Great Plains News Digest
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MINNESOTA
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US–School-Shootings-Glance
Shooting in Minneapolis is the latest carnage at a US school or college over the past 25 years
SUMMARY: School shootings in the U.S. have claimed hundreds of lives over the past 25 years, with the tragedy often hitting hardest when children are involved. On Wednesday, a shooting at a church in Minneapolis, where Catholic school students were attending mass, added to the grim list. Two children, aged 14 and eight, died, and the shooter killed himself. The attack is part of a long history of school shootings since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The victims often include young students and educators who serve as mentors and role models.
WORDS: 1255 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 1:03 p.m. CDT
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US–Target-Boycott
Pro-DEI organizers fired up to maintain Target boycott as promises go unfulfilled
SUMMARY: When Target announced its current chief executive officer was stepping down, organizers of a months-long consumer boycott took it as a hopeful sign and stressed that their actions will continue as long as promises go unfulfilled. Participants gathered last week to proclaim their boycott against the retailer’s decision to drop diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives contributed to declines in foot traffic and revenue in nearly 2,000 stores. Retail analysts caution it’s difficult to gauge the boycott’s exact impact. Target had already been facing an ongoing sales slump for the last few years. But social justice advocates say this shows boycotting is a key tactic not to be taken for granted.
WORDS: 1031 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 1:57 p.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis-The Latest
The Latest: All 14 injured kids expected to survive after shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school
SUMMARY: Officials say a shooter opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 other people before killing himself. Police say 14 of the injured were children and they are all expected to survive. Officials say three adults who were injured are parishioners in their 80s. The shooting happened at Annunciation Catholic School, just days after the first day of school on Monday. Gov. Tim Walz said, “It’s my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this.”
WORDS: 2831 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 10:22 a.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis
A shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school kills 2 children, injures 17 people
SUMMARY: Authorities say a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Minneapolis Catholic church and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says two children were killed and 17 people were wounded in the shooting Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic School. He calls the violence “absolutely incomprehensible.” The children who died were 8 and 10, and 14 other kids were among the wounded. Police believe the shooter died by suicide. Officials were looking into the suspect’s motive. O’Hara says the shooter was in their early 20s, does not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone.
WORDS: 1338 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:24 a.m. CDT
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US-Best Buy-Results
A solid quarter at Best Buy overshadowed by outlook grown cloudy with tariffs
SUMMARY: Best Buy posted a solid second quarter that exceeded Wall Street expectations, but the performances was overshadowed by an outlook that has grown cloudy due to tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners. Despite easily beating expectations, shares slid more than 6% Thursday after the company stuck to earlier guidance for 2025. The company cited the potential impact of tariffs. Comparable sales, a good barometer of a retailer’s health, increased 1.6%, better than the small decline that analysts had expected. Yet the company had been battered by online competition. CEO Corie Barry pointed out that it was the highest growth for same-store sales, which include online sales, in three years.
WORDS: 567 – MOVED: 08/28/2025 7:29 a.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis-Inside the Church
Minneapolis Catholic schoolchildren listened to a prayer, then ducked for cover from gunfire
SUMMARY: The pews of a Minneapolis church were packed with teachers, parents and schoolchildren paired with older ‘buddies’ listening to a prayer on their third day of the new school year. Then people scrambled for safety after a shooter opened fire Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic School. Two children were killed and 17 people were wounded. The shooter was found dead by suicide behind the church. Police said all the wounded victims are expected to survive. The shooting has shaken the tight-knit community built around the century-old Catholic school and parish.
WORDS: 731 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 10:58 p.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis-What To Know
What to know about the shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school
SUMMARY: A shooter opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 other people. Seventeen others, including 14 children, were injured in Wednesday morning’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. All 17 are expected to survive. Authorities say the 23-year-old shooter fired dozens of rounds through the church windows before dying by suicide. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told NBC’s “TODAY” show on Thursday that the shooter was a former Annunciation student and had previously been a member of the church. Investigators said the shooter left behind extensive writings, but authorities are still working to determine why the church was targeted.
WORDS: 641 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 12:04 p.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis-Shooter
What we know about the shooter who killed 2 and wounded 17 in Minneapolis
SUMMARY: Authorities are working to learn the motive of the shooter who fired into a Minneapolis Catholic school’s church. Officials identified the shooter who killed two children and injured 17 worshippers during Wednesday’s Mass as Robin Westman, aged 23. Officials said Westman was found dead in the parking lot from what they believe was a self-inflicted gunshot. The the Minneapolis police chief says Westman legally purchased the weapons, had no known criminal history and acted alone. Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender. Officials said Thursday that Westman was a former student at Annunciation Catholic School. Mary Grace Westman, Robin’s mother, was employed at the school for five years.
WORDS: 1012 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 7:54 p.m. CDT
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US–School Shooting-Minneapolis
Minneapolis shooter talked of depression and left behind a list of grievances
SUMMARY: Investigators are pouring over the videos, writings and movements of the shooter who fired through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis, killing two children and wounding 18 people. Police Chief Brian O’Hara says Robin Westman fired dozens of rounds at the students during Mass on Wednesday morning. He says the shooter then died by suicide. O’Hara told NBC’s “TODAY” show that Westman had been a student and member of the Annunciation church and that Westman’s mother worked for the parish. The police chief says investigators haven’t yet found what exactly motivated the shooting.
WORDS: 936 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 11:42 p.m. CDT
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NEBRASKA
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US–STB Firing-Rail Merger
Trump fires Democratic member of Surface Transportation Board ahead of huge rail merger decision
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed. Board member Robert Primus said on LinkedIn that he received an email from the White House Wednesday night terminating the position he has held since he was appointed by Trump in his first term. Primus said he plans to fight the firing , which he believes is “legally invalid.” The board is set to consider Union Pacific’s $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern in the next two years before deciding whether to approve the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.
WORDS: 472 – MOVED: 08/28/2025 11:18 a.m. CDT
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NORTH DAKOTA
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US–Bomber Near Misses-North Dakota
NTSB says B-52 bomber nearly hit two different planes in North Dakota last month
SUMMARY: The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that shortly after an airliner made an aggressive maneuver to avoid colliding with a B-52 last month over North Dakota, the bomber nearly collided with a small private plane as it flew past the Minot airport. The preliminary report on the July 19 incident described the close calls that happened after the bomber completed a flyover at the State Fair in Minot. The close call with Delta Flight 3788 is well known because of a video a passenger shot of the pilot’s announcement after avoiding the bomber. But the fact that the B-52 subsequently came within one-third of a mile of a small Piper airplane hadn’t been previously reported.
WORDS: 709 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 4:53 p.m. CDT
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SOUTH DAKOTA
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US–Bomber Near Misses-North Dakota
NTSB says B-52 bomber nearly hit two different planes in North Dakota last month
SUMMARY: The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that shortly after an airliner made an aggressive maneuver to avoid colliding with a B-52 last month over North Dakota, the bomber nearly collided with a small private plane as it flew past the Minot airport. The preliminary report on the July 19 incident described the close calls that happened after the bomber completed a flyover at the State Fair in Minot. The close call with Delta Flight 3788 is well known because of a video a passenger shot of the pilot’s announcement after avoiding the bomber. But the fact that the B-52 subsequently came within one-third of a mile of a small Piper airplane hadn’t been previously reported.
WORDS: 709 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 4:53 p.m. CDT
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SPORTS
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IOWA
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BBO–Cubs-Moves
Cubs starter Jameson Taillon goes on injured list with left groin injury
SUMMARY: Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon has been placed on the 15-day injured list because of a left groin injury that manager Craig Counsell doesn’t believe will keep him down for long. The move is retroactive to Monday, a day after Taillon exited having thrown just 62 pitches but went five innings for the win against the Angels in Anaheim. He was throwing a bullpen session Wednesday at Oracle Park and only 12-14 pitches in when he didn’t feel quite right, according to Counsell.
WORDS: 371 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 8:55 p.m. CDT
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KANSAS
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FBN–Chiefs-Rice Suspended
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is suspended 6 games by NFL, beginning with opener next week in Brazil
SUMMARY: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The suspension follows his guilty plea to two third-degree felony charges related to a March 2024 crash in Dallas. The NFL’s decision comes after an internal investigation and voids a scheduled hearing. Rice will miss several high-profile games, including the season opener against the Chargers in Brazil and a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles. He will be eligible to return on Oct. 19 when Kansas City faces the Raiders.
WORDS: 763 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 11:36 a.m. CDT
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ENT–People-Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce
Dispatcher shakes it off after announcing Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement over scanner
SUMMARY: A day after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, some wild details are emerging about how folks spread the news. A dispatcher in Michigan accidentally announced it over the police scanner. One major business broke the news over email, lightheartedly suggesting that workers check their social media feeds and debate potential wedding playlists. And oddsmakers are now taking bets on when and where the superstar singer and the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs will wed. Swifties can even bet on the flavor of the wedding cake.
WORDS: 541 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 7:02 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-White Sox
Perez leads Royals to 12-1 rout of White Sox and moves into 3rd place on franchise RBI list
SUMMARY: Salvador Perez hit a leadoff homer and a two-run double in Kansas City’s eight-run fifth inning as the Royals pummeled the Chicago White Sox 12-1. Perez’s double gave him 993 RBIs — one more than Amos Otis for third place in Royals history. Next on the list is Hal McRae with 1,012. George Brett leads with 1,596. Ryan Bergert pitched a season-high six innings, allowing one run and six hits for his first win in five starts with Kansas City. Perez tied it at 1 with his 23rd homer when he connected off losing pitcher Aaron Civale. Bobby Witt Jr. chased Civale with a two-out, two-run single and Vinnie Pasquantino greeted Tyler Gilbert with a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.
WORDS: 368 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:46 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Chiefs-Rice
Chiefs brace for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension with deep wide receiver roster
SUMMARY: The Kansas City Chiefs have prepared for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension by keeping eight wide receivers on their roster. Rice pleaded guilty to charges related to a crash and received probation and jail time. The Chiefs believe they can handle his absence better than last season, when he was injured. JuJu Smith-Schuster has returned in excellent shape, and rookie Jalen Royals shows promise. Marquise Brown is also healthy after missing most of last season. General manager Brett Veach expressed confidence in their depth. The Chiefs aim to manage without Rice until his return on Oct.19.
WORDS: 754 – MOVED: 08/28/2025 11:52 a.m. CDT
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MINNESOTA
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US–Women’s Sports Leagues-PWHL
‘You’re planting your brand flag’: The power of brand building in the women’s sports boom
SUMMARY: As the ever-growing crop of new women’s leagues aim for longevity, the question of team branding — which encompasses the nicknames and the color schemes and logos — is front and center. Successful leagues need legions of fans who buy the merchandise, learn the chants and pass along their fandom. Strong branding is central to all of that, and the PWHL is an interesting case study.
WORDS: 976 – MOVED: 08/25/2025 7:21 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Panthers-Vikings Trade
Vikings bring back veteran Adam Thielen for WR depth in trade with the Panthers
SUMMARY: The Minnesota Vikings have reacquired veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen from the Carolina Panthers. The Vikings traded draft picks for Thielen, who has the third-most catches in franchise history. The team needed more depth after losing Rondale Moore to a season-ending knee injury and Jordan Addison to a three-game suspension. Thielen is a native of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He became a success story after starting in 2013 as an undrafted player. He made two Pro Bowls with the Vikings. The 35-year-old still lives in Minnesota and has worked out with new Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy over the past two summers.
WORDS: 651 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:05 a.m. CDT
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MISSOURI
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FBN–Brady-Fox
NFL eases restrictions on Tom Brady’s role as Fox Sports analyst
SUMMARY: The NFL is easing some restrictions on Tom Brady as he prepares for his second season as Fox Sports’ top analyst. Brady can now participate in production meetings with teams, but only virtually. He still can’t watch practices or visit training complexes. These rules are due to his 5% ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady attended virtual meetings with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles before Super Bowl 59. He said not attending meetings didn’t affect his research. Fox’s top crew, including Brady, will call the NFC East matchup between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders on Sept. 7.
WORDS: 428 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 2:44 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Chiefs-Rice Suspended
Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is suspended 6 games by NFL, beginning with opener next week in Brazil
SUMMARY: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has been suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The suspension follows his guilty plea to two third-degree felony charges related to a March 2024 crash in Dallas. The NFL’s decision comes after an internal investigation and voids a scheduled hearing. Rice will miss several high-profile games, including the season opener against the Chargers in Brazil and a Super Bowl rematch with the Eagles. He will be eligible to return on Oct. 19 when Kansas City faces the Raiders.
WORDS: 763 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 11:36 a.m. CDT
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BBO–White Sox Moves
White Sox place center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain
SUMMARY: The Chicago White Sox have placed Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. It’s a tough blow for the center fielder after he had started heating up at the plate. The White Sox also recalled outfielder Will Robertson from Triple-A Charlotte before their series finale against the Royals. The 28-year-old Robert got off to a tough start this year, batting .190 with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 93 strikeouts in his first 79 games. He has been much better since the All-Star break, hitting .298 with five homers and 18 RBIs in his last 31 games.
WORDS: 196 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 4:27 p.m. CDT
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ENT–People-Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce
Dispatcher shakes it off after announcing Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement over scanner
SUMMARY: A day after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement, some wild details are emerging about how folks spread the news. A dispatcher in Michigan accidentally announced it over the police scanner. One major business broke the news over email, lightheartedly suggesting that workers check their social media feeds and debate potential wedding playlists. And oddsmakers are now taking bets on when and where the superstar singer and the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs will wed. Swifties can even bet on the flavor of the wedding cake.
WORDS: 541 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 7:02 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Pirates-Cardinals
Pham’s two-run single lifts Pirates over Cardinals 2-1
SUMMARY: Tommy Pham hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The highly-touted Bubba Chandler (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings of relief of starter Carmen Mlodzinski for his first win in his second major league game. The 6-foot-3 right-hander allowed one hit, struck out three and walked one. Isaac Mattson pitched a scoreless eighth for Pittsburgh and Dennis Santana finished for his 10th save in 12 opportunities. Masyn Winn had a two-out single off Mlodzinski in the second and Thomas Saggese walked before Pedro Pagés singled to put the Cardinals up 1-0.
WORDS: 297 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:29 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Royals-White Sox
Perez leads Royals to 12-1 rout of White Sox and moves into 3rd place on franchise RBI list
SUMMARY: Salvador Perez hit a leadoff homer and a two-run double in Kansas City’s eight-run fifth inning as the Royals pummeled the Chicago White Sox 12-1. Perez’s double gave him 993 RBIs — one more than Amos Otis for third place in Royals history. Next on the list is Hal McRae with 1,012. George Brett leads with 1,596. Ryan Bergert pitched a season-high six innings, allowing one run and six hits for his first win in five starts with Kansas City. Perez tied it at 1 with his 23rd homer when he connected off losing pitcher Aaron Civale. Bobby Witt Jr. chased Civale with a two-out, two-run single and Vinnie Pasquantino greeted Tyler Gilbert with a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.
WORDS: 368 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:46 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Pirates-Bubba Wins
Prized pitching prospect Bubba Chandler gets 1st major league win in 2nd game with Pirates
SUMMARY: Bubba Chandler has lived up to the hype so far. Chandler led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching four scoreless innings of relief in his second major league game. The 6-foot-3 right-hander allowed one hit, struck out three and walked one. The 22-year-old Chandler got the win after he picked up the save in his Pittsburgh debut on Friday night against Colorado. He also worked four scoreless innings against the Rockies. Chandler’s arrival has provided a glimmer of hope for Pittsburgh in another lost season. He could join Paul Skenes in a potentially formidable rotation for the Pirates as soon as next year.
WORDS: 518 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 9:23 p.m. CDT
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FBN–Chiefs-Rice
Chiefs brace for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension with deep wide receiver roster
SUMMARY: The Kansas City Chiefs have prepared for Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension by keeping eight wide receivers on their roster. Rice pleaded guilty to charges related to a crash and received probation and jail time. The Chiefs believe they can handle his absence better than last season, when he was injured. JuJu Smith-Schuster has returned in excellent shape, and rookie Jalen Royals shows promise. Marquise Brown is also healthy after missing most of last season. General manager Brett Veach expressed confidence in their depth. The Chiefs aim to manage without Rice until his return on Oct.19.
WORDS: 754 – MOVED: 08/28/2025 11:52 a.m. CDT
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NORTH DAKOTA
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FBC–Wake Forest-Dickert
Jake Dickert is set for his Wake Forest debut. It’s the latest stop in his winding coaching journey
SUMMARY: Wake Forest is set to open its first season under coach Jake Dickert. The Demon Deacons host Kennesaw State on Friday. That will mark the latest step in a winding coaching journey for the 42-year-old Dickert. The former Division III player had previous coaching stops in Division II and at the Championship Subdivision. He left Washington State after that school’s power-conference home in the Pac-12 fell apart. Now he’s in another power conference with the Demon Deacons in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Dickert says he’s thankful for each step of this long journey.
WORDS: 1153 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 5:17 p.m. CDT
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OKLAHOMA
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BBO–Mets-McLean
Nolan McLean makes Mets history and continues to provide much-needed boost
SUMMARY: Three games into his major league career, Nolan McLean has already accomplished something Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Jacob deGrom or anyone else wearing a New York Mets uniform could not. McLean became the first Mets pitcher to win his first three MLB starts, tossing eight marvelous innings in a 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that completed a three-game sweep. Facing the Phillies, who entered Wednesday with the second-best batting average in the majors, the 24-year-old right-hander allowed four hits and walked none with six strikeouts. He threw 95 pitches — just 55 through the first six innings.
WORDS: 729 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 10:31 p.m. CDT
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BBO–Phillies-Mets
McLean goes 8 innings as Mets blank Phillies 6-0 for 3-game sweep
SUMMARY: Nolan McLean became the first New York Mets pitcher to win his first three major league starts, tossing eight magnificent innings in a 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that completed a three-game sweep. Mark Vientos homered and drove in three runs as the resurgent Mets moved within four games of first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. They improved to 7-2 against the rival Phillies this year, clinching the season series and a potential postseason tiebreaker. The teams play a four-game series in Philadelphia from Sept. 8-11. The Mets are 8-3 since McLean made his debut Aug. 16 against Seattle.
WORDS: 419 – MOVED: 08/27/2025 8:53 p.m. CDT
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