Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Monday, September 2nd.

MLB

Get ready for a baseball playoff race check-in tomorrow. But first, some important home runs from yesterday’s action:

• Jose Ramirez and Bo Naylor are the first teammates to reach the 100-RBI benchmark. Naylor launched a two-run homer as Cleveland won 4-2 in a crucial game against the Kansas City Royals.

• Freddie Freeman hit two dingers, including one at the end of a lengthy 11-pitch at-bat. Freeman and the Dodgers took down their AL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks 11-6.

• Willy Adames celebrated his 29th birthday with a home run for the FIFTH straight game and the Brewers walloped the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3. Do yourself a favor and listen to legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker on the call for rookie Jackson Chourio’s grand slam:

NCAA FOOTBALL

Only one team ranked in the preseason top 25 has lost to an unranked opponent this season. Only one team this season in the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or SEC has lost to a team inside their own conference. Now, what if I told you that this was the same team? And that they achieved both of these feats twice!

Florida State continued their nightmare start to the season, getting worked over last night by Boston College and losing by a score of 28-13. BC marched into Tallahassee and ran for 263 yards against the Seminoles. It’s a great win for the Eagles and head coach Bill O’Brien… at the same time, Florida State fans might want to avert their eyes from the video below– this is what we call a lowlight:

TENNIS

We’ve reached the final eight at the US Open! Yesterday’s matches were fairly one-sided, although Tommy Paul gave everything he had in a 7-6, 7-6, 6-1 loss to Jannik Sinner. The ITR (Italian Tennis Robot) has continued to play the unwavering and unbreakable brand of tennis that I saw in Cincinnati two weeks ago. Let’s break down the quarterfinals, shall we?

Eight extremely talented tennis players– here’s how I rank the likelihood of each hoisting the trophy:

1. Jannik Sinner: see above… also the only man this year to reach the QF in each of the four majors

2. Daniil Medvedev: the only remaining US Open champion. His match against Sinner might be the real final

3. Alexander Zverev: no Carlos, no Novak… is this the big break he’s been waiting for?

4. Francis Tiafoe: home crowd favorite. Finalist in Cincy. Let’s go Big Foe!

5. Jack Draper: the name’s Draper, Jack Draper. Young British lefty is playing the best tennis of his life

6. Alex de Minaur: speedy Australian is super fun to watch– does he have enough firepower?

7. Grigor Dimitrov: late career resurgence… the only player remaining over 30

8. Taylor Fritz: a great 2024 for Fritz, I just don’t see him winning this one

There’s a clear favorite on the women’s side, but an exciting group of challengers have made it through to the final eight. I don’t feel too confident about this list, but here’s how I rank their championship chances:

1. Aryna Sabalenka: is there anyone on the planet right now who’s playing better tennis than Aryna Sabalenka?

2. Iga Swiatek: she’s world number one for good reason

3. Paula Badosa: former world number two has officially launched #comebackseason. Badosa has the game to play with the very best

4. Jessica Pegula: winner of Toronto, finals in Cincy– is this her big breakthrough?

5. Karolina Muchova: dominant showing so far in New York. Unseeded, but should not be underestimated

6. Emma Navarro: her first time on this big stage, and it’s with a home crowd. Can Emma Navarro keep raising her level?

7. Qinwen Zheng: Olympic gold medalist and Australian Open finalist. Too bad she has to play Sabalenka tonight

8. Beatriz Haddad Maia: a great run, but might be overmatched at this point in the tournament

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

History at the Paralympics! Jayci Simon and Miles Krajewski won the silver medal in para badminton mixed doubles. It’s the first badminton medal for the United States at any Olympic competition.

The San Diego Padres activated outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. from the injured list. Tatis had been out since June with a leg injury, and he’s back just in time for the final playoff push.

PLAY OF THE DAY

Jannik Sinner is quickly becoming one of the most dominant athletes I’ve ever seen. Take a look at this ridiculous passing shot:

Credit to Tommy Paul, who played a great match and fought as hard as he could. When the other guy hits shots like that, there’s just no right answer.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

MLB: Pirates @ Cubs, 7:40 PM

• A rematch from last week, when Paul Skenes started the game strong but the Pittsburgh bullpen imploded and gave up eleven runs. That’s my *pitch* for you to tune in for the sequel.

TENNIS: US Open quarterfinals, on ABC/ESPN

• Paula Badosa (26) vs Emma Navarro (13) at Noon

• Taylor Fritz (12) vs Alexander Zverev (4) (following the previous match)

• Qinwen Zheng (7) vs Aryna Sabalenka (2) at 7 PM

• Grigor Dimitrov (9) vs Francis Tiafoe (20) (following the previous match)

And that’s a Remix! Enjoy your Tuesday.