Todays Sporting News – 19 September 2025

• Fiji’s Mesake Doge has been cleared to play after an independent Disciplinary Committee heard his appeal against a sanction for an offence contrary to Law 9.13 (dangerous tackling).
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today launched a bold new global marketing campaign – Catch the Spirit – igniting excitement ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup which will take place on home soil next summer.
• World Rugby and 18 national unions launch landmark WXV Global Series to harness the strength of women’s rugby, provide certainty of fixtures and a pathway to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029.
• On this day 10 years ago, rugby fans from around the globe witnessed the Miracle of Brighton: In the group stages of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Japan took on South Africa and won 34-32, pulling off the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.
• Veteran fly-half James O’Connor has been retained in the Wallabies’ 34-man squad for the two decisive Rugby Championship matches against New Zealand.
• Milton Doyle guided Melbourne United to an 88-84 win over his old side, the Tasmania JackJumpers, to open NBL26.
• Australia had another impressive night at the world athletics championships with several athletes qualifying for finals. In the women’s 800m, national record holder Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell both produced strong performances in their heats to qualify for the semi-finals tonight.
• The Sydney Roosters have issued a major internal sanction for star player Victor Radley after media reports linked him to an alleged drug-supply claim involving former teammate Brandon Smith.
• The AFL Preliminary Finals are here. The winners of this weekend’s matches will get a ticket to the big dance (aka the AFL Grand Final) next weekend. Of the seven previous meetings between the Geelong Cats and the Hawthorn Hawks, the Cats have come out on top in six.
• With the cricket World Cup looming later this month, both India and Australia are out to prove themselves as the team to beat at this year’s tournament. This is the third and final match of the series between the two countries. Australia won the first match by 88 runs before India struck back in the second with a record 102-run victory.
• The Bulldogs face a massive challenge when they meet the Panthers this weekend in a sudden death semi-final.
• During the Asia Cup, the BCCI have have pressured a match referee into barring a handshake (according to Pycroft himself), have made blatantly political statements in press conferences, and have generally messed with the normal order of a tournament. The ICC is investigating Pakistan & the PCB for misconduct.
• The US’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the fastest women’s 400m in 40 years to claim world championship gold in 47.78 seconds and complete her transition from the one-lap hurdles in emphatic style.
• Bafana Bafana will face disciplinary proceedings for fielding a suspended player in a World Cup qualifier in March, which will likely see docked points and put their hopes of advancing to next year’s finals in jeopardy.
• Botswana’s 21-year-old Busang Collen Kebinatshipi won the 400m gold in Tokyo, clocking a blistering 43.53 seconds. Compatriot Bayapo Ndori took bronze with a season’s best 44.20 seconds in a memorable Thursday night for the African nation.
• Football – Two goals from Marcus Rashford led Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku gave Manchester City a 2-0 victory over Napoli, with the returning Kevin De Bruyne substituted in the first half as the visitors reorganised after a red card.
• World Athletics – The US’ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran the fastest women’s 400 metres in 40 years to claim world championship gold in 47.78 sec on Thursday.
• Women’s Rugby – Hannah Botterman has admitted she feared her Rugby World Cup was over after sustaining a back injury, but the 26-year-old has recovered to be named in England’s semi-final starting XV.
• Announced today ahead of SailGP’s Geneva debut, Artemis Racing, Sweden’s internationally acclaimed sailing team, proudly confirmed its return – entering the Rolex SailGP Championship’s 2026 Season as Artemis SailGP Team. Backed by Torbjörn Törnqvist, Artemis SailGP Team will bring Sweden’s rich sailing heritage and competitive spirit to SailGP – the high-adrenaline global championship featuring cutting-edge technology and the best athletes in the sport.
• American track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins 400-meter title at World Track and Field Championships, with fastest time in 40 year.
• WNBA playoffs round one wraps tonight; see updated bracket and schedule.
• 14 former NC State athletes file lawsuit accusing the university’s former director of sports medicine of sexual abuse.
• China’s DeepSeek AI publishes peer-reviewed study finding its AI model R1 did not rely on rival models like ChatGPT for training, cost $294K to create—tens of millions less than rivals’ estimated cost (More) | Large language models 101 (1440 Topics)
• Paleoentomologists unearth prehistoric insects preserved in amber for the first time in South America, providing a window into the ancient Amazon rainforest.
• Some dogs—dubbed “gifted word learners”—can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not just appearance; the skill is considered a cornerstone of early language development in toddlers.
• US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq +1.0%); all three indexes notch record highs.
• Intel shares close up over 22%, posting best day in 38 years, after Nvidia announces $5B investment; comes after the US government agreed to buy a nearly 10% stake in Intel last month.
• American Express raises Platinum Card annual fee to $895 from $695, with over $3,500 in annual benefits; move follows JPMorgan and Citigroup, which revamped cards for affluent customers this year. | How credit cards work (1440 Topics)
• Turning Point USA names Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as the youth organization’s new CEO.
• President Donald Trump suggests the US is working to reestablish a presence at Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base due to the base’s proximity to rival China.
• United Nations cites progress toward three-month ceasefire proposal for the civil war in Sudan, backed by the US and Saudi Arabia.
• A new South African research paper has provided the first global evidence that regulating both tackle height and ball carrier behaviour has the potential to not only lower head-contact, but also reduce catastrophic head and neck injuries in rugby. The study, led by SA Rugby’s BokSmart safety programme, analysed catastrophic injury interactions in front-on tackles – where ball carriers and tacklers meet directly. These tackles were found to pose the highest risk, accounting for 71% of tackler and 53% of ball carrier catastrophic head and neck injuries recorded between 2008 and 2023.
• The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Carling Currie Cup Premier Division when the Fidelity ADT Lions host Suzuki Griquas in the final at Ellis Park on Saturday. This will be the second successive year that the Gautengers will host the final, as they hope to capitalise on home-ground advantage against the tenacious visitors from the Northern Cape.
• Celebrating the power, unity and unstoppable spirit of women’s cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today launched the official event song titled ‘Bring it Home’ for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, as excitement continues to build ahead of the much-anticipated tournament.
• The Vodacom United Rugby Championship has confirmed that URC.tv will relaunch for the 2025/26 season with a brand-new platform powered by Eluvio, delivering faster streaming, improved video quality and access on more devices than ever before.
• After putting up a gutsy fight on day two, the Renault South Africa Davis Cup team were handed a 4-1 defeat against Morocco in their World Group II tie at Groenkloof Tennis Club in Pretoria on Sunday.
• Austin Peay State University’s women’s tennis team opens its fall campaign with the annual APSU Fall Tournament.
• American tennis star Taylor Townsend, once praised for her fight against racism at the US Open, is now facing accusations of racism herself.
• The Emporia State women’s tennis team travels to Edmond, Okla. this weekend for the ITA Fall Regional Championships hosted by Central Oklahoma.
• Bjon Borg on his Cancer4 diagnosis: The Swedish tennis icon said he will “fight every day like it’s a Wimbledon final”.
• Professional tennis tournament The Laver Cup is being held for the first time on the West Coast inside San Francisco’s Chase Center.
• Prime Video and Universal TV are teaming on new TV series set at a tennis academy series from Julie Plec and Andre Agassi.
• Marcus Rashford’s latest stop on the road to redemption has led him to Barcelona and one of the elite stages in the global game. The 27-year-old England forward who lost his way at Manchester United and was brutally exiled by head coach Ruben Amorim.
• Round 2 of Super Rugby AUS has been supercharged with Ben Donaldson the latest Wallaby set to don club colours this weekend. The Western Force playmaker hasn’t played since the third British & Irish Lions Test.
• Wallabies scrumhalf Jake Gordon is pleased to put his hamstring struggles behind him ahead of next week’s Bledisloe Cup opener. The NSW Waratahs captain was named as part of the Wallabies’ squad to face the All Blacks.
• Pep Guardiola seemed slightly annoyed Wednesday when he said Manchester City are “apparently” not one of the favorites for this season’s UEFA Champions League.
• Anfield witnessed another dramatic night as Liverpool edged Atletico Madrid 3-2, but it was Andy Robertson who set the tone with an opening goal he was happy to laugh about.
• Ahead of ACC play, Cal field hockey had an absolutely dominant showing against Ohio at Underhill Field on Sunday. The Bears achieved a staggering 9-0 win against the Bobcats, marking their largest shutout victory since 2017.
• The Women’s Rugby World Cup is down to the semi-finals as the remaining four teams have locked in their sides for the crucial matches. Both will be held in Bristol, beginning on Saturday (AEST).
• Black Ferns selectors have named their match-day 23 for the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final on Friday, September 19, 7.00pm BST (Saturday, September 20, 6.00am NZT) at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol.
• With the home team out on the road, Fonseca, Alex Michelsen, Reilly Opelka, Francisco Cerundolo, Jenson Brooksby and vice-captain Patrick Rafter got a chance to swing at a few pitches from atop the dugout, tennis balls in lieu of baseballs..
• Samoa and Chile clash on Saturday in the neutral venue of Salt Lake City, Utah. The match is no ordinary fixture; it is a Rugby World Cup Qualifier. The match is game one of a two match series with the winner, on aggregate, qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2027. Chile enter fresh-off an away win over Uruguay while the out-of-sorts Samoa are winless thus far in 2025.
• A spot in the World Cup Final is up for grabs on Friday when Canada takes on the defending champion New Zealand Black Ferns. What might once have been considered a challenge too great for the Maple Leafs to overcome is now a very realistic proposition. Whatever happens at Ashton Gate, fans are sure to be treated by the highest level of rugby the tournament has to offer.
• Springbok tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye returns to anchor the Lions pack in Saturday’s Currie Cup final against Griquas at Ellis Park.
• Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann says he respects Wilco Louw’s decision to return to the Stormers. Louw has signed a long-term deal to rejoin the Cape side ahead of the 2026-27 season, but will see out the upcoming Vodacom URC campaign with the Bulls before heading home.
• Coach Johan Ackermann says the Vodacom Bulls won’t be able to field their strongest team in their URC opener against the Ospreys at Loftus next Saturday.
• The Blue Bulls Rugby Union announced on Friday that a professional season for its clubs will begin in 2026 with millions of rands of sponsorships involved. The national club competition starting next weekend, the Gold Cup, has been completely dominated by Blue Bulls clubs since it was revived two years ago.
• Former Springbok coach Jake White says the “disorganised and shambolic” All Blacks will have to “show their courage” in the Bledisloe Cup Tests against the Wallabies.
• Renaldo Bothma says the Mzansi Rugby League is “not going to be bullied by SA Rugby”. The former Namibia captain and ex-Bulls loose forward officially launched the MRL last week. The 16-team nationwide competition, set to kick off in 2027, will offer players salaries of R15,000 to R30,000 per month plus premium medical aid. Bothma says the project has been unfairly branded as a breakaway by SA Rugby and met with resistance from the players’ trade union, MyPlayers.
• Eddie Jones has compared Springbok utility back Damian Willemse to “a rugby league front-rower”. The Boks bounced back from a 24-17 defeat at Eden Park with a 43-10 demolition of New Zealand last Saturday, scoring six tries to one after Rassie Erasmus backed a new-look backline boasting just 173 combined Test caps.
• The Newcastle Red Bulls have added another South African to their ranks. Currie Cup standout Stefan Coetzee has signed a one-year-deal at Tyneside and will link up with fellow South African Boeta Chamberlain, who was one of the team’s first signings as part of the rebuild.
• Johann van Graan could be forced into a major reshuffle as Bath prepare to launch their Premiership title defence without their frontline flyhalves. Bath are preparing for a tough encounter away to Harlequins next Friday.
• The Ireland Men’s and Women’s Open Touch Rugby squads both took part in the European Opens Cup in Italy recently and the Men’s Open came home with a hard-earned and well-deserved Bronze Medal.
• World Rugby, in partnership with national unions and the International Rugby Players Association, launches WXV Global Series, a bold new international fixture series that will transform the global women’s rugby calendar and serve as a central pillar of the qualification pathway to Women’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2029.
• Wales internationals James Botham and Mason Grady will miss the autumn internationals and the start of Cardiff’s United Rugby Championship season after operations.
• Ospreys flanker Jac Morgan is Wales player of the year after a season that earned selection for the British and Irish Lions, with Wales co-captain Kate Williams taking the women’s award.
• The Springboks kicked off their preparations on a strong note for the first of two crucial Tests against Argentina in Durban next week Saturday, as both teams prepare for the closing stretch of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, which features matches in the scenic coastal city and London.
• Juarno Augustus says his move to Ulster “isn’t a gamble” after his transfer from last season’s European Champions Cup finalists Northampton Saints.
• Lock Sophie de Goede’s goal-kicking skills could hold the key in Canada’s bid to reach the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
• BBC Sport pundits Maggie Alphonsi and Katy Daley-McLean believe the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final between Canada and New Zealand could be the “game of the tournament”.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has pulled up the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after a serious breach of protocol during the Asia Cup in Dubai .
• Yorkshire’s sixth draw in 13 games leaves them seventh in Division One on 146 points, six ahead of second-bottom Durham (140) .
• Australia have been dealt an untimely blow ahead of their T20I series against New Zealand, with key wicket-keeper batter Josh Inglis being ruled out due to a calf strain.
• The aftermath of the India vs Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2025 has taken an ugly turn after former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf referred to Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav with a derogatory slur on live television. Mohammad Yousuf sparks outrage with ‘pig’ jibe at Suryakumar Yadav.
• India have already secured qualification to the Super four stage in Asia Cup 2025 and will look to maintain their dominant run when they face Oman in their final Group A clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday evening.
• Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi extended heartfelt condolences to Sri Lankan cricketer Dunith Wellalage, whose father tragically passed away due to a heart attack during the Asia Cup 2025 clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.
• India A batter Devdutt Padikkal showcased remarkable patience and resilience, scoring a composed hundred on the fourth and final day of the unofficial Test against Australia A at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. The elegant left-hander reached his milestone off 198 balls, nudging a single against off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli.
• The stage is set once again at The Village in Dublin as England and Ireland face off in the second T20I of the series. England, after a convincing four-wicket victory in the opener, hold the advantage and are aiming to seal the series with another dominant performance. Ireland.
• New Zealand‘s veteran cricketer, Suzie Bates, is set to appear in her fifth ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. Having made her debut at the tournament in 2009 as a young cricketer, Bates has witnessed the game’s significant evolution from a largely amateur sport to a fully professional one.
• Pakistan Women will take on South Africa Women in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Friday. The visitors lead the series 1-0 after a commanding eight-wicket win in the opening encounter.
• Sri Lanka sealed a vital six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the 11th match of Asia Cup 2025 Group B at Abu Dhabi on September 18, ending Afghanistan’s campaign and booking their Super Four spot. Afghanistan managed 169 for eight after being 79 for six.
• Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Four round but the allrounder’s participation is now doubtful.
• The US Sailing Nominating Committee has advanced one candidate, Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer, who was appointed to the US Sailing Board of Directors in December 2024, for election to fill one board member position.
• Following the relaunch of the Admirals Cup in 2025 by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is dusting off the Sardinia Cup following its last edition in 2012. Established in 1978, the team keelboat championship was designed to alternate in even-numbered years with the Admiral’s Cup, and will take place using IRC handicap in 2026 on May 31-June 7 in Porto Cervo, Italy.
• The SailGP league has moved from the glamorous Mediterranean resort town of Saint-Tropez to the land of Rolex watches and luxury goods, with the 12 teams to now race September 20-21 on the stunning natural beauty of Geneva, Switzerland.
• The 2025 Melges 24 World Championship on September 22-27 has attracted 75 entrants from 16 nations in Trieste, Italy. After the championship was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, the USA has been on tear, winning the past three titles, with five teams in Trieste hoping to continue the streak. However, Italy won both the Overall and Corinthian titles in 2019 when their nation was last host, and there are 29 Italian entrants eager to reclaim the title.
• The Ocean Race Europe 2025 is heading towards its Finale with a coastal race to be held September 20 (14:00 CEST) in Boka Bay, Montenegro. While Paul Meilhat’s French-flagged IMOCA Biotherm has already secured the overall title, the last points still in play will decide the remaining positions.
• Britain’s standards-setting organization for recreational boating, the Royal Yachting Association, believes the phrase “man overboard!” is unwelcoming to folks who identify as women or non-binary. When a London newspaper reported this, it caused a ruckus in the maritime community, which ridiculed this notion as over-the-top woke.
• The 2025 Dutch Water Week on September 17-21 has four of the 10 Olympic events – ILCA 6 and 7, iQFOiL, and 49er – competing in Almere, Netherlands. This is the fifth and final event of the Sailing Grand Slam which was established in 2025 to connect four iconic Olympic sailing events in Europe as well as a regatta in the host city of Los Angeles 2028. Each class winner in Almere will receive €1,500 with titles awarded to the overall Sailing Grand Slam champions.
• The two-handed Défi Azimut – Lorient Agglomération 48 Hours race set sail from the IMOCA headquarters at Lorient on 18th September.
• Two more race wins from Britain’s Andrew Mills places him within one race of clinching the 2025 OK Dinghy world title on Friday. He took two more emphatic race wins on Thursday on Lake Garda in the windiest conditions so far.
• The 29er EuroCup started today, organized by the Alsóörs Marina Sailing Club. Following the ceremonial opening, competitors attended the skippers’ meeting where Race Officer Péter Farkas, IRO, introduced the officials and outlined the day’s schedule.
• Over 240 remarkable yachts will take to the waters of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez from September 27 to October 5, carried by the lively winds of late September that extend the Tropezian summer with its golden light.
• From Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 September, Almere is hosting the fourth edition of Dutch Water Week. This edition serves as a pilot for the Sailing Grand Slam Final (SGS).
• Big breeze and waves for the 2025 Welsh Youth & Junior Championships saw more than 80 young sailors demonstrating their skills and resilience at Plas Heli, Pwllheli.
• The Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy returns on Thursday, October 2 for its 14th edition, as part of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
• 2000 sailors arrived from many different locations but all seemed to travel a comfortable 2-ish hours to get to Oxford Sailing Club for round 5 of the West Country Boat Repairs Millennium Series.
• Sixteen of the nation’s top young sailors have been selected to represent Great Britain at the prestigious Youth Sailing World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal, taking place 12-20 December 2025.
• The Multihull Cup is making final preparations to welcome a trio of first timers to the Mallorcan celebration of multihull sailing at the end of the month.
• After years of dedication, Rebecca Netzler has officially retired from the 49erFX class and will no longer campaign for the Olympics.
• Fresh off another road win at a Windy City foe, the UIC men’s soccer team returns home to Flames Field Thursday for a 7 p.m. (CT) matchup.
• USA Hockey has finalized its coaching staff for the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s team.
• In a historic first, players can now choose to compete for U.S. colleges and earn a salary in men’s Division 1 NCAA hockey.
• Seven Iowa high schools have canceled or paused their varsity football seasons this fall, including the defending 8-player state champ.
• Christian Yelich went two for four and reached 100 RBIs for the season as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Angels 5-2 on Thursday night.
• Anze Kopitar, widely considered the greatest player in Kings franchise history and poised to become the team’s all-time leading scorer, announced Thursday he will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
• Croix Bethune scored on a header in the 71st minute to pull the Washington Spirit into a 2-2 draw with Angel City on Thursday night in the National Women’s Soccer League.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY:

1925 — Bill Tilden wins his sixth straight U.S. Open tennis championship with a five-set victory over Bill Johnston. Tilden wins 4-6, 11-9, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. It’s the fourth consecutive year that Tilden beats Johnston in the final.

1942 — Alsab, runner-up in the 1942 Kentucky Derby, beats 3-10 favorite Whirlaway, the 1941 Triple Crown champion, by a nose in a $25,000 match race at Narragansett Park. Alsab and Whirlaway meet twice more in 1942, with Whirlaway winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Oct.3, and Alsab taking the New York Handicap on Oct. 10.

1948 — Pancho Gonzales, 20, wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association title with a 6-2, 6-3, 14-12 victory over Eric Sturgess.

1985 — Minnesota’s Tommy Kramer passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns in the Vikings’ 33-24 loss to the Chicago Bears.

1988 — U.S. Olympic diver Greg Louganis hits his head on diving board at the Seoul Olympics. Louganis hits the board on his ninth dive. He has four temporary stitches put in the top of his head so that he could come back and perform his last two dives. Less than 30 minutes later, he completes a reverse 1 1/2 somersault with 3 1/2 twists and, in the final round, a reverse 3 1/2 somersault in tuck position to secure his place in the medal round.

1992 — Sergei Bubka raises the world record in the pole vault, his 32nd world record, clearing 20 feet, 1½ inches in the Toto International at Tokyo.

1993 — Nigel Mansell overpowers the field in the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix to become the first rookie to win the Indy car PPG Cup championship.

2000 — In the Sydney Olympics, the U.S. softball team strands a staggering 20 baserunners in an 11-inning, 2-1 loss to Japan, which ends a 112-game winning streak. It’s the first loss for the Americans since the 1998 world championships.

2004 — Jerry Rice’s run of 274 straight games with a catch is ended in the Oakland Raiders’ 13-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The last time Rice didn’t catch a pass was Dec. 1, 1985, at Washington.

2009 — Texas College of the NAIA is trounced 75-6 by Texas Southern, a week after losing 92-0 to Stephen F. Austin. The Steers fall to 0-4 and have been outscored 300-12.

2010 — Matt Schaub is 38 of 52 for a franchise-record 497 yards with three touchdowns in Houston’s 30-27 overtime win over Washington. Donovan McNabb of the Redskins is 28 of 38 for 426 yards. It’s the first time two quarterbacks throw for 400 yards in an NFL game since 1994.

2015 — Greyson Lambert of Georgia throws for 330 yards, three touchdowns and sets an NCAA record by completing all but one of his 25 passes to lead the to a 52-20 victory over South Carolina. Lambert posts the highest percentage (96.0) in FBS history for a minimum of 20 completions, breaking the mark of 95.8 (23 of 24) shared by Tennessee’s Tee Martin and West Virginia’s Geno Smith.

2015 — Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, sets a school record with 572 total yards, throws four TD passes and runs for two more scores in the Sooners’ 52-38 victory over Tulsa.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY:

1925 — Ted Lyons lost his bid for a no-hitter when Bobby Veach singled with two outs in the ninth inning. The Chicago White Sox routed the Washington Senators 17-0.

1926 — The St. Louis Cardinals pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 23-3 in the first game of a doubleheader and beat them again in the nightcap, 10-2.

1949 — Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first NL player to hit 50 home runs in two different seasons.

1955 — Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs set a major league record with his fifth grand slam of the season in a 12-inning, 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1968 — Denny McLain won his 31st game, the most in the AL since Lefty Grove’s 31 in 1931. The Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 6-2 while Mickey Mantle hit his 535th and next-to-last career homer.

1972 — Minnesota’s Cesar Tovar completed the cycle with a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Twins a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

1973 — Frank Robinson hits his first home run in Arlington Stadium. It was the 32nd major league ballpark in which he had homered.

1984 — Pete Rose reached the 100-hit plateau for the 22nd consecutive year, an all-time record. He also tied the NL record for doubles with 725 as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2.

1986 — Chicago’s Joe Crowley pitch a no-hitter to lead the White Sox to a 7-1 win over the Angels.

1995 — San Diego’s Ken Caminiti became the first player in major league history to homer from both sides of the plate three times in a season as he went 4-for-4 with a career-high eight RBIs in a 15-4 win over Colorado.

1998 — Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez hit his 40th homer to become the third player in baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.

2001 — Roger Clemens became the first pitcher in major league history to go 20-1, pitching the New York Yankees to a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

2001 — Albert Pujols set a National League rookie RBI record as St. Louis beat Milwaukee 8-2. Pujols drove in three runs to give him 120 RBIs, breaking the mark of 119 set by Wally Berger in 1930 for the Boston Braves.

2008 — Baseball’s instant replay system produced its first reversal when Tampa Bay’s Carlos Pena had a two-run double changed to a three-run homer during the fourth inning against Minnesota.

2008 — Greg Maddux pitches his 5,000th inning against the San Francisco Giants.

2011 — Mariano Rivera set the major league record with his 602nd save, closing out the New York Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

2017 — A new MLB record for the most home runs in a season, 5,694, is set when Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals homers.

2024 — Shohei Ohtani kicks down the door of a brand new club of which he is the only member: the 50-50 club. Today, he gets his first six-hit game, and three of his hits are homers, giving him 51 on the season. He also steals two bases, also reaching (and going past) the 50 mark, all the while driving in ten runs in a 20-4 demolition of the Marlins by the Dodgers. Less than a month ago he became only the sixth member of the 40-40 club, but he now stands all alone in this new level of otherworldly excellence, and incidentally has set a new Dodgers single-season record for home runs (breaking Shawn Green’s mark).