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Good morning! Throw to first base today.
While You Were Sleeping: A brutal Philadelphia evening
The worst mistakes are the ones that take no time to process. There is no agony over a decision or lingering wonder about whether you made the right or wrong choice. There is the action and the immediate negative consequence.
Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering experienced that nightmare last night in the worst possible moment: bottom of the 11th inning, tie ballgame, bases loaded, two outs, his team on the brink of elimination in the NLDS. Andy Pages served a ground ball right back to Kerkering, and this happened:
One mental flub ended the Phillies’ season. Kerkering, along with the millions watching, knew instantly that he should’ve thrown the ball to first base for an easy out to continue the game. Instead, he’ll have to wear this for years to come.
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1. It was an unfair ending, really, considering how great the game was. And it was only one half of Philadelphia’s misery last night:
- Back on the East Coast, it was the Eagles’ turn to choke, though their season is far from over. The defending Super Bowl champs went to New York and got lambasted by the upstart Giants, led by running back Cam Skattebo, 34-17. It was a stunning result that will send shockwaves through the Eagles fan base for the next week and a half. But this team is 4-2, and the last time that happened was … last year, when the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl. Just saying.
A city happier than Philadelphia? Chicago, where Cubs fans got to witness a steely 6-0 win over the Brewers to extend their season. That series heads to a Game 5 in Milwaukee on Saturday night.
Whew. Let’s keep moving:
News to Know
Rob Carr / Getty Images
Sanders says everything is fine
Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders insisted yesterday that he’s in a “great mental space” as Cleveland toys with who to select as the team’s backup quarterback in the wake of the Joe Flacco trade. Sanders, 23, has previously said he’s more than ready to be a starter in the NFL, but those comments prompted their own news cycle last week. Meanwhile, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has hinted that he may call Bailey Zappe up from the practice squad to be the backup instead of Sanders. From the outside, it’s all very strange.
From the inside, The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd thinks the Browns should cut Sanders and end this entire saga immediately.
James to miss start of season
LeBron James has sciatica, the Lakers announced yesterday, and the 23-year veteran will miss a season opener for the first time in his career. James, 40, will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, which means he’ll be absent for at least the first five games of the year. Also in LeBron world: A Lakers fan sued James yesterday over the “Second Decision” marketing campaign.
More news
- Breaking news from late last night: Sister Jean, famed Loyola Chicago chaplain, died at 106.
- USA Basketball is expected to pick Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to succeed Steve Kerr as its next men’s head coach. Read our report.
- WNBA star Angel Reese will walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show next week.
- The NFL is planning a revamped Pro Bowl, which would take place in the Super Bowl city. Anything is a bump relevance-wise over what we’ve been seeing. See the details.
- Christian Pulisic’s status for tonight’s USMNT friendly against Ecuador (8:30 p.m. ET on TNT) is in question, coach Mauricio Pochettino said yesterday. More here.
- Paul Pierce was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Full details inside.
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The Good Bets: Let’s win all five
Mitchell Leff / Getty Images
Like we mentioned yesterday, brutal beat for the Pulse crew Monday in Jacksonville. We were so close to a perfect weekend. Let’s make it happen this time:
1. Oklahoma (-1.5) vs. TexasI’m all in on John Mateer’s Willis Reed arc, and I think the Longhorns have a little further to fall before hitting rock bottom this season.
2. Oregon (-7.5) vs. IndianaDan Santaromita returns: “The Hoosiers didn’t keep up with elite competition last year and I don’t see that changing this year, especially on the road.”
3. Bengals (+14) at PackersHere’s Hannah Vanbiber: “Continuing my vibes picks (and Taylor Swift Prediction Model ™️), I’m rolling with Joe Cool Dad Flacco bringing just enough Father Figure energy to cover against the Packers. Surely he can fire up enough Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins vibes to keep it within 14??”
4. Saints (+3.5) vs. PatriotsVik Chokshi returns with another Saints pick that officially has me worried: “Everyone is picking the Patriots to roll, but this is a classic let-down spot for New England. It’s a shorter week for the Pats and they’ll be on the road for a second consecutive week. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Saints won this game straight up.”
5. Reader bet: Lions and Chiefs OVER 51.5
This was a clear winner, and I think for good reason. I love watching games and rooting for both offenses. Let’s have fun.
Pulse parlay of all five bets (+2493):
- Wager: $10
- To win: $249.34
Pulse tally so far: +$60. We made up $290 last week. Hell yeah.
What to Watch
📺 NCAAF: No. 24 South Florida at North Texas7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2A ranked Bulls team — led by Alex Golesh, everyone’s newest coach du jour — is an underdog (+1.5, per BetMGM) on the road in Denton. And, as Jason Kirk mentioned in yesterday’s Until Saturday, this could determine a Playoff spot. That’s fun.
📺 WNBA: Aces at Mercury 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Las Vegas can clinch a title here, securing the first possible four-game sweep in the WNBA Finals. Satou Sabally is out for Phoenix, so this might be a wrap.
📺 MLB: Tigers at Mariners8:08 p.m. ET on FoxA winner-take-all Game 5 is as good as we can get on a Friday night. Make space for this.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
For decades, no one worried about a female athlete losing her period. It was a sign of her fitness. The science is changing, as Megan Feringa wrote in an important piece this morning.
There may be no more daunting scouting task than evaluating soccer talent, as literally the entire world is available. Oliver Kay read a scout’s notebook to get a better idea of what actually matters. Fun read.
Two intriguing stories from that monumental Blue Jays win Wednesday: On Toronto’s exquisite postgame trolling, and how the Yankees wasted a golden opportunity they’ll never get back.
You probably noticed that NFL ratings are soaring. But, as Richard Deitsch explained this morning, the reason why is more intriguing than just “line go up.”
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our newser on Bill Belichick and North Carolina’s statements. This is going to end badly, right?
Most-read on the website yesterday: The story on Turning Point USA’s planned Super Bowl halftime show counterprogramming.