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Report: Steve Ballmer made a second, $10 million investment into failing company that endorsed Leonard

Clippers' owner Steve Ballmer's defense in the Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention and “no show” endorsement scandal has been "plausible deniability." Ballmer said he was “duped” like other investors when he put $50 million into the green bank company Aspiration (a company that had become a $300 million Clippers team sponsor back in 2021, but now is bankrupt with its CEO pleading guilty to fraud). Ballmer noted that the Clippers ended their team sponsor relationship with Aspiration after it defaulted on its obligations, and said both he and the team knew nothing about Leonard's $48 million endorsement deal with Aspiration ($28 million in cash, the rest in stock) other than that it existed. Ballmer vehemently denied the charge that the Clippers used Leonard's Aspiration endorsement to circumvent the NBA salary cap.

That argument is becoming increasingly difficult to believe.

After a detailed initial report came a second one from the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast (which broke the story initially) that Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong invested $2 million into Aspiration late in 2022 — when the company was failing and struggling to make payroll — and a week later Leonard got a delayed $1.75 million quarterly endorsement check.

Now comes a report that Ballmer made a second, $10 million investment in Aspiration in March, 2023, despite it being clear at that point the company was failing and headed toward bankruptcy. The report comes from Mike Vorkunov at The Athletic.

In March 2023, LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested almost $10 million into financial technology and sustainability services company Aspiration, according to legal filings reviewed by The Athletic and corroborated by a former Aspiration executive...

Ballmer's 2023 investment was part of a fundraising round made up almost entirely of previous Aspiration investors, with Wong being the lone exception. The company hoped to raise $75 million in fresh money but came up nearly $9 million short.

What is not known is when the payments on Leonard's endorsement stopped. He is a creditor in Aspiration's bankruptcy, seeking $7 million he is still owed.

Ballmer and the Clippers have not commented on the latest allegations, but their defense is likely the same: Ballmer was making a personal investment (and not a big one for Ballmer, who Forbes estimates is worth $153 billion), hoping to prop up the company and recoup his original investment, that this had nothing to do with Leonard.

This latest report is another wave in the tsunami of evidence that the Clippers used Aspiration to funnel extra money to Leonard outside his standard contract — maybe it's all circumstantial evidence, at least what we see publicly, but it's not hard to connect these dots. It's short, straight lines between these dots.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the burden of proof is on the league — which has hired a law firm to do its investigation as a third, neutral party — and that he "would be reluctant to act if there was sort of a mere appearance of impropriety."

It feels like more than an appearance now, the buzz in league circles is that many owners feel the same way, which means Silver is going to have to bring the hammer down on the Clippers (likely taking away future first-round draft picks, fining the Clippers up to $7.5 million, suspending team executives, and he could potentially void Leonard's contract, although that last one is unlikely).

The NBA's formal investigation is ongoing and likely will drag out for a while.

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Mets' Jeff McNeil ejected in fourth inning against Rangers

Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil was ejected from Friday's game against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the fourth inning by home plate umpire Scott Barry.

McNeil, 0-for-2 on the night against Jacob deGrom, disagreed with a strike three call that appeared low and reacted angrily before getting tossed. 

Ronny Mauricio entered the game to play third base, shifting Brett Baty to second base.

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Kodai Senga throws six efficient innings in first Triple-A start following demotion from Mets

Kodai Senga took the mound on Friday night making his first Triple-A start following a demotion from the Mets. 

The right-hander found immediate success, getting a pair of Worcester hitters to chase forkballs in the dirt for two strikeouts in a perfect top of the first.

The Sox were able to strike against Senga in the second, though, as a leadoff single and two-out RBI double down the right field line brought home the first run of the game. 

Senga rebounded nicely over the next three innings -- he put together a clean third, used a double play ball to work through the fourth, and then struck out a pair in an easy fifth. 

He then needed just eight pitches to cruise through the sixth after Syracuse’s offense rallied to hand him a lead for the first time in the bottom-half of the fifth. 

That closed Senga's final line with one run allowed on just three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. 

He used his full arsenal on the night as he threw 74 pitches, 52 of which were strikes. 

Senga had allowed three or more earned runs in six of his last eight outings prior to his demotion, lifting his ERA to 3.02 for the season. 

He is expected to make at least two minor league outings before potentially rejoining the big-league team. 

Friday’s dominant showing was certainly a good first step. 

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Patrick Bailey, Justin Verlander power Giants' unforgettable win over Dodgers

Patrick Bailey, Justin Verlander power Giants' unforgettable win over Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Giants manager Bob Melvin sat down behind a podium late Friday night and asked a question that was more pertinent than any he would be asked. 

“Where do you want to start?” he said, smiling as he looked out at a packed interview room at Oracle Park.

With a game like that, where do you start? 

Perhaps with Justin Verlander, the 42-year-old who celebrated 20 seasons of MLB service time by throwing seven strong innings against a star-filled lineup that seemingly had found its stride earlier this week at Dodger Stadium.

Or maybe with Matt Chapman and Dominic Smith, who combined for one of the better defensive plays of the year, saving an early run in a game that would go to extra innings. The stretch at first will send Smith to the MRI tube, but teammates stopped by after the 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to celebrate him for giving everything he had — including perhaps part of his upper hamstring — to the effort. 

How about with Grant McCray? The bold young outfielder has not started a game since he was added as a speed-and-defense September call-up, and his wheels weren’t enough to get him home safely when he tagged on a shallow fly ball in the bottom of the ninth. McCray was thrown out at the plate, but he recovered in a magnificent way, making a 101.7 mph throw to third in the top of the 10th to snuff out a potential Dodgers rally with Mookie Betts at the plate and Freddie Freeman due up. 

You should probably start, though, with where this one ended. 

Patrick Bailey has had a nightmare of a season at the plate, but he’s well on his way to a second straight Gold Glove Award and he might take home the Platinum Glove, too. It was the bat that was in the spotlight on Friday, though. 

Bailey crushed a Tanner Scott fastball into the seats in left for a walk-off grand slam, which will fit nicely alongside his walk-off inside-the-park homer when he tells stories to his kids one day. It’s probably not a shock that he’s the first MLB player to do both in one season, but the way this one ended was a surprise. It had been 56 years since a Giants catcher hit a walk-off grand slam and more than two years since Bailey had gone deep from the right side. 

On a night when you could have picked a half-dozen Giants to do the on-field interview and get splashed by Willy Adames, Bailey ended up being an easy choice, and then he went and joined what was described as the most exciting clubhouse celebration of the season. 

When it was over and everyone had calmed down, it was clear that something had shifted. 

The Giants are still taking things one day at a time, but they also have started to mention the MLB postseason, which now is well within their grasp. Perhaps that was because Friday felt like a playoff game. 

“We’ve got a lot of young guys that haven’t quite experienced that atmosphere yet, so to come through in a big way like that, that’s a big boost to a team that hasn’t really proven ourselves,” Verlander said. “To know that when those moments come along, which inevitably they will, there’s big moments that come along if you want to make it to the playoffs, much less win in the playoffs, then you’ve got to have the belief that you can succeed in those moments.”

The Giants are long past the point of finding belief in a season that felt lost in July and August. They have been the hottest team in baseball for several weeks, steadily picking up ground on the New York Mets. On Friday, it felt like a dam broke. 

Every other team in the wild-card race lost, and the Giants are now just a half-game behind the Mets, or 1.5 games if you take the tiebreaker into account. They picked up a game on the San Diego Padres, who lost to the last-place Colorado Rockies, and on the Cincinnati Reds, who got blanked up the road in Sacramento. The Arizona Diamondbacks got walked off in Minneapolis, and the Giants even gained ground on the Dodgers, who are hoping to wrap up the NL West in time to set their postseason rotation. 

For all that has gone right in recent weeks, the Giants have always known that they would have to get through Los Angeles in the end. Friday was the start of a stretch of seven games in 10 days against the Dodgers, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto did his part, striking out 10 Giants and allowing just one hit. 

But Verlander kept them close, with some help from Chapman and Smith. The Giants had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, and there was some urgency. Shohei Ohtani, Betts and Freeman were due up in the 10th. 

Melvin had no problem with the decision to send McCray, noting that it took a perfect throw to get him. Still, it was questionable, especially with Chapman due up next. It certainly wasn’t a fun walk back to the dugout for McCray, but as he grabbed his glove, he fired himself up.

“I just wanted to take one away, honestly,” he said. 

McCray did so in memorable fashion. Catcher Ben Rortvedt tagged when Betts hit a fly ball to right and got cut down by the fastest throw by a Giant in the Statcast era. Asked about it later, McCray looked over at Casey Schmitt’s locker. 

“Schmitt says he throws harder than me,” he said. “Will you guys let him know he doesn’t?”

As Verlander took his turn in front of the cameras, the two young players argued about who actually does have the better arm. It was the type of moment that didn’t exist in the clubhouse a few weeks ago, but right now, the Giants can seemingly do no wrong. 

If you take a step back, it’s all a little insane. 

In the top of the 10th, the Giants survived Ohtani-Betts-Freeman because of a stunning throw from a September call-up, which led to a scoreless inning for a reliever who was struggling in Triple-A for most of this season. In the bottom of the 10th, they got a walk-off from a catcher who has spent most of this season trying to get his average comfortably above .200. 

The walk-off was Bailey’s sixth in the big leagues and gave him two memorable ones this season.

“Both are definitely pretty cool,” he said. “I’m definitely not as tired on this one.”

In between the inside-the-park walk-off and Friday’s slam, the Giants often struggled just to score one run. But right now they’re firing on all cylinders, and they’re no longer simply hoping to get back into the race. They’re right in the thick of things, and given how bad the Mets have played and how red-hot the Giants have been in September, they really should be considered the favorite to get that final postseason spot. 

It’s been a long, strange journey, and Melvin, after figuring out where to start, summed it all up neatly.

“There have been extremes all year,” he said. “And we’re riding this one.”

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Brian Cashman: This season doesn’t change Yankees’ viewpoint on Anthony Volpe

It’s been a rough season for Anthony Volpe. 

The Yankees shortstop has struggled mightily on both sides of the ball, and it’s led to him losing more and more playing time to trade deadline acquisition Jose Caballero down the stretch in September. 

Volpe is on pace for a new career-high in homers with 19 to this point, but he’s hitting just .206 with a .268 on-base percentage while striking out 140 times over 141 games. 

He’s also committed a league-high 19 errors at shortstop and has accounted for -9 Outs Above Average, despite being just one year removed from taking home his lone career Gold Glove award. 

Some of that can be pinned on a shoulder injury he's been playing through for some time now, but with top prospect George Lombard Jr. waiting in the minors, there still have been questions of whether or not Volpe is still the SS of the future for the organization. 

GM Brian Cashman was asked that exact question before Friday’s series opener in Boston.

“I think he’s a good player,” Cashman told reporters. “This year not withstanding, I think he’s got a lot of abilities that are positive. I think he’s had a tough stretch, but he’s someone we can count on and believe in.

“At the same time, this isn’t the season that we expected or he expected -- but that doesn’t change our viewpoint of what he’s capable of. As you know, I think he’s a really talented guy and I think he has a chance to be a positive impact on us.”

Volpe is out of Friday’s lineup, and manager Aaron Boone says he isn’t expected to start at any point this weekend as he recovers from a cortisone shot in his injured right shoulder. 

This is just the first time in his big-league career that the youngster is sidelined for two consecutive games, but the team expects he could be available off the bench at some point this series.

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Germany, Turkiye — both undefeated — advance to face off in EuroBasket final

In a result that feels in sync with what is going on in the NBA, it's the young generation of stars — Orlando's Franz Wagner with Germany and Houston's Alperen Sengun with Turkiye — who have led their teams to the EuroBasket Finals. Not Giannis Antetokounmpo, not Nikola Jokic, not Luka Doncic, and not Lauri Markkanen.

In the first semifinal match on Friday, Wagner had 22 points, while Sacramento's Dennis Schröder added 26 points and 12 assists to lift Germany past Finland.

As good as Germany's offense was, it was its defense on Markkanen that was the difference. One of the best players in this tournament, the Utah big man who has sparked a basketball frenzy in Finland, was held to 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

In the second game it was the same theme — Turkiye triple-teamed Antetokounmpo on his drives limiting him to 12 points on 13 shots. Without his spark, it wasn't much of a game as Turkiye cruised to a 94-68 win.

Ercan Osmani led Turkiye with 28 points, and it was another impressive game for Sengun who had 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the hub of the Turkish offense. Sengun has had a monster EuroBasket.

Turkiye and Germany face off Sunday for the EuroBasket title. Expect a close game between the two 8-0 teams, Germany and Turkey played a friendly before EuroBasket, which Germany won in a close one, 73-71.

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Aaron Judge passes Joe DiMaggio for fourth on Yankees’ all-time HR list

Aaron Judge took another step towards history as he got the Yankees’ offense started in the top of the first on Friday night.  

The All-Star slugger crushed a solo shot deep over the Green Monster off of Boston right-hander Lucas Giolito to give him 362 home runs in his career. 

That pushes Judge past Joe DiMaggio for fourth on the Yankees’ all-time home run list. 

He now has 47 homers on the season and three over the last two games. 

Next up, Lou Gehrig. 

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Marc-Andre Fleury Signs Professional Tryout With The Pittsburgh Penguins

Nick Wosika-Imagn Images.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Friday that goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has signed a Professional Tryout (PTO). He will play in "parts" of a preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, September 27.

Fleury, 40, played in his final season with the Minnesota Wild during 2024-25. He played the last four years with the Wild where he went 64-42-10 with a .902 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.90 goals-against average (GAA).

During his career, Fleury spent 13 seasons in Pittsburgh where he went 375-216-68 with a .912 SV% and a 2.58 GAA. He played in 691 games with the Penguins from 2003-2017.

He ranks first in Penguins franchise history in games played (691), wins (375), shutouts (44) and goals-against average (2.58). He ranks second in save percentage. 

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Season 1 In NHL 26 HUT

Season 1 of Hockey Ultimate Team is officially underway in NHL 26.

One of the biggest HUT content drops players have ever received, there are new Check My Game, Icons, Heroes, Rookies, Captains, XP, and Ranked cards that have been added. 

40+ of the new cards are in the video below. 

The master set cards in the Check My Game Event are 85 overall Brent Burns, Igor Shesterkin, Jack Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin, and Matthew Tkachuk. These cards can be built by trading in any three 82-84 CMG cards and any two additional 82-84 cards. 

The base CMG cards are led by 84 overall Will Cuylle and Jonathan Toews in his return to HUT.

There are Check My Game moments, objectives, and Wildcard XP tiers players can use to acquire players and collectibles. The collectibles can be used to build an 84, 82, or 80 overall player. 

The three new Icons are 86 overall Joe Sakic, Dominik Hasek, and Paul Coffey. The three new Heroes are Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Doug Gilmour, and Dan Boyle. 

You must trade in three 83-85 alumni for an Icon. The Heroes cost three 81-83 alumni.

The three new Rookie cards are 84 overall Jordan Binnington, Quinn Hughes, and Sidney Crosby. Players who completed the Jump Start Objectives in NHL 25 will receive a free 82 overall Calder Cup card in the HUT store. This card can be traded-in along with any two 81+ cards to earn a Rookie choice pack. The rookies can also be built for any five 81-83 cards.

There are also new Captains and XP cards. The XP path has reset and can be completed by earning 740,000 XP. Completing tier 60 will earn players and 87 overall Macklin Celebrini. 

There are also 85 overall cards available for moving up ranks in ranked play. 

The HUT content in NHL 25 was often lackluster but we are off to a fantastic start in NHL 26. This is one of the best release days in HUT history and has a little something for everyone. 

For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.      

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WATCH: Mets show Jacob deGrom tribute video ahead of Friday's game against Rangers

Prior to the start of Friday's game between the Mets and Texas Rangers, New York showed a tribute video of Jacob deGrom, Friday's starter, in his first start at Citi Field since leaving in free agency following the 2022 season.

The video, about one minute and five seconds long, featured highlights from the right-hander's incredible nine-year career in New York between 2014 and 2022 and ended with the message 'Welcome Back Jacob' before transitioning to deGrom's walk-out song "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd that became iconic in New York.

DeGrom, getting loose on the field, was then displayed on the screen which resulted in a round of applause and the 37-year-old tipping his cap to the crowd.

A four-time All-Star with the Mets, deGrom went 82-57 in New York and pitched to a 2.52 ERA (0.99 WHIP) with 1,835 strikeouts in 1,522.2 IP.

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Vancouver Canucks Prospect Aleksei Medvedev Looking To Make A Strong Impression During His First Year With The Organization

During the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks used their second-round pick to select goaltender Aleksei Medvedev. The recently turned 18-year-old was drafted 47th overall, becoming the first goaltender the Canucks have chosen in the top-50 of the draft since Thatcher Demko in 2014. Listed at 6'2", 178 lbs, Medvedev has already been signed by the organization and will be heading back to the OHL next year to once again play for the London Knights. 

The last few months have been a whirlwind for Medvedev. Since being drafted, he has attended Development Camp in Vancouver and played pre-season games for the Knights. No, Medvedev is back with the Canucks and looking forward to playing in the 2025 Prospects Showcase against the Seattle Kraken. 

"Yeah, it's a great experience", said Medvedev. "It's a big opportunity for me to showcase myself and start earning the coaches' trust and build that relationship with them. So great opportunity."

NHL Training Camps can be intimidating for recently-drafted rookies. The experience includes working with new coaches and practicing against current NHL players. Luckily for Medvedev, he has current and recently graduated OHLers like Riley Patterson and Krill Kudryavtsev to lean on as he enters his first Prospects Showcase and Training Camp. 

"It's really nice, especially coming into my first rookie showcase. My first experience like this. They help a lot. They make you feel comfortable, and when you're comfortable in the room, you play better on the ice. So it's great."

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As for Training Camp, Medvedev can't wait to hit the ice in Penticton. As mentioned, he will get the opportunity to work with Vancouver's entire coaching staff, while also learning from goaltenders like Demko and Kevin Lankinen. Training Camp also provides Medvedev with a chance to face shots from NHLers, which will be a key part of his development this year. 

"I'm really excited for that. It's going to be a great experience. Those shots make you better. You can improve your reads and stuff like that. It's a different game, pro hockey, so learning that and getting to know that is a great experience."

Looking ahead to 2025-26, Medvedev is ready to help London get back to the Memorial Cup, which is being hosted in Kelowna next May. Last season as a back-up, he posted a 22-8-2 record along with a .912 save percentage and three shutouts. As for this year, Medvedev will be the Knights' starter and is ready to help London capture their third-straight OHL Championship. 

"We want to go back to the Memorial Cup. And for myself, I don't want to look too far ahead, honestly. Just want to take it day by day. When you start looking too far ahead or look into the future too much, it might not work out that well for you. So just focus on winning games and being there for my team every night. I love London. It's the best place to be. So for me, the best option is to stay in London as long as possible."

Medvedev will be a player to watch at both the Prospects Showcase and during Training Camp.  He has the potential to be an NHLer and is ready to do whatever it takes to be successful. In the end, selecting Medvedev is looking like a smart move by the Canucks as they may have found their starter of the future. 

Aleksei Medvedev of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News. 

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Patrick Kane Points To Clear Shift In Red Wings’ Play Under Todd McLellan

Following their subpar 13-17-4 start to last season, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman decided that a change was in order. 

Head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner were dismissed, with Todd McLellan hired as the new head coach and Trent Yawney joining as an assistant.

Detroit's play began to shift almost immediately, and they managed to rattle off a pair of separate seven-game winning streaks as they vaulted back into a postseason position before ultimately falling short thanks to another lull in the month of March. 

Still, a full season beginning with Training Camp next week under McLellan should pay off for the Red Wings in the words of Patrick Kane. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

"It's a good situation for me, especially coming in with Todd McLellan as a coach," Kane said recently during the NHL's Player Media Tour in Las Vegas. "I played a lot better under him when we made the switch. The team started playing more aggressive and playing better. Playing in the top six, playing on the power play. As you get older you want to win and I think we can do that there."

Kane’s resurgence under McLellan was clear, as he tallied 16 goals and 29 assists in the second half of the season following the coaching change. 

Vladimir Konstantinov Scheduled To Make Rare Special Public Appearance Vladimir Konstantinov Scheduled To Make Rare Special Public Appearance The career of bruising Detroit Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov was tragically cut short less than a week after the 1997 Stanley Cup victory because of a limousine accident that very nearly claimed his life. 

As for ending the club’s lengthy postseason drought, which dates back to 2016, the season after Kane helped the Chicago Blackhawks win their third Stanley Cup in six years, Kane believes the Red Wings can achieve that this season.

"That's the goal, to get into the playoffs," he said. "We really feel we're on the verge and we should do it this year." 

Over an 82-game pace, the Red Wings’ 26-18-4 record would have translated to 96 points, enough for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference behind the Ottawa Senators (97 points), and comfortably ahead of the Montreal Canadiens (91 points), who ultimately claimed that spot. 

Kane once again agreed to sign a one-year contract extension to remain with the Red Wings, which will be his second full season with the club he joined as a free agent in December 2023. 

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What we learned as Justin Verlander shines in Giants' walk-off win vs. Dodgers

What we learned as Justin Verlander shines in Giants' walk-off win vs. Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — To get back to the postseason, the Giants are going to have to go through the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re off to a strong and thrilling start. 

On a raucous Friday night at Oracle Park, the Giants won 5-1 when Patrick Bailey hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th. They will face the Dodgers seven times over 10 days, and on night one, at least, the rivals did nothing to stop their momentum. 

The end of a tense game was absolutely insane. After tagging on a shallow fly ball and getting thrown out to end the ninth, Grant McCray unleashed a rocket from right field to cut down the potential go-ahead run at third in the top of the 10th.

In the bottom of the inning, Bailey came up with the bases loaded and crushed a Tanner Scott pitch into the seats in left.

With the win, the Giants picked up a game on the entire NL Wild Card field. Counting the tiebreaker, they’re just 1 .5 games behind the New York Mets, who dropped a seventh straight game earlier Friday. 

The Giants jumped out to an early lead when Willy Adames smoked a double into the left-center gap, scoring Rafael Devers, who had reached with his 102nd walk of the season. The ball was bobbled at the track by center fielder Andy Pages, but Matt Williams was on it the whole way and aggressively waved Devers, who scored without a throw.

Justin Verlander entered as one of the game’s hottest starters and extended his scoreless streak to 18 innings before Michael Conforto opened the top of the seventh with a solo shot to dead center. It was the second homer at Oracle Park this season for Conforto, who hit three at home all of last season as a Giant. Here are three more things to know …

Ageless

Verlander gave up three balls at 100+ mph in the top of the seventh, but after Ben Rortvedt hit a double off the left field wall, manager Bob Melvin showed faith. The Giants intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani and Verlander was left in to face Mookie Betts, who flew out softly to right on Verlander’s 105th pitch. 

On a night when Verlander reached 20 years of MLB service time, a truly outrageous number, he looked like he was still in his prime. He allowed just one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four. Verlander’s slider was as good as it’s been all year; he threw it 25 times and got 20 strikes and eight whiffs. 

The latest dominant start lowered Verlander’s ERA to 3.94. This is just the second time it has been under 4.00 all year. It was 3.60 after his first start of the year but ballooned from there.

The Other Side

Before the game, Melvin said he couldn’t imagine a better weekend of pitching matchups. In Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, there are three pitchers who should get down-ballot Cy Young votes. Verlander and Clayton Kershaw — who faces Webb on Saturday — are locks to be first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. Tyler Glasnow, who will face Ray on Sunday, might win a Cy Young one year if he can stay healthy for 33 starts. 

The first game lived up to the hype, with Yamamoto matching Verlander through seven. Six days after losing a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth at Camden Yards, Yamamoto allowed just one hit and struck out 10 Giants. He has 20 strikeouts and just two hits allowed in his last two appearances. 

Costly Save

With two runners in scoring position in the top of the fourth, Andy Pages hit a grounder that looked headed for the hole at short. Matt Chapman cut it off with a dive and made a strong throw to first baseman Dominic Smith, who did the splits while receiving it. The play saved at least one run and ended the inning, but it proved costly. 

Smith went down right away and grabbed at his right leg. He tried to jog it off as the Dodgers challenged the call, but he eventually walked slowly off the field and went right back to the clubhouse with head trainer Dave Groeschner. Wilmer Flores hit for Smith in the bottom of the inning and the Giants later announced it was a right thigh injury. 

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Formal Agreement in Place to Sell The Trail Blazers To Tom Dundon

James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Portland Trail Blazers franchise will be sold to a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. 

The price of the sail is expected to exceed $4 billion, as Dundon will own his second professional sports team. 

Dundon admitted last month that he’s “very excited” about the sale. 

The Trail Blazers’ valuation is listed at $3.65 billion according to CNBC’s latest Official NBA Team Valuations.

Dundon purchased a stake in the Hurricanes in 2017 and became the team's majority owner in 2018, as the franchise has seen unparalleled success since his arrival.