Yankees' four errors, nine walks allowed the difference in loss to Red Sox: 'Not a great night for us'
Nothing can kill a winning streak like sloppy play, and that's exactly what happened to the Yankees on Thursday in their 6-3 loss to the Red Sox.
Not only did the Yankees pitching walk nine batters, they left 10 runners on base and made four errors -- yes, four -- that resulted in three runs and ultimately were the difference in this game.
"Not a real clean game for us. A lot of free bases there," manager Aaron Boone said of his team's performance after the loss. "For the most part in the first half, we were able to overcome them…they made us pay on the last error on the homer. Not a great night for us."
That homer Boone alluded to was the exclamation point on the tough night for the Yankees. First, Luis Gil had trouble with his command, walking five batters and making the first error of the game when he booted a chopper to him to lead the second inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed up with a throwing error on a potential double play ball that allowed the runner to advance to second with one out. After a stolen base and a walk, Ben Rice made a throwing error trying to catch a runner stealing that gave the Red Sox an extra base and allowed the runner at third to score.
Three errors in one inning, but Gil and the Yankees kept it at just one run allowed.
Gil would allow Boston runners to clog the bases through his five innings of work, but allowed just two runs and was the pitcher of record on the winning side when he was done. The Yankees bullpen would walk four more batters and allow the Red Sox to capture the lead, 4-3, which held until the ninth inning.
It looked as if the Yankees were going to bat in the bottom of the ninth only down one, when the fourth and final error occurred. With one out, Yerry De Los Santos got a ground ball to first base, but Paul Goldschmidt could not get the ball out of his glove to make the flip to the pitcher covering. Two batters later, Roman Anthony blasted a towering two-run shot with two outs to give the Red Sox the insurance they needed, an at-bat that would have never occurred.
"Definitely gave them spots to win and I felt like tonight was one of those nights where we beat ourselves," Chisholm said after the game. "Just like [Cody Bellinger] said in the past, sometimes you just got to look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'Hey you beat yourself tonight. Tomorrow, come out better and focus more.'"
"You can’t fix every time you make errors, it’s going to be hard to overcome. It might have been the reason we lost tonight," Goldschmidt said. "There’s a lot of good teams in this league. Any time you give them an extra out, extra runs, they got two when I made my error in the ninth, it could have been a different game, I’m sure they probably scored another run off another error. You make it hard on yourself. We didn’t play good enough to win tonight."
Thursday was the third game in which the Yankees made four-plus errors in a single game this season. That's the most in MLB. Before Thursday's game, the last time the Yankees committed four-plus errors and walked nine-plus batters in a nine-inning game at home was May 1912 (h/t Katie Sharp).
Both Chisholm and Goldschmidt said they are not overly concerned with their errors moving forward when they were asked. Chisholm specifically pointed to the Gold Glovers in the infield and chalked Thursday's performance to "just baseball," but what should be concerning is the team's performance against the teams they are likely to face in the postseason.
After Thursday's loss, the Yankees are 6-17 against the Tigers, Blue Jays, Astros and Red Sox (5-1 against the Mariners) this season. Boston pulled within 0.5 games of the Yankees for the first wild card spot and improved their record against the Yankees to 6-1 this year.
Goldschmidt was asked about why Boston has had the Yankees' number this season and the former MVP could not think of a reason.
"I don’t have an answer. We played a lot of close games with them," he said. "They’ve been able to make one more play, one more hit than us. Hopefully, we can change that tomorrow."
The Yankees and Red Sox meet three more times this weekend before they meet in a three-game set in Boston in mid-September. There is still time to turn the narrative that Boston owns them this season, but it's getting late early.
Do The Penguins Need To Make A Trade Before Training Camp?
The date is Aug. 21, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still have not traded Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.
Given the discourse surrounding the Penguins in pretty much all circles - fan circles, media circles, and team circles alike - this is a bit surprising. Even if general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is known for big splashes in the month of August during his tenure with the Penguins, it certainly seems a bit too quiet.
Dubas himself - as well as new Penguins’ head coach Dan Muse - have re-emphasized the fact that the team is in a period of transition. In these periods of transition, teams typically sell high-value, aging assets in an effort to rebuild a core that is younger and provides some promise for the franchise going forward.
This line of thought seems logical enough, and it led many to believe that selling off at least one of Rakell, Rust, or Karlsson this summer for valuable assets in return was going to be one of the top priorities of the offseason. After all, there is a generational talent waiting in the wings for the 2026 NHL Draft in Gavin McKenna, and there are several other potential franchise-altering talents near the top of that class, too.
But the fact of the matter is that the Penguins - for better or for worse - haven’t gotten quite rotten enough up to this point to seriously put themselves into the 2026 draft lottery conversation. It’s not even clear if that is their goal for next season, as Dubas did say during his end-of-season press conference that he felt like the Penguins were headed in a better direction.
So, where is the urgency-o-meter in terms of the Penguins trading one of these players prior to training camp? And what are some of the factors feeding that urgency meter?
Do The Penguins Have A Legitimate Shot At McKenna In 2026?WIth the 2025-26 NHL season just around the corner, teams are looking ahead to their respective training camps beginning in mid-September.
Urgency: 7/10
The Penguins already have a roster logjam
Throughout the offseason and going back into last season, Dubas and the Penguins have discussed the fact that the organization will be putting a major focus on development.
But - as any hockey mind knows - the process of “development” doesn’t just entail what happens before a player reaches the NHL level. Development doesn’t just stop when a player takes NHL ice. In fact, there are often still a handful of years left for players needing to develop themselves at the NHL level.
Several Penguins’ prospects - most notably forwards Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen, goaltender Joel Blomqvist, and defenseman Owen Pickering, but also including roster hopefuls like forwards Filip Hallander and Tristan Broz as well as defenseman Harrison Brunicke - have already proven to some degree that they belong at the NHL level and that they’re ready to take the next step in their development by being there full-time.
3 Forwards Not Named Rust Or Rakell That The Penguins Should Shop This SummerThe Pittsburgh Penguins have been the subject of a plethora of trade speculation this summer, as big-name veterans like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust have been in the rumor mill for quite some time.
Right now? According to Puckpedia, the Penguins have 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders on their active NHL roster, and none of those spots include any of the above names. Of course, competition is good for these prospects. But with that crowded a roster, the Penguins also run the risk of a roster logjam potentially stunting the development of some of their best prospects.
As such, making a trade prior to training camp to, at least, vacate one of those roster spots is probably not a bad idea.
Maybe the plan isn’t what people think it is
The youth movement aside, there is, perhaps, another explanation as to why Dubas hasn’t pulled the trigger on one of those three guys yet.
As discussed before, Pittsburgh is in a period of transition. While many equate that to a full rebuild, it’s possible that a “full rebuild” simply isn’t what is happening here.
What if Dubas and the Penguins believe that contention is closer than folks seem to think? He has expressed some hesitancy in dealing a player like Rust, 33, who has three years remaining on his contract at just $5.1 million average annual value and who has been a part of the equation for a long time. Even after the 2025 trade deadline came and went without a Rakell trade - he also has three years remaining on his deal that pays him $5 million annually - Dubas expressed that they thought it was “in the best interest of the team to have him remain.”
What Will The Penguins' Bottom-Six Look Like This Season?If one thing is for certain when the Pittsburgh Penguins open training camp a month from now, it’s that they have a whole lot of players in the mix for precious few spots on the roster.
Of course, this can all be GM-speak, as we’ve heard many times before. But it should be considered that Dubas might simply see a path to the Penguins competing with Rakell and Rust still on the roster, or, at least, one of them. Same goes for Karlsson, who generates nearly all of the Penguins’ offense from the blue line and has two years remaining on his lucrative deal.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to tell what the aim is for Dubas and the Penguins. Maybe - just like him with the trade market - we might just have to play the waiting game a bit longer.
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Penguins Facing Uncertain Goalie Split Entering 2025-26 Season
Once again, the Pittsburgh Penguins face goaltending questions heading into a season.
They still have Tristan Jarry on the roster even though he was sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton twice last season. It seemed the Penguins had given up on him after placing him on waivers during the season, when he was struggling, but due to Joel Blomqvist's struggles in the second half, the Penguins called Jarry back up for most of March and all of April.
To Jarry's credit, he played well in his final 14 appearances, despite the Penguins being out of the playoff race. He finished March with a .907 save percentage and April with an .898 save percentage. He had a save percentage of .900 or better in nine of his 14 games down the stretch. Yes, the games had low stakes, but he still played well.
He's going to be the starter to open the season, but that won't inspire a lot of confidence in the fanbase since he's had countless chances to be the number one guy and has failed. The Penguins are rebuilding, so they're not in a rush to get rid of him. Now, if a team expressed interest in Jarry, the Penguins would have no problem moving on from him due to his inconsistencies and because he makes $5.375 million per season.
While Jarry will be the starter to open the year, he may have a quick leash if Arturs Silovs or Joel Blomqvist push him. Silovs is a slight favorite to get the backup job right now after how great he was during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. He was the MVP of the Calder Cup Playoffs and helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the AHL title, finishing with a 16-7 record, 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage.
The Penguins traded for him on July 13 for forward Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Silovs didn't have a path to the NHL for the 2025-26 season due to Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen being locked up long-term by the Vancouver Canucks, so the Penguins pounced on that opportunity. They also wanted to get deeper at the position after trading Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks. Nedeljkovic had been Jarry's backup for the previous two seasons before getting moved.
The Penguins appreciate how Silovs elevates his game in big moments, as seen when he helped the Canucks get within a game of the Western Conference Final in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played in 10 games, finishing with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. Some may scoff at those numbers, but seven of those came against the Edmonton Oilers, who eventually got to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Florida Panthers.
Silovs has also played extremely well for Team Latvia on the international stage. In 2023, he helped Latvia win its first-ever Bronze Medal at the IIHF World Championships. He finished the tournament with seven wins and a .921 save percentage before he was named the tournament MVP.
He has the ability to make this a 1A-1B or a complete starter situation if he's playing well and if Jarry falters. However, if Jarry is at least average, he could get around 60% of the starts while Silovs or Blomqvist would get the other 40% of the starts.
Do The Penguins Need To Make A Trade Before Training Camp?The date is Aug. 21, and the Pittsburgh Penguins still have not traded Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, or Erik Karlsson.
Speaking of Blomqvist, he's still going to get the chance to win the backup job during training camp after struggling from mid-January until early-March last season. He was below .900 in terms of save percentage during those six weeks and was giving up too many goals to his blocker side. NHL shooters were consistently targeting that area whenever he was in the net, which quickly became an issue.
The jury is still out on whether he can be a consistent NHL goaltender. He has the talent and is young, but needs to string together some solid stretches in the league.
Say what you want about the Penguins heading into this year, but they're not running the same goalie tandem back. No veteran is blocking either of these two young goalies for the backup job, and it's going to make for a fun competition during camp.
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Sloppy defense, dormant offense doom Yankees in 6-3 loss to Red Sox
The Yankees committed four errors and left 10 runners on base in their 6-3 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.
The loss cuts their lead for the first wild card spot to just 0.5 games in front of Boston. The loss snapped the Yankees' five-game winning streak and the Red Sox are now 6-1 this season against their rivals.
New York now has three games of four-plus errors this season, the most in MLB. But it wasn't just their defense; the offense, while resilient, just didn't do enough with their opportunities. The Yankees finished 2-for-7 with RISP and left 10 men on base. The Red Sox were much worse, going 3-for-19 with 14 left on base.
Here are the takeaways...
-Walks got Luis Gil in trouble on Thursday and it started early. He walked two batters to give the Red Sox a scoring opportunity with two outs for recently signed Nathanial Lowe. The left-handed slugger flew out to right to end the threat.
Errors were the story in the second inning. Gil booted a chopper back at him, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach and then Jazz Chisholm Jr. overthrew, by a lot, Paul Goldschmidt on a potential double play ball that went into the dugout, allowing Cedanne Rafaela to reach second on the second error of the inning. Ryan McMahon prevented a throwing error from Ben Rice, starting at catcher, on Rafaela's steal of third. After a walk, Rice would overthrow Anthony Volpe on a steal of second to allow the first run of the game to score.
Gil worked out of the inning by picking David Hamilton off of third base and getting Roman Anthony to ground out, but Boston had been held hitless after two innings and still led thanks to the three errors and four walks from Gil.
-Giancarlo Stanton started in right field and his deficiency out there showed in the third inning when Alex Bregman hit a ground-rule double that the slugger could not get to. But Gil stranded the runner as he got the next three batters out without allowing a run. Runners on base was a common theme for Gil as he struggled to pitch clean innings, but, to his credit, he squirmed his way through five innings. His biggest Houdini act came in the fifth when a walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs. After striking out Trevor Story, Gil got Lowe to fly out, which drove in a run, and Masataka Yoshida to fly out to end the inning, allowing just one run.
Gil was not sharp, but gave the Yankees a chance by pitching five innings of two-run ball. He tossed 93 pitches (52 strikes), allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks while striking out just three batters.
-The Yankees hit 14 homers in their two-game series sweep of the Rays and they continued the power surge in the second inning when Rice made up for his error by launching a solo shot to tie the game.
It's the 20th consecutive run the Yankees have scored that's come via the home run. They tied the 2020 Yankees for most consecutive runs scored via the home run by any team in at least the expansion era (since 1961) (via Sarah Langs).
That streak would end in the fourth when Chisholm led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error from catcher Carlos Narvaez.Goldschmidt poked a single through the drawn-in infield to put the Yankees on top 2-1.
In the fifth, Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled starter Lucas Giolito with two outs and Aaron Judge on first base for lefty Justin Wilson to face Rice. The left-handed slugger walked and Chisholm blooped a single just beyond Story's glove to drive in Judge, who stole second earlier in the inning, and retake the lead. After a walk to Goldschmidt to load the bases, Wilson got McMahon swinging to end the threat.
-The Yankees had an opportunity to score in the seventh after LHP Steven Matz gave up a one-out triple to Rice. However, he struck out Chisholm swinging and got Goldschmidt to pop out to first to escape the jam.
-Camilo Doval was the first arm out of the pen, and his struggles continued. After a leadoff infield single by Hamilton, Doval made three disengagements to balk Hamilton over to second. He walked Narvaez on four pitches before facing the top of the Red Sox lineup. Anthony lined a single the other way to tie the game at 3-3, and that was it for Doval. Doval has allowed at least one run in five of his nine appearances since being traded to the Yankees.
Mark Leiter Jr. was next and got the next two batters out (Bregman pop-up, Jarren Duran groundout) to keep the score tied. Luke Weaver was on in the seventh and allowed a leadoff single and then a double in the gap to Lowe, allowing Story to score and take the lead 4-3. After a soft groundout, Weaver walked back-to-back batters to load the bases with one out. Weaver struck out Narvaez but was pulled for Tim Hill. The southpaw struck out Anthony to strand more runners.
The combination of Hill and Yerry De Los Santos got through the eighth inning, stranding two more runners. De Los Santos started the ninth and was on his way to getting the first two outs without issue, but Goldschmidt's error allowed Hamilton to reach safely. Two batters later, Anthony hit a two-out, two-run blast to give the Red Sox a 6-3 lead.
-In the bottom of the ninth, former Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman got Judge (pop out), Cody Bellinger (groundout) and Stanton (ground out) to end the game.
Game MVP: Roman Anthony
The slugging rookie drove in three runs but none bigger than that two-run blast to keep the Yankees at bay.
Highlights
Ben Rice ties it up with a solo shot!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 21, 2025
(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/LiLMsxvs2g
RBI single for Paul Goldschmidt gives the Yankees the lead!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 22, 2025
(via @Yankees) pic.twitter.com/p7sY5BKTJ7
Jazz Chisholm gives the lead back to the Yanks!
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 22, 2025
(via @yankees) pic.twitter.com/LL1wqWa0ZU
What's next
The Yankees and Red Sox continue their four-game series on Friday evening. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Max Fried (13-5, 3.26 ERA) will look to get back on track as he takes on Brayan Bello (9-6, 3.23).
Column: I play NHL Slapshot as 2009-10 Nashville Predators – Switching it up
Welcome back to this thing I've committed to doing!
If you missed the first article, I am currently playing a season as the 2009-10 Nashville Predators via EA NHL Slapshot on my Nintendo Wii.
We started the season off on a high note, winning the opener in Dallas in overtime. That was followed by a 4-1 victory at home against Colorado, a 3-1 win over Buffalo and a 4-2 win in Edmonton to cap off the first five games.
That's where I decided to put some stipulations in place for this next part.
I'm still playing three-minute periods, however, I am now playing on the hardest mode in the game: Superstar. In addition, I'll be simulating five games and playing three or four. If I play all 82 games, I will go insane.
Again, to restate, I'm not amazing at this game, so please don't judge me too harshly. I'm also going to record one of the games I play, and I'm guessing you will all enjoy the throttling of the Chicago Blackhawks I recorded before I changed the game difficulty.
Full NHL Slapshot Nashville Predators series
Column: I play NHL Slapshot as 2009-10 Nashville Predators - Season opener
Roster
*Numbers included are players EA rating
Shea Weber, D, 84
Jason Arnott, C, 84
JP Dumont, RW, 83
David Legwand, C, 82
Steve Sullivan, LW, 82
Ryan Suter, D, 82
Pekka Rinne, G, 82
Dan Ellis, G, 81
Dan Hamhuis, D, 81
Martin Erat, RW, 81
Patric Hornqvist, RW, 80
Denis Grebeshkov, D, 79
Joel Ward, RW, 78
Colin Wilson, C, 78
Jordan Tootoo, RW, 77
Cody Franson, D, 77
Marcel Goc, C, 77
Jerred Smithson, C, 76
Francis Bouillon, D, 76
Dustin Boyd, C, 76
Kevin Klein, D, 75
Nick Spaling, C, 74
Wade Belak, RW, 74
Simulated games
Also, EA doesn't provide final scores in simulated games, so it's just if I won or lost.
Gm. 5 at Dallas L
Gm. 7 at Washington L
Gm. 8 at Boston W
Gm. 9 at Ottawa W
Gm. 12 vs. Chicago L
Gm. 6: Nashville 5, Chicago 0
This where I realized that I need to change the difficulty on the game.
No scoring in the first period, but in the second period, Dan Hamhuis backhanded a shot into the net from the left point to get Nashville on the board first, 1-0.
Late in the second period, Patric Hornqvist found his way to the high slot and beat goalie Cristobal Huet blocker side to put Nashville up 2-0 at the break.
In the third period, the Predators found the back of the net three more times. JP Dumont found enough space to go on a breakaway and beat Huet glove side to open up the lead to 3-0.
In the final minute, Shea Weber let a long backhanded shot go that went in to make it 4-0. Marcel Goc caught his own rebound to cap the game with a 5-0 win.
It was another dominant victory, meaning that we needed to up the difficulty.
Gm. 10: Nashville 2, Chicago 1
Now we're on "Superstar" mode and these games are getting closer.
In the second period, I lost control of the slot area and doing that in this game is costly. Patrick Kane snuck in a shot through traffic to give Chicago the first goal of the game, 1-0.
Things were still bleak in the third period as Cody Franson was called for cross-checking. Thankfully, the Predators were able to kill it off. Going into the final minute of the game, the Predators were still looking for a goal.
With 45 seconds left, Jason Arnott backhanded a shot high into the net to get Nashville on the board and tie up the game. 20 seconds later, Ryan Suter's shot from the point trickles in to give Nashville the go-ahead goal and a thrilling 2-1 win.
Gm. 11: Nashville 2, Minnesota 1 OT
Pekka Rinne bailed me out in this one. Remember, it's only three minute periods, so shots are lower, but Rinne, made 13 saves on 14 shots. I was embarrassingly outshot in this game.
This is also where we started learning just how bad my power play unit is. In the first period, Brent Burns was called for tripping and I didn't convert. Then, Nick Schultz was called for tripping and I didn't convert.
I left the door too wide open in the third period, and Owen Nolan capitalized on an in-zone turnover and scored on Rinne to give the Wild the lead. However, the Predators responded quickly as JP Dumont's shot went in the five-hole to tie the game in the third.
This game needed extra time and the Predators wasted no time. Dan Hamhuis let a shot go from the point, and Patric Hornqvist was there to put the rebound home for the game-winning goal.
Gm. 13: Nashville 3, Dallas 0
After a simulated loss to the Stars, the Predators blanked Dallas at home. Also, a side note, I've played Dallas three times in the first 13 games and Chicago three times too.
Anyway, the Predators converted in the first period as Hornqvist caught a long pass from Denis Grebeshkov on the right side. Hornqvist skated down the right side before letting a shot go that beat Marty Turco for a 1-0 Nashville lead.
Remember how I said the power play was bad? Welp, here's the beginning of the power play mess. Mike Madano was called for a cross-check, which was a game glitch because the replay showed him doing the motion, but not hitting anyone. I didn't convert.
Dan Hamhuis scored in the second from the high right circle in the second period for a 2-0 lead. Brandon Morrow was called for tripping, and I couldn't convert. To add salt to the wound, Jason Arnott was called for trippin.
Despite our poor power play, we managed to get one back on the penalty kill when Jerred Smithson went on a breakaway and scored, giving us a 3-0 lead.
How MLB's upcoming deals will change how you watch out-of-market, Sunday night and Wild Card games
When ESPN opted out of its contract with Major League Baseball in February, the network was hoping to get a reworked package at a lower cost while Commissioner Rob Manfred thought the sport could optimize its rights in the short term for Home Run Derby and Wild Card round.
In the end, both parties may get what they want.
According to people familiar with negotiations, ESPN is nearing a deal to distribute out-of-market games while NBC/Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV are in talks for regular-season packages, the Wild Card round and Home Run Derby.
All sides hope to have everything finalized by the end of the regular season next month, three people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contracts have not been finalized or announced by either side.
The negotiations around the three-year deals is complicated due to the fact that MLB is also trying not to slight two of its other rights holders. MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals which expire after the 2028 season.
While ESPN would be losing the playoffs and Home Run Derby, it would be gaining something it considers more valuable - the MLB.TV streaming package of out-of-market games as part of the direct-to-consumer service that launched on Thursday. ESPN would also sell the in-market rights to the five teams whose games are produced by MLB - San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland and Minnesota.
“We are engaged. We are having healthy conversations with them. Nothing to announce today, but we’re very interested in baseball in general,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said on Tuesday during a presentation about the network's DTC service.
ESPN, which has carried MLB games since 1990, opted out of the final three years of a seven-year deal in February. The package averaged $550 million per season and also included the Home Run Derby and Wild Card games.
Baseball would be the second league that would have its out-of-market digital package available in the U.S. on ESPN’s platform. The NHL moved its package to ESPN in 2021.
It would also be a win-win situation for MLB and ESPN. Manfred wrote in a memo to owners after ESPN opted out of its contract: “While ESPN has stated they would like to continue to have MLB on their platform, particularly in light of the upcoming launch of their DTC product, we do not think its beneficial for us to accept a smaller deal to remain on a shrinking platform. In order to best position MLB to optimize our rights going in to our next deal cycle, we believe it is not prudent to devalue our rights with an existing partner but rather to have our marquee regular season games, Home Run Derby and Wild Card playoff round on a new broadcast and/or streaming platform.”
The moves keep ESPN involved in baseball, but at a point where it can benefit while MLB could benefit from other partners in a short-term deal.
There is a possibility that ESPN would still air 30 regular-season games, but not Sunday nights. That package of games would go to NBC/Peacock, along with the Wild Card round.
NBC, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, has a long history with baseball, albeit not much recently. The network carried games from 1939 through 1989. It was part of the short-lived Baseball Network with ABC in 1994 and '95 and then aired playoff games from 1996 through 2000.
Peacock had a Sunday streaming package of early-afternoon games in 2022 and '23.
The addition of baseball games would give NBC a year-around night of sports on Sunday nights. It has had NFL games on Sunday night since 2006 and will debut an NBA Sunday night slate in February. NBC would likely do Sunday Night Baseball from May through Labor Day weekend.
Fox's Saturday nights have been mainly sports the past couple years with a mix of baseball, college football, college basketball and motorsports.
Netflix is in discussions for the Home Run Derby, which would align with its strategy of going for a big event in a major sport. The streamer will have an NFL Christmas Day doubleheader this season for the second straight year.
Apple TV, which has had “Friday Night Baseball” since 2022, remains involved in negotiations.
The deals would also accomplish another of Manfred's goals. He has said for three years that he would like to see MLB take a more national approach to its rights instead of a large percentage of its games being on regional sports networks.
“We’re blessed with a huge amount of content: 2,430 games. Because of the amount of content, I think there will be some local component but I think the strategy needs to be more national and our reach needs to be more national,” he said during a panel discussion last September at the CNBC x Boardroom’s Game Plan event.
Auburn lands commitment from 5-star safety back Bralan Womack
Womack is the recruiting Hugh Freeze needed after a fairly rough cycle so far.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley's injury-shortened season ends following core surgery
ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley will miss the remainder of the season after having core injury surgery on Thursday.
The Braves announced the surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Riley, who was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months on Aug. 4 with a strained lower abdominal muscle, is expected to return in time for spring training next year.
Riley first landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25 and finished the season hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBI.
The Braves also claimed right-hander Cal Quantrill off waivers from the Miami Marlins and optioned right-hander Dane Dunning to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Also, the team added outfielder Jake Fraley to its roster after optioning RHP Connor Seabold to Gwinnett. Fraley was designated for assignment by Cincinnati on Sunday before being claimed by the Braves.
Left-hander Dylan Dodd was recalled from Gwinnett, and infielder Luke Williams was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle.
From The Archive: Wing Dynasty
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The Wing Dynasty - July 3, 1998 - Vol. 51, Issue 38 - Cynthia Lambert
The Detroit Red Wings’ mantra all season long was, ’Believe.’
Believe that both defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov would recover enough from last year’s limousine crash to enjoy a reasonable quality of life.
Believe that all the tragedy that hit the team six days after they won the Stanley Cup last season would be replaced by happier memories this season.
But when 1.2 million Detroit hockey fans showed up for the Stanley Cup parade June 18 in downtown Mo-town-200,000 more than last summer-the scene bordered on unbelievable.
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As the parade wound through the streets, fans chanted players’ nicknames and ogled the Cup. Then, at the Hart Plaza rally, fans saw Konstantinov, with the assistance of defenseman Slava Fetisov and trainer John Wharton, walk across the stage.
One year ago, doctors questioned whether Konstantinov would survive, let alone walk or talk. But he partook in the Detroit celebration, beginning with attending Game 4 at the MCI Center, celebrating in the dressing room afterward and then attending the parade. Mnatsakanov, paralyzed from the waist down, also attended the parade and rally-
After Konstantinov walked across the stage, Wharton, stepped up to the microphone. “Next year,” he said, “Vlady will walk across this stage by himself.”
NOTEBOOK: Within minutes of winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup, Wings’ players were already talking about plans for the future.
“We were talking on the ice after, saying, ’Let’s go for three now,’ “said defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Captain Steve Yzerman seconded that at the parade.
“Somehow, I don’t think anyone is going to be satisfied with two,” he told the mass of fans.
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3 Blackhawks Who Could Sign Contract Extensions Next
The Chicago Blackhawks made a significant move on Aug. 21, signing Frank Nazar to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6.6 million. With this, the Blackhawks have locked up a big part of their future long-term.
With the Blackhawks signing Nazar to a contract extension, let's look at three players who they could extend next.
Connor Bedard
Connor Bedard is easily the Blackhawks' most notable extension candidate, as he is the young star player who they are building around. The 20-year-old forward is entering the final season of his entry-level deal, so he is undoubtedly a big-time extension candidate to watch.
Getting Bedard locked up on a long-term contract extension like Nazar would be massive for the Blackhawks, as they are Chicago's top two young centers. In 150 games over two seasons with Chicago, Bedard has recorded 45 goals, 83 assists, and 128 points.
Spencer Knight
Spencer Knight is another notable contract extension candidate on the Blackhawks. After acquiring Knight from the Florida Panthers at the 2025 NHL trade deadline in the Seth Jones trade, the Blackhawks are hoping that he will be a long-term answer for them between the pipes.
Knight is entering this upcoming season as a pending restricted free agent (RFA), so he is eligible for an extension. If the 2019 first-round pick takes a step forward as the Blackhawks' No. 1 starter, it would not be surprising if he lands an extension during the season.
Nick Foligno
Could the Blackhawks look to keep their captain, Nick Foligno, around beyond next season? It certainly should not be ruled out, as Foligno has been an excellent leader for Chicago as they continue their rebuild.
Foligno can become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1, 2026, but given his importance to the club, it would be understandable if they extended him. This is especially so when noting that he is still a solid part of their roster on the ice, as he recorded 15 goals, 35 points, and 200 hits in 78 games this past season for Chicago.
Frank Nazar's Contract Extension With Blackhawks Made NHL History The Chicago Blackhawks have one of their core forwards locked in for a long time now that Frank Nazar has agreed to terms on a seven-year extension.
Sabres Drew Even Against Golden Knights Last Season — Can Buffalo Improve On That This Year?
The Buffalo Sabres know when they'll be playing their opponents next season, and we're examiniong each of their 31 opponents in THN.com's "Know Your Enemy" series.
In today's file, we're wrapping up the series with a look at the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas is one of the strongest teams in the NHL, and they're going to be a handful for every opponent, including the Sabres.
You fan find our opinion on which team will win their series next year by clicking on this link. But we want to know your thoughts. So leave them in the comment section below, and feel free t register to be part of the Sabres community on THN.com. Your voice matters, and we want to hear it.
Mets' Sean Manaea has 'no explanation' for recent middle-inning struggles: 'I just gotta execute'
It was another disappointing game for the Mets on Thursday afternoon, losing to the Washington Nationals, 9-3, and dropping the series in the process.
After winning the final two games against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend to win their first series since late July, things were looking up for New York following a series-opening win against the Nationals on Tuesday that made it three in a row.
Perhaps the tide was finally turning for a team that had been saying for the last two months it needed to play better. What followed, however, didn't inspire much confidence as the Mets let the final two games in Washington slip away and were left in the same exact spot they've been in for the last two months.
"We just got to be better, bottom line," said manager Carlos Mendoza after the game.
Thursday's culprit was Sean Manaea, who began the game by dominating the Nationals lineup, striking out seven in the first three innings as his offense gave him a quick lead. But after such a strong start, Manaea unraveled in the fourth before completely falling apart in the fifth.
The left-hander lasted 4.2 innings and allowed four earned runs -- the fourth straight outing that he's given up four or more as part of a terrible month of August in which he has a 7.91 ERA in 19.2 innings.
"I just lost feel for my sweeper right there and then just lost control of my fastball at the end there, too," Manaea said.
It's becoming a trend lately for the 33-year-old to pitch well in the first few innings before hitting a wall during the second time through the lineup. In fact, as a staff, the Mets entered Thursday with a 7.14 ERA in the fourth inning over their last 61 games -- second-highest behind the Miami Marlins (7.65 ERA).
Citing that he feels good physically after his late start to the season with a right oblique strain and a left elbow setback, Manaea had a hard time explaining why that's been the case for him.
"I wouldn’t say fatigue. I feel good," he said. "I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall."
When asked what he could do to counter it, Manaea's answer was equally concerning.
"I don’t know. I think that’s key. I think I’m doing everything in between starts, so I just gotta execute," the lefty said.
As for his skipper, Mendoza was clear in his message to Manaea, and the rest of his starters for that matter, who have not gotten the job done as one of New York's front-line starters.
After all, the Mets' streak of starters not named David Peterson unable to pitch six innings is still active.
"It starts with our starters. They set the tone," Mendoza said. "When they go, the whole team pretty much goes. And it’s been hard for these guys the past two months basically, dealing with injuries, getting guys back.
"But at this point, with everybody pretty much healthy, we need to be better. We need to be better. And they know that -- talking about [Kodai] Senga, Manaea tonight. We need those guys. And they know they’re capable of giving us a chance to win baseball games and right now we’re not doing that. It’s frustrating, they are frustrated."
With the calendar getting ready to flip to September, time is running out for New York to figure things out, which is why the message continues to be the same as it has been for the last two months: Just play better.
At some point, though, words aren't enough.
"We gotta get going. We gotta see results," Mendoza said. "We’ve seen it from this group, especially from the guys that I mentioned. It starts right there. We don’t have much time left, so we gotta play better."
"It ain’t late, but it ain’t early either," said Juan Soto about having enough time to turn it around. "We have to win today. We don’t have to be focused on what is gonna happen in the future or what has happened in the past, we gotta focus on what we can do today."
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Pacific Edition: Will Improved Golden Knights Be Too Hard To Handle For Sabres?
The Buffalo Sabres know when and where every game they'll play in the 2025-26 season will take place. And as part of THN.com's Sabres site's "Know Your Enemy" series, we've been focusing on every one of Buffalo's 31 opponents next year.
We've made our way through the Atlantic, Metropolitan and Central division's teams, and more recently, we've been looking at the Pacific Division's teams. In this file, we're wrapping up the series with an analysis of a team many consider to be a frontrunner to win the Stanley Cup next season -- the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights added the most wanted free-agent this summer with the trade for former Toronto Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner, once again proving that this Vegas franchise is always intent on being a mover-and-shaker when it comes to acquiring top talent, But does that automatically mean we should expect the Sabres to fold like a tent when they go up against the Golden Knights? Read below, and you'll see our answer to that question.
BUFFALO SABRES VS. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
NEW GOLDEN KNIGHTS PLAYERS: Mitch Marner, RW; Colton Sissons, RW, Jeremy Lauzon, D;
2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-1-0, Golden Knights 1-0-1
2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER: March 3 at Buffalo; March 17 at Vegas
CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM? The Sabres split their series against the Golden Knights last season, with Buffalo winning one game in the shootout, and losing the other game in regulation time to Vegas. And that was against a Golden Knights team that now has dramatically improved their offensive firepower with the addition of Marner -- a star who also will help Vegas' defensive efforts as well.
So, the Sabres will clearly have their work cut out for them against the Golden Knights this season -- and the truly frightening thing for Buffalo is that the NHL's schedule-maker has the Sabres playing Vegas in and around next season's trade deadline.
Indeed, with both games against the Golden Knights coming in a two-week windown beginning in early March of 2026, Buffalo could well be squaring off against an even more impressive Vegas lineup. And while some will point to the Golden Knights' current salary cap situation and argue that Vegas won't have any cap space with which to improve their roster, those people clearly haven't paid attention to Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon in recent years.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Pacific Edition: Are Rebounding Canucks Too Much For Buffalo To Handle?The Buffalo Sabres are going to face significant difficulty next season trying to end their Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years. To be sure, the Sabres will need every standings point they can get, and that means playing well against even the NHL's top teams.
To put it mildly, McCrimmon has always found ways to acquire difference-makers just about every season he's been on the job in Vegas. Whether it's acquiring center Tomas Hertl from San Jose, picking up defenseman Noah Hanifin from Calgary, or adding star center Jack Eichel from the Sabres, McCrimmon has hit home run after home run and always gave his team more weapons with which to succeed.
Thus, no one should be shocked when -- and it's really a matter of "when", not "if" -- the Golden Knights figure out how to manage the salary cap to their benefit and deepen their squad. And that's why it's such a good test of Buffalo's place in the competitive pecking order to see how they fare against Vegas this season.
Really, the Golden Knights have become the gold standard for NHL organizations, and the Sabres -- well, let's just say Buffalo is about as far from the gold standard as it gets these days. And while the Sabres should put up more of a fight against Vegas this season, there's absolutely a road ahead in which Buffalo gets swept by the Golden Knights -- and in which the Sabres get swept in regulation time.
Know Your Enemy, Sabres Pacific Edition: Kraken Swept Buffalo Last Year -- Will This Season Be A Different Story?The Buffalo Sabres' 2025-26 schedule has been out for some time now, and in this ongoing THN.com Sabres site series, we're breaking down Buffalo's chances against every team in the league.
That would be a disastrous result for the Sabres, but Vegas has been cold-blooded in its efficiency against just about every team in the league. The Golden Knights won't be doing any favors for any opponent, and that means Buffalo has to do everything in its power to beat Vegas at least once, and get a "loser" point in the second game against the Golden Knights.
Time will tell how the Sabres ultimately play against Vegas, but the bar has been set sky-high for Buffalo against the Golden Knights, and the Sabres need to clear it by showing Vegas they can hang with any team.
Where New Canadiens Star Ranked On Top Defender Rankings
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz ranked each NHL team's best defenseman heading into the 2025-26 season. For the Montreal Canadiens, Gretz picked newcomer Noah Dobson as the club's best defender.
Dobson ended up being near the middle of the pack in Gretz's rankings, as he secured the No. 18 spot in it. With this, he ranked ahead of other teams' top blueliners like Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Brock Faber (Minnesota Wild), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins), and Morgan Rielly (Toronto Maple Leafs).
Dobson appeared in 71 games this past season with the New York Islanders, where he recorded 10 goals and 39 points. However, he has shown in the past that he is capable of providing much more when playing at his best. Just back in 2023-24 with the Islanders, he scored 10 goals and set career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games. He also scored 13 goals in his two previous seasons before 2023-24, so he certainly can provide nice offense from the point. Thus, it makes sense that he appeared on Gretz's list.
It will now be fascinating to see what kind of season Dobson can put together for the Canadiens in 2025-26 from here. He should be a massive part of their blueline moving forward, and he could thrive playing on a Habs team that has more offensive skill than the Islanders.
Canadiens Defenseman Appears On New Trade BoardLyle Richardson of Bleacher Report has released his latest NHL Trade Block Big Board for the month of August. Among the 15 players who made Richardson's trade board is Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson.