The Rockies are having one of the toughest years in baseball history. Even that might be gentle, but we’ll go with it for now. With 48 games left to play, Colorado sits with a record of 30–84 on the season, 54 games below .500. They are 35.5 games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West, and 23.5 games behind the Diamondbacks for second-to-last place in the NL West.
They stand alone as the worst team in baseball, with the Chicago White Sox 12 games above them.
While it’s obviously been a struggle all season for the Rockies, they continue to find innovative ways to dig deeper into the depths of baseball despair even into August, as their recent sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays showed.
Colorado dropped three straight games against Toronto by scores of 15–1, 10–4, and 20–1, despite holding leads in the first inning in two of the three contests.
But the sweep wasn’t just any old blowout—it was a historic one. The Blue Jays set franchise records for both runs (45) and hits (63) in a three-game series, and their 63 hits are the most of any team in a three-game series since at least 1901, per MLB.
“It’s a really good team that puts the ball in play a ton. That’s what they do,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said after the series was mercifully over. “It’s why they’re on top of the American League. So you’ve got to tip your hat to them, and we’ve got to make better pitches.”
It’s a simple bit of advice, but there’s really not much else you can say after such an epic beatdown.
For what it’s worth, not every run and hit the Blue Jays secured came against a Rockies squad that was playing for the win. Colorado was trailing by just 11 runs (woof) heading into the ninth inning on Wednesday night, and let catcher Austin Nola take the mound in relief to finish the game. He gave up eight runs including two homers before he was finally able to get out of the inning.
Last year’s White Sox currently hold the record for worst 162-game MLB campaign with a 41–121 record. While the Rockies are currently on pace to finish just ahead of that mark, their performance against the Blue Jays shows that this team is plenty capable of making some more demoralizing history.
Shubman made the highest score by an India captain in Tests, as well as the highest by an India batter outside Asia
Sampath Bandarupalli03-Jul-2025
Shubman Gill now has the highest Test score by an India batter in England•Getty Images
269 – Shubman Gill’s score in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, the highest by an India captain in Tests, surpassing Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019.Gill’s 269 is also the highest by an India batter in Tests outside Asia. Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 not out at the SCG in 2004 was the previous highest.It is also the third-highest score by an India batter in away Tests, behind Virender Sehwag’s 309 in Multan and Rahul Dravid’s 270 in Rawalpindi on the tour of Pakistan in 2004.Only two Indians had scored double-hundreds in men’s Tests in England before him – 221 by Sunil Gavaskar in 1979 and 217 by Rahul Dravid in 2002, both at The Oval.Overall, Gill’s 269 is the seventh-highest score for India in Tests.ESPNcricinfo Ltd93.28 – Gill’s control percentage during his 269 at Edgbaston. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball logs, only two batters have had a higher control percentage while scoring a hundred in men’s Tests in England since 2006 – 96.45 % by Ian Bell during his 119* against Sri Lanka in 2011, and 94.6 % by Jamie Smith during his 111 against Sri Lanka last year.Related
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2 – Visiting batters with double-hundreds at Edgbaston in Tests before Gill. Graeme Smith scored 277 in 2003, while Zaheer Abbas scored 274 in 1971. Gill’s 269 is the eighth-highest score by a visiting batter in Tests in England.7 – Number of batters, including Gill, with hundreds in their first two Tests as captain. Three of the previous six were Indians – Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. Jackie McGlew, Alastair Cook and Steven Smith are the others.5 – Batters with double-hundreds in both Tests and ODIs. Gill joins a list dominated by Indians – Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle.4 – Scores higher than Gill’s 269 after being put into bat by the opposition. It is the highest for India.376 – Runs India scored after the fall of Nitish Kumar Reddy at Edgbaston – the most they have added for the last five wickets in a Test innings.3 – Number of 200-plus partnerships involving Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth (or lower) wicket in Tests. Only Adam Gilchrist (six), BJ Watling (five) and MS Dhoni (four) have been part of more such stands. Two of Jadeja’s three such stands have come at Edgbaston.7 – Yashasvi Jaiswal has a 50-plus score in each of his seven Tests against England. Viv Richards and Mark Taylor also had a 50-plus score in each of their first seven Tests against England.
Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Murillo, with Mikel Arteta personally an admirer, amid a new update on whether Nottingham Forest would consider a sale.
The Gunners are looking to bring in a new centre-back, with Gabriel set for a relatively lengthy spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by Arteta prior to the North London derby, with the manager saying: “Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the Brazil national team and he’s going to be out for weeks.”
“It’s clearly a blow because he’s our leader in our backline and, to me, it’s never a positive thing. The good thing is that we have very good options and we need to stand up now and do the job.”
As pointed out by Arteta, the Gunners have some quality back-up options, with Cristhian Mosquera, who has played a part in keeping five clean sheets this season, the natural replacement for the Brazilian at the heart of defence.
However, at 21-years-old, the Spaniard is still relatively inexperienced, and the north Londoners have now expressed an interest in signing a new centre-back ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal now seriously keen on signing Murillo
According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now seriously keen on signing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, with his current club willing to sanction a departure if they receive an offer in the region of €80m – €90m (£70m – £79m).
The Gunners believe the 23-year-old could make an instant impact in defence, despite already having Gabriel and William Saliba on the books, and Arteta is personally a fan of the Forest star’s progressive style of play.
However, there could be major competition for the centre-back’s signature, with London rivals Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, alongside La Liga giants FC Barcelona.
The Brazilian has been a key player for the Tricky Trees so far this season, making 12 appearances in all competitions, with arguably his best performance coming in the 3-0 victory against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners’ chances of winning the Premier League title were further boosted when Forest emerged as shock winners at Anfield, with the one-time Brazil international opening the scoring, while also making a number of other key contributions.
Murillo’s performance vs Liverpool
Number completed
Clearances
13
Blocked shots
3
Duels (won)
6 (5)
Tackles
2
Lauded as “monstrous” by journalist Ryan Taylor, the Sao Paulo-born defender could have what it takes to become one of the best defenders in the world, but it would be very difficult for him to force his way into Arteta’s plans.
Gabriel and Saliba have formed a formidable partnership, with the Gunners maintaining by far the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, and Mosquera has proven himself as a solid back-up.
Arsenal's surprise replacement for Gabriel at centre-back Not played CB for a year: Arsenal have a surprise £50m Gabriel replacement
The talented Arsenal star could be just the solution Arteta needs ahead of the North London Derby.
Lehmann played a lone hand with 96 off 126 to lift South Australia to a total that appeared unlikely after their top-order succumbed to sharp bounce
Tristan Lavalette28-Oct-2025Cameron Green once again showed off superb athleticism in the gully but did not bowl in his return as Western Australia dominated the opening day of their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at the WACA.After missing the India ODIs due to side soreness, all eyes were on Green with his bowling status unknown ahead of the Ashes. Even though he has been bowling in the nets, Green is set to play as a specialist batter in this match. He is likely to return to bowling in WA’s next Shield match against Queensland starting on November 11.Green did show off his impressive agility to remove Ben Manenti after quickly moving to his right and plucking the ball with his outstretched hands. He also added another catch when he hung onto a stinging blow from Jake Lehmann at extra cover to wrap up South Australia’s modest first innings of 215.Green was in visible discomfort, but did seem to shake off the pain quickly as he walked off the field.Lehmann played a lone hand with a brilliant 96 off 126 balls to lift South Australia to a total that appeared unlikely after their top-order succumbed to sharp bounce.In reply, opener Cameron Bancroft was in sparkling touch having scored just 21 runs from four previous innings this Shield season. He is unlikely to be in the Ashes frame but did issue a reminder of his talents with an unbeaten 52, while skipper Sam Whiteman finished 30 not out.South Australia quick Brendan Doggett appeared out of sorts in his return from a hamstring injury. He sprayed the new ball, with his initial three-over spell costing 16 runs although he was sharper in his subsequent four-over burst before stumps.Doggett’s only previous match this season was a One-Day Cup match against New South Wales on September 20. He is hoping to push to be a fast-bowling reserve for the Ashes having been part of the World Test Championship squad earlier this year and originally due to tour West Indies before injury struck.Jake Lehmann made 96•Getty ImagesThere was intrigue over the surface after difficult batting conditions in WA’s season-opening loss against New South Wales prompted some criticism. While this was not a minefield, there was sharp bounce and carry to very much feel like a traditional WACA wicket.Whiteman had no hesitation to bowl despite the sunny skies suggesting a batting-friendly opening day before expected damp weather sets in tomorrow.Whiteman was vindicated by his tall quicks who bent their backs in search of extra bounce as a slew of South Australia batters fell behind the wicket. The rattled visitors, however, did not help their cause with several tame dismissals starting with opener Conor McInerney nicking off Matt Kelly after hanging out his bat well outside off stump.After getting through the new ball, Henry Hunt and skipper Nathan McSweeney were left disappointed when they both tickled down the leg side to leave South Australia in trouble at 48 for 3.The sight of spin did not provide relief, with Corey Rocchiccioli – coming into the attack later than he likes in the 22nd over – producing rapid turn with his first delivery that had Jason Sangha playing back and nicking to slip.Having been unlucky in his opening spell, Cameron Gannon utilised his towering frame to devastating effect to remove Liam Scott and Harry Nielsen. South Australia’s hopes of mustering a competitive first innings total looked forlorn at 81 for 6 until Lehmann superbly counterattacked as batting appeared easier in the middle session.Lehmann received support from Manenti and Nathan McAndrew to frustrate WA’s push to wrap up the innings. Manenti has had a knack for making handy runs against WA but could not kick on after Green added to his highlight reel in the gully.Lehmann remained unflustered and continued to be aggressive until cutting Rocchiccioli straight to Green as he fell agonisingly short of a second Shield century this season.
Neymar is being backed to reunite with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami as the Brazilian remains a “huge name” around the world and a notable coup for MLS. As things stand, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker is running down his contract at Santos. Brad Friedel has told GOAL why a deal for the Samba superstar makes sense for those in North America.
Injury questions: Is Neymar fit enough for MLS move?
Neymar has endured more frustration on the injury front since returning to his homeland, with ACL damage previously leading to the eventual termination of his contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The 33-year-old is currently playing through pain in a shock relegation battle.
It remains to be seen whether any lasting damage is suffered, with the ultimate goal being to represent Brazil at next summer’s World Cup finals. A change of scenery at club level may have been taken in by then, with the talented forward preparing to hit free agency.
AdvertisementGettyCommercial value vs sporting sense: Do Neymar numbers add up?
There have been suggestions that David Beckham and Co could look to reform the fabled ‘MSN’ attacking unit in Miami, with Neymar set to be presented with the chance to link up with ex-Barca team-mates Messi and Luis Suarez.
Quizzed on whether such a deal would make as much sense from a sporting perspective as it does a commercial one, ex-USMNT and MLS star Friedel – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “You have to look at it this way in the US. It has been documented recently, with the change in Apple TV, I don’t think that has gone as swimmingly as they had hoped. The subscription amounts, the numbers for that MLS package, aren’t at a level so they are changing, I think they announced, next year. I think they are trying a lot of things to get the notoriety of the league and the viewership up.
“I understand it. What makes leagues tick is the revenue machine of media rights – that’s why the Premier League is such a machine. Right now in the US, it doesn’t cover salary caps. It’s a single entity venture. Let’s say Inter Miami makes money but Houston loses, everyone has to share in the loss around the league.
“If Neymar is fit, then I think it works, I really do because he’s still a huge name in certain parts of the US. The trouble is if he’s not fit and he’s injured a lot, then it becomes a negative media-driven reality. I can understand arguments on both sides for sure.
“I would assume, and these are smart guys, it would be a tiered contract based on performances and being fit. Having spent some time in Miami, before Messi came you wouldn’t have really known that Miami had a team. From the time that he came, there are pink and black shirts everywhere. If Neymar came, it would add to that.
“I can understand what they are trying to do. You have to look at it carefully because it’s a tough one due to his injury record. But he has that special talent that can really excite some American fans. He can do some special things. I would probably be 55 for it and 45 against.”
Risk and reward: Why Neymar appeals to MLS market
Friedel previously told GOAL of the risks involved in making a play for Neymar: “I think it would be a risk on anyone’s behalf; I think it just depends on how you would structure the contract. You also have to weigh the pros and cons – when you sign legends of the game like Neymar, you also have to take into account the commercial opportunities that go with it, and it coincides nearly every time with the salary and wage packet that you are going to give.
“You are going to make a substantial amount of money off the field when you bring someone like that in. I think there is probably more of a sporting risk than a commercial risk – or equally so if he does get injured. But if he doesn’t get injured, the risk becomes his age and the injuries he has had, and whether he can be that player [they need].
“The plus side is, it is a league that is a step down from where he is playing. Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time, but he can play many more years in MLS. It is a league that will allow players to do that, so I think Inter Miami need to weigh the pros and cons of what they can earn off the field and try to get it correct.
“If they can structure the contract correctly, then it limits the risk. Having Neymar alongside Messi again – I am not sure. We will wait and see, but the league needs to do something commercially.”
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GOAL/GettyMSN reforming: Will Neymar end up at Inter Miami?
Neymar has previously spoken of his desire to work with Messi again, having enjoyed considerable success alongside the Argentine GOAT at Barcelona and during a testing spell in France with PSG.
He has not figured for Brazil since suffering a serious knee injury in October 2023 and may need a fresh start, alongside some familiar faces, in order to recapture peak form and convince Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti of his worth.
Extraordinary over sees Green and Smith both depart just as Australia seemed poised to bat England out of second Test
Andrew McGlashan05-Dec-20251:01
Weatherald: Australia in a ‘good position’ heading into day three
While Joe Root’s century dominated discussions after play on the opening day at the Gabba there was a major question which hung in the air into the second morning: how good was England’s total, which eventually finished on 334? Prior to the resumption, one former Australia player was overheard saying it was a day to cash in.At 291 for 3, with Steven Smith and Cameron Green well set, building on the earlier work of Jake Weatherald’s eye-catching 72 and Marnus Labuschagne’s brisk 65, they had engineered an almost-ideal position to do just that. England were toiling away with 57-over old pink ball, which even under lights wasn’t offering much.Reaching the close on 378 for 6, a lead of 44, means they remain in control – although it might have been different had England held their catches – but one extraordinary over left the door ajar. Whether they are made to pay will become clear on Saturday.Related
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Even by the early standards of this series, and with what day-night games can throw up, it was a remarkable period of Test cricket. A few moments earlier, Green had taken on Brydon Carse when he bowled short with an unorthodox field – three on the off, but no one from deep third around to mid-off, and six scattered on the leg. Green twice backed away and carved Carse through off side then Smith top edged a pull for six which just evaded Ollie Pope who was on the rope directly behind the keeper.Carse changed ends, started with a very short bouncer which was called wide, then pulled the double-bluff by going full and straight. Green was already backing away before the ball left Carse’s hand and ended up miles outside leg, almost off the cut strip in a position that will go viral for the wrong reasons, as he threw the bat out in vain to try and reach the delivery. It was out of character for Green, even by the standards of his white-ball batting.”The short-ball plan is one of those things where everyone has their own methods.” Weatherald said. “The way I’d probably go about it is different than the way Cam and Smithy went about it. Because of that, we probably scored in different ways and provided different problems for the England bowlers.”Obviously Greeny backed himself…[he] probably would have his shot back if he could, we all can when we get out. But up to then, I think he put a lot of pressure on them, same with Smudge [Smith] as well.”Yet the over had only just started. Alex Carey was dropped in the gully first ball when he fended a short delivery which Ben Duckett couldn’t gather. Two balls later, Will Jacks pulled in a spectacular one-handed grab at backward square leg to intercept Smith’s pull. England sensed a way back but Carey and Michael Neser, not always entirely convincingly, combined in what could be a critical partnership.Cameron Green was bowled backing away too far•CA/Getty ImagesAustralia’s overall scoring rate of 5.17 was, as it stood when play ended, the fastest they had scored in an innings of at least 60 overs. “It wasn’t talked about,” Labuschagne told the host broadcaster. “With [Travis Head] and Weathers at the top they just grabbed the momentum and we piggybacked off that and sort of kept going.”While the wildness of the passage of play that saw Green and Smith depart was at the extreme end, a look at Australia’s scorecard suggests a day of unfulfilled potential with six of the top seven falling between 23 and 72 although Josh Inglis did not go to an aggressive stroke, bowled by one from Ben Stokes that perhaps kept a fraction low.”I’d probably reframe that and say that we’re in the position we are now, we have a lead before the next new ball, because of the shots we’ve been playing, the options we took,” Weatherald said. “You’d probably say that some of the shots were a bit reckless at times, but at the same time, they backed themselves. As a group, that’s what we want to do. In general, I think it came off quite well.”In a sense emphasising some of the cricket that was to follow, Weatherald’s own innings felt like one of the more controlled elements of the day even though he was above a run-a-ball for much of its early stages and finished with 72 off 78.For the second time in two innings, the opening partnership between him and Head took the wind out of England’s sails. In Perth it was to set up victory, here it prevented early damage against the new ball, but was also scored at such a rate that Australia had wrestled control, and effectively cancelled out the last-wicket runs England flayed the previous evening.It was Weatherald, in just his second Test, leading the charge rather than Head, who battled to 4 off 27 balls and was dropped by Jamie Smith. After three maidens, Weatherald opened the scoring with a strong cut against Gus Atkinson, although he needed some fortune for his second boundary in the same over when a top-edged pull flew over the keeper.There was a compactness and punchiness to his play, no better illustrated than when he collected three boundaries in an over off Atkinson: a crunching cover drive, a clip through square leg and a crisp drive through point. Of Australia’s first 36 runs, Weatherald made 28, although he later said he was as pleased with his leaving as he was with his aggressive strokes.”I think we’re quite an adaptable batting group at the moment,” he said. “Obviously, Heady will always go about it the way he does. But for me, I’m just seeing and reacting and trying to get in good positions. I didn’t actively go out there and play any differently than I normally would. It just ended up that way. It’s a really good wicket to bat on.”After drinks, Weatherald arched his back and uppercut Carse over deep third for six. He went to 49 with consecutive boundaries: a clip down to fine and another brilliant uppercut over backward point. A swivel-pull to deep square then brought up a maiden Test fifty off 45 balls. The prospect of three figures was coming into view when, in Weatherald’s own words, Jofra Archer “blew my foot off” when he was pinned lbw by a rare full delivery.There remains a good chance that Weatherald has played an innings that helps Australia go 2-0 up in the Ashes, although it’s not as clearcut as it could have been. But that really just continues the theme of the first four days of the series, which have left you turning up for the next day asking what could happen next.
It wasn’t perfect, but Manchester United secured three points at Molineux to return to winning ways in the Premier League and gear up for another charge toward Champions League contention.
Bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers crumbled away after the break, and the Red Devils made them pay, with Bruno Fernandes’ brace coming either side of second-half strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount.
The home side might be at the centre of a catastrophic failure this season, but take nothing away from United’s slick attacking play, creating a platform to build on after labouring to a draw against West Ham United at Old Trafford last week.
How Man Utd beat Wolves
Amorim’s Red Devils have rekindled the feel-good factor. There is work still to be done, and the Portuguese tactician’s system leaves something to be desired, but Manchester United are just one point behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace.
Amorim knew his side would dominate the ball, and dictate the flow of possession they did, but he would have drilled into his troops at half-time a lesson about wayward shooting. As per Sofascore, United chalked up an xG total of 4.01 across the match, with 3.06 of that total coming after the interval despite 14 of the 27 shots on the evening being lashed across the first half.
It’s also worth noting that five of United’s seven shots on target came during the first half. This may have smacked of desperation in other circumstances, but at Molineux illustrated a tactical tweak orienting toward greater variation, a ramping-up of the gas that outfoxed a Wolves backline that crumbled under pressure.
One way of looking at it would be that United toiled, to little avail, before the break, but we also saw tactical adaptation from a manager who has been criticised for his obstinacy.
Content creator Adam Joseph said that “tonight doesn’t solve any issues”, but he praised the victory all the same. Now, Amorim needs to go one step further and deepen the nuances of his system, surely ending one protracted experiment which might have seen the visitors come unstuck, had they been playing a higher calibre of opponent.
Amorim must boldly drop Man United talent
Amad Diallo is one of the most talented players in Manchester United’s squad, but he’s also been played out of position for the lion’s share of the Amorim era, and the contest at Molineux issued a reminder that he cannot continue in an unnatural wing-back berth forever.
Not only does it hinder the 23-year-old’s attacking play, but it also fails to offer United’s system the balance and fluency it requires down the right channel.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
68
Accurate passes
39/44 (89%)
Chances created
4
Possession lost
9x
Crosses
1/3
Dribbles
2/4
Recoveries
3
Tackles won
1/1
Duels won
5/9
This was by no means a, quote unquote, disasterclass, but Amad did leave something to be desired, lacking end product and culpable for a few defensive lapses. The Manchester Evening News recognised this, handing the Ivory Coast international a 6/10 match rating.
Amad, after all, was perhaps at fault for the Old Gold’s parity-restoring goal before the break, failing to close David Møller Wolfe as the wing-back cut back to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who scored.
There were flashes of quality, for sure, but we must remember that Amad is performing, dutifully, in a role that is not his own, and this was picked up by analyst Raj Chohan, who remarked that it has been “completely unserious squad planning” on Amorim’s part, shoehorning a fleet-footed forward into a position that he “does not suit playing” in.
This season, ten of Amad’s 15 appearances have come as United’s right-sided wing-back, with five outings made in an attacking role off the central striker.
There he plays his best stuff, and if Amorim is to succeed at the club and lead the squad for the long run, he will need to find a way to maximise this talented forward’s skills in a position that he can call his own.
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Matt Short wants to make the T20 World Cup side for Australia next year and knows a role in the middle order is his best hope
AAP06-Nov-2025Australia allrounder Matt Short prefers opening the batting, but has revealed his best chance of playing at next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is in the middle and lower order.The 29-year-old toured the West Indies for Australia’s underwhelming 2024 World Cup showing as a reserve player outside of the 15-man squad and did not play.The current T20 series against India, which concludes in Queensland with matches on the Gold Coast and at the Gabba, has a lot riding on it for Short.Related
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His best innings for Australia, including a dynamic 66 off 30 deliveries against South Africa in 2023, have come as an opener. However, Short, who played his first two matches of the current series at No.7, has been given a clear picture of his path to T20 World Cup inclusion by the side’s brains trust.”Personally I think I am suited to the top of the order, but having conversations with selectors and coaching staff, I think, looking forward to that T20 World Cup, I know that our top four or five is going to be pretty locked in,” Short said.”If I was to make the XI in the World Cup, I think my best chances are in the middle or lower order. We are probably using this series to see guys in different positions and looking ahead to that World Cup.”[To play at the World Cup] would be massive. I missed out on the one in the West Indies where I was a travelling reserve, but I love playing cricket for Australia no matter if it’s in the World Cup or a series like this. I am happy taking what I am getting, whether that is in the top order or through the middle.”The Adelaide Strikers captain confirmed himself as a cricketer of absolute class when he was player of the tournament in BBL 12 and BBL 13, where his powerful batting and crafty offspin stole the show.That high level of consistency was the stepping stone for Short to gain selection in both the Australian T20 and ODI sides, where he debuted in 2023.Short enjoys the ball coming onto the bat, but has set himself a goal of upping the ante when facing spinners.”There’s always ways to improve,” he said. “Looking at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, it is probably my game against spin that probably needs a little bit of work.”Especially when you look at our squad and the power hitters we have got through the middle like Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis … guys that have had that experience in India before and have that real power game against spin.”It is obviously a challenge, and playing for Australia is not easy, so we will have to wait and see.”
Juventus' team bus was pelted with rocks before entering the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for a crucial Napoli clash in the Serie A on Sunday. Luciano Spaletti returned to his former club after a gap of two years as he entered Napoli's home as a rival manager. The Bianconeri took adequate safety measures to avoid hostilities but their vehicle was still attacked right before the game.
Spalletti returns to Napoli
Spalletti managed Napoli for two seasons from 2021 to 2023 and in his final season, the Italian coach guided the club to their first Serie A title in over three decades in the 2022-23 campaign. Right after guiding the club to a title win in the summer of 2023, the 66-year-old parted ways with the club.
After leaving Napoli, Spalletti managed the Italian national team for two years before returning to club this summer as he replaced Igor Tudor in October after Juventus's nightmare start to the 2025-26 campaign. The experienced coach returned to his old home for the first time in more than two years time on Sunday as the Bianconeri locked horns against the reigning Italian champions in a crucial Serie A clash.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesSpalletti adopted unusual policy to avoid hostility
In his two years in Naples, Spalletti saw the local fans from close quarters and the manager very well knew how the Napoli fans would burst firecrackers near the visiting side's team hotel at night to spoil to opposition's sleep a day before the game.
To avoid such hostility from the home fans, Spalletti did not travel to Naples until the matchday and stayed at a hotel, which is close to Napoli boss Antonio Conte's residence. However, despite taking such shrewd measures, Spalletti could not avoid confrontation with the local fans as the team bus was pelted with stones, according to DAZN Italia. The incident happened on the way to the Stadio Maradona and some of the windows of bus were smashed, although no members of the visiting squad were harmed.
Spalletti demands more effort from Juventus players
Spalletti is still not satisfied with the performance of his players, even after guiding the club to their first Champions League win of this season against Bodo/Glimt. After the European clash, the coach had said: "It would have been a shame to let it go in the second half. We struggled in every sense of the word because the team doesn't take responsibility, lacks courage, and takes a bit of heat from what's being said. It'll be hard on them; here too, there were attitude issues that hung in the balance. We need to grow and take a mental step. We need to find solutions, because the team has a bit of horsepower in its engine.
"It was crucial to have the appearance of a team that plays openly, even if it struggles at times. They have great speed in tight spaces on this pitch, but in the first half we did our part, failing to capitalise on certain situations. It's an important victory that the players deserved. We dedicate it to ourselves and to those who came all the way here to see us."
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Getty ImagesJuventus succumb to yet another loss
Juventus suffered their third loss of the new season in Serie A as Rasmus Hojlund's brace helped Napoli reclaim the top position in the Serie A table. The Manchester United outcast opened the scoring in the seventh minute of the match before Kenan Yildiz scored the equaliser around the hour mark. Hojlund, though, ultimately stole the limelight as he scored the winner in the 78th minute and secured all three points for Conte's men.
The Italian champions will be back in action in midweek as they take on Jose Mourinho's Benfica in an important Champions League fixture away from home on Wednesday.
SEATTLE – Six ground balls do not make a national crisis, unless you happen to be the recently minted franchise player of Canada’s only Major League Baseball team staring at the eighth level of Dante’s version of Hell, which is to say not quite as low as it gets but just about there. In Dante’s nine levels of Hell, the penultimate level is Fraud. In the American League Championship Series, it is a near-must win in Game 3, having lost the first two games at home.
The Toronto Blue Jays were descending fast, marked most absurdly by going 1-for-42 in the third through ninth innings of the opening two games. Almost as troubling was how their bedrock hitting star, Vlad Guerrero Jr., after terrorizing the Yankees in the ALDS, suddenly had devolved into a ground ball out machine. Guerrero was 0-for-7, including six groundouts.
“Vlad can hit anybody’s fastball,” said Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly. “Anybody’s. He’s a great hitter with power, not the other way around. But sometimes, like when the crowd is really loud and the moment gets big, you can see by his body language he wants to do so well he gets out front a little bit. That’s when the pull-side grounders happen.”
Hell apparently hath no fury like the best hitting team in baseball and its $500 million slugger getting shut down at home. The Blue Jays got back into the series with a 13–4 bombardment of the Mariners Wednesday. All Guerrero did was become just the second player in postseason history to get on base in all five plate appearances while racking up three extra-base hits and nine total bases with his team trailing in the series. The other was Babe Ruth in Game 4 of the 1926 World Series with the Yankees trailing St. Louis, two games to one.
Blue Jays make ’em fly—fast
Game 3 was seismic. Toronto walloped Seattle pitches with percussive loudness never seen in the postseason, at least in this decade of recording how hard baseballs get hit. The Jays smashed 11 hits at 100 mph or more, breaking the record of 10 by the 2018 Red Sox and 2020 Dodgers.
Guerrero accounted for four of those hits at more than 102 mph, joining Kerry Carpenter (2025 ALDS Game 5) as the only players to smash four hits so hard in a postseason game. The tally of Guerrero’s night of whistling baseballs throughout T-Mobile Park read like someone fiddling with the FM radio dial looking for a decent tune: 102.8 (single), 104.9 (double), 106.4 (home run), 108.0 (double).
It was a whiplash of a turnaround in this series. It was not, however, any surprise to David Popkins, the Toronto hitting coach who, after getting dumped by the Twins last October, helped transform the Blue Jays from 19th in batting average last year to first this year, as well as from 23rd in runs to fourth.
“I felt good about today,” Popkins said about the Game 3 matchup. “The guys have been resilient all year. Our back was against the wall and that’s when this team plays really well. I always like to compare hitting to fighting. And when guys get a little paralyzed in the ring, sometimes the only thing to do is put your head down and start throwing some haymakers.”
Toronto takes control of the zone
The inside story of how the Jays and Vlad turned it around begins with how Mariners pitchers, who take pride in throwing strikes and controlling counts, shoved with impunity against Toronto in Games 1 and 2. Seattle flooded the strike zone with 57% of their pitches, well above the MLB average of 50.7%. Popkins knew the attack rate would remain high in Game 3 with Seattle starting George Kirby, a fastball-pumping sharpshooter who broke the record for the best strikeout-to-walk rate through a pitcher’s first four seasons that had stood for .
Popkins took inventory of those first two games and came up with a plan to counterpunch. It would mean being even more aggressive on the offensive side than the Mariners had been on the pitching side.
“We talked about trying to scare them out of the zone,” Popkins said.
All 18 hits for Toronto came three or fewer pitches into an at-bat, an amazing display of dictating a game. Mission accomplished.
“Yeah,” Popkins said. “They’ve been attacking us in the zone, trying to induce weak contact. So, they want to fill it up. … The counter to that is to punish 'em when they do that. So that was the goal tonight.
“We were just ready to do damage on something. We knew they were going to fill it up. They do a good job attacking the zone and they were getting really comfortable with filling it up on the halves [of the plate] and not nibbling. We had to make sure that they are a little more careful next time and attack one of the edges and it’ll get us into better counts in the future.
“But yeah, we were just looking to put things in play early and today we were looking to do some damage on something.”
Guerrero’s secret adjustment
Guerrero needed to make his own adjustment. Guerrero has the flattest swing in the game. He comes at the baseball with an attack angle of just 1°. The major league average is 10°, right in the middle of the ideal window espoused by Ted Williams (between 5° and 15°). In ALCS Games 1 and 2 it was down to -6° for his seven outs. He was swinging down on the baseball. Baseball’s second-best hitter against fastballs in the zone (.370; only Aaron Judge was better) went 0-for-4 against 14 heaters in the zone in the first two games.
Moreover, Guerrero’s contact point on his outs was five inches deeper than his regular season average, mostly because the Mariners were getting him out on pitches away. Here are the pitch locations for his seven outs:
MLB
Before Game 3, Popkins and Guerrero had to find a way to get the ball off the ground. I asked Popkins if Guerrero made an adjustment.
“Yeah, yeah,” Popkins said. “He made an adjustment, not necessarily with his swing at all. His swing was the same, just kind of some of the stuff he was exposing to himself before the game to give him a little bit … you know, [make it] a little bit easier for him to elevate the ball. And he was able to do that.”
“So, it was a swing adjustment?” I asked him.
“No, it wasn’t,” Popkins said. “It .. you know … the swing is adjusted by that, but he wasn’t thinking about his swing there. It was more so just what he was exposed to before the game. I’ll keep that private. But yeah, it was a good adjustment that he made and it worked today.”
Guerrero’s four hits all came on pitches middle/down and in the zone (two fastballs and two curveballs).
“It feels great, obviously,” Guerrero said about his night, “but for me, it’s just about winning. I’m very happy that we won the game. I never think about myself. I think about the whole thing, and we just win the game, and I’m very happy for it.”
Seattle still searching for penultimate ALCS win
The Mariners, especially after Julio Rodriguez sent the place into a frenzy with a two-run first inning homer, missed an opportunity to get within one game of their first pennant for the first time in franchise history. They have played five ALCS games in franchise history while two wins from the World Series. They have lost them all.
Seattle still leads the series, two games to one, but the ALCS has a whole new look with Guerrero untethered from that two-game groundball festival that caused such national angst. Back in 1992, before World Series Game 2, with the Blue Jays one game down to the Braves, a Marine Corps color guard accidently displayed the Canadian flag upside down, an international symbol of distress. After much uproar and bruised national pride, the Blue Jays restored order by winning that night with a ninth-inning rally. They took the series in six games.
Guerrero’s ground balls may have been an international sign of distress in baseball protocol. But at least for one night, the crisis has passed. And Treachery, the ninth level of Hell, has been averted.