Sports
Tigers back in action vs. White Sox after clinching playoff berth
Sep 22, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke (59) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images The Detroit Tigers have qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
Following a raucous celebration, the Tigers must settle down and play another game on Saturday afternoon.
Detroit (86-74) snared an American League wild-card playoff berth with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. They did it with two games to spare in the regular season.
The Tigers, who were nine games under .500 on July 4, have won six straight and 15 of their last 18 games. They drew a crowd of 44,435 on Friday.
“As a player, this is where you want to go,” said Matt Vierling, who drove in a run and scored another. “You want to be in the postseason. It’s what we play for. We work every day, we work hard for it. This is the goal, to get here. I’m just so proud of the whole team. To see the whole city out here like this is absolutely incredible. … We’re fired up to keep on going.”
Detroit hasn’t been to the postseason since 2014. With Kansas City’s loss to Atlanta on Friday, the Tigers currently hold the No. 2 wild-card spot.
The Tigers are just thrilled to get an invitation to the party. They were nine games under .500 on July 4 and were still hovering around .500 earlier this month.
“You know what we like? We like winning,” manager A.J. Hinch said in a postgame TV interview while wearing an “October Ready” shirt. “There’s nothing better. We’re October bound, just like our shirts say. We’ve earned it. We don’t talk a lot about it because we need to stack these days. I’m overwhelmed with joy because I get to watch a team grow up right in front of my eyes. And now I get to watch this team play in October. Nothing better.”
Hinch once again pieced together a bullpen day in the clincher, using five pitchers to hold the White Sox to three hits.
“It’s been a long road to get to this point,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. “It took everybody, from the lowest on the totem pole to the highest. Those tough times, those times when you’re grinding it out as a team, that’s what makes this so sweet.”
The White Sox (39-121) set the modern-day record for most losses in a single season, surpassing the 1962 New York Mets, on Friday.
Rookie right-hander Sean Burke (1-0, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to make his fourth career appearance and third start for the White Sox on Saturday.
Burke had a stellar performance on Sunday against San Diego. He held the Padres to one run and two hits, issuing just one walk while striking out eight in six innings. He exited with a 2-1 lead, but the Padres rallied for a 4-2 win.
“Burke threw a hell of a game,” outfielder Andrew Benintendi said. “They’ve got a lot of good bats up and down that lineup, guys that have played a long time.”
Burke, Chicago’s third-round pick back in 2021, spent most of the season with Triple-A Charlotte. In 16 starts there, he posted a 2-6 record and 4.62 ERA.
The Tigers haven’t named a starter.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Packers extend WR Jayden Reed's contract for reported 3 years, $50.25M
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) runs the ball during the first quarter of their wild card playoff game against the Chicago Bears Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of wide receiver Jayden Reed to a contract extension on Friday, with ESPN reporting the deal is for three years and worth $50.25 million.
Reed, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, will be signed through 2029. The deal includes $20 million guaranteed, Reed’s agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ian Grutman told ESPN.
Reed, who turns 26 on Tuesday, is coming off of an abbreviated season marred by shoulder and foot injuries that both required surgery in Week 3.
He finished with 19 receptions on 22 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in seven regular-season games (three starts). He also started the NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears and made four catches for 43 yards and a TD.
Reed has 138 receptions on 191 targets for 1,857 yards, 15 touchdowns and 13.5 yards per catch in 40 regular-season games (26 starts). He has another 12 catches for 124 yards and one TD in four playoff games (three starts).
Green Bay selected Reed in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He led the team in receiving in each of his first two seasons.
The Packers have overhauled their receiving corps, allowing Romeo Doubs to leave as a free agent for the New England Patriots and a four-year, $68 million contract in March. In early April, they traded wideout Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and 2027 sixth-rounder.
Green Bay still has receivers Christian Watson, 26, and Matthew Golden, 22, the latter a first-round pick in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Resurgent offenses of D.C. United, Orlando City set for battle
Apr 18, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; DC United defender Lucas Bartlett (3) reacts with forward Tai Baribo (9) against the Philadelphia Union in the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Orlando City and D.C. United both ended scoring droughts in a big way on Wednesday night, each putting up a season-high four goals.
When the sides meet Saturday night in Washington, they’ll try to maintain the momentum for their newfound attacks.
After being outscored 13-1 in their previous four MLS matches, Orlando City broke out with a 4-1 home win against Charlotte FC earlier this week.
Martin Ojeda had a brace and 19-year-old Luis Otavio scored his first goal as a pro for the Lions (2-6-1, 7 points).
Orlando was efficient at the offensive end, hitting the back of the net on four of its six shots on goal. At the other end, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had four saves.
After starting the season with three straight defeats, Orlando dismissed coach Oscar Pareja in his seventh season and promoted assistant Martin Perelman to the interim head coach role. The Lions are 2-3-1 since the switch.
Ojeda (four goals) is the top scorer, while veteran Ivan Angulo (five assists) and newcomer Tiago Souza (three assists) are the top facilitators.
“We’re working. The team is growing. The players are doing an amazing effort,” Perelman said. “This is a long season. What matters is where we stand at the end. That is our mindset.”
D.C. United’s offense had failed to produce a goal in four straight MLS matches before playing the host New York Red Bulls to a 4-4 draw on Wednesday.
D.C. (2-4-3, 9 points) entered with a league-low four goals, but Tai Baribo notched a hat trick and Jackson Hopkins added a goal and an assist, fueling a rally from a 3-1 second-half deficit.
On Saturday, D.C. United will try to solve their woes at home, where they have won just one of their last 14 MLS matches dating back to May of last year.
“I think they will be more compact because of the change of the coach,” D.C. manager Rene Weiler said of Orlando. “The players, they want to show their best side to the new coach.”
Orlando has gone 3-0-1 against D.C. the last two seasons to square the all-time series 9-9-3.
— Field Level Media
Sports
Duke F Cameron Boozer declares for NBA Draft
Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) dunks March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Standout Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, the 2025-26 Naismith National Player of the Year, declared for the 2026 NBA Draft Friday night.
He announced the news on his Instagram account with the caption, “Thank you for everything @dukeuniversity. Duke Blue forever.”
The son of former Duke star Carlos Boozer, Cameron Boozer was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and ninth nationally with 22.5 points per game, led the conference with 10.2 rebounds per game and tacked on 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 games.
He was a first-team All American and is projected as a top-three pick in this summer’s draft alongside BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who also both declared for the draft this week.
His twin brother, Cayden, announced he’s returning to Duke for his sophomore season after averaging 7.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds as a freshman.
–Field Level Media
Packers extend WR Jayden Reed's contract for reported 3 years, $50.25M
Resurgent offenses of D.C. United, Orlando City set for battle
