Sydney is a football club that has been lauded for, and indeed traded off, its magnificent culture. The trademarks of the “Bloods Culture” were written on butcher’s paper. On the field, it was about blue-collar football, selflessness and embracing the grind. Whenever they played the flashier West Coast, they called it a clash of the Cortinas and the Ferraris. Significant people at the club dispute that there was ever a “no dickheads” policy. But off the field, premiership player Luke Ablett wrote in 2014, the culture was “the character traits that you aspire to. That might be training standards, recovery standards or what you do and where you go on a Saturday night.”
The club operates in a challenging market where Australian rules football is not followed and covered as obsessively as it is in other cities. The Swans, as the late Dr Geoffrey Edelsten always insisted, have had to do things differently. They have positioned themselves in direct contrast to the nine NRL teams in Sydney. They are popular with the city’s LGBTQ+ community. They were the first professional sporting team to enter a float in the Mardi Gras. Their diversity action plan was the first of its kind in the AFL. This Sunday will be the first time the men and women’s teams have played on the same afternoon at the SCG.
Munetaka Murakami crushed his 29th home run of the season to tie the game in the third. | (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
There’s something about the Chicago Cubs (73-53) and rain delays, isn’t there? After waiting out the weather for nearly an hour-and-a-half, the White Sox (65-59) folded against their North Side rivals, getting walked off on back-to-back nights, 4-3.
Up until tonight, Bryan Hudson had just a 1.29 ERA across six opener starts and had allowed only two home runs in all 54 appearances this season (51 2/3 innings). While watching the events unfold in the first inning, I felt like I was having déjà vu as Pete Crow-Armstrong mashed a leadoff home run for the second straight game, giving the North Siders an early lead, 1-0. The main difference from last night was that it wasn’t Seiya Suzuki who tossed the second dagger, but Michael Busch, who blasted the second solo shot of the inning to make it 2-0. Despite the chaos of the inning, Hudson got out of it without any further damage, though his ERA jumped from 1.29 to 3.42.
On the other side of the ball, Kevin Gausman began his outing with a pair of walks to Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami, immediately putting pressure on him even with the two-run lead. Sadly, the White Sox couldn’t capitalize on the scoring threat: Miguel Vargas grounded into a double play, and Andrew Benintendi struck out to end the inning.
While he was able to work out of the jam in the first, Gausman could not maintain the Cubs’ lead for much longer. The South Siders were able to snag a run back in the top of the second after Chase Meidroth sparked a two-out rally with a single. Tristan Peters followed with another base hit, and Drew Romo made it three in a row, driving in Meidroth to cut the Cubs’ lead to 2-1. Sure, Romo’s batting average is still frightening, sitting at a cool .139, but he’s slashing .190/.227/.476 with a .702 OPS, two home runs and five RBIs in his last seven games. We will always take what we can get.
Once the Good Guys had seen Gausman the first time through the order, they continued to work him deep into counts. After his first at-bat, it felt likely that the North Siders weren’t going to give Murakami anything good to hit. Still, the lefty power hitter worked a full count before blasting his 29th home run of the season to lead off the third inning, making a dent in the Wrigley Field jumbotron in left and tying the game, 2-2.
The Good Guys carried their offensive momentum into the fourth, and Colson Montgomery kicked the inning off with a two-bagger into the right-field corner. Colson has seemingly been seeing the ball a lot better over the last week or so and continues to sprinkle in some hits to get back into his groove. Meidroth wasn’t able to move Colson over on his ground out, but Peters backed him up with his second hit of the day, driving Colson in with an RBI double to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
With two outs, the lineup flipped back to the top, but Gausman took a minute to stretch and work out what appeared to be a cramp in his glove hand. After being checked by the trainer and tossing a few pitches, he opted to remain in the game, ultimately winning the matchup against Antonacci, who struck out on a pitch in the dirt to strand Peters on second.
Gausman was still having trouble with his hand in the fifth, and though he struck out Murakami, he left the game after Miguel Vargas reached on an infield single. This put the North Siders in a tough spot without anyone warming up in their bullpen, but Craig Counsell turned to righthander Javier Assad to jump in on short notice. Proper warm-up or not, Assad shut the South Siders down for three straight innings, allowing just two hits while striking out two.
Once Hudson had left the game, Erick Fedde allowed a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases but recovered to escape the jam without allowing a run. Following the second, Fedde was lights out and racked up three consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth and fifth to hold on to the lead and keep the Cubs scoreless. The Sox righty took a stab at the sixth, putting two runners on but recording two outs before Will Venable called on Huascar Brazobán to face Ian Happ. Brazobán got Happ to fly out to end the inning.
Hats off to Fedde for a phenomenal outing, as he took over without surrendering a single run to the Cubs while eating a bunch of innings in the process. He had the Good Guys in a great position to win the game, but Brazobán had a rough outing in the eighth. The righty walked the first two batters he faced and forced Venable to go to Grant Taylor earlier than anticipated. Taylor looked sharp against the first two batters, striking out both PCA and Suzuki for two huge outs. He got within one strike of escaping the inning before losing a full-count battle to Alex Bregman, who tied the game at 3-3 with a single to left.
And just like that, the déjà vu was back as the Cubs tied it late once again, with the Sox handing over another lead. The run ended up being charged to Brazobán, and Taylor was charged with his fifth blown save of the season. In the next at-bat, it looked as if Busch blasted a base hit up the middle to take the lead, but Meidroth went into a full-extension dive to make an outstanding play to save the game for the moment.
The White Sox were down to their last couple of chances at the plate, with the heart of the order due up in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi couldn’t pull the clutch card tonight and struck out for the first out of the inning. Braden Montgomery then launched a towering fly ball that ended up being caught against the left-center wall, just a few feet shy of a go-ahead home run. Colson ripped a two-out double thanks to a weird defensive attempt by Busch at first, but Meidroth grounded out softly to third, and that was that.
Just as Taylor was about to stroll out for the bottom of the eighth, the Cubs grounds crew pulled out the tarp in anticipation of a storm rolling through northern Chicagoland into the city. In their defense, it did start to rain about 10-15 minutes later, but maybe they worked a masterclass to keep Taylor off the mound a second time. I guess we’ll never know.
After a 1-hour, 28-minute rain delay, Trevor Richards came in to replace Taylor in the bottom of the eighth. Given the situation, things felt more intense and dicey than they actually were, but he induced three straight fly outs to shut the Cubs down, handing the game back to the offense for the ninth frame. Naturally, they couldn’t scrape any runs across, so the North Siders went into the bottom of the ninth with a tie game and PCA due up third. The South Siders even tried to conjure up some more magic with Randal Grichuk, but it wasn’t in the cards tonight. Antonacci drew his second walk of the night, which brought up Murakami in a prime spot, but he grounded out softly on a ball back to the pitcher, and to the bottom of the ninth we went.
Richards returned in the bottom of the ninth, and while he couldn’t control his changeup whatsoever, the fastball seemed to be working well enough. Carson Kelly led off the inning with a double into the left-field corner, putting the winning run in scoring position. Richards recovered to catch Michael Conforto looking for the first out. In a near-repeat of last night, Will Venable made the decision not to pitch to PCA, putting him on first with an intentional walk and creating a force play with Suzuki coming up.
Seiya popped the ball up into foul territory on the first-base side, and Murakami made a clutch sliding catch, barely getting his glove under the ball but somehow managing to hang on to it. With two outs and Bregman at the plate, things didn’t feel great considering he’d already driven in the game-tying run in the seventh. It’s a shame that things didn’t end differently, but Bregman ripped the first pitch he saw up the middle to score Kelly and give the Cubs a 4-3 walk-off win.
Back-to-back walk-off losses to the Cubs certainly sting, especially when the Good Guys outhit them 10-8. Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position — the White Sox went 2-for-11 while the Cubs went 2-for-12 — but the South Siders also grounded into two double plays, killing any momentum they might have had. The pitching staff did a great job after the first frame but ultimately couldn’t hold on to the lead against a tough Cubs lineup.
If you stayed awake for that one, I’m sorry, but at least we were in this together. The Good Guys have one more chance to avoid the sweep at Wrigley tomorrow but have yet to name a starter for the series finale. A good night’s sleep might not fully wash away the last two losses, but the White Sox will need to wake up ready to fight back and end this year’s Classic on a high note.
MILWAUKEE — The long ball hasn’t been the Milwaukee Brewers’ strength this season, but the team with the best record in the majors put its power on full display on Tuesday night in a record-matching 22-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners.
The Brewers equaled baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout with a power surge that included three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers.
The Brewers have 117 home runs this season, the fewest in baseball, but as was pointed out by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, they have multiple players with the ability to go deep.
“They’ll put bunts down and put pressure on the bases and steal bags,” Wilson said before the game. “They also have the ability to hit the home run. You kind of have to prepare for all areas of the game.”
The Brewers also generated offense doing what they do best, pulling off a double steal in a five-run fifth inning that helped break open a tight game.
The 78-48 Brewers matched a franchise record for runs in a game, tying the 22 runs they scored at the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28, 1992. The Brewers also had a season-high 22 hits.
“It’s one game but a pretty darn good performance,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I’d like to order that every night.”
The only other 22-0 victories since 1901 were by Pittsburgh over the host Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.
Yelich connected for his ninth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Bryce Miller in the fifth. The Brewers tacked on five more runs in the sixth.
“It’s kind of crazy. It happened fast,” Yelich said. “It’s always fun to be on this side.”
Bauers smiled as he struggled to find words to describe the Brewers offensive outburst.
“I’ve got nothing for you on that one,” Bauers said. “It was just good performance all around. Just good at-bats all night up and down the lineup.”
Bauers hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the season in the sixth inning and he’s now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.
The Brewers tagged Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who came on to pitch in the eighth, for nine runs, which included a three-run home run from 21-year-old rookie Lara, his first career homer.
Lara took some good-natured ribbing about whether the homer counted since he hit it off a position player, but he was in a celebratory mood.
“For me, it all counts,” Lara said through an interpreter. “But I understand that it may not be common to get your first (home run) against a position player.”
Bauers and Yelich backed their young teammate.
“It’s a hard game. Every bloop single, dribbler single, home run off a position player, they all count,” he said.
Yelich urged Lara to embrace the moment.
“The first career homer is always cool,” he said. “Anytime you get to jog around the bases in a major league game is always special. It was cool for him to get his first one and smile and laugh about it.”
The Brewers also used a position player on the mound, veteran catcher/first baseman Gary Sanchez, with a much different result. Sanchez pitched a scoreless ninth with many in the announced crowd of 36,870 standing and cheering.
It was the third career pitching appearance for Sanchez and second this season. He has tossed two scoreless innings in the pair of outings the season.
“He did great. He was a showman as always,” Bauers said. “The crowd was involved. They loved it. He loved it. We loved it. But I still think he’s a better catcher than a pitcher.”
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 18: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) motions to the dugout after hitting a 2-run single during the second inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians on August 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One week after his best start of the season, Carson Whisenhunt wasn’t fooling anyone on the Cleveland Guardians. Especially not Jo Adell.
Adell drove in six runs in his first three trips to the plate, setting a career high in the game’s first four innings. He hit Cleveland’s longest home run of the season (455 feet) to give the Guardians a 3-0 lead three batters into the game, delivered a two-run single in the 2nd inning, and hit another RBI single in the 4th as the Guardians cruised to an 8-1 win.
Whisenhunt gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings, while walking two and striking out one. He just barely finished with more outs than baserunners, though only six runs were earned thanks to Drew Gilbert’s error on Adell’s third single that let Steven Kwan advance to third base.
Adell did this all despite fouling a ball off his knee in the first inning, which led to him leaving the game after seven innings.
One batter later, Angel Martinez added injury to insult by lining the ball off Whisenhunt for an RBI groundout. He stayed in the game to finish the inning, achieving a moral victory by being removed from the game for poor performance, not injury.
The Giants did get a very solid relief appearance from Trent Harris,. who struck out five Guardians in two innings. Reiver Sanmartin loaded the bases with no one out in the 7th, but should have escaped after inducing a popup and what would have been an inning-ending double play had Bryce Eldridge not dropped the relay throw.
All the same, all three Giants pitchers finished the game with ERAs north of 7, which is quite rare and impressive for the middle of August.
All the Giants scoring came off a second-inning home run from Bryce Eldridge, his 14th of the season.
Eldridge had two hits off of tough lefty Foster Griffin (14-4), who have up five hits and two walks in six innings, striking out five. His 4th-inning single kicked off an almost-rally where the Giants loaded the bases with one out, only for Andrew Knizner to hit a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. The next nine Giants also made outs.
That ended the Giants’ best scoring threat and also ended the home plate umpire’s night by fouling a ball off his mask. It was 7-1 by the end of the inning, so he didn’t miss much.
The Giants got two hits in the last five innings, both of them doubles. The second was 27-year-old rookie Turner Hill’s first major-league double and his second career hit, delighting a large contingent of friends, family, and various Hill-Heads who made the 160-mile trip to Cleveland from his hometown of Marietta, Ohio.
Jonax Cox paid tribute to “MajorLeague” by finding success imitating Willie Mays Hayes. When he pounded the ball into the ground, he hit a single to left and legged out an infield hit. And like Hayes in the first half of the movie, he got picked off his first time on base and missed a diving catch by about eight feet.
But the main problem in the game was that Whisenhunt couldn’t miss bats. He threw 80 pitches in the game and the Guardians only swung and missed at five of them. He was a regular Eddie Harris out there, while his battery mate couldn’t deliver the same footspeed as a Jake Taylor.
Meanwhile Roger Dorn would have been out with season-ending surgery and Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn would have already been traded for a toolsy middle infielder who can’t stop swinging at breaking balls out of the strike zone. And the Giants will remain juuuuust a bit outside of the playoff picture.
SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 10: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense during the game against the Sacramento Kings on April 10, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Warriors fans and fans across the country.
The Golden State Warriors have gone with the “running it back” approach this offseason, as they’ve yet to sign or trade for a player outside of the organization … and training camp is, somehow, right around the corner.
Running it back has its positives and its negatives, and it certainly suggests that the team will continue trying to build their future around their small corps of young players. That, of course, includes Brandin Podziemski, who is extension eligible.
The Warriors and Podziemski have until the eve of the season to agree on an extension. Otherwise, he’ll play out his rookie deal this year, and enter next offseason as a restricted free agent. It seems likely that Podz and the Dubs will reach an agreement on an extension in the next two months, but for how much? Let’s hear your predictions!
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: A locked padlock and chain against two official MLB baseballs representing a potential lockout between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) for the 2027 MLB season, as photographed on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.
The 2026 season has been full of bad news for the San Francisco Giants and their fans. And if you’re an optimist who sees a light at the end of the tunnel, well … that light will be dimmed very quickly, and not even because of anything the Giants do.
Yes, baseball is headed for a lockout, and while the last one was short, everything we’ve heard going into this one suggest it will be very long. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending and dominance and the altered landscape of regional sports networks and streaming platforms are large factors, and it seems like both sides will get bloody arguing over whether or not a salary cap should be introduced.
It will be ugly. You’ll get sick of hearing about it. I’ll get sick of writing about it.
But as long as it’s ugly, you might as well take a chance to be right, right? So give us your predictions as to how much baseball we are deprived of while watching billionaires argue with their (mostly) well-compensated employees.
Feduccia was forced to leave the team’s 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night in the bottom of the seventh inning, after appearing to become ill behind the plate and throwing up in the dugout.
“He’s got this stomach bug or food poisoning, something like that,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “He was scuffling all game. So finally –– he went as long as he could go.”
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia and relief pitcher Edwin Diaz celebrate after a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Indeed, Feduccia was catching his second-straight game in this week’s series, and fourth in the last five days, when he finally gave way with one out in the seventh.
After catching a slider from reliever Edgardo Henriquez for a strikeout to begin the inning, Feduccia doubled over behind the plate and looked like he was about to retch.
He quickly raced off the field and back down the dugout stairs, but left behind a trail that required a stadium worker to later mop up near the team’s third-base bench.
“He gave us a great effort,” Roberts said, after Ben Rortvedt replaced Feduccia to complete the game.
Feduccia was part of a second-straight resurgent performance from the Dodgers’ offense, drawing two early walks in their eventual series-clinching win.
The victory was also keyed by Shohei Ohtani, who followed Feduccia’s first free pass with his 30th home run of the season in the third; Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández, who each had two hits and combined for three RBIs; and even Kyle Tucker, who snapped his career-worst 0-for-26 hitless streak with an RBI double in the fourth.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is congratulated by Hunter Feduccia after hitting a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images
Just as important, however, was a five-inning, four-run start from Eric Lauer (a passing grade at mile-high altitude) and four innings of two-run ball from the bullpen (punctuated by a four-out save from Tanner Scott).
Feduccia was crucial to that effort early, displaying his growing comfort level with the Dodgers’ big-league pitching staff.
The former unheralded prospect –– who was traded by the team at last year’s deadline, then reacquired this year to bolster the team’s banged-up catching depth –– has become the team’s primary backstop lately, starting for the ninth time in the last 14 games on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, however, he’ll get a deserved break.
“I think we’re just trying to hydrate him,” Roberts said postgame. “He’ll be down tomorrow.”
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For the better part of the last few years, the Edmonton Oilers have been Canada's best chance to finally win another Stanley Cup.
They came within one win in 2024, returned to the Stanley Cup Final the following year, and have spent the better part of the past decade getting closer than any Canadian team has since Vancouver in 2011. There is still plenty of reason to believe they can get back there.
They may not have much longer as Canada's best chance.
The Montreal Canadiens are well ahead of schedule, and after reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season, you can't call what they're doing a rebuild anymore. They already have a good NHL team, most of their best players are young, and there is still another group coming behind them.
Montreal has drafted extraordinarily well.
Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are established stars. Juraj Slafkovsky is 22, Ivan Demidov is 20, and Lane Hutson has already become one of the best young defencemen in the league. Noah Dobson gives Montreal another high-end defenceman, while Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler give the Canadiens two young goaltenders who could be part of the organization for a long time.
Michael Hage is still at Michigan, and the Canadiens haven't emptied Laval to build the team that's already winning playoff rounds.
That's a pretty good situation to be in after making a conference final.
Edmonton's situation is a little different.
The Oilers have the better players at the top of their roster. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, to name a few. Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard have given the Oilers some much-needed younger talent.
The difference is that most of Edmonton's best players are already what they're going to be.
McDavid isn't a prospect who might eventually become a superstar. Draisaitl isn't still developing into one of the best centres in hockey. Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins are established veterans.
The Oilers are built to win now because they have to be.
Montreal has already become a contender while several of its most important players are still developing. Demidov should be better in two years than he is today. Slafkovsky should be better. Fowler hasn't reached his prime, Hage hasn't reached the NHL, and there are still players in Laval who could eventually become part of the Canadiens' lineup.
They don't need all of them to work out, either.
Montreal has enough young players and prospects that some can miss and the organization will still be in good shape. If Hughes decides the Canadiens need another established player instead, he has the draft picks and prospects available to go get one.
Teams trying to win the Stanley Cup, as the Oilers have been for years, don't keep every draft pick and prospect. They trade them for players who can help immediately.
Eventually, those trades leave the organization with less to work with.
The Oilers don't have a prospect pool in Bakersfield that compares with what Montreal has coming through Laval, and they don't have the same collection of draft picks available if another major piece becomes available. Edmonton can still improve its roster, but Bowman doesn't have the same margin for error that Hughes does.
Montreal's contracts help, too.
The Canadiens haven't had to pay their young core like a group that has already reached its ceiling. Their biggest contracts remain manageable relative to league-wide salary levels, and much of the core is under team control for years. That lets Hughes keep adding as the young players improve.
Martin St. Louis has been behind the bench through much of the rebuild and has developed alongside many of the players now turning Montreal into a contender. After taking such a young team to the conference final, it isn't difficult to see a Coach of the Year award in his future.
Hughes could eventually have a GM of the Year award waiting for him as well.
The Canadiens have rebuilt quickly without giving up the things rebuilding teams are supposed to accumulate. They still have prospects. They still have picks. They have young players on the NHL roster who haven't reached their primes, and they already know the group can win in the playoffs.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins and Bouchard have been through long playoff runs together. They've played in Stanley Cup Finals, dealt with the pressure that comes with them and come about as close to winning as a team can without actually doing it.
Montreal hasn't done that yet.
For now, that experience and the presence of McDavid and Draisaitl are enough to keep Edmonton near the front of the Canadian contenders. The Oilers don't need to be younger than Montreal or have a better prospect pool to win four playoff rounds this season. But they can't keep assuming there will always be another one.
Montreal's best years should still be ahead of it. Edmonton's best opportunity may be the one it has right now.
The Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup in 1993. For more than three decades, every contender north of the border has tried to become the team that finally follows them.
Edmonton has come closer than anybody, but if can't finish it in the coming years, the Canadiens may not leave them much longer to try.
There's a certain know-it-when-you-see-it moment when a baseball team goes from underperforming to checked out, from disappointing to joylessly headed nowhere.
Their 22-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, Aug. 18 had it all: Managerial malfeasance, an embarrassing gaffe by a superstar and, in the end, an utter lack of fight that belies the fact the Mariners are actually in the playoff hunt.
Let's be clear: That doesn't mean they're a good team.
The Mariners are 59-67, have been outscored by 45 runs and have a 60-homer superstar batting .157 — nearly 50 points worse than the lowest-qualified hitter in the major leagues. In any other year, that would typically invite a housecleaning at the trade deadline and perhaps a few rolling heads in management.
In the American League in the year 2026, however, it gets you just four games out of first in the West and three games out of the wild card.
Yet Seattle's fortuitous positioning can't wash away how dismal this season has been, particularly since expectations were sky-high after the Mariners came within eight outs of their first World Series appearance ever in 2025.
That Game 7 loss — courtesy of George Springer's historic home run — would not be possible had Mariners manager Dan Wilson not pushed virtually every wrong button in the pivotal seventh inning. And 2026 has been one hell of a hangover.
The Mariners' location in the Pacific Northwest makes them the game's best-kept secret when things are going well. It can also serve to camouflage disappointments.
But you can't hide from 22-0.
The remarkable thing? It was just a 1-0 game going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when Mariners starter Bryce Miller got peppered — single-walk-single-walk-sacrifice fly — with a one-out rally. Even then, it was just 3-0.
Lefty reliever Josh Simpson was warming in the bullpen. Christian Yelich was striding to the plate. Wilson stuck with Miller, not unlike sticking with Eduard Bazardo to face Springer all those months ago in Toronto.
Like Springer, Yelich crushed a three-run homer. And then Wilson lifted Miller once again after the fact. But it was game over at that point.
The ignominy was just beginning, though, reaching a crescendo when position player Leo Rivas was peppered for nine hits and nine runs in the bottom of the eighth. Yet only seven were earned runs, because franchise center fielder Julio Rodriguez lost track of the outs, tossed the ball into the stands and two more runs scored.
Hey, brain farts happen. But combine that with all that's gone wrong with the squad — this was the Mariners' eighth loss in 11 games — and it's a massive spotlight on a bad team.
Up 22, the Brewers saw fit to throw their own position player on the mound — catcher Gary Sanchez — and still, the Mariners couldn't push across a run. So they joined the 2004 Yankees and 1975 Pirates for the worst shutout loss since 1888.
Nonetheless, they'll wake up Wednesday four games behind Houston in the West. The division is so bad that the Mariners' odds of winning it are 23.1%, per FanGraphs, compared to their 7.4% chance to snag the final wild card, which is just three games out of their reach.
But the Mariners would have to leapfrog six teams, not two, to claim the final wild card. That's just not happening.
Bad seasons happen, certainly. But this one seems like a continuation of all that went wrong when the Mariners held that 3-2 ALCS lead, only to go home empty-handed. It seems a lot likelier there will be consequences for this failure.
While Marc-Edouard Vlasic kept the number 44 under lock and key with the San Jose Sharks for nearly two decades, shortly after he departed the organization, a new face took over.
The Sharks acquired Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canuck on January 19, 2026 for a pair of second round draft picks and defenseman Cole Clayton. Less than two month later, the Sharks signed the veteran winger to a five-year contract with an average annual value of $5.75 million to retain his services for the foreseeable future. With that being said, things weren't always this smooth for Sherwood, as he had to overcome massive odds to ever be seen as a legitimate NHL prospect.
As an undrafted player, Sherwood's NHL journey began alongside his younger brother Kole when the duo were invited to attend development camp with their hometown team, the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015.
After showing off what they could do at development camp, the Blue Jackets offered Kole Sherwood an entry-level contract while letting Kiefer return to Miami University for the 2015-16 season.
Kiefer would go on to earn an entry-level contract of his own toward the tail end of the 2018-19 season with the Anaheim Ducks, but after two seasons split between the NHL and their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Sherwood, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Sherwood then joined the Colorado Avalanche for the 2020-21 season, where he again found himself stuck between the NHL and AHL. The same was true for the 2021-22 campaign, but he spent the majority of that season with the Colorado Eagles.
After another tweener season during the 2022-23 season, this time with the Nashville Predators, Sherwood finally got his first opportunity to stick in the NHL on a full-time basis during the 2023-24 season. In 68 games, he scored 10 goals and added 17 assists, attracting the interest of the Vancouver Canucks.
During his first season north of the border, Sherwood scored a career-high 19 goals and 40 points in 78 games. He then scored 17 goals and 23 points with the Canucks to start the 2025-26 season before he was traded to San Jose.
Compared to most 31-year-old NHLers, Sherwood has less of a proven track record as he prepares for his first full season in the Bay Area. With that being said, sometimes all late bloomers need is a true opportunity, and that appears to have been the case with Kiefer Sherwood.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ interest in Jonathan Kuminga has been widely known for months, but there’s been little movement in a potential deal.
The Lakers initially pitched the idea of Kuminga starting alongside Luka Dončić, earning roughly $10 million annually.
The Lakers have been interested in signing Jonathan Kuminga for several months now. NBAE via Getty Images
For weeks, the idea of the Lakers landing Kuminga has hit a standstill because of the forward’s desire to earn more money in LA. The Lakers, who made several additions in free agency, can’t afford to bring Kuminga in on a $20 million deal, which is what the 23-year-old had wanted.
A sign-and-trade deal is comprised of three seasons. Nevertheless, the domino will have to fall one way or another.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, only the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lakers seem like legitimate options for Kuminga at this point in the offseason.
Though, the Los Angeles Clippers had initially also expressed interest in the free agent.
Jonathan Kuminga remains a free agent as the Lakers look to sign the forward. Getty ImagesGeneral manager Rob Pelinka is looking to add a versatile wing defender before the offseason ends. Getty Images
The Lakers are missing a versatile wing defender, especially after the departure of Rui Hachimura in free agency. As September quickly approaches, the team’s options are limited to bolster the roster.
But Kuminga remains on the market, which means general manager Rob Pelinka still has a chance to get creative and ink a deal.
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BOSTON - JUNE 17: Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics poses with former Boston Celtic Bill Russell after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers during Game Six of the NBA Finals at the TD Banknorth Garden on June 17, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s an age-old debate between the generations, often that uncomfortable conversation at Thanksgiving that can divide a family more than politics or what you thought about The Odyssey.
In honor of History Month and the great in-depth work and storytelling that CelticsBloggers Rich Jensen and Mike Dynon have put in this August on the storied past of the franchise, we plainly ask, “who ya got?”
BOSTON – JUNE 1: Celtics super fan Carl Lemhart of Brookline, Mass., who is shown at some point every game on the scoreboard video board, has become recognizable enough that a giant mask of his head has been made by a business that has a website called "BIGMUGG.COM." In the past they have had people in the stands wearing giant masks of Celtics players, including Kevin Garnett, and broadcasters, including Tommy Heinsohn, but now they have recognized Lemhart, who was at center court before the game, hamming it up while posing with his own mug. The Boston Celtics hosted the Miami Heat for game three of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at the TD Garden. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Is it the dynamic duo of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy who won six championships in seven years under Red Auerbach with teammates like Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, Tommy Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, and Bill Sharman?
What about those spunky 70s squads with Dave Cowens and John Havlicek?
Who has the better Big 3: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish or Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen?
And where does the 2024’s Banner 18 and the Jays rank amongst the greats?
Try to put recency bias aside or what you might think about how the game of basketball was played seventy, sixty, fifty, or forty years ago. Read up about just how dominant some of these teams were and how surprisingly close some of their series and games were in order to hang eighteen banners in The Garden. And in the end, just appreciate how lucky we are to be fans of the greatest team in the history of the sport.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Willi Castro #3 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on August 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There just wasn’t enough LoDo Magic for the Colorado Rockies as their comeback effort fell just short in a 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a solid offensive night and bullpen performance, the Rockies couldn’t overcome another difficult starting pitcher outing.
Another labored night for Feltner
Hoping to replicate his successful outing last time facing the Dodgers at Coors Field, Ryan Feltner faced a tough test against the Dodgers lineup.
Feltner worked through the opening frames, keeping the game manageable. The Dodgers manufactured a run in the first inning and added a Shohei Ohtani two-run home run in the third inning. The Rockies managed to answer back both times to tie the game 3-3, but the Dodgers’ potent order eventually broke through in the fourth inning.
The Dodgers kicked off the inning with three-straight doubles to score two runs, including Kyle Tucker’s to snap an 0-for-26 streak at the plate. Hunter Feduccia then drew his second walk of the evening against Feltner before Ohtani grounded into a fielder’s choice. Freddie Freeman capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to put the Dodgers up 6-3.
Feltner navigated another double in the fifth inning and came out to start the sixth inning but immediately gave up a leadoff triple that eventually scored after he departed to give the Dodgers a 7-4 lead.
“Not a lot of feel for the spin today,” said manager Warren Schaefer. “I thought he competed well, probably without all of his weapons.”
On the night, he ended up allowing seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Feltner filled up the strike zone, throwing 55 of his 83 pitches for strikes, but he struggled to locate within the zone and gave up a lot of contact
The offense tries to climb back
The Rockies offense did a good job answering back early on as the Dodgers took the lead. After Jake McCarthy led off the bottom of the first with a single and stole second, Cole Carrigg hit an RBI double to tie the game 1-1. Colorado made Eric Lauer labor through that first inning, throwing a season-high 29 pitches in the first inning.
After Ohtani’s home run in the third inning, the Rockies answered with a two-out rally in the bottom half of that inning. Willi Castro drew a walk and came around to score on a TJ Rumfield double. Connor Norby followed with a double of his own to score Rumfield and tie the game 3-3
The Rockies made it a two-run game in the bottom of the fifth when Castro hit his 14th home run of the season, a solo shot to make the score 6-4, before the Dodgers tacked on in the top of the sixth.
Despite the first-inning excess of pitches, Lauer settled in against the Rockies offense, allowing just four runs on six hits while striking out six and allowing just one walk. The Rockies put together some solid at-bats but Lauer’s crafty arsenal was enough to limit further damage and preserve the Dodgers’ lead.
Late game chances
After rough innings against Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez, the Rockies tried to chip away at the three-run lead in the eighth inning against Evan Phillips.
Castro led off the inning with a double and Rumfield followed with a bloop single. Zac Veen then came through with a pinch-hit single that dropped into right field, allowing Castro to score the Rockies’ fifth run.
Adael Amador was then called upon to pinch-hit but struck out, prompting the Rockies to turn to the red-hot Brett Sullivan off the bench. The Dodgers brought in Tanner Scott to face him, and he won the battle, getting Sullivan to ground out to third base.
Colorado then threatened in the ninth when McCarthy hit a one-out double. Unfortunately, Carrigg’s lengthy at-bat resulted in a stellar play by Max Muncy at third base for the second out, but Castro delivered another clutch hit with an RBI single to left field to make it 7-6. However, Rumfield then popped out to end the game.
Castro led the Rockies offense with two hits while scoring three runs, driving in two, and drawing a pair of walks.
“Willi’s consistent; he’s been consistent all year,” said Schaeffer. “He gives you strong at-bats, day in and day out; he’s reliable. That’s what you want out of a ballplayer.”
The Rockies matched the Dodgers in hits with 10, but struck out 11 times while going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Dodgers struck out just five times and went 3-for-12 with RISP but had one more extra-base hit, the sixth-inning triple proving the difference maker.
The bullpen parade
The reason the offense had chances to chip away was because of a solid night from the bullpen. Parker Mushinski entered in the sixth inning and did give up a bloop single that scored the seventh run for the Dodgers, but was otherwise unscathed in that inning. Jimmy Herget and Zach Agnos both followed with 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, with each collecting a strikeout. Because the game was still close, Jordan Romano was called on to pitch the ninth inning and allowed just a single as he induced three fly balls.
Up next
The Rockies and Dodgers will close out the series with Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.27 ERA) taking the ball for Colorado and Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.46 ERA) going for Los Angeles.
Throughout the summer, one of the hottest NHL topics is prospects, which is understandable given that the draft takes place in June and that, following the initial onset of free agency, things die down quite a bit until September.
On Tuesday, another major rankings list was released. And the results were a bit perplexing for Pittsburgh Penguins fans.
What was a bit harder to wrap the head around was the prospect rankings within.
For Pronman's parameters, players had to be under the age of 23, disqualifying players like Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz, and Avery Hayes but qualifying younger players like Ben Kindel, even if he has a full NHL season under his belt.
Here were the three biggest surprises - and, frankly, head-scratchers - on the list:
Let's set the record straight here: Despite dealing with some major injury setbacks to start the 2025-26 campaign, McGroarty had an excellent AHL season. He put up 10 goals and 34 points in 30 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) and was a factor for them in the playoffs, and even if his 24-game NHL sample last season was somewhat unremarkable, his progress over the course of the 2025-26 campaign was tangible. He still projects as an effective middle-six NHL player.
But the fact that Kindel, at 18, played a full NHL season as a legitimate third-line center for a playoff-contending team and scored at nearly a 20-goal pace should automatically put him at the top of this list and any list he’s included on. Kindel is only going to progress and get better, and his top-six ceiling is nearly a given. The Penguins like his two-way ability at center, and he is their best young player at this time.
As a matter of fact, it could be argued that a few other prospects such as defenseman Harrison Brunicke, goaltender Sergei Murashov, and forward Bill Zonnon should be ranked above McGroarty, even if he is still a top-five organizational prospect.
Perhaps the most jarring bit to come from this list was the fact that Sergei Murashov - the consensus best goaltending prospect by pretty much every writer and prospects guru who covers the Penguins - was ranked the organization’s 17th-best prospect.
Look, it’s reasonable to have some reservations about goaltending prospects in general. Goalies are volatile, and even the best prospects at the position can end up busts. And, more often than is the case for the other two positions, goaltenders drafted later frequently still experience long NHL careers.
But Murashov - at least, in the Pittsburgh media circle - is a consensus top-five prospect within the organization, and in most cases, he is considered top-three. He has dominated every level of professional hockey up to this point, was one of the AHL’s best goaltenders last season, and had an absurd playoff run with WBS that included a .931 save percentage in 15 games.
Maybe Murashov is a boom, maybe he’s a bust. But it’s pretty wild that 16 Penguins’ prospects were ranked ahead of him on this list.
The issue with Brunicke on this list wasn’t really the ranking, as he was placed No. 3, and he is typically regarded as a top-three prospect in the organization.
However, it’s something in the analysis that stood out.
Pronman uses six levels of tiers in four categories of critique, which include skating, puck skills, hockey sense, and compete. He projected Brunicke as “NHL average” in all four.
In all fairness, NHL average means he is a middle-of-the-pack NHL player, by Pronman’s standard. NHL average hockey sense? Sure. Puck skills? Why not? However, rating Brunicke’s skating and compete as “NHL average” seems to miss the mark, and he goes on to say that Brunicke “isn’t a dynamic player by any means offensively.”
If anyone watched Brunicke’s run in the AHL playoffs - and even in his short, uneven nine-game NHL sample last season as a 19-year-old blueliner at the highest level of hockey - it’s quite easy to see that his skating is well above average, the compete level is there, and the offensive dynamic exists, too. In fact, those three attributes are, perhaps, the three biggest differentiating pillars of Brunicke’s game, which has been stated many times over by members of the front office.
Again, Brunicke may not end up being a full-time top-four NHL defenseman. But erasing the biggest strengths in his game that are clearly at least a notch above NHL average seems a bit disingenuous.
Jose Iglesias was back at Citi Field, back in Queens, where he enjoyed one of the most memorable seasons of his major league career.
The former Met threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Padres and was warmly greeted by the crowd, given a standing ovation.
The Mets played a highlight video on the big screen, accompanied by his hit song, “OMG.”
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“It’s great, extremely happy to see smiles everywhere and the way they opened the door for me was special one more time,” he said. “Extremely, extremely happy to be home. It’s a lot of emotions right now. Being in this part of the field, sitting on this bench reminds me of great moments.”
Iglesias, 36, threw the first pitch to Francisco Lindor. It was a strike.
He said it was a season he won’t forget and one he will cherish.
Former Met José Iglesias is greeted by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) after throwing out the first pitch before a game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Citi Field. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Iglesias spent last season with the Padres and is now entering a new phase of his life, although he hasn’t closed the door on his baseball career.
“I did not expect that call at all. It was an automatic yes,” he said. “Coming back to New York and delivering the energy and now in this case representing Cuban music as an immigrant, it’s a privilege.
“I’m surrounded by great teammates. They support me on a daily basis, they know this is totally new for me. It’s a fun responsibility I have with my hands. I’m grabbing it with two hands like I would a ground ball and I won’t let it go.”
Former Met José Iglesias is greeted by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor after throwing out the first pitch before a game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Christopher Morel, called up Monday from Triple-A Syracuse, got the start Tuesday. The 27-year-old was hitting well in the minor leagues. He has bounced around after a hot start to his career with the Cubs, spending time with the Rays and Marlins. In 2023, Morel produced an .821 OPS and hit 26 home runs.
“I saw him be about as electric as any hitter in the game during a period of time,” interim manager Andy Green said, referring to the time Morel spent with the Cubs.“Ridiculous power, elite athleticism. I think we’re taking a shot to see if we can recapture, rekindle some of that.”
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Infielder Mark Vientos is nearing a rehabilitation assignment, according to Green. Vientos took batting practice and ran the bases ahead of the game Tuesday. He has been out since July 9 due to a fractured right hand.
A.J. Ewing’s struggles continued with three more strikeouts. He is now in a 3-for-37 stretch with 17 strikeouts.
“I’m confident he’ll come out the other side of it,” Green said.
