The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the San Francisco Giants, 10-4, at home on Monday night and one bad call by the home plate umpire in a key moment had everyone, including the announcers of both teams, in utter disbelief.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto had a full count with two outs and two runners on in a four-run game in the bottom of the seventh. He thought he had drawn a walk on a pitch that was well outside the zone but was then stunned to hear Tony Randazzo ring him up with a called third strike.
The Phillies' announcers did not hold back on Randazzo:
"Oh my goodness, that's an awful call," Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "That is not a good call."
"That is way off the plate…That was as egregious a miss as you will see from a home plate umpire," Tom McCarthy added.
This call was so bad even the Giants' announcers were shocked:
Not great!
The Phillies fell to 9-7 on the season while the red-hot Giants improved to 12-4.
The Astros are the latest team to make a splash in MLB Free Agency.
According to multiple reports, Houston is signing first baseman Christian Walker. It's a three-year, $60 million deal per ESPN's Alden González.
In his reporting, González suggested that this could mean the end of long-time Astros third-baseman Alex Bregman's time in Houston.
"The addition of Walker in all likelihood marks the end of Alex Bregman's tenure in Houston…" he writes. "Walker manning first base for the next three years means Isaac Paredes, the 25-year-old corner infielder who was recently acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade, will probably be Bregman's replacement at third base."
Bregman has spent his entire major league career with the Astros, winning two World Series' with the club in 2017 and '22.
As for their newest infield addition in Walker, the 33-year-old spent his last eight season with the Diamondbacks and has won three straight NL Gold Gloves at first base. In 2024, he hit .250/.335/.803 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI.
In a move that would see them replace 36-year-old Seamus Coleman, Everton are now plotting a 2026 deal to sign a La Liga defender for David Moyes.
Everton's 2026 transfer plans
Everton have endured a mixed start to the Premier League season. The Toffees initially came racing out the blocks, with summer arrival Jack Grealish even winning August’s Player of the Month award, but have since stuttered for the first time. Now, without a win in four games in all competitions, transfer rumours are already beginning to arrive regarding potential upgrades.
Among those is a replacement for Beto. The 27-year-old has struggled to find form in the current campaign – scoring just twice in eight games – and has already been the subject of Moyes’ criticism.
If there was any position that the Toffees could do with improving in 2026 it is Beto’s striker role. To that end, the likes of Daizen Maeda are already reportedly in Friedkin’s sights. The Celtic forward is keen to leave the Scottish club, which has opened the door for Everton to make their move at the right price.
With 33 goals to his name in all competitions last season, there’s no doubt that Maeda would be the Beto upgrade that Everton have been desperate for. His arrival would also ease the pressure on summer signing Thierno Barry to find his feet right away, having so far struggled to break into Moyes’ side.
That said, it’s not just Beto that those at Hill Dickinson should replace. It’s also time to replace 36-year-old Coleman and hand Jake O’Brien the chance to move into a more natural centre-back role as a result.
Everton plotting Juanlu Sanchez move
According to reports in Spain, Everton are now plotting a move to sign Juanlu Sanchez. The 22-year-old right-back would end Moyes’ troubles down that side and would likely end Coleman’s place in the manager’s squad as he approaches retirement. Alas, whether the Toffees can lure Sevilla into a sale or the Spaniard, himself, into a move is another question.
Bowen 2.0: Everton must regret selling "one of the best players in the PL"
Everton must now rue selling this gifted star before he hit his full potential.
ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2025
Described as a player with an “incredible present and a better future” by former Sevilla manager Garcia Pimienta, Sanchez’s arrival would make up for Friedkin’s summer mistake and complete Everton’s backline.
Minutes
1,722
1,571
Assists
4
0
Tackles Won
34
17
Ball Recoveries
66
52
The Sevilla star outperformed O’Brien in several key areas last season and has started four of his side’s seven La Liga games so far in the current campaign.
With a contract until 2029 in Spain, however, signing Sanchez will be far from easy. It may even take a hefty offer to do so before Everton can even get the chance to convince the right-back. But if they see an opportunity, Friedkin should go all in on what is a much-needed right-back for Moyes.
تقدم فريق الزمالك بالهدف الأول أمام منافسه طلائع الجيش، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.
ويلتقي الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ13 من الدوري المصري.
ويدخل الزمالك المباراة وهو يحتل المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 19 نقطة من 11 مباراة، بعدما حقق الفوز في خمس مواجهات وتعادل في أربع وخسر مرتين.
ويبحث الزمالك عن استعادة نغمة الانتصارات بعد 3 تعادلات وخسارة في آخر 4 مباريات بمسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
طالع | أحمد عبد الرؤوف يعلن تشكيل الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش.. الجزيري يقود الهجوم
وأحرز ناصر ماهر هدف الزمالك الأول بالدقيقة 7 بعد تلقيه تمريرة دونجا السحرية، لينفرد بحارس طلائع الجيش ويصوبها في المرمى مباشرة. هدف الزمالك الأول أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري
Shaw was dropped from the Ranji Trophy side last year on grounds of poor fitness and lack of discipline
Edited PTI copy23-Jun-2025Prithvi Shaw has parted ways with Mumbai after getting a no-objection certificate from the state association to play for another team in the next domestic season.”At this juncture in my career, I have been presented with a promising opportunity to play professional cricket under another State Association, which I believe will further contribute to my growth and development as a cricketer,” Shaw said in his letter to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). “In light of this, I kindly request you to issue me a no-objection certificate (NOC) that will enable me to officially represent the new state association in the upcoming domestic season.”I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the valuable opportunities and unwavering support extended to me during my time representing the association. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to be part of the MCA set-up, and I am deeply grateful for the exposure and experience I have gained here.”Related
Prithvi Shaw joins Maharashtra ahead of 2025-26 domestic season
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MCA secretary Abhay Hadap confirmed the board’s decision to grant Shaw the NOC.Shaw, 25, was dropped from the Mumbai Ranji Trophy side last year due to poor fitness and lack of discipline. He last played for Mumbai in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Madhya Pradesh on December 14, 2024, which his side won by five wickets.His fitness and discipline issues, however, have made more headlines than his performances in recent months and Shaw was unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction too.”He needs to get his work ethics right, and if he does that, the sky is the limit for him,” Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer had told reporters in Bengaluru after that Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final last year. “We can’t babysit anyone, right? Every professional who is playing at this level, they need to know what they should be doing. And he has also done it in the past; it’s not that he hasn’t. He has to focus, he has to sit back, put a thinking cap on, and then figure out himself. He will get the answer by himself.”
Inter Milan are one of Italy’s most successful clubs in history and lifted the Serie A title as recently as 2024.
In the 2025/26 season, the Nerazzurri have an annual payroll of €139,700,000, with the average player earning €4.8m per season. But who earns what at the San Siro? Every Inter player in the first-team squad has been ranked in order from highest to lowest in terms of wages for the 2025/2026 season, with the help of Capology.
Disclaimer – only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.
1
Lautaro Martinez
€320,577
€16,670,000
2
Nicolo Barella
€231,538
€12,040,000
3
Hakan Calhanoglu
€213,654
€11,110,000
4
Alessandro Bastoni
€195,962
€10,190,000
5
Manuel Akanji
€178,077
€9,260,000
6
Piotr Zielinski
€160,192
€8,330,000
7
Marcus Thuram
€147,885
€7,690,000
8
Federico Dimarco
€142,500
€7,410,000
9
Stefan de Vrij
€135,385
€7,040,000
10
Davide Frattesi
€99,808
€5,190,000
11
Denzel Dumfries
€98,654
€5,130,000
12
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
€93,654
€4,870,000
13
Luis Enrique
€89,308
€4,630,000
=14
Ange-Yoan Bonny
€71,154
€3,700,000
=14
Andy Diouf
€71,154
€3,700,000
=16
Yann Sommer
€61,731
€3,210,000
=16
Matteo Darmian
€61,731
€3,210,000
18
Carlos Augusto
€54,231
€2,820,000
=19
Josep Martinez
€53,462
€2,780,000
=19
Francesco Acerbi
€53,462
€2,780,000
=19
Josep Martinez
€53,462
€2,780,000
=19
Petar Sucic
€53,462
€2,780,000
24
Yann Aurel Bisseck
€36,923
€1,920,000
25
Francesco Pio Esposito
€35,577
€1,850,000
26
Tomas Palacios
€21,346
€1,110,000
27
Raffaele Di Gennaro
€5,385
€280,000
Here's a detailed look at Inter's top 10 earners… 10 Davide Frattesi €99,808 per week
Midfielder Davide Frattesi scored an iconic Champions League winner against Barcelona during Inter’s route to the final in 2025.
He made his transfer from Sassuolo permanent in 2024 and is under contract until 2028.
9 Stefan de Vrij €135,385 per week
Experienced centre-back Stefan de Vrij has now played more games for Inter than any of his previous clubs, having joined in 2018.
Formerly of Feyenoord and Lazio, the Dutchman signed his latest Inter deal in 2023. However, he is currently set to be out of contract in 2026.
8 Federico Dimarco €142,500 per week
Academy graduate Federico Dimarco is arguably one of the best left-wing backs in Europe right now.
However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Dimarco, who has had spells with Ascoli, Empoli, Sion, Parma and Hellas Verona before starring with Inter.
7 Marcus Thuram €147,885 per week
Inter were able to offer Marcus Thuram an eye-catching €7.69m per-year salary in 2023 after the forward became a free agent.
Thuram left Borussia Monchengladbach and has impressed at the San Siro since joining Inter, with his deal not expiring until 2028.
6 Piotr Zielinski €160,192 per week
Another free agent brought in at the San Siro was midfielder Piotr Zielinski, who left rivals Napoli in the summer of 2024.
The Poland international had spent eight years with the Partenopei and four years with Udinese, so has plenty of experience in Serie A – something Inter will hope to benefit from until 2028.
5 Manuel Akanji €178,077 per week
Inter Milan signed Manuel Akanji on loan from Manchester City on deadline day in the summer of 2025 and have the option to make a move permanent in 2026.
The Swiss defender will collect €9.2m in wages during the 2025/26 season from the Italian giants.
4 Alessandro Bastoni €195,962 per week
Alessandro Bastoni was signed as a teenager back in 2017, arriving from Atalanta in a deal worth more than €30m.
In recent years, the Italy international has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe, and luckily for Inter, he signed a five-year deal in 2023.
3 Hakan Calhanoglu €213,654 per week
Hakan Calhanoglu
Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu swapped city rivals Milan for Inter in 2021 after leaving the former as a free agent.
HIs controversial move didn’t go down well with Rossoneri supporters, but Inter are the ones who have benefited from having the experienced Turkey international on their books, with his current deal running until 2027.
2 Nicolo Barella €231,538 per week
Italy international Nicolo Barella joined Inter on loan with an obligation to buy from Cagliari back in 2019 and has been an ever-present figure since then.
He has scored more than 20 goals and provided over 60 assists in blue and black, justifying his €230k per week wage. Barella’s deal doesn’t expire until 2029.
1 Lautaro Martinez €320,577 per week
Comfortably Inter’s highest-paid player is striker Lautaro Martinez, who signed his latest €16.67m per year deal in 2024 to end speculation of a move away.
The Argentinian, now the club captain, has been with Inter since 2018 and has won seven major honours with the Italian giants.
Head coach gets longer contract after being appointed on interim basis last October
Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2025
Phil Simmons took over as Bangladesh’s interim coach last year•BCB
Phil Simmons will continue as Bangladesh’s head coach for the next two years, up until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup. The BCB offered him a longer contract after initially appointing him as interim coach until the conclusion of the 2025 Champions Trophy.”I am delighted to be given the opportunity to work with Bangladesh cricket on a long-term basis,” Simmons, 61, said. “The talent within this team is undeniable, and I believe we have the potential to achieve great things together. I am looking forward to the journey ahead. Having worked with some exceptional players already, I can see the immense promise in this squad. Their skill and passion for the game inspire me daily. Together, we can take Bangladesh cricket to new heights and create something truly special.”Simmons did not have much success in his stint as interim coach. During that period, Bangladesh won one Test and a T20I series in West Indies but crashed out in the group stage of the Champions Trophy after losing to India and New Zealand.”My time with the Bangladesh team over the past few months has been incredibly rewarding,” Simmons said. “The energy, commitment, and ability within this group have been nothing short of impressive. I’m excited to continue helping these players reach their full potential.”The appointment puts to rest speculation on Simmons’ future with Bangladesh and he will not coach Karachi Kings anymore in the PSL. He was Karachi’s head coach since December 2023.Simmons, who is one of four coaches to oversee 400 international matches, was appointed the Bangladesh coach on the same day that the BCB suspended Chandika Hathurusinghe in October.Simmons, who played for West Indies in the 1990s, was previously the head coach of Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan. He also coached West Indies for two terms, winning the T20 World Cup in 2016.
Manudi Nanayakkara, Rashmika Sewwandi and Chethana Vimukthi are the three uncapped players in the 16-member squad
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2025Sri Lanka have left out left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera and seam-bowling allrounder Ama Kanchana for their upcoming New Zealand tour comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.Apart from them, batter Hasini Perera and 16-year-old left-arm wristspinner Shashini Gambini are also missing from the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka’s last international assignment.There are several young additions to the squad. Manudi Nanayakkara and Rashmika Sewwandi, who turned out for Sri Lanka in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, have been called up. While it’s a maiden call-up for Nanayakkara, Sewandi was picked for the home T20Is against West Indies last year but did not get a game.Chethana Vimukthi, 23, is the other uncapped player in the squad, while Imesha Dulani and Kaushini Nuthyangana have five caps each and Sachini Nisanla has just 19.Sri Lanka will retain a familiar top order in their captain Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne, who despite being just 19 has already played 18 ODIs and 47 T20Is.Athapaththu is currently playing in the WPL in India where she is part of UP Warriorz. The tournament is scheduled to run until March 15.Sri Lanka’s squad will leave for New Zealand on February 22. They are scheduled to play two warm-up games in Lincoln, on February 27 and 28, before the ODI series starts in Napier on March 4. The other two ODIs will be played in Nelson on March 7 and 9. The teams will then go to Christchurch for the first two T20Is on March 14 and 16, and finish the tour in Dunedin on March 18.Sri Lanka Women squad for New Zealand ODIs and T20IsChamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Manudi Nanayakkara, Imesha Dulani, Achini Kulasuriya, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sachini Nisansala, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Inoshi Priyadarshini, Sugandika Kumari, Rashmika Sewwandi, Chethana Vimukthi
Sunderland now have two home games on the bounce to try and restore the confidence that saw the Black Cats hammer West Ham United 3-0 on the Premier League opening day.
While it likely isn’t a priority competition this season, winning in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield Town later today would come as a welcome treat after losing 2-0 away at Burnley, before a home clash with Jordan Henderson’s Brentford then awaits back in the hustle and bustle of league action.
After the Bees come to Wearside, the next main event on the agenda will be transfer deadline day, with Sunderland not yet done with all their busy activity heading into the chaotic affair.
Sunderland ready to bid for £30m defender
A mammoth £141.5m has already been splashed by Regis Le Bris and Co. this summer.
However, the Black Cats are not completely finished forking out excessive wads of money if new rumours are to be believed, with £30m potentially being spent to try and land RC Strasbourg star Dilane Bakwa, who was previously on Leeds United’s radar.
Moreover, a similar amount of cash could also leave the Sunderland bank account shortly in attempting to land Chelsea reserve defender Axel Disasi.
Indeed, journalist Fabrice Hawkins has taken to X to confirm that the Premier League newcomers are ready to place a bid for the 27-year-old’s services to shore up their options in the centre-back department, with AFC Bournemouth also in the race for the Frenchman.
He could well cost another £30m to get over the line, according to reports, but with Sunderland now waiting on the extent of Daniel Ballard’s injury, after he hobbled off versus the Clarets, snapping up Disasi might well gift Le Bris a dream alternative to the injury-prone centre-back.
How Disasi compares to Ballard
It’s hardly a new development for Sunderland fans regarding Ballard going down with a knock.
Therefore, the alarm bells must have been ringing when the Northern Ireland international had to come off the pitch at Turf Moor after just 10 minutes, considering he has missed 67 clashes in total – since joining Sunderland back in 2022 – due to regular visits to the Stadium of Light treatment room.
This is where the addition of the “dominant” Disasi could come in handy, as he’s been labelled previously by scout Jacek Kulig, with the lofty 6-foot-3 defender showing off an ability to fire home chances – much like Ballard with his seven Black Cats goals and counting – when being in the right place at the right time to slot home this effort on his Blues debut two years ago.
He is also similar to the much-loved Sunderland servant in many other aspects of his varied game, as evident in his promising 2023/24 season in West London.
Disasi’s league numbers for Chelsea (23/24)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Disasi
Games played
31
Goals scored
2
Assists
0
Touches*
82.1
Accurate passes*
64.3 (91%)
Ball recoveries*
4.8
Clearances*
3.1
Total duels won*
4.3
Clean sheets
5
Stats by Sofascore
Before somewhat sliding down the pecking order at Chelsea under Enzo Maresca, Disasi was a regular in the heart of the Stamford Bridge defence, and for good reason, with a composed 64.3 accurate passes averaged in league action during his first season in the first-team fold. Ballard averaged an 88% pass accuracy himself last campaign in the Championship, when he wasn’t stricken by injury.
Moreover, the table shows why Disasi was referred to as a “monster” by journalist Rahman Osman during his Blues peak, with a high 4.3 duels won on average across his 31 league starts.
Ballard did just better this tally last season in the demanding second tier – with 4.6 won on average – but Le Bris will know he can depend on the 27-year-old to come in and fill in for the ex-Arsenal defender if needed.
After all, while he didn’t set the world alight out on loan at Aston Villa last campaign, he did at least prove himself to be a useful utility option for Unai Emery, with 100% of his duels being won against Nottingham Forest during his penultimate Premier League outing at Villa Park.
Ideally, Sunderland will want Ballard to be fit and starting week in, week out, having already been a star in the top-flight when scoring versus West Ham.
But, if Disasi is available at the last minute, he might well be a smart buy to pursue to lessen the Black Cats’ ongoing worries about their fragile number five.
New Le Fee: Sunderland leading race to sign "very exciting" £30m star
Sunderland is now in the lead to snap up this exciting £30m talent.
It’s finally time, after a long summer, West Ham United are back in competitive action this afternoon.
Graham Potter’s side kickstart their Premier League campaign with a game away to the recently promoted Sunderland.
On paper, it’s a game that the Hammers should be winning comfortably, but as we all know, it’s never that simple, and the Black Cats have made some brilliant additions to their team this summer, most notably in former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss international is still a top player, and in an interesting development, the Irons are now being linked with someone who’d be their own version of him.
West Ham target their own Xhaka
While it has not necessarily been an exciting window this summer, West Ham have made a few smart additions to the team.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Mads Hermanses impressed for Leicester City last season, Kyle Walker-Peters is a proven Premier League performer, and El Hadji Malick Diouf impressed in pre-season.
Moreover, it looks like the Hammers want to do more business before the window closes and are now targeting someone who could be their own Xhaka.
At least that’s according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, who has revealed that West Ham are interested in Aleix García.
The journalist claims that the Bayer Leverkusen star is someone “they quite like” and that, in good news, no other teams seem to be in for him at the moment.
It’s not clear just how much Garcia would cost the Hammers, but he joined the German side for around £15m.
If he’s available for around that much today, it would represent some incredible business, especially as he could be their own Xhaka.
How Garcia compares to Xhaka
In this instance, the comparison stems primarily from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League before concluding that Xhaka has been the eighth most similar midfielder to Garcia over the last 365 days.
The best way to gain a better understanding of how such a conclusion was reached is by taking a look under the hood, at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closest.
In this case, these include metrics such as progressive carries, passing accuracy, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks, live passes and more, all per 90.
Progressive Carries
1.67
1.31
Progressive Passes Received
2.90
2.24
Passing Accuracy
87.2%
89.7%
Expected Assists
0.23
0.16
Live Passes
78.4
83.9
Shot-Creating Actions
3.71
3.74
Goal-Creating Actions
0.62
0.56
Blocks
0.74
0.93
Clearances
1.48
1.62
Successful Take-Ons
0.25
0.22
In other words, like the Swiss international, Garcia is an all-action midfielder who can more than help out when it comes to the attacking side of the game, but is also more than happy to dig in and do the dirty work when his team need him to.
However, the pair don’t just share statistical similarities, as they actually played with one another at Leverkusen, and if the former Girona star does move this summer, then he’d likely be following his former teammate to the Premier League.
Aleix Garcia comes off the pitch for Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen.
Finally, another strength that the “technically gifted” Spaniard, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, shares with the former Gunners ace is his ability to play in multiple midfield roles, from the six to a box-crashing eight and, on occasion, further up the pitch than that.
Ultimately, while this would be a surprising move, it’s one West Ham should be all over, as Garcia looks like just the player to come in and improve their midfield, just like Xhaka will for Sunderland.
Their new Bowen: West Ham submit bid to sign "dangerous" forward for £34m
West Ham are targeting a former Real Madrid star to provide competition for Jarrod Bowen.