In Verlander, the Houston Astros will open this best-of-five series with the quintessential ace on the mound Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Verlander (21-6, 2.58 ERA) is favored to claim his second American League Cy Young Award and first since 2011, a span that has included three second-place
Christian Dawkins was sentenced to jail time for two charges — bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery — for his part in the college basketball bribery scandal.
The hottest October day in Atlanta history created sweltering conditions for Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The first-pitch temperature was 94 degrees Thursday for the opener of the best-of-five series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. The high of 97 set an Atlanta
LAS VEGAS – Graham DeLaet had been fighting the nerves ahead of his return to the PGA TOUR, so having his alarm go off at 2:45 a.m. by mistake certainly wasn’t the best start. Nor was being five over through four holes. But the Canadian was actually still smiling at TPC Summerlin, even when he sat seven over through 12 holes at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. For DeLaet, this first start back from a lengthy injury layoff was all about finding his feet again. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times The 37-year-old had a stem cell injection and a second microdiscectomy surgery – the same surgery Tiger Woods had before spinal fusion – on his injured back during his time away from professional golf. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever make it back. That fresh perspective allowed him to reel off three birdies in a row in the closing stretch to scratch out a 4-over 75 in his first competitive PGA TOUR round in 714 days. “I was over-par early but it didn’t even matter… I was out there having fun. I’m back on the PGA TOUR again,� DeLaet said. “The back held up pretty well. Obviously I’m not happy with the score but I’m happy to be back. It was just nerves. I felt like I was really gripping the putter tight early. I wasn’t really letting it go… and not really trusting it. It’s been so long. You can play all the little money games with your buddies at home but it’s a little different on this stage.� On a few occasions, DeLaet needed to stretch out between shots as he adjusts to how his body reacts under the pressure of the PGA TOUR. He is playing on a major medical exemption where he has 24 starts to earn 266 FedExCup points to secure his TOUR card for the 2020-21 season. It’s an achievable goal, given it requires he average around a 45th place finish in all 24 starts. But the heady days of 2013, where he was a part of Nick Price’s International Presidents Cup team and finished eighth in the FedExCup, seem a distant memory. To return to those heights, he will have to do so while continuing to manage some pain. He says he won’t hit the range after rounds like he did in the past. “I don’t think I’ll ever be 100%. I’m going to have to play through a little bit of pain. It’s more tightness than pain,� DeLaet explained. “On nine, I went to step into that shot and I got a little twinge or whatever, but it went away in five seconds. It doesn’t really hurt to swing the golf club, it’s more about being on my feet and the pain and the achiness and the tightness that comes with it. The actual golf swing doesn’t bother me that much.� DeLaet plans to play the Houston Open, the Bermuda Championship and the Mayakoba Golf Classic to close out his fall schedule. “That’s all my body will let me… (although) I’m more optimistic now after today’s round,� he said. “It was such an unknown the last couple weeks so I’m optimistic that I’ll get three or four events in this fall and even if I don’t get a massive amount of FedExCup points at least I’ll get back in the rhythm and the flow… just showing up on Monday and practicing and the routine.�
Jared Quay and Matt Gothard will pick their favorite (and not so favorite) games to bet on this week.
After sitting out the 2018-19 NBA season, Joe Johnson revitalized his career in the Big3 and is now fighting for the 15th and final roster spot with the Detroit Pistons.
With four games under our belt, Matthew figures now is as good a time as any to offer up his guide to trading in fantasy football. He also provides his usual lineup advice for this week’s games.
LAS VEGAS – Phil Mickelson is a shadow of his former self. Weight wise that is. The 44-time PGA TOUR winner has been shedding pounds and changing his lifestyle over the last few months – a move that seemed to coincide with poor results on the golf course. But on Thursday at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, the 49-year-old Hall of Famer showed some glimpses of his best on the way to a 6-under 65. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tee times After winning the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, Mickelson has failed to produce another top 10 in 17 starts. In fact, his best finish was a T18 at the Masters in that stretch – and since leaving Augusta National in April, his best result was a lowly T48 at the BMW Championship. Mickelson has turned his health philosophies around and is confident the hard work will pay off in all aspects of his life. “I’ve had an awful six months on and off the course, but things are great now and I’m excited to play good golf. It takes a lot less energy, stress to perform well,â€� Mickelson said. “I’m going to continue to make it a lifestyle change. I’m going to continue to eat better, eat less, work out more, just stay committed to it.â€� Given everything he has achieved in the game and his age, the dramatic shift in thinking to change his shape came as a surprise to many. But Mickelson says the desire to compete for years and years to come, helped drive him the change. “I have the greatest job in the world. I love playing the TOUR. I love the guys out here. I love the challenge of beating the guys out here,â€� he added. “The challenge of playing golf at the highest level brings out the best in me. Meaning, it forces me to get it the best shape, forces me to work hard and to focus on something positive, improving my game. It gives me a direction, and it’s been a big part of my life and I love it.â€� Mickelson won’t divulge exactly how much more he wants to lose, but he claims his slenderer frame won’t affect him hitting the “bombsâ€� he’s been talking up over the last 12 months. In recent years, Mickelson actually increased his swing speed and distance. “When I first lost 25, 30 pounds I ended up not being as strong, but I’ve been in the gym now for the last quite a few weeks. The amount that I lift is now significantly more than it was before,â€� he said in response to a question about losing his power. “Eating and working out and life-styles are very personal and everybody needs to find what’s works for them. It’s taken me a little while. Ultimately we all need to be accountable for our own health, and I haven’t done a great job of that throughout my career. I wish I had done better. It’s not too late. I’m getting after it now. “I have a bunch more energy. Actually eating less has helped me have more energy. I find the more I eat the more lethargic I get. It’s helped create a little bit better focus to finish the rounds off, so it’s been a big part of it. But more than that, it just allows me to be my best and practice a little bit harder.â€�
