Category: Sports Daypop

* The Texas Rangers won back-to-back games against the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-three wild-card series, defeating the Rays 7-1 on Wednesday to advance to the ALDS. Corey Seager and Josh Jung each hit two doubles, and Marcus Semien added another giving Texas the wild-card series win, and advance then to the ALDS against the top-seeded Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers will face the Orioles in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday in Baltimore, with game time set for 1 p.m. ET.

* The Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 at Target Field to sweep the wild-card sweep and advance to the ALDS. Win the win, the Twins broke an 18-game postseason losing streak with their first playoff win since 2004, winning a series for the first time in 21 years. Minnesota will face the Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday in Houston. Game time TBD.

* The Arizona Diamondbacks eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their wild-card round, sweeping the Brewers 2-0 to advance to the NLDS. Arizona will face the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday in Los Angeles. Game time TBD.

* The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 7-1 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, giving them a 2-0 series sweep over the Marlins and advancing them to the NLDS. The Phillies will meet the Atlanta Braves in the next round, with Game 1 on Saturday in Atlanta, time still to be announced.

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The U.S. women’s gymnastics team won a seventh consecutive team title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday night. The American team, led by Simone Biles and comprised of gymnasts Shilese Jones, Skye Blakely and Leanne Wong, combined for a total of 167.729 points to edge Brazil and France for the title. The U.S. team won by a margin of 2.199 points in an extremely close contest; it was anticipated the Americans would dominate after a strong performance in qualifying. The

This win marks the seventh consecutive world championship victory for the U.S. team and the 26th world medal for Biles. U.S. women have won gold in the team event at every world championship that included a team competition since 2011. The victory in Antwerp also makes Biles the most decorated female gymnast in history; she now has 26 world championship medals, 20 of them gold, to go with her seven Olympic medals, including the 2016 Olympic title. Biles 33 combined medals at the sport’s two biggest events are one more than what Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union achieved.

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Apple TV+ shared a trailer for the docuseries Messi Meets America, featuring Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi. The first three episodes of the highly-anticipated documentary about the 36-year-old Messi joining Inter Miami CF, will premiere Oct. 11 on Apple TV+. Additional episodes of the six-part series will be available for viewing later in the season.

Messi Meets America follows Messi as he “forever changes the face of soccer in North America” by joining the MLS team, Inter Miami CF.  Behind the scenes footage shows Messi leading his new team to a Leagues Cup title, and more.  An official series synopsis reads:  “From selling out record crowds across America at breakneck speed, to his incredible last-minute game-winning goal in his very first match, to moments with Messi and his Inter Miami CF teammates, the series chronicles Leo’s immersion in America, the remarkable journey and transformation of Inter Miami CF, and most significantly, the impact he is currently having on soccer in North America as ‘Messi Mania’ crisscrosses the continent.”

Check out the trailer for “Messi Meets America”, premiering Oct. 11 on Apple TV+, on YouTube – here.

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Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has officially announced that he is stepping down as manager, after weeks of speculation.

Francona spoke to reporters on Tuesday, saying that he’s stepping down and doesn’t see himself managing again, but he didn’t use the word “retire” as part of his statement. Guardians president Chris Antonetti said the 64-year-old Francona would have a role with the team moving forward but did not specify what that role would entail. In his remarks, Francona said: “I need to go home and get healthy and see what I miss about the game .. I don’t foresee managing again … I came here for the right reasons. I’m leaving for the right reasons and what was in between was really good.” Francona said he intends to spend more time playing with his grandkids, getting healthy, and enjoying an extended offseason. He missed a majority of the 2020 and 2022 seasons due to a number of surgeries and other issues. His latest scare came earlier this season in Kansas City which caused him to miss three games in the hospital. He will undergo shoulder replacement surgery and two hernia operations beginning next week.

Francona’s 23-year managerial career began in Philadelphia (1997-2000), winning two World Series titles in Boston and then going on to 11 years in Cleveland. Cleveland made the playoffs six times and won the AL Central four times in 11 years with Francona at the helm. He was named AL Manager of the Year in 2013, 2016 and 2022, making him only one of four managers in MLB history to win the AL or NL award at least three times in the same league (the others being Tony La Russa, Dusty Baker and Bobby Cox). He is also the winningest (921 victories) and longest-tenured manager in Cleveland’s 123-year history.

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Former NFL tight end Russ Francis was killed on Monday, along with another aviation enthusiast when their small plane crashed after takeoff from an upstate New York airport. The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Authorities said Monday that the 70-year-old Francis and Richard McSpadden, 63, had just departed from the Lake Placid Airport shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday in a single-engine Cessna 177. The New York State Police said the aircraft crashed into an embankment at the corner of the airport. Francis was a longtime flying enthusiast and president of Lake Placid Airways, which runs charter and scenic flights. He was a pilot for nearly 50 years and had run a charter service in Hawaii, according to the airline’s website. McSpadden was a senior vice president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and was known as an aviation safety expert. The organization said his career included a stint as commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

Francis – a three-time Pro Bowler with the New England Patriots who won a Super Bowl with the 1984 San Francisco 49ers — was a Patriots first-round draft pick in 1975 and played in New England until 1980, making the franchise’s all-decade team for the 1970s and the 35th anniversary team. He was named to the Pro Bowl three straight seasons from 1977-79. Francis joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1982 and was part of the 1984 team that beat Miami in the Super Bowl. He returned to New England in 1987, retiring for good in 1988. Over his NFL career he had 393 receptions for 5,262 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement: “Russ was a fan favorite throughout his playing career. He was a dynamic player on the field who had an even bigger personality off it. He knew no boundaries, pushed the limits and lived his life to the fullest.”

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Houston Rockets’ general manager Rafael Stone said at Houston’s media day on Monday that they have told Kevin Porter Jr. that he cannot be with the team in any capacity in the wake of his domestic violence arrest last month. The 23-year-old Porter was arrested after an alleged attack on his former girlfriend in a New York City hotel room Sept. 11. Prosecutors said that the attack left her with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye. Porter has pleaded not guilty to felony assault and strangulation and is due back in court in Manhattan on Oct. 16.

Stone said: “The allegations against him are deeply troubling. Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets. They understood and he has not been with the team or around the team or had any interaction with the team since that time and will not be at media day today or in training camp. Stone added that everything else related to Porter and his situation falls under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, and will be handled by the league: “What’s left for the team to do is to evaluate the best steps for our organization that remain in compliance with the league domestic violence policy.”

Porter signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract with the Rockets before last season; last year, Porter averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in his third year in Houston after one season in Cleveland  When Stone was asked if he believes Porter will ever be part of the team again, he said: “I can’t answer that and stay in compliance with the policy. So I think this is now a league matter.”

This is not Porter’s first brush with the law; while playing for the Cavaliers, Porter was arrested in November 2020 after police said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car after a single-vehicle crash; those charges were eventually dismissed. Porter was traded from Cleveland to Houston a few months later after he reportedly ‘blew up’ at the Cavaliers’ general manager after discovering his locker had been moved to make room for a new player.  Then in January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said he had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.

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Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said that cornerback Tre’Davious White would be further evaluated following what’s feared to be a season-ending injury to his right Achilles tendon in the third quarter of Buffalo 48-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

White was injured in the final minute of the third quarter while covering receiver Tyreek Hill up the right sideline, when he suddenly pulled up favoring his right leg and fell to the turf. White attempted to stand up before falling back to the ground. Bills players surrounded White as he was loaded into the cart and off the field.

Speaking to reporters, McDermott then grew emotional when discussing White, who missed a calendar year after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee in December 2021: “Sometimes you wonder, right, why thinks like that happen twice to someone — I’m not saying what it is, what it isn’t. You just wonder why, because you watched him and how hard he’s worked to get back. I know he’s a man of faith. And I know how strong he is. And he will, he will rebound.” White was the first player the Bills drafted after McDermott ook over in 2017. He’s been a starter since his rookie season and was an All-Pro in 2019.

Safety Micah Hyde said: “We were all there just trying to talk to him. And, you know, sometimes at that point there’s really nothing you can say. It’s kind of one of those situations that words can’t really help Tre’Davious at that point. He understands we’re there for him. We love him.”

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The Portland Trail Blazers announced on Sunday afternoon that guard Jrue Holiday is headed to Boston. The trade comes just days after Holiday was dealt to the Blazers in a blockbuster deal that sent All-Star guard Damian Lillard to the Bucks.

In exchange for Holiday, the Blazers received: Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, a 2024 1st-round pick (via Warriors), and a 2029 unprotected 1st-round pick (via Celtics)

Boston lands one of the top defensive guards in Holiday. The veteran All-Star guard is five-time All-Defensive selection, who has appeared on defensive player of the year ballots in each of the last three years. The 33-year-old Holiday was also an All-Star last year for the first time in a decade and is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.3 points and 7.4 assists, both better than his career averages of 16.4 points and 6.5 assists.

Holiday helped lead the Bucks to the 2021 NBA Championship title by averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 23 postseason contests (all starts). He also won a Gold Medal with Celtics’ guard Jayson Tatum and Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.

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Inter Miami CF coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Tuesday that Lionel Messi’s availability for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final will come down to a game-time decision.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s final against the Houston Dynamo, Martino said he will meet with Messi over the next two days to determine whether he can play: “We will decide tomorrow based on how he’s feeling,” and added that Jordi Alba is also doubtful for the match. The former Barcelona teammates both started last Wednesday’s 4-0 win over Toronto FC, but then left late in the first half. They also didn’t travel with the team for Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Orlando City SC. Messi, who also missed Miami’s loss in Atlanta 10 days ago, is said to be dealing with an old scar tissue problem, while Alba continues to deal with muscle soreness.

Speaking of Messi, Martino said: “In this case, we sit with him asking how he feels. Maybe other players, one makes a decision, but here we will make a decision we are in agreement over. Here, there are questions. The player, the [U.S. Open Cup] final, and what comes after. These three scenarios have to be evaluated; it is not just about the next game. Risk is always there, but we try to decrease the margin of risk .. If it wasn’t a final, we wouldn’t take any risk, but because it is a final, there is a chance we take that risk.”

Martino also said: “We are not trying to be mysterious with Leo. I say this with knowledge because of my time with Atlanta. Weekly there are reports of injuries and which players travel and don’t travel. This is a special situation. And if Leo were not here, we would not be discussing this. This is part of football. We are talking about the best player in football, and I have to give an answer that could affect the structure of the rival team. Why should I give that information if I can keep it to myself? We understand the desire [for the fans] to know, but we are not trying to be mysterious. We have a real situation.”

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The WNBA announced on Tuesday that NY Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has won the 2023 WNBA MVP award, the second of her career.  Stewart joined New York ahead of the 2023 season, and went on to a career-best scoring season in her first season with team. Stewart won the award for the first time in ’18 during her tenure with the Storm. She now becomes the eighth player in WNBA history to win the award multiple times, joining Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Elena Delle Donne, Candace Parker and A’ja Wilson.

The 29-year-old  Stewart edged out Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, who won the 2022 award. Stewart earned 20 of the 60 first-place votes and 446 total points (23 second-place and 17 third-place votes). Thomas was second with 439 points (23 first-place votes) and Wilson third with 433 points (17 first-place votes). This is the second time in league history that the winner received fewer first-place votes than the runner-up. Sheryl Swoopes won the 2005 award over Lauren Jackson with four fewer first-place votes.

Stewart, Thomas and Wilson were all named to the All-Defensive Teams announced last week, and are playing in the WNBA semifinals.

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