Após goleada sofrida no Maracanã no último domingo, o presidente Pedrinho se apressou para fazer mudanças no futebol do Vasco para o decorrer da temporada. Felipe ‘Maestro’ é nomeado como diretor técnico do Cruz-Maltino e é mais um ídolo da Colina a voltar ao clube.
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Em comunicado nas redes sociais, Pedrinho diz que a contratação já estava nos planos, mas decidiu antecipar a mudança após vexame no clássico: “Um jogo inadmissível, resultado que não tem explicação”. A dupla chegou e assistiu junta a derrota na arquibancada do Maracanã.
Revelados no Vasco, onde chegaram aos seis anos de idade em 1983, os jogadores amadureceram na Colina e fizeram parte de uma das gerações mais vitoriosas da história do Cruz-Maltino, que conquistou, dentre outros títulos, dois Campeonatos Brasileiros e uma Libertadores da América.
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Não será a primeira vez que os amigos irão trabalhar juntos fora de campo. Felipe e Pedrinho já foram, respectivamente, técnico e auxiliar do Tigres do Brasil nas primeiras rodadas do Campeonato Carioca em 2017. Mas a parceria durou apenas sete jogos, sendo uma vitória, três empates e três derrotas.
Felipe chega ao Vasco após comandar o Volta Redonda no Carioca deste ano, onde conquistou 14 pontos em 11 rodadas e acabou terminando em 10º lugar. Segundo Pedrinho, a escolha para o parceiro de longa data para o cargo é a recuperação de uma identidade do clube.
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– Dentro desse DNA que é o Vasco da Gama, por ter nascido ali, eu percebi que falta isso dentro do futebol. Falta a essência vascaína, falta as pessoas entenderem o que é o Vasco, entenderem o tamanho do Vasco, entenderem quais são os objetivos do Vasco e a grandeza desse time. Resgatar essa essência é uma das minhas obrigações.
Além de Felipe, Edmundo é mais um ídolo do Cruz-Maltino que, apesar de não ter nenhuma cargo oficial dentro do clube, é sempre muito engajado com as políticas internas do Vasco, e um grande amigo do presidente Pedrinho. Dentro de campo, é inegável que o trio conhece bem o futebol, mas o desafio é tentar buscar o resultado além das quatro linhas.
Como diretor técnico, Felipe vai trabalhar diretamente com o diretor de futebol Pedro Martins para buscar reforços nesta janela de transferências. Em coletiva de imprensa, Martins deixou claro que o Vasco não pretende fazer movimentações bruscas de mercado e que visa primeiramente a segurança financeira do clube.
A principal esperança para o torcedor vascaíno é a chegada do cria Philippe Coutinho, que está em conversas avançadas com o Vasco, e aguarda liberação do Aston Villa, da Inglaterra, para avançar nas negociações. Pedrinho se reuniu com o jogador nesta quarta-feira (05). Seguindo a linha do ‘resgate do DNA vascaíno’, o volante Souza, sugerido por Coutinho, pode ser mais um nome em pauta para retornar à Colina.
SEATTLE — The most dangerous hitter in the Detroit Tigers lineup has never hit 30 homers, driven in 70 runs or made an All-Star team. Injuries and left-handed pitchers have kept Kerry Carpenter from elite statistical thresholds and acclaim. But don’t do what the Seattle Mariners did in Game 1 of the ALDS: overlook him.
Carpenter is a career .507 slugger who mashes high fastballs. This year he slugged .571 against high fastballs (at least 33 inches off the ground), the 12th best mark among hitters who saw at least 350 such heaters—ahead of Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez and Cal Raleigh.
“One thing about Carp,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, “is he can be streaky. But no matter what, he’s looking to get off his A swing. Even if it’s two strikes, he can do damage. And that’s why he is so dangerous.”
The Mariners did not respect the danger ever present in Carpenter’s bat, and that is why they suffered a brutally painful 3–2 loss Saturday. They burned their closer for six outs and still lost, knowing they are staring at seeing the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal, two of the next four possible games, including Game 2 Sunday. Ouch.
Yes, a 73-mph, 15-hop single from Zach McKinstry plated the winning run in the 11th inning, a run set up by two egregious mistakes by Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas at such a juncture: a leadoff walk and a wild pitch.
But it was one swing by Carpenter that changed everything, a swing that should never have been permitted by the Mariners. Seattle manager Dan Wilson, running his first postseason game, held a 1–0 lead in the fifth with one on, two outs and first base open with George Kirby on the mound. Wilson had his best lefty, Gabe Speier, up in the pen with Carpenter due to bat with another lefty, Riley Greene, behind him.
Wilson sent pitching coach Pete Woodworth to the mound for a conversation with Kirby.
“Yes, in the back of my mind I thought they weren’t going to pitch to me,” Carpenter said, adding with a laugh, “Maybe my first two at-bats convinced them.”
Hinch had set a trap for Wilson by batting Greene and Carpenter back-to-back. By showing he will pitch-hit for either one with lefty masher Jahmai Jones, Hinch puts the onus on the other manager early in a game. No matter what option you choose, Hinch will have the platoon advantage.
Wilson chose to have Kirby pitch to Carpenter, even though Carpenter had four home runs in 10 at-bats against Kirby. Even though Carpenter is a high fastball hitter.
“Yeah. It’s a tough one,” Wilson said, “and you do the best you can and try to take the information that you have and what you’re seeing. And we thought George continued to throw the ball pretty well there and still had pretty good stuff and a lot left in the tank, and he had been in a couple of tough spots earlier, but really pitched out of it well.”
Kirby, a high-fastball pitcher, has the stuff to better attack Greene, not Carpenter.
“With Carpenter,” Wilson said, “you're trying to keep it down in the zone or trying to get him to chase up in the zone.”
Said Carpenter: “I always feel like the more I face people, the more opportunity I have to have success. And so yeah, I was hoping to get another opportunity off him.”
Mariners pitcher George Kirby has struggled mightily against Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Kirby opened with a slider in the zone that Carpenter fouled. The next pitch was an elevated sinker that was inside but was mistakenly called a strike.
“That ball called a strike probably changed the at-bat,” Carpenter said.
Now the count was 0-and-2. Carpenter had one homer all year after falling behind 0-and-2. It was easy now for Wilson and Kirby to throw caution aside and think they could finish him off.
Kirby missed with a sinker in. He decided to throw a third straight fastball. This one headed straight to Carpenter’s power zone: elevated over the plate. Carpenter crushed it harder than any home run he’s ever hit in his life: 112.5 mph.
He has hit only two home runs at 110 mph or harder, both in the postseason: one off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase last season (110.8) and this one off Kirby (112.5), his fifth home run in 11 at-bats against the righthander.
“That’s what Carp does in the postseason,” McKinstry said. Carpenter has a postseason slash line of .294/.385/.500.
You simply cannot lose a lead by letting Kirby throw another elevated fastball to Carpenter. You knew that going into the game.
Carpenter typifies what the Tigers are about. Other than Skubal, they are low on star power. They strike out way too much. In Game 1 they became only the fifth team to win a postseason game with 16 strikeouts over 11 innings or less. They went 2-for-18 with runners on base, with eight of those at-bats ending with strikeouts. Empty at-bats galore.
And yet they won the game on swings from Carpenter and McKinstry. They used eight pitchers, the last of whom, Keider Montero, secured a save for the first time since pitching for the while playing Little League ball in Venezuela.
“I don’t pay attention to the name on the back,” Montero said after dispatching Randy Arozarena, Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor for the save. “No matter when I pitch, I attack.”
Detroit, with all the strikeouts in its lineup and not enough whiffs in its bullpen, somehow is the best team in baseball at winning one-run games (23–12).
The Tigers became the first team to lose five straight series entering the postseason and advance. The wild-card Game 3 win restored their confidence. The dread of blowing a 15.5-game lead to Cleveland and the potential of being sent home by Cleveland has been replaced with the swagger they had in the first half after eliminating the Guardians. Their airways are fully open again. The Tigers are dangerous again, and not just on the days Skubal pitches.
MLB has turned the page on a memorable trade deadline that ramped up exponentially in activity over its final 24 hours. It featured extreme buying, such as the Padres’ dizzying, prospect-exporting pursuit of championship upgrades, and selling, thanks to the Twins’ stunning teardown. And somewhere in between, multiple clubs managed to make needle-moving trades as they geared up for the stretch run in the dog days of summer.
Which club made the most impactful splash among the pool of contenders? Did Padres president of baseball operations—and mad scientist—A.J. Preller provide the team with enough tools to overtake the defending-champion Dodgers in the National League West? And could postseason hero Carlos Correa be the x-factor that lifts the Astros to another World Series this fall? We’ll answer these questions and more in another edition of Fact or Fiction.
Jhoan Durán trade was the biggest deadline needle mover
Verdict: Fact
There were plenty of major upgrades at the trade deadline. Eugenio Suárez’s reunion with the Mariners gives the club some much-needed third base production and some added protection behind American League MVP candidate Cal Raleigh. Correa’s return to Houston, while eliciting waves of nostalgia for the team’s fanbase, also makes a ton of sense for the Astros in the wake of Isaac Paredes’s potentially season-ending hamstring injury. The Blue Jays acquired a potential October ace when they dealt for 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber. But the most impactful upgrade? That was Philadelphia’s blockbuster deal for flamethrowing closer Durán.
Durán is . The man ranks in the 100th percentile in average fastball velocity and once tested the limits of radar guns with a 104.8 mph heater back in 2023. Heck, he’s already set the Phillies franchise record for the fastest pitch in the pitch tracking era. And all that heat, coupled with a wicked, upper-90s splinker, has been hard for hitters to square up. Durán owns a sparkling 31% whiff rate, and when hitters aren’t swinging and missing, they’re usually depositing the ball directly into the dirt for harmless ground balls.
Add it up, and it’s the perfect recipe for a stress-free ninth inning, which is music to the Phillies’ ears. Manager Rob Thomson has tried three different relievers in the ninth—Jordan Romano, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm—and none have had the juice necessary to be a playoff closer, combining to blow 11 saves. But Durán? His 1.93 ERA, 18 saves and just two blown saves in 2025 need no introduction.
Durán have an electric introduction, though, and it’s already made its way to Citizens Bank Park. If the October-bound Phillies can get the ball to Durán with a lead in the ninth at their home field—where they have the best playoff winning percentage in baseball history—it would be hard to bet against them. For a Phillies club wounded by blown leads from October’s past, Durán might just be the glorious salve.
The Twins gave up on their core too soon
Verdict: Fiction
For a Twins fan base that hasn’t tasted a World Series win in 34 years and hasn’t witnessed the club advance past the division series in 23 years, the trade deadline had to be jarring. Like a soon-to-be-bankrupt store with half-off everything signs plastered out front, the Twins weren’t just open for business, they were welcoming it with outstretched arms. No fewer than 11 players headed out the door via trades. After the dust settled, Minnesota’s lineup looked far different, and its bullpen was almost completely unrecognizable.
For the fans who were hoping the Twins might cautiously buy, or, in the imagined worst case scenario, straddle the line between buying and selling, there’s little to be said in the way of moral support. The unfortunate reality is this shocking fire sale was a reminder that baseball—and professional sports at large—is a business. The Pohlad family, which has owned the Twins since 1984, announced last October it would “explore a sale” of the franchise. Did such a monumental decision factor into the payroll-slashing trade frenzy that ensued last week? There’s no way to definitively say, but it’d be naive to think it wasn’t at least part of the conversation.
However, maybe, just maybe, this was the perfect storm for the Twins. Consider the club’s recent history. After missing the playoffs for six straight seasons from 2011 to ‘16, Minnesota made the postseason three times in the first four years of Derek Falvey’s tenure as the head of the front office. After winning the AL Central in ‘23, the Twins’ owners slashed payroll from $160 million to $130 million, a puzzling decision that led to predictable results.
Minnesota stumbled to an 82–80 record and missed the postseason last year, then added just three free agents as they continued to operate under a tighter budget. Is it any wonder, then, that the team was six games under .500 heading into this year’s deadline?
At some point, the Twins had to be awoken from this stupor of mediocrity. And while almost nobody wanted the awakening to emerge from a potential sale of the team—which comes with plenty of question marks—perhaps it will end up being a blessing in disguise. The Twins already had MLB Pipeline’s 10th-ranked farm system heading into 2025. After the trade deadline, the Twins’ farm now boasts six top-100 prospects, and some semblance of hope for the future in the face of uncertainty. The fire sale was devastating. But like a phoenix, maybe the new-age Twins will emerge from the ashes.
The Mariners are serious threats to make the World Series
Eugenio Suárez is back in Seattle and could help the Mariners reach the franchise’s first World Series. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Verdict: Fact
Of the trade deadline winners, the Mariners might just have been the biggest. Within striking distance of the AL West-leading Astros, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto eschewed the cautious approaches of deadlines past and swung for the fences, acquiring the two best bats available—Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor—without surrendering a top-10 prospect.
But he didn’t stop there. Dipoto added lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson, who excels at limiting hard contact, to a bullpen that had just one southpaw (Gabe Speier) in it. The Mariners lineup, already relatively balanced around AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, now looks like a murderer’s row with Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena finding their strides. Seattle’s rotation, which suffered injuries to George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller earlier this season, is nearly whole. And the bullpen, headlined by All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz, ranks eighth in MLB in ERA.
Seattle has made the postseason just once since 2001 and has never appeared in the World Series. In a year where seemingly every contender is somewhat flawed, the Mariners have as good a chance as any team to capture a championship. To borrow from a certain quarterback who won a Super Bowl in Seattle, the Mariners need to ask themselves the question, “Why not us?”
The Padres could overtake the Dodgers in the NL West
Verdict: Fact
In the class of buyers, no one was busier at the trade deadline than San Diego. The Padres shipped out eight of their top-30 prospects en route to adding high-octane relief pitcher Mason Miller, productive bats Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano, and catcher Freddy Fermin.
As they say, scared money don’t make money, and the fearless Preller made a flurry of trades with one clear objective in mind. “If you’re going to win a championship, you can’t have any weak links,” Preller told reporters after the deadline. And it’s clear that the Padres have fewer of those now than they did before July 31.
Left field had been a revolving door of lackluster productivity at the plate for San Diego this season. Enter Laureano and his .887 OPS. The Padres ranked second-to-last in baseball in designated hitter WAR. Enter O’Hearn, a 2025 All-Star who has racked up 2.6 WAR and an .822 OPS in 98 games this season. The Padres also upgraded at the catcher position with the addition of Fermin, a solid pitch framer with a capable throwing arm.
Preller may have gotten greedy by paying a steep price to add Miller to what was already the league’s best bullpen, but that only further reinforces this next point. San Diego, currently holding the third wild-card spot and just three games back of the first-place Dodgers, is now a legitimate World Series contender. And one possible path there—winning the division—was once out of the question but is now a real possibility.
Just a month ago, the Padres were eight games back of the Dodgers and perhaps mentally preparing to play a wild-card series come October. Since that point, Los Angeles’s bats, especially former AL MVP Mookie Betts, have gone cold while its bullpen has been riddled by injuries. But these are still the defending champions with a starting pitching staff that’s nearly at full strength again. The Dodgers won’t go down quietly in the fight for the division.
The Padres, who have lost five of seven games against the Dodgers so far this year, will play two more regular season series against their bitter rivals, with all six games coming this month. Whoever fares better in those matchups could have the upper hand in the race for the division crown. And, after a busy deadline, these Padres pack more of a punch now.
Carlos Correa can still be a difference maker for the Astros
Verdict: Fact
The Astros’ stunning acquisition of Correa was a reunion between two parties who once made great music together, a beautiful mix of idealism and realism. Houston is where it all began for Correa, the first overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft. And Houston is where Correa helped bring glory to a franchise that missed the playoffs every year from ‘06 to ‘14.
Correa was a part of five consecutive American League Championship Series appearances, three World Series berths and one championship. He not only became one of the faces of a dynastic-like era of Astros baseball, but he also time and time again played the hero for Houston in the postseason. So, for Astros fans, seeing Correa back in Houston threads brings back warm and fuzzy feelings. But why couldn’t it do more than just provide a healthy dose of nostalgia?
Correa, 30, has scuffled to a .704 OPS in 97 games and has rated as a slightly below average as a fielder at shortstop. After the trade to Houston, Correa spoke about how he’s been pondering a move from shortstop, where he once won a Platinum Glove, to third base, where he had only played during the World Baseball Classic. As he enters his thirties, the less physically taxing hot corner is looking more and more appealing to Correa, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries.
So here’s where realism comes into play. The Astros lost starting third baseman Isaac Paredes to a hamstring injury, and while the 26-year-old is foregoing surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be able to return later this season—or how effective he’ll be. There’s reason to believe Correa, equipped with a sturdy 6' 3" frame and strong arm, can handle third base. Plus, Houston may get more out of his bat going forward, given he was elite at the plate as recently as last year. And the October-bound Astros know this better than anyone: put Correa on the postseason stage and he’s bound to shine.
The New York Mets have landed another bat for the homestretch of the season, as the franchise has traded for Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, according to a report from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
In return, the Mets sent three prospects back to the Orioles, including reliever Chandler Marsh, corner infielder Anthony Nunez and reliever Raimon Gomez.
Mullins has spent his entire eight-year career in Baltimore. He is slashing .229/.305/.433 this season with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
Mullins will be under contract with the Mets through the rest of the season before hitting free agency this winter.
“I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies,” Ajinkya Rahane says
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2025
Ajinkya Rahane helped Mumbai break a nine-year drought by leading them to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24•PTI
Ajinkya Rahane has given up the captaincy of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season, saying he believes “it’s the right time to groom a new leader”. In a communication to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Rahane, now 37, said he wants to continue as a player for the team.”Captaining and winning championships with the Mumbai team has been an absolute honour,” Rahane wrote in a social media post. “With a new domestic season ahead, I believe it’s the right time to groom a new leader. And hence I’ve decided not to continue in the captaincy role. I remain fully committed to giving my best as a player and will continue my journey with MCA to help us win more trophies. Looking forward to the season.”Rahane helped Mumbai break a nine-year drought by leading them to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in 2023-24. While his red-ball form over the past two years has been patchy (467 runs in 27 innings with just one century), he was more fluent in the shorter formats. At the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in December last year, when he played under Shreyas Iyer, Rahane was the Player of the Tournament for his chart-topping 469 runs in a title-winning season.Related
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Rahane was most recently in charge of Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL 2025, for whom he was the highest scorer with 390 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 147.27. The team had a mediocre season, though, finishing eighth with just five wins.In July, Rahane said he still possessed the “hunger and passion” for the game and for red-ball cricket, stating he even carried his trainers and cricket gear while on holiday in London to begin preparations for the upcoming domestic season.”I still want to play Test cricket,” Rahane had told Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton in an interview with . “I’m really passionate about playing Test cricket. I’m enjoying my cricket at the moment. For me, it’s all about focusing on the controllable things. Frankly, I tried to have conversations with the selectors, but [there are] things as a player I cannot control. I got no response.”As a player, all I can do is keep playing cricket, keep enjoying the game, and give my best each and every time. I love playing Test cricket, love playing red-ball [cricket], it’s a passion. The love for the game keeps me going.”Mumbai are currently preparing for the upcoming season by playing the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai, with a young squad led by 18-year-old Ayush Mhatre. Mumbai allrounder Shardul Thakur, a key member of their 2024-25 Ranji campaign, was named captain of West Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy.
O Corinthians conquistou uma vitória importante nesta penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Campeonato Paulista. Diante de sua torcida na Neo Química Arena, o Timão fez 3 a 2 no Santo André, na tarde deste sábado (2), com direito a muita emoção no final, e chegou a 13 pontos na tabela de classificação. Os gols foram marcados por Maycon, Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul, nos acréscimos, enquanto Bruno Michel e Lohan diminuíram.
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O resultado permitiu o Timão continuar sonhando com a classificação no Paulista, mas a equipe acabou eliminada com a vitória da Inter de Limeira sobre o Ituano por 2 a 0 em jogo que começou na sequência da vitória alvinegra. O Corinthians ainda terá um jogo para cumprir tabela no Estadual.
⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
Os primeiros 45 minutos de jogo foram do Corinthians, que logo no início foi às redes com Yuri Alberto, mas o gol foi anulado pelo VAR, já que a bola resvalou no braço do centroavante corintiano. Apesar do baque, o Timão não desanimou e, após bola de Fagner, Maycon arrematou na saída do goleiro. No segundo tempo, no entanto, o Santo André foi para cima e passou a dominar a partida, mas foi o Alvinegro quem ampliou o marcador com Yuri Alberto. Apesar do resultado negativo, o time do ABC não desanimou e buscou o empate com Bruno Michel e Lohan, aos 41 minutos. Quando tudo parecia perdido, Pedro Raul, que havia acabado de entrar, deu números finais ao duelo.
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O que vem por aí?
O próximo compromisso do Corinthians é no domingo (10), contra o Água Santa, na Estádio Distrital do Inamar, pelo Paulistão, às 16h. No mesmo dia e horário, o Santo André enfrenta a Ponte Preta, no Estádio Bruno José Daniel, também pelo Estadual.
➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão
✅ CORINTHIANS 3 X 2 SANTO ANDRÉ Paulistão – Fase de grupos
Data e horário:Sábado, 2 de março de 2024, às 14h (de Brasília) Local:Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP) Árbitro:Flavio Rodrigues de Souza Assistentes:Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa e Evandro de Melo Lima VAR:Thiago Duarte Peixoto Cartões amarelos:- Gustavo Henrique (Corinthians) / – Afonso e Wellington Reis (Santo André) Cartões vermelhos:-
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Gols:Maycon, Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul (COR); Bruno Michel e Lohan (STA)
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES
CORINTHIANS Cássio; Fagner, Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique e Hugo; Raniele, Maycon (Fausto Vera) e Rodrigo Garro (Gustavo Mosquito); Wesley (Igor Coronado), Yuri Alberto (Pedro Raul) e Romero (Pedro Henrique).Técnico:António Oliveira.
SANTO ANDRÉ Luiz Daniel; Júnior Caiçara (Bruno Michel), João Victor (Ariel), Afonso e Igor Fernandes; Wellington Reis, Geovane, Dudu Vieira e Marciel; Léo Passos (Lohan) e Cléo Silva.Técnico:Márcio Fernandes.
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Campeonato PaulistaCorinthiansFutebol Nacionalsanto andré
The Dodgers are gearing up for their second consecutive NLCS appearance in hopes of defending their 2024 World Series title. After disposing of the Phillies in four games in the Division Series, Los Angeles will now set its sights on the Brewers, with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series slated for Monday night.
On Sunday night, Dave Roberts spoke to reporters and detailed what the Dodgers' pitching plans for the upcoming series would be, via Fabian Ardaya of . Roberts indicated that the team intends for starters Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to each start two games of the series and that Shohei Ohtani is also set to pitch "at some point," though he didn't specify when.
Snell is scheduled to start Game 1, and Roberts said the Dodgers would turn to Yamamoto in Game 2.
Tyler Glasnow also figures to start at least a game in the series, though he also pitched in relief earlier this postseason and had plenty of success doing so. It's possible he'll start Game 3 and Ohtani would then go in Game 4.
As for the Brewers, they've yet to name a Game 1 starter, though Freddy Peralta is in line to start in Game 2 against Yamamoto.
First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET from American Family Field in Milwaukee on Monday.
Chopra: Very little the bowlers could do against Abhishek
Pakistan’s Saim Ayub is the new No. 1 allrounder in men’s T20Is while India opener Abhishek Sharma has broken the record for highest rating points, extending his lead at the top of the men’s T20I batting charts.Ayub moved up four places to the top of the allrounder rankings, pushing India’s Hardik Pandya down to No. 2. Ayub took eight wickets in six innings and went at only 6.40 per over in the Asia Cup, although he scored only 37 runs in seven innings. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi dropped one position to third while Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza complete the top five.Abhishek, who was already leading the batting rankings, reached 931 rating points after his half-century against Sri Lanka. He has surpassed Dawid Malan’s previous best mark of 919 rating points in 2020. Abhishek, who only debuted last year, finished the Asia Cup with 314 runs at an average of 44.85 and a strike-rate of 200 to clinch the Player-of-the-Tournament award.Full rankings tables
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Abhishek has an 82-point lead over England’s Phil Salt, who is second, with India’s Tilak Varma third. Jos Buttler remains at fourth while Pathum Nissanka moved up to No. 5 after scoring 261 runs in the Asia Cup.Among bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy retained the No.1 spot after taking seven wickets in the Asia Cup. Kuldeep Yadav rose nine places to 12th after his 17-wicket haul in the tournament. Shaheen Afridi jumped 12 spots to joint-13th, and Bangladesh’s Rishad Hossain advanced six places to 20th.
Axar Patel could be a doubt for India’s Super Four match against Pakistan on Sunday after hurting his head while fielding during the Group A fixture against Oman in Abu Dhabi.Running around from mid-off to intercept a skier from Hammad Mirza in the 15th over of Oman’s chase, Axar juggled the chance and put it down, losing his balance in the process and hitting his head against the turf. He was seen clutching his head and the side of his neck while being ushered off the field by the physio. He did not return to the field for the remainder of Oman’s chase.Axar only bowled one over in the innings, conceding four runs, with India employing eight bowlers on their way to a 21-run win.Related
India, Pakistan will look to put off-field issues aside in Super Fours clash
While T Dilip, India’s fielding coach, suggested at his post-match press conference that Axar was “fine”, the short turnaround between matches could prove a challenge. India have less than 48 hours to take the field for the match against Pakistan in Dubai.Axar was among the many India middle-order batters who had a decent hit against Oman. Coming in at No. 5, he struck a 13-ball 26, dominating a quickfire 45-run stand for the fourth wicket with Sanju Samson, who top-scored with 56 in India’s 188 for 8.If Axar is ruled out of the Pakistan game, India may not be able to revert to the three-spinner combination they have used in all their Dubai matches so far, unless they fly in a reinforcement. Varun Chakravarthy, who was rested for the Oman match with India playing an extra seamer, and Kuldeep Yadav are the two specialist spinners in the squad.The two other like-for-like options India can summon if required are Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar, who are both part of their reserves’ list.
Lamine Yamal has reportedly made it clear to Barcelona bosses that he wants Robert Lewandowski to remain at the club beyond the end of the season. Despite fresh speculation regarding supposed interest in Erling Haaland and Harry Kane surfacing, teenage wonderkid Yamal is hoping to see a prolific Polish No.9 handed an extension to his expiring contract in Catalunya.
Lewandowski's role: Not always a starter but still prolific
Lewandowski, who is now 37 years of age, has not been a guaranteed starter for Barca this season – with Ferran Torres often being asked to lead the line. He did, however, net a hat-trick in his latest appearance, as Celta Vigo were swept aside 4-2, and found the target on 42 occasions across all competitions last term.
Yamal is said to be of the opinion that the presence of Lewandowski makes life easier for him, with opponents paying less attention to the obvious threat that he poses on the flanks. Rivals are aware of the need to try and contain one of the finest strikers of his generation, meaning that Yamal gets more time and space in which to do his thing.
Lewandowski helps to pin defences back, allowing Yamal to receive more passes and impact proceedings in the final third. According to the relationship between two players at opposing ends of their respective careers has “strengthened both on and off the field”. Yamal is said to view ex-Bayern Munich star Lewandowski as “a mentor”, with there a productive understanding between the pair as they look to pose problems to La Liga and Champions League opponents.
Yamal now wants to see Lewandowski remain in his current surroundings beyond the summer of 2027, when free agency is set to be reached. He is said to be of the opinion that there is nobody “better suited to continue fostering his development” while providing much-needed leadership.
Lewandowski believes he can star for Barcelona
Lewandowski believes that he still has more to offer at Barca, telling of his hopes for the immediate future: “It doesn't matter how many titles you have already won. The most important thing is how many titles you want to win. In my mind I know that I can improve again so many things.
“I love football, I love this team, I love this club. I still feel physically very well. I don't have any problem with this [age] because I don't feel it. I'm proud that I'm going to be 37 years old. But I still know that I can achieve my goals. I can help my team-mates because I'm still hungry for more.”
There has, however, been talk of Barcelona lining up moves for another No.9. Norwegian frontman Haaland, who is under contract at Manchester City until 2034, is a long-standing target. It has also been revealed that England captain Harry Kane has exit clauses in his contract at Bayern Munich that can be triggered at around £57 million ($75m) in 2026.
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Getty/GOALBarcelona options: Lewandowski, Kane or Haaland?
Ex-Bayern star Dietmar Hamann told GOAL recently when asked if Kane could become a stopgap for Barca as they wait on a window of opportunity in which to snap up Haaland: “Obviously they find it hard to register players, so I’m not sure they’d be able to register Haaland. But then again, this is probably a few years away.
“But Lewandowski went there, and I didn’t think he’d score the goals he did. I think the Bundesliga is the closest to the Premier League when it comes to physicality. Once you’re past 30, I reckon you probably find it a bit easier to score goals in Spain than you do in Germany or certainly in England. So that’s certainly something I can see.
“And if it were to be a stopgap, obviously it’s a good stopgap because we know the record of Harry Kane. And with all the financial issues they’ve got, they’ve got three or four years to sort that out if they want to try to get Haaland to Barcelona. So, it’s certainly something I can see, yes.”
It remains to be seen what approach Barca take when it comes to the focal point of their attack. Will they listen to Yamal and enter into contract extension talks with Lewandowski, or move in a different direction as another proven target man is approached?