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As the home team Saturday in the neutral-site game against Florida, No. 1 Georgia can leave tickets at the gate for recruits.

For Georgia coach Kirby Smart, that’s not nearly enough to make up for his defending national championship team’s inability to host recruits as he would in a true home game.

The annual rivalry game in Jacksonville, Florida, is under contract only through 2023. Smart’s recruiting concerns are a big factor in discussions about the future of the series.

Officials from Georgia and Florida released a joint statement Monday in which they said a number of factors would be considered as the schools consider keeping the game at the neutral location or moving to home sites.

The rivalry game “is an important tradition,” the statement read.

“Typically both schools begin conversations regarding future games in the series as the last contracted game nears. We anticipate following that timeline. When those discussions take place, we will consider a multitude of factors including tradition, finances, future SEC scheduling models with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, and what is best for both schools’ football programs overall.”

Aside from home-and-home games in 1994 and 1995, the matchup called “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” has been played in Jacksonville since 1933. Georgia (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) will look to protect its top ranking Saturday against Florida (4-3, 1-3).

NCAA rules forbid schools from hosting recruits at neutral sites. Clearly, Smart does not believe leaving tickets at the gate makes up for the inability to have contact with recruits.

“We’re allowed to use tickets, but we can’t host them,” Smart said Monday. “We can’t do anything. So I never understood — I never understand — what would we do with them? We can’t legally see them. We can’t talk to them, we can’t host them. Visit with them.

“We can say, ‘There’s a ticket at the gate. Enjoy the game.’ So that’s really all we can do. We’ll do that. We’ll have some kids go to the game.”

Smart also addressed the future of the rivalry last week when he said money and the tradition of the neutral-site game also must be considered.

“I enjoy the pageantry of going down there and playing,” Smart said. “I enjoyed playing there as a player. I enjoy tradition. I enjoy all those things.

“When it comes down to it, there’s a very, very basic element of everything comes back to, number one money and number two, recruiting and getting good players. I firmly believe that we’ll be able to sign better players by having it as a home-and-home because we’ll have more opportunities to get them to campus.”

Smart acknowledged the fact that playing the game in Jacksonville brings in more money for the university.

“You have to weigh both those and make really good decisions,” he said.

Georgia and Florida will consider a two-year option to keep the game in Jacksonville through 2025.

The payout for each team from Jacksonville is approximately $2.9 million for each school in 2022 and 2023, which includes a guaranteed $1.25 million and a split of gate revenue. Georgia also receives $350,000 each year for its charter flight, buses and lodging while Florida receives $60,000, with no flights required.

The guaranteed money for each school would be increased to $1.5 million in 2024 and 2025. With gate revenue included each school’s payout under the option would increase to more than $3 million.

Each school generates about $3 million for selling out a game on its campus, minus about $500,000 in expenses.

Florida first-year coach Billy Napier says he’d like to personally experience the game in Jacksonville before offering an opinion about the future of the series.

“So this environment, this experience for a player, can have a significant impact on a player’s decision,” Napier said. “So I mean, I completely understand what Kirby is saying. Every other year he’s missing out on what he knows will be a fantastic venue and game-day experience.”

Napier said there are “some advantages and disadvantages here” for each team in Jacksonville.

Georgia senior safety Christopher Smith said his favorite part of the annual game is “when you step into the stadium you see the crowd split 50-50.”

Even so, Smith said, “I personally would like the game to be home-and-home” with occasional games played in Jacksonville.

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson said the neutral site adds to the rivalry.

“It’s pretty cool being in Jacksonville seeing the stadium split half and half,” Richardson said. “But I feel like if it was to be put at the universities, at the schools, I feel like you might give one team an advantage over the other. That’s just food for thought.”

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Gurriel makes history with HR off 103.9 mph pitch

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Gurriel makes history with HR off 103.9 mph pitch

PHOENIX — San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller was bringing the heat on Tuesday night.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned the favor.

Gurriel crushed a 103.9 mph fastball from Miller into the left-field seats for a two-run homer in the eighth inning, tying the game at 5-all. It was the hardest hit pitch for a homer since MLB started pitch tracking in 2008.

It was part of a two-homer night for Gurriel. The veteran also hit a two-run shot in the first inning.

The hard-throwing Miller was acquired from the Athletics at last week’s trade deadline. He routinely throws over 100 mph and hit 104.2 mph with his hardest pitch on Tuesday night.

Luis Arráez hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning and the Padres tacked on four more runs to beat the Diamondbacks 10-5.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Sasaki taking next step in rehab: No shoulder pain

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Sasaki taking next step in rehab: No shoulder pain

LOS ANGELES — Roki Sasaki, finally ramping up after spending the past three months on the injured list, said Tuesday he had “no pain” in his right shoulder and expressed confidence in his ability to regain fastball velocity, which began to tail off before he was shut down.

“I feel better about being able to throw harder, especially because I’m completely pain free,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “With that being said, I do have to just face live hitters and see how my mechanics, you know, hold. Just being consistent; being able to do that consistently.”

Sasaki is scheduled to pitch three simulated innings at Dodger Stadium over the weekend before going on a rehab assignment. The Dodgers will stretch Sasaki back out as a starting pitcher. How he eventually fits in, though, remains to be seen.

The Dodgers’ rotation is currently full, with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back healthy, Shohei Ohtani stretched out to at least four innings, and Clayton Kershaw, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Emmet Sheehan making up the other three spots of a six-man rotation.

Asked if he could eventually see Sasaki occupying a bullpen spot, specifically in October, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: “I’m going to hold on that one. I do know we’re going to take the 13 best pitchers. I’ve been a part of many postseason rosters, so we’re going to take the 13 best pitchers. If Roki is a part of that in some capacity, then that would be great. And if he’s not, then he won’t be.”

Before that is even entertained, Sasaki simply has to perform better.

The 23-year-old right-hander arrived in the major leagues after being one of the most hyped pitchers to come out of Japan, armed with a triple-digit fastball and a mind-bending splitter. But evaluators throughout the industry also acknowledged he still needed more seasoning. That wound up being the case early, even more so than many anticipated.

Through his first eight starts, before landing on the IL with what the Dodgers described as a shoulder impingement, Sasaki posted a 4.72 ERA and failed to complete six innings on seven occasions. In a stretch of 34⅓ innings, he walked almost as many batters (22) as he struck out (24). The four-seam fastball, which often lacked command, fell into the mid-90s over his last handful of outings. Often, the splitter functioned as his only legitimate major league pitch.

Sasaki acknowledged that “American hitters have a different approach at the plate compared to Japanese hitters.”

“I can’t really attack the same way that I used to in Japan,” he added.

With that in mind, Sasaki has begun to experiment with a two-seam fastball, a pitch that runs in on opposing right-handed hitters and is designed to generate early contact, ideally ground balls. The hope is that it eventually functions as a second fastball to pair with his splitter and slider.

The focus at this point, though, is on nailing down the mechanics of his delivery so that his shoulder no longer becomes an issue. Sasaki said he now has “a better understanding a second time through on where the pain came from and how to make sure that the pain doesn’t come back.” His mechanics are “not 100 percent right now,” Sasaki added, “but I think it’s in the right direction.”

When he returns, Sasaki will have to prove he belongs.

“My every intention is to get back on the major league mound and pitch again,” he said. “With that being said, you know … I do need to fight for the opportunity, too. I don’t think that I’ll just be given the opportunity right away.”

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Brewers cap best 60-game stretch in team history

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Brewers cap best 60-game stretch in team history

ATLANTA — Before Tuesday night’s 7-2 win at Atlanta, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.”

A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans.

After all, it’s difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend its lead in the NL Central but also boasts the best record in the majors.

“What we’re doing in here right now is special,” said right-hander Freddy Peralta after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings while setting a career high with his 13th win.

“We’re just enjoying the game and coming to compete every day,” Peralta said. “We have to keep it that way.”

Peralta was surprised to learn he had established a career high for wins in a season.

“It always feels good to get the win as a team but also personally for me, it’s a big deal,” Peralta said.

Murphy said Peralta, who was named to this year NL All-Star team, is “just getting started. … This is the best Freddy has ever been. I thought he was really, really good.”

The Brewers lead second-place Chicago by four games in the NL Central following the Cubs’ 5-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

The Brewers have a five-game winning streak. They have won six straight road games and are 44-16 in their last 60 games overall. It’s the best 60-game stretch in team history.

Murphy said it will be important for players to keep their focus in the final stretch of the regular season.

“We really have to be disciplined right now, more than ever before,” Murphy said after the Brewers (69-44) moved 25 games over .500, their best record of the season.

Milwaukee’s road success has been an important part of the surge to first place. The team’s 33-24 road record gives the Brewers the best winning percentage (.579) away from home in baseball. The record includes winning the first two games of the three-game series in Atlanta.

“You can’t assume everything is going to go our way going forward,” Murphy said, adding he recognized the Brewers were fortunate to avoid giving up more runs Tuesday night when the Braves left 14 runners on base, tied for their highest total in the last two seasons.

The Brewers also have made key moves this year, including their trade for first baseman Andrew Vaughn on June 13.

Vaughn has an 11-game hitting streak, matching his career high, following a two-run single on Tuesday night. He is hitting .429 with four homers and 14 RBI during is hitting streak. He is hitting .370 since joining the Brewers.

Murphy said his players “are hungry” and “don’t every try to play safe.”

As for the lack of national recognition, Murphy just smiled.

“That’s the fun of it,” he said.

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