The Guardian

23-year-old hits home run on first pitch in majors Báez drives in five during 8-4 victory over Cubs Rookie was called up from Triple-A earlier in day Joshua Báez became the first player to hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in the major leagues, leading the St Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. The 23-year-old left fielder, called up from Triple-A Mem…

Issac Henry, Carlo Tizzano, Charlie Cale and Massimo de Lutiis repay faith shown by Wallabies coach and highlight squad’s strength in depth The Wallabies have problems, but they are of the good variety. In the return Test against Japan in Townsville on Saturday, they produced their most promising performance in 12 months, and not a moment too soon. The 56-17 victory included a professional, five-…

Wembley curtain-raiser can offer clues but it is no reliable pointer to a season – its winners have not landed the title since 2018 The doubt for anyone when a long-strived-for goal has been achieved is hunger. Arsenal waited 22 years for their 14th league title and, compounding the yearning, finished second three times in a row before finally lifting the Premier League trophy in May. The physica…

In spite of a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, the new head coach at St James’ Park showed signs he is on the right path, and is closing in on Benfica’s Amar Dedic Reasons to be fearful or cause to be cheerful? Newcastle fans among a crowd in excess of 39,000 at St James’ Park on Saturday had much to debate as they headed home from a slightly underwhelming 2-1 friendly defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. Th…

You can’t help but feel the Argentinian with a penchant for red cards has arrived at his spiritual home with his move to Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid “He’s not that kind of player” is perhaps the greatest of the co-commentators’ meaningless banalities. Used shortly after a “nice guy” has scythed someone in half about a day after the ball has gone, it is by definition nonsense because if you ha…

Live athletics updates from 7.45pm BST Email Luke | Sign up for The Recap And that’s final … What are you most looking forward to this evening? Feel free to send me an email . Continue reading...

Spain World Cup winner Torres leaves Barcelona England’s Spence completes move from Tottenham Paris Saint -Germain have signed Spain’s World Cup-winning ⁠forward Ferran Torres from Barcelona on a contract until 2031. Financial ​details were not disclosed, but reports said PSG paid €50m (£42.7m) ⁠for the 26-year-old. “I’m delighted to be beginning a new adventure at such an ambitious ⁠club as Pari…

Dalby and Gale fire promoted Bolton to 2-1 win Kodua pounces at death as Luton beat Reading 4-3 Sam Dalby and Thierry Gale scored first-half goals as Bolton beat Preston 2-1 to record their first Championship win since March 2019. Last season’s League One playoff final winners have been predicted to struggle on their return to the second tier after seven years away. But in front of a sellout 26,2…

Belgian would be first non-Scot in role since Berti Vogts Scotland face Slovenia on 26 September in Nations League The Scottish Football Association hopes to name the Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke as the country’s international manager early next week. The 39-year-old Belgian, who has been out of work since being sacked by Monaco in June, will become the country’s f…

Sparse crowds have marred European championships London has bid for world championships in 2029 Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, has played down suggestions that empty seats at the European championships could affect London’s bid for the 2029 worlds. The sparse crowds earlier in the week in Birmingham have been one of the big talking points of the championships, with criticisms of…

19-year-old killed on Friday by collision with van ‘We will continue to hold Fin in our hearts’ Finlay Tarling’s NSN cycling team withdrew from the Volta a Portugal on Saturday, the day after the death of the 19-year-old British rider in an accident during the race. Tarling, the younger brother of the Ineos rider Josh, was reportedly involved in a head-on collision with a vehicle unconnected with…

Puerto Rican suffered brain bleed in only defeat WBC blamed illegal blows to back of the head Colón had won his first 16 professional fights The boxing world was in mourning Friday following the death of Puerto Rican fighter Prichard Colón at the age of 33, 11 years after he sustained brain damage in the only defeat of his professional career. Colón’s death was confirmed in statements by the Worl…

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! All new managers want to hit the ground running. But landing with a dull thud has never been a barrier to future glory, certainly not at Ibrox. Take Graeme Souness, whose start as Rangers’ player-manager put the ‘pish’ in ‘inauspicious’. On his league debut, away to Hibs, he was sent off in the first half after a revenge attack on the wrong mull…

Women’s football has much to gain from the kind of reforms that threats to snub upcoming tournaments might prompt. Infantino should be taken on “And I say to all the women … Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change. You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do. You do it. Just do it. With men, with Fifa, you will find ope…

Through the Royal Photographic Society’s Eamonn McCabe bursary programme, Nathan McGill set out to explore women’s cricket across Bradford. What emerged was a close and extended engagement with one club: Bradford Park Avenue Ladies Cricket Club Interest in women’s cricket is expanding rapidly across the country. Attendance and viewing figures for this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England reach…