Fifth seed Filip Krajinovic made a comfortable start to his Sofia Open campaign on Wednesday, defeating Alexandar Lazarov 6-0 6-3.
Krajinovic was the only seeded player in action and he was dominant against home hope Lazarov, who is ranked 462 in the world.
The Serbian swept the first set without conceding a break point and finished the job by claiming the last four games in the second despite Lazarov putting up more of a fight.
Elsewhere, Krajinovic's compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic crashed out to Italian Gianluca Mager, who fired down 11 aces and forced 10 break-point opportunities to earn an impressive 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win.
Australian James Duckworth, meanwhile, had to launch a comeback before ultimately prevailing 3-6 6-4 6-4 against Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori to book a round two match with Benoit Paire.
The number one seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his campaign on Thursday with a last-16 contest against Egor Gerasimov.
Second seed Gael Monfils will play Ilya Ivashka, who defeated Pablo Andujar in straight sets, with the winner to face Mager, who is the first man in the quarter-finals.
Alex de Minaur will also be in action against American Marcos Giron.
The Jamaica men’s team will replace South Africa for the Sunshine Girls upcoming tri-nation series, which will also include Trinidad and Tobago.
Originally the three teams were expected to part in the series, which was scheduled to begin on October 9th. The fixture opponents have, however, been modified after South Africa pulled out of the series due to countries rising number of Covid-19 cases.
With short notice to find a replacement, the decision was made to employ the assistance of the country’s male team. The dates for the fixtures have now also been moved forward, with the opening game of the tri-series now expected to be on the 14th.
The Jamaicans ranked fourth in the world, are expected to play against in a three-match series dubbed the ‘Vitality Roses Reunited’ set for London, in September. Many of netball’s top teams will be looking to step up their preparations with the Commonwealth Games set to take part in Birmingham, England next year. The Jamaican team has not played in international competitions since the World Netball Cup in 2020.
Manny Pacquiao will go down as one of the greatest fighters of all time and newly crowned world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk possesses a similar skillset, says Joseph Parker.
Pacquiao's decorated boxing career has come to an end, with the sport's only eight-division world champion announcing his retirement.
His decision came under a month after his unanimous points loss to Yordenis Ugas for the WBA super welterweight title.
The 42-year-old had made his boxing return against Ugas for the first time since July 2019, but the Filipino's comeback did not go according to plan in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, who has declared his candidacy in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, retires with a record of 62 wins (39 knockouts), eight losses and two draws.
Heavyweight contender Parker, who was speaking prior to the formal announcement from Pacquiao, suggested he did not want to see one of the best boxers in history fight on.
He also thinks Usyk, who has just been crowned WBA, WBO and IBF champion after defeating Anthony Joshua, possesses some of the same traits.
"I feel like he's going to go down as one of the best of all time," New Zealander Parker said to Stats Perform.
"It is quite hard to see someone like Pacquiao to continue to fight when he had this great legacy and great career.
"And now he can still beat a lot of guys but it is hard to see someone who is not in his prime. They keep fighting and let these guys get the better of them."
Describing what makes Pacquiao special, Parker added: "I feel like he is similar to [Usyk]; his movement, his footwork; he's very quick on his feet and also the volume of punches that he throws.
"He throws a lot of punches and combinations.
"And I feel like it's really hard to fight someone like Pacquiao when he's trying throwing all these punches and the movement that he presents.
"His legacy? The eight-time division champion - just the achievement of that and a lot of a lot of young fighters look up to him.
"You have to say that he's going to go down in history and he's going to always be talked about, as an eight-time division world champion.
"And he can give a lot back to the sport by teaching the [young] fighters, signing other fighters and just being involved as a manager or promoter, as he knows the game and set up.
"My favourite Pacquiao fight? I really like the fight against Ricky Hatton. Just the timing and precision of when he landed the big shot to finish the fight.
"Hatton is a beast himself and has had a great career, but when you’re in the ring with Manny Pacquiao it’s a different story."
Greg Rutherford is dreaming of becoming the first athlete in almost 100 years to win gold at both the Summer and Winter Games after being named in Great Britain's bobsleigh squad ahead of Beijing 2022.
The 34-year-old won gold for Britain in the long jump event on home soil at London 2012 and followed that up with a bronze in Rio four years later.
Rutherford announced his retirement from athletics in July 2018 and started training in the bobsleigh five months ago.
He has now confirmed that he made the cut for GB's five-man squad that will now attempt to qualify for the upcoming Winter Games, which takes place in February 2022.
"A massive milestone has been hit in my bobsleigh journey," Rutherford posted on Instagram. "A few weeks ago we had our trials and I managed to qualify for the British team to compete this winter!
"The team now has to qualify for the Olympic Games by placing well on the World Cup circuit (as does every team).
"This has been a huge undertaking, going from a very retired former athlete, to retraining in a new sport and qualifying for the team. A massive thank you to everyone who's helped thus far.
"We start competing in a couple of months' time with the medal dream very much alive."
Only six British athletes have ever contested at both the Summer and Winter Games, most recently former sprinter and bobsledder Allyn Condon in 2000. None of them have won medals at either event.
Rutherford told the Guardian: "There were a few doubters when I said I wanted to make the Winter Olympics in April, but I always back and believe in myself, and I am absolutely delighted to have been selected.
"I am extremely confident we can qualify for Beijing and go on to achieve something very special."
There have been just six previous examples of athletes from any country winning medals at both the Summer and Winter Games.
Eddie Eagan (in 1920 and 1932) and Gillis Grafstrom (in 1920 and both 1924 and 1928) set the benchmark for Rutherford by taking gold at both, although the latter competed in the same sport – figure skating – on each occasion.
Eagen built on his light-heavyweight boxing triumph in the four-man bobsled.
Emma Raducanu has been given a wildcard entry to the Indian Wells Open in her first tournament since winning the US Open.
The 18-year-old claimed a sensational triumph at Flushing Meadows earlier this month, becoming the first qualifier to take a major title.
Raducanu defeated fellow unseeded teenager Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in the final of only her second grand slam.
The Briton did not drop a set throughout her fairytale run and climbed from 150th in the WTA rankings to now sit 22nd.
And Raducanu's remarkable display has earned her the opportunity to enjoy further stateside success at Indian Wells, having missed the cut when the entry list was first announced during the US Open.
She still has an outside chance of making the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, with appearances planned at tournaments in Russia and Romania later in October.
Raducanu's hopes of another deep run at Indian Wells have been boosted by the absence of superstar pair Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty, who have both withdrawn from the event.
Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden says he has never felt better heading into the new NBA season after enduring an injury-ravaged 2020-21 season.
Harden missed 23 games in the 2020-21 season due to a hamstring injury, which he aggravated during the Nets' playoffs campaign.
The 32-year-old, who had joined the Nets in January, played through pain as Brooklyn bowed out of the postseason in the Eastern Conference semifinals to eventual champions the Milwaukee Bucks.
Harden's teammate Kyrie Irving also had injury problems derail the Nets in the playoffs, leaving plenty on the shoulders Kevin Durant, the final member of 'the big three'.
"I've had two and a half months to recover, and I feel very, very good," Harden told ESPN. "I get an entire year, training camp included, with the guys."
He added: "I've tried to get my mind and my body right. That's all I've tried to focus on this summer. I've come back even better, bigger, stronger and quicker. I feel better than I probably have ever felt before.
"[I'm] just more confident knowing we have a legit chance to be the last team standing."
Harden, who won the 2018 NBA MVP award, also offered an update on his contract status with title favourites Brooklyn, having not yet extended his deal, which has a player option for $47million at the end of the coming season and expires the following year.
"Over the course of my career, I've never been a free agent before," Harden said.
"I've always been loyal, signing contract extensions and being there, being there, being there. I want to take my time with it.
"It's going to be very difficult to leave here or leave Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. I want this season to focus on winning the championship. Everything else will work itself out."
Harden played 36 times for the Nets during the 2020-21 season, averaging 24.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game.
His 24.6 points per game for the year, including eight games with the Houston Rockets, represented his lowest average since his final season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2011-12, when he started just twice.
However, playing alongside Durant and Irving, Harden's usage rate fell to 29.0 per cent, having been as high as 40.5 per cent in 2018-19.
The St Louis Cardinals extended their remarkable streak to 17 consecutive victories and clinched the second National League Wild Card spot with a 6-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
The triumph seals a postseason spot for the Cardinals for the third consecutive year after a franchise-record run.
The Cardinals become the third team in the expansion era to win 17 straight within a season, behind only the 2017 Cleveland Indians (22) and the 2002 Oakland Athletics (20).
St Louis were forced to come back from a multi-run deficit for the sixth time during their streak after Luis Urias' two-run blast in the fourth inning.
The Cards responded immediately, with Adam Wainwright's bunt helping Harrison Bader tag to level it up.
Avisail Garcia's error from Tyler O'Neill's base hit allowed Paul Goldschmidt home, before home runs from Jose Rondon and Nolan Arenado sealed the win and another postseason berth.
Morton fires Braves past Phillies
Charlie Morton had 10 strikeouts as the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 to edge a step closer to the clinching a fourth consecutive NL East title.
The result means the Braves (84-72) are 3.5 games ahead of the Phillies (81-76).
In the battle for the NL West title, the San Francisco Giants (103-54) produced a four-run sixth-inning rally to win 6-4 over the Arizona Diamondbacks, while the Los Angeles Dodgers (101-56) survived a late scare to win 2-1 against the San Diego Padres.
The Seattle Mariners kept alive their hopes of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2001 with a 4-2 win over the Oakland Athletics, with Mitch Haniger hitting his 100th career homer.
The Houston Astros stayed 4.5 games ahead of the Mariners with a 4-3 walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays, where J.T. Chargois walked the last two runs.
Salvador Perez claimed the outright lead for home runs in the majors with his 47th for the season in the Kansas City Royals' 6-4 over the Cleveland Indians.
Wind out of Red Sox's sails
The Boston Red Sox fluffed a 2-0 lead in a must-win game in the AL Wild Card race, going down 4-2 to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Chris Sale had six strikeouts and none earned through five innings before the Orioles flipped the game on its head, leaving the Red Sox unstable at 88-69, marginally ahead of the Mariners (88-70) and the Toronto Blue Jays (87-70).
Stanton's hot streak continues
Giancarlo Stanton crushed an improbable 421-foot three-run home run as the New York Yankees secured a critical 7-2 win over the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card hunt. In-form Stanton now has 13 RBI in his past four games, with his seventh-inning homer opening up a four-run lead for the Yankees in a crucial game. Stanton has also homered in four straight games.
Tuesday's results
New York Mets 5-2 Miami Marlins
Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 Chicago Cubs
Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees 7-2 Toronto Blue Jays
Atlanta Braves 2-1 Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets 2-1 Miami Marlins
Minnesota Twins 3-2 Detroit Tigers
St Louis Cardinals 6-2 Milwaukee Brewers
Texas Rangers 5-2 Los Angeles Angels
Kansas City Royals 6-4 Cleveland Indians
Houston Astros 4-3 Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox 7-1 Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies 3-1 Washington Nationals
San Francisco Giants 6-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners 4-2 Oakland Athletics
Phillies at Braves
The Phillies get another chance to keep alive the race to win the NL East division when they face the Braves in the second game of their three-game series on Wednesday.
Manny Pacquiao's decorated boxing career has come to an end, the sport's only eight-division world champion announcing his retirement.
Pacquiao called time on his career inside the ring a month after his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas for the WBA super welterweight title.
The 42-year-old had made his boxing return against Ugas for the first time since July 2019, but the Filipino great's comeback did not go according to plan in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, who has declared his candidacy in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, retires with a record of 62 wins (39 knockouts), eight losses and two draws.
Regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao – the first fighter to win major world titles in four of the eight glamour divisions; flyweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight – is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
"It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today, I am announcing my retirement," Pacquiao said in a video on his Facebook page, having scored wins over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto during his storied career.
"Wow... I never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao."
Pacquiao, who made his professional debut aged 16, said: "You gave me the chance to fight our way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you, I have been given the courage to change more lives. I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life, I can't imagine.
"I just heard the final bell. Tapos na ang boksing [boxing is done]. Maraming, maraming salamat po [thank you very much]. God is good all the time.
"I was given the opportunity of representing the Philippines, bringing fame and honour to my country every time I entered the ring. I am grateful for all my accomplishments and the opportunity to inspire the fans."
Former world number one Andy Murray earned a second-round clash with Casper Ruud at the San Diego Open after easing past lucky loser Denis Kudla in straight sets.
Murray – a three-time grand slam champion – defeated Kudla 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour, winning an outstanding 28 of 31 (90 per cent) first-serve points on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Murray was also on top on return, converting three of four break-point opportunities against Kudla, to complete a comprehensive display.
Murray – currently ranked 116th in the world – will face second seed Ruud next at the ATP 250 tournament.
Elsewhere, Grigor Dimitrov was made to work for his 6-3 1-6 7-5 victory over Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.
Former world number three Dimitrov triumphed in two hours, seven minutes, confirming a spot in the second round, where he will face US Open semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Diego Schwartzman – the sixth seed – progressed with a 6-2 6-3 win over Italian qualifier Federico Gaio.
Young American Sebastian Korda beat Tommy Paul 6-3 5-7 6-1 in more than two hours, while ninth seed Lorenzo Sonego, Cameron Norrie and Lloyd Harris were also victorious.
World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers placed Albert Pujols on the COVID-19-related injured list while activating Cody Bellinger, it was announced on Tuesday.
Pujols – a future Hall of Famer who will celebrate his 42nd birthday in January – had a reaction from his second COVID-19 vaccination shot.
The Dodgers have not placed a timeframe on Pujols' return but the two-time World Series champion and three-time National League (NL) MVP was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres.
"He didn't feel good as far as playing in a major league game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Just to give him a day and see where he's at tomorrow."
The Dodgers, though, activated 2019 NL MVP Bellinger from the IL after a left rib fracture sustained in an outfield collision with team-mate Gavin Lux on September 14.
Pujols is batting .255 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI in 82 games since arriving from MLB rivals the Los Angeles Angels in May while Bellinger – who also battled a shoulder injury earlier this season – is hitting .159 with nine homers and 34 RBI in 89 appearances.
The Dodgers (100-56) were second behind the San Francisco Giants (102-54) in the NL West division prior to Tuesday's games.
The Giants were dealt a blow with in-form Brandon Belt placed on their 10-day IL due to a left thumb fracture after being struck by a fastball against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.
"It's not optimal, but I think we're going to be fine because our players are prepared for it," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
The Giants are yet to put a timeframe on Belt's injury but had said on Monday he will "continue to meet with doctors over the next couple of days to develop a recovery plan and timetable for his return."
Belt is batting .274 with a career-high 29 home runs, 59 RBI and 89 hits. The 33-year-old – a two-time World Series winner – leads the Giants for homers this season.
The Golden State Warriors remain reluctant to put a timeframe on Klay Thompson's return from injury, but head coach Steve Kerr said the shooting guard is showing positive signs.
Thompson, who has not played in the NBA since June 2019, participated in team practice on Tuesday for the first time since tearing his Achilles in November last year.
The three-time champion tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, before sustaining an Achilles injury during his comeback.
Last week, Golden State put out an injury update, vaguely stating he was making "good progress", but his return to training is a significant step in the right direction.
The five-time NBA All-Star remains months away from a competitive return, however, Kerr was upbeat about his recovery on Tuesday.
"Everyone's excited that Klay is out on the floor," Kerr told reporters. "He basically did every single thing in practice today.
"We didn't scrimmage, we didn't have any live contact, but Klay is just so happy to be playing and we're all so happy to see him part of it. So just a really good first day, first couple of days, and good energy as we start to get rolling."
He added: "Klay looked great. Shooting the lights out. His team won the daily shooting competition. And he was smiling, laughing, joking around, it was really fun to see the old Klay back."
Thompson said on Monday that he was around "75 or 80 percentile of what I need to do" in terms of his Achilles injury rehabilitation, while Warriors general manager Bob Myers indicated December or January may be a likely return timeframe.
Kerr added the Warriors playing group were boosted by Thompson's return to training as the franchise seek a return to the playoffs after missing out the past two seasons.
"Part of it is his spirit, his energy, his joy," Kerr said. "A big part of it too is, 'Yeah, we got Klay.' The confidence level as a group -- we're getting Klay back.
"It makes us all feel better. And that's the sense that I have from our guys."
Kent Bazemore and Kelly Oubre Jr. have left the Warriors this off-season, with veteran Andre Iguodala re-joining along with Serbian power forward Nemanja Bjelica as free agents.
Golden State – who are reportedly among the teams interested in disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons – added teenagers Jonathan Kuminga (pick 7) and Moses Moody (pick 14) in the NBA Draft.
Russell Westbrook said LeBron James knows what it takes to win in the NBA as the Los Angeles Lakers recruit attempts to claim his first championship.
Westbrook and James will team up in Los Angeles after the former joined his hometown team following a trade from the Washington Wizards.
A nine-time All-Star and former MVP, Westbrook has a long list of honours in the NBA but the 32-year-old is still searching for his maiden ring.
Westbrook, though, is excited to join forces with four-time champion James at Staples Center, having tasted defeat in the 2012 NBA Finals when the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the latter's Miami Heat.
"LeBron out of anybody else, he knows what it takes to win a championship," Westbrook told ESPN.
"My understanding of the commitment, understanding the sacrifices that we are both going to have to make, including myself and [Anthony Davis] as well for the betterment on the team, and finding ways to be able to win a championship.
"And that's the ultimate goal. So anything along the way we, we cannot get distracted, cannot get the deterred from our ultimate goal."
Westbrook averaged 22.2 points, 11.7 assists and 11.5 rebounds with the Wizards last season.
On playing alongside James in LA, Westbrook – a dominant ballhandler – added: "It was going to work."
"When you get a chance to play against one of the greatest players of all time and consistently, it helps my game," Westbrook said.
"It helps my preparation, makes me focus more on the things I need to focus on to get to a point where I can sit down and say, 'I've accomplished everything I can accomplish in this league and now I'm lucky enough to be able to play alongside him.' So I'm looking forward to that, looking forward to the things we can accomplish here together this season."
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon said two-way star Shohei Ohtani did not mean he wants to leave the MLB franchise.
Ohtani will become a free agent after the 2023 season and he sparked question marks over his future, having insisted his top priority is winning following another losing campaign in Los Angeles.
An American League (AL) MVP frontrunner with 45 homers and a 3.18 ERA, Ohtani was unable to prevent the Angels from a sixth successive losing season and a seventh consecutive campaign without playoff baseball.
Maddon, however, played down the Japanese sensation's comments prior to Tuesday's clash with the Texas Rangers.
"We all feel the same way, we all want to win," Maddon told reporters.
"If anybody misconstrues that as though he wants to leave, that's trying to connect some dots that weren't necessarily what he, not at all what he said.
"He also mentioned how much he loves it here. The inner sanctum of the clubhouse, the guys, the coaching staff, everything about it. The area. The fans. He loves them all.
"We all want to get to the next level, and we see it as an absolute possibility it's going to happen here in the very near future."
Prior to Tuesday, Ohtani had just three home runs in 22 September games – his lowest in any month this season.
Ohtani's 45 home runs are tied for second-most by an Angel in a single season, two behind Troy Glaus' 47 in 2000.
"Don't forget all the platitudes that he mentioned regarding everything else because I think that overrides just saying that he wants to win and somehow connect that to he wants to leave," Maddon added.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said he retains a "burning desire to win trophies" in an ominous sign ahead of the upcoming 2021-22 NBA season.
James is entering his 19th season aged 36 and following an underwhelming 2020-21 campaign, which saw the Lakers dethroned after bowing out of the playoffs in the opening round.
The four-time NBA champion and MVP missed 27 games last season due to injury and averaged the fewest minutes per game (33.4) of his illustrious career.
James averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last term, while his field-goal (51.3) and three-point (36.5) percentages were his best since 2017-18.
Gearing up for another run, James insisted he is feeling great, having overcome injuries in his quest for a fifth championship ring.
"I still have a burning desire inside of me to want to continue win, hopefully I can bring some trophies at the end of the season," James told ESPN, with the season due to get underway next month.
"That's always been my goal. I love the process more than anything. Hopefully I can put myself in a position where I can do that at the end of the season.
He added: "I'm just a guy who is very determined, who is willing to do whatever it takes for his body to be in the best shape possible to dominate at a high level.
"I'm not afraid to get uncomfortable with anything to get in the best possible shape I can be in."
The Lakers' roster has vastly changed since last season, with Alex Caruso, Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond, Markieff Morris, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma among those to exit.
Los Angeles have added NBA veterans Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo along with former MVP Russell Westbrook.
Nine-time All Star Westbrook, who turns 33 in November, led the NBA in assists last season and broke Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson's all-time triple-double record in May.
"Right away he ups our pace," James said. "He's always in the top five as far as pace, being able to get out on the break, able to get some early buckets before the defense is set.
"He's also a flat-out playmaker. A lot of people don’t talk about how unbelievable a passer he is. Everyone sees the rebounds and the scoring but how his passing makes other guys run and better doesn't get talked about a lot. We all look forward dot that as team-mates."
James (35,367) sits third on the NBA's all-time scoring charts, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928) ahead of the new season.
The 17-time All-Star refused to get drawn into the current NBA debate around COVID-19 vaccinations, which has sparked with the likes of Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving and Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins set to miss home matches due to their refusal to get the vaccine under local state rules.
"I can only speak about myself, everyone has their own choice… I was very sceptical, but after doing my research I felt like it was best suited for myself, my family and my friends," he told reporters on Tuesday. "That's why I decided to do it."
Marcos Giron moved through to the second round of the Sofia Open, but needed 10 match points to overcome Jaume Munar 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 6-4.
Giron lost the first set in a tie-break, however, the American fought back in an encounter lasting nearly three hours on Tuesday.
Twenty minutes of match time came in the final game, which encompassed all of Giron's match points.
Munar successfully staved off the first nine and had seven break points of his own. Yet his resistance was finally broken as Giron prevailed at the ATP Tour tournament.
Next up for Giron is a meeting with Australian third seed Alex de Minaur.
Eighth seed John Millman enjoyed a more routine 6-2 6-4 victory over Mikael Ymer, while there were also victories for Laslo Djere, Dimitar Kuzmanov and Egor Gerasimov.
The Seattle Mariners have adopted Ted Lasso's mantra as they chase down a playoff place: "Believe".
Unlikely football manager Lasso uses that one-word message in the popular television show, and it is one that rings true with the Mariners as they seek to end a 20-year postseason wait.
Seattle must still reel in two teams in the AL East to take a place in the Wild Card Game, but their belief is not wavering.
A 13-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday opened up a two-game gap to their AL West rivals, with Mitch Haniger hitting a pair of three-run homers.
"We've got five games left, folks," manager Scott Servais said. "Here we sit. It's been some kind of season we've had, and we've still got a lot to play for."
Haniger missed all of last season but now has 37 home runs this year, ranking ninth in MLB.
Only Willie Mays (41 in 1954) and Ted Williams (38 in 1946) have ever scored more home runs in a season after not appearing in any professional league the previous year.
A's pitcher Cole Irvin gave up five runs for his fifth loss in five starts in 2021 against the Mariners. The 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, against Tom Glavine, were the last team to face a lefty starter at least five times in a season and win on every occasion.
Irvin is not alone in having a tough time against this team, though. Seattle have not been shut out in 92 games, the longest streak in the major league this season.
Two years on from propping up the division, the Mariners are a serious prospect again. They are 8-2 across their past 10 games, the form team in the American League, and, of course, they believe.
"Believe," read a simple banner that hung in T-Mobile Park during this latest victory.
"That was pretty cool," Servais said. "You know every team's got their thing. It's the world we live in. And right now, it's the Ted Lasso world.
"Our guys are having fun, and we should all enjoy it, because we've had some kind of season."
Haniger added: "That's what is fuelling and firing us. As a team, we want to win every single game the rest of the season.
"Just come in every day, prepare to win and that's the goal. It's just control what we can control when we go out there."
Seattle host Oakland again on Tuesday.
Cade Cunningham might experience "growing pains" but will not "be a bust", insists Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey.
The Pistons selected Cunningham out of Oklahoma State with the first overall pick in this year's draft.
Much is expected of the 20-year-old as he seeks to lift Detroit, who finished bottom of the East last season having been in the playoffs as recently as 2019.
Cunningham scored 20.1 points per game in college last year and should offer help to Jerami Grant on offense.
After Grant's 22.3 points in 2020-21, Derrick Rose (14.2) was the team's next-best scorer, and he left for the New York Knicks after 15 games.
It meant the Pistons had the fourth-worst offense in the NBA (106.6 points per game).
Cunningham, who had 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks, is a two-way talent, but the need is less pressing on the defensive end of the floor, where Detroit ranked 10th in giving up 111.1 points.
The focus will certainly be on his scoring, yet Casey is happy to stay patient with the team's young new star.
"One thing I know: Cade won't be a bust. He's not. That's one thing, you can guarantee that," Casey said. "But there will be growing pains.
"We have to be supportive. He's going to have a target on his back each and every night, and it's something that [we], his team-mates, the coaching staff, the whole organisation [have] to make sure we support him.
"There's going to be some nights he scores seven and there's going to be some nights he scores 25."
Reflecting on his status as a number one pick, Cunningham said he was "just writing my own story" and added: "This is a different pressure than I've ever faced before, I guess, but I don't really look at it as pressure.
"It's more an opportunity to show people something than to think about all the bad things that can happen."
He echoed Casey's sentiments, however, as he said: "I know it's the NBA and nothing is given to you.
"You have to be humble coming in and just take it for what it is, just try to work your way up. I feel like if you can be consistent every day and just work hard, the good things will come.
"I'm not really going to press, trying to force the issue too early. I want to make sure everything is smooth with the squad and be patient."
Luka Doncic accepts new coach Jason Kidd has a point when he asks his "young Picasso" to have more faith in his Dallas Mavericks team-mates.
Mavs superstar Doncic is heading into his fourth season in the NBA but is yet to win a playoff series.
It is not for a lack of effort or ability, however, with the Slovenian twice going toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Clippers and coming up just short.
Indeed, through 13 postseason games, Doncic has averaged 33.5 points – a league record at that stage of a career.
With or without Doncic, it is now 10 years since Dallas advanced through a series, last doing so when they were champions in 2011, and title-winning coach Rick Carlisle has been replaced by Kidd – a member of that successful Finals team.
Kidd is looking forward to working with the 22-year-old but, as a former point guard, has already identified a key area of potential improvement.
While Kidd sits second on the all-time list for regular season assists (12,091) and fourth for the playoffs (1,263), Doncic has so far proven a little more reluctant to put the ball in the hands of his colleagues.
The former Real Madrid sensation's 8.6 assists per game ranked fifth in the league, but only Steph Curry in the top 25 attempted more field goals (20.5 per game for Doncic, 21.7 for Curry).
Doncic's usage rate of 36.2 per cent was the highest among players with 500 or more possessions, yet Kidd wants his main man to make better choices.
"I look at Luka as a young Picasso, someone who's very talented, loves to win and understands how to play the game at a very high level," he said.
"As a coach, I don't know if anybody told Picasso that he had to use all the paints. But I just want to remind Luka that he can rely on his team-mates, and his team-mates are going to be there to help him.
"I'm very excited to have this opportunity to work with a young Picasso whose paintings have been incredible up to this point and are only going to get better with time and age."
Doncic had no issue with this critique, replying: "Of course. I just think there's a lot of things I can improve on off the court, on the court.
"Obviously, this is one of them. And I think he is right. But I've still got to improve on a lot of things."
Doncic's displays at the Tokyo Olympics suggested he is growing in this regard, clearly the best player on the Slovenia team but contributing a tournament high in assists (57) as well as points (143).
"I think leadership you develop through years," he said. "You see every year it's going to be a little bit better.
"Obviously, I learned from the playoffs, from the Olympics, how to be a leader. One thing I learned is I need to be more vocal with the team."
Plenty is expected from Doncic, who finished sixth in the MVP race last year without a single first-place vote but is the early favourite for 2021-22.
However, he said: "I don't care about that. It's only the beginning of the season. That's at the end. That's far away.
"The team goals and my goal is to win the championship. That's it."
Mitch Haniger hit two home runs and drove in six as the Seattle Mariners rallied from an early deficit to rout the Oakland Athletics 13-4 Monday.
Seattle's eighth win in their last nine brought the Mariners (87-70) within 1.5 games of the Boston Red Sox for the second American League (AL) wild-card spot, with the Toronto Blue Jays in between.
The evening started off poorly for the Mariners as Oakland's Seth Brown hit a three-run homer in the first inning, but Seattle ran away with the game in the fourth.
The Mariners put up five in that frame, capped by Haniger's three-run homer off Deolis Guerra, to take an 8-4 lead.
Two innings later, Haniger did it again, hitting his 37th of the year to put the game out of reach.
According to Stats Perform, Haniger is the third player to hit at least that many home runs a year after missing an entire season, following Ted Williams (38 in 1946) and Willie Mays (41 in 1954).
The Athletics (85-72) still have a chance at the postseason, but they now sit 3.5 games back of the Red Sox. Monday's defeat officially eliminated Oakland from contention in the AL West, where the Houston Astros can wrap up the title Tuesday with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays and a Mariners loss.
Votto homers twice as Reds stay alive
The Cincinnati Reds kept their miniscule postseason hopes alive for one more day, crushing the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-1 as Joey Votto hit two home runs to give him 35 on the season. Nick Castellanos, Eugenio Suarez and Jonathan India also homered for the Reds (82-75), who will be eliminated with their next loss or the St Louis Cardinals' next win.
Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez homered for the Chicago White Sox, who nearly blew a six-run lead late but held on to defeat the Detroit Tigers 8-7.
Another tough outing for Marquez
Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez headed to the All-Star Game in July with a 3.36 ERA, but has seen that number inflate throughout a difficult second half to sit at 4.40 after he allowed four runs in five innings in a 5-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Sibling rivalry heats up in Cleveland
Cleveland Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer got the better of his older brother Kyle, smashing a solo homer off the Kansas City Royals pitcher in the eighth inning of an 8-3 Cleveland victory. It was the fourth time in MLB's modern era that one brother has homered off another. Joe Niekro was the last to do it, hitting one against brother Phil on May 29, 1975.
Monday's results
Chicago White Sox 8-7 Detroit Tigers
Cincinnati Reds 13-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Cleveland Indians 8-3 Kansas City Royals
Washington Nationals 5-4 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 13-4 Oakland Athletics
Yankees at Blue Jays
The hottest remaining postseason race will be in the spotlight as the New York Yankees (89-67) look to continue the momentum from their sweep of the Red Sox as they open a three-game series at the Toronto Blue Jays (87-69).
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