Rays and Dodgers meet to decide series winner
Tampa, Florida; Sunday, 12:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 133 strikeouts); Rays: Joe Boyle (1-1, 2.82 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 24 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Dodgers -201, Rays +166; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers play on Sunday with the three-game series tied 1-1.
Tampa Bay is 55-57 overall and 32-29 in home games. The Rays have hit 121 total home runs to rank 10th in the AL.
Los Angeles has gone 29-26 on the road and 64-47 overall. The Dodgers are 37-15 in games when they hit at least two home runs.
Sunday's game is the third time these teams match up this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Yandy Diaz has 19 doubles, a triple and 20 home runs while hitting .285 for the Rays. Junior Caminero is 6 for 39 with three home runs over the past 10 games.
Shohei Ohtani has 13 doubles, seven triples, 38 home runs and 73 RBIs for the Dodgers. Freddie Freeman is 15 for 39 with a double, two home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 2-8, .226 batting average, 4.71 ERA, outscored by 17 runs
Dodgers: 5-5, .251 batting average, 3.24 ERA, even run differential
INJURIES: Rays: Jonathan Aranda: 10-Day IL (wrist), Chandler Simpson: day-to-day (hand), Stuart Fairchild: 10-Day IL (oblique), Manuel Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hunter Bigge: 60-Day IL (lat), Richie Palacios: 60-Day IL (knee), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (tricep), Alex Faedo: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Dodgers: Kirby Yates: 15-Day IL (back), Hyeseong Kim: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Tanner Scott: 15-Day IL (elbow), Michael Kopech: 60-Day IL (knee), Kike Hernandez: 10-Day IL (elbow), Max Muncy: 10-Day IL (knee), Roki Sasaki: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tony Gonsolin: 60-Day IL (elbow), Evan Phillips: 60-Day IL (forearm), Kyle Hurt: 60-Day IL (elbow), Michael Grove: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brusdar Graterol: 60-Day IL (shoulder), River Ryan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gavin Stone: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Royals score 5 runs in 10th, overwhelm Blue Jays 7-4
TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Isbel hit an RBI double in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Sunday. Vinnie Pasquantino hit a tying single with two out in the eighth, and Kansas City scored five in the 10th while taking two of three from the AL East-leading Blue Jays. The Royals are 24-12 in series finales, winning their past nine. Hunter Harvey (1-0) pitched one inning for the win as Kansas City returned to .500 at 56-56. Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger cut into Kansas City's lead with RBI singles in the bottom of the 10th, but Toronto (65-48) lost a home series for the first time since losing two of three to the White Sox from June 20-22. Isbel drove in the winning run with a double down the line against Seranthony Domínguez (2-4). Jonathan India walked and Bobby Witt Jr. was hit by a pitch before Tyler Tolbert added a two-run single. Witt scored on a throwing error by catcher Alejandro Kirk, and Maikel Garcia capped the rally with a sacrifice fly. Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido had two hits, including an RBI single in the fifth. GIANTS 12, METS 4 NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Devers snapped out of a slump with a homer and four RBIs in San Francisco's victory over New York. Rookie Carson Whisenhunt (1-0) threw 5 1/3 innings for his first win in the majors to help the Giants take two of three from the Mets following a six-game losing streak. The Mets, who began the day a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, have lost five of six. Making his second career start, Whisenhunt allowed two runs — one earned — on three hits, including Francisco Lindor's first-inning homer. Devers' three-run homer capped a four-run third against Frankie Montas (3-2). The 403-foot blast to right was just the fifth homer for Devers since he was acquired from Boston on June 15. Devers closed out a three-run fourth with a run-scoring single. The Giants piled on in the ninth. Dominic Smith had a two-run single, and Casey Schmitt hit a three-run homer off Ryne Stanek. Backup catcher Luis Torrens got the final out. RED SOX 6, ASTROS 1 BOSTON (AP) — Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela had consecutive RBI singles in a six-run fourth inning filled with five Houston mistakes, Lucas Giolito pitched a season-high eight stellar innings, and Boston beat the Astros to complete a series sweep. Connor Wong added a sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu was credited with a sacrifice on a safety squeeze for an RBI during the inning, sending Boston to its third straight win over the AL West leaders and fifth in a row overall. Giolito (8-2) gave up the run on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk, eclipsing his previous season-high innings of 7 2/3 on July 4. Carlos Correa, acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline, hit a homer for Houston, which has lost eight of 10. The game's first pitch was 11:38 a.m. EDT, the third time this season the Red Sox began a game in the morning. The others: their annual Patriots' Day game when they beat the White Sox and the Independence Day victory at the Nationals. Framber Valdez (11-5) gave up six runs, four earned, over six innings, ending his personal 10-game winning streak. He entered 10-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his previous 14 starts. DODGERS 3, RAYS 0 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddie Freeman scored one run and drove in another to snap Los Angeles' 18-inning scoreless drought and lead the Dodgers over Tampa Bay. Andy Pages singled off Mason Englert (0-1) in the sixth to drive in Freddie Freeman, who extended his on-base streak to 18 games with a first-inning single and added another RBI single in the seventh to make it 2-0. He had three hits on the day and seven RBIs in the series, which the Dodgers won two games to one. Shohei Ohtani doubled and scored on Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly in the ninth. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-7) held the Rays scoreless over 5 2/3 innings, scattering five hits and striking out six. Ben Casparius earned his second big-league save, coming in with the bases loaded in the ninth to get Yandy Diaz out. Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman left the game in the fifth with a right ankle sprain. Tampa Bay starter Joe Boyle held the Dodgers scoreless for five innings, working around three hits and two walks. He struck out two. BRAVES 4, REDS 2 BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Eli White hit a three-run homer and a solo shot, helping Atlanta beat Cincinnati in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway. White's first homer of the afternoon gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead in the second inning at the historic racetrack. The ball hit the safer barrier after clearing the outfield wall and the track itself. He added his sixth homer of the season on a leadoff shot in the seventh. Cincinnati went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base. Brent Suter (1-2) got the loss. Atlanta came in having clinched the season series, winning four of the first six games. The teams split the first two in Cincinnati before coming to Bristol. The game was scheduled for Saturday, but it was suspended in the first inning because of persistent rain. Hurston Waldrep (1-0) was on the mound for Atlanta when play resumed. The right-hander was brought up from Triple-A Gwinnett and traveled about 250 miles to Bristol Motor Speedway early Sunday morning. He pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball for his first career win. TWINS 5, GUARDIANS 4 CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Larnach had a two-run single in a four-run first inning and Minnesota beat Cleveland to avoid a three-game sweep. Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis also drove in runs in the first against Joey Cantillo (2-2), who struck out a season-high nine over 5 2/3 innings. Kody Clemens' bunt single in the eighth plated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. with an insurance run. The Guardians trailed 5-2 going into the ninth, but Brayan Rocchio's pinch-hit single off Michael Tonkin scored Nolan Jones and C.J. Kayfus. Erasmo Ramírez entered and retired Daniel Schneemann and José Ramírez in order to close out the win. Minnesota snapped a four-game losing streak. Kody Funderburk (2-1) tossed two scoreless innings of relief, and Ramírez earned the save in his first big-league appearance since Aug. 30, 2024, with Tampa Bay. José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the first and Schneemann had three hits for the second day in a row for Cleveland, which had won four straight. Kayfus doubled for his first hit in the majors, one day after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus. José Ureña, pitching for his sixth team in three years, started and gave up two runs in four innings for the Twins. Wallner and Clemens had two hits apiece. MARLINS 7, YANKEES 3 MIAMI (AP) — Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and Miami completed the first sweep of New York in franchise history. The Marlins (55-55) won all three games against the Yankees (60-52) to reach .500 for the first time since April 15. They became the first major league team to go from 16 or more games under .500 to a .500 record since the Rays in 2014. Stowers made it 6-1 when he connected on an 0-2 fastball from Brent Headrick, who entered in the fourth with two on after starter Luis Gil (0-1) was lifted 3 1/3 innings into his season debut. Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out three and surrendered five runs and five hits while issuing four walks in his return from a high-grade lat strain. He threw 77 pitches. Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (5-5) pitched six innings of two-hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. His only blemish came against the first batter he faced. Trent Grisham drove Cabrera's 98.1 mph four-seam fastball to right-center. Miami rookie Jakob Marsee, who made his major league debut on Friday, was 2-for-4 and finished a single short of the cycle. Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a two-run homer off Josh Simpson that pulled New York within 6-3 in the seventh, as 'Let's go Yankees!' chants erupted at loanDepot Park. Marsee then ripped an RBI triple to center in the bottom half that stretched the lead to four. Xavier Edwards had two hits, including an RBI single. Troy Johnston had a run-scoring double. BREWERS 14, NATIONALS 3 WASHINGTON (AP) — Brice Turang hit two two-run homers, and Milwaukee completed its first season sweep of Washington with a win. Milwaukee set a club record for a three-game series with 56 hits. The Brewers scored 60 runs in their six wins over the Nationals this season. Christian Yelich went 2 for 3 and walked three times, giving the Brewers the lead for good with an RBI single in the first against rookie Brad Lord (2-6). Turang hit his seventh homer in the second, a 399-foot shot to right-center. He also went deep against Ryan Loutos in Milwaukee's seven-run seventh, belting a 396-foot shot to right. Joey Ortiz had four RBIs as the Brewers upped the majors' best record to 67-44. Caleb Durbin had two of Milwaukee's 16 hits. Milwaukee's Logan Henderson was called up from Triple-A Nashville to start in place of All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left shin contusion. Henderson allowed one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. Aaron Ashby (2-1) got five outs for the win. Drew Millas had two hits and two RBIs for the Nationals in their fifth straight loss. CUBS 5, ORIOLES 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Turner hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to give Chicago a victory over Baltimore. Leading off the ninth, Dansby Swanson reached on a throwing error on third baseman Jordan Westburg. Manager Craig Counsell then sent Turner to the plate to hit for Michael Busch. Turner drove the first pitch he saw from Keegan Akin (3-1), a 92.8 mph fastball, deep to left-center for the game-ending shot. It was Turner's third homer of the season. Chicago took two of three in the weekend set against Baltimore. The Cubs stayed two games back of NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which won 14-3 at Washington. PIRATES 9, ROCKIES 5 DENVER (AP) — Spencer Horwitz homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs to lead Pittsburgh to a win over Colorado, avoiding a series sweep. Horwitz hit a two-run homer in the second inning, added a three-run shot in the sixth and knocked in his sixth run with a ground out in the eighth. The Pirates' 27-year-old leadoff hitter has five homers and 31 RBIs in 61 games this season. Nick Gonzales knocked in a run with an infield single in the first inning before Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer, his fifth, for Pittsburgh. Pirates starter Mitch Keller (5-10) worked five innings and allowed seven hits and five earned runs with four strikeouts. Mickey Moniak (two RBIs), Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck (two RBIs) hit consecutive homers in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Rockies closed within 8-5. Colorado starter Bradley Blalock (1-3) allowed seven earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, with two strikeouts and four walks. MARINERS 5, RANGERS 4 SEATTLE (AP) — Julio Rodriguez homered to become the first player in major league history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, and Seattle beat Texas. Rodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning. Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings on Sunday. The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but only tallied one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season. DIAMONDBACKS 6, ATHLETICS 4 WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Blaze Alexander homered to help Arizona beat the Athletics. Alek Thomas and Geraldo Perdomo each had three hits as Arizona won the rubber game of the weekend set. Tyler Locklear had two hits and scored two runs. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-7) pitched five innings of two-run ball in his first win since June 23. The left-hander was 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA in his previous five starts. Kyle Nelson handled the ninth for his first save of the season. JJ Bleday hit a one-out solo homer for the A's, but Nelson closed it out when Gio Urshela flied to center and Max Schuemann struck out swinging. PADRES 7, CARDINALS 3 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dylan Cease allowed one hit over five innings, Jake Cronenworth and Ramon Laureano homered as San Diego beats St. Louis. Cease (4-10) struck out nine with a walk as the Padres (62-50) won for the seventh time in eight games and moved three games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers (65-47). Jason Adams, Jeremiah Estrada and David Morgan followed Cease and put the Cardinals down in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Robert Suarez worked one inning and earned his 32nd save. Cronenworth opened the scoring with a two-run homer, his ninth, in the fourth. Laureano added a solo shot, his 16th, in the eighth inning. Jackson Merrill had a three-run triple in the seventh to extend the Padres' lead to 6-0. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (6-8) allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Gordon Graceffo gave up four runs on four hits in two innings before giving way to Roddery Munoz. The Cardinals got on the board at the top of the ninth on bases-loaded singles by Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker. ANGELS 8, WHITE SOX 5 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Taylor Ward hit a game-ending three-run homer in the ninth inning, Zach Neto had a home run and three RBIs and Los Angeles beat Chicago to avoid a three-game sweep. In a tie game, Nolan Schanuel doubled with one out in the ninth before Mike Trout was walked intentionally. Ward went deep against left-hander Tyler Alexander (4-10) to set a career high with 26 home runs. Right-hander Kenley Jansen (4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for Los Angeles. Colson Montgomery hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs for the White Sox. They lost for just the third time in their last 12 road games. The White Sox took a 4-0 lead in the first inning when Robert had an RBI single and Montgomery followed with a three-run home run against Jack Kochanowicz Chicago made it 5-0 in the third on Montgomery's RBI single. The Angels started their rally in the sixth with a leadoff home from Neto. Ward had an RBI single, and Trout scored on a wild pitch. The Angels tied it in the seventh on a two-run double from Neto. PHILLIES 2, TIGERS 0 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez pitched eight sparkling innings, Kyle Schwarber hit his 38th homer and Philadelphia beat Detroit. Philadelphia took two of three in the weekend series to move back into first place in the NL East, a half-game better than the New York Mets. Sánchez (10-3) surrendered five hits, struck out six and walked one. He allowed only one baserunner to reach third. Jhoan Duran handled the ninth for his second save with the Phillies and No. 18 overall. The hard-throwing closer, who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota on Wednesday, fanned Riley Greene with a 102.5 mph fastball for the final out.
Toronto Star
10 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Dodgers snap 18-inning scoreless drought to beat Rays 3-0 and win the series
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Freddie Freeman scored one run and drove in another to snap Los Angeles' 18-inning scoreless drought and lead the Dodgers over the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Sunday. Andy Pages singled off Mason Englert (0-1) in the sixth to drive in Freddie Freeman, who extended his on-base streak to 18 games with a first-inning single and added another RBI single in the seventh to make it 2-0. He had three hits on the day and seven RBIs in the series, which the Dodgers won two games to one.
The Province
10 hours ago
- The Province
SIMMONS SAYS: If the Blue Jays can play .500 the rest of the way, they should reach playoffs
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider. Photo by Scott Taetsch / Getty Images) The race is to 90 wins. That's all it should take to get to the playoffs in the weakest American League in years — maybe all it will take to finish first in the AL East. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The Blue Jays need to play only .500 baseball the rest of the way — they don't have to be dominant, they don't have to get red hot or super lucky. They've already have put themselves in a position of strength with two months to go in this unusual season. There are some tough series ahead — three games this month against the World Series-champion Dodgers in Los Angeles, three home games against the Chicago Cubs, followed by three against the streaking Texas Rangers. But the Jays go from those nine difficult games to nine against Pittsburgh, Miami and what's left of the Minnesota Twins. They play the Yankees only three more times, all at Yankee Stadium. They play the Red Sox only three more times, in Toronto in the final month, which works in their favour. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. There are no great teams in the AL this season. On average, over the past 20 seasons, it has taken 97 wins to finish first in the AL East. Six times teams have won more than 100 games. No team has won the division, which includes the 2015 Blue Jays, with fewer than 93 wins. This year, all bets are off. The Jays don't have to be great down the stretch. If they play a little better than .500 ball — say, to 27-23 or 28-22 over their final 50 games — they likely will finish first rather comfortably. This remains the season of the hard to believe, and yet it's happening. This isn't like 2015, when the electric Jays blasted their way to first place. There is no MVP candidate on the Jays, no Cy Young candidate, no Tom Henke or Duane Ward closing games, nobody in line for rookie of the year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The 2025 Blue Jays just win. They don't have to explain themselves. All they have to do is be ordinary the rest of the way and they'll see you in September — and right after that. THIS AND THAT Shane Bieber is a great trade-deadline guess. Maybe he will bounce back from Tommy John surgery and be terrific the final six weeks of the season. Maybe he'll be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher come playoff time, which the Blue Jays require. Maybe. The truth is, we don't know, he doesn't know and they don't know. This is a gamble and all it can cost the Jays is money. Bieber has a player-option for $16 million next season. If he pitches great for Toronto, he likely will decline the option and see if he can't do better here or elsewhere. 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My understanding of this: Jordan Binnington is a sure thing for the Olympic team and, after that, two of Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault and the other four being looked at while being selected for the team in Milan … Montembeault is French Canadian, which helps his chances of being the third goalie … With rosters enlarged for the Olympics to 25 players, expect the 4 Nations forwards and defence to be much the same on the Olympic team, with the likely additions of Tom Wilson, Nick Suzuki and maybe Mark Scheifele up front and Evan Bouchard on defence. Still in tough to be named: Zach Hyman. A nice invite but with no chance of making it: Maple Leafs forward John Tavares. You can't pick Tavares over Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, Suzuki, Scheifele or Rob Thomas. He's not physical enough to play the wing or quick enough to be an effective forechecker. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Elaine Tanner, once known as Mighty Mouse as Canada's greatest swimmer, predicted to me the other day that Summer McIntosh will soon be 'Canada's all-time greatest athlete ever.' So who wins Canada's athlete of the year this year? The MVP and NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or McIntosh, the multi gold-medal winning, record-breaking swimmer. A strong case could be made for both legends, and it's only August … SGA will be honoured in Hamilton on Thursday and presented with the first key to the city in 27 years … The NFL does Hall of Fame much better than Major League Baseball, the NBA or NHL. They do their inductions in the off-season, with no regular-season games playing opposite. Baseball and hockey have their induction ceremonies opposite league games being played. It means if you're a fan, you can't watch the Hall speeches and inductions and your favourite team play because it's happening at the same time. The NHL needs to find a way to honour its Hall of Famers properly on a night when no games are being played and the event could be televised nationally in both Canada and the United States … If you missed Ichiro Suzuki's Hall of Fame speech last Sunday, go find it. It's special and unique, just as he was as a player … Couldn't ESPN have waited another week before announcing it had fired Shannon Sharpe? His older brother Sterling Sharpe was being inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. There was no reason to put a damper on the weekend for the Sharpe family … I can see why Bryce Harper would be obstinate with baseball commissioner Rob Manfred when it comes to the possibility of having a salary cap in baseball. Harper, who will be paid $150 million over the next six seasons, ordered the commissioner to get the eff out of the Phillies clubhouse if he's talking salary cap. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Terry Greer is the best Argonauts receiver I've ever seen. Mookie Mitchell and Darrell K. Smith not far behind him. Current Argo Damonte Coxie is among the best the team has ever had. And in less than half a season, with below-average quarterbacking, Coxie has 10 catches of more than 30 yards this season. Last season, no one in the CFL had more than that for an entire season … Former Argo Makai Polk, a key Grey Cup contributor last year as a rookie, was an early cut of the Atlanta Falcons. It's never good when you get let go before pre-season games begin. Might be good for the Argos if they can get him back … Yeah, it was eight years ago that John McEnroe predicted big things for the teenager, Denis Shapovalov. It's never quite happened the way McEnroe figured. Shapovalov is 26 years old now and just another guy on the men's tennis tour. He lost in his first match at the National Bank Open, as did fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who also looks like he should be significantly better than his results … How much does NHL regular-season scoring matter? In their back-to-back Stanley Cup seasons, the Florida Panthers finished 13th and 11th in goal-scoring … Rafael Nadal won 63 tournaments in his career and lost only 51 matches in his entire career. The retiring Genie Bouchard's reaction to that nearly impossible statistic: 'This makes me want to throw up.' … With Aaron Judge out for some time and the rest of his season in question, does that put Cal Raleigh in the MVP chase, or is it simply Judge and nobody else in the American League race? … This is how bad a season Mookie Betts is having with the Dodgers: He ranks 63rd in the National League in batting, 55th in home runs, 47th in RBIs, 72nd in OPS, 63rd in on-base percentage … I don't suspect Connor Bedard or Macklin Celebrini have much chance of playing for Team Canada in Italy in February, but I do like the idea that both young stars have been included on the summer camp invite list. They both will be on the Olympic roster in 2030 in the French Alps … Happy birthday to Marv Levy (100), Tom Brady (48), Marcel Dionne (74), Jim Gott (66), Dominic Moore (45), Kristaps Porzingis (30), Evander Kane (34), Bombo Rivera (73), Troy Glaus (49), Sid Bream (65), and Tony Amonte (55) … And hey, whatever became of Devon Travis? ssimmons@ Local News Tennis News Business Columnists
