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Pat Cummins will play ‘significant’ role in Ashes series, Andrew McDonald says

  • Australia’s injured captain may not be in all five Tests starting November

  • Konstas and Labuschagne score centuries in bid for selection

Australia’s injured captain Pat Cummins will play a “significant” part in the Ashes but may not feature in all five Tests, coach Andrew McDonald says.

McDonald concedes uncertainty remains around Cummins amid the skipper’s back injury. But he dismissed speculation Cummins could miss the highly anticipated Test series against England starting on 21 November in Perth.

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Yankees survive shaky bullpen to hold one for 10-9 win over Twins

The Yankees offense put up 10 runs on 16 hits, but had to hold on to a 10-9 win over the Twins on Tuesday night in Minnesota.

New York got out to a 10-1 lead, but starter Cam Schlittler and the low-leverage arms in the bullpen struggled to hold the Twins lineup down. 

Here are the takeaways....

-After mustering just two hits in Monday's series opener, the Yankees' offense woke up from its slumber in the first inning. Back-to-back singles from Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge got the Yankees going before Cody Bellinger followed a fly out from Ben Rice with a single to drive in Grisham. Giancarlo Stanton nearly missed a three-run shot, but his long fly ball allowed Judge to score on the sac fly. 

In the second, Austin Wells followed Anthony Volpe's double with a double of his own -- barely missing a homer. Grisham did not miss a homer, hitting a two-run shot over the right field wall in the next at-bat, to put the Yankees up 5-1. Stanton tacked on a run with a two-out single, scoring Judge.

Three more runs were scored in the third inning on three hits and two sac flies. Unfortunately, the Yankees would not score another run, and could not get insurance runs across when they had opportunities late.

-Schlittler did not give the Yankees a lockdown inning after they scored two in the first. After getting the first two outs, he walked two straight batters before Royce Lewis smoked a single off the glove of a diving Ryan McMahon. But Schlittler would settle down, retiring 11 straight batters at one point, but it fell apart for the youngster in the fifth. Schlittler allowed three runs on three walks and two hits, including a two-run shot to James Outman. 

Schlittler went just 4.2 innings (89 pitches/49 strikes), allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out six batters.

-The bullpen wasn't much better. Ryan Yarbrough came in to start the sixth and was battered around for four runs but Mark Leiter Jr. settled down the Twins lineup, picking up five big outs, but almost gave up the tying run when Trevor Larnach launched a long fly ball that Judge caught at the wall. 

Devin Williams pitched a perfect eighth and David Bednar got the final three outs but allowed a solo shot to have the Yankees sweat this one out. 

Here's how the Yankees bullpen pitched:

  • Fernando Cruz: 0.1 IP 
  • Yarbrough: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 K
  • Leiter Jr.: 1.2 IP, 1 H
  • Williams: 1.0 IP, 2 K
  • Bednar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K

-Volpe, starting in his first game in a week, was solid at the plate. He went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, a walk and an RBI. He also made a nifty play in the field.

Game MVP: Mark Leiter Jr.

The middle reliever settled down the bullpen to get the game to Williams and Bednar

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees and Twins complete their series on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m.

Luis Gil (4-1, 2.83 ERA) will take the mound and will go up against Taj Bradley (6-7, 4.88 ERA).

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Raleigh breaks Mantle's switch-hitter record, ties Griffey's Mariners record with 55th and 56th HRs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle’s record for homers by a switch-hitter and tied the Mariners record set by Ken Griffey Jr. when the Seattle star hit his 55th and 56th of the season in consecutive at-bats against the Royals on Tuesday night.

Raleigh doubled in his first at-bat on a hot, humid night in Kansas City. He came up again in the third inning and, batting left-handed against Michael Wacha, fouled off a changeup and took a sinker for a ball before Raleigh sent a hanging curveball 419 feet over the right-field fence for his 55th home run of the season.

That broke the switch-hitter mark set by the Yankees star in 1961, which Raleigh had tied against the Angels on Sunday.

The All-Star catcher was back up in the fourth inning Tuesday night. This time, batting right-handed against left-hander Daniel Lynch IV, Raleigh sent the first pitch he saw 425 feet to straightaway center for his 56th homer.

Griffey set the Mariners record when he hit 56 homers during the 1997 season and matched the mark the following year.

After both of the home runs, Raleigh got a standing ovation from a small group of Mariners fans behind the visiting dugout at Kauffman Stadium. Many Royals fans, who had turned out to watch a club fading from playoff contention, also applauded the home runs. It was Raleigh’s 20th career multi-homer game and his 10th this season.

There have only been nine 60-homer seasons in the majors. Aaron Judge had the last when he hit 62 for the Yankees in 2022.

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Mets use five-run first inning to power past Padres, 8-3

The Mets scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back as they smacked four home runs in an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

New York piggybacked Sean Manaea off Clay Holmes successfully combined to go all nine innings, allowing the three runs (all on solo home runs) on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The Mets improved to 78-73 (47-29 at home). San Diego fell to 82-69 on the year.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Mets wasted no time jumping on Michael King in the bottom of the first:Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso all singled to center to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo poked a single the other way to plate a run, and San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla was out for a visit after 11 pitches. 

After Mark Vientos bounced into a 1-2-3 twin killing, Jeff McNeil came through with a two-run double that just stayed fair down the first base line, yanking a first pitch slider that floated over the plate, snapping an 0-for-11 skid. Brett Baty made it 5-0 when he clobbered a 3-1 fastball for a two-run home run to right. The 93 mph King heater on the inner-half went off the facade of the second deck, traveling 416 feet (108.2 mph off the bat) for Baty's 17th on the year.

- King’s bad day continued in the second: Lindor got a sinker up and over the plate and crushed it off the facade of the second deck in right for a solo homer (382 feet, 104 mph). It was his first dinger of the month, giving him 27 on the year and 78 batted in.  

With two down, Alonso got a sinker down and in and demolished it to the second deck in left field (430 feet, 113 mph). The slugger now has 35 homers and 118  RBI on the season.

- Cedric Mullins drilled a down-in-the-zone changeup into the Mets' bullpen (388 feet) for a leadoff shot in the fourth to end King’s night. Lefty Kyle Hart came in from the Padres ‘pen and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. After the Mullins homer, the Mets came up hitless against San Diego's relievers with only a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch over the next five frames.

-  Holmes needed 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 first, including a strikeout of Luis Arraez, who entered the night about the hardest guy to strikeout with just 20 in 627 plate appearances this season (3.19 percent). Pitching with a five-run lead, Holmes issued a leadoff walk before getting a 6-4-3 double play, with a very close call at first base going the Mets’ way. That proved big as a red-hot Jackson Merrill launched the very next pitch 431 feet to center for a solo shot.

Holmes had a six-run lead to work with in the third, but left a fatball over the plate to Jake Cronenworth, who clocked it for a 411-foot homer to just right of center. The righty threw a hanging sweeper to Manny Machado to start the fourth, but the slugger got under the ball for a flyout to left. Holmes allowed a two-out double to Ramon Laureano, but kept San Diego off the board, getting Merril swinging.  

That closed the book on Holmes: 4.0 innings, two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts on 52 pitches (34 strikes).

- With Holmes at 39 pitches and one out in the fourth inning, Manaea was seen getting loose in the bullpen. Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said the left-hander would get into the game regardless of how well Holmes was pitching.

And Manea got the call for the top of the fifth with the Mets ahead 8-2 and got lefty Ryan O’Hearn swinging to start a run of five straight retired before Machado looped a single the other way with two out in the sixth. The lefty then retired the next five, including getting two broken-bat comebackers in the seventh. The streak ended with one out in the eighth when Freddy Fermin drove a solo home run 327 feet to left, as a 1-0 sweeper stayed over the plate. 

Manaea surrendered a two-out double in the ninth, as he closed the door with five innings of one-run ball with four hits and four strikeouts on 71 pitches (52 strikes).

- The Mets had a scare in the bottom of the eighth inning when Francisco Alvarez was drilled by a 99 mph sinker on the left arm and had to exit the game. He was back in the dugout and on the field for the postgame celebration, however, sporting a big smile and an even bigger ice pack on the back of his arm.

- Lindor (as well as Soto and Edwin Diaz) wore No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day. And the shortstop wasn’t the only member of his family to star as his wife, Katia, played the national anthem on the violin.  

Game MVP: Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea

It was a group project, and everyone did their part with the starters combining well and the bats pounding out plenty of run support.

Highlights

What's next

The two sides are back in action on Wednesday night for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Left-hander David Peterson (3.77 ERA, 1.324 WHIP with 148 strikeouts in 162.1 innings) takes the ball for his 29th start of the year. The visitors are sending out righty Nick Pivetta (2.73 ERA, 0.951 WHIP with 180 strikeouts in 171.1 innings) for his 30th start.

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Mets' Francisco Alvarez exits game vs. Padres after being hit by pitch

Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez exited Tuesday's series opener against the San Diego Padres after being hit by a pitch late in the game.

Alvarez came up with the Mets having an 8-3 lead in the eighth inning. With two outs, Alvarez took a 99.8 mph fastball to the left arm. It's unclear where exactly Alvarez was hit, but it was above the elbow, perhaps in the triceps area. The Mets backstop took a knee and held his arm in pain as manager Carlos Mendoza and the staff tended to Alvarez.

Alvarez walked to first base before being lifted for Hayden Senger.

Alvarez is already playing with a torn UCL and a fractured finger that has put him on the IL two separate times this season.

This story is still developing...

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Phillies erupt for 6-run inning, collect another series win over Dodgers

Phillies erupt for 6-run inning, collect another series win over Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LOS ANGELES – There certainly was a built-in excuse for the Phillies’ play against the Dodgers on Tuesday, a day after they clinched their second consecutive National League East title. After all, there were candles lit in the clubhouse before the game to try and help smother the smell of many celebratory beers and cigars.

If there were any lingering cobwebs from the previous night’s fun, no one around the Phillies was going to admit as much, and maybe being no-hit in the first five innings was just a coincidence. Or perhaps the better reasoning was that Shohei Ohtani was on the mound.

Excuses weren’t needed as the Phillies, again, came back from an early deficit and defeated the Dodgers, 9-6. Backup catcher Rafael Marchan blasted a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning for the thrilling win. The Phillies improved to 91-61, their first time being 30 games over .500 this season.

“He had good at-bats all night,” said manager Rob Thomson of Marchan. “He’s done a great job for us all year. He plays once every fifth day, once every sixth day and as prepared as he is not only behind the plate but offensively, too. He’s just done a fabulous job. Really has.”

When Ohtani was removed after his five innings, either the espresso that was so popular in the clubhouse before the game kicked in or this resilient bunch just showed their true colors of late as they erupted for six runs in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead.

“We thought that he was pretty good,” Thomson deadpanned about Ohtani. “Seeing the shapes of his pitches, just seeing it live, it should help a little bit (should there be a playoff meeting).”

The long ball hurt Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez early as the Dodgers plated three in the second inning on a solo home run by Alex Call and then a two-run shot by Kike Hernandez. They added another run in the fourth on singles by Tommy Edman and Andy Pages before a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.

Sanchez, whom manager Thomson said would be his Game 1 playoff starter, wasn’t at his sharpest but typical of everyone on the team lately, battled through.

“I feel great for him,” said Sanchez of Marchan. “He’s a tremendous catcher. The only thing is he’s backing up J.T. right now, but he’s a tremendous catcher. I’m just really happy that he’s showing out for the team.

“I felt good today. I was attacking the hitters and I was throwing strikes. The only bad thing about it was maybe they got me with a couple of pitches that I left in the zone, but I felt good overall and we got the win, which is the most important thing.”

Marchan broke the no-hit seal for the Phillies in the sixth and then the flood gates opened. Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber followed with singles to load the bases off Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski. Bryce Harper then doubled, scoring two, before Brandon Marsh obliterated a slider into the right-center seats for a 5-4 lead. Edgardo Henriquez replaced Wrobleski and gave up a home run to Max Kepler down the rightfield line as the Phillies batted around in the inning.

With a two-run lead and having already thrown 89 pitches, Thomson sent Sanchez out for the seventh inning in what could be his last normal workload before the playoffs. He easily shut down the Dodgers in that frame and finished his night with 102 pitches, 75 of them strikes and allowed seven hits, four earned runs and struck out six to improve to 14-5 on the year.

“He’s going to have one more start, maybe two,” said Thomson of Sanchez. “Our pen was a little bit light today, so we pushed him a little bit further than we normally do. In the sixth he was really good and he was 96, 97 in the seventh. The one thing early in the game, everything seemed to be leaking back to the middle of the plate on right-handed hitters and they had some pretty good swings. He grinded and he did a great job.”

Ohtani led off the eighth with a home run to right off David Robertson that completely left the stadium. Teoscar Hernandez chased Robertson after he doubled. Tanner Banks then gave up a walk to Freddie Freeman and a single to Tommy Edman to load the bases. Alex Call hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game.

In the ninth, Weston Wilson laced a two-out double to left off Blake Treinen. Bryson Stott was then intentionally walked before Marchan smashed a 3-1 pitch just over the short fence and into the Phillies bullpen for the deciding runs.

“We knew if we could keep the score close (against Ohtani) then we’d have a chance,” said Marchan. “I was excited. I’ll just try to enjoy it as much as I can, but the way that we are winning is more important. I know he was trying to be around the strike zone and I just wanted him to come to me and give me the best chance to put my best swing. I hit the ball well. I was ready for that.”

Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth and picked up his 31st save of the season.

The Phillies remain 1.5 games behind Milwaukee for the top seed in the National League as the Brewers beat the Angels Monday. Philadelphia also expanded their lead over the Dodgers to 6.5 for the second seed. The top two seeds receive byes in the postseason.

“They’ve been huge because they’ve been great games,” said Thomson of the two wins against the Dodgers. “Fell behind tonight 4-0 and it kind of looked like we were dead in the water. All of the sudden we have that big sixth inning, Marsh home run and Kepler home run and in the ninth it all started with two outs. Just a really good team win.”

The Phillies now own the tiebreaker against the Dodgers so would have home field advantage should the two meet in the playoffs.

“It’s huge,” Thomson said. “It doesn’t matter what team it is I think we play better at home than we do on the road and I think a lot of it has to do with our fan base and everybody is comfortable at home. Getting home field advantage is crucial.”

Not only are the wins happening often for the Phillies, they are also happening in extremely enjoyable ways for them.

“I was ready to run on the field like we were in the bottom of the ninth,” said Marsh of Marchan’s home run. “It was a whole lot of fun. Really good at-bat, weight off the back foot. It was a professional at-bat and we needed it. Big time.”

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Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Alex DeBrincat

The 2024-25 NHL season was the second in the Detroit Red Wings tenure of Farmington Hills, Mich. native Alex DeBrincat, whom the Red Wings acquired from the Ottawa Senators in 2023. 

His first season with the club began with a torrid scoring pace, as DeBrincat lit the lamp nine times in his first 10 games in a Detroit uniform. However, his scoring pace cooled off considerably, especially down the stretch.

He managed only two goals over 28 combined games in January and March, finishing the season with 27 tallies. Thankfully, his scoring rebounded significantly in his second campaign.

DeBrincat recorded 39 goals for the Red Wings in the 2024-25 season, his highest total since netting 41 with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021-22. He also contributed 31 assists for 70 points, marking his best overall output since that same season in Chicago.

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

Like many of his teammates, DeBrincat acknowledged the positive impact that the coaching change in late December from Derek Lalonde to Todd McLellan made on the Red Wings, and he expects a full campaign of McLellan behind the bench to pay dividends in the long run. 

“I think it’s a big difference,” DeBrincat said after the Red Wings cleaned out their dressing room on April 19. “I’ve been through a couple coaching changes midseason, and I think when you’re able to get that full training camp, he gets to implement his systems, and we just get to have the message right from Day 1. It’s a big difference. I think it’ll be good for us to get that training camp with him under our belts, and obviously we’re comfortable with him now, we know what to expect, and there’s going to be no surprises come September.”

Along with his former Blackhawks teammate Patrick Kane, DeBrincat seemed to find a groove playing on the team's second forward line centered by rookie Marco Kasper, a line that will likely remain intact heading into the upcoming season. 

Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Marco Kasper Red Wings Players To Watch In 2025-26: Marco Kasper When Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings in April 2019 to take over the role of general manager, he didn’t have much to work with in terms of enticing prospects, but since then he has built one of the most highly regarded prospect pools in the NHL. 

For the Red Wings to bring Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time in the venue's existence next spring, they'll need DeBrincat to duplicate his performance of last season and remain a constant threat to appear on the scoresheet. 

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Vancouver Canucks 2025 Training Camp Questions: Which Prospects Have The Most To Gain With A Strong Performance?

Hockey is officially back as the Vancouver Canucks are about to begin their 2025 Training Camp. This year's training camp will take place in Penticton from September 18-21. Overall, there are many questions heading into training camp, including which prospects have the most to gain with a strong performance.

Before diving into this question, we must establish who counts as a prospect. For this article, a prospect is a player under the age of 22 who spent the majority of last season in a junior league. This means that players like Kirill Kudryavtsev, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, defenceman Elias Pettersson and Ty Young do not count for this exercise. 

Defenceman Tom Willander

All eyes will be on Tom Willander when training camp opens on September 18. After wrapping up a successful NCAA career, the 2023 first-round pick has signed with the organization and will be in contention for an NHL roster spot. Even if Willander starts the season in the AHL, it is more likely than not that he gets a call up at some point during the season. 

The big question surrounding Willander is how he will look when going against NHL players. He has developed into a can't-miss prospect, but doesn't yet have experience playing pro players on a consistent basis. If Willander steps up and demonstrates that he can win battles while developing chemistry with other members of the Canucks top six, it will go a long way in showing that he is ready to skip the AHL and head straight to the NHL. 

Left Winger Vilmer Alriksson

Vilmer Alriksson was one of Vancouver's best players at the 2025 Prospects Showcase against the Seattle Kraken. The 2024 fourth-rounder showcased his physicality while also proving that he has a speed element to his game. A prospect who is already signed by the Canucks, Alriksson could be a difference maker in the AHL throughout the year. 

While Alriksson isn't quite ready for the NHL, he could be in consideration for a call-up during the season. One way to at least plant the seed of interest in the organization is by having a strong training camp and pre-season in front of Vancouver's coaching staff. If the 6'6" 234 lbs forward can stand out like he did during the 2024 pre-season and build momentum heading into the year, it might not be long before Alriksson makes his NHL debut. 

Defenceman Sawyer Mynio

Another AHL rookie to keep an eye on this season is Sawyer Mynio. The 2023 third-rounder recently wrapped up his junior career in the WHL and is projected to be a key part of the Abbotsford Canucks blue line in 2025-26. A mobile defenceman who can win puck battles consistently, Mynio is an intriguing prospect with a bright future. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

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As for this year's training camp, it will be interesting to see who the coaching staff partners Mynio with. At the 2025 Prospects Showcase, he was paired with Kudryavtsev on the team's second pairing. If he is once again paired with the 21-year-old, it could be an indicator that Manny Malhotra and his staff have big plans for Mynio this year. 

Center Riley Patterson

As for a prospect to watch who will be headed back to junior, that is Riley Patterson. The 19-year-old was a standout at the 2025 Prospects Showcase, scoring one goal and recording two primary assists over the two games. Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, Patterson will be joining the Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL this year after being traded from the Barrie Colts. 

There will be some pressure on Patterson to perform this season, as Niagara gave up six draft picks to acquire him. The Ice Dogs are also projected to have a strong season, with one of the reasons being their acquisition of Patterson. Ultimately, a strong training camp will go a long way in ensuring that Patterson can build some momentum before heading back to the OHL.   

Vilmer Alriksson 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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WATCH: Mets show Jose Iglesias tribute video before Tuesday's game vs. Padres

Jose Iglesias was the sparkplug that led the 'OMG' Mets last season, and the team honored their former infielder ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Padres.

Prior to first pitch, the big board at Citi Field showed a highlight package of Iglesias' best moments in Flushing. Take a look at the tribute video below.

The veteran infielder's locker room chemistry and on-field play helped the 2024 Mets overcome an 0-5 start to the season all the way to the NLCS after he was called up from the minor leagues.

In 85 games with the Mets, Iglesias slashed .337/.381/.448 with an OPS of .830 to go along with his Gold Glove caliber defense. He struggled a bit in the postseason, but hit .227 with three RBI in 12 games.

Iglesias held out hope over the offseason that he would re-sign with the Mets after becoming a free agent, but New York decided not to bring him back. Iglesias would eventually sign with San Diego, and while he hasn't provided the offense he did a year ago, he has given bench depth for the postseason-bound Padres.

In 106 games this season, he has slashed .227/.297/.273 with an OPS of .569 to go along with 32 RBI.

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‘Heartbroken isn’t the word’: Ricky Hatton’s son Campbell pays emotional tribute to his father

  • ‘Can’t explain how much I’m going to miss the laughs’

  • Campbell Hatton also pursued a boxing career

Ricky Hatton’s son Campbell has paid an emotional tribute in his first public comments since his father’s death.

Tributes have poured in across the world of sport and beyond following the death of former world welterweight champion Hatton, who was found dead in his home on Sunday morning at the age of 46.

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