Browsing: Max

The former Gunners attacker is a unique voice when it comes to breaking into the first-team picture at an early age, having signed for Arsenal from Southampton at the age of 16.

Walcott was named in the England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, just months after his Highbury move and on reflection believes everything was thrust upon him at once.

Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo ahead of punditry duties on Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of the UEFA Champions League this week, Walcott says the current crop of young players coming through at the Emirates Stadium is ‘exciting’.

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“I look at it really differently as well, because when I came to the club, I couldn’t relate to any of the players because of my age gap. And I look at Max [Dowman] coming through, and you see Ethan [Nwaneri], a couple years older, and maybe not even that, Myles [Lewis-Skelly] again, [can] all relate, probably doing the same things together away from the game.”

Walcott’s speed and unpredictability made him a difficult customer for defences, particularly when given space to run in behind. He still regards his assist for Emmanuel Adebayor in a 2008 Champions League tie versus Liverpool as ‘my goal’ having dribbled almost the length of the pitch and past several Reds players before laying it on a plate for the Togolese striker.

Theo Walcott skips past Xabi Alonso (Image credit: Getty Images)

“That’s an assist,” Walcott tells FFT. “You know, when you see players, like Reece James touched it to [Neto] the other day, and that’s an assist. Okay, I suppose it touched you last but when I look at assists, that goal, dribbling past those players – and when you see Saka, and he goes past you and he cuts it back to someone or whatever – they’re the real assists for me.

“That goal I can still re-live it constantly in my mind. I can just picture all the players that are running after me, the players that missed the ball, and [Steven] Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, and Adebayor’s dance, the slap I got from Cesc Fabregas still hurts to this day, but it was great.

“A lot of people are, ‘Oh, Theo Walcott’s decision-making at times’, but those people may not be able to run as fast as that. Everyone has different attributes, and they make decisions their own way. And I don’t think there would have been any other player to do [that].”

Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night with Walcott featuring pitchside alongside presenter Alex Aljoe and comedian Jack Whitehall.

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Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension, with a player option for 2027-28, his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman told ESPN on Sunday.

Durant was eligible for a maximum contract extension of $120 million over two years but understood when he chose the Rockets as a trade destination that he would be sacrificing money on a new deal — in this case around $30 million — so that the two sides could partner for the long term and give the franchise team-building flexibility.

The 37-year-old Durant now holds the record for the highest career earnings in NBA history at $598.2 million based on current and future salaries, surpassing LeBron James ($583.9 million). Durant is earning $54.7 million this season and now has a total of three years and $144.7 million on his contract.

The Rockets acquired Durant in July as part of the largest trade in NBA history, a historic seven-team deal that sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, No. 10 draft pick Khaman Maluach and second-round picks Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea to the Phoenix Suns. The addition of Durant elevated the Rockets — the reigning No. 2 seed in the Western Conference — as a legitimate NBA title contender, teaming the two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP with young stars Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.

A 15-time All-Star, Durant gives the Rockets a premier jump shooter and shot creator who fits seamlessly into the lineup. He shot an NBA-best 49.7% on jumpers and 53.1% on midrange shots last season and had the best shooting percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers (50.9%), according to GeniusIQ.

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Those are areas where Durant will make a consistent impact for the Rockets, who ranked 27th in effective field goal percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers and 24th in effective field goal percentage on all jumpers, according to GeniusIQ. The Rockets also ranked seventh in isolations per game but were 27th in points per direct isolation.

Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games with the Suns. The future Hall of Famer has averaged at least 25 points on 50% field goal shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.

Durant ranks eighth in NBA career points and can pass Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki on the all-time list this season if he scores at least 990. He has averaged at least 25 points per game in 16 consecutive seasons, the most in league history behind James (20 straight seasons). Durant has the most career points per game in Oklahoma City Thunder history, Brooklyn Nets history and Suns history and has the second-highest career points per game in Golden State Warriors history, trailing Chamberlain.

The Rockets have completed significant offseason business besides the Durant trade and extension. They reached new deals with coach Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Jabari Smith Jr., acquired Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Josh Okogie in free agency, and re-signed veterans Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green.

Houston has the fifth-best odds to win the 2026 NBA title at 14-1 at ESPN BET. The Rockets open their regular season Tuesday night on the road against the defending champion Thunder.

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SEATTLE — Mad Max nearly had a month to fume, seethe and boil as he waited for his October opportunity.

Finally given the ball in the playoffs, he shut down the Seattle Mariners — and his own manager, too.

A fiery Scherzer turned back the clock with his vintage pitching performance and Andrés Giménez homered and drove in four runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat Seattle 8-2 to even the American League Championship Series at two games apiece.

The 41-year-old Scherzer, left off the Division Series roster against the New York Yankees while dealing with neck pain, showed he still had plenty left in the tank by allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

“This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You work so hard the whole year, make all the sacrifices, put all the work in to get to this moment to have these types of moments to be able to win in the postseason.â€

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his fifth playoff homer for the Blue Jays, who have outscored the Mariners 21-6 in Seattle after losing the first two games at home.

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series has Kevin Gausman scheduled to start for Toronto against Game 1 winner Bryce Miller.

Scherzer earned his eighth postseason win and first since the 2019 World Series for Washington against Houston. Making his 500th major league start, regular season and postseason combined, he became the oldest pitcher to start a postseason game since Jamie Moyer was 45 with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.

Moyer, who spent 11 years with the Mariners from 1996-2006, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Thursday.

Scherzer yielded three hits, one of which was a solo home run by Josh Naylor in the second inning. But the veteran right-hander settled in from there, even picking a runner off first base for the first time since 2013, and was not removed until manager John Schneiderâ€s second mound visit.

With two outs in the fifth, Schneider approached Scherzer on the field and the three-time Cy Young Award winner told his skipper — in no uncertain terms — he had no interest in coming out of the game at that point.

“I thought he was going to kill me. It was great. He locked eyes with me, both colors, as I walked out,†Schneider said with a smile. “He has this Mad Max persona, but he backed it up tonight.â€

Scherzer said he was busy thinking about the sequence of pitches he wanted to throw to Randy Arozarena.

“And all of a sudden I see Schneids coming out and it kind of caught me off guard,†Scherzer explained. “Thatâ€s just one of those moments where I know I wanted the ball. I knew the situation of the game. I wanted the ball and I basically told him that in a little bit different language.â€

Schneider left Scherzer in and the eight-time All-Star promptly struck out Arozarena swinging at a curveball.

“When a Hall of Famer like this tells you heâ€s good, you ought to leave him in the game,†Guerrero said. “And he showed heâ€s good.â€

It was one of five strikeouts for Scherzer, who pounded his glove in excitement.

“I tried to stay away from him,†teammate George Springer said. “You donâ€t really want to get in Maxâ€s way, so you kind of just let Max be Max. It was entertaining, for sure.â€

Said Schneider: “Iâ€ve been waiting for that all year, for Max to yell at me on the mound. I think at that point thereâ€s numbers, thereâ€s projections, thereâ€s strategy, and thereâ€s people. So I was trusting people.â€

The Blue Jays†offense, meanwhile, picked up where it left off after scoring 13 runs in Game 3. Giménez hit a two-run homer in the third inning for the second consecutive day, this one off starter Luis Castillo to give Toronto a lead it didnâ€t relinquish. The Blue Jays tacked on another run in the inning when reliever Gabe Speier walked in a run.

Toronto added to its advantage in the fourth on an RBI double from Springer, who came around to score on a wild pitch by Matt Brash. Guerrero, who singled earlier in the game, smacked an opposite-field homer to right in the seventh off Eduard Bazardo.

Guerrero leads the majors with five homers in these playoffs — breaking the Blue Jays record for one postseason that he had shared with José Bautista (2015).

Giménez provided more insurance in the eighth with a two-run single up the middle that deflected off reliever Emerson Hancockâ€s glove.

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Miller has a 2.61 ERA in two playoff starts this October while Gausman, a two-time All-Star, is 1-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 career postseason games.

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The Toronto Blue Jays had some fun in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners with the unc memes featuring Max Scherzer, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco.

Following their 8-2 win over Seattle, the Blue Jays posted the graphic with the age and experience of all three legends from their sport and captioned it, “the Unc-tion did NOT disappoint” with the saluting emoji.

There were plenty of jokes leading up to the Thursday night NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals featuring Rodgers and Flacco as the starting quarterbacks.

Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward, dubbed the quarterback matchup the “Icy Hot Bowl” earlier in the week. The NFL game turned out to be a thriller, with Flacco throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 33-31 upset win.

Scherzer wasn’t even certain to make a start in the postseason. He was left off Toronto’s roster for the ALDS against the New York Yankees because of his 5.19 ERA during the regular season.

The Blue Jays tabbed Scherzer, whose last appearance was on Sept. 24, to be their Game 4 starter in Seattle trailing 2-1 in the series. He answered the call with two runs allowed in 5.2 innings to help the team get the victory and even the series at two games apiece.

If this ends up being the last game for Scherzer in 2025, he will be going out on a high note.

The Blue Jays have rebounded after losing the first two games against the Mariners at home. The two teams will play Game 5 in Seattle on Friday at 6:08 p.m. ET before the series shifts back to Toronto.

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The Toronto Blue Jays secured a Game 4 American League Championship Series 8-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday on the road, evening the series at 2-2.

Blue Jays ace Max Scherzer had a solid night and even appeared to refuse to come out of the game in the fifth inning, striking out five over 5.2 innings while allowing three hits, one home run, two earned runs and four walks.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made history after going 2-for-5 at the plate and hitting his fifth home run of the postseason, setting a new Blue Jays record for most home runs in a single postseason, surpassing Jose Bautista (2015), per SportsNet.

Andrés Giménez went 2-for-3 on Thursday, hitting a two-run homer and a two-run single for four RBIs, while George Springer and Daulton Varsho also added RBIs.

“Mad Max,” Vladdy and the Blue Jays thrilled fans on Thursday, evening the ALCS with an electrifying performance on the road.

Josh Naylor sparked the Seattle Mariners’ offense with a leadoff home run to center in the bottom of the second, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead, but it was short-lived.

Giménez responded in the top of the third with a two-run homer to right and a bases-loaded walk to Varsho added another run, putting Toronto ahead 3-1.

Springer extended the Blue Jays’ lead in the fourth with an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch by Matt Brash, making it 5-1.

Eugenio Suárez singled to right in the sixth to drive in a run, but a rocket throw from Addison Barger in right field nailed Josh Naylor at third to end the inning with minimal damage.

Guerrero Jr. launched a 359-foot home run to center in the seventh, reclaiming the run and giving the Blue Jays a 6-2 lead.

Giménez added a RBI double in the eighth to blow the game open, and the Blue Jays went on to win 8-2.

As the Mariners and Blue Jays duel in the American League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers clash in the National League to decide who advances to the World Series. Los Angeles currently holds a 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 will stay in Seattle on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET, as Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman and Mariners’ Bryce Muller are set to face off.

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SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be himself when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against Seattle.

His excitable, feisty self.

“I love it. This is what you play for,†Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation, you want to be pitching in the postseason.â€

The 41-year-old Scherzer hasnâ€t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Torontoâ€s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during a10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,†Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.â€

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didnâ€t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a one-year, $15.5 million contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I donâ€t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,†Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) Iâ€m going to win no matter what.â€

The Blue Jays beat the Mariners 13-4 in Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home. They need to win at least two of three in Seattle to send the best-of-seven series back to Toronto.

“Weâ€re a great team,†Scherzer said before the Blue Jays†win in Game 3. “Iâ€ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. Weâ€ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand whatâ€s at stake.â€

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Oct 15, 2025, 09:00 PM ET

SEATTLE — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Max Scherzer to be his excitable, feisty self when he starts Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.

“I love it. This is what you play for,” Scherzer said. “You want to have the ball in this situation. You want to be pitching in the postseason.”

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The 41-year-old Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a game since his last regular-season start on Sept. 24 against Boston. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is making his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance.

Scherzer and fellow right-hander Chris Bassitt were added to Toronto’s ALCS roster after they missed the Division Series against the Yankees. Bassitt pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a relief appearance during Monday night’s 10-3 loss to the Mariners.

“I expect Max to be Max,” Bassitt said, “in the aspect of just go out there and execute at a very, very high level.”

Scherzer is 0-3 over his last eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series. He went 1/3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

Scherzer admitted his pitching was not up to his standards toward the end of the season, and that he took time to get his body right. Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season. The eight-time All-Star also didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

Scherzer, who finalized a $15.5 million, one-year contract with Toronto in February, went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts this year — his 18th in the major leagues.

“I don’t want to sit here and go backwards and blame injuries for any way I pitched,” Scherzer said. “When I take the mound, I take the mound, and I have the attitude (that) I’m going to win no matter what.”

The Blue Jays dropped the first two games of the ALCS at home but responded with a Game 3 win in Seattle on Wednesday night.

“We’re a great team,” Scherzer said Wednesday. “I’ve seen it over and over throughout this year, the number of times we responded in so many different ways. We had so many comeback wins. We’ve played great ball.

“Yes, we lost two games. Yes, obviously these are must-win games. We all understand what’s at stake.”

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Oct 15, 2025, 01:34 AM ET

MILWAUKEE — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Max Muncy set a franchise record by hitting his 14th career postseason homer in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Muncy’s 412-foot drive over the center-field wall in the sixth inning broke the Dodgers’ mark he had shared with Justin Turner and Corey Seager. The solo shot off starter Freddy Peralta extended Los Angeles’ lead to 3-1.

The Dodgers went on to win 5-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It means a lot to me,” Muncy said. “The Dodgers are a franchise that have been around for a very, very long time. A lot of very successful players have played in this organization. And to be able to break that record is kind of huge for me.

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“But the biggest thing I would say is it speaks to the fact that I’ve had a chance to play in so many postseason games. And that’s the biggest thing about being a Dodger. You know you’ll have a chance in October to play meaningful baseball games. To be able to have that chance every single year I’ve been here, that’s always been the most important thing to me. You get as many chances as you can to win that World Series. That’s the reason why you play this game.”

It was Muncy’s 70th postseason game with the Dodgers. Turner played 86 for Los Angeles from 2014 to 2022. Seager appeared in 61 from 2015 to 2021.

Muncy nearly set the team record in Game 1 when he hit a long drive to center that was inches from being a grand slam. That shot instead turned into an unusual 8-6-2 double play after the ball popped out of center fielder Sal Frelick’s glove.

Frelick attempted to make a leaping grab, but the ball bounced off the top of the wall before he controlled it and the Brewers ended up forcing runners out at home plate and third base.

Muncy was asked after Tuesday’s game whether he feared Frelick would make the catch when he saw the ball heading in that direction.

“I definitely thought he got it,” Muncy said. “That back wall is so close to the center-field wall. I didn’t see the ball bounce at all. When I didn’t see it bounce, I thought he came down with it again. And I was about to be very, very frustrated. But I saw him sit on the ground. That’s when I realized he didn’t have it.”

Muncy also holds the Dodgers record with 60 career postseason walks.

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Oct 14, 2025, 07:09 PM ET

SEATTLE — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer will start Game 4 of the American League Championship Series for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Seattle Mariners.

Scherzer was activated after being left off the roster for the division series against the New York Yankees and is slated to make his 26th postseason start and 31st appearance. The 41-year-old right-hander is 0-3 over his past eight postseason starts since the 2019 World Series opener, and went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his final six starts of the 2025 season.

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Manager John Schneider said Sunday that neck pain limited Scherzer at the end of the season and that he is in a better spot physically than a month ago. Opting to use the eight-time All-Star as a starter stemmed from wanting to keep Scherzer’s routine consistent.

“I’ve talked about him preparing all year,” Schneider said Tuesday, a day before the matchup resumes with Toronto trying to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. “So I think keeping things normal for him. Going back to you want to see normalcy. So you trust that he’s going to be prepared and go out and give everything he has and hopefully rise to the occasion of a big moment. He’s a Hall of Famer for a reason. So you feel good about handing him the ball and watching him go to work.”

An eight-time All-Star, Scherzer was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts after agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract. He didn’t pitch between March 29 and June 25 because of right thumb inflammation.

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SEATTLE — By the time Game 4 of the AL Championship Series rolls around Thursday at T-Mobile Park, the Blue Jays will either be trying to tie the series or fighting to save their season. Either way, in Max Scherzer they trust.

Toronto turned Game 4 of the ALDS against the Yankees into a bullpen game, which it executed masterfully, but the Blue Jays are keeping things more traditional in a seven-game series. Scherzer didnâ€t finish the season strong, but all along, the club has eyed a moment like this for the 41-year-old veteran whoâ€s seen and done just about everything in this game.

“He’s a [future] Hall of Famer for a reason,†said manager John Schneider. “You feel good about handing him the ball and watching him go to work.”

This canâ€t be all about reputation, though. If it were, Toronto would sign Nolan Ryan to be available behind Scherzer in a bulk role. The Blue Jays need the version of Scherzer capable of winning in the postseason right here, right now. Thatâ€s a version we didnâ€t see in September.

Thereâ€s a method to the Blue Jays†thinking, though. Since he was left off the ALDS roster, Scherzer has continued to pitch and is feeling much better physically than he was a month ago. Schneider has said in recent days that this impacted some of Scherzer’s secondary pitches, which were certainly an issue. Over his final six starts (25 IP), he posted a 9.00 ERA.

Just prior to that, though, Scherzer looked fantastic. Itâ€s still in there, which is why Schneider believes Scherzer can find it again.

“I think you get the best version out of Max.†Schneider said. “He prepares. I’ve talked about him preparing all year. So I think keeping things normal for him [is good]. You want to see normalcy. You trust that he’s going to be prepared and go out and give everything he has and hopefully rise to the occasion of a big moment.â€

If Scherzerâ€s stuff is where it was in late July and early August, the Blue Jays should have all the confidence in the world. We wonâ€t know until we see it, but Toronto can go into Game 4 with the certainty that nothing will surprise Scherzer. Heâ€s made 30 postseason appearances (25 starts) totaling 143 innings, and he won rings in 2019 with the Nationals and ’23 with the Rangers.

Scherzer understands the odds here, but he knows theyâ€re not 0%.

“It’s not impossible. It’s baseball,†Scherzer said. “You never know when there’s going to be turns in momentum. You never know when momentum or a series can just shift or hold. You never really know. It’s a seven-game series for a reason. If it’s a one-game play-in, we’re on vacation right now. But it’s not.â€

This is the start Toronto signed Scherzer to make. A win in Game 4 — whether that ties the series or keeps it alive — would immediately make Scherzerâ€s one-year, $15.5 million deal worth every penny and more. This only needs to work once — for now — and the Blue Jays are making one of their biggest bets of the season on a pitcher who they believe has one more great moment left.

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