Sports
Improved Carlos Rodon leads Yankees against Royals in Game 2
Sep 27, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images NEW YORK — Carlos Rodon’s lowest moment for the New York Yankees occurred in the final start of a disastrous 2023 season on the mound in Kansas City.
While Rodon was going through a nightmarish first season in New York, Cole Ragans was providing 12 starts as the Kansas City Royals concluded a 106-loss campaign and looked ahead to better results in 2024.
Rodon bounced back in a big way to help the Yankees win the American League East, while Ragans dominated at times as the Royals reached the postseason for the first time since 2015. Game 2 of their AL Division Series on Monday features both left-handers on the mound.
The Yankees are attempting to take a 2-0 lead after opening the series with a 6-5 win on Saturday. Alex Verdugo hit the tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning for the game’s fifth lead change and also made a sliding catch in left field for the final out of the fourth to strand two.
Verdugo struggled for most of the final three-plus months of his first season with New York, similar to Rodon’s initial campaign when he missed the first three months with a back injury and went 3-8 with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts. He ended the disastrous season by allowing eight runs without retiring a hitter against the Royals and was seen yelling at pitching coach Matt Blake on the mound.
“I just think that the mental growth we’ve seen of just understanding who he is, understanding who he can be going forward,” Blake said Thursday. “And then just seeing how the league’s adjusting to him, I think he’s done a really nice job of just continuing to evolve.”
This season, Rodon made every start, won a career-high 16 games and increased usage of his changeup and curveball while lowering his reliance on the four-seam fastball.
“I think one of the bigger things is just the confidence, just finding that confidence again to go out and compete,” Rodon said Sunday. “The biggest thing for me is the confidence and the conviction in every pitch that I’m throwing and going out to win ballgames.”
Rodon allowed two earned runs or fewer in 21 of his 32 starts this season, including his last five (2-0, 2.20 ERA). He also completed six innings in 16 starts, including Sept. 9 against the Royals when he allowed four runs (two earned) in six innings in New York’s 10-4 win.
Rodon is making his third career postseason start. In his first two, both with the Chicago White Sox, he allowed a combined four runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings in the 2020 wild-card round against the Oakland Athletics and the 2021 ALDS against the Houston Astros.
After tying a season-high by issuing eight walks, the Royals are hoping their struggles commanding the strike zone do not carry over to Ragans, especially since they could not win when they held Aaron Judge hitless in four at-bats. Ragans led the Royals with 223 strikeouts this year but also issued a team-worst 67 walks, placing him eighth in the majors.
“I don’t think it was the stadium,” manager Matt Quatraro said after the Royals allowed eight walks for the third time this year. “I think we’ve been here, we’ve played here, we’ve been in big environments. It’s not the stadium. We just didn’t execute pitches.”
Ragans, a first-time All-Star in 2024, issued at least three walks in 13 outings this season. On Sept. 11 at New York, he allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings of a no-decision before the Yankees won in the 11th.
Ragans made his postseason debut in Game 1 of the wild-card series in Baltimore and allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, struck out eight and did not walk a hitter. Regans exited after 80 pitches due to a leg cramp but said he felt fine on Saturday.
“It’s the same game,” Ragans said. “Obviously maybe a little louder. But at the end of the day, after the first pitch, the nerves kind of settle down a little bit, and it’s the same game of baseball we’ve played all year. Just trying to keep that mindset of just execute and it’s the same game of baseball. Just a little louder.”
–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians vs. Reds Monday Prediction: Best Bets for the Battle of Ohio
The Cleveland Guardians (54-53) and the Cincinnati Reds (49-55) meet at Great American Ball Park on the banks of the Ohio River in the battle of the Buckeye State. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN.
As luck has it, I am in the Queen City this week, and if the kids get tired of Kings Island Amusement Park in the next couple of days, I wouldn’t mind finding our way over to the yard for some ball, dogs with Skyline Chili and other various ballpark snacks.
The Guardians had a rough time on the Suncoast of Florida, as the Tampa Bay Rays not only swept Cleveland, but the Guards were shut out in each of the final two games of the series. The Cleveland pitching staff bounced back after an 11-3 loss Friday, as it allowed just four runs in the past two outings. However, the offense needs to do something, or management needs to go out and grab a bat.
Meanwhile, the Reds did a good job at Busch Stadium II in St. Louis, picking up two wins in three at-bats to win the series. That’s the third consecutive series victory for Cincinnati, who improved to 6-3 in the past nine games, all on the road.
The last time we saw Cincinnati at GABP, it suffered a series loss to the division-rival Chicago Cubs July 10-12. In fact, while the Reds have won three straight series on the road, they’ve dropped four consecutive series at home, going 3-9 in the past 12 outings, including two series losses against division rivals.
Cleveland turns to RHP Slade Cecconi (4-7, 4.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) to snap the team’s skid. The Guardians are in a tailspin, losing each of the past five games, while scoring just four total runs in the past four outings. As luck has it, the last time it had an offensive eruption, it scored six for Cecconi at home against the Minnesota Twins last Wednesday, but the Twins dropped a 10-spot.
Cincinnati counters with RHP Chase Burns (12-1, 2.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) across his 19 starts this season. He has been a godsend for the Cincinnati rotation, especially since he has accounted for 24.5% of the team’s victory total.
The Reds need Burns to stay hot, as Cleveland won two of three meetings with Cincinnati at Progressive Field May 15-17, with the Guardians averaging 7.7 runs per game (RPG) in the three-game set. It’s baseball, and Cleveland is due after getting blanked in back-to-back games. But, it still seems rather improbable it will explode against one of the best pitchers, statistically, in the National League.
While the Over cashed in the first three meetings in Cleveland in mid-May, the lean is to the UNDER 8.5 (-105).
And while you’ll be eating a little bit more chalk than I’d like, REDS ML (-174) is a strong play based on the red-hot Burns, and the ice-cold Cleveland offense. Let’s just hope Cecconi doesn’t get tuned up. The Reds have won four of five games, with the Under going 4-1 in that span. Cincinnati has totaled 18 runs in the past six games (3.0 RPG), while allowing just 17 runs (3.4 RPG) in the past five outings. A same-game parlay (SGP) is a solid +183, which is worth a roll of the dice.
Sports
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
Nov 7, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy looks on during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife is hospitalized in stable condition in Virginia following a shooting in their home on Sunday night, ESPN reported.
A woman identified by the outlet’s sources as Mia Bieniemy, 57, was being treated for “serious injuries” in Loudoun County, where a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said police responded to a call at 7:32 p.m. ET Sunday in Ashburn, Va.
The Chiefs said they are aware of the incident involving the “family” of their 56-year-old assistant coach, who was with the club for training camp Sunday in St. Joseph, Mo. No further details were provided.
Bieniemy rejoined head coach Andy Reid’s staff in January after previous stints with Kansas City as the running backs coach (2013-17) and offensive coordinator (2018-22). He helped the Chiefs win Super Bowls LIV and LVII.
He coached the Chicago Bears’ running backs in 2025 and previously served as the OC for UCLA (2024), the Washington Commanders (2023) and his alma mater Colorado (2011-12).
–Field Level Media
Sports
North Carolina places top Bill Belichick aide on leave
UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi, one of head coach Bill Belichick’s top aides, on paid administrative leave.
The school announced Monday that the move is effective immediately but declined to provide further details. The Tar Heels open their second season under the legendary coach on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
“As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits,” UNC said in a statement.
ESPN reported that a former front office employee at the university filed a human resources complaint against Lombardi and there is a pending investigation into the situation.
Lombardi, 67, joined Belichick in Chapel Hill in December 2024. He previously worked with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in New England, serving as an assistant to the coaching staff from 2014-16.
Lombardi was the general manager and vice president of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and previously worked in the front offices of the Denver Broncos, then-Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.
North Carolina was 4-8 in Belichick’s debut season in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Guardians vs. Reds Monday Prediction: Best Bets for the Battle of Ohio
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
