Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 5

The Toronto Blue Jays got to Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen in Game 1 of the World Series. The Blue Jays’ historic offensive eruption in the sixth inning of the opener lifted the team to an 11-4 win. But Toronto faced another tall task with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound for the […]

The Philadelphia Eagles bounced back from an embarrassing Week 6 loss to the New York Giants with a 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Now the Eagles have an opportunity to avenge the loss to their division rival in a rematch with the Giants in Week 8. But Philadelphia will be missing a […]

Expectations were high for the Los Angeles Dodgers entering Game 1 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The reigning champs had won five straight games, including a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. The Dodgers’ pitching staff had held opponents to five total runs over the last five contests and […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers felt confident with Blake Snell taking the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series. The Dodgers’ pitching staff had been stingy in the postseason, holding opponents to a single run in five straight games. And Snell capped a historic six-start run with his eight-inning gem […]

The Toronto Blue Jays broke Game 1 of the World Series open with a historic offensive outburst. Toronto’s nine-run sixth inning sent fans into a frenzy as the Blue Jays took a commanding 11-2 lead. With the game in hand, the crowd started a chant. The Blue Jays faithful hadn’t forgotten that Shohei Ohtani spurned […]

The Toronto Blue Jays faced a daunting task in Game 1 of the World Series. Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Blake Snell had been sensational in three playoff starts, leading a historically dominant rotation. The Dodgers’ bullpen had also excelled in the playoffs, helping LA’s starters hold opponents to just one run in five straight games. […]

The Toronto Blue Jays got a big boost for their World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bo Bichette was added to the roster for the Fall Classic after sitting out the first two rounds of the playoffs with an injury. Bichette had been sidelined since September 6 before taking the field Friday. And […]

An early September knee injury sidelined Bo Bichette for the stretch run at the end of the regular season. After the Toronto Blue Jays won the AL East and secured a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed, Bichette was still not healthy enough to play. Toronto left him off the ALDS and ALCS rosters. […]

Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers were coming off disappointing losses to conference rivals when they met on Thursday night in Week 8. Both teams were hoping to bounce back in prime time despite dealing with injuries on a short week. But it was the Chargers who won in a blowout as […]

The Minnesota Vikings lost for the second time in five days after the team’s no-show on Thursday Night Football. A banged up Carson Wentz got the start but struggled against a strong Los Angeles Chargers defense. Vikings fans hope to forget the 37-10 Week 8 drubbing. And apparently they’re not alone. The NFL would like […]

The Minnesota Vikings once again turned to backup quarterback Carson Wentz for Week 8’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. J.J. McCarthy has been sidelined by a high ankle sprain since Week 2. The Vikings’ ostensible starting quarterback missed his fifth straight game Thursday. Kevin O’Connell said he wanted to see McCarthy […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers cruised past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, earning their second straight trip to the World Series. Los Angeles overwhelmed the Brewers with one of the greatest pitching performances in postseason history. The Dodgers’ rotation was essentially flawless in the four-game sweep, making Dave Roberts’ World Series pitching plan a no-brainer. […]

The Denver Broncos improved to 5-2 on the season after edging out Jaxson Dart and the upstart New York Giants in Week 7’s stunning comeback win. Denver needed to score a franchise-record 33 fourth-quarter points after another slow start on offense. The Broncos’ struggles through three quarters led some to suggest Sean Payton relinquish play-calling […]

The Green Bay Packers are preparing to play Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. The matchup with the former Packers quarterback is making headlines but Matt LaFleur is doing his best to downplay the Rodgers narrative. Green Bay’s head coach insisted that it’s a media-constructed storyline. And, according to LaFleur, very […]

The Green Bay Packers travel to western Pennsylvania to square off against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 8. The prime time matchup marks the first time the future Hall of Famer has faced his former team since departing Green Bay after the 2022 season. But Rodgers is downplaying […]

Just prior to the 2025 MLB trade deadline Major League Baseball launched a gambling investigation into Emmanuel Clase. The Cleveland Guardians’ All-Star reliever and teammate Luis Ortiz were placed on non-disciplinary paid leave while MLB’s inquiry played out. The investigation, which is still ongoing, sidelined both pitchers for the remainder of the 2025 season. Clase, […]

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson vowed to step aside this season so Aaron Glenn could run the team unencumbered by his meddling. But fans knew it was only a matter of time before Johnson made himself part of the narrative in 2025. On Tuesday, the Jets owner offered support for his beleaguered head coach […]

As their former two-way superstar helps their crosstown rivals’ quest to repeat as World Series champions, the Los Angeles Angels are keeping busy too. LA is on the hunt for a new manager. And, for a moment, it appeared the Angels had something exciting in the works. Albert Pujols was the top candidate to become […]

The Detroit Lions shut down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7’s NFC heavyweight clash. The Bucs came into the Monday Night Football showdown on a roll. Tampa Bay had scored at least 30 points and racked up at least 352 total yards of offense in back-to-back wins. But the Lions’ defense dominated, holding Baker […]

The Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 4-3 win in Game 7, eliminating the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS and advancing to the World Series for the first time in 32 years. Toronto overcame an early 0-2 ALCS hole to win four of the next five games, including Monday’s decisive Game 7. The Blue […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series for the second straight season after eliminating the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. There are plenty of performances worthy of attention after the four-game sweep. But any conversation about the NLCS must start and end with the fact that Shohei Ohtani played arguably the greatest game […]

The Baltimore Ravens have struggled in 2025. The perennial contender has lost four straight games, falling to 1-5 on the season and last place in the AFC North. Baltimore went just 1-3 with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson on the field. So it’s not surprising that the Ravens’ slide continued with backup Cooper Rush stepping in. […]

The Detroit Lions are looking to rebound from a disheartening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The 4-2 Lions will be missing key members of the secondary against Baker Mayfield and company in Week 7. However, Detroit will get a […]

The New York Jets set football back 60 years with an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos in London last Sunday. The offense managed just 82 total yards against Denver as Justin Fields took nine sacks and accounted for -11 net passing yards. The last time the Jets embarrassed owner Woody Johnson in London the […]

The Washington Commanders are preparing for an NFC East showdown against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. The Commanders have an opportunity to wrest control of the division from the suddenly vulnerable Philadelphia Eagles. And the Cowboys present an exploitable matchup for Washington’s offense. Unfortunately, the Commanders’ offense has been decimated by injuries. Jayden Daniels […]

The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, ending a four-game losing streak. Las Vegas was able to overcome the 1-5 Titans with Brock Bowers sidelined by a knee injury. But the Raiders could have a tougher time against the Kansas City Chiefs without their All-Pro tight end. Bowers returned to a […]

The Las Vegas Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a Week 6 win over the lowly Tennessee Titans. Las Vegas ended its ugly skid despite playing without Brock Bowers. The All-Pro tight end has been hampered by a PCL sprain since the season opener. And now the beleaguered Raiders offense is dealing with another […]

The New York Jets will be missing their most important offensive player when the team takes on the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Garrett Wilson was ruled out for Sunday’s clash with Carolina. The star wideout injured his knee in last week’s harrowing loss to the Denver Broncos. Wilson’s absence will further hamper the league’s […]

Throughout the season the Los Angeles Dodgers have dealt with the popular perception that the team is “buying championships.” Los Angeles stockpiled talent in an offseason spending spree that some fans felt was bad for baseball. Manager Dave Roberts defended the organization when the Dodgers’ payroll was brought up prior to Game 4 of the […]

Trailing 2-1 in Game 5 of the ALCS, the Seattle Mariners rallied. Eugenio Suarez’s grand slam capped a wild five-run inning that put Seattle up 6-2 entering the ninth. While it wasn’t a save situation, a win in Game 5 would arguably be the biggest victory in franchise history. The Mariners are the only team […]

The Seattle Mariners rebounded from back-to-back losses in the ALCS with a dramatic come-from-behind win in Game 5 Friday. The Toronto Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning when Cal Raleigh tied the game with a solo home run. Four batters later, Eugenio Suárez gave the Mariners the lead with a grand […]

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the ALCS, the Seattle Mariners suffered back-to-back blowout losses. The Toronto Blue Jays tied the Championship Series 2-2 and had momentum on their side entering Game 5 on Friday. Toronto appeared poised to win its third straight road game, taking a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning. […]

The Milwaukee Brewers are facing elimination in Game 4 of the NLCS. The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the Championship Series with a dominant pitching performance. Milwaukee has been held to just one run in each of its three NLCS losses. And now the Brewers must contend with Shohei Ohtani in Game […]

The Minnesota Vikings’ Week 6 bye allowed the banged up team to rest several key players ahead of Sunday’s clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Minnesota isn’t fully healthy coming out of the break. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss his fourth straight game with a high ankle sprain. Carson Wentz will start in Week 7 […]

The Toronto Blue Jays handed the ball to Max Scherzer in Game 4 of the ALCS hoping to build on the momentum created by Wednesday’s offensive eruption. The three-time Cy Young winner rose to the occasion with a vintage performance against the Seattle Mariners. Scherzer worked into the sixth inning, striking out five batters and […]

After Wednesday’s offensive eruption the Toronto Blue Jays gave Max Scherzer the ball in Game 4 of the ALCS. And Scherzer gave the Blue Jays a vintage performance, earning his first postseason win since 2019. The three-time Cy Young winner also gave manager John Schneider PTSD. The Blue Jays skipper made the mistake of visiting […]

The Toronto Blue Jays’ bats woke up when the ALCS shifted to Seattle on Wednesday. Toronto poured it on the Mariners in a 13-4 rout as Seattle’s series lead was cut to 2-1. The Blue Jays then tabbed Max Scherzer for the Game 4 start, hoping to keep the pressure on Seattle. And the three-time […]

The Seattle Mariners are looking to rebound after a 13-4 trouncing in Game 3 of the ALCS. The Toronto Blue Jays’ offense came alive when the Championship Series shifted to Seattle on Wednesday. The Mariners endured a 13-run barrage as Toronto got its first win of the series. But Seattle responded with some firepower of […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. Los Angeles won the first two games on the road despite Shohei Ohtani’s brutal postseason slump. The reigning NL MVP has struggled in October. But he got off to a strong start in Game 3 of the […]