Yankees star Judge hits 62nd homer to break Maris' AL record
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge has hit his 62nd home run of the season to break Roger Maris’ American League record. Judge hit a 1-1 slider from Texas right-hander Jesús Tinoco into the first row of seats in left field when leading off the second game of New York’s day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Judge had homered only once in his past 13 games. That was when he hit No. 61 in Toronto last Wednesday to match Maris. While Maris’ 61 for the Yankees in 1961 had been exceeded six times previously, all were tainted by the stench of steroids. That includes Barry Bonds' 73 for the the San Francisco Giants in 2001, though he has denied knowingly using performing-enhancing drugs.
Home run hands! Dallas fan catches Judge's 62nd homer on fly
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas baseball fan Cory Youmans made the catch of a lifetime, snagging the ball that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run. Youmans caught the prized souvenir on the fly Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Youmans, who works in the financial world, said he hasn't decided what he'll do with ball. Youmans was at the second game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Rangers when Judge led off with a home run. Soon after a local TV station posted a brief interview with the lucky fan, Bri Amaranthus tweeted: “THIS IS MY HUSBAND.” Amaranthus works in local media and identifies herself in her Twitter bio as an alum of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”
MLB playoff picture all set, best-of-3 matchups start Friday
The entire Major League Baseball playoff picture is now set. The four matchups in the wild-card round were locked in Tuesday night, right before the last day of the regular season. Every series starts Friday and is a best two of three. Plus, the higher seed will host every game. In the National League, the San Diego Padres visit the New York Mets while the Philadelphia Phillies play at the St. Louis Cardinals. In the American League, the Seattle Mariners visit the Toronto Blue Jays while the Tampa Bay Rays play at the Cleveland Guardians. The postseason was expanded from 10 teams last year to 12 this season.
Braves beat Marlins 2-1, clinch 5th straight NL East title
MIAMI (AP) — William Contreras drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth, and the Atlanta Braves clinched their fifth consecutive NL East title by defeating the Miami Marlins 2-1. Atlanta earned a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves were 10 1/2 games behind the New York Mets at the start of June and lost four of five to New York in early August. Kenley Jansen recorded his 41st save, working a perfect ninth to seal the win. Starter Jake Odorizzi pitched five innings, allowing one run.
NFL players working to ease stigma around mental health help
Marcus Smith II is among several former and active NFL players who are hoping to break the stigma around mental health. In 2018, Smith says he considered driving his car off of a hill because the pressures of the game were getting to him. Since then, he is dedicated to making sure other players don’t reach the breaking point he was at. The league and the NFL Players Association are offering resources for teams, too.
Analysis: Wembanyama showed the repertoire, as NBA watched
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama didn’t wait long to make an impression. The 7-foot-4 French phenomenon from the club Metropolitans 92 blocked shots at the rim and on the perimeter, got rebounds, ran the floor, set screens, scored on a nifty spin move, showed off his ability to dribble, dove for a loose ball and even played point guard on one possession. Oh, and all that was in the first two minutes. He scored 37 points, but his team lost to the G League Ignite 122-115. Ignite guard Scoot Henderson had 28 points.
Olympic pentathlon eyes 'Ninja Warrior' courses for survival
The sport of modern pentathlon hopes to stave off Olympic removal by possibly adding “American Ninja Warrior” style obstacle courses. The show-jumping component of the five-event competition has become an issue after a German coach was filmed hitting an uncooperative horse during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. As it stands now, modern pentathlon in its current form will be off the program after the 2024 Paris Games. To get back on, the organization is testing out obstacle-course racing to replace show jumping. Which means ring swings and rope mazes could take center stage for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. It could be the scene that saves a sport facing a major crossroads.
Source: Ukraine to join Spain-Portugal 2030 World Cup bid
GENEVA (AP) — Ukraine is set to join Spain and Portugal in a combined bid to host the 2030 World Cup. A person familiar with the project tells The Associated Press that Ukraine is being added to the Spain-Portugal bid. The bid is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not yet been made public. Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko confirmed to the AP he will go to Switzerland for the announcement but he declined to confirm details of the project.
US players 'horrified' by report of abuse in women's soccer
Players on the U.S. women's national soccer team are trying to process an investigation that found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct are systemic in women’s soccer. U.S. defender Becky Sauerbrunn says she is horrified by the report. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and the law firm of King & Spaulding released the report after being retained by U.S. Soccer to investigate allegations of abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League following a series of scandals last year. Several of the national team players also play in the league.
Kenny Pickett will be Steelers' starting QB vs. Bills
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Kenny Pickett era is officially underway in Pittsburgh. The rookie quarterback will make his first career start when the Steelers visit Buffalo. Pickett was the 20th overall pick in the draft. He made his regular-season debut in the second half of a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Pickett ran for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, including a pick late in the fourth quarter that set up New York’s game-winning drive. Pickett replaces Mitch Trubisky, who was signed in the offseason but benched against the Jets as coach Mike Tomlin looked for a spark.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have hired divorce attorneys, media reports
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, who have been living separately from each other in recent weeks, have each hired divorce attorneys and are “exploring their options” regarding their marriage, a source close to the estranged couple told CNN on Tuesday.