The New York Yankees held a players-only meeting after Tuesday night's 4–0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, which was their third shutout loss in a row.

For a team that leads MLB in runs (370), total bases (1,093), homers (109), RBIs (356), walks (286) and OPS (.784), this stretch is definitely an unknown feeling for the Yankees this year.

So, what did New York's players talk about in their meeting? It sounds like the team just has to start “remembering who we are and continuing to stick with our approach," outfielder Cody Bellinger told reporters.

“There’s always a certain point where it’s not necessarily going your way, and you feel it,” Bellinger said. “You feel this extra pressure to get the job done. At the end of the day, it’s the same. We had good conversations.

“… It’s a little rut we’re in and we’ve got to get out of it. The good teams get out of it. I’ve got full confidence in the guys in here. We have such a talented team. We’ve got to keep on going, keep on playing our game, remember who we are and ultimately get some Ws.”

Catcher Austin Wells downplayed the negative reaction the Yankees' slump has gotten, as shutouts aren't super uncommon in baseball. What's being highlighted with the Yankees' case, though, is that the team is leading the league in so many offensive categories and still they've failed to score for multiple games in a row.

“I think it’s a little bit more highlighted because it’s consecutive games, but I think it’s just baseball,” Wells said, via NJ.com. “We’ve hit some hard balls, we’ve had some strikeouts and weak contact. I think people have been playing the game and we’re going to continue doing it.

“I don’t think there’s any reason to change up what we were doing before. I think everyone has the confidence to go out there [Wednesday] and put up as many as we need.”

The Yankees plan to have a hitting talk on Wednesday ahead of their evening game vs. the Angels. They're hoping to finally get a run after 29 innings of failing to plate one. New York is also on a five-game losing streak.

The Philadelphia Phillies landed arguably the biggest bullpen prize available at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

On Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia is finalizing a trade to land Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran in what will prove to be a major upgrade to the team's bullpen. ESPN's Jeff Passan had the report.

The 27-year-old righty, who’s ranked No. 4 on Sports Illustrated’s list of trade candidates, is 6–4 with a 2.01 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings this season. He has 16 saves in 18 chances, and will be under team control through the 2027 season.

Phillies relievers currently rank 23rd in baseball with an ERA of 4.33, and their closer-by-committee approach has produced mixed results at best. That shouldn't be a problem moving forward.

In exchange for Duran, the Twins will be acquiring two prospects, Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel. Tait is the No. 4 prospect in Philly's system according to MLB Pipeline, and is an 18-year-old catcher who is already in High-A ball and has promising power. Abel, a 23-year-old right-handed starter, was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 MLB draft. He made his big league debut this season and in six starts is 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA, and a 1.36 WHIP.

Renuka Singh Thakur also enjoyed a stellar outing as India took a 1-0 lead in the ODI series

Namooh Shah22-Dec-2024211 India’s victory margin was their second-biggest by runs in women’s ODIs, bettered only by their 249-run win over Ireland in Potchefstroom in 2017. It is their biggest win at home, as well as the biggest defeat by runs for West indies in women’s ODIs314 for 9 is India’s second-highest women’s ODI total at home, behind their 325 for 3 against South Africa in Bengaluru six months ago.Related

• Renuka, Mandhana consign West Indies to record loss

1602 runs scored by Smriti Mandhana in 2024, the most by any player in a year in women’s international cricket, with Laura Wolvaardt in second place with 1593 runs, also in 2024.110 The partnership between Smriti Mandhana and debutant Pratika Rawal was the first century opening stand for India in women’s ODIs since the 174* between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma against Sri Lanka in 2022, and their first at home since 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Mandhana was dismissed in the 90s for the fourth time, the joint-most in women’s ODIs alongside West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor.4 Zaida James (5 for 45) and Renuka Thakur (5 for 29) took five-fors in the same match. It was the fourth time two bowlers had done this in women’s ODIs.7 Batters have shared century stands with Smriti Mandhana in women’s ODIs. Only Mithali Raj has bettered this among India players, having shared century stands with 15 different batters.2 Both Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews fell for ducks. It was the first time since 2019 that a team had lost both openers for ducks in a women’s ODI.

Monday was a night to remember for the Raleigh family.

With his father, Todd, pitching on the mound and his 15-year-old brother, Todd Jr., catching behind the plate, Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh hit 18 homers in the final round—and 54 overall—to take home the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby crown. He became the first catcher and switch hitter to capture the crown.

"It means the world," Raleigh said to Jeff Passan on the ESPN broadcast after the final round. "I could've hit zero home runs and had just as much fun. I just can't believe I won. It's unbelievable!"

Raleigh batted first in the final round and mashed 18 homers from the left side of the plate. The other finalist, Rays infielder Junior Caminero, fell just short with 15 homers.

But "Big Dumper" nearly didn't advance past the first round.

Raleigh hit 17 homers in the opening round, tied with Brent Rooker for fourth place out of eight batters behind Oneil Cruz (21 homers), Caminero (21) and Byron Buxton (20). Raleigh and Rooker went to a tiebreaker to determine who advanced—and MLB announced after the round that the Mariners slugger's longest home run traveled about an inch further than Rooker's longest dinger.

Raleigh's longest homer was measured at 470.617 feet, narrowly defeating Rooker's distance of 470.535 feet.

"You know, maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone's done to bring out that information that might be helpful," Rooker said to reporters after the Derby.

In the second round, Raleigh cruised past Oneil Cruz with 19 homers to his 13.

Raleigh is the first Mariners player to win the Home Run Derby since Ken Griffey Jr. did it three times in 1994, '98 and '99. And, coincidentally, Griffey was in attendance at Truist Park on Monday night working as a photographer for the event.

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São Paulo e Palmeiras estão com a relação estremecida após o empate em 1 a 1 no domingo (3). Em 2023, os rivais se aproximaram e, inclusive, trocaram os estádios em jogos como mandantes.

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Antes da relação entre as partes “desmoronar”, com as trocas de comunicados oficiais e acusações recentes, o convívio já não era o mesmo de quando houve o acordo de reciprocidade nos estádios. Tricolor e Verdão se desgastaram muito em razão da situação de Caio Paulista, que “pulou o muro” dos centros de treinamentos da Barra Funda, na capital paulista (SP).

➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! São Paulo

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O São Paulo tinha um acordo verbal para concluir a contratação em definitivo do lateral-esquerdo, que estava emprestado pelo Fluminense. Contudo, clube e jogador passaram a não se entender em relação a termos do contrato, e o período determinado para completar a operação expirou.

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Com isso, o Palmeiras entrou na disputa para fechar com Caio Paulista, jogador pedido por Abel Ferreira. Quando as negociações vieram à tona, o Tricolor não ficou satisfeito.

O São Paulo entendeu que Caio Paulista quebrou a confiança do clube ao abrir tratativas com o Palmeiras e dava como certa a permanência. O Verdão, por outro lado, interpretou a situação com naturalidade e avaliou que agiu com clareza.

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O acordo entre as partes para a utilização dos estádios não foi mais colocado em prática, algo que já não acontecia na reta final do ano passado. Antes do motivo principal (“caso Caio Paulista”), os rivais trocaram provocações intensas nas redes sociais em situações pontuais, como quando o Tricolor eliminou o rival nas quartas da Copa do Brasil, e na goleada de 5 a 0 foi imposta pelo Palmeiras.

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علق هيرفي رينارد المدير الفني لمنتخب السعودية على مجموعة الأخضر في كأس العالم 2026.

وأسفرت القرعة عن وقوع منتخب السعودية مع الرأس الأخضر وإسبانيا وأوروجواي.

طالع.. مجموعة السعودية في كأس العالم 2026

وقال رينارد لقناة “بي إن سبورت”: “مجموعتنا كبيرة ولدينا فريق قوي جدًا وهو المنتخب الإسباني، المباريات ستكون محتدمة ولدينا منتخبات مصنفة في أعلى تصنيف الفيفا”.

وتابع: “منتخب الرأس الأخضر نعرفه وخضنا مباريات ضده، وعلينا أن نقوم بما علينا لكي نصل للدور المقبل من كأس العالم”.

وكشف: “هدفنا هو الذهاب للدور المقبل، قدمنا شيئًا جيدًا في كأس العالم 2022 ولم نتأهل للدور الثاني”.

واختتم: “واجهنا منتخب إسبانيا عام 2018 وأعرف مدى صعوبة مواجهته”.

This weekend's series between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees contains one irresistible narrative.

On one side of the Yankee Stadium diamond: Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the National League leader in bWAR. On the other side: Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, the American League leader in the same category.

It didn't take long for the two players to lock horns. With New York leading 3–0 in the top of the fourth inning, Crow-Armstrong launched a deep fly to right field that looked like a surefire short-porch home run. Nope—Judge timed his jump just right and snared the ball in front of a giant F.W. Webb Company banner.

The catch prevented what would've been Crow-Armstrong's 26th home run—a number 16 higher than his modest 2024 total of 10.

He may be the breakout star of the year, but make no mistake—the Big Apple is the domain of Judge, on both the offensive and defensive end.

Tottenham Hotspur stepped into the Thomas Frank era with excitement, but anxiety too. Last season, Ange Postecoglou led the club to the Europa League title, but Spurs also finished 17th in the Premier League.

Circumstances matter, but there was much to be desired and Daniel Levy was justified in dismissing the Australian. Tottenham still ended their long search for silverware, and they did so having lost their definitive talisman of modern years at the very start of Ange’s tenure.

Harry Kane’s sale to Bayern Munich two years ago took from Tottenham their bona fide superstar. Heung-min Son once bore such a reputation, but he had steadily declined over a couple of years before moving to LAFC during the summer.

Now, though, there’s a sense that a few within the Lilywhites fold could reach such a level with a blend of hard work and Frank’s coaching.

The new Spurs superstars

Tottenham attacked the summer transfer window and have been duly rewarded for their ambition with several exciting talents.

Front and centre has been Mohammed Kudus, whose pace and physicality have seen him settle in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after completing a £55m move from West Ham United in July.

The Ghanaian winger scored and assisted against Leeds United last weekend, instrumental in the 2-1 win. He’s imperfect, sure, but the pros far outweigh the cons, and four assists from seven top-flight fixtures so far (placing him joint-first with Jack Grealish) is nothing to be sniffed at.

The likes of Lucas Bergvall and Mathys Tel are also stars for the future, already playing important roles in Frank’s squad.

However, whether any of these players will rival the very best of the best remains to be seen. Premier League heavyweights such as Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.

However, the £52m signing of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig this summer felt significant. Indeed, Tottenham have landed themselves an attacking midfielder with the potential to rival any across Europe.

Frank has struck gold on Xavi Simons

In August, Tottenham had to swallow their pride as Arsenal stole from them the signature of Eberechi Eze, who signed in a £60m deal after a move was in place down N17 for the Crystal Palace sensation.

Tottenham missed out on a number of transfer targets, but they struck gold with Simons, who had looked for many weeks to be joining Chelsea before the Blues signed Alejandro Garnacho.

Having played and impressed over the past several years in Germany with Leipzig, Simons arrived in England with more than his share of excitement, saying he had “been dreaming of this for a long time”.

And while the bedding-in period is very much in swing right now, the Netherlands international has shown glimpses of elite quality, having previously been described as a “world-class” talent by countryman Rafael van de Vaart.

The data backs this up. Not only did Simons perform prolifically in front of goal for his German side, notching 46 goal contributions from 78 outings in all competitions, but his underlying data emphasises his ability.

Data platform FBref have crunched the numbers: across the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign, the 22-year-old ranked among the top 16% of positional peers for goal contributions, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 5% for ball recoveries per 90.

The Dutchman’s robustness and consistency across all facets for Leipzig further underpins his potential, and indeed his chances of becoming the standout for a Tottenham side on the up.

Xavi Simons in the Bundesliga
Stats (* per game)	23/24	24/25
Matches (starts)	32 (32)	25 (25)
Goals	8	10
Assists	11	7
Shots (on target)*	2.5 (1.0)	2.0 (0.9)
Touches*	62.6	68.0
Pass completion	82%	83%
Big chances created	14	12
Key passes*	2.5	2.0
Dribbles*	2.6	1.3
Ball recoveries*	5.2	5.1
Tackles + interceptions*	1.4	1.6
Duels won*	6.3	5.4
Data via Sofascore

While the likes of Salah and Haaland are one-of-a-kind players, Simons, too, is the full package, and has a style of play that could see him remain a cut above his Tottenham teammates, scoring and creating and orchestrating and defending.

Could Simons even leave north London, one day, with the awe and admiration of the Tottenham persuasion in a similar fashion to Kane? Certainly, we could look back at that £52m transfer fee as a shrewd figure.

As per Transfermarkt, Simons is already worth around £61m, and given his youth and inexperience within the English game, he is only going to get better as time goes on.

Harking back to FBref, the statistical site have revealed Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Martin Odegaard to be among his most tactically comparable players. Looking at the success each of these creators has forged for themselves in recent years, it’s easy to see why fans are beginning to get excited.

Called a “game-changer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, this is exactly the type of buy to align with the grand plans of the club. Richarlison and the like have quality in the final third, but this is a different standard.

Simons was the marquee signing at Tottenham this summer, and with that comes expectation and scrutiny. He hasn’t yet provided the sustained quality that his skillset suggests is in there, but it will come, especially with one of the finest coaches in the business, Frank, pulling the strings.

When Simons hits his stride, raising Spurs’ collective level, we might just find this outfit celebrating the birth of a new superstar, one who could rival the Salah’s and the Haaland’s of the Premier League.

Cost £8.5m, now worth 440% more: Spurs struck gold on "phenomenal" star

Tottenham Hotspur have showcased their excellent talent identification with the deal to land one player now looking a bargain.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 9, 2025

Manchester United made it three successive wins in the Premier League at the weekend when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Bryan Mbeumo was, arguably, the star of the show with his two impressive goals for the Red Devils, taking his tally for the season to five goals since his move from Brentford.

The Cameroon international was not the only United star who caught the eye with an excellent display for Ruben Amorim in the win over the Seagulls, though.

Experienced central midfielder Casemiro impressed with his performance in the middle of the park, although his goal was rather fortunate with the deflection off Ayari.

The Brazil international provided a goal and an assist, whilst winning four of his six ground duels (Sofascore), in the 4-2 win for United, which shows that he was effective in and out of possession.

Despite producing an eye-catching display for the Premier League giants alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Manchester United may be starting to think about what life will look like after Casemiro.

Why Man Utd need a replacement for Casemiro

The Brazilian midfielder will be 34 when his contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether or not the club will exercise their option to extend it by a further year.

This means that they may be looking at who will take his place in midfield alongside Bruno in the mid-to-long-term. Kobbie Mainoo, though, may not be that player, for reasons outlined by Amorim.

As shown in the comments above, the Portuguese head coach views the England international as an alternative to Bruno, rather than as a defensive option to take Casemiro’s spot.

That leaves Manuel Ugarte as the only natural replacement within the current first-team squad. That is a concern because his performances for the club last season left far too much to be desired.

Non-penalty goals

0.05

Bottom 41%

xAG

0.06

Bottom 30%

Shot-creating actions

1.56

Bottom 16%

Progressive passes

3.08

Bottom 18%

Progressive carries

0.81

Bottom 23%

Passes into the final third

2.96

Bottom 36%

Passes into the penalty area

0.45

Bottom 20%

Ugarte, as shown in the statistics above, was among the worst midfielders in the division in a host of key possession-based metrics, which shows that he does not offer enough on the ball.

Casemiro has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford, as shown in the graphic below, but his recent performance against Brighton shows that he can still offer quality in and out of possession.

With Amorim’s view of Mainoo and Ugarte’s lack of quality, Manchester United may have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

Man Utd preparing offer for Premier League midfielder

The Red Devils appear to have identified that as an issue in the squad, as they are reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder in the next window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League giants and Juventus are both keen on a move for the Brazil international, as they look to bolster their midfields ahead of the second half of the campaign.

TuttoJuve adds that both clubs are preparing to make offers to sign the 21-year-old starlet, which suggests that they are both serious about a deal for his services.

Al-Qadsiah had an offer of around £60m (£59.5m) turned down for the midfielder last month. This suggests that United and Juventus will need to be in or above that ballpark if they want to snap him up in January.

Why Man Utd should sign Andrey Santos

The Red Devils should be pushing to beat Juventus to Santos’ signature in the January transfer window, even if it costs north of £60m, because he could be the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.

He has only started two of his seven appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, two midfielders who cost over £100m each, ahead of him. This means that he has not had too much of an opportunity to shine for the Blues.

His performances whilst on loan at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 last season, though, suggest that he has the quality in and out of possession to be a dream signing for United to replace Casemiro in the defensive midfield role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Santos, including the stunning strike in the clip above, scored 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Strasbourg in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make a big impact in possession from a central midfield position.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Brazilian star as a “duel monster” who “has everything you want in a CM”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season back up that claim, as he was influential all over the pitch.

Goals

10

Top 1%

Assists

3

Top 20%

Passes completed

1,400

Top 7%

Successful dribbles

18

Top 18%

Fouls won

63

Top 1%

Tackles won

110

Top 1%

Duels won

228

Top 2%

Duel success rate

66.7%

Top 5%

Blocked shots

14

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, Santos excelled in virtually every aspect of the game, as a scorer, a passer, an assister, a dribbler, a duel winner, a tackler, a blocker. He did it all for Strasbourg.

These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old star has all the qualities that Amorim would want from his defensive and combative midfield player next to Bruno, because he has the defensive and duel-winning skills to screen the defence, whilst still being good enough to make an impact in possession.

Euro club's target: £105k-p/w Man Utd star is "set to move" in January

The Red Devils could be able to cut ties in January.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 27, 2025

Therefore, he could take the best qualities of Ugarte and Mainoo and combine them to be a complete star for United in the middle of the park as Casmeiro’s long-term replacement, as he is 12 years younger than his international teammate.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Bernardo, do técnico Márcio Zanardi, enfrenta o Corinthians por uma vaga na terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, mas o treinador quase parou no lado alvinegro do confronto.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Após demitir Mano Menezes, a diretoria do Timão havia definido Márcio Zanardi como plano A para assumir o clube, inclusive alinhado com o profissional a proposta contratual. No entanto, o regulamento do Paulistão não permitiria Zanardi comandar duas equipes na mesma edição, fazendo o Corinthians recuar e contratar António Oliveira.

Um mês após o quase, Zanardi não demonstrou frustração e segue confiante que o convite para dirigir uma grande equipe do futebol brasileiro vai aparecer.

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– Foi um timing. O futebol é timing. Não pude ir por causa do regulamento e a gente tem que respeitar. Fiquei muito feliz e lisonjeado. O Augusto Melo foi meu diretor, a gente trabalhou juntos lá no Corinthians. Mas não fico me amargurando. Em momento nenhum [ficou a frustração]. Estou muito feliz. A oportunidade aparece para quem é competente e trabalha – revelou o treinador à ESPN.

Apesar de ter derrotado o Corinthians na fase de grupos do Paulistão, Zanardi jogou o favoritismo do confronto para o Timão.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

– O time grande é sempre favorito. O time grande sempre tem as melhores condições, tem os melhores jogadores, estrutura incrível. Mas a gente consegue colocar o São Bernardo em um nível importante, de fazer jogos de igual para igual. A gente precisa entender onde estamos – afirmou.

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Velho conhecido do Corinthians, Zanardi trabalhou por seis temporadas na base do Timão. No período, o treinador conquistou o Mundial Sub-17 e participou da comissão técnica que faturou a Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior em 2012. Inclusive, o treinador trabalhou junto com Augusto Melo, atual mandatário corintiano, na base alvinegra, em 2017, onde criaram uma relação de proximidade.

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