Australia battled back from a dreadful start n Darwin to win the first of three T20 matches
5th over: Australia 60-3 (Green 25, David 18) So the run rate’s up and the wickets are falling. David doesn’t mind the latter, he maintains the former, thrashing Corbin Bosch’s first ball over backward point for four. It was full and wide but David has the reach to fetch what Travis Head couldn’t earlier. Bosch, tall and blond and built, looks annoyed, bowls the next into leg stump, and has David hitting to his outfielder at deep backward. That’s more the plan. No plan is containing Green though, who makes it look so easy slotting another six over long on. He’s 24 off 7 balls! Then races a single. He’s six foot seventy-three but he’s also quick enough. One ball to come, and David drives it over cover for six!
Oh boy. Three down and they’re going at 12 an over. The ground DJ is playing Chappell Roan. Hot to Go.
Jonathan Bailey of The Hockey News has reported that the Philadelphia Flyers could be a potential landing spot for New Jersey Devils goaltender Nico Daws. The Devils, however, should consider their history before shopping Daws to other teams.
Daws, 24, has played in the NHL in previous seasons when the Devils’ starters were unavailable due to injury. New Jersey currently has Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen locked in as its goaltending tandem for the upcoming season.
Markstrom, 35, is entering the final year of his six-year, $36 million contract. He joined the Devils last season, appearing in 49 games with a .900 save percentage.
Allen, also 35, re-signed with New Jersey on July 1 to a five-year, $9 million contract after initially being expected to test free agency. He had been linked to teams with goaltending needs, including the Flyers, before returning to the Devils.
With Markstrom and Allen set as the top two goaltenders, Daws remains the organization’s third option in net. Drafted 84th overall in 2020, he has primarily played for the AHL’s Utica Comets but has appeared in 52 NHL games, recording 22 wins and a .898 save percentage.
Daws has stepped in at the NHL level during multiple seasons, 2021-22, 2023-24, and 2024-25, including six games last season.
Both of the Devils’ current NHL goaltenders are 35 and have dealt with injuries in the past, factors that may influence whether the team decides to retain Daws or explore trade options before his contract expires.
While it may be appealing to the Devils to trade Daws this season before his contract expires, it would not be smart given the team's history.
Daws has been ready whenever the Devils need him. He has shown up, done what needs to get done, and helped the team when called upon.
The Flyers, along with other teams are looking for goaltenders.
The Devils shouldn’t consider trading Daws to another team; what they should consider is making him a more permanent member of the roster moving forward.
Jeremy Brodeur and Keith Kinkaid both took the ice in Florida for the three-on-three tournament, which is held annually during the NHL offseason as an opportunity for current, former, and aspiring players to compete in a fast-paced, friendly format.
The event is now heading into its final four round, featuring No. 4 Minnesota, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 2 NJ/NY, and No. 1 Buffalo.
Leading the Buffalo team in net is former Devil Keith Kinkaid.
Kinkaid joined New Jersey in 2012-13 as an undrafted free agent and went on to play six seasons with the team, appearing in 41 games across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. In total, he spent 10 seasons in the NHL, playing primarily with American Hockey League affiliates, and is now looking to return to the league. His strong showing in the tournament could draw interest from teams, especially with the current NHL goaltending market thin and several clubs in need.
“Right now, I just want to keep playing,” Kinkaid told NHL.com. “We’ll see what happens. This is a great opportunity to show I still have it. My body is holding up very well… Any opportunity is fine with me.”
Kinkaid isn’t the only player in the tournament with ties to the Devils.
Jeremy Brodeur, son of Devils legend Martin Brodeur, also competed. The Brodeur name is synonymous with New Jersey hockey. Martin leads the NHL in both games played and shutouts and now serves as the Devils’ executive vice president of hockey operations.
Jeremy has spent the past decade playing in the AHL, ECHL, and international leagues. Most recently, he split time last season between the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, and their ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. In Utica, he appeared in five games, and with Adirondack, he played 24 games, posting a .905 save percentage.
Brodeur suited up for the Buffalo 3ICE squad, and while his team was eliminated, the 28-year-old left a strong impression.
“I definitely get a couple more eyeballs on me when they see my last name,” Brodeur told NHL.com. “But I’m just trying to do my thing—work on my game and improve every day.”
Both goaltenders are looking to make a push for a Devils roster spot, though openings are unlikely with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen currently locked in.
The Devils’ presence at the tournament didn’t stop there. The NY/NJ 3ICE team was coached by Ken Daneyko, former Devils broadcaster and three-time Stanley Cup champion.
From the bench to the crease, the organization was well represented at the 3ICE Tournament, with former, current, and hopeful Devils all sharing the ice.
The Guardian’s fans network looks ahead to the new season: fresh talent, weak links, and who will be sacked first
Optimism abounds in London N5. I had some doubts about Arteta’s ability to keep motivating this group, but this summer’s heavy spend should fix that, reinvigorating the squad. Only time will tell whether the new faces can gel and develop chemistry, but it’s a relief to have the clamour for a centre-forward answered at last. Hopefully come May we’ll be lauding Victor’s veni, vidi, vici Premier League triumph.
Who knows how many playoff teams in baseball history endured multiple six-game losing streaks in a season, but the Mets are now hellbent on joining that particular club.
The latest letdown can be attributed to poor defense and bullpen hiccups, and a handful of players were deserving of blame for the untimely miscues.
"We continue to make mistakes. We’re not playing good baseball, especially when you are playing against teams like this," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said afterward. "You give them extra outs, extra bases, they are going to make you pay and that happened today. Not good enough."
Francisco Lindor was responsible for the first blunder in the second inning, as he misplayed a high chopper up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded that allowed a pair of runs to score. He ultimately finished 0-for-5 in the leadoff spot with three strikeouts.
While the Mets held a one-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh, it didn't take long for the Brewers to take full advantage of some back-breaking gaffes.
With two outs and a runner on third in a 4-4 tie, Ronny Mauricio botched a two-out grounder at third that allowed the Brewers' go-ahead run to cross home. Then, after reliever Ryan Helsley believed he induced an inning-ending flyout of William Contreras, the umpire ruled a pitch clock violation that kept the at-bat alive.
On the very next pitch, Contreras crushed a fastball into the left field bullpen for a two-run homer. The bizarre sequence ultimately placed the Brewers ahead by three, and the Mets just weren't equipped to orchestrate a late-inning rally.
"It is what it is when it comes to the field. I should've made my play," Lindor said. "I take all the pride in defense... I have to do better. I have to pick up my teammates and be there for my teammates, and finish the plays. Bottom-line, I have to be better. They're a really good team. They do things right."
Of course, the Mets remain in control of their postseason destiny. In spite of the vexing losing skid, they still hold a 2.5-game lead for the third NL wild-card spot. They're aiming much higher, though, and the rival Phillies now own a 4.5-game lead for first place in the NL East.
The Mets have lost seven straight games before -- that downward spiral came in mid-June, when the sense of urgency to turn things around wasn't nearly as dire. But a sweep at the hands of the Brewers would place them back at that unlucky seven mark and further raise panic meters.
"They know we're better... right now, we're not getting the job done," Mendoza said. "We’re not playing well... We have a lot of talent and we will turn it around. I know I sound like a broken record, but there’s too much talent there. Going to continue to push those guys and support them. Keep pushing them."
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell delivers in the first inning of a 9-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
It took until August, but the sparkling starting rotation the Dodgers envisioned in spring training is coming into focus an outing at a time, by five — even six — different pitchers.
Vowing not to revisit the predicament they endured last postseason, when only two true starters and a stacked bullpen somehow patched together enough innings to win a World Series, the Dodgers added two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to a rotation that already boasted four potential aces and several other candidates coming off injuries or ascending from the minor leagues.
Snell complained of shoulder inflammation April 2 after his second start and took his sweet time recovering — four months, to be precise. But if his performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium is a fair indication, the wait was worthwhile.
Snell struck out 10 in five scoreless innings of a 9-1 Dodgers victory, living up to the "Snellzilla" nickname he stole from his older brother as a brash 11-year-old and still uses as his Instagram handle.
In two starts since coming off the injured list, the left-hander in the first year of a five-year, $182 million contract has 18 strikeouts in 10 innings. And he believes the best is yet to come.
"There are some things I want to do in my next start that I’m excited about," Snell said. "I still [have] a lot of work to do. I can be better. I'm trying to find a rhythm, trying to figure it out. It was only my second start."
He got support from the Dodgers' offense, which was fueled by the long ball early. Max Muncy belted a two-run, opposite-field home run in the fourth inning and Shohei Ohtani absolutely crushed his 40th long ball of the season 417 feet to dead center in the fifth. It marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that Ohtani has hit at least 40 homers.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits his 40th home run of the season Saturday against the Blue Jays. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A six-run rally an inning later put the game away. Two hit batters and two walks set the table, and Dalton Rushing and Mookie Betts each delivered two-run singles with none out. Andy Pages drove in the last two with a two-out double, his second hit of the inning.
The win was the second in a row against Toronto (68-50), which remains in first place in the American League East. The series concludes Sunday with another formidable starter — Tyler Glasnow — taking the mound for the Dodgers (68-49).
Glasnow took a similar if less pronounced path than Snell this season, going on the injured list before the end of April and not returning until July 9. He has given up only one run in four of his five starts since returning and most recently went seven strong innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
It's clear that Snell and Glasnow are healthy, their arms as fresh and live as would be expected coming out of spring training. The same is true of Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw, two future Hall of Famers whose recoveries from injuries also were methodical and unhurried. Both are pitching well.
And so is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the only starter whose health hasn't cost him time off. He's made 22 starts, going 10-7 with a 2.51 earned-run average and leads National League starters with eight scoreless outings.
"This is how we hoped it would play out as far as every night, you see the probable [starting pitchers] and have a chance to prevent runs," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts aid. "And you look at the lineup and see you have an opportunity to score runs. Then you go play the game."
The Dodgers employ a sixth starter to give Ohtani and Yamamoto five to seven days off between starts. The job belonged to Dustin May until he was traded to the Red Sox at the deadline, creating an opportunity for Emmet Sheehan, who was impressive over 60 innings as a rookie in 2023, but had Tommy John surgery in May 2024.
Max Muncy, right, celebrates with Freddie Freeman after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Sheehan has pitched well, posting a 3.00 ERA over 30 innings, giving the Dodgers a luxury they haven't enjoyed in recent memory: trotting out a starting pitcher every night that can prevent runs through the middle innings.
"I’m pretty pleased," Roberts said. "You look at the starters and the next guy is going to try to outdo the next guy and that’s how you build momentum."
That leaves the bullpen to finish the job, and injuries and inconsistency continue to riddle the relief corps. Roberts said help is on the way, with several key relievers on the mend. If they return as effective as the starters, pitching could be a Dodgers strength entering the postseason.
“Honestly, right now, watching everybody, it’s a lot better than I thought we were going to be,” Snell said. “This staff’s stacked.”
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Brett Hull, who joined the team ahead of the legendary Stanley Cup-winning 2001-02 NHL season, turns 61 years old today.
His place in the Hockey Hall of Fame upon his retirement in 2005 was assured, as he was a first-ballot inductee after scoring 741 goals as well as being named a three-time first-team NHL All-Star and a two-time Olympian.
Hull, who won the Stanley Cup twice (1999, 2002), is regarded as arguably the greatest NHL player from the United States (Hull was born in Canada but played for the United States internationally throughout his entire career).
While other players (like future Red Wings Mike Modano and Patrick Kane) could legitimately stake their claim to that title, do Hull's career accomplishments stand out from theirs?
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Indiana basketball player Lamar Wilkerson spoke with the media on Saturday night following Indiana’s 93-71 win over Mega Superbet in Game 2 of the Hoosiers’ Puerto Rico trip. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-7 from three. Check out his entire Q&A below. Watch on Youtube! Hit that Subscribe button! Not yet a […]
There really isn't a whole lot in recent NHL history that could top the summer of 2001 for the Detroit Red Wings, which ultimately set the stage for what would be the 10th Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Following their shocking loss in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Red Wings decided to re-tool rather than rebuild, and they signaled that they weren't going anywhere when they acquired Dominik Hasek from the Buffalo Sabres.
One day later, the Red Wings snagged Luc Robitaille, who had just helped the Kings beat them in the postseason. Right away, the Red Wings were once again the prohibitive favorites to be the last NHL team standing the following June.
Just when it appeared that the Red Wings were set with the roster as it was, an opportunity arose to acquire yet another future Hall of Famer - Brett Hull, who turns 61 years old today.
The Red Wings made Hull's signing possible by asking players like Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahn, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios to defer some of their salary to accommodate Hull on the books, a request they all immediately replied in the affirmative.
While many expected Hull to play on a line with Yzerman or Shanahan or perhaps Sergei Fedorov or Igor Larionov, he was instead assigned to play with a young and shy Russian rookie who didn't speak English yet by the name of Pavel Datsyuk.
Years later, Hull would describe Datsyuk as "the sickest player I've ever seen".
“Going out to dinner, it’s Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Larionov… this is a Hall of Fame table,” Hull explained looking back on the legendary 2001-02 Red Wings roster. “And lo and behold, this kid shows up at training camp. Pavel Datsyuk. They put me with him.“He doesn’t speak English, but he is the sickest player I’ve ever seen in my life."
Datsyuk’s creativity and agility thrilled hockey fans in Detroit for more than a decade, ultimately earning him a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame and making him the 10th Hall of Famer from the Red Wings’ 2001–02 team.
Datsyuk played with Hull and fellow youngster Boyd Devereaux, forming what Hull famously referred to as the "Two Kids and a Goat" line. The following season, Devereaux was replaced on the line by another highly-touted rookie, future Red Wings team captain Henrik Zetterberg.
After playing against Detroit for years with the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, Hull proved to be the final piece of the puzzle that resulted in the Stanley Cup being skated on Joe Louis Arena ice on June 13, 2002.
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The Mets weren't comfortable trusting Frankie Montas to solve his season-long first-inning struggles against a formidable Brewers lineup on Saturday night. So, they delayed the veteran right-hander's entrance by one inning, and appointed Reed Garrett as their opener.
But the expectation was for Montas to still provide sufficient length during the middle frames, and much to the Mets' chagrin, the plan backfired. While he wasn't solely responsible for the Mets' frustrating 7-4 loss at American Family Field, he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in just three innings of work. The effort required 72 pitches, too.
"I thought I threw the ball pretty good today," Montas said after the Mets' sixth straight loss. "I was making more pitches today, attacking the zone, to be honest. Besides that homer, I thought I threw the ball pretty well today... [The plan] was pretty much as it goes, was going to go after Reed and go as long as they needed me to."
Montas didn't have to face the Brewers' first three hitters, but the heart of their order made him sweat almost immediately in the second inning. After a one-out strikeout, Montas gave up back-to-back singles and then a two-out walk, and a fielding error from Francisco Lindor on a grounder with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score.
The third inning was much quieter for Montas, but he still walked one and threw a wild pitch. Then, in the fourth, he served up a game-tying solo homer to Brice Turang before completing the frame. It was by no means a meltdown performance, but Montas made the Mets burn through their high-leverage relievers early.
"We were just watching it, but three innings, 70 something pitches? It was a grind for him," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "I figured where we were in the game, up one with the lefties second time through, decided to go to the bullpen there." It's unclear how long Montas' leash is as a rotation-type fixture, but the Mets' patience with him must be waning. The 32-year-old now owns a 6.38 ERA across eight appearances (seven starts) this season, and while his first-inning demons weren't a concern in this game -- he wasn't even allowed to face them -- the change to his routine didn't make things smoother.
Soon enough, the Mets will need to rely on someone else to complete the task at hand, and the incessant chatter about top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat as replacement options isn't going away. David Stearns said on Friday that both youngsters are progressing toward a big-league promotion, but the timeline remains vague.
"At the end of the day, I have to go out there and keep competing, keep trying to get people out," Montas said. "Don’t matter if it’s front, starting again or pitching out of the pen. Whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do."
Montas wasn't bothered by Saturday's arrangement -- he's taking the team-first approach and wants to contribute in any way possible. But in this case, availability shouldn't outweigh reliability with the Mets in the midst of another disconcerting, dog-days losing skid.
Indiana basketball head coach Darian DeVries spoke with the media on Wednesday night following Indiana’s 93-71 win over Mega Superbet in Game 2 of the Hoosiers’ Puerto Rico trip. Check out his entire Q&A below. Watch on Youtube! Hit that Subscribe button! Not yet a member of TheHoosier? Join our community for Just $1 for your first week […]
Hiromasa Urakawa passes days after Shigetoshi Kotari died
Pair had been injured in fights at same event in Tokyo on 2 August
Two Japanese boxers have died days after suffering brain injuries in separate fights on the same card, boxing associations and media reports said.
Shigetoshi Kotari died on Friday and Hiromasa Urakawa on Saturday after being injured in their fights at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on 2 August, Japanese media said.
The Mets launched three home runs, but their bullpen and defense betrayed them late in their 7-4 loss to the Brewers on Saturday evening in Milwaukee.
New York has now lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. The Brewers have won eight straight games.
The Reds won earlier in the day, and are now 2.5 games behind the Mets for the final wild card spot.
Here are the takeaways....
-The Mets decided to go with an opener on Saturday and Reed Garrett got the start. The right-hander struck out two in a 1-2-3 first inning and then gave way to Frankie Montas, who struggled in his first inning of work.
Two singles and a walk allowed the Brewers to load the bases with two outs. Montas got what he wanted, though, as Joey Ortiz hit a chopper toward Francisco Lindor, but he whiffed, allowing two runs to score on the error. Montas would be unable to give the Mets length, as he only went three innings.
The veteran right-hander tossed 72 pitches (44 strikes), allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out three.
-Alonso, meet the Straw. After going hitless in the series opener, Alonso greeted the booing Milwaukee crowd with a towering 413-foot blast on a 94 mph fastball up in the zone off of Tobias Myers in the second inning. It was Alonso's 26th homer of the season and the 252nd of his career. The blast tied Darryl Strawberry's all-time record. Alonso finished 1-for-4.
The Mets threatened some more in that frame, loading the bases with two outs thanks to hits by Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez and a walk by Cedric Mullins. However, Lindor struck out looking as Myers and the Brewers escaped further damage.
Lindor would swing into some more bad luck in the fourth. With runners on the corners and one out, he smashed a grounder to third baseman Anthony Seigler, who knocked the ball down with his body, threw to Brice Turang at second and he made a nice turn to barely get Lindor at first to complete the inning-ending double play. Lindor finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
-Starling Marte, who has been swinging a hot bat for weeks now, got the Mets back even at 2-2 with an opposite-field solo shot in the third inning. It was the second consecutive game he went yard. Prior to this series, Marte hadn't hit a home run since the first week of June. Over his last 30 games, Marte is slashing .320/.358/.490. He finished 1-for-4.
Juan Soto joined in on the fun with a solo shot in the fifth. It was the third straight game the slugger has hit a homer and he now has 28 on the season. He went 1-for-4 with a walk.
Mullins has been struggling since arriving to the Mets at the trade deadline, but he blooped an RBI single in the fourth to give the Mets the lead. The veteran outfielder went 2-for-3 with a walk.
-With the lead, Carlos Mendoza went to recently-acquired relievers to try and get the final 15 outs. Gregory Soto got the Brewers in order in the fifth and Tyler Rogers did the same in the sixth before Ryne Stanek took the mound in the seventh. Stanek pitched into trouble after a leadoff single and a ground-rule double put runners on second and third with one out.
Sal Frelick hit a slow chopper to the right of Stanek and Lindor's only play was to first to get the second out, but the tying run scored. Ryan Helsley came in to try and get out of the inning, but Isaac Collins hit a scorcher the opposite way to Ronny Mauricio at third base and the young infielder muffed it, allowing the Brewers to score the go-ahead run.
Even weirder, Helsley looked to get William Contreras to fly out on the first pitch he saw but was called for a pitch-clock violation. Helsley climbed the mound again after heading toward the dugout when he thought the inning was over. The next pitch Helsley threw, Contreras deposited the 100 mph fastball over the left-center field wall to put Milwaukee ahead, 7-4.
-That was all the Brewers needed, as they shut out the Mets in the final two innings, striking out five times in that span. The team struck out 12 times as a whole.
Game MVP: William Contreras
The young catcher's homer was a back-breaker, and with how cold the Mets' offense has been, those three runs were more than enough.
