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Fernando Mendoza is making noise heading into Thursday's preseason opener at Houston, and it's not just his arm doing the talking. The rookie quarterback carries a notebook everywhere he goes, and coaches say his obsessive approach to studying the game sets him apart. For a first-year player stepping into an NFL environment, that kind of mental discipline could be the difference between a cup of coffee and a real career.
Meanwhile, the NFL is sending a message after joint practices between Dallas and New Orleans turned into something closer to a street fight. The league hit both the Cowboys and the Saints with five hundred thousand dollar fines each after multiple brawls broke out during Tuesday's session. That's a million dollars in penalties for two teams that apparently couldn't keep their pads on the field and their fists to themselves.
And over in Atlanta, Grant Holmes nearly wrote himself into history. The Braves pitcher carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Andrew Benintendi broke it up with a one-out single — the only hit Chicago managed all night. Holmes and three relievers combined to shut out the White Sox two to nothing, snapping Atlanta's three-game losing streak in the process.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
