Sep 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jesús Luzardo has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the second half of this season. After being awarded NL Pitcher of the Month for August with a 3-0 record and 1.31 ERA, Luzardo began September with the first complete game shutout of his career. His step forward into becoming an elite starter has given the Phillies an enviable rotation as the postseason creeps closer.
“If Luzardo were to sit in the bullpen for Game 1 and pitch on what would normally be his day for a side bullpen session, he could still start a potential Game 3. It’s asking a lot, but a three-game series calls for extreme tactics. In an ideal world, the Phillies could craft a plan in which their Game 1 starter records 17 or 18 outs with Luzardo and Jhoan Duran being asked to secure the final nine or 10 outs.”-Matt Gelb in the Athletic
It’s an interesting proposition, as the Phillies’ struggles with building a bridge to Jhoan Duran have been evident this season. That’s even before taking into consideration the fact that their bullpen has been one of the major culprits in some of their early postseason exits in recent seasons.
The Phillies best chance to win a postseason series, especially a short Wild Card series, would be to use their bullpen outside of Duran as little as possible. Deploying Luzardo there gives them that ability to do just that. That would of course mean that Luzardo would not start Game 1 despite possibly being the hottest hand, but as Gelb notes, it would not preclude him from starting a potential Game 3 or Game 1 of the NLDS. Luzardo also has experience pitching out of the bullpen in the postseason, as he did it in last year’s NLDS against the Dodgers when he threw 1.2 innings in extras and was charged with one unearned run.
So, how would you use Jesús Luzardo in a potential Wild Card series?
The franchise was less than seven months removed from immortalizing Pat Riley, one of the last key figures of the Lakers’ “Showtime” era who hadn’t been honored with a statue up until that point (James Worthy is also deserving of a statue).
A fan signs a display of Dr. Jerry Buss after his memorial service outside the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 21, 2013. Getty Images
With Shaquille O’Neal (2017) and Kobe Bryant (2024) already having statues outside of Crypto.com Arena, it made sense for the Lakers to honor Jackson, one of the masterminds from their last dynasty in the 2000s.
And with the Lakers on the cusp of a new era and on the verge of changing majority ownership for the second time in a year, this much is clear: It’s time for the Lakers to honor the late Dr. Jerry Buss with a statue.
Buss’ worthiness of a statue doesn’t need to be argued.
He’s not only the greatest owner in NBA history but he also has a strong argument for the greatest franchise owner in sports history.
After Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million (the deal also included the NHL’s Kings and the Forum in Inglewood), the franchise went on a historic run before Buss died in 2013: 10 NBA titles, 16 Western Conference titles and 32 playoff appearances in 34 years.
In addition to the success off the court, Buss revolutionized the business side of the NBA in myriad ways, changing how sports franchises throughout the world present and operate their teams.
Buss was a cultural and sports icon.
And the person responsible for the Lakers being an iconic franchise who welcomed other iconic individuals — including many who will be or have been honored with a statue from the Lakers.
Now, it should be his turn.
Especially during the period the franchise is in.
After Buss was the Lakers’ majority owner for nearly 34 years, and his children were the majority owners of the franchise for another 12 years, the Lakers are in the process of being sold for the second time since last summer.
Jerry Buss is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. WireImage
Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ controlling owner, bought the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family in June 2025 at a then-record valuation of $10 billion.
And in the aftermath of the latest sale, five of Buss’ children (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss) attempted to sell the family’s remaining stake of the Lakers (17.8%), but Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake of the franchise.
With a court hearing not set until Dec. 8, the Buss family’s future with the franchise is uncertain.
And with there not being a track record of a sports franchise being led by Kushner and Iger, the franchise’s overall future is unknown.
But a great way for Kushner and Iger to ingratiate themselves with Lakers fans would be to honor the icon responsible for the empire they’re taking control of.
It would be an immortalization that’s long overdue.
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The Cubs, hopefully, will right the ship soon or any postseason play they do qualify for — and yes, there’s now a chance they won’t make it at all — will be short.
They lost to the Brewers 8-6 Wednesday evening in Milwaukee, and the game wasn’t that close. That’s a series sweep for the Brewers and the Cubs’ fourth straight loss. How was your Wednesday?
Let me get straight to the first Craig Counsell managerial choice I disagreed with.
The Brewers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run homer by Christian Yelich. Yelich is not the player he was a few years ago and that was just the second home run he’d hit in his last 19 games. Both of those homers are off Cubs pitching.
Anyway, Kevin Gausman, who was so good against Milwaukee last week at Wrigley Field, clearly didn’t have it on this night. He gave up two more hits after the homer and threw 33 pitches in the first inning.
Javier Assad is available. He last pitched Saturay in Miami, that’s three days rest after an 88-pitch outing. Surely, Assad could have given the Cubs four innings or so. Right? (Also, there’s an off day today, a perfect time to use a pitcher like this.)
Wrong. Gausman was sent out for another inning, and another home run was hit, this one by Jackson Chourio, and the ball was last seen heading down I-94 toward Chicago. (Not really, but it went 436 feet at 109 miles per hour, yikes.) A walk followed, and then William Contreras launched one and this game was pretty much over.
BCB’s JohnW53 described this to me as a “brutal” fact:
The third home run off Kevin Gausman was the 221st surrendered by the Cubs this season, the most they ever have served up through 147 games of a season.They allowed 219 in 20o0.
Gausman was left in for four innings and 94 pitches and I’m still picturing Assad, sitting forlorn in the Cubs bullpen, wondering if he’ll ever get to pitch again. Hey, Iowa’s season has a week and a half to go! Can’t waste that option, right, Jed Hoyer?
You’ll pardon the sarcasm, but…
Oh, yes. More on Gausman’s start from John:
Kevin Gausman’s start was the fifth this season by a Cub of four or fewer innings in which he allowed at least seven runs.
Edward Cabrera had two of them: eight and seven runs, both in 3.2. Jameson Taillon gave up seven in 4.0, the same as Gausman. David Peterson surrendered 10 in 3.2. One runs off Gausman was unearned. All the others were earned.
Anyway. After Nico Hoerner made a rare throwing error in the third, the Brewers scored yet another run to make it 7-0, that one unearned off Gausman.
Meanwhile, Logan Henderson retired the first nine Cubs. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled for the first Cubs hit leading off the fourth and went to second on a passed ball. He took third on a fly to right by Seiya Suzuki and scored on this ground out by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
Trent Thornton relieved Gausman in the fifth and threw a scoreless inning. The Brewers scored a run off Daniel Palencia in the sixth, unearned due to another throwing error, this one on second baseman Pedro Ramirez. That made it 8-1.
Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea added scoreless innings, one each, in the seventh and eighth. Assad sighs and sits in the bullpen with the rest of his teammates.
Then the Cubs put together a rally in the ninth, which, unfortunately, came up a bit short.
PCA led off with a walk, advanced to second on a throwing error on an attempted pickoff by Brandon Sproat, and then Sproat threw a wild pitch, sending PCA to third.
Sproat then walked Suzuki and Busch to load the bases with nobody out. Hmmm. Could something actually happen here?
Now it’s 8-6 and the tying run is going to step to the plate. You don’t suppose…
Here’s where I take issue with another Counsell choice. Carson Kelly was the next due hitter. Counsell sent B.J. Murray Jr. up to bat for Kelly, I suppose to get the platoon advantage with Murray, a switch-hitter, batting left-handed.
Sometimes managers overthink the platoon advantage and I think Counsell did so here. Kelly had that key two-run double on Tuesday and was 1-for-3 in this game. Murray’s a rookie with nine MLB at-bats in which he’d gone 1-for-9.
Now which guy would YOU have had take that at-bat? Me, I’m picking Kelly 100 times out of 100.
The Cubs didn’t lose the game just because of those two decisions, still, I would have chosen otherwise.
The worst part of this defeat wasn’t just the loss, it was the Phillies win over the Astros, which put the Cubs 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for the top wild card spot. The Cubs lead the Padres by 2.5 games and the Diamondbacks by three. The latter two teams will play their last three games against each other in San Diego and that series might make or break the Cubs’ postseason chances.
Is this a collapse? Not yet, fortunately, but the Cubs are going to have to right the ship quickly.
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field Friday after an off day today to open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs. Braxton Ashcraft will go for Pittsburgh. Game time Friday is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Pirates market territories).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 5: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Braves 4-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nature is healing, as they say. For two very distinct reasons.
Reason 1: The Braves, having sauntered to a pretty lofty record despite mediocre production, have been absolutely ravaged by some combination of baseball’s luck dragons and/or the Tampa Bay Rays’ sublime-in-this-series defensive positioning. Seriously:
First game: the Braves actually out-xwOBAed the Rays, .334 to .326, but managed just a .156 wOBA while the Rays managed a .426 wOBA. That was the Braves’ biggest xwOBA underperformance of the year. Amazingly, the Rays outhitting their xwOBA by .100 in a single game didn’t even fall in their top ten xwOBA overperformances for the year.
Second game: in nearly a repeat of Game One, the Braves put forth a .336 xwOBA… and a .197 wOBA. The Rays out-xwOBAed them (.347), but not by much, and certainly not to the extent that they out-wOBAed the Braves (.339).
If this is how the universe attempts to set things to rights for the Braves leading the division while sliding towards the bottom third in position player production, well… the rest of the season is gonna suuuuuuuck. So let’s hope that doesn’t happen. It probably won’t, but we’ve seen this team run extended xwOBA underperformances for a while, and it’s awful every single time.
Reason 2: I have to cover another Martin Perez start. Sigh. Maybe this means that Perez Pachinko will turn up positive for the Braves, though I wouldn’t count on it. But at least I’ll get to complain about it if it doesn’t.
On the season, Perez is up to 124 1/3 innings and 1.2 fWAR on the back of a 78/104/104 (ERA-/FIP/xFIP-) line. He’s been fine and the defense has done a good job of preventing runs behind him… which means that he’s a prime target for getting blooped and bleeder-ed to death by the Rays, given the way this series has gone. Perez is coming off pretty much his worst pitching of the year. The media narrative has been that extra rest messed with his command, but let’s be real: it was the eighth time in 23 outings that he walked more than he struck out, so it seems more like it was just one end of the gamut of possible starts you get when you employ Perez, moreso than anything else. It just so happened to be paired with his third-lowest grounder rate of the year, which is why he got knocked around by the Phillies before exiting after 3 2/3 innings of work.
In addition to the universe and/or the Rays’ defensive positioning, the Braves will need to contend with Nick Martinez as they try to avoid getting swept at home and possibly dropping the division lead down to two games ahead of a weekend set with the Phillies. Martinez has had a weird year — he’s put up 2.6 fWAR in 160 innings, but it’s come with a 73/95/108 line. It’s tempting to say that the Rays made some set of big fixes to get more out of the journeyman despite him playing in his age-35 season, but his 108 xFIP- is similar to his career 111 xFIP-. He’s just running a low HR/FB and getting fortunate when the ball remains in play. Some of that is going away as the season progresses: he’s at 90/97/105 since the All-Star Break compared to 63/93/110 before, but whether you believe that trend will keep up against the Braves right now is up to you.
In his career, the Braves have been a mixed bag against Martinez. He’s dominated them in his most recent two outings, but the Braves tagged him pretty handily in the other two that came earlier. Martinez-as-Ray is a bit different, and the most recent start he had against the Braves came as a Red in 2024, so I’d sweat whatever the baseball gods have planned for the Braves far more than their history against Martinez.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 10, 12:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV/Streaming: BravesVision
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
The Atlanta Braves are slim 53% home favorites this afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays, with first pitch scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET from Truist Park.
My Rays vs. Braves predictions side with the visiting underdogs, as Nick Martinez is in good form and Martin Perez is struggling to limit damage.
Find out more in my MLB picks for Thursday, Sept. 10.
Who will win Rays vs Braves today: Rays (48%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
Nick Martinez takes the mound today, and he has been extremely reliable. The veteran owns a 2.81 xERA across his last five starts with pinpoint command and minimal home-run damage allowed.
Martinez has also limited opponents to a 34.7% hard-hit rate during that span. For what it’s worth, he has held current Atlanta Braves hitters to a .222 average across 81 at-bats.
Martin Perez, meanwhile, is struggling. Over the last month, the left-hander owns a 6.61 xERA with major control issues, surrendering 5.18 BB/9 across his previous five appearances.
The Tampa Bay Rays have a 103 wRC+ over the last week, while Atlanta sits at just 67 across its last six contests.
The edge is not massive, but Tampa Bay is the cleaner look.
Play this pick up to 50%.
COVERS INTEL: Perez has allowed a 50% hard-hit rate over his previous two starts. That's compared to his season average of just 38.1%. This is a clear opportunity for Tampa to feed off his struggles.
Rays vs Braves Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (50%)
I’m leaning Over 8.5, mostly because of the late-game scoring paths. Atlanta’s bullpen has been vulnerable recently, posting a 4.55 FIP over the last week, with a 1.88 HR/9.
Tampa Bay’s relief corps has been even shakier, owning a 5.54 xERA across its previous 23 frames with a 1.57 HR/9. That gives both lineups a chance to do damage once the starters exit.
Atlanta’s offense is cold, so this isn’t a perfect Over angle. But with both bullpens allowing a lot of long-ball damage, this game doesn't need a full early explosion to clear 8.5.
Play this pick up to 53%.
Rays vs Braves home run prediction: Junior Caminero (20%)
Junior Caminero is a consistent power force for the Rays, and he’s in good form right now. The slugger has left the yard twice in his last six games while posting a .304 ISO.
The underlying numbers showcase just how loud he's been at the plate. Caminero owns a 58.8% hard-hit rate and 17.6% barrel rate during that span. While he isn’t putting the ball in the air a ton lately, his 40% HR/FB rate shows the damage he can do when he gets lift.
The Braves’ bullpen has been prone to homers, and while Perez does not allow a ton of bombs, his hard-contact issues create some vulnerability.
Play this pick up to 25%.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 68-76, -17.24 units
Over/Under bets: 78-62, +4.51 units
Rays vs Braves weather
Weather looks warm and hitter-friendly at Truist Park this afternoon, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures climbing from the mid-80s toward the upper 80s. Winds are very light around 2–3 mph, and rain chances stay near 0%–3%, so there’s no real delay concern. The heat could slightly help carry.
Rays vs Braves odds
Moneyline: Rays 48% | Braves 53%
Run line: Rays -1.5 (36%) | Braves +1.5 (65%)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (51%) | Under 8.5 (50%)
Rays vs Braves trend
The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the Moneyline in 19 of their last 25 away games (+12.50 Units / 39% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Braves.
How to watch Rays vs Braves and game info
Location
Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Date
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026
First pitch
12:15 p.m. ET
TV
Rays.TV, BravesVision
Rays starting pitcher
Nick Martinez (14-4, 3.04 ERA)
Braves starting pitcher
Martin Perez (8-9, 3.25 ERA)
Rays vs Braves latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Sep 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers (32) celebrates with catcher Luis Torrens (13) after the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The Mets held an 8-o lead early in the finale against Miami, lost it, jumped out to a six-run lead, and then barely hung on 15-14. The pitching all around was awful but the offense showed enough resiliency to earn the victory and finish off a sweep of the Fish.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Michael Fulmer #43 of the New York Yankees reacts during the game against the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium on August 26, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the month of August was coming to a close, the Yankees added two veteran right-handed pitchers to help them survive the season’s final push: Michael Fulmer and John Schreiber. While we all can hope that Ryan Weathers, Clarke Schmidt, and Fernando Cruz can return, be effective, and give the ‘pen some much-needed depth before the October lights start to shine, I thought it would be a good time to examine what these two journeymen bring to the table.
Fulmer was once a trade rumor darling that Yankees fans heard plenty about. It might have taken years and a lot of lost shine, but as always, Brian Cashman eventually got his man. Fulmer began this season on a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants after spending the 2025 season bouncing between three organizations while trying to return to form. The veteran missed all of the 2024 season after having UCL revision surgery, essentially Tommy John light, in October of 2023.
In 2026, Fulmer pitched well in Triple-A Sacramento for the Giants, posting a 2.98 ERA with 10 saves over 37 appearances. The team never gave him a call-up despite their struggles and released him in early August. Fulmer then signed with the Angels and tossed 3.2 scoreless innings across three relief appearances while striking out four. The Angels DFA’d Fulmer after getting a few players off the injured list, and he signed with the Yankees on August 26th. The Yankees are his seventh organization in the last two years alone.
The former Rookie of the Year is now working primarily with a cutter that sits at 89 mph. Fulmer attacks righties with a sweeper that comes in at 81-84 mph, tunnels well with his cutter, and has an elite spin rate exceeding 2,800 RPM. You might remember this pitch, as it was the one he used to freeze Yordan Alvarez for his very first strikeout in a Yankee uniform.
Righties have not been an issue for Fulmer, as they have an .501 OPS before play on Wednesday, but lefties have gotten the better of him, posting a 1.012 OPS. Most of that damage by lefties was the result of his four-seamer getting crushed. When going after lefties, Fulmer has used the cutter and is now using his changeup.
Never before a staple in his arsenal, Fulmer’s changeup is now averaging 14.9 inches of horizontal tailing action alongside 10.2 inches of vertical drop. It effectively falls off the table away from lefties. Fulmer’s changeup has an xBA of .074, and it appears to be a developing weapon for the veteran. With the Yankees, Fulmer has tossed 5.1 innings, giving up two earned runs while striking out six with a WHIP of 1.50.
Fulmer’s days of fireballing four-seam fastballs are over. However, this would not be the first time the Yankees picked up a player with an elite pitch metric and then allowed Matt Blake to craft sequences and tinker with usage rates to find success. After the journey he has had, it is easy to cheer for the guy.
Schreiber had a less dramatic pathway to pinstripes. After making 55 appearances for the Royals, the team decided to cut the veteran, free agent to be, in a mix of a cost-savings and see-what-we-got-elsewhere move by Kansas City. Schreiber is a nightmare for right-handed hitters due to a low or even, nine-degree arm angle. This true sidearm release point creates an incredibly unique visual approach and is like watching an old wooden rollercoaster whip around a corner.
In a much larger sample size against MLB hitters, Schreiber has faced 107 lefties and righties before play on Wednesday. Lefties have posted a .992 OPS, while righties have a .405 OPS. None of his pitches have elite profiles, and his underlying metrics are mostly what the kids would call, booty. However, he has gotten decent results, and though they might not be pretty or stuffing the cool new stats, he has a 3.42 ERA in 52.2 innings worked.
One super cool thing to note: Schreiber’s sinker moves 15 inches to the right, while his sweeper moves 15 inches to the left. These pitches look identical for the first 25 to 30 feet until they take off in one direction or the other. Schreiber’s best pitch this season has been his four-seamer, which has an xBA of .185. This pitch and its tunnel/movement compared to his sinker he also throws creates the illusion that the ball is “riding” over a hitter’s hands.
Since getting out of the Kansas City last-place heat, Schreiber has appeared in four games as a Yankee. In those three games, he has tossed 4.1 innings of hitless baseball with a WHIP of 0.46. I always like having a guy who is different coming out of the ‘pen, and I personally cannot imagine going from facing one of the Yankees’ big four starters to this guy in the same evening.
Here is to hoping these veteran journeymen can help the bullpen navigate the end of the season. They might not be the high-powered, high-strikeout arms many crave out of the ‘pen, but if they can get outs and pass the ball off cleanly, they’ll get the job done nicely.
Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) hits the ball against the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dizon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mariners 3, Rangers 2
So, apparently, the Rangers don’t want to score runs for Cody Bradford.
Bradford made his seventh start of the season in this game. He had his second straight outing where he only went four innings, which isn’t great.
Bradford picked up the loss, and is now 0-5 on the year.
Bradford’s first start in the majors since 2024 was a 4.1 inning outing in a 6-0 Rangers win.
The Rangers have lost all six starts he has made since then.
In those six starts, they have scored four runs twice, one run once, and been shutout once.
One of the three runs Bradford gave up in this start was on an RBI single by Taylor Ward.
Ward, you may recall, was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles from the Anaheim Angels in the offseason, in exchange for Grayson Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, in case you are wondering, has put up a 6.28 ERA in 17 starts for the Angels this year.
Anyway, Ward was dealt to the Mariners at the trade deadline by Baltimore.
In 24 games for the Mariners, Ward has slashed .115/.216/.141.
It was a trade deadline deal that didn’t really work out for Seattle.
Ward has 5 RBIs in 24 games for Seattle, and 6 runs scored, and 9 hits.
He had one of each in this game.
Tyler Alexander and Trevor Williams and Robby Ahlstrom handled the final four innings,.
I’ve seen more of Trevor Williams than I was hoping to since the Rangers signed him.
Both Rangers runs came on solo homers, one by Jake Burger, one by Corey Seager. It would have been preferable for there to be a runner or two on base when one or both of those homers were hit, but twas not to be.
Cleveland and Houston both lost, at least, meaning the Rangers didn’t lose any ground to the teams they are chasing in the division race and the Wild Card race, respectively.
So that’s something.
Cody Bradford hit 89.9 mph with his fastball, averaging 88.4 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 93.0 mph with his fastball. Trevor Williams’ fastball reached 91.5 mph. Robby Ahlstrom topped out at 96.6 mph with his sinker.
Jake Burger had a 109.6 mph fly out and a 105.1 mph home run. Brandon Nimmo had a 106.5 mph single and a 104.5 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.6 mph groundout. Elias Diaz had a 102.0 mph fly out. Corey Seager had a 100.4 mph home run.
Okay, everyone think really hard about a Rangers win in the finale. We are going to will them to victory.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 4: Shohei Ohtani #17, Freddie Freeman #5 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers look on from the dugout during the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the final stretch of their push to get to the end of the season, and while they are winning much more as of late, they have to do their best to stay ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the second seed in the NL as they are still dealing with injuries to key players.
Wednesday night’s game saw both Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman out of the Dodger lineup, with and Ohtani headed for the injured list. Jack Harris at the California Post has more.
The earliest Ohtani can return from the IL is September 23, with five games remaining in the regular season.
Meanwhile, Freeman is dealing with a knee issue, and the team is hoping that by giving Freeman the night off before an off day, he will be able to return to the lineup on Friday in Miami.
Bill Shakin of the L.A. Times writes about why the Dodgers need that first round bye, of course with their injuries being first and foremost, and that the team would benefit from giving their aging stars the most rest possible before their portion of the playoffs begin.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com further discusses Freeman’s sore knee and how the team don’t see an IL stint for him at the moment.
“Freddie does a really good job of hitting against his front side, and then when you can’t do that with your front side, your right knee, then you’re compromised,” Roberts said. “I see there’s a lot more swing-and-miss the last few days. That’s just not who he is.”
As stated, the team will rest Freeman Wednesday, have an off day on Thursday, and will assess on Friday. He could also sit that first game of the Marlins series in Miami, but Dave Roberts said Freeman going on the IL is “absolutely not” a possibility.
Send in your questions hot takes and predictions for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your take in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.
Join us live on Friday night as Wes and Robbie give their own hot takes, and they want to react to yours as well. What predictions would you like to add to the show? What hot take do you have for the upcoming season? Let us know!
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On this day 43 years ago, White Sox Triple-A affiliate the Denver Bears swept their way to the American Association title. (By the way, that’s Oklahoma City’s Mike Jirschele, current Sox third base coach Justin’s dad, making an unsuccessful tag of Denver’s Jim Smith.) | Denver Post via Getty Images
1927 With a 11-1 loss in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Washington, the White Sox began a 12-game losing streak, which remains tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history. The South Siders came into the game at a respectable 65-68, but losing 15 of 20 to end the season dumped them down from 30 to 39 1⁄2 games off of the pace in the American League.
The last-season collapse also started a streak of nine straight losing seasons — by far the longest stretch in team history. The White Sox, in fact, had only suffered back-to-back losing seasons once in the first 29 years of team history.
1930 Future Hall-of-FamerLuke Appling made his White Sox debut. It was the start of the legacy of great Sox shortstops, which would include Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Guillén.
Appling went 1-for-4 in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox.
1939 With a 5-1 loss to Detroit in the opener of a doublheader, White Sox hurler Johnny Rigney saw his 11-game winning streak snapped. The righthander hadn’t lost since June 30 (and in that, a complete game defeat yielding just one earned run), throwing 117 innings to a 1.92 ERA, 2.81 FIP, 1.051 WHIP and .198 opponents average. Ironically, the winning streak came on the heels of a five-game losing streak for Rigney.
For the season, Rigney had a 3.70 ERA (129 ERA+), 3.28 FIP, 1.335 WHIP, 4.5 WAR over 35 games/29 starts and finished 20th in AL MVP voting.
1954 Paul Richards, one of the greatest managers in club history, resigned to accept a dual position of general and field manager for the Baltimore Orioles. Richardswas the man credited with turning around the fortunes of the franchise in 1951 with his aggressive running/pitching/defense philosophy. White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce called Richardsthe smartest manager he ever had. Richards was also credited with turning around Nellie Fox, helping transform him into a very good hitter.
Richardsleft because the White Sox were not willing to give him a multi-year contract extension or a raise, and because of personal disagreements he had with GM Frank Lane. Marty Marion, who had just retired after 13 years in St. Louis playing for the Cardinals and Browns, replaced Richards.
1967 Coming off of two straight losses to the Tigers and in danger of falling out of the pennant race,Joe Horlen threw a 6-0 no-hitter in front of 23,625 fans at Comiskey Park.
White Sox second baseman Wayne Causeysaved the no-hitter with a grab of a smash up the middle off the bat of Jerry Lumpe in the ninth inning. Causey’s throw just nipped Lumpe at the bag. Horlenhit a Tiger and another reached base on an error, but other than that he was perfect on the afternoon. Horlen got Dick McAuliffe on a ground ball to shortstop Ron Hansen for the final out of the 12th no-hitter in White Sox history.
Rookie Cisco Carlos then shut out Detroit, 4-0, in the second game, vaulting the Sox right back into pennant contention, just 1 1⁄2 games off of the lead. It was the last time in franchise history the White Sox threw doubleheader shutouts.
1976 Nolan Ryan struck out 18 White Sox in a Angels 3-2 win at Comiskey Park. Chicago rallied to tie the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth, after a walk to Jim Essian, a single by Jim Spencer and a two-run double from Jorge Orta. Two more walks (Ryan had nine in the game) loaded the bases with two outs, but Alan Bannister popped out to right field to end the threat. California came right back during their next bats to take the lead, on a run-scoring double.
Ryan finished strong, striking out the final five White Sox batters he saw in the game, but only after loading the bases again in the eighth inning.
Also, it was on this day the White Sox activated 52-year-old Minnie Miñoso, making him an active player in the majors for his fourth decade. He would make his season debut in the next day’s game.
1977 White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood tied an AL record by hitting three Angels hitters in a row, in the first inning of the club’s 6-1 loss at Anaheim. With two out and a man on, Wood hit Dave Kingman, Don Baylor and Dave Chalk.
1981 The White Sox purchased Jerry Hairston from the Mexican League, where he had played for almost four full seasons after having been sold by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hairston was a third round pick of the White Sox in 1970 and saw his first five seasons in the majors on the South Side.
The outfielder was brought back to Chicago mainly in a sub/pinch-hitting role, the latter at which he truly excelled. The White Sox kept him in uniform until 1989. He finished his career with 94 pinch-hits, not far behind the all-time AL leader, Gates Brown, with 107.
1983 White Sox Triple-A affiliate the Denver Bears completed a sweep to win the American Association title. The club was skippered by Jim Mahoney, and had finished the regular season 73-61. The offensive environment at Mile High Stadium and in the American Association in general led to some gaudy offensive numbers for the Bears, as 11 of their 15 batters on the season boasted an OPS better than .800; conversely, just two of 14 pitchers kept their ERAs to less than 4.00.
While many of the players on the Bears roster did make the majors, none had consequential careers, with the closest such players being Daryl Boston and Joel Skinner — unless you count end-of-career reliever Al Hrabosky, pitching in his last pro season.
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 25: President Masai Ujiri and Morez Johnson Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks pose for a photo on June 25, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Now that the Dallas Mavericks’ roster is 99% set with a little more than a month before the start of the 2026-27 season, one thing that has been on my mind is who is going to be in the rotation on day one. While there are some familiar faces, a third of the roster is brand new.
Returning Players: Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, Moussa Cisse
New Players: Tarik Biberovic, Sergio De Larrea, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, Zaccharie Risacher
Six new faces may not seem like much turnover, but when you consider that Lively and Irving were non-factors last year and Cisse was on a two-way contract, over half of the playable roster is new this season.
On top of that, the Mavericks have a brand new front office and coaching staff. I don’t know much about Dusty May yet. I do know that he is considered an analytics darling and has shown a willingness to adapt his game plan to the roster in front of him, something that was evident in his rotations at FAU and Michigan.
Looking at the limitations of this roster, shot creation and playmaking, while improved from last year, still stand out as the biggest weaknesses. Is May going to prioritize those areas? Or will he lean into the size and shooting the Mavericks have added throughout the offseason?
Unfortunately, we don’t have those answers yet. But I’m going to do my best to look at this roster through the eyes of Dusty May and rationalize what I think he might do.
So, who is going to play?
Looking at last year’s data for Mavericks players who appeared in at least 50 games, here is how the minutes were distributed:
Cooper Flagg: 70 GP, 33.5 MPG
P.J. Washington: 56 GP, 31 MPG
Naji Marshall: 74 GP, 29.5 MPG
Max Christie: 77 GP, 29.1 MPG
Brandon Williams: 66 GP, 22.2 MPG
Daniel Gafford: 55 GP, 21.7 MPG
Klay Thompson: 69 GP, 21.7 MPG
Ryan Nembhard: 60 GP, 19.5 MPG
Caleb Martin: 58 GP, 14.8 MPG
Dwight Powell: 63 GP, 12.3 MPG
This isn’t a perfect representation of the rotation, especially when you get to the final few players, but it gives us a starting point for this thought experiment.
I would normally lock Dereck Lively into the rotation, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t believe he will be ready to go on opening night. For now, I’m leaving him out.
The only other player I believe will be completely out of the rotation on day one is Caleb Martin. His offense, or lack thereof, is ultimately why I think he will start the season on the bench.
My locks for the day-one rotation are Kyrie, Cooper, P.J., Gafford, Naji, Max and Rez.
Assuming a 10-man rotation, that leaves six players fighting for the final three spots. Let’s make the case for each of them:
Moussa Cisse
Cisse was one of my favorite players to watch last season. When I was at games last year, I would spend stretches just watching him. He would contest a shot, fall down, then immediately sprint to the other side of the floor, ready for a pick-and-roll action.
He averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 38 games while playing just 13.9 minutes per game. He was one of five players to average more than a block per game while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. The other four were Yves Missi at 1.5 blocked shots in 19.7 minutes, Robert Williams at 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes, Mitchell Robinson at 1.2 blocked shots in 19.6 minutes and Adem Bona at 1.2 blocked shots in 17.4 minutes per game.
Per-36 is a flawed stat, especially for high-energy bigs who do a lot of the dirty work, but Cisse’s numbers translate to 11.5 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.1 blocked shots per 36.
What will hold him back is his obvious offensive limitations, along with his tendency to foul. If he can clean up those areas, I believe Moose could develop into a solid rotation player this season.
Zaccharie Risacher
Unfortunately, Risacher didn’t show the year-one-to-year-two progression you would like to see. He went from 12.6 to 9.6 points, 3.6 to 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 to 1.1 assists and 0.7 to 0.9 steals per game, while remaining stagnant at 0.5 blocked shots.
His only notable improvement came from three, where he went from 35.5% to 36.8%.
I believe a fresh start is exactly what he needed, along with a fresh set of expectations. He has said himself that he wants to prove he belongs on the court and earn his minutes.
He has a quick release, can attack closeouts and has shown flashes defensively, but consistency is still the biggest thing missing from his game.
If he can maintain that 37% mark from three, or even improve it with more volume, and utilize his size on the defensive end, I could see him making a legitimate push for a starting spot by the end of the season.
Sergio De Larrea
De Larrea was the star of Summer League. He walks in as probably the best lob passer on the team and one of its best overall passers from day one.
The biggest limitation for him will be his scoring gravity. Nembhard had a very similar problem last year: if you aren’t a threat to score, your playmaking ability becomes significantly less effective because defenses don’t have to respect you as a scorer.
In his last two seasons playing abroad, De Larrea averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game on 45/41/77 shooting splits. On the bright side, his efficiency is solid, but it isn’t exactly eye-popping either.
He is young and still has plenty of room to grow. If Dusty May wants to prioritize playmaking and positional size, I can see Larry earning a spot in the rotation early on. But I think it may take some time before he is ready to consistently contribute.
Tarik Biberovic
Watching highlights of Biberovic reminds me of prime Warriors basketball: a bunch of off-ball actions designed to get shooters open and launch threes.
Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 42.9% from three on five attempts per game. And they come in every way imaginable. Stationary catch-and-shoots, highly contested attempts, coming off screens, it doesn’t seem to matter for this guy.
Nothing would bring life to the AAC quite like a Klay three, and I have a feeling Tarik is going to have a similar effect. The biggest questions are whether his defense will hold up and whether he can do enough off the dribble to keep the ball moving when defenses play him tightly.
Either way, I cannot wait for a Biberovic heat check.
Santi Aldama
A lot has been made this offseason of the fact that Aldama was one of just four seven-footers last season who shot at least four threes per game at a 35% or better clip. That is a unique skill set to have, and even more importantly, it is a skill set the Mavericks can actually use in a variety of ways.
Add in 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 stocks per game, and Aldama brings a ton of versatility to the lineup. If the Mavericks want to play five-out, they can use him at center. If they want to go big, he can slide to the four alongside another center.
Ultimately, his shooting ability could be the lynchpin that unlocks a number of different lineups for the Mavericks this season.
Marcus Sasser
Marcus Sasser had a down year, missing the first 23 games of the season with an injury before spending much of the remainder of the year in and out of the rotation. He posted career lows in every major statistical category last season except for three-point percentage, where he actually set a career high at 41.5%. Sasser brings some much-needed ball handling and self-creation, but as we’ve seen around the league this offseason, his archetype is becoming less valuable.
He competes defensively, but he is still an undersized guard. He can absolutely provide value when the Mavericks need a scoring punch, but I’m not sure that will be enough to earn him a regular spot in the rotation. If the Pistons who also were severely lacking playmaking and shot creation wouldn’t play him, will the Mavs?
So, Who Makes It?
Ultimately, who do I believe Dusty May will employ on game one?
I don’t think Sasser necessarily fits the positional size May appears to be looking for, and that the plan for ball handling will be to utilize Naji alongside the backup point guard.
As much as I love De Larrea and think he will be a good player, I also believe it is going to take some time for his development. His playing time early in the season may be inconsistent as he adjusts to the NBA.
That leaves Risacher, Biberovic, Cisse and Aldama fighting for the final spots.
Risacher is the closest thing to a lock among this group. He brings size, shooting and versatility to the wing, and even if he doesn’t have a breakout season, he should still be a useful bench player.
The same goes for Biberovic. As long as his shooting translates, which I have little reason to believe it won’t, he can provide something this roster desperately needs: spacing and high-volume three-point shooting.
That leaves the biggest question of all:
Cisse or Aldama?
Ultimately, I think Dusty May will lean toward Aldama.
With Gafford anchoring the starting five, Johnson and Aldama can form a sort of bullpen at the big-man spots, with both players capable of sliding between the four and five. The difference is what Aldama brings offensively. His shooting creates spacing that Cisse simply cannot provide right now. That versatility gives Aldama the edge.
So, my projected day-one rotation is:
Starters: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford
There are still plenty of questions surrounding this roster, particularly when it comes to shot creation and how the offense will function when Kyrie isn’t on the floor. But that’s also what makes this team so interesting. There are a lot of different lineup combinations available to Dusty May, and several players who could force their way into bigger roles as the season progresses.
My day-one rotation probably won’t be the rotation we see by the end of the season. That’s the fun part.
For now, though, this is the group I expect to see when the Mavericks tip off Game 1.
There has been plenty of change with the roster, management, and everything in between over the past couple of years. One of the most impactful changes to the franchise has been the departure of Mitch Marner in July 2025, after playing his first NHL season away from Toronto this past year with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Marner was a representative for the Golden Knights at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas and was asked about his former team. With the summer that the Maple Leafs had, the topic of their off-season came up.
With such a strong history with the Leafs, playing nine seasons with the club and 657 regular-season games, as well as growing up in the Greater Toronto Area, it's easy to follow what his former team has been up to.
Nonetheless, the right winger has his sights set on the coming campaign with his team, and doesn't hold much weight with what his former team is up to.
"Don't think very much," he said. "I'm just thinking about our team and what we've got to do to be the best we can be."
Marner, born in Markham, Ont. and growing up in Toronto, has become familiar with the local talent. Of that bunch is Toronto-born defenseman Darren Raddysh, whom the Maple Leafs acquired in a sign-and-trade in June.
Marner said he was pumped to see Raddysh get an opportunity for his hometown team after a career-high 22 goals and 70 points last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"I know Raddy quite well, I'm very happy for him," Marner said of Raddysh. "He's worked his butt."
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 9: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals throws the Arizona Diamondbacks runner out at first during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium on September 9, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bobby Witt Jr. hit his 18th homer last night, which was the difference in a 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks
In the fifth inning, D-backs reliever Michael Soroka left a 94.9 mph sinker over the heart of the plate in a tie game. It seemed like a customary get-me-over fastball after Soroka walked Carter Jensen on six pitches.
Soroka looked for strike one. Instead, Witt was ready as he belted a three-run homer over the left-field wall. It was his 18th home run as the Royals took a 5-2 lead and never looked back in Wednesday’s series finale. They won by the same score. The Royals (65-82) finished their nine-game homestand on a high note. The offense scored early after being limited the previous two nights.
Royals rookie Carter Jensen also had a big night. He blasted his 23rd homer and now sits one shy of matching Bob Hamelin (24 homers in 1994) for the club’s rookie record.
Tony Gonsolin made another rehab start last night for Omaha, and it went really well.
Tony Gonsolin tossed five scoreless innings in his third rehab outing for Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday night, another step in what the Royals hope is a path back to the big leagues by the end of the year.
Gonsolin worked around three hits and a walk and struck out two, needing 64 pitches (42 strikes) in Omaha’s win. His next start is scheduled for Sunday with Triple-A, and then the Royals will evaluate whether he’ll continue his rehab or potentially slot in Kansas City’s rotation with two weeks left of the season.
“We’ll see how that one goes,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Obviously, Monday will be a day off across the board for them, and we have that day off as well [in Houston]. We’ll be able to see what happens at that point.”
Angeibel Gomez is predicted to be the Royals top prospect in 2028.
In an ideal world for Kansas City, this is a tough call for the club by 2028 with Gomez and 18-year-old righty Kendry Chourio each having legit claims to their prospect throne. Signed for $2.9 million in January, Gomez is on a rocket ship after hitting .361/.467/.653 with nine homers and a 19/28 K/BB ratio over 47 games in the Dominican Summer League in his debut season. His power has played in games quicker than most 17-year-olds, and his bat-to-ball skills from the right side have been better than advertised. Gomez could jump several dozen places in the Top 100 by ‘28 if this level of performance carries over stateside.
With record setting heat all throughout the Royals 9-game homestand, Anne Rogers of MLB.com talked about how the Royals players handled it.
The gripes are legitimate. But there has to be something positive out of these last two days of back-to-back 4-3 losses, and losing the year-long series to the Brewers.
That is — for these two games, the Cubs proved they can hang with the Brewers. The Team Up North was taken to the brink of defeat each time, with the same Achilles heel occurring against the Cubs.
In both games, the team had taken the lead TWICE against the mighty Brewers, only to come up short at the latest point in each game.
In the latest example of “THE DECISION” since LeBron’s, first, second, third (?) time, Craig Counsell Monday had to decide, without either a closer or a dependable eighth-inning reliever, which way to go: Let an exhausted Matthew Boyd, with his fastball having dropped around three miles per hour, go back out to mound in the eighth; let Boyd only face one batter max, or start the inning with Zeferjahn. Zeferjahn had been building confidence in his last few outings, and putting “Z” in at the top of the inning would have given him a fresh start instead of a tremendous increase in leverage. The latter occurred, “Z” crashed and that rolled into Webb also entering in a poor situation.
It was being stuck between a rock, a hard place, and being encased in amber. Probably the only spot we would be in agreement with is that Boyd went a batter too long. However, what were the better options? They aren’t there. Nevertheless, when he left the game, Boyd pitched an excellent game, leaving with the lead, 2-1, having scattered seven baserunners and struck out seven.
The levers were pulled correctly (as best possible) Tuesday. David Peterson did not have a great game (4.1 IP, nine baserunners with four strikeouts). But he somehow did leave the game with the game locked at 1-1 against Jason Misiorowski. After Peterson left after a single and a walk, Trent Thornton provided a strikeout, then was backed up by the defense with a strike from Seiya Suzuki to nail Jackson Chourio at the plate.
After two innings from Aaron Civale, Ryan Rolison had a rough go of it, but the Cubs went into the ninth with the score still tied. After the Cubs took a 3-1 lead, they gave it back. Jacob Webb was in to close the game and was one strike away from chalking up a Cubs win, but to give up a game-tying, two-run home run to Chourio. The Brewers won in the 10th.
The points are — I’ll be positive and say that there is no consistently effective bullpen work. Or I can be real and also just drop the work “consistently”; and there’s a big gap up-and-down the line between the two bullpens. However, this is what the Cubs have and they still kept pace with the Brewers in these two games. There can be some blame on Counsell for the execution of Monday’s game (and I hate going to this easy scapegoat), but the blame is on Jed Hoyer expecting all the bullpen cards would have fallen into place by this point. They still may, but time is almost out and there’s not much that can be done about it.
The offensive stars are PCA, who not only picked up his 41st homer, but added three more stolen bases to improve his chase numbers to 41/36. Pedro Ramirez was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a solo home run. And Carson Kelly had a huge pinch-hit two-RBI double in the ninth Tuesday to put the Cubs up, 3-1.
Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*
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Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Jacob Webb blows another save before Brewers walk-off Cubs in 10 innings. “No one is walking through the Cubs’ clubhouse door to save the bullpen. “These are our guys,” manager Craig Counsell said. “They’re the guys we’re going to rely on. We’ve got to figure it out.”
2-run walkoff HR (2 outs in 9th) 2-run walkoff HR (2 outs in 9th) 2-run game-tying HR (2 outs in 9th)
He's the only MLB pitcher to allow a game-tying or go-ahead HR w/ 2 outs in 9th in 3 straight save opps (since saves became official in 1969). pic.twitter.com/PdsS8SNgE3
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Craig Counsell’s Mystifying Monday Screwup Continues a Troubling Trend. “Ryan Zeferjahn failed in the clutch on Monday afternoon, costing the Cubs a game they needed and had a chance to win. But the more worrisome mistake was made by his manager, before the righty could even take the mound.”
Assorted Hitting/Team Standings Stories:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Dansby Swanson’s Oblique Recovery Continues on Schedule. “If Swanson is able to play in a couple rehab games early next week, it’s at least conceivable he could return at some point during next weekend’s Reds series in Cincinnati.”
Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs): Cubs Hold Crucial Advantage as NL Wild Card Race Tightens. “The Chicago Cubs are hoping to outright secure the top Wild Card spot, but thy can find some comfort in knowing they have already clinched a few tiebreakers.”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Who Was Jiggs Parrott, ‘Worst’ Player in Cubs History? “With Pete Crow-Armstrong chasing down Rogers Hornsby‘s 1929 11.0 fWAR in 1929 as the best single season in Cubs franchise history, I got an itch to see who has the worst season on record.”
Sophie Sherry (Chicago Sun-Times): White Sox beat Cubs 56-48 — in Chicago ballpark arrests in recent years. “Fans have mostly been charged with battery and trespassing, the Sun-Times found. One man ran onto both Wrigley and Rate fields, in one case holding a sign that read “Jesus is Lord.” Another man started a brawl outside of a Sox game after he was caught urinating on a car.“
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): PCA reconnects with young fan, trades him a signed bat. “The sign read: “Hey Pete! I’m your biggest fan from the Smokies! I have a Javi Báez auto 1/1, I want to give it to you. Want to trade ‘4’ a bat? GO CUBS GO.”“
Williamson’s first recording session took place in 1951 for Lillian McMurry of Trumpet Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi. It was three years since the death of John Lee Williamson, which for the first time allowed some legitimacy to Miller’s carefully worded claim to being “the one and only Sonny Boy Williamson”. When Trumpet went bankrupt in 1955, Williamson’s recording contract was yielded to its creditors, who sold it to Chess Records in Chicago. He had begun developing a following in Chicago beginning in 1953, when he appeared there as a member of Elmore James’s band. During his Chess years he enjoyed his greatest success and acclaim, recording about 70 songs for the Chess subsidiary Checker Records from 1955 to 1964.
In the early 1960s he toured Europe several times during the height of the British blues craze, backed on a number of occasions by the Authentics, recording with the Yardbirds (for the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds) and the Animals, and appearing on several television broadcasts throughout Europe. Around this time he was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, “those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do”. In 1963 while in London, on one or possibly more occasions he recorded 2 songs in front of a live television audience for the UK regional television folk and blues music series Hullabaloo, presented by the Scottish folksinger Rory McEwen. Sonny Boy took a liking to the European fans, and while there had a custom-made, two-tone suit tailored personally for him, along with a bowler hat, matching umbrella, and an attaché case for his harmonicas.
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COVERS INTEL: Perez has allowed a 
