Thailand’s women’s national volleyball books a ticket to the LA 2028 Olympics. –THAILAND VOLLEYBALL ASSOCIATION
BANGKOK– Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team made history after defeating hosts China 3-2 in the final of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Asian Championship, successfully defending their continental title and securing their first-ever place at the Olympic Games.
The five-set victory earned Thailand direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, marking the first time the women’s national volleyball team will compete on the Olympic stage.
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Thailand made an impressive start to the final, carrying their confidence from the previous round into a strong opening set. Solid defence combined with an effective attack allowed them to control the contest and take the first set 25-20.
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China responded emphatically in the second. Thailand began to struggle with their serve reception, while the hosts found greater consistency in both attack and defence. China dominated the set 25-11 to level the match at 1-1.
Thailand regrouped in the third and produced a much tighter contest, taking the lead at stages during the middle and latter part of the set. China, however, raised their level at the decisive moments and overturned the deficit to win 25-23, moving 2-1 ahead.
Needing the fourth set to keep the match alive, Thailand responded strongly. Their attacking rhythm returned, while improved defence created opportunities to dictate play. A 25-18 victory levelled the match at 2-2 and forced a deciding fifth set.
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The two teams remained locked in a tense battle in the decider amid strong support for the hosts. Thailand maintained their composure under pressure and won the decisive points to close out the set 15-10, completing a 3-2 victory.
The result secured another Asian championship for Thailand and, more significantly, delivered direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
After generations of Thai players pursued the Olympic dream, Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team will now compete at the Games for the first time in its history.
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Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith was shown love by Paige Bueckers, Sophie Cunningham and other members of the WNBA faternity on Monday. The $3.7 million forward received reactions from WNBA stars in her IG recap, with many leaving heartfelt comments.
Smith shared a recap on IG before heading to Berlin for the FIBA World Cup.
“A tiny recap before World Cup kicks off… be back soon 🕺🏼🪽,” Smith captioned the post.
Sharing a nine-slide post, Smith showcased different aspects of her season, including moments both on and off the court. The images quickly caught people’s attention, with many of her teammates, including Paige Bueckers, reacting to it.
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“Miss you already, you little gremlin,” Bueckers wrote.
“Double tap 1k times 🥰🥰🥰,” Alysha Clark added.
“Good luck 🤭🦘, ” Arike Ogunbowale remarked.
“Go be great 😍🤩,” Jessica Shepard commented.
However, her teammates weren’t the only WNBA players reacting to the post, as Fever star Sophie Cunningham also showed love to Smith in the comments.
“Cutie😍,” Cunningham expressed.
Paige Bueckers, Sophie Cunningham and other WNBA stars show love to Alanna Smith on IG (Source: IG@alannas96)
Smith received ample love from her peers on her post as she heads to Germany as part of Australia’s squad at the FIBA World Cup. The forward, who previously won bronze with the Opals at the 2024 Olympics, will hope to help her team go further this time around as they look to take Team USA’s crown.
Smith and Co. have been drawn in Group C alongside Belgium, Turkey, and Puerto Rico and will face the latter in their first group game on Friday.
Sophie Cunningham once praised Paige Bueckers and the younger generation for “changing” the WNBA
Sophie Cunningham once praised Paige Bueckers and her generation of players, including Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, in February. The Fever guard offered praise while discussing their impact on the WNBA.
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During an appearance on the “Like a Farmer Podcast,” Cunningham discussed the difference Bueckers and the rest of the group have made in the WNBA, while highlighting how their social media followings have helped bring more fans to the league.
“Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, like they’re just in that generation that social media was a huge thing and they brought the collegiate fans into the W,” Cunningham said.
“And so it’s like a huge, it’s a great time to be a part of it. And so instead of being jealous, I think people should just be thankful and, you know, go make your money now.”
Despite being a fierce competitor on court, Cunningham remains one of the most outspoken WNBA players and does not shy away from showing love to individuals.
The Australian failed a drugs test at a tournament in Mallorca in June, with the test later found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. He was suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) from 4 August and later posted on social media to say he made a “huge mistake”.
Tsitsipas was asked about the case on Monday after he produced one of the shocks of the US Open so far, defeating in-form 10th seed Arthur Fils in the first round.
He said: “Pretty much expected, to be honest. I am surprised it came so late, though.
“I mean, to be entirely honest with you, I knew about this before the announcement. Myself, I knew about it.
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“So what can I tell you? I will just tell you the truth. I knew about all of this before any announcement was made, and when I saw it on social media, I was, like, ‘Here we go.’ I kind of expected it, to be honest.”
Tsitsipas and Kyrgios – who has played scarcely over the last few years after a series of injury struggles – have had a fraught relationship in the past. The two had a testy encounter at Wimbledon in 2022, with the Greek calling Kyrgios a “bully” and playing a couple of shots directly at his opponent. Kyrgios reached his only slam final at SW19 that year.
Tsitsipas added: “I knew that those were things that were happening away from the tennis courts. I will tell you that.
“I’m not going to try and cover up someone that I know the truth for. I’ll consider myself a nice person with everyone, but these were behaviors that I personally heard on the tour and heard other people in that same environment saying those sort of things to me.”
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Kyrgios admitted he made a ‘huge mistake’ (Reuters)
Kyrgios said in his post that he would stepping away from public life and social media for 28 days to “focus on getting myself right”, and apologised to his fans, sponsors and nearest and dearest.
He wrote: “I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.
“I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone.
Bayern Munich Frauen got their first home win in their first home game of the season.
The Frauen had not played at the FC Bayern Campus all throughout preseason, and had two away games to start the season. Now, finally returning home, the team defeated Mainz 05 2-0 in the Bundesliga to maintain their strong start.
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Bundesliga newcomers Mainz did not make it easy for Bayern, though. Digging their heels in deep, Bayern had to sweat and toil for their first goal, which did not arrive until late in the first half. Klara Bühl’s cross was just kept alive by Linda Dallmann, who squared it for Giulia Gwinn to smash into the roof of the net. It was Gwinn’s first game back from her shoulder surgery.
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There was another newcomer in the second half, this one much longer overdue. Lena Oberdorf made her first appearance of the season after her ACL injury, her first appearance since last October. Sarah Mattner also made her professional debut for Bayern when she came on alongside Oberdorf.
Despite the overwhelming depth in quality, Mainz still held firm, and Bayern had to wait until stoppage time to fully exhale. Bühl got her second assist of the day when her corner found Vanessa Gilles, who headed home to seal the result.
The result means that Bayern have equaled their record of 44 Bundesliga games unbeaten. Bayern’s next game will come this Sunday when they face Freiburg at the Campus.
NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka channelled Allen Iverson as part of her US Open debut, and the former NBA superstar liked the look.
Osaka made her usual fashionable entrance for her match against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday night in the first round. The two-time US Open champion emerged from the tunnel onto the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her.
She had the hood on when she entered. When she removed that to reveal her black outfit, Osaka had her hair done in cornrows under a headband, just as Iverson did when he was the NBA MVP while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
It fit with her apparel company’s theme for the US Open after the New York Knicks won the NBA championship in June. Aryna Sabalenka is wearing an orange dress, one of the Knicks’ colours.
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“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) victory. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
Osaka wore a shirt with Iverson’s picture when she met with the media on the eve of the tournament and called him a trailblazer.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said Saturday. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”
She added that they’d never communicated, but Iverson posted a message to Osaka on his Instagram page Monday, writing: “Wow, what a honour!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.”
We had a heavy dose of West Coast college football in Week Zero and just enough to whet our appetite.
Now in Week 1, everyone gets in on the action.
We even have a conference matchup among potential Mountain West title contenders in Honolulu.
Here are my previews for this weekend’s games.
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San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
Friday, September 4 3:30 PM PT, ESPN+
Line:Eastern Michigan –3.5 Over/Under:56.5
Both teams kicked things off last week with different results.
The Spartans gave up the most points of any team nationally in their Week 0 loss to USC, losing to the Trojans 42-26 in the opener. The 23 fourth-quarter points made it look more respectable on the scoreboard.
The Eagles opened the season with a conference win over new MAC foe Sacramento State 28-17.
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Obviously, we cannot glean too much from those results as the opposition was vastly different.
The issue for the Spartans in the opener was the Trojans’ ability to move the ball at will through the air, and with a lot of first-year players on the receiving end of the majority of the passing yards.
While SJSU does not have to face Jayden Maiava again, EMU has an experienced QB of their own.
SJSU QB Luke Weaver | William Liang/AP
Noah Kim has played plenty of high-level college football. The grad student began at Michigan State, starting half a season for the Spartans before splitting time at Coastal Carolina.
Kim threw for 279 yards in the opener, connecting on 71.1% of his passes.
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The Spartans only saw the ball hit the ground six times as USC torched them through the air. The passing defense will need to be a lot better in Ypsilanti this week.
The EMU ground game was non-existent last week, so if San Jose State can make the Eagles one-dimensional and concentrate on slowing the air attack, they could even their record.
On defense, the Eagles’ weak spot is against the run, and SJSU does not normally commit too much to the ground game. That could play into the home team’s hand in this one.
EMU has not opened a season 2-0 since 2018. For the third time in four seasons, the Spartans will open the season with consecutive losses.
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Winner:Eastern Michigan ATS:San Jose State O/U:Under
UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma
Friday, September 4 5:00 PM PT, SEC Network
Line:Oklahoma –42 Over/Under:50.5
The Miners’ first game as a Mountain West program will be a challenge as Scotty Walden takes his squad north to meet SEC opponent Oklahoma.
The last time we saw the Sooners, they were falling apart in a painful meltdown against Alabama on their home field in a Playoff loss.
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This season, the Sooners figure to be much better.
UTEP will look to fine-tune their go-go offense ahead of their new conference challenges.
These teams have met five times prior, with the Sooners winning each meeting by a combined 248-41 score.
Miners QB EJ Colson | UTEP Athletics
This one probably won’t be as close. If UTEP’s high-octane offense is producing, it could slow down the Sooner pass rush and keep the defense gassed.
That is a big ask, however, and should the offense get hampered with three-and-outs, the UTEP defense will be getting worked.
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The more likely outcome is that the Oklahoma front four spends a ton of time in the UTEP backfield, and the Miners struggle to gain 50 yards rushing.
On the other side of the ball, John Mateer will put up big numbers and get into a good rhythm before facing Michigan in Week 2.
Winner:Oklahoma ATS:Oklahoma O/U:Over
Wyoming at Colorado State
Saturday, September 5 3:00 PM PT, USA Network
Line:Colorado State –3.5 Over/Under:46.5
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For just the second time ever, a Colorado State head coach will open his tenure in Fort Collins against the Wyoming Cowboys.
Jim Mora Jr will join Julius “Hans” Wagner as the only CSU coaches to start their tenure with the Border War. Back in 1942 it was Wagner and the Rams opening 1-0. Will we see history repeat itself this weekend?
The two former conference foes will approach the season-opening rivalry slightly differently, at least, in announcing a starting QB.
Jay Sawvel has decided on Tyler Hughes under center. At William & Mary, Hughes became the first QB in program history with at least 2,000 passing yards and 600 rushing yards in the same season.
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The Cowboys hope he finds that same dual-threat magic this season.
Wyoming QB Tyler Hughes | Casper Star-Tribune
Jim Mora Jr has made it clear that he has no intention of announcing the winner of the battle between UConn transfer K’saan Farrar and Oklahoma State transfer Hauss Hejny before kickoff.
Both are raw, without much experience at their prior schools, but whoever starts will have the benefit of Juice Vereen at TE. The transfer from UConn is a talented playmaker who should be a big weapon in the Rams’ offense.
The Cowboys will look to run the ball and play solid defense. The Rams were 127th against the run in 2025 and will need to improve. This will be a good test to see where they stand.
Mora’s UConn squad was not much better against the run in 2025, ranking 124th.
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Both programs struggled last season, and this is probably a make-or-break year for the Cowboys. I think UW is much improved, and this one will be an indicator of the progress being made.
Winner:Wyoming ATS:Wyoming O/U:Under
UNLV at Hawai’i
Saturday, September 5 7:00 PM PT, The CW
Line:UNLV –3 Over/Under:58.5
Our lone league game of the week features a pair of teams I feel could be battling for the conference crown.
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It also features a pair of teams that had disappointing losses to open the season last weekend, despite my predictions to the contrary.
Last week I said the Warriors would need to shut down Micah Ford and the Stanford ground attack, and they certainly did not do either. Despite a furious comeback, Hawaii came up short.
In Las Vegas, the Rebels struggled to stop the Memphis ground attack in a 27-21 loss.
So, how do they rectify the opening week woes? Well, simply put, both teams need to limit their opponents’ rushing game.
UNLV looks to have the edge there as the Warriors would not be able to muster much on the ground at all against Stanford. UNLV produced much more rushing, but did not seem fluid.
Jackson Arnold excelled through the air and on the ground in his debut, but the Rebels need to do a better job of protecting him. The six sacks allowed last week were the high for the week.
UNLV also had too many empty trips in the Red Zone in Game One. Hawaii could have the edge in that area, but will need to be tougher up front at the line.
I was leaning toward the Rainbow Warriors, but the more I break it down, I think this one goes the way of UNLV. The Rebels get the early leg up in the MW race.
Winner:UNLV ATS:Hawai’i O/U:Under
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Central Michigan at New Mexico
Saturday, September 5 7:00 PM PT, FS1
Lines:New Mexico –10.5 Over/Under:46.5
As the conference race gets underway on the Islands, the other key player in the conference race gets its season going against Central Michigan.
New Mexico will open with uncertainty at QB, a spot that seemed like a strength just days ago. Jack Layne will miss the season with an injury, which opens the door for one of the trio of senior James Laubstein, junior Luke Moga, and sophomore Toa Fa’avae.
Expect all three to see action against the Chips as the battle for the starting spot will likely continue throughout the game.
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The loss of Layne is certainly big, but the Lobos still have a lot of talent on the roster and the best defender in the Mountain West. Jaxton Eck will anchor a defense looking to limit a CMU squad with a bruising offensive line.
Lobos QB Luke Moga | New Mexico Athletics
Couple a good veteran offensive line with a suddenly injury-riddled Lobos outfit, and this contest offers some intrigue—and puts UNM on upset alert.
This could be a good test for New Mexico. It will be interesting to see who emerges from the QB battle, and how long it takes to decide the clear winner.
CMU was way too inconsistent last season, and they still have a number of the same issues this season. I think the Lobos should pull away late as the offense will be able to produce.
Winner:New Mexico ATS:New Mexico O/U:Under
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Western Kentucky at Nevada
Saturday, September 5 7:30 PM PT, CBS Sports Network
Lines:Western Kentucky –2.5 Over/Under:52.5
Western Kentucky seems like a team poised to take C-USA by storm, and Tyson Helton has them coming off a 9-4 season and New Orleans Bowl win.
But the 2026 version of the Hilltoppers has several holes to fill from the 2025 version. And starting things off with a long road trip is never an easy task for a team looking to gel.
That could be a good sign for Nevada. The Wolf Pack looks to make a big jump in Year Three of the Jeff Choate era. Last season, the Pack traveled to WKU and fell 31-16. They hope to flip the script to open 2026.
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Dylan LaBarbera | Nevada Athletics
If Nevada is, in fact, to make a big jump this season, they will have to get it done on the defensive side of things, and will be tested early by the Tops. WKU averaged 400+ yards per game in 2025 with a balanced attack.
And while they have some holes to fill, Rodney Tisdale has a year under his belt running the offense and will be a dual-threat playmaker under center.
If Nevada is to open with a win, they will have to force mistakes from the QB and create turnovers, which was an issue in 2025. Last season, Nevada was among the worst in the nation in turnover margin and takeaways.
Western Kentucky will spoil the season opener in Reno.
Winner:WKU ATS:WKU O/U:Under
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writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
2 min read Last Updated : Sep 01 2026 | 1:42 PM IST
United States striker Folarin Balogun is set to head to Premier League team Everton on a transfer from Monaco, British media reported on Monday.
The transfer fee offered by Everton is reported to be in the range of 40 million pounds ($54 million) on a four-year deal, the British Press Association said. It said personal terms had yet to be worked out before the deal could be completed prior to Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
The 25-year-old Balogun, who had two years remaining on a contract at Monaco, gained attention this summer scoring three goals for the United States as it reached the knockout stage of the World Cup. He was the top scorer for the U.S. team.
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He also made headlines after drawing a red card and a one-game suspension in a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in a round-of-32 match.
The one-game suspension was deferred by FIFA after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, allowing Balogun to play in the round of 16. Balogun eventually played in the 4-1 loss to Belgium that ended the U.S. team’s home World Cup run.
The intervention prompted a formal complaint to FIFA ethics investigators.
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Balogun was born in New York but grew up in Britain. He came up through Arsenal’s academy before moving to Middlesbrough, then to the French league with Reims and eventually to Monaco.
He scored 13 goals last season in 30 Ligue 1 matches.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW DELHI: Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is likely to continue as Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach for the 2027 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the franchise reluctant to make sweeping changes. It is learnt that Jayawardene joined the five-time champions on a “two + one” contract in 2024 and could well be given another year, considering it will be the last year of the ongoing cycle. A formal announcement is expected next month, provided there is no late change of heart.Under Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians reached the playoffs in 2025 but finished ninth the following year. 2026 was a disappointing season for the IPL giants, as they won only four games in a campaign marred by injuries, availability concerns and unrest in the dressing room.Since the disappointing last season, there has been a lot of chatter around their captain Hardik Pandya’s potential trade. While multiple franchises have expressed interest, there has yet to be any substantial movement on that front.TimesofIndia.com has also learnt that some dialogue has taken place with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but the lack of a tradeable asset has not excited MI at the moment. Cameron Green’s name was on the table, but the MI think tank is wary of the Australian’s workload next year, which includes Australia’s packed Test calendar. As far as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are concerned, some action is expected once they finalise their new head coach.
Don’t be surprised if he [Hardik Pandya] is not traded at all. Discussions have also happened with the player along these lines. For a trade to happen, multiple things need to fall into place. So it’s not that straightforward.
Sources
How will MI tackle the Pandya situation? They are keen on retaining him as a player for the upcoming season as they plan to head in a new direction under a new captain. The management has already explored this idea, and it is learnt that former India and MI captain Rohit Sharma is actively involved in discussions about the captaincy and the team’s direction. Returning Rohit to the captaincy was also an option, but a new face is likely as the 39-year-old is not keen to wear the armband again. Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah are two potential options, with the scales tilting in the former’s favour.“Don’t be surprised if he is not traded at all. Discussions have also happened with the player along these lines. For a trade to happen, multiple things need to fall into place. So it’s not that straightforward,” says a source tracking developments.
Hardik Pandya
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It will be interesting to see how the dynamics unfold if Pandya is not traded at all and how the franchise addresses the dressing room unrest. A change in captaincy is something they expect will restore normalcy, but navigating the turbulence will require significant effort. Another matter that will need attention is that of recently sacked India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Apart from Pandya, there was chatter around the T20 specialist, but the franchise seems in no mood to let go of their experienced campaigner.“Yes, he didn’t have a good season last year, but what about the ones before that? MI will not discard a player based on one season, and that’s not how they operate. They take pride in the ‘One Family’ tag and swear by it,” adds the source.As things stand, continuity has been the bottom line. While a reset cannot be ruled out from the next cycle, there is no desperation for the 2027 edition. A captaincy change is inevitable, but it may not be a surprise if the status quo continues on other matters.
Aug 31, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper tosses his bat after flying out to end the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Bryson Stott hit a 464-foot homer, Aaron Nola won for the third time in four starts, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 in Phoenix on Monday to remain tied for the top National League wild-card spot.
Bryce Harper had two hits and extended his career-high on-base streak to 33 games with an RBI double as the Phillies wrapped up August at 21-7, the best record in the majors.
The Phillies have won 14 of 16.
Gabriel Moreno had two hits and an RBI double and Ryan Waldschmidt had two hits for the D-backs, who had won two of three.
D-backs DH Ketel Marte was 1 of 3 with a walk in his return after missing 13 games, three while on the restricted list after failing to show up for an Aug. 17 game in Boston and 10 on the injured list with left knee inflammation.
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Marte was booed in his first at-bat, a groundout to first in the second, but cheered after an eighth-inning single. He spoke to his teammates and addressed the media before the game.
The Phillies (78-60) remained in a tie with the Chicago Cubs (78-60) for the top National League wild-card spot. The D-backs (73-66) fell one-half game behind San Diego (73-65) for the final wild card.
Jhoan Duran pitched around two infield singles and a wild pitch in the ninth for his 29th save.
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Waldschmidt singled into the hole at short with one out and Corbin Carroll beat out a chopper over the mound with two outs. Waldschmidt took third on a wild pitch before Duran got Moreno to ground out.
The D-backs left 11 on base and were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Nola (6-10) gave up one run and five hits in five-plus innings, with four strikeouts and two walks. Moreno singled and Marte walked to open the sixth, but Alex McFarlane entered and retired the side. Nola is 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA in six August starts.
Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (7-2) gave up five hits and two runs in six innings, with one walk and one strikeout.
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Stott homered with one out in the second to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead, and Harper’s one-out double off the center field fence brought in Garrett Stubbs to make it 2-0.
Perdomo singled with one out in the third and scored on Moreno’s two-out double down the left field line to close it to 2-1.
In doing so, he became the first heavyweight champion of Mexican heritage and seriously hit the jackpot, earning life-changing sums of money in a relatively small timeframe.
After that, ‘The Destroyer’ claimed two points victories – against Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz – before boxing to a controversial draw with Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller in August 2024.
Since then, Ruiz has remained out the ring but is back training with head coach Manny Robles ahead of his eagerly-awaited comeback and promotional debut with Matchroom.
This will take place in New Jersey, Newark, on September 4, with Damian Knyba occupying the opposite corner after suffering a third-round stoppage defeat to Agit Kabayel – who is now the WBC champion – in January.
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Speaking with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, Ruiz insisted that he fully expects to defeat Knyba and then achieve another slice of history.
“It feels good – all the hard work and dedication. Before, I would be doing my own thing – my own understanding – but now, I’ve got the team back together.
“We made history once; we’re going to do it again, baby. Just watch.”
In terms of history-making feats, Ruiz could become the first-ever two-time heavyweight champion of Mexican heritage, but only if he secures another world title shot before retiring.
Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A Minnesota Vikings fan during the game between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings have finalized their 53-man roster for the 2026 season, and it includes five Vikings rookies who could shake things up.
5 Vikings Rookies Who Could Shake Up 2026
I’m not looking at any of the guys drafted on the opening two days of this year’s draft. Players with that draft standing should be having some impact early in their careers. That rules out Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, Jakobe Thomas, Caleb Tiernan, and Domonique Orange, who should all have a role to play this season.
Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Caleb Banks (95) lines up against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I’m looking at Day 3 draft picks or undrafted rookies who have made enough noise during the preseason to not only make the roster but also see some playing time.
Max Bredeson – Fullback
Max Bredeson was drafted in the fifth round with a specific role in mind. He’s the new fullback in order to take over from the recently retired CJ Ham. Minnesota needs to get more out of their running game, and Bredeson should be crucial to that. He can also be effective as a pass-catcher, given his experience as a tight end in college.
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I don’t know how much Kevin O’Connell will use a fullback, but Bredeson has a defined role with no competition. He should see the field fairly consistently.
Jacob Thomas – Safety
Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings safety Jacob Thomas (39) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas has been one of the big stories of the Vikings’ preseason.
Safety is one of the positions on the Vikings team where more playing time could be up for grabs, and Thomas has been making his case throughout training camp and showing up in the preseason games. An ankle sprain in the final preseason game was ill-timed, but it wasn’t serious enough to keep him off the Vikings’ final roster. Hopefully he is quickly back to full health and ready to make an impact.
Chuck Demmings – Cornerback
Another of the Vikings rookies that made waves throughout the preseason is cornerback Chuck Demmings. His confident demeanor and sticky coverage raised eyebrows early in training camp, and he’s continued to impress.
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He could push Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre for playing time; he should at least get chances in the rotation and when the Vikings have extra defensive backs on the field.
Sometimes you see an athlete with the “it factor.” To me, Demmings has it.
Dillon Bell – Wide Receiver
Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Dillon Bell (89) fights for yards against the New York Giantsduring the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The biggest surprise to make the final roster was Dillon Bell as the Vikings opted for a sixth wide receiver on the depth chart for the first time in years. Bell impressed with his athleticism and explosiveness during the preseason games, but it still seemed like an outside chance he’d make the roster, with the Vikings’ top five receivers seemingly set.
Unless there are injury problems, Bell isn’t likely to be called upon often, but he’s shown the potential to be an effective weapon if he is. From undrafted to the final roster in a position where Minnesota is strong, Bell has been one of the exciting stories among this year’s Vikings rookies. At the very least, look for him on special teams due to his size/speed combo.
Demond Claiborne – Running Back
The Vikings have released Zavier Scott, clearing the path for Demond Claiborne to be the team’s RB3. Aaron Jones missed five games last season, which led to Scott getting 32 rushing attempts. The now-former Viking didn’t make much of that opportunity with just 3.6 yards per carry, while also catching 14 of 16 targets for 98 yards and a touchdown.
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Claiborne’s explosive nature can be utilized on the ground and through the air, as well as potentially being used as a punt/kick returner. He should get chances across a 17-game season, and he can make something exciting happen.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
Now in Week 1, everyone gets in on the action.
San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma
Wyoming at Colorado State
UNLV at Hawai’i
Central Michigan at New Mexico
Western Kentucky at Nevada
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