Vasko, Reilly Among Five Invitees as the Ottawa Charge Look to Bolster Roster Depth
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Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Boone says Yankees' defense 'just not good enough' after 4 errors in loss to Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said his team's defensive performance was 'just not good enough' after New York made four errors in an 8-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. 'We've got to, obviously, tighten it up,' Boone said. 'Confident we will. We'll continue to work at it. We have good defenders here, but tonight was obviously a rough night for us.' Left-hander Max Fried and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. made throwing errors, while first baseman Ben Rice and outfielder Jasson Domínguez made fielding errors. The Yankees also made several miscues that didn't count as errors, including Cody Bellinger losing a flyball in the twilight and no one covering the plate after Fried's errant throw in the fifth inning. 'Today was a little shaky,' Bellinger said. Davis Schneider scored from third base when Fried bounced his throw home on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s chopper. 'Tough angle and just not a good throw,' said Fried, a three-time Gold Glove winner with Atlanta. George Springer scored from second base after the ball rolled away from catcher J.C. Escarra. The Yankees made seven errors in the three-game series, including a pair of poor throws that led to runs for Toronto in Monday's series opener, a 4-1 Blue Jays win. 'We haven't been playing that well on defense,' slugger Aaron Judge said. 'We've got a lot of things we've got to clean up.' New York also struggled defensively while getting swept in four games at Toronto from June 30 to July 3 as the Blue Jays leapfrogged the Yankees atop the AL East. 'Obviously, we've had two (crummy) series up here,' Boone said. 'There's no way around it. Maybe we'll get a chance to come back here at some point and flip that script.' New York has committed 52 errors in 102 games. The Yankees are 41-22 when they play error-free baseball but 15-24 when they make at least one miscue. 'It's in our control so we'll take care of it,' Judge said. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
23 minutes ago
- New York Times
MLS's calendar, roster changes aren't happening yet, but it's a matter of time
AUSTIN, Texas — Major League Soccer is moving forward. That was the message from commissioner Don Garber on Wednesday night ahead of the MLS All-Star Game. While the league's board of governors did not officially vote on any changes during its meeting this week, MLS is moving toward what could be significant changes, albeit at its own deliberate pace. Advertisement The league is weighing three tiers of major changes that would restructure what MLS looks like. It would be a new MLS — or what Garber branded as MLS 3.0. The first tier is flipping the calendar to a fall-spring format. The change would align MLS with the FIFA international calendar, allow teams to better leverage transfer windows and align the playoffs in a more attractive part of the year for the league's media partners. 'We believe that that alignment is something that makes sense,' Garber said. Official vote or not, that's as strong an endorsement as you'll get from the commissioner. He's doing it because there is a broad amount of ownership support. Flipping the calendar is a delicate dance that has many moving parts. It will force some northern markets to alter their stadiums and training facilities. It will upend when MLS plays its most important games. It's not a small step. 'Making this change is seismic,' Garber said. 'It's not something we should do lightly. We obviously have teams across multiple climate zones, multiple time zones, unlike any other league in the world, and if we do make the change, we're not going to go back on that decision.' But the board is behind it. One source told The Athletic that an unofficial straw poll conducted here indicated as many as 27 of 30 owners in favor of the change. The second tier of change would reformat the competition itself – changing the structure of the regular season and playoffs. 'It's going to make the regular season more meaningful,' Garber said. 'It'll be more aligned with the rest of the world in terms of how they play their competition. And I think our playoff format will be really cool, really unique, very different from anything that happens in North America.' The third — and most important tier — is what Garber called 'a review of our entire roster strategy.' Modernizing MLS's roster rules to allow it to truly compete in the global market, and by extension field more competitive teams. Advertisement MLS's roster strategy was built to limit costs as the league went through its growth phase. If we're entering MLS 3.0 now, MLS 2.0 was about building out infrastructure and permanence. League owners poured billions of dollars into soccer-specific stadiums and world-class training facilities. If MLS can turn some of that financial heft into the on-field product, the games we see on the field will improve. The hope is that eventually leads to bigger audiences, which in turn leads to more media revenue. As it stands now, MLS can't truly compete against other leagues with the system that exists now — whether that's in the Concacaf Champions Cup or the FIFA Club World Cup. Those three tiers of changes could completely redefine MLS as a league. They would also enhance other areas Garber discussed Wednesday, including strengthening the player development pipeline and continued investment in new stadiums (Miami, New York and Chicago are set to open new buildings in 2026, 2027 and 2028, respectively) and the continued evolution of the league's media partnership with Apple. Garber mentioned making it 'easier for our fans to get access to our game.' Of the major reforms Garber said: 'It is about moving forward, as we always do, with energy and with purpose and with ambition. It is about the next era of growth for our league.' That leads to a natural follow-up question: If it's all such a game-changer, then why hasn't it happened yet, and what's the hold-up? The X factor is the collective bargaining agreement. In order to flip the calendar, MLS needs the MLS Players Association's approval. Overhauling the roster rules will also require a new agreement. The current CBA is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2028. If MLS is going to make these changes in 2027, it'll have to rework the deal earlier than expected. Advertisement At this point, MLS and the MLSPA have not had any discussions about amending the current CBA or sitting down to potentially negotiate a new agreement on an earlier timeline. The players would be incentivized to do so. Changing the roster rules would likely put more money in the system and more flexibility in how to spend it. But tensions between the MLS and MLSPA flared around bonuses for the FIFA Club World Cup. The relationship feels strained. Nevertheless, if the goal is to put these changes into effect by 2027 — one year after what will be a transformational 2026 World Cup — the two sides need to get started as soon as possible. MLS already missed the opportunity to fully leverage 2026 by introducing these changes coming out of a tournament that millions of American sports fans will watch. The goal has to be to get an agreement done in time to hammer home that MLS 3.0 is coming with a marketing blitz during next summer's tournament. It's clear the league needs to grow, but MLS is being cautious. The CBA is a not-insignificant hurdle toward progress. Garber endorsing the changes on Wednesday night was at least a step in the right direction. MLS 3.0 is coming. How fast it can get here – and how impactful it can be – will determine the next phase of the league's story.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Seeking to learn, Puka Nacua asks Davante Adams to lead the LA Rams' receiving drills
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Puka Nacua is one of the NFL's top receivers as he heads into his third season with the Los Angeles Rams, he thinks he still has plenty to learn from the new teammate wearing his old uniform number. Nacua was full of praise and admiration for Davante Adams after just one practice in training camp at Loyola Marymount University on Wednesday. Nacua is determined to soak up the techniques and teachings of the six-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the Rams as a replacement for Cooper Kupp in the spring. 'I've asked Davante to lead our position group drills,' Nacua said. 'There was respect from him coming in, saying, 'I don't want to push you out of the way, or to try to take your spot,' or that I should be up there No. 1, but it's something (where) I have a huge amount of respect for his game, and I'm blessed to be around people like Coop, and to have Davante come in.' There's also a practical reason for Nacua's invitation to Adams: 'When I was in the front, I'm trying to sprint as fast as I can so I can turn around and watch him. So I was like, 'Hey, I think it would make my job a little easier if you go first.'' Nacua's respect for Adams has been obvious from the day Adams signed. Nacua willingly ceded the No. 17 jersey he had worn for two seasons in Los Angeles, switching to the No. 12 he wore in college. Adams got the ball frequently during the Rams' opening workout, impressing the fans in the stands while catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo. Matthew Stafford is starting training camp on the sidelines as he recovers from back soreness, leaving Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett in the pocket for the first week. Nacua was observing Adams with admiration, watching everything from his famous release skills at the line of scrimmage to his ball concentration in traffic. 'His illusion of speed and lateral quickness is something I'm trying to add to my game in the way that it fits my skill set,' Nacua said. 'I wouldn't say there's a lot of people that can replicate some of the things that he can do, but I try to understand the movement so I can add it to my game.' But Adams also recognizes the remarkable ascent of Nacua, the former fifth-round pick. Nacua's average of 88.4 yards receiving per game is the second-best in NFL history among non-scab players, trailing only Minnesota's Justin Jefferson (96.5). Nacua has 184 catches for 2,476 yards in just 28 regular-season games for the Rams, but he could be even more dangerous with Adams as his counterpart. Defenses will be unable to focus primarily on Nacua, as they did at times in his first two seasons when Kupp was injured or ineffective, likely allowing Nacua to get into more advantageous matchups for Stafford. The big picture looks good for Nacua, but he's also concentrating on learning the small details from Adams, whose skills he can list in encyclopedic detail. 'I'd say his body control, and obviously his elusiveness at the line of scrimmage,' Nacua said. 'But then his awareness, the rotation of defenders and how to attack leverage on anyone, everything down the field, and then to have the illusion of going the opposite direction of where you want to go. He does a great job, and he explains it so well in the meeting room, so it makes it fun to watch tape and to be like, 'OK, how can I add some of these things to my toolbox?'' Nacua is one year away from the chance to sign a contract extension, but he isn't thinking much about the massive looming payday if he produces another prolific season with Stafford and Adams. 'A little bit, but I try my best to stay completely present where my feet are,' Nacua said. 'It's exciting to see guys push the envelope for the wide receiver game.' ___ AP NFL:
