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Good Morning 👋
It’s back to the exciting “pick your channel” sports magic today. Four different sports are in action — NFL, MLB, PGA, and WNBA. Plus, the Little League Home Run Derby takes center stage (5:00 pm ET, ESPN). Tomorrow’s weekender will be a doozy before Week Zero of the College Football season (stay tuned). Last night featured another barrage of baseball highlights. Aaron Judge is making another stab at 60 HRs. Bo Nix is officially QB1 in Denver. And the Leagues Cup delivers an MLS rematch for the ages.
Letter Rip! |
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All Rise for Another 60 Chase |
Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images |
Aaron Judge Hits 2 More HRs (47 Total) to Put 60 Officially in the Crosshairs
The Yankees got revenge on the Guardians last night (8-1) to reclaim the AL lead, but it was the second straight game where Aaron Judge and Juan Soto homered in the same game. The Yanks are 9-2 in the 11 games where Judge and Soto go long. And while Soto has homered in eight of his last nine games, Judge hit two more bombs last night to bring his season total to 47 (most in MLB). He’s officially on pace for 60, but we know he wants more. Judge posted the AL record with 62 home runs in 2022. Get ready for another September home run chase.
Watch: Judge Hits 2 HRs to Propel Yankees Past Guardians (8-1) |
Ohtani Closing on 40/40 Season
The Dodgers swept the Mariners last night with their fourth straight win (8-4), but the baseball world is officially on 40/40 watch for Shohei Ohtani. The Big Sho notched his 39th stolen base, and he’s currently at 39 home runs, too. Not if, but when Ohtani hits the 40/40 milestone, he’ll be the sixth player ever to do so. The other five include names like Bonds, Conseco, A-Rod, Soriano, and Acuna Jr. Arenado Cracks Walk-Off Slam!
The Cardinals and Brewers are duking out an NL Central series in The Lou this week, and last night’s game ended with a bang. Tied 6-6 entering extras, Cardinals’ 3B Nolan Arenado smacked a line-drive, walk-off grand slam in the 10th! St. Louis is still clinging to wild card hopes.
De La Cruz Joins Exclusive 20/60 Club
Reds’ superstar Elly De La Cruz nabbed his 60th stolen base of the season on Wednesday to put himself in one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs — 20 HRs, 60 steals. He’s just the fifth player since 1900 to achieve that mark, but three of those five played for Cincinnati (Eric Davis & Joe Morgan).
Winker’s Walk-Off Caps Weird Series
The Mets-Orioles series this week featured one weird twist after another. Game 1 featured a New York walk-off via Francisco Alvarez. Game 2 saw the Orioles get it done off the bat of former Mets player, James McCann. Game 3: Another walk-off by the same score as Game 1 (4-3), but this time it was Jesse Winker’s first home run in a Mets uniform. He went bonkers after he hit it. |
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Camp Battles: Broncos Name Nix QB1 |
Photo: Perry Knotts / Getty Images |
Bo Nix Becomes 1st Broncos QB to Open Rookie Season as Starter Since John Elway -- What About the Other QB Battles?
Much was written about the Broncos selecting Oregon QB Bo Nix with the 12th pick in April’s NFL Draft, but he’ll be the Week 1 starter when Denver heads to Seattle on Sept. 8. Nix will become the first Broncos rookie QB to start Week 1 of his rookie season since John Elway (1983). He's also gotten the most reps of all first-round QBs so far this preseason, completing 23/30 passes for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns.
Old Bo: The Next Bronco Great?
At 24 years, 195 days old (as of Sept. 8), Nix will be the fifth-oldest rookie QB to start a season opener in NFL history. The Broncos haven’t had a consistent starter last more than two years since Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl in 2016. The past eight years have been a revolving door of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Drew Lock, and Russell Wilson. What About the Other QB Battles?
Two teams remain murky about their opening-day starters. The Patriots still haven’t made an announcement, although many think rookie Drake Maye will be a wait-and-see operation with Jacoby Brissett starting Week 1. The Steelers still have an “incomplete study” according to head coach Mike Tomlin. Will it be Russell Wilson or Justin Fields? Two other rookies — Caleb Williams (Bears) and Jayden Daniels (Commanders) — have been announced as opening-day starters while Gardner Minshew (Raiders) and Sam Darnold (Vikings) are the other victors of preseason camp battles.
Read More
ESPN: How the Broncos & Sean Payton Came to Their Decision to Make Bo Nix QB1
FOX Sports: Steelers QB Justin Fields is Pushing to Make Russell Wilson Obsolete |
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Leagues Cup: A Rematch to Remember |
Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images |
Columbus Crew & LAFC (Last Year’s MLS Cup Final) Will Meet Again in Sunday's Leagues Cup Final
Among the early-fall soccer barrage is a North American tournament that finds a winner this weekend. Both the Columbus Crew and LAFC — the last two MLS Cup champions and last year’s finals matchup — will meet again in this weekend’s Leagues Cup Final. The Leagues Cup is a late-summer battle between the top teams from the MLS and Liga MX. It was won by Lionel Messi and Inter Miami last year in a scintillating penalty-kick shootout that went 10 shots deep.
Last Night: LAFC trounced the Colorado Rapids (4-0) while Columbus dismantled the Philadelphia Union (3-1) thanks to a brace from Diego Rossi. The Crew and LAFC are getting extra familiar these past few seasons, so mark Sunday’s finale as another notch in the rivalry. Both teams are currently second in their respective divisions (east and west) in the MLS standings. Leagues Cup Highlights (Semifinals)
LAFC def. Colorado Rapids (4-0)
Columbus Crew def. Philadelphia Union (3-1) Leagues Cup Final Sunday, 8:00 pm ET, AppleTV Read More
MLS: Columbus Crew to Host LAFC in Leagues Cup Final
USA Today: LAFC & Crew to Meet in Leagues Cup Final After Dominant Semifinal Wins |
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🏈 NFL Roster Waivers & Trade Candidates
Teams must be down to the 53-man roster limited by 4 pm ET next Tuesday. That’ll make this weekend a whirlwind of waivers, trade talks, and shuffling at the bottom of the depth charts. Here are the units to watch. (CBS Sports)
⛳️ BMW Championship Viewer’s Guide
This weekend’s winner at Castle Pines in Colorado will receive 2,000 FedEx Cup points and a $4 million cut. It’s the penultimate event before the Tour Championship next week crowns the PGA champ at East Lake. (Golf Digest)
⚾️ Biggest Offseason Decisions Ahead
There is still a month to go in the 2024 MLB regular season, but for teams not in the race for a playoff spot, the focus has already shifted to 2025 Here’s each team’s biggest offseason decision that awaits. (Bleacher Report) |
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⛳️ Golf BMW Championship (FedEx Cup Playoffs)
Round 1 (2:00 pm ET, Peacock/Golf Channel) LPGA AIG Women’s Open Round 1 (7:00 am—2:00 pm ET, USA Network) ⚾️ MLB
Guardians at Yankees (1:05 pm ET, MLBN) Tigers at Cubs (2:20 pm ET, ESPN+) Astros at Orioles (7:15 pm ET, FOX) Phillies at Braves (7:15 pm ET, FOX)
🏈 NFL Preseason (Week 3) Colts at Bengals (8:00 pm ET, PRIME)
Bears at Chiefs (8:20 pm ET, NFLN) 🏀 WNBA Wings at Liberty (7:00 pm ET, PRIME)
⚾️ Little League World Series Home Run Derby (5:00 pm ET, ESPN2) |
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