Mariners sweep Tigers with 35 runs in three-game seriesNew Foto - Mariners sweep Tigers with 35 runs in three-game series

DETROIT (AP) — Jorge Polanco and Cole Young hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run ninth inning and theSeattle Marinersbeat theDetroit Tigers8-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep. Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena and Mitch Garver also hit solo home runs for the Mariners, who humbled the major league-leading Tigers with 12-3 and 15-7 wins in the first two games of the series. Seattle's 35 runs is the most they have scored in a three-game series since 2002. The Tigers are taking a season-high four-game losing streak into the All-Star break. After Polanco broke a 4-all tie in the ninth and Young created a two-run cushion, the Mariners scored two more runs. Matt Brash (1-0) struck out two in the eighth to earn the win. Tommy Kahnle (1-2) gave up three runs on two hits and a walk without getting an out in the pivotal ninth. Detroit scored two unearned runs off Logan Gilbert in the first inning, taking advantage of Luke Raley's throwing error, and went ahead again in the seventh on Riley Greene's 24th homer of the season. RED SOX 4, RAYS 1 BOSTON (AP) — Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer, Brayan Bello pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning and Boston extended its winning streak to 10 games with a series-sweeping victory over Tampa Bay. Rafaela, whohit a walk-off, two-run homerfor Boston on Friday, hit his 14th homer of the season in the sixth inning. Trevor Story added a go-ahead single in the sixth. Boston last had a 10-game win streak in July 2018 and heads into the All-Star break in third place in the competitive AL East, behind Toronto and the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay's Chandler Simpson extended his hitting streak to 16 games, a club record for a rookie. The Rays lost for the 11th time in 14 games and closed out their road trip to Minnesota, Detroit and Boston with a 2-8 record. The 26-year-old Bello (6-3) gave up six hits, struck out five and didn't issue a walk over 6 1/3 innings. He was coming offhis first nine-inning complete gamein his previous start. All-Star Aroldis Chapman struck out the final three batters for his 17th save. Boston moved ahead 1-0 when Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was called for obstruction with his foot blocking the bag on a pickoff play, allowing Marcelo Mayer to score. The Rays snapped an 18-inning scoreless stretch in the fourth inning, tying the game on Josh Lowe's sacrifice fly. Ryan Pepiot (6-7) gave up four runs, three earned, in six innings. CUBS 4, YANKEES 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Shota Imanaga struck out Aaron Judge twice while pitching seven sparkling innings, leading Chicago to a victory over New York. In his fourth start since returning from a strained left hamstring, Imanaga (6-3) allowed a homer to Giancarlo Stanton in the second and a single to Austin Wells in the seventh. He struck out six and walked one. Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson homered for the Cubs, who headed into the All-Star break with 57 wins, their most since 2008. Daniel Palencia handled the ninth for his 12th save, finishing a two-hitter. Stanton hit his 433rd career homer as the Yankees lost their second straight following a five-game winning streak. Judge struck out twice on splitters, a day after hitting his 350th career homer. Cody Bellinger went 0 for 3 on his 30th birthday and had a career-high 17-game hitting streak stopped. He was traded from Chicago to New York in December. Busch connected on Will Warren's second pitch in his first career plate appearance in the leadoff spot. Swanson made it 3-1 with a tiebreaking two-run drive off Ian Hamilton in the sixth. Pete Crow-Armstrong added an RBI infield single that scored Seiya Suzuki from second in the seventh when shortstop Anthony Volpe's throw to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt bounced. Warren (6-5) permitted two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. RANGERS 5, ASTROS 1 HOUSTON (AP) — Marcus Semien hit his 250th career home run and Adolis GarcĂ­a also went deep to back up a strong start by Nathan Eovaldi and give Texas a series clinching victory over Houston. Eovaldi (7-3) limited Houston to five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings for his third straight win. Houston starter Hunter Brown (9-4) allowed five hits and four runs while striking out eight in five innings as the AL West leaders lost for the fifth time in six games. It was the second straight tough outing for the All-Star, who gave up a season-high six runs in his last start against Cleveland. Wyatt Langford walked to open the second and the Rangers made it 1-0 when he scored on a triple by Evan Carter. There were two outs in the inning when Carter scored on a ground-rule double by Ezequiel Duran to push the lead to 2-0. GarcĂ­a's third homer in the last four games put Texas ahead 3-0 with two outs in the third inning. Carter doubled to start the fourth and Kyle Higashioka singled before Carter scored on a sacrifice fly by Alejandro Osuna to make it 4-0. The Astros cut it to 4-1 on a home run by Zack Short with no outs in the sixth inning. Semien's shot with one out in the eighth inning was his second of the series and gave him 250 in his 13-year career. REDS 4, ROCKIES 2 CINCINNATI (AP) — TJ Friedl homered and scored three times, and Cincinnati manager Terry Francona got his 2,000th win when he directed the Reds to a win over Colorado. Matt McLain and Austin Hays each had two hits as Cincinnati won the rubber game of the weekend series. Nick Martinez (7-9) pitched 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball. The Reds are 50-47 at the All-Star break in their first season since Franconawas hiredin October. The 66-year-old Francona is 2,000-1,719 in 24 yearsas a big league skipper. Mickey Moniak drove in two runs for Colorado, and Austin Gomber (0-3) allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. The Rockies go into the break with a major league-worst 22-74 record. They have dropped seven of nine. PIRATES 2, TWINS 1 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Spencer Horwitz had a bases-loaded RBI ground out in the ninth inning and Pittsburgh ended an eight-game slide by beating Minnesota. Isiah Kiner-Falefa tied a career high with four hits for Pittsburgh. Ke'Bryan Hayes singled with one out in the ninth off Twins closer Jhoan Duran (5-4). Pinch-hitter Oneil Cruz had an infield single and Kiner-Falefa singled to load the bases. Horwitz hit a sharp grounder that second baseman Brooks Lee dove to his right to stop. Looking to start a double play, Lee couldn't cleanly get the ball out of his glove and had to settle for a force out at first allowing Hayes to score. Dennis Santana pitched a scoreless eighth (3-2) for the Pirates and David Bednar earned his 13th save. Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Harrison Bader each had two hits for Minnesota, which finished 6-3 on a nine-game homestand but failed to get back to .500 for the first time since June 17. Mitch Keller allowed one run in six innings for Pittsburgh but again got little support. The Pirates have scored one or zero runs while Keller is in the game in 11 of his 20 starts. Yet, his 14 quality starts are tied for second in the majors with Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler. San Francisco's Logan Webb has 15. Tommy Pham homered in the second for Pittsburgh. Buxton,who hit for the cycle Saturday, had an RBI double in the third. BREWERS 8, NATIONALS 1 MILWAUKEE (AP) — All-Star Freddy Peralta pitched one-run ball through 6 2/3 innings, Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang homered and Milwaukee extended its winning streak to seven games with a victory over Washington. Peralta (11-4) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Jacob Young, Washington's No. 9 hitter, slapped a hit through the infield between third and short. The 29-year-old right-hander got the first four Nationals to open the game and rebounded after Turang's two-base fielding error on Luis GarcĂ­a Jr.'s grounder in the second inning by retiring the next 12 batters. Peralta, who allowed three hits and a walk and struck out seven, left the game following Daylen Lile's run-scoring single with two out in the seventh. The Brewers climbed to a season-best 16 games above .500 at 56-40. Peralta made his 20th start of the season and relinquished his second All-Star selection. Reliever Trevor Megill took Peralta's spot and joins rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on the NL team. Chourio hit a three-run homer and Turang added a solo shot, all in the eighth, for Milwaukee. Washington's Jake Irvin (7-5) allowed four hits in five innings with five strikeouts. Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick left the game in the third after making a sliding catch in foul territory. The team said he had left hamstring soreness. Shortstop C.J. Abrams was scratched from Washington's lineup due to minor right-shoulder soreness. Paul DeJong got the start. After Saturday's game, the Nationals optioned right-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara (0-1, 13.50 ERA in two starts) to Triple-A Rochester and recalled righty Andry Lara from Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday. ROYALS 3, METS 2 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nick Loftin delivered his second game-winning hit in less than a week, driving in Tyler Tolbert from second base with a single in the ninth inning to give Kansas City a win over New York. Tolbert singled off Sean Manaea, who had been dominant in relief in his season debut for the Mets. And when the speedster stole second base, that gave Loftin the chance to deliver another winner after his deciding single Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Manaea (0-1), who had been out after straining an oblique in spring training and then developing an elbow issue during his rehab outings, allowed that lone run and five hits while striking out seven in 3 1/3 innings. Noah Cameron delivered another brilliant start for Kansas City, scattering seven hits while matching a career best with eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 scoreless innings. And the rookie left-hander was in line for his fourth win when John Schreiber and Lucas Erceg shepherded a 2-0 lead — courtesy of John Rave's second-inning double — to All-Star closer Carlos EstĂ©vez. Ronny Mauricio led off the ninth with a double off EstĂ©vez (4-2). Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI triple off the center-field wall, and fellow pinch hitter Jared Young delivered a sacrifice fly moments later to tie the game. Clay Holmes allowed two runs and five hits and a walk over five innings for New York. GUARDIANS 6, WHITE SOX 5, 10 INNINGS CHICAGO (AP) — Steven Kwan knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning andmade a sliding catchto help prevent a run from scoring in the bottom of the inning as Cleveland beat Chicago. Kwan's fly off Brandon Eisert (2-2) scored automatic runner Angel MartĂ­nez. Kwan covered a lot of ground in left field and made a catch just inside the foul line on a fly ball by Mike Tauchman leading off the 10th. Kyle Manzardo hit his 15th homer— a three-run shot off Aaron Civale, the player he was traded for in June — to cap a four-run sixth and give Cleveland a 4-3 lead. Brayan Rocchio doubled with one out and scored on a force out by JosĂ© RamĂ­rez for the first run. Austin Slater hit his fourth home run, a leadoff shot off Joey Cantillo in the fourth, to put the White Sox ahead 1-0. Michael A. Taylor's sac fly and Slater's RBI single extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Andrew Benintendi hit his 11th home run, a solo shot off Cantillo, to tie it at 4 in the sixth. Kwan drew a walk in the eighth off Grant Taylor, took third on a single by Nolan Jones and scored on RamĂ­rez's sac fly for a 5-4 lead. Edgar Quero doubled in the eighth and pinch-runner Will Robertson scored on Luis Robert Jr.'s two-out double to tie it 5-all. Cantillo allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. Closer Emmanuel Clase (5-2) didn't allow a hit in the final two innings as Cleveland won three of four in the series. MARLINS 11, ORIOLES 1 BALTIMORE (AP) — All-Star Kyle Stowers had his first three-homer game and drove in six runs against his former team, leading Miami to a win over Baltimore. Stowers is the first Marlins player to hit three homers in a game since Brian Anderson on Sept. 18, 2020, in the second game of a doubleheader against Washington. The 27-yeaer-old left fielder also joins fellow Marlins Mike Lowell (2004) and Cody Ross (2006) in accomplishing the feat. RamĂłn Laureano homered for Baltimore, which has lost consecutive games for the first time since July 1-2. Stowers led off the second inning witha shot to rightagainst Brandon Young (0-4) to open the scoring. An inning later, he sent Young's first-pitch curveball 398 feet fora two-run blast to right-center. In the fifth, Stowers worked a 2-2 count before homeringover the scoreboard in right. The 27-year-old had a base hit in the seventh and added an RBI single in the eighth for hisfirst career five-hit game. It was Stowers' fourth multi-homer game of the season. At the break, he has career highs in home runs (19) and RBIs (54). Baltimore selected Stowers in the second round of the 2019 amateur draft. He debuted in 2022, and the Orioles sent him to Miami at last year's trade deadline as part of a package for pitcher Trevor Rogers. Otto Lopezfollowed Stowers' homer in the third with a solo shot, the second time Miami hit consecutive home runs this season. Miami starter Eury PĂ©rez (3-2) allowed three hits and struck out six in seven shutout innings. Young surrendered a career-high seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. The game was delayed 1 hour, 38 minutes at the start due to rain. ATHLETICS 6, BLUE JAYS 3 WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Soderstrom, Nick Kurtz and Austin Wynns each hit a two-run homer, helping the Athletics beat Toronto. Jeffrey Springs (8-6) pitched 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball in the win. He struck out five and walked none. The A's won for the third time in four games. They are 41-57 at the All-Star break in their first year in Sacramento. Davis Schneider and Addison Barger homered for AL East-leading Toronto, who finished with four hits and three errors. The Blue Jays (55-41) dropped to 13-4 in their last 17 games. The A's jumped in front in the second. With Gio Urshela aboard after a leadoff single, Wynns hit a one-out drive to left off JosĂ© BerrĂ­os for his sixth homer. Kurtz hit a leadoff double in the third and scored on Soderstrom's 18th homer, a 410-foot drive to center on a 1-2 sinker. Soderstrom hit a total of 12 homers in his first two years in the majors. The Blue Jays got one back when Schneider hit a solo shot in the fifth. But Kurtz went deep in the bottom half after All-Star Jacob Wilson reached on a throwing error on reliever Tommy Nance. Wilson and Kurtz are two of the leading contenders for AL Rookie of the Year at the break. Wilson is hitting .332 with nine homers and 42 RBIs, and Kurtz is batting .257 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs. BerrĂ­os (5-4) permitted four runs and five hits in three innings. He went 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in his previous four starts. PHILLIES 2, PADRES 1 SAN DIEGO (AP) — J.T. Realmuto doubled in Bryce Harper with the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning and Cristopher Sánchez was impressive for 7 1/3 innings as Philadelphia beat San Diego to prevent a three-game sweep. Sánchez (8-2) got a nice ovation from several hundred Phillies fans sitting behind the third-base dugout after manager Rob Thomson lifted him with one out in the eighth. He held the Padres to one run and six hits while striking out six and walking three. With the Padres ceding most of the left side of the infield and All-Star lefty reliever Adrian Morejon (7-4) pitching, the left-handed Harper sent a hard shot a few feet inside the third base line that rolled into left field. David Morgan came on and struck out Nick Castellanos before Realmuto doubled into the gap in left-center to bring in Harper. Morgan shouted into his glove in frustration. Harper scored both Phillies runs, the first one coming in the first when the Padres committed two errors. He drew a two-out walk off Nick Pivetta, advanced on All-Star third baseman Manny Machado's throwing error and Realmuto's infield single, and scored on first baseman Luis Arraez's throwing error. DIAMONDBACKS 5, ANGELS 1 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jose Herrera hit a two-run double in a four-run fourth inning and Arizona avoided a three-game sweep with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Blaze Alexander had two hits as the bottom of the Diamondbacks' order was productive in a positive result just before the All-Star break. Alexander was batting eighth and Herrera ninth for Arizona, which won for just the fourth time in its past 12 games. Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly (8-5) overcame early control trouble to give up one run and one hit over five innings. He had six strikeouts, with two of his four walks to the first three Angels batters of the game. Mike Trout drove in a run for the Angels, who fell short in their bid to earn a third home series sweep since the start of June. Los Angeles right-hander Jose Soriano (6-7) gave up five runs, but just one was earned over five innings, with three walks. The Angels led 1-0 after Trout's RBI single in the third inning. The Diamondbacks moved in front 4-1 in the fourth inning on a game-tying grounder from Eugenio Suarez, an RBI double from Alexander and Herrera's two-run double. Suarez added an RBI double in the fifth. DODGERS 5, GIANTS 2, 11 INNINGS SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Freddie Freeman blooped a single into shallow right-center with two outs in the 11th inning to score James Outman for the go-ahead run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat San Francisco for a winning series, one day after snapping a season-worst, seven-game losing streak. Spencer Bivens (2-3) intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani to start the 11th and retired Mookie Betts and Will Smith before Freeman delivered with a ball that dropped between three Giants. Teoscar Hernández then beat out an infield single for an insurance run and Andy Pages followed with an RBI single. Ben Casparius (7-3) got Willy Adames to ground out ending the 10th, then pitched a perfect 11th for the win. Pinch-hitter Luis Matos hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth after Matt Chapman's one-out single started the rally against Tanner Scott, who blew his seventh save in 26 opportunities. Miguel Rojas homered and Freeman had an early RBI double that had Los Angeles ahead until the ninth. Dodgers starter and first-time All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out seven over seven innings and allowed three hits. CARDINALS 5, BRAVES 4 ST. LOUIS (AP) — JosĂ© FermĂ­n hit his first major league home run to break a sixth-inning tie in St. Louis' victory over Atlanta. In his 159th career plate appearance, the 26-year-old FermĂ­n smacked a sinker over the left-field fence off Jesse Chavez (0-1) with Masyn Wynn on base to cap the scoring. Two rain delays totaled 4 hours, 2 minutes. The game lasted 2:38. The Braves added a run off Gordon Graceffo (3-0) in the seventh. Graceffo threw 1 2/3 innings. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his 19th save. Matt Olson led the Braves with three RBIs on two hits. Chavez started the fifth for Atlanta. He gave up two runs with two outs when Willson Contreras dropped a double in shallow right field to tie it at 3. Reliever Steven Matz surrendered two runs in the fifth. Just before the game was halted for a second time, Olson singled home two runs for a 3-1 advantage.

Mariners sweep Tigers with 35 runs in three-game series

Mariners sweep Tigers with 35 runs in three-game series DETROIT (AP) — Jorge Polanco and Cole Young hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run...
2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Surprise No. 1, Corona is king, Skenes support coming?New Foto - 2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Surprise No. 1, Corona is king, Skenes support coming?

ATLANTA — They dressed up the Roxy Theater as best they could and filled it with jersey-clad fans, a main event in search of a headliner. YetMajor League Baseball's draftmore often than not comes up short in its search for a main character. And so it went Sunday night in the shadow of Truist Park. TheWashington Nationalsupset the process, if you will, by choosing Oklahoma prep shortstop Eli Willits with the first pick, opting for the 17-year-old over his in-state legacy cohort,Ethan Holliday, and a slew of elite collegiate arms. MLB DRAFT GRADES:Analyzing every first-round pick ETHAN HOLLIDAY:Prep phenom follows in father's footsteps with Rockies And while the seat-fillers – not unlike a dance floor at a Super Bowl halftime show – did their level best to maintain their enthusiasm, whether booing commissioner Rob Manfred or cavorting with assembled team mascots, they were ultimately viewing a process rife with endless and unseen outcomes. That's how the draft's always been, and while recent years have produced some buzzworthy picks that dovetailed nicely with MLB's insistence on granting it a primetime slot (think: Paul Skenes), the draft on Sunday returned, stubbornly, to its old ways. Here are five takeaways from the first day of baseball's annual selection meeting: Certainly, Willits' selection raised a few eyebrows, though he met with the Nationals last month and it would stand to reason the club might look to avoid the Scott Boras-repped Holliday and save a few bucks from their bonus pool with a younger – just 17 – talent more likely to stick to shortstop. "He was the guy we wanted all along," says Nationals interim GM Mike DeBartolo. Sure. Yet the first round really went sideways when the Los Angeles Angels veered away from everyone's projections to snag UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner, who lurked near the top of draft boards all winter before getting off to a slow start in Goleta. But he finished strong, even as he pitched under the radar while SEC darlings Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle starred in the NCAA postseason. The Mariners were surely thrilled to see Anderson available at No. 3; with the club desperate to make the playoffs this season, Anderson may figure in sooner rather than later. The domino effect: Holliday to four (Colorado), Aiva Arquette to seven (Miami) andBilly Carlson10th(Chicago White Sox), three elite shortstops tumbling as a result of one club jumping the board. Yet to the uninitiated, that's simply the MLB draft, baby. Check back in five years to see if the Angels were brilliantly pragmatic or foolishly counterintuitive. Speaking of which, you might have noticed there was no one for Manfred to bro hug. Yep, after years of trying largely in vain to lure top prospects to attend the draft in person, the league came up totally dry this time. Long gone is the day Mike Trout wandered down to MLB Network's Secaucus studios, all by himself, and waited it out for the Angels to take him 27thoverall and then become the greatest player of the decade. One of one, indeed. Yet it's also easy to see why draftees stay away, beyond the Boras-driven reason to not cede any bargaining leverage. Unlike their NFL and NBA counterparts, whose biggest draft night decisions involve whether to go suit or open collar fit, it's often business time for these kids. It wouldn't be surprising if Willits or Bremner or any number of picks who might have climbed some draft boards were on the phone with clubs right up to the clock running out, hammering out slices of signing pools as clubs seek flexibility. Better to do all that in the comfort of their great room, surrounded by friends, even if your time in the green room isn't projected to be long. Despite the relative chaos of the first five picks, No. 6 unfolded as anticipated: Seth Hernandez, the 6-foot-5 beast from a decorated Corona High School program, is headed to Pittsburgh. And the notion of pairing Hernandez with Skenes and top prospect Bubba Chandler is perhaps the closest thing resembling hope at PNC Park since Johnny Cuetodropped the ball. Oh, Hernandez presents immense risk: His status as a right-handed prep pitcher likely diminished his chance as the No. 1 overall pick, despite a 98-mph fastball and pro-caliber changeup. Yet Hernandez certainly has the stuff, makeup and track record to move quickly. Will Skenes be around to greet him in Pittsburgh? Yes, the notions of a Skenes trade are premature and somewhat absurd, but that won't be the case two winters from now. Skenes will likely have four seasons of service time under his belt by the earliest point Hernandez could bubble up from the minors. With each passing year and Skenes' continued good health, it grows exceedingly unlikely the Pirates can sign him to an extension. So, come 2028, Skenes and Hernandez might join forces, even if just for a year or two. And whether big fella leaves for nine-figure free agent riches, swinging big and betting on Hernandez's arm was the right move for Pittsburgh. One year after teams made draft history by using thefirst eight selections on collegiate players, the preps bounced back in a big way this year, accounting for the No. 1 overall pick, three of the top six and six of the top 10. What does it all mean? Well, it enhances the chances 2024 was something of a blip wrought by a shortened 2020 draft and a moderate COVID-19 hangover that compelled more top talents to attend college – or stay there. And as draft bonus pools swell, the lure of a high seven-figure payday and a faster path to the big leagues can still outweight the lure of campus life and the NIL payday that might come with it. So, just how good was St. John Bosco High School's team? It's a question nobody's asking but is worth pondering since the SoCal parochial school more associated with high school greatness took down the dominant Hernandez and the Panthers in the semifinals of the Southern Section playoffs. And yeah, perhaps Corona will still go down as one of the greatest squads of all time. After all, they had three players selected in the top 32 picks. Hernandez was followed later by shortstop Carlson, who went 10thto the Chicago White Sox. And Brady Ebel, son of Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, narrowly missed garnering a historic third first round selection for the school. He was picked 32ndoverall by Milwaukee. Assuming all sign, Vanderbilt (Hernandez), Tennessee (Carlson) and LSU (Ebel) will miss out on premier talent. And through 32 picks, the leaders in players picked were: Tennessee: Four Corona High School: Three Arkansas: Two Wake Forest: Two Can a high school join the SEC? Makes you wonder. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Eli Willits surprise, Corona HS is king

2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Surprise No. 1, Corona is king, Skenes support coming?

2025 MLB Draft takeaways: Surprise No. 1, Corona is king, Skenes support coming? ATLANTA — They dressed up the Roxy Theater as best they cou...
"Love Is Blind"'s Sara Carton and Joey Leveille Finally Make Relationship Instagram Official Months After Denying Romance

Sara Carton/Instagram Sara Carton and Joey Leveille confirmed their relationship with a kissing photo shared on Instagram on Sunday, July 13 The post came after months of theLove Is Blindstars denying that their close bond was anything more than friendship Sara was engaged to Ben Mezzenga on the show and Joey was engaged to Monica DanĂşs but neither one got married at the altar in the finale Love Is BlindstarsSara CartonandJoey Leveilleare finally Instagram official! On Sunday, July 13, Sara, 29, sharedtwo photosalongside her Netflix costar, 36 that were taken on a picturesque rooftop as she confirmed their friendship has blossomed into a romance. One snap showed the pair all smiles with their arms wrapped around each other, while another captured the moment they enjoyed a steamy kiss. Sara opted to wear a pink top and matching skirt with sneakers for the casual date night. Joey was equally stylish in white shorts and a gray T-shirt teamed with sneakers. "Happy🥹. my newest life chapter title," Sara captioned the Instagram post, tagging Joey. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sara Carton (@saracarton_) Sara and Joey had an initial connection on season 8 ofLove Is Blind, but ultimately Sara coupled withBen Mezzengaand Joey got engaged toMonica DanĂşs. Despite making it to their wedding day, Sara told Ben, 28, during the season finale that she didn't want to go ahead with marrying him due to their fundamental differences. Joey and Monica, 28, were among the first couples to be engaged in the pods, but also did not tie the knot on the reality TV show. Love Is Blindfans began to speculate that Sara and Joey were an item after the show wrapped in March. During the reunion, the pair was notably sitting together on the couch. Shortly after the reunion aired, Monica called out Sara and Joey in an interview forElite Daily, claiming Sara had confirmed they were dating. "I texted Sara, 'I'm hearing a lot of things about you and Joey. Is there anything you need to tell me?' And she called me and said, 'Nothing's official, but we are seeing each other,' " Monica claimed at the time. "She said they didn't want to make anything official until any online hate dies down." At the time, Monica said she felt betrayed by Sara, whom she'd previously considered a friend. "She told me this started a month ago, so that's at least two months ago now. I wouldn't be surprised if it was longer," Monica said. "All this time when I was venting to her about Joey and she was saying she had my back, she was actually with him. "It's a betrayal, and it's very hurtful," Monica continued. "It's no surprise from Joey — I don't think very highly of him, and I don't want him in my life. But I'm hurt that Sara would do this to me." Sara shut down the romance rumors while onThe Viall Filespodcast on March 13, saying, "I've seen this a few times online in the past 24 hours — to be clear, me and Joey are not dating," before adding, "I definitely have no capacity to even think about a relationship." Sara described how her special bond with Joey flourished on the show while doubling down that they aren't romantically involved with each other. "There was a love square between me, Monica, Ben and Joey," she said. "We were all talking to each other until the second to last day in the pods. Of course, naturally in that situation and that circumstance, you do connect with people. I feel like me and Joey did establish a really great friendship." Courtesy of Netflix Sara and Joey continued tofuel speculation about their closenessafter they were spotted enjoying a night out together at Ethyl's Bar & Restaurant in the Upper East Side area of New York City on Sunday, May 4. The pair reportedly left the restaurant together after drinking with a friend until around 1:30 a.m. local time. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. During an appearance on theDear Shandypodcast on Thursday, May 8, Sara addressed their outings. "[We are] dating in the sense of exploring our relationship and getting to know one another," Sara said. When co-host Sharleen Joynt brought up casually dating as their status, Joey said, "Well, I wouldn't say casually." "We're exploring and with the future of maybe being boyfriend-girlfriend," he added. Sara Carton/Instagram The Sunday Instagram post announcing they are officially a couple caught the attention of their fellowLove Is Blindcontestants. David Bettenburg posted a GIF of Michael Jackson eating popcorn in the comment section, while Lauren O'Brien teased, "Cute! How'd you guys meet?" The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! The same day that Sara and Joey went Instagram official, Ben posted a video onInstagramshowing himself at a bar with Monica andLove Is Blindseason 6 star Chelsea Blackwell. "Had to make my own dance floor @chelseadblackwell @the.monicadanus #loveisblind #netflix #dancefloor," Ben captioned the clip of him dancing. Read the original article onPeople

“Love Is Blind”’s Sara Carton and Joey Leveille Finally Make Relationship Instagram Official Months After Denying Romance

"Love Is Blind"'s Sara Carton and Joey Leveille Finally Make Relationship Instagram Official Months After Denying Romance Sara...
Ed Sheeran credits hits like 'Bad Habits' to wife's feedback: 'Cherry can kill a song'New Foto - Ed Sheeran credits hits like 'Bad Habits' to wife's feedback: 'Cherry can kill a song'

JMEnternational/Getty Ed Sheeranrevealed that his wife Cherry Seaborn is his secret weapon when choosing songs to release, saying she has "very good taste." On themost recent episodeofNot Gonna Lie, a podcast hosted by Kylie Kelce, Sheeran said he only plays new music for his wife when she is in a good mood. Otherwise, if she has an underwhelming reaction, he'll consider the song "dead." He added, "Cherry can kill a song." The British singer said that he often writes a lot of music in a week, but Seaborn has the ability to sift through the songs with ease. "When "Bad Habits" was written, I'd written a bunch of other songs that day," Sheeran recalled. "And I remember I came home, I had listened to them all in the car and I was kind of excited about most of them and I played them to her and she was like, 'That one, that 'Bad Habits' one. That's the one you should finish tomorrow.'" Sheeran said Seaborn also took a liking to "Shivers," which eventually reached No. 4 onthe Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, "Bad Habits" peaked at No. 2 on the chart. A. Perez Meca/Europa Press via Getty Sign up forEntertainment Weekly'sfree daily newsletterto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Sheeran also plays his new music for his two children, who he said have taken a liking to his recent single "Sapphire" off of his upcoming albumPlay.Podcast host Kelce affirmed that the track is a hit with kids, as she said her toddler has deemed it her "favorite song," to which Sheeran replied: "I'm glad that kids are still into the music that I'm making." Sheeran is currently on the road for The Mathematics Tour, in support of his past albumsEqualsandSubtract.His new albumPlaycomes out Sept. 12. Listen to the entire podcast with Ed Sheeran below. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Ed Sheeran credits hits like 'Bad Habits' to wife's feedback: 'Cherry can kill a song'

Ed Sheeran credits hits like 'Bad Habits' to wife's feedback: 'Cherry can kill a song' JMEnternational/Getty Ed Sheeran...
Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthyNew Foto - Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthy

A run of three consecutive conference championship appearances and two straight NFC West titles all came crashing down last season for the San Francisco 49ers. Which leads to the question: Has the 49ers' Super Bowl window closed? The answer to the question might depend on health. The 49ers were ravaged by injuries a season ago. A total of 16 players ended the year on injured reserve as the team limped to a 6-11 record and last place finish in the NFC West. Running back Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers' best skill position player, was one of the most notable players hurt during San Francisco's injury plagued season. He missed San Francisco'sfirst eight games due to calf and Achilles injuries. He returned in November yet sustained a season-endingPCL injury in Week 12. Injuries aren't new to McCaffrey. He was limited to only 10 games from 2020-2021 because of injuries when he was on the Carolina Panthers before being traded to San Francisco in 2022. McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the NFL when healthy (and popular fantasy football pick). Can the 29-year-old running back evade the injury bug this season? As the 49ers prepare for training camp, McCaffrey says he's healthy. "I feel great. This offseason, I've spent a lot of time building back a base (and) starting from scratch. A lot of it was rehab," McCaffrey said at 49ers' minicamp. "I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs and I could practice and play football again, be healthy and not miss a day. I did that and now it's kind of kick back up the training again. I feel great." The 49ers need McCaffrey to return to his 2023 form where he led league in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), yards from scrimmage (2,023) and touchdowns from scrimmage (21) on the way to winning the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. San Francisco lost several key players this offseason, a list that includes Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Deebo Samuel, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd San Francisco's roster shakeup puts more of an onus on the team's star players such as McCaffrey to perform at a high level if the club wants to return to being a playoff contender. "You guys saw in 2023 how important he is to what we want to be as an offense. He's an elite player and we're going to do everything we can to get him the ball, as much as we can. And yeah, his health is really important. He's one of our central players on offense," 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said this offseason. "We want to hand him the ball, we want to throw him the ball, how he changes defenses when he's on the field for how they have to play us in certain coverages, right? Putting more guys in the box to stop the run, it has an effect on the opponents." Can the 49ers get vintage McCaffrey in 2025? Head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic. "He is a psycho in a good way and so like he does everything imaginable every single day," Shanahan said in June. "Last year he couldn't because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it's really fun to watch." Is the demise of the 49ers premature? The 49ers have the NFL's easiest strength of schedulebased on their opponents' winning percentage from 2024. And if McCaffrey and the team's other core players can stay healthy, it might be too soon to write them off. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X@TheTylerDragon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'I feel great': Why 49ers need Christian McCaffrey to stay healthy

Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthy

Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthy A run of three consecutive conference cham...
Atlanta's All-Star Game site is the envy of sports – but The Battery isn't all peachyNew Foto - Atlanta's All-Star Game site is the envy of sports – but The Battery isn't all peachy

ATLANTA – More than a decade ago,Atlanta Bravesofficials embarked on a road trip that was far more transformative and industry-altering than any game their team would play. The destination: Kansas City. The mission: Create a blank slate for the franchise to not only build a new ballpark but create a multi-use revenue-capturing monster that, in the years since, has transformed the sports industry, for better and worse. And over multiple days consulting with Populous, the global design firm that engineered the ballpark revolution of the 1990s and evolved with the times since, theBraveshatched what would come to be known as The Battery. "They told a pretty compelling story of what they wanted to accomplish," says Earl Santee, founder and senior executive of Populous, which has guided the evolution of the modern stadium since 1985. "The idea of The Battery was inspired by their vision. "It's really the first time we had a fully integrated ballpark that occurred at one time. That they're one big community, not one big building. "I think that's why almost every pro sports team in America has come by and looked at the ballpark and The Battery to understand how they did it." In fact, the parade of club presidents, owners, politicians and imagineers beating a path to the intersection of I-75 and I-285 in suburban Cobb County became so voluminous, the Braves had to tell some of them to take a number. They only had so much time to devote to sports franchises wanting to know how they cultivated such a vast expanse to live, work, play – and generate revenue that didn't have to be shared with other teams in their leagues. And just what did they concoct? A 41,000-seat ballpark that flows seamlessly into 2.25 million square feet featuring more than two dozen restaurants and bars, four corporate campuses, two hotels, 531 residences and the Roxy Theater, whereMLB staged its draft Sunday night. ATLANTA ALL-STAR GAME:Braves got their jewel event back. But controversial laws 'haven't changed' And it's not done growing. The Braves' real estate interests have expanded with the success of their club, a cosmic bit of timing in which the team on the field has not missed the playoffs since 2017, allowing SunTrust Park – now Truist Park – a year of novelty before the club launched seven consecutive postseason runs, including the 2021 World Series title. Little wonder franchises from four corners of the map are aiming to recreate this utopia of commerce – with a side of sports – for their own towns. Yet the manner in which the Braves and Cobb County captured those dollars has proven challenging for teams to replicate – with some municipalities just saying no. Santee, as head of then-HOK Sports, had a far simpler task – and a lower bar – to clear when he set out, perhaps unwittingly, and became the godfather of modern stadia. The grim multi-purpose stadiums of the 1960s and '70s eventually gave way to the intimate and objectively beautiful jewels of the 1990s, where a little exposed brick and single-sport sightlines went a long way. Now, more than three decades after Baltimore's Camden Yards, Cleveland's Jacobs Field and Pittsburgh's PNC Park became the standards by which parks would be measured, Santee must navigate a post-Battery world where "experiential" has become as important to a franchise as a reliable starting pitcher. A trip through the turnstiles is merely the first – or third – imagined step in a long day of what Santee calls "journey mapping." "We get to make an impact that's not three hours long. It's five or six hours long. That's pretty exciting," says Santee. "The journey mapping tells us people want two, maybe three unique experiences, either inside or outside the ballpark. "Years ago, if you asked me the question, what was it like in the '80s and '90s designing ballparks? We designed maybe 15 to 20 fan experiences inside the ballpark. With this model, we're designing somewhere between 60 to 80 fan experiences. "Because it's driven by the journey mapping, driven by the generational needs." And it's remarkably easy to get caught up in The Battery's stream of diversions. Just steps after exiting the right field gate, the fan is greeted with a mind-bending number of options, withSports & Socialand its many blaring TV screens and game play practically begging your party to commune over a plate of $24 nachos. A splash pad shoots water aloft, allowing parents to toss their kids in to cool off and burn energy on a hot day. A bandshell on Saturday staged a pep rally – "Javy Lopezis in the house!" – as a drumline performed, giving way to a DJ as the evening arrived. Residences look down on it all, climate-controlled havens where around $2,500 per month can get you a two-bedroom apartment within strolling distance of gourmet ice cream orsalmon cake benedict. After less than five minutes, the right field gate looks almost foreign, a reminder that yes, there is a baseball stadium here. It is a diverse and truly multi-generational crowd and for a moment, it's easy to forget the mega-development was – and in some quarters still is – a source of consternation. The Braves' move from Fulton County's Turner Field – that stadium was about two decades old - not only removed the club from Atlanta's urban center but also left a sour taste in the mouth of Cobb County taxpayers who footed two-thirds of the bill. A stroll to the south end of the complex gives the visitor a reminder of the backlash: The intersection of Battery Avenue and Tim Lee Way. Lee was chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners from 2010 to 2017 andpassed awayin 2019 after a yearlong bout with esophageal cancer. In 2016, he was roundly defeated at the ballot box by an opponent, Mike Boyce, who ran a single-issue campaign - an anti-stadium platform – and prevailed by a nearlytwo-to-one margin. In 2013, Lee spearheaded the effort to commit $400 million in taxpayer money to the Braves, the stadium and what became The Battery – without giving taxpayers a say in the matter. The transparency – or lack thereof – in the process became a significant wedge between stadium proponents and citizens. Lee reportedly dubbed the effort"Operation Intrepid."And the dispatch with which the project advanced from private negotiations – Braves president John Schuerholz said if they'd been public, citizens"would not want this to happen"– to commission approval remains a sore point. Lisa Cupid, the lone no vote in a 4-1 approval by county commissioners, now has Lee's job chairing the commission. While she has come to appreciate The Battery's merits and remains optimistic it will have staying power as a destination, she also realizes what was lost in its approval. "Process is always important when it comes to (earning) the trust of citizens," says Cupid. "That's something that, even looking back, was at the forefront of my mind. The idea of having something like a stadium, something as nostalgic as that in your community is always appealing. But it can't circumvent the significance of, and really, our charge to ensure that the public trust is there. "It's not just the what that we do as county government, but the how we do it. We just can't leave citizens behind in the big decisions we're making." From a volume and value standpoint, The Battery has been a significant success. The county reported that in 2024,a record 10.3 million visitorswalked its gleaming avenues and alleyways. And the Braves, the lone MLB franchise owned by a publicly-traded corporation, reported $67.3 million in mixed-use development income,a 14% increaseover 2023. It would seem like a boomtown for all – county, ballclub, those employed within The Battery and any other stakeholders. Yet economists argue that The Battery and similar developments are classic examples of "extraction" – that new dollars aren't necessarily being spent but rather moved around, regionally. Certainly, Cobb County captured the revenue that used to go to Fulton County when the Braves played there. Yet much of the activity – a night at the movies, a mid-range dinner, a round of drinks with the boys or the baddies – simply would have occurred somewhere else minus The Battery's existence. "You built a department store," says JC Bradbury, an economist and associate professor at Kennesaw State. "We already have seven of those in Cobb County. It's not transformative for development when you look at a county that's a ($64 billion)economy. It's a rounding error. "Even though they're always touted as a great economic engine, they're not. And the data bear this out." Bradbury is a frequent detractor of stadium economic impact projections, but in this case, he's not just a critic; he's a client. A resident of nearby Marietta, he considers himself a Braves fan and has test-driven The Battery on a few occasions. While ample parking decks have made it a regional destination, the area has not seen a so-called "halo effect" in transforming the area around it, a potential upside stadium proponents frequently cite. "They like to describe The Battery as, 'Oh, we're recreating Wrigleyville,'" Bradbury says of the once-unique Chicago neighborhood since turned into a replacement-level cash cow for the Cubs. "The Battery is more like Main Street USA at Disney World. Andnot allrestaurants andbarshavesucceededthere. "It's easy to find parking. Are there people there? Yeah. But not much more than if I went to Marietta Square. "It's certainly not 'Downtown Cobb.'" Much of the area remains unchanged from decades earlier. Cumberland Mall was erected in 1973 and faces many of the challenges similar properties do, thoughredevelopmentis in the mix. Fading strip malls and chain restaurants dot the areas around the interchange. One common opponent: Traffic. It is epic in Atlanta, even in Cobb's relatively advantageous position on the northwest edge of I-285, or the "perimeter." Eighty-one Braves home games can choke the grid further, and it's interesting to note that the area around Turner Field downtownhas largely thrivedin the Braves' absence. Those narratives will be missing from any franchise pitches for new stadiums and taxpayer dollars needed to fund them. And the real estate piece of it has only become more urgent. Both the NFL and MLB aim to centralize revenues among all franchises, particularly national TV money in both sports and gameday revenue in the NFL. It ensures the viability of all teams, regardless of market. Yet revenue from off-site interests – such as The Battery or Arlington's Texas Live! and areas around the Cowboys' stadium in Arlington – are not tossed into the common revenue pool in either league. It is essentially pure profit for the home team and one taking on greater urgency as local and national TV revenuesremain uncertain. That's why teams in every sport are opting for a Battery moon shot rather than simply building a stadium. And the consequences when they fail can be significant. One year after The Battery opened, the Oakland Athletics announced plans for what would become a $12 billion proposal in the city's Howard Terminal – a 35,000-seat ballpark and 6 million square feet of mixed-use development, including commercial buildings and high-rise residential units. It ended up being an all-or-nothing proposition: When the club failed to reach agreement with Oakland, it lowered its sights significantly and set them on Las Vegas, where the team aims to begin play in a 33,000-seat stadium on a parcel of land barely big enough to play ball, let alone add the "live and work" pieces to create the mixed-use holy trinity. In Kansas City, citizens showed exactly why franchises prefer to do stadium deals without public input: Theyroundly rejecteda sales-tax initiative that would have built a $1 billion downtown stadium project for the Royals and funded significant renovations to the Chiefs' stadium. The Royals'proposalincluded a hotel, a residential development and entertainment venue consuming several downtown blocks. That's not to say politicians heed what might be blowing in the wind. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs recently celebrated approval of $500 million in Chase Field renovations by showing up to a news conference in aDiamondbacks jersey. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has urged the fast-tracking of a new stadium for the Commanders – a massive multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development on the old RFK Stadium site – even as D.C. councilmembers plead for more time toscrutinize a deal she brokeredwith the team. The city recently approved $500 million in renovations to their downtown arena after Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was quickly rejected in a quixotic bid to build a massive development in nearby Virginia. "Plan B is a term that has been used to explicitly get stadiums built," says Bradbury. "Circumvent the will of the voters: 'We have a Plan B, we're going to get around this.' "What you saw in Kansas City was voters said, we absolutely do not want tax dollars to go toward renovating a stadium for the Chiefs and a new stadium for the Royals. The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl, they're a popular team and voters were like, 'Nah, we're not doing that.'" The Braves didn't take that chance and this week will realize the fringe benefit of a jewel eventonce strippedfrom the region. While the modern life cycle of a stadium is roughly two decades – and thus this first Truist Park All-Star Game may be its last – county officials believe the site will have staying power. Its impact throughout the sports industry certainly will, as everyone chases what's become the standard in development and revenue generation. "This site has built a tremendous energy beyond any of our comprehension," says Cupid, the chair of the county commission. "It looked almost surreal what I saw in the renderings on paper. And they brought it to life. And they did it quickly. And they truly changed the footprint of that area. "It's become more than just a business, an economic center. It's a center of vibrancy not just for Cobb but the region right now. "And it continues to grow." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The Battery Atlanta: Truist Park All-Star Game site is envy of sports

Atlanta's All-Star Game site is the envy of sports – but The Battery isn't all peachy

Atlanta's All-Star Game site is the envy of sports – but The Battery isn't all peachy ATLANTA – More than a decade ago,Atlanta Brave...

 

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