Alex House Articles - Page 32

The San Diego Padres (40-34) and Los Angeles Dodgers (46-30) got everyone’s blood pumping after a lively end to an antagonistic four-game series in Chavez Ravine. They also brought to light a longstanding debate that revolves around the “unspoken baseball code.” LA rookie Jack Little hit Fernando Tatis Jr. in the hand with a pitch […]

The Caitlin Clark Effect is undeniable and extends wider than many people even realize. If it was not clear by now, the early returns for WNBA All-Star voting, as conveyed by ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, emphatically reinforce the notion that she is already the face of the league. The Indiana Fever star leads all players with […]

Tension had been simmering between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, as has been the case since last October, and it overflowed in Chavez Ravine on Thursday night. Both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani were once again hit by pitches in this divisional series, Dave Roberts shoved Mike Shildt in an explosive […]

Medical opinions and logic dictated that Tyrese Haliburton was not supposed to play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. But a championship pursuit supersedes rationale. The star point guard gutted out a calf strain, which doctors told him is a two-week injury, and did enough to help the Indiana Pacers earn a vital 108-91 […]

Even when the Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 1 in Catastrophic fashion and eventually found themselves down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers, they have been the favorite in these NBA Finals. That remains the case heading into a winner-take-all Game 7 in the Paycom Center this Sunday night. However, there is no telling how the […]

As the Houston Astros (43-31) gain more separation in the American League West — led the Seattle Mariners by five and a half games entering Thursday night’s matchup versus the Athletics, it is becoming easier to overlook their depleted pitching staff. And that cannot happen. Although Joe Espada’s club continues to excel with more than […]

Lexi Held has come a long way since graduating from DePaul University in 2022. She went undrafted and bounced around overseas before signing a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury this past March. The 25-year-old guard is making the most of the opportunity, enjoying a solid rookie campaign in The Desert. Given all the […]

The New York Liberty and their fans are hoping for the best after watching one of their most important players exit Thursday’s game versus the Phoenix Mercury. Jonquel Jones went down with a lower-body injury, grabbing her knee in clear pain. She limped to the locker room and was eventually ruled out for the remainder […]

The Kansas City Royals (37-38) are finally gaining some solace in what has been a miserable June overall. They won consecutive games for the first time in almost a month on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the ballclub watched its top prospect reach a much-anticipated milestone. Rookie Jac Caglianone hit his first two MLB home runs […]

Roberto Luongo and Brad Marchand are celebrating a Stanley Cup victory together following the Florida Panthers’ 5-1 Game 6 win over the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. But some wounds do not close. Luongo, who is currently working as a special advisor to Panthers general manager Bill Zito, suffered probably the most gut-wrenching defeat […]

The Edmonton Oilers have shown admirable determination during these last two seasons, erasing deficits and winning the Western Conference in back-to-back years, but this run is ultimately defined by agonizing outcomes in the Stanley Cup Final. Fair or not, this franchise’s inability to defeat the Florida Panthers will overshadow the other accomplishments. For the second […]

When Corey Perry hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks at just 22 years of age in 2007, it would have been reasonable for him to think he would get another chance to experience that euphoric feeling before retiring. Now, at 40 years old, and after another crushing defeat on hockey’s biggest stage, that […]

Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be nice and warmed up for the Indiana Pacers ahead of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, as emotions reached a boiling point in Tuesday night’s game between the Indiana Fever (6-5) and Connecticut Sun (2-9). Before the home team officially earned an 88-71 victory, fans witnessed a brawl transpire in the […]

Caitlin Clark is not afraid to express herself on the court. That is doubly true when she feels slighted. Following multiple fiery exchanges with the Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark unleashed her fury during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 88-71 home win. The 2024 All-WNBA First-Team selection drained a 3-pointer over Jacy […]

The New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream both have serious ambitions this season, and earning a win in Tuesday’s showdown should bring them a little closer to fulfilling them. On this night, the defending champions reigned supreme, pulling out an 86-81 home victory. But before charging into battle in the Barclays Center, two ex-teammates gleefully […]

Despite the controversy whirling around Rafael Devers following his Boston Red Sox exit, the San Francisco Giants know how important their newly acquired slugger is to their foremost goal of contending for a World Series championship. The organization is intent on getting on the same page with him right away, which is obviously something that […]

The Los Angeles Lakers mapped out their future when they completed the instantly-legendary Luka Doncic trade in February. Although he still needs to sign a contract extension to solidify the union, LA is confident it has its long-term franchise superstar. But there is still a high sense of urgency with 40-year-old LeBron James on the […]

The Arkansas baseball Razorbacks’ national championship aspirations are alive and well, and it took an all-time great performance in the Men’s College World Series to make that happen. Gage Wood was utterly dominant in a 3-0 victory versus Murray State, pitching the third no-hitter in MCWS history and the first since 1960, via ESPN’s Jeff […]

There are two indisputable statements the Atlanta Hawks must sort out this offseason: Trae Young is a stellar offensive talent, and this franchise has not advanced past the opening round of the NBA playoffs since the 2020-21 campaign. Is it possible this marriage has plateaued? Many have wondered if management would attempt to alter the […]

The Boston Celtics find themselves in a unique predicament entering this offseason, one that is of significant interest to much of the NBA. They wish to simultaneously cut payroll and maintain competitive standing in the Eastern Conference. The best way to accomplish this challenging objective may be to trade center Kristaps Porzingis. There is no […]

The Toronto Raptors have spent the last two years under construction, focusing on the development of their fairly young roster rather than competing for Eastern Conference supremacy. Although Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and Jakob Poeltl form an intriguing core, most people assume that team president Masai Ujiri has been biding his […]

Despite being on the New York Knicks’ radar, head coach Jason Kidd knows he will remain with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2025-26 NBA campaign. He cannot say the same about his staff, however. Multiple teams are taking a hard look at the Mavs’ bench this offseason, threatening to bring about more change in a […]

When reflecting on the earth-shattering Boston Red Sox-Rafael Devers split, both now and in the many years to come, people will pinpoint the Alex Bregman signing as the inciting incident to this chilling and surreal saga. The player himself has been a fantastic addition to the ballculb, but his arrival and subsequent move to third […]

Royce Lewis emerged during the 2023 MLB playoffs, helping the Minnesota Twins end a mind-boggling postseason losing streak and advance to the American League Division Series. They ultimately fell short against the Houston Astros, but that October display was supposed to be a forerunner to a successful MLB career. Alas, the former No. 1 overall […]

The WNBA could not have scripted it any better if it tried. Caitlin Clark, the face of women’s basketball, returns from injury to lead the Indiana Fever into battle against defending champion and undefeated New York Liberty on ABC. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was surely salivating at the scintillating set of circumstances that fell right into […]

The celebrity couple component of sports is not for everyone. The thunderous chorus of boos that engulfed Taylor Swift during Super Bowl 59 perfectly illustrate that fact. But the NFL will gladly endure the groans and eye rolls if it means it can reach throngs of people who might not have been invested in the […]

When Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard valiantly filled in for Stuart Skinner following a 3-0 deficit in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup — performing superbly in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday –one major question emerged. Who will start in net for Game 5? Most fans had a clear answer […]

After spending a year and a half on the sidelines with a knee injury, it was unclear if veteran center Steven Adams would ever make a meaningful impact in the NBA again. He decisively answered those questions while helping the Houston Rockets grab the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season. He is […]

The state of Indiana is synonymous with basketball. Hoosiers have a profound love and respect for their hoops, and it shines through in the capital city of Indianapolis. Both the Fever and Pacers are exhilarating the community. The former, with Caitlin Clark front and center, has helped spark a WNBA revolution. And the latter is […]

The Los Angeles Lakers do not want to talk about it. Fans do not want to talk about it. And the NBA certainly does not want to talk about it, but LeBron James’ retirement is a topic the world cannot avoid. When the 40-year-old officially concludes his all-time great professional basketball career, a surreal moment […]

With a fairly manageable schedule and intriguing roster, the New York Jets could theoretically surprise people next season. But they do not necessarily need to clinch a long-awaited playoff berth for the campaign to be considered a success. A new culture and clear on-field improvement will suffice. Completing those crucial objectives revolves heavily around the […]

It cannot be easy for Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder compete for a championship without him, given that he was once considered a key member of their young core. But he is still cheering on the men he shared a locker room with for the first three years of […]

The San Francisco Giants (40-29) have enjoyed a stirring first 69 games to their 2025 MLB campaign, and they have done so by understanding their identity. Top-notch pitching and timely hitting put this team in position to grab first place in the National League West, which it can do by overpowering the Los Angeles Dodgers […]

If a monsoon of misfortune was going to hit Citi Field, this is probably the best time for it. The New York Mets (45-24) own the best record in baseball and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. Therefore, they are seemingly equipped to absorb some of the additional adversity that just arrived on their […]

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and tight end George Kittle have been through a lot together. The former joined the franchise in 2017, and the latter was drafted a couple of months later. They weathered some rough beginnings, as the team went just 10-22 during their first two years in the Bay Area. […]

Although Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Justin Martinez had been succumbing to his pitching vices, walking nearly 18 percent of the batters he faced, the right-hander is still a critical component of the team’s bullpen. The thought of losing his electric arm for the rest of the year is tough to stomach, but that is indeed what […]

Some say life doesn’t begin until you turn 30. Aaron Civale is probably not one of those people. The veteran right-handed pitcher did not get to celebrate his birthday the way he intended to on Thursday, as the Milwaukee Brewers demoted him to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for MLB top-100 prospect […]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets endured an emotionally draining 2024-25 NBA season, one that included endless speculation and a number of exhilarating moments. When the 2025 NBA Finals conclude, it is possible this squad will have come within one win from eliminating the champions in the playoffs. And yet, there are still trying roster […]

The Edmonton Oilers forced a Game 7 after trailing the Florida Panthers 3-0 in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, so a Game 4 loss on Thursday night would not necessarily have guaranteed an end to their championship hopes. Still, one can only live on the edge for so long. And besides, they did ultimately lose […]