Sports
Magnolia pulls away to beat Meralco in rain-delayed game
Magnolia Hotshots’ Ian Sangalang blocks Meralco Bolts’ Chris Banchero during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Magnolia emerged victorious over Meralco in a rain-pestered matchup, 105-88, in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday night.
The Hotshots took advantage of the long break prompted by venue issues inside the Manila sporting complex to move up to 3-3 in Group B.
“When the game stopped, we all talked heading into the fourth quarter and said, whoever gets a good start [in the fourth] will have a bigger chance of winning because the other side will be cold,” Ian Sangalang said in Filipino after dropping a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.
“We needed to dig deep because we rested for a while and fortunately, we were able to do it.”
Still no resumption of play here inside the Ninoy Aquino Stadium between the Bolts and the Hotshots.
The game was halted before the start of the fourth quarter due to rook leakage from strong rains. #PBA50 | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/ifQIwrJiOA
— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) August 7, 2026
Magnolia held a slim 71-70 lead over Meralco at the end of the third quarter.
However, water from roof leaks reached the hardwood due to strong Habagat rains, delaying the game for almost 30 minutes.
When the action resumed, Magnolia came out firing.
The Hotshots opened the fourth period with a strong 19-5 run capped by a basket by Zavier Lucero with 5:11 to play to build a 90-75 lead over Meralco.
Meralco managed to cut the deficit to 10, 95-85, but Jerom Lastimosa’s and-one play with 2:20 remaining effectively put the game out of reach.
KJ Buffen led Magnolia on offense with 27 points while Lastimosa and Lucero added 17 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bolts dropped their fourth straight game to fall to 2-5, despite 24 points from Antonio Hester. Jayson Brickman and Chris Newsome added 19 and 17 points, respectively, while the returning CJ Cansino chipped in 15.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
PHILADELPHIA – Deep breaths taken post trade deadline, it’s a good time to zoom out and survey how the Toronto Blue Jays are set up for 2027 and beyond. After all, while GM Ross Atkins didn’t totally punt on the season at hand before Monday’s cutoff, the driving force in what he and the front office pulled off was about stabilizing the foundation for the future.
As he explained once the chaos had stopped, the Blue Jays “were determined to do what was best for the organization and try to optimize things given a situation that was less than ideal.” That meant putting in place assets for the years to come, with some benefit as well as some sacrifice in the present, especially in the bullpen where Jeff Hoffman’s absence has been immediately noticeable in the games since.
That being said, most pertinent is the way the Blue Jays are set up for next year and beyond and how they’re positioned to deal with the pending free agencies of George Springer, Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Jameson Taillon, Yimi Garcia and, potentially, Myles Straw, who has an $8 million club option, while also improving the group.
So, let’s examine their asset mix, including upper minors depth and potential impact prospects lower in the system, moving forward:
Majors: Dylan Cease (through 2032); Jose Soriano (through 2028); Trey Yesavage (through 2031); Cody Ponce (through 2028); Spencer Arrighetti (through 2030); Jose Berrios (through 2028); Bowden Francis (through 2029)
In the system: John Klein (triple-A); Jake Bloss (triple-A); Josh Stephan (triple-A); Nolan Perry (double-A); Gage Stanifer (double-A); Johnny King (high-A); Cole Carlon (complex); Dasan Hill (Vancouver)
Outlook: Signing Cease during the off-season was the first step in remaking the rotation and Soriano’s acquisition secured a high-end complement. Behind the hard-throwing duo are Yesavage and Ponce, who will be returning from a season-ending knee injury, along with Berrios, in the latter half of next season, and Francis, coming back from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Miles is an intriguing possibility and his future role is being debated after a massive spike in his workload in what’s been his first full season of pro ball. One of Bloss, Stephan, Perry and Stanifer may also emerge shorter term, with King and Hill longer-term prospects, but the rotation remains an area that requires work in the off-season. That’s what makes the Soriano acquisition so important, reducing the amount of restocking needed in the winter, when there’s likely to be a compressed and chaotic free agency period due to the looming lockout.
Majors: Louis Varland (through 2030); Tyler Rogers (through 2028 with a vesting option for 2029); Braydon Fisher (through 2031); Mason Fluharty (through 2031); Spencer Miles (through 2031); Brendon Little (through 2030)
In the system: Yariel Rodriguez (through 2027 with a 2028 player option); Chad Dallas (triple-A); Ricky Tiedemann (triple-A); Lazaro Estrada (triple-A); C.J. Van Eyk (triple-A); Chase Lee (triple-A); Javen Coleman (triple-A)
Outlook: Bullpens are typically the most volatile area of the roster so depth matters here, but with Varland at closer and Rogers, Fisher and Fluharty bridging to him in leverage, the Blue Jays have a strong base to build from. If Miles isn’t stretched out, his repertoire plays in leverage and he’s an internal possibility to replace the loss of Hoffman’s important innings. A slate of optionable bulk arms in Dallas, Estrada and Van Eyk help underpin the improved starting depth with Klein and Stephan. Another leverage lefty has long been a need, one Little has struggled to fill and one the traded Adam Macko, who is out of options next year, needs runway to grow into. If Tiedemann is finally healthy, now is his window. The Blue Jays had hoped a healthy Garcia would be part of their group this season, too, so finding replacements for him and Hoffman are sure to be off-season goals.
Majors: Alejandro Kirk (through 2030); Brandon Valenzuela (through 2031)
In the system: Willie MacIver (triple-A); Aaron Parker (double-A); Ryan Sprock (high-A); Will Brick (complex)
Outlook: Kirk and Valenzuela are among the best pitch framers in the majors, with the potential for impact at the plate. The broken thumb Kirk suffered a week into the season is a likely factor in his struggles at the plate, although his time down did allow Valenzuela to emerge. An important winter task will be developing a plan to optimize a work split in 2027 that best leverages both, as will building up the depth behind them. MacIver’s acquisition from Texas earlier this year built in one option, while player-development staff is excited by Parker’s progress at New Hampshire. Still, the organization’s catcher-of-the-future is Brick, the 18-year-old from Memphis picked in the fourth round this year who is only at the very start of his buildup.
Majors: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (through 2039); Kazuma Okamoto (through 2029); Addison Barger (through 2030)
In the system: Sean Keys (triple-A); Charles McAdoo (triple-A); JoJo Parker (low-A); Juan Sanchez (low-A)
Outlook: The most pressing matter for the organization is helping Guerrero regain his form from last October. No single player alters the trajectory for the club more than the 27-year-old, who is grinding his way through a stunningly difficult season. The only Blue Jays contract that runs longer than his deal is the club’s Rogers Centre lease, so one way or another, he’s going to be a fixture at first base. Okamoto, meanwhile, has silenced doubts about how he’d handle third base defensively and has been the club’s sole source of consistent power, his 24 homers one fewer than George Springer (12), Daulton Varsho (7) and Guerrero (6) combined. Assuming Barger is healthy and ready to go after a UCL repair in his right elbow, he could be used on the hot corner to spell Okamoto on occasion with the bulk of his reps likely to come in the outfield. Keys and McAdoo both have pop and, at minimum, are up-and-down players capable of filling in gaps. Parker and Sanchez, two of the club’s top position-player prospects, are both left-side of the infield players who may end up at third base.
Majors: Andres Gimenez (through 2029); Ernie Clement (through 2029); Josh Smith (through 2028); Lenyn Sosa (through 2029); Davis Schneider (through 2030)
In the system: Josh Kasevich (triple-A); Jay Harry (triple-A); Josh Rivera (triple-A); Ty Southisene (high-A); JoJo Parker (low-A); Juan Sanchez (low-A)
Outlook: Gimenez and Clement give the Blue Jays a high-floor pairing up the middle, especially on the defensive side, but the club is relatively really thin behind them, a factor in the acquisition of the versatile Smith, who had 2.9- and 1.8-win seasons in 2024 and ’25, as calculated by FanGraphs. Kasevich and Harry, who also plays the outfield, are knocking on the door and help protect the roster, but the next potential impact regulars here now that Arjun Nimmala fronted the package for Soriano are Parker and Sanchez, who are a couple of years away. Gimenez is now four years removed from his all-star 2022 season and while there’s always that potential upside at the plate, he’s primarily a defensive player at this point. Clement, on the other hand, remains a high-contact pest that can move up and down the lineup as needed, but is best as a table-setting secondary piece in the order.
Majors: Anthony Santander (through 2029); Addison Barger (through 2030); Nathan Lukes (through 2030); Jesus Sanchez (through 2027); Myles Straw (club option for 2027)
In the system: Brett Bateman (triple-A); Yohendrick Pinango (triple-A); Jay Harry (triple-A); Rudy Martin Jr. (triple-A); RJ Schreck (triple-A); Victor Arias (double-A); Blaine Bullard (low-A); Jake Cook (low-A)
Outlook: The Blue Jays are most unsettled here, especially if Barger’s recovery takes longer than expected or Santander’s shoulder issues, which derailed his first two seasons with the Blue Jays, aren’t repaired by surgery. How much either can be counted upon to deliver next year is uncertain as a result, making the outfield an area of peril and opportunity. Without a clear centre-fielder in place, picking up Straw’s club option makes increasing sense, especially given that a $1.75 million buyout essentially makes him a $6.25-million call. Lukes is a useful platoon bat who will still be cost effective heading into his first year of arbitration, although Sanchez, heading into his final season of arbitration eligibility, is a more intriguing call platforming off $6.8 million this year. He has massive power, something the team desperately needs, but whether bringing him back or reallocating his money to someone else will be a key decision. Bateman, part of the return for Gausman, is an interesting option but the depth options seem to be similar to what they already have in place. That makes outfield and designated hitter are the easiest areas for the Blue Jays to add the impact so vital to a better offence next year.
England have been given another possible injury worry after opening batter Emilio Gay retired hurt while playing for Durham.
Gay appeared to suffer discomfort while batting against Middlesex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Chester-le-Street, clutching at his right shoulder after driving a four off Toby Roland-Jones.
The left-hander faced one more ball but was unable to continue his innings, retiring on nine not out after receiving initial treatment from the physio. He is due to have a scan over the weekend, having played no further part in the 50-over game.
Gay, who made his Test debut earlier in the summer, was primed to reprise his role as Ben Duckett’s partner at the top of the order in the three-Test series against Pakistan after being named in a 16-man squad on Thursday.
England are already without No 3 Jacob Bethell for those games, with Jordan Cox in line to deputise for the injured Warwickshire batter.
A recalled Ollie Pope is the batting cover within the squad, though there is no specialist opening back-up. Cox has previously performed the role for Kent and Essex, while Dan Lawrence – slated to bat at No 6 – opened for England against Sri Lanka in 2024.
Any possible absence for Gay would be a significant blow to a player who looked assured in his first taste of Test cricket, and is seeking to secure his place in the side under new coach Stephen Fleming.
National Bank Open on Sportsnet: Men’s day session
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Miami Marlins outfielders took the definition of outfield assist to a whole new level.
Normally, an outfield assist is credited to an outfielder when they throw a ball into the infield to record an out against a baserunner. In the bottom of the third inning of the Marlins’ 11-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Truist Park, they did the complete opposite of recording an outfield assist.
With a man on first base, Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. hammered Marlins’ starter Janson Junk’s 79-mph sweeper to deep left-center field but didn’t quite get enough of it to clear the wall.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run homer against the Miami Marlins in the third inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Luckily for Acuña, Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernández and center fielder Esteury Ruiz did not communicate about who was going to catch the deep fly ball, and they collided with each other on the warning track. When Ruiz and Hernandez collided, the ball popped up and over the wall for a home run.
The two outfielders looked around on the ground for the ball only to realize they had knocked it over the wall.
Acuña stood on first base for a couple of seconds, unsure if it was a home run before he eventually rounded the bases. Ruiz said the two outfielders couldn’t hear each other.
“When I saw the ball, I thought it was leaving the ballpark,” Ruiz said through an interpreter, per MLB.com. “While I was running, I noticed it was going to stay on the field. I said, ‘I got it,’ and you can see in the video that (Hernández) also said, ‘I got it.’ But we couldn’t hear each other with the noise of the ballpark. We couldn’t hear each other.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk speaks with catcher Brian Navarreto in the third inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
For Acuña, it was the first of two home runs he hit in the win. He hit his second home run over the right-field wall, with no help from the outfielders, in the eighth inning to give the Braves a 9-2 lead.
“The second one was special, because the first one told me I needed help,” Acuña said, according to MLB.com.
“(Acuña) had a little angel on his shoulder tonight, or something,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said, according to MLB.com.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. runs after hitting a two-run homer against the Miami Marlins in the third inning Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
The Braves’ victory was their season-high eighth straight, as they continue to build on their 8 1/2 game lead in the National League East.
The Braves (70-45) will look to extend their winning streak against the New York Yankees (64-51) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET.
The Marlins (58-58) will look to bounce back against the Los Angeles Angels (56-59) on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The 2026 St Leger Stakes is set to be a very special occasion, as this year marks the 250th anniversary since the historic event first took place at Doncaster in 1776.
One of the Flat season’s biggest races just grows that little bit more in prestige, making the Classic an even more desirable prize for those competing.
Although the entry list for the September race is yet to be confirmed, it has not stopped discourse about potential candidates and who are the ones to watch. And a name those scanning racecards will have an eye on is Aidan O’Brien.
After making it three successive St Leger wins in 2025, the Irishman will be widely backed this September, especially with free bets Ireland offers available. Right now, his biggest candidate for success is seemingly three-year-old horse Christmas Day, who is looking to build on an impressive 2026.
Christmas Day to extend O’Brien’s St Leger streak?
After an impressive win at Leopardstown and a third place finish in the Dubai Dante Stakes in May, O’Brien sent his horse straight to the Epsom Derby. And Christmas Day repaid that faith, finishing two-and-three-quarter lengths ahead of Maltese Cross.
Both the win at Epsom and a second place finish at the Curragh in the Irish Derby are good indicators that the colt is comfortable over a mile and a half. But St Leger adds two furlongs to that distance, so the Classic will test his stamina more than any race he has taken part in so far.
O’Brien will be well aware of this, but will be using August to size Christmas Day up and judge whether the horse is the one who might make it four victories at Doncaster in as many years. The answer to that question is likely only days away, with O’Brien entering his horse for the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
Why the Great Voltigeur Stakes could shape Christmas Day’s St Leger fortunes
Building up to St Leger, there is arguably no better yardstick than the result in York in mid-August. Fifteen horses have successfully completed the Great Voltigeur-St Leger double, including O’Brien’s horse Continuous, who achieved the feat in 2023 and kicked off the Irishman’s hot streak in the Doncaster Classic.
Currently, Christmas Day is 7/2 to win at York, which puts him among the top two. Only Maltese Cross has been priced at shorter odds of 5/2, following three wins and one second place finish in four runs throughout 2026.
However, that second place came at the hands of Christmas Day at Epsom, a race similar in distance to the Great Voltigeur Stakes, so O’Brien will be optimistic his horse can get the better of William Haggas’s runner. If the same result comes around in August, that will give the trainer confidence that he can make his mark in South Yorkshire in September.
After nearly two months away from it, the Octagon heads back to Meta Apex for UFC Vegas 120.
The event features 12 fights, including a five-round lightweight main event between veteran Mateusz Gamrot and up-and-coming contender Quillan Salkilld.
It all takes place on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet+. Here’s what you need to know:
Top-10-ranked lightweights clash in main-event spotlight
In the main event, sixth-ranked lightweight contender Gamrot takes on eighth-ranked Salkilld in what should be a fantastic main event at 155 pounds.
Gamrot, at 9-4 in the UFC, has proven to be one of the toughest lightweight outs. He is an incredible grappler and super durable, someone who is sitting just outside of the elite top-five.
Salkilld is 5-0 in the UFC with four first-round finishes, and he called out Gamrot following his last fight, a first-round KO win over veteran Beneil Dariush. While this is a significant step up in competition for Salkilld, he is ultra confident in his abilities and is favoured to win.
Look for an amazing main event, with the winner closing in on a lightweight title shot.
Veterans meet in potential co-main-event car crash
The co-main event should be a very exciting fight between lightweight veteran Diego Ferreira and Billy Quarantillo, who is moving up to 155 pounds after previously competing 10 pounds lighter.
Ferreira has been in the UFC since 2014, and he holds a 10-7 record inside the Octagon. At 41, he is certainly on the downside of his career, but he still possesses knockout power.
As for Quarantillo, “Billy Q” joined the UFC in 2019 and has a 6-5 record inside the Octagon. He is coming off a bad knockout loss to UFC Hall of Famer Cub Swanson in his last fight in December 2024, so he’s had a lengthy layoff, but he’s hopeful that not having to cut so much weight will give him a better chance to get his hand raised again.
Darren Elkins makes final UFC walk
In a main-card featured bout, Darren Elkins takes on Yaider del Valle in what will be the final tilt of the long UFC career of “The Damage,” who began fighting in the UFC in 2021.
Elkins’ 19-11 record is impressive, but given he is 42 years old and has taken a ton of damage during his career, he’s making the right decision to finally walk away from the sport in which he has been competing as a pro since 2007.
Of course, the UFC gave Elkins a very tough matchup in his final fight, as he takes on del Valle, who is 2-1 in the Octagon. This is going to be a hard fight for Elkins to win, and he’s the biggest underdog on the card. One thing we do know is that this fight will be bloody.
-
Get the skills to pay the bills
Skilled Trades College is where hands-on training meets real-world opportunity, helping students build in-demand skills and take the next step toward lasting careers in the trades.
Heavyweight fan favourite Steve Asplund returns
In the preliminary card headline, Steven Asplund makes his return against Guilherme Pat.
Asplund is a fan favourite due to his unique physical appearance, as he once weighed over 500 pounds yet now checks in at 260 pounds, leading to him having lots of visible loose skin. But don’t let his appearance fool you: Asplund is 1-1 in the UFC, with a knockout win over Sean Sharaf in his debut and a decision loss to Vitor Petrino his last time out.
Pat is also 1-1, having beaten Allen Frye Jr. by decision in his debut before dropping a decision to Thomas Petersent. Pat is the opposite of Asplund physically, as he is a true specimen to look at on the scale. But when we talk about actual fighting skills, Asplund has him beat, which is why he’s the betting favourite.
Several prospects make UFC debuts
In addition to the aforementioned fights featuring veterans, there are also four fighters making their UFC debuts inside the Octagon, including two against each other.
In a lightweight bout, Manoel Sousa takes on Richie Miranda in a fight that you really don’t want to miss, as both are exciting strikers who always bring the heat.
Sousa is 1-0 in the UFC with a knockout win over Bolaji Oki. Miranda has won seven straight fights, and he was signed to the UFC on short notice to take this bout. It should be an exciting scrap for as long as it lasts.
Veteran Miles Johns meets newcomer Jessie Rosas, the brother of bantamweight contender Raul Rosas Jr, in a featherweight bout. With Johns coming off three straight wins, this could be a great matchup for Rosas to enter the UFC, as he also comes in with three straight victories.
Finally, don’t forget about Gigi Canuto, who takes on Carol Foro in a women’s strawweight bout. Canuto is fresh off an appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter,” while Foro is coming off a contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series last fall in a bout where she landed three knockdowns. This should be an awesome fight between two young prospects on the rise, so don’t be surprised if these two manage to steal the show.
East Zone vice-captain and teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been toiling in the nets ahead of the upcoming Duleep Trophy campaign starting August 23, according to a report. After helping India beat Zimbabwe in a T20I series last month, Sooryavanshi was quick to transition into red-ball mode to prepare for the multi-day inter-zonal tournament. He has been named deputy to wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who will lead East Zone.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, Sooryavanshi is currently at the Rajasthan Royals performance centre in Nagpur, training alongside a few of his RR teammates. As part of a 10-day training camp organised by RR, Sooryavanshi is fine-tuning his red-ball game.
“Currently, the franchise is holding a 10-day camp for its players, with Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Singh and Sushant Mishra besides Sooryavanshi among those in attendance. Of that group, Sooryavanshi and Deshpande will feature in the Duleep Trophy, representing East Zone and West Zone respectively. Sooryavanshi is his side’s vice-captain,” the report said.
While Sooryavanshi has proved his mettle in white-ball cricket, the upcoming multi-day tournament provides an opportunity to show that he is equally comfortable in the longer format and prove his doubters wrong.
Speaking about the 10-day camp, RR stated that the main purpose behind the training facility is to allow players to remain match-fit for their return to competitive cricket.
“The camp combines technical skill development, strength and conditioning, workload management, recovery and performance analysis through individually tailored training programmes. The objective is to ensure players return to competitive cricket physically prepared, technically refined and ready for the demands of the domestic season,” RR said in a statement, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
The facility also provides access to multiple soil-specific batting tracks, which allows players to prepare for different domestic conditions.
“The period before the season begins is one of the most valuable opportunities for players to invest in their game. Every player arrives with different objectives, whether that’s refining technical skills, building physical conditioning or preparing for the demands of the domestic season. The High Performance Centre allows us to create individualised programmes while training together as a squad, ensuring every player is best prepared for the challenges ahead,” said batting caoch Vikram Rathour said.
“The High Performance Centre was established with a long-term vision of creating a world-class environment where our players can develop throughout the year. Our focus is on the overall cricketing development of every player, which extends far beyond the IPL season in April and May,” Romi Bhinder, the franchise’s head of operations, said.
Featured Video Of The Day
“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri
Topics mentioned in this article
Today, Friday, is Nations Cup of Ireland Day at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, the 100th anniversary of the Nations Cup at the Ballsbridge venue.
Arguably the sports most famous and prestigious prize is on offer, the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy.
The Jessica Kurten-managed Irish team will be first to jump this afternoon as the home side bids to win the trophy for the first time since 2022.
The Irish side will comprise of Derry’s Daniel Coyle and Farrel, his brother Jordan, riding Chaccolino, Cork’s Shane Sweetnam partnering Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, with Meath’s Cian O’Connor riding Kentucky TN.
Three of the riders on the Ireland team this afternoon are ranked in the top-25 in the showjumping world rankings. Shane Sweetnam is the highest ranked at number three. Daniel Coyle stands at number 20 in the rankings, five spots ahead of Cian O’Connor on 25.
The other teams competing in the Nations Cup competition today are Britain, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, USA, Belgium and France.
The Parade of Teams will begin in the Laya Arena at 1.45pm.
The first round of the Nations Cup of Ireland will be from 3pm to 4.15pm, with the second round following immediately at 4.30pm. The winning side should be know shortly before 6pm this evening.
Equiraitings.com make Ireland third favourites to win this afternoon, giving them an 18% chance to add to their previous 24 Aga Khan Trophy wins. The Irish showjumping team has also achieved 12 podium finishes here at the RDS since 2010, more than any nation has achieved at any venue.
The U S are pre-competition favourites by Equiraitings.com. The Robert Ridland-managed team is rated with a 23% chance of victory, followed by Otto Becker’s Germany on 22%. The Americans last won the Nations Cup of Ireland in 2024, while the Germans last lifted the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy in 2007.
Sports
Keyshawn Davis promoter Bob Arum shares true feelings on Davis pulling out of Devin Haney fight
Bob Arum has offered his honest assessment amid accusations that Keyshawn Davis ‘ducked’ his WBO world title opportunity against Devin Haney.
The pair were ordered to collide for Haney’s welterweight belt, with Arum’s Top Rank actively pursuing a deal for its fighter, Davis, to secure his shot at becoming a two-weight world champion.
Despite having never fought at 147lbs, the American did claim the WBO lightweight title by dethroning Denys Berinchyk with a fourth-round stoppage last year.
Rather perplexingly, he was then named as the WBO mandatory challenger at 147lbs after exceeding the 140lb limit against Nahir Albright, who he unanimously outpointed in May.
This therefore positioned him for a stab at Haney’s belt, only for Davis to reject a reported $3m deal that was proposed by Top Rank.
As a result, their contest went to a WBO purse bid hearing, with Top Rank trumping Teofimo Lopez’ Takeover Promotions with a sum of $8.55m.
This would have seen Davis pocket a total of $2.14m, as per the sanctioning bodies’ policy of a 75/25 split in favour of the champion.
The self-proclaimed ‘Businessman’ ultimately withdrew himself from the fight, however, with veteran promoter Arum subsequently telling Dan Rafael that he was left baffled by the whole saga.
“Listen, I’m an old man. I don’t know what the thinking is. I don’t have any goddamn idea. We went out and tried to make this fight for him because he shot his mouth off that this was the fight he wanted. And when we made the fight, he doesn’t want it.”
Following the Davis debacle, Haney is now searching for a new opponent after having not fought since his title-winning performance against Brian Norman Jr in November.
MLB fans have plenty of action to take in on Friday, Aug. 7 with 15 games on the diamond, headlined by Atlanta Braves visiting the New York Yankees, AL Central contenders going at it when the Cleveland Guardians face the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox trying to get their ninth win in a row and maintain their image as the league’s hottest club. SportsLine MLB expert Adam Thompson has scanned Friday’s matchups and provides his best bets for the day’s slate.
An analytics-driven exploiter of matchups, Thompson specializes in NFL, NBA and MLB betting. He also has delivered consistent winners in college basketball, horse racing and golf. Over the past two seasons, Thompson is up over 70 units in MLB and over 60 units in the NBA at sports betting apps. You can find more of his picks at SportsLine, and in the member-exclusive SportsLine Discord server, a community of sports betting enthusiasts and SportsLine experts.
Here are Thompson’s best bets and analysis for Friday’s MLB games.
Best MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 7
Mets money line vs. Pirates (+120)
So far, pretty good for Mets rookie left-handed pitcher Zac Thornton. After a subpar debut on May 20 against the MLB’s top-scoring Nationals, Thornton has given up seven earned runs in five starts. Thornton, and a bullpen with a 1.65 ERA the last two weeks, combine to face a fumbling Pirates lineup that’s scored exactly two runs in four of five.
The Mets scored 13 runs on Thursday to complete a sweep at Cleveland. They scored six runs in all three games vs. a slew of decent Guardians arms. Carmen Mlodzinski will open for the Pirates, and he’s embraced that role. But we prefer the hitting trends of the road side, and Thornton can shut down a team that has the worst OPS against left-handers over the last 15 days.
Red Sox -1.5 vs. Athletics (-114)
The poor Athletics have lost 11 of 12. They were just swept by the Reds, suffering three one-run defeats. So at least they’re competing, despite owning the second-worst record in MLB. This matchup does not look as favorable.
Boston has been the hottest team in baseball over the last month and comes in with a seven-game win streak. Over the last two weeks, the Red Sox OPS at home is .845 and .811 against right-handers. Those splits are roughly 300 points higher than what the A’s are doing.
Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.30 ERA) has been solid, and he should get run sport as the surging Sox lineup faces Jack Perkins (0-4, 7.44 ERA last seven games) and a bullpen with a 6.26 ERA since mid-July.
Yankees money line vs. Braves
Banking on the Yankees to do anything offensively sounds crazy. The pinstripes have scored over two runs in a game just once all week, and it was in a 13-7 blowout loss to the Cardinals. Things are rough in the Bronx right now. But things are even rougher for Tyler Mahle on the road. The Braves starter is 0-6 with an 8.04 ERA in nine road games, and has been far worse under the lights (5.95 ERA in 11 games) as well.
The Braves are on a roll, though their last seven wins have all come at home. The last nine games on the road have produced just four wins. Max Fried can limit his former team; in his three starts since his return from the IL, he’s given up four runs on eight hits with 18 strikeouts.
Bet on Yankees money line using the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets:
Hitachi Energy India Q1 Results: Net profit rises over twofold to Rs 294 crore
Avoiding These 3 Things in Midlife Is Linked to 13 More Dementia-Free Years
“Heated Rivalry” season 2 reveals hotly anticipated Troy and Harris casting: Meet the new hockey lovers
-
Fashion7 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Wit & Wisdom
-
Politics7 days agoMeta enters AI-training agreement with far-right ‘propaganda rag’ Newsmax
-
Politics5 days agoZack Polanski: an incitement to murder Nigel Farage?
-
Crypto World6 days agoMicroStrategy Post-Earnings CLARITY Act Push Could Add New Catalyst for Its Stock
-
Crypto World6 days agoXRP Ledger v3.3.0 brings five institutional features
-
Crypto World7 days agoNew York sues Kalshi over prediction market gambling
-
Crypto World5 days agoCrypto PAC spending tops $2M in Michigan House race
-
Business5 days agoDTCR: Deleveraging And A Hedge Fund Collapse Point To A Possible AI Bottom
-
Tech5 days agoESET tracks rise in malicious AI skills and adaptable malware
-
Crypto World7 days ago3 Fed Officials Just Explained Their Rate Hike Vote: Is Inflation Winning?
-
Sports6 days agoFrance Cricket implodes: letters hidden in a drawer and a board at war
-
Crypto World5 days ago
XRP Ledger urges node upgrade after manifest flood
-
Crypto World6 days agoMoneyflip CEO charged in $40K murder-for-hire plot
-
Sports7 days agoBruno Fernandes decision made as Man United ‘discuss’ striker transfer option
-
Business7 days ago
FIFA has scrapped $20 billion World Cup sell-off plan, New York Post reports
-
News Videos6 days agoFinancial Crash Expert: The 90-Day Collapse Timeline They Are Desperately Hiding.
-
Sports2 days agoJordan Coyle & Cordiamo take Laya Arena Stakes at RDS
-
Sports7 days agoCommonwealth Games 2026 Live Updates | Day 9 CWG 2026: Lovlina Borgohain, Sachin Siwach Enter Final After Indian Judokas Script History
-
Crypto World4 days agoUS Tech Stocks See Largest 5-Week Inflow in History: Can Nasdaq Break Its Downtrend?
-
NewsBeat6 days agoTourist plane on sightseeing flight in Peru crashes into a field, killing all 13 people on board
You must be logged in to post a comment Login