Front Row Seat: Carlos Alcaraz wins his 2nd U.S. Open

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Hells Bells returns to Petco Park

On their second night at Petco Park, the Savannah Bananas needed a closer. Luckily for them, one of the greatest closers of all time was in the bullpen.

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U.S. Open

Carlos Alcaraz wins his 2nd U.S. Open at match delayed by Trump's attendance - NPR
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain emerged victorious over rival Italy's Jannik Sinner in four sets, winning his second U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.

Sunday's match was the third straight Grand Slam final between the two players and their 15th time facing one another since 2021. The pair dubbed "The New Two" or "Sincaraz" have gone back and forth in rankings. Alcaraz walked into the game ranked number 2, below Sinner, and left with a $5 million check and the number 1 spot.

U.S. Open: Carlos Alcaraz is an all-time great at just 22 ... but can he become the greatest? - Yahoo Sports
It’s no doubt a long way from six majors to Djokovic’s 24, which will probably stand as the all-time marker when the 38-year-old says goodbye to the sport within the next year or two. Try as he might to add one more to the tally, even Djokovic admitted after losing to Alcaraz in the semifinals that his chances of getting through him and Sinner in a best-of-five tournament are small at this stage.

But if Alcaraz averages two majors over the next nine years, he’ll catch Djokovic by age 31.

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Amanda Anisimova, winning 2nd straight U.S. Open final - CBS News
Aryna Sabalenka has won her fourth Grand Slam title overall and second straight at the U.S. Open after defeating Amanda Anisimova in the women's final on Saturday.

The 27-year-old from Belarus is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2012-14 to win consecutive trophies at the U.S. Open.

Trump’s strongman image got boos at the US Open, and perhaps that was the point - The Guardian
It was just the authoritarian image Donald Trump hoped to project at the US Open: the president himself, looming from Arthur Ashe Stadium’s giant screens like Chairman Mao at Tiananmen Gate, as he stood at attention for the national anthem. But there was no denying that, while the picture was there, the sound clashed. The burst of cheers that went up for his stiff salute on Sunday was quickly drowned out by a chorus of boos made louder from the Ashe roof being closed for rain – perhaps fitting given that many fans had been left to stand in the wet and endure the long security lines that resulted from his attendance. In that awkward five-second moment, as the Stars and Stripes was unfurled on center court, the president smirked at the negative reaction. It surely rang so familiar.

San Diego Wave FC

Alex Morgan thanks fans as Wave retire her number - San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Wave players looked on as Morgan spoke about being with the club since its first year, witnessing its growth. Her retirement last summer elicited tributes throughout the sport, none bigger than Sunday’s jersey retirement at Snapdragon Stadium. Morgan has been close with the club all year — earlier this spring, the Wave announced Morgan had joined management as a minority investor.

“I am proud now to be watching as a fan,” Morgan said. “I will be your biggest fan…and owner.”

Alex Morgan: Salary cap won't stop NWSL attracting top stars - ESPN
Former United States women's national team forward Alex Morgan said she believes the National Women's Soccer League can still attract and retain top players even within the constraints of a salary cap.

"I think that there's a lot of draw from both domestic and international talent for the NWSL, still, under a salary cap," Morgan told ESPN in an exclusive interview ahead of the San Diego Wave's retirement of her No. 13 jersey on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). "But it's a very personal decision and we have seen some top talent go overseas."

San Diego Wave FC Falls 3-0 to Houston Dash on Alex Morgan Jersey Retirement Night - San Diego Wave FC
San Diego Wave FC (8-5-6, 30 points) fell 3-0 to Houston Dash (6-8-5, 23 points) at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday night in front of a celebratory crowd honoring forward Alex Morgan and her historic career. Despite controlling 68% possession and registering 19 shots, the Wave were unable to find the back of the net.

Odds & Ends

Padres overpower Rockies in good, old-fashioned Coors Field romp - San Diego Union-Tribune
The Padres won’t get very far next month without Manny Machado rounding back into form. The same goes for Dylan Cease.

The two stars aligned on Sunday.

Machado’s first-inning homer got the offense started on a good, old-fashioned Coors Field romp, Cease turned in his best start in nearly a month and an 8-1 win kept the Padres within a game of the Dodgers in the NL West.

NFL Winners and Losers: After 'kick in the balls' opener, Dolphins might already be in trouble - Yahoo Sports
No team looked worse than the Dolphins in the first set of games on Sunday. The were absolutely outclassed by an Indianapolis Colts team that practically nobody is picking to make the playoffs. The Colts got an easy 33-8 win, shutting out the Dolphins until the final minutes and gaining 418 yards of offense against a thin Miami defense.

Aztecs’ fast start fizzles in 36-13 loss at Washington State - San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego State had everything going for it six minutes into Saturday night’s game at Washington State.

The Aztecs’ offense produced an early touchdown, with quarterback Jayden Denegal finding wide receiver Jacob Bostick wide open for a 35-yard score, while the Aztecs defense forced Washington State to go three-and-out the first two times it touched the ball.

Things took a turn, a drastic turn, thereafter. SDSU’s offense went AWOL. And its defense suddenly had trouble tackling, surrendered big plays and watched the confident Cougars come alive.

The result was 29 unanswered points allowed by the Aztecs in a 36-13 loss before an announced crowd of 24,330 at Washington State’s Martin Stadium.

San Diego FC & Club Tijuana Name Annual Friendly Match The Baja Cup - San Diego FC
San Diego FC (SDFC) and Club Tijuana (Xolos) today announced their annual friendly match will be named the Baja Cup, presented by Modelo. The first match of their five-year partnership takes place Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Snapdragon Stadium at 7 pm. This match is included in the season ticket packages for SDFC season ticket members, and single match tickets are available for fans of both clubs.

USD beats Southern Utah in overtime, pulls off first win over ranked team since 2017 - San Diego Union-Tribune
According to DraftKings, the University of San Diego football team was a 21-point underdog against Southern Utah on Saturday night.

Score one for the underdog. In a stunning finish, USD wasted a 14-point lead with less than 2½ minutes to play, then rallied to upset 24th-ranked Southern Utah 30-27 in overtime.

The win was USD’s first against a ranked Division I FCS opponent since Nov. 25, 2017, when the Toreros hammered No. 25 Northern Arizona 41-10 in the first round of the playoffs.

To understand Trump, look to the arena - Sports Politika
An internal email sent by the US Tennis Association (USTA) leadership to US Open broadcasters, obtained by Ben Rothenberg’s Bounces, requested that broadcasters censor any possible protests or other reactions to Trump’s presence. Instead, Trump was shown standing in salute during the national anthem.

The USTA email instructing broadcasters to insulate Trump from negative crowd responses underscores the intricacies of Trump’s stagecraft, including the role that sports organizations play in upholding that stagecraft.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has made sports a central pillar of his agenda. Within weeks, he issued an executive order barring transgender women and girls from female sports. He pressured the Washington Commanders to restore their former ‘Redskins’ name despite its racist legacy. And he has staged himself as a fixture at major spectacles—from the Super Bowl and FIFA Club World Cup final to orchestrated UFC walkouts before roaring crowds.

A'ja Wilson has 31 and 11 rebounds, Aces beat Sky 80-66 for 14th consecutive win - Associated Press
A’ja Wilson had 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 80-66 on Sunday night to extend the longest win streak in franchise history.

The Aces have won 14 games in a row, tied for with the 2021 Connecticut Sun for the fourth-longest regular season win streak in league history. The Los Angeles Sparks won a record 18 straight in the regular season on their way to the 2001 WNBA title.

The McLaren Championship Battle Needs To Get More Evil - Defector
It is not just McLaren's team orders, or the drivers' determination to out-polite their way to a championship, that has made the battle so dull this year. Much of the races in dry weather have been of remarkably poor quality. Sunday's race is a fine example: some good overtakes at the start, with two Ferraris in the mix, and once that stopped, little intrigue anywhere else. Tire degradation was too low, and the pit lane was too long; Hamilton knew enough to make fun of the race before it even began.

Tottenham say club ‘not for sale’ amid ‘expressions of interest’ from Amanda Staveley - The Athletic
Tottenham Hotspur have declared that they are “not for sale” following what they describe as “preliminary expressions of interest” from Amanda Staveley and from another consortium.

Spurs released a statement late on Sunday night clarifying their position following days of speculation after the removal of Daniel Levy as executive chairman on Thursday. Since Levy’s departure, the Lewis family have faced questions about their intentions for the club.

Alright, that's going to do it for today's edition of Front Row Seat. I'll be back tomorrow, and every weekday, to try and make it easier for you to follow the news.

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