Sports
Elly De La Cruz, Reds look to steal another win from Pirates
Sep 20, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) scores on a three-run double hit by catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images At 22 years old and in only his second major league season, Elly De La Cruz is already in the history books.
With his big-league-leading 65th stolen base in an 8-3 win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, the Cincinnati Reds shortstop became the third player in the modern era to record 100 stolen bases in his first two seasons. He joined Vince Coleman and Rickey Henderson.
He and the Reds will look for the success to continue when they try for the series win on Saturday in the middle matchup of the three-game series.
“We know he’s fast,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He takes a lot of pride in stolen bases. You have to get on base, too. That’s been a big part of it for him this season. Impressive so far, what he’s doing.”
Though De La Cruz also made some unwanted history in striking out twice to hit 206 on the season to set a franchise mark, the Reds (75-80) aren’t overly concerned.
“We also know there’s more there,” Bell said. “He’s going to get better in all areas.”
Cincinnati’s offense has been a series of peaks and valleys of late. The Reds have scored 33 runs over their past four wins. In their past five losses, they were held to a total of eight runs.
Catcher Tyler Stephenson has been a notable contributor to that offense over the past week. On Friday, he went 3-for-5 with a homer, five RBIs and three runs. He is 8-for-16 since Sept. 14.
“Past few games, I’ve started to feel like myself again,” he said.
Reds rookie Rhett Lowder (1-2, 1.74 ERA) will be on the mound for his fourth career start on Saturday, his first outing against Pittsburgh. After allowing a total of one run in his first three starts, the 22-year-old right-hander gave up three in 5 1/3 innings during his latest appearance, a 9-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
The Pirates (72-82) will counter with a right-handed rookie of their own. Jared Jones (6-7, 3.85), facing Cincinnati for the first time, will look for his third quality start of the month. In his latest outing, however, Jones yielded two runs on six hits in four innings during a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
The Friday loss sealed a sixth straight losing season for the Pirates, who were in the playoff race at the trade deadline, only to stumble from that point on. They won their first game after the deadline to move to three games above .500. Since then, they have lost 30 of 47 games.
“I think it just shows you how much room we have to get better,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We’re not in that spot right now, and that’s our focus as we move forward to the last (eight) games of the season and into the offseason.”
Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz picked up his 20th home run of the season Friday, becoming the 10th player in franchise history to reach that mark while also recording 20 stolen bases.
“It means a lot, for sure, especially (after) I’ve been through a lot, health-wise, with my ankle,” said Cruz, 25. “To be able to accomplish that and help the team somehow (with) those numbers means a lot to me.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
Jun 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) takes questions from the media at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team offered Christian Gonzalez a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Kraft did not reveal the specific terms of the deal on Saturday, the first day of training camp.
“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said during the team’s Pawtriots pet adoption event, per the Boston Herald. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL, and coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history.
“So we’re glad we drafted him and we developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension for the first time after being selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Trent McDuffie is currently the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, pocketing $31 million per season on his four-year, $131 million contract that he signed this offseason.
Gonzalez, 24, made the Pro Bowl last season after posting 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed in 14 starts. He has three interceptions, 24 passes defensed, one fumble recovery, one sack and 145 tackles in 34 career games (all starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
49ers' Kyle Shanahan to be limited in camp after serious car crash
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to the media during the NFL League Meetings on March 30, 2026, at Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand, needed over 40 stitches to his face and sustained a severe concussion after he was involved in a car accident last week, ESPN reported Saturday.
Per the network, the accident occurred on July 14 after Shanahan collided with an SUV near his northern California home.
The other driver was not injured, per Palo Alto lieutenant Nicholas Martinez. Martinez added that drugs and alcohol were not involved.
The 49ers said Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp, with ESPN reporting doctors will not clear Shanahan for all activities until concussion symptoms clear.
The team said assistant head coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle the head-coaching responsibilities during this time.
49ers general manager John Lynch is scheduled to hold a news conference at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Niners are scheduled to hold their first practice of training camp Sunday morning and are set to open the season on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Shanahan, 46, will begin his 10th season as head coach in San Francisco. He owns an 82-67 record in the regular season. He has a 9-5 postseason record, guiding the 49ers to a pair of Super Bowl appearances — losing to the Kansas City Chiefs both times (2020, 2024).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jenny Shin inches closer to first LPGA Tour win in 10 years
Jun 19, 2025; Frisco, Texas, USA; Jenny Shin plays her shot from the 18th tee during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Jenny Shin carded a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday to maintain her five-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Women’s Scottish Open in North Ayrshire.
Shin recorded two birdies and a bogey at Dundonald Links on Saturday to ascend to 12-under 204 for the tournament.
The 33-year-old South Korean is bidding for her first LPGA Tour win since capturing the now-defunct Volunteers of America Texas Shootout 10 years ago. The last LPGA Tour player to go 10 or more years between official victories was Vicki Fergon, who went 12 years and three months between wins at the 1984 S&H Golf Classic and the 1996 Michelob Light Heartland Classic.
“I’ve never been in this position (a five-shot lead), so I don’t know how to feel (on Sunday),” Shin said. “I’m going to go and practice for a little bit and get a good feel for tomorrow so I’m not such a mess in the morning.”
Shin made a birdie on the sixth hole and answered a bogey on the 10th hole by making another birdie on No. 11.
“That was a very tough round. I was quite nervous for the first five holes, so I’m really glad that I was able to finish the day in red numbers,” she said. “It was a pretty boring and nerve-wracking day at the same time.”
“That was a bit of a hiccup on No. 10. I changed my setup this week because of all the wind and out of habit, I lined up the putt and went back to my old setup. I shut the face. I knew what I was doing, so I was able to get back pretty easily.”
Shin holds a five-stroke lead over Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, who had three birdies during her bogey-free round of 69.
“I would say almost everything went well,” Anannarukarn said. “I was driving the ball well and hitting it good out there. The putter was very hot today, so that was the key. It was a challenging day, and also, at the same time, I had good fun battling with the wind. It was a great day out there.”
Japan’s Erika Hara (71 on Saturday) and Germany’s Esther Henseleit (73) sit at 5 under for the tournament.
Despite her troubles, Henseleit said she wasn’t going to press as she attempts to record her first win since joining the LPGA Tour in 2020.
“It’s really hard to press on this golf course, to be honest. Just no matter like if you want to take birdie or par, you kind of have to hit the same shots because they are the only possible shots,” Henseleit said.
“So I don’t think my game plan really changed, and yeah, I’m just trying to do my thing out there and hopefully tomorrow I can hit a few close and make some putts.”
–Field Level Media
Robert Kraft: Patriots offered CB Christian Gonzalez record-setting deal
49ers' Kyle Shanahan to be limited in camp after serious car crash
