Sports
Mookie Betts reveals what makes Brewers legit World Series contenders: ‘Good recipe over there’
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Another series, another sweep for the Milwaukee Brewers, as they took down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 12-5, on Wednesday night.
That win made it 12 in a row for the team with the best record in MLB at 76-44.
If you were to ask any baseball fan entering the season who would have the league’s best record as the year turns toward the postseason, it’s likely they wouldn’t have said the Brewers. But that’s the beautiful thing about the game – any team can emerge as not just a surprise winner, but a juggernaut poised for a World Series run.
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Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (10) celebrates as Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins (16) prepares to cross home plate against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning at American Family Field. (Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)
Los Angeles Dodgers eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts admitted Milwaukee wasn’t really on his mind at the start of the season. But after playing against them, he can totally understand where this success has come from.
“At first, you’re a little surprised like, ‘Wow, they’re doing really well. They do all facets well.’ But when you play against them, you really see why. They have starting pitching, they have relieving, and they have speed, defense, timely hitting. They have belief in each other – you can definitely see they believe in each other. That’s a close-knit group over there.”
While the Brewers may be considered a surprise team in 2025, Betts reminded everyone that they’ve been quite successful in recent seasons.
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“The Brewers have always been a really good ballclub. They’ve always been around the bubble, they’ve been in the playoffs a lot,” he said.
Milwaukee won the NL Central division in each of the last two campaigns and figures to make it three by the end of this regular season. And they’ve made the postseason in six of their last seven seasons.
So, the success has always been there, but the closest they have come to the World Series has been Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS, ultimately losing to the Dodgers. Betts wasn’t on the team at the time, but rather beat them as a member of the Boston Red Sox to secure his first of three World Series Rings.
Since that NLCS appearance, the Brewers have only made it as far as the NLDS. They’ve lost in the NL Wild Card round in each of the past two seasons, including a crushing Game 3 loss that came to the surging New York Mets, who made it all the way to the NLCS.
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game on Friday, June 20, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Now, Betts thinks things are different in Milwaukee, and he pointed to one facet of the game in particular.
“They really have a good recipe over there, but their pitching staff is really, really good. When you have pitching, you can have a chance to win everything,” he said.
Pitching is key, especially when October rolls around. One great start, or shutdown pieces in the bullpen, can be the difference between moving on in a series or heading home.
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The Brewers own the league’s third-best team ERA (3.59), which isn’t far behind the league’s-best Texas Rangers (3.32) and San Diego Padres (3.55).
In the starting rotation, Freddy Peralta has been pitching like a true ace with a 2.90 ERA over 136.2 innings, striking out 148 batters while walking only 50 over that span. But 24-year-old Quinn Priester’s breakout season has been a joy to watch, as he owns a 3.49 ERA over a career-high 118.2 innings. Jose Quintana (3.44 ERA), Chad Patrick (3.52 ERA) and the flame-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski (2.70 ERA over 33.1 innings) have all been solid options for the Brewers in the rotation this year.
Then, when it’s time to shut the door on the opponent, the Brewers can count on closer Trevor Megill to end it. He has 28 saves in 44 games this season with a 2.20 ERA (41 innings). He earned himself his first career All-Star nod because of how great of a season he’s having, though he did post a 2.72 ERA in 2024 over 48 games.
“They just find ways to do it, they find ways to get things done. They play small ball, they hit home runs. They kinda do everything,” Betts added.
When it comes to hitting, Christian Yelich is playing like the bona fide All-Star he needs to be if the Brewers want to go far in the postseason. He’s slashing .266/.344/.456 with a team-leading 23 home runs and 81 RBI.
Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) and second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrate after a victory over the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Truist Park. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
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But there’s young life in the lineup, too, as Jackson Chourio continues to shine with Yelich in the outfield, hitting .276 while slugging .474 with 17 homers and 29 doubles on the year. From Williams Contreras to Rhys Hoskins, to Brice Turang, to Sal Frelick, and the list goes on, these Brewers are relentless when it’s their turn to produce offense.
Will that last through an October postseason run? If it does, it won’t be a surprise to Betts and the rest of MLB.
The Dodgers have lost all six of their games against the Brewers this season.
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Lionel Messi drew high praise from President Donald Trump as the Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami team were honoured at the White House on Thursday for winning the MLS Cup last year.
The president said: “It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before: ‘Welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi.'”
Trump went on to reveal the affection his 19-year-old son Barron has for Messi.
“My son said, ‘Dad, you know who’s going to be there today?’ I said, ‘No, I got a lot of things going on today,'” Trump said. “He said ‘Messi!’ He’s a big fan of yours. He thinks you’re just a great person. And I think you got to meet a little while ago. So he’s a big soccer fan, but he’s a tremendous fan of yours. And a gentleman named Ronaldo. Cristiano is great. You’re great.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s longtime rival in European soccer, attended a White House event with Trump last year.
Regarding Messi’s impact on Inter Miami, Trump said: “This guy won. There was tremendous fanfare, and he won. Leo, you came in and won. It’s hard to do. … You came in and won with all that pressure.”
Wading into the area of soccer history, Trump said to Messi, “You may be better than Pele,” and he asked those in attendance, “Who’s better?”
Trump said of the Inter Miami squad: “What a group of people. We could have a lot of fun with these guys. You can imagine how they celebrate.”
The president singled out Rodrigo De Paul, an Argentine midfielder who scored the go-ahead goal in the Herons’ 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final.
“Where the hell is Rodrigo?” Trump asked, causing De Paul to blush.
The president added: “Do you have any bad-looking players? I like the bad-looking players much better.”
Messi gave Trump a pink signed Inter Miami soccer ball, and club co-owner Jorge Mas and coach Javier Mascherano presented the president with a team jersey and a watch.
Mas said: “It’s our aspiration to continue breaking barriers and putting no limits, to making sure Major League Soccer and Inter Miami are considered among the elite in global football.”
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has demanded a public apology from a journalist over what it described as “agenda-driven fake news” targeting the character of Pakistan’s national cricketers.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the PCB strongly condemned the broadcast of unverified allegations against a Pakistan player, calling the report baseless and unacceptable.
PCB Warns of Legal Action
The cricket board said the reporter responsible for the news must issue a public apology immediately, warning that failure to do so could lead to strict legal action.
“Agenda-driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the PCB said.
The board added that it would take all necessary steps to address what it termed malicious reporting if the apology is not issued promptly.
Controversy Over Report
The controversy began after a local media outlet aired a report alleging that a Pakistani cricketer had been involved in inappropriate behaviour at a hotel, claiming that staff had filed a complaint with team management.
The report also suggested that the player had violated the team’s code of conduct and was fined following a preliminary internal review.
Allegations Denied
However, the PCB dismissed the claims as false and misleading, stating that the news lacked verification.
A representative of the player, Mirza, also rejected the allegations in a social media statement and announced plans to pursue legal action against the media outlet.
He criticised the broadcast as “cheap journalism”, stressing that no media organisation should air unverified reports about national athletes.
The PCB reiterated its commitment to protecting the reputation and dignity of Pakistan’s cricketers against what it described as irresponsible reporting.
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Russell Wilson and Sean Payton spent just one NFL season together, but tension lingered after a rocky year.
And it appears the tension that built up from that tumultuous stretch continues to linger.
Wilson’s interview on the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, recorded before last month’s Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, recently resurfaced.
In the interview, Wilson doubled down on his October comment labeling Payton “classless,” saying he felt slighted by his former coach’s remarks.
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Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos talks to quarterback Russell Wilson on the sideline during an NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium Aug. 11, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
“[When] you’ve been on the same side or this and that, and I got the same amount of rings as you got, meaning Sean, right?” said Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks as Payton did coaching for the New Orleans Saints.
“I got a lot of respect for him as a play-caller, this and that, but to take a shot, I don’t like. I don’t think it’s necessary, you know, I mean, especially when I’m not even on your own team anymore. So, for me, there’s a point in time where you have to, I’ve realized, I’ve stayed quiet for so long. There’s a there’s a time and place where I’m not.
“I know who I am as a competitor, as a warrior, as a champion, too, and, you know, I’ve beaten Sean, too. You know, like we’ve been on the same place and the same thing. And so, it’s not a matter of disrespect. Just don’t disrespect me.”
Sean Payton and Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos during an a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Empower Field at Mile High Nov. 19, 2023, in Denver, Colo. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
After a rocky one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Wilson joined the New York Giants last offseason. However, he was relegated to a backup role after just three games.
Rookie Jaxson Dart quickly showed promise once he had the chance to start, but his season was briefly derailed by injury. Jameis Winston — not Wilson — stepped in for Dart in a handful of games. Dart threw three touchdowns in a Week 7 matchup with the Broncos, nearly pulling off an upset in what was eventually a close loss.
After the game, Payton said Dart provided a “spark” to the Giants’ offense.
“I was talking to [Giants owner] John Mara not too long ago, and I said, ‘We were hoping that that change would have happened long after our game,'” Payton said.
The New York Giants’ Russell Wilson attempts to escape a sack by Dallas Cowboys defensive end James Houston (53) in the first half of a game Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Payton also said the Broncos would have faced less of a challenge had Wilson been under center.
“Classless … but not surprised,” Wilson responded in a social media post. “Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later though the media.”
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Despite last season’s struggles and chatter about his football future, Wilson does not appear ready to call it quits in 2026.
“I wanna play a few more years for sure,” he said. “I think, for me, I’ve always had the vision of getting to 40, at least. I think the game is different. Quarterbacks, we get hit. It’s not, you know, we get hit hard, but … there’s certain rules. I mean, back in the day when I started, bro, it was you just get [clobbered].
“I mean, so I feel like the game allows you to, you know, live a little longer, I guess. I feel healthy. I feel great. But I think, more than anything else is, do you love the game? Do you love studying? Do you love the passion for it all? Do you love the process? Do you love the practice? Do you love — everybody loves the winning part of it, but it’s process. There’s a journey that you got to be obsessed with. And that part I’m obsessed with.”
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