. He’s like, ‘What do you think about this, big bro? How do you feel about this?’ 

“He’s a kid that wants to soak up knowledge. And he’s a gifted athlete and he’s very, very good. I think he’s going to be very good for us and I’m excited about what’s to come.”

Day 1 of Edgecombe’s first NBA training camp was Saturday. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse named him and two-way contract player Dominick Barlow as standouts. 

As Drummond noted, Edgecombe is fully aware he has tons of NBA-specific knowledge to gain. The 20-year-old has recently been asking teammates about how to prepare for the Sixers’ upcoming preseason trip to Abu Dhabi. Edgecombe’s watched Tyrese Maxey’s shooting and marveled at his range and “muscle memory.” Over the summer, he was curious about “the fouls and physicality.” 

“What is legal, what is not legal? It’s a different game from college, so I’m just trying to learn the rules,” Edgecombe said Friday. “That’s why I ask a lot of questions, especially if I’m trying to box (Drummond) out on a rebound or something like that. Little things like that … just trying to learn. I ask questions to everybody — literally anyone. I ask Justin (Edwards) questions, Jared (McCain), Tyrese, everybody. I’m just trying to get better.” 

Since draft night, Edgecombe has worked to adapt to various aspects of NBA life. That includes his strength and conditioning habits. The 6-foot-4 guard said he’s gained a bit of muscle and is up to the 195 to 200-pound range. 

“I’m just trying to find a routine and stick to that,” he said. “I’ve been lifting a lot more, lifting a lot of weight. I’m resting a lot. I’ve got to get my eight to 10 hours of sleep now. I’m taking recovery more seriously, to be honest with you.”

Edgecombe has also aimed to improve his outside shooting after going 34 percent behind the college line last season. 

While he wasn’t a poor or unwilling shooter at Baylor, Edgecombe was fully on board with mechanical tweaks. 

“I had a flat shot in college,” he said. “Now my arc is really good compared to where it was a month ago … and just more consistent. It’s crazy that it’s now rare for me to shoot flat. Now I know when my shot is flat.”

In terms of Edgecombe’s rookie role, Nurse said Friday he plans to use him both on and off the ball. Nurse can also envision Edgecombe “playing some three” and generally being a part of guard-heavy lineups that play a high-energy, fast-paced style. 

Whatever the assignment, Edgecombe seems like he’ll roll with it (and ask about anything he needs to know). 

“It’s basketball, at the end of the day,” he said. “I feel like everyone on the court is interchangeable, so whoever’s got the ball can bring it up. We have a lot of versatile guys. Sometimes I’m running, sometimes I’m bringing the ball up, sometimes I’m trailing. But I’m just out there trying to make winning plays.”

Embiid in the mix on Day 1 

Joel Embiid emphasized at media day that his health is a day-by-day matter.

He shot jumpers following Day 1 of camp and Nurse confirmed that he took part in practice. 

“He did participate,” Nurse said. “Everything right from the start was live and he was in there, participating in that stuff. He didn’t do everything, but he did quite a bit.

“I think he’s probably told you how he’s feeling, how he’s looking. He was moving good, playing hard and he had great spirit out there today.”

A Sixers official said Trendon Watford (right hamstring tightness) is day-to-day and that Paul George (left knee surgery) did an individual on-court workout.

Posted on

Aaron Judge drives in three, Cam Schlittler tosses gem in Yankees' 6-1 win over Orioles

The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.

Here are some takeaways...

- It didn't take long for Aaron Judge to continue building on his AL MVP candidacy. The slugger gave the Yanks an early advantage with a two-out solo shot to left-center in the bottom of the first, now giving him 10 in September and a total of 53 on the season. 

Judge would deliver again a few innings later, smacking a two-run bases-loaded single to make it a 5-0 ballgame. A few pitches before that, Aaron Boone was ejected by home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus for a league-leading seventh time for arguing balls and strikes.

The captain finished the day 2-for-4 while driving in three of New York's six runs. 

- Two of New York's other runs also came via early blasts off of Baltimore lefty Tomyoki Sugano. After homering two different times in Friday night's game, Giancarlo Stanton lifted a solo shot leading off the bottom of the second, giving him 453 for his career (the 40th-most all-time).

Stanton reached base two more times on the day with a walk and a 102.5 mph infield single. The big slugger is heating up just in time for the playoffs -- hitting .333 with four home runs, 12 RBI, and a 1.392 OPS over his last seven games. 

- A few batters later, Ryan McMahon followed that up with his 20th homer of the season, fourth as a Yankee. 

- Cam Schlittler took advantage of the early lead and closed his spectacular rookie campaign on a high note. The young right-hander issued a two-out walk in the first, but then retired the next eight batters he faced before allowing a one-out double to Gunnar Henderson in the top of the fourth.

Schlittler got a lineout and strikeout to strand Henderson there. He hit two batters in the fifth to put another man in scoring position, but he was able to get Jackson Holiday to ground out to second to again escape without any damage on his line.

The youngster picked up two more strikeouts as he worked around a two-out single in the top of the sixth, then he put together a 1-2-3 seventh to end his day with just two hits (single, double) and a walk allowed while striking out nine batters across seven scoreless innings. 

Schlittler ends his campaign with a 2.96 ERA, the second-lowest by a Yankees rookie since 1981.

- Paul Blackburn entered and immediately broke up the shutout, allowing a leadoff solo homer to Coby Mayo. The right-hander rebounded to retire the next six hitters in order, securing the Yanks the series victory in their final set of the regular season. 

That earned run was the first one Blackburn has allowed in six appearances this month. 

- Jazz Chisholm left the game in the bottom of the fifth after being hit by a pitch on the left forearm. 

Game MVP: Cam Schlittler

The young right-hander certainly made a strong case for a playoff start, ending his rookie campaign on a high note.

Highlights

What's next

Luis Gil (4-1, 3.29 ERA) takes the mound against Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.25 ERA) as the Yankees and Orioles close the regular season on Sunday at 3:10 p.m. in the Bronx. 

Posted on

Zegras, Michkov make a highlight, youngster has tough play and Flyers fall to Bruins

Zegras, Michkov make a highlight, youngster has tough play and Flyers fall to Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers dropped to the Bruins, 4-3, in preseason action Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Travis Sanheim, Nikita Grebenkin and Trevor Zegras provided the Flyers’ goals. The markers by Sanheim and Zegras came on the power play.

Matvei Michkov collected two assists. Zegras also had a helper to go along with his goal.

The Flyers are 1-3-0 in the preseason and have three games left.

• Grebenkin and Alex Bump both got another look in their push for a job with the big club.

Grebenkin took advantage of a second-period climb in the lineup, scoring his first goal of the preseason. The 22-year-old winger stood out in the pair of rookie games with a goal and two assists.

He played seven games for the Maple Leafs last season and has a legit shot to win a season-opening roster spot with the Flyers.

“He’s a sticky guy, he comes up with loose pucks, that’s what we need,” Rick Tocchet said. “He finds the pressure and he goes to it, he’s not shy. There are really good parts of his game. We’ve got to clean up some stuff, a lot of turnovers at the center ice he has got to clean up. Other than that, though, I thought he had a good game for us.”

Bump had a costly turnover in the final seconds of the first period.

The 21-year-old winger lost control of the puck right by his own net as he was trying to milk the clock to zero. John Beecher pounced on it and put it past Samuel Ersson with 0.6 seconds left.

“I just tried to settle the puck down,” Bump said. “Funny bounce on me, funny roll. Unfortunate, yeah, but whatever, it’s over now.”

A number of Flyers went up to support Bump before they headed down the tunnel to the locker room. After starting the game with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, Bump dropped down the lineup for the second and third periods.

“Listen, everybody has made mistakes like that,” Tocchet said. “You just move on from it, it’s not a big deal. He knows.”

Rodrigo Abols, a big forward who can play center or winger, suited up again. He’s the only skater to have played in all four preseason games so far. And he has earned it. The 29-year-old could be in the Flyers’ bottom six on opening night.

• Zegras gave the Flyers what they probably envisioned when they acquired him this summer in a trade with the Ducks.

In the second period, the 24-year-old center teamed up with Michkov for an impressive power play goal.

It was high-level playmaking that the Flyers have desperately needed on the man advantage. Michkov’s vision on his pass was excellent.

“He’s a guy that if we get people moving in the right areas, he’s going to find them,” Tocchet said.

More: How Zegras has bonded with Michkov over a game of ‘crossbar’

• Ersson started in net for the Flyers and played the full game, stopping 23 of 27 shots.

Jeffrey Viel snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period by waiting out Ersson on a move in close.

Ersson has made 30 saves on 36 shots through four periods of exhibition play.

• Jamie Drysdale looked confident and creative with the puck on his stick.

“He has been real assertive,” Tocchet said. “He’s trying to do stuff we want on the blue line. He’s doing some spin-o-ramas, he’s holding onto pucks, he’s doing some good stuff. … There’s a lot there, he’s a good player. He’s only going to get better.”

• The Flyers sent prospects Spencer Gill and Jack Nesbitt back to their respective junior clubs.

The club’s roster is down to 40, which includes injured players.

• Lou Nolan, the Flyers’ longtime public address announcer, paid tribute to the late Bernie Parent before the game.

The Flyers held a moment of silence for their all-time great goaltender, who died last Sunday at the age of 80.

• The Flyers and Bruins meet again Monday in preseason action at TD Garden (7 p.m. ET).

Posted on

Former Panthers Goaltender Returns To Toronto On PTO

Former Florida Panthers goaltender James Reimer is returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a professional tryout. 

Reimer's NHL career began in Toronto, with the Leafs selecting him in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Draft. Now 37 years old, Reimer played six seasons with the Leafs, recording a .914 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against average in 207 games. 

"I haven't had that much fun in a long time. And so it's been a special experience to be back here," Reimer said one day after signing with the Leafs on a professional tryout. "A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions. And really enjoying the moment and just enjoying being back. It's a lot of fun."

Reimer was brought in on a PTO because Joseph Woll is away from the team for personal reasons. The Leafs have not revealed why he needed to leave and have asked to respect his privacy. 

'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May Play'I Haven't Had That Much Fun In A Long Time': James Reimer Reflects On First Maple Leafs Practice in 9 Years And When He May PlayJames Reimer stepped onto the ice in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey for the first time in over nine years on Saturday and the veteran NHL goaltender couldn't stop smiling from ear-to-ear.

The Panthers are the team Reimer has played the second most games with, recording a .912 SP and 2.85 GAA in 123 games.

Reimer spent three seasons with the Panthers from 2016 to 2019. Reimer has bounced around the NHL quite a bit as a veteran, spending time with the Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks and the Buffalo Sabres. 

It's unknown if the Leafs will sign Reimer to an NHL contract, but it's a feel-good story for both Reimer and the Leafs fans.