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Reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tore the ACL in his left knee Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season, a significant blow to an Atlanta Braves team that already lost ace Spencer Strider for 2024.

Acuña crumbled between second and third base during the first inning of the Braves’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after his left knee buckled on a delayed steal attempt. An MRI revealed the torn left ACL, which comes less than three years after Acuña suffered the same injury to his right knee while jumping to make a catch in right field.

Acuña, 26, is regarded as one of the best players in Major League Baseball and the franchise player for a Braves team that entered the season as the second likeliest to win the World Series. Despite losing Acuña in 2021, the Braves recovered to sneak into the postseason with 88 wins and romped to their fourth championship.

Atlanta won a major-league-best 104 games last season as Acuña batted .337/.416/.596 with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs and 73 stolen bases. Never before had a player finished a season with at least 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases, and the achievement thrust Acuña to a unanimous MVP award. The Braves fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in the division series for the second consecutive season.

Acuña entered the 2024 season with outsize expectations accordingly — and, like many of his Braves teammates, he had struggled over the first third of the season to reach them. In 49 games, Acuña hit .250/.351/.365 with 4 home runs, 15 RBIs and 16 stolen bases while playing below-average defense.

Prior to the announcement by the team that Acuña would miss the season, he told reporters that the injury felt less severe than the one in 2018.

“[I] don’t feel that painful, any pop or anything,” Acuña said. “… Don’t think it’s that bad.”

Following the team’s announcement, Acuña put out a one-word post on social media, “Sorry,” accompanied by broken heart and crying emojis.

Losing Acuña — who had led off Sunday’s 8-1 win against the Pirates with a double — is still a crushing blow for a Braves team whose offense has disappeared after a record-setting .501 slugging percentage last season. While designated hitter Marcell Ozuna has been one of the best hitters in baseball, Atlanta’s other core hitters — first baseman Matt Olson, second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley and center fielder Michael Harris II — all carry an OPS below .750.

Atlanta’s pitching has nonetheless carried it to a 30-20 record, tied for second in the NL with the Los Angeles Dodgers and behind the 38-16 Phillies, who are six games ahead of the Braves in the NL East and own the best mark in MLB.

The Braves have received standout performances from left-hander Chris Sale — who they acquired in a trade over the winter — as well as free agent signing Reynaldo Lopez, whose 1.75 ERA is the third best in the NL. Atlanta needed both to step up after Strider, the 25-year-old who led baseball with 281 strikeouts last season, underwent Tommy John surgery in April.

Acuña burst on the scene as a 20-year-old in 2018 and won the NL Rookie of the Year award after hitting .293/.366/.552 with 26 home runs. Before the next season, he signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension that included a pair of club options, and quickly it was regarded as the team-friendliest deal in the sport.

Acuña expressed hope this past winter that he could sign a new extension that would pay him more in line with the best players in the sport, but talks never went far. Acuña currently does not have an agent representing him on the baseball side, but he recently signed with Rimas Sports — whose lead agent was recently decertified by the MLB Players Association — to handle his marketing and endorsements.

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Toledo beats Pittsburgh in bowl-record six OTs

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Toledo beats Pittsburgh in bowl-record six OTs

DETROIT — Tucker Gleason ran for one overtime score and threw for four more as Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a bowl-record six overtimes at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field on Thursday.

The game surpassed the previous mark set 48 hours earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State 41-39 in five overtimes in the Hawai’i Bowl on Tuesday.

This is the third bowl game to go to multiple overtimes this season, already the most in a single bowl season since OT was established in 1996. Northern Illinois beat Fresno State 28-20 in double overtime in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday. There had never been a bowl game to go to four overtimes before this week.

This also is the first season with multiple games to go to at least six overtimes, after Georgia beat Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last month. Toledo’s last multi-OT game was a win in double overtime against Iowa State in September 2015.

Pitt freshman Julian Dugger, making his college debut, ran for two overtime scores and threw for two more, but his incomplete pass in the sixth overtime ended the game. The Panthers, who started the season 7-0, became just the second team in FBS history to end a season on a losing streak of six or more games, including a bowl game.

After Gleason and Dugger traded rushing touchdowns in the first overtime, each team got a field goal in the second. Each threw two-point passes in the third overtime, and Gleason got another in the fourth to make it 44-42.

Dugger was sacked, apparently ending the game, but the Rockets were called for holding. Dugger was ruled short on a sneak attempt, sending Toledo rushing onto the field for a second time, but replay ruled he crossed the plane.

In the fifth overtime, Dugger made it 46-44 with a scoring pass to Gavin Bartholomew, but Gleason tied it with his fifth scoring pass of the game. The sixth put Toledo back in front, and Dugger was pressured into a bad throw to end the game.

The Panthers played without starting quarterback Eli Holstein (leg) and backup Nate Yarnell (transfer portal). David Lynch, a redshirt freshman walk-on, started his first game but was pulled in the third quarter after throwing two interceptions.

Dugger led the Panthers to two touchdowns and a field goal on his first three drives, turning a 20-12 deficit into a 30-20 lead.

However, Toledo got its second pick-six of the game when Darius Alexander returned Dugger’s interception 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 30-27 with 7:49 left, and the Rockets kicked a tying field goal with 1:45 to play.

Toledo started quickly, driving for a Gleason touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive, but Kyle Louis blocked the extra point and returned it for Pitt’s first defensive two-point conversion since 1990.

Desmond Reid‘s 3-yard run and Ben Sauls‘ 57-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 12-6 lead, but Gleason’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Junior Vandeross III put the Rockets up 13-12 midway through the second quarter.

On the next play from scrimmage, Braden Awls picked off Lynch’s pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and a 20-12 halftime lead.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Raging Torrent storms to victory in Malibu Stakes

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Raging Torrent storms to victory in Malibu Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. — Raging Torrent won the $200,000 Malibu Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on Thursday at Santa Anita, with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan finishing last in the final Grade 1 stakes of the year in the United States.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent ran seven furlongs in 1:21.54 and paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 favorite in the field of six on opening day of Santa Anita’s 90th winter meet.

“We really thought going into it we were the best horse,” winning trainer Doug O’Neill said. “Just watching him day in, day out, he was training out of this world.”

Mystik Dan, a nose winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby in the closest three-horse finish since 1947, was last. The 3-year-old colt raced for the first time since finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes in June.

Stronghold , seventh in the Kentucky Derby, was second. A trio of Bob Baffert trainees were third, fourth and fifth: Imagination, Pilot Commander and Winterfell.

There was a stewards’ inquiry involving the stretch run between Imagination and Pilot Commander. The stewards ruled that Imagination did lug out and make contact with Pilot Commander, but it didn’t affect the order of finish and no changes were made.

Dettori celebrated with his trademark flying dismount in a crowded winner’s circle.

“Of course, I was afraid of Mystik Dan, but I thought the day to beat him was today,” Dettori said. “At seven-eighths, my horse was very sharp and he proved it.”

Mystik Dan was sprinting for the first time in over a year. He was the first current Kentucky Derby winner to race at Santa Anita since California Chrome in 2015. After his narrow Derby win, Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness.

“He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine.”

Other races – Johannes, the 1-5 favorite, rallied down the stretch to win the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old colt ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.50 and paid $2.60 to win for trainer Tim Yakteen.

– 16-1 shot J B Strikes Back won the newly renamed $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths. Ridden by Antonio Fresu, the 3-year-old gelding ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.80 and paid $34.80 to win. Trained by Doug O’Neill, J B Strikes Back is owned by Purple Rein Racing, the stable of Janie Buss. Her late father, Jerry Buss, owned the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, which are now controlled by her sister, Jeanie Buss. O’Neill’s other horse, 3-2 favorite Katonah, finished sixth.

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Sources: DeSean Jackson near deal to coach DSU

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Sources: DeSean Jackson near deal to coach DSU

Former Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are finalizing an agreement for him to become the program’s next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.

Jackson did an on-campus interview in recent days, and the sides are expected to come together to complete the deal in the near future. According to a source, it has always been a dream of Jackson’s to coach at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). That dream could be a reality in the near future.

The 38-year-old would replace Lee Hull, who was dismissed earlier this month after two disappointing seasons, including a 1-11 showing this year.

The news was first reported by Victory Formation Media.

Jackson, who officially retired as a member of the Eagles after the 2023 season, made the Pro Bowl in three of his eight seasons with the team. He became the first player in NFL history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions — kick returner and wide receiver. He played 15 years overall and had stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Washington, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Las Vegas, but he is best known for the six-year run in Philadelphia at the start of his pro career.

In 95 career games with the Eagles, he ranks third all time in receiving yards (6,512), sixth in receptions (379) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (35). As a punt returner, he finished second in punt returns (132), third in punt return yards (1,296) and is tied for the team’s all-time lead in punt return touchdowns with four.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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