Blaney on winning Iowa last year: 'To me ... it was a crown jewel'
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Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Byron Buxton looks to be a calming presence in Twins' clubhouse after a flurry of deadline moves
CLEVELAND (AP) — Every time Byron Buxton picked up his phone Thursday afternoon, there was a text message or news ping that one of his Minnesota Twins teammates was being traded. Two days later, Buxton was still trying to take in all the moves the Twins made as the front office made nine trades and turned over nearly 40% of the roster. Even though the All-Star center fielder is on the 10-day injured list with left ribcage inflammation, Buxton joined the Twins in Cleveland for this weekend's series as the franchise's clubhouse leader wanted to be there to provide support and be a sounding board for teammates. 'I mean ,trading nine guys like that is something that's not normal, so it was a little bit of a shock for sure,' Buxton said before Saturday's game. 'Right now, obviously, I haven't processed it. I don't know who has processed it, but something we'll talk about a little bit more at the end of the season.' Manager Rocco Baldelli said that having Buxton on the trip was important, not only for the support that he can give, but also because he remains on track to rejoin the lineup on Wednesday when the Twins are at Detroit. 'Keeping him with our trainers here and being able to get on the field here with the group when he's ready was important, but also the support that he's going to be giving the guys around him. Everybody looks to him, everyone looks to see how he'll respond to things, and he's a passionate guy. He cares about his teammates and his team and guys respect him immensely.' Buxton said he understands that baseball is a business and he anticipated moves were going to be made near the deadline. However, the amount of turnover was surprising. The Twins' most-significant move near the deadline was when shortstop Carlos Correa was dealt to Houston. Correa broke into the majors with the Astros and still has a house in Houston as he waived his no-trade clause. 'It's one of those things where you didn't think he was going to leave but with the opportunity that was ahead of him and just him being an Astro before, it's hard to pass that up in his situation. I couldn't be happier for him and his family. It is what's best for him,' Buxton said about Correa. While there are a lot of unknowns about the Twins as the team remains for sale, Buxton is trying to focus on the present. That includes making sure the new faces on the team can get acclimated quickly as well as trying to make sure the season doesn't spiral too much out of control. Minnesota won the AL Central in 2023, but missed the playoffs with an 82-80 mark last season. The Twins entered Saturday at 51-58 and on a three-game losing streak. 'These guys coming up, I don't want them to look at this as 'I finally got a shot.' You came up here because you want to win and you want to be better. So it's just playing together and having each other's backs is going to be the biggest thing going forward,' he said. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Max Scherzer works 6 innings and earns 2nd win as Blue Jays beat the Royals 4-2
TORONTO (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched one-run ball for six innings and earned his second win of the season, Bo Bichette added three hits and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Saturday. Davis Schneider hit a two-run single for the AL East-leading Blue Jays, who came in having lost five of six. Bichette hit an RBI single in the third inning and added base hits in the sixth and eighth. He leads the majors with 137 hits. Scherzer (2-1) allowed one run and five hits, including a solo homer by Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez. The right-hander walked none and struck out five in picking up his first win since beating the Athletics on July 11. Perez's homer was his 20th. He has hit three homers off Scherzer, including his first in the majors in August 2011 against Detroit. Brendon Little got two outs for Toronto, Seranthony Domínguez retired all four batters he faced and Jeff Hoffman finished for his 26th save in 30 chances. Royals left-hander Noah Cameron (5-5) allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, losing for the first time since June 27 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman was struck in the mask by a foul tip from Kansas City's John Rave in the third, but stayed in the game and scored from second base on Schneider's hit in the bottom half. Ali Sánchez replaced Heineman in the fourth. The Blue Jays said Heineman had a head contusion. Key moment Schneider opened the scoring with a two-run single in the third and Bichette capped the three-run inning with a two-out hit. Key stat Perez has nine 20-homer seasons with Kansas City, breaking George Brett's franchise record. Up next Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (11-5, 4.34 ERA) is scheduled to face Royals RHP Seth Lugo (8-5, 3.03) in Sunday's series finale. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
Broncos' Bo Nix sharpening himself in training camp battles with Pat Surtain II
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The interesting thing about the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year is that you can go long stretches without noticing him. Avoiding Pat Surtain II is generally wise quarterbacking business. So the Broncos' star cornerback can go most or all of a practice without having the ball thrown in his direction. Luckily for Surtain, Bo Nix covets a challenge, especially during a training camp in which he is trying to sharpen his skills heading into his highly anticipated second season. Nix has not been afraid to target Surtain in recent days, even after being burned by the ball-hawking corner. Advertisement On Friday, Surtain picked off a pass that was intended for Courtland Sutton, lurking in what coach Sean Payton called a 'blind area' and then surging from an underneath position to pick off a pass. During a simulated scrimmage Saturday, Surtain made a similar play when he read Nix rolling out on a bootleg and put himself into position to intercept a pass that sailed between a pair of receivers. It's the kind of locked-in anticipation Broncos head coach Sean Payton has come to expect from the league's top cornerback. 'He's one of those players where the ball kind of finds him,' the coach said of Surtain, who tied a career-high with four interceptions last season en route to becoming the first cornerback to win the league's top defensive honor since 2019. 'Part of that is his length and his ability to deflect the pass. He's a rare athlete.' Payton learned early after taking the Broncos' job in 2023 that Surtain, who played for Nick Saban at Alabama, could be challenged. So he shared an observation with the young cornerback. 'With Pat, and I talked to him about it, I said, 'Man, anytime we get one of these elite receivers, you're out there and it's clinic film. And then, periodically, there'll be a guy we don't even know catch a deep ball.' It's that mental focus of, each week, if it's not an elite receiver, it's still a capable receiver. So I think you began to see that discipline, regardless of who he was lined up over.' Nix, though, didn't shy away after being picked off by Surtain — twice. During a red-zone session later in the practice, Nix opted to target Sutton again in a one-on-one matchup with Surtain. Nix arched a perfect fade ball to the 6-foot-4 receiver, who was able to keep Surtain at bay with his body while he leaped up and snatched the ball for a touchdown. Advertisement Sutton and Surtain have relished their one-on-one matchups so far in camp, and the frequency has ramped up over the last week since Sutton jumped into more team reps in the wake of signing a four-year, $92 million contract extension. 'Court is my brother, so every time we come out here, we're looking to compete and get better,' Surtain said earlier in camp. 'You can just tell each and every year he's looking to get better himself, so I feel like we haven't even seen the best of him yet — even though he's been so great. I think sharpening each other's craft is going to make each other better each and every day, so I'm looking forward to those battles.' The structured scrimmage — the Broncos interspersed special team periods between six-play offensive segments at various parts of the field — featured a strong start by Nix. He maneuvered in the pocket to find Devaughn Vele on a crossing route for a big gain, hit Troy Franklin on an out route of about 15 yards in front of Surtain and then made a throw on the opposite sideline to Trent Sherfield to pick up a first down. The second set of plays was dominated by the defense. Dondrea Tillman shut down running back RJ Harvey near the line of scrimmage. Riley Moss blanketed Marvin Mims to force an incompletion. Zach Allen, who signed a four-year, $102 million extension Saturday, demonstrated his dominance when he pushed away All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz with one hand and wrapped up Harvey with the other. Allen later had a would-be sack of Nix during a red-zone period. Nix followed with the touchdown to Sutton, and his backups had a couple of impressive scoring throws of their own. Jarrett Stidham fired a tight pass in the end zone to Franklin, who shook his defender with a crisp slant route. Third-string quarterback Sam Ehlinger had the throw of the day, hitting undrafted rookie Jerjuan Newton on a deep ball up the seam for a touchdown of about 50 yards. Advertisement The scrimmage ended a stretch of six straight days for the Broncos, will have Sunday off. • Allen after practice said he was still trying to process the fact that he had signed a life-changing extension. It wasn't something that was easy to envision five years ago. Midway through his second season — after missing most of his rookie year due to injury — Allen said he played 'the worst game of my life' for the Arizona Cardinals against the Los Angeles Rams. 'I was in the parking lot and I was talking to Charlie Bullen, one of our coaches, and I said, 'I'm going to get cut,'' Allen said Saturday. 'I came home and told my fiancée, Molly, 'You know what, I have a finance degree. We can move back East. I guess I'll be working in an office.' But, again, it's a testament to everyone in my life who has helped me get here. You just have to be gritty and take it day by day. It's never over. It's crazy to think we're here. It hasn't fully hit me yet.' Here to stay! ✍️ @TheZALLEN44 ✍️ — Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 2, 2025 Both Payton and Allen praised the negotiation process, with both frequently using the word 'trust' to describe how the deal came together. Payton said he spoke with Allen in recent days, as an agreement was nearing, and said, 'Our ships can see each other on the horizon.' 'Periodically, there is a player that comes up (for an extension) where you say to yourself, 'If we're not willing to pay him, who are we paying?'' Payton said of Allen, who led all defensive players in the NFL last season with 37 quarterback hits, according to TruMedia. 'It's a credit to both sides with how it progressed.' • Moss has been having a consistently strong camp. He stuck to Mims on three long routes in the last two practices of the week and forced incompletions every time, including a pass breakup on a third-down play Saturday. Another standout on defense: second-year pass rusher Jonah Elliss, who had a quick sack of Stidham during the opening team drill for the second units. (Top photo of Bo Nix: Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn Images)
