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We can safely say the MLB playoffs officially have the attention of the Vatican.

As Pope Leo XIV appeared in a parade Wednesday atop the Popemobile, one attendee bravely yelled “Go Cubs!” at the Chicago native and lifelong White Sox fan. Leo responded by pointing at the man and yelling back in both Spanish and English. The message was the same in both languages:

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“Han perdido! They lost!

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His favorite team was, of course, happy to see it:

This is the stuff you can only get when an American is sitting on the papal throne.

The Cubs indeed lost, with their season ending last weekend in a five-game NLDS against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers. The North Siders nearly pulled off an incredible comeback, erasing a 2-0 series deficit with back-to-back wins at Wrigley Field, but Milwaukee found its footing with a dominant bullpen game in Game 5.

Leo, previously known as Robert Francis Prevost, grew up a White Sox fan despite his mother being a Cubs fan and his father rooting for the Cardinals, per his brother. Before reaching the Vatican, he could be seen rooting for his team during its 2005 World Series championship run.

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Since ascending to the papacy in a surprise election, Leo has not been shy about his fandom. He has worn a White Sox hat during his general audience and showed Wednesday he’s not afraid to return fire with trolls from rival fanbases.

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SHANGHAI — Minami Katsu holed a long putt on the 18th to finish with a course record 11-under 61 on Friday and take a two-shot lead at the halfway point of the LPGA’s Shanghai tournament.

Katsu had six birdies on the front nine and, after a bogey at the par-4 10th, she finished with six more birdies at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club.

The 27-year-old Japanese player moved to 13-under 131 after two rounds in search of her first victory on the tour.

“It was pretty flawless round — couple luckies I think but really good round overall,†Katsu said. “My career-best was 10 under, so new (personal) record today.â€

Katsu said she wasn’t thinking about any records as she carded 12 birdies, and just concentrated on the basics. She lowered by one stroke the record here for 18 holes set by Sei Young Kim last year.

“Honestly I’m very happy with the record that I made today,†she said. “Obviously we still got two more days to play, so probably no celebration. I’ll try to keep it simple.â€

Katsu also set the 36-hole scoring record.

Ina Yoon had 68 on Friday and was in second place at 11 under, a shot ahead of Americans Jenny Bae and Lindy Duncan (67).

Bae was vying for the lead at 13 under in the last group going into the 18th but her round unraveled at the finish.

She hit into a bunker, took a drop in the hope of getting a better lie and then hit her next shot into the water. Bae finished with a triple-bogey 7 and settled for 69. Her mixed second round contained eight birdies, a pair of bogeys and the triple bogey.

Overnight leader Arpichaya Yubol had a 71 and was in a tie for fifth at 9 under with Somi Lee (67) and Jeeno Thitikul (70).

The Shanghai event is the first of five tournaments in Asia. There’s two weeks in South Korea, including the International Crown team event, and other tournaments in Malaysia and Japan.

Last week, Youmin Hwang extended the incredible streak on the LPGA of having different winners at each of the 25 official tournaments this year. Hwang was the sixth player from South Korea to win on the LPGA this year.

Paul Heyman didnâ€t stay silent for long after Braun Strowman roasted him on Twitter—and his response was pure Paul Heyman.

The exchange started when Strowman called out Heyman for claiming on WWE Raw that Roman Reigns had “never been beaten so badly he had to be stretchered out.†Strowman fired back with brutal receipts from their 2017 feud, posting screenshots of the infamous backstage beatdown where he destroyed Reigns and flipped an ambulance. Along with the pictures, Strowman wrote:

“yea ok Oswald Cobblepot!!â€

The Penguin reference didnâ€t go unnoticed—and on October 8, Paul Heyman responded with a message dripping in sarcasm and condescension. Addressing Strowman directly, Heyman wrote:

“Dear Mr. Strowman,
Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn youâ€re still alive, something most of us didnâ€t realize and even fewer cared about.
With Love and Respect,
Paul Heyman.â€

Heymanâ€s tweet instantly reignited the online feud. The two have a long history, as Heyman was once aligned with Roman Reigns when Strowman was one of his fiercest rivals. Now, years later, both men are back in the headlines thanks to a sarcastic jab that only Heyman could pull off.

Paul Heymanâ€s biting response proves he hasnâ€t lost a step when it comes to verbal warfare. Whether itâ€s in the ring, behind the scenes, or online, Heyman continues to master the art of humiliation with a few perfectly chosen words. Strowman might have started this one, but Heymanâ€s reply just reminded everyone why heâ€s still one of the sharpest talkers in wrestling today.

Do you think Paul Heyman went too far with his response to Braun Strowman or did he have it coming? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Paul Heyman has hit back at Braun Strowman after the former WWE Superstar brought up his past with Roman Reigns. During the October 6, episode of WWE Raw, Heyman claimed that Roman Reigns has never been attacked so badly that he needed to be stretchered out, until he collided with Bronson Reed.

This earned a response from Strowman, who refuted Heyman’s claim. Comparing Heyman to DC Comics character Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, Braun pointed out that an attack from him once resulted in Reigns needing to be stretchered.

Now, Heyman has responded. Defending his failing to recall Strowman’s attack on Reigns, the WWE Hall of Famer teased that he, like many others, failed to remember Braun was even alive.

“Dear Mr. Strowman,

Your post was brought to my attention.

I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir.

In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to lean you’re still alive, something most of us didn’t realize and even fewer cared about.

With Love and Respect, Paul Heyman.”

Strowman was released from WWE earlier this year, his second time being cut from the promotion within a four-year window. Strowman’s second run with WWE saw him return in September 2022 though he never held gold during his comeback.

Strowman and Reigns battled in 2017 and 2018, and briefly in 2020 over the Universal Championship. Now, Strowman’s future rests outside WWE and it remains to be seen what’s next for the Monster Among Men.

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WWE Hall of Famer Booker T surprised some people after blaming Jade Cargillâ€s time in AEW for her recent SmackDown match ending with a massive botch. While reports suggested many companies were baffled by his remarks, it seems Booker T is now mocking those reports.

Booker T took to Twitter and said that some people in WWE, TNA, and AEW were baffled that fans still believe everything they read online, saying, “#BREAKINGNEWS According to sources, several talent in WWE, TNA, and even AEW are baffled people still believe what they read online.â€

Booker T was clearly shutting down Fightful Selectâ€s report, which claimed that talent from WWE, AEW, and even TNA were confused by Booker Tâ€s “fresh off AEW†remark about Jade Cargill. Many pointed out that Jade Cargill has already wrestled more matches in WWE than she ever did in AEW.

Booker T talked about the situation on his Hall of Fame podcast, comparing the match to triple threat bouts heâ€s seen in his own promotion, Reality of Wrestling. He explained that the issues in the match came from miscommunication and a lack of chemistry between the three women.

“You could tell there was a lot of miscommunication in the match, as well. For me, itâ€s no different than what we do at Reality of Wrestling with girls and triple threats. Trying to put the girls in the best position to be comfortable in the ring is the most important thing.â€

Booker also talked about the dynamic between Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, and Nia Jax, saying that their different levels of experience might have played a role in what went wrong.

“You have NIL talent in Tiffany Stratton. You have Jade Cargill, who is pretty much just fresh off her AEW run. Just think about the time in AEW for her. She probably didnâ€t learn a whole lot. No disrespect or anything, but she was put on a wing and never really got a chance to wrestle anybody. Right?â€

Booker Tâ€s honest and direct style has made him a well-known but sometimes divisive name in wrestling. Whether fans agree with his opinion on Jade Cargill or not, the WWE Hall of Famer just wanted to make it clear to fans that not every report about him is accurate.

Do you think Booker T was right to point out AEWâ€s role in Jade Cargillâ€s development, or did his comments go too far? Share your thoughts in the comments below — weâ€d love to hear your take on this heated debate!

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• 

  Jorge CastilloOct 3, 2025, 08:26 PM ET

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  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

TORONTO — The New York Yankees touched down in Canada early Friday with some bulletin board material ahead of their American League Division Series showdown against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“Contrary to some thoughts up here, we’re a really good team,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in a news conference Friday.

Boone was referring to a pointed critique that Blue Jays television color analyst and former major leaguer Buck Martinez offered on the Yankees during a game between the Blue Jays and Houston Astros on Sept 9.

The Yankees had taken two of three games from the Blue Jays the previous weekend, but Martinez was unimpressed.

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“The Yankees, they’re not a good team,” Martinez said. “I don’t care what their record is.”

The Yankees went 5-8 against the Blue Jays in the regular season and just 1-6 in Toronto. The head-to-head series proved significant when both clubs finished tied atop the AL East with 94 wins, and the Blue Jays won the division because of the season-series tiebreaker.

“I know Buck had some thoughts,” Boone later added. “That’s all I was responding to. He’s wrong. But it doesn’t matter. We’ve got to go play, and we’ve got to go perform, as everyone does this time of year. We feel really good about our team. We’re playing well. All that’s in the past now. We’ve got to play well moving forward.”

The first move for both clubs was deciding their starting pitcher for Game 1 on Saturday. The Blue Jays chose veteran right-hander Kevin Gausman. The Yankees picked Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, over Will Warren, who will be available out of the bullpen.

Boone said Max Fried will start Game 2 on Sunday.

Gil and Gausman last started in their clubs’ regular-season finales Sept. 28.

Gausman, 34, tallied a 3.59 ERA in 193 innings across 32 starts. He allowed 10 runs on 17 hits in 22â…” innings across four starts against the Yankees.

“He’s the same guy every single day,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “You don’t worry about him getting caught up in the noise and the stuff that goes with a Game 1.”

Gil, 27, missed the first four months of the season because of a lat injury before recording a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts. He faced Toronto on Sept. 9, holding the Blue Jays to one run on three hits over six innings.

“Just feel like he’s ready for this,” Boone said. “He’s in line for it. Decided we want to keep Warren an option in the pen, and we feel like Luis is ready to go.”

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HONOLULU — Youmin Hwang played in the final group off the first tee Thursday in the second round of the LOTTE Championship. She’ll do it again Friday after shooting a 10-under 62, the best round in the four years the tournament has been played at Hoakalei Country Club.

Hwang opened eagle-birdie, dropped a stroke on the fourth and had eight more birdies to get to 15-under 129 and open a three-stroke lead with two rounds left. Playing on a sponsor invitation, Hwang has two victories on the Korean LPGA.

“First of all, I broke my life-best score,” said Hwang, a 22-year-old from South Korea. “At the same time, I broke the course record, so I feel very good.”

Hwang matched the tournament record of 62 set by Lizette Salas in the 2013 final round and Cristie Kerr in the 2017 third round, both at Ko Olina Golf Course.

“I feel very different about the course, first, especially the grass type,” Hwang said. “It’s very different to Korea and play in Korea LPGA.”

First-round leader Akie Iwai of Japan followed her opening 64 with a 68 in the afternoon session to join American Jessica Porvasnik (65) at 12 under.

“Feel like little difference, specific on the green,” Iwai said. “Getting hard to see the line.”

Porvasnik played in the first group of the day of the first tee. She’s a 30-year-old LPGA Tour rookie after finishing fourth last year in the Epson Tour standings.

“I just hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, gave myself a lot of great looks, and made a few of those,” said Porvasnik, a former Ohio State player.

Iwai played in a group with twin sister Chisato, who was 8 under after a 66. The 23-year-old Japanese sisters have each won this year as tour rookies. Chisato broke through at Mayakoba in Mexico in May, and Akie won the Portland Classic in August.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan and Gabriela Ruffels of Australia each shot 69 to get to 10 under.

Second-ranked Nelly Korda was 8 under after a 67 in the morning.

“The main difference between today and yesterday was just the putts dropped,” Korda said. “It was a little gustier out there today versus yesterday, so it was fun to play in, kind of show my creative side.”

Coming off a seven-victory season, Korda hasn’t won this year and has lost her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul. The tour has had a different winner in all 24 of its official tournaments this year.

Charley Hull, playing alongside Korda, was 7 under after a 68. Hull won the Kroger Queen City Championship three weeks ago in Ohio after Thitikul four-putted the final hole.

“Just played pretty solid golf,” Henderson said. “I found the greens kind of a bit slow, so kind of hard to get used to the pace because you just feel like you have to bash the putts.”

Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2019 winner at Ko Olina, was 4 under after her second 70.

Defending champion A Lim Kim was 4 under after a 74.

After the event, the LPGA heads to Asia for tournaments five straight weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Ryan Brehm made his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship debut with a 63 on the only course he didn’t play in practice to share the lead. Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and a Ryder Cup quartet of stars played on fumes and held up quite nicely Thursday.

The other surprise from the opening round was Dustin Johnson with a 64 at Carnoustie that left the former world No. 1 just one shot out of the lead in his return to this tournament for the first time in 13 years.

The pro-am held over three links — Scotland’s version of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am — was just the right tonic for the four Team Europe players who went from the euphoria of beating the Americans at Bethpage Black to amateur partners like Bill Murray and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Hatton and Robert MacIntyre at 66, and Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick at 67, all received a rousing cheer at Carnoustie to celebrate Europe’s fifth road victory in the Ryder Cup, this one the most taxing given the obnoxious New York crowd and a U.S. comeback that fell short.

“It was brilliant. I’ve never see the first tee like this at the Dunhill before,†said MacIntyre, who grew up on the other side of Scotland in Oban.

“This week I’m trying to enjoy myself. I’m trying not to be that stressed out about it, that overly focused, kind of just take the rough with the smooth,†MacIntyre said. “It was a decent start.â€

Brehm is a big hitter from Michigan whose lone PGA Tour victory was in the Puerto Rico Open three years ago. He is playing under a category for five PGA Tour players who finished from Nos. 126 to 200 in the FedExCup last year.

Arriving with wife Chelsey, they walked Kingsbarns when they landed and played practice rounds at Carnoustie and St. Andrews. Then he had seven birdies and an eagle at Kingsbarns to share the lead with Matthew Jordan (63 at St. Andrews) and Darius Van Driel (63 at Kingsbarns).

“This is my first time over here, and I was pretty much in awe on every fairway — and I hit a lot of fairways, which is kind of rare for me,†Brehm said.

The conditions were ideal, though rain and wind more typical of Scotland in October was expected over the next few days. Brehm wasn’t sure what to expect from his own golf. He heads to the Old Course on Friday, a tougher test in nasty weather.

“What’s interesting is I wish I didn’t play any of them now because this is the only one I didn’t play,†Brehm said of Kingsbarns.

Johnson, one of 17 players from LIV Golf in the field, has been playing more out of the Saudi league although he had not been to the Dunhill Links since 2012. He played with his father-in-law, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, who used to be his regular partner back in the Pebble Beach days. His score was nearly five shots below the average at Carnoustie.

“Generally haven’t played that well around here, so it’s nice to get a good score in,†said Johnson, who missed the cut at Carnoustie during the 2018 Open when he was No. 1 in the world.

• 

  Bradford DoolittleSep 25, 2025, 12:49 AM ET

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  • MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
  • Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
  • Been with ESPN since 2013

CHICAGO — In a season with so many teams clustered in the top couple of tiers of baseball’s standings, one day can shake things up for a team. So it was on Wednesday for the Chicago Cubs, who can see their immediate future with a lot more clarity now than when the day started.

The Cubs’ 10-3 rout of the Mets didn’t change their place in the National League seeding hierarchy, but it did solidify it, an appropriate outcome on a day when Chicago’s roster appears to be taking its eventual postseason shape. It also snapped a season-worst skid.

The Cubs got production up and down their lineup while dispatching of a Mets team desperately clinging to the NL’s last playoff slot. Rookie Matt Shaw homered among his three hits, Michael Busch’s two-run homer was his 31st of the season and electric center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong scored from second base on a Clay Holmes wild pitch when the Mets righty failed to cover the plate, igniting the Wrigley Field crowd.

“Wrigley’s already got [electricity] in it, like everybody that shows up is ready to party,” Crow-Armstrong said. “So I think everybody knows that we’re getting close to October baseball, and with that feeling in the air, being able to embrace that is the most fun thing ever.”

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The Cubs’ offense has been up and down during the second half of the season, but Wednesday’s game was a reminder that when their attack is rolling, they can beat a team with power or speed.

“It’s our brand of baseball,” said Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, beneficiary of the Cubs’ onslaught. “We slugged, we scrapped across runs, we manufactured runs, we kind of did a little bit of everything. That’s the danger, the potency in this lineup, that we beat you in multiple ways.”

This all backed a solid 5â…“ innings from Boyd, who earned his 14th win of the season, allowing just two runs. For Boyd, whom the Cubs signed as a free agent last winter even though he logged just 39â…” innings last season for Cleveland, it was a fitting end to a regular season in which he started 31 times, his most since 2019.

“I get to go play in front of these fans,” Boyd said. “Like tonight, they just give you so much energy. It felt like a playoff atmosphere, but they’ve been doing that since April. I’m just so grateful for everything.”

The playoff implications were also important for the Cubs who replaced Boyd, including closer Daniel Palencia, who worked in middle relief hours after being activated from the IL.

The Cubs’ victory Wednesday night moved them 2½ games up on the Padres in the race for the fourth seed in the NL playoffs. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Palencia, whose 22 saves lead the Cubs, retired both batters he faced, striking out one and cracking 100 mph with his fastball. Palencia had been out since Sept. 7 because of a right shoulder strain.

“We just need to get Daniel in games,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “But it was really good to get Daniel back, and he looked good.”

Palencia’s return buoys the Cubs’ bullpen days before the start of the postseason. More good roster news could be in the offing later this week. Counsell said before Wednesday’s game that the club is hoping to welcome star right fielder Kyle Tucker back to the active roster Friday, at least as a DH initially.

If that comes to pass, the Cubs’ roster will look a lot more complete than it did just one day before, when they squandered a five-run lead and fell 9-7 to the Mets for their season-worst fifth straight loss. That defeat returned the gaze of Cubs fans to the NL standings, where the San Diego Padres had moved within 1½ games of the Cubs in the race for the fourth seed — and home-field advantage when the clubs play next week in the wild-card round. Securing that spot is the Cubs’ lone remaining regular-season goal, and it’s a big one.

“I just think that’s hugely important,” Crow-Armstrong said. “We know how to play ball here. We love embracing everything that comes with this place.”

Wednesday’s win was coupled with San Diego’s loss to Milwaukee, putting the Cubs firmly in control of that race. For now, though, the Cubs remain more focused on themselves than on what the Padres are doing.

“It’s a slippery slope if you watch other teams, wanting certain situations and whatnot,” Boyd said. “We take care of our business, things will work out. All the focus, all the energy, should be focused on what we do, right?”

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NEW DELHI: Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has sent a strong message ahead of Wednesdayâ€s Asia Cup Super Fours showdown against reigning world champions India, insisting that no team, including his ‘Tigersâ€, should be intimidated by the star-studded opposition.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Every team has the ability to beat India,†said Simmons, who played for the West Indies in the late 1980s and â€90s. “The game is played on the day. It’s not what India has done before. It’s what happens on Wednesday. It’s what happens during that three and a half hour period. We will try to play as best as we can and hope to find chinks in India’s armoury. That’s the way we win games.â€Bangladesh enter the clash on the back of a morale-boosting victory over Sri Lanka in their first Super Fours match, a rare highlight in a format where they have historically struggled. Simmons wants his team to soak in the electric atmosphere at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, remain focused, and enjoy the challenge.

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“Every game, especially games involving India, have a hype because they’re the number one T20 team in the world. There must be a hype. We’re just going to ride on the hype. We’re going to enjoy the moment and enjoy the game,†he said.Assessing conditions, Simmons described the Dubai track as excellent for batting, downplaying the impact of the toss. “I didn’t see much of a difference in the wicket over the 40 overs. The wicket was really good to bat. Bowlers had to bowl properly. I don’t think the toss has that much of an effect,†he said.

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Acknowledging the challenges of back-to-back T20 games in the September heat, Simmons praised his squadâ€s preparation. “It is extremely difficult to play back-to-back T20 matches, back-to-back ODIs. But again we are prepared, we have trained really hard. I think the guys are fit enough to handle it,†he added.On strategy, Simmons emphasised consistency over risk-taking in T20 cricket. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve tried to make sure that this is the way we want to play. And we’ve picked the correct players to play that way. And so far, it’s benefitted us.â€Even amidst intense scrutiny and criticism from passionate Bangladeshi fans, Simmons remains unshaken. “As long as I’m confident and my staff and myself, including the captain, are confident in what we’re doing, then criticism is like water off a duck’s back,†he concluded.

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