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PASADENA, Calif. — Shedeur Sanders‘ tired demeanor and the box score from Colorado‘s 28-16 loss to UCLA on Saturday told a similar story.

Over the course of 60 minutes at the Rose Bowl, Sanders was sacked seven times, hit 17 other times and knocked down 13 times, and he was pressured in the backfield on countless more occasions.

While the Buffaloes’ offense failed to score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, Sanders spent his night scrambling, sliding or crumpling under the weight of the Bruins’ defenders. Colorado managed only 25 rushing yards and 242 total yards, a crippling combination that prevented its quarterback from doing what he does best: throw the ball down the field.

“I’m a little biased because I’m his father, but I think we have the best quarterback in the country,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said of Shedeur, who was 27-of-43 for 217 yards. “I don’t think any other quarterback could put up with having to stand and deliver like he has to every week in, week out, taking a beating.”

What wasn’t clear at first was later revealed by Deion: The hits Shedeur has absorbed in recent weeks and on Saturday led to him receiving an injection at halftime to “block some of the pain.” Deion said he would give Shedeur the next few days off.

While Deion Sanders did not specify what kind of pain Shedeur was dealing with during Saturday’s game, he did express regret in how poorly the quarterback has been protected.

“Overall, we just don’t have the fight and the passion to do what we want to do,” Deion Sanders said of the offensive line, which has been depleted by injuries. “The line has to improve. We have to have enough depth to be able to accomplish the goals that we set out to accomplish.”

Colorado — and by extension Shedeur — has been one of the most pressured teams in the nation. Going into Saturday’s game, the Buffaloes were allowing five sacks per game, ranking 132nd out of 133 teams in the country. The trickle-down effect of poor line play has led to a rapidly declining running game, putting far more pressure on Shedeur to make magic happen in the backfield.

“It’s really frustrating because I just need to get feedback just knowing what’s open and what’s not,” Shedeur Sanders said, while taking responsibility for the offense not being on the same page. “I just got to make my mind up faster and get the ball out of my hands quicker.”

Against the Bruins, Colorado’s offensive game plan appeared to prioritize quick throws from Sanders to cutting receivers or on screens. But the UCLA defense, one of the best in the country, quickly snuffed out the strategy. By the time Colorado found itself down in the game, its play on the line did not suit the need to throw downfield.

“It’s a struggle to run the ball, and we got to figure that out because now you’re one-dimensional,” Deion Sanders said. “And it’s easy to stop a team when they’re one-dimensional. That’s who we are at this point in time.”

Despite a strong start for the Colorado defense — which featured two acrobatic interceptions by two-way star Travis Hunter — the unit eventually broke down without safety Shilo Sanders, who was ejected due to targeting, and without much help from the offensive side of the ball. The Bruins finished with 487 yards of offense and 14 points in the fourth quarter to seal the result.

Deion, as he is wont to do, did not mince words on what Colorado needs to improve and compete at a higher level. He said the Buffaloes have to get a better offensive line. But when asked about whether he is mindful of the Buffaloes’ quest to six wins and a bowl berth, he bristled at the notion that he or the team — currently 4-4 after a 3-0 start — was focused on that.

“I don’t give a damn about no bowl,” Deion Sanders said. “We’re trying to win, period. The consistency there just isn’t there at this point because of the lack of talent in certain positions.”

Despite the loss and the climb to Colorado’s first bowl appearance since 2020 looking tougher, Coach Prime, the showman, was still present after the game. The smiles and the quips were still plenty and so were the harsh truths. But as always, the message of long-term optimism persisted.

“I would love to win. I’m accustomed to winning, and we will win,” Deion Sanders said. “Just put your seat belt on and hold on. We’ll win.”

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Greene returning to Reds rotation for playoff push

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Greene returning to Reds rotation for playoff push

Hunter Greene will return to the Cincinnati Reds‘ rotation Wednesday night.

The right-hander will start against visiting Philadelphia after being out since June 4 with a strained right groin. The same injury sidelined Greene for two weeks in May.

Greene is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 11 starts this season. The 26-year-old was selected to the All-Star Game last year for the first time.

In three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville, Greene allowed 11 runs in 11 innings.

Cincinnati (61-57) entered Sunday 2½ games behind the New York Mets for the third wild-card spot in the National League.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Phillies call up Robertson, 40, for bullpen assist

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Phillies call up Robertson, 40, for bullpen assist

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Philadelphia Phillies recalled 40-year-old reliever David Robertson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, three weeks after he signed a free agent deal with the National League East leaders.

Robertson made six relief appearances with Lehigh Valley and had a 10.13 ERA, though he had four scoreless outings. He struck out six, walked one and allowed 11 hits and six runs in 5⅓ innings.

The Phillies made the move before their series finale at Texas, where Robertson was 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 68 games last season.

Right-hander Alan Rangel was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster.

Over his 16-year major league career, Robertson has a 2.91 ERA in 861 games, all but one of those in relief. This is his third stint with the Phillies, first as a free agent before the 2019 season and then after being acquired in a trade from the Chicago Cubs in 2022. He played nine seasons with the Yankees over two different times in New York, which drafted him in the 17th round of the 2006 amateur draft.

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Ohtani hits 40-HR mark for 4th time in career

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Ohtani hits 40-HR mark for 4th time in career

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season Saturday night in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 9-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ohtani hit a solo shot 417 feet to center off starter Chris Bassitt to give the Dodgers a three-run lead.

“That was one of those swings where he was behind the ball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He stayed into the ground. I know he and the hitting guys have been working on some things mechanically. That was as good of a swing as you’re going to see.”

Ohtani was not made available to the media.

The two-way Japanese star reached 40 homers for the fourth time in his career — and the third straight season — after winning MVP awards in each of the previous three years he did it.

He is the third player with multiple 40-HR seasons in the American League and National League, joining Jim Thome and Mark McGwire.

He did it this time in his 115th game, the fewest needed to reach the mark in a season in Dodgers history.

With 45 regular-season games left, Roberts was asked if he thought Ohtani could reach 55.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Roberts said. “Guys like Shohei always look for something to motivate them. He likes round numbers. I know 50 is on his radar. We’ll see how it goes.”

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

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