Governing body floating staging Ireland v Italy in US
World Rugby eyes commercial value in American fixtures
World Rugby wants a Six Nations match to be staged in the US and has offered financial incentives to the unions to do so – but England have effectively ruled themselves out on the grounds that fixtures at Twickenham are too lucrative.
The US will stage the 2031 World Cup and World Rugby is seeking to capitalise commercially despite mounting fears over the parlous state of rugby union in the host country. As a result, the governing body is desperate to raise interest in the sport’s profile by staging high-profile matches Stateside, with Baltimore hosting the fourth Test between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday.
Goals from Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and Lisandro Martínez gave United a comfortable victory in their opening game
It’s also worth noting that Patrick Dorgu starts at left-back tonight, for the first time under Carrick. Bought for Ruben Amorim, really he’s a specialist wing-back – not a defender because his awareness isn’t great, nor his ability to pass the ball out from the back, nor a winger because he lacks finesse and one-on-one ability – he starts at the back tonight mainly because Shaw is rested and there’s no better option. But if he’s to have a future as a starter, it feels much more likely it’ll be at the back than in attack – though, as we’ve seen he’s got a worldie in him.
Thinking more about that United defence, this is a big evening for Leny Yoro. He was pretty good in his first season at Old Trafford, but didn’t get to play much last; ultimately, Carrick couldn’t afford to risk him because he had a formula that worked – Maguire and Martinez, plus fast counters – with points to win and a job to secure.
We are less than two weeks away from some teams opening NBA training camps (teams leaving the country for NBA overseas preseason games), and 18 days from training camps opening across the league. This tends to be a slow time for NBA news, but things are happening, including new rumors about Jalen Duren's situation.
Jalen Duren’s qualifying offer
The situation remains the same. Jalen Duren wants to get paid like the All-NBA player he is — 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season while playing elite defense. He wants at least a $40 million-a-year average salary (five years, $200 million). Pistons management also saw the playoffs, where Duren struggled — 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, with a negative plus/minus — and are offering more like $35 million a season (five years, $175 million). The sides have been stuck here for a while, and the fact that the Pistons are about $36.5 million below the luxury tax line factors in here.
Duren's nuclear option: He could play this season for the $9.6 million qualifying offer, then become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He is leaning more towards that, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack missive.
One source briefed on the process says Duren is increasingly prepared to play out the coming season on his $9.6 million qualifying offer — with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer — if no deal with Detroit materializes by the end of September.
Take that with a grain of salt. Remember, that is the threat Duren and his agent want out there as leverage (the only real leverage they have as a restricted free agent). Taking the qualifying offer would be a massive risk for Duren, leaving generational wealth on the table (even at the Pistons' offer), he could get injured or have a down season that hurts his market. From 30,000 feet, there is an obvious compromise here — $37.5 million a year average, five years, $187.5 million — but that's easy to say from a distance. This has been a rough negotiation that will leave scars no matter the outcome.
Other NBA news:
• Bradley Beal is switching from No. 0 to 3, which is only a big deal with the Clippers because that was Chris Paul's number, and they are likely to retire his number in the coming years. I doubt this bothers Paul himself, and Beal paid tribute to Paul. The number will be retired at some point.
He’s a legend!
The HISTORY and BRAND can’t be touched, nor erased!!!
• Ben Simmons' one-year contract with the Kings is non-guaranteed — the team can cut him in training camp with no penalty. Consider that insurance because of Simmons' injury history, but the Kings envision him on the roster as both a backup point guard with Darius Acuff and as a secondary shot creator who can play with him. If Simmons makes the opening-night roster, he has a $1 million guarantee.
• Always be mindful of the spin from agents — passed along by news breakers — when it comes to contracts. Case in point, the announcement that Lonnie Walker IV returned from a year playing in the EuroLeague to sign a one-year, $3.3 million minimum contract with the Denver Nuggets. Turns out, what he signed is a non-guaranteed training camp deal, as reported by Sportac’s Keith Smith. If Walker makes the roster his deal becomes that minimum contract, but the fact he got a training camp deal suggests that is a bit of a long shot.
• The NBA and Nike announced new warmup, practice and travel gear that all 30 teams will use during the 2026-27 season. These will officially drop in two launches, Sept. 15 and Oct. 12.
Today, the @NBA and @Nike unveiled the NBA Standard Issue Collection, a new leaguewide look for all 30 teams.
The collection is designed to connect what players wear on and around the court with how fans express their passion for the game.
But on Wednesday afternoon, the 21-year-old mega-prospect provided some anyway.
In his latest standout game with double-A Tulsa, De Paula delivered the kind of tour-de-force performance that has become commonplace for him this season, as he has established himself as the best player in the Dodgers’ farm system and a top-10 overall prospect in the sport.
He hit a solo home run in the first inning, pulling a hanging 0-2 pitch deep to right field for his 27th blast this season. He followed that with an RBI double in the seventh, muscling an opposite-field drive that smacked off the wall in the left-center field gap. Then, in the ninth, he drew a bases-loaded walk on five pitches, matching his earlier display of power with a disciplined approach in the box.
Los Angeles Dodgers minor league outfielder Josue De Paula walks onto the field during spring training batting practice at Camelback Ranch Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Thursday, February 19, 2026. Jason Szenes for CA Post
The two-hit, three-RBI, seven-base showcase felt almost routine.
All year, De Paula has been exhibiting such all-around offensive dominance.
“He’s starting to round out as a complete hitter,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said last week.
Which is why, come Friday night, De Paula will be able to describe himself as a big-league hitter for the first time, too.
Shortly after Wednesday’s game with the team’s double-A affiliate, De Paula learned he was getting promoted –– not to triple-A, but straight to the majors, where he will make his MLB debut with the Dodgers this weekend during their series in Miami.
This wasn’t a predetermined decision by the two-time defending champions, of course.
Still, for De Paula to make this big of a jump, becoming the first Dodgers hitter during Andrew Friedman’s tenure as president of baseball operations to be called up directly from double-A, he had to convince the team of his development and maturation.
“I think he’s starting to understand that if you want to play here, you have to do it all,” Gomes said, again speaking prior to De Paula’s promotion last week. “And I think that was a big step forward this year, which is really encouraging.”
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula poses for a photo on Monday, February 23, 2026, on a back field at Camelback Ranch Glendale, the Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
De Paula has been a big name in the prospect world for a while now, quickly blossoming as a potential star-in-the-making after a relatively modest signing of less than $400,000 as an amateur in 2022.
A native of New York and nephew of former All-NBA guard Stephon Marbury, the 6-foot-3 slugger has a powerful left-handed swing that has drawn comparisons to Houston Astros MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez.
Possessing natural athleticism and precocious hitting instincts, he broke into affiliated minor-league ball by the time he was just 18 in 2023.
His career has been on the ascent ever since, highlighted by MVP honors at MLB’s Futures Game during last season’s All-Star week, and top-50 spots in prospect rankings from both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline at the end of last year.
This spring, however, the Dodgers came to De Paula with a challenge –– seeking improvements in his poorly rated corner outfield defense, and more general growth in his daily process.
“If you want to play for us,” Gomes recalled of the team’s message, “that has to be the bar.”
Thus, De Paula took one stride after another this season, impressing beyond a gaudy double-A stat line featuring a .303 average, 27 home runs, 104 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, a .948 OPS and an 87-to-81 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
His defense underwent the most notable change, thanks in part to hands-on coaching he received with Dodgers special assistant and former MLB All-Star Jason Heyward in Tulsa. Though evaluators are still split on whether his fielding up to big-league standards at this point, Gomes said the Dodgers have nonetheless been pleased with his “focus and effort” in that area this year, easing their long-term concerns that his glove will be a limiting flaw.
Then there are the advances that De Paula has displayed at the plate, progressing from a raw and inconsistent hitter in his previous minor-league seasons to someone the Dodgers are now “very confident” in to “conduct an at-bat” in the majors, as manager Dave Roberts described Wednesday night.
It started with a mechanical change in De Paula’s swing, in which he lowered his hands and straightened out his release.
“He was getting too twisted and kind of fighting himself,” Gomes said of De Paula’s old swing, which had never accounted for more than 12 home runs in a season. “[The change] was nothing too drastic. Just a natural maturation process.”
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula poses for a photo on a back field on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Camelback Ranch Glendale, the Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Even more profound was the evolution of De Paula’s hitting approach, from the way he approached situational at-bats (his .389 average with runners in scoring position leads the Texas League) to his ability to shorten up with two strikes and use the whole field (his .828 OPS in such counts is more than 100 points better than his next closest double-A peer).
“He has always been a really good performer,” Gomes said. “The ability to go the other way and work at-bats, it was just another step.”
That doesn’t mean the step up to the big leagues will be easy, especially as he gets thrown into the fire with regular starts at DH in Ohtani’s absence.
But out of everyone the Dodgers could have called up, De Paula –– who has climbed to No. 4 in Baseball America’s overall prospect rankings and No. 6 in MLB Pipeline’s –– has established the highest ceiling.
Another factor: Unlike fellow outfielder prospects such as James Tibbs III and Mike Sirota, De Paula was going to have to be added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this offseason in order to be protected from the Rule 5 draft.
That’s why, when the need for another bat arose in the wake of Ohtani’s IL decision, he was the first name they turned to, disregarding his age and lack of triple-A experience in hopes his potential is ready to translate to the majors.
“We’ve seen him in camp for two or three years. He doesn’t run from velocity. He controls the strike zone,” Roberts said. “I think this is just a good opportunity for him to kind of cut his teeth in the big leagues … We can get him some major league at-bats and see how that looks.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the game ay at Yankee Stadium on August 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No need to freak-out about Adley Rutschman missing last night’s game, the second game in a row he’s missed: it was a scheduled night-off and the team plans on getting him back into the lineup tomorrow. He did, however, receive a cortisone injection for his balky elbow, but the team says you shouldn’t freak out about that either. “It wasn’t an injection like, ‘Oh, something went wrong.’” said Chad Tracy. “It was an injection that was like, ‘We got him through with the days off [earlier].’ And looking at, as we came home, we knew he was going to be out on Tuesday anyway. And timing-wise, we were looking for a window to do that — to get him over the hump.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
So it’s great that they’re not giving something went wrong injections to Adley, who isn’t the only player who missed last night’s game with a sore body part. Eli White was also out of the lineup after crashing into the centerfield fence attempting to make a catch on Tuesday night. “He’s sore, very sore,” said Tracy. “His foot jammed into that garage door when he went up (to attempt to make the catch) and that foot shoved into (the door). He’s out. He’s going to go through some imaging today — maybe tonight or maybe (Thursday) morning, just to see exactly what’s going on there.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
The Sox can afford to give a few days off to Rutschman. And, thankfully, the cavalry is coming. Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday, while Willson Contreras will play in a minor league rehab game this weekend with Portland. “He just wants to get on his feet,” Tracy said. “He’s been down for a while, and just to get on his feet and actually see some pitching, move around at first base, maybe get on base.”
If Rutschman does miss any more time, at least the Sox have the resurgent bat of Mickey Gasper to slot into the lineup. Gasper’s unprecedented late-season hot streak is one of the coolest stories of the year. What kind of outlook has led to it? “I would describe it as almost delusional. Seriously,” said Steve Lomasney, who coached Gasper as a high schooler. “You have to be that way: ‘I’m going to compete as hard as I possibly can, and I’m never going to lose because my work ethic is going to be better than the other guys.’ And that’s how Mickey approaches things.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Sonny Grey’s success this year hasn’t completely come out of nowhere the way Gasper has, but it is noteworthy that he’s having arguably the best season of his career at age 36. But perhaps it’s not all that surprising. “Gray is renowned for his meticulous work between starts — the precision with which he practices his delivery, the journaling he does about every facet of each workday, the care he puts into what he eats, the commitment to preparation.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Roman Anthony is at the complete opposite end of the career spectrum as Gray. As such, he’s still working out the mental aspect of the game. Mired in a mini slump recently, he tried to reframe approach at the plate heading into last night’s game. “Just gotta get back to that leadoff mentality role,” Anthony said. “I think the swings sometimes get a little bit hard and maybe try to do too much at times. So for me, just a constant work in progress to get back into that leadoff hitter mode and get back to playing the brand of baseball that we know how to play best and just pass it on to the next guy.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman, NHL coach and longtime ESPN analyst Barry Melrose has died at the age of 70 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Melrose was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2023, prompting his retirement from broadcasting after more than 25 years with ESPN.
A native of Kelvington, Sask., Melrose broke into the NHL in his Canadian prairies, suiting up in parts of two seasons with the Jets during his playing career.
Photo by Kim Klement/USA Today
The rugged defenceman went on to appear in 300 NHL games between Winnipeg, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, recording 10 goals and 33 points while accumulating 728 penalty minutes. Before joining the NHL, Melrose also played three seasons in the World Hockey Association with the Cincinnati Stingers.
"The Winnipeg Jets and True North Sports + Entertainment are saddened to hear of the passing of Jets alumni Barry Melrose," the team said in a statement. "Our deepest condolences go out to all of Barry's family and friends across the National Hockey League."
While Melrose enjoyed an 11-year professional playing career, his greatest impact on the sport came after hanging up his skates.
He began coaching in 1987 and immediately guided the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Memorial Cup championship. After stops with the Seattle Thunderbirds and AHL's Adirondack Red Wings, Melrose was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 1992.
In his first season behind the Kings' bench, Melrose coached a Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles squad to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, where it fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
Melrose later became one of hockey's most recognizable television personalities after joining ESPN in 1996. With his trademark mullet, colourful suits and unmistakable personality, he remained a fixture of the network's NHL coverage for nearly three decades.
"From the flowing locks of his distinctive mullet to the flared lapels of his trademark long suit coats, Barry Melrose cut an unmistakable figure whenever you were fortunate enough to run into him at a rink or catch him on your television screen," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
"You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis, because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey."
Bettman described Melrose as a "hockey original," offering condolences to his wife, Cindy, sons Tyrell and Adrien and his many friends and colleagues throughout the sport.
Melrose briefly left ESPN in 2008 for another opportunity behind an NHL bench, coaching 16 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning before eventually returning to the network.
Between playing, coaching and broadcasting, the Saskatchewan product spent five decades as one of hockey's most colourful personalities.
"We mourn the passing of a hockey original," Bettman said.
Here's the latest on some of the Mets top prospects who are playing in the minor leagues...
Jefferson Rojasstayed hot, going 2-for-4 at Double-A Binghamton in their 5-2 win over the Portland Sea Dogs.
Rojas notched his first hit on a fly ball to right field in the third inning before smacking a double to left field in the sixth inning.
Since being acquired from the Cubs in the trade deadline deal that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago, Rojas has been on fire. In 130 plate appearances over 28 games for Binghamton, the 21-year-old is slashing .283/.341/.602 (.943 OPS) with nine homers, seven doubles, one triple, 23 runs scored, and 29 RBI.
With Binghamton's season ending this weekend, it's possible Rojas is promoted to Triple-A Syracuse for the final week of their campaign.
Sep 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien (61) reacts against the San Francisco Giants during the tenth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well. Another pathetic showing from a St. Louis Cardinals bullpen resulted in a series sweep against a mediocre opponent. This team has constantly shown it plays to the level of their competition, but the series against the Giants went too far.
After winning five of their last six series on the road, including taking the season series against the Dodgers, the Cardinals had momentum against the miserable Giants only to see the season pretty much come to an end in San Francisco. To get over the emotions this three-game set made me feel, I dusted off the podcast equipment and finally recorded a new episode of Cardinals on My Time.
Joining me on the episode was returning guest Matt Blaker, and nothing against Matt, but I was pumped to have Tanner Larkins joining the pod as well. Chances are, you have no idea who that is and I just came across his profile earlier this week. Tanner is the front man for a band called Bayview Lane and his two singles instantly caught my attention. Add on the fact he was rocking a Cardinals hat in his videos while being from the Chicago area like me, he was the perfect guest to have on with Matt and me.
Cardinals bullpen failure was the plan all along for Chaim Bloom
In the episode, we talked about the rollercoaster ride of the season, roster management, but also focused on the future. To me, the most frustrating point of this season was the roster management, be it playing short-handed through injuries or with a seemingly always “taxed” bullpen. The bullpen conversation was made worse after this series, but the problems revert all the way back to the offseason despite the early season success and breakout of certain guys.
One thing we talked about was that this bullpen creation, or lack thereof, was done intentionally. That is one of the more upsetting things to me (and keep your “this is a rebuild” comments to yourself) because this was a clear hole all year. Of course, bullpens are a crapshoot every year, but you’re telling me adding another one or two higher profile relievers would prevent the rebuild from happening? Worst case scenario, you pull the plug on those arms in a season that doesn’t matter, middle case, you flip them at the deadline, best case, you’re actually competing for a playoff spot instead of blowing 37 leads.
We finished the episode by comparing the Cardinals to the White Sox, who are competing for a division title despite losing 100 games back-to-back seasons. With that, I brought up the question for how aggressive Bloom needs to be in 2027 (yes there will be a season) to make sure the team capitalizes on their young players’ primes.
The series against the Giants was the final nail in the coffin, but I will still be interested in seeing what guys like Leo Bernal and Joshua Baez can do, or if Thomas Saggese can fix the hole at third base. I would like to see some more of the young arms get a shot in the last couple weeks so I will still be connected on a near-daily basis.
It was good to get back on the podcast train and I hope to get back on it more consistently here soon. (Great timing, Scott, since the season is over). If you enjoy the show or the content, please give me a subscribe on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts and join me over on Twitter.
Finally, please give Tanner some love on his new music linked below. If you’re in the Chicago/Milwaukee area, make sure you take a look at Tanner’s schedule to see him play some live shows!
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Spencer Strider (99) of the Atlanta Braves in the dugout during the Thursday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 4, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s been over a month since the trade deadline came and went and we’re still getting information on a trade that never actually happened. The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers were very close to getting a deal done that would bring Jacob deGrom to Atlanta but until today, we didn’t know who or what Atlanta would be sending in return. The deal got close enough to where it came down to deGrom making a decision with his no-trade clause and that’s why he’s still in Texas, so we know that the Braves had agreed to trade someone away.
Feinsand also noted that while the Braves are holding out hope that Strider could help out in the Postseason coming out of the bullpen, they are also keeping their options open and could be trying to find a suitor who believes that they can get Strider back to where he was before while taking some talent for their farm system as well.
Either way, it’s definitely intriguing to see that this is where the Braves are at with Strider at this point. If you woke up from a coma in 2022 to learn that the Braves could be shopping Spencer Strider around, you might’ve figured that it was because his contract demands were too large since he had become such a dominant force on the mound. Instead, Strider has struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances when healthy and the outlook has changed significantly for Strider.
Again, there’s always the possibility that Strider can figure it out and that he’ll continue to prove to be an effective pitcher for the Braves (whether it’s in the rotation or as a reliever) but assuming Feinsand’s reporting is accurate, Atlanta clearly no longer views Spencer Strider as being untouchable. We’ll see what happens going forward and we’ll also see if we keep on getting more information about this aborted Jacob deGrom trade with each passing month.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros hits a double in the third inning for his 2,500th career hit during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 09, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (74-72) and Philadelphia Phillies (82-64) will play the rubber match of this series this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
RHP Cristian Javier (2-5, 5.98 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Phils RHP Zack Wheeler (12-5, 3.23 ERA).
REMATCH: RHP Cristian Javier faced off against RHP Zack Wheeler in his only career regular season start/app. vs. PHI, which came on April 29, 2023 in Houston. He took the loss in a 6-1 Astros defeat.
ASTROS-PHILS: The Astros have won 5 of their last 6 games vs. the Phillies. In those 6 games, Astros starters have combined for a 1.67 ERA (7ER/37.2IP). 3 of those 5 wins came via a shutout. HOU swept a 3-game series vs. PHI at Daikin Park in the last meeting between the 2 clubs, June 24-26 of 2025. In those 3 games, Astros pitchers allowed just 1 run in 27.0 IP.
Last Visit to CPB: The Phils took 2 of 3 from HOU in the last series here in Philly, Aug. 26-28 of 2024. In the final game of that series, Yordan Alvarez went 4×4 with 3 HR in a 10-0 Astros win.
Postseason History: The Astros and Phils have met twice in the postseason, with PHI taking the 1980 NLCS and the Astros winning the 2022 World Series.
MR. CRISTIAN: RHP Cristian Javier is making his 10th start and 15th appearance of the season this afternoon. He pitched well in his last start on Sept. 4 vs. ARI, allowing just 1 run and 1 hit in 5.0 IP with 8 strikeouts in a 3-1 Astros win.
Racking Up The K’s: In his last 4 starts, Javier has tallied 25 strikeouts in 17.1 innings of work.
Made History: In his last start at Citizens Bank Park, Javier was a part of just the 2nd no-hitter in World Series history, hurling 6.0 no-hit innings in the Astros 5-0 win in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series (11/2/22). Javier tallied 9 K’s in that outing. 6 current members of the Phillies started in that no-hitter. The night before the no-hitter, Phillies hitters combined for 5 HR in a 7-0 win in Game 3 of that WS.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the 3rd game (1-1 thus far) of a 6-game road trip for the Astros. After today’s game, they will fly to Florida for a 3-game set over the weekend vs. TB at Tropicana Field. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 36-25 (.590) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 20-13 (.606) on their last 6 road trips combined (includes current trip).
LEAD PROTECTORS: Monday night’s win improved the Astros record to 64-0 when leading after 8.0 innings. They are 1 of 4 clubs that have not lost a game when leading after 8.0 innings. The others are TB (77-0), ARI (66-0), TEX (62-0).
BIG WES: With Tuesday night’s win, RHP Hayden Wesneski is now 3-0 in his last 4 starts with a 1.57 ERA (4ER/23IP). For the season, he is 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 8 starts (Astros are 7-1 in his starts).
THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve collected his 2,500th career hit last night, becoming the 103rd player in ML history to reach this milestone. Freddie Freeman was the last player to reach 2,500 hits, which took place on June 9 of this year at PNC Park vs. PIT. Freeman (2,587) and Altuve (2,500) are the 2 active hits leaders in the Majors. Altuve ranks 2nd in franchise history in hits to Craig Biggio (3.060).
Another Record: Altuve’s 3-hit game on Sunday vs. ARI was the 225th of his career, which ties Biggio for the most in franchise history.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.410), rank 2nd in HR (192), T-3rd in OPS (.725) and 5th in runs scored (660).
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 54-41 (.568) in their last 95 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Boston Red Sox.
WINNING THE WEST: The Astros currently hold a 2.0-game lead in the AL West over the 2nd-place Rangers. HOU finished at 9-4 vs. TEX, so they hold the tiebreaker vs. them.
STARTING STRONG: In the last 9 games, Astros starters have combined for a 2.94 ERA (16ER/49IP). The Astros are 5-4 in that span. Additionally, the Astros are 9-6 in their last 15 games, during which the starters have posted a combined 3.30 ERA (28ER/76.1IP).
TRIPLE THREAT: Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently ranks 1st or 2nd in the AL in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters today leading the AL in batting avg. (.312), while ranking 2nd in HR (38) and RBI (96). Alvarez also leads the Majors in OPS (1.022) and leads the AL in SLG (.593) and OBP (.428).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
CHALLENGING STRETCH: The Astros are 5-4 thus far while in the midst of a stretch of playing 4 consecutive teams (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB) with winning records, 2 of which are leading their respective divisions (CWS, TB), one that would qualify for the playoffs as a WC (PHI) and another that is 0.5 game out of a WC spot (ARI). In this stretch, HOU has gone 3-1 vs. CWS, 1-2 vs. ARI and 1-1 at PHI.
MEASURING UP: The Astros are 28-20 (.583) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. They own a winning record vs. several clubs that are in the AL postseason hunt: 5-1 vs. BOS, 5-2 vs. CWS, 4-2 vs. CLE, 2-1 vs. TB, 9-4 vs. TEX.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Single A Fayetteville is scheduled to play tonight at Fredericksburg in Game 2 of their Carolina League playoff series. They lead the series, 1-0.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2005 – In a 7-5 win at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Craig Biggio hits his 600th career double, becoming just the 13th player in MLB history to reach that milestone.
1980 – Jose Cruz is the hero with a 12-inning walk-off solo HR off Rick Sutcliffe to defeat the Dodgers in the Dome, 6-5.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 10, 12:05 p.m. CT
Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
TV: Space City Home Network; MLB Network (subject to local blackout)
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres. This is extremely important now because the Cubs trail the Phillies by 1.5 games entering Thursday’s action, and the Phillies/Astros game will be happening this afternoon. The Cubs are 2.5 games ahead of the Padres and three games ahead of the Diamondbacks.
Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of schedule of the four clubs (fourth). The Cubs are ninth, Diamondbacks 20th and Padres 21st, entering Thursday’s action.
Here are the remaining schedules for all four teams. Home games in boldface.
Cubs, 15 games (9 home, 6 road)
Pirates (3), Braves (3), at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)
The Cubs dropped from fifth to ninth in the Tankathon ranking after the Brewers series. They have six games remaining against postseason contenders and nine against other clubs.
Phillies, 16 games (7 home, 9 road)
Astros (1), at Braves (3), at Nationals (3), at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)
That’s 10 of 16 games against teams currently in first place, including today vs. the Astros. The Phillies are currently under .500 (28-31) against teams with winning records. That could help out the Cubs.
The Brewers might wind up really helping out the Cubs when that series happens, even though Milwaukee likely has clinched the NL Central by then. They still might have to win games to clinch home field. The Rays currently lead the Yankees by four games, but who knows? The AL East race might come down to the wire.
Padres, 16 games (6 home, 10 road)
at Giants (3), at Rockies (4), Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)
The Padres have an “easy” stretch coming up, then finish up with six against postseason contenders. Those last three Diamondbacks/Padres games could help decide one of the wild card spots. San Diego is just 32-39 away from Petco Park.
Diamondbacks, 15 games (9 home, 6 road)
Rangers (3), Marlins (3), Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)
A combination of teams fighting for postseason spots and teams way out of it. The D-backs and Padres have split their first 10 games this year, and the teams also have split at each other’s parks, 2-2 in San Diego and 3-3 in Arizona.
Braeden Bowman knows how quickly things can change in the NHL.
One minute, he was an unheralded prospect in the Vegas Golden Knights’ system. The next, he was skating on the top line alongside Jack Eichel, taking reps on the top power-play unit and showing he belonged in the greatest hockey league in the world.
Now comes the hard part.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, and Bowman knows that better than most. He got his opportunity last season. What he wants now is to make sure it wasn’t a one-time thing.
The undrafted forward from Kitchener, Ontario, went from a relatively unknown name in Vegas’ development system to an NHL regular in a matter of weeks. But Bowman isn’t interested in simply making a cameo.
He wants to make the NHL his permanent home.
“That’s my goal, to become a full-time player with the Knights,” Bowman said Tuesday at the team’s annual golf classic at TPC Summerlin, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster. “I’m excited. The team’s looking really good again. Vegas always has a strong team, so I’m just trying to establish my identity on the team and we’ll see where it goes.”
Bowman, 23, received his first NHL call-up after captain Mark Stone broke his finger and missed roughly a month of action.
He didn’t waste the opportunity.
Bowman scored five goals and 11 points in his first 15 NHL games, quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff and opportunities in some of the most valuable minutes a player can receive.
For an undrafted player, it was about as good of an introduction to the NHL as he could have imagined.
But the NHL has a way of humbling everyone eventually.
After his blistering start, Bowman’s production cooled in the second half of the season, as he recorded just 15 points after that point.
He has the talent and the skill. Now he needs to learn how to handle the demands of an 84-game NHL season and, perhaps more importantly, how to maintain the level that initially earned him a spot on one of the best teams in the NHL.
Now he enters the season with something he didn’t have when he first received that call-up: experience.
And he knows the opportunity is waiting for him again.
The question isn’t whether Bowman can play in the NHL. He already proved he can.
Now, can he prove he can do it every night?
That’s the next step for Bowman.
And the sky is the limit. Imagine if Bowman has a breakout campaign. With a cap hit of just $875,000 through the end of this season, he could end up being one of the biggest steals for the Golden Knights.
SPRINGFIELD,MA - AUGUST 15: Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni look on during the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on August 15, 2026 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Among the most infamous teams in modern NBA history is the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. A star-studded group headlined by Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, all of whom finished top nine in MVP voting the season prior, went just 45-37 and earned the West’s No. 7 seed before being swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.
Once head coach Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start, followed by a brief 4-1 stint from interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, the Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni, who previously coached Nash for four seasons with the Phoenix Suns as they worked in tandem to innovate some of the most efficient offenses in NBA history.
Last month, D’Antoni was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Ahead of his induction, he spoke with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin about numerous topics, including his tumultuous Lakers tenure and why he initially opted to join the organization.
“One of the reasons why I took the Laker job — the biggest reason, other than I wanted to coach — was that Steve was going to be there,” D’Antoni told McMenamin. “So I’m thinking that if Steve and I can get this and put this together, we could be really good. And I remember asking them before I signed, ‘I know Steve’s hurt, when’s he coming back?’
“And they go, ‘Well, he’ll be back by Friday. And if we can get you to sign and you get in here, he’ll be almost ready to go right when you get here.’ That kind of pushed me over the hill.”
Only two games into the regular season, Nash fractured his left fibula and missed the next 24 contests. He suited up for 50 games total, his fewest since 1998-99 and third-fewest of his entire career, and posted the fifth-lowest assist rate (32.8%) of his career. The four seasons featuring lower assist rate were the first four of his career, all of which came before he made his eight All-Star appearances.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Los Angeles’ offense was just 0.2 points better per 100 possessions with Nash on the floor that year — a far cry from his enormous imprint during the previous eight seasons in Phoenix. Back injuries spoiled the majority of his next campaign as he played 15 games and the Lakers went 27-55. D’Antoni resigned at the end of the season.
“Well, Steve never really came back,” D’Antoni said. “And even when he did come back, he was about half himself. And so it was doomed from the start.”
On Wednesday night, the hockey world lost a Hall of Fame human being when Barry Melrose passed away at the age of 70. For as important as he was to the game of hockey at the rink, he was equally as important away from it. The way he loved the game was infectious.
Melrose was a player, coach, and legendary broadcaster for most of his life. As an NHL player, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Detroit Red Wings. Melrose, a defensive defenseman, scored 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 300 career games.
Before that, Melrose spent time playing for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. He also had stints in the AHL during and after his NHL career. Once his playing days ended, he made a name for himself as a coach with the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Melrose really captured the hearts of hockey fans through his career in broadcasting. In 1995, Melrose joined ESPN on a permanent basis as a color commentator. He was also a frequent contributor to NHL Network.
His stint as the Lightning head coach came in the middle of his broadcasting career, but it was short-lived. He returned to ESPN on January 1st, 2009, so he could cover the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.
He would continue his broadcasting career all the way through 2023, when he retired so he could spend more time with his family following a Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
Speaking of the Blackhawks, Melrose played against them as a player more than any other team. 23 of his 300 NHL games came against them, just edging out the Blues, who he played against 22 times.
1 of his 10 career goals came against the Blackhawks, as well. While he was playing for the Maple Leafs, he scored a goal on Tony Esposito on March 22nd, 1982. Stew Gavin assisted on the goal. On the same day came one of Melrose's 23 assists as well, as he helped set up a goal scored by Rocky Saganiuk.
Melrose had three total points against the Blackhawks in his career. The third was an assist almost a year to the day later, on March 20th, 1983. Melrose assisted on a goal scored by Peter Ihnacak against Murray Bannerman.
It is never easy to say goodbye to someone like Barry Melrose, but it is easy to think about how much good he did for the game we love. Cooler than cool.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 28: Evan Phillips #59 and Alex Vesia #51 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laugh during the 2024 World Series championship ring ceremony prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Remember when the Dodgers went to the market and spent a lot of money to sign Edwin Díaz, baseball’s number one available relief pitcher simply because they could? Well, that hasn’t worked out the way everybody hoped. Intentionally overlooking the possibility — small, although very real — that something clicks and Díaz can perform up to his potential in the playoffs, the reigning back-to-back champs will have to make do without what they bargained for last offseason.
As damaging as that can be, this bullpen in its current construction bears no resemblance to the unit that was dragged over the finish line a season ago; this one is perfectly capable of not just getting by but fulfilling a crucial role in this quest for a three-peat.
Although other bullpens carry better stats, the Dodgers lead the National League in one particular category, one that will definitely come into play in October: strikeout rate, only trailing the Guardians in the entire sport with a 25.5-percent strikeout rate.
Any bullpen conversation with the Dodgers starts with Tanner Scott’s bounce-back, a pitcher we shall pretend arrived a year later than his contract would suggest. The former Padre has essentially filled the role set aside for Díaz before the season, as the standout closer acquired on the open market. Prone to inopportune slip-ups, hence the 1-5 record, Scott shouldn’t see his total production diminished to the point of skepticism around his ability to come up big in the playoffs. The air of invincibility may be lacking in comparison with other elite closers, such as Mason Miller and Josh Hader. Given where we were a year ago, it’s difficult not to embrace the optimism of this development. And we even have a backup plan for the closer role; more on that later.
Below Scott, the Dodgers rely on Edgardo Henríquez, who has firmly established himself as a key setup option, matching the wow factor of his stuff with the production on the mound. Henríquez was already a serviceable alternative coming up down the stretch last season. With adjustments to his arsenal and approach, the righty has taken his strikeout rate to the expected range for a pitcher of his qualities, near 30 percent.
The link in trust between last year’s bullpen and this season’s unit might be in the middle of a last dance in a Dodgers uniform. Alex Vesia — a free agent to be — might very well be priced out of staying with the Dodgers, who have other priorities, but let’s not dwell on that now and simply enjoy this special character who has been here since the start of this dynasty. Carrying on an extremely reliable career, becoming much more than the simple specialist he was first deployed as, Vesia has been equally dominant against righties and lefties—with a slugging percentage allowed below .300 facing either. Lastly, in the group of reliable regular-season options, you have maybe the heir apparent to Vesia in Jack Dreyer—a reliever developed in-house with similar fastball characteristics to Vesia, who has over 130 innings in the bigs since the start of last season with a sub-3.00 ERA. Equally dominant against righties and lefties, Dreyer is already a key cog in this bullpen, only in his second season as a big leaguer.
Beyond that trio, you have a balanced mixture of talented arms with a limited sample in the regular season, often due to injuries, and then perhaps this team’s secret weapon in the playoffs: talented starters turned relievers and all the flexibility they bring to the table. It’s difficult to imagine the Dodgers reaching their ultimate goal last season if not for the efforts of Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen, quickly becoming LA’s most trusted reliever back then. Working his way back from a nagging blister, Sasaki has taken steps forward on his way to establishing himself as a productive major league starter, but in the short term his postseason role once again lies in the work out of the bullpen. Considering his level of success as a closer last year, the Dodgers could reasonably hand him that role, but it should be noted that Scott has struggled when pitching in non-save situations this season, with an opponent’s OPS north of .700. Depending on how much weight the Dodgers place on that, they may just opt to keep him as the closer and have Sasaki in a firemen-type role.
While Sasaki is the high-profile name, there are other Dodgers starters who can provide a key impact working in relief, chief among them Justin Wrobleski, whose recent home run woes aside, has had a magnificent breakout campaign. On any other team, he’d be looked at as nothing but a starter, but the Dodgers can afford to rely on his skill set in a multi-inning role, similar to what we saw a year ago. A pitcher with more raw talent than Wrobleski but without the 2026 production to back that up, Emmet Sheehan looked great in his return to the bigs this month and will battle for a postseason spot down the stretch. If a pitcher as skilled as Sheehan ends up your go-to option to eat up innings in low-leverage spots, that’s something to be satisfied with.
All of this talent could reasonably be enough to get by in a scrap for the title, certainly much better than what Dave Roberts had at his disposal a year ago. However, we still haven’t even gotten to the wild cards of production—the ones that could make the difference between a pretty good bullpen showing and an outstanding one come the playoffs. It starts with perhaps the best success story of development in the Dodgers bullpen since Alex Vesia: Evan Phillips, who is finally healthy and pitching reasonably well in the time he’s been available.
When Phillips last pitched in the postseason, he was instrumental in helping the Dodgers get to the World Series before an injury kept him from participating in the Fall Classic. At his best, Phillips doesn’t come close to Díaz’s level, but he’s still a formidable force, and as things currently stand, there is no reason to believe he won’t carry that into October. He is probably the easiest name to be skipped to the front of the line in the race for high-leverage opportunities.
Beyond Phillips, you have Brock Stewart and Blake Treinen, whose case for reliability is a bit murkier, but it’s there nonetheless. However, the thing to note here is that even superb bullpens don’t have options of this quality just lying around with a small chance of being a big factor in the playoffs. It might even deserve more appreciation.
