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Dango Ouattara’s Panenka attempt cost Brentford as West Ham set up a quarter-final with Leeds
1 min Brentford set us away. Given the side Nuno’s sent out, they’ll surely fancy themselves.
Our teams come out, Brentford wearing their away pyjamas.
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The deal many expected to happen this spring has indeed come to fruition, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting that the Phillies and Jesús Luzardo have agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep the left-hander in Philadelphia through 2031. Luzardo, now 28 years old, will be 34 when his contract expires.
Passan also reported that the deal is worth $135M, putting Luzardo 12th among all active pitchers in total value and average annual value.
Luzardo arrived in Philadelphia prior to last season in a trade with the Miami Marlins. He turned in the best season of his career in 2025, going 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA while setting new career highs in innings (183.2) and strikeouts (216). Outside of a brutal two start span in June where he allowed 20 runs in 5.2 IP, Luzardo was excellent all season for the Phillies and, most importantly, finished a season healthy for the first time since 2023. The lefty also added a strong performance in the postseason, pitching six innings while allowing two runs with 5 Ks in his only start in Game 2 of the NLDS and adding an 1.2 scoreless in relief in Game 4. Luzardo now joins Cristopher Sánchez, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Aaron Nola as Phillies players under contract through at least 2030.
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Japan has survived back-to-back scares following tight wins over Korea and Australia. But there’s a good chance the Samurai return to their dominant form when they take on Czechia in their final pool stage game.
In a game where Japan is such a heavy favorite, where is the value? My Czechia vs. Japan predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets picks break it all down for this Pool C clash.
Czechia vs Japan best bet: Over 9.5 (80¢ at Kalshi)
Japan’s pitching staff wasn’t going to be as dominant as 2023, with Yoshinobu Yamomoto being the main holdover. We’ve seen that in close results against Australia and Korea.
Luckily, they still have Shohei Ohtani and a bevy of other major league talent leading a lineup that has plated 25 runs over three games in this tournament, with Ohtani going deep twice and owning a crazy 2.025 OPS.
Czechia is a good story, but this team full of part-time players already has a -25 run differential. The best bet here is to back Japan to power this game Over the total.
If Japan wants to defend its World Baseball Classic crown, it will likely have to outslug their opponents. Luckily, they have the lineup to do just that.
Shohei Ohtani is leading the way, going 5-for-9 with three extra-base hits and six RBI. But don’t overlook Masataka Yoshida, who has been nearly as good.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder is 5-for-10 with three extra-base hits and six RBI.
Slowing down the Samurai will be tough for a Czechia pitching staff with a 10.88 ERA in this tournament.
| Location | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan |
| Date | Tuesday, March 10, 2026 |
| First pitch | 6:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
| Czechia starting pitcher | Ondrej Satoria |
| Japan starting pitcher | Hiroto Takahashi |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol and Real Oviedo drew 1-1 in a game that extended Espanyol’s winless La Liga run to 10 matches and left Oviedo rooted to the bottom of the table on Monday.
Oviedo came into the game without a win in five but took the lead after eight minutes through Alberto Reina.
However, Espanyol was on top and got a deserved equalizer nine minutes before halftime thanks to Kike Garcia.
Espanyol continued to control the play in the second half and finished with 26 shots to Oviedo’s six. But neither side could find the net again.
A point was a meagre outcome for both clubs and left Oviedo four points adrift at the bottom of La Liga.
Espanyol, meanwhile, has yet to win this year but remains in seventh thanks to a good start to its campaign.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PHOENIX –– After Joe Ryan was scratched from Team USA’s roster for the group stage of the World Baseball Classic last week, one Dodgers player glanced toward Tyler Glasnow’s locker at Camelback Ranch and wondered aloud:
Why wasn’t the Dodgers’ All-Star right-hander picked to be a replacement?
The answer: He had other priorities this spring.
Late last season, Glasnow found a comfort level that had eluded him for much of his first two years in the Dodgers organization, when injuries and inconsistent performance marred his acclimation to the team.
For starters, he was healthy, returning from an early-season shoulder issue (as well as the elbow problem that ended his 2024 campaign early) to pitch the second half of the year without any significant disruptions.
But more importantly, he was convinced in his mechanics; embracing delivery tweaks that pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness suggested ahead of the postseason, en route to what became a dominant October performance.
In six playoff outings, Glasnow did it all for the Dodgers, posting a 1.69 ERA that (among teammates with more than five postseason innings) was bested only by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
The team went 3-0 in his three starts, highlighted by his scoreless six-inning gem in their National League Division Series clincher against the Philadelphia Phillies. Three other times, he pitched in relief, including a first-career save in Game 6 of the World Series and 2 ⅓ crucial innings in Game 7 the following night.
By the end of the team’s title run, the 32-year-old was described by manager Dave Roberts as the player who “grew as much as anyone” over the course of the season.
And going into the winter, Glasnow felt he’d finally formed a stable foundation –– one he saw a chance to build upon entering 2026.
“I’ve been in such a good spot since last year,” he said this spring. “It feels natural to me now, to where I’m not thinking about it. I’m just pitching.”
Thus, as he told the California Post recently, Glasnow expressed to Team USA officials early in the WBC selection process that his preference this spring was to stay in Dodgers camp.
He wanted to build on the progress he made at the end of last year. And he wanted to lean into the trust he had built with the team.
“I have so much trust in them, to where I don’t feel like I have to do everything on my own,” Glasnow said. “Now, it’s just like, ‘What do you guys got?’ And then I go out and just do whatever they tell me. It’s not as much tinkering. I can rely on them.”
Tinkering, of course, has long been one of Glasnow’s biggest internal impediments.
The 10-year veteran is a notorious “overthinker” and self-described “perfectionist.” His lanky 6-foot-8 frame gives his delivery many moving pieces. And a long history of injuries has often forced him to seek health-conscious adjustments.
That meant, when Glasnow first arrived on his $136.5 million contract three offseasons ago, he and the Dodgers’ coaches needed time to acquaint themselves.
“I think it’s taken us a couple years to kind of understand the nuances of his delivery, and really matching his feel versus the output (of what he’s doing),” Prior said. “With a lot of guys, we’re trying to get things narrowed down to one or two things that we can really hit somebody between the eyes with. But I joke with him, like, ‘Hey man, you got 50.’”
That’s why, near the end of last year, Prior and McGuiness tried to hone in on a few specific tweaks. They adjusted the alignment of Glasnow’s feet and hips. They crafted a mental cue with how his glove arm leads his body through his throwing motion. They tried to simplify the sequence of his release to the plate.
Now, Glasnow said his throw feels more consistent than it has at any point in the previous four years.
“It has just allowed me to go out and pitch and be athletic,” he said. “It’s not like you’re thinking of something and trying to limit where my body’s going or this or that.”
It helps, Glasnow noted, that this is the first time he has pitched under a long-term contract, with his Dodgers deal still containing two years (plus a team option for another).
“Having a contract and knowing you’ll be somewhere for quite a while, maybe allows you to trust a bit more,” he said.
But mainly, his faith comes from recognizing that he is surrounded by “really good staff members.”
“I will run whatever they tell me through the gauntlet of a lot of questions,” he said. “And when you get to understand everyone is telling you something for a reason, and it’s really thought through and not just words, it really means something. It’s easier for me to decide, ‘Alright, I trust you.’”
Prior gave much of that credit back to Glasnow, noting how he has learned to give himself more grace as he goes through starts.
“Those guys don’t want to face him,” Prior said. “So he’s got room for error, where a lot of pitchers don’t, even when he’s not dialed in.”
This spring, however, Glasnow has looked dialed in more often than not.
His changes from last year have been further cemented. His confidence from the playoffs has given him a new edge. When things do feel off, he waits for a bullpen session, when Prior or McGuiness can identify a fix. And after a long acclimation period with the Dodgers, he seemed primed for maybe his best season yet.
“I think now, for the first time, I’m allowing everyone else to just be like, ‘What do you got?’” Glasnow said. “Everything is so buttoned up here. It’s nice to know a bunch of people have your back.”
The NBA has canceled a controversial Atlanta Hawks in-game promotion centered around a local area strip club.
The league made the announcement Monday, March 9, citing “significant concerns.” The promotion had been scheduled to take place in a week, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Monday, March 16, during a game against the Orlando Magic.
“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday in a statement. “While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
The promotion was supposed to be a one-night collaboration with prominent Atlanta strip club, Magic City, in what the team was characterizing as an in-game celebration of hip-hop called “Magic City Monday.”
In its initial promotion, the team avoided referring to the establishment as a strip club, choosing instead to lable it an “iconic cultural institution.” The Hawks were set to highlight its “world famous” chicken wings. As part of the promotion, Magic City Kitchen was set to serve two versions of their lemon pepper wings, Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ, named after Atlanta-native and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year-winner Lou Williams, and traditional lemon pepper.
Williams famously couldn't help but visit the spot for its wings in 2020 when he was excused from the NBA Bubble in Orlando to attend a funeral, while everyone was social distancing due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The moment went viral after a photo he snapped with rapper Jack Harlow during the visit was posted to social media.
Williams received a 10-day quarantine for violating safety protocols but maintains that the league's focus was on him going to a strip club rather than his real reason for going – the food.
The incident did two things: birthed the nickname "Lemon Pepper Lou" and also cemented Magic City's kitchen as the stuff of NBA and Atlanta legend.
Atlanta rapper and entrepreneur T.I. was expected to perform at halftime. The Hawks were also planning to sell a limited edition hooded sweatshirt with “MAGIC CITY” emblazoned across the chest.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” Hawks executive vice president and chief marketing officer Melissa Proctor said Feb. 26 in a news release.
The promotion drew a mixed reaction from players and fans. San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet wrote and published an open letter posted to Medium Monday, March 2, asking the Hawks to reconsider.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.
“Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
Kornets’ perspective split the NBA world, with some feeling that his stance was dismissive of the cultural impact of Magic City on the hip-hop scene in Atlanta.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Hawks' Magic City Monday promotion with strip club canceled
The Pittsburgh Pirates are beginning to shrink their spring training roster as Opening Day approaches.
On Monday, the Bucs announced several players being optioned to Triple-A, and others reassigned to minor league camp.
Eight moves were announced, most notably right-handed pitchers Antwone Kelly, Thomas Harrington, and Wilber Dotel sent to Triple-A Indianapolis, signaling they are highly unlikely to make the team.
Kelly was one of the most impressive pitchers in the organization last season, going from unranked in MLB Pipeline’s Pirates Top 30 to ranked No. 9 this season.
In 25 starts between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, Kelly earned a 3.02 ERA, a .206 opponent batting average, 1.06 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in 107.1 innings.
Kelly, 22, owns a 65-grade fastball, 50-grade slider, and 55-grade changeup on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scale. He is one of 20 pitchers on the Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Harrington made his MLB debut last season but struggled mightily, allowing 15 runs in 8.2 innings in three outings.
In two spring training outings, Harrington allowed a solo home run and struck out two in six innings, earning a 1.50 ERA. He’s a former Pirates top 10 prospect who now ranks No. 14 by MLB Pipeline and will be a key part of the Bucs’ depth this season.
Dotel ranks one spot ahead of Harrington and had a breakout season in Double-A. In 27 starts with the Altoona Curve, Dotel earned a 4.15 ERA with a .234 opponent batting average, 1.23 WHIP, 43 walks, and 131 strikeouts in 125.2 innings.
The Pirates put Dotel on the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Dotel, 23, owns a 60-grade fastball, 50-grade slider, and 50-grade sweeper.
Pittsburgh also optioned right-handed pitcher Brandan Bidois and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez. All five are on the 40-man. That’s the reason for the difference between being optioned to Indy or outrighted to minor league spring training.
The Pirates reassigned right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis, catcher Omar Alfonzo, and utilityman Mitch Jebb to minor league camp.
Pittsburgh will play in Queens against the New York Mets on March 26 to officially begin the 2026 MLB season.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic continues, with the championship game on March 17.
The Mets and Pirates start the season in front of a national TV audience on NBC, beginning at 1:15 p.m.
ROME (AP) — A stoppage time goal from Adam Marušić gave Lazio a 2-1 win over Sassuolo and snapped its four-game winless streak in Serie A on Monday.
Marušić headed in his first goal of the season after 90+3 minutes.
Lazio had not won since January or scored in over a month but Daniel Maldini opened the scoring two minutes after kickoff.
The son of AC Milan great Paolo Maldini pounced on a loose ball to fire home from close range.
However, Sassuolo’s in-form winger Armand Laurienté equalized just before halftime with a well-placed drive from 12 meters out. It upped his recent stats to two goals and four assists in his last four league games.
Lazio had the lion’s share of the chances but its toothlessness in front of goal looked to be its undoing once again until Marušić popped up in the final seconds.
The result lifted the capital side one place into 10th, a point and a place behind Sassuolo.
It was only the second defeat in seven games for Sassuolo.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Spring training continues tonight for the Yankees, with Pittsburgh coming to George M. Steinbrenner Field to face off with the Bronx Bombers. A considerable chunk of the Yankees’ roster is occupied at the World Baseball Classic—albeit with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero now about to head home with their teams eliminated— but the Yanks are still throwing a perfectly cromulent lineup out against Pittsburgh, with ace Max Fried taking the mound for his second start of the spring.
Fried debuted this spring against Caballero and Team Panama on March 3rd, tossing three scoreless innings in the exhibition and throwing 56 pitches. We’ll see to what extent he surpasses that pitch count tonight. Last season, Fried threw seven distinct pitches. With that kind of a repertoire, it will be worth seeing what Fried chooses to work on in his second outing of the spring.
For Pittsburgh, José Urquidy gets the ball, also making his second start of the spring. The veteran right-hander (and former Houston Astro) has missed virtually all of the past two seasons due to injury, so despite having been in the big leagues for several seasons, these are invaluable reps for Urquidy.
The Yankee lineup tonight is replete with legitimate big leaguers to face off with Urquidy and whoever follows him out of the Pirates’ bullpen. The top half of the lineup is really just missing that Judge fellow who is off captaining Team USA. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton form an imposing, albeit lefty-heavy one through four in the lineup. Elsewhere, NRI and fourth outfielder candidate Randal Grichuk makes his spring debut, playing left field. And Oswaldo Cabrera, recently returned from an awful ankle injury, holds down the keystone.
March baseball is still baseball. Go Yankees and stay healthy.
How to Watch:
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
First Pitch: 6:35 pm EDT
TV broadcast: Gotham Sports App / Sportsnet – PIT
Radio broadcast: 1001. FM/KDKA-AM 1020
Online stream: MLB Network (out-of-market-only)
For updates, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
The NBA has called off the Atlanta Hawks’ plans for a night celebrating the city’s famed Magic City strip club, saying it did so because of “concerns” from many across the league.
Atlanta announced the plan last month, saying the team would pay tribute to an “iconic cultural institution” with food – including the club’s famous lemon pepper wings – along with a live music performance by Atlanta native TI and exclusive merchandise.
After the Hawks announced plans for the promotion, San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet spoke out about the idea and urged the parties involved to reconsider. And the league evidently heard the same messaging from others.
Related: Luke Kornet says Atlanta Hawks’ theme night with strip club Magic City objectifies women
“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
The Hawks had no immediate comment. The tribute game had been scheduled for next Monday against the Orlando Magic.
Kornet wrote in a Medium post that it “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society”.
“We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience,” he wrote. “The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
Al Horford, the Golden State Warriors center who played nine seasons for the Hawks, reposted Kornet’s letter with the caption, “Well said Luke”.
Rappers Drake, Quavo and 2 Chainz have praised Magic City’s impact on music and celebrity culture. Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal have also visited, while MLS’s Atlanta United celebrated their 2018 title at the club.
Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer for a five-part docuseries that explored Magic City’s history, its place in Black and hip-hop culture and what it means to the city.
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’” Gertz, who is also a film-maker and actor, said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
The Terry Rozier saga between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets has come to a close.
Charlotte will send a second-round selection in the 2026 NBA Draft to Miami as part of the dispute concerning the January 2024 trade that shipped Rozier to the Heat, two people with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The people spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
Charlotte had held multiple second-round picks in the draft; the pick sent to Miami will be the more favorable one that originally belonged to the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
The decision was announced in a league memo sent to all NBA general managers.
Neither the NBA nor the Hornets disclosed information to the Heat about irregular betting activity around Rozier’s performance during a March 23, 2023 game prior to the trade. The Heat had no knowledge about the suspicious betting activity raised in March 2023 by integrity monitoring services, nor did the Heat have knowledge about the subsequent federal investigation into Rozier until both became public in January 2025.
According to the NBA’s constitution and by-laws, when a trade is executed, the general managers of all teams involved are required to first send an email with the terms to the NBA league office.
Then, representatives from each team jump on a “trade conference call” with the league office that includes league lawyers. The call is recorded and the terms of the deal, including the terms of each player contract involved, are read aloud.
It is during these calls when pertinent medical information is discussed. One section in the constitution states that teams are prohibited from making “any other material misrepresentation or fail to disclose any other material information during the Trade Call.”
Once the terms are agreed upon, teams must certify that there are no other terms that were not mentioned and agreed upon during the call.
Afterwards, logistics about timing of the trade announcements are discussed.
Rozier was arrested Thursday, Oct. 23 for his alleged role in an insider sports-betting scheme. He is accused of manipulating his performance during a March 23, 2023 NBA game when he was a member of the Hornets, to benefit illegal betting.
On Dec. 8, he pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Rozier, 31, has been away from the team as his court case proceeds.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat get NBA draft pick from Hornets after Terry Rozier gambling saga
It’s impossible to land on just one definition of the word ‘success’ in anything, let alone in the world of sports. Success as a concept to the Boston Celtics and New York Yankees is a vastly different bird than success to, say, the Cleveland Browns or Colorado Rockies.
Success to the Cincinnati Reds, at least as the franchise has devolved over the last trio of decades, has limped to meaning just slightly more than not being terrible.
You’ve begun to remember specific seasons and specific rosters who simply finished with a winning record. You recall each and every player brought in on a waiver claim or non-roster deal who actually netted the team more than 0.0 WAR. You don’t have to remind yourselves that Buster Posey’s grand slam and Pirates fans abrasively chanting ‘Cue-to, Cue-to’ were actually the good times of the last 30 years, the times this club dared participate in league-sponsored postseason activity before hibernating again for the winter.
If that run of form continues any longer, we’re going to begin to remember the 2025 Reds the way we recall 2013, 2012, 2010, 1995. They did make the playoffs in a full 162 game season, after all, even if they snuck into a superexpanded megaplayoff bracket with a barely .500 record (and were summarily dismissed immediately). The 2025 Reds made the playoffs, and around these parts that’s damn near tattoo-worthy. As the cobwebs envelope those 2025 memories, it will be hard for anyone to forget the most essential plays that allowed them to sneak into the postseason, since every single one of them mattered when the season’s final day came down to the slimmest of margins in the standings.
The one that stands out most, I think, is Noelvi Marte robbing Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds of a 9th inning homer at home in GABP, bailing out closer Emilio Pagán (who’d left a meatball over the plate to the Pirates lone decent hitter with the game on the line). It preserved a 2-1 victory and moved the Reds to 81-78 on the season with just a series left to play – that’s the bottom line of it – but it also seemed to somewhat validate the odd series of moves the Reds had made in the run-up to that moment.
Marte, of course, came to the Reds in the 2022 blockbuster that saw Luis Castillo head the other way to the Seattle Mariners. He was a shortstop then, a bat-first guy with elite athleticism who seemed to be just about as can’t-miss as they come. His defensive issues moved him to 3B shortly after arriving in the Cincinnati system, however, at the time a move generally considered to have been made thanks to the presence of each of Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and fellow former Mariner Edwin Arroyo at short. His bat then carried him through to the muddled mess that was the hot corner situation at the big league level in late 2023 only for an 80-game PED suspension to torpedohis 2024 season entirely.
Then came 2025, a year where his bat played decently despite an oblique injury that once again put him on the pine. His glovework, though, became a serious issue once again, and barely after having filed Jeimer Candelario into the 3B Sunk Costsof the Reds folder next to Mike Moustakas, Cincinnati splurged, again, on a 3B at the trade deadline by picking up Ke’Bryan Hayes and the long-term contract that came with him. That pushed Noelvi off 3B for good, and despite his complete lack of experience there it’s what put him in RF that day in GABP to be in position to rob Reynolds of a homer and ‘save’ the Reds season.
It worked! The grand plan had worked!
The Reds had picked up a pristine defender at 3B and Marte was going to stick in RF just fine!
Heck, given his offensive upside, he’s a lock to be the RF of both the present and future now!
The catch, while brilliant and ‘season saving,’ put a loose patch over some more significantly glaring issues, however. While Marte was brilliant in August after the initial move, he stumbled terribly down the stretch last season while hitting just .186/.215/.275 (.489 OPS) in 107 PA over his final 25 games. Noelvi, a right-handed hitter, was positively abysmal against LHP all season long, hitting just .232/.288/.274 in 104 PA against them to the point where manager Terry Francona has made note of them in his 2026 season preparation.
Catch against the Pirates aside, the surface info here suggests a guy who’s still very, very raw in RF whose offense – which is supposed to be a calling card – still hasn’t lived up to its billing. On top of that, he’s a guy with pretty glaring reverse platoon splits on a team that a) spent the winter bringing in two more left-handed hitters who could probably use a platoon partner (JJ Bleday and Nate Lowe) alongside the already-rostered Will Benson and b) threw Eugenio Suárez’s bat into the mix in a way that, with Sal Stewart around, will make Spencer Steer’s right-handed bat much more available in outfield corners when needed.
So, when you read things like this from MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon on March 9th, it’s hard not to wonder just how strong Marte’s grip on the ‘everyday RF’ role really is, or should be.
Bleday, Benson, and Lowe have all out-hit Marte this spring. Bleday and Benson both are talented, experienced career outfielders with boatloads of experience in RF. Dane Myers, acquired from the Miami Marlins over the winter, has already been out-hitting Marte, provides plus defense all over the outfield, and came in with a reputation of specifically hitting left-handed pitching with aplomb.
Against RHP, it’s hard to imagine an outfield combo of Steer, TJ Friedl, Bleday, and Benson having the most consistent two-way floor. And against LHP, it’s hard to question an outfield spread of Steer, Friedl (whose .770 career OPS against LHP is actually better than his .754 mark against RHP), and Myers.
And if that’s the case, well, I’m not exactly sure where Marte fits right now in all of this – at least for right now.
He’s still just 24 years old. He’s still just barely played RF, and his speed and arm and athleticism makes you pretty comfortable with the idea that he’ll only get better there with rep after rep after rep. But he’s also a guy with a pair of options left, and 2026 sure does look like one of those rare years where maybe, just maybe, the Reds might win more games than they lose despite already being without Hunter Greene for a time and the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers looking ever-so-potent in the NL Central.
So, it could be another one of those years where every play, every decision could be the difference between sneaking into the playoffs or finishint ever-so-short. With that much on the line, it’s hard not to wonder whether starting Marte in AAA as the team’s everyday RF for a few weeks – or maybe longer – until he begins to wow the way a top prospect seeking a promotion should is anything other than the most prudent decision Cincinnati can make in the next two weeks.
Even if we all will never forget that catch.
The Atlanta Hawks planned ‘Magic City Night’ for March 16 during a game against the Orlando Magic to “celebrate Atlanta’s iconic cultural institution.” The Hawks lined up a special edition hoodie, planned on having legendary Atlanta rapper T.I. perform at halftime, and were set to serve Magic City’s infamous Lemon Pepper wings.
So much for that. The NBA canceled ‘Magic City Night’ a week before it was supposed to happen after criticism from San Antonio Spurs big man Luke Kornet. NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not like one of his teams honoring the famous strip club, and now it’s the celebration is over before it started. Here’s the statement from Silver on the decision:
Kornet’s blog post criticizing the Hawks for ‘Magic City Night’ started a wave of attention on the Hawks’ promotion. Silver ultimately decided he wasn’t okay with it, and ‘Magic City Night’ is no more.
Atlanta, the NBA, and Magic City have been intertwined publicly since Lou Williams admitted to getting the strip club’s Lemon Pepper wings during the pandemic, which earned him a 10-day quarantine when he returned to the bubble.
Magic City is part of Atlanta’s cultural identity. It seemed like the Hawks had a creative promotion tied to a local business that would help inject some excitement during the March doldrums of the season. It’s too bad the NBA wasn’t comfortable with it. Blame or credit Luke Kornet for amplifying the conversation around this one.
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL
How to Stream: Gotham Sports App
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the New York Yankees looking to grab a win.
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March Madness is almost here.
The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament opens with Selection Sunday this weekend, opening the door for hundreds of thousands of fans to fill out brackets and take a shot at winning the office pool.
The tournament tips off with the First Four on March 17-18 in Dayton, Ohio, with the first round starting March 19 at sites across the country. For the first time, the NCAA will punish teams that do not provide player availability reports. Fines start at $10,000. The reports are intended to to combat betting-related pressure, solicitations and harassment athletes receive from bettors connected to their playing status.
Bubble teams have the rest of this week to prove to the NCAA Selection Committee they belong in the 68-team field. This is also championship week for the nation's biggest conferences whose teams can jockey for better seeding with a good run.
If you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to expand the field by at least fourteams and possibly more.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favorites to win the national championship are Duke (plus-320), Michigan (plus-325), Arizona (plus-475) and defending champ Florida (plus-675).
Food for thought: Michigan State in 2000 was the last Big Ten team to win the national championship, which was played that year in Indianapolis, the site of this year’s Final Four. But remember: Three of Duke’s five national championships (1991, 2010 and 2015) were won in Indianapolis while Arizona captured its only national title in Indy in 1997. Florida also won the first of back-to-back national championships in 2006 — also in Indy.
Every game of the men’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. TBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game this year. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.
There are 31 automatic bids for league tournament champions. The selection committee will then pick 37 at-large teams. The full field will be revealed on Selection Sunday, March 15, starting at 6 p.m. Eastern.
After the First Four, the first- and second-round games will be played March 19-22 in Buffalo, New York; Greenville, South Carolina; Oklahoma City; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; San Diego; St. Louis; and Tampa, Florida.
Sweet 16 games will be played March 26-29 in Houston (South), Washington (East), Chicago (Midwest) and San Jose, California (West).
The Final Four is Saturday, April 4, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the title game the night of Monday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
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