The Red Sox lost to the Dodgers 7-4 on Sunday. Mookie Betts closed out his notable return to Fenway Park by smashing his 35th home run of the year. Boston is now 4.5 games back of the Astros and Rangers for the final American League wild-card spot. Matthew Judon makes ESPN’s list: While it’s far from comprehensive, ESPN’s latest ranking — a list of the best players in the NFL heading into the upcoming season — showcases a potential roster issue for the Patriots. Several teams had multiple players named (the 49ers led the way with eight), but the Patriots had just one player named.
The only player from New England was pass rusher Matthew Judon, who finished 96th overall.
According to ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss, “Judon is the team’s best pass-rusher and has also improved as an edge-setter against the run — a key for any outside linebacker in the Patriots’ system.” “Coworkers feed off his energy; he is the Patriots defense’s engine.”
Judon’s 2022 totals were historically impressive, as the list noted. The 31-year-old’s 15.5 sack total is the highest since great Andre Tippett’s 16.5 from 1985.
The Patriots’ absence beyond Judon suggests either an undervalued roster or a team that could suffer matchup issues, but only one team—the Cardinals—had no players on the list.
The Red Sox defeated Walter Johnson, the ace of the Washington Senators, 1-0 in 11 innings in 1913. Finally, in the bottom of the 11th inning, Johnson gave up a walk-off run. This was in the middle of a season in which he would go 36-7 with a pitiful 1.14 ERA. Ray Collins of Boston won the game with a perfect game shutout.
Highlight of the day: California won the Little League World Series, defeating Curacao 6-5. After a thrilling sequence of events that included a walk-off home run, they managed to reach their destination.
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