Bowled out for just 110 against England in the first innings of the second Test at Lord’s, Pakistan have become a subject of mockery on social media. Babar Azam‘s men arrived in the match, hoping to shrug off the first Test horror, after being handed an innings defeat by England. However, the tourists seem to be on course for humiliation in the second Test too, as England enter Day 3 with a gigantic 261-run lead. Seeing Pakistan struggle against England, Michael Vaughan compared the visiting team with a second division county side.
While Pakistan are yet to put up an all-round show worthy of challenging England, it’s the team’s batting unit that has disappointed Vaughan the most. He even called Pakistan’s batting line ‘easiest’ he has seen in a long time.
“I’ll be brutally honest. The England bowlers aren’t being challenged at all. And this Pakistan batting line-up is possibly the easiest batting line-up I’ve seen in a long time to bowl to. And not only that, I think as a bowler, I think they’re all queuing up to bowl because they know there are wickets out there,” Vaughan said on the BBC Test Match Special.
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“You’re not going to get hurt. There’s no batter that’s going to hurt them. No one’s going to damage their figures, and it’s really, ‘roll up, roll up, who wants to get the wickets?’,” he added.
“I think they all know that Pakistan aren’t going to get big scores. So you’re only going to be out there for 40 to 50 overs, so you give everything in every spell, you keep going to Joe Root saying, Err, I’ll bowl another one.’ There are so many wickets out there,” said Vaughan.
BIG EMBARRASSMENT FOR PAKISTAN!
– Michael Vaughan compared Pakistan Cricket Team with a Second Division County Team. pic.twitter.com/bhMVeL6ZzG
For Pakistan, Azan Awais‘ 46 off 102 balls was the finest contribution among all batters in the first innings. The next best was Saud Shakeel‘s 16 off 16 balls. None of the other batters even managed to register a double-digit score.
“It’s so easy. They’re still doing a good job, and they’re still looking very threatening. And I think this bowling attack, the way they’re bowling, will challenge better batting line-ups if they continue in this fashion. But this is Pakistan batting. Is it second division county cricket? There’s no way that they are batting in any standard to say that, that is a Test match batting line-up,” he added.
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Spain’s Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace
Aug 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Freddie Freeman drove in the go-ahead run during the eighth inning in Tarik Skubal’s return to Detroit as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the slumping Tigers 2-1 on Friday.
Skubal gave up one run on four hits while striking out seven in six innings. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was dealt by the Tigers to the Dodgers earlier this month. Evan Phillips (2-2) struck out all three batters he faced and earned the win, and Tanner Scott pitched the ninth for his 20th save.
Miguel Rojas drove in the other Los Angeles run with a pinch-hit single in the sixth as the Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak.
Detroit starter Drew Anderson held the Dodgers, who left 15 men on base, scoreless over 4 2/3 innings despite giving up four hits and walking five. Max Clark’s triple knocked in the lone run for the Tigers, who took their eighth loss in nine games.
Phillies 5, Angels 3
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Pinch hitter Edmundo Sosa hit a go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the top of the ninth inning as Philadelphia rallied past Los Angeles in Anaheim, Calif.
Angels reliever Sammy Peralta entered with the bases loaded to face Sosa, who delivered his first career grand slam. Luis Arraez and Kyle Schwarber each had two hits for the Phillies, who won for the 11th time in 13 games.
Wade Meckler went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, a run and a homer-saving catch for the Angels, who took their fifth straight loss.
Yankees 1, Red Sox 0
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Cam Schlittler withstood five walks in 5 2/3 innings and Yankees outfielders started a pair of double plays during New York’s victory over visiting Boston.
Paul Goldschmidt homered off Boston starter Patrick Sandoval (1-3) in the third inning. Schlittler (12-6) allowed two hits, struck out eight and lowered his AL-leading ERA to 2.09. David Bednar recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for his 31st save.
Sandoval gave up one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings as the Red Sox took their second loss in a row.
Reds 10, Cubs 8
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Tyler Stephenson belted a three-run homer and Sal Stewart drove in two runs to set the franchise rookie record for RBIs in a season, fueling visiting Cincinnati to a victory over Chicago.
Stewart went deep in the fifth inning for his team-leading 29th homer of the season. It also marked his 101st RBI, snapping a tie for the franchise rookie record that Jim Greengrass set in 1953. Cincinnati scored 10 runs for the second straight game to make a winner out of Rhett Lowder (6-8), who allowed three runs in five innings.
Pedro Ramirez belted a three-run homer, Michael Busch hit a two-run shot and Seiya Suzuki joined Nico Hoerner in collecting three hits apiece for the Cubs, who have lost six of their past eight games.
Brewers 6, Rangers 1
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Logan Henderson was nearly perfect for host Milwaukee, which beat Texas for its third straight win.
Henderson (9-2) faced 22 batters over seven innings, with Danny Jansen’s third-inning homer the only blemish on his stat line. He struck out seven while tying his career high in innings pitched. Christian Yelich finished 3-for-5 for the Brewers, and William Contreras drove in three while going 2-for-4.
Cody Bradford (0-3) yielded three runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Rangers took their third loss in a row.
Royals 3, Guardians 0
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Michael Wacha struck out 10 over eight innings and Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the ninth, sending red-hot Kansas City to a victory at Cleveland.
Wacha (8-8) allowed four singles and did not issue a walk in tying his longest start of the season. He only permitted one runner to get past first base over 103 pitches. The right-hander powered Kansas City to its 11th win in 12 games.
The Guardians had their seven-game winning streak snapped. Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (5-14) tied the Baltimore Orioles’ Shane Baz for the major league lead in losses, giving up one run on seven hits in six innings.
Astros 3, Mets 1
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Hunter Brown struck out a season-high 10 over 6 2/3 solid innings as visiting Houston beat New York.
Daulton Varsho had the go-ahead two-run single in the sixth as the Astros won for the third time in four games. Brown (4-3) yielded one run on five hits, and Josh Hader notched his 20th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Christian Scott (4-4) gave up three runs on one hit and five walks in 5 1/3 innings as the Mets dropped their third game in a row.
White Sox 7, Twins 4
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Colson Montgomery went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs as Chicago recorded a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Andrew Benintendi finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the White Sox, who won their third straight game. Grant Taylor (7-2) pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Bryan Hudson tossed a scoreless ninth for his sixth save.
Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens each homered and singled for the Twins, and Walker Jenkins had a hit and a walk in his big-league debut. Dean Kremer (2-5) allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits over four-plus innings.
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Braves 6, Rockies 4
Michael Harris II homered, doubled and drove in three runs, Ronald Acuna Jr. added three hits and three runs, and host Atlanta beat Colorado.
Mauricio Dubon and Sean Murphy each had two hits and an RBI to back five solid innings by Atlanta starter Grant Holmes (9-5). The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits for the Braves, who have won five in a row. Raisel Iglesias got the final three outs for his 29th save.
Hunter Goodman had three hits and an RBI while Zac Veen and Mickey Moniak had two hits apiece for Colorado, which fell to 2-3 on its seven-game road trip. Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8) allowed six runs on 10 hits over four-plus innings.
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Cardinals 4, Pirates 1
Rookie Quinn Mathews pitched effectively into the sixth inning for his first major league victory and Jimmy Crooks hit a two-run homer for St. Louis, which beat visiting Pittsburgh.
Jordan Walker added three hits and scored twice for the Cardinals, who had lost five of six. Mathews (1-2) allowed a run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. Ryne Stanek pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.
Jared Jones (2-6) permitted three runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Pirates, who committed three errors. Pittsburgh has scored a total of five runs in the past five games.
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Blue Jays 8, Mariners 1
George Springer went 4-for-4 with a solo homer as Toronto defeated visiting Seattle.
Nathan Lukes and Kazuma Okamoto added solo shots for the Blue Jays. Okamoto had three RBIs. Dylan Cease (9-5) allowed one run, four hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings as Toronto earned just its second win in five games.
Dominic Canzone stroked a solo homer for the Mariners while going 2-for-4. Randy Arozarena had a single and two walks as Seattle took its second loss in a row. Emerson Hancock (7-8) was tagged for five runs on eight hits in five innings.
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Nationals 9, Marlins 2
Brady House smacked a three-run homer while Jackson Kent pitched seven innings of one-run ball to earn his first major league win as Washington beat visiting Miami.
Harry Ford also homered and Abimelec Ortiz had two hits for the Nationals, who have won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game run Aug. 7-9. Kent (1-2) gave up three hits, walked four and struck out three while throwing 106 pitches.
Heriberto Hernandez homered for the Marlins, who had won eight straight games against the Nationals. Eury Perez (7-10) surrendered five runs on two hits in three innings.
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Rays 9, Padres 4
Yandy Diaz went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs for Tampa Bay, which produced a five-run fourth inning to breeze past San Diego in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Chandler Simpson went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two stolen bases for the Rays. Cedric Mullins homered, scored twice and drove in two runs. Shane McClanahan (10-6) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits.
Jackson Merrill went 2-for-3, stroked a two-run homer, walked and scored twice for the Padres. Casey Mize (5-8) surrendered seven runs, two earned, on six hits over five innings.
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Orioles 4, Athletics 3 (10 innings)
Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand each singled home a run in the 10th inning as Baltimore beat the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
Brandon Young tossed seven innings of one-run ball for the Orioles, who won for the third time in four games. Andrew Kittredge (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, and Alex Hoppe allowed a run in the 10th but logged his first career save.
The A’s, who had won four of their previous five games, got a homer from Jonah Heim. Brady Basso (0-1) yielded the decisive runs in the 10th.
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Diamondbacks 10, Giants 6
Lars Nootbaar hit the first pitch of the game for a home run, Corbin Carroll and Tim Tawa went deep in a five-run third inning, and visiting Arizona overpowered San Francisco.
Nootbaar collected three hits for the Diamondbacks, who moved within a half-game of the National League’s third and final wild-card spot. The Diamondbacks bullpen threw five innings and allowed just one unearned run and one hit, with Gerardo Carrillo (3-1) getting the win.
Bryce Eldridge and Christian Koss launched homers for the Giants, who took their ninth loss in 11 meetings with Arizona this season. Blade Tidwell (0-1) went five innings, allowing six runs on seven hits.
Lando Norris says signing a new contract that will keep him at McLaren until at least the end of 2030 was “quite an easy yes for me”.
The world champion, whose new deal was announced on Saturday, said he “didn’t even have a look” at other teams before deciding to commit his future to the team he has been with since his Formula 1 debut in 2019.
“There was some interest from elsewhere,” Norris said in an interview with BBC Sport, “but I don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t want to be with another team. I don’t want to spend time with other people.
“That’s why it really was probably one of the easiest decisions I’ve made since being in Formula 1.”
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The Briton had no need to rush his decision to commit to McLaren because his existing contract still had more than a year to run.
But he says the idea “became a topic of conversation over the last four months or so, but very loosely in the background” and he had no hesitation in agreeing.
Norris says his loyalty to McLaren is based on the relationships he has within the team – starting with chief executive officer Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella – and their shared history.
After Norris made his F1 debut in 2019, they spent several years struggling for competitiveness, before their form turned around quickly after Stella was promoted at the end of 2022.
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The team won consecutive constructors’ championships in 2024 and 2025 – ending a drought that went back to 1998 – and the drivers’ title for Norris last year.
The 26-year-old said: “The fact I stuck it through with them and then we went on to obviously have success certainly makes me feel like I don’t want to… they didn’t give up on me and I didn’t give up on them.
“That just creates a very strong bond between everyone that works here. I want to believe that bond stays as strong as it is now ’til I do retire in my career at Formula 1.
“I know that’s a long, long way away and I don’t want to think of it. But I believe we’re in the best place we’ve ever been even with a tough start to the season. And I believe that we can fight through anything together for sure.”
Ranked bantamweight fighters clash when third-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov battles sixth-ranked Song Yadong in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong on Saturday at Oriental Sports Center in Pudong District, China. The six-bout main card is scheduled to start at approximately 6 a.m. ET on Paramount+. Visit our DraftKings promo code review to see their latest offers and get started. Bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets at DraftKings here:
In the main event, Nurmagomedov is a -625 favorite (risk $625 to win $100) in the UFC Fight Night odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Yadong is at +455. Elsewhere on the main card, Yan Xiaonan is a -155 favorite against Denise Gomes in a women’s strawweight fight. Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong picks, make sure you see the UFC Fight Night predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.
Paramount+ is the only place to stream EVERY UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night live, at no additional cost. A subscription also gives you access to other sports content, including the UEFA Champions League, college basketball, the NFL and Big Ten on CBS and countless movies and shows. Plans start at just $8.99 per month, so sign up right here.
Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $10,000, and since May 2018, he has returned well over $21,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has provided consistent winners for SportsLine members for the past five years. His accomplishments include hitting five consecutive main-event underdog winners in 2020 following the UFC’s brief pause in action because of the pandemic. Anyone who has followed Marley’s UFC betting picks could have seen huge returns.
Nurmagomedov, 30, a Russian fighter, is a former WCSF World Championships and WMMAA World Championships gold medalist. He began his professional MMA career in December 2016 and has compiled a 20-1 career mark. He has two wins by knockout, seven by submission and 11 by decision. His only loss came in UFC 311 when he lost a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title.
Nurmagomedov is highly accomplished fighter, who earned Fight of the Night honors once and is a two-time Performance of the Night winner. He has the fifth-highest significant strike accuracy percentage (56.1%) in UFC bantamweight division history, and is tied for the third-most takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight division history. He was a 2025 UFC President’s Choice Fight of the year nominee. Check out SportsLine to see Marley’s picks and analysis.
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Yadong, 28, who is from China, has been training in mixed martial arts since the age of 13 and made his professional debut before his 16th birthday. In 34 career matches, he has compiled a 23-9-1 record. He has nine wins by knockout, four by submission and 10 by decision with one draw. He was involved in one no contest as well.
He is coming off a second-round submission win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo this past May. Yadong is a six-time Performance of the Night winner and one-time Fight of the Night honoree. In Sanda, he took first at the 2011 Hebei Provincial Sanda Championship at 60 kg. You can only see Marley’s picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong predictions
One of of Marley’s UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong picks: He is backing Rei Tsuruya (-850) via submission over Kevin Borjas (+575) in men’s flyweight bout on the preliminary card.
“Borjas is a wild striker, and he could catch Tsuruya, but I don’t see much of this fight taking place on the feet,” Marley told SportsLine. “Tsuruya is a wrestling-heavy grappler, and I think he gets Borjas down early and locks up a sub at some point.” See who else to back here.
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How to make UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong
Marley also has strong picks for Nurmagomedov vs. Yadong every other bouts on the UFC fight card tonight. He’s also backing a favorite who “looks like the more skilled fighter anywhere the fight goes” to emerge with a big victory. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Umar Nurmagomedov (-625) vs. Song Yadong (+455) Yan Xiaonan (-155) vs. Denise Gomes (+130) Aoriqileng (+360) vs. Kai Asakura (-470) Alex Perez (+180) vs. Sumudaerji (-218) Liu Ce (-192) vs. Junior Tafa (+160) Bilal Hasan (-800) vs. Nilson Rojas (+550)
Samuel Chukwueze came out on top in the latest Nigerian derby after helping AC Milan beat Venezia 2-0 at San Siro on Friday night.
The two Super Eagles players started for opposite teams in the Serie A clash, but it was Chukwueze who finished the night with a smile as Milan secured their second straight league win.
Chukwueze played the full 90 minutes and impressed in his role as a right-sided wing-back in Milan’s 3-4-2-1 formation.
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The 27-year-old was involved in both attack and defence. He created three key chances, produced two big chances and completed 26 of his 31 passes. He also made three crosses and six progressive carries.
Defensively, Chukwueze made three tackles, winning two, as well as one clearance and a blocked shot.
He nearly provided an assist in the 12th minute when he played Gonçalo Ramos through on goal, but the Milan striker was denied by Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stanković.
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Chukwueze also had a chance to score but saw his effort saved.
His performance earned him a 7.9 rating from FotMob and the Player of the Match award.
For Akor Adams, it was a difficult evening as Venezia suffered their second consecutive defeat.
The 26-year-old striker played the full match but struggled to get into the game as Milan controlled much of the action.
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Adams had Venezia’s first good chance in the 19th minute after being played through by John Yeboah, but his effort from a tight angle was easily saved by Mike Maignan.
He finished the game with just one shot on target, although he had six touches inside the Milan box.
Milan finally took the lead in the 69th minute when Ramos finished Alexis Saelemaekers’ pass.
The hosts sealed the win in the 89th minute after Ardon Jashari’s effort was saved, with the rebound deflecting off Redouane Halhal and into the net.
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Chukwueze has now played 180 minutes in Milan’s opening two Serie A matches and has one assist.
While Adams and Venezia will be looking for answers after another defeat, Chukwueze continues to grow in confidence.
For now, the bragging rights in the latest Super Eagles derby belong to Chukwueze.
Gianni Infantino, the increasingly embattled FIFA president, was everywhere in the conversations as European soccer leaders gathered this week in Monaco for the Champions League draw.
UEFA, the European soccer confederation, is spearheading the backlash against Infantino over his failed World Cup sell-off plan that created a deep rift in the sport one month ago.
Many of its member federations have withdrawn their support for the FIFA leader, who is up for re-election in March 2027, and some have called for his resignation.
Infantino has not given any indication he plans to step down.
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Here’s what to know about the growing pushback against the FIFA president.
UEFA ramps up the pressure with legal action On Thursday, UEFA escalated the situation by revealing that it is preparing a possible criminal complaint against the FIFA president in Switzerland where the organization is based for alleged mismanagement.
The European soccer confederation filed requests in U.S. courts seeking evidence about Infantino’s secretive plan to give private investors led by Joshua Kushner a stake in the profits of future World Cups and other FIFA tournaments for $4.2 billion.
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FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, after intense pushback.
UEFA’s lawyers called the plan “a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from FIFA’s most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family.” FIFA did not comment on UEFA’s move, which increases pressure on Infantino and puts other FIFA staffers at risk of legal exposure relating to a project that its now-fired chief operating officer said was Infantino’s idea.
It also means Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, faces increased scrutiny at a time when he is involved in a $12 billion takeover deal for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Some of Infantino’s critics want him to step down before the vote.
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“Infantino is polarizing the world in a way we haven’t seen in history,” Norwegian soccer federation president Lise Klaveness said in Monaco.
Norway was the first FIFA member federation explicitly asking Infantino to resign in the wake of the World Cup investment plan.
Infantino’s re-election no longer a foregone conclusion Just months ago, ahead of the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, Infantino was cruising toward an uncontested election win next March, with a clear majority of FIFA members backing him.
Things look less certain now, with UEFA, Asian confederation AFC and CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer North and Central America and the Caribbean, accusing the FIFA president of ” deception.” Together those groups represent a majority of FIFA member federations. However, several AFC and CONCACAF members have declared continued support for Infantino as have a series of soccer federations in Africa and South America, many of which depend on FIFA funding. He needs just over half of FIFA’s 211 member federations to vote for him to be re-elected.
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Infantino spent last weekend in the Dominican Republic meeting FIFA members from the Caribbean, despite a request by FIFA’s Canadian vice president and CONCACAF leader Victor Montagliani not to visit.
The Kushner-backed $4.2 billion investment would have funded $20 million offers to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations. That would be game-changing money for the 25 members in the Caribbean.
On Wednesday, Infantino’s Instagram account showed he was in Vietnam.
So far, no challenger has emerged to run against Infantino. The candidate deadline is Nov. 18, four months before election day in Rabat, Morocco, which is a FIFA stronghold.
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Key dates on the soccer calendar Infantino would be expected in Poland soon for the FIFA-organized Under-20 Women’s World Cup played from Sept. 5-27. But one Polish soccer official in Monaco said they had no idea of Infantino’s plans to be in the country.
It is a long-standing quip that FIFA staff read Instagram to learn where he is.
UEFA has an executive committee meeting Sept. 15 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The influential European Football Clubs group meets Sept. 29 in Copenhagen. It is close to sealing a joint venture deal with FIFA overseeing the 2029 Club World Cup that Infantino wants to be worth $2 billion.
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The clubs’ leader Nasser al-Khelaifi, from Paris Saint-Germain, is a key ally of UEFA and also a member of the government of Qatar which has backed Infantino in this crisis.
Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney discussed the United icon’s son, Kai, in Owen’s new documentary
Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has asked Wayne Rooney – the father of United starlet Kai – if he would ever double up as his son’s agent – and he received a clear response. The interaction can be seen on Meet the Owens, which premiered on Amazon this week.
The new show gives insight into the private lives of Owen, his wife Louise, and their four children, Gemma, James, Emily, and Jessica. In the clip, the former England duo discuss their son’s forays into professional football after a taping of the Wayne Rooney Show.
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However, the elder Rooney shot down his former team-mate, simply saying, “No, no,” and laughing at Owen’s suggestion. Kai has signed a scholarship deal at Old Trafford, having been part of United’s youth ranks since the age of 11.
As for an agency, the young striker has actually signed with Triple S Sports Management, the same company his father was signed to. The global agency is owned by Rooney Snr’s agent, Paul Stretford.
Confirming his addition, a post on the agency’s Instagram read: “Delighted to announce the signing of @kairooney.10 to Triple S Sports! We’re excited to begin working with the Manchester United forward as he continues his journey in the game. A bright future ahead. Welcome to the team, Kai!”
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Speaking via the BBC last year, Rooney Snr believes his son is in good hands. The United legend said: “He has great coaches at Manchester United, so I take a stand-off approach. I speak to him, but for me it’s all about his mentality and his mindset, to make sure he keeps enjoying it – that’s the main thing for me.”
The 16-year-old Rooney appears to be taking everything in his stride despite the huge pressure that could be felt on his shoulders, with Mum Coleen recently discussing his rapid ascent.
She said to The Times: “He’s lived it from a young age. “When we used to go to matches when he was younger, he’d get a lot of people coming up saying, ‘Oh, are you Wayne Rooney’s son?’
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“But he’s strong-minded, always has been. I’ve got no worries in the way he deals with it. “It’s nice that we know what to expect. And we can try to guide him. Obviously, it’s his life, his passion. He can decide what he wants to do. But I think it’s good we’ve got the knowledge.”
Owen, who also played for Liverpool, Newcastle United and Stoke City in the Premier League, admits to breaking down in tears upon learning that his son, James, had a condition called Stargardt in his new reality series.
The ex-England forward had hoped his son would follow in his footsteps into professional football, just as Kai followed his father.
However, James’s disease causes progressive central vision loss. This usually begins in childhood or adolescence and can lead to blurry, hazy, or distorted vision.
Talking in the show, Owen says: “When he first got diagnosed, I remember stopping in the car, three or four times, and just bursting out crying, thinking, ‘What’s his life going to be like?’ I just wanted him to not feel sorry for himself, wanted him to have a positive outlook on life.
“Most people who play football have the dream of their son following in their footsteps. That’s what my dad had with me. I wanted James to be a footballer when he was really young but obviously that dream was dashed quite early.”
Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Every Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh runs you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.
Tommy Fleetwood’s new putter this week at the Tour Championship is basically a more refined version of the one he used to nab his first PGA Tour win last year at East Lake.
This week, the lines are back in a new design and in a new shape with TaylorMade’s new Spider Tour V. With the new wand, Fleetwood gained nearly three-fourths of a stroke on the greens during his opening-round 66 at East Lake on Thursday.
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Fleetwood is making his fifth putter change of the year this week and Holley said the alignment aid and the new shape were just two parts of a three-part story.
When it comes to the shape, it’s a really interesting progression to follow for Fleetwood and his putters over the past two years. He went from a blade to the Spider Tour (TaylorMade’s deepest CG mallet at the time) last year. This year, he’s progressively gone to a more forward CG with his putter, going from the Tour to the Tour X and now the Tour V, TaylorMade’s most forward-CG mallet. All with short slant hosels.
Fleetwood is always testing different putters on the practice green at events, not just for him, but also to give feedback to TaylorMade.
Last year, Tommy Fleetwood finally got over the hump, winning his first PGA Tour event at the Tour Championship with a TaylorMade Spider Tour putter with unique, custom drawn sharpie lines on the top.
Fast forward a year and Fleetwood gained nearly 3/4 of a stroke on the greens… pic.twitter.com/FTYhjZdy35
“We test a lot with Tommy throughout the year not only for his game but also to generate feedback on designs for putters we are looking to bring to market,” Holley told GOLF. “Specifically on Spider Tour V, he had a lot of feedback for us in terms of the forward CG and longer blade length.”
But as the season has gone on, Holley said his stroke is in a better place to use a putter with a more forward CG.
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“With his work with Phil Kenyon, his stroke has gotten into a really nice spot, and he really can almost use anything,” Holley said. “Generally, he does a bit better with more forward CG specifically on the left-to-right putts.”
Fleetwood did change alignment aids that week in Texas. He went away from the short sharpie lines on the top of his putter to a “pilot’s eye” alignment aid. He ended up using the “pilot’s eye” for most of this season.
TORCHED PVD FINISH The durable PVD coating creates a beautiful high-quality finish. THIN WALL UNDERCUT CONSTRUCTION We’ve engineered a super stable structure by removing excess weight to create high MOI and legendary Spider performance. CG LOCATION PROGRESSION Each Spider Torched model features different CG locations for optimal putter fitting. HYBRAR ECHO® DAMPENER HYBRAR is behind the face to dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feel on every putt with the best possible sensation.
Until last week at the BMW, when Holley said Fleetwood brought up bringing back the lines, this time lasered onto the top. Holley made Fleetwood replicas of his Tour Championship-winning putter with the Sharpie lines lasered on earlier this year.
With the Sharpie-line putter, Holley said they learned Fleetwood doesn’t like long individual lines to line up with and instead does better with something that creates a path or parallel line.
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Thus, the idea for the full-length laser lines.
“Our team back at TaylorMade HQ is pretty incredible and can create putters of almost any shape or visual very quickly,” Holley said. “We sent Tommy some CAD designs of lines on different heads on Wednesday of last week and had this Spider Tour V he is playing ready for him to practice with on Monday.”
The last piece of the puzzle for the switch was the sole draft on the Spider Tour V, which Holley said is uniquely altered for the model’s forward CG.
“The sole on all our putters are specifically designed with CG in mind,” he said. “The sole of Spider Tour V along with the lines made it easy for Tommy to aim the putter and feel confident it was on the right line.”
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Tommy Fleetwood’s Spider Tour V Specs
Spider Tour V Neck: Short slant Insert: Pure Roll Loft: 2.3˚ Lie: 68.5˚ Length: 34″ EOG Finish: Torched Grip: SuperStroke 2.0 Mid Slim
Min Woo Lee’s blind shaft ‘gamble’
I wasn’t really expecting too many gear moves this week… but here we are.
After his opening-round 62 at the Tour Championship, Min Woo Lee revealed he made an 11th-hour iron shaft change this week.
“I was looking at what’s in the bags of everyone else and trying to find out… pic.twitter.com/PTSzbTaXt3
After his opening-round 62 at the Tour Championship, Min Woo Lee revealed he made a ‘gamble’ this week trying to break a ball-striking funk after two poor starts to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Not only did Lee change his iron shafts, but he did so with a blind test.
“I was looking at what’s in the bags of everyone else and trying to find out what to do and ended up changing shafts before the week, on the Tuesday,” Lee said. “Even my team was very hesitant about it, but the results were really good when I did practice with it, and it was nice to hit shots that I saw out there, and it was really good.
“It was very hesitant and very reactive on the last two weeks on why I wanted to change it, but it was a good gamble.”
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Lee switched to the True Temper Dynamic Gold S400, a heavier profile than his previous Nippon Modus3 Tour 125 X, after a blind test earlier this week.
“There were three shafts that he (Callaway rep Kellen Watson) took off the stickers on, and I just hit some shots,” Lee said. “One was really nice, and it was that one.”
Watson said Lee has been working with his coach, Ritchie Smith, on neutralizing his swing path and attack angle. That was actually the catalyst for the switch from the Dynamic Gold X100 two years ago to the Modus 125.
The True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue is ideal for the player looking for a low launch, low spin shaft designed for optimum control and accuracy. You can buy the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue built to your required specifications. The True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue is the Gold Standard by which all other irons shafts are measured. It is the most successful shaft in the history of golf and still continues to dominate on professional tours each and every year. The Tour Issue shafts hold the industries tightest weight tolerances for exacting performance demanded by the best players. You can purchase the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue in the following flexes: S400, and X100.
The Modus helped him dynamically start to shallow his attack angle, but over the last few months, Lee’s team realized the shaft was more compensating for issues rather than solving them. The slightly lighter weight was actually making Lee swing too fast.
Thus, the blind test this week and the heavier and slightly softer S400 won out.
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“There’s less catch-up and squaring from the shaft,” Watson said. “The additional lag was helping straight shots and cuts. He’s able to be more aggressive with draws during the swing without the fear of a left-to-left shot.”
On Thursday, Lee was third in the field in SG: Approach, picking up 1.3 shots.
“I don’t think I hit too many perfect shots, but the misses were really good,” he said. “When I try to hit a fade, you want the miss to be straight and not way right. I thought it’s just a little bit easier to get to the ball or lag behind me a little bit, so then I don’t have these missed contacts.”
Young makes surprising putter move
Pic from yesterday, but it does indeed seem Cameron Young has switched to a new Scotty Cameron Xperimental 10.5 prototype at the Tour Championship.
From the pictures @ACameronWRX shared, it does look like a fairly similar shape to his 9.5R gamer with the same jet neck hosel.… pic.twitter.com/uQIq5SlzHK
Cameron Young has played the best golf of his career over the past year+ and most of it leads back to switching to Scotty Cameron’s Phantom 9.5R early last season.
But the run that included Young’s first three PGA Tour victories, including the Players Championship, and the No. 4 standing in the FedEx Cup coming into this week has, at least for this week, come to an end.
Young has a new wand this week in the form of a Scotty Cameron Xperimental 10.5. From the photos shared by GolfWRX, the model appears to be new shape from Cameron, with a fairly similar shape to Young’s 9.5R.
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The key difference appears to be an aluminum insert that Cameron has been using more and more of this season.
With nearly all of Cameron’s putter shapes using an insert this cycle, the brand has experimented with different materials in addition to the Studio Carbon Steel available at retail. Tried-and-true Cameron materials have shown up like Studio Stainless Steel, German Stainless Steel and even Teryllium. But the most interesting is probably the alumnium, which hasn’t shown up in too many Circle Ts before this year.
With aluminum being lighter than steel, the insert helps take mass away from the face, allowing it to be reallocated deeper in the putter head and increasing MOI.
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Young was spotted testing the new Phantom 12 at the Travelers, which has an aluminum face to accomplish the same thing.
While Young has put together the best season of his PGA Tour career thus far, his putting has fallen off since his last win. He peaked at 37th in SG: Putting after his second win of the year at the Cadillac Championship in May, but has since fallen to 113th after three consecutive negative performances. That’s after ranking 7th in the stat in 2025.
He opened with an even-par 70 at East Lake, but went out in 5-under 30 to begin his second round.
Check this out
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. This week, check out PGA Champion Aaron Rai’s wedges, who recently switched to stamping the wedge names on his wedges instead of the letter or loft.
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Aaron Rai has some unique stamping on his wedges.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Cameron Young also switched to a Ping G440 Max 3-wood with a Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80TX shaft, his fourth 3-wood in the last few weeks … Chris Gotterup has been using a Japan-only Bridgestone B-Forged 100CB 4-iron since Memphis … Russell Henley added a TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood and 7-wood with Titan Black.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Jonathan Kuminga‘s agent, Aaron Turner, leaked details of his negotiations with Steve Kerr and Joe Lacob from the 2025 free agency on Friday. Turner addressed the situation after he and Kuminga came under fire for agreeing to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Appearing on FanDuel’s flagship show Run It Back, Turner opened up about his conversations with Steve Kerr and the Warriors‘ front office while speaking with host Chandler Parsons, describing the negotiations as one of the “weirdest.”
Thanks for the submission!
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“They wanted him to get into restricted free agency, where then part two of the Warriors negotiation went on, which was last summer,” Turner said. “It set the table for the weirdness of probably the weirdest negotiation of all time.
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“You’ll never see again where a Hall of Fame coach (Kerr) comes out and says, ‘This guy JK, he’s a really good, talented player, but he doesn’t fit the roster with Draymond and Jimmy.’ And then, on the flip side of that, you have the front office and owner offer him money in the 20s (millions).”
Kuminga’s situation with the Warriors in 2025 was well documented, with the forward stalling negotiations in hopes of having more control over his future, with a player option clause. However, he eventually signed a two-year, $46.8 million deal with a team option before being shipped to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline.
Fast forward to this summer, when the Hawks declined the team option, making Kuminga a free agent once again and allowing him to sign with the Timberwolves, where he has a player option in the second year.
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Agent explains why Jonathan Kuminga turned down rumored $75 million Warriors deal
During his free agency negotiations with the Warriors in 2025, Jonathan Kuminga was reportedly offered a three-year, $75.2 million contract. However, the forward allegedly rejected the proposal, hoping to secure more control over his future.
His agent Aaron Turner explained the reasoning behind the decision on Friday.
“With the ($75 million deal), it was to me, he had to get to a spot to make long-term money, or past this contract, where the basketball was set,” Turner said.
“If you understand this business, it’s ‘If it’s a good basketball fit, the money follows.’ The money coming before the basketball is not really how you’re going to continue to make more and more money.”
Kuminga’s new deal with the Timberwolves gives him more leverage, as he has a player option for the second year. If he performs well in Minnesota, he could decline the option and enter free agency again with a chance to secure a larger contract.
And for a limited time, you can take an extra 20 percent off the regular list price.
What can a pre-owned club offer you? For gear heads, tinkerers or simply golfers who love a great deal, shopping pre-owned gear is a way to enjoy ultra-premium equipment, complete with custom upgrades, for a steep discount. Fairway Jockey’s selection offers many clubs that are one of one — that is, you’d be hard-pressed to find a exact duplicate that includes every customized spec.
You can also rest assured that these clubs are truly premium items. Before any of these pre-owned clubs are offered for sale, Fairway Jockey performs a rigorous assessment of their quality. Every pre-owned club is thoroughly inspected and vetted by up to four expert assessors, and must achieve a minimum score of 7 out of 10 on Fairway Jockey’s strict grading scale before it’s offered for sale.
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The minimum threshold of 7 — which equates to “Good” condition — indicates normal wear and tear like scuffs and scratches from use over 20 to 40 rounds of play. A score of 8 (Very Good) indicates just 10 to 20 rounds of play, with only minimal wear and perhaps a single mark. And a 9 (Like New) is reserved for clubs that are practically brand new, with fewer than five rounds of play.
And keep in mind: these special clubs aren’t off-the-rack items you can find just anywhere. These custom creations were built in Fairway Jockey’s tour-level build shop and often include coveted upgraded shafts from the likes of Fujikura, Graphite Design, Mitsubishi and LA Golf, as well as other unique customizations that aren’t available anywhere else.
So if you’re in the market for some fresh, high-end gear for a smokin’ deal, now is a great time to shop, because Fairway Jockey’s fresh batch of new additions is sure to move quickly. And once they’re gone, they’re gone! Choose from putters, iron sets, wedges, drivers and more to save hundreds — and sometimes thousands! — of dollars.
Used Pre-Owned Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset Putter with BGT Stability Tour2 Black shaft. Shaft is uncut and ungripped. Ready to be cut and gripped to desired length.
CONDITION
Like New (9/10)
# of Rounds Played: 1-5
Club is in excellent/new condition and exhibits no wear.
It was a good day for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles in the American League wild-card picture.
Toronto and Baltimore were the lone clubs chasing the third wild-card spot to secure victories on Friday, as the Blue Jays won big at home over the Seattle Mariners and the Orioles secured an extra-inning triumph over the Athletics.
The wins allowed the AL East rivals to gain ground on the Cleveland Guardians, who saw their seven-game win streak end against the Kansas City Royals.
Friday’s action also saw the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers lose to National League competition.
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The Houston Astros, meanwhile, also benefited from the down day across the junior circuit, extending their lead atop the AL West.
Here’s how the standings look after Friday’s results:
Toronto: vs. Seattle, 3:07 p.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) Houston: at New York Mets, 4:10 p.m. New York Yankees: vs. Boston (Game 1), 1:05 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+) New York Yankees: vs. Boston (Game 1), 7:15 p.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) Baltimore: at Athletics, 10:05 p.m. (Sportsnet+) Boston: at New York Yankees (Game 1), 1:05 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+) Boston: at New York Yankees (Game 2), 7:15 p.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) Texas: at Milwaukee, 7:15 p.m. Cleveland: vs. Kansas City, 4:10 p.m. Minnesota: vs. Chicago White Sox, 2:10 p.m. Seattle: at Toronto, 3:07 p.m. Detroit: vs. L.A. Dodgers, 1:10 p.m. (Sportsnet+)
TORONTO — Dylan Cease struck out eight in six innings, George Springer was 4 for 4 with a home run, and Toronto beat Seattle.
Cease (9-5), who gave up four hits, one run and a walk, now has 217 strikeouts to lead the AL. The only pitcher in the majors with more is Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski with 222.
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Cease is 5-1 with a 1.48 ERA in his past 10 starts, including two wins over the Mariners.
Springer, who scored three runs, singled in the first inning, doubled in the third, hit his 14th homer in the fifth and singled in the seventh. Springer hit a memorable homer the last time Toronto hosted Seattle, a three-run shot to put the Blue Jays ahead in Game 7 of the 2025 ALCS.
Kazuma Okamoto and Nathan Lukes added homers for the Blue Jays.
ORIOLES 4, ATHLETICS 3, 10
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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two-out RBI singles in the 10th inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Athletics 4-3 on Friday night.
The Orioles pulled within two games of Cleveland for the final AL wild card.
Automatic runner Carlos Narváez started the 10th on second base and rookie Brady Basso (0-1) intentionally walked Pete Alonso with one out. Jackson Holliday struck out after Gunnar Henderson came in to pinch run for Alonso, and Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand each drove in a run for a 4-2 lead.
Brandon Young pitched seven innings and allowed a run on five hits and a walk in a start for Baltimore, leaving with a 2-1 lead. Andrew Kittredge (3-3) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win and rookie Alex Hoppe allowed an RBI single by Zack Gelof before closing out the 10th for his first save.
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NEW YORK — Paul Goldschmidt homered, left fielder Cody Bellinger threw out the potential tying run at home plate to end the seventh inning and New York edged Boston in the opener of a pivotal four-game series.
Cam Schlittler (12-6) shut down his hometown team again, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander from Walpole, Massachusetts overcame five walks, which matched a career high, as the Red Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall.
They also cost themselves with a terrible baserunning blunder by Ceddanne Rafaela, who got doubled off first as the trail runner when Wilyer Abreu lined out to centre field — ending the fifth with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck.
New York remained four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston in the race for the top American League wild-card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the longtime rivals.
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CLEVELAND — Michael Wacha dominated Cleveland’s lineup by allowing just four singles over eight innings as Kansas City stayed scorching hot with a win to end the Guardians’ winning streak at seven games.
Wacha (8-8) was in control from his first pitch to his 103rd and cooled off the Guardians, who just returned from a 6-0 trip to Colorado and Los Angeles.
Rookie Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Royals, who have won 11 of 12 and are 23-16 since the All-Star break.
Wacha, who leads the AL with 18 quality starts, walked none and struck out a season-high 10. The Guardians only got one runner past second base against the right-hander. Wacha improved to 6-1 against AL Central teams in 2026.
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Steven Cruz loaded the bases in the ninth on two singles and a hit batter before retiring Angel Genao on a comebacker for his sixth save.
NEW YORK — Hunter Brown struck out 10 and allowed a run over 6 2/3 innings, Daulton Varsho had a two-run single in a three-run sixth inning and Houston beat New York.
Brown (4-3) threw 102 pitches and allowed five hits and a walk, becoming the first Astros starter since Aug. 10 to complete six innings.
Bryan Abreu struck out two and retired all four batters he faced. Josh Hader struck out two in the ninth for his 20th save in 20 opportunities.
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Brown struck out six and didn’t allow a hit through the first three innings, but Francisco Lindor led off the fourth with a single then scored from first on Carson Benge’s one-out double.
Christian Scott (4-4) allowed only a Jose Altuve single in 5 1/3 innings, but he left after loading the bases on three walks. Varsho greeted Nate Lavender with a two-run single and Yainer Diaz singled in another run.
MINNEAPOLIS — Colson Montgomery hit his 28th homer and Andrew Benintendi drove in two runs to help AL Central-leading Chicago beat Minnesota.
Chicago took advantage of shaky pitching early by the Twins. Montgomery’s three-run homer off starter Dean Kremer (2-5) in the first inning put the White Sox up 4-0.
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The Twins climbed back with first-inning homers by Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens. Lee also singled in the second to tie it at 4 before Chicago regained the lead on Benintendi’s double in the third.
Both starting pitchers went just four innings. Chicago right-hander Luis Castillo allowed four runs on eight hits, while Kremer gave up six runs — five earned — in his outing.
Reliever Grant Taylor (7-2) pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings for Chicago for the victory. Bryan Hudson pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
MILWAUKEE — Logan Henderson gave up one hit over seven innings and Jake Bauers reached base five times and scored twice in his return to the lineup as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Texas Rangers 6-1 on Friday night.
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Henderson (9-2), who has allowed three runs or less in each of his first 19 career starts, including 14 this season, gave up one run, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in matching the longest outing of his career, on Aug. 16 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Bauers, who missed three consecutive games with shin splints, went 2 for 2 with three walks, two runs scored and a stolen base.
The Brewers, who have the best record in the majors, moved a season-high eight games ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central. Texas has lost 13 of its last 16 games on the road.
The Brewers jumped on Rangers starter Cody Bradford (0-3) in the first. Brice Turang had a bunt single and took second on a throwing error. Turang tagged on Jackson Chourio’s fly out and scored on William Contreras’ groundout. Christian Yelich’s run-scoring double gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.
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Tarik Skubal threw six solid innings against his former team, Freddie Freeman hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on to beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Friday night.
Skubal allowed one run on four hits and struck out seven. He was welcomed back with mostly cheers, and a smattering of boos, from fans in his first game as a visitor at Comerica Park since being traded this month.
In a crowd that had mixed emotions about Skubal’s return, a couple young fans had fitting outfits sporting white Tigers jerseys with 29 and Skubal on the back — and a blue Dodgers hat.
Evan Phillips (2-2), Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia combined for three innings of scoreless relief and Tanner Scott pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances.
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Jacob Waguespack (1-2) gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Skubal allowed a leadoff double to Gleyber Torres and the two-time Cy Young Award winner went on to retire the next 12 batters, including striking out the side in the third inning.
Eduardo Valencia led off the fifth with a double against Skubal and Max Clark followed with a two-out triple in the inning to break a scoreless tie.
The Dodgers tied it in the next inning on Miguel Rojas’ RBI single off left-handed reliever Drew Sommers and they went ahead in the eighth. Freeman hit a two-out single to centre that scored Teoscar Hernández for a 2-1 lead.
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CHICAGO — Tyler Stephenson hit a three-run homer to highlight a five-run sixth inning, Jose Trevino, TJ Friedl and Sal Stewart also went deep and Cincinnati scored nine unanswered runs in a win over Chicago.
Down 3-0 after three innings, the Reds cut their deficit to 3-2 in the fifth before moving ahead in the sixth when Trevino tied it with a solo homer, Stewart added an RBI single and Stephenson launched a 399-foot homer to centre to make it 7-3.
Usually reliable Cubs reliever Trent Thornton (5-5) took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits and a walk while getting just two outs.
Stewart had his 29th homer to go with a single, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. Five Cincinnati players had a multi-hit game, including shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who had three hits, two RBIs and scored a run.
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The loss extended a tough stretch for the Cubs’ bullpen, which blew two saves on the team’s recent West Coast trip.
WASHINGTON — Brady House hit a three-run homer, Jackson Kent threw seven innings of one-run ball to pick up his first major league win, and Washington beat Miami.
Washington scored five runs in the third after Miami starter Eury Pérez walked the first three batters on just 14 pitches. The Nationals scored two on a wild pitch to take a 2-1 lead and House hit his 10th homer of the season 445 feet.
The Nationals added four runs in the seventh. Harry Ford hit his third home run of the season over the wall in left-centre field for a 6-1 lead. Dylan Crews hit a double into the left-field corner to score two more and reach base for the eighth consecutive game.
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Daylen Lile tripled over the centre-fielder to score another run, his sixth triple of the season.
Washington snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series with the Marlins. The Nationals had scored just 15 total runs over the last seven games against Miami.
ATLANTA — Michael Harris II drove in three runs on two hits, including a homer, Ronald Acuña Jr. had three hits and three runs, and Atlanta beat Colorado for its fifth straight win.
Right-hander Grant Holmes (9-5) allowed three runs on eight hits — all singles — in five innings for Atlanta. Before the game, the Braves announced right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep would have season-ending elbow surgeries.
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Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8) gave up six runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings. Sugano left the game after gave up three hits, including a two-run homer by Harris, to open the fifth.
Acuña, who was rested in the Braves’ 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night, had three hits and a walk as the cleanup hitter for the first time this season.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Yandy Diaz and Cedric Mullins each homered and drove in two runs and AL-leading Tampa Bay scored five runs in the fourth inning on the way to a victory over San Diego.
Shane McClanahan (10-6) allowed three hits and four runs, three earned, with two walks and four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old left-hander improved to 8-1 at home.
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Chandler Simpson had two hits, two stolen bases and scored twice as the Rays (80-54) won for the fourth time in five games and became the first team in the American League to reach 80 wins.
Casey Mize (5-8) allowed seven runs, two earned, on six hits in five innings. Jackson Merrill homered for San Diego, which is 8-2 in its last 10 games.
ST. LOUIS — Quinn Mathews allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings for his first major league win and Jimmy Crooks hit a two-run homer to lead St. Louis to a victory over Pittsburgh.
Mathews (1-2) threw 102 pitches in the longest of his four starts. He struck out seven for the second time and walked one in his first outing at home.
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Ryan Fernandez followed Mathews with two scoreless innings. Fernandez left after a two-out walk to Brian Reynolds in the eighth and Caleb Ferguson got the final out when Reynolds was hit on the foot on a single through the infield by Oneil Cruz. Ryne Stanek struck out two in the ninth for his second save.
Nolan Gorman had a one-out double off Jacob Jones (2-6) in the third and Crooks followed with his fifth home run of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Jordan Walker and José Fermín singled leading off the fourth, and Nathan Church hit a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 advantage.
Jared Triolo had two of Pittsburgh’s six hits and drove in a run with a two-out single in the fifth.
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa hit his first career grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies roared back for a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Sosa connected just two batters after Wade Meckler reached deep into the right-field stands to rob Bryson Stott of a three-run homer.
After J.T. Realmuto drew a walk that loaded the bases and chased shaky closer Ben Joyce (0-2), Sosa crushed a low changeup from Sammy Peralta 404 feet to centre, far beyond Mike Trout’s reach.
Alex McFarlane (4-1) pitched the eighth for Philly. Jonathan Bowlan got the ninth instead of closer Jhoan Duran, and he put two Angels on base before he struck out Adam Frazier to finish his second save.
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DIAMONDBACKS 10, GIANTS 6
SAN FRANCISCO — Lars Nootbaar homered to center on the first pitch of the game and had three of Arizona’s 12 hits to help the Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 10-6 on Friday night.
Arizona moved a half-game back of San Diego for the third wild-card spot in the National League.
Nootbaar’s home run was his fifth of the season and one of three hit by the Diamondbacks off Blade Tidwell. Corbin Carroll took Tidwell (0-1) deep to center in the third inning for a two-run homer that put Arizona on top 3-2. It was Carroll’s 19th home run of the season.
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With two outs in the third, Tim Tawa launched a three-run shot to left off Tidwell to increase the Diamondbacks’ lead to 6-2.
The Giants got a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the third from Bryce Eldridge. The rookie has 15 home runs this season.
;)
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