George Russell was left surprised after his podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, but tempered Mercedes' expectations for the rest of the season. 

Russell, who started fifth on the grid in Baku, inherited third place on the penultimate lap of proceedings after Sergio Perez's collision with Carlos Sainz. 

The Briton claimed his third podium for Mercedes this season, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton made it double points for the Silver Arrows after finishing ninth. 

Russell moved level with Red Bull's Perez in the drivers' championship and is now 23 points behind Hamilton ahead of the final seven races. 

However, Russell acknowledged where Mercedes ranked in the pecking order at the end of a tricky weekend that saw the team complete two power unit changes.

“Definitely surprised,” Russell said about his podium finish. “I think there was so much hard work this weekend for everybody in the team.

"There were engine changes on my side, engine changes for Lewis, so much going on, everybody was working so hard.

“We had a really bad start to the race. I was dropping off a lot, but on the hard tyre I think we were one of the quickest out there and that was great.

"Got past Max, so an added bonus to stand on the podium.

“I mean we’ve got to be realistic still. We should’ve finished fifth today. That was the true result.

"Obviously, with Lando [Norris’] qualifying yesterday, he probably would’ve been up there as well, so I don’t want to get carried away with ourselves with this podium today.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do. Hopefully, Singapore’s a slightly better weekend.”

As for Hamilton, having taken on a raft of new power unit components after qualifying, he was resigned to a long afternoon after his pit lane start.

He made up plenty of ground early on, and again after his pit stop, but spent much of the latter part of the race battling Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.

Colapinto impressed in just his second race for Williams, scoring four points after finishing in eighth, while team-mate Alex Albon finished one place in front. 

And Bearman, who replaced the suspended Kevin Magnussen for Haas, completed the top 10, which came with a record-breaking achievement. 

The 19-year-old became the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two Formula One races, having made his debut in March for Ferrari as a last-minute replacement for Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing in seventh. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton showered praise on the two rookies after the race, with the Briton, who will be replaced by youngster Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes next season, insisting the future is bright for the sport. 

“Today was a difficult race,” Hamilton said.

"“We had a good day on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was tough. We made some changes heading into Saturday that didn’t work out, but we had to live with them.

“We also knew it would be challenging to overtake today. Despite the long straight, it is hard to follow through the second sector.

"Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman, who I was racing for a lot of the afternoon, did such a great job.

"It is great to see the youngsters like them coming through and doing so well. For their first and second races, it was very impressive.”

Carlo Ancelotti expects to have several players back from injury in time for Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eder Militao are set to be available for the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite the Brazilian missing training as he required an extra day to recover fully.

Madrid won their record-extending 15th Champions League title last season, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final to get their hands on the trophy.

Los Blancos were a force to be reckoned with in the competition last year, and were only behind for 7% of their total match time in the Champions League last season; the lowest percentage of any team.

Former mainstays Nacho, Joselu and the now-retired Toni Kroos are no longer part of the squad, and Madrid will also be without Eduardo Camavinga through injury.

However, Ancelotti said he was excited to start their title defence with "the best player in the world" Kylian Mbappe.

"Yes, we lost Nacho and Kroos, two of our most important players. And Joselu. In exchange, one of the best players in the world is coming. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so," Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.

Meanwhile, it was Carvajal, who scored the opening goal in their triumph over Dortmund, who confirmed Bellingham's involvement, noting his importance to the side.

"Jude's return is fantastic news for us. We know what he contributes with and without the ball," defender Dani Carvajal said.

"We demand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is a new opportunity to continue growing."

All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti's side will also be taking part in the expanded men's 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.

Forward Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined in a slew of injuries, and Ancelotti said their gruelling schedule was to blame.

"The calendar is too demanding. A new competition is coming, and we don't know how it will turn out," he added.

"It may or may not be more entertaining. The fact is that we have two more games in this competition."

The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a player, said the competition holds a place above all else in his heart.

"For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it's not just that, it's the day-to-day work to get there," he said.

"The [Champions League] will always be the same even if they change the format a little and [its relation with] Real Madrid, the same. This [year] is going to be another [chance] at history and I hope we can reach the final like last year."

After a disappointing exit in the semi-finals of the 100m at the Paris Olympics in August, Jamaica's Ackeem Blake made it his mission to win the Diamond League title. The 22-year-old sprinter, who had entered the Olympics with high hopes, was left dejected after finishing fifth in his semi-final heat with a time of 10.06 seconds. However, Blake was determined not to let that setback define his season.

With the guidance of his coach, Michael Frater, Blake refocused his efforts on the Diamond League Final in Brussels. "After a devastating exit in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, my team and I decided that we must put all our resources into making and taking the Diamond League Final," Blake revealed on Instagram after his victory.

The Jamaican sprinter knew that he needed to prove himself on the international stage, and the Diamond League presented the perfect opportunity to do so.

Blake's resolve to rebound from his Olympic disappointment was fueled by the belief that he had more to offer. Earlier in the year, he had shown glimpses of his potential by winning a bronze medal in the 60m dash at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. With a personal best of 9.89 seconds, Blake knew he had the speed to compete with the world's best. What he needed was the mental fortitude to bounce back after a major setback.

Frater played a crucial role in this mental and physical preparation. Blake credited his coach for guiding him through every phase of his comeback. “In this moment, I was deeply focused,” Blake said. “I could hear my coach guiding me through every phase of the race.” The meticulous planning and intense focus that went into preparing for the Diamond League paid off as Blake stormed to victory in a time of 9.93 seconds, defeating a high-calibre field that included American sprinters Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.

Blake's triumph in the Diamond League was not just about the win itself but about redemption and resilience. It was a testament to his determination to overcome adversity and a reminder that setbacks can serve as stepping stones to success.

 

 

 

Barcelona confirmed that Dani Olmo has been sidelined for up to five weeks with a hamstring injury.

The 26-year-old appeared to suffer muscle discomfort after scoring in Sunday's 4-1 league win at Girona and was substituted in the 61st minute.

Olmo, who signed from RB Leipzig for €55million, missed the first two games of their season due to registration issues but has played in all three since.

He has netted three goals in those appearances, with only Robert Lewandowski netting more so far (four).

Olmo's injury is a blow to Hansi Flick's side as they begin their Champions League campaign against Monaco on Thursday, having already made a perfect start to LaLiga, with five wins from five.

The Spaniard is set to miss at least six games up to the October international break.

Rory McIlroy admitted that he was "getting used to" his near misses after another late collapse saw him lose the Irish Open by one stroke.

The Northern Irishman looked set to win on home soil after taking a commanding four-shot lead at one point on Sunday.

However, costly errors on the 15th and 17th holes put the pressure back on him, and he could not hold off Rasmus Hojgaard.

McIlroy's performance at Royal County Down had echoes of his US Open misery, where he also held a lead before mistakes at crucial moments saw him lose out to Bryson DeChambeau, extending his wait for a major title into an 11th year.

He also faltered late in his bid for an Olympic medal in Paris, but McIlroy attempted to take some positives out of his latest tournament.

"I'm getting used to it [the near misses] unfortunately this year," McIlroy said.

"Hopefully the tide is going to turn pretty soon, and I can turn all these close calls into victories."

"Missing the green right on 15 is the place you can't go, and then I just misjudged the speed with the first putt on 17.

"Overall, obviously really disappointed that I didn't win, but I'll try to take the positives and move on to next week to Wentworth [at the BMW PGA Championship].

"From where I was at the start of the week and what I wanted to do, it's a step in the right direction. You know, if anything, it just whets my appetite even more for Portrush [the Open Championship] next year."

Aaron Rodgers says his first win with the New York Jets has been "a long time coming" after their comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The 40-year-old’s first season in New York ended in the fourth snap of the first game as he tore his left Achilles tendon.

Returning to action in 2024, he began the year with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, but finally managed to get off the mark with the Jets on Sunday as they beat the Titans 24-17.

Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns, with one of those to 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players.

And the quarterback was pleased to avoid the first 0-2 of his 20-year career.

"It was great. It was a long time coming," he said.

"These are kind of the games you look back on late in the season, and you're thankful you won these, because if we want to be a great team, we have to win in these type of environments against a team like that."

The Jets made a slow start to the game but rallied in the third quarter to take the lead, only to be pegged back at 17-17 going into the fourth.

However, Allen once again found his way to the end zone after a 20-yard run to make sure the Jets would be heading home with the win.

Rodgers admitted he was not happy with the first-half performance, but credited the team for staying patient to get it over the line.

"A lot of times people freak out," Rodgers added. "You have to be a calming force in there.

"I felt like the whole game we were frustrated at times, but we never got on each other. I was frustrated not getting [Garrett Wilson] balls. Didn't run the ball very well the first 2 1/2 quarters.

"We stayed confident. The defense came up with some really big plays to keep it a one-score game."

The Jets are back in action on Thursday against the New England Patriots. 

The arrivals of Conor Gallagher and Julian Alvarez have energised Atletico Madrid, Diego Simeone said on Sunday.

Gallagher, who joined this summer from Premier League side Chelsea, scored his first LaLiga goal in Sunday's 3-0 home win over Valencia, opening the scoring in the first half.

He is now just the third youngest English goalscorer in the Spanish top-flight (24 years and 222 days), after Jude Bellingham and Mason Greenwood. 

"He came with a lot of enthusiasm, and we needed that kind of player in the midfield because he makes us better," Simeone told a news conference.

"He does not stop giving his best in every game situation in which he participates."

Another new signing, Alvarez, scored in the 93rd minute, also his first goal in the Spanish top flight since joining from Manchester City.

He became the 14th Argentina player to score for Atletico in LaLiga this century. 

"We all needed him to score a goal, for him to be more relaxed, to be connected to what he likes... hopefully the goal will be the first of many," the manager added.

"I imagine that he lives for the goal and the enthusiasm to generate this type of situation. Today he appeared as he always does at the least expected moment at the end of the game when hope seems to be fading and, luckily, he scored."

The Atletico boss added that the strengthened squad, which includes new signings such as Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth, is gelling very well and that allows them to compete at the level they want to.

Simone Inzaghi was left frustrated as Inter failed to capitalise on their opportunities, needing to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Monza.

Dany Mota gave Monza the lead in the 81st minute, while Denzel Dumfries spared the champions' blushes by netting the equaliser seven minutes later.

They were knocked off the Serie A summit after dropping points for the second time this season, with Napoli leapfrogging them to the top of the table.

"We had difficulties against a team that played a good defensive game," Inzaghi told a press conference. "We had chances that we didn't convert, we made technical mistakes.

"Then in the second half, we didn't do well, we didn't create dangerous situations, and when we switched to three [up front], we had this great goal from Dany Mota that created difficulties for us."

Inter intensified their efforts after going behind, but time was not on their side as they tried to wrap up three points. Overall, the visitors managed 16 shots but only got two of those on target in a wasteful performance.

"We had a great reaction after the goal, maybe we should have had it earlier," Inzaghi added.

"We had a couple of situations that weren't exactly clear, usually we manage to capitalize on them. In games like this, you have to try to unlock the result... If you stay tied and concede goals, games become difficult."

Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez had an early chance to put Inter in front but sent his header slightly above the bar.

Last season's Serie A top scorer, who finished the campaign with 24 goals, remains goalless in Serie A so far.

"He had a little problem, he couldn't train a lot," Inzaghi said.

"The attack was the only department where I had one player, [Joaquin] Correa, in the last 10 days [in training]. We thought we would find the goal sooner.

"The team was a bit slow but until [conceding] the goal [Yann] Sommer had no work. But you accept a goal like that more than the ones we conceded on the first match day, even tonight overall defensively we did well."

Inter drew 2-2 at Genoa in their season opener, before consecutive home wins against Lecce and Atalanta, in which they kept a clean sheet in both. 

They get their Champions League campaign underway when they travel to Manchester City on Wednesday.

"I'm quite calm," Inzaghi assured. "I have all the players available, and this new Champions League is something new for all of us coaches.

"It's the first year [of the new format], there are two more games without the usual group. We'll have to try to do our best, any opponent we find in the Champions League is difficult."

Hansi Flick heaped praise on Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal after he scored a double to help the LaLiga leaders earn a 4-1 victory at Girona on Sunday.

Yamal, who grabbed the spotlight as he helped Spain win their fourth European Championship title in July, scored twice in seven first-half minutes to put them in control.

Dani Olmo and Pedri then secured the win before Cristhian Stuani's consolation and Ferran Torres' late sending-off for a reckless challenge.

Barcelona maintained their unbeaten start to the season, getting their fifth consecutive win at the start of Flick's tenure.

"I'm very happy about Lamine's two goals, he's very young, but he's really incredible, a difference maker at such a young age," Flick told Movistar Plus.

"Having him is key for us not only because of his quality, but he also presses very well high. He combines talent and pressure and that's massive for us. He is outstanding.

"It was a tough game. Girona played well, but we started very well too, and we deserved to win."

Flick's Barcelona top the LaLiga standings with 15 points, four ahead of Real Madrid and Villarreal. Last year's surprise package, Girona, are seventh with seven points.

Barca avenged their two losses to Girona last season, both by a 4-2 result.

It was a dominant performance by the Catalan giants, whose relentless high press was too much for their opponents to handle as they had 20 shots (nine on target), outperforming their 1.82 expected goals.

Now, Barcelona will hope to carry their domestic momentum into the Champions League, where they will face Monaco away on Thursday.

"We have trained very hard for this, and we need to keep going. This last week we have prepared well, but we do it for every game we play because we always want to win, we are in a good moment, and we can't stop," Flick added.

"It won't be easy against Monaco, but we're taking it one game at a time, and we're really excited. We're all looking forward to it."

A'ja Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a season in the Las Vegas Aces' 84-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.

Wilson finished with 29 points and reached the 1,000-point mark on a pull-up jumper with two minutes remaining.

Wilson's latest milestone came just four days after she established the WNBA single-season scoring record, breaking the mark of 939 points set by Jewell Lloyd in 2023.

The Aces have won seven of eight games and own a one-game lead over the Seattle Storm for the No. 4 seed in the play-offs and home-court advantage in that series.

Wilson wasn't the only WNBA star with a memorable performance on Sunday, as Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 35 points in the Indiana Fever's 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings.

Clark also added eight assists and combined with Kelsey Mitchell to hit 12 of Indiana's 16 3-pointers.

Clark has already established a WNBA rookie record with 761 points, and her 329 assists are the most by any player in a single season in league history.

 

Giving Patrick Mahomes another chance rarely works out well for the opposition.

A pass interference call on the Cincinnati Bengals on a fourth-and-16 with 38 seconds left allowed the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to keep the ball, setting up Mahomes and company to steal a win.

Harrison Butker delivered the winner, kicking a 51-yard field goal as time expired to send the Chiefs to a 26-25 victory over the Bengals on Sunday.

Butker's game-winning kick came four plays after it appeared Kansas City turned the ball over on downs at their own 35-yard line, but Cincinnati safety Daijahn Anthony was called for pass interference, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs on the 29-yard penalty.

 

The game featured five lead changes in the second half, with the Chiefs taking their first lead on Mahomes' one-yard TD pass to offensive tackle Wanya Morris at 8:21 in the third quarter to make the score 17-16.

The Bengals then went back in front 22-17 on a three-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Andrei Iosivas with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.

The game's final touchdown came when Chamarri Conner returned a Burrow fumble 37 yards for a touchdown to put Kansas City ahead 23-22 just 20 seconds into the final period.

Evan McPherson's fourth field goal of the game gave the Bengals a 25-23 lead with 5:12 to play, but Cincinnati couldn't hold on and dropped to 0-2 while Kansas City improved to 2-0.

Burrow finished with 258 yards passing, two touchdowns without an interception, while Mahomes completed 18-of-25 passes, but only threw for 151 yards - the second fewest of his career - with two TDs and two picks.

Mahomes had a 44-yard touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, who finished with 75 yards on five receptions.

Isiah Pacheco also had five catches for 21 yards, and rushed for 90 yards on 19 carries.

 

Kamara has 4 TDs as Saints make statement by demolishing Dallas

Beating a woeful team by 37 points at home in Week 1 was one thing.

Winning by 25 on the road against a reigning division champ in Week 2 is another.

The New Orleans Saints put the rest of the NFL on notice with an impressive 44-19 trouncing of the Dallas Cowboys, with Alvin Kamara scoring four touchdowns.

A week after setting a franchise record by starting the season with points on nine consecutive possessions in last Sunday's 47-10 dismantling of the lowly Carolina Panthers, the Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives against the Cowboys and were in control all the way as they led 35-16 at half-time.

 

Derek Carr threw for 243 yards on just 11 completions with two touchdowns - including a 57-yard screen pass to Kamara and a 70-yarder to Rashid Shaheed.

Kamara finished with 115 rushing yards and another 65 yards receiving, while Shaheed led New Orleans with 96 receiving yards on four receptions.

The Saints racked up 432 total yards of offence against Dallas (1-1) and became the first NFL team to score 44 or more points in each of their first two games since the 2009 Saints did it on the way to winning the franchise's only Super Bowl.

Paulson Adebo and Tyrann Mathieu each intercepted Dak Prescott once and the New Orleans defence sacked him three times en route to snapping the Cowboys' home winning streak in the regular season at 16 games.

 

Buccaneers win at Detroit to avenge play-off loss

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned a measure of revenge, beating the Detroit Lions 20-16 in a play-off rematch.

Baker Mayfield put the Buccaneers (2-0) ahead with a dazzling 11-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter for the game's final score and Tampa Bay's defence stepped up late.

 

Christian Izien intercepted Jared Goff at the Tampa Bay nine-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, and the Lions (1-1) turned the ball over on downs at the Bucs' six-yard line with 53 seconds remaining and again at their 26 with two seconds to play.

Detroit also had an opportunity late in the first half to score points but couldn't get a play off after Goff completed an eight-yard pass to Amon-ra St. Brown in the middle of the field without a timeout remaining.

The Lions, who ended Tampa Bay's 2023 season with a 31-23 win in the divisional round of the play-offs, outgained the Buccaneers 463-216 in total yards but only scored one touchdown on a David Montgomery one-yard run.

Goff completed 34-of-55 passes for 307 yards but threw a pair of costly interceptions.

Mayfield was 12 of 19 for 185 yards with a 41-yard touchdown to Chris Godwin, who finished with seven catches for 117 yards.

 

Rodgers gets first win with Jets

Aaron Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the New York Jets beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17.

The four-time league MVP earned his first win with the Jets after his 2023 season ended when he tore his left Achilles tendon on his fourth snap of the year and this year began with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

The 40-year-old quarterback threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to a 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players. At 20 years and 239 days, Allen is the youngest NFL player to score a scrimmage touchdown since Arnie Herber was the exact same age in 1930.

Allen also scored on a 20-yard run, while Breece Hall rushed for 62 yards and had 52 yards receiving with a 26-yard touchdown reception.

 

New York took advantage of some sloppy play by the Titans, including another head-scratching decision by Will Levis.

A week after throwing a pick-6 while being sacked in a season-opening loss to the Chicago Bears, Levis tried to shovel a backward pass to Tyjae Spears and Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams ended up recovering the loose ball at the New York 12-yard line.

 

Fairbairn's big leg, Texans' defence leads way in win over Bears

In a matchup between two of NFL's most highly regarded young quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans got the better of Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, holding on for a 19-13 win.

Stroud threw for 260 yards with Nico Collins on the receiving end of eight of those passes for 135 yards as the Texans improved to 2-0.

The two hooked up for a 28-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, and Houston got the rest of its scoring from kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn.

The kicker with the big leg connected from 47, 53, 56 and 59 yards after drilling field goals from 50, 51 and 51 yards in Houston's 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.

Fairbairn is the first player in NFL history to have two games with three field goals of at least 50 yards in his entire career, and he's done it in the first two games of this season.

 

The Texans' defence harassed Williams all night in his second career start. Houston intercepted this year's No. 1 overall draft pick twice and sacked him seven times.

Williams completed 23-of-37 passes for 174 yards and ran for 44 yards, while running back D'Andre Swift was limited to 18 rushing yards on 14 carries.

The Bears (1-1) finished with just 205 total yards of offence after being held to a mere 148 total yards in their comeback win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1.

 

Darnold leads surprising Vikings over 49ers

The Minnesota Vikings took out the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, winning 23-17.

Taking over the offence after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, Sam Darnold helped the Vikings improve to 2-0.

Darnold was 17 of 26 for 268 yards with a pair of touchdowns, including a 97-yarder to Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson finished with 133 yards receiving on four catches, and Ty Chandler rushed for 82 yards on just 10 carries for a Minnesota team that compiled 146 yards on the ground.

 

Jordan Mason led the 49ers (1-1) with 100 yards rushing and scored on a 10-yard run in his second start in place of All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, who has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least two more games with lower leg injuries.

Brock Purdy completed 28-of-36 passes for 319 yards, but only one throw went for a touchdown - a seven-yarder to tight end Geroge Kittle in the second quarter.

Aaron Judge has once again found his power stroke.

Judge hit his major league-leading 53rd home run to help the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday.

Judge's two-run homer travelled 445 feet and bounced off the glass window of a restaurant beyond the centre field fence at Yankee Stadium.

It marked the slugger's second home run in three games following a career-high 16-game homer-less streak.

 

Gleyber Torres also homered for the Yankees (87-63), who took three of four games from the Red Sox to open a three-game lead atop the AL East over the second-place Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox (75-75), meanwhile, dropped 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL's final wild-card spot.

Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run homer off Yankees starter Carlos Rodón for his 31st home run of the season and sixth in the last nine games.

Those were the only runs permitted by Rodón, who yielded six hits over 5 1/3 innings to earn his career-best 15th win.

 

Phillies top Mets on Realmuto's walk-off single

For the second day in a row the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies rallied late, winning 2-1 on J.T. Realmuto's walk-off single in the ninth inning to hand the New York Mets another discouraging defeat.

The game was scoreless until Tyrone Taylor homered in the top of the eighth inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The Phillies responded with Buddy Kennedy's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth, and won it an inning later on Realmuto's game-ending single off Edwin Díaz with two outs for his sixth career walk-off hit.

 

Philadelphia (90-59) reached the 90-win mark for the second year in a row by winning the final two games of the three-game series with New York after rallying for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.

Adding to the Mets' woes, All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor left the game in the second inning with back discomfort.

Lindor, who has been instrumental to New York's play-off push, also left Friday's game with low back soreness, and is scheduled to get an MRI on Monday.

In a bit of good news for the Mets (81-68), the Atlanta Braves later lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving New York tied with Atlanta for the NL's final wild card-spot.

 

Dodgers use seven-run ninth inning to beat Braves

The Los Angeles Dodgers scored seven runs in the ninth inning - all with two outs - to beat the Atlanta Braves 9-2.

Mookie Betts started the ninth-inning outburst with a tiebreaking single and Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run single.

The Dodgers then poured it on with Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman and Max Muncy hitting consecutive home runs.

 

Los Angeles' big ninth started against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, who had not allowed an earned run since June 16 - a span of 35 1/3 innings.

Shohei Ohtani was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored for the Dodgers (88-61), who own a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League's No. 2 seed.

Matt Olson and Travis d'Arnaud drove in runs for the Braves (81-68), who are tied with the Mets with 13 games remaining.

Canada beat Great Britain to ensure their progress to the Davis Cup Final 8 on Sunday, with Denis Shapovalov beating Dan Evans and Felix Auger Aliassime overcoming Jack Draper.

Canada needed just one point from their final group-stage tie, and Shapovalov did the honours at the first time of asking by beating Evans 6-0 7-5.

Shapovalov won 100% of first-serve points as he dominated an opening set that lasted just 27 minutes, and though Evans came back into the encounter in the second set, a break in the final game sealed the deal for Shapovalov.

With Canada's progress secured, Auger Aliassime then added some gloss by overcoming US Open semi-finalist Draper 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 in a fiercely contested affair.

British pair Neal Skupski and Henry Patten beat Gabriel Diallo and Alexis Galarneau 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in the doubles, but it was of little consequence with their elimination already certain.

Argentina joined Canada in qualifying from Group D with a sweep of Finland, while Italy finished top of Group A in Bologna, thanks to the efforts of Flavio Cobolli.

He beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-3 as the Netherlands were forced to settle for second, after Matteo Berrettini had put the defending champions in the driving seat with a 3-6 6-4 6-4 win against Botic van de Zandschulp.

World number one Jannik Sinner was present to support Berrettini, embracing him after he capped his fightback by converting match point. 

Australia and Spain had already sealed qualification from Group B prior to Sunday's matches, while the United States and Germany had clinched their progress from Group C.

The Davis Cup Final 8 will take place in Malaga between November 19 and November 24, with Italy hoping to become the first team to defend the title since the Czech Republic in 2013.

Max Verstappen lamented Red Bull's changes that left the RB20 "uncontrollable" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. 

Verstappen could only manage fifth place around the streets of Baku, but remains 59 points ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, who finished one place in front. 

But the Dutchman was the beneficiary of a collision involving Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap of the race. 

Verstappen has now gone six grand prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, last winning at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

The three-time world champion cited issues with his car during qualifying that seemed to carry over into the race, but is confident Red Bull can respond in Singapore next time. 

"I think the changes we did to the car were positive, but then you still need of course to do the set-up on the car," Verstappen said.

“I think we were heading in the right direction but then the changes that we made before qualifying tipped it over the edge.

"We paid the price for that in the race unfortunately.”

The Dutchman was able to further detail the difficulties he experienced on track, saying: “My wheels were literally coming off the ground. 

“Then of course you lose contact patch with the tarmac which you don’t want.

"That then caused me to slide a lot more, overheat the tyres more and there was no way to drive around it so the pace was just a bit all over the place.

“I had to box and then it was just a bit unfortunate I got stuck behind Alex and Lando.

"I was in that fight, George passed me, and then we actually had good pace, the two of us.

"We were catching the leaders but then as soon as I got close to George again within that window where you have the dirty air, because of the jumping that I’m dealing with I’m sliding already quite a bit.

“And then when I get close to him I’m sliding even more and that just tipped it over the edge where it becomes quite uncontrollable towards the end of the race, which was very difficult again.”

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