San Francisco Giants reporter Justice delos Santos of the in San Francisco certainly got his steps in to pay off a bet with Chicago Cubs reporter Jordan Bastian.

During Wednesday night's game, Santos told Bastian that he would run a mile for every run scored in the matchup between the Giants and the Cubs. The two teams picked a good night to score 15 combined runs in a contest the Giants won 12-3.

Here's the hilarious clip of Santos discussing the bet that he would have to pay off.

By the way, he did it.

Safe to say he might think twice before making that bet next time!

The Guardians did it. Somehow, they actually did it.

With a 5–2 win over the Tigers on Tuesday night, Cleveland completed an improbable comeback and tied Detroit atop the American League Central. A team that was eight games under .500 and 15.5 games out of the division race in early July now has a 56.3% chance of winning it.

Conversely, the Tigers, who held baseball's best record on July 8, have fumbled it. An epic collapse has seen them fall into a deep slump that’s snowballed into a complete September collapse.

How did this happen? Let's go inside the numbers to get a better look.

40 — Wins for Cleveland on July 6, 88 games into the season. They fell eight games below .500 on that date after being swept at home by the Tigers.

45 — Wins for Cleveland since July 7, a 45–24 record (.652), second best in baseball behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

15.5 — Games the Guardians trailed the Tigers by on July 8.

10.5 — Games the Guardians trailed the Tigers by on Sept. 1.

9.5 — Games behind the Tigers on Sept. 10.

3.96 — Team ERA for the Guardians on July 6, 18th in baseball.

3.30 — Team ERA for the Guardians since July 6, best in baseball.

2.9 — fWAR for Jose Ramirez since July 6, tied with Cal Raleigh for fifth in the American League. Ramirez is slashing .264/.358/.528 over that span with 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, 57 runs scored and 18 stolen bases, with a wRC+ of 136.

1.3 — fWAR for rookie starting pitcher Parker Messick since his debut on Aug. 20. That ranks fifth in baseball during that time. He's 3–0 with a 2.08 ERA and 31 strikeouts against five walks in 34 2/3 innings.

2.39 — ERA for starter Gavin Williams since July 6. He's 7–1 since then.

1.25 — ERA for starter Tanner Bibee in three September starts. He's 2–0, with a 0.65 WHIP and 21 strikeouts against three walks in 21 2/3 innings. That includes a complete game shutout two-hitter against the White Sox on Sept. 12.

59 — Tigers wins on July 8, most in MLB. They were 59–34, good for the best record in baseball and a 14-game lead over the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. The Guardians were 15.5 games back.

26 — Tigers wins since July 8. They're 26–38 (.406) in that time, the sixth-worst record in baseball.

5 — Tigers wins in September. They are 5–14, the second-worst record in baseball behind only the 4–16 Colorado Rockies.

3.46 — Tigers team ERA on July 8, third-best in baseball.

4.80 — Tigers team ERA since July 8, sixth-worst in baseball.

106 — Detroit's team wRC+ on July 8, seventh in baseball.

95 — Detroit's wRC+ since July 8, 20th in baseball.

Liverpool are now seen as a genuine destination for a “phenomenal” player who will be hoping to shine at next summer’s World Cup.

Injury concerns for Liverpool before Brentford clash

The Reds may have returned to winning ways at Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, but they have to show that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan against weak opposition.

Liverpool make the trip to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday night, which has the potential to be a huge test, and the champions will have to make do without some influential players.

Alisson is still missing in goal, with his world-class presence a big loss, while Jeremie Frimpong is also definitely out after injuring his hamstring in Frankfurt.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexander Isak are also unlikely to be available for Liverpool’s trip to west London, so picking up all three points away to a Brentford team with two wins in their last three matches won’t be easy.

The Reds will continue to eye new signings, with a move for Marc Guehi expected to be on the agenda again, but he is not the only England international on the shopping list.

Liverpool a viable destination for England star

Speaking to TEAMtalk, insider Dean Jones said Liverpool are now a “possible” destination for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.

“I don’t think Anderson would close the door on returning to Newcastle and there is no issue around that specifically, but the thing that makes me question how likely it is regards the other options he is going to have. At the moment Man United, Liverpool and Man City all seem possible destinations for him and when those sorts of doors open up, is he going to go back to somewhere he has already played?

“As a player you surely always want to feel a sense of progression, so Newcastle are going to have to be in a very strong position if they are to enter a battle to sign him and then win it. I have to say I don’t think the Man United move is quite as nailed on as some people seem to make out.

“While he is on their list I get the impression there are still some reservations about whether he is the ideal fit as a midfield partner for Bruno Fernandes. That’s something they continue to explore.”

The £40,000-a-week Anderson is enjoying the best spell of his career, becoming a regular starter for England at the base of the midfield alongside Declan Rice.

Elliot Anderson’s 2025/26 Premier League stats	Total
Appearances	8
Starts	8
Minutes played	720
Tackles per game	2.8
Key passes per game	1.3
Pass completion rate	88.5%
Goals	0
Assists	1

The 22-year-old is playing with such poise in front of the defence, but also showcasing an ability to get forward, with England teammate Reece James recently calling him a “phenomenal” player.

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While Liverpool aren’t short of top-quality midfield options, Wataru Endo could depart next year and Anderson would be a strong option, especially if he continues on his current trajectory.

Former Celtic centre-forward Chris Sutton was particularly scathing of the club’s recruitment after they lost 2-0 to Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, the pundit said: “Celtic have massive problems. They have to get to January and still stay in touch. This is a bang average Celtic team and I think Brendan recognises that.

“The signing of Kelechi Iheanacho summed everything up. That was desperation. I’m not saying he’s a bad player but you think back to when Celtic were rotating Giorgos Giakoumakis and Kyogo Furuhashi, that quality, that’s the difference.”

It is hard not to point to the recruitment department when looking for the reason why Celtic have failed to score in six competitive matches already this season.

Celtic needed a striker in the summer, before they sold Adam Idah, and they failed to bring in Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht, before selling Idah without getting a replacement in. Kelechi Iheanacho then arrived on a free transfer, but they were still down another forward.

Meanwhile, Hearts signed Claudio Braga from Aalesund on top of keeping Lawrence Shankland, and have fired their way to the top of the Premiership table.

What Celtic can learn from the recruitment at Hearts

Tony Bloom invested in Hearts and brought his data expertise with him to bolster their recruitment, and it already looks to have paid off big time for the Jam Tarts.

Braga scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 37 appearances in the second tier of football in Norway in the 2025 and 2024 campaigns for Aalesund, per Sofascore, before his move to Scotland in the summer.

The versatile forward, who can play as a number ten, a second striker, or as a centre-forward, scored two goals against Kilmarnock on Saturday to take his tally to eight goals in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Braga’s highlights from their win over Kilmarnock in the clips above show that he can operate in positions all over the pitch, with almost a free role because of Shankland’s presence as the focal point for the team.

The Portuguese star is free to roam around the pitch and drop deep when needed to get touches of the ball to make things happen for Hearts, as evidenced by his statistics.

Appearances

8

Touches per game

42.8

Goals

5

Big chances missed

4

Key passes per game

1.1

Assists

1

Successful dribbles per game

0.9

As you can see in the table above, Braga takes around 43 touches per game on average and has been directly involved in six goals in eight matches to show that he is making the most of those touches.

Celtic can learn from the recruitment that Hearts have done for multiple reasons. One, that they do not need to splash £10m on a player from a major European league, as Braga was picked up from the second tier in Norway and has outscored every Celtic player in the Premiership.

Two, that the recruitment needs to be well thought through. Hearts knew they had Shankland leading the line, so they signed the Portuguese ace to be the perfect partner for him.

Celtic, meanwhile, signed two left-wingers, despite Daizen Maeda scoring 33 goals as a left-winger last season, and did not sign a right-winger to replace Nicolas Kuhn, whilst they also sold Adam Idah, a target man and physical presence, and signed Iheanacho, who does not have a similar profile to Idah.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Despite being signed to be the main number nine, Iheanacho has the attributes and the quality to be Brendan Rodgers’ own version of Braga, but the Hoops do not have their own Shankland.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho can be Celtic's own Claudio Braga

For all of the former Manchester City man’s strengths, the Nigeria international is not a target man. He is not going to cause too many problems for opposition defenders with his physicality.

Per Sofascore, Iheanacho has won 1.5 duels per game and won just 38% of his duels in total, whilst Shankland has won 4.4 duels per game and 44% of his total battles on the pitch.

He does not look suited to being the sole number nine for Celtic as a target man, because of his lack of physicality, and that is not his fault, because it is something that the recruitment team should have factored in when they made the signing.

Last season, Michael Carrick utilised Iheanacho as a second striker behind another number nine, which meant that he had the license to drift around the pitch and get involved in the game, instead of being isolated up front.

This means that he has the potential to be Celtic’s own Braga because of his ability to play off another striker. Meanwhile, Maeda is more suited to playing out wide, and has been utilised on the left and right flanks this season, after scoring 33 goals as a left winger last term, per Transfermarkt.

Chances created

1.77

Top 1%

xA

0.17

Top 24%

Pass accuracy

79.5%

Top 12%

Long pass accuracy

100%

Top 1%

Dribble success rate

100%

Top 1%

Touches in the opposition’s box

8.15

Top 12%

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho has shown great technical ability and link-up play in the Premiership this season, but he has yet to score a goal from open play.

Shankland’s presence and physicality occupy opposition defenders and create space for Braga to ghost into and score, but Celtic do not have a number nine like that who can take the pressure off Iheanacho.

Instead, it currently looks like he has to play the role of Shankland and Braga on his own, which may be why the Hoops have struggled so much in front of goal.

Iheanacho’s position for Middlesbrough and the qualities that he has shown in the Premiership so far suggest that he is more suited to playing like Braga, off another striker, but Rodgers does not have that outlet in the centre-forward position that Hearts do.

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Maeda is a winger, not a target man, so he is not the answer. Therefore, the Hoops need to dip into the market in January to sign a striker who can complement Iheanacho and get the best out of him in the second half of the season, so that he can be as effective as Braga.

And so Tottenham Hotspur put the brakes on their campaign for the third time this season, having played out a frenzied draw with Manchester United in the Premier League.

And so Tottenham sit fifth in the standings, 18 points from 11 matches and eight points behind table-topping rivals Arsenal. Thomas Frank will be frustrated with the manner of this side’s dropped points last weekend, Matthijs de Ligt nodding home right before the final whistle after Richarlison had struck moments before and wheeled away in topless celebration.

How to dissect the details of Spurs’ season? Improvements have been made since Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou after that Europa League triumph last season, a strange repulsion between the continental elation and the sour taste of a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

But Tottenham lack confidence and coherence and quality in the final third. To dare is to do. Are Tottenham doing enough? That is one of the biggest contentions of the campaign so far, and Frank simply has to find a formula to his side’s offensive struggles as the season heads into the wintry midpoint.

How Frank can fix Spurs' attacking problems

Tottenham have found a way to secure a greater number of points under Frank than they typically managed under his predecessor. However, more goals and created chances are needed if the Londoners are to hit the heights anticipated.

But this is a long-term project, and overnight success was never going to be on the cards. What Frank can do, though, is consider ditching Richarlison, even though the Brazilian scored with a deft header against United at the weekend.

We would be remiss not to acknowledge the cameo of Mathys Tel at the weekend, too. The young striker spun and scored after replacing Xavi Simons off the bench. It started the comeback that ultimately didn’t cement itself, but demonstrated the potential of a versatile forward whose talents could yet be fashioned into something special and suitable for life at the peak of the Premier League.

Dominic Solanke continues to languish in the infirmary, a frustration that has undoubtedly had an adverse effect on Frank’s start at the helm. Had the former Bournemouth striker been fit and in the form of his previous chapter across these past few months, Tottenham would have had a focal outlet from which to channel creativity.

It’s been an issue for the strikers, though, and there’s one man in particular whose campaign has been sent into a spin, even though some have acknowledged he has a bit of Jermaine Defoe about him.

Spurs' "Defoe-esque" star is becoming a big problem

Defoe was a proper Premier League striker. Something of a journeyman, he was always prolific and scored 143 goals across 363 matches in a Lilywhite shirt.

Jermaine Defoe – Career Stats by Club
Club	Apps	Goals (assists)
Tottenham	363	143 (31)
West Ham	104	40 (4)
Sunderland	100	37 (3)
Rangers	74	32 (10)
Bournemouth	64	23 (2)
Portsmouth	36	18 (5)
Toronto	21	12 (3)
Data via Transfermarkt

Quick feet, attacking smarts and a natural-born instinct in front of goal made him a force to be reckoned with.

And now, some feel Spurs have found a similar profile in Randal Kolo Muani. Indeed, presenter Ben Bowman hailed Kolo Muani for his “Defoe-esque” attacking play after the weekend match.

In August, Kolo Muani joined Tottenham on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, but he has struggled for fitness across his opening months in England, left waiting until midway through October for his Premier League debut, and has yet to score or assist in four matches since.

Disaster has struck once again, with the 26-year-old having fractured his jaw during the draw against the Red Devils. Now he is set to see a specialist to ascertain the severity of the setback.

Given the nature of Spurs’ attacking problems, with the injuries, yet again, piling up, it’s fair to say that Kolo Muani is presenting quite the conundrum to Frank’s desk, with this being a “strong, fast and powerful” centre-forward, as said by one analyst, endowed with all he needs to succeed in the Premier League, yet one whose time in England may be short-lived and unsuccessful on the grass.

His time in the French capital was somewhat turbulent, having failed to nail down his presence after transferring from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023 for a whopping £76m fee. However, a short loan spell with Juventus last season led to ten goals and three assists from only 22 appearances.

Linking this back to the aforementioned Tel, Kolo Muani’s second injury of his Spurs stint could provide the Frenchman with the chance to nail down a regular starting berth.

Couple that with Solanke’s much-anticipated return and the wonders that could work on creating a more solid and dynamic attacking spread, Kolo Muani may be a striker on borrowed time as he struggles to acclimatise before the end of the season, when he will surely close the door on his loan stay down N17 without a sharp upswing in fortunes that look unlikely to materialise at this stage.

Tottenham have some issues, to be sure, but they have also shown themselves to have what it takes to make incremental improvements this season and beyond.

With Kolo Muani now sidelined once again, however, Frank’s scope at number nine has been narrowed. How big a blow will this prove to be? Whatever the verdict, the Les Bleus star is becoming a problem for the London-based outfit.

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Manchester United are set for some considerable squad changes in the new year with a deal now authorised for a new striker in 2026.

United planning for squad transformation under Amorim

The Red Devils’ charge for Champions League qualification is well and truly on as they picked up a crucial three points against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Consistency is the name of the game for Ruben Amorim after his side showed their flaws in a defeat against a ten-man Everton side, but the signs are overwhelmingly positive for the forming Sporting boss heading into the hectic winter fixture schedule.

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The Red Devils are set to be active in January…

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United will play six matches in December, and will then head into the January transfer window with a very clear picture of what the manager needs to continue their recent transformation.

The futures of Harry Maguire and Casemiro are both in the balance, with the pair among United’s highest earners and both out of contract at the end of the season.

1

Casemiro

£350,000

£18,200,000

2

Bruno Fernandes

£300,000

£15,600,000

3

Matthijs de Ligt

£195,000

£10,140,000

4

Harry Maguire

£190,000

£9,880,000

5

Matheus Cunha

£180,000

£9,360,000

Fabrizio Romano revealed last week that Amorim would prefer to tie both players to down to new deals, but there is an understanding that will only be possible on reduced wages.

Man Utd hold "serious" talks over new forward signing

On the incoming front, the manager has so far failed to find a solution in the number nine position, with Benjamin Sesko injured after an up and down start to life at Old Trafford and Joshua Zirkzee yet to really cement himself as a viable option despite scoring in the win at Palace.

Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri delivered an update on Manchester United’s interest in Serhou Guirassy over the weekend, with INEOS seemingly pressing ahead with their search for more options up front despite furnishing Amorim’s squad with three new attackers in the summer.

According to Tavolieri, ‘Manchester United have made serious enquiries’ over a deal for the Borussia Dortmund striker, who will be one of the ‘hottest transfer stories to watch in 2026’.

What’s more, the Red Devils have already been ‘authorised’ to trigger the Guinea international’s €50 million release clause (£44m).

Guirassy has scored nine times in 17 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season, and manager Niko Kovač recently compared the 29 year-old’s influence to some of the best strikers in world football.

Indeed, his stats suggest he is more Kane than Haaland, as the striker ranks in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 but also sits in the 74th percentile for assists per 90 (compared to other strikers in the big five leagues), suggesting he would bring more than just clinical finishing to United’s number nine position.

A T20 freelancer talks about why he embraced the opportunity to travel to Pakistan for one match

Peter Hatzoglou21-May-2025It was a Wednesday afternoon in London, and I was in the fruit section at Marks & Spencer, on the hunt for their mango fingers – which, by the way, are a seriously underrated snack. That’s when I got a voice note from my manager. The Pakistan Super League was restarting. A replacement draft was happening. And somehow, Multan Sultans were interested in me.To be honest, I barely knew the PSL was resuming, let alone that I’d be in contention. My first thought? Keep hopes low. Too many “maybes” in this career can break your heart if you let them. So I grabbed my mango fingers, walked back to the car – and then came the text.”You’re in.”I laughed. Not because it was funny but because of how unexpected it all was. Just days earlier, I’d been wrestling with doubts about where I stood in my career. Now, I was heading to one of the world’s top T20 leagues, amid one of the more tense geopolitical moments in recent memory.In the days leading up to the draft, cross-border tensions boiled over into real military escalation that halted both the IPL and PSL. Players were flown home. Airspace was closed. Some international players understandably chose not to return.Related

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So when the opportunity came, it wasn’t just about cricket. I had to weigh the reward against the risk.I did what most of us do – I reached out to people I trust. I checked in with family and spoke to leaders among the playing group, like Tom Kohler-Cadmore, a PSL veteran, and David Warner, whose standing in world cricket speaks for itself. I then checked in with Brendan Drew from the Australian Cricketers’ Association, which, along with the World Cricketers’ Association, had commissioned a third-party risk assessment for players considering a return to Pakistan.The advice? The situation was being monitored, but the league was safe to resume. It was ultimately our call, but the ACA would support it either way.Still, my decision wasn’t just about personal safety. It was also about my upbringing.I grew up at Sunshine Heights Cricket Club in Melbourne’s west – a place that welcomes migrants, celebrates diversity, and believes in cricket as a tool for inclusion.My grandparents arrived in Australia through the mid-1960s, with no cricketing background. My dad was embraced by the club and he would go on to volunteer for more than 40 years in just about every capacity, including over a decade as president. Following in his footsteps, I served as treasurer, secretary, and junior coordinator across a six-year stretch – roles that gave me a front-row seat to how sport can help people find their footing.That ethos – that cricket is more than runs and wickets – is still part of how I navigate opportunities like this. Yes, I was aware of the political climate. But cricket isn’t responsible for borders.

Playing sport in politically charged times is never just about the sport. But cricket offers something that few other experiences can: shared rituals, mutual respect, and the chance to coexist in ways that politics doesn’t always allow

At 2am on game day, I landed in Islamabad airport alongside Tymal Mills and George Munsey, where PSL officials were ready to fast-track us through immigration and security. By mid-morning, I was being fitted for a kit and introduced to the Multan Sultans set-up: owner Ali Tareen, coach Abdul Rehman, and a room of players and staff.Immediately, I was met with the hospitality foreign cricketers have become accustomed to in Pakistan. Pakistanis take real pride in their country and want guests to have the best possible experience. I genuinely felt I could ask for anything – no matter how unusual – and someone would make it happen.Then came the journey to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Like all PSL match days, roads were cleared. The team bus, reinforced and flanked by military vehicles, made its way through the city under armed escort. The heat? Thirty-seven degrees. The outcome? A final-ball thriller against table-topping Quetta Gladiators.Although the match was technically a dead rubber – Gladiators had already qualified, and we were out of contention – it still carried plenty of meaning. In some ways, these matches feel even more competitive. Why? Because the bench guys, who have been quietly grinding and waiting their turn all season, finally get their shot. And they know how small the window is. They are not just playing for points. They are playing for careers. Just like I was.We lost, but I was proud of both the team and my performance. And more than that, I was glad to reconnect with so many familiar faces. That’s the hidden joy of franchise cricket. On paper, you’re switching teams every month. But in reality, it’s a roving community. A group of freelancers – players, coaches, analysts, media staff – who keep bumping into each other in new colours and new cities.It’s a network. It’s a cultural education. It’s a circus. It’s home.The PSL resumed on May 17 after an eight-day pause•Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty ImagesThe past year has been a mixed bag for me. I was a late inclusion in the Hobart Hurricanes BBL playing XI after management signed an overseas spinner. When I did get a go, I started well – my economy was good – but I struggled to make big personal inroads, despite an exceptional team performance culminating in the title.While winning is always great, it meant I arrived late to the UAE’s ILT20, where Sharjah Warriors had pivoted to Adam Zampa. Fair enough – he’s world class. But it meant another bench stretch for me. If anything, the biggest takeaway from my time at the ILT20 was a reflective conversation with Matthew Wade on my BBL performances. He and his experience helped me rethink my lengths and field placements, which really helped.Still, I keep moving. I played in the Weston Shield, a really exciting T10 tournament hosted by European Cricket. I joined Tom Scollay’s Cricket Mentoring tour in India, played Topklasse cricket in the Netherlands, a couple of matches for the MCC in Cardiff, and had a solid outing with Radlett in the Hertfordshire Premier League. I’ve been working hard with spin coach Carl Crowe, and lately I feel like I’m getting that “pace” back off the wicket – more bowleds, more lbws.In short: I feel close. And I’m looking for that moment – the catalyst for the next phase of my cricket journey.Playing sport in politically charged times is never just about the sport. But cricket offers something that few other experiences can: shared rituals, mutual respect, and the chance to coexist in ways that politics doesn’t always allow.It’s now Tuesday, May 20. I’m sitting in a London café, writing this before I head to Manchester to see my brother, Max, who’s playing for Glossop in the Greater Manchester Cricket League. On Thursday, I play for the MCC against Loughborough University. Then I’m back at Radlett for another weekend of club cricket.Cricket moves fast. One day you’re a replacement pick in one of the world’s biggest competitions. The next, you’re back in whites on a recreation reserve, chasing rhythm.But through it all, the game stays bigger than the headlines. It offers connection. It offers hope. And right now, I’m grateful to be part of it.

SEATTLE — The most dangerous hitter in the Detroit Tigers lineup has never hit 30 homers, driven in 70 runs or made an All-Star team. Injuries and left-handed pitchers have kept Kerry Carpenter from elite statistical thresholds and acclaim. But don’t do what the Seattle Mariners did in Game 1 of the ALDS: overlook him.

Carpenter is a career .507 slugger who mashes high fastballs. This year he slugged .571 against high fastballs (at least 33 inches off the ground), the 12th best mark among hitters who saw at least 350 such heaters—ahead of Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez and Cal Raleigh.

“One thing about Carp,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, “is he can be streaky. But no matter what, he’s looking to get off his A swing. Even if it’s two strikes, he can do damage. And that’s why he is so dangerous.”

The Mariners did not respect the danger ever present in Carpenter’s bat, and that is why they suffered a brutally painful 3–2 loss Saturday. They burned their closer for six outs and still lost, knowing they are staring at seeing the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal, two of the next four possible games, including Game 2 Sunday. Ouch.

Yes, a 73-mph, 15-hop single from Zach McKinstry plated the winning run in the 11th inning, a run set up by two egregious mistakes by Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas at such a juncture: a leadoff walk and a wild pitch.

But it was one swing by Carpenter that changed everything, a swing that should never have been permitted by the Mariners. Seattle manager Dan Wilson, running his first postseason game, held a 1–0 lead in the fifth with one on, two outs and first base open with George Kirby on the mound. Wilson had his best lefty, Gabe Speier, up in the pen with Carpenter due to bat with another lefty, Riley Greene, behind him.

Wilson sent pitching coach Pete Woodworth to the mound for a conversation with Kirby.

“Yes, in the back of my mind I thought they weren’t going to pitch to me,” Carpenter said, adding with a laugh, “Maybe my first two at-bats convinced them.”

Hinch had set a trap for Wilson by batting Greene and Carpenter back-to-back. By showing he will pitch-hit for either one with lefty masher Jahmai Jones, Hinch puts the onus on the other manager early in a game. No matter what option you choose, Hinch will have the platoon advantage.

Wilson chose to have Kirby pitch to Carpenter, even though Carpenter had four home runs in 10 at-bats against Kirby. Even though Carpenter is a high fastball hitter.

“Yeah. It’s a tough one,” Wilson said, “and you do the best you can and try to take the information that you have and what you’re seeing. And we thought George continued to throw the ball pretty well there and still had pretty good stuff and a lot left in the tank, and he had been in a couple of tough spots earlier, but really pitched out of it well.”

Kirby, a high-fastball pitcher, has the stuff to better attack Greene, not Carpenter.

“With Carpenter,” Wilson said, “you're trying to keep it down in the zone or trying to get him to chase up in the zone.”

Said Carpenter: “I always feel like the more I face people, the more opportunity I have to have success. And so yeah, I was hoping to get another opportunity off him.”

Kirby opened with a slider in the zone that Carpenter fouled. The next pitch was an elevated sinker that was inside but was mistakenly called a strike.

“That ball called a strike probably changed the at-bat,” Carpenter said.

Now the count was 0-and-2. Carpenter had one homer all year after falling behind 0-and-2. It was easy now for Wilson and Kirby to throw caution aside and think they could finish him off.

Kirby missed with a sinker in. He decided to throw a third straight fastball. This one headed straight to Carpenter’s power zone: elevated over the plate. Carpenter crushed it harder than any home run he’s ever hit in his life: 112.5 mph.

He has hit only two home runs at 110 mph or harder, both in the postseason: one off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase last season (110.8) and this one off Kirby (112.5), his fifth home run in 11 at-bats against the righthander.

“That’s what Carp does in the postseason,” McKinstry said. Carpenter has a postseason slash line of .294/.385/.500.

You simply cannot lose a lead by letting Kirby throw another elevated fastball to Carpenter. You knew that going into the game.

Carpenter typifies what the Tigers are about. Other than Skubal, they are low on star power. They strike out way too much. In Game 1 they became only the fifth team to win a postseason game with 16 strikeouts over 11 innings or less. They went 2-for-18 with runners on base, with eight of those at-bats ending with strikeouts. Empty at-bats galore.

And yet they won the game on swings from Carpenter and McKinstry. They used eight pitchers, the last of whom, Keider Montero, secured a save for the first time since pitching for the while playing Little League ball in Venezuela.

“I don’t pay attention to the name on the back,” Montero said after dispatching Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor for the save. “No matter when I pitch, I attack.”

Detroit, with all the strikeouts in its lineup and not enough whiffs in its bullpen, somehow is the best team in baseball at winning one-run games (23–12).

The Tigers became the first team to lose five straight series entering the postseason and advance. The wild-card Game 3 win restored their confidence. The dread of blowing a 15.5-game lead to Cleveland and the potential of being sent home by Cleveland has been replaced with the swagger they had in the first half after eliminating the Guardians. Their airways are fully open again. The Tigers are dangerous again, and not just on the days Skubal pitches. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is now an October legend.

As a rookie, the righthander helped the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 2024 World Series with a quality start in Game 2. But in 2025, Yamamoto took his heroics to a whole new level.

After throwing 96 pitches in Game 6 on Friday night and helping the Dodgers force a Game 7, Yamamoto was seen warming up in the bullpen in the ninth inning of Game 7 one night later.

Even though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media before the game that Yamamoto would be available if needed, first baseman Freddie Freeman could not believe what he was seeing in the ninth inning.

“When I looked at him in the bullpen warming up I said, ‘No way. Yoshi is doing it!’” Freeman said on the FS1 postgame show following the Dodgers’ 5–4 win over the Blue Jays to clinch their second straight World Series title. “And then he came in and was firing darts; he had command. It was impressive.”

Yamamoto relieved Blake Snell in the bottom of the ninth with one out. After the Blue Jays loaded the bases, Yamamoto got out of the inning with a groundout and a fly out. He retired Toronto in order in the 10th, and in the 11th, Yamamoto allowed a single and double, but induced a game-ending double play to secure the win.

Again, his gritty Game 7 performance arrived one night after he allowed one run and fanned six batters in six innings Friday night in the Dodgers’ 3–1 season-saving win in Game 6. And let’s not forget about his eight-strikeout complete game in Game 2.

Yamamoto was officially crowned the 2025 World Series MVP on Saturday night. His manager summed it up best while taking the microphone in the Dodgers’ postgame celebration at Rogers Centre.

“Yamamoto is the GOAT!” he yelled. “He’s the GOAT! Yama’s the GOAT!”

In three World Series outings, Yamamoto allowed just two runs over 17 2/3 innings—good for a 1.02 ERA—with 15 strikeouts and two walks. As highlighted by MLB statistician Sarah Langs, Yamamoto is the first player to win three games in a single World Series since fellow MVP Randy Johnson did it in 2001—and just the fourth player to earn a win in both Game 6 and Game 7 of a World Series.

Legend.

More than six months on from Lord’s and all that, England and South Africa are set to rediscover the 50-over format

Alan Gardner03-Feb-2020Look out, the World Champions are coming!
Well, sort of. Eight members of England’s 15-man World Cup-winning squad have been included for the ODI leg in South Africa, with Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood (all rested) among the notable absentees. Trevor Bayliss, the coach, has moved on but Eoin Morgan takes up the reins again as captain – although he is not considered likely to be in charge come 2023, when he will be 36 – and the top order looks pretty familiar, with Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Joe Root all involved. Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid are set to play their 100th ODIs, Moeen Ali will make his first England appearance since the first Ashes Test in August, and Tom Curran completes the set.So who else is missing?
Of the XI that played the World Cup final, only Liam Plunkett has been dispensed with. Plunkett missed out on a white-ball central contract late last year – and made his disappointment clear – and it looks like, at 34, his England renaissance is over. James Vince played three times during the group stage, deputising for the injured Roy, and was involved in the T20Is in New Zealand last year, but has repeatedly failed to take his chances. Liam Dawson, meanwhile, is a more curious case – brought into the World Cup squad at the last minute, as the back-up spinner in place of Joe Denly, he didn’t feature during the tournament and has slipped down the pecking order once again.Time for an injection of young blood, then…?
Yes, for the most part – although Denly (who has a white-ball contract despite being a regular Test pick for the last year) is again involved, and at almost 34 the oldest man in the squad. Three players are in line for ODI debuts, all of whom won T20I caps in New Zealand as part of England’s World Cup planning: Tom Banton, the most exciting of the lot, comes in on the back of a strong Big Bash League but may have to bat out of position in the middle order; while the Lancashire pair of Saqib Mahmood, a reverse-swing-adept seamer, and Matt Parkinson, the legspinning understudy to Rashid, will be hoping for further international exposure.Any other notable inclusions?
Dawid Malan is back in contention, having usurped Vince with his exploits in New Zealand – which included becoming only the second Englishman to score a T20I hundred. Malan’s only previous ODI came against Ireland in May but this is arguably his strongest format, with ten List A hundreds and a career average of 41.41. Chris Jordan, a T20 mainstay, could play his first ODI since 2016, and there is a chance for Sam Curran to stake his case as an all-format allrounder.South Africa, by contrast, had a dismal World Cup – so let the rebuilding begin!
That’s pretty much the ticket. This is a chance to move on after South Africa were dumped unceremoniously out of the World Cup, their five defeats in seven round-robin games condemning them to an early exit almost before anyone had a chance to mention ch**ing. Quinton de Kock has been anointed as their new ODI captain, with a view to taking the team through to 2023 in India – although Faf du Plessis has not retired from the format, and is also expected to lead the team at the T20 World Cup later this year. De Kock is set for a heavy workload, as he juggles the captaincy with opening the batting and keeping wicket.Do any of the old guard remain?
Not really. Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir and JP Duminy retired after the World Cup – taking 487 caps’ worth of experience with them – while Dale Steyn seems to be focused only on winning an international swansong at the T20 World Cup. Kagiso Rabada has also been rested for the England series, with David Miller the most experienced member of South Africa’s 14-man squad.Who should we be looking out for?
One of the few positives for South African cricket over the last year or so has been the form of Rassie van der Dussen, who averages 73.77 after 14 ODI innings. Lungi Ngidi, 23, is also a huge talent, and fit again after missing the Test series. Of the uncapped players, JJ Smuts, Lutho Sipamla and Bjorn Fortuin have all played T20 internationals, while Janneman Malan was the second-leading run-scorer in this season’s Mzansi Super League and Kyle Verreynne, the back-up wicketkeeper, averages 50.72 in first-class cricket and has featured for South Africa A.Sounds like England are still the favourites…
Certainly as far as the bookies are concerned, although England lost 3-2 here in 2015-16 – one of only three series defeats they suffered during the last World Cup cycle. Their leading performers on that tour were Alex Hales (383 runs at 76.60) and Reece Topley (10 wickets at 21.90)… which tells you plenty about how things can change between now and England’s defence in 2023.