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Chris Sale sent a message to the entire National League on Thursday night, and that message was simple — this is mine. The veteran lefty dialed up two pitches over one hundred miles per hour, both aimed directly at Shohei Ohtani, finished the complete game, and handed Atlanta a sweep of Los Angeles. Sale's first complete game since two thousand nineteen, and it could not have come on a bigger stage.
Shifting to the steel city, Mike McCarthy addressed the Pittsburgh quarterback room and came away sounding surprisingly settled. All four quarterbacks have earned roster spots heading into the regular season, McCarthy confirmed, pointing to two veterans he believes the team can win with now, and two young arms he's building toward. That's a crowded room, but McCarthy didn't sound like a man with a problem — he sounded like a man with options.
And in college football, Ohio State opens the season against Ball State with an offense that analysts are calling almost unfairly loaded. The Buckeyes carry legitimate superstar talent at nearly every skill position, and this opener is less about the result and more about seeing exactly how much this machine can do when the throttle is wide open.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
