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The first half of the season went about as good as the Mets could have hoped. The team jumped out to a comfortable lead in the National League, having gone 45-25 in their first 70 games.

Since then, the wheels have come off completely. New York has lost 13 of its last 15 games and eight of its last nine, many of which have included painstaking blown leads and inexplicably un-clutch performances.

Thursday night was much of the same, as the Mets fell victim to another late blown lead against the rival Braves. New York entered the eighth inning with a 3–2 lead, but trade deadline acquisition Ryan Helsley's struggles out of the bullpen continued as he surrendered a pair of runs to give Atlanta 4–3 lead. The Braves would hold on to win by that same score.

Mets fans wish they could say this was an unbelievable collapse, but given the state of the team of late, it was totally believable.

The loss puts the Mets at 64-57 on the year, and they're just a half-game ahead of the Reds for the final National League wild-card spot.

Naturally, Mets fans were in full panic mode on social media after another disastrous defeat.

In the Mariners' 10th-straight win on Tuesday night, a 12–5 victory over the Royals, American League MVP hopeful Cal Raleigh had a truly historic performance.

Raleigh notched his 55th and 56th home runs of the 2025 season. With the first homer, he surpassed the legend Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch hitter in a single season. Raleigh's second homer of the night tied him with Ken Griffey Jr. for the most home runs hit by a Mariners player in a single season. That's pretty good company to join on both regards.

MLB Network interviewed Raleigh after his monumental performance, and he acknowledged that it hasn't fully sunk in how historic this game was for him.

"My name shouldn't be in the same sentence with those guys, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr.," Raleigh said. "I don't really have words for it, I don't really know what to say. I'm sure one day it will set in."

Raleigh has led MLB in home runs for the majority of the season, and he now holds a three-homer lead over the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber as of Tuesday night.

There's still time left this season for Raleigh to continue increasing his home run total and etching his name in even more history books.

For the first time this season, Rangers have won a home Premiership match; Danny Röhl working wonders already!

On Sunday, the Gers beat Kilmarnock 3-1 at Ibrox, with Derek Cornelius breaking the deadlock, only for Killie to equalise on the cusp of half time, but goals from Danilo and Youssef Chermiti after the interval cemented the victory.

This is just the Gers second league victory of the season, beating Livingston at Almondvale in the last minute in September, thereby moving them up to fifth, just five points behind Celtic, albeit still 13 adrift run-away league-leaders Hearts.

New manager Röhl may only have been in situ for a week, but now faces a crucial seven days, with a tricky trip to Hibernian to come on Wednesday, before the small matter of a Glasgow derby at Hampden in the League Cup semi-finals next Sunday.

Ahead of these massive games, has Röhl unearthed an “exciting” talent who could replicate, arguably, the Premiership’s best striker?

Why Rangers should have signed Lawrence Shankland

During the summer, Rangers were heavily linked with a move for Scotland international striker Lawrence Shankland, given that his contract at Heart of Midlothian expired on 30 June.

After only a few days unemployed, Shankland decided to stay at Hearts, signing a new contract on 3 July, and he certainly showed Rangers what they could have had last month, scoring both as the Jambos won 2-0 at Ibrox.

Well, Heart of Midlothian are certainly the talk of Scottish football at this moment in time.

On Sunday, Derek McInnes’ side beat Celtic 3-1 at a raucous Tynecastle, going in front thanks to an early own goal, before quick-fire strikes from Alexandros Kyziridis and then Shankland from the penalty spot cemented a 3-1 victory.

This leaves Hearts eight points clear at the top, looking to become the first non-Old Firm champions of Scotland since Aberdeen 41 years ago, not facing one of the Glasgow giants again until they travel to Celtic Park on 7 December.

Shankland himself has now scored eight goals this season, five of which have come in the Premiership.

In contrast, right-back James Tavernier is the only Rangers player to have scored more than one league goal across their nine fixtures to date.

Thus, the Hearts captain, a boyhood Rangers fan, spotted at Ibrox for April’s Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, would unquestionably improve the Gers’ current team, but did Röhl discover his answer to Shankland during Sunday’s match, a forgotten star who could propel Rangers up the table?

Rangers have their own answer to Shankland

Sunday was certainly a memorable afternoon for new signing Youssef Chermiti, scoring his first senior goal since May 2023, but Danilo was the striker who caught the eye.

When he joined the club from Feyenoord for a reported fee of £6m in the summer of 2023, then-manager Michael Beale labelled him an “exciting player who likes to create and score goals”.

Meantime, Melvin Dupper of the Rangers Review described him as ‘quick’ and an ‘amazing instinctive finisher’, praising his work rate and pressing ability, but supporters have seen very little of any of that in the two and a bit years since.

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The Brazilian has scored just 14 goals in 61 outings for the club, sitting out 65 matches due to injury.

Sunday’s header was just his second goal since netting during the 3-0 demolition of Celtic in January.

Overall, as the table below outlines, Danilo had a very productive afternoon against Kilmarnock, despite limited involvement.

As the table documents, Danilo was not often involved in build-up play, emphasised by the fact he touched the ball just 18 times in 69 minutes on the park, three touches fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Nevertheless, when his sole opportunity of the afternoon came, he took it, heading past Killie keeper Eddie Beach.

It may be stating the obvious, but having a reliable goalscorer could transform this team, with new manager Röhl attempting to rebuild a sinking ship that has hit rock bottom, following Russell Martin’s catastrophic if only brief reign.

Hearts would not be clear at the top if it wasn’t for the goals scored by Shankland and summer signing Cláudio Braga, with Rangers still searching for their own talisman in attack, following a scattergun summer of recruitment.

New signings Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski look substandard when compared to the pair they are supposed to be replacing, namely Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, so could Danilo, a player they already had, but many had written off, prove to be the centre-forward Röhl can hang his hat on?

0 passes made: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who was worse than Aasgaard

Danny Rohl must drop this Glasgow Rangers flop who was even worse than Thelo Aasgaard against Kilmarnock.

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By
Dan Emery

Oct 27, 2025

Dasun Shanaka will be leading Sri Lanka in the tri-series after Charith Asalanka had to be withdrawn due to illness

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Nov-2025

Big picture: Teams tuning up ahead of World Cup

Two-and-a-half months out from the Men’s T20 World Cup, it’s time to get serious. There are squads that need finalising, strategies that need trialing, and players that need tuning into the rhythm and tempo of T20 cricket.For Pakistan, this tri-series series is a chance to build on some T20 advances this year. They have won 17 T20Is to the 12 they’ve lost in 2025. That run includes making it to the final of the Asia Cup, and beating South Africa 2-1 in their most-recent T20I series. Under the leadership of Salman Agha, the batting has had a little more purpose, even if it is the bowling that has tended to win Pakistan games.In that series against South Africa, for example, the bowlers had restricted the visitors to feeble scores twice. Still, the chases were largely smooth, and Pakistan’s two victories were comfortable. The generally-preferred strategy seems to be to put the opposition in, and try to blow them away cheaply.Related

• SL call up Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as cover for injured Hasaranga

• Injured Muzarabani out of tri-series, Nyamhuri named replacement

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have not been having an especially good time in this format either. Longstanding firepower issues in the batting order persist, although this is less apparent when Pathum Nissanka fires at the top of the order. They are also trying to figure out their combinations – frequently seeming either a bowler or batter short against top opposition.Ahead of a home World Cup, Sri Lanka are desperate to find a working formula. Dasun Shanaka being named acting captain of the side after Charith Asalanka was withdrawn due to illness suggests the selectors want him locked in, in the lower order, at least until the end of the World Cup. And Wanindu Hasaranga’s decent batting form will also help add some depth, provided Hasaranga recovers for the tri-series. Sri Lanka have drafted in legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as cover on the eve of the tournament, but hope Hasaranga recovers to feature in the competition.Zimbabwe haven’t had quite so hot a year. But at least, unlike for the 2024 World Cup, they have bossed the Africa qualifier, and earned themselves a spot in the big show. And it was in that qualifier – played entirely in Harare – that they made their most impressive run of 2025, picking up five successive victories, including in the final against Namibia, who have also qualified for the World Cup.Zimbabwe recently beat Sri Lanka in a T20I•Zimbabwe Cricket

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will likely pose a much sterner challenge than the lower-ranked teams Zimbabwe played in Harare, though, and they are just coming off a 3-0 loss to Afghanistan. They have, however, also beaten Sri Lanka in a T20I recently; Sri Lanka lost the second T20I in a three-match series in Zimbabwe in September.Although the tri-series between Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka was originally scheduled to move to Lahore after two matches in Rawalpindi, security concerns following last week’s bombing in Islamabad has prompted a change. The tournament will be played entirely in Rawalpindi now.

Form guide

Pakistan: WWLLW
Sri Lanka: LLLWW
Zimbabwe: LLLWW

In the spotlight: Babar, Nissanka, and Bennett

Is Babar Azam back? There have been recent signs he is returning to a fuller version of himself, particularly when, on Friday, he struck his first international ton since 2023 even if that was in ODIs. Having been dropped from the T20I side for most of this year, Babar also struck a match-winning 68 off 47 balls against South Africa in Lahore less than three weeks ago. If he can have a successful tri-series, Pakistan will feel a much more menacing unit.Pathum Nissanka got a T20I hundred against India in September•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka may already be over-reliant on Pathum Nissanka, their most improved white-ball batter of the past three years, and owner of a T20I hundred (against India no less), in September. His first week in Pakistan could have gone better. Nissanka got three starts in the ODIs, but could not even breach 30. On what are expected to be flatter tracks in Rawalpindi, he will likely come good at some point. Sri Lanka’s batting feels like a transformed unit on the days in which Nissanka scores heavily.Zimabwe’s run through the T20 World Cup qualifier had partly been fuelled by the form of their opening batters, and Brian Bennett in particular. Bennett crashed 314 runs at a strike rate of 181.50, making three fifties and a hundred in the space of five innings. At age 22, he has never played in Pakistan, but perhaps the greater challenge will be to counter attacks which will now, given his recent success, have spent much more time analysing his game, and devising plans against him.

Pitch and conditions

As we’re heading into winter, expect cold nights in Rawalpindi, where evening temperatures are forecast to drop into the low teens at times. This generally means fielding errors. The surface is expected to be batting friendly, though there is frequently something for the seamers there.

Squads

Pakistan made a late change to their squad, releasing Hasan Nawaz and bringing Fakhar Zaman, who was in excellent ODI form, in.Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman TariqFakhar Zaman replaced Hasan Nawaz in Pakistan’s squad•AFP/Getty Images

With Hasaranga’s hamstring tightness a concern, after he sustained a minor hamstring strain in the second ODI against Pakistan, Viyaskanth could get a look-in. Captain Charith Asalanka and Asitha Fernando are returning home due to illness. Top-order batter Pavan Rathnayake has now been brought into the T20I squad. Rathnayake made his international debut in the third ODI of the Pakistan tour.Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka (vice-capt), Kamindu Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranaga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Eshan MalingaZimbabwe’s one change to the squad that played Afghanistan at home is to add a seamer. The is helpfully named Newman Nyamhuri, who’s a 19-year-old left-arm quick. He’s yet to play an international, and is in the squad because one of their senior bowlers, Blessing Muzarabani, is ruled out with a back injury.Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan TaylorSince October 2022, Zimbabwe and Pakistan have won two games apiece against each other•ICC via Getty Images

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have played five T20Is in Pakistan – most recently in 2020 – and have lost all five.
• Zimbabwe have a decent recent record against Pakistan, however. Since October 2022, these teams have faced each other four times and won two apiece.
• Although he has been playing T20Is only since 2021, Nissanka is Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-scorer in the format, with 2211 runs from 73 innings. Kusal Perera, who sits at the top, and is part of Sri Lanka’s squad for this tri-series, is only 65 runs ahead of Nissanka.
  

عقد آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول مؤتمرًا صحفيًا للحديث عن آخر استعدادات فريقه لمواجهة ليدز يونايتد غداً السبت في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الانجليزي برصيد 22 نقطة، ويحتل ليدز يونايتد المركز السابع عشر برصيد 14 نقطة.

وسئل سلوت عن محمد صلاح في تصريحات نشرتها “ليفربول إيكو” البريطانية بعد جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء آخر مباراتين: “أعتقد أن كل لاعب في ذهني قادر على البدء بشكل أساسي”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ليفربول يتلقى دفعة مزدوجة قبل مباراة ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

وأضاف: “مو لاعب استثنائي بالنسبة لنا، دائماً في ذهني سواء إذا كان سيبدأ بشكل أساسي أو من مقاعد البدلاء”.

واتم: “أتفهم الحديث عن صلاح، نعم لأنه يستحق ذلك، لقد كان مؤثراً جداً بالنسبة لي وبالنسبة لست أو سبع سنوات هنا، من الطبيعي جداً أن يتحدث الناس عنه عندما لا يلعب”.

وختم: “إذا لم ألعب باللاعبين الذين تعاقدنا معهم وقمنا بضمهم للنادي، فنحن نتحدث عن ذلك بالفعل، لذا من الطبيعي تماماً أن يتحدث الناس”.

Mariano Rivera made the most of an opportunity to pick up the lumber Saturday at Yankees Old-Timers' Day.

New York's traditional alumni game commemorated the 25th anniversary of their 2000 World Series team which included Yankee legends like Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. The game, which normally spans two or three innings, gave the Hall of Fame closer a chance to step up to the plate as Pettitte was on the hill.

Rivera was locked in and laced a ground ball through the infield and into left for a single. The base hit moved Posada to second and put a big smile on Rivera's face as he rounded first base and laughed with Pettitte while getting some praise from Johnny Damon.

Not too shabby from Major League Baseball's all-time leader in saves:

Rivera didn't record a hit over his illustrious 19-year career that included 13 All-Star appearances and five World Series titles. He only had four plate appearances and three at-bats, though. There's no reason for a closer—especially one in the American League while Rivera played—to take at-bats. Maybe he should've gotten a chance here and there at the dish, though.

His hard-hit ball on Pettitte is a base hit in any league.

Southern Brave 109 for 4 (Bouchier 42, Devine 41*) beat Trent Rockets 106 (Gordon 32, Corteen-Coleman 4-13) by six wicketsA dominant bowling performance followed by a measured if not nervy run chase saw the Southern Brave to a six-wicket win over Trent Rockets in The Hundred women’s competition at Trent Bridge.Electing to bowl first, Georgia Adams’ decision was justified almost immediately when 17-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman struck two huge blows in her opening set, removing Bryony Smith caught off a leading-edge and Nat Sciver-Brunt brilliantly stumped by Rhianna Southby.Despite a 16-ball 25 from captain Ash Gardner, the Rockets top order faltered miserably. From 36 for 2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, it was complete Brave dominance as Rockets collapsed to 55 for 8.Left-arm spinner Corteen-Coleman bowled brilliantly, also dismissing Heather Graham and Emma Jones – the former another stumping by the impressive Southby – on the way to brilliant figures of 4 for 13. Lauren Bell returned to strike twice in three balls, becoming the first woman to take 50 wickets in the Hundred in the process, finishing her 20 balls with 3 for 16.Alana King and Kirstie Gordon then staged a recovery to keep their side in the game. They shared a record tenth-wicket stand of 50 from 44 deliveries to help the Rockets to 106 and give them something to bowl at.In the run chase, Rockets struck early – Danni Wyatt-Hodge run out by King after a miscommunication with Maia Bouchier. Laura Wolvaardt was then caught by Sciver-Brunt off Gordon to see the score 10 for 2 with two in-form batters back in the shed.Bouchier and Sophie Devine played cautiously against probing bowling from King and Gardner, steadily chipping away at the target as the Brave reached 52 for 2 at halfway with 55 runs still required.Bouchier began to open her shoulders as Brave approached their target, but she targeted King one time too many, running past a wide one to be stumped for 43.Devine was joined by Freya Kemp who, after cracking a huge six off Gordon, went caught on the boundary with eight still required from seven balls. But Devine stayed calm, striking a crucial boundary off Graham as the Brave got home with two balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero, Corteen-Coleman, said: “It’s been fantastic, such a great team performance. Good to get another win on the board. There’s a bit of a track record of Trent Bridge being a bit slow and having a bit of turn so I thought I might be in the game.”I can’t complain, it’s been a great day. We’re a great group. We’ve been working really hard and obviously off the back of last year I feel like we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re on our way to doing that.”

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Após a maior goleada sofrida pelo Vasco contra o Flamengo na história do clássico carioca, o técnico Álvaro Pacheco iniciou a entrevista coletiva se desculpando com o torcedor vascaíno pelo 6 a 1 deste domingo (2), pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão.

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As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

– Em primeiro lugar, é pedir desculpa. O resultado aconteceu, e sou o responsável enquanto treinador. Começamos muito bem. Conseguimos equilibrar, fomos capazes de marcar um gol e tivemos chances de fazer o segundo. Depois que sofremos o gol a equipe perdeu um pouco o controle emocional – afirmou o treinador.

O treinador português foi apresentado pelo clube há apenas dois dias, fazendo sua estreia justamente numa partida que já entrou para a história do Vasco de forma negativa.

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– Quando está criando uma identidade nova, aconteceu um imprevisto, eles esqueceram das referências novas e foram para as antigas. A equipe passou a pensar individualmente. Começou a saltar na pressão e a permitir muitos espaços ao Flamengo. Quando ficamos com um a menos, esses espaços ficaram mais evidentes.

Com a derrota, o Vasco permanece com apenas seis pontos na competição e próximo da zona de rebaixamento. O próximo desafio do time será contra o Palmeiras, na quinta-feira (13), no Allianz Parque, pela oitava rodada do Nacional.

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BrasileirãoFlamengoFutebol NacionalVasco

Shohei Ohtani is baseball unicorn, as evidenced by his rare two-way skills.

Ohtani's skill as both a pitcher and hitter also makes him uniquely able to identify with the trials and tribulations of both pitching and hitting. Such an instance occurred during the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Dodgers, in which Ohtani found himself face-to-face with arguably the best pitcher in the game in Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

In three plate appearances against Skenes, Ohtani struck out twice and worked a walk. And during the third showdown between Skenes and Ohtani in the top of the sixth inning, there was a game-recognize-game moment when the Pirates righthander unleashed a filthy breaker on the Dodgers slugger.

On the first pitch, Skenes delivered a nasty sweeper that appeared headed for the outside corner of the plate before it boomeranged back into the zone for a called strike.

Ohtani, after taking the pitch, did a double take at its absurd movement.

After Thursday's contest, Ohtani is now 2-for-11 with a home run, a walk and six strikeouts against Skenes in his career. Skenes, meanwhile, tossed six scoreless innings and struck out eight batters to earn the win, lowering his ERA to 1.98 in the process.

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“Braço direito” na campanha que culminou na eleição de Augusto Melo a presidente do Corinthians, o diretor Rubens Gomes, o Rubão, deve ser desligado da função ainda nesta semana. Ele e o mandatário alvinegro, inclusive, não se falam há cerca de dois meses.

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A crise interna teve início poucos dias após a chegada de Fabinho Soldado para o cargo de executivo de futebol. O fato incomodou Rubão, diretor estatutário que estava à frente das negociações do Timão desde o período de transição, em dezembro.

➡️ Acredita que o Corinthians chega no G4 do Brasileirão? Então aposte R$ 100 e receba R$ 800 se isso acontecer!

Rubão se sentiu deixado de lado, e a insatisfação chegou até Augusto Melo, que nada fez. Para o diretor, então, o presidente tinha tomado lado no conflito. Foi quando a “guerra-fria” começou.

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Essa disputa ficou escancarada na quinta-feira (18), quando Romeu Tuma Júnior, presidente do Conselho Deliberativo do Corinthians, fez duras críticas a Rubão. O diretor definiu as falas como “manifestação patética”.

Para Augusto, que internamente já havia tomado algumas medidas contra pessoas próximas a Rubão, a discussão explícita entre o diretor e o presidente do Conselho foi a gota d’ água. Desde então, ele tem planejado o desligamento do antigo aliado.

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➡️ Cássio cogita deixar o Corinthians; confira

➡️ Raul Gustavo é expulso por agressão a bandeirinha; VEJA

O intuito de não tomar a medida imediatamente é porque o presidente busca se blindar politicamente nos bastidores, pois sabe que o rompimento com Rubão pode deixá-lo exposto a represálias. Isso acontece principalmente por se tratar de uma divergência pública com uma pessoa que foi seu braço direito e peça fundamental de articulação para a vitória nas eleições.

Augusto Melo teme que, da mesma forma que Rubens Gomes o ajudou a ser eleito, o diretor também pode encabeçar um movimento para que o presidente seja afastado ou até desligado da função.

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Augusto MeloCorinthians