Sports
Guardians still chasing goals as Reds embark on new era
Sep 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Even with the American League Central title secured, the Cleveland Guardians have plenty to play for during the final week of the regular season.
Meanwhile, in the wake of firing manager David Bell, the in-state rival Cincinnati Reds eye a positive end to a disappointing season as they open a two-game set at Cleveland on Tuesday night.
For the fifth time in nine seasons, Cleveland (90-67) is a division champion. And entering playing Monday, the Guardians have the second-best record in the AL and would receive a bye into the AL Division Series.
“Our focus right now is trying to get a one or two seed,” general manager Mike Chernoff said, per MLB.com.
“So, we’re thinking about how we play these next (five) games, hopefully get some help from other teams to where we can start planning as early as possible for only a Division Series.”
Cleveland just dropped the final two of a three-game set at St. Louis, but has won five of its last six at home.
Scheduled Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (11-8, 3.56 ERA) will focus on fine-tuning his game. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA in four September starts. He allowed two runs, five hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings of Wednesday’s 5-4 victory in 10 inning over the Minnesota Twins.
Bibee essentially made two bad pitches during his most recent outing versus Cincinnati. On June 12, he yielded four runs on a solo homer and three-run shot via Cincinnati’s Jeimer Candelario. He struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings of the Guardians’ 4-2 loss.
Candelario has been out since Aug. 19 with a broken toe for the Reds (76-81), whose quest for consecutive winning seasons ended with Sunday’s 2-0 loss versus Pittsburgh.
Shortly after that defeat, the club fired Bell, who went 409-456 in six seasons as Cincinnati manager. The Reds finished above .500 in three of the previous four seasons and made the playoffs in 2020.
Injuries and underachievement plagued Cincinnati this season as it ranks near the bottom of the major leagues in batting average (.233) and endured a 4-17 stretch from April 30-May 23.
Bench coach Freddie Benavides will guide the club this week.
“David provided the kind of steadiness that we needed in our clubhouse over the last few seasons,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in a release.
“We felt a change was needed to move the major league team forward. We have not achieved the success we expected, and we need to begin focusing on 2025.”
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline, scheduled Reds starter Jakob Junis (4-0, 2.61 ERA) could play a prominent role for the club in 2025. The right-hander has appeared in 13 games. Four of those were starts where he has yielded just two earned runs, six hits, one walk and struck out 17 over 20 innings.
Junis is 3-9 with a 6.41 ERA in 18 career appearances (15 starts) against the Guardians but has not faced them since 2021.
Cleveland star Jose Ramirez has homered twice against Junis. He’s batting .365 with six homers and 23 RBIs in his last 18 games versus Cincinnati.
The Reds’ Elly De La Cruz is 12-for-40 (.300) with two home runs over his last 10 games but has struck out 16 times during that stretch.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Sparks trade 5-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to Mercury
Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) drives against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani (8) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on June 13, 2026. The Los Angeles Sparks made a move ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trade deadline, dealing five-time All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for guard Monique Akoa Makani, a first-round draft pick in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028, ESPN reported late Saturday night.
Plum, who turns 32 on Aug. 24, has not played since June 21 because of a left leg injury. She is averaging career highs of 23.9 points and 6.4 assists per game, but she has played in only 12 contests because of injuries in her ninth season.
She missed three games in late May/early June because of an ankle issue, then played in six games before the lower leg injury.
For her career, Plum averages 15.5 points, 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 30.0 minutes in 290 regular-season games (248 starts) in eight-plus seasons. She missed the entire 2020 season because of an Achilles injury, then won the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award the next season.
She also averages 17.4 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 33.7 minutes in 35 playoff games (28 starts) while with the Aces. She was part of league championships with Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023.
Plum has been selected for the All-Star Game for five consecutive seasons but was unable to play this year.
The San Antonio Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) selected Plum with the first overall pick of the 2017 WNBA Draft out of the University of Washington.
Makani, 25, is averaging 9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 23.8 minutes in 18 games (15 starts) in her second season with the Mercury. In her two years in the league, Makani averages 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 22.2 minutes in 59 games (55 starts).
The Sparks are 10-17, 5.5 games behind the eighth-place New York Liberty for the last playoff berth. The Mercury are 11-19.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cardinals lose DT PJ Mustipher (foot) for season
Dec 21, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman PJ Mustipher (79) against the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Arizona Cardinals placed defensive tackle PJ Mustipher on injured reserve on Saturday because of a foot injury, meaning he will miss the entire 2026 season.
The Cardinals also placed defensive back Jaden Davis on IR due to an undisclosed injury sustained during the team’s second padded practice of training camp.
In corresponding moves, Arizona signed defensive lineman Brodric Martin, 27, and safety Quinton Newsome, 25.
Mustipher, 26, made 32 tackles in 15 games as a reserve last season with the Cardinals. The nose tackle played on 30% of the defensive snaps (300) and 20% on special teams (78).
He was on the Arizona practice squad for the 2024 campaign. He also played in four games for the New Orleans Saints in 2023, making four tackles.
Davis, 25, was a seventh-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies, Orioles on unsteady footing as trade deadline approaches
Jul 27, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Phillies need more good results on the field when they take on the host Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday afternoon.
But with the trade deadline looming Monday, there are distractions for both teams.
The Phillies evened the series with Saturday night’s 5-0 victory, holding Baltimore to three hits.
Philadelphia is 2-8 in its last 10 games. It’s too soon to tell what the latest victory might mean for the Phillies, who suddenly seem to be dealing with more attention about retaining their wild-card status than chasing the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
“This too shall pass,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said of recent struggles.
The Orioles continue to waver when it comes to looking like a playoff contender. They’re 5-6 in their last 11 games and they’ve been shutout victims in two of their last four games.
“Still a lot of season left,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “We’re still trying to win every game.”
Baltimore was without an extra-base hit against four Philadelphia pitchers Saturday night.
The Orioles’ trade of starting pitcher Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins late Friday night shouldn’t impact the pitching for this weekend because the right-hander wasn’t slated to work against the Phillies.
Yet it might take time for the Orioles to absorb Kremer’s departure as team members reflected on the move Saturday.
“Dean’s been a leader here, a staple here for seven years he’s been here,” Albernaz said. “He has made a great impact on our clubhouse with all those players, and also the coaching staff, including myself, in the short time (I’ve) been around him.”
Right-hander Zack Wheeler (10-2, 2.53 ERA) will head to the mound for the Phillies on Sunday. He already has matched last year’s win total, but he’s without a victory in his past two starts. He lasted only three innings and gave up five runs in Monday’s no-decision at Miami.
“You have a bad day every once in a while, I’m sure,” Wheeler said.
Six of Wheeler’s victories have come in road games. In five all-time matchups against Baltimore, he’s 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA covering 28 innings.
Expect the Orioles, who are 2-3 at home since the All-Star break, to have lineup adjustments compared to Saturday, when the batting order was set to face a left-handed starter. That’s why designated hitter Coby Mayo was put in the leadoff position.
Baltimore used newly acquired catcher Jake Rogers in the starting lineup for the first time Saturday. He went 0-for-3 and struck out twice.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish (7-9, 3.74) will have the starting assignment on the mound for the Orioles, going for a victory in a third consecutive decision. He had two strong starts prior to a no-decision Monday when he gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings at Detroit.
This will mark only the fourth home start in a 10-game stretch for Bradish. He already has issued a career-high 52 walks this season. He’s 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two career starts vs. Philadelphia.
–Field Level Media
Report: Sparks trade 5-time All-Star Kelsey Plum to Mercury
Cardinals lose DT PJ Mustipher (foot) for season
