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Christian Walker finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove in a season-high four runs as the Houston Astros slugged past the visiting Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Wednesday.
Walker went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a two-run double to pace a balanced attack that featured five other Astros with multi-hit games. It marked the third three-hit game of the season for Walker and his first four-RBI game since July 3, 2024, with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros pounced on White Sox starter Sean Burke (3-7) in the bottom of the first inning. After Jose Altuve followed an Isaac Paredes one-out double with an RBI double of his own, Walker drilled a 1-0 slider to left field for his ninth homer, giving Houston a 3-0 lead.
Walker extended the margin to 5-0 in the third with a two-run double to center, scoring Altuve and Yainer Diaz. Altuve recorded a two-out single for his 2,300th career hit to ignite the two-out rally.
Cam Smith, Jeremy Pena and Paredes added doubles in the fourth to push the lead to 7-0, chasing Burke from the mound after allowing seven runs on eight hits, with one walk and four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings.
The early run support enabled Astros rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto (4-3) to settle in. Gusto faced three batters over the minimum through four innings and allowed just one baserunner to reach scoring position, with Andrew Benintendi stroking a leadoff double in the top of the fourth.
The White Sox finally broke through against Gusto in the fifth when Mike Tauchman delivered a run-scoring groundout before Miguel Vargas added an RBI single. But Gusto limited the damage to two runs and stranded Luis Robert Jr. an inning later to complete a career-best six innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits with one walk and a career-high seven strikeouts.
Paredes finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Pena, Altuve, Diaz and Smith had two hits apiece for Houston.
More must-reads:
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- The 'World Series single-game K leaders' quiz
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Five reasons why the Dodgers will three-peat as World Series champions
Game 7 of the World Series isn't even 24 hours old, and already the business of baseball has shifted to the 2026 season. Scores of players officially became free agents Sunday, while others are choosing whether to exercise or decline options for next season. But one thing is for sure: The Los Angeles Dodgers are the overwhelming favorite to win a third straight World Series. This might be obvious because the Dodgers will likely run MLB's highest payroll onto the field on Opening Day. But there is substance to go with the big bucks. Here are five reasons why the Dodgers will become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win three titles in a row: 1. The full Shohei Ohtani Shohei Ohtani didn't make his season debut as a pitcher until June 16, 73 games into the Dodgers' season, following his second major elbow surgery. Since it was impossible to send him out on a rehab assignment without removing him from the MLB roster, he rehabbed his way back by slowly building up. Well, that won't be necessary in 2026. Ohtani will be a full go right from Opening Day. He pitched just 47 innings over 14 regular-season starts, but was under no limits in the postseason, as we saw with the right-hander starting Game 7 on three days' rest. During the regular season, Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA with 1.7 walks and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. 2. Starting rotation is stacked Ohtani probably won't even be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter, however. That honor should go to Yoshinobu Yamamoto following his World Series MVP performance. From there, the starting five will be Tyler Glasnow, two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. As always, health will be the key for the rotation, especially with Glasnow, but there is plenty in reserve in Tony Gonsolin, Emmet Sheehan, Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone. 3. Mookie Betts is completely healthy One reason the Dodgers finished with the third-best record in the NL this season was because of the health of shortstop Mookie Betts to begin the season. Betts had an undisclosed illness that took nearly 20 pounds off his already-slight 180-pound frame. He didn't hit above .258 in any month, with a low of .208 in July, before finally getting back on track in August and September. Betts finished with a slash line of .258/.326/.406 while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at short, but still short of his career slash line of .278/.363/.505. There is nothing more dangerous than a driven Betts, so he could put up big numbers in 2026. 4. Room for more players While some pending free agents — think Enrique Hernandez and Miguel Rojas — will return, the Dodgers may be making free-agent additions and even a trade or two as they shed some contracts this offseason. A big outfield bat would be the biggest priority, likely a left fielder. A wild card in the outfield scenario would be whether the Dodgers opt to play Ohtani in the outfield on occasion. Ohtani had played in just seven games in the outfield, all coming in 2021, when he was in right field for six games and left for one. This could allow Ohtani to DH on the day before and after he pitches and give the other veterans a chance to just hit when he plays the outfield. 5. Dave Roberts at the helm Managing a superstar-studded roster like the Dodgers takes a unique skillset, one that Dave Roberts has navigated pretty well in recent years. He now has three World Series rings in six years. Roberts has shown the ability to adjust to circumstances, like last year with a bullpen-centric pitching staff, to this year with the bullpen a liability and the rotation a strength. Also, his feel for the game was on display with the insertion of Rojas into the lineup for Games 6 and 7 and putting Andy Pages in for defense in the ninth inning of Game 7 before his amazing catch.
Eagles geared up for another Super Bowl run after Jaelan Phillips trade
The Philadelphia Eagles are already Super Bowl contenders, but that's not stopping general manager Howie Roseman from bolstering his roster before the trade deadline on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. On Monday, the Miami Dolphins sent linebacker Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick (via ESPN's Adam Schefter). It's the third defensive trade Roseman and company have made in the past week. They already improved their secondary by acquiring cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Baltimore Ravens and CB Michael Carter II from the New York Jets. How Jaelan Phillips trade benefits Eagles Trading for 26-year-old Phillips should help the Eagles (6-2) solve one of their bigger defensive problems: the ability to generate pressure consistently. Per Pro Football Reference, Philadelphia is tied for 19th in the NFL in pressure rate (19 percent). It also has 16 sacks, tied with the Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) for 23rd in the league. Phillips had just three sacks through his first nine games with Miami, but he's still a quality pass-rusher. Pro Football Reference has credited him with 18 pressures this season, tied with Denver Broncos LB Nik Bonitto and Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt for the 12th most in the league. That's great company for Phillips to be in. Both of those star defenders are Defensive Player of the Year candidates. As of Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook gives Bonitto +850 odds to win the award and Watt +3500 odds to capture it. Star Philadelphia LB Nolan Smith Jr. is expected to return from a triceps injury in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. He last played in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. His return and the Phillips trade may now put the Eagles defense — which ranks 19th in the league in points allowed (23.1) — in a position to hit its stride. Even if their team is winning, top GMs, like two-time Super Bowl champion Roseman, continue to find ways to strengthen their clubs. He's likely done that again by landing Phillips.
Cowboys Announce Exciting Development on Saturday
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are 3-4-1 with a Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on "Monday Night Football." They're looking to bounce back after losing to the Denver Broncos 44-24 last week. Prescott has been explosive through the first eight games. He has thrown for 2,069 yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 101.6 passer rating while completing 70.3% of his passes. The Cowboys have put together one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, ranking second in total yards per game (384.1) and second in points per game (30.8). The unit may soon be getting reinforcement, including from center Cooper Beebe. Beebe started the first two games of the season for the Cowboys. However, he hasn't played since suffering a lateral ankle sprain and foot injury in Week 2 against the New York Giants. On Saturday, though, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Beebe is on track to play against the Cardinals. "Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer says C Cooper Beebe is on track to play against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night," Harris reported. "Hasn’t played since week two when he suffered a lateral ankle sprain and foot injury." After being selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he has become a consistent figure on Dallas' offensive line. As a rookie last season, he started 16 games, earning a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 65.4. Filling in for Beebe has been fourth-year veteran Brock Hoffman. He's recorded 415 snaps at center this year, committing two penalties and allowing one sack and ranking 29th out of 33 centers with a grade of 56.2. The Cowboys' offensive line has protected Prescott very well. They've allowed just 10 sacks, which is tied for the fourth-least in the NFL. Beebe's return could solidify one of the NFL's top offensive lines, giving Prescott more time and protection in the pocket. Kickoff between the Cowboys and Cardinals is 8:15 p.m. ET Monday at AT T Stadium, airing on ABC and ESPN.
Maple Leafs’ David Kampf Update After Comments to Marlies Players
Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf has reportedly left the team’s AHL affiliate, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman offered an update on the situation Monday morning. Speaking about the situation on the most recent 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman shared that Kampf apparently made it clear to other Toronto Marlies players that he was done. As per his report, the disgruntled Maple Leafs forward left his teammates with the impression that he intended to terminate his contract. Furthermore, Friedman noted that Kampf’s absence from the Leafs’ lineup is not performance-related; rather, it stems from salary and roster constraints that currently prevent the team from accommodating him. Friedman noted: “I don’t know exactly what was said or how it was communicated, but Kampf did leave players with the Marlies with the impression that he was going to terminate his contract… He’s not out of the Leafs lineup because he’s not good enough, it’s because they can’t fit his salary and roster spot in right now. We’ll see how this plays out over the next few days. I certainly understand his frustration, and I think he made it clear the status quo just wasn’t good enough for him.” Kampf is annoyed by his situation, and the Maple Leafs are working to trade him. Unfortunately, the Leafs can’t find a taker for his contract. It has left Kampf feeling like he has little choice but to take the next steps available to him, which could include exploring opportunities elsewhere on a lower AAV with another NHL club. He and his agent must believe that if his cap hit weren’t what it is, an NHL franchise would give him a look and a chance to prove he’s worth the investment. Friedman suggested that the fact all of this has gone public might actually work to Kampf’s advantage, allowing him to gauge his market and might not have to take a hugely reduced deal.
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