Blog

PHOENIX (AP) — Jordan Lawlar’s infield single with the bases loaded scored Corbin Carroll with the winning run in the ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks erased an early four-run deficit to keep pace in the playoff race by beating the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Tuesday night.

Both teams are chasing the New York Mets for the final National League wild card. The Mets (78-73) beat the Padres 8-3 earlier Tuesday, but the Diamondbacks (77-75) remained 1 1/2 games back with their fourth straight win.

Advertisement

The Giants (75-76) fell three games behind New York.

Carroll started the ninth with a single, Gabriel Moreno followed with a walk and then Blaze Alexander reached on a bunt when second baseman Casey Schmitt couldn’t stay on the bag while taking a throw from pitcher Ryan Walker. Schmitt was charged with an error.

Lawlar then hit a weak grounder that just got past Walker. First baseman Wilmer Flores tried to get the speedy Carroll at the plate, but the throw was late.

The Giants jumped all over D-backs lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning, scoring four runs on five hits. Matt Chapman had a sacrifice fly, Flores added an RBI single and Jerar Encarnacion capped the outburst with a two-run double.

Advertisement

Arizona cut its deficit to 4-3 in the second on Alexander’s RBI single and a two-run homer by Adrian Del Castillo. Carroll tied it at 5 in the fifth on an RBI single.

San Francisco navigated the entire game with its bullpen. Tristan Beck made his first start of the season, giving up three runs and five hits over three innings.

Key moments

The D-backs had runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth, but the Giants’ bullpen wiggled out of the jam each time.

Key stat

Arizona pitchers retired their final 14 batters without allowing a baserunner.

Up next

The Diamondbacks will throw RHP Brandon Pfaadt (13-8, 5.31 ERA) against Giants RHP Justin Verlander (3-10, 3.94) on Wednesday.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Trent Grisham can technically still escape this bizarre club.

But for now, the New York Yankees‘ centerfielder is one of four players in MLB history to put up the power stats he has this season.

Grisham hit his 30th homer of the season on Tuesday night, by far a career-high.

The lefty swinger has paired that with just nine doubles.

He’s the fourth hitter to have a season with 30 home runs and nine doubles.

The others, per Codify: 

• 1982 Dave Kingman
• 2000 Mark McGwire
• 2022 Giancarlo Stanton

Grisham would drop out of this club with one more double, so it’s a precarious place to be.

For now, he’s in the room with three of the strongest home run hitters in baseball history.

No one would’ve seen this coming for Grisham. His last three full seasons, from 2021-23, all featured at least 16 doubles.

And before this year, Grisham’s single-season best home run mark was 17, back in 2022.

But now, everything Grisham hits on the screws seems to leave the ballpark.

That’s how you end up on a list like this, and Grisham will need one to stay just in the park make his way out of this grouping, if that’s what he wants.

MORE: Switch-hitting should be impossible, but Cal Raleigh makes it historic

Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke was suspended for three games on Tuesday after several scuffles broke out ahead of the Gators’ 20-10 loss to No. 3 LSU on Saturday.

Florida and the SEC announced the punishment together on Tuesday night, and said that he did not de-escalate a tense situation before the game at Tiger Stadium. It’s unclear specifically what Juluke did before the game, but he apologized in the statement.

“On Saturday, I reacted in a manner I’m not proud of,” he said, in part. “There’s no excuse for my behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions. In this game, emotional situations occur and bad reactions happen. I regret my actions and commit to using this moment to strengthen my emotional intelligence.”

Players got into two incidents before the game on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, first about 75 minutes before kickoff. Players from both teams started exchanging shoves along the sideline, but it was broken up fairly quickly.

Then later, on the opposite side of the field, LSU players apparently were upset that Florida players had done a lap around the field. That was also broken up relatively easily, but it drew a few penalty flags that were later deemed unofficial warnings from officials.

Despite the headed pregame activities, the Tigers held off the Gators and intercepted Florida quarterback DJ Lagway five times while picking up the 10 point win. That pushed them to 3-0 on the season, while Florida now sits at just 1-2 after the week prior.

Advertisement

As a result of his suspension, Juluke will miss Saturday’s game against No. 4 Miami, and games against No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Texas A&M. He can return for their matchup against Mississippi State on Oct. 18.

We were all set for a big clash between No. 1 and No. 2.

Instead, we ended up with two No. 1’s – last week’s No. 1 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs at this week’s No. 1 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels.

Of course, last week’s No. 1 Mater Dei is No. 7 now, thanks to the Monarchs’ 43-36 loss at the No. 20 Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies last Friday night. In truth, Mater Dei had never really looked like the nation’s top team, an honor that fell to last week’s No. 2 Bishop Gorman after the Monarchs’ loss.

It could just as easily have gone to the No. 3 St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves who own a victory over the current No. 6 St. Frances Academy [Baltimore, MD] Panthers who were No. 4 two weeks ago when they lost to the Braves, 21-14, in California.

And it’s even possible that the nation’s best high school football team resides in Bradenton, Florida, where the IMG Academy Ascenders have looked dominant early on.

For now, we’ll ride with the Gaels who have looked pretty salty, too, rolling up four wins while outscoring their opponents 160-24. That includes games against two teams – Utah’s Lone Peak [Highland] Knights and the East St. Louis Flyers of Illinois – that have spent time in The Sporting News Composite Rankings this year.

It also includes a 38-0 win by Bishop Gorman in a trip to Hawaii to play the Kahuku Red Raiders who then came to the mainland a week later and gave Mater Dei all it could handle in a 21-18 loss. That suggests that the Monarchs could be in for another long night this Friday when they travel to Vegas to take on the Gaels in The Sporting News High School Football Game of the Week.

MORE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

No. 7 Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs at No. 1 Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels

LAST WEEK’S GAME OF THE WEEK No. 19 Edna Karr [New Orleans, LA] Cougars 24, No. 18 American Heritage [Plantation, FL] Patriots 17 (OT)

Friday, September 19, 2025
Fertitta Field at Bishop Gorman High School | 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST local)
TV/Streaming: MaxPreps

Local Media Coverage: Los Angeles Times High School Sports | Las Vegas Sun High School Sports

School Athletics Websites: Mater Dei Athletics | Bishop Gorman Athletics

School Social Media: Mater Dei Athletics on X.com @MD_Athletics | Bishop Gorman Football on X.com @BishopGormanFB

The Background

Mater Dei limps into this game in unfamiliar territory. The Monarchs’ 21-game win streak ended in the loss to Centennial, but it’s also the first time Mater Dei has lost to anybody other than their rivals from St. John Bosco in 10 years. The Monarchs’ previous five losses in that span all came at the hands of the Braves.

So, it’s unclear where this team goes from here. Mater Dei has only had two quarters where they truly looked like the Monarchs of old – a 26-point second-quarter outburst at the St. Thomas Aquinas [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Raiders in the season opener and a 29-point third quarter barrage at Centennial Friday night. Those stretches suggest that this Mater Dei squad could still be the nation’s best team in short spurts, but they’ve yet to put it all together for a full game.

Bishop Gorman, on the other hand, has looked worthy of the No. 1 ranking they now hold. The Gaels opened the season with back-to-back shutouts over the Centennial [Las Vegas, NV] Bulldogs (52-0) and Hawaii’s Kahuku Red Raiders (38-0) before dispatching Utah’s Lone Peak Knights (35-14) who were ranked No. 8 in SN’s The NEXT 25 bubble rankings at the time.

Then Friday night, the Gaels beat the best opponent they’ve faced, yet, in the East St. Louis Flyers, ranked No. 26 in the SN Composite Rankings, by a count of 35-10. Gorman is at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to schedule compared to No. 3 St. John Bosco; the Gaels only have two more games to prove their worth as the nation’s top team, and both are against Trinity League teams from California that are conference mates to Bosco. After that, they’ll move to their Nevada state schedule which isn’t on par with Bosco’s remaining schedule.

That includes Mater Dei, of course, and next week the Gaels will also visit the current No. 16 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles. Those two games will provide the only two direct comparisons to St. John Bosco should both teams eventually end up undefeated.

Their win over East St. Louis, meanwhile, provides a direct link to No. 3 IMG Academy should the Ascenders also make it through the 2025 season undefeated. IMG will host East St. Louis on October 25.

Top Recruits

• Mater Dei’s problems aren’t talent-related, of course. They have as much Division I talent as any team in the country, including prospects in every position group. They have 10 seniors listed on the 247sports.com Class of 2026 for California, and they’ve got 12 more in their junior class. That doesn’t even begin to count the sophomores and freshmen that will eventually receive star ratings in the future. Those underclassmen have been particularly helpful on defense where a number of freshmen and sophomores are among the team leaders in tackles. Top senior prospects include 5-star TE Mark Bowman (USC) and 4-star recruits like OT Kodi Green (6-6, 320 lbs., Washington), WR Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State), WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (Ohio State), DL Tomuhini Topui (6-3, 320 lbs, USC) and EDGE Shaun Scott (6-3, 230 lbs., USC). Top 4-star junior prospects include CB Aaryn Washington and CB Danny Lang.
• Bishop Gorman has a wealth of talent, too, starting with nine seniors listed on the 247sports.com Class of 2026 for Nevada. Safety Jett Washington is the only 5-star recruit, but 3-star talent includes EDGE Prince Williams (6-3, 255 lbs., Arizona), WR Massiah Mingo (New Mexico), WR Kaina Watson, and QB Maika Eugenio (Hawaii). Junior 4-star CB Hayden Stepp, meanwhile, is Nevada’s top junior prospect in the Class of 2027.

When Mater Dei has the ball …

Senior 3-star QB Ryan Hopkins (Wisconsin) is the triggerman for Mater Dei’s offense, and he has plenty of talent in receiver in Dixon-Wyatt and Henry Jr., both of whom are committed to Ohio State. They’ll look to stretch the field with their two senior wideouts while creating running lanes for an offense that has relied heavily on senior RB Justin Lewis to help move the chains. And, of course, there’s Bowman, the 5-star tight end, who’s got skills more like a wideout but is big enough (6-4, 225 lbs.) to go across the middle on underneath routes to give Hopkins another option. They’ve had some trouble early in 2025 getting their big prospect the ball, and he only managed one catch for 7 yards against Centennial.

Gorman will try to replicate that performance, and Bowman is likely to run into the 5-star safety Jett Washington at times in coverage. Williams will try to apply pressure upfront, and under duress, Hopkins can make costly mistakes. The cornerback Stepp will be counted on to at least limit the damage in the passing game whenever he’s defending either Dixon-Wyatt or Henry Jr.

When Bishop Gorman has the ball …

Gorman won’t be afraid to take to the airways where Eugenio has been exceptionally accurate, completing 80.5 percent of his passes so far through four games. He’s already thrown for 1,044 yards and 14 touchdowns with just two interceptions, and if Eugenio is clicking, then you can bet the Gaels’ offense is moving efficiently up and down the field. Part of what makes it work is the fact they are spreading the ball evenly to four different receivers with the senior Mingo (16 rec.-253 yards) leading a quartet of receivers that each has at least 11 catches. Mingo has only found the end zone once, but senior Isaiah Nickels (12 rec.-164 yards) and sophomore Zyren Menor (11 rec.-284 yards) have each scored four times. Sophomore Noah Cole has been the main option at running back and for good reason; he’s averaging 11.1 yards per carry with 233 yards on 21 totes.

Mater Dei has a lot of talent all across its defense, but it looked shaky early on against Centennial. With Eugenio’s accuracy and Cole’s rushing average, it could turn into a case of “pick your poison” trying to defend the Gaels, and the Monarchs might be satisfied with a bend-but-don’t-break philosophy that limits big plays and forces the Gaels to drive the field.

Keys to the game

Mater Dei wins if it can string at least three quarters together that are similar to their second quarter vs. St. Thomas Aquinas or last week’s third quarter at Centennial. But if any of those quarters look like last week’s 28-0 disaster against the Huskies, then it could be lights out again for the Monarchs on the road in Vegas. With the Gaels’ effectiveness in both phases on the offensive side, it feels like a game where field position could make a difference. If Mater Dei can force Gorman to go on long drives and maybe limit some of those possessions to field goals, then the Monarchs will stand a better chance of putting up a number on their own side of the board that will allow them to get out of Vegas with a win.

Bishop Gorman wins if they limit mistakes, and can bring out the worst in Mater Dei in the same ways that the Monarchs’ first three opponents have. That includes studying the game film of the Kahuku game – the same team the Gaels’ beat 38-0 three weeks ago – to see how the overmatched Red Raiders managed to disrupt Mater Dei’s offensive rhythm. That will be key because if they let the Monarchs’ go on one of their quarter-long scoring rampages, this one could get away from the Gaels.

Looking Ahead

If Bishop Gorman can get past Mater Dei, then the Gaels really only have to pass one more test at current No. 16 Santa Margarita next Saturday. After that, they’ll enter their Nevada league schedule, and they’ve won 152 out of 153 against in-state opponents. That means the Gaels will be looking to make a statement against Mater Dei and again next week at Santa Margarita.

For Mater Dei, this is basically an elimination game when it comes to the national championship picture. If they win, they’ll move ahead of Gorman in the pecking order, and they still get a head-to-head opportunity at the end of the season against St. John Bosco. Depending on how those games go, the Monarchs could still potentially win a national title even with a loss. But a loss at Gorman would be their second, and for all intents and purposes, the Monarchs’ two-year national championship run would end.

Series history

These two teams have played four times with Mater Dei winning every matchup so far.

The first meeting took place on September 1, 2017, at Mater Dei, and the Monarchs won 35-21. The two teams then played in Las Vegas on August 24, and the Monarchs won again in a 42-0 shutout.

They didn’t play again until 2022 when Gorman again played host, losing in a 24-21 nailbiter. Then last year, they met at Mater Dei, and the Monarchs defended their home field in a 31-15 victory.

MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HEADLINES

Most of us knew that Aaron Glenn’s first season as the head coach of the New York Jets was going to have more lows than highs, and starting 0-2 isn’t exactly a surprise.

But still, it isn’t a good spot to be, especially when you are trying to build what you hope will be a solid foundation that the franchise’s next Super Bowl win will be based on. For most, this was always going to be a tough year, and we saw in Week 1 the positive elements of Glenn’s team, but against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, we saw the bad elements.

Is it time to jump ship? Absolutely not.

And for Glenn, he knows that he has the people inside the building and in the locker room to keep this train on the tracks.

“We come back, get aligned on what we’re trying to do as a football team, and understanding this is a brick-by-brick mentality for us,” Glenn said. “We’re going to continue to work. We’re going to continue to build and do everything we can to make sure that we stay aligned on what we’re trying to do as far as this football team.

“I’m disappointed, but I don’t want to sit here and say that I’m discouraged. I hate the way that we played, but I know what type of players and coaching staff we have, and we’re going to do everything we can to try to fix these problems and move forward.”

MORE: Bills’ Josh Allen heaps praise on ‘absolute stud!’ James Cook

Patience is key in Jets rebuild

No, this won’t be a Washington Commanders-type resurgence from the Jets. This will take time.

Unfortunately, in the NFL, people’s patience is thin, and they want results quickly, but let me tell you, if you think this will be a quick turnaround, you’re going to be disappointed.

Yes, there will be some good moments, and there will be some bad ones, but that is all part of the process that Glenn and his coaching staff are going through this year. All we want is to see some sign of improvement throughout the year. The Jets in Week 17, ideally, should be a better version of themselves than what they are now.

But success won’t be linear here.

Remember, brick by brick, Glenn will get his vision to come to life. 

Patience is key, my friends.

MORE NFL NEWS:

Kylian Mbappe slammed home two penalties for Real Madrid as the record 15-time winners opened their Champions League campaign with a controversial 2-1 comeback win over Olympique Marseille on Tuesday.

Timothy Weah opened the scoring for the French visitors before Mbappe levelled from the spot and Madrid defender Dani Carvajal was sent off for headbutting Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.

Advertisement

Roberto De Zerbi’s enterprising Marseille were well place to push for a win until Facundo Medina was harshly penalised for a handball and Mbappe converted his second penalty.

Madrid coach Xabi Alonso was dealt an early blow on his first European game at the helm of the Spanish giants when Trent Alexander-Arnold limped off with a thigh injury.

Alonso benched Vinicius Junior among several changes to the side which beat Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday to continue Madrid’s 100 percent start in La Liga.

They had a short pre-season following the Club World Cup, giving Alonso more incentive to shuffle his pack, while the coach has also insisted he will keep as many players involved as possible.

Advertisement

Jude Bellingham was named on the bench for the first time after undergoing shoulder surgery in July, but neither he nor the returning Eduardo Camavinga made it on to the pitch.

Mbappe, who watched former side Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League last season after he left for Madrid, almost opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead effort which dropped just wide.

Alexander-Arnold limped off after just three minutes, to be replaced by veteran Carvajal.

Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid’s youngest Champions League starter at 18 years and 33 days, hit the inside of the near post as both teams sought to break the deadlock.

Advertisement

Rulli made a fine save from a fierce Mbappe strike before Weah opened the scoring. Mason Greenwood picked Arda Guler’s pocket and fed the US international, who slammed past Thibaut Courtois at the near post for his first Marseille goal.

The Belgian goalkeeper denied Weah from distance as the Juventus winger, on loan in France, impressed. Real Madrid equalised when Geoffrey Kondogbia clumsily bundled over Rodrygo Goes in the box.

Mbappe, in fine form at the start of the season, dispatched the penalty past Rulli’s outstretched arm.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang drilled just wide and then tested Courtois in the second half as Marseille continued to give as good as they got.

Advertisement

Madrid finished the second game running with 10 men after Carvajal squared off with Rulli and then pushed his head into the goalkeeper’s.

However, just as they did against Real Sociedad after Dean Huijsen’s red card, they finished with three points.

Medina slid in to challenge Vinicius and the ball hit his arm, with the referee awarding a penalty, which Mbappe gratefully dispatched to claim victory for Los Blancos.

rbs/bsp

---

In a column exploring first-time All-Star possibilities in 2026, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com lists Amen Thompson as a candidate from the Rockets.

Rockets center Alperen Sengun was a first-time All-Star in the NBA’s 2024-25 season, and he was Houston’s first selection since James Harden and Russell Westbrook in the 2019-20 campaign.

Should Sengun return in 2025-26, he’s likely to have internal company in the form of newly acquired star Kevin Durant, a 15-time NBA All-Star.

But it’s plausible that Houston might have as many as three All-Stars.

In a new column breaking down potential 2026 All-Star debuts, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com lists Amen Thompson as a candidate from the Rockets.

He also lists Ausar Thompson, Amen’s twin brother with the Detroit Pistons. Aschburner’s explanation:

The athletic ability of these (Thompson) twins is off the charts, so if either develops a more reliable offensive package, he could accompany an All-Star teammate. Amen already played on All-Star Sunday via the roundabout mini-tournament last year that included a Rising Stars unit. But we’re talking about the big game — one that twins Dick and Tom Van Arsdale reached together in 1970 and 1971.

In short, both Thompson twins already play at an All-Star level defensively, so it comes down to their ability to level up on offense.

Fortunately for the Rockets, their Thompson could have more upside there, particularly when considering his burgeoning point-guard skills.

It’s also worth noting that Houston’s Thompson improved his 3-point shooting from 13.8% as a rookie to 27.5% as a sophomore, and on slightly higher volume.

While there is still a ways to go for that to reach a satisfactory level, it does represent progress as Thompson enters his third NBA season in 2025-26. Should that continue, particularly when combined with defensive excellence and improved playmaking skills, an All-Star push is quite realistic.

More: Report: Rockets view Amen Thompson among primary ball-handlers for 2025-26 season