Cal Raleigh's incredible season continued Wednesday with the catcher making more MLB history by hitting his 60th home run of the year in the Mariners' AL West-clinching win over the Rockies. He now needs just two more to tie Aaron Judge's AL record and he has four more games to get it done.
Raleigh, who is just the seventh player in MLB history to hit 60 or more home runs in a season, blasted the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the eighth inning into the stands in right field, which sent the home crowd at T-Mobile Park into hysterics. It was his second home run of the game.
What made it even cooler is that the Mariners fan who caught the historic home run ball was seen immediately giving it to a kid, who was then taken away by security to likely get the ball to Raleigh.
Here's that scene from the stands:
What an incredibly selfless move by that fan to just give the ball away to that kid.
How a lanky offspin-bowling allrounder overcame early setbacks and became Mumbai’s man for every situation
Vishal Dikshit08-Nov-2024Mumbai were training in Raipur for their penultimate league game of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season when captain Ajinkya Rahane walked up to the offspin-bowling allrounder Tanush Kotian. Rahane told the spindly youngster that he had bundles of batting potential, and it was time he added a three-figure score to his streak of four half-centuries that season.A couple of weeks later, Kotian obliged his captain, and it was no ordinary hundred. His maiden first-class century, which he brought up off 115 balls at No. 10, came in a record 232-run stand with Tushar Deshpande, the second-highest for the 10th wicket in Ranji Trophy history. At a time when a wicket would have left Baroda with a stiff but realistic fourth-innings target in their bid for a quarter-final win, the last-wicket pair shut them out in style, with Kotian driving and pulling with authority and hitting four sixes down the ground.”I told him, ‘you have the ability, if you can score a hundred at No. 8 or 9, that’ll be the game-changer,'” Rahane tells ESPNcricinfo of that conversation with Kotian in Raipur. “I could see that in his game. Sometimes you need some guidance when you’re scoring 70-80 and you have only one or two batters to accompany you. So you have to take your chances. I told him to identify which bowlers to target, when to keep the strike, and so on. I always felt he had the game to become a good allrounder where he can win matches single-handedly.”If Baroda couldn’t dismiss Kotian in that knock of 120, neither could Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals, when he scored 89 not out to turn a tricky position into a dominant innings win. When he couldn’t contribute with the bat in the final against Vidarbha, he bagged seven wickets to script an imposing win at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai lifted the Ranji Trophy for the 42nd time, and Kotian the glittering Player-of-the-Tournament award with 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and 29 wickets at 16.96. Kotian was the only player from any side to complete the season’s double of 500 runs and 25 wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe was duly fast-tracked into the India A side for the Duleep Trophy six months later, before he impressed in the Mumbai whites once again in the Irani Cup last month, first with a patient 64 and then – as if his captain’s words had rung again in his ears – with a knock of 114, to rescue his side from a precarious 125 for 6. His second century was also brisk, coming off 135 balls, against an attack as good as any in domestic cricket, featuring Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna and Yash Dayal, a testament to his temperament under pressure. It was a result of the realisation Kotian had had early in his career – he has still only played 32 first-class games – that performing in India’s premier red-ball competition was about making a few things happen together.”There’s a big difference in performing at this level and age-group cricket, and I knew that handling pressure would be key because oppositions have top bowlers and you don’t get that many opportunities,” a padded-up Kotian tells ESPNcricinfo, dripping sweat in the Mumbai dugout after a nets session. This is before he leaves for the tour of Australia with India A, who are currently playing their second four-day game at the MCG. “You also don’t get loose balls that often so you must convert whatever chances you get.”I don’t think of situations in such a way that, ‘oh, this is a tough situation.’ I back my natural game, my confidence, and my shots. I don’t want to defend unnecessarily just because it’s a pressure situation. Instead, I try to dominate the bowler in those situations so that they go on the back foot. I also try to build the innings in chunks of five-five runs, and not think about the next 50 or 100 runs.”Now 26 and in his fifth Ranji season, Kotian recalled how he was dropped after playing just two games in his maiden campaign six years ago, forcing him to go back to the Under-23s to prove himself again. Being pushed one level below hit him hard, and made him think hard about what he needed to do to return to the senior Mumbai side, which he did in 2022.”I backed myself completely: my shots, my bowling strengths,” he says. “I kept thinking about how I can improve and make the captain believe in me that whenever required, I’m there to contribute with both bat and ball for the team. I wanted to make the most of the opportunities. I built my game around that, I worked with the coaches every day in training sessions about coming up with different plans, like what line to bowl with just two fielders on the off side. I worked a lot on my bowling over two years. This also gave me a lot of confidence which I didn’t have earlier because I had not performed.”This relentless work ethic translated into match-winning performances. His wickets tally rose from 18 in the 2021-22 season to 20 in the next, and 29 in the victorious 2023-24 campaign, and at the same time his runs count swelled from 262 to 303 and then 502.”I think he has been a very good team man,” Rahane says of Kotian. “That’s the best quality I would say about him because he’s always willing to put his hand up and say, ‘I’ll do it for the team,’ when the team needs it. Whenever we’ve told him in the last two-three seasons that this is his role, he’s always willing to do that. He’s been very hard-working and he’s very confident about his abilities, both bowling and batting.”Kotian took 29 wickets at 16.96 during Mumbai’s victorious 2023-24 Ranji campaign•PTI A lanky offspinner, Kotian is routinely likened to R Ashwin in the Mumbai fraternity, mostly because of the body of work he is building. Kotian suggests that his biggest strength with the ball is the pace – in the range of 85 to 90kph – at which he gets turn and extra bounce. This could have something to do with the fact that he often used to bowl pace in his school days. The son of a semi-professional cricketer who now runs a coaching academy close to their house, Kotian grew up playing in the gullies of Vikhroli, where he picked up the Hinglish patois of Mumbai’s bustling streets.” tennis ball games street smartness quick games every time Saturday-Sunday match dad ,” he says. “School games locality friends game .” In short, he suggests that the early diet of constant tennis-ball cricket with his friends along with the more formal environment of school matches shaped him into a quick learner with street smarts.And in those early days, he opened the batting and bowled both pace and spin. It was when he switched from St. Joseph’s School to VN Sule School, when he was just about to hit his teens, that he had a growth spurt and began focusing on his offspin in the highly competitive environment of the Harris and Giles Shields.”Offspin , wickets offspin build Mumbai Under-14, Under-16 19 .”The India Under-19 debut came in 2017, in the Asia Cup in Malaysia, where he played alongside the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and Riyan Parag, and 2018 brought him his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 20. A week after lifting the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy for Mumbai, Kotian bagged his maiden IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals, as a replacement for Adam Zampa.Kotian didn’t get to bowl in IPL 2024 but found an excellent learning environment in the RR camp, where he could learn the art of deception from the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Keshav Maharaj, and, of course, Ashwin.3:38
Duleep Trophy: Easwaran, Arshdeep and Kotian impress
Kotian was already excited about speaking to Ashwin, but also felt “on the back foot about meeting the legend.” When they finally met, it wasn’t the IPL that Kotian picked Ashwin’s brains about but red-ball cricket.”The way he plays mind games and plans for different batsmen in red-ball cricket is completely different,” Kotian says of his RR senior. “I tried to learn that from him, how to read the batsmen in red-ball and plan their wickets.”He gave me valuable advice on field placements and how to hold the seam position differently to get different results. I normally grip the ball fairly tight; he asked me to keep it a little loose, change the grip slightly and then release it.”Even when I was batting against him in the nets I could see how the ball was coming at a different pace and the revs he was putting on the ball. I learnt that if you have to play at the top level, you have to give revs on every ball.”There is, however, only so much you can pick up from others compared to learning from your own experiences and even mistakes. Rahane suggests that if Kotian has to progress to the next level as a bowler, he will have to learn how to pick up wickets even when conditions do not favour spin.”It’s important he learns from the experiences he gains by playing there [against Australia A],” Rahane says. “As he plays more and more, he will know himself things like how’s the bounce and what line and length to bowl accordingly.”You can’t be bowling the same kind of deliveries, one has to improve. As a bowler you need to use angles, to lefties or righties. If the wicket is not offering anything then what do you do, how to use the rough, if it’s there, how to create pressure when conditions are not in your favour. He has all the qualities, but these are the things he needs to be aware of, how to adapt in different situations and conditions. His game is good enough to take him forward, he doesn’t need to change anything.”Once back from Australia, Kotian will get back into the grind of domestic cricket, well in time for the mega IPL auction on November 24 and 25. While an international debut may have to wait, Kotian will hope his promising showings will help fetch him a memorable IPL deal.
Falcão, o Rei do Futsal, não poupou elogios ao falar de Leozinho, ex-melhor jovem do mundo na modalidade e hoje atacante do Athletico. O ídolo foi o grande homenageado da noite no Prêmio Sou do Esporte, realizado no Copacabana Palace e, em entrevista exclusiva ao Lance!, demonstrou grande orgulho pela trajetória de Leozinho, que fez a difícil transição do futsal para o futebol de campo, alcançando recentemente a Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasMais EsportesFalcão se emociona em homenagem e grita pelas campeãs do futsal femininoMais Esportes10/12/2025Mais EsportesSamir Xaud, presidente da CBF, fala sobre investimento no futsal após título históricoMais Esportes10/12/2025Mais EsportesNo Prêmio Sou do Esporte, Lars Grael analisa o momento da vela brasileiraMais Esportes10/12/2025
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Conhecido como o “Príncipe do Futsal”, Leozinho deixou o topo das quadras para buscar o sonho de brilhar no campo. Falcão destacou que essa decisão exigiu uma coragem e uma paciência que poucos atletas teriam.
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Falcão enfatizou que, no futsal, Leozinho já tinha uma carreira consolidada e um futuro financeiro garantido, o que torna sua decisão de recomeçar no campo ainda mais admirável:
— Primeiro que o Leozinho foi muito corajoso de ter insistido, até porque no futsal ele já tinha o reconhecimento. E ele tinha tudo para ser o maior salário do futsal mundial, devido a não só o que ele jogava, mas também o que ele vendia. Eu acho que depois de mim, do Ricardinho, era um atleta para vender bem o esporte – afirmou.
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O craque relembrou a jornada desafiadora de Leozinho, que precisou começar por divisões inferiores do futebol para subir degrau por degrau até a elite:
— Ele começou de baixo. Jogou a Série C, a Série B, agora subiu para a Série A. E a insistência dele é o mérito dele. Eu não teria essa paciência, como o Manoel Tobias não teve, como os outros jogadores não tiveram. Então tem que tirar o chapéu para ele e desejar muita sorte para ele.
Falcão, que também tentou a transição para o futebol de campo na época em que jogou pelo São Paulo (onde teve poucas oportunidades sob o comando do técnico Leão), reconhece a dificuldade da mudança e parabenizou o jovem talento pela perseverança e sucesso alcançado.
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The Marlins beat the Cardinals 6-2 on Wednesday night in front of a sparse 9,300 fans at LoanDepot Park. Those who did attend got to see Miami's Sandy Alcantara have one of his best outings of the season.
Alcantara gave up five hits and one earned run in seven innings while he struck out a season-high nine batters and walked just one. In the process, he earned his seventh win of the season.
The Marlins' pitcher could have had an even better night, but Agustín Ramírez failed to catch strike three as St. Louis catcher Yohel Pozo swung and missed. Pozo reached on the passed ball as Ramírez framed a pitch he never caught.
Bally Sports Florida analyst Tommy Hutton was not impressed.
"What it does, we've seen a couple of instances tonight, it makes Sandy throw more pitches," said Hutton. "See, to me, DON'T TRY TO FRAME THAT PITCH! Catch it before you try to frame it!"
He also added, "It's all you gotta do."
Three batters later, after what would have been the third out was recorded, Pozo scored on a Lars Nootbaar double.
For some reason the Marlins catchers are having a very unique season.
أعلن خالد الدرندلي، نائب رئيس اتحاد الكرة، عن تأجيل مباراة منتخب مصر الودية أمام نيجيريا استعدادًا لكأس أمم إفريقيا.
ويستعد منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، لخوض المعسكر الختامي قبل المشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب، والمقرر أن تنطلق 21 ديسمبر الجاري.
طالع | إبراهيم حسن يكشف بالأسماء: تحدثنا مع ممثلي منتخبين عريقين لخوض ودية قبل كأس العالم
وكان من المقرر أن يخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 14 ديسمبر، ثم السفر إلى المغرب يوم 17 ديسمبر للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا.
وقال الدرندلي، في مداخلة مع “ملعب أون” بقناة “أون سبورت”: “قمنا بتأجيل مباراة مصر ونيجيريا ليوم 16، وإن شاء الله محمد صلاح ومرموش سيتواجدان في المباراة”.
ويبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 وأنجولا يوم 29 ديسمبر في دور المجموعات.
There’s a real sense of optimism building at Arsenal Football Club that this year could finally be their year, with Mikel Arteta’s men the current pace setters in the Premier League.
The Gunners sit top of England’s top flight after the first ten outings of 2025/26, only losing once and currently enjoying a nine-game winning run across all competitions.
Saturday’s victory over Burnley was their eighth of the league campaign, keeping their fourth successive league clean sheet – now only conceding three goals in the Premier League.
Their summer dealings have no doubt aided their success in recent weeks, with Arteta now having a squad full of incredible talent, but more importantly, strength in depth.
One of the players already at the Emirates before the summer transfer window has since seen a decline in performance levels despite the added quality around him in North London.
Bukayo Saka’s decline in form at Arsenal in 2025/26
Over the last couple of years, winger Bukayo Saka has firmly been Arsenal’s star man, with the Englishman often tasked with providing the goods within the final third.
Whilst he suffered a serious hamstring injury last campaign, the 24-year-old still managed to achieve a total of 25 combined goals and assists in his 37 appearances across all competitions.
However, this season is yet to ignite for the Hale End academy graduate, with Saka currently unable to reach the high standards that he’s set for himself at the Emirates.
In his first eight league outings in 2025/26, the England international has only registered two goals and has yet been able to register any assists at present.
His recent performance against Burnley saw the forward blank once again, which has seen his goalless run extend to three games in England’s top-flight.
Saka was also able to register just 34 touches of the ball during his 90-minute performance – a tally that was the lowest of any player from either side at Turf Moor.
He also failed to complete a single dribble or create any chances, further highlighting his lack of impact within the final third despite the Gunners securing a 2-0 triumph.
The Arsenal player who’s now becoming Arteta’s best player
There’s no denying Saka will return to his best form in the coming months, but his recent lack of impact has seen numerous other Arsenal players take the headlines.
Declan Rice has been hugely influential from set pieces, often being the man to provide the goods from dead-ball situations – as seen by his tally of three assists so far this campaign.
However, the 26-year-old turned goalscorer against the Clarets on Saturday afternoon, adding to his tally and netting his second Premier League goal this term.
Viktor Gyokeres and David Raya have both had impacts at opposite ends of the pitch, as seen by their respective tallies of four goals and seven clean sheets to date.
Whilst both the aforementioned trio have all made a positive impact of late, none have quite matched the levels produced by centre-back Gabriel, who has been a real dominant force at both ends.
The Brazilian centre-back, who joined from Lille in 2020, would no doubt have been signed to provide defensive quality, but he’s now making a name for himself in the final third.
The 27-year-old has already achieved a staggering total of five combined goals and assists in his first 15 outings in 2025/26, with his latest coming against Burnley this weekend.
He rose highest at the back post from Rice’s corner, before nodding the ball across the face of goal and into the path of Gyokeres, who tapped in from close range.
However, Gabriel, is the main man. He has also dominated at the back – subsequently playing a key role in the club’s tally of seven league clean sheets during the early months of 2025/26.
He made 11 defensive contributions, which included nine clearances and one tackle and an interception made, further highlighting his ability without the ball at his feet.
Gabriel – stats against Burnley
Statistics
Tally
Minutes played
90
Touches
72
Passes completed
93%
Defensive contributions
11
Clearances
9
Tackles made
1
Interceptions made
1
Duels won
100%
Stats via FotMob
The Brazilian also completed 93% of the passes he attempted, whilst also registering a total of 72 touches – numbers which make him the perfect modern-day centre-back.
His ability to be outstanding at the back, coupled with his tremendous goalscoring threat, has made him one of the most well-rounded talents in world football at present.
If the Gunners are to end their two-decade wait for a Premier League title, Gabriel will likely be a key component to any of their success – especially if he can maintain his current form. As Jamie Carragher put it, he’s now the frontrunner to be named PFA Player of the Year & he’s now “the most influential player in the Premier League.”
As for Saka, his lack of form will no doubt be a concern, but if he can return to his own incredible heights, the club’s chance of claiming title glory in May will no doubt increase tenfold.
Forget Gabriel: Arsenal "monster" is now the best player in the league
Gabriel put in another titanic performance as Arsenal defeated Burnley 2-0.
All the key numbers as UAE come from 1-0 down to take the T20I series against Bangladesh
Sampath Bandarupalli22-May-20251 Number of series wins for UAE against a Full Member team in any format, before their 2-1 T20I series win against Bangladesh. They defeated Ireland in a three-match T20I series in 2021. UAE won back-to-back games after losing the first match to clinch the series on both occasions.3 T20I series losses for Bangladesh against Associate nations, including their latest defeat against UAE. They lost a three-match series against the USA last year by a 2-1 margin and lost in a one-off fixture against Scotland in 2012.Namibia are the only Associate nation besides UAE and USA to win a series of three or more matches against a Full Member team in men’s T20Is. They defeated Zimbabwe twice in a five-match T20I series in 2022 and 2023.7 Runs conceded by Haider Ali in his four overs on Wednesday are the fewest by a player from an Associate nation while bowling his full quota against a Full Member team in a men’s T20I.The previous fewest was nine runs by Amir Hamza for Afghanistan against West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup. Only six bowlers have conceded fewer than seven runs in their four overs in a men’s T20I against Full Member teams.1 Haider Ali’s effort is the most economical return in a men’s T20I at Sharjah. Those seven runs are also the joint-fewest conceded in four overs in all men’s T20s at the venue, alongside Shahid Afridi in a PSL 2016 game.206 Target that UAE successfully chased against Bangladesh in the second T20I, the highest for an Associate nation against a Full Member in the format. The previous highest was 191 by Afghanistan against Zimbabwe in 2015.UAE’s chase of 206 was their highest in T20Is and also the highest for any team on UAE soil in this format.2 Number of Associate teams with 200-plus totals against a Full Member in T20Is, before UAE’s effort against Bangladesh in the 206-run chase. Afghanistan made 215 for 6 against Zimbabwe in 2016, while Scotland posted 213 for 6 against Ireland in 2023.78 Runs that Bangladesh added after the fall of their eighth wicket on Wednesday. Only three teams scored more runs after losing their eighth wicket in a men’s T20I. Bangladesh had partnerships of 44 for the ninth wicket and 34 for the tenth, both being their highest in T20Is.
Aaron Boone is in the process of rapidly backtracking his latest update of Aaron Judge's injury.
On Tuesday, the New York Yankees manager went on WFAN and said superstar Aaron Judge's throwing could be compromised for the rest of the season due to a right elbow injury.
"I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too," Boone said. "We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself."
Judge seemed puzzled by those comments later in the day. The two-time AL MVP said, "I don't know why he said that. He hasn't seen me throw for the past two weeks, so I'm pretty confident I'll get back to [100 percent]."
For his part, Boone then admitted he may have gone overboard with his comments on WFAN saying, "Maybe I overstated that."
So it's unclear whether we'll see Judge throwing normally this season or not.
Aaron Judge Elbow Injury Timeline
Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain on July 27 after initially injuring it on July 22. Luckily for the Yankees, there was no damage to the 33-year-old slugger's ulnar collateral ligament, so he avoided Tommy John surgery.
On August 5, Judge returned to New York's lineup and has been working solely as the team's designated hitter since. He has not looked like his usual self since coming off the IL. While he does have an OPS of .854 in those 11 games, he's only hitting .229 with two home runs and six RBIs.
The injury put a damper on what has been another incredible season for Judge. He currently leads all of MLB in batting average (.333), on-base percentage (.447), slugging percentage (.687), OPS (1.134), WAR (6.9), fWAR (7.4), and wRC+ (200). He's a shoo-in to win his third MVP.
Judge seems confident he'll be able to return to the field this season and now it sounds like someone clued his manager in to that fact.
يستعد برشلونة لمواجهة أتلتيكو مدريد، يوم الثلاثاء المقبل على ملعب الكامب نو في الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.
ويحتل برشلونة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني مؤقتاً بـ34 نقطة، بينما يحتل أتلتيكو مدريد المركز الرابع بـ31 نقطة.
وكان رافينها لاعب برشلونة قد تلقى إشادة من دييجو سيميوني المدرب الأرجنتيني لنادي أتلتيكو مدريد، والذي أثار إعجابه بقدرات النجم البرازيلي الدولي.
وقال سيميوني في تصريحات نشرتها “barca blaugranes” عن رافينها: “أحب أسلوب لعب برشلونة وأحب رافينها”.
وأضاف: “أحب رافينها وتحركاته وروحه الجماعية، قدم بيدري أداء رائعًا وغياب هؤلاء اللاعبين في بداية الموسم يثقل العبء على الفريق رغم امتلاكه لاعبين رائعين، لكنهم يغيرون مجرى المباراة ومن يغير مجرى المباراة يحدث الفارق”.
أقرأ أيضاً.. نهائي كوبا ليبرتادورس يحرم برشلونة من إنعاش خزينته بـ مليون يورو
ويدخل أتلتيكو مباراة برشلونة بعد ستة انتصارات متتالية في الليجا لكن سيميوني لا يبدو منبهراً بأداء فريقه.
وقال سيميوني: “لا أركز على هذه المواقف، كرة القدم تتعلق دائماً بالحاضر والمباراة القادمة، تتعلق بمسؤولية تقديم أداء جيد، علينا التحسن والحفاظ على الثبات وهذا أصعب شيء في الدوري بتقلباته”.
وختم: “لا أفكر بنفس هذا القدر، فزنا بمباراة كان علينا الفوز بها، والآن تنتظرنا مباراة صعبة للغاية ضد خصم نعرفه جيداً ولديه إمكانيات هائلة وتزداد مع عودة بيدري ورافينها، سنواجه خصمًا صعبًا للغاية”.