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Shohei Ohtani is making the baseball world take notice in a serious way. The Dodgers ace shut down the Giants for seven scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to an almost absurd zero point eight two. Los Angeles snapped a four-game skid, and Ohtani is now firmly in the Cy Young conversation — as a pitcher.
Across the league in Philadelphia, Don Mattingly is playing the long game with young right-hander Andrew Painter. The Phillies manager deliberately managed Painter's workload against Boston, talking openly about protecting the kid's confidence as much as his arm. It's a careful, deliberate approach, and Philly fans will be watching to see it pay off down the stretch.
Shifting to Europe, Michael Olise is being recognized as the best French player abroad, and the twenty-four-year-old Bayern Munich winger earned every bit of it, beating out none other than Kylian Mbappé for the honor. Olise's technical brilliance and his staggering output this season have made him one of the most exciting players on the continent, full stop.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
