Browsing: Chaos

Take a step back, and it’s pretty remarkable that the current situation at Liverpool is being framed in the simplest terms: Mohamed Salah vs. Arne Slot. And I don’t just mean that in terms of who’s right and reasonable, but even in terms of who should take the first step, with Slot saying Tuesday night that “I haven’t said I’m not going to talk to him. And the next question is should the initiative come from me or from him…”

It feels downright puerile, something straight out of the schoolyard, with fans and media playing the role of parents. Slot as the mean teacher who blames little Mo for his student’s poor test scores and kicks him out of class, leaving his student no choice but to air his grievances to his parents. Or, alternatively, Salah as the spoiled brat, unwilling to be accountable for his own disruption to the class, crying to his parents and hoping they’ll get that nasty Mr. Slot fired — or, at least, disciplined. And so, you wait and see who takes the first step towards the proverbial “clear the air talks,” which you hope ends with “hug it out” vibes.

Except there’s somebody missing from this narrative. Someone who gets paid to make the big decisions, someone whose big decisions led — however indirectly and in good faith — to the current impasse, someone who Salah was presumably referencing in his rant and, most importantly, someone who will ultimately decide how this gets resolved.

And that’s the club itself. More specifically, since this is by definition a soccer issue, Michael Edwards, whose title literally is CEO of Football and Richard Hughes, the sporting director.

– Lindop: Where do Liverpool, Salah go from here?
– Karlsen: A few options if Liverpool need to replace Salah
– Ogden: Salah’s outburst reminiscent of Ronaldo at Man United

Other than brief stories saying they were backing Slot — as you’d expect — there hasn’t been a peep out of them. That would be weird in some soccer cultures, but in England, for better or worse, it’s fine: You never really hear from folks in their roles. (Though maybe we should.)

Yet on a broader level, they have to be accountable that it has come to this, just as Slot and Salah are.

Salah didn’t say the “manager” threw him under the bus; he said the “club” did. He didn’t say the “manager” promised him a lot over the summer; he said it was the “club,” and that it’s the “club” that “haven’t kept those promises.” Salah also said his relationship with Slot used to be “good,” but that now they “don’t have any relationship” and he doesn’t know why. But then he adds that “someone does not want me in the club.”

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Could it be that he’s talking about Slot throughout and just using the word “club” for convenience? I guess, though, that would be a little weird. File it under “known unknowns.”

The more interesting point is his reference to “promises made over the summer.”

I think we can safely rule out that the “promise” wasn’t “Mo, you’ve done so much for the club, don’t worry about Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak and whomever else. … You’re a club legend; you’re going to start every single game.” We can rule it out because no manager (or club) would make that promise, and even if they did, no player would be foolish enough to take it at face value.

Especially not when Salah himself came within less than 100 days of free agency, only signing his two-year contract extension on April 11, 2025, less than eight months ago. That sent a very clear message from the club: We love you, we appreciate you and we want you to stay, but it’s going to be on our terms because you’re not indispensable, you’re not bigger than the club and we can imagine a future without you.

More likely, the “promise” (or perhaps it’s better to speak of “plan”) was that Salah would fit into a 4-2-3-1 system with new fullbacks, Wirtz at the No.10 and a new center forward, and that said system would work and deliver results. Well, as you probably know, it hasn’t. Slot has had to fiddle and tweak his lineups time and again, experimenting with different setups and personnel — the most recent was the diamond midfield and two-forward set without Salah (and, initially, without Wirtz, too) we saw in Liverpool’s 1-0 Champions League win at Inter on Tuesday night.

Who was responsible for the plan/promise and the signings? Well, it was 100% not Slot on his own: It was Edwards and Hughes in conjunction with Slot and, presumably, others. And they were the ones who made the big call on extending Salah (and club captain Virgil van Dijk) in the spring, too.

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Why Nicol believes ‘all that have done for the club’ is Salah’s most outrageous comment

Steve Nicol shares why Mohamed Salah’s ‘all that have done for the club’ comment is outrageous.

Now, these are bright people with a solid track record; these aren’t fools collecting real life Panini stickers of players. They saw a pathway and, presumably, so did Slot. They thought the manager could make it work on the pitch. And they thought that while there might be some pain points along the way — competition for places, starting with center forward after the arrival of Ekitike and Isak, some players perhaps unhappy with their minutes on the pitch, some egos might be bruised — they would have the emotional intelligence and man-management skills to navigate through it.

But even smart folks get it wrong sometimes. Recruitment and squad management isn’t an exact science. (Exhibit A is at the back, where they failed to bring in the central defender they wanted after Marc Guéhi‘s deadline day will he, won’t he debacle at Crystal Palace and were unable to execute their contingency plan, assuming they had one. In fact, if Guéhi had come in, it’s fair to wonder whether it wouldn’t be Van Dijk or Ibrahima Konaté getting benched instead.)

That’s where the misjudgment lies and where, you might imagine, the club’s owners and upper management will hold them to account. Liverpool struggling so much was a remote possibility. Salah being benched was a remote possibility within that remote possibility. And Salah’s outburst was an even more remote possibility with the aforementioned remote possibilities. But it happened — all of it did — and now they need to deal with it.

What we don’t know is the degree to which everyone was on board with the plan, to what level they were confident it would work, and to what level they believed in their ability to deal with the worst-case scenario (which is pretty much this one). We don’t know, but there are folks at Liverpool who do know. And they will be drawing conclusions.

What you can’t do is dump everything on Slot, either as a hero for the club or, if you’re in the Salah camp, the pantomime villain. The days of the Sir Alex Ferguson-esque omnipotent, omniscient manager are long gone. But so too are the days — Liverpool fans will remember them — when the manager (Brendan Rodgers at the time) and the so-called transfer committee seemed to be operating independently of each other.

Serious, well-run organizations — Liverpool Football Club is one of them — are based around accountability, shared responsibility and the realization that mistakes of judgment will happen (and even that, sometimes, mistakes turn into success in the long term). Sure, it’s easier to make this all about Salah and Slot. Dump one first and then the other, if need be. But this situation runs far deeper. It came about collectively and must be dealt with collectively.

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Different day, different Test, different city and different ground. Same chaotic Ashes cricket.

After England were beaten by Australia inside two days in Perth, the second Test began with four overs of pandemonium in Brisbane.

The drama of the day-nighter began at the toss when Australia confirmed the omission of spinner Nathan Lyon – but that was nothing compared to an opening 20 minutes that included two England ducks, a dropped catch and a possible wicket that wasn’t.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc once again wreaked havoc by removing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, Joe Root was dropped off the same bowler and Zak Crawley may have edged behind off Michael Neser, yet the hosts failed to appeal.

Here’s how it all unfolded:

• 0.4 overs – Eng 4-0 – Crawley was twice out for a duck to Starc in the first Test but finally got off the mark for the series with a crunching cover drive off the same bowler – shades of the England opener hitting Pat Cummins for four from the first ball of the 2023 Ashes at Edgasbton.

• 0.6 overs – Eng 5-1 – Just as in Perth, Starc strikes in the first over of England’s innings, only this time his victim is Duckett. Facing his first ball, Duckett is drawn into a poke at a full, swinging delivery, resulting in an edge to first slip. The left-hander’s duck means this is the first time England openers have registered three ducks in the first two Tests of an Ashes series.

• 2.3 overs – Eng 5-2 – An awful shot from Pope, showing England learned little from their capitulation in Perth. Facing only his third delivery, Pope tries to cut a wide delivery from Starc and chops on to his own stumps. Even at such an early stage – only 15 deliveries into the match – there had already been evidence of steep bounce. For that reason, this was a serious error of judgement from England’s number three.

• 2.6 overs – Eng 11-2 – Almost a hammer blow for England as Root escapes with an edge through the slips off Starc. Squared up by one angled across him, Root fends towards first slip, with the ball dropping in front of fielder Marnus Labuschagne. Australia captain Steve Smith dives across Labuschagne from second slip, gets his left hand to the ball, but can’t hold on. It would have been a stunning catch. Instead it brings four for Root.

• 3.5 overs – Eng 21-2 – Would this have been given out if Australia opted for a review? Crawley played at a delivery from Michael Neser, the seamer selected as a pink-ball specialist in place of Lyon. Neser appeals, yet gets little support from his team-mates. Replays show a tiny scratch on the technology, though nothing conclusive to suggest the TV umpire would have overturned the on-field decision.

England eventually came through Starc’s five-over spell without further losses.

Before the second Test was an hour old, the left-armer already had 12 wickets in the series, echoing the performance of Mitchell Johnson, who destroyed England on their Ashes tour of 2013-14.

“Mitchell Starc is one of those bowlers that, especially when we were sharing hotels, when I’m sitting there eating my breakfast, a bit nervous, he always walked down looking so calm,” former England spinner Phil Tufnell told Test Match Special.

“That’s what makes world-class performers. You can tell who’s a world-class cricketer by how they eat breakfast. I bet he’s calm.”

Starc’s opening burst also extended some extraordinary career numbers.

The 35-year-old joined legendary Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram on 414 wickets – the most by left-arm pace bowlers in Test cricket.

This was the 26th occasion Starc has taken a wicket in the first over of an innings – three of those have come in this series.

Starc also added to his superb record with the pink ball. Before this match, he was comfortably the leading wicket-taker in day-night Tests, with this new-ball spell taking his tally to 83 wickets from 15 matches, 40 clear of fellow Australian Cummins in second place.

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The New York City Marathon, like the city it takes over each fall, is as vast as it is vibrant; as loud as it is chaotic; and more than a little daunting, too.

No marathon is easy. But an air of unpredictability lingers over the five boroughs, with hopefuls humbled, and favorites frustrated, as they embark on a challenging 26.2-mile tour of the city.

“Iâ€m really scared,†Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, who has won the London, Chicago and Sydney marathons, told reporters on Friday. Throughout her life, she said, people have told her that New York – which she is about to race for the first time – is “so hardâ€.

Hassan will headline Sundayâ€s race alongside Eliud Kipchoge, often hailed as the greatest marathoner of all time, who is also making his debut in the city. Both ran the Sydney marathon, which Hassan won, just nine weeks ago.

New York City is no place for world records, or meticulously-crafted race plans. On the first Sunday of November, a blank canvas is stretched around the worldâ€s biggest stage. At the front of a 55,000-strong pack of runners, expectations quickly fall by the wayside.

Some World Major marathons, like Chicago and Berlin, are famously flat and fast. New York, with five bridges along the course and an undulating finale through Central Park, is an altogether different beast.

Fiona Oâ€Keeffe was not interested in chasing records or beating the clock this time around. “What I was looking for this fall was just a really competitive race,†she explained in an interview. “Racing is the fun part of what we do.â€

And so, early on Sunday, Oâ€Keeffe will line up among a stacked elite field on Staten Island with an open mind. “Anything can happen on race day,†she said.

When it comes to the marathon, few know this better. In February 2024 Oâ€Keeffe won the US Olympic Trials with a stunning debut that raised high hopes for the Games last summer. She was forced to withdraw about a mile into the race in Paris, however; scans would later reveal a femoral stress fracture.

“Itâ€s just interesting – having experienced the very high-high of the trials, and then obviously my Olympic experience was pretty rough,†Oâ€Keeffe told the Guardian. “So I think Iâ€ve seen both sides of the coin now.â€

Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan both ran the Sydney marathon, which Hassan won, just nine weeks ago. Photograph: Fairfax Media

“The sport is simple,†she added. “I really do love to run. And Iâ€m so grateful for the people that have supported me through all of this. So [Iâ€m] kind of just leaning into that side of it, more than dwelling on, you know, what it could have been.â€

Spanning almost 15 months later, the road back has been long. Training with the Puma Elite Running Team in Raleigh, North Carolina, Oâ€Keeffe did not want to return to the marathon until she was back at her best.

“I expect it to be a tough race, but Iâ€m excited for that,†she said. “Iâ€m excited to see how it plays out and how it unfolds and see what can happen if I just keep putting myself in it, and trusting myself when those moves do happen.â€

Oâ€Keeffe and Hassan, who won the Sydney marathon just nine weeks ago, will face strong competition in the elite womenâ€s field. Former champions Sheila Chepkirui, Sharon Loekdi and Hellen Obiri will also toe the line. A strong American contingent includes Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidl, Emily Sisson and Susanna Sullivan, fresh off a strong performance at Septemberâ€s world championships in Tokyo.

The menâ€s field, led by Kipchoge, likewise includes plenty of contenders, including former champions Abdi Nageeye and Albert Korir; 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Benson Kipruto; and Alexander Mutiso, who won the London Marathon last year. The Americans Hillary Bor and Joe Klecker will also both make their respective marathon debuts.

Runners get drinks at a hydration station as they compete in last yearâ€s New York City Marathon. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/AFP/Getty Images

“I always thought being in the stadium, with the track races, was the biggest thing in our sport,†said Britainâ€s Patrick Dever, who previously focused on the 5,000m and 10,000m, and will make his marathon debut on Sunday. “But after having been around these major marathons, you realize how much of a spectacle they are.â€

Dever, who, like Oâ€Keeffe, trains with Puma Elite, has been steeling himself for the longer distance. “Youâ€re just out there for such a longer period of time, so you just have way more time in your own head to talk yourself out of it, or keep yourself calm,†he said. “The biggest thing Iâ€ve been trying to work on in these long runs is just not panicking in my head a little bit if things arenâ€t feeling right.

“I feel like Iâ€m fully prepared, going into the race, knowing that itâ€s for sure not going to feel good the whole way. Thereâ€s going to be periods in the race where Iâ€ll probably want to drop out. I feel like you just have to be okay with that, and just try not to pay attention to how youâ€re feeling at any one point.â€

New Yorkers will turn out in force to cheer, amplifying the highs and cushioning the lows, as tens of thousands of runners – from first-timers and fundraisers to big dreamers and distinguished veterans – parade through the city.

Kipchoge has two Olympic and 11 World Major marathon titles, and remains the only person to have run the distance in less than two hours. He is running New York City amid speculation that he is preparing to retire from elite marathoning, and has trailed a “huge announcement†after the race.

“I want to experience, I want to go through it,†Kipchoge told reporters. “I want to actually see the two million people who are lining up around the course. I want to pass all the bridges in New York, the best places in New York – actually to see, with my eyes, wave to the people. This is the best city, where everything is here.â€

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Brandi Rhodes didnâ€t hold back after watching her husband Cody Rhodes get verbally lit up by Drew McIntyre during their WWE SmackDown contract signing. While most fans were locked in on the tension between Cody and Drew ahead of Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event, Brandi had her eyes on something else—Drew McIntyreâ€s outfit.

The segment ended in chaos after Drew insulted Codyâ€s family, calling himself the “real American Dream†and dropping a low blow about Codyâ€s daughters. Cody charged, but Drew dropped him with a Claymore and sent him crashing through a table.

But Brandi wasnâ€t about to let Drew slide without taking a shot of her own. She took to Twitter shortly after the segment aired to drag McIntyreâ€s leather-heavy ring attire—and it didnâ€t disappoint.

“Drew coming after the orange suit while heâ€s out there dressed like a dominatrix. Sure.â€

Cody may be dealing with high stakes this Saturday, but it looks like Brandiâ€s not afraid to do a little trash talking of her own in the meantime. Her clapback added fuel to the fire heading into the Undisputed WWE Championship match where Cody could lose his title if he gets disqualified or counted out. When the war of words spills onto social media, you know itâ€s personal.

Is Brandi Rhodes right to mock Drewâ€s look, or did she just pour gasoline on an already explosive feud? Let us know what you think in the comments!

October 31, 2025 10:19 pm

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D-Von Dudley recently raised eyebrows after publicly claiming that AEWâ€s structure is a mess behind the scenes—but one of AEWâ€s newest stars isnâ€t letting that narrative go unchecked.

WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley claimed AEW talent is unhappy with whoâ€s calling the shots and said Tony Khan isnâ€t keeping a firm grip on his company. Dudley, who had short-lived talks with AEW before things fell apart, suggested that frustration among talent is widespread—not just his personal opinion.

“I donâ€t know if I wouldâ€ve felt comfortable in AEW. Thereâ€s just certain things about the organization that I donâ€t like. And Tony Khan lets that happen. I think the talent is great, thereâ€s no question about that. Iâ€ve got friends in AEW and a lot of the talent in AEW have the same frustration that I see. They just wish that certain people wouldnâ€t be calling the shots and that Tony would take more control.â€

He also criticized younger wrestlers for what he sees as a lack of respect for veterans:

“The business has changed tremendously. I feel, and so many other wrestlers feel this way, thereâ€s a lack of respect from some of the younger talent… They werenâ€t taught the proper ways when coming into the business.â€

But Ricochet isnâ€t letting those comments slide. The former WWE standout—who jumped ship to AEW—took to Twitter to issue a direct response, defending Tony Khanâ€s leadership.

“This is not true. If Tony wants something to happen/or not happen I promise you he will make the final decision.â€

Ricochetâ€s statement is short but strong, directly pushing back against the idea that Khan has lost control of the AEW locker room. With AEW continuing to bring in high-profile stars, his words may serve as reassurance to fans whoâ€ve been hearing more and more about alleged backstage dysfunction.

D-Vonâ€s comments may reflect his experience, but Ricochetâ€s response shows that not everyone inside AEW shares the same view—and for now, Tony Khan still has loyal voices in his corner.

Do you believe Ricochetâ€s take—or is D-Von Dudley onto something? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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AEW Dynamite on October 22, 2025, was already loaded with title matches and major announcements—but the 12 Belts Celebration for Mercedes Moné didnâ€t go the way anyone expected.

What was supposed to be a tribute to Mercedes†historic achievement—winning her 12th career championship by claiming the Winnipeg Pro Wrestling Womenâ€s Title—turned into total chaos in front of the live crowd at the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The ring was decked out for the occasion with balloons, streamers, and a giant cake. Renee Paquette was in the ring to host the celebration, but before Mercedes even arrived, fans got an eerie surprise. A puppet styled after Mercedes Mone suddenly popped up from under the table where the cake was sitting, immediately drawing attention. It was a bizarre moment—clearly orchestrated by Harley Cameron.

Moments later, the real Mercedes Moné stormed down to the ring, visibly furious. She told Harley she was pathetic and pointed out that just weeks ago, Harley had been begging to be her tag partner. She labeled her as desperate and said the night was supposed to be about her, not petty antics. She declared her 12-title milestone as one of the greatest accomplishments in professional wrestling and said she was sick of being disrespected. Mercedes then picked up the puppet and shoved it face-first into the cake.

But just when fans thought the segment was wrapping up, chaos struck again. Kris Statlander emerged from under the same table and blindsided Mercedes, grabbing her and slamming her straight through it. The attack sent a clear message: Statlander isnâ€t here to play games—and sheâ€s ready to challenge Monéâ€s dominance ahead of their match at AEW Full Gear on November 22 in Newark, New Jersey.

This explosive segment didnâ€t just kill the celebration—it poured gasoline on an already heated rivalry.

What did you think of Statlanderâ€s ambush? Should AEW have let Mercedes enjoy her moment, or did the attack add fuel to the fire? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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When Brazilian winger Denilson made his world record £21.5million move from Sao Paulo to Real Betis shortly before his 21st birthday in 1998, he was heralded as the Selecao’s next superstar.

And while Denilson would go on to win 61 Brazilian caps and make more than 500 career appearances, he never quite reached his potential, with FourFourTwo ranking him at No.1 in a 2015 rundown of disappointing club record signings.

But a 17-year professional career that took in six major tournaments is not bad going for a player who learned his trade on the streets, as he recalls to FourFourTwo.

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“Beyond the street kickabouts, I grew up in the varzea – the gritty, uneven dirt pitches of Sao Paulo’s amateur football scene. It’s where I learned two priceless lessons. The first was losing any fear.

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In the lead-up to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, numerous members of the U.S. side, as well as the PGA of America, hyped up what they hoped would be a raucous home-course advantage for Keegan Bradley’s squad.

Bryson DeChambeau promised a “tsunami” of energy from the New York crowd. Before the start of the tournament, Collin Morikawa said he hoped the opening day would be “absolute chaos” after what had been a “tame” crowd during early in the week. As the Europeans roared out to a big lead, the home crowd turned angry and directed its ire at the European side taking the Americans to the woodshed. On Saturday, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse that crossed the line. McIlroy called the behavior unacceptable, while Lowry noted that the fan abuse directed at McIlroy’s wife, Erica, was “astonishing.”

After the ugly scene on Saturday at Bethpage, Bradley was asked if he or any team members bore any responsibility for the crowd’s behavior. Morikawa’s “chaos” comment has been used as an example of how the U.S. team sparked the fire that overtook the Long Island course. Bradley rejected the premise, and on Wednesday, ahead of the Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan, Morikawa said his comments were taken “out of context” as the scene at Bethpage turned sour. The two-time major champion wanted energy from the New York crowd, but did not ask them to insult and berate his opponents.

“I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context,” Morikawa said. “I think Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, right? And I think me saying the word chaos, I didn’t mean for them to be rude, right? So, like, that’s not on me, I believe, for me to take credit for people being rude. I think what I meant was like I wanted energy, right? You wanted people to be proud of the country, the countries they’re rooting for. So I don’t think, you know, me saying one word, everyone listened and then — I don’t think I have the power to do that amongst people. I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn’t in my groups, but definitely what people were hearing. So I would say, yeah, there’s a line that needs to be drawn.”

After Europe held off a furious American rally to win 15-13, McIlroy made a similar point about the type of energy that players want at the Ryder Cup and the kind that unfortunately materialized at Bethpage.

“I think if I was an American, I would be annoyed that people — I didn’t hear a lot of shouts for Scottie today, but I heard a lot of shouts against me. It’s, like, support your players. That’s the thing.”

In an interview with The Athletic’s Brody Miller, PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague said he wrote a lengthy letter to the McIlroys to apologize for what transpired and promised to “be better” going forward. He also apologized to McIlroy’s agent, Sean O’Flaherty, and said he was “really, really, really disappointed.”

The Bethpage Ryder Cup has lingered for all the wrong reasons

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Michael Bamberger

That came after PGA of America president Don Rea did an interview with the BBC, in which he claimed that American players faced a similar abuse at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome and that he hadn’t really heard the wave of abuse McIlroy faced.

The comparison to the crowd at Marco Simone in 2023 immediately drew pushback from several European players, with Matt Fitzpatrick leading the way.

“I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing how it was the same in Rome,” Fitzpatrick said last week at the Dunhill Links Championship. “It’s pretty offensive to European fans that he said that, really.”

The few American players who have spoken on the issue, either in the Sunday press conference or in the week since, have shouldered the blame for not playing well and apologized to McIlroy and others for what they had to endure.

“I think that anybody that was out there could pretty blatantly tell you that there was some things said, and yeah, Cam [Young] and I said it to Shane and Rory yesterday that we felt for them. It was unfortunate,” Justin Thomas said on Ryder Cup Sunday. “Cam and I just wished that we gave them something to cheer for instead of people to cheer against. I think that was kind of the main consensus of the last two days, that we weren’t giving them enough to cheer for, and they were just trying to help us win.”

“There were some unsavory things said at certain times,” Xander Schauffele said on Wednesday at the Baycurrent Classic. “I really wish we could have played better to have them cheer for us a bit more. New York’s a tough place to play for anyone. I even got a few comments to play better.”

As the focus shifts toward the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland, McIlroy was clear that they won’t tolerate any verbal abuse directed at the Americans.

“I don’t think we should ever accept that in golf,” McIlroy said. “I think golf should be held to a higher standard than what was seen out there this week. Golf has the ability to unite people. Golf teaches you very good life lessons. It teaches you etiquette. It teaches you how to play by the rules. It teaches you how to respect people. Sometimes this week, we didn’t see that. So no, this should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup.

“But we will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027 that what happened here this week is not acceptable, and for me, it’s — you know, come and support your home team. Come and support your team.”

The Seattle Mariners appear to be in complete control after taking a 2-1 lead in the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers with an 8-4 win on Tuesday night.

Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford said after the game that Tuesday’s win was a prime example of the team’s brand of baseball.

“That’s the team that we are,” Crawford said, per ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle. “We create chaos, and we keep the line moving.”

Hitting in the No. 9 spot, Crawford went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs. Star slugger Cal Raleigh and trade acquisition Eugenio Suarez also hit home runs, and the Mariners went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position while also relying on some aggressive baserunning.

Seattle hasn’t made it to the ALCS since 2001 and is the only MLB franchise that hasn’t yet made it to a World Series, but there is optimism that this year’s squad will be the one to finally break through.

“We’ve been battling all along getting to this point,” Suarez said. “Being one step closer to going to the championship, we’re not done with the job yet. We have to continue playing like this.”

The Mariners will look to close out the series against the Tigers in Game 4 on Wednesday afternoon.

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Collin Morikawa asked for “chaos†ahead of the Ryder Cup – but that wasn’t what he had in mind.

Speaking Wednesday ahead of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic, his first start since his U.S. team lost the Ryder Cup at home for the first time in more than a decade, Morikawa said he didn’t take any responsibility for riling up the crowd ahead of the biennial matches.

Before the Ryder Cup, Morikawa said that he was surprised by the tameness of the crowds during the practice rounds and was hoping for “chaos†during the matches, because the Americans could use that energy to their advantage.

“I think we really have to tap into that,†he said at the time. “I hope they come strong.â€

But Morikawa, who went 0-2-1, didn’t envision the crowd behavior like what the players experienced at Bethpage Black and admitted that it “crossed a line.†Several players were targets of the hostile crowd, none more so than Rory McIlroy, who endured abusive taunts and comments that disrupted his pre-shot routine.

“I think we’ve taken what I said a little out of context,†Morikawa told reporters on Wednesday. “Ryder Cups are meant to have a lot of energy, and I think me saying the word ‘chaos,’ I didn’t mean for them to be rude, right? So that’s not on me, I believe, for me to take credit for people being rude.

“What I meant was I wanted energy, right? You wanted people to be proud of the country they’re rooting for. Me saying one word, everyone listened, but I don’t think I have the power to do that amongst people. I think fans can do and say what they want sometimes. It probably crossed a line out there. It wasn’t in my groups, but definitely what people were hearing. There’s a line that needs to be drawn.â€

The PGA of America has publicly apologized for what it viewed as unacceptable fan behavior, and it vowed to provide a better experience for players and spectators at the 2029 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

Morikawa said, unlike in football or basketball stadiums, golf is unique in that fans are closer to the action – just outside the rope lines, and able to make their voices heard instead of being drowned out in a packed stadium.

“You look at a lot of other sports, you don’t really hear much. Things are said, but golf has that different aspect to it,†he said. “So I think you have to learn how to find that division of what’s appropriate and what’s not.â€

Xander Schauffele, the team’s leading points-getter at 3-1, said that fans were mostly frustrated with the players’ performance.

“There were some unsavory things said at certain times,†he said Wednesday, “and I really wish we could have played better to have them cheer for us a bit more. New York’s a tough place to play for anyone. I even got a few comments to play better. I’m not taking much personally when it comes to what fans say.â€