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By Hayden Bird
The Red Sox lost to the Twins 9-6 in 10 innings on Wednesday. Boston concludes the series against Minnesota this evening at 7:10 p.m.
Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner won MVP of the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, saving two penalty kicks in the shootout against the Liga MX All-Stars.
Again! @headdturnerr #MLSAllStar pic.twitter.com/Z3RHpwony7
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) August 26, 2021
And the Patriots continue joint practices with the Giants on Thursday, following Mac Jones’s dominant display on Wednesday.
The Patriots and the Sony Michel trade: That Patriots’ depth at the running back position has been clear for much of the preseason. The growing question became how Bill Belichick would handle having a surplus of talented players at the same position.
On Wednesday, at least part of the question was answered when the Patriots traded Sony Michel to the Rams for a pair of conditional draft picks.
According to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter, New England initially held off on dealing Michel, even as other offers came in.
As Schefter explained in an interview on WEEI Wednesday afternoon, the minor injury to Rams running back Darrell Henderson — coming a few weeks after Los Angeles starter Cam Akers tore his Achilles, ruling him out for the season — set the eventual trade in motion.
“I think that kind of scared the Rams a little bit and put them in a position where there began thinking about running backs,” Schefter said of Henderson’s injury.
“I think teams were calling about Sony Michel and the Patriots initially resisted offers from other teams,” Schefter added, “and then somewhere around [Tuesday], I don’t know what changed, but maybe we’re getting close to the final roster decisions and New England began crunching numbers and saw that, ‘Look, Sony Michel is entering the last year of his contract, doesn’t have a future in New England, get two picks back for him, create a roster spot and you move on from him.’
“The Rams saw somebody that could step in and kind of be a starting running back if that is what they need, somebody that came on last year and played very well in the second half of the season,” Schefter explained. “And so they trade a fifth and sixth-round pick to the Patriots and the Patriots move on from a position they have a lot of depth at. The Rams add depth, which they needed. The Patriots create other opportunities for other running backs and I think everybody makes out ahead on the deal.”
Trivia: Name the three Alabama quarterbacks who have also started (and won) the Super Bowl
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: None have come in the last 40 years.
More from Boston.com:
Ceddanne Rafaela made one of the plays of the year for the Salem Red Sox:
CEDDANNE RAFAELA MAKES THE PLAY OF THE YEAR #SCTOP10 @MiLB @SportsCenter #StartsInSalem #MiLB #RedSoxNation pic.twitter.com/C3UEFm9BGQ
— The Salem Red Sox (@salemredsox) August 26, 2021
A milestone home run for a Red Sox prospect:
Red Sox No. 4 prospect @nickyorke2 slugs his first homer for High-A @GreenvilleDrive. pic.twitter.com/rT7IC4gcvu
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 26, 2021
On this day: In 2010, then-rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski gave an early glimpse at his potential in the Patriots offense, dragging Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis before diving for a touchdown.
August 26, 2010: Patriots rookie TE @RobGronkowski drags Rams LB James Laurinaitis into the endzone for the TD during the preseason. pic.twitter.com/93t1tEUFc8
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 26, 2020
Daily highlight: Liga MX All-Star Jorge Sanchez made a tremendous goal-line clearance to keep Diego Rossi’s shot out of the net.
Did it go in though? š§ pic.twitter.com/Co0r69IYMj
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 26, 2021
Trivia answer: Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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