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DALLAS — Quinn Ewers finally got a chance to play in his first Red River Showdown, and he made the most of it, leading Texas to a historic 49-0 win over Oklahoma on Saturday.

After getting the starting nod late this week following recovery from a clavicle injury suffered in Week 2 against Alabama, Ewers threw for a career-high 289 yards, completing 21 of 31 passes for four touchdowns and one interception.

The redshirt freshman from Southlake Carroll, who played high school football about 30 miles from the Cotton Bowl, said it was a dream to play in this game.

“I know all these guys were pretty excited, but growing up a fan, I always wanted to play in this one,” Ewers said. “So it’s pretty special.”

Ewers’ demeanor in the raucous environment of the rivalry game in the middle of the State Fair of Texas impressed his teammates.

“His poise in any situation is unmatched,” said Jordan Whittington, who caught five passes for 97 yards. “He just looks calm, relaxed the whole time. If you went to war with somebody and you look at him and he’s freaking out, you’d probably freak out. You got Quinn in a war with you, you’re just chilling. So I’d be relaxed, too.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he didn’t decide on who would be the starter until late in the week after both Hudson Card and Ewers, who had been struggling with injuries, looked healthier than they had been in weeks.

“I know everyone thinks this was the plan all along or something,” Sarkisian said. “I didn’t notify Quinn or Hud of what was going to happen this week, literally, until Thursday afternoon.”

But he said both quarterbacks were ready, and he was happy about how Ewers performed.

“Quinn was spot on,” Sarkisian said. “The ball was going where it was supposed to go, on time. And the playmakers made their plays. … In the end, he was ready, and that’s why we did what we did.”

The blowout made history for both teams, marking Texas’ biggest margin of victory in the 118-game series as well as the Longhorns’ first shutout win over OU since 1965. For the Sooners, it was their biggest shutout loss in history, surpassing a 47-0 defeat by Oklahoma State in 1945, and was the third-largest margin of defeat in program history. After a 55-24 loss to TCU last week, the Sooners have now lost back-to-back games by more than 30 points for the first time in school history.

It also ended a 311-game scoring streak by Oklahoma, which was the seventh longest in the FBS, and ended an FBS-best streak of 167 straight games with an offensive touchdown.

Without Dillon Gabriel, who is in concussion protocol and was ruled out this week by Oklahoma coach Brent Venables after suffering a blow to the head in last week’s loss to TCU, the Sooners tried a patchwork approach at QB, using backup Davis Beville, who went 6-of-12 for 38 yards and an interception, along with Wildcat formation plays featuring a tight end, running back and wide receiver taking direct snaps, before true freshman Nick Evers entered the game in the fourth quarter. Venables would say after the game only that Gabriel was progressing, and the Sooners will be monitoring his availability.

Oklahoma managed just 195 yards and 11 first downs. The Sooners’ leading receiver, Brayden Willis, had two catches for 25 yards.

“We were good enough on both sides of the ball to be a lot more competitive and have a chance to win the game than what we displayed,” Venables said. “The responsibility starts with me, and I obviously did a very poor job.”

For Texas, which had lost four straight to Oklahoma, it was a chance to celebrate, particularly for seniors like linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who is finally able to bring the Golden Hat trophy back to Austin.

“Not being able to bring the hat home four years in a row, it was heartbreaking,” Overshown said. “But leaving with it this year, you’re never going to forget that. … Now when people ask us about our senior year what happened with the OU game, we can tell them with a smile on our face, ‘Yeah, go ahead and sit down.'”

Ewers didn’t downplay the significance of what it meant for him to win the game for his home state.

“We all circled this one on the calendar,” he said. “Especially to all of us because they come into our state, you know, and we own the state. For them to come in and for us to finally get the hat back, it’s a lot of fun.”

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.

Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.

The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.

The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.

Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.

The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.

Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.

Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).

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Joe Buck joins father, wins HOF’s Frick Award

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Joe Buck joins father, wins HOF's Frick Award

Even though Joe Buck is more widely known these days as the voice of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” his broadcast career is rooted in baseball, including calling the most World Series games on television.

On Wednesday, Buck received a call that he thought was at least a few years down the line. He found out he received the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting by baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Buck is not only the 50th winner of the Frick Award, he joins his father, Jack, to become the only father-son duo to win the honor. Jack Buck, who broadcast St. Louis Cardinals games from 1954 until 2021 and was the lead announcer on CBS’ baseball package in 1990 and ’91, received the award in 1987.

“I am shocked in many ways. I didn’t think this was coming right now,” Buck said. “I was saying to the group that called to tell me that my best memory of my father as a Major League Baseball broadcaster was in 1987 in Cooperstown, New York, and what it meant to him, what it meant to our family to see him get the award. To see the joy and the pride that he had for what he had done.”

Joe Buck will receive the award during the Hall’s July 25, 2026, awards presentation in Cooperstown, a day ahead of induction ceremonies. At 56, Buck becomes the second-youngest Frick Award winner, trailing only Vin Scully, who was 54 when he was named the 1982 winner.

Buck grew up in St. Louis and called games for the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds in 1989 and ’90 after graduating from Indiana University. He joined his father for Cardinals broadcasts in 1991, a job Joe held through 2007. Jack Buck died in June 2002 at age 77.

“I was lucky to call Jack Buck my dad and my best friend. I’m lucky that I’m Carol Buck’s son. I tend to downplay awards and what have you because of always feeling like I had a leg up at the start of my career and I did. I’m the first to admit it. But I am happy that when I was a kid, I paid attention and I wanted to be with him. I think the greatest gift my dad gave me was allowing me to be in the room with him. I’d like to think there’s still some stuff out in front of me, but this is the greatest honor I could receive. And to know what he would be thinking and feeling on this day, that’s the part what makes it special.

“I recall him saying [during his speech] that he was honored to be the eyes and the ears for Cardinal fans, wherever the Cardinals went, and he was very proud of being the conduit between wherever the Cardinals were playing and those fans that were listening. That always resonated with me.”

Buck joined Fox Sports when it started doing NFL games in 1994. Two years later, it got the rights to Major League Baseball and Buck was made the lead announcer with Tim McCarver as the analyst. McCarver retired from broadcasting after the 2013 season and received the Frick Award in 2021.

Buck was 27 when he called his first World Series in 1996. He would go on to do the Fall Classic in 1998 and then annually from 2000-21. His 135 World Series games make him one of six U.S. play-by-play announcers to reach the century mark calling either the Fall Classic, NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Finals. Scully had 126 World Series games on radio and television.

Buck also worked 21 All-Star Games and 26 League Championship Series for Fox before joining ESPN in 2022 as the voice of “Monday Night Football.”

Since going to ESPN, Buck called a game on Opening Day last year and worked a Cardinals game with Chip Caray in 2023. Buck said there is the possibility of doing a couple more games for ESPN in the future.

“I think of myself as a baseball announcer probably first because that’s what I was around the most. I love the game. I’m a fan of the game,” he said. “I still dream as a baseball announcer at night. I think all announcers have the same nightmare where you show up at a game and you can’t see anybody on the field, you don’t know anybody’s name and you’re trying to fake your way through a broadcast. Those are all baseball games in my dreams. So it’s in my genetics, it’s in my DNA. I grew up at Busch Stadium as a kid and yeah, baseball is always kind of first and foremost in my heart.”

Buck also becomes the sixth broadcaster to win both the Frick Award and the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, joining Jack Buck, Dick Enberg, Curt Gowdy, Al Michaels and Lindsey Nelson.

A broadcaster must have 10 continuous years of experience with a network or team to be considered, and the ballot was picked by a subcommittee of past winners that includes Marty Brennaman, Joe Castiglione and Bob Costas, along with broadcast historians David J. Halberstam and Curt Smith. At least one candidate must be a foreign-language broadcaster.

Voters are 13 past winners — Brennaman, Castiglione, Costas, Ken Harrelson, Pat Hughes, Jaime Jarrín, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Michaels, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Dave Van Horne and Tom Hamilton — plus historians Halberstam, Smith and former Dallas Morning News writer Barry Horn.

John Rooney of the Cardinals and Brian Anderson of the Milwaukee Brewers were ballot newcomers this year, joining returnees Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Duane Kuiper and John Sterling. Buck was on the ballot after being dropped last year, and Dan Shulman was on for the third time in four years.

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