Middlesex 319 for 1 (Holden 137*, Williamson 88*, Robson 57) vs NorthamptonshireMiddlesex’s Max Holden plundered an unbeaten century as he and New Zealand star Kane Williamson piled up runs on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship clash against Northamptonshire.Holden, opening to accommodate Williamson’s red-ball debut for the county at number three, batted right through the day for 137, his third ton of the season, with the pair adding an uninterrupted 197 to reach 319 for one at Merchant Taylors’ School.Sam Robson (57) shared a stand of 122 with Holden before Williamson – sampling his first taste of Championship cricket since he featured for Yorkshire in 2018 – weighed in with an unbeaten 88.It was a testing day for Northamptonshire, with Ben Sanderson their only successful bowler after they inserted the hosts in overcast conditions, while Rob Keogh sustained a serious-looking finger injury attempting to catch Williamson’s ferocious drive.With Northamptonshire skipper Luke Procter absent for personal reasons, Lewis McManus took the reins for the first time in red-ball cricket and fulfilled his first duty by winning the toss.However, his bowlers went through the morning session wicketless, despite a tricky opening spell by Sanderson – with Holden taking his time to settle, facing 20 deliveries before he got off the mark with a single.First change Dom Leech struggled for consistency and Robson took advantage to steer him for successive fours as Middlesex picked up the pace, with Holden also unfurling a couple of classy straight drives to the boundary.Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal entered the attack as early as the 15th over, extracting turn as he began with two maidens, but Holden danced down the wicket to take him on, driving and sweeping with confidence.Having reached lunch with 90 on the board, the Middlesex pair advanced their partnership into three figures and Robson won the race to his half-century, pulling Liam Guthrie for two boundaries in an over.But the opener departed in the next, caught behind leg-glancing Sanderson and that slowed the batting side’s progress, although Williamson opened his account with a sweetly-driven cover boundary off Liam Guthrie.Holden moved on to 50 with a swiped hook that flew to the rope, but soon afterwards the left-hander survived a sharp chance to short leg off Chahal – now operating in an all-spin attack alongside Keogh.Displaying exquisite timing and placement, especially on the off side, Williamson mastered the bowling and progressed to his half-century just three balls ahead of Holden’s hundred, courtesy of a back-foot punch for four off Chahal.The Indian spinner returned for another spell earlier than expected after tea, with Keogh forced from the field after making a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to catch Williamson’s rocket drive off his own bowling.Holden pummelled Leech for another four to lift the partnership beyond 150 and, following the last of the day’s three brief rain stoppages, he and Williamson resumed the Middlesex offensive.Williamson cut Saif Zaib to the fence and then lifted his next ball effortlessly over the top for six but, with the new ball due and the light continuing to worsen, the umpires called a halt to proceedings.

England assistant coach Trescothick feels KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be the two batters who could determine the third Test’s fate

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Jul-20251:20

Manjrekar: Lord’s Test 70-30 in England’s favour

Can England get early wickets and push their way past India in their quest to take a 2-1 lead in the series? Can India stay positive and get the 135 runs required to win consecutive Tests after losing the series opener?According to Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, both teams are “desperate” to win, which will only add to the excitement to this gripping Lord’s Test, which has been drama-filled over the weekend.”Well, if I knew that, I could probably relax a little bit easier coming into tomorrow,” Trescothick said at the post-match media briefing when asked which team had the edge going into day five. “But of course, both teams are desperate to win.Related

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The day India's bowlers rose in unison

“It’s going to be amazing, isn’t it? Already we’ve seen four good days of cricket and two games, which have been well supported, but that last sort of hour or half-an-hour, the support and the energy around the ground made it amazing really, didn’t it? Everybody was invested into it.”From an England point of view, obviously brilliant – we love those sorts of situations when the crowd is really up behind the team. Hopefully we can get a bit more of that tomorrow and we can sort of push forward to winning the game. So it will revolve around the first hour of the day tomorrow, how positive India can be, how dominant we can be with the ball, and how many earlier wickets we can get.”Lord’s has been a sellout over the weekend and the crowd had been on the edge of their seats for most of Sunday. which was bookended by a lot of drama. If the morning session started with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj delivering probing spells to strangle England, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes took back control from India by picking three late wickets to leave them at 58 for 4.Still England will be wary of the remaining India batters. KL Rahul, who is unbeaten on 33, still has Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar left to come in. Trescothick agreed that Rahul and Pant were the two “dangerous” batters who could hurt England on Monday if they found their footing.Rahul, who scored his second century of this series on Saturday, has found success with his old-school approach to Test batting, which relies on defence, and Trescothick said dismissing him early would be key to prising open the India batting.”KL’s been classical old-school style of Test cricket and he’s left the ball really well. His judgment of the length is good, looked to bat for a long period of time and he’s done it well,” he said. “Obviously [Rahul got] a hundred in the first innings. Hopefully we can get him out early and we can start getting into the rest of the tail as they come along. But he’s been pretty dominant in a few of the games that he’s played and he’s pretty much got a score in most innings that he’s played.”2:02

Manjrekar: ‘Lion-hearted’ effort from Siraj

India remain confident of claiming another Lord’s win after their thrilling victory in 2021, which ended on the final hour of the fifth day. Washington, who enjoyed one of his “best” days in Test cricket after picking 4 for 22, said India were positive and it would be “amazing” to win a Test at Lord’s. The allrounder said there was no particular “approach” India would take in scaling the target, barring playing to the situation. “We know it’s going to go really well for us,” he said.All through, fans of both teams were completely immersed in the run of play, especially the India supporters who – based on the noise levels – seemed to have outnumbered those backing Stokes’ side. That the fans could be a catalyst was evident when Joe Root, standing in slips, started to bring his hands together asking the home fans to get behind England.Trescothick agreed the electric atmosphere was an important element and would once again play a role on Monday.”It might take a wicket [early on day five] to sort of get it going,” he said. “We might need Joe to wind them [the fans] up again. But the support has been brilliant throughout because obviously we know both teams are really well supported and it’s great that we have that. And of course, tomorrow will be no different, because everyone loves their cricket and we’ll get another full house where both sets of supporters will get to see a finale of amazing Test.”

A memorial service has taken place in Serbia to honour football manager Mladen Zizovic, who died aged 44 after collapsing on the touchline during a match. Radnicki 1923's coach was rushed to hospital as his side's match against Mladost was initially suspended and then restarted on Monday. But following news of his death, the game was abandoned, and now his team are mourning his passing.

Manager honoured by Serbian team

When all this was going on, some players broke down in tears on the pitch as the severity of the situation dawned on them. Now, according to Radnicki, the club held a memorial service for the Bosnian coach at the Kragujevac city assembly hall on Wednesday to pay their respects. Squad and staff members attended, including new Serbian national boss Veljko Paunovic. Flowers were placed around a photo of Zizovic, alongside a Radnicki team shirt, scarf, and tactics board. He only became their manager in late October but it seems he left quite the impression.

AdvertisementGetty'Rest in peace, young one'

The Serbian top-flight team wrote on social media that Zizovic was full of "nobility" and a man that "inspired many" with the examples he set. They added that he left a deep mark on the club and he will remain in their memories forever.

A club statement reads, "Today, in the assembly hall of the City of Kragujevac, a commemorative assembly was held regarding the death of our coach Mladen Zizovic. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Football Association of Serbia, clubs from the country, as well as friends, associates and admirers of the work and personality of Mladen Zizovic. In an atmosphere of silence and deep respect, the attendees recalled his professional path, his football passion, and the human nobility that adorned his every step. In the speeches that followed, it was pointed out that Mladen was more than a coach — a man who inspired by his example players, associates and everyone who had the opportunity to meet him. Although he spent a short time in Kragujevac, it was enough for us all to make sure that he was an exceptional sportsman, but above all about a man and coach who left a deep mark on our club. His calmness, dedication and love for football will remain in our memories forever. FC Radnicki 1923 once again expresses its gratitude to everyone who paid tribute to our deceased coach with their presence, words of support and sincere emotions. Rest in peace, Young one."

Zizovic felt unwell before game

Radnicki star Mehmed Cosic, who was on the pitch when the players were informed of Zizovic's sudden death, said that the coach had complained about feeling poorly not long before his heart attack. He added that the Bosnian, who was taking charge of just his third game for the club, complained about his fish and refused to eat any more of it at lunch that day.

Cosic said: "I didn't fall asleep until almost 3.30am. I have no words, we are stunned,' Cosic told Faktor as he opened up on the harrowing incident. I'm replaying the movie in my head. He was giving me instructions, turned around and at one point I saw that he was talking to the referee by the benches. Then he went towards our bench, turned to the others and said "I'm not feeling well, I'm not feeling well. He fell, you saw everything else. In the video that appeared on social networks, you can also hear screams. They say he complained about the fish, said he wouldn't eat it anymore. That's what he was talking about. There were no problems during the warm-up, the game started, everything was ok. We continued the game, hoping that the worst wouldn't happen and that he would be with us again. It was clear that that wasn't it, but we said that we were playing for him and that we wanted to reward him with a victory. We weren't focused, we were in disbelief, but we didn't want to disappoint him. We believed that he would come back and be with us again, and that we would celebrate the victory. Then there was complete shock. The referee suddenly stopped the game. Someone said 'he died'. Everything stopped in an instant."

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Getty Images SportFuneral arranged for Zizovic

The report adds that his funeral will take place on Thursday, November 6. Cosic also revealed that Radnicki's players and staff have been given the week off from training, with next weekend's clash against Cukaricki now postponed. 

Ahead of a new era, one former Ibrox star has fired a direct warning to Celtic as Rangers set their sights on climbing the Scottish Premiership table.

Rangers set to appoint Gerrard

It’s de ja vu for Rangers, who are reportedly on the brink of reaching a full agreement with Steven Gerrard to return to the club. The last manager to win the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox, the 45-year-old is set to step foot in the dugout in Scotland for the first time since leaving for Aston Villa. He has a lot of making up to do, but arrives with it all to do after Russell Martin’s disastrous tenure.

Games

192

Wins

124

Draws

41

Defeats

27

If the former manager can pick up where he left off, then Rangers should begin to bridge the gap on Celtic and Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership. As things stand, his first game back in charge of the club is likely to be Dundee United at Ibrox, before travelling to face Brann in the Europa League after the international break.

It will be a hectic start for Gerrard and the Rangers squad, but the manager will be hoping to have learned from recent lessons in the technical area to enjoy a quick start.

He recently told Rio Ferdinand when asked about returning to management: “I’d love another go at some point. I want to change a few things and improve a few things and come back fresh, with a few different people around myself.

“I’d love another couple of challenges doing this and that’s what I’m working on in the background at the moment. A few different ideas, a few different people around me.”

Rangers on verge of hiring new manager who shares agent with £100m+ Real Madrid superstar

The Gers are closing in on the appointment.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 10, 2025

It will certainly be interesting to see the current version of Gerrard compared to 2021 and one former Ibrox star has already issued a warning to Celtic with that in mind.

Kyle Laferty fires fresh warning to Celtic

Speaking about Gerrard’s return to the club, former Ibrox ace Kyle Laferty warned Celtic about the immediate plan that the Liverpool legend has, claiming that’s what Rangers fans will “want”.

Currently nine points away from Celtic and 11 away from leaders Hearts, it would take a monumental effort for Gerrard to win the league from here, but he’ll be looking to draw on his previous experience as a champion to do exactly that.

Everton were the latest victims of Erling Haaland’s goalscoring wrath when the Toffees travelled to Manchester City on Saturday.

Premier League action is back after the international break, which means the Nordic monster that is Haaland is also back to terrifying top-flight defences, with the lethal 25-year-old finishing off another fine day at the office with a brace against David Moyes’ men.

While the Citizens continue to love life, knowing they have the robotic finishing ability of the Norwegian to hand, Everton continue to feel frustrated by their own striker options.

Beto – once again – fired blanks from minimal opportunities at the Etihad, with Moyes surely at the end of his tether when it comes to his goal-shy number nine.

Beto's poor performances

Before Haaland inevitably broke the deadlock, Everton had several chances of their own to cause an upset on the road.

Wth just 14 minutes on the clock, Beto had a glorious chance to gift Moyes and Co the lead, with Iliman Ndiaye’s quick feet initially getting the better of the City defence, before the Portuguese attacker then couldn’t get a meaningful connection on the ex-Sheffield United winger’s inviting delivery into the box.

Games played

8

Goals scored

1

Scoring frequency

Every 501 mins

Assists

0

Big chances missed

3

That horrible miss by the former Udinese man is the tale of a season that’s worryingly unravelling for the 27-year-old, who has bounced back from similar barren patches of form before.

Indeed, the 6-foot-4 centre-forward would fire home an electric five strikes across Moyes’ first seven games back in the Merseyside hot-seat, after only managing a weak seven goals across 50 games under Sean Dyche.

Now, though, he is right back in the mire, with his last Premier League goal falling all the way back in August in a 3-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Pundit Pat Nevin, after the City loss, even stated that Beto’s no-show would no doubt “infuriate” Toffees supporters watching on, with Everton-based writer Ell Bretland going as far as to also openly state that the number nine’s wastefulness is beginning to have a “really negative effect” way before the 2-0 defeat.

Moyes will have been left with a lot to ponder about his upcoming team selections; therefore, with Beto not the only noticeable underperformer who might be axed for Everton’s next match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Alongside Beto: Another Everton star must be dropped

The former West Ham United boss would have been cursing Jack Grealish’s ineligibility for this tie at the Etihad, with the skilful attacker not allowed to line up against his parent employers.

In his place, the Glaswegian would throw Carlos Alcaraz out to the left channel, and based on his lacklustre afternoon, he is unlikely to be retained in this position moving forward.

AM

5

3 + 1

LM

5

0 + 2

CM

4

0

RM

1

0

In the Argentine’s defence, it’s clear from the table above that he excels more from a central spot in the Everton XI, with four of his six overall goal contributions to date in Merseyside coming from a number ten role. For Southampton as well, Alcaraz only ever made one outright appearance down the left flank.

Moyes’ decision to shoehorn the South American into this spot didn’t work whatsoever, with the forgettable number 24 only managing one tame effort at Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal from his poor 70 minutes on the pitch.

Moreover, he only amassed a meagre 26 touches with zero dribbles attempted, with Jordan Pickford in between the sticks for the away side, even managing to reach 43 touches come the full-time whistle.

When Spurs do come to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, it looks very unlikely that Alcaraz will remain on the left wing, with his tally of no goals and assists over the entire season to date also making it look rather slim that he will usurp the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in his more familiar number ten position.

Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley dished out a low 5/10 rating to Alcaraz subsequently, with the reporter stating that the ex-Saints man is “far less effective” when moved out to the wing.

Moyes will, hopefully, have learnt his lesson in this regard, with the Scotsman also perhaps ready to ditch Beto as a refreshed Toffees attack potentially takes to the field against Thomas Frank’s challengers.

Pat Nevin slams Everton star who will "infuriate" Toffees fans in Man City defeat

He struggled again…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 18, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O  Botafogo  conta com mais um motivo para fortalecer sua confiança na conquista do Campeonato Brasileiro. A vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Fluminense, aliada à combinação de resultados, aumentou para nove pontos a distância sobre o segundo colocado. Com este panorama, ao fim da 26ª rodada, os comandados de Lúcio Flávio só estão abaixo de um líder na história do Brasileirão disputado por pontos corridos.

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Na mesma rodada, o Cruzeiro, na edição de 2013, estava com 59 pontos, 11 pontos a mais que o Grêmio, vice-líder com 48. A Raposa sagrou-se campeã.

+ A sua carreira no futebol pode começar hoje. Garanta a sua vaga no curso Gestor de Futebol e capacite-se!

Em outras três edições, o líder do Brasileiro abriu uma distância de nove pontos no Brasileirão: o São Paulo em 2007, o Cruzeiro em 2014 e o Atlético-MG em 2021. Todas as equipes foram campeãs.

O Botafogo volta a campo no dia 18, uma quarta-feira, quando encara o América-MG, no Independência, às 20h.

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to meet in the World Series for the first time since 1981 to renew MLB’s most common Fall Classic matchup, and there is no shortage of story lines.

New York vs. Los Angeles. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman vs. Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton. 2004 Boston Red Sox postseason hero Dave Roberts facing off against 2003 Yankees postseason hero Aaron Boone in the managerial battle of wits. And plenty more talking points that will surely surface throughout the series.

The Dodgers took two of three from the Yankees when the teams met at Yankee Stadium in June, but both rosters have undergone significant changes since then. And of course, games are managed much differently in the World Series than they are in the summer.

Here’s your guide to the most anticipated Fall Classic in years, as the staff picks x-factors for both teams and predicts how it’ll all play out in the country’s two most populated cities.

1. What's the biggest x-factor for the Dodgers to win?

Tom Verducci: Blake Treinen. His sweeper is video-game crazy good. He is Dave Roberts’s best arm, which means he is someone Roberts will not be able to save for the ninth inning. Time to damn the Law of Exposure. Roberts has to put Treinen on Soto, Judge, Stanton in every meaningful spot from the seventh inning on. His stuff is so good you don’t worry about hitters seeing him multiple times in a series.

Stephanie Apstein: Whether Alex Vesia can pitch—effectively—after missing the NLCS with an intercostal injury. As the Dodgers' top lefthanded reliever, he is their best shot at navigating the pocket of lineup that includes Juan Soto. If he can't go, or if he struggles, that will ask a lot of Anthony Banda, their only other lefty. 

Emma Baccellieri: Starting pitching. L.A. has an entire rotation's worth of starters on the IL. Having a great bullpen helps, of course, but only so much. The Dodgers will still need quality work from the trio of Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Can Flaherty bounce back after his last disastrous outing against the Mets in the NLCS? Can they get any meaningful length from Buehler? The Dodgers don't need their starters to be outstanding. But they do need them to be at least adequate. 

Will Laws: How will Freddie Freeman look in the wake of a sprained ankle that caused him to miss Games 4 and 6 of the NLCS? He’s 1-for-15 in his last three games while trying to gut through the injury. Los Angeles scored just fine without him against the Mets, but the Yankees’ pitching staff is a different beast, and the former NL MVP makes the Dodgers’ lineup much more fearsome when at full strength.

Nick Selbe: Can any starting pitcher step up? The Dodgers' bullpen was outstanding in the NLCS, but they'll need at least two serviceable starts from Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Walker Buehler. The Cleveland Guardians' vaunted bullpen was not enough to overcome lackluster starting pitching against the Yankees (Cleveland starters accounted for just 38% of innings during the ALCS). Los Angeles doesn't need Sandy Koufax 2.0 to show up, but it will need  from its starters.

2. What's the biggest x-factor for the Yankees to win?

TV: Gleyber Torres. He’s been terrific at getting on base in front of the thick of the lineup. You know he’s feeling good when he’s slashing fastballs for line-drive singles to right field. His defense and base running can be problematic, but the offense can make a difference.

SA: How deep the starting pitchers can go. The Yankees have a typically impressive bullpen assembled from other teams' castoffs, but it is less deep than it has been in previous years, and the Dodgers become vastly more dangerous each time they see a pitcher. New York needs to limit how many chances Los Angeles gets to see its leverage arms. 

EB: Whether they can meaningfully attack the L.A. bullpen. The relief corps has generally been a huge strength in this playoff run for the Dodgers, but they've had to carry a pretty heavy workload, and it's not going to get any lighter in the World Series. They're virtually guaranteed to have at least one (more) bullpen game here. Will the Yankees be able to make adjustments and benefit from repeated exposure to this group? That's especially key if this series goes long.

WL: Carlos Rodón’s starts have an especially wide range of outcomes, as we’ve already seen this postseason. If New York’s likely Game 2 (and Game 6, if necessary) starter can pitch like he did in his first ALCS outing, New York will be in terrific shape. If he looks more like he did in the ALDS, that’ll put a lot of pressure on a bullpen that was already exposed a bit last round.

NS: Base running might seem like a boring answer, but it could prove to be the difference. The Yankees ranked last in FanGraphs' base running metric, 24th in stolen bases and 29th in speed score. They had so many gaffes against Cleveland that radio broadcaster John Sterling exclaimed they ran the bases “like drunks.” In a series that looks like it will be tight, the little things could determine who comes out on top.

3. Which manager is under more pressure to win?

TV: Dave Roberts. It’s got nothing to do with “narratives” and the worthless psychobabble that dominates “analysis” this time of year. Roberts gets less innings out of his starting pitchers than does Boone. He must run one or two more bullpen games, having already run three of them. The more buttons need to be pushed, the more likely you’ll be wrong. That’s pressure.

SA: I actually don't think either is under terrible pressure personally at this point—by getting here, they've almost certainly both secured their jobs moving forward—but organizationally, the Yankees' window seems shorter, since Soto hits free agency as soon as the World Series ends. 

EB: Dave Roberts. The fact that he's yet to win a World Series in a full season is still a mark on his record with the Dodgers. Yes, much of that has been out of his control, but it's nonetheless a piece of his legacy. This group was always expected to play for a championship this year. (That standard was complicated by injuries but certainly not compromised by them.) Making it to the World Series was always the goal. To satisfy the pressure, then, Roberts will have to actually win. 

WL: Dave Roberts has the readymade excuse of having a terribly depleted pitching staff, which he’s managed magnificently just to get here. This may be Aaron Boone’s best shot at getting a championship in the Bronx, especially considering Juan Soto might head south to Queens in the offseason.

NS: Aaron Boone. It came in a pandemic-shortened season at a neutral site with limited fan attendance, but Roberts still gets (and deserves) credit for guiding Los Angeles to the 2020 title. While Dodgers fans have grown antsy at having so many great seasons fall short during this decade-plus long run, the Yankees have more urgency to end their 15-year championship drought.

4. What's your World Series prediction?

TV: Yankees in 7. Flip a coin. There is no obvious edge here. (The Dodgers are the better base running team, but I don’t see that as a deciding factor.) Both offenses can be relentless—the two most disciplined lineups in baseball. Both bullpens are excellent—where most of these series are decided. The difference? Read below.

SA: Dodgers in 6. I think their lineup and bullpen are a bit deeper, which will make up for a more tattered rotation. 

EB: Dodgers in 6. These clubs are so closely matched that it can easily go either way, but while the Yankees do have some clear advantages over the Dodgers, L.A.'s bullpen, slugging and base running push it over the edge for me.

WL: Yankees in 6. In a postseason that’s been dominated by bullpen talk, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón have the talent to get through Los Angeles’s lineup a couple of times mostly unscathed. And if New York’s big three sluggers can get support from the rest of the lineup, the Dodgers’ bullpen will be hard-pressed to continue its dominance.

NS: Dodgers in 7. Yamamoto has been sharp his last two times out, and threw 73 pitches in his most recent start. He'll provide the boost this starting rotation needs to save the bullpen some extra wear-and-tear, making Roberts's life much easier in the late innings.

5. Who do you think will win World Series MVP?

TV: Giancarlo Stanton. It’s his time. He had the fourth longest wait among active players to get to the World Series, and now it begins in the ballpark where he went to games as a kid, where he won the All-Star MVP and where he has the second-highest slugging percentage of anyone in Dodger Stadium history. He’s not chasing. He looks like he’s on a Corey Seager-type run.

SA: Shohei Ohtani. In his worst NLCS game, he reached base twice. 

EB: Sometimes the most obvious choice is the best one. Come on: Shohei Ohtani. And I'm still holding out hope that we'll get to see him make a miracle bullpen appearance.

WL: I’m going to go down the board and pick Jazz Chisholm Jr. Is this because I’m foolishly sticking with a bold prediction I made at the start of the playoffs? Perhaps. But his poor postseason showing to this point would only greater accentuate a strong World Series where he’s the most likely Yankee to make a difference with his bat his speed.

NS: Mookie Betts. There's no shortage of stars to choose from, and while it's tempting to go off-menu and pick a more supporting player (like Tommy Edman after his NLCS showing), Betts will continue his strong showing in the last round to take home the MVP.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have tweaked their pitching plan for their upcoming NLDS series against the rival San Diego Padres.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters Thursday that Jack Flaherty will no longer take the ball in Game 1. Instead, the Dodgers will send rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the bump on Saturday in order to have the 26-year-old available to pitch in a possible win-or-go-home Game 5.

Jack Flaherty, who the Dodgers acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, will get the start in Game 2.

In 18 starts this season, Yamamoto logged a 3.00 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He landed on the injured list in mid-June with a rotator cuff strain and missed over two months until making his return Sept. 10.

Yamamoto made four starts after returning from injury last month, and he allowed six earned runs on 16 hits in 16 innings (3.38 ERA).

Flaherty pitched 55 1/3 innings for the Dodgers after the trade deadline and logged a 3.58 ERA and four quality starts in 10 outings.

Game 1 between the Dodgers and Padres is scheduled for 8:38 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Dodgers will host the Padres again in Game 2 on Sunday before the series shifts to Petco Park for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4.

Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw was a key piece to the franchise's 2020 World Series championship, one that didn't include a victory parade due to restrictions in Los Angeles from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fast forward to 2024, and Kershaw unfortunately dealt with an injury-riddled campaign that only saw him make seven starts all season before missing the rest of the year due to bone spurs in his toe. While Kershaw may not have made the impact that he was hoping to make on this Dodgers championship team, that wouldn't keep him from celebrating with his teammates.

"This is the best thing I've ever been a part of," Kershaw said, as he soaked in the victory parade. "Two-time! Two-time!" he added yelling to the fans.

Kershaw is now a two-time World Series champion, and this time, he got to complete the title victory with a celebration that he deserves as a longtime pillar for the franchise.

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية، تطورات جديدة بشأن العديد من القضايا في مانشستر سيتي، على رأسها مستقبل ثلاث نجوم في الفريق وبيب جوارديولا إذا كان سيواصل الموسم المقبل.

وأكدت “ديلي ميل” البريطانية أنه من المتوقع أن يبدأ مانشستر سيتي مفاوضات تجديد عقد فيل فودين الذي يتألق هذا الموسم في مختلف المباريات، ويتبقى للدولي الإنجليزي 18 شهراً في عقده الحالي.

أما عن رودري فإن عقد لاعب خط الوسط الاسباني ينتهي في عام 2027، وتأجلت مفاوضات تجديد عقده بسبب الإصابة الطويلة التي تعرض لها في الركبة، وأنه من المفهوم أن ينتظر مانشستر سيتي ليرى كيف سيتعافى اللاعب قبل أن يتم تحديد مصير عقده الجديد.

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وينتهي عقد المدافع الإنجليزي جون ستونز مع مانشستر سيتي الصيف المقبل، ويرغب في استعادة لياقته البدنية التي ستضعه في موقف قوي بشأن مستقبله مع النادي.

وأشارت أيضًا إلى أنه ليس من الواضح مستقبل بيب جوارديولا مع مانشستر سيتي ولا أحد يستطيع التخمين بشأن ذلك، والشك أصبح يحيط بمصيره وموقفه بشكل دائم.