Sports
BC hosts unbeaten Michigan State in Red Bandana Game
Sep 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos (1) speaks with head coach Bill O’Brien before the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images Unbeaten Michigan State visits Boston College for the programs’ first meeting since 2007 on Saturday at Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Playing its annual Red Bandana Game in honor of Boston College alum and Sept. 11, 2001, hero Welles Crowther, the Eagles (2-1) look to bounce back from last weekend’s 27-21 loss at then-No. 6 Missouri — the first setback under new head coach Bill O’Brien.
“For us to be able to go out there and play a game in honor of (Crowther) is a big deal,” O’Brien said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Boston College to show off who we are. This is who we are.”
Thomas Castellanos threw three touchdowns against the Tigers and ranks second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with nine on the season. The Eagles led 14-3 before giving up 24 unanswered points.
“We’re never going to accept losing at Boston College, but these guys fought hard,” O’Brien said. “I think if we can do a better job stopping the run, that’s going to lead to more success for us in the future.”
With last week’s 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M, Michigan State (3-0) has won three straight games under a first-year coach in Jonathan Smith for the first time since Mark Dantonio in 2007.
The Spartans have seen both Aidan Chiles and Tommy Schuster make an impact at quarterback, with the latter debuting with his new team last week — 8-of-10 passing for 97 yards — after transferring from North Dakota.
Chiles threw for 173 yards and a touchdown, following up a 363-yard performance in a 27-24 win at Maryland on Sept. 7.
“We’ve got total confidence (Schuster would) be ready to go out there,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, just like we’re dealing with injuries at different spots, he needs to be ready, and he will be.”
A new Spartan has recently been added to the injury list in offensive lineman Gavin Broscious.
“You probably won’t see him the rest of the year which is unfortunate,” Smith said. “Again, these yearly ones (hurt) because he’d been working really hard.”
Boston College has a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 24-21 win in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. The QB matchup in that game featured Matt Ryan against Michigan State counterpart Brian Hoyer.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets place RHP Clay Holmes on IL with fibula fracture
May 15, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The New York Mets placed right-hander Clay Holmes on the 15-day injured list Saturday after he fractured his right fibula when he was hit by a comebacker in Friday’s game against the New York Yankees.
In a corresponding move, right-hander Joey Gerber was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
Holmes was hit by a 111.1-mph line drive from Spencer Jones in the fourth inning but remained in the game and faced seven more hitters. The fracture was revealed in X-rays at the ballpark.
“It’s a huge blow,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s been one of the most consistent guys that we had in that rotation.”
Holmes, 33, is 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season and has gone 40-34 with a 3.53 ERA during 353 appearances (44 starts) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2018-21), New York Yankees (2021-24) and Mets.
Gerber, 29, made one relief appearance for the Mets last month and has a career 3.27 ERA in 20 relief appearances with the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Mets going back to 2020.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios scheduled for elbow surgery
Sep 16, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios (17) walks to the dugout after he pitched the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios, who has not pitched in a major league game since last September, will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his elbow, manager John Schneider said Saturday.
Berrios, 31, did not participate in the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series last season or the World Baseball Classic this spring for his native Puerto Rico with what was first diagnosed as right elbow inflammation last season.
After making four minor league appearances while on a rehab assignment this season, more elbow discomfort led to a diagnosis of a stress fracture.
A timetable for a return will be made after surgery is performed Wednesday with a possibility he could miss the entire 2026 season.
Berrios was 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) last season. In 10 major league seasons, the two-time All-Star is 108-82 with a 4.08 ERA in 275 appearances (273 starts) for the Minnesota Twins (2016-21) and Blue Jays.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Elina Svitolina defeats Coco Gauff in 3 sets for Italian Open title
Elina Svitolina hits a return during her match against Elena Rybakina at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., March 13, 2026. Elina Svitolina recovered from a second-set tie-breaker loss and went on to defeat Coco Gauff, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 on Saturday to win her third Italian Open championship in Rome.
The 31-year-old Ukrainian became the second woman age 30-plus to take the WTA 1000 title in the Italian capital. Serena Williams won three after she turned 30 in 2013-14 and 2016.
Svitolina, who was seeded seventh in the tournament, won back-to-back Italian Open titles in 2017-18 and her win on Saturday was the 20th in her career.
“It’s very hard to believe that it’s been eight years since I held this trophy,” said Svitolina on-court after the match. “Very, very pleased with the two weeks here. I want to say congrats to Coco for a great tournament and for your team as well. You’re such a great champion. Hopefully we’ll have more battles in the future.”
“I want to thank my team. I had a tough loss in the final in Dubai this year. It was my 19th title and I was aiming for 20. I told my coach it would be nice before I finish my career to have a round number.”
The third-seeded Gauff broke her foe’s serve out of the gates and led, 4-2, before Svitolina rallied to win the next four games to capture the set. She saved 8-of-10 break points, while Gauff conceded all three break points on her shaky service.
The two women held serve for the first ten games of the second set. Then, there were back-to-back breaks, with Gauff failing to hold at 6-5. But she won all five points on serve during the tie-breaker and tallied the final six points to send the match to a decider.
The Floridian had one break point chance at 2-1, but Svitolina responded and captured 17 of the next 24 points of the match to take a 5-2 lead.
Ever the fighter, Gauff dug in, earning three break points and fending off two match points before Svitolina won her first WTA 1000 title since 2018.
She defeated the No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina (quarterfinals) and No. 4 seed Iga Swiatek (semifinals) to reach the big stage in Rome.
Ukrainian women swept the clay court WTA 1000 events in 2026, as Marta Kostyuk captured the 2026 title in Madrid last month.
–Field Level Media
Mets place RHP Clay Holmes on IL with fibula fracture
Blue Jays RHP Jose Berrios scheduled for elbow surgery
