Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is on a tear like none other. It's almost weird to watch a Mariners game where he doesn't hit a home run.

Although he didn't go yard until late in Seattle's 12–3 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park Friday evening, he ended the night with two home runs for 38 total thus far on the season. And we haven't even hit the All-Star break yet.

The first came in the top of the eighth on a fly ball to left field that looked fairly effortless off the bat. It ended up clearing the wall for a solo shot that gave the Mariners an insurance run in a tight game.

Seattle opened the game up in the ninth, highlighted by a no-doubter off Raleigh's bat to deep left. This time, a grand slam became his 38th long ball of the year.

With the two-homer game, Raleigh moved one home run shy of San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds's record 39 home runs before the break, which he set in 2001. Per the Mariners, Raleigh became the first player with 38 or more homers and 80 or more RBIs before the All-Star Game since 1933—the same year the first All-Star Game was played.

Bonds hit 73 homers once his record-setting '01 campaign was all said and done, which remains the record for the most in an MLB season. Raleigh has the rest of the series in Detroit, two more contests, to potentially tie and pass Bonds for the most long balls before an All-Star break.

He's set to participate in the Home Run Derby in Georgia Monday before he starts at catcher for the American League in the All-Star Game.

Global superstar Dua Lipa brought star power to Argentina's biggest footballing rivalry as she watched Boca Juniors defeat River Plate 2-0 in the Superclasico at La Bombonera. The 30-year-old singer, in Buenos Aires for her Radical Optimism world tour, turned heads in Argentina's iconic blue and white-striped national team jersey — the colours synonymous with Lionel Messi.

Dua Lipa watches Superclasico clash at La Bombonera

The pop sensation added football fever to her South American tour by attending one of the most intense derbies anywhere in the world – the Superclasico in Buenos Aires. Dua Lipa, fresh off two sold-out concerts at River Plate's Estadio Monumental, made the short trip across the city to La Bombonera on Sunday to witness Boca Juniors' 2-0 win over their fiercest rivals. Goals from Exequiel Zeballos and Miguel Merentiel sealed victory for the home side in a charged atmosphere that left the singer visibly captivated.

Staying true to her global fanbase, the London-born star chose neutrality on the day, wearing the Argentina national team shirt rather than either club's colours. Her decision drew admiration from fans, who praised her for embracing the spirit of the event without taking sides. Despite the neutral attire, Lipa was seen cheering enthusiastically as Boca players celebrated their goals, soaking up the unique emotion of South America's most famous fixture.

AdvertisementDua Lipa refuses to choose between River Plate and Boca Juniors

After the game, Lipa shared a warm moment with Boca Juniors legend Juan Roman Riquelme, who gifted her a personalised Boca shirt emblazoned with her name and the iconic number 10. The club's official X account posted the photo with the caption: "Dua Lipa alongside Roman, fascinated with these colours." River Plate also took the opportunity to showcase their global reach by presenting Lipa with their jerseys.

Dua Lipa and her relationship with football

Lipa's Argentine adventure was part of her Radical Optimism world tour, which has already captivated audiences across Europe and the Americas. Her decision to attend the Superclasico came just days after performing two sold-out shows at River Plate's stadium – a fitting coincidence given the rivalry's cultural weight. Despite performing at River's home ground, she made sure to show respect to both clubs, balancing her allegiances with charm and diplomacy.

It wasn't the first time Lipa has displayed her passion for football. Over the years, the singer has been linked to both Arsenal and Liverpool, two of England's most storied clubs. She famously performed before the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv – a match that featured Liverpool – and later described herself as an "honourary Liverpool supporter", though she admitted her father and brother's Arsenal loyalty made things complicated at home.

Her genuine appreciation for the sport has earned her credibility among fans worldwide, who appreciate her enthusiasm without viewing it as opportunistic. Whether attending a Champions League final or an Argentine derby, Lipa consistently embraces the occasion with authenticity.

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Getty Images EntertainmentDua Lipa continues her South American tour

Lipa will continue her Radical Optimism tour across Latin America, with scheduled stops stiill to come in Peru, Colombia, and Mexico before wrapping up in December. After captivating Argentina both on stage and in the stands, her next shows are expected to draw similar excitement, particularly among her growing fanbase across the region.

For Boca Juniors, the derby win represents a major boost ahead of the final stretch of the Clausura competition, as they continue to chase top spot behind Rosario Central. River Plate, on the other hand, face mounting pressure to turn their form around after another frustrating result.

Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.

Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.

Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle

Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.

Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.

He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”

With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.

But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.

The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade

How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.

And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.

It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.

Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.

However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.1 (0.6)

Pass completion

75%

78%

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Big chances created

14

9

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

0.7

Duels (won)*

2.9 (44%)

3.0 (45%)

With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.

With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.

But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.

Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.

Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.

While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.

This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.

Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.

New Tonali: Newcastle's 8/10 ace has been an "incredible piece of business"

Newcastle have proved their skill in the transfer market once again this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Sunderland dealt Arsenal a blow in the title race as Brian Brobbey bagged a sensational late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light. The Gunners looked to be home and dry before the Dutch forward popped up in the dying moments, ensuring Mikel Arteta's side failed to take all three points and fully capitalise ahead of title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool doing battle on Sunday.

In a challenging start to the clash, Declan Rice had the first real chance of the game as he tested Robin Roefs with a free-kick from range. Eberechi Eze then looked to capitalise on a sloppy Enzo Le Fee pass but it was Sunderland who bagged the opener at the Stadium of Light. A looping pass into the Arsenal box wasn't dealt with and former Gunners defender Dan Ballard held off pressure before blasting past David Raya.

Arsenal started the second half strongly and after Saka flashed a low effort across goal shortly after the restarted, the winger made no mistake to bury past Roefs at the near post after Rice robbed Le Fee of possession in the Sunderland half. Martin Zubimendi then twice went close before Leandro Trossard, who had already rattled the Sunderland crossbar, rifled home from distance with 15 minutes to spare.

Raya then made a stunning close range save to deny Brobbey, with the Dutchman looking the most likely to force an equaliser. Indeed, the Sunderland substitute wasn't to be denied before the final whistle blew, with the former Ajax man acrobatically tucking the ball home deep into second-half injury time to ensure a share of the spoils at the Stadium of Light.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Stadium of Light…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  Powerless to stop Ballard's thumping opener, the first goal he's conceded since September. Made a stunning save to deny the offside Brobbey in the 79th minute but could do little to keep out the Dutchman's acrobatic late effort.

  Jurrien Timber (7/10):

  Took a knock in the first half but it didn't impact the Dutchman, who was again solid on and off the ball.

  William Saliba (6/10):

  Blazed over from 12 yards shortly before the break in what was a huge chance for the centre-back. His distribution was again key as Arsenal dominated the ball.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (5/10):

  Failed to perform his set-piece heroics this time. Struggled with the more physical Brobbey after the Sunderland striker replaced Wilson Isidor and was caught out as the Dutchman got ahead of him to loop the ball home late on.

  Riccardo Calafiori (6/10):

  Pushed forward well from left-back without looking overly threatening.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Declan Rice (7/10):

  Forced Roefs into action in the 15th minute with a free-kick from range. Outmuscled by Ballard for Sunderland's opener but made amends as he robbed Le Fee of possession in the build-up to Saka's equaliser.

  Martin Zubimendi (8/10):

  Booked for a foul on Wilson Isidor that ultimately resulted in Sunderland's opening goal. Look a threat when going forward and rattled the crossbar midway through the second half. Also provided the assist for Trossard's thumping strike.

  Eberechi Eze (6/10):

  Bent over from the edge of the Sunderland box midway through the first half after a misplaced Le Fee pass. Sent an effort straight at Roefs on the hour mark before being withdrawn late on in a subdued display.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  Teed up Saliba perfectly with a fine knockdown in first-half injury time. Flashed an effort across goal early in the second half before finding a way past Roefs moments later.

  Mikel Merino (6/10):

  Operating as a makeshift striker in the absence of Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, the burly Spaniard provided the assist for Saka's equaliser but that was as good as it got.

  Leandro Trossard (8/10):

  After a subdued first half, upped his game after the break. Played a neat pass for Zubimendi to slide just wide shortly after Saka's equaliser and rifled past Roefs from 20 yards to put the Gunners in front.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Cristian Mosquera (N/A):

  Replaced Eze for the final minutes.

  Mikel Arteta (5/10):

  Didn't hit the panic button when Arsenal went behind in the first half. However, he also didn't respond to Brobbey's second-half introduction and it proved costly.

Mandhana, Rawal and Deol’s fifties helped India post 281 for 7 but it wasn’t enough

Sruthi Ravindranath14-Sep-2025Fifties from Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland helped Australia clinch the first ODI against India in New Chandigarh.India were left to rue several spilled chances – including one of Litchfield on zero – as they could not defend 281. After India opted to bat, they too had three players – Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol – score half-centuries, but Australia’s overall performance, specifically Litchfield’s masterclass against spin, helped them ease past the hosts by eight wickets.With India fielding four spinners and one seamer, they opened the bowling with Kranti Goud and Sneh Rana. Rana created a chance in the second over, getting Litchfield to flick a floaty delivery towards short midwicket where Jemimah Rodrigues put down the chance. Captain Alyssa Healy and Litchfield then settled in, hitting a flurry of boundaries in the third and fourth overs.Healy seemed to carry on from where she left off from the series against India A – she made scores of 91 and 137* in the one-dayers ahead of this series – as she punished width and half-volleys from Goud in the seventh over. But Goud hit back instantly, having her drag one on to her stumps with a delivery that seamed back in.Beth Mooney maintained Australia’s momentum with an unbeaten 77•Getty Images

Litchfield soon made India regret the dropped chance as she targeted all areas of the ground. She was particularly adept against spinners, bringing out the sweep, reverse sweep and switch hit. Those shots brought her five boundaries.Ellyse Perry soon joined in on the fun, punishing full tosses from Sree Charani and Radha Yadav for a boundary and a six, respectively. With the pitch offering little for spinners, the duo kept the runs flowing, scoring well over the required run rate. Litchfield brought up her half-century off 44 balls, sweeping Deepti Sharma to the backward-square-leg boundary.Soon after, India put down two more chances. Rawal dropped Perry at deep midwicket in the 17th over and Harmanpreet spilled a simple chance of Litchfield at covers. And Perry and Litchfield continued to pile on the misery.However, Perry retired hurt for 30 at the end of the 20th over, seemingly having trouble with her left calf after previously calling for assistance twice during her innings. Mooney then joined Litchfield at the crease and kept the tempo going. In the end, it was the reverse sweep that brought Litchfield’s wicket as Arundhati Reddy managed to hang on to a catch running in from short third. But by then Australia were firmly on course.Sutherland took her time to settle in but broke the shackles with a drive to the backward-point boundary. Sree Charani bowled a slew of full tosses throughout her spell, one of which was whacked over midwicket by Mooney to bring up her 19th ODI fifty. With less than 50 runs required, India dropped another catch – their fourth of the day – as Deepti spilled an easy one of Mooney at extra cover. Sutherland soon brought up a fifty of her own, off 47 balls in the 43rd over, and also scored the winning runs two overs later.Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal added 114 for the first wicket•Getty Images

Earlier, India’s openers Mandhana and Rawal got off to a solid start, with Mandhana making her intent clear from the beginning, bringing out her trademark cover drive to score boundaries and charging down to Kim Garth for a big hit.Australia put the pressure on Rawal early on, having three catchers in the cordon and just one fielder in the deep. But she managed to pick up boundaries through the gaps, one of which was an edge that went past Beth Mooney at gully.Mandhana and Rawal brought up their fifth century stand, equalling the Indian record. They also put up the highest opening stand for India against Australia, going past 103 by Sandhya Agarwal and Gargi Banerjee in 1984.The stand, however, came to an end in the 22nd over due to a mix-up. Mandhana set off for a single to extra cover with Rawal ball-watching, as Litchfield made a diving stop and nailed a direct hit at the striker’s end. A livid Mandhana walked back for a 63-ball 58.Rawal became more watchful after that as India’s run rate dropped below five. She further slowed down with the introduction of Alana King in the 27th over and even played out a maiden. She looked to break the shackles with a slog sweep off King, only to be caught by Perry at deep midwicket.Harleen Deol changed gears during her half-century•Getty Images

As Australia kept building the pressure, a boundary from Deol after 40 deliveries was met with loud cheers across the ground. Harmanpreet Kaur, too, showed intent as soon as she came on, hammering a six over deep-backward square leg. But she was trapped lbw by Annabel Sutherland in the same over. Even a review couldn’t save her.Deol gave India the much-needed impetus, putting the pressure back on the Australia spinners, hitting four boundaries and two sixes on her way to a run-a-ball fifty. But she was stumped off Megan Schutt soon after that, with Healy standing up.In a chaotic 43rd over bowled by Tahlia McGrath, Richa Ghosh was saved by a no-ball after being caught at deep-backward square leg. The free-hit – a no-ball again – was launched straight down the ground. The next free hit was lofted over long-off. McGrath, however, found some respite by the end of the over by dismissing Rodrigues for 18.Despite Schutt removing Ghosh for 25 off 20, thanks to a superb catch by Ash Gardner at deep midwicket, cameos from Deepti and Radha took India to 281. But it did not prove to be enough.

The two non-conformists are coming together at the IPL for the first time since 2016

Alagappan Muthu22-Mar-20252:05

Cricinformed: MS Dhoni, CSK’s 43-year-old six machine

There is a big silly smile on MS Dhoni’s face. For a second, it becomes easy to imagine him not as a world-famous finisher or a World Cup-winning captain but as a kid, because he had just done something that kids take great pride in. Being sneaky little devils.Virat Kohli had set up for the late cut. This was the season where he almost scored a thousand runs. So once he had decided on a shot, it had no choice but to fly away to the boundary. He waited until the ball passed him, to make sure he could hit it nice and fine. And he did, except Dhoni just stuck his right leg up in the air and stopped the ball dead in its tracks.That technique isn’t in any wicketkeeping manual. Neither is the one he uses to pull off those lightning-fast stumpings, where his hands collect the ball and crash into the stumps without any give. But they have always been his. He saw the sense in them. Even if nobody else did.Related

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The other man involved in that sequence of events from 2016 was R Ashwin. He, too, is known for resorting to funventions. Changing his action. His grip. Flicking it using just one finger and making it spin the wrong way. Cutting his fingers under the ball instead of over it so that it doesn’t spin at all. The modest offbreak was becoming irrelevant. Ashwin was loath to letting himself go the same way and the reward for such perseverance was the respect he was given. Kohli scored only six runs in ten balls off him.That was the last season of the Dhoni-Ashwin partnership in the IPL. It has taken eight years for fate to put them back together. These freethinkers wouldn’t be constrained by what had come before them. They preferred to test what was true by themselves. Are yorkers really that hard to score off? What if I meet them with a whirl of my wrists? Are spin bowlers really a bad option in the first six overs? Why don’t we find out? In the final. When we go up against Chris Gayle. Of all the peak CSK moments in IPL history, there aren’t many that can match how they came up against a team whose owners were openly laughing at them for spending US$850,000 on a guy who had picked up just 15 wickets in 14 matches, only to watch in horror as he beat them to win the title.

#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/TDWRLfoqNN

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 19, 2025