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Mauricio Pochettino is wasting no time putting his stamp on the USMNT, ringing the changes ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Chile in St. Louis. Adri Mehmeti gets the start as Pochettino begins building toward the two thousand twenty six World Cup cycle, looking to establish an identity and a winning habit from day one.
Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox are heading to Houston for the American League Wild Card series carrying a little extra weight — the spiritual kind. Pope Leo the Fourteenth, a lifelong Sox fan, sent the club a letter ahead of Tuesday's matchup with the Astros. A team that was written off before spring training is now playing October baseball with a papal blessing in their back pocket. You genuinely cannot script this stuff.
And over in Detroit, Dan Campbell is dealing with more secondary headaches after safety Thomas Harper landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, guaranteeing he misses at least four games. The Lions have been battling injuries in the back end all season, and this latest blow raises real questions about how deep that unit can go when it matters most.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
