Marco Silva is hoping Fulham’s 3-2 defeat to champions Manchester City will give his players “courage” against Aston Villa upon their return to Premier League action.
The Cottagers went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side before the international break but were made to rue missed opportunities during the contest, with Adama Traore the most notable for squandering some gilt-edged chances at the Etihad.
However, Silva is confident his team can take encouragement from their display as they aim to maintain their unbeaten record at Craven Cottage this season.
“To see City finish with three central defenders with five at the back shows that we were creating problems for them, not just in transition,” Silva said.
“It gives us courage. We know what we are capable of doing, and it gives us the confidence to keep going in the direction that we want to go in, and to stick with our philosophy as a team.
“Looking at the chances that we did create throughout the game and comparing with City, we deserved more. But that’s football.”
Unai Emery, meanwhile, insisted his Aston Villa side will be raring to go when they return to domestic action after their stalemate with Manchester United last time out.
It was the Villans’ first goalless draw at Villa Park in the Premier League since May 2021, while the expected goals (xG) total between the two sides was just 1.05 – the lowest in a top-flight match so far this season.
With the international break allowing Villa to recuperate after a busy September schedule that saw them start their Champions League campaign with two wins, returning players will be a welcome addition, the Spaniard believes.
“It’s a nice moment to rest. This week we are going to work and recover some players. We are going to add [Boubacar] Kamara and [Tyrone] Mings, which is very good news. Hopefully some injured players can come back for the next match against Fulham,” Emery said.
“We will need players. Today we were more or less with some players out and we needed fresh players with good legs in the second half to help get our objective in this match.
“The players were really focusing on this match and gave their best. I’m happy because we are feeling strong here with our supporters and keeping a good position in the league and Champions League targeting our objectives. We are going to try to get there.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Andreas Pereira
No player has played more passes (including crosses) into the opposition box than Fulham’s Pereira in the Premier League this season (64), with the Brazilian also creating the most chances from set plays (16).
Pereira has also created 23 chances overall this term (level with Cole Palmer and Dwight McNeil), a total only bettered by Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (27) in the Premier League so far.
Aston Villa – Jhon Duran
After netting in midweek while on international duty with Colombia, Duran will be hoping to continue his remarkable scoring streak at Craven Cottage.
Duran has four goals in just 184 minutes of action in the Premier League this season, averaging a goal every 46 minutes so far. This is the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to feature for at least 90 minutes this term.
MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN
Fulham are unbeaten in their three Premier League home games so far this season (W2 D1). They last had a longer run without defeat at Craven Cottage from the start of a campaign in 2011-12 (four).
The Cottagers lost this exact fixture 2-1 in February last season, though they have never lost consecutive home league games against Aston Villa before.
However, they face an uphill task against Emery’s men, who are unbeaten in their last five league games (W3 D2), though their 0-0 draw with United last time out was their first clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches.
Visits to London have proven fruitful for the Villans in recent years. They have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games in the capital (W8 D3). Their eight wins in this time (all under Emery) are as many as they’d managed in their previous 48 top-flight games in London.
Villa have also won five of their last six Premier League games against Fulham (L1), including the last three in a row. It’s more wins than they’d managed in their previous 19 against the Cottagers in the top-flight (W4 D10 L5), while they’ve never won four in a row against them in their league history.
No team has scored more goals from crosses than Aston Villa in the Premier League this season (five). No player has scored more such goals than Ollie Watkins (two), while Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans have two such assists each – only Saka (four) has more.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 40.5%
Draw – 25.5%
Aston Villa – 34%
Ben Duckett's fourth Test century was overshadowed by Sajid Khan's spin bowling as England ended the second day of the second Test 239-6 in Multan.
England started confidently with the bat, but the loss of four wickets in three overs had the hosts in the ascendency at stumps, with Sajid ending the day 4-86.
Pakistan resumed at 259-5 but lost the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (41), Salman Ali Agha (31) and Sajid (two) early on, with Brydon Carse and Jack Leach doing the damage.
Leach would end with figures of 4-114 for the first innings, claiming the dismissal of Noman Ali (32) as England were set a target of 366 to chase.
Zak Crawley (27) fell after 12 overs having had two huge let-offs before being caught by Rizwan, then Ollie Pope (29) fell to Sajid, who would later demolish the rest of England's top and middle order.
Sajid grabbed the wicket of Joe Root (34) before striking out Duckett, who had notched 114 runs from his 129 deliveries in a composed showing at the crease.
However, Sajid was not finished there. Harry Brook, England's star from the first Test, was bowled out for nine, while Stokes was given his marching orders by Noman Ali, as the tourists lost four important wickets in just 18 balls.
Carse (two) and Jamie Smith (12) were able to halt the onslaught late on, and they will start day three at the crease with England trailing by 127 runs.
Data Debrief: Duckett outshone by Sajid
Duckett's knock of 114 was his fourth Test century and his second in Pakistan, with 23% of his runs so far coming from sweeps.
Only one England player since 2006 (Joe Root versus Sri Lanka in 2018) has scored more of his first 100 runs in a specific Test innings with the sweep shot.
But his display was overshadowed by Sajid's showing with the ball in hand. His spin proved difficult to manage on the Multan surface, and Pakistan will be hoping that he can continue that form on Thursday.
Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City if the club lied to him over their alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
City's legal battle with the Premier League is anticipated to last approximately another two months, with the verdict made public next year, after an independent hearing started in September.
The English champions have been charged with 115 alleged breaches of competition rules over an extended period of time, including breaking financial rules, and failing to comply or provide accurate information to the investigation.
Points deductions and fines are on the cards as possible penalties if City are found guilty, though Maguire believes the most significant impact could be breaking trust with manager Guardiola.
"Txiki Begiristain [City's director of football] is leaving, that's more likely to have an impact than anything else, because I think Pep's the type of guy for whom relationships are a very important thing," Maguire told Stats Perform.
"He has also said that every time he's spoken to the club in relation to these charges, they've said they're completely innocent.
"If they've been proven to have lied to him, he'll be off, because I think on a principal point of view, where's the incentive to stay?"
Any theoretical penalty would depend on the severity of City's breaches, but Nottingham Forest and Everton were both punished with points deductions last season for financial misdemeanours.
Guardiola has continually spoken out in defence of his club, insisting innocence until proven guilty, though Maguire believes the former Barcelona boss may have already decided on his future regardless.
"I suspect in his own mind, he's probably 99% certain as to what he's going to do next summer," Maguire said of Guardiola, who had been linked to the England job before Thomas Tuchel was appointed on Wednesday.
"He's a very intense individual. His commitment to Manchester City is 24/7 and, as we saw with Jurgen Klopp, that has an impact on the rest of his life. He's got a family, he's got his own health to consider, and much broader issues."
Relegation has also been mooted as the most severe punishment if proven guilty, although Maguire questioned whether this would inspire Guardiola to silence his doubters.
"If Manchester City lose the case and they're subject to a 100-point deduction, part of him would fancy Swansea on a Tuesday night, just to prove [a point]," he added.
"One of the criticisms of Pep Guardiola, which I think is completely lacking in validity, is that he's only managed to be successful because he's had clubs with big budgets in big divisions.
"Look at the number of Manchester United managers over the course of the last decade who have had big budgets in a big division, who have not been successful.
"If you take a look at Chelsea's managers, they've spent 1.3 to 1.4 billion pounds on players in the last two years, they've not won anything. So, I think you have to be careful."
Mauricio Pochettino has called for calm following his first defeat as the United States boss, insisting he needs more time to get the best out of his players.
Pochettino watched on as the Stars and Stripes fell to a 2-0 loss to Mexico at the Estadio AKRON, with Raul Jimenez and Cesar Huerta on target for the hosts.
The United States struggled for large parts of the contest, managing just one shot on target from the five they attempted, ending with an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.27.
An even bigger cause for concern was that the USMNT's xG came from Brandon Vazquez (0.12), Kristoffer Lund (0.11) and Haji Wright (0.04), all of whom started on the bench.
"We all feel disappointed because I think we didn't have all the players that we wanted to have when we started," Pochettino told reporters.
"We lost some players for different reasons, and we arrived a little bit short here.
"I say thank you to the players (who were here) because they were amazing, professional and the behaviour was amazing.
"We wanted to win. I think we need to be positive about this type of game.
"We need to play more games like this to improve the knowledge that we have.
"Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, have them, know them, and from there I will give you a better opinion about what is much more fundamental than what I see."
Pochettino understands the task at hand, with his side's win in his first game in charge against Panama the only triumph in their last six games.
The Argentine has been tasked with leading the U.S. at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, and the latest defeat will leave him plenty to ponder ahead of the November international break.
Ange Postecoglou is ready to “explode” when his Tottenham players return from the international break, using his side as “therapy” after their loss to Brighton last time out.
Spurs were on the end of a dismal defeat at the Amex Stadium against the Seagulls, squandering a two-goal lead to halt their five-match winning streak in all competitions.
Postecoglou faced criticism for the manner in which his side capitulated on the south coast, but wanted to make his feelings known ahead of their London derby with West Ham that will kick off the latest round of Premier League fixtures this weekend.
“You never know with the international [break] whether it will be good or bad, maybe for the players it was good, but I don’t like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge,” Postecoglou told Optus Sport.
“There can be a tendency to overanalyse, but it wasn’t a good one. That first half we played against Brighton was unbelievable – the best we have played all year – but I just didn’t like the second half and what we looked like.
“You know what international football, the game finishes and everyone goes, so the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. I have been sitting on it for 10 days now and I am ready to explode once they get back in the building and they will be my therapy.”
West Ham, meanwhile, come into the contest off the back of a first win in five games against Ipswich, relieving the pressure on new boss Julen Lopetegui.
Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were all on target against the Tractor Boys and are aiming to produce back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since March 2023.
Lopetegui showered praise on Bowen, who missed out in England’s Nations League squad for their October fixtures. The Spaniard is expecting his star man to continue his form, with the aim of impressing incoming Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel.
“The best way to show your disappointment as a player is this,” Lopetegui said.
“When you don’t play in one lineup, when you don’t go away with England, it’s this. I think he knows that. He is always ready to help the team.
“He is always ready to work hard, to play well and that’s why he is a very good player.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – James Maddison
Including crosses, no player has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s Maddison (64).
The 27-year-old’s next goal will be his 50th in the competition, with the midfielder netting in two of his last three league games.
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has been involved in 34 shots this season (15 shots, 19 chances created), more than any other West Ham player.
Indeed, last time out against Ipswich, he became the first Hammers player to have five or more shots and create five or more chances in a single Premier League match since Michail Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other in the first Premier League matchday back after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven (W4 D3).
Tottenham have also only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham (26).
But Postecoglou’s men have lost four of their last six Premier League London derbies (W1 D1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D3). They did beat Brentford 3-1 in their last such match, however.
In contrast, the Hammers are unbeaten in their last three Premier League London derbies on the road (W1 D2), with those accounting for all three of their away games so far this season. They last had a longer such run without defeat between January and December 1999 (six).
David Moyes’ West Ham side came from behind to win this exact fixture 2-1 last season, but they have not won consecutive league visits to Spurs since doing so in April and November 1966.
They will have to be wary of the threat of Brennan Johnson, who has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham. His six goals in run are more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club (five).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 56.6%
Draw – 22.4%
West Ham – 20.9%
Jamaica's premier horse racing venue is poised for significant growth and more international recognition, thanks to a strategic partnership with the New York Racing Association (NYRA). This collaboration, ignited by the improvement being done at the park by operators Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) over the past seven, potentially marks a turning point for the Jamaican horse racing industry.
In a major boost to the Caymanas Park's profile, NYRA and FOX Sports have committed to a two-year agreement to broadcast the prestigious Mouttet Mile Invitational live in the USA. This partnership renewal comes after the resounding success of the 2023 Mouttet Mile Invitational which was televised live for the first time on FOX Sports.
SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe expressed his joy with the development. “Since SVREL has been at the helm of operations at Caymanas Park, we’ve made US multi-million-dollar investments into the product and the infrastructure as we strongly believe in the value of horseracing as an industry. We are very excited to have NYRA see the gem that Caymanas Park is and for them to step up and commit to investing in the product to help bring the sport to international racing fans. By all accounts, last year’s broadcast on FOX Sports was a hit. Racing fans from NY to California fell in love with the energy of racing at Caymanas Park and so we’re very pleased to have FOX and NYRA back on board for not just this year but also the 2025 Mouttet Mile. The potential for the growth of the local industry with the exposure and support from NYRA and FOX is limitless.”
Sharpe has consistently shared his vision for the facility to become the premier destination for sports and entertainment in the Caribbean.
In addition to broadcasting the next two editions of the Mouttet Mile, FOX Sports also stated that the extended coverage will showcase not only the world-class racing at Caymanas Park but also the venue's unique and electric atmosphere brought by the passionate racing fans. The partnership will also officially make the linkage between sports and tourism by including Jamaica’s natural beauty and historical sites in the broadcast partnership. They will also be showcasing not only the racing but the passion of the fans at Caymanas Park who add to the unique energy at the iconic venue.
Overseas punters are not to be left out as NYRA will offer a special Pick 5 wager that includes not only two graded stakes at Caymanas Park, including the Mouttet Mile but also the prestigious Cigar Mile at Aqueduct—a Grade 1 race with a purse of US$750,000.
"NYRA is looking to host an inter tote wagering double race with the Mouttet Mile and the Cigar Mile. Interest in the Mouttet Mile and by extension, Caymanas Park, has spread from coast to coast in the USA. Making betting on the Mouttet Mile accessible in the USA is a great achievement and it takes us closer to realising the ultimate goal of having the race included in the World Pool,” said Sharpe.
He also hinted at a possible purse increase for next year's Mouttet Mile.
The Mouttet Mile Invitational is a Grade One event for three-year-olds and upward going over a mile (1,600m) and in successive years has set the record for the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean. The 2024 purse is set at a historic US $250,000. The 3rd Running of the Mouttet Mile is scheduled for December 7.
This year’s staging is already shaping up to be an exciting affair with early interest from 7 prominent overseas-based horses and two local horses already earning their automatic spots in an exciting Win and You’re In promotion by copping wins in The Jamaica Derby (Gr. 1) and the Philip Feanny OD Gold Cup (Gr. 1). The final Win & You’re In instalments are The Jamaica Cup (Gr. 1) and Port Royal Sprint (Gr. 3) scheduled for November 9.
The collaboration between Caymanas Park and NYRA represents a significant milestone for Jamaica's horse racing industry.
Sharpe concluded “Over the past few years we’ve been able to attract some local corporate sponsors which we see as an endorsement of SVREL’s efforts to elevate horseracing and create a thriving ecosystem around it. This endorsement by an organization like NYRA bodes well for the future of racing and we can’t wait to welcome even more international partners on board as we grow a sustainable product. All of this happening in Caymanas Park’s 65th anniversary year makes it extra special.”
Building on the solid groundwork laid by SVREL's investments and innovations, this partnership with NYRA is expected to bring new opportunities, increased investment, and a higher international profile to Jamaican horse racing.
Tom Brady has been given approval by the NFL's team owners to buy a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 47-year-old retired for the second time in February 2023, having won seven Super Bowls across 23 seasons in the NFL.
Speaking about his investment, Brady said he was "incredibly humbled and excited" to be given the opportunity to work with the Raiders.
"Throughout my NFL career, I've learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience and a relentless pursuit of excellence," he wrote in a statement.
"The Raiders franchise and city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I'm honoured to become part of that story."
Brady has kept himself busy since leaving the NFL as a player. In March of last year, he purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Aces before they went on to win the WNBA Championship.
Last August, he also became a minority owner of EFL team Birmingham City, in partnership with investment group Knighthead Capital Management.
On his latest acquisition, Brady needed 24 votes from NFL owners to get the green light but received a unanimous 32 during a meeting in Atlanta.
"I'm excited to contribute to the organisation in any way I can, honouring the Raiders' rich tradition while finding every possible opportunity to improve our offering to fans," he said. "And most importantly, WIN football games."
Brady isn't the only person pleased with his acquisition, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell happy to see him back in the sport.
"It's great that Tom Brady wants to invest in the NFL," he said. "He cares deeply about this game, he believes in its future, and I think that's just a signal about it."
Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time in over a year, having followed their 2-1 win in Chile last week with a 4-1 victory over Peru on Tuesday.
The hosts did have an initial scare though, with Edison Flores breaking clear to slot the ball past Ederson after 12 minutes, though the flag was immediately raised for offside.
Raphinha then hammered against the crossbar in the 24th minute, before putting his team a goal ahead from the penalty spot in the 38th minute - six minutes after the kick was initially awarded for handball against Carlos Zambrano, following a lengthy VAR review.
The Barcelona man then killed the game as a contest by scoring a second penalty nine minutes into the second half, also conceded by Zambrano.
Brazil continued to dominate before a spectacular 71st-minute volley from Andreas Pereira made their lead more comfortable. Luiz Henrique then added another three minutes later with a neat curling effort from the edge of the box.
Data Debrief: Brazil on the way back
Brazil have won back-to-back competitive matches for the first time since September 2023.
While they trail CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying leaders Argentina by six points, they have opened five-point gap to eighth-placed Venezuela in the first elimination spot.
But with another eight matches to come, including fixtures against Venezuela and Uruguay in November's international break, they will need to maintain their improved form.
Mauricio Pochettino suffered his first defeat in charge of the United States, losing 2-0 away to Mexico in a friendly on Tuesday.
For Mexico, it was their third match without defeat or even conceding a goal as they celebrated the international swansong of veteran midfielder Andres Guardado in style.
Mexico opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when Raul Jimenez whipped a powerful free-kick past Matt Turner from distance.
The in-form Fulham man hit his shot with the perfect amount of power and height to lift it up and over the wall and find the top corner.
Jimenez continued to threaten in the first half, with long-range shots and audacious flicks, but there was little else to get excited about in the opening period.
The home side doubled their lead early in the second half after star man Jimenez won the ball back in the box and slipped in team-mate Cesar Huerta for a close-range finish. That was a lead they comfortably saw out for their first victory over the USA since 2019.
Data debrief: Pochettino with plenty of work to do
The chief worry for Pochettino will be how his side were bossed out of what was a low-margin game in terms of expected goals (xG), with the USA generating 0.27 compared to Mexico's 0.95.
The United States managed just one shot on target, with Brandon Vazquez's effort coming in the 79th minute when the result seemed academic.
There is a big job here for Pochettino given his side's 2-0 victory against Panama in his opening match remains their only win in six, while they have lost four of those contests.
Thomas Tuchel has been confirmed as the new England boss, the Football Association announced on Wednesday.
Tuchel had been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season but will now become the 16th permanent manager to take charge of England.
The German becomes the first non-English boss to lead the Three Lions since Fabio Capello in 2012, and only the third overall, following the Italian and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
In a statement released by the Football Association, Tuchel said: "I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.
"I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
"To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
"Working closely with Anthony [Barry] as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together."
Lee Carsley had taken interim charge of England following Gareth Southgate's resignation after the 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Carsley has won three of his four games in charge and will remain in place for England's final two Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November, with Tuchel taking the reins from January 1, assisted by his former Chelsea and Bayern number two Anthony Barry.
Carsley did, however, come under scrutiny after a dismal performance against Greece on October 10, with the Three Lions losing 2-1 at Wembley.
Carsley acknowledged England needed a "world-class coach" who had won silverware, and that is what Tuchel brings to the table.
Tuchel has managed 578 games across his club career, winning 331 (D114 L133), registering a win percentage of 57.3%.
After replacing Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, Tuchel enjoyed a hugely successful spell with Paris Saint-Germain between 2018 and 2020, winning two Ligue 1 titles among his six major honours, and overseeing a win ratio of 74.8% in all competitions.
He subsequently joined Chelsea, leading the Blues to Champions League glory in 2021.
In doing so, he became the first coach to reach consecutive European finals with two different clubs, having guided PSG to their first Champions League showpiece the previous campaign.
He departed Stamford Bridge in 2022, having won 60 of his 100 games in charge (D24 L16), with his win percentage (60%) the fourth-highest of any Chelsea boss who managed at least 100 games.
Tuchel then joined Bayern midway through the 2022-23 season, helping them to their 11th consecutive Bundesliga crown before being replaced by Vincent Kompany after finishing third last term.
But Tuchel's next assignment could be his most difficult yet, with England looking to end their long wait for an international trophy, having last succeeded at the 1966 World Cup.
The 51-year-old also faces a tough act to follow in Southgate, who won 61 of his 102 matches in charge with the Three Lions.
Southgate's 14 wins at major tournaments are the most of any manager in England's history, while they reached more finals (two) in four attempts than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros.
Only Walter Winterbottom (78) and Alf Ramsey (69) managed more wins than Southgate, while he became only the third England manager to reach 100 games in charge.
Lionel Messi is determined to enjoy what could be his final few games with Argentina, having recorded five goal involvements in Tuesday's 6-0 rout of Bolivia.
Messi scored a hat-trick and provided assists for fellow forwards Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez as the world champions bounced back from a 1-1 draw with Venezuela in style.
The treble – his 10th in international football – took him level with Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the all-time charts, while he is the first player to register at least four goal involvements in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier since Luis Suarez in 2011 (four goals versus Chile).
Messi has refused to give any indication of whether he plans to play at the 2026 World Cup in the past, and for now, he is just enjoying his role in Lionel Scaloni's team.
"It is very nice to play here feeling the affection of the Argentina fans," Messi said after the win.
"It makes me emotional to listen to how they shout my name. We all enjoy this connection with the fans and we love playing at home."
Asked if he would continue for the remainder of this World Cup cycle, he said: "I didn't set any date or deadline about my future.
"I'm just enjoying all this. I am more emotional than ever and taking all the love from the people because I know these could be my last games.
"It's a joy to be present and appreciate this moment. Being surrounded by younger team-mates, given my age, makes me feel like a kid again.
"I find myself doing silly things because I feel so comfortable. As long as I maintain that feeling and can continue contributing to the team, I plan to be here enjoying it."
Argentina face Paraguay and Peru in their next set of qualifiers in November and already have a 10-point cushion to those outside the automatic qualification places.
Aaron Judge hit his first homer this postseason and drove in three runs as the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 for a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series on Tuesday night.
Judge, who entered with just one RBI in the playoffs, hit a sacrifice fly in a two-run second that put the Yankees ahead 3-0. With New York leading 4-2 lead in the seventh, the likely AL MVP drove a fastball at the letters from Hunter Gaddis 414 feet to center for his 14th career postseason home run.
Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee got just four outs in the shortest start of his professional career and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was chased after four walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Winner Clay Holmes, Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. José Ramírez hit a ninth-inning home run off Luke Weaver, just the second earned run New York’s bullpen has allowed over 23 1/3 innings in six postseason games.
After a day off, Game 3 is Thursday in Cleveland. The Yankees lead the ALCS 2-0 for the first time since 2009 against the Los Angeles Angels.
New York’s Gleyber Torres reached base leading off for the fifth time in the playoffs and had three hits. Anthony Rizzo had two hits and is 3 for 7 in two games since returning from a pair of fractured fingers that caused him to miss the Division Series.
Rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio and right fielder Will Brennan committed run-scoring errors for the Guardians.
Rocchio dropped Judge’s first-inning popup, allowing Torres to score. After Cleveland closed to 3-2, Brennan bobbled the ball when he tried for a barehand pickup of Rizzo’s sixth-inning double that caromed off the low wall down the right-field line. Anthony Volpe, who had been on first, sprinted home.
Cleveland went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners.
Despite their crushing 73-run loss to Sri Lanka in the second T20I, West Indies vice-captain Roston Chase dismissed the notion that his team struggles to handle spin, as he insisted that they were undone by the sharply turning pitch.
Chase was among a number of West Indies batters that fell cheaply, as they bowled out for a meager 89 in 16.1 overs, chasing 163 for victory in Dambullah on Tuesday.
The Caribbean faltered on the turning wicket as Sri Lanka's spinners wreaked havoc. Only captain Rovman Powell (20), Alzarri Joseph (16), and Sherfane Rutherford (14) managed to break into double figures, a stark contrast to what transpired in the opening game on Sunday, which West Indies won by five wickets.
However, Chase pointed out that the Caribbean side’s batting woes were more about adjusting to extreme conditions than a general inability to play spin.
“Obviously, the first game, the wicket was a true wicket, and obviously, this game, the wicket was spinning a lot more. So I guess the (Sri Lankan) guys were scared to put us back on a good wicket after losing the first game. So they think they prepared wicket in their favour given their home advantage, and obviously we didn't come out on top,” a seemingly annoyed Chase said in a post-game press conference.
“We're not accustomed to the wicket spinning like that. We are comfortable playing spin, but I guess when the wicket is spinning at that pace it's a bit different from what we are accustomed to,” he noted.
Sri Lanka's spin-heavy attack, led by debutant Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and captain Charith Asalanka, tied the West Indians in knots to level the three-match series at one game apiece.
Wellalage proved especially destructive with 3-9 from his four overs, while Asalanka (2-6), Theekshana (2-7), and Hasaranga (2-32) shared six wickets between them. Seamer Matheesha Pathirana accounted for the other wicket.
Chase, who himself thrives as an all-rounder, emphasized the importance of quick adaptation, especially in the conditions they are likely to encounter again in the decisive contest on Thursday.
“Obviously, we have to probably bring out the sweep a bit more, probably reverse sweep and conventional sweep a bit more, and just try to work the ball a bit more for longer and then try to power the ball in the backend,” Chase reasoned.
“So, we have to go in our team meeting and come up with the plans. Sit down, have a team talk, and obviously put ideas out there and see what's the best ideas we can come up with to counter the spinning ball,” he added.
The turning wicket at Dambullah caught the West Indies off guard, and it wasn’t just the batsmen who struggled. Despite a few tight bowling spells from Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepherd, the team was also untidy in the field, allowing Sri Lanka to post 162-5.
Pathum Nissanka, who topscored with 54 off 49 balls, and Kusal Mendis (26), went on the charge in a 77-run opening stand, while Kusal Perera chipped in with 24, and Kamindu Mendis contributed 19.
A few dropped catches and misfields also aided Sri Lanka along the way, leaving the West Indies under added pressure when they took to the crease.
“I thought myself and [Gudakesh] Moti bowled well, but obviously Moti bowled to two right-handers, and I thought they didn't really take much risk to him. And then obviously, they knew that we only had two spinners, so they mainly took the chances against the pace,” Chase shared.
“I think if we had a next spinner, yeah, I think it would have been better for us. But we can't dwell on that after the team is selected. So it's just for us to go back to the drawing board now and obviously think about playing spinning ball a bit more,” he ended.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez was in a defensive mood following his team's goalless draw away to Scotland in the Nations League on Tuesday night.
After scoring in each of the Spaniard's first 12 competitive matches in charge of Portugal, the Selecao have since drawn a blank in four of their last seven matches.
Portugal did have their chances, however, registering 14 shots during the contest, though only three were on target, ending the night with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.52.
Martinez faced criticism for lacking a plan B after his side struggled to break the Scots down.
"Our talent of our players, is plan A, B, C, D, E," he told De Sporto after the match.
"We have players inside, outside, we are talking about a team that did not take risks, that defended very well.
"We are talking about a team [Portugal] that reached 53 times in the last third. We have to give credit to Scotland and to us the fact that we managed to keep a clean sheet."
It was a frustrating night for Martinez and fans alike.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota among other big hitters starting, they were unable to find a way past 41-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who made some impressive saves when they did get in on goal.
When asked what was missing from the performance, he alluded to a lack of individual quality.
"A decision, a little bit of magic in the area. We had a lot of desire, we worked very well without the ball," Martinez said.
"It was a dangerous game because we could have possession of the ball, but Scotland have little need to score a goal. We showed freshness, but we lacked freshness in the last third.
"You also have to give credit to Scotland, they had a lot of players in front of goal, their goalkeeper also made a spectacular save."
Following the performance and result at Hampden Park, there have been further questions about Martinez's selection policy for Portugal.
The most high-profile query of all remains whether 39-year-old Ronaldo should continue, having had a difficult night on his 200th start for his country.
"The national team always has an open door, but now we are talking about a very, very large group of players," said Martinez.
"It is a question of continuing to connect and synchronise what we can do. Now the game in Porto is to celebrate qualification in front of our fans."
Scotland manager Steve Clarke, meanwhile, was much happier with the evening's result, which ended a four-game losing run for Scotland.
"It's not about turning a corner, it's just about working hard and not letting the country down. You could see that tonight," he said.
"The point was important for us after the work the group put in to get off the mark."
The result also marked Scotland's first clean sheet since beating Gibraltar 2-0 seven games ago in a pre-Euro 2024 warm-up friendly.
The performance at the back was another thing that pleased Clarke.
"Defensively sound, the shape of the team was good," he said.
"We denied a lot of space in behind. Good concentration in the box, determined defending at times, some really good blocks, which you need against sides like Portugal.
"Everyone contributed to earn the point."
Despite taking an unexpected point, Scotland are still bottom of their Nations League group, while the draw means they are winless in 10 matches - their longest ever run.
But Clarke feels the players will take a lot from Tuesday's match that will help them going forward.
"Everyone keeps talking about confidence, but they know they can play well," he said.
"We maybe didn't play as well as we could on the ball, which could be down to fatigue. But I don't think they lack confidence. Tonight's point will give us more confidence."
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