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AJ Blubaugh is quietly becoming one of the most valuable arms in the Houston Astros bullpen, and people are starting to notice. The rookie reliever has pitched in every single inning this season, and Houston is now leaning on him for critical outs in high-leverage moments. Wednesday's eighth inning against the White Sox was the latest example of a young pitcher earning trust fast.
Shifting to the transfer window drama, Lautaro Martinez has put the Barcelona speculation to bed. The Inter Milan captain went on record saying his only clear desire is to stay at San Siro, shutting down a summer of noise linking him to Catalonia. Barcelona had been exploring options after missing out on Julian Alvarez, but Martinez has made it plain, he is not the answer they are looking for.
And the Clippers are gearing up for a war with the league office. The NBA hit Los Angeles with a thirty million dollar fine, five first round picks, and suspensions for both owner Steve Ballmer and GM Lawrence Frank over the Kawhi Leonard signing. Ballmer fired back publicly, promising to fight the punishment, but league insiders are already warning the Clippers that challenging the NBA rarely ends well.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
