The Sportsletter - Clinch by Clinch ⚾️

BY JEFF YODER

SEP. 28, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

Two teams clinched division crowns last night and I've got a new batch of NFL Power Rankings. It's the calm before the sports storm known as October. Short and sweet, but big things are coming...

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MLB

Clinch by Clinch

Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images

Yankees & Cardinals Clinch Divisions, But Judge Still Waiting for 61

Aaron Judge’s 61st home run continues to be put on hold, but that didn’t stop the Yankees from clinching the AL East on Tuesday night. The St. Louis Cardinals joined them by wrapping up the NL Central, and two more divisional crowns have a head to rest on. The Yanks beat the Blue Jays (5-2) despite Toronto walking Judge four times. Hours later, the Cards used nine strikeouts from Miles Mikolas to beat the Brewers (6-2) and put a clamp on the division, and that means five of the six divisions have been clinched. The Mets and Braves — NL East — remained deadlocked at 97-58.

Watch: Yankees Win AL East

Watch: Cardinals Win NL Central

MLB Quick-Hitters

Acuna Jr. Smacks 2: Ronald Acuna Jr had a two-homer night with a pair of solo shots to lift the Braves over the Nationals (8-2) and into a tie with the Mets for the NL East lead.

Altuve’s Big Night: Jose Altuve went 3-for-4 with two home runs and two RBIs in the Astros’ 10-2 blowout over the Diamondbacks. Houston (102-53) has won three in a row.

Immaculate Enyel: Guardians’ pitcher Enyel De Los Santos threw an immaculate inning — three strikeouts in nine pitches — in Cleveland’s 11-inning loss to the Rays (6-5).

NFL

Week 4 Power Rankings

Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images

Eagles, Dolphins & Ravens Rise Into Top-5; Jaguars, Colts & Cowboys Make Statements

It’s Wednesday, and another calm before the storm that will be Week 4. The NFL’s early-season shuffle is a wild game of still understanding who’s who. One thing we know for sure? The Eagles and Dolphins are the last two undefeated teams. Only two teams remain winless, too. That means 28 teams are either 2-1 or 1-2, which leaves much for debate in this week’s NFL Power Rankings. Let’s give it a go.

NFL Power Rankings

1. Eagles (3-0) ↑3

2. Bills (2-1) ↓1

3. Dolphins (3-0) ↑2

4. Chiefs (2-1) ↓2

5. Ravens (2-1) ↑3

6. Packers (2-1) ↑1

7. Rams (2-1) ↓1

8. Buccaneers (2-1) ↓5

9. Cowboys (2-1) ↑9

10. Jaguars (2-1) ↑15

Teams 11-20: 11. Bengals (1-2) | 12. Vikings (2-1) | 13. Colts (1-1-1) | 14. Chargers (1-2) | 15. Cardinals (1-2) | 16. Broncos (2-1) | 17. 49ers (1-2) | 18. Giants (2-1) | 19. Lions (1-2) | 20. Browns (2-1)

Teams 21-32: 21. Patriots (1-2) | 22. Saints (1-2) | 23. Bears (2-1) | 24. Titans (1-2) | 25. Steelers (1-2) | 26. Panthers (1-2) | 27. Commanders (1-2) | 28. Jets (1-2) | 29. Falcons (1-2) | 30. Raiders (0-3) | 31. Seahawks (1-2) | 32. Texans (0-2-1)

Editor's Note: Do you agree or disagree with any of today's Power Rankings? Reply to today's newsletter to share your thoughts.

Week 4 Schedule

Additional Storylines

B/R: NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Entering Week 4?

CBS Sports: Week 4 Power Rankings: Eagles & Dolphins Soar to Top Spots

NFL: Power Rankings Week 4: Eagles Claim Top Spot; Titans Cowboys & Jaguars Fly Up Board

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

⚽️ USMNT Held Scoreless Again

The U.S. Men’s National Team was held scoreless for the second straight match on Tuesday in a World Cup tune-up against Saudi Arabia. The U.S. fired just two attempts on goal. Gregg Berhalter’s squad hasn’t won a game since June 10.

🏀 U.S. Women’s Basketball Breaks FIBA Record

Points in bunches! The Team USA women’s basketball team put on a show yesterday in Australia when they broke the FIBA World Cup record with 145 points in a runaway win over South Korea (145-69). Brionna Jones (24) and A’ja Wilson (20) led the way.

THE STORYLINES

♟️The Chess Cheating Scandal

Earlier this month, an up-and-coming American chess player named Hans Niemann beat five-time defending world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway at a tournament in St. Louis. But the match sparked a cheating scandal that rocked the world of chess. (USA Today)

🏈 Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire

If you've been a bit underwhelmed by the options available to you on the waiver wire so far this season, you aren't alone. But that could change in a big way in Week 4. Here are the top waiver wire targets for this weekend. (CBS Sports)

⚽️ The Flaws of World Cup Favorites

At this point, it's easier to list which national teams are not in the middle of some kind of pre-World Cup crisis. Forget the USMNT's forgettable loss to Japan; after all, the majority of the tournament favorites all seem to be experiencing their own kinds of meltdowns. (ESPN+)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Giants WR Sterling Shepard Out for Season With Torn ACL (ESPN)
• Memphis Basketball Faces Fine & Probation Over James Wiseman Recruitment (B/R)
• Cardinals WR A.J. Green Out Indefinitely After Suffering Knee Injury (CBS Sports)

• Bulls Guard Lonzo Ball to Have 3rd Surgery on Injured Knee (Yahoo! Sports)

   

• Baylor Players Call Out Former Coach Kim Mulkey for Declining to Talk About Brittney Griner (USA Today)

• LIV Golf Tweaks Miami Team Event With Media Rights Deal Imminent (SI)

NFL PICK 'EM

Week 4 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 4 picks can be made until Sunday.

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

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