Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 8.18.25
I love the Little League World Series.
Vikings lost their second pre-season game, 12-10 to the Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday. Sam Howell sure doesn’t look like a No. 2 quarterback. The Vikings can’t afford to be weak there, not with a rookie QB1 coming off an injury. Could former Gopher Max Brosmer make this team as a No. 3 QB? I hope so. Vikings at Tennessee on Friday in the last pre-season game.
No word on Marco Rossi’s contract situation in weeks; that’s not a good sign.
Even once you see it, you won’t believe Scottie Schefflers’ chip-in birdie on No. 17 to give him the BMW Championship. He was down four when he teed off on No. 1 Sunday. He erased a four-shot deficit in five holes. The TOUR Championship is this week; unlike last year, there’s no staggered scores and everyone starts at even par. Good luck to all those chasing Scottie.
There’s no Stopping the Lynx
In Vegas, the Lynx and Liberty are almost identical odds to win the WNBA championship. Get down on Minnesota while you can.
The Lynx’ tour de force of the WNBA regular season is something to see. Minnesota beat New York in yet another WNBA Finals rematch Saturday, 86-80 at Target Center behind 26 points from Courtney Williams.
Minnesota has won six in a row - four without injured Napheesa Collier and three against the Liberty, and 10 of 11 overall. They’re seven games up on Atlanta and 7.5 ahead of New York.
New York has injury issues too - Breanna Stewart will miss a month with a back injury when it’s all said and done. But the teams meet again Tuesday in New York, and a Minnesota win would be its third over the Liberty in nine days and fourth in three weeks.
There are 11 games left. Looking at who’d be the eight seed, five teams are separated by 2.5 games for the sixth through 10th spots.
Twins Rough Up Paddack Again, Salvage Series Finale
If only the Twins could face Chris Paddack more often. They lit up their former ‘mate for the second time this month, reaching the righthander for eight runs in a 8-1 win over Detroit yesterday. The Tigers had taken the first three games of the series.
The Twins dropped to 7-9 since the trade deadline, with two of the wins coming against Paddack. It’s got to feel good for the remaining Twins, after Paddack told media in Detroit how much better the Tigers’ facilities are than that of the Twins (twins facilities are just fine, by the way).
Byron Buxton hit his 25th homer, Brooks Lee belted a grand slam and Royce Lewis also homered against Paddack. Journeyman Tyler Hatch got the win with five shutout innings.
The Twins have today off before welcoming the Athletics for three. I originally wrote “woeful” before Athletics, but they’re only three games behind the Twins!
Loons Move Closer to Securing Third Seed with Win over Seattle
Joaquín Pereyra scored in the 72nd minute as the Loons earned a rare win over Seattle, 1-0 at Allianz Field on Saturday. The Sounders are the Loons’ nearest pursuer for third in the West; the win moved Minnesota six points clear of Seattle with seven games left. The Sounders do have one game in hand.
Minnesota visits Real Salt Lake - a team currently out of the playoff race - Saturday. If the season ended today the Loons would play Portland in a best-of-three, first-round series.
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