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Nick Martini homered twice and drove in five while starter Frankie Montas threw six shutout innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-2 win over the visiting Washington Nationals in the traditional season opener in Cincinnati.
Spencer Steer doubled, singled and scored twice for the Reds, who won their season opener for the first time since 2020, and their first in front of a crowd since 2019 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Eddie Rosario broke up the shutout bid in the seventh with a two-run homer to right off reliever Emilio Pagan.
Martini, making his first Opening Day start at the age of 33, drilled a slider from Nationals starter Josiah Gray 405 feet to the seats in right to cap Cincinnati's three-run second inning.
The Martini homer marked the sixth straight season Cincinnati homered in the season opener, matching a run from 1986-1991 for the second-longest such streak in franchise history. The Reds clubbed homers in 10 straight openers from 1963-72.
Martini, the designated hitter, added to his memorable day in next inning when he reached the third row of seats in right-center with Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz aboard to expand Cincinnati's lead to 7-0.
It marked the second two-homer game of his career and the first two-homer game by a Cincinnati player on Opening Day since Adam Dunn in 2007 against the Chicago Cubs.
Montas (1-0) also had a day to remember in his first Cincinnati opener. He allowed just four hits over six shutout innings, striking out four and walking none.
Gray (0-1) tossed a scoreless first inning, striking out the final two batters of the frame before getting tagged for seven runs over the next two innings.
In his first Opening Day start, Gray, a former Reds pitching prospect, was charged with seven runs on eight hits, striking out six and walking two in four innings.
Facing his former team, Jesse Winker singled off Montas in the first inning. But the Nationals left fielder was thrown out by right fielder Jake Fraley at second trying to extend it to a double.
Another former Red, Nick Senzel, was in the original starting lineup at third base but was scratched an hour before first pitch.
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King of New York: Pete Alonso breaks major Mets all-time record
Pete Alonso is now the New York Mets' all-time home run king. With his opposite-field, two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, Alonso clubbed the 253rd and 254th home runs of his Mets career, moving him into sole possession of first place on the team's all-time list. He moved two home runs ahead of the previous record-holder, Darryl Strawberry, who hit 252 home runs with the team between the 1983 and 1990 seasons. Here is a look at his record-setting home run. Later in the bottom of the sixth inning, Alonso hit his 254th home run: Along with the all-time Mets home run lead, Alonso is also the Mets' single-season home run leader with 53 home runs during the 2019 season. Strawberry congratulated Alonso on breaking his record: His home runs on Tuesday were his 27th and 28th of the season. It is a big deal for Alonso because there was some doubt this past offseason about whether he would have a chance to set this record. Even though he was close, the uncertainty around his future, given his free-agent status, created a lot of questions about where he would play. Ultimately, the Mets re-signed him to a two-year, $54 million contract that includes an opt-out clause following the 2025 season. That opt-out will again create some uncertainty about his future, but it is pretty clear Alonso still has a lot of power left in his bat. Whether he returns to the Mets or goes somewhere else, he will remain the franchise's greatest home run hitter for the foreseeable future. He is now on top of the record books for the single season and career.
Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
Cowboys fans won't like Jerry Jones' update on Micah Parsons standoff
With the regular season approaching, the Dallas Cowboys should be aiming to extend EDGE Micah Parsons promptly. But they're still in no rush to do that. Parsons is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2025 and has requested a trade. Dallas insists it has no plans to move the 26-year-old pass-rusher but hasn't clarified when it will extend him. Giving him a new deal before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock) seems wise. Dallas owner Jerry Jones, however, said that's not the team's deadline, nor does it need one. "No, not at all," Jones said Wednesday, via Jonah Javad of WFAA-TV in Dallas. "You don't have deadlines when you're playing under contract." Parsons is under contract, but that doesn't mean he must suit up. The EDGE could hold out of regular-season games, like former Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith did in 1993. The Pro Football Hall of Famer missed the first two games of the season before becoming the league's highest-paid RB at that time. Parsons hasn't said whether he would hold out of regular-season games, but it's apparent he's unhappy with where things stand. "My mouth is closed," Parsons said Wednesday while leaving the practice field in Oxnard, California, via Field Level Media. Jones didn't say if talks with Parsons would resume when the Cowboys return to Texas for their second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The owner still seems confident Parsons will play on the fifth-year option if Dallas doesn't sign him before the start of the regular season. "Again, all you've got to go on are contracts," Jones said. "We are negotiating for a contract. When you do a contract, you would hope that after a negotiation, that's what both the team and player look to see what our obligations are. I have a lot of respect for the contract." Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb played the last years of their rookie contracts. Perhaps Jones wants Parsons to do the same. Still, that would be silly. Paying the four-time Pro Bowler should be a no-brainer for the Cowboys, so they should stop wasting time and show him the money.
Celtics' sale comes with significant and surprising twists
The sale of the Celtics to an investor group led by William Chisholm has received unanimous approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, the league announced. The results of the vote were never really in doubt, but it’s significant that there was no opposition to Chisholm’s purchase. The league states that the deal is expected to be finalized soon. Chisholm, a Massachusetts native and lifelong Celtics fan, reached a tentative agreement in March to purchase the franchise for $6.1 billion, which set a record at the time as the largest amount ever paid for a North American sports team. That number has since been exceeded by the sale of the Lakers for $10 billion. Chisholm submitted the highest offer among four groups that were bidding for the team. According to Brian Robb of MassLive, his other stakeholders include Aditya Mittal, Robert Hale and Bruce A. Beal Jr., along with Sixth Street, a private investment firm. Chisholm’s group will obtain a 51% stake in the team from the Grousbeck family in the first phase of the sale and will purchase the remaining shares in 2028. When the sale was first announced, Wyc Grousbeck intended to remain in his role as the team’s governor through the 2027-28 season. However, in a surprising twist, a report on Tuesday indicates that’s no longer possible because Grousbeck will control less than the 15% minimum stake that the NBA requires for the person who holds that position. Instead, Chisholm will become lead governor as soon as the sale is official with Grousbeck serving as alternate governor and CEO through the 2027-28 season. Chisholm will take over the Celtics during a time of transition after years of being one of the NBA’s elite teams. Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury coupled with a second-round playoff exit have placed an emphasis on cost-cutting measures to lower the team’s tax bill and escape second-apron restrictions. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet are already gone from last year’s roster, and more money-saving moves may take place before the new season begins.
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