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Chris Sale took the mound Thursday night in Atlanta carrying grief after learning of a friend's death before first pitch, and he turned that weight into something remarkable. The left-hander went the distance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, throwing ninety-seven pitches through eight innings before demanding the ball for the ninth, finishing a one-to-nothing complete game shutout — his first since two thousand nineteen. Walt Weiss had the bullpen ready. Sale didn't care.
Over in the WNBA, the drama between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark is getting some outside commentary. After Bueckers told Clark to calm down during Indiana's loss to Dallas, Aliyah Boston didn't mince words in response, offering a candid take that made clear she wasn't about to let that moment slide quietly. The rivalry between these franchises is very much alive and heating up fast.
And Kevin Durant is out here reminding everyone why you do not want to talk trash to him. KD told reporters that fans who come at him verbally almost always regret it, saying quote, I hit you in the soul. Durant, now with Houston, says the trash talk doesn't rattle him — it sharpens him, and his game this season suggests he means every word.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
