Latest news with #Jekyll-and-Hyde
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Thought Markets Were Volatile Already? Watch Out.
Uncertainty ahead It has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde start to 2025. Analysts and investors are bracing for more drama in the second half. S&P 500 futures point to a weak opening on Tuesday, but the benchmark index is on a winning streak, having closed on Monday at another record. But the dollar has had its worst start to the year in more than a half-century as some investors sweat a possible return of the 'sell America' trade instigated by President Trump's trade war. Amid this split screen, Trump has stepped up his attacks on the Fed and its chair, Jay Powell. The threat to the central bank's independence could jolt global investors' nerves. A recap: Coming into the year, Wall Street hoped that Trump's business-friendly agenda of slashing taxes and regulations would propel stocks. But while the S&P 500 is up more than 5 percent this year, tariff uncertainty has rattled business executives, consumers and investors. And the fate of the Republican policy bill that is central to Trump's domestic agenda remains unclear as the legislation awaits a vote in Congress. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox starter offers profane goal after blow-up outing raises his Fenway ERA to 10.47
BOSTON — After Lucas Giolito's Jekyll-and-Hyde season bottomed out Wednesday with another blow-up outing at Fenway Park, the veteran pitcher was left with little in the way of answers. 'There's no excuse,' Giolito said. 'It's super poor. I have to figure it the (expletive) out. Layoff, no, it doesn't matter. This is the big leagues. You have to have a level of consistency. I'm gonna continue to work towards that. I don't want to keep putting our 'pen in that position. I don't want to put our team in that position.' Advertisement Giolito, whose injury-delayed 2025 season has vacillated between dominant outings and blow-up showings, found a new low Wednesday, long before the Red Sox scrapped their way to a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Angels. He allowed five straight hits — including two doubles and a three-run homer — to start his inning in a four-run first and left after retiring just five batters. Giolito was tagged for seven earned runs on eight hits in just 1 ⅔ frames. The 30-year-old now has a 10.47 ERA at Fenway this year after blow-up outings against Texas (6 earned runs in 3 ⅔ innings on May 6) and Atlanta (6 earned runs in 4 innings on May 17). Overall, he owns a 6.42 ERA in seven starts — and that includes a seven-shutout-inning performance against Baltimore on May 24 and an outing in Kansas City on May 11 when he allowed a single run on 6 ⅔ innings. On a start-to-start basis, the Red Sox have no idea what they'll get out of Giolito. 'There's been like four outings this year where I go out and I don't have feel for anything and I'm not able to make an adjustment,' he said. 'I need to figure out how to make that adjustment if that's the case. In this league, you need to go out and be able to throw strikes as a starting pitcher with at least two or three pitches. And be able to work ahead. Advertisement 'It has been so back and forth. It has been frustrating overall. All I can do is keep working. That's it. And get better. I need to get better.' With the Red Sox in desperate need of a win after losing the first two games of the series against a lowly Angels team, Los Angeles came out swinging in the first. It took five pitches for Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel to plate the first run of the game with back-to-back doubles. Then, an 100.4 mph Mike Trout single put two on for Taylor Ward, who smoked a three-run homer at the exact same exit velocity. Giolito gave up four runs before recording an out and has now allowed nine runs and nine hits in the first inning (11.57 ERA) so far. 'I've had issues in the first inning in the past,' he said. 'I'm obviously having issues in the first inning now. I think it's a matter of being prepared to compete from Pitch 1, having a high level of focus and intent right out of the gate, and dictating the game rather than letting the game dictate you.' Luckily for Giolito, the Red Sox fought back instantly and tagged Angels starter José Soriano for five runs in the bottom of the first. The lead lasted mere seconds, though, Kevin Newman (ground-rule double) and Neto (triple) tied the game five Giolito pitches later and another Schanuel double on a fastball over the plate put the Angels up, 6-5. Advertisement Three batters and another run later, manager Alex Cora went to righty Luis Guerrero out of the bullpen. "I said to myself, 'Don't let that first inning define you. Go out pitch angry, pitch with intent,'" Giolito said. 'And it was the same as the first inning.' The Red Sox expected some sort of adjustment period from Giolito, who missed all of last year after internal brace surgery on an elbow ligament, then had his team debut further delayed by a hamstring strain suffered in spring training. Few, however, could have imagined such an inconsistent start to his year. The highs have been high, but the lows have been even lower. And the Red Sox bailed out their starter with a win Wednesday. "I'm super proud of the team,' he said. "Everyone came to play today, big-time. Bullpen was incredible. A lot is being asked of them. I put them in a terrible position. Guys who are down (unavailable) had to throw. But everybody came to play. We were able to get that win. That's huge." More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
27-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Rockets blew it against the Jimmy Butler-less Warriors. They might regret it
SAN FRANCISCO — Let's go back to the night of April 6 for a moment. It was the same two teams, the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors, in a regular-season finale everyone knew might be a playoff preview. Same location, the Chase Center, a building where the Warriors had been so dominant since adding Jimmy Butler at the February trade deadline. Advertisement But the result was different, an impressive 10-point win for the visitors that seemed to carry some sort of deeper meaning. Maybe, just maybe, this Rockets team could exorcise the Warriors demons that have haunted them for so long. Unlike the version of the Rockets that blew a … golden … opportunity to take the 2-1 series lead Saturday, falling 104-93 in Game 3 to a Warriors team that was without Butler (pelvic contusion), the April 6 Rockets looked like legitimate title contenders. Given all the one-sided history between these two franchises, with Steph Curry and friends having chased everyone from James Harden to Mike D'Antoni to Daryl Morey and so many others out of town without a crown, it was basically the Rockets' version of Utopia. Houston coach Ime Udoka had put a frustrated Curry in his place in his own building at halftime, exchanging words with the Warriors star who was complaining to the officials, telling him, to quote The Weeknd, to save his tears for another day. Amen Thompson put Curry in a straitjacket, putting on an incredible defensive display while holding him to just three points and earning all the adulation that awaited him outside the visitor's locker room. 'Belt to ass!' one Rockets staffer had yelled while slapping Thompson on the back. 'That's how we do it!' But turnabout is fair play — especially when it comes to No. 30 — and the Rockets' Game 3 performance invited the kind of despair that might have a lasting impact on their offseason if they don't turn this series around. Especially considering the way it went down. It's no secret that these Rockets, as elite and tough as they are on the defensive side of the ball, must find a way to improve their offense if they're going to become one of the NBA's elite. They have been pondering the prospect of adding another elite scorer for quite some time now, whether it's Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson or anyone else of that ilk. Advertisement They finished the regular season with the league's 12th-best offensive rating — a respectable mark, to be sure, but simply not good enough to qualify for that upper echelon. And as was the case in Game 1, when they scored just 85 points while one of their franchise cornerstones, Jalen Green, scored just seven, they lacked the kind of offensive capability that is a prerequisite to advancing this time of year. It's not all on the 23-year-old Green, but his Jekyll-and-Hyde tendency reared its ugly head again as he followed his 38-point outing in Game 2 with a nine-point performance that, surprisingly, was met with a laundry list of excuses afterward. Yes, it's true that the Warriors double-teamed and blitzed him throughout the vast majority of his 39 minutes. And yes, as Udoka and his teammates highlighted, he often found the open man in those situations only to see the subsequent shot miss the mark. But there was a humbling lesson for Green to learn by watching Curry's magnificence, how he somehow managed to conjure a 36-point outing on this night when Udoka threw everything they had in his direction. To put it simply, that's what stars do. They fight through the doubles. They find their shot when the role players aren't coming through. And when there's a chance to go up 2-1 against a team that is very likely to welcome another all-time great (Butler) back into the fold for Game 4, they don't settle for taking just 11 shots (making four) if it means running the risk of losing all the momentum you've spent these past six months building. If the Rockets ultimately decide to go shopping for a roster upgrade, Green — who signed a three-year, $106 million extension in October — is widely expected to be the one heading out of town. The fault was not just his, though. Fred in the first >>> 📈 13 PTS | 2 3PM 🧵 THREAD — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 27, 2025 Thompson was just five-of-16 from the floor with a team-high four turnovers. Resident veteran and stabilizer Fred VanVleet had 13 points in the first quarter, only to score four the rest of the way and finish with a team-worst minus-16 rating. Alperen Sengun, who has been the steadiest Rocket of them all on the offensive end, finished with 15 points (seven-of-18 shooting), 11 rebounds, four assists and a minus-10 rating. Advertisement 'They have been going after (VanVleet) and Jalen quite a bit in the pick-and-rolls, kind of hawking them full-court,' Udoka said. 'When they did put two bodies on the ball, we didn't do a good enough job making them pay tonight. As you saw, we were 19 for 48 in the paint. That's not good enough — point-blank layups or floaters or making the right read from there, you have to convert those.' If the Rockets find a way to turn this series around, then the offseason storyline gets delayed for another round, at least. But to see them blow it against the Butler-less Warriors after leading by as many as 13 points in the first half, with the mood switching so drastically in the process, was to be reminded that there is likely more roster work to be done. 'I think every chance you don't win a game you feel like you could win is a missed opportunity,' VanVleet said. 'This is an experienced group that they have. It's been a good team for the second half of the year. We knew that they were going to respond with a guy out as any good team will. There's no scrubs in the playoffs right now. Yes, it's definitely a missed opportunity but we can't really have that viewpoint. We have to bounce back and get ready for Monday.' The mood outside the visitors locker room was different this time around. So much more dour. Depressed. Dejected. Sengun was the first off the floor, clearly eager to leave the loss behind him, with Jalen Green close behind. There was some soft clapping from staff members. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, the man who will be tasked with answering all these looming questions, walked by calmly while taking a phone call. 'Stay together,' Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. said to anyone who would listen. 'We good. Regroup, man.' They have no other choice here. If not, change awaits. (Top photo of Jalen Green and Stephen Curry: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Wullaert hurts England despite late hope from Agyemang's debut goal
England's puzzling, Jekyll-and-Hyde form continued as Sarina Wiegman's side were beaten in Belgium despite a world-class debut goal from the Lionesses striker Michelle Agyemang. Brought on as a substitute for the final 10 minutes with England trailing 3-1, the 19-year-old's first two touches of senior international football saw her control the ball with her thigh and volley home an outstanding, instinctive finish that gave the visitors hope of a late comeback, but they were unable to add to that magical moment and were left to rue their poor first-half performance. Having seemed to be back to their entertaining best when emphatically beating Belgium on home soil on Friday, an injury-hit England side produced a wholly contrasting performance – as did their opponents – to see the team ranked 20th in the world open up a shock 3-0 lead, and a strong second-half comeback from England proved too little, too late, as Belgium celebrated joyously at full-time. Ultimately, the result saw England drop to second in their Women's Nations League group with a total of seven points from four games, behind a Spain side who moved top courtesy of their ominously-good 7-1 victory over Portugal. More pertinently, with just under three months to go before the start of this summer's European Championship in Switzerland, the first 45 minutes of this game in Leuven was another reminder that England must improve significantly and become more consistent if they are to retain their title. The first goal, scored inside four minutes, was an alarmingly simple one, from an England point of view. A routine ball over the top of the Chelsea left-back Niamh Charles was latched onto by the fit-again Belgium captain Tessa Wullaert and she proved too quick for the England backline, having plenty of time to pick her spot and place the ball low into the far corner past Hannah Hampton. It was the hosts' first attack and the European champions proved powerless to stop their break upfield. For England's coaching staff, the second Belgium goal will also have been worryingly easy, as it merely saw the tallest player on the pitch head in from a set-piece. The Everton midfielder Justine Vanhaevermaet beat Leah Williamson in the air and looped her header into the corner from the Inter striker Wullaert's well-placed delivery from the free-kick. When the third Belgium goal went in before the half-hour mark, England were in truly uncharted territory in the Wiegman era and facing something of a humiliation. This time it was a well-worked Belgium move that dragged the England back four across to the right and Wullaert beat Millie Bright to meet the low cross that was played in from the left by Davina Philtjens. The travelling England fans behind that goal could scarcely believe their eyes. Defensively, from the Lionesses, it was all too reminiscent of their most recent previous visit to this stadium in October 2023, albeit with different personnel. On that night they were similarly beaten 3-2 after being unable to contend with the pace of Wullaert on the counter attack. There were a host of injuries for the World Cup finalists to contend with on that night and it was a similar situation again on Tuesday, albeit it was in attacking areas where the Lionesses were most severely depleted. Since Friday's resounding win at Ashton Gate, the Arsenal striker Alessia Russo and the Chelsea forward Lauren James – who both looked in excellent form in Bristol – had to return to their clubs for treatment, with Chloe Kelly and Lauren Hemp also among the injured forwards. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion At half-time, after Beth Mead had pulled a goal back from the visitors with a crisply-converted penalty, Bright and Charles were both replaced, with Wiegman introducing Esme Morgan and Jess Carter in an apparent attempt to counteract the pace of Wullaert. England started to control the possession early in the second half and a long-range Williamson strike forced Lisa Lichtfus into a good save, tipping the effort over the crossbar, but it was not until the arrival of Ella Toone and Fran Kirby after an hour when England really began to apply heavier pressure. A deep Mead free-rick was met at the far post by Lucy Bronze but the Chelsea right-back headed wide, with one of the visitors' best chances, before the Brighton & Hove Albion youngster Agyemang – who is on loan with the Sussex club from Arsenal – introduced herself in style, and perhaps Wiegman will wish she had brought her on sooner. The game finished in an ill-tempered manner amid a flurry of yellow cards where both teams were perhaps slightly fortunate that nobody was sent off. For England, the defensive inquest will need to be thorough.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kyrgios suffers taste of bagel in Miami capitulation
A grumbling, unhappy Nick Kyrgios has crashed out of the Miami Open, forced to stomach a second-set 'bagel' as Karen Khachanov made him suffer in a dispiriting 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 defeat. The mercurial but ring-rusty Australian had admitted he had no idea how his injury-prone racquet wrist was going to pull up in a second match in three days after his encouraging first-round victory over Mackenzie Macdonald, his first tour-level victory in two-and-a-half years. But the Hard Rock Stadium crowd were soon to find out on Friday as Kyrgios began by going punch-for-punch with one of the world's best, only to wholly run out of steam - and, seemingly, belief - as he delivered a dismal second-set performance in which he mustered just seven points. Classic Karen 🙌@karenkhachanov defeats Nick Kyrgios 7-6 6-0 to reach round 3. #MiamiOpen — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 21, 2025 In an odd performance which showed off the familiar Jekyll-and-Hyde faces of the former Wimbledon finalist, there was much to applaud about the way the 29-year-old mixed it with the Russian 22nd seed, taking Khachanov to a tiebreak in a feisty opening-set display. But after he missed a chance to go 3-1 up in the tiebreak, making a mess of a forehand and allowing Khachanov take control, it was as if he became a different player, perhaps recognising that to win two more sets was going to be a mountain too high to climb in his physical state. Sure enough, Khachanov began to bully him, with Kyrgios just getting more irritated with himself and his team at courtside, offering a running commentary on everything that was bothering him, which appeared to include a problem with his shoulder. He smashed one ball high out of court to earn a warning from the chair as the ferocity of his first-set hitting gave way to the casual, sloppy strokemaking of someone perhaps hurting and recognising there was no way back. When he hit a forehand long, his 30th unforced error, he was eventually put out of his misery, the second set having lasted just 21 minutes, compared to the first which had been nearly an hour-long battle. It was a performance that offered just a tantalising glimpse of the brilliance Kyrgios can still produce against a player of the quality of world No.23 Khachanov, who was his last opponent in a grand slam back at the US Open in 2022 when the Russian won a much more competitive affair. Yet ultimately, his conditioning after all his injury setbacks is still clearly nowhere near good enough for him to rattle the very best as Khachanov moved on to a clash with Grigor Dimitrov in the last-32. Kyrgios's fellow Australian, Perth qualifier Tristan Schoolkate had earlier also gone out at the second-round stage, beaten by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-4.
