Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 14

The 2025 season has been a series of hopeful highs followed by devastating lows for the New York Mets. The team has alternated between flashes of championship-caliber play and total dysfunction. There’s plenty of blame to go around for New York’s issues this season. But pitching has played a major role, highlighted by Frankie Montas’ […]

Despite a strong start from Blake Snell, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost the series opener to the San Diego Padres Friday. The Dodgers’ offense was stifled by the Padres’ pitching as San Diego won its fourth straight game and moved into a tie for first place in the NL West. Padres starter Yu Darvish was […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers frustrated fans with a 2-1 series opening loss to the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers swept the Padres at home last week, taking a two-game lead in the NL West. But following the sweep, LA split its series against the Colorado Rockies. Now with Friday’s defeat, the Dodgers lost sole possession […]

The Seattle Mariners made history when they teamed up Eugenio Suarez and Cal Raleigh at the trade deadline. The sluggers were expected to lead Seattle past the Houston Astros in the AL West. But the Mariners hit a slump, losing five straight games entering their series opener against the Athletics. Seattle ended its skid Friday […]

The Milwaukee Brewers were the hottest team in baseball before hitting a mini slump against the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers dropped three of five games to the Cubs, ending a streak of six straight series wins. But Milwaukee quickly got back on track, leaving Chicago with a victory on Thursday. The team then returned home […]

The Toronto Blue Jays’ aggressive trade deadline gamble on Shane Bieber was aimed at upgrading the starting rotation for a playoff run in 2025. Toronto added Bieber in a deal with the Cleveland Guardians white the injured ace was still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. On Friday, Bieber returned to a major league mound for […]

Kyle Schwarber has had a historic four-year run with the Philadelphia Phillies. He’s the only player to ever hit at least 38 home runs in each of his first four years with a new team. And Schwarber has saved the best for last as he’s putting together an MVP-caliber season in 2025. Even though the […]

The Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons remain at an impasse in their long-running contract dispute. With the team’s regular season opener less than two weeks away the situation has become dire. And the drama took an odd turn on Thursday when Jerry Jones claimed that Parsons’ agent David Mulugheta delivered a NSFW message. According to […]

The last time Baltimore Orioles rookie Brandon Young faced the Houston Astros he took a perfect game into the eighth inning. In his 11th career start Young became only the fifth rookie in 50 years to have a perfect game through 7 2/3 innings. He finished his memorable outing allowing one hit with no walks […]

The Indianapolis Colts were looking for a veteran quarterback to push third-year passer Anthony Richardson in training camp. After the Colts selected Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 draft, the former Florida standout failed to live up to expectations. Indianapolis brought in former New York Giants QB Daniel Jones to compete for the starting job. […]

The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs may be bitter division rivals, but broadcasting legend and baseball icon Bob Uecker transcends rivalries. The voice of the Brewers passed away at the age of 90 on January 16. And his incredible career, passion and spirit have been celebrated throughout the 2025 MLB season. With Chicago hosting […]

The Atlanta Braves proved their tenacity beyond any doubt last season when they fought through a series of devastating injuries to reach the playoffs for the seventh straight year. In 2025, the Braves have once again been plagued by injuries. But this time a miracle second-half run seems unlikely. Instead, Atlanta must settle for playing […]

Micah Parsons’ future with the Dallas Cowboys remains shrouded in mystery. Contract negotiations between the two sides have broken down and some insiders believe a “divorce” is inevitable. While the All-Pro defensive end continues to sit out with the regular season just weeks away, fourth-year pass rusher Sam Williams is thrilled just to be back […]

The Colorado Rockies teed off on Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani Wednesday. The reigning NL MVP made his 10th start of the season and allowed five runs on nine hits in four innings. It’s the most hits the eighth-year veteran has surrendered in a game since September 10, 2021. And adding injury to insult, […]

The San Francisco Giants are quickly fading from the playoff picture. The team was expected to compete for a postseason berth this year with the additions of Justin Verlander, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers. But after losing eight of their last 10 games, manager Bob Melvin is on the hot seat. And the beleaguered team […]

The Toronto Blue Jays are ready to unveil their big trade deadline acquisition as Shane Bieber will return to a major league mound for the first time in over 16 months. The seventh-year veteran will start for Toronto on Friday. But Bieber’s addition to the rotation forced manager John Schneider to make room for the […]

Widely considered one of the greatest football players to ever grace the gridiron, Barry Sanders made the stunning decision to walk away from football after 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions. The unexpected development is still considered the most shocking retirement in NFL history. Sanders was a dual threat out of the backfield for Detroit, […]

The Houston Astros are mired in a brutal slump. Entering Wednesday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers, Houston had been shutout in three straight games. And the team has been held scoreless in four of the last five contests. On Wednesday the Astros faced Charlie Morton. The Tigers starter kept Houston off the scoreboard through […]

Led by Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals had the top-ranked passing attack in the NFL last year. And the Bengals are committed to keeping their high-flying offense intact after allocating $276 million to top wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins over the next four years. Even Cincinnati’s WR3 Andrei Iosivas has fans […]

The Cincinnati Bengals have their own way of doing things. The team took on the Washington Commanders Monday for its second preseason game. And Joe Burrow remained on the field into the second quarter. The Pro Bowl passer told reporters he appreciated the opportunity to work out the kinks. Even if it placed his health […]

When the Kansas City Royals added Mike Yastrzemski at the trade deadline, they expected stellar outfield defense. Kansas City probably did not, however, anticipate a power binge from the seventh-year veteran. But that’s what Yastrzemski has delivered during his brief Royals tenure. Facing Texas Rangers starter Jack Leiter in the bottom of the first inning […]

The Washington Commanders are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in a Monday Night Football preseason matchup. NFL fans are eager to see if Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels can build on his sensational rookie season in 2025. However, Washington has exercised caution with their franchise passer. Daniels was held out of the Commanders’ preseason debut last […]

The St. Louis Cardinals’ playoff chances took a major hit with the team’s five-game skid. After dropping two of three games against the Colorado Rockies, the Cardinals were swept at home by the New York Yankees in a three-game series, falling 5.5 games out of the final NL playoff berth. The Cardinals’ situation is now […]

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale has been sidelined since mid June with a rib fracture. Despite the Braves recent surge, winning eight of the last nine games, Atlanta is playing out a lost season. But after two months on the shelf, the 36-year-old starter is working toward a comeback. Sale began a rehab assignment last […]

The Chicago Cubs jumped out to a big lead in the NL Central early in the season. Chicago still maintained an advantage in the division heading into the All-Star break. One of the big reasons for the Cubs’ success was the offseason acquisition of Kyle Tucker from the Astros. Tucker got off to a blazing […]

The Minnesota Vikings were holding a quarterback competition between journeyman Sam Darnold and first-year passer J.J. McCarthy last offseason. After the rookie tore his meniscus in the preseason, Darnold took the starting job and ran with it. The Vikings developed a potent passing game with the veteran, finishing the year 14-3. In 2025, Minnesota will […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers turned to Blake Snell in the second game of a pivotal series against the San Diego Padres. The two-time Cy Young winner followed Clayton Kershaw’s vintage performance in the series opener with a dominant outing. And Snell got some help from Will Smith early in the divisional grudge match. The Dodgers’ […]

The Milwaukee Brewers have done it again. After mounting an improbable seven-run comeback in the series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, the Brewers notched another thrilling win on Saturday. The 6-5 victory in extra innings extended Milwaukee’s winning streak to a franchise-record 14 straight games. The Reds had an opportunity to hand the Brewers their […]

With veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the roster, the New York Giants were planning on a redshirt season for Jaxson Dart in 2025. But the rookie passer might be forcing the Giants’ hand with his strong performance in the preseason. Wilson impressed early with an 80-yard strike in the Giants’ first drive […]

While rookie first-round draft pick Jaxson Dart had generated plenty of buzz, Russell Wilson will begin the 2025 season as the New York Giants’ starting quarterback. Wilson has struggled at times adjusting to his new team. But in Saturday’s preseason matchup against the New York Jets, the 10-time Pro Bowler looked sharp early. Wilson reminded […]

The New York Mets faced a troubling reality after their 11-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday. New York had dropped 14 of the last 16 games as a brutal slump derailed a promising season, knocking the team out of the division race. Francisco Lindor addressed the Mets’ struggles after New York lost its […]

It was a busy offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders. Pete Carroll is now running the show in Las Vegas. Veteran passer Geno Smith took over quarterbacking duties after coming over in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. And the team drafted rookie sensation Ashton Jeanty to upgrade its running game. But the revamped Raiders […]

The Milwaukee Brewers rolled into Cincinnati on a historic hot streak. The Brewers had racked up 12 straight wins and they were handing the ball to Jacob Misiorowski for the series opener against the Reds. With the rookie phenom rejoining baseball’s best team after a stint on the injured list, it almost seemed unfair. However, […]

The Cincinnati Reds had a chance. Milwaukee Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski struggled in his return from the injured list Friday. The rookie phenom didn’t have his stuff, lasting less than two innings as the Reds jumped out to an early 8-1 lead. Cincinnati had the seemingly invincible Brewers on the ropes. But Christian Yelich never […]

The stakes are high as the San Diego Padres take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a pivotal divisional clash. Earlier this week, the Padres overtook the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. LA hasn’t been out of first place this late in a season since 2021. And, more astoundingly, it’s the latest […]

The Boston Red Sox opened August on a hot streak that allowed them to pass the New York Yankees in the AL East for the first time this season. However Boston has since cooled off, losing five of the last seven games. And things were again looking bleak in Friday’s series opener against the Miami […]

Despite injuries piling up all season long, the Los Angeles Dodgers had been able to maintain a lead in the NL West. But after the Los Angeles Angels extended the team’s losing streak to four straight games, the Dodgers dropped in the standings. LA is now a game behind San Diego as the division rivals […]

The Houston Astros are in the thick of a division race against the surging Seattle Mariners. Houston has won six of the last nine games to hang onto a slim lead in the AL West. But the team will be without Jeremy Peña for Friday’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. While Peña has missed […]

Over the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers caused a stir with a historic spending spree. As LA hoarded talent, MLB grew concerned about audience disengagement. Some fans of smaller market teams became disillusioned, believing that the 2025 season was a foregone conclusion because the Dodgers won the winter. Every professional sports league strives for parity […]