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The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their recent struggles Tuesday night with an ugly 10-7 loss at home to the Minnesota Twins. It was their 11th loss in their last 14 games and one ugly play in the top of the seventh inning summed up how things have been going for them lately.

The Twins had the bases loaded with one out when Royce Lewis hit a slow grounder up the first base line. Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez ran over and scooped up the ball and then turned a made a horrible throw to first.

MORE: Dodgers fan makes sweet catch on Ohtani's HR

How bad was it? The ball ended up bouncing off the wall in deep right field, which allowed three runs to score and sent Lewis all the way to third base.

This was something straight out of a Little League game:

The Dodgers are still in first place in the NL West with a 59-43 record but they haven't been able to get out of their own way lately.

“Tonight, it just wasn’t pretty,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game. “When you’re walking guys and the defense is spotty and things like that, it wasn’t a good one.”

It certainly wasn't.

Over a transformative year, India’s chosen one has learned to find joy in the struggle

Alagappan Muthu02-Nov-20240:47

Manjrekar: Gill’s innings showed he cares for Test cricket

He walked off with the bat trailing in his wake, scraping the turf. A slow climb up the Wankhede Stadium stairs took him into the dressing room. It was the last place he wanted to be in.Shubman Gill was playing the kind of innings that makes a top-order batter. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t scratchy. It wasn’t a hundred. It wasn’t easy. But it was so very necessary.Related

• Jadeja, Ashwin run through New Zealand to hand India the advantage

Wankhede was a beautiful setting for it, with its capacity to be many things at once. It can be loud. Akash Deep flattening Tom Latham’s stumps just before tea on Saturday infused drama and intrigue into an atmosphere that is only supposed to contain nitrogen, oxygen, and trace amounts of other gases. It can be dead. Virat Kohli running himself out on Friday evening rendered the vocal cords of 18,724 people obsolete. It can be hostile. Earlier this year, it made Hardik Pandya want to cry.Mumbai woke up to a post-Diwali haze so thick that whole buildings were lost in it. Rishabh Pant decided he would do the same to the memories of India’s mini-collapse from the evening of day one, belting Ajaz Patel all around the park and preventing him from getting into any sort of rhythm. The runs were a bonus. The quickest fifty by an India batter against New Zealand in Test cricket was a bonus. The objective was to prevent the spinner from hitting the good-length area of a turning pitch.Step out, make room, go inside-out: just one example of Shubman Gill’s range against spin•BCCIGill wasn’t really at his best doing this. A habit of going at the ball with hard hands made him especially vulnerable on the front foot. If New Zealand could get him forward but deny him the half-volley, there was enough help on offer to expect a favourable outcome. Ajaz managed that in India’s 22nd over, the third of the morning session, but the bat-pad went to silly point and there was nobody there. Gill used to find himself in this situation a lot and his average against spin reflected it. Until the start of 2024, it was 33.33. After the first Test against England earlier this year, his place in the XI even came under threat.The ball after he had nearly landed in trouble against Ajaz, Gill showcased some of the gains he has made since that low point. He went down the track – he’s spoken about doing that to counter spin ever since he was a little boy – but there was a little bit more at play too. Something clever. Something that good batters try to do to put the pressure back on the bowler. He had shifted himself inside the line of the ball and made full use of the opportunity to free his arms. He did this and went inside-out over extra-cover for four.There were other examples of his evolution as well. A forward-press trigger movement. Softer hands while defending. A focus on strike rotation. Because boundaries are often just a reprieve, a second’s joy amid hours of struggle, in conditions offering at least four degrees of turn on average. That is Test cricket, and Gill is showing the capacity for it. He had to be woken up to these things after a dropped catch on 45, but when he was, he did everything he could to shut the bowler out. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he was not. He rolled with that. And in the end, he was pretty happy with where he ended up.”Yes, definitely it’s one of my better knocks that I have played in Test cricket,” Gill said at the press conference on Saturday, and explained how he has been trying to get better at playing spin.”I was injured in the first Test. Even leading up to that Test I didn’t really practice that much because of the injury. So, I didn’t get that much time in the nets. And before the Pune Test match, I got two net sessions, and I am the kind of person, I like to have long practice sessions so that I feel confident about it. So, just the conversation with the coach [Gautam Gambhir] was just having more repetitions on what I think is the best idea for me to be able to play spin.1:23

Manjrekar: The way Pant started against Ajaz was incredible

“Leading up to this Test match, [my training] was all about me working on the areas that I have worked before,” he said. “The England series that we played, I think when I was batting in that series, I was batting at my best against spinners and just to be able to go back into that mindset and what my positions were while playing spinners and that’s what I was trying to replicate before this match.”Since the start of this year, Gill has averaged 61.55 against spin.Having been anointed the chosen one, the future of India’s batting, the future captain, there had been a sense that things were coming easy to Gill; that the narrative being built around him was disproportionate to what was on his CV. He obviously has no control over that. He also can’t really avoid that. The best he can do is be ready for games like these where his team was behind and they went through a series of brain fades and then had to fight back. Because such times hit different.”I was just having fun,” Gill said. “Even if it was difficult, I was just enjoying the difficult moments because you don’t get to play that many Test matches and I just feel when I am batting there, if I would put too much pressure on myself then I am losing out on the fun of the art of batting and that’s what I was trying to do.”It was fun for Gill, and fun too, judging by its response, for the Wankhede.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نجم ريق ليفربول، محمد صلاح، مستعد لخطوة جريئة في إطار مستقبله مع بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بعد التصريحات النارية التي أدلى بها قبل أيام.

كان محمد صلاح قد صب غضبه على إدارة ليفربول والمدرب آرني سلوت، في تصريحات نارية يوم السبت الماضي، بعد تهميشه من جانب المدير الفني الهولندي في 3 مباريات متتالية.

وانتشرت التكهنات منذ ذلك الوقت حول مستقبل محمد صلاح، حيث يمتلك عقدًا ساريًا مع ليفربول حتى يونيو 2027، وأفادت تقارير صحفية بأن إدارة النادي لا تفكر في مسألة بيعه في يناير المقبل.

على العكس من ذلك، ذكرت شبكة “teamtalk” الإنجليزية أن ممثلي محمد صلاح مستعدون لطلب فسخ عقده بالتراضي مع ليفربول، ربما في يناير القادم، بينما من المتوقع وصول عرض مذهل قريبًا لصاحب الـ33 عامًا.

وأوضحت أنه رغم التوقيع على أكبر عقد في تاريخ ليفربول، في أبريل الماضي، مقابل 400 ألف جنيه إسترليني أسبوعيًا، يبدو الانفصال بين الطرفين، بعد أكثر من 6 أشهر، أمرًا واردًا بعد هجوم محمد صلاح المفاجئ مؤخرًا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كاراجر يقسو على محمد صلاح: لم تفز بأي بطولة مع مصر.. وليفربول جعل منك نجمًا

وأفادت بأنه بينما لا يغلق سلوت الباب أمام عودة محمد صلاح إلى الفريق، ويبدو أنه ترك الباب مفتوحًا لعودته قبل مباراة الدوري الإنجليزي ضد برايتون في أنفيلد، فإن ليفربول يتصارع داخليًا مع قضية صعبة للغاية خلف الأبواب المغلقة.

وحاول النادي في البداية التقليل من شأن التكهنات حول محمد صلاح، وأجرى محادثات مطولة مساء السبت والأحد قبل اتخاذ قرار باستبعاده من التشكيلة التي سافرت لمواجهة إنتر ميلان يوم الثلاثاء، لكن مصادر مقربة من معسكره أخبرت الشبكة نفسها أن الأسطورة المصري لا يشعر بمستقبله في الفريق.

وأشارت إلى أن المصادر أكدت أن محمد صلاح يصر على كون الأمر لا يتعلق بالمال، وأنه منفتح تمامًا على مغادرة ليفربول حال التوصل إلى اتفاق.

ويجب التأكيد على أنه لم يُذكر أي شيء يشير إلى أن ليفربول، سيكون مستعدًا بالفعل لقبول رحيله في يناير، ويظل ريتشارد هيوز، رئيس مجلس إدارة ليفربول التنفيذي والمدير الرياضي للنادي، مالكي النادي، على اطلاع دائم بالوضع.

كما يتواصل الطرفان باستمرار في إطار علاقتهما العملية، مع التأكيد على كون موضوع محمد صلاح هو بلا شك القضية المُلحة.

The Angels' hire of Kurt Suzuki as their manager was met with much fanfare, given his strong track record across 16 years of big-league service from 2007 to '22.

However, Suzuki's arrival has reportedly come with a catch.

Los Angeles has Suzuki on a one-year contract, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from Sam Blum of . That, Blum noted, is a highly unusual arrangement for a managerial contract.

Almost all managerial contracts are multiyear deals, such as (to cite a recent example) the Rangers' hire of Skip Schumaker on a four-year contract. As Blum mentioned, issues related to contract length reportedly scuttled the Angels' negotiations with former first baseman Albert Pujols.

Suzuki, 42, played the last two years of his career with Los Angeles. He also spent time with the Athletics, Nationals, Twins and Braves, slashing .255/.314/.388 with 143 home runs and 730 RBIs lifetime.

He takes over an Angels team that has not made the playoffs since 2014 and has not won a postseason game since the 2009 American League division series.

The opener exuded confidence ahead of Pakistan’s first game of the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi, against Sri Lanka

Danyal Rasool22-Sep-20251:39

Chopra: Clear difference in Pakistan’s intent with the bat

Pakistan may be sitting at the bottom of the Super Four table after another fairly convincing defeat against India, but their best performer on the night felt the game showed what Pakistan were capable of. Sahibzada Farhan, who dominated the first ten overs of the contest and scored a 34-ball half-century, was confident Pakistan were well set up to put themselves on the board against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.”The way we batted today, the boys are very confident,” Farhan said, speaking after the game against India. “The wickets in Abu Dhabi are true and the ball comes onto the bat, and we’ll play to win.”Unlike Sri Lanka, who have played two of their four games in Dubai, Pakistan’s four matches at the Asia Cup have all taken place there. Without a formal training session, they will go into a game which may end up proving an eliminator for the losing side, with Sri Lanka having begun the Super Fours with defeat to Bangladesh. Farhan, though, dismissed the idea that preparation was a concern.Related

Similar goals, similar problems: SL, Pakistan resume borderline sappy yet competitive rivalry

“We’re very well prepared. The boys are confident ahead of the Sri Lanka game because this wasn’t a one-sided game; it was one we took right to the end.”That increased optimism is largely down to Farhan himself. His start, particularly in the way he took down Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay, as well as the aggression against Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in the four overs that followed, took Pakistan to 91 for 1 in ten overs, their highest midway total against India. Despite a post-drinks slowdown which robbed them of momentum, Pakistan posted 171, requiring India to complete the highest successful chase of the tournament for victory.”I worked a lot on my six hitting,” Farhan, who hit three sixes and is Pakistan’s highest run-scorer of the tournament, said. “When I used to score runs before, there were very few boundaries among them. If we’d won this game, it would have been very valuable to me. Performing against India is very highly rated but I just regret we didn’t win the game today.”The mistake we were making in previous matches was losing wickets early on and not utilising the powerplay. This time around our powerplay was brilliant, with 91 in 10 overs. There was a collapse in the middle and we’ll look to rectify that.”When, with a six of Axar, Farhan reached his half-century, he opted to celebrate in a manner that raised eyebrows at the time, with Farhan cocking his bat and miming the firing of a gun. It was just one of the flashpoints in an ill-tempered game between the two sides, though Farhan said there was nothing to read into it.”That celebration was just a spur of the moment. I rarely celebrate when I get to fifty,” he said. “But when I got there I suddenly got the idea of celebrating, and so I did without knowing or caring how people would interpret it. We should play aggressive cricket against any team, not just India, the way we played today.”Farhan hoped Pakistan and India aren’t done with each other yet in the Asia Cup. “We’d love to be able to meet India again in the final.”Their trip to Abu Dhabi is likely to have a huge say in determining how realistic that ambition is.

تحدث محمد النني، لاعب نادي الجزيرة الإماراتي ومنتخب مصر الثاني، عن استعداداته للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويستعد منتخب مصر الثاني، تحت قيادة حلمي طولان، للمشاركة في البطولة التي ستُقام في قطر وتنطلق بعد أيام قليلة.

ونقل مراسل بطولات تصريحات محمد النني خلال مران المنتخب، حيث قال: “هدفنا إسعاد جماهير مصر، نحن ذاهبون إلى البطولة ونحن جاهزون”.

طالع.. هاني أبو ريدة يدعم منتخب مصر الثاني قبل كأس العرب

وأضاف: “هؤلاء اللاعبون يضحون بالكثير من أجل المنتخب، لدينا حلم وهدف واحد وهو التتويج بالبطولة”.

واختتم: “سعيد لأنني صنعت الفارق مع المنتخب في الأولمبياد، وأتمنى أن يتحقق ذلك مع المنتخب في البطولة العربية”.

دعا جيمي كاراجر، النجم السابق لفريق ليفربول، المصري محمد صلاح إلى تقليد القائد فيرجيل فان دايك، في ظل النتائج الكارثية لكتيبة آرني سلوت في الفترة الأخيرة.

وتعرض ليفربول لهزيمة جديدة، يوم السبت الماضي، أمام نوتينجهام فورست بثلاثة أهداف دون رد في الجولة الثانية عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وأدلى فيرجيل فان دايك بتصريحات قوية، بعد مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست، حيث أكد أن ما يعيشه حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي حاليًا هو فوضى، طالبًا من الجميع تحمل المسؤولية.

ويرى كاراجر أن محمد صلاح يتعين عليه الخروج والتحدث بصراحة عن سوء أداء ليفربول، مثلما فعل فيرجيل فان دايك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جاري نيفيل يدعو سلوت إلى إحداث ثورة في تشكيل ليفربول.. موقف محمد صلاح

وقال كاراجر، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “إندبندنت” الإنجليزية: “يجب أن أقول إنه بعد كل هزائم ليفربول، دائمًا ما يكون فيرجيل فان دايك هو من يتحدث”.

وأضاف: “ينبغي على القائد أن يفعل ذلك، ولكن يجب أن يكون هناك لاعبون آخرون في غرفة الملابس يتحدثون باسم النادي، قبل عام لم يخجل محمد صلاح من الخروج والحديث عن وضعه الخاص، وعن عدم تلقيه عرضًا من الإدارة لتجديد عقده”.

وواصل: “لا أسمع صلاح يتحدث إلا عندما يحصل على جائزة رجل المباراة أو يحتاج إلى عقد جديد، أود أن أرى محمد صلاح يظهر كأحد القادة، أحد أساطير ليفربول، يتحدث باسم الفريق، لا ينبغي أن يكون القائد دائمًا”.

وتحدث محمد صلاح بالفعل، أكثر من مرة، إلى وسائل الإعلام الموسم الماضي للحديث عن مستقبله، بعدما انتشرت تكهنات حول إمكانية رحيله قبل أن يجدد عقده في أبريل 2025.

Liverpool are in a dire rut of form at the moment and the pressure only ramped up on Arne Slot following their 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday evening.

As if Slot didn’t think things could get any worse, what hasn’t helped is Mohamed Salah’s remarkable interview after the game.

The Egyptian has been on the substitutes bench for the last three games and according to reports, will not travel to Milan when the Reds face Inter in the Champions League this week.

What Mo Salah has said about his Liverpool future

Salah was in conversation with reporters after Liverpool’s dismal draw with Leeds at the weekend and it’s safe to say he did not cover Slot and Co in glory.

“‘I’m very disappointed, Salah began. “I’ve done so much for this club – everyone can see that – over years, especially last season, sitting on the bench I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.”

The Liverpool great continued: “It’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. Club promised me a lot in summer. So far I I’m on bench three games, so can’t say they have kept those promises.

“I say many times I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship, I don’t know why. It seems like someone does not want me in the club.

“But again this club, I always support it. my kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I will always do. I called my mum yesterday because I knew I wasn’t going to start and told my mum and dad to the Brighton game [next Saturday].”

How Salah trained on Monday

Salah smiled and chatted with his teammates on Monday as he attended the club’s first training session since his outburst over the weekend.

He arrived on the training pitch in conversation with French striker Hugo Ekitike. Salah listened as Slot addressed the squad and then took part in a series of warm-up and passing drills, interacting with the likes of Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The session was overseen by Slot who is really up against it now. Who the Liverpool board decide to side with, Salah or the Dutchman, will be very interesting.

When Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman entered Game 7 of the World Series in the eighth inning on Saturday night, Toronto was up 4-3 over the Dodgers. He needed four outs to seal the championship win for his team—that’s a lot of pressure.

In the ninth inning He delivered a quick strikeout of Enrique Hernández for the first out, then on a 3-2 count, Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas hit a 387-foot home run to tie the game. Hoffman then got the final two outs of the inning to give Toronto the opportunity to win in the bottom of the ninth, but he still felt like he failed in his closing position.

The Dodgers went on to win 5-4 in the 11th inning, and Hoffman felt the weight of the loss, telling reporters afterward that he feels like he “cost” the team the World Series title.

“It sucks,” Hoffman said after the game. “Supposed to end differently. Was just one pitch. I cost everybody here a World Series ring. It feels pretty s—ty.”

Obviously the loss can’t be blamed on just one person, there were plenty of late mistakes made by the Blue Jays in Game 7, but Hoffman was understandably emotional after the loss. It’s going to be a tough inning to sit with all offseason.

Chelsea are actively trying to convince one Arsenal star to join them next year following discussions with his representatives, according to a report this week.

Chelsea enjoy triumphant 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League

While the January window is fast approaching, Enzo Maresca’s side are currently riding high off a statement 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Chelsea dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, pressing Barcelona aggressively and preventing the Spanish champions from establishing any rhythm in possession.

The Blues’ high-octane approach paid dividends when Jules Kounde’s unfortunate own goal broke the deadlock after 27 minutes, deflecting Pedro Neto’s effort beyond his own goalkeeper.

Barcelona’s evening unraveled further when captain Ronald Araujo received his marching orders just before halftime, collecting a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Marc Cucurella. The dismissal effectively ended any realistic hopes of a Catalan comeback and allowed Chelsea to dictate throughout thcond period.

Chelsea open talks with star who's "very keen" to join amid Barcelona triumph

Enzo Maresca’s side are in dreamland right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

The standout moment arrived ten minutes after the restart when teenage sensation Estevao produced a moment of individual magic. The 18-year-old Brazilian embarked on a mazy dribble from out wide, leaving Pau Cubarsi trailing before cutting inside and firing a thunderous strike into the top corner.

The goal showcased his immense potential on the biggest stage and marked his third consecutive Champions League scoring performance, with Estevao making all the headlines for outshining Barca’s own sensation Lamine Yamal.

Substitute Liam Delap wrapped up the victory with 17 minutes remaining, capitalizing on Enzo Fernández’s clever pass to slot home calmly. The goal initially appeared offside, but VAR intervened to overturn the decision.

Cucurella earned widespread praise for his defensive masterclass against Yamal, with the left-back’s discipline and tactical awareness proving instrumental in keeping the visitors’ attack quiet.

Minutes

93′

Expected Assists

0.59

Tackles (Won)

5 (4)

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Blocked Shots

1

Recoveries

4

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (1)

Key Passes

1

Passes

55/63

Touches

97

Chelsea’s stupendous display comes as the perfect warm-up for their pivotal Premier League clash this weekend against league leaders Arsenal, a match which will define their credentials as genuine title contenders.

Off the field, BlueCo are apparently eyeing one of Mikel Arteta’s young stars.

Chelsea actively tempting Myles Lewis-Skelly into joining them

That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who reports that Chelsea have held talks with the representatives of Hale End academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The England rising star was recently told by Thomas Tuchel that he’d have to play more to stand any chance of getting into the Three Lions squad for next year’s World Cup, with Riccardo Calafiori’s form severely limiting his minutes this season.

That being said, neither the teenager nor Arsenal want to part ways any time soon.

However, this hasn’t stopped Maresca’s side from testing the water, and it is believed that Chelsea are making a ‘bold’ attempt to convince Lewis-Skelly that Stamford Bridge is the place for him.

This comes as Chelsea make future contingency plans for when Cucurella leaves, even if that doesn’t appear to be in the immediate future.

The Spain international eventually wants to return to play in La Liga before he reaches his twilight years, with Lewis-Skelly viewed as an ideal long-term successor.