Houston – The injuries just won’t stop.Right after Kevin McGonigle hit his fifth home run of the season in the second inning Monday, Gleyber Torres left the game after apparently tweaking something in his side.He took a swing and grimaced and immediately doubled over in pain.Torres had sports hernia surgery in the offseason and missed three weeks in May with a left oblique strain.This story will be updated.Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com@cmccoskyThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Gleyber Torres leaves Tigers-Astros game with apparent injury

How Brendan Sorsby's NFL supplemental draft process will work and potential landing spots originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Brendan Sorsby was one of the top transfers during the offseason, but his college football career is now over after a long, winding saga.Sorsby was the subject of an investigation for gambling as an active college player since 2022, and the quarterback has stepped away from Texas Tech to deal with a gambling addiction.Despite his eligibility being restored by a district judge on June 8, heavy backlash against Texas Tech led Sorsby and the Red Raiders to part ways and the quarterback to start focusing his efforts on the NFL.Luckily for Sorsby, the NFL has a mechanism to add college players to the league after the NFL Draft has already occurred. The Texas Tech quarterback is now set to join the NFL in the 2026 season through the supplemental draft.Here's a breakdown of the NFL supplemental draft and how it will work for Sorsby.MORE: Why Brendan Sorsby and Texas Tech are parting waysWhat is the NFL supplemental draft?The NFL supplemental draft is an alternate draft that takes place in August and features college players who didn't enter the NFL Draft but endured eligibility issues and decided to make the move to the NFL before the 2026 season.While the supplemental draft isn't used frequently in the modern NFL, it was used more often in the past. The best player to come out of the supplemental draft was Cris Carter, who is the only Hall-of-Fame player taken with a supplemental draft pick, while Bernie Kosar, Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon are other players who made the NFL in this fashion.The 2026 supplemental draft doesn't have a date yet, but the deadline to apply is June 22.MORE: Who were the winners and losers from the NFL Draft?How does the NFL supplemental draft work?The NFL supplemental draft has a different rhythm than the NFL Draft. Teams are separated into three groups, and the order within those groups is decided through a weighted lottery. The groups include, in order:Teams with six or fewer winsNon-playoff teams with seven or more winsPlayoff teamsIn order to select a player, a team must bid a draft pick on that player, with the highest bid securing the rights to the player. If there is a tie, the winner is the team with the highest pick in the highest group.Teams that are awarded a player in the supplemental draft must forfeit the pick they bid in the following draft. For example, if a team bids a third-round pick on a player this year and is awarded the player, it would lose its third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.MORE: The best value picks in the 2026 NFL DraftBrendan Sorsby NCAA gambling scandalThe NCAA investigated Sorsby for gambling while he was an active member of college football teams since 2022. Additionally, Sorsby took a leave of absence from Texas Tech, as he checked into a residential treatment center to deal with a gambling addiction.According to reports, Sorsby made small bets while a member of the Indiana football team in 2022, which included betting on the Hoosiers to win in games he didn't play. The NCAA forbids active athletes from betting, with harsher punishments depending on the context.MORE: Complete details on Brendan Sorsby's gambling addiction, investigationBrendan Sorsby NFL landing spotsNew York JetsThe Jets opted to punt on taking a quarterback high in the 2026 NFL Draft, instead going with Cade Klubnik in the fourth round. New York's quarterback room is pretty light, with Geno Smith leading the way and Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook filling out the depth.In 2027, the Jets own three first-round picks and all of their own picks from through the fifth round, so New York has the ammo to potentially take a shot at bidding on Sorsby. Sorsby and Klubnik would immediately be in a battle for the backup job, and potentially for starter reps if Smith doesn't play well.Arizona CardinalsAnother team that took a quarterback in the 2026 draft, the Cardinals added Carson Beck in the third round as their young quarterback. Arizona also has Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew to fill out the depth chart for the 2026 season.Still, the Cardinals may have wanted to draft Ty Simpson, but were forced to settle on Beck when the Rams took Simpson. Arizona currently has all of its own picks in 2027 and none from other teams via trades, so the team may just want to give Beck a chance.Miami DolphinsThe Dolphins signed Malik Willis to be their starting quarterback in 2026 and followed that up by passing on taking a quarterback in 2026. Miami's current quarterback depth chart doesn't have much depth, with Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller rounding out the quarterback room.Sorsby could give the Dolphins the opportunity to take a chance on a young quarterback along with Ewers behind Willis this year. Miami owns all of its own picks from rounds 1-6 in the 2027 NFL Draft.Cleveland BrownsWhen it comes to quarterbacks, the Browns are always a threat to add a young one to the roster. Cleveland's quarterback room is muddied with Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Taylen Green, but the team hasn't been shy in spending resources on the quarterback position.Sorsby would be the fourth young quarterback Cleveland added in the last two years, which would make practices pretty crowded. However, the Browns own eight picks in the first five rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft, giving them resources to spare.Detroit LionsIt's possible a team takes Sorsby with the plan being to develop him to be its backup quarterback, making the Lions an interesting landing spot. Detroit has just two quarterbacks on its roster, Jared Goff and Teddy Bridgewater, both of whom are over the age of 30.Sorsby would give the Lions a young quarterback to develop behind Goff with the intention of being Goff's backup for the next few years. Detroit owns all of its picks in the 2027 NFL Draft and could use a mid-round pick to take the chance on Sorsby.

⚽ Liga MX hallmark: Maxi’s goal delights Puebla and TolucaIn a high-intensity matchday, Maxi Araújo sparked jubilation for the Uruguay national team by scoring a crucial goal in the game against Saudi Arabia.Araújo, now firmly established on the international radar, built much of his professional career thanks to the exposure and consistency he gained on the pitches of Mexican football.In Puebla and Toluca, they remember his time on their fields, hoping this will be the first of several goals by the Uruguayan at the World Cup.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

Athletics C Shea Langeliers (23) signals to the bullpen after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies on Friday June 12, 2026, at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Las Vegas, Nevada.LAS VEGAS, NV -- The MLB’s return to Las Vegas after 30 years was magical.As they await a permanent move to the ‘Sin City’ in 2028, the Athletics had a six game trial run near their future home, playing at the “Las Vegas Ballpark” in Summerlin, the home of their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators. It may as well have been called the “Las Vegas hitters park”, as from the first A’s swing of the first game - a 483 foot bomb from C Shea Langeliers - to 30+ runs being scored in the finale, the batter friendly layout led to the MLB seeing its two highest scoring games of the season.In the opener on June 8th, the Brewers edged out the Athletics 15-14 in a 12 inning slugfest, featuring 11 home runs. Meanwhile in the closer on June 14th, the Rockies put up an outrageous 23 runs, a franchise record, en route to a 23-9 rout of the A’s. These were the only two games the A’s lost, winning the other four games of the ‘homestand’ while putting up amazing offensive production, hitting 20 home runs and scoring 47 total runs. More than just the wins, the perception of the MLB’s soft launch of the A’s playing in Vegas was largely contingent on one factor - the reception. Would fans have interest, and want to attend games? Would the players feel at home? Six sellouts and loads of crowd support later, the answer to both of those questions is seemingly yes. The ballpark has 8,200 fixed seats, but more fans filed in each day to the standing space, bringing the average number of spectators to 8,452. The first Las Vegas Athletics merchandise was also released, allowing the fans chances to make their support of the soon-coming team official. Throughout the week, A’s players commented on their experience playing in Las Vegas.“I love our fans in Sacramento, they’re great, but it is good and very nice to see these fans in Vegas and the support they have for us, it’s felt like home so far,” said Athletics’ 3B Max Muncy after their 6-4 win over the Rockies on June 12th. “It’s been a blast, Vegas has been great so far, we’re loving playing here in front of these great fans. The ball is flying, it’s fun to hit here, so we’re having fun,” said Athletics’ LF and 1B Tyler Soderstrom after their 7-5 win over the Brewers on June 9th. More than just playing in the games, they also made the effort to get integrated into the community. Star 1B and DH Nick Kurtz hosted a youth baseball camp, A’s players also volunteered at a Vegas food bank and hosted a story time event at a Vegas library.On top of this, the A’s team and staff was able to tour their new $2 billion stadium, and become familiar with it ahead of their eventual relocation. The Athletics had a fantastic week on and off the field, winning both series’ and impressing offensively, while also getting integrated into the community and giving their potential fans something to be excited for. While they can’t play anymore games in Vegas this season because of the 75 games they’re mandated to play in Sacramento, this six-game trip was a necessary and successful beginning to the Athletics era in Las Vegas. As for now, the young A’s find themselves just one game behind the Seattle Mariners for first place in the wide open AL West. They’re playing with house money, as they have low expectations but the potential to shake up the league in the later parts of the season.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby is officially heading to the NFL after declaring for the supplemental draft on Monday night. That means his career with Texas Tech has ended before it even started, despite Sorsby winning his injunction against the NCAA to play this fall amid a gambling investigation. Texas Tech and Sorsby fought hard to get him on the gridiron this fall to play for the Red Raiders, but the public outcry was just too grand for both sides to ignore. Teams literally wanted Texas Tech off the schedule going forward if Sorsby really hit the field to play quarterback for the school; it was getting ugly and untenable for all involved. Ultimately, Sorsby heading to the NFL and Texas Tech pivoting to another quarterback made the most sense for both sides. Despite the legal win, the brutal optics were just never suitable for this to actually go as planned. Who might draft Sorsby this summer? A few teams make sense. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Brendan Sorsby won't play for Texas Tech this fall after all

Hundreds of Iran fans stage protest prior to World Cup clash with New ZealandHundreds of Iranian football fans protested outside the Los Angeles Stadium prior to their World Cup match against New Zealand.At least 200 protesters comprising of the United States’ Iranian diaspora arrived to express their anger at FIFA’s decision to ban the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag and “banners, apparel, and any other paraphernalia” from being brought into host stadiums.The flag, seen as a symbol for Iran’s nationals living abroad who oppose the Islamic Republic, was prominent among the tens of flags held aloft by the protesters that had gathered, in a politically-charged scene on the west coast of America.Arezo Rashidian, an activist aiding the demonstration in Los Angeles, told BBC Sport: “You don’t come to Los Angeles and tell us we can’t fly the Lion and Sun flag.“This is the largest Iranian community outside of Iran Many of us came here after the revolution. We’re opposing FIFA’s ban and standing in solidarity with the people of Iran.”FIFA cited its Stadium Code of Conduct in exercising the ban in June, which prohibits political symbols. The ban has already triggered multiple lawsuits in California challenging its legality.One supporter, pictured in this article’s feature image, wore a t-shirt depicting Reza Pahlavi, the Iranian political activist and son of the country’s last shah (King), prior to the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in 1979.Pahlavi is himself a symbol of monarchism for Iranians who oppose the current government that presides over Iran following its transition to an Islamic Republic as a result of the revolution.The 65-year-old is currently living in exile in the United States after being left stateless following the disappearance of the rule held by his late father, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.“It’s unfortunate that the regime turns athletes into mouthpieces,” Rashidian added. “We want athletes to remain athletes.”For more detailed reports, reaction, and analysis of the World Cup as it happens, head to our website and favourite our page on OneFootball.

The Kentucky Wildcats baseball season ended in disappointment after being just an inning away from making the Super Regionals. Instead, they are looking ahead to 2027, hoping to improve on what they accomplished in 2026. The Cats are actively adding players from the transfer portal, and on Monday they got a good one in former Saint Joseph's outfielder Alex Kelsey.Kentucky is set to lose elite shortstop Tyler Bell, who is a likely first round draft pick. They could also be losing postseason hero Jayce Tharnish. It's Tharnish that Kelsey could be the replacement for if he decides to enter the draft as well.Last season, Kelsey was terrific, hitting .373 with 14 doubles, 3 homeruns, 35 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. His play earned him a spot on the A-10's all-conference team, and plenty of attention from programs looking for outfield help. Kentucky beat out Clemson to get his commitment.Kelsey becomes Kentucky's eighth transfer portal commitment, and the second outfielder, this offseason. Whether Tharnish returns or not, Kelsey will have a spot in the lineup, and should be a key contributor next season.This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky baseball lands outfielder Alex Kelsey from transfer portal

“To see [the Spurs] walk off the court, it was disheartening. I’ll blame it on youth,” Green said. “I’ll blame it on lacking the leader to show them that ‘hey, this is what you do. Not walk off.’ I blame it on that. “There’s a way to win and there’s a way to lose. And walking off the court, not looking your killer in his eyes, ain’t the way to lose…I hate it. I hate when people do it. And I hated to see those young Spurs do it because I actually think they’re capable of doing something special…and I would urge those young Spurs [to] reach out to Jalen Brunson however you can. Reach out to Karl-Anthony Towns however you can. Reach out to Josh Hart, however you can. You tell [those] dudes ‘congratulations.’”NBC Sports Bay AreaThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Draymond Green on Spurs not congratulating Knicks after elimination: I hate it, they lacked a leader to say that's not what you do

“Oh, by the way, y’all ain’t going to come shake [Jalen Brunson’s] hand?” Green said. “No problem. What’s the first thing Jalen Brunson did? Beeline to [Spurs coach] Mitch Johnson. Respect. Much respect. I would have loved for the Spurs players to be there for them to shake [the Knicks’] hands. They walked off. That was disappointing, a bit disappointing.”NBC Sports Bay AreaThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: I would have loved for the Spurs players to be there …

“He’s got a unique humility and I think it’s intelligence,” Wright said. “He looks at what people say, like he’s too slow, he’s not athletic enough, he’s too short. He looks at that, and says, ‘I understand why they say that, they’re not wrong. But I’m going to figure out a way to use that to my advantage internally in terms of motivating myself, but also in my opponents underestimating me. I’m going to take advantage of that.’ He looks at it as a positive. “His next challenge is, I don’t think anybody is going to underestimate him anymore.”New York PostThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: ‘I understand why they say that, they’re not wrong. …

Kevin Gray Jr.: University of Houston guard Kingston Flemings was in Dallas today to audition for the Mavericks before next week's NBA Draft, league sources tell @DLLS_Sports. The Mavs hold the No. 9 selection.x.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: University of Houston guard Kingston Flemings was in …

Maxime Aubin: I can confirm it was Wemby’s idea. Last Saturday, after the loss, he asked if he could visit a children’s hospital before heading back to France.x.comI can confirm it was Wemby’s idea. Last Saturday, after the loss, he asked if he could visit a children’s hospital before heading back to France. https://t.co/TUN3cD21tp— Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) June 16, 2026This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: I can confirm it was Wemby’s idea.

Performers were tested by the unexpected during a ballet production in Turkey.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 13: Seiya Suzuki #27 of the Chicago Cubs warms up in the on-deck circle against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the third inning of a major league baseball game at Oracle Park on June 13, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit for a while. Come in and cool off with us. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.Last week I asked you which struggling Cub was most likely to snap out of it. The vote wasn’t even close. Nico Hoerner got 73 percent of the vote. Moisés Ballesteros was way behind in second place with 13 percent.Here’s the part with the movies and music. You’re free to skip that. Or you’re free to skip the baseball stuff. It’s up to you.Tonight we have Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers playing the Freddie Hubbard-penned standard “Up Jumped Spring” live in Hollywood in 1962. Joining Blakey on drums and Hubbard on trumpet are Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano and Jymie Merritt on bass.I’ve been watching the World Cup this week instead of movies. I really only watched one film this week, so that’s what I’m writing about.The first two films made by director Alex Cox, Repo Man and Sid and Nancy, established him as one of the up-and-coming potentially great young directors. Both films got very good reviews for their punk sensibilities and the way they focused on interesting characters. Neither film was a big hit, but they were both made on the cheap and both made money after you added in the video rental fees and TV rights. It’s the kind of resumé that would have major studios coming to you with big offers. Cox claims to have been offered the chance to direct Three Amigos around this time. Instead, Cox decided that he’d rather just make another low-budget punk movie with his friends, Straight to Hell (1987). The result is an unfocused mishmash that takes a few good ideas and goes nowhere with any of them.Straight to Hell emerged out of a planned concert tour of Nicaragua by Joe Strummer and the Pogues that was cancelled because it was Nicaragua in the 1980s. That’s something that only a guy who made an album called Sandinista! would think was a good idea. So Cox and his friend Dick Rude (who played Duke in Repo Man) wrote a punk spaghetti Western loosely based on the 1967 Italian film Django Kill . . .If You Live, Shoot! They cast Repo Man veteran Sy Richardson as the leader of a gang of hitmen/bank robbers. The gang is rounded out by Rude, a post-Clash Joe Strummer and a pre-Hole Courtney Love, who had previously made her film debut in a small part in Sid and Nancy. Love had auditioned for the role of Nancy Spungen and Cox loved her for the part, but cast Chloe Webb instead after the financial backers insisted on a more experienced actress for the lead. The part of Velma in Straight to Hell! was specifically written for Love.This gang of four is on the run after a failed hit job. They head out to the Mexican desert (shooting on the same set in Spain that Sergio Leone used) and they rob a bank on the way so they have money. Unfortunately, they put diesel in the gas tank (because they don’t read Spanish) so they bury the money in the desert. They are now stranded in a small town run by the McMahon gang, a group of ruthless outlaws whose madness is fueled by coffee and hot dogs. (Seriously.) The rest of the film is a lot of shootouts as everyone tries to find out where the gang buried the money, with Velma screeching that they need to leave town before its too late. None of this is as much fun as it sounds. None of the characters, other than maybe Love’s Velma, are given much personality. Cox (maybe smartly) doesn’t give non-actor Strummer much to do. Mostly he just carries on an affair with Fabienne (Repo Man and Sid and Nancy vet Jennifer Balgobin), who is married to the man who runs the local general store. Rude’s Willy falls in love with Winstanley’s Louise, but she’s only interested in him telling her where they buried the money.The McMahons are mostly played by The Pogues, although they are supplemented by Repo Man and Sid and Nancy vet Biff Yeager and Sid and Nancy vet Michele Winstanley. Other celebrity cameos include Elvis Costello, Edward Tudor-Pole and Jim Jarmusch. Dennis Hopper and Grace Jones play a husband and wife team that want to develop the town. Hopper’s character is named I.G. Farben, which is the name of the giant German chemical conglomerate that produced the poison gas used in the Holocaust. Zander Schloss, who also appeared in Repo Man and was soon to join The Circle Jerks, plays a hot dog salesman. Miguel Sandoval is another Repo Man/Sid and Nancy vet in the film, playing Fabienne’s husband. Sara Sugarman, Fox Harris and Kathy Burke are also Alex Cox veterans who have small parts in Straight to Hell.There are lots good moments in Straight to Hell. You’ll probably never forget The Pogue’s Cait O’Riordan leading the town in singing “Danny Boy,” for example. But Rude and Cox wrote the script for Straight to Hell in three days and it shows. The dialogue is underwritten and clichéd. It’s supposed to come off as “ironic” clichéd, but it doesn’t. There are simply too many characters and none of their motivations are clearly developed beyond “Let’s get the money.” Even O’Riordan singing “Danny Boy” is more about let’s just have a musical number than any sort of inherent plot reason. The film gives you no reason to care if any of the characters live or die, which cuts into the impact when most of them die.Straight to Hell didn’t derail Alex Cox’s career. Even though it was a major flop, it was cheap and independent financed. No one lost their jobs over it. It was his next film, Walker, that killed his career as it was a much bigger budget film and financed by Universal Pictures. The shame is that unlike Straight to Hell, Walker is actually a good film, if a little “out there.” But that’s a story for another time. Straight to Hell has become a bit of a cult film because of all the great musicians who make an appearance in it and it got a restored version a few years ago. Here’s the trailer for that restored version.Welcome back to all of you who skip the music and movies. Thanks for stopping by for those of you who skip the baseball stuff.Quick announcement. SB Nation is making it as difficult as possible for me to include polls in my articles and have ended support for the program we had been using. Why they’re doing it, I won’t speculate. So for now, the polls will appear in “The Feed” unless we can find a workaround. I hope they appear here too. By the way, I hate this and they are probably doing this just to torture me. OK. I will speculate on why they are doing this. Ken Rosenthal wrote an article last week arguing that the Cubs should explore trading outfielder Seiya Suzuki. (The Athletic sub. req.) On Friday, Dayn Perry wrote an article about outfielders that the Phillies could target on the trade market and listed Suzuki among them. So should the Cubs trade Suzuki? To be clear, as Rosenthal points out, Suzuki has a no-trade clause. But Rosenthal points out that since Suzuki is going into free agency this winter, it might be in his best interests to waive it because then he couldn’t get a qualifying offer that would depress his market. (Rosenthal also points out that even if qualifying offers go away in the next collective bargaining agreement, it’s extremely unlikely that they would go away for this upcoming season, since they would be extended before the current CBA expires.) I’m not sure if Rosenthal and Perry are advocating the Cubs trading Suzuki because they think they’ll fall out of the playoff hunt or not. Despite the Cubs poor May and June, they’re still just one game out of a Wild Card spot as of this afternoon. Presumably, if the Cubs are still fighting for a playoff spot in July, they would need Suzuki’s bat in right field.Eh, maybe not. As Brett Taylor points out over at Bleacher Nation, the Cubs might be able to trade Suzuki for a starting pitcher and fill in his role in right with some sort of combination of Michael Conforto, Matt Shaw and a prospect. Taylor thinks coming up with such a deal is highly unlikely and probably unwise, but he sees the potential logic.The Cubs haven’t shown much interest in signing Suzuki to a long-term extension. For one, they have 19-year-old Josiah Hartshorn tearing up the minor leagues and his best position is probably right field. There’s also Ethan Conrad, who has yet to make his pro debut but whom the Cubs are still high on and whom could probably also play right field. Neither of them will be ready this year and probably not to start next year, but the Cubs might naturally be hesitant to tie up right field for 4 or 5 years with Hartshorn and Conrad coming up. So trading Suzuki now would bring back more than the draft pick that the Cubs were likely to get, assuming that Seiya declines the qualifying offer. Or maybe they could get a starting pitcher who could fill in now and Conforto and Shaw could fill in and keep the Cubs in the postseason chase.So would you trade Suzuki before the trade deadline?Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’ve enjoyed having you. Don’t be a stranger. Get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.

John Franklin-Myers, a Greenville High School alum and a man who has reached the highest level of his career, is also finding fulfillment trying to help the next generation of football players reach their own heights with his annual football camp.Franklin-Myers held his sixth football camp Friday and Saturday and still finds the joy of teaching the youth, but also feels it is a necessity when one has gone to the places he has in his career.“The youth is where it starts and you understand that if you’re not giving back, you’re doing yourself a disservice and you’re doing the city a disservice,” Franklin-Myers said. “I want to bring back hope, I wan’t to bring back success and anything I can do to help, that is the least I can do.”Franklin-Myers built himself up as a lineman for the Lions before taking his talent to Stephen F. Austin University and spending three years there as a defensive end.Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Franklin-Myers has since gone on to play for the New York Jets and had back-to-back career seasons with the Denver Broncos in 2024 and 2025, totaling 14.5 sacks, before signing with the Tennessee Titans in the offseason.Franklin-Myers brings back all that experience and wisdom to the kids of Greenville and once again loved to see the enthusiasm they put into camp this year.“I loved it,” Franklin-Myers said. “These guys did nothing but work, they did all the combine drills as well as the football drills and they loved it. To me thats the best part of it. You see that excitement, you see the smiles on their faces and that’s why I still do it.”The two-day camp ended with Franklin-Myers surrounded by the next generation of Greenville stars, looking up to him with inspiration in there eyes, smiling for pictures and asking for autographs from the local legend.

Jun 15, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Salvador Perez (13) reacts after striking out against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images Mitch Spence was recalled from AAA for a start tonight, and it did not go very well as the Royals lost 7-3 to the Nationals.The game was full of grounders on both sides (yes there were a few liners too) that were just on the cusp of finding a glove. A few of them squeaked through for hits, yes, but the key hits that kind of summarized the game for me were just out of reach of Royals defenders.In the third inning, Nasim Nuñez singled (after a groundout from the previous guy). James Wood hit a line drive double that bounced just as it got to the outfield grass. Perez was holding Nuñez on first because they were afraid of him stealing. Saying Nuñez is a “light” hitter is an understatement (a 50 wRC+), but he’s second in MLB in stolen bases. He was gonna steal for sure. As a result, Perez was not in position to catch Wood’s line drive, which probably would have been caught easily had Perez not been holding Nuñez at the base.All the song and dance was not necessary anyway as Wood’s line drive brought Nuñez to third. Curtis Mead then hit a little liner to Nick Loftin, who *was* well-positioned to catch it. Loftin took a few steps back and leaped…but the ball bounced off the top of his glove. If the 5’11” Loftin were instead 6’0”, I think this is an out, which would have ended the inning.Alas, both runners came around to score (before a groundout ended the inning).In the fifth inning, Spence loaded the bases on a grounder single, another grounder single, and a walk with no outs. Luis García Jr flared a liner to left field, which Isaac Collins was not actually close to catching.Unfortunately, Collins flubbed the bounce and two runners scored. That put the Nationals ahead 4-3, a lead they never gave up. At least one runner would have scored on the play anyway, but this just adds insult to injury.Q subbed out Spence for Mason Black, who got two non-groundball outs. That brought up Dylan Crews, who entered the night hitting under the Mendoza line. On a 3-2 count, Black threw a slider that did absolutely zero sliding. Crews hit a line drive rocket over the left field fence that would make SpaceX blush. That ball seemed like it was still rising when it hit the seats. The ball probably had a rapid, unscheduled disassembly when it landed. I can’t say for sure but it seemed like that was the only truly barreled ball the entire game. With that homer, the Nationals took a 7-3 lead.The only Royals offense once the Nationals were ahead that far was a double from Nick Loftin in the ninth inning, again a grounder just out of reach of the third baseman. But one hit isn’t enough when the deficit is four runs.I should note how the Royals scored, since they did briefly hold a lead. In the fourth inning, Starling Marte reached out a grounder that was deflected off the Nats pitcher. Loftin walked. Carter Jensen hit a routine-looking grounder to the second baseman, who misplayed it off his glove (notice the theme?).Marte scored to give the Royals their first run. In the fifth, Bobby and Jac had back-to-back hits. With the infield in, Maikel Garcia managed to squeak a grounder through the right side of the infield to score both guys.And that was it. Spence did not get an out in the 5th inning and finished with 4 innings pitched and 6 runs given up on 7 hits. The Royals as a pitching staff struck out only 3 guys and walked 4.In the game as a whole, there were 20 groundouts against 9 flyouts. The Nats managed to add 10 strikeouts to the grounder parade. It’s pretty hard to win when you can’t get the ball off the ground.The Royals are now 29-44 and are fighting the Angels and Tigers for worst in the AL. Only the Rockies and Giants in the NL are comparable. For God’s sake even the *Marlins* and the *Pirates* were both 36-36 going into the night. The Sacramento Athletics were 35-36. A bunch of perennial losers are upstaging the Royals by doing…whatever it is they normally do before they start trading players. The Nationals are 38-35 and are just barely out of the third NL Wild Card slot.The two teams play again tomorrow at 5:45pm US Central.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck out nine in six scoreless innings of two-hit ball, Gabriel Rincones Jr. homered for his first career hit and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 7-0 on Monday night.J.T. Realmuto also went deep and Bryce Harper had an RBI for Philadelphia, which opened a six-game homestand.Liam Hicks had two of Miami’s four hits. The Marlins lost for just the third time in 13 June games.Wheeler (6-1) allowed a leadoff single to Hicks to start the contest and then walked Otto Lopez before fanning four straight batters to set the tone for his evening. The 36-year-old righty lowered his ERA to 2.01 through 10 starts. Tim Mayza, Jonathan Bowlan and Chase Shugart each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to finish the shutout. Rincones, playing in his second career game, sent an 84-mph slider from Ryan Gusto (0-2) into the seats in right field in the second inning to put the Phillies up 1-0. He is in Philadelphia’s lineup after right fielder Adolis García was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right lat tear. He padded Philadelphia’s lead to 2-0 in the third with a bases-loaded groundout.Realmuto’s two-run drive in the fifth to left field made it 5-0, as he lined a first-pitch slider off Gusto over the wall in left field. Gusto allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Phillies' Brandon Marsh, who entered with the fourth-highest batting average among big-league qualifiers, went 2 for 5 with a double to up his average to .324.Philadelphia improved to 30-14 under interim manager Don Mattingly. The Phillies entered in second place and eight games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East but holding the second wild-card spot.Phillies shortstop Trea Turner did not come out to play the field in the eighth inning due to a right wrist contusion. Up nextMarlins RHP Tyler Phillips (1-1, 1.86 ERA) opposes Phillies LHP Jesús Luzardo (5-4, 4.35) in the second contest of the three-game set on Tuesday night.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The next layer of the Brendan Sorsby saga has come to pass, and the Texas Tech quarterback officially entered his name into the NFL's Supplemental Draft, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.For the sport of college football, this is a very good outcome for what became an incredibly sticky situation. Since getting to college, Sorsby placed thousands of bets for over $90,000, which in a vacuum is a big deal, but contextually, he simply could not play college football anymore.While at Indiana, Sorsby was placing bets on his very own team, which crossed a very clear line, or so we all thought. After he was ruled ineligible for the 2026-27 college football season, Sorsby appealed the ruling and was granted an injunction that would have made him eligible for the season. The NFL declined comment on Sorsby's expected application for the Supplemental Draft. The league does not have a Supplemental Draft scheduled, which isn't unusual. (The last NFL Supplemental Draft pick came in 2019.) https://t.co/T7PJQvYkGA— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 16, 2026For obvious reasons, that simply could not go through. That would have set a precedent in all of college sports that betting on your own team goes without consequence. It simply could not happen and Sorsby officially has turned his attention to the NFL.For the Cleveland Browns, this poses a very fascinating question: What is Sorsby worth? The way that the Supplemental Draft works is not complicated, but there are a lot of steps to the process. First, teams are not placed in an order; rather, they are split into three different tiers based on their performance last year. From there, there is a lottery that randomizes teams within their tier.From there, it becomes a blind bidding process for a player. Teams will submit the round of the pick that they would take the player in, and the player goes to the first, highest bidder. Teams are not required to place a bid on any player.If a team is awarded a player, they then exchange that corresponding pick in the next year's draft. The Browns have had some success in the Supplemental Draft by selecting both quarterback Bernie Kosar with a first-round pick and wide receiver Josh Gordon with a second-round pick. Cleveland has been linked to Sorsby ever since this news broke. The Browns have not been shy about adding as many quarterbacks to their room as possible to take as many bites at the apple as they can.Would Cleveland be willing to spend a second-round pick? Maybe a third-round pick? Maybe even use their newly acquire first round pick in exchange for Sorsby?They certainly have some options, and it would be a very risky play. The Browns have risked it all at the quarterback position before. Will they do it again? The option is now firmly on the table, and we know that if Andrew Berry believes that a player could improve his team, he will do anything to acquire that player. Sorsby has yet to be deemed eligible for the Supplemental Draft at this point.This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns' QB target Brendan Sorsby set to enter Supplemental Draft

No. 3 seed Georgia is down, but not out of the College World Series.The Bulldogs fell 4-3 to Oklahoma in Monday night’s game and will head to an elimination game against Texas on Tuesday.Last time the two faced off, Georgia dominated the No. 6 seed Texas, sending them to the loser’s bracket 7-1.[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]If they can get another win over the Longhorns, they’ll meet back up with the Sooners on Wednesday.The winner of that Wednesday game will advance to the MCWS Finals.[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The Mets found themselves down big early and couldn't come through with a big hit, falling 12-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.It's their biggest shutout loss since Aug. 26, 2018 when they lost to the Nationals, 15-0.Here are the takeaways...-- Tobias Myers had a rough return from the minors, allowing seven runs in just 1.1 innings as the opener.He gave up a leadoff double in the first inning and then issued a one-out walk, so Cincinnati pulled off a double steal to get into scoring position. The move worked out as Spencer Steer gave the Reds an early lead with a groundout, before Eugenio Suárez blasted a two-run homer to make it a 3-0 game. The second inning didn't get any better for Myers as a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs and the right-hander walked in a run, putting the Mets down 4-0. Overall, Myers allowed four hits on 43 pitches (22 strikes) with one strikeout and four walks.-- Jonathan Pintaro tried to clean up Myers' mess in the second inning, but somehow, things got worse. After Sal Stewart tacked another run onto Myers' line with an RBI-single, Suárez launched a grand slam to center field to put the Reds up 9-0. -- Bo Bichette stayed hot with a first-inning double against Chase Burns, but the young flamethrower locked in to retire eight straight Mets' hitters through the third inning. Bichette snapped the streak with another double in the fourth inning, his 11th of the season.Both Juan Soto and A.J. Ewing walked after Bichette's double to load the bases with one away, but Marcus Semien popped out and Brett Baty struck out to end the scoring chance.-- The Mets loaded the bases against Burns again in the fifth inning as MJ Melendez walked and Francisco Alvarez and Bichette singled. But once again, they came up empty. New York's woes continued as they stranded two more runners in the sixth inning and another three in the seventh, brining the total to 12 left on base. They finished 1-for-12 with RISP.-- David Peterson entered with the game out of hand in the sixth inning and was one out away from tossing three scoreless innings, but let up a three run homer to JJ Bleday in the eighth inning.Game MVP: Chase BurnsThe 23-year-old tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out seven Mets.HighlightsBo Bichette has his 10th double of the season pic.twitter.com/nIeIHHkGwe— SNY (@SNYtv) June 15, 2026"Let's go!"Sean Manaea on the call (and the Spider-Man webs) after Bo Bichette's second double of the game pic.twitter.com/ZamizA94lC— SNY (@SNYtv) June 16, 2026Bo Bichette has all three of the Mets' hits so far tonight pic.twitter.com/wdzqKWnbLS— SNY (@SNYtv) June 16, 2026Upcoming ScheduleThe Mets continue their three-game series in Cincinnati against the Reds on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.Kodai Senga (0-4, 9.00 ERA) will return from the IL and start Tuesday's contest, facing RHP Brady Singer (2-6, 5.61 ERA).

PREVIEW | Uzbekistan vs Colombia: team news, lineups, predictions (World Cup 18/06)Uzbekistan and Colombia face off this Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in World Cup. This will be Uzbekistan's World Cup debut. As for Néstor Lorenzo's team, this will mark their 7th participation in the competition. The match will be broadcast live at 03:00 on BBC One.In their last game, Uzbekistan lost 2-1 against Netherlands (National Team Friendlies 2026). In their last match, Colombia prevailed 2-0 against Jordan (National Team Friendlies 2026).UnavailableUsbequistãoColômbiaLast starting XIsUzbekistan ( vs Netherlands 2026-06-08): Utkir Yusupov, Rustamjon Ashurmatov, Abdukodir Khusanov, Jakhongir Urozov, Farruh Sayfiev, Akmal Mozgovoy, Otabek Shukurov, Sherzod Nasrullaev, Abbos Fayzullaev, Eldor Shomurodov, Oston UrunovColombia ( vs Jordan 2026-06-08): Camilo Vargas, Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sánchez, Jhon Lucumí, Johan Mojica, Gustavo Puerta, Jefferson Lerma, James Rodríguez, Jhon Arias, Luis Díaz, Luis Suárez

Credit: Lee Smith/REUTERSAs the fifth day of World Cup competition draws to a close, Fox’s hydration break strategy has become abundantly clear. Despite reports of a “hybrid approach” that would supposedly see the network show the field and players during at least some hydration breaks, Fox has instead opted to go to full-screen advertisements during each and every mid-half stoppage throughout the World Cup.Expect that to remain consistent throughout the rest of this World Cup. Per the latest report from Sports Business Journal regarding the breaks in play, Fox’s current approach will “continue,” though a picture-and-picture break “could still happen” if producers decide in real-time that such an approach is necessary.So far, that hasn’t been the case. Even during the second-half hydration break of Monday’s thrilling match between Spain and Cabo Verde, with the small African nation 20 minutes away from accomplishing the unthinkable and Spain’s most important player, Lamine Yamal, preparing to be subbed on during the stoppage, Fox opted to cut to a full ad break. It’s difficult to imagine a situation more tailored for the elusive picture-in-picture break than that, but the network’s strategy remained the same as every other hydration break to that point.Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journalreported Fox was selling 30-second ad spots during these hydration breaks at roughly $200,000 for early-round games, and around $750,000 for games featuring the U.S. Men’s National Team. With those figures, it’s quite easy to estimate how much Fox stands to make off of hydration break ads alone.We can conservatively say Fox is averaging a price of $300,000 for a 30-second spot, considering the low-end of the reported range is for early games. Later in the tournament, one would expect the network to command rates towards the top end of that range, possibly more.Each hydration break is three minutes in length and allows for four 30-second ads based on FIFA’s advertising guidelines, which mandate a 20-second buffer on the front-end and a 30-second buffer on the back-end of each break. (Fox has been inconsistent at best in abiding by these guidelines, but FIFA has said it will not punish the network despite the breaches.)With room for four commercials per hydration break, that amounts to eight available spots per game. Across 104 World Cup matches, that’s 832 potential in-game commercials Fox can sell. Our conservative estimate of $300,000 per spot would rake in $249.6 million from just the commercials sold during hydration breaks for Fox. If that average climbed to $400,000, Fox’s total would climb to $332.8 million.You can see why Fox would be eager to sell this ad inventory, viewer preferences be damned.For context, Fox is paying a reported $485 million for broadcast rights to this World Cup. Revenue generated from hydration break ads will cover at least half of that fee, and potentially much more.Is that enough reason to justify the decision? Well, it probably depends whether or not you’re a Fox shareholder. One can hardly blame a media company like Fox, which is facing the headwinds of cord-cutting and ever-increasing sports rights fees squeezing its bottom line, for taking advantage of a nine-figure revenue windfall. But the way the network has gone about it has been maximalist in every sense of the word.There’s a middle ground between selling 832 ads and selling no ads at all. However, Fox has thrown caution to the wind and is deciding to eek every possible penny out of this newfound ad inventory. That middle ground between 832 and zero is likely what fans anticipated after seeing reports of the “hybrid approach” prior to the tournament, but no such approach has materialized.Just like it’s hard to blame Fox for trying to make a buck, it’s hard to blame fans for complaining about how intrusive the ads are, particularly when a network like Telemundo has opted against airing any full-screen ads during hydration breaks.In any case, we’ll wait and see if Fox will ever decide to do anything besides a full-screen ad break during these stoppages in play, or if reports of such possibilities are overly optimistic.The post Fox likely making upwards of $250M on hydration break ads during World Cup appeared first on Awful Announcing.

The NFL Supplemental Draft is a unique, summer mechanism designed for players whose eligibility status changed after the primary NFL Draft in April—usually due to sudden academic issues, disciplinary actions, or other collegiate eligibility complications. This year's iteration is of particular interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the league because former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby has declared and despite his serious red flags, could garner a first-round pick based on his skills and potential.Unlike the highly televised April event, the supplemental draft is a quiet, semi-blind bidding process conducted entirely via email. Here is a breakdown of how it works.1. The Weighted Lottery OrderTo determine the selection order, the NFL separates all 32 teams into three distinct tiers based on the previous season's results. A weighted lottery is then used to determine the exact order within each tier:Tier 1: Teams with six or fewer wins.Tier 2: Non-playoff teams with more than six wins.Tier 3: Teams that made the postseason.2. The Bidding SystemThe draft does not feature traditional "rounds" where teams take turns on a clock. Instead, teams submit blind bids on a player.A team's bid consists of the specific round (from 1 to 7) they are willing to assign to that player.The team that submits the highest round bid is awarded the player.If multiple teams submit a bid for the same round, the player goes to the team with the highest priority based on the pre-determined lottery tiers.3. The Cost: Forfeiting Future CapitalThere is a catch to winning a bid. If a team successfully drafts a player in the supplemental draft, they must forfeit their corresponding pick in the next year's standard NFL Draft. For example, if a team wins a player by bidding a 3rd-round pick, they instantly lose their 3rd-round selection in the upcoming spring draft. Because of this high price tag, many supplemental drafts conclude with no players selected at all.Notable HistoryWhile it is rarely used for premium draft capital, the supplemental draft has produced high-profile talent over the years, including Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, quarterback Bernie Kosar, and Pro Bowl receiver Josh Gordon.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Understanding the NFL supplemental draft

Watch BBC One coverage of Group G matchMotherwell's Just gives New Zealand early leadRezaeian draws Iran level with clever flickJust scores again early in second halfBelgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in group's other gameTry our 3D watch experienceBBC Radio 5 Live commentary also available in 'watch & listen' tab Just scores second for New Zealand to retake lead against Iran

Back in December, USC signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the 2026 cycle. The star of that class was defensive lineman Luke Wafle, who ranked as the top overall recruit in the country.Now, the Trojans are adding another Wafle to their program. On Monday, USC picked up a commitment from Luke’s younger brother, three-star linebacker Dylan Wafle. The younger Wafle brother chose the Trojans over Duke, Boston College, and UCF.Wafle brother to USC from Avon Old Farms school in Avon, Connecticut (shoutout NEPSAC). 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 1,542 overall player and the No. 140 linebacker in the class of 2027.Wafle is USC’s 14th commit in the 2027 class. 247Sports currently ranks the Trojans’ class as No. 8 in the country. Of the seven schools ahead of USC, only one is in the Big Ten—Oregon at No. 6.This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football lands three-star linebacker Dylan Wafle, brother of Luke

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jaxon Willits and Brendan Brock homered to help Oklahoma get out to an early lead, and closer Jackson Cleveland worked out of trouble late as the Sooners held on to beat Georgia 4-3 in the College World Series on Monday night.Oklahoma (40-22) took control of Bracket 2 and will play Wednesday against the winner of a Tuesday elimination game between Georgia and Texas. The Bulldogs (52-13) lost for the first time in 10 games and had won 20 of their previous 21.Daniel Jackson's 32nd homer of the season off OU starter Xander Mercurius (1-2) pulled Georgia within 4-3 in the eighth inning. Jackson, who had come to the plate hitless in eight CWS at-bats with three strikeouts, hammered Mercurius' 92 mph fastball 447 feet over left field to end the freshman's night.Rylan Lujo greeted Cleveland with a single and Kenny Ishikawa walked with two outs before Ryan Wynn flew out to deep right and keep it a one-run game.Georgia threatened again in the ninth when Brennan Hudson singled leading off and his pinch runner, Ty Peeples, moved to second when pinch hitter Cole Johnson was hit by a pitch with one out. Cleveland struck out Tre Phelps to bring up Jackson, who flew out to end the game.The Sooners went right to work against Georgia starter Caden Aoki (9-2). Leadoff man Jason Walk doubled off the wall and later scored, and Willits barely cleared the wall in right for a two-run homer to make it 3-0.Mercurius retired 11 of the first 13 batters he faced before Ishikawa got Georgia on the board in the fourth. The teams traded solo homers in the fourth, with Ishikawa going deep and Brendan Brock replying for the Sooners. Hudson's 21st homer of the season pulled the Bulldogs within 4-2 in the fifth.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

The 30th playing of the Wisconsin Women's Open is being played at SentryWorld in Stevens Point, one of top public golf courses in the state, and the first round saw just one player finish under par on June 15. Hannah Dunk of Janesville shot a 1-under 71 over the 6,046-yard course to finish the day one shot clear of Payton Haugen of Elm Grove.Dunk, who plays at North Dakota State University, made five birdies against four bogeys on the course that hosted the 2023 U.S. Senior Open. Haugen made three birdies against three bogeys.Bobbi Stricker, who is a professional, is two shots back and tied with Julia Imai at 1-over par. Stricker tied for 37th at the Texas Women's Open in late May. Imai plays for UW-Stout and tied Dunk for the most birdies on the day with five.McKenna Nelson (Beaver Dam) is alone in fifth place at 2-over while Izzi Stricker (Madison), Norah Roberts (Racine), Emma Cunningham (Green Bay), Lola Appleby (Mequon), Rebecca Klongland (Stoughton) and professional Mackenzie Hahn (Spring Grove) are all four shots off the lead at 3-over.The field will play 18 holes on June 16 and then will be cut to the low 24 scores and ties. The final 18 holes of play will then take place on June 17.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dunk has first-round lead at Wisconsin Women's Open, Strickers lurking

I've been told by various sources that — in addition to the LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and Memphis' Ja Morant — Wizards point guard Trae Young has emerged as another "big fish" backup option for the Miami Heat in the event that Boston, Portland or some other team manages to outbid Pat Riley and Co. in the trade chase for Antetokounmpo.marcstein.substack.comThis article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Heat eyeing Trae Young as fallback if Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit falls short?

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Byron Buxton went deep for the 23rd time this season leading off the sixth and the Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Monday night.All six runs in the game came off homers, with Texas' Joc Pederson delivering a two-run shot in the third off rookie Mike Paredes.Minnesota's 25-year-old left-hander fell an out short of his first major league win in his second start among four career appearances since May 31. Paredes allowed four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings.Buxton has homered in six of his past nine games to get within one of major league leaders Yordan Alvarez of Houston and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber.Four Twins relievers held Texas to one hit over the final 4 1/3 innings, starting with Taylor Rogers (3-3) striking out Pederson, the only batter he faced, to end the fifth.Andrew Morris pitched a perfect sixth, Eric Orze allowed a single over 1 2/3 innings and Yoendrys Gómez retired the final four Texas batters for his second save in two days and seventh of the season, six coming with Minnesota.Josh Smith came off the bench for the Rangers in his first appearance since May 3, fouling out to catcher Alex Jackson on the only pitch he saw from Orze. Smith's six-week absence started with a glute strain and wrist inflammation before he was hospitalized with viral meningitis. Kyler Fedko made his major league debut for the Twins as the left fielder. The 26-year-old went 0 for 4, striking out his first two times up against Texas left-hander Mackenzie Gore, who struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings. Gore (4-6) allowed four hits and four runs with two walks in seven innings.Up nextTwins RHP Zebby Matthews (2-4, 5,20 ERA) faces Texas RHP Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.56) on Tuesday.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

A BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon has killed two people, one of them who performed onstage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl. The sheriff's office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE (Buildings, Antennas, Spans, Earth) jumping, a sport that involves parachuting to the ground from a tall building, bridge or cliff.In BASE jumping circles, Lewis had a huge following and a reputation for pushing the envelope, leaping into tighter spaces or deploying his parachute later than his peers would dare.Lewis, also known as Sketchy Andy, famously performed an extreme slacklining routine on a highline during Madonna's Super Bowl XLVI halftime show in 2012. He bounced, did flips, and surfed the line in a toga.The high-energy performance thrust the extreme sports athlete into the spotlight overnight."My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row," Lewis said afterwards during an appearance on Conan O'Brien's late-night TV show.Emergency responders were dispatched on Sunday after a report of people injured in a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado line, according to the sheriff's office.Lewis and an unidentified 50-year-old man died at the scene, the sheriff's office reported in a news release.No further details on the fatal accident have yet been shared.Lewis posted footage to Instagram of his latest adventure two days ago."Stoked for the rest of the season," he captioned a video of himself leaping into the abyss. "What a journey it's been, and it's only just begun."

CINCINNATI (AP) — Eugenio Suárez homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs, including a grand slam in the second inning as the Cincinnati Reds rolled to a 12-0 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night.JJ Bleday added a three-run shot and Chase Burns (8-1) struck out seven over five innings in Cincinnati's most lopsided shutout since a 13-0 win against Philadelphia on April 15, 2023.Burns and three Reds relievers combined on a six-hitter for the team's fifth shutout this year.Bo Bichette had three hits for the Mets, who were blanked for the eighth time. It was their largest shutout loss in eight seasons.New York had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth, fifth and seventh but could not score.Suárez hit a two-run homer to left field off starter Tobias Myers (0-2) in the first on a full-count fastball to make it 3-0. Cincinnati added six runs in the second, including Suárez's grand slam to center off Jonathan Pintaro with two outs to make it 9-0. It was Suárez’s ninth career slam and 24th multihomer game.Burns struck out six of the first seven batters he faced and allowed four hits. He lowered his ERA to 2.01.According to Sportradar, it was the first time a National League team had a player and pitcher with least six RBIs and six strikeouts in the first three innings of a game, going back to 1920.Up nextRHP Kodai Senga (0-4, 9.00 ERA) will be activated off the injured list Tuesday by the Mets to make his first start since April 26. RHP Brady Singer (2-6, 5.61) goes for Cincinnati.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

There seems to be some anxiety among Los Angeles Lakers fans about whether the team will end up not only keeping Austin Reaves, but also re-signing him to a new contract that makes sense. The rising star guard is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent later this month, and there have been reports indicating that he could command a ton of money on his next deal.Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times recently said that Reaves and his representation want a max contract, which, if given by the Lakers, would be for about $241 million over five years. Dan Woike of The Athletic also wrote that the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons could go after Reaves, which could drive up the price for the Lakers to keep the 28-year-old.However, NBA insider Marc Stein downplayed the amount of interest Reaves could have from other teams and wrote in his Substack that the Lakers are "widely expected" to keep Reaves."The Lakers are widely expected to re-sign Reaves, whose fondness for Lakerland as well as his blossoming backcourt partnership alongside Luka Dončić are regarded as strong lures that suggest the sides will ultimately come to terms on a new pact," Stein wrote."Yet it is unclear what sort of external interest Reaves will generate after his strong production over the past two seasons … at least partly due to the inherent skepticism that stems from trying to woo him away from the Lakers. Brooklyn and Detroit have been mentioned as potential Reaves suitors, but neither is seen as a certainty yet."There have been recent rumbles, in fact, about the Nets potentially looking at shorter deals if they do decide to be aggressive in free agency. League sources say that the Pistons, meanwhile, are expected to focus on potential trade additions rather than free agent targets when it comes to bolstering their shooting so as not to further complicate tricky looming contract extension negotiations with restricted free agent-to-be Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, who will be rookie scale contract extension eligible from July 6 until the eve of Opening Night in October."Reaves has previously made it clear that he wants to stay with the Lakers, and the Lakers have reportedly made keeping him a priority. In fact, one team source downplayed the concerns about the lack of defense that a pairing of Reaves and Luka Doncic would present.This season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points on 49% field-goal shooting and 36% 3-point shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game. Los Angeles will badly need his scoring, ball-handling, facilitating and ability to get to the free throw line once LeBron James leaves, whether that happens this summer or later on.This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Lakers 'widely expected' to keep Austin Reaves

🫣 Did someone say oldies? Two keepers are HEROES in their matchesAge and reflexes don’t have an expiration date. Or at least that’s what Vózinha and Mohammed Al-Owais showed us in their respective matches. On what became a day of draws at the World Cup, two experienced goalkeepers proved that age is just a number when you have the quality needed to shine.The experienced Cape Verde goalkeeper came up huge in monumental fashion, making 7 key saves against Spain and fully deservedly taking home the MVP award for the match.In another game, Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper delivered the same dose of heroics with a total of 9 massive saves against Uruguay, directly preventing defeat for the Asian side against La Celeste.Today we witnessed miracles between the posts—will we see performances of this level again at the World Cup?This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

The Oklahoma Sooners are one win away from the College World Series finals after hanging on to beat the Georgia Bulldogs 4-3 on Monday night in Omaha. Xander Mercurius threw a gem to pick up the first win of his career, going 7.1 innings pitched, allowing just three earned runs against one of the best offenses in college baseball. He allowed six hits and two walks while striking out a career high nine batters in the win. The Sooners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Jason Walk doubled deep to right-center field. Walk came in on Deightan LaChance's fielder's choice. One batter later, Jaxon Willits took a 2-2 offering off the top of the wall for a two-run home run. After Georgia got on the board at the top of the fourth, Brendan Brock homered to get it back and keep the Sooners up three. All three of Georgia's runs came on solo home runs. Mercurius never allowed the Bulldogs to string together runners on base. Reliever Cleveland Jackson took over in the eighth and earned the save, working around situations with the tying run at second base in both the eighth and ninth innings. Oklahoma has been arguably the hottest team in baseball since upsetting Georgia Tech in back-to-back wins in Atlanta, and they've carried that over into the College World Series with wins over Alabama and now Georgia. The Sooners have done the impossible after struggling through conference play. While the Sooners wait on their next opponent in the College World Series, here's how social media reacted to the win. Why Not OU?why not Oklahoma? pic.twitter.com/LOHhb5bMUF— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) June 16, 2026They're RollingHottest team in college baseball!!!!What a story!!! https://t.co/X59BewbdnH— Chris Plank (@PlankShow) June 16, 2026Just Keep WinningSOONERS TO THE SEMIS 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ROLPmnen3D— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) June 16, 2026Lots of Reasons to BelieveNEVER A DOUBT!2-0 in Omaha! #BoomerSooner— Travis J Davidson (@TravisSkol) June 16, 2026UGA Tamed"Sorry not sorry Uga." -Jenny https://t.co/JsT5zWaI6Qpic.twitter.com/IWef2NeEa6— Andrew Shepard (@The_Shep_) June 16, 2026Marvelous MercuriusXander Mercurius final stat line - 7.1 IP 3 R9 K2 BBTake a bow kid. Spectacular outing.— Joe Castiglione Jr. (@JoeCJr29) June 16, 2026Hitting all the High NotesHOW BOUT THEM SOONERS!!! Hottest team in America!!!!!!— Joe Castiglione Jr. (@JoeCJr29) June 16, 2026Simply AmazingThat was a hell of a college baseball gameThis Oklahoma team is just amazing— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) June 16, 2026Freshmen PhenomsThe story tonight? More #Sooners freshman pitching. Xander Mercurius K's a career-high 9 over 7 innings. Mercurius/Rager combined: 14.1 ip, 3 runs, 2 BB & 17 Ks. Unreal. https://t.co/3NdmWe70lV— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) June 16, 2026Cleveland Jackson was NailsJackson Cleveland Appreciation Post.The @OU_Baseball closer is the definition of CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/h1hZMYXXrN— Micah Beutell (@Micah_CBC) June 16, 2026Brent Venables - Hype ManJaxon Willits says OU football coach Brent Venables spoke to the baseball team briefly tonight. “He’s really good at what he does. He had me ready to go play linebacker, run through a brick wall.” #Sooners— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) June 16, 2026SEC Baseball is CinemaWow. Who’s hotter than the Sooners?Xander Mercurius throws a gem and the Oklahoma offense does just enough to earn a GRITTY win over Georgia.Dawgs and Horns tomorrow night in an elimination game. Buckle your chinstraps, folks. https://t.co/nI5q1zOOPc— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) June 16, 2026Just Incredible StuffOU freshman Xander Mercurius vs. Georgia:🔥 Longest outing of his career: 7.1 IP🔥 Most strikeouts of his career: 9 🔥 First career W pic.twitter.com/HHziMxHBz4— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 16, 2026Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Social media reactions from Sooners 4-3 win over the Georgia Bulldogs

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 15: A general view of Wrigley Field after Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs hit for the cycle in the seventh inning during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday, June 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nick Loggarakis/MLB Photos via Getty Images)Nick Loggarakis via Getty ImagesPete Crow-Armstrong became the 13th Chicago Cub to hit for the cycle, completing the feat with a seventh-inning single in a tight game against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. Armstrong's hit drew a raucous response from fans at Wrigley Field. The moment, however, got doused with groans after the Rockies picked off Armstrong on first base. The Cubs outfielder got his four-hit night started with a solo homer in the first inning, followed by a triple in the third inning and a double in the fifth. It was the fifth reverse cycle since the expansion era, MLB.com's Sarah Langs reported.

Image Credit: lev radin / Shutterstock. Some of the most memorable automotive stories are not about rare supercars, record-breaking auctions, or million-dollar collections. Sometimes they begin with something as ordinary as a taxi ride.That is part of what makes a recent story involving rapper French Montana, a New York City cab driver, and the newly crowned NBA champion New York Knicks so unusual. In a city known for larger-than-life personalities, the tale has captured attention because it combines sports, music, and one of the most recognizable vehicles on American streets.According to French Montana, a conversation with a taxi driver became an unexpected source of motivation during the Knicks' championship journey. The rapper shared the story following New York's first NBA title in more than five decades, a victory that sparked celebrations across the city.For car enthusiasts, there is another layer to the story. While luxury SUVs and chauffeured vehicles dominate many celebrity headlines, this one centers on a vehicle that has long been part of New York's identity: the humble taxi cab.A Taxi Ride Turns Into Something MoreNew York's taxi fleet has carried millions of passengers over the decades, including tourists, executives, athletes, and celebrities. Most rides are quickly forgotten.This one apparently wasn't.French Montana recently recalled an encounter with a taxi driver whose words stuck with him during the Knicks' remarkable playoff run. What could have been an ordinary conversation became something the rapper says he carried with him as excitement around the team continued to build.Stories like this resonate because they remind people that inspiration often comes from unexpected places. Not every memorable moment happens in a luxury suite or a locker room. Sometimes it happens in traffic.Why the Story Connects With Car EnthusiastsAutomotive culture has always been about more than machinery.Ask longtime enthusiasts about their favorite car memories, and many will mention road trips, conversations, chance encounters, or people they met along the way. The vehicle often becomes the setting rather than the star.New York taxis have played that role for generations. They are rolling pieces of city history, serving as the backdrop for countless stories involving residents and visitors alike.For many older enthusiasts, there is something refreshing about hearing a transportation story that does not involve a six-figure exotic car. Instead, the spotlight falls on a working vehicle and the person behind the wheel.The Knicks Gave New York Plenty to CelebrateThe timing of the story is no coincidence.The Knicks recently captured their first NBA championship in 53 years, ending one of the longest title droughts in professional sports. The victory unleashed celebrations throughout New York City and reignited enthusiasm among generations of fans.French Montana has been one of the team's most visible celebrity supporters throughout the postseason. He even released Knicks-themed music tied to the Finals run as excitement around the franchise continued to grow.As stories from the championship journey continue to emerge, this taxi-driver tale stands out because it reflects the everyday people who often become part of a team's legacy.The Best Automotive Stories Are Often the Unexpected OnesCar enthusiasts spend plenty of time discussing horsepower, lap times, towing capacity, and vehicle values.Yet some of the most enduring automotive stories have very little to do with specifications.A simple taxi ride is unlikely to appear in any collector car guide or auction catalog. It will not set a speed record or break a sales record. But it has become part of a larger story connected to one of New York's most memorable sports moments in decades.That is what makes it newsworthy. In an era when headlines are often dominated by expensive vehicles and celebrity collections, a working cab and its driver managed to become part of championship lore.Sometimes the vehicle that leaves the biggest impression is not the fastest car on the road. Sometimes it is the one carrying a great story.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.

The San Francisco 49ers were left in a bad spot after they made a massive trade to take Trey Lance in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft just to watch him start four games and appear in eight games over two years.Luckily, the 49ers struck gold in seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, as Brock Purdy was able to take over as the team's starting quarterback and has looked capable in the role.After four seasons in the NFL, Purdy has made a Pro Bowl and brought his team to the NFC Championship twice and Super Bowl once. That's a fair amount of success for a seventh-round selection.While every quarterback wants to win a Super Bowl in their career, a select few need to hoist a Lombardi Trophy to cement their legacy. Where does Brock Purdy rank among quarterbacks who need the Super Bowl win the most?CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo put Purdy at No. 13."Two years after leading the 49ers to an NFC title, Purdy signed a contract extension befitting a top-tier quarterback. But if Purdy wants to truly be considered elite, he needs to help the 49ers end their 32-year championship drought," DeArdo wrote. "Ironically, Steve Young, the 49ers' quarterback the last time San Francisco won it all, faced a similar narrative prior to 1994. Young responded by winning his second league MVP. He also won Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing a record six touchdown passes during San Francisco's blowout win over the Chargers. Can Purdy write a similar story in 2026?"These are the quarterbacks ranked above Purdy in needing a Super Bowl for their legacy:Matthew Stafford (No. 12)Kyler Murray (No. 11)Patrick Mahomes (No. 10)Jalen Hurts (No. 9)Jordan Love (No. 8)Jared Goff (No. 7)Aaron Rodgers (No. 6)Justin Herbert (No. 5)Dak Prescott (No. 4)Joe Burrow (No. 3)Josh Allen (No. 2)Lamar Jackson (No. 1)San Francisco added a few new offensive weapons for Purdy to throw to this year, which should help him out, but the team really needs to stay healthy and needs to see the defense perform better than it did at points during their 2025 campaign.More 49ers: 49ers grab 3 potential needs in new 3-round 2027 mock draftThis article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Super Bowl 61: How would 49ers win affect Brock Purdy's legacy?

The Dallas Cowboys front office got clear marching orders from new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Moving over from Philadelphia and Denver before that, Parker was well versed in what it takes to assemble a strong secondary. And while Dallas made their biggest free agency and draft splashes at safety, they didn't ignore the defensive interior just because there was already star power there.Among the new faces in the trenches is nose tackle Otito Ogbonnia. While the front is headlined by Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, and Parker has voiced his confidence in the latter's ability to anchor his 3-4 defense, Dallas was lacking a bonafide big-bodied nose tackle. The young veteran came over from a part-time role, missing a chunk of the 2025 season due to an elbow injury. RundownPosition: Nose TackleAge: 25Height: 6-foot-4Weight: 320 poundsHometown: Houston, TXHigh School: James E. Taylor (Katy, TX)College: UCLA (College Highlights)Draft: 2022 Fifth-round pick (No. 180)Acquired: 2026 Free AgencyContract: One-year contract (2026), $2.75 million2026 Base Salary: $1.5 million, guaranteed, plus $750k roster bonusesCareer Earnings: $4.2 million (per Over The Cap)ProfileOgbonnia has started 20 of 41 career games through four seasons, including all 17 in 2024. He hasn't played more than nine games in a season outsdie of that. A run-stuffer only, he has 0.5 sacks across his career. His run defense grades from Pro Football Focus have risen each season, from 41.9 as a rookie to 56.3 in limited snaps in 2025.The Cowboys have tried, unsuccessfully, to plug the hole at nose tackle for years. They got little snap usage out of last year's late-round pick Jay Toia, and quickly learned their 2022 first-round pick Mazi Smith was a mistake. With Clark penned in as the starter at the position, adding a bigger player with experience for those goal-line and short-yardage situations was imperative. If Ogbonnia can prove helpful in those scenarios, he could find a long-term home in Dallas.Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys player profile No. 91 DT Otito Ogbonnia

Houston – The Tigers won a baseball game Monday night, beating the Houston Astros 9-3 in the first of three at Daikin Park.But, stop us if you’ve heard this before, they might’ve also lost two more players to injury.Will it ever end?It started before the game. Right-hander Troy Melton, who was supposed to make the start, was a late scratch because of general back pain. Then in the second inning, second baseman Gleyber Torres winced and doubled over after he swung at a pitch.Torres had sports hernia surgery in the offseason and missed most of May with a left oblique strain. It appeared he tweaked that same area on the swing.The Tigers were unclear about the severity of either injury, but their history of avoiding the injured list this season is poor.As for the game itself, it was the ultimate all-or-nothing performance by the Tigers’ offense. They struck out a season-high 18 times. But they banged out 11 hits, including five home runs and a triple and had runners on base in every inning.Colt Keith led the charge. After hitting his first home run last Thursday, he swatted three of them and knocked in six runs on Monday. The three homers and six RBI are both career highs. Keith hit two bombs to right field, the first one 411 feet into the Astros' bullpen. The last one he hit to the opposite-field into the Crawford Boxes in left. Rookie Kevin McGonigle, who walked twice and singled, hit his fifth homer of the season in the second inning. Spencer Torkelson hit his 12th, going back-to-back with Keith in the third inning. Torkelson has hit three homers in four games.The Tigers' first three homers, and nine of the strikeouts, came against Astros starter Kai-Wei Teng. His first inning set the tone for the zaniness of this game.He walked two, hit two, including Keith with the bases loaded, but he struck out three. Through the fourth inning, 11 of the 12 Tigers’ outs were strikeouts.Dillon Dingler accounted for the sixth run, with his wheels. He sliced a ball to right field that spun away from right-fielder Cam Smith and rolled to the wall. Dingler never slowed down around second and beat the relay throw.He scored on a passed ball. He had two hits and scored three runs on the night. The only intrigue down the stretch was whether the Tigers’ could collect enough outs. Melton’s injury turned this into an impromptu bullpen game. And the answer was yes, they could.Drew Anderson struck out five in 2.2 innings, leaving with a runner on and two outs in the third.Right-hander Jacob Waguespack entered and gave up home runs on back-to-back pitches – a two-strike, two-run homer to former Tiger Isaac Paredes and a 410-foot rocket to Jose Altuve.But he pitched a clean fourth. After Kyle Finnegan got through the fifth unscathed, lefty Tyler Holton got the next five outs. It was the fifth straight scoreless outing for Holton. He’s allowed just two runs in 10 innings, with 11 strikeouts in his last 10 games.Will Vest got four outs and Enmanuel De Jesus finished off the ninth. This will be updated…Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com@cmccoskyThis article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Colt Keith had two homers and five RBIs to beat Astros in opener

The News' Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers' 9-3 victory over the Astros on Monday:One thing I lovedColt Keith might've enjoyed the good-natured silent treatment from his teammates last week, after he ended a looooong long-ball drought with his first home run of the season. But he doesn't seem to be interested in receiving any more of those.Keith hit three more home runs Monday, giving him four in four games, after he didn't homer in his first 68 games of 2026. The first one was a titanic blast, a 411-footer in the third inning to give the Tigers a 4-0 lead. The second one was a 344-foot shot in the seventh inning to streak the lead back to four, at 7-3. The third was an opposite-field blast, 347 feet over the high fence in left field.It was a career-high six-RBI night for Keith, who had 10 RBIs all season coming into the game. (He also drove in a run on a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the first inning, when the Tigers, unbelievably, sent seven men to the plate and didn't put a single ball in play — walk, strikeout, strikeout, walk, hit by pitch, hit by pitch, strikeout.)Spencer Torkelson told me after Keith's first homer last week that they come in bunches — he's surely an authority here; he had a five-game homer streak earlier this season, and on Monday, he homered for the third time in four games — and, yeah, they're coming in bunches for Keith.He became the first Tiger to hit three homers in a game since Kerry Carpenter in June 2025, and the eighth different Tiger to accomplish it this century (Miguel Cabrera did it twice).For good measure, Keith even made a dandy defensive play at third base to end the seventh inning.411 ft to double the lead again 🚀 pic.twitter.com/D3bZM3ajDq— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026One thing I didn'tI don't claim to know what the solution is. If there was an obvious solution, surely we'd have seen it. But I know this much: I've seen enough of the early game pinch-hits by Tigers manager AJ Hinch, especially when the pinch-hitter is Jahmai Jones, who just doesn't have it in 2026. Pitchers have adjusted to him. He hasn't adjusted to them.Jones hit left-handed pitchers at a .970 OPS clip in 2025, but last time I checked the calendar (and Jones' Baseball-Reference.com page), it's not 2025 anymore. Yet, there he was, pinch-hitting for Kerry Carpenter in the fourth inning Monday. He struck out yet again. He hasn't had a hit since May 26. He's had two hits since May 5. During that stretch, he's struck out 14 times in 42 at-bats. Jones hasn't had an extra-base hit since May 1. He hasn't homered since April 23. He's a negative-1.0 WAR player who has struck out 21 times in 68 at-bats against lefties.Hinch said recently that the Tigers still believe in Jones' abilities, "But clearly we need production in order to continue that. ... How long that lasts, I don’t know." Jones is out of options. The Tigers must be considering others.He can run too 💨Vote Ding ⭐️ https://t.co/JrsIBeU1cGpic.twitter.com/aef4hqbmOb— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026Three stars(Season total in parentheses)▶ Dillon Dingler (20)▶ Kevin McGonigle (19)▶ Drew Anderson (3) — Five strikeouts in 2.2 innings and he didn't allow a run while he was in the game, a not-too-shabby effort considering he was an emergency starter when Troy Melton was scratched with a back issue.Player of the game(Season total in parentheses)▶ Colt Keith (3) — His three home runs left the bat at 108.8, 102.7 and 99.6 mph.COLTEN THOMAS KEITH FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT 💣 pic.twitter.com/CmC9fOxlWX— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026Tigers' uniform trackerTraditional home whites: 15-13Alternate home oranges: 3-1Motor City Connect home blues: 0-2Traditional road grays: 9-19Alternate road blues: 3-7Next Tigers game▶ Game 72: Tigers at Astros, 8:10 Tuesday, Detroit SportsNet, 97.1ICYMI: Yesterday's Tigers recaptpaul@detroitnews.com@tonypaul1984This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers recap, Game 72: One thing I loved, one thing I didn't

Lead Stories says: Made-Up StoryDid American soccer player Folarin Balogun unveil an image of late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk under his t-shirt during the USA-Paraguay World Cup match on June 12, 2026? No, that's not true: The viral image was digitally manipulated. Neither the real footage of the game nor media coverage confirm that such an episode ever took place during that match.The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @xakundo on June 13, 2026. It opened:'THIS IS FOR CHARLIE KIRK.' El insólito festejo de Folarin Balogun. 😳🇺🇸As translated from Spanish to English by DeepL, it meant:'THIS IS FOR CHARLIE KIRK'. Folarin Balogun's unusual celebration. 😳🇺🇸This is what the attached image looked like on X at the time of writing:Image source: post by @xakundo on X.The picture showed the logos of the two teams: USA and Paraguay. They met for a World Cup game on June 12, 2026 (archived here and here), and the USA won 4-1.Balogun, who is a forward for AS Monaco and who also plays for the American national team, scored (archived here and here) two of those goals, the second and the third. However, contrary to the 46:00 mark in the viral image, the third goal was only scored three minutes later, at the 49:08 mark.A FOX Sports video (archived here) published on YouTube captures moments after both Balogun's goals, but it does not show the player unveiling a Charlie Kirk shirt.A search on Google News for the keywords seen here (archived here) did not show any media coverage of the supposedly real story Kirk shirt at the World Cup.Kirk, the conservative commentator referenced in the viral post, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025 (archived here).AI or Not suggested the presence of generative AI in the picture:Image source: AI or Not.ZeroGPT also concluded that the image was not authentic:Image source: ZeroGPT.

New Zealand twice took the lead against Iran on Monday with a chance to seize control of Group G in the World Cup debut for both teams. But Iran rallied twice to equalize, and the two teams played to a 2-2 draw to keep things level in the Group G standings. Belgium and Egypt played to a 1-1 draw earlier Monday, and all four teams will leave their first game in World Cup play with one point apiece in the standings. Elijah Just struck first for New Zealand with the first of his two goals on a sensational leaping kick off a pass from Chris Wood in the seventh minute from the middle of the box. Iran equalized 24 minutes later when Ramin Rezaeian broke through traffic in the box to sneak the ball past New Zealand goaltender Max Crocombe.Then, in the second half, Just scored again on an assist from Wood, this time off an Iran turnover at midfield. But New Zealand’s joy and chance at taking control of Group G was short-lived. Mohammad Mohebbi headed a cross-field pass from Rezaeian in the 64th minute to tie the game again at 2-2.That tally stood as the final score as the two teams played to a draw.This story will be updated.

An interim heavyweight champion was crowned on Sunday in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event. Ciryl Gane stopped former two-division titleholder Alex Pereira at The White House to become a two-time interim champion. The win set up a title unification bout against champion Tom Aspinall later this year.Following Sunday's TKO win, Gane called for a rematch against the champion to take place in his hometown. "Next, everybody knows already. Let's do that in Paris in September," the Frenchman told Joe Rogan in his post-fight UFC Freedom 250 Octagon Interview.On Monday, Aspinall agreed to the September matchup with Gane in Paris on his YouTube channel. "Paris in September? I'll do that. I'll do that," Aspinall said. "Let me know. ... I don't mind. I'll go to Paris. Let me know. I'll be there." Gane and Aspinall first fought at UFC 321 last October. The fight ended late in the opening round and was ruled a no contest. A double eye poke rendered Aspinall unable to continue and the champion retained his belt. He continues to recover from an eye injury suffered from the pokes but expects to be cleared to spar in the near future. "Ciryl Gane in Paris. Let's Go," said Aspinall.

Jun 15, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Moisés Ballesteros (25) scores as Colorado Rockies catcher Braxton Fulford (37) stands nearby during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images Cubs 5, Rockies 4Graphics via FanGraphs.Hitting for the cycle: Pete Crow-Armstrong, +0.13 WPABullpen implosion: Juan Mejia, -0.42 WPAComment of the GameJoin the conversation!Sign up for a user account and get:Fewer adsCreate community postsComment on articles, community postsRec comments, community postsNew, improved notifications system!Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Magic Johnson is an NBA and Los Angeles Lakers legend who is loyal to the franchise. However, he is also known for giving credit where it is due, congratulating Josh Hart and the New York Knicks.The 6-foot-5 swingman helped his team end its 53-year title drought on Saturday. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games, with Hart playing a key role throughout the series. His contributions were beyond what the stat sheets showed, providing a lot of hustle and heart.MORE: Carmelo Anthony makes his feelings clear on Knicks’ NBA championshipJohnson gave a shout out to Knicks players, including a message for Hart. The 66-year-old highlighted that he drafted the Villanova product when he was with Los Angeles and that he already knew what he could bring to the table.Hart was drafted at No. 30 in 2017. He spent the first three seasons of his pro career with the Lakers before they traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans. The 31-year-old spent the next three campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers and found his way to New York via a trade in 2023.Dec 21, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) gestures after making a three-point shot in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesHow did Josh Hart perform in the NBA Finals?Hart started all five Finals games. While he experienced up-and-down scoring, he more than made up for it with his rebounding and clutch plays. He averaged 7.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 steals.His hustle and ability to provide New York with extra possessions earned him the nickname “Loose ball lunatic.” The Knicks will rely heavily on Hart again next season when they start their title defense with a huge target on their backs.

Romelu Lukaku's physical presence forced Egypt's Mohamed Hany into scoring an own goal to earn Belgium a point (Emilee Chinn)Iran came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their long-awaited opening game at the World Cup on Monday as European heavyweights Spain were frustrated in a shock stalemate by tiny tournament debutants Cape Verde.After months of uncertainty surrounding their participation in the tournament following the war in the Middle East, all eyes were on the Iranians as they took on the New Zealanders in Group G at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium. But despite scattered pre-match protests outside the venue, the game passed off largely without incident as Iran twice fought back from a goal down to earn a precious point in front of a 70,108-strong crowd.Elijah Just scored twice for New Zealand with a goal in each half, but the Kiwis' hopes of securing a first ever World Cup win ended in disappointment after goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi secured Iran's point.The pre-match build-up had been dominated by the political intrigue surrounding Iran, who were initially due to be based in Tucson, Arizona before switching their training base to Tijuana in Mexico due to ongoing tensions with co-hosts the United States over visa issues.US authorities have refused to grant visas for several members of the Iranian delegation.A few hours before Monday's opener, hundreds of protesters against Iran's ruling regime gathered outside the SoFi Stadium to vent their anger at Tehran's rulers.Waving the flag used by Iran before the 1979 Islamic revolution, demonstrators beat drums and chanted slogans denouncing the national side, which they insist is a propaganda tool for the hardline Islamic republic."This team is not the Iranian people's team, it's the regime's team," said Ava Amin, a philosophy student who came to demonstrate with a banner calling for "regime change." FIFA had warned that anyone carrying Iran's pre-revolutionary flag into the stadium would risk ejection under rules that forbid any kind of political messaging inside grounds.However AFP reporters witnessed dozens of fans inside the stadium wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the banned flag, while other supporters openly displayed the flag, in violation of FIFA guidelines.But there was no sign of any other significant protest against the Iranian team during the game, who were greeted by a roar from the crowd when they first appeared to warm up and enjoyed raucous support throughout.- Spain held by Cape Verde -Elsewhere Monday, European champions Spain -- one of the pre-tournament favourites for the title -- were held to a stunning 0-0 draw by African qualifiers Cape Verde.Spain had been expected to cruise past Cape Verde, playing in the tournament for the first time.But despite enjoying 74 percent possession and laying siege to the Cape Verde goal, the 2010 world champions were unable to find a breakthrough against the underdogs from the volcanic archipelago of just 525,000 people, who are ranked as 2000-1 outsiders to win the World Cup by several betting websites."The dream came true," Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha told reporters. "We competed against Spain, one of the best teams in the world. We are very happy and proud of all the players and people of Cape Verde."Cape Verde had never qualified for the World Cup but were boosted in their bid to qualify for the finals after FIFA's expansion of the tournament to 48 teams.Spain coach Luis de la Fuente insisted there was no reason to hit the panic button -- and still confidently backed his squad to reach the final."We are completely calm, convinced that there is a long way to go. As we see it, we have seven games left," he said.An upset had also looked on the cards in another early game on Monday, with Egypt taking the lead through Emam Ashour in the first half against Belgium in a Group G game in Seattle.But veteran Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku came off the bench in the second half to make an instant impact, harassing Egypt defender Mohamed Hany into an own goal to secure a share of the points.In Miami, two-time World Cup-winners Uruguay had to come from behind to grab a point against Saudi Arabia in Group H.Abdulelah al-Amri gave Saudi Arabia the lead on 41 minutes but Maxi Araujo's leveller on 80 minutes saved Uruguay's blushes in a 1-1 draw.rcw/gj

HOUSTON – A few hours before their series opener, the Detroit Tigers learned right-hander Troy Melton would be scratched from his scheduled start with back tightness.The injury forced a bullpen-only pitching plan.It wasn't perfect, but six relievers worked together for a 9-3 win over the Houston Astros on Monday, June 15, in the first of three games in the series at Daikin Park. After Melton's injury, second baseman Gleyber Torres exited the game with an undisclosed injury after a violent swing in the second inning.Colt Keith provided big swings of a different kind, with three home runs.SHAWN WINDSOR: Justin Verlander's 2nd turn with Tigers can't come fast enough for himRight-hander Drew Anderson served as the Tigers' starter in an opener role, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts across 2⅔ innings.He absorbed the heaviest workload.The Tigers (30-42) trail the first-place Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians by nine games in the American League Central. They're also 5½ games back in the AL wild-card race, all while being the third-worst AL team.MIDSUMMER CLASSIC: Kevin McGonigle, Dillon Dingler need help after All-Star voting updateOn the moundThe Tigers used six relievers. In order: Anderson for 2⅔ innings, right-hander Jacob Waguespack for 1⅓ innings, right-hander Kyle Finnegan for one inning, left-hander Tyler Holton for 1⅔ innings, right-hander Will Vest for 1⅓ innings and left-handed reliever Enmanuel De Jesus for one inning.The three runs were charged to Anderson and Waguespack.Anderson stranded runners on first and second base in the first inning and a runner on second base in the second inning before the Astros finally scored in the third inning, sparked by a two-out walk to Christian Walker.The Tigers replaced Anderson with Waguespack, who immediately gave up back-to-back home runs on back-to-back pitches to Isaac Paredes (two-run homer, two-strike cutter) and Jose Altuve (solo homer, first-pitch cutter).Those homers trimmed the Tigers' lead to 5-3.Owner of the Crawford Boxes! pic.twitter.com/hWQ2XvhKkW— Houston Astros (@astros) June 16, 2026#27 on the move!https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 ⭐️ @Hondapic.twitter.com/LQQ1zkqDeq— Houston Astros (@astros) June 16, 2026Waguespack could be the latest failed pitching project.The 32-year-old joined the Tigers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday for a player to be named later or cash considerations. He came to the Tigers with a 5.11 ERA over 105⅔ innings in his three-year MLB career, spanning 31 games.So far, Waguespack continues to perform like a pitcher who shouldn't be in the big leagues.The Tigers got to the finish line with Finnegan in the fifth inning, Holton in the sixth and seventh innings, Vest in the seventh and eighth innings and De Jesus in the ninth inning.All four of those relievers put zeros on the scoreboard.At the plateThe Tigers struck out 18 times, but five home runs – including three from Keith – made the difference.Kevin McGonigle hit a solo home run off right-hander Kai-Wei Teng's middle-up sinker for a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Keith hit a two-run homer off Teng's middle-middle sweeper for a 4-0 lead and Spencer Torkelson hit a solo homer off Teng's middle-middle sweeper for a 5-0 lead, both in the third inning.The homers from Keith and Torkelson came in back-to-back at-batsBoth were poorly executed pitches by Teng.411 ft to double the lead again 🚀 pic.twitter.com/D3bZM3ajDq— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026The Tigers extended their lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning. Dillon Dingler hit a triple off right-handed reliever AJ Blubaugh and scored on a passed ball by catcher Christian Vázquez.It helped make up for a big missed opportunity in the fourth inning.That's when the Tigers stranded runners on the corners with Jahmai Jones (pinch-hitting for Kerry Carpenter) striking out swinging and Riley Greene striking out swinging, both against left-handed reliever Steven Okert.Jones continues to struggle in his specialist role.KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES: Detroit Tigers sticking with struggling Jahmai Jones – for nowAnother big swing from Keith separated the Tigers from the Astros with an 8-3 advantage in the eighth inning. This time, he pulled a two-run home run off right-handed reliever Jayden Murray's middle-middle changeup.COLTEN THOMAS KEITH FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT 💣 pic.twitter.com/CmC9fOxlWX— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026Keith connected for his third home run in the ninth inning, pushing a middle-away slider from right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu to left field for an opposite-field solo homer and a 9-3 lead.Keith has hit four home runs in his past four games – after hitting zero home runs in his first 62 games. His three homers and six RBIs are his most in a game in his three-year MLB career, spanning 351 games.A HAT-TRICK FOR COLT KEITH ‼️ pic.twitter.com/32drZOZk9C— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 16, 2026Before the five homers, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning without getting a hit.Teng walked McGonigle, walked Greene, hit Dingler and hit Keith. The second hit-by-pitch occurred with the bases loaded, resulting in the first run of nine runs.Next up: Texas reunionThe Tigers and Astros meet again Tuesday (8:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) in the second of seven games between the two teams in a 14-day stretch.The pitching matchup for Tuesday's game: Left-hander Framber Valdez starts for the Tigers, and right-hander Hunter Brown starts for the Astros.There's familiarity for both pitchers.Valdez pitched for the Astros from 2018-25, winning the World Series in 2022 and throwing a no-hitter in 2023. The 32-year-old signed a free-agent contract with the Tigers in February 2026, guaranteeing $115 million over three years.Brown, meanwhile, was born in Detroit, grew up as a Tigers fan, attended Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores and pitched at Wayne State University. The 27-year-old is returning to the Astros from a right shoulder strain, which has kept him sidelined since early April.One week after this series, the Astros are scheduled to travel to Comerica Park for a four-game series against the Tigers, taking place June 25-28.Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers hit five homers to scorch Astros, led by Colt Keith

Jun 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) hugs third baseman Colt Keith (33) after he hit a two run home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images After a pair of disappointing losses and a rainout at home against the Guardians, the Tigers hit the road for the Lone Star State, the Bluebonnet State, the Home of the Whopper (I assume) for the opener of a three-game series against the Astros in Houston. It didn’t exactly go as the Tigers initially envisioned it, I imagine, but in the end Detroit came away with a comfortable 9-3 victory on Monday night — and, holy mackerel, did Colt Keith have a night.Troy Melton woke up with lower-back tightness, so Drew Anderson got the spot start. (Get well soon, Troy. Please.) Anderson has generally been solid whenever in the game he’s been asked to pitch; he made a similar start back on May 20 against Cleveland and he pitched into the fifth, giving up no runs, two hits, and striking out seven. He’s been decent recently, too: in June coming into today, Anderson had pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and two runs across five relief appearances.Facing the Tigers was Kai-Wei Teng, a right-hander from Taiwan in his first season in Houston. He’s had some mixed results so far in his career in North America, spending time with the Giants the last two seasons. Like almost all of his colleagues on the Houston pitching staff, he’s been walking a ton of batters — about 4.2 per 9 innings — so it was important that the Tigers needed to be patient against Teng to get runners on base.The Tigers loaded the bases with two out in the first after a pair of walks and a hit-batsman. Keith then got clipped by a very, very wild pitch that nicked his back-foot calf pant-leg to force in a run, putting the Tigers up 1-0. With the bases still loaded, Spencer Torkelson struck out on a sweeper for the third out, and what a strange inning: two walks, two hit-by-pitches, three strikeouts, and no balls in play. (Do not say Teng “struck out the side.”)Anderson had a similarly silly first inning: he struck out three, but walked a pair and gave up a single; fortunately there were no runs scored. Sheesh, if you were going to show a young pitcher a tape of how not to pitch an inning of baseball, show him either halves of this one (or both).Kevin McGonigle tattooed a fastball in the second, smashing a solo home run to right field for a 2-0 lead.View LinkThe next batter, Gleyber Torres, swung-and-missed and appeared to re-aggrivate that oblique injury from which he’d just returned from the Injured List. It was a problem last year, it’s been a problem this year, and you have to wonder for how long he’ll be on the shelf this time. Hao-Yu Lee came into the game in Torres’ place.In the third inning and with a runner on base, Keith launched his first home run of the night deep to right-centre to put the Tigers up 4-0. Torkelson followed with a home run of his own, his twelfth of the year, off the left-field foul pole for a 5-0 lead.View LinkAnderson departed with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the third, and Jacob Waugespack relieved him. It did not go well, as Old Friend™ Isaac Paredes smacked a home run for a 5-2 score. Jose Altuve, a thorn in the Tigers’ side for years, completed Houston’s own back-to-back trick to narrow the lead to 5-3.The first two times through the Tigers lineup, Teng faced 18 batters: he struck out nine of them, walked two, hit two, and gave up three home runs. That’s just silly. Not long after, having given up a pair of singles to put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, Teng departed for a lefty and Jahmai Jones pinch-hit for Kerry Carpenter.Now, I know, by the numbers, you sometimes have to look at the lefty-righty thing. But really, in the fourth inning, in a two-run game at the time, do you really want to pull Carpenter from the game in favour of Jones? Knowing Carpenter is now gone for the remainder of the contest? That’s two at-bats (at least) that you’re getting Jones instead of Carpenter. I’m no major-league manager, but that just feels… wrong.Dingler led off the fifth with a triple, and after a one-out walk he scored on a passed ball to make it 6-3. Then, in the top of the seventh, Keith blasted his second tater of the night, scoring Dingler again, for an 8-3 lead.View LinkAnd if you thought Keith was done — remember, coming into tonight he had exactly one (1) home run so far this season — well, he wasn’t. Here’s his third home run:View LinkThat is a silly, short left field, but hey, the Tigers spend half the year in a park in which 410 feet to straightaway centre is an out. Dimensions give, and dimensions take away; just relax and enjoy one of our fellows hitting three dingers in a game, alright?Final score: Tigers 9, Astros 3Notes and CorrectionsFurther research has uncovered that the Home of the Whopper — i.e., Burger King — is, in fact, Jacksonville, Florida. Bless You Boys apologizes for the error.Did you see that, after taking two out of three on the weekend against the Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox are tied for the lead in the American League Central? As Clark Griswold once said, “I wouldn’t have been more surprised if I’d woken up with my head sewn to the carpet.”On this day in 1789, Josiah Henson was born as an enslaved person in Maryland. Eventually, after a tough early life — as you can imagine — he made it to freedom in Canada with his wife and children in 1830. They settled near Dresden, Ontario, starting the Dawn Settlement and Henson became a pastor and a community leader, a soldier in the Canadian Militia, and eventually met Queen Victoria. His homestead near Dresden is now the Josian Henson Museum of African-Canadian History.

Brendan Sorsby looks to throw during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.Over the past several weeks, the status of Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been the biggest story in college football. Now, it seems that the saga is finally over.Back in April, Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets on college sports, including several bets on his own team. The quarterback was initially ruled ineligible, but earlier this month, a judge granted Sorsby a temporary injunction against the NCAA that will allow him to play during the 2026 season.After some substantial backlash across the college football world, including teams flatly refusing to play against Texas Tech, it sounds like the drama has officially ended.Brendan Sorsby Done at Texas TechWhile Sorsby received an injunction from a judge that would have allowed him to play in the 2026 season, it sounds like he will no longer be using that injunction.According to Pete Nakos of On3, Sorsby and Texas Tech have agreed to mutually part ways, ending the high-drama saga.NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Sorsby plans to drop his college eligibility lawsuit Tuesday, which will make him eligible for the NFL’s supplemental draft as a player who has exhausted college eligibility.Sorsby will then enter the league’s supplemental draft and begin his professional career.Big 12 Fought Against SorbyWhile Sorsby received an injunction to play this season and seemingly had the support of Texas Tech, the Big 12 conference was not going to let that happen without a fight, as the conference was consistent in its belief that allowing Sorsby to play would significantly harm the college athletics landscape.“The Big 12 filed a legal complaint asking a federal court to protect the constitutional and contractual rights on the Conference and our member institutions to take actions expressly permitted under our Bylaws,” the Big 12 wrote in a statement on Monday. “The Big 12 has long spoken out about the dangers of sports wagering and remains committed to protecting the competitive integrity of conference competition. Universities should not field players who have bet on their own team’s games in college athletics.“This situation is evolving with pending legal matters and the upcoming start of the football season, and the Conference hopes for a timely resolution off these issues. The Board continues to keep all options on the table.”With the Big 12 continuing to challenge the injunction and both Texas Tech and Sorby feeling mounting pressure from fans, media, and other teams, it sounds like they decided to simply give up the fight.The post Brendan Sorsby drama is finally over appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

Cristiano Ronajdo. Karim Benzema. Neymar. Sadio Mane.The list of world-class talent who have chosen to play in the Saudi Pro League has risen over the years.But could the presence of these multiple Champions League and Ballon d'Or winners be finally benefitting the nation that has been selected to host the 2034 World Cup?Over the years the Saudi Arabia national team has struggled on the world stage.At the 2002 World Cup they suffered a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Germany in their first group game in Japan. They exited the tournament without a point - or a goal.However, the performance of the national team has steadily improved since the Saudi Pro League started throwing money at attracting big names.In Russia in 2018, Saudi Arabia beat an Egypt team that included Mohamed Salah 2-1 thanks to Salem al Dawsari's late winner.And, four years later in Qatar, they sent shockwaves around the world by defeating Argentina in their opening game, with Al Dawsari again the scorer of the iconic winning goalOn Monday, they launched their seventh appearance at the World Cup with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Uruguay in Miami. Are the days of 8-0 thumpings on the world stage a thing of the past?"We have to teach the young players here what it takes so they can move to other clubs," said Benzema after joining Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad in 2023."It's a good league and there are many good players."Ronaldo's team-mates star against UruguayWith the exception of defender Saud Abdulhamid, who plays in France with Lens, the starting XI against Uruguay all play their club football in Saudi Arabia.The team, nicknamed the Green Falcons, is made up of a mix of youth and experience.Al Dawsari, 34, who captains the national team, is playing in his third World Cup, after those goals in the 2018 and 2022 editions.Musab al Juwayr is an exciting young playmaker who showed his value to the team in qualifying, providing the most assists (3).The 22-year-old is being tipped to be a mainstay of the side for years to come, while Abdulelah al Amri, who scored against Uruguay, and Abdullah al Khaibari are both team-mates of Ronaldo's at Al-Nassr."The Saudi league is better than MLS (North America's Major League Soccer)," Ronaldo said after he moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023. He recently scored his 100th goal in the Saudi Pro League.Al Amri became the first defender to score for Saudi Arabia at the World Cup, with his strike also representing the nation's first-ever goal from a corner in the competition.His only previous international goal came on his debut in a friendly against Kuwait in March 2021.It was the first time Saudi Arabia had opened the scoring in a World Cup match since a 1-0 win over Belgium in 1994. They had not scored the opening goal in any of their previous 16 matches in the competition.More than £700m was spent on the likes of Neymar, Benzema and ex-Manchester City and Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez, who joined Ronaldo in the highly ambitious footballing nation three years ago.Mane also moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023."Fortunately, I can say the Saudi league is a very good league, and watched by everybody in the world," said the former Liverpool forward."So, for me, as long as I'm doing my best and I'm enjoying myself every single minute, that's more important."The money is still flowing with overseas signings but compared to the peak of 2023, there is more focus on bringing in younger players with sell-on value.According to sources in Riyadh, there are still funds available for the right veteran superstar such as Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian, who has left Liverpool, is wanted by Al-Ittihad - but only if the price is right.Abdulelah al Amri scored his second goal for Saudi Arabia against Uruguay [Getty Images]Saudis gamble on DonisInstalling a new head coach just 59 days before facing Uruguay was a huge gamble.Saudi Arabia sacked Herve Renard, who masterminded that famous win over Argentina four years ago, and brought in Greek coach Georgios Donis as his replacement.Against Uruguay, they were closing in on a fine win when Maxi Araujo equalised in the 80th minute."Saudi Arabia will be so disappointed that they conceded because defensively it was very cohesive, in terms of the distances, the shape and between the lines," said former Scotland defender Rachel Corsie on BBC Radio 5 Live.The 40-year-old keeper who inspired Cape Verde's historic debut'Cartwheels at breakfast' & kicking about Boston - the culture shift in Scotland campWorld Cup fixtures and group standingsHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC