The Sportsletter - More Bronx Bombs

BY JEFF YODER

SEP. 22, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

Back-to-back? Yes, the Yankees garnered the A-block story two days in a row. It's a good time to start clicking in New York. Plus, a golf outing pits the United States against the world and the Robert Sarver saga gets a new twist. Stay tuned for a special feature in tomorrow's weekend preview.

Letter Rip!

MLB

More Bronx Bombs

Photo: Rob Tringali / Getty Images

Yankees Hit Historic Slams 1 Inning & 21 Hours Apart

Back-to-back has a new meaning. The Yankees were our top story in Wednesday’s edition, and they earned the nod again this morning. After a 9th-inning walk-off grand slam from Giancarlo Stanton on Tuesday, New York opened Wednesday’s game against the Pirates with a 1st-inning slam from Oswaldo Cabrera. That makes the Yanks the first team in MLB history to hit grand slams in consecutive innings twice in one season. They also did it against the Pirates on July 6. In the 8th inning, Gleyber Torres hit a pair of jacks — yes, in the same inning — and New York rode the hot start to a 14-2 blowout. Their 90th win of the season extends the lead to 6.5 games in the AL East. They can close out the division this weekend against the Red Sox.

Watch: Yankees Make Grand Slam History in Rout of Pirates

MLB Quick-Hitters

Guardians Widen the Gap: Cleveland is running away with the AL Central after an 8-2 win over the White Sox on Wednesday. The Guardians have another date with Chicago tonight, but they’re 6-1 against the White Sox and Twins in the last seven games to extend their divisional lead to six games.

Vierling Snaps Phillies Skid: The Phillies have been fighting for their playoff lives in the midst of a five-game losing streak, but a walk-off single from Matt Vierling — with the bases loaded in the 10th inning — lifted Philly over Toronto (4-3) for a crucial streak-snapper. They’re still alive (for the moment).

Lyles Throws Complete Game: The Orioles may be out of the postseason picture, but pitcher Jordan Lyles gave Baltimore reason to celebrate on Wednesday. Lyles struck out six with just three hits and one run in a complete-game win over the Tigers (8-1).

Home Run Trackers

Aaron Judge: 60 (Season)

Albert Pujols: 698 (Career)

GOLF

Presidents Cup 101

Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images

Everything You Need to Know Before the Showdown at Quail Hallow

After three years off, the Presidents Cup returns today from Quail Hallow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Presidents Cup pits the United States against international players in a team competition with four days of various play styles, similar to the Ryder Cup against the European team. Team USA is 11-1-1 in the history of the event since 1994. They haven’t lost since 1998 at Royal Melbourne. Expect the trend to continue with the U.S. boasting five players with top-10 rankings while the international team has zero. Here’s how things will play out this weekend:

Schedule & Format

Thursday: Foursomes (1:00—6:00 pm ET)

Friday: Fourball (11:30 am—6:00 pm ET)

Saturday: Foursomes & Fourball (7:00 am—6:00 pm ET)

Sunday: Singles (12:00—6:00 pm ET)

Notable Players

USA: S. Scheffler, P. Cantlay, J. Thomas, C. Morikawa, J. Spieth, X. Schauffele, T. Finau

International: H. Matsuyama, A. Scott, S. Im, C. Conners, M. Pereira, K.H. Lee

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Ranking All 24 Golfers Playing at Quail Hallow

CNN: Operation ‘Shock the World’: International Captain Trevor Immelman Aiming to Stun Team USA

NBA

Sarver to Sell Suns

Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Robert Sarver Announces Plans to Sell Phoenix Suns & Mercury Franchises

An ownership change is coming to the NBA. Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver announced plans to sell the franchise yesterday following his one-year suspension and $10 million fine after an NBA investigation confirmed that he used a racial slur on multiple occasions. He was also involved in sexual inappropriate conversations with female employees.

The Sarver-Suns Timeline

An offseason investigation launched by the NBA produced numerous accounts of misconduct by the Suns owner, and the league office — which frequently leads the way in decision-making among sports governing bodies — levied down a suspension that seemed light. Players like LeBron James and Chris Paul spoke out. So, too, did Suns employees, sponsors and community members. Sarver was left with little choice but to step aside for the progress of the organization and community. The Suns are valued at $1.8 billion.

Additional Storylines

CNBC: Robert Sarver to Sell Suns & Mercury Amid Scandal, Suspension

Yahoo! Sports: Jeff Bezos & Bob Iger Linked to to Interest in Purchasing Suns

THE STORYLINES

🏀 Top-5 NBA Sleeper Teams

Imagine what the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets can do with a clean bill of health. They aren't the only ones who could shape next season's narrative. The following five clubs have a significant opportunity to surprise. (B/R)

⚽️ USMNT Stock Watch

We know a lot more about the USMNT's pool of World Cup hopefuls than we did a week ago. A few more twists before the main event, which is now exactly two months away, are all but guaranteed. (FOX Sports)

🏈 How NFL Coaches Are Trending

Just two weeks are not enough time to judge a coaching staff, let alone a team. But in the NFL, every week matters. And some coaches -- both first-year hires and longtime veterans -- certainly did more to help their teams than others in Week 2. (CBS Sports)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• NFL CB Joe Haden Signs 1-Day Contract to Retire With Cleveland Browns (ESPN)
• Amazon Interest May Affect Conference Realignments in College Sports (CBS Sports)
• Floyd Mayweather & Connor McGregor Rematch in the Works for 2023 (B/R)
• Former UCLA Basketball Player Jalen Hill Found Dead at Age 22 (Yahoo! Sports)
• Family of LLWS Player Who Was Injured After Bunk Bed Fall Files Lawsuit (USA Today)

• Royals Fire Longtime Executive Dayton Moore (SI)

• Bucs WR Mike Evans Loses Appeal of 1-Game Suspension (NBC Sports)

NFL PICK 'EM

Week 3 Picks

Let’s reset the points! We’ll keep track of our season-long leaderboard as the year rolls on, but you can join the fun at any time for a shot at weekly prizes. Week 3 picks can be made until Sunday.

Thursday Night Football Games Not Included to Allow Players to Make Picks Until Sunday Morning

🗓️ TONIGHT'S SCHEDULE

NFL

Steelers at Browns (8:15 pm ET)

College Football

West Virginia at Virginia Tech (7:30 pm ET)

MLB
Braves at Phillies (7:15 pm ET)

Red Sox at Yankees (7:15 pm ET)

Guardians at White Sox (8:10 pm ET)

UEFA Nations League

Belgium vs. Wales (2:45 pm ET)

Croatia vs. Denmark (2:45 pm ET)

France vs. Austria (2:45 pm ET)

Poland vs. Netherlands (2:45 pm ET)

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

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