#defense

#defense

Defensive Runs Saved oscillated between giving Alonso positive and negative grades earlier in his career but has soured on him more recently. He was credited with a -3 score last year and -9 this season, bringing him down to -7 for his whole career. Outs Above Average has been more consistently down on him, as 2021 is the only year that metric had him above average. He's at -33 for his career overall, including -8 in 2024 and -9 in 2025.

"I've never been a horrible defender, so I was kinda confused on that, but I've gotten better and i want to continue to get better and be a two way player, thats kind of my calling card so I want to continue to embrace that"A common theme during media day thus far has been defense, and Toronto's focus on it this season and throughout the summer.

Rhoden is on the same page as Jones and Rajaković, saying that his role in the NBA is going to be as a defender first. Both the players and coaches have echoed the idea that running similar systems has helped make it easy to "directly translate" what they do in the G League to the Raptors. And not a lot of players end up in Rhoden's shoes - spending their third straight season on a two-way contract -

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hasn't appeared in a game since September 6. That was the day he collided with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on a play at the plate. While he remained in the game following a rain delay, he was placed on the IL on September 9. Just over a week later it was announced that Bichette would miss the remainder of the regular season.

Hayes started his second straight game in place of Kirk Francis and completed 23 of 36 passes without an interception for Tulsa (2-2), which last beat Oklahoma State in 1998. It was the Golden Hurricane's first win in Stillwater since Nov. 3, 1951, ending a streak of 23 consecutive losses there. The loss leaves things from bad to worse for coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys, who have won just one of their last 12 games dating to last season.

Orange Lutheran coach Rod Sherman has known Jon Ellinghouse for a long time. Before facing Sierra Canyon on Thursday night at Orange Coast College, Sherman said he wouldn't mind telling the Trailblazers coach directly that he thought Ellinghouse's team was the best he had seen the school produce. After No. 2 Sierra Canyon dismantled No. 7 Orange Lutheran 41-9, Sherman was certain. "No doubt," he said. Eric Sondheimer, The Times' high school sports columnist, nicknamed the Trailblazers' swarming, antagonizing defense the "Kaboom Squad" - a superhero-like, nonstop force of power, speed and IQ. How do you stop a defensive front such as Sierra Canyon's?

Sorry that that doesn't sound appealing to you folks, but I really don't care," Kelly said. "We're trying to win football games.

It's taking your guys, a group of kids every year, and shaping them, developing them, on and off the field. While ultimately helping them live out their dreams on the football field. All of this while they are navigating growing up. It's everything and more, way more, than I could have ever imagined it being. I am very grateful, to say the least, and also very proud.

"Yeah, we got Micah Parsons," Nixon said after Thursday's 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. Parsons certainly did his part. He had six pressures of Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on 32 pass rushes. On those plays, Daniels completed just 1 of 3 passes for 9 yards with two scrambles for 9 yards and was sacked once -- a shared sack between Parsons and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

For all of those calling to replace him, it basically boils down to Lopez being guilty of the same sin every Marlins shortstop has been guilty of since 2011: not being peak Hanley Ramirez. And to be fair, Ramirez wasn't even that in 2011, leading in part to his being replaced at short by Jose Reyes for the 2012 campaign.

There's no questioning about his defense, as the outfielder has once again put up some elite numbers in the field to date. Varsho has produced eight Defensive Runs Saved while committing only one error across 110 chances for a stellar .991 fielding percentage while manning the toughest position in the outfield. Of course, he makes any spectacular play look easy like this.

"For me, you're just trying to find dependable players. And that's where we're at," Roberts said. "These are all meaningful games on the margins. Everything matters. And there's a lot of things you can look at tonight on the run prevention side that we just weren't good at. As you start playing important games - and these are important games - they show themselves. They always find a way to show themselves."