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Tarik Skubal knew what the phone call meant before anyone needed to explain it.The Detroit Tigers ace had stepped away from the dugout during Saturday nights game against the Athletics, something he had also done the previous evening to escape the heat and keep moving. This time, he never returned for the final innings.I got a phone call, Skubal said via the Detroit News. And I knew what that was about.Just like that, his seven-season run with the Tigers was over.Detroit traded the reigning two-time American League Cy Young Award winner to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-hander River Ryan, outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitching prospect Brady Smith.Skubal had spent months answering questions about his future. When the answer finally arrived, he was forced to process the end of the only major-league chapter he had ever known.Skubal Did Not Expect His Tigers Career to End This WaySkubal entered the 2026 season hoping to lead Detroit back to October and finish the job the Tigers had fallen short of completing during the previous two postseason runs.A trade was never part of that vision.Going into the season, this isnt what I planned on doing, Skubal said. But circumstances change, situations change.That is the cold reality of deadline baseball.The Tigers slipped far enough in the standings for Scott Harris to begin listening. Skubals pending free agency, massive trade value and status as one of baseballs best pitchers created an opportunity Detroit decided it could not ignore.Skubal understood the business behind the decision. His emotions were tied to everything the transaction was taking away.Skubal Thanks the Organization That Believed in HimDetroit selected Skubal in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University.He was not treated like a future franchise ace on draft night. He became one through years of development, failure, injury, adjustment and persistence.Im very appreciative of everything the Tigers have done for me, Skubal said. Just drafting me in 2018, giving a kid a chance out of a small school. Giving me the resources to use. Everything has been at my disposal. Whatever I wanted, they always had an answer. They always had a plan for me.Skubals road was rarely smooth.His early major-league seasons included command problems, home runs and difficult stretches that could have shaken Detroits belief in him. The Tigers continued giving him the ball.Skubal never forgot it.I feel like I experienced a lot, he said. I went through the ups and downs and gone through a lot of failure early in my career. And the club never stopped believing in me. They kept me running me out there every fifth day when I probably didnt deserve to be. Ill never take that for granted, just the way the fans supported me and my family, too.It meant a lot to me.Leaving Detroit With Unfinished Business HurtsSkubal leaves the Tigers with an impressive personal rsum.He won two Cy Young Awards, became one of baseballs most dominant starters and recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in his final appearance for Detroit.The achievement Skubal wanted most never arrived.And thats very tough, he said. All offseason, ever since the 2024 Game 5 and the failure that I experienced on the mound. I used that as fuel to try to bring a World Series to the city of Detroit. I truly did.Skubal was referring to Detroits decisive playoff loss to Cleveland in 2024, when Lane Thomas hit a grand slam that flipped Game 5 of the American League Division Series.The Tigers returned to that stage the following season and again came up short.Then we lost Game 5 again (last year) and that failure sparked even more motivation just to dig deeper and see how good you can truly be, Skubal said. The goal was always to win a World Series for this city and this organization that took a chance on me. Its really tough. I love all these guys. They are some of my best friends.That was the moment the emotion broke through.Skubal could talk about roster construction, free agency and changing circumstances. Saying goodbye to close friends was different.Skubals Connection With Tigers Fans Will LastDetroit fans watched Skubal grow from an intriguing young left-hander into the best pitcher in the American League.They supported him during the difficult seasons. They welcomed him back from elbow surgery. They stood for him when he reached 1,000 strikeouts and again when he walked off the Comerica Park mound for what became his final home appearance as a Tiger.Skubal made it clear that support mattered to him and his family.His Detroit career ends with a 61-42 record, a 3.04 ERA and 1,000 strikeouts across 153 appearances. Those numbers tell only part of the story.The larger legacy is that Skubal became the pitcher Detroit once hoped he could be, then exceeded nearly every expectation placed on him.A New Opportunity Awaits With the DodgersOnce Skubal collected himself, he turned his attention toward Los Angeles.The Dodgers are chasing a third consecutive World Series championship. Skubal now joins a roster built around October baseball, enormous expectations and a clear championship mandate.I am excited to be a Dodger, Skubal said. Excited to get down there and meet those guys. A chance to win three championships in a row. I am excited to be a part of that.That excitement does not erase the pain of leaving Detroit.Both emotions can exist at the same time.Skubal is leaving behind the organization that drafted him, the teammates who became close friends and the fan base that embraced his rise. He is also joining a team capable of giving him the championship opportunity he spent years chasing with the Tigers.Bottom LineTarik Skubals final comments as a Tiger were filled with gratitude, disappointment and genuine emotion.He thanked Detroit for believing in him before he became an ace. He acknowledged how badly he wanted to bring a World Series championship to the city. He struggled to discuss leaving teammates he considers some of his closest friends.Skubal never planned to leave Detroit this way.Now he heads to Los Angeles with a chance to chase the championship that remained unfinished in a Tigers uniform.His time in Detroit is over, but what he built here will not be forgotten.

A curious summer for England will continue in August as Pakistan arrive for a three-Test tour with Marcus Trescothick in interim charge of the hosts.Stephen Fleming has been installed as Brendon McCullums successor with the Test team but will not take up his role until September, leaving Trescothick to join a reappointed Joe Root in trying to set a new direction after a bruising series against New Zealand earlier in the year.While Fleming will have some say in selection, the indications are that Trescothick and Root will be prominent voices, too, alongside selector Marcus North who is set to speak after the squad is unveiled next week. The retirement of Ben Stokes leaves a significant hole with England apparently lacking a like-for-like replacement as a seam-bowling all-rounder, with the knock-on impacts perhaps significant for the composition of the rest of the attack.There may be batting places to think about, too, with Jacob Bethell a slight injury doubt. Here are five key decisions to be made:How to replace Ben Stokes?The first question is one without a straightforward answer. Stokes batting powers may have, statistically, been on the wane, but he remained a force with the ball and a vital balancing figure within any XI. England looked uneasy during the second New Zealand Test when without their then-captain better solutions must be found. Rehan Ahmed could be an option as an all-rounder (Getty)It feels likely that England search for a spinning all-rounder to replace Stokes at No 7. Rehan Ahmed has long been liked though lacks the bowling volume and, perhaps, consistency that England might desire; Will Jacks has not featured in a Test squad since the Ashes and similarly has a way to go with his second skill. More left-field, to some extent, options could include James Coles, the Sussex batting all-rounder, or Calvin Harrison, so impressive for Northants in all three facets over the last couple of years. Could Sam Curran come under consideration? The left-armer worked closely with Fleming at the Chennai Super Kings a few years ago, and also under Root during the skippers first stint. A lack of recent red-ball experience may count against him, but Curran would appear keen for consideration.Spinning stocksThe retirement of Stokes may be bad news for Shoaib Bashir, who is now tough to see being squeezed in, even if Curran is seen as a seam-bowling replacement. England have put a lot of time into their pet spin project, though Bashir hasnt maybe kicked on in the way that he, and they, would have liked. The tweakers could well be crucial at the end of a dry, hot summer, mind will North et al. explore alternative specialists, or even consider playing two in the same team? That may bring Bashir back in, though the time may have come for a look elsewhere.Top order trouble? Jacob Bethells withdrawal from the Hundred came with a warning that further assessment was required for a knee injury that could put his place against Pakistan in peril. No further information has yet been forthcoming, but England will want their No 3 in situ to continue to build experience and form in Test cricket after a couple of bad dismissals against New Zealand.Jacob Bethell is a slight injury doubt for England (Getty)Can Emilio Gay be said to be totally sure of his place at the top of the order? Gay was a victim of the Stokes-instigated chaos at the end of the Trent Bridge Test, eventually coming in at No 6, and has made a solid-if-unspectacular start to life at international level. It would be mightily harsh to not give him at least another series, though any potential Bethell absence could necessitate a reshuffle.A problem of plentyWhen speaking after the Fleming and Root appointments on Friday, Rob Key was eager to point out his excitement about Englands seamers, noting the way Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue had been bowling in the Hundred as evidence of their fulfilling of all-format potential. Key, rightly, also noted the consistency that Jofra Archer has found since being rested for the first of the New Zealand Tests. Brydon Carse is back bowling, too, after a long lay-off and may come into the thinking when the squad is named for Pakistan though is maybe a more limited bowler than others.Englands Jofra Archer has been in good form of late (PA Wire)If a spinner is selected at No 7, there may be room for four quicks but ensuring complementary skillsets will be key. Ollie Robinson had a strange series with his ability still not in question, and a lack of accurate alternatives with the new ball may see him feature again. Archer is a virtual certainty to start but will probably not play all three Tests. Pakistan struggled against the West Indies high-class seamers in the first Test in Trinidad and England appear to have an array of options to try to trouble them.Any statement selections?A fresh era can bring with it fresh perspective on the construction of a cricket team. With North still new to his role, Fleming arriving and Root returning, it may be that the trio seek a departure in some ways from the McCullum/Stokes axis that has gone before. Both Fleming and Root have, in the past, shown a predilection for adaptability Flemings CSK sides would regularly bat deep and mix up multifaceted orders, while Root enjoyed success with an England team of all-rounders in the past. To enact something similar would require a significant shift, though it may be that new eyes see individuals differently where does Jamie Smith best fit? What is the messaging to Harry Brook? Does the style need to change? While Fleming may not yet be in England, the next few weeks could say a lot about the side he wants to build.

Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken admitted he will likely have to bring in further defensive reinforcements after several key players were struck down by injury in the opening three games of the season.Vice-captain Stephen Kingsley, new centre-back Malachi Fagan-Walcott and right-back Christian Borchgrevink all picked up knocks in the Champions League qualifying double header against Sturm Graz, which ended in a 6-0 aggregate defeat.Club captain Craig Halkett is already missing after rupturing his Achilles in the third-to-last match of the previous campaign, while fellow centre-half Stuart Findlay is out for next week's league match after his red card in the opener against Aberdeen.Vrancken has already utilised four centre-back pairings, with midfielder McEntee filling in next to Findlay in the 2-1 loss at Pittodrie.Jordi Altena and Harry Milne are the only fit full-backs, while Jamie McCart and MJ Kamson-Kamara, who is yet to play a competitive game for Hearts, are the fit centre-back options. New signing Laurent Mendy could also fill in further back."We have to see," Vrancken said. "We have to talk about it. We have to look during the next days."Ahead of the ominous Europa League qualifier away to Benfica on Thursday, Vrancken has already added 20-year-old Kamson-Kamara to the European squad in place of Fagan-Walcott, who injured his ankle in the second half of last Tuesday's Champions League defeat by Sturm Graz.The Belgian admitted facing the Portuguese giants in the Stadium of Light will be a challenge after his side capitulated spectacularly against Aberdeen, leading 1-0 in the 89th minute before losing 2-1."Difficult, difficult," he said of the trip to Lisbon. "It could help if we win this game. That could help a lot when you go to the next one, especially when you play a top European team."But you have to step over the emotion again. And this is in sport, and especially in football, especially when the games come so fast. You have to be able to step over emotions and to be mature in those things, but also learn from those things. Because we don't want situations like this again."

Aug. 2MOSCOW Improvement each day is a focal point for the Vandals. On the back of a staff member's T-shirt read "Doesn't Matter, Get Better."Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. also mentioned that as the reference that the Vandals will be using all season just to get better each and every day."Improvement," Ford said about what he is looking for in post-practice film. "We're going to make plenty of mistakes it's (about) not making the same ones. I always talk to the guys about whatever we really needed to focus on from a mistake standpoint. The last practice should be now a strength, and we shouldn't be seeing those same mistakes as we got them coached up. So just to see the guys continue to play with great effort, and when they do make mistakes, (they're) making new mistakes."On Day 4 of the Vandals' fall camp at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, there were still many shell drills, positional drills, and some 11-on-11.A peek into the defenseDefensive coordinator Lee Stalker's defense is a 3-3-5 (three defensive linemen, three linebackers, five defensive backs) base. However, Stalker does run a multiple defense and showed off some 4-2-5 packages during the 11-on-11 period at the end of practice."In regard to maybe some situational football," Stalker said of mixing up the defense. "I got the 3-3-5, (it) is what we're based in. We'll run a ton of it, and being the three high, truly believe in it. The opportunity to be a little bit multiple and even just help us with situational football will be key. But we've got the D-linemen up front to manage that three-down look, and plenty of athletes that were also in the field."AdvertisementFord mentioned on Day 1 of practice that communication was an issue for the defense that he wanted to see improve. Stalker said from Day 1 to Day 4 that communication has improved rapidly."I think it's night and day," Stalker said. "I think it's a lot of just comfortability. It's a formation rep. I think defensively, you're going to see a ton of us being faced with tempo right throughout the season, all that. So just the nature of how quickly they can respond to one another and react to the opponent as they line up across the field from us. I think that's been probably the biggest improvement. I think there's confidence in what they're doing, and everyone is on the same page."Stalker mentioned two players have stood out the most: two transfers, Deion Gunn, a junior defensive back from Ellsworth Community College and Luke Teskey, a fifth-year defensive end from New Hampshire.Teskey was awarded the "Battle Axe" award for the best individual performance at the practice."So far, learning new types of styles of defense, playing a true multiple defense front versus a normal 4-3 type," Teskey said on what he's improved on. "It's a big learning curve, but it's a great learning experience."Teskey went from lining up outside of the tight end as a nine-tech to lining up on the tackle as a four-tech, which he said "almost feels like learning a new position."Execution and installationFord said that the offense is beginning to play faster than it did in the spring and that is due to the fact that the players have a better understanding of offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker's vision. Ford said that with better feel comes more confidence, and more confidence gives the opportunity to play faster."I think the last three days have really been, especially offensively, a much higher level in terms of the execution, still (with) plenty of mistakes being made everywhere," Ford said. "I really like where we're at defensively. I think those guys, especially in the back end, have really started doing a better job with communication and getting more on the same page. And it's good to see. The effort's been there. That's never been a concern of mine with this group, but the execution definitely needed to get better, and I think it did."Stalker said that the installation of the defense has been "really good" and that it takes time to develop comfortability in the scheme on the field and in the film room."I think we've done a great job as a staff of planning the structure of how we installed," Stalker said. "What we're installing together and how quickly. Structurally, conceptually, making it match and make it easy for players. But honestly, it's time spent on the field. It's mental walkthroughs. It's in the classroom, and really using all those different areas to be able to really connect with our players and the kids, so they can go out there at full speed and do it well."A position battle at kickerIt was quite obvious from watching practice that there is a clear battle on who could be the No. 1 kicker for the Vandals.The battle is between three players: juniors Owen Forsman, Owen Adams and Tyler Kinsman.Kinsman stands at a towering 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds. He was the No. 8 punting recruit, according to 247sports.com, and the No. 29 kicker recruit in 2024, according to ESPN. He is from Nampa and went to Skyview High School.Forsman and Adams had a kicking competition last year with Idaho; it went back and forth on who was kicking with no clear winner.Ford said that this year's camp has included a "really good competition" at kicker.Both Kinsman and Forsman drilled kicks on Day 4 with no misses."Owen Forsman and Tyler Kinsman have really kind of shown themselves as kind of battling back-and-forth for the place kicking job," Ford said. "Owen Adams is a little bit dinged up right now. He's out, so he was not able to compete. And anytime you have two good guys competing, you don't want to be the third guy that's out. But I know he's another guy that could be a factor as well. But I think the competition's going well. I want to see who could be consistent."Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, tjunt@lmtribune.com or on X @TrevorJunt.

Sophie Ingle made her Wales debut against Azerbaijan in 2009 [Getty Images]Bristol City boss Charlotte Healy has described Sophie Ingle as "the perfect role model" after the Wales midfielder signed a new contract through to 2028.The 34-year-old signed for the Robins last summer on a free transfer from Chelsea and played in all 22 games in WSL 2.Ingle helped City finish fourth and has agreed fresh terms ahead of the 2026-27 season, which gets under way with a trip to Sunderland on Sunday, 6 September."I'm really excited to be staying at this amazing football club," said Ingle."I've felt really settled since coming back and the infrastructure of this club is going in the right direction and so I'm looking forward to the future."Chelsea sign Italy's Dragoni from BarcelonaLondon City host Man Utd to kick off WSL seasonIngle won 11 trophies in seven seasons at Chelsea, including five WSL titles, and won her 150th cap for Wales in April's World Cup qualifier against Albania.City head coach Healy says the midfielder is a key part of her plans."Sophie was so important for us last season both on and off the pitch," said Healy."Her calmness and her leadership added so much value to our group and she had a brilliant season personally on the pitch too. She's the perfect role model for our young players to learn from."Her quality and experience speak for themselves - she's a fantastic player, but also an incredible human so I'm delighted that she's extended her stay."[BBC]

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