Sports
New Orleans Saints: Charlie Smyth to have more competition for starting role with Daniel Carlson signing
The New Orleans Saints have signed two-time All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson to compete with Charlie Smyth for the side’s starting kicker position.
Smyth, a former Gaelic footballer from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, was the incumbent coming into pre-season having assumed the role from Blake Grupe in November.
The 25-year-old made 12 of 16 field goals and was successful on each of his 13 extra-point attempts as a starter last season.
In June, the Saints signed Tanner Brown, previously of the Louisville Kings in the United Football League, to compete with Smyth but the 26-year-old missed a 39-yard field goal attempt in the side’s pre-season defeat by the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
Smyth himself missed from 52 yards in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars a week prior and Kellen Moore’s side have now moved for Carlson.
The 31-year-old was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 but waived during his rookie season and picked up by the then Oakland Raiders.
Carlson had his best years in 2021 and 2022, when he was named second-team All-Pro and first-team All-Pro respectively.
He has not missed a game in the past seven seasons but his 81.5% success rate from field goals last year was his lowest since 2019.
Signed to a three-year contract last season, Smyth told BBC NI this month that competition for places in the NFL is “just the way it is in this business” and that he would not be taking any such signings “personally”.
The Saints’ final pre-season game is against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend before their 2026 regular season begins at the Detroit Lions on 13 September.
Sports
India vs Sri Lanka LIVE Score, 2nd Test Day 3: Manav Suthar Strikes As Sri Lanka Go 5 Down, Rain Threat Still Looms
India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 3 LIVE Score Updates: Manav Suthar has provided India with their fifth wicket as he dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva for 8.
Mika Baur credits his teammates for helping him settle in at Celtic after his recent move from Bundesliga side Paderborn…
Celtic’s new signing Mika Baur poses in full Celtic home kit. Celtic Training and press conference, photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO/ Shutterstock
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Moving, not only to a new club, but new country, and an altogether different style of football is hard on any professional footballer, especially a 22 year old such as Mika Baur.
The German under 21 midfielder joined Celtic from Paderborn few weeks ago in a deal said to be worth upwards of £7 million, and he’s certainly impressed already, playing his part in the recent 3-0 win over LASK in the Champions League Playoff first leg clash at Celtic Park last Wednesday night.
Baur is expected to be handed a start in tonight’s decisive second leg against the Austrians in Linz, and he was selected by the club to do the pre-match media conference late yesterday afternoon at the Raiffeisen Arena ahead of tonight’s game.
Mika Baur arrives at Tannadice. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou
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The new Celtic star paid tribute to his new teammates for helping him to settle in to life at Celtic, with two significant players in particular earning his praise.
The German midfielder said influential serial winning skipper Callum McGregor has been key to his transition as a Celtic player, with his new skipper keeping his advice simple, but one that is helping the youngster feel comfortable in his new surroundings.
“Callum really helped me,” Baur said at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz yesterday afternoon. “It’s not like I can tell you exactly what he said to me.
“It’s more like some tips during the match, before, after, and during the break – just small details, but they helped me a lot to feel comfortable.”
Benjamin Nygren of Celtic scores his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 play-offs first leg match between Celtic and LASK at Celtic Park on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
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Baur also hailed on-form midfielder Benjamin Nygren for his support. The Sweden international was the club’s top scorer last season, and has taken that form into the current campaign, scoring four and assisting four in as many games thus far.
“He’s an incredible player,” Baur said of Nygren. “He’s so good on the ball. Also, his work rate is quite high. He also speaks a lot with me.
Benjamin Nygren celebrates his goal. Dundee Utd v Celtic, Premier Sports Cup, Saturday 15 August. Tannadice. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou
Mika Baur will be hoping he can emulate the Swede’s form in his own first full campaign at Celtic.
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Baur also praised Celtic manager Martin O’Neill: “He’s makes us feel comfortable, his way to manage the team is different to how I know it in Germany, but he’s really, really impressive,” the 22-year-old midfielder said.
UEFA Champions League, LASK vs Celtic. Linz,Austria, 24.August 2026 – Linzer ASK vs Celtic Glasgow, preview, Celtic press conference, Celtic head coach Martin O Neill. Photo GEPA pictures/ Manuel Binder IMAGO
“There’s a lot going on at the moment, but I really enjoy it, to meet new people and play with them, it’s a different style but I really enjoy it and to walk around the city, look for apartments, it’s a nice time at the moment,” the German added.
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Making his Celtic Park debut in such an important occasion and also getting his first chance to play Champions League football, means that last Wednesday night is something that Mika will never forget.
Camilo Duran of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 play-offs first leg match between Celtic and LASK at Celtic Park on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“It was incredible,” he said when asked about his first taste of Paradise. “The atmosphere and energy in the stadium – I knew it before from sitting in front of the TV and now to feel it in real life is incredible, such a nice feeling.
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“Playing in the Champions League is a dream for every young kid growing up watching football.”
Mika also reckons that LASK will want to make an impact on this tie after perhaps feeling that Celtic’s 3-0 victory last midweek was a scoreline that didn’t reflect what was a closely fought contest.
“They made a good match in Glasgow, so we know what we have to do,” Baur said. “We need the same mentality and energy to hopefully win again.”
UEFA Champions League, LASK vs Celtic Linz, Austria, 24.August 2026 – Champions League, play-off, Linzer ASK vs Celtic Glasgow, preview, press conference, Image shows Mika Baur Celtic. Photo GEPA pictures/ Manuel Binder IMAGO
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Watch Mika Baur’s pre-match media conference below, ahead of the LASK v Celtic second leg match in the Champions League Playoff. The winners of the tie will be included in the draw tomorrow afternoon in Monaco and will be in line for a £40m windfall…
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
NEW BOOK LAUNCH FROM CELTIC STAR BOOKS…Celtic in the Fifties in two volumes, available to pre-order now…
Celtic in the Fifties by Matt Corr, in two volumes, both published on 4th September 2026 by Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.
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In Xabi Alonso’s first match as manager, Chelsea beat Fulham 3–2 in the Premier League.
Also in this edition:
In Ligue 1, Elye Wahi returns to Nice. In Ligue 2, Michel der Zakarian moves on from his departure from FC Nantes. The French women’s team have qualified for the round of 16 at the European Volleyball Championship. Finally, the third stage of the Tour of Spain has been cancelled due to a hailstorm.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ day off wasn’t kind to them on the out-of-town scoreboard.
Most of the other teams in the American League wild-card race that were in action Monday picked up a victory.
The Rangers moved into first place in the AL West with a rout of the White Sox, while the Guardians took over the final wild-card spot by beating the Angels.
It was a rough night for the idle Astros, as they fell from first place in the AL West to out of a playoff spot.
The Twins and Mariners also picked up victories, while the lone AL wild-card contender to lose was the slumping Tigers.
Here’s a look at how the standings look after Monday’s results:
Toronto: vs. Kansas City, 7:07 p.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+)
Houston: at New York Yankees, 7:05 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+)
New York Yankees: vs. Houston, 7:05 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+)
Boston: at Miami, 6:40 p.m.
Texas: at Chicago White Sox, 7:40 p.m.
Cleveland: at Los Angeles Angels, 9:38 p.m.
Baltimore: at St. Louis, 7:45 p.m.
Minnesota: at Athletics, 9:40 p.m.
Seattle: vs. Philadelphia, 9:40 p.m. (Sportsnet+)
Detroit: vs. Tampa Bay, 6:40 p.m.
CHICAGO — Corey Seager had three hits and three RBIs, and Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford homered to lead Texas to a victory over Chicago.
Ezequiel Duran drove in two runs and Texas (66-66) outhit the AL Central leaders 14-5 to move a half-game ahead of idle Houston and take sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time since July 30.
Kumar Rocker (5-10) pitched 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Robby Ahlstrom retired all four batters he faced and Jordan Montgomery finished with two perfect innings.
Joc Pederson drew a walk from José Urquidy (2-2) to start the game before scoring on Duran’s groundout. Evan Carter added a two-out RBI double for a 2-0 lead.
Brandon Nimmo robbed Andrew Benintendi of a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to keep it 2-0.
Duran’s two-out infield hit with the bases loaded made it 3-0 in the second. Pederson was ejected by plate umpire Chris Guccione for comments from the dugout before Carter’s groundout ended the inning. Pederson — mired in an 0-for-24 slump — struck out looking and was too late trying to challenge the call to start the inning.
Tristan Peters homered for a third straight game and the 10th time this season — a two-out shot in the second off Rocker that cut it to 3-2.
Seager drove in two with a two-out double in the third for a 5-2 advantage.
Burger hit his 22nd homer leading off the fifth. Justin Foscue — who replaced Pederson — and Seager had back-to-back doubles with two outs for a 7-2 lead.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Parker Messick pitched six innings of one-run ball and Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer in the Cleveland Guardians’ 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.
Jo Adell hit a go-ahead single for the Guardians against his former team. Messick (10-8) gave up three hits, struck out four and walked one while extending to nine his string of consecutive starts with two or fewer runs allowed.
Through 26 starts, the rookie left-hander has a 2.50 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 155 innings.
Colin Holderman struck out three of four batters in the seventh. Hunter Gaddis tossed a scoreless eighth and Cade Smith gave up a run in the ninth before earning his 34th save.
Cleveland won its fifth straight and pulled within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh busted out of a season-long slump with the first three-homer game of his career Monday night.
The switch-hitting catcher capped a five-run first inning with a two-run shot off struggling Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. Raleigh added a leadoff homer against Wheeler in the fifth and a solo drive off reliever Chase Shugart in the seventh to give him 17 home runs this season.
It was the first multihomer game of the year for Raleigh, who finished 3 for 3 with a walk in a 9-2 victory and raised his batting average from .159 to .167.
Raleigh was runner-up for the AL MVP award last year, when he led the majors with 60 home runs and added 125 RBIs.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Zebby Matthews allowed six hits and one run over seven innings, Josh Bell drove in three runs, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Athletics 9-6 on Monday night.
Byron Buxton had three hits and scored four times, rookie Kaelen Culpepper had four hits for the first time in his 14th game, and Ryan Kreidler homered to help the Twins snap a three-game skid.
Matthews (8-8) struck out seven and gave up one walk. The right-hander has won all four of his August starts.
Tommy Nance pitched a scoreless eighth, but Yoendrys Gómez surrendered a two-run double to Jeff McNeil and back-to-back RBI doubles to Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler in the ninth before Andrew Morris retired Tommy White on a lineout to first for his fourth save.
Kody Clemens drove in Buxton with RBI singles in the fifth and eighth innings. Culpepper singled home Bell in the eighth for the Twins’ final run.
DETROIT — Jonathan Aranda homered and Drew Rasmussen gave up three hits in six strong innings as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the slumping Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Monday night.
Tampa Bay had lost seven of its last 10, but never trailed against the Tigers, who have lost six straight and nine of 10 to fall behind in the race for the final AL wild card.
Rasmussen (14-5) allowed one run to win his seventh straight start. It is the second-longest streak in franchise history, trailing only Blake Snell’s nine-start streak in 2018.
Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Detroit starter Framber Valdez (8-9) gave up four runs — three earned — on eight hits in six innings. He walked two without striking out a batter.
Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the second. Yandy Diaz led off with a single and took third when left fielder Brett Callahan misplayed Ryan Vilade’s base hit. Diaz scored on Junior Caminero’s groundout. After an infield single put runners on the corners with one out, Aranda beat out a double-play attempt, allowing Vilade to score.
In the fourth, Jorge Mateo started the inning with a double and took third on Nick Fortes’ sacrifice bunt. Chandler Simpson put down a squeeze bunt and Mateo beat third baseman Kevin McGonigle’s hurried flip to the plate.
Simpson’s bunt extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
MIAMI — Anthony Seigler hit a go-ahead triple in the ninth inning, and Boston beat Miami.
Mickey Gasper had two hits and walked twice for the Red Sox, who won their fourth straight. Boston has won 19 of 20 against teams with records of .500 or better.
Miami closer Pete Fairbanks (4-5) started the ninth but left with an injury after issuing a leadoff walk to Gasper. Fairbanks stepped off the mound and touched his throwing arm as he talked with catcher Brian Navarreto and manager Clayton McCullough.
Tyler Zuber relieved Fairbanks and allowed Seigler’s line drive toward the right field foul area that scored pinch-runner Eli White from first and snapped a 2-all tie. Nick Sogard followed with an RBI single.
Erik Miller (3-0) pitched a scoreless eighth around two singles and a walk. Aroldis Chapman closed it out for his 30th save.
The Marlins were 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position.
PHOENIX — Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers, Kevin Gausman gave up just three hits over seven innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Monday night.
The Cubs moved to 5 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead. The Brewers were off Monday.
Conforto and Kelly hit their homers off reliever Taylor Clarke with two outs in the sixth, breaking open a tight game. Conforto’s two-run shot to right field made it 4-0 and then Kelly — who played 4 1/2 seasons with the Diamondbacks — hurt his former team with a solo smash to left.
That was plenty of support for Gausman (2-1), who cruised through the D-backs’ lineup, needing just 94 pitches to complete his seven innings. The right-hander gave up three hits and a walk while striking out six in his best outing for the Cubs since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays.
WASHINGTON — CJ Abrams had the go-ahead RBI in a five-run fifth inning, Cade Cavalli won his fourth consecutive start and Washington defeated Colorado for its season-worst seventh consecutive loss.
Daylen Lile homered and drove in five runs for the Nationals, who had dropped three games in a row and seven of eight.
Willi Castro and Ezequiel Tovar homered for Colorado.
After going hitless for the first four innings against Rockies starter Ryan Feltner (5-8), the Nationals opened the fifth with two singles. Nasim Nuñez then laid down a sacrifice bunt toward third that Castro threw down the right-field line for an error, allowing two runs to score.
Abrams laced a double to right to drive in Nuñez and give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. Abrams stole third and scored on Abimelec Ortiz’s grounder. Lile and Brady House hit consecutive doubles to add another run.
Abrams, who missed the previous four games with a sprained ankle, went 1 for 4 with two stolen bases as Washington’s designated hitter.
SAN FRANCISCO — Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the second inning and the San Francisco Giants snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Monday night.
Jason Foley (1-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for the win after relieving lefty Carson Whisenhunt, who left in the third inning with pain in his pitching elbow. He was coming off an outing in which he surrendered a career-worst seven runs and nine hits over four innings of an 8-1 loss at Cleveland last Tuesday. He will have an MRI on Tuesday.
San Francisco leadoff hitter Drew Gilbert doubled in each of his first two at-bats on a cool night and well before the mist began hovering over the outfield in the middle innings.
The Giants began the game with four straight hits off right-hander Chase Burns (14-3), including Jung Hoo Lee’s RBI single followed by a run-scoring double from Turner Hill in the first. Two of Burns’ three losses this year have come in his last three outings.
There appeared to be no lingering ill will in the first meeting between the clubs since a three-game series at Cincinnati in mid-April that featured a benches-clearing brawl.
The Reds were shut out for the 14th time this season, tied for the most in the majors this season.
PIRATES 3, PADRES 2 (12 innings)
SAN DIEGO — Nick Gonzales led off the 12th inning with an RBI single and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped their three-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
Esmerlyn Valdez homered and Rafael Flores Jr. had an RBI double in the sixth for the Pirates, who rebounded from getting swept at Dodger Stadium last weekend with just their 11th win in 31 games.
Jake Cronenworth tied it in the eighth with a two-out RBI single for the Padres, whose three-game winning streak ended with only their eighth loss in 29 games. San Diego’s eight-game home winning streak also ended.
San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Kirby Yates (2-5) struck out Jackson Merrill and got Xander Bogaerts to line out. Merrill went 0 for 5 on his bobblehead night, striking out on three pitches with the bases loaded in both the eighth and 11th, and also failed to make a diving catch on Flores’ RBI double.
Aug 24, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Cal Raleigh became the first Seattle Mariners player to hit three home runs in a game at T-Mobile Park, giving the hosts a 9-2 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
The last Seattle player to hit three homers at home was Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez, who did so May 18, 1999, at the Kingdome. The team moved across the street into its new stadium later that summer.
Julio Rodriguez and Cole Young also went deep for the Mariners, who won for the third time in four games. Logan Gilbert (11-7) permitted two runs on five hits in five innings.
J.T. Realmuto homered for the Phillies, who had a nine-game winning streak snapped. Zack Wheeler (10-5) was tagged for eight runs on nine hits in four-plus innings.
Red Sox 4, Marlins 2
Anthony Seigler hit a go-ahead triple in the top of the ninth inning as visiting Boston rallied to defeat Miami for its fourth straight win.
In a game in which “Let’s go Red Sox” chants could be heard into the ninth inning, Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 30th save. The Red Sox threw out two Marlins runners at the plate, on throws by first baseman Willson Contreras in the seventh and by reliever Erik Miller (3-0) in the eighth.
Miami starter Sandy Alcantara recorded his sixth straight quality start, going seven innings and allowing just one run, but he did not factor into the decision. Otto Lopez had two hits and an RBI.
Guardians 4, Angels 2
Austin Hedges slammed a two-run homer and Parker Messick went six strong innings to lead Cleveland past host Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Steven Kwan had two hits and scored a run for the Guardians, who have won five in a row. Messick (10-8) allowed one run on three hits.
Angels starter George Klassen (2-2) gave up three runs (two earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Josh Lowe had two hits for Los Angeles, which has lost three of four.
Twins 9, Athletics 6
Ryan Kreidler homered and Zebby Matthews tossed seven innings of one-run ball as Minnesota opened a three-game series against the Athletics with a win in West Sacramento, Calif.
Josh Bell drove in three runs and Kaelen Culpepper had a career-high four hits for the Twins, who tallied 16 hits and snapped a three-game losing streak. Byron Buxton added three hits and four runs.
The Athletics trailed 9-2 before scoring four runs with two outs in the ninth before Andrew Morris replaced Yoendrys Gomez on the mound and retired Tommy White for his fourth save. Matthews (8-8) won his fourth straight start.
Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 0
Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers in a three-run sixth, Kevin Gausman threw seven scoreless innings, and Chicago beat Arizona in Phoenix.
Conforto, who also doubled and singled, has homered in two straight games. The Cubs have 12 homers in the past four games. Gausman (7-11) gave up three hits, all singles. Ian Happ and rookie Pedro Ramirez each had two hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who have won two straight.
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly (8-12) allowed three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Pirates 3, Padres 2 (12 innings)
Nick Gonzales’ RBI single in the top of the 12th inning lifted visiting Pittsburgh to a win over San Diego.
Gonzales’ bouncer up the middle scored Jared Triolo, the automatic runner at second. The hit made a winner of Kirby Yates (2-5), who escaped a one-out bases-loaded situation in the 11th, and hung a loss on Jeremiah Estrada (2-3).
The Pirates ended a three-game skid while stopping the Padres’ three-game winning streak. Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft worked six innings, allowing four hits and a run. San Diego’s Robbie Ray permitted five hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings.
Giants 5, Reds 0
Rafael Devers blasted a three-run home run and five San Francisco relievers shined after injured starter Carson Whisenhunt exited, completing a five-hitter as the Giants blanked visiting Cincinnati.
Drew Gilbert doubled twice and scored a pair of runs for the Giants, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Whisenhunt left in the third inning due to forearm pain. Jason Foley (1-1) fanned three of the four batters he faced for the win.
Reds ace Chase Burns (14-3) lasted 3 2/3 innings and allowed season-high-tying totals of five runs and nine hits. Tyler Stephenson collected two hits as Cincinnati lost for the third time in four outings on a nine-game trip.
Rays 4, Tigers 1
Jonathan Aranda drove in two runs, including a solo homer, and Drew Rasmussen pitched six strong innings as Tampa Bay beat host Detroit, handing the Tigers their sixth straight loss.
Rasmussen (14-5) won his seventh consecutive start since the All-Star break, limiting the Tigers to one run and three hits while striking out five. Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodriguez and Bryan Baker each tossed an inning of scoreless relief, with Baker recording his 38th save.
Chandler Simpson had two hits and drove in a run for the Rays, who extended their lead in the American League East to 3 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees. Framber Valdez (8-9) gave up all four Tampa Bay runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings and failed to record a strikeout.
Nationals 13, Rockies 3
Daylen Lile had three hits, including a three-run homer, and five RBIs, Cade Cavalli turned in six solid innings and host Washington snapped a four-game losing streak with a rout of Colorado.
Jorbit Vivas had three hits and drove in two runs for the Nationals, who had lost eight of nine. Cavalli (12-5) gave up two runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one. Cavalli has given up three earned runs or fewer in 14 consecutive starts.
Willi Castro and Ezequiel Tovar homered for the Rockies, who have lost seven straight. Rockies starter Ryan Feltner (5-8) gave up seven runs (five earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.
Rangers 11, White Sox 2
Corey Seager went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford each homered while collecting two hits and two RBIs, boosting visiting Texas to a victory against Chicago.
Kumar Rocker pitched effectively into the sixth inning as the Rangers romped past the American League Central-leading White Sox to take a half-game lead on the idle Houston Astros atop the AL West. Texas scored in five of its first six times at bat, providing ample support for Rocker, who picked up his first victory since July 27. Rocker (5-10) spaced two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Tristan Peters reached Rocker for a two-run homer in the bottom of the second to pull the White Sox within 3-2. Chicago right-hander Jose Urquidy (2-2) yielded five runs and six hits in three innings with two hit batters.
–Field Level Media
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Champions League draw: Date, start time, teams and how to watch as Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd learn league phase matches
The Champions League returns next month, and this Thursday sees the league phase draw confirmed with a ceremony in Monaco.
Three months on from PSG retaining their title on penalties against Arsenal in Budapest, this season’s competition takes shape, as each of the 36 teams discovers their eight league phase matches.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool are the English teams involved, with Celtic hoping to make it six British teams by winning their play-off tie against LASK. They won the first leg 3-0.
Other big-hitters in pot one include PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Champions League league phase draw.
When is the Champions League league phase draw?
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase draw starts at 5pm BST (12pm ET) on Thursday, 27 August.
The draw will arrange the eight matches each team contests in the 36-team first phase – facing two teams from pots one, two, three and four. Half of the matches will be at home, the other half away.
Where can I watch the Champions League draw?
The draw will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, the joint host broadcasters in the UK of the Champions League alongside Prime Video.
Champions League draw pots in full
Pot 1
- PSG
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Liverpool
- Inter Milan
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Barcelona
- Atletico Madrid
Pot 2
- Aston Villa
- Manchester United
- Borussia Dortmund
- Roma
- Sporting
- Porto
- Club Brugge
- PSV Eindhoven
- Real Betis
Pot 3
- Feyenoord
- Lille
- Napoli
- RB Leipzig
- Villarreal
- Shakhtar Donetsk
- Galatasaray
- Winner of Fenerbahce vs Lyon
Pot 3 or 4
- Winner of NEC Nijmegen vs Bodo/Glimt
- Winner of Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking
- Winner of Celtic vs LASK
- Slavia Prague
Pot 4
- Winner of Slovan Bratislava vs Celje
- VfB Stuttgart
- Winner of Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens
- Como
- Lens
- Winner of Hapoel Be’er Sheva vs Sabah
How does the Champions League league phase work?
The top eight all automatically qualify for the last-16, while teams positioned ninth to 24th place qualify for the knockout-phase play-off. Teams finishing between ninth and 16th will be seeded and will host the second leg.
Teams who finish the league phase 25th or lower are out and do not drop into the Europa League.
Champions League dates and schedule
Matchday 1: September 8-10
Matchday 2: October 13/14
Matchday 3: October 20/21
Matchday 4: November 3/4
Matchday 5: November 24/25
Matchday 6: December 8/9
Matchday 7: January 19/20
Matchday 8: January 27
Knockout phase play-offs: February 16/17 and 23/24
Round of 16: March 9/10 and 16/17
Quarter-finals: April 6/7 and 13/14
Semi-finals: April 27/28 and May 4/5
Final: June 5 (Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid)
NEW DELHI: Zeeshan Ansari went six years in cricket’s red-ball wilderness. After playing for Uttar Pradesh against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy in January 2020, the legspinner admitted that he found it difficult to bowl with the red cherry. The influx of T20 competitions had accustomed him to the white ball over the red.That time away ended when the 26-year-old earned a surprise call-up to the India A squad for the Sri Lanka tour. The comeback didn’t get a dream Bollywood-esque start. He gave away 76 runs in 19 overs in the first innings in Galle. He was then hammered for 29 runs in the four overs he bowled in the second essay.The Lucknow-born leggie admitted that the comeback had been a ‘little difficult’. He sees this as a learning curve, with the exposure making him a better bowler.“It was a good learning experience. I played red-ball cricket after so many years, and I got to learn a lot. There were a lot of good batsmen I was bowling against. The Sri Lankan batters are good players of spin. And I was also bowling with the Kookaburra ball for the first time. It was a different experience for me,” he says.
Zeeshan Ansari plays for Merrut Mavericks in the UPT20 League (Photo Courtesy: UPT20 League)
Interestingly, Zeeshan had garnered attention early in his career because of his exploits with the red ball. At the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2014-15, the UP player took 40 wickets, which helped him get into the 2016 U-19 World Cup squad. He picked up 30 wickets in the CK Nayudu Trophy in 2016-17 and was rewarded immediately as he was selected for the Ranji Trophy the following year. He made an impressive debut under the captaincy of Suresh Raina. Zeeshan picked up six wickets in the match but was dropped for the next fixture. In the next four seasons, he played four more games until 2020, before he was left in the wilderness.
Gautam (Gambhir) sir just told me that I am doing well and should keep bowling like this, just as I have been. There is nothing else to think about.
Zeeshan Ansari
Then, earlier this year, he got a surprise call-up first as a net bowler for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chandigarh, followed by his India A selection. A day before the Test match against Afghanistan, Ansari was seen having a long conversation with Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir.“Gautam sir just told me that I am doing well and should keep bowling like this, just as I have been. There is nothing else to think about. Just keep performing. It was a good conversation, and it boosted my confidence,” he recalls.The exposure, Zeeshan feels, has made him a better bowler, and he has learnt more about his bowling and what exactly he needs to do to find more success.
“I have now played in the IPL, gone with India A, met a lot of people and worked with some really good coaches. All of that has helped me understand my cricket better and learn what can work for me and what I need to do to be successful. For instance, I have realised that I need to bowl a little slower and put more revs on the ball. I have kept that in mind, and that is what I am working on,” he says.“I learnt that you should bowl as much as you can with the red ball. Whatever variations you have, you should work on them well and then try to execute them in matches. The most important thing is repetition. Repetition is very important for a leg-spinner. I have practised so much that I am now able to bring variations into my googlies as well,” he adds.
I feel my career has been made because of the UPT20 League. I wasn’t playing much cricket and my name wasn’t known anywhere.
Zeeshan Ansari
Zeeshan, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), credits the UP T20 League for giving his career a new lease of life.“I feel my career has been made because of the UPT20 League. I wasn’t playing much cricket and my name wasn’t known anywhere. In the first season of the league, I won the Purple Cap with 24 wickets to my name, and that’s when people started recognising me,” he says.Zeeshan is still 26 and now, with selectors tracking his development closely, he will hopefully get more chances for his state team. This time around, he won’t have to live in the wilderness.
The Cleveland Guardians are staging a second-half surge, but that’s nothing new after their amazing rally to take the AL Central title last season. They are starting to peak at the right time again ahead of a series opener in Anaheim tonight against the Angels, who are only playing for pride here again in late August. It could be a pitchers’ duel between rookies, and first pitch is set for 9:38 p.m. ET.
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Cleveland is a -158 money-line favorite on the road, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with Los Angeles a +147 underdog, and the Over/Under for total runs scored is set at 7.5. Fans wanting to try MLB betting can do so on the best sports betting apps and get bonuses. They can also check out the SportsLine Projection Model for picks on games like Guardians vs. Angels from the model’s 10,000 simulations, as well as from our experts.
This game should have a little more meaning to Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and his guys, as they can get to .500 for the first time since Aug. 4 with a victory. Remember, last year they were down 15.5 games in the AL Central in July and still won it. The Guardians have two routes to the 2026 postseason — via the division title or a wild card spot. The SportsLine Projection Model gives them a 44.4% shot at the playoffs overall.
The Guardians completed a three-game sweep in Denver on Sunday without star third baseman Jose Ramirez. He’s healthy but was simply given a rest day. Jo Adell went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. The outfielder was acquired from the Angels at the trade deadline early this month for catching prospect Jacob Cozart, who has yet to make his big-league debut.
Adell has been energized with his new club, batting .258 with four homers and 17 RBI in 17 games. Cleveland’s four-game winning streak is the team’s longest since it also won four in a row from July 9-12. Perhaps sitting Sunday exempts Ramirez from the “Coors Hangover.”
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Guardians-Angels MLB same-game parlay
- Los Angeles alt +2.5
- Under 1.5 first-inning runs
- Alt Under 9.5
DraftKings SGP price: +128 (may change)
I haven’t quite mastered ChatGPT yet to find exact numbers, but I promise you visiting teams at Coors Field who finish a series there and have to play in another city 24 hours later do not fare well overall in that latter game. That’s where the Guardians are; it’s not really a thing if said team had a day off to acclimate to the new city.
Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle is going to win AL Rookie of the Year and is the -600 favorite, but Guardians lefty Parker Messick (+1800) could finish as high as second in the voting – the top three should all come from the AL Central, with White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami (+500) also in there.
Messick (9-8) is among big-league leaders in ERA (2.54) and WHIP (1.03), but you would be down $44 if you wagered $100 on Cleveland to win each of his 25 starts (team is 13-12). Messick only gets an average of 3.32 runs per nine innings per start, seventh-fewest among MLB qualified starters. The 25-year-old has allowed two earned or fewer in eight straight outings but has only two wins personally in that stretch.
Messick beat the visiting Angels on May 13 with one of his 15 quality starts, allowing two runs and four hits over 6.2 innings of a victory. Zach Neto was 2-for-2 with a homer against Messick. The model has him at 6.7 innings, 6.6 strikeouts, 4.3 hits allowed and 1.6 earned runs.
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One bright spot of another dismal Angels season has been right-hander George Klassen (2-1, 3.74 ERA), who ranks as the franchise’s No. 12 overall prospect with the best fastball grade in the organization of 70 on a scale of 20-80.
This will be the 24-year-old’s sixth big-league start and his last was his best, throwing seven shutout innings with a hit allowed in a victory at Houston. Klassen allowed two runners to reach in the first inning and admitted to having “jelly” legs but got out of that and dominated after. Klassen became the first Angels rookie to go seven innings and allow one hit or fewer since Reid Detmers threw a no-hitter on May 10, 2022 against the Rays.
“That was some of the best stuff we’ve seen all year,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said to the media about Klassen. “Attacking with his fastball and pretty nasty sliders, but I think it was more commanding the zone, getting ahead and really just on the attack. He didn’t make it too complicated, knew what he did best and went after them.”
Klassen was shaky in two April starts and sent back down. In three since returning to the Show, he’s 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 17 innings. While Klassen has a stellar fastball, it sets up his slider. Batters are hitting just .103 against the pitch, which has generated 49.2% whiff rate. This will be the first time the Guardians have seen Klassen.
The model has him at 4.9 innings, 4.7 strikeouts, 4.5 hits allowed and 2.3 earned runs, and Cleveland by a score of 4.3-3.6. That works just fine here as long as no crazy first inning. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
The dust is still settling from LIV Golf’s 2026 season finale in Indianapolis. The question now is whether it will prove to be the final LIV Golf tournament in history. Bryson DeChambeau didn’t provide much clarity on the matter Sunday night.
Instead, DeChambeau offered up conflicting thoughts on LIV’s future, at first professing his excitement at “what could happen next year,” before talking about LIV in the past tense and even acknowledging unspecified mistakes the upstart league has made.
DeChambeau after LIV’s season finale: ‘We did something different in the game’
After a year of increasingly bad news, LIV’s season came to an abrupt end on Sunday night at LIV Golf Indianapolis.
With the season-ending Team Championship cancelled, both the season-long individual winner (Jon Rahm) and the 2026 team winner (Rahm’s Legion XIII) were determined.
DeChambeau finished T3 in Indy, leaving him in second place in the final Individual standings, while his Crushers team failed to make the final podium.
With funding for the league gone, thanks to the PIF’s decision to cut its losses earlier this year, no one knows if a 2027 LIV season will happen.
While Phil Mickelson was the primary force behind the creation of LIV Golf, DeChambeau was always the league’s biggest star and public booster. With the league’s future in doubt, that remains the case… to a point.
Even after Sunday’s round was over, DeChambeau was still expressing optimism for what the future holds for LIV, at least at first.
“I think there’s a lot of potential moving forward. It’s been an interesting ride, that’s for sure,” DeChambeau said Sunday night. “You know just as much as I have everything that we’ve gone through and the tough moments that we’ve had. But it’s made us stronger.”
He then invoked the concept of LIV 2.0, which the league’s CEO hopes will be anchored by new big-money investors, and revealed he has “great thoughts” about next season without divulging any details.
“As much as we’re transitioning from LIV 1.0 to 2.0, I have great thoughts about what could happen next year. I wish I could be more up front about it,” DeChambeau said.
However, after his initial positivity, DeChambeau then switched to talking about LIV Golf in the past tense and alluded to mistakes the league made over the years.
“But ultimately I’m proud of the fact of what we’ve done, the good and some of the bad that we’ve unfortunately had, things that have occurred,” DeChambeau said. “I’m going to be real with it; not everything was perfect. But for the most part we’ve done a solid job.”
But his closing line should raise the most questions among observers and fans interested in what the future holds for LIV, if there is a future at all. Bryson again delivered it in the past tense.
The 2026 NFL regular season gets underway in less than three weeks with the kickoff game on Wednesday, Sept. 9. With Week 2 of the NFL preseason wrapping up, the time has come for Fantasy football owners to lock in on preparations for another big Fantasy football draft weekend. Veterans like Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Ja’Marr Chase all headline the 2026 Fantasy football rankings, with Brock Bowers the top tight end, and all will likely be among the top players on most Fantasy football draft boards. The key to Fantasy success remains finding sleepers and rookies who outperform their Fantasy football ADP, and avoiding drafting players that end up being Fantasy football 2026 busts.
Who should you target in your fantasy football draft strategy, and which players should fall on your list of potential 2026 Fantasy football busts? Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin would fall well short of his top-50 ADP. The result: A season after piling up nearly 1,100 receiving yards and a career-high 13 touchdown catches, McLaurin had career lows in receiving yards (582) and receiving touchdowns (3). Injuries were a factor, but his per-game averages were down across the board as well, so anybody who avoided him in Fantasy drafts dodged a major headache.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021 and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Fantasy football busts
One of the 2026 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting: New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers. He’s going off the board around pick No. 33, but SportsLine’s model doesn’t even have him as a top-15 receiver. In fact, it has players such as DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins above him.
Nabers isn’t a lock to be ready to at the start of the season after tearing his ACL last season and then undergoing a follow-up procedure in the spring. The Giants are also expected to lean heavily on the run game under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, making Nabers a risky pick in the second or early third round. See more busts at SportsLine.
Another bust that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Bills running back James Cook. Cook is going off the board with an ADP around No. 11 overall and is the fifth running back being taken on average. SportsLine’s model, however, ranks him as RB No. 10, behind players such as Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, saying that he should be more of a late-second or even third round pick.
Cook has stacked two impressive seasons and was the RB6 a year ago, so it’s understandable why he’s getting first-round consideration in many drafts. He did fumble at a higher rate last season, however, and he’s not an elite target out of the backfield. Also, Josh Allen always looms as a touchdown vulture for Buffalo, as these factors are why the model is leaning to other high-end backs early. See which other Fantasy football busts 2026 to pick here.
How to find proven 2026 Fantasy football rankings
SportsLine is also fading one of the first five receivers off the board in early 2026 Fantasy football drafts. The model ranks this player barely inside the top 10 and is calling for him to be one of the biggest busts in the league this year. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2026 Fantasy Football busts should you be steering clear of, and which high-end WR should you completely fade? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that helped managers avoid a disastrous Terry McLaurin season in 2025.
2026 Fantasy football ADP
(PPR, via CBS)
Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine.
1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.25)
2. Bijan Robinson (1.94)
3. Ja’Marr Chase (4.02)
4. Puka Nacua (5.19)
5. Jonathan Taylor (5.21)
6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.92)
7. Christian McCaffrey (7.55)
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.21)
9. James Cook (10.51)
10. De’Von Achane (13.66)
11. Chase Brown (12.45)
12. Derrick Henry (13.42)
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