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Parker Messick is getting the ball in Game Two of the ALCS, and there's a storyline here worth noting — the Guardians lefty is a Tampa Bay area native, set to pitch Tuesday night on one of baseball's biggest October stages. Cleveland is leaning on their young arm at exactly the right moment.
Shifting to the gridiron, the Miami Dolphins are sitting at zero and five, and head coach Jeff Hafley is standing pat at quarterback. Malik Willis keeps the job through the bye week, though Hafley himself acknowledged Willis needs to be better. At zero and five, the margin for patience is razor thin, and this bye week may be the last quiet moment before the pressure becomes deafening.
And in the college football world, Kalen DeBoer is preparing Alabama for a massive matchup against Tennessee this weekend. DeBoer delivered a sharp, pointed message to his Crimson Tide about bouncing back — short, direct, no fluff. After inheriting a program with enormous expectations, how he handles a wounded Alabama squad against a top rival says everything about where this season is headed.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
