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This combination of images shows promotional art for “Poker Face,” left, “Forever,” and “Safe House.” (Peacock/Netflix/Acorn TV via AP) This combination of images shows promotional art for the films “Nonnas,” left, and “Black Bag.” (Netflix/Focus Features via AP) This image released by Focus Features shows Michael Fassbender in a scene from “Black Bag.” (Claudette Barius/Focus Features via AP) This image released by Focus Features shows Michael Fassbender, from left, Tom Burke and Pierce Brosnan in a scene from “Black Bag.” (Claudette Barius/Focus Features via AP) the Pittsburgh Pirates are 12-23 and officially off to their worst start to a 162-game season since 2006 Fresh off a league-leading sixth shutout loss at the hands of the San Diego Padres While there is plenty of blame to go around from injuries to bullpen struggles and more Pittsburgh's utter lack of offense is becoming increasingly apparent the Pirates rank 28th in runs scored (114) Manager Derek Shelton has received his fair share of the blame for his constant tinkering with the batting order as he tries to generate some kind of offensive consistency probably isn't throwing out a different lineup every single night Shelton deserves plenty of the criticism he's received for the Pirates' shortcomings He's been racking his brain trying to come up with a solution “I don't know. That's something I'm probably gonna think a lot about tonight and have been thinking a lot about, but there has to be some sort of consistency,” Shelton said after Sunday's loss (via Alex Stumpf of MLB.com) But ... is the lineup really better than this? Other than Bryan Reynolds, who is currently slumping despite being one of the Pirates' most consistent hitters for years Even the best hitters go through the occasional slump which is why I'm more than willing to give Reynolds – who has gone 5-for-27 with a .185 batting average over his last seven games – the benefit of the doubt His overall body of work indicates that he is better than his recent stats suggest But for the rest of the lineup? Their failure to produce doesn't fall totally on Shelton. Anyone in their right mind who looked at this roster at the beginning of the season knew they were never going to produce to begin with. The Pirates have a poorly, cheaply constructed roster that has no business competing with the rest of MLB and that falls on management and ownership the Pirates' multitude of problems this season extend beyond their offense But perhaps the reason Shelton can't find any consistency from his lineup is because there never was any to begin with © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"6a","src":"6b","url":"6c"},{"type":"69","value":"6d"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"6g","url":"6h"},{"type":"6f","value":"6i"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands She has been covering baseball for more than a decade dating back to her time as a student at Wake Forest University and she has won two gold medals as a member of the U.S National Team delegation (2016 Pan-American Championships & 2017 World Baseball Classic) she is also entering her seventh season as a credentialed NHL media member and currently covers the NHL’s Nashville Predators for The Hockey News consuming large amounts of coffee and taking long walks with her dog placeholders);\n",{"attributes":"eq","loadingType":"ef","name":"er","source":"es","type":"ei"},{"type":"ed","value":"et"},{},"commercial-api","(function () {\n mmClientApi.push('getPageData' Manager Derek Shelton has received his fair share of the blame for his constant tinkering with the batting order as he tries to generate some kind of offensive consistency “I don't know. That's something I'm probably gonna think a lot about tonight and have been thinking a lot about, but there has to be some sort of consistency,” Shelton said after Sunday's loss (via Alex Stumpf of MLB.com) But ... is the lineup really better than this? Other than Bryan Reynolds, who is currently slumping despite being one of the Pirates' most consistent hitters for years But for the rest of the lineup? Their failure to produce doesn't fall totally on Shelton. Anyone in their right mind who looked at this roster at the beginning of the season knew they were never going to produce to begin with. The Pirates have a poorly, cheaply constructed roster that has no business competing with the rest of MLB Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application NC passed away peacefully on the morning of Friday to the late Troy Franklin Shelton and Saloan Hennis Shelton he returned to his Heavenly Father at the age of 83.  Chester was the youngest of twelve children and was preceded in death by six brothers and Cecil Lane Shelton; in addition to his 5 sisters He was also preceded in death by his son and namesake Chester Franklin “Chess” Shelton Jr  He is survived by his wife of fifty years Sandra Jessup Shelton and will also be lovingly remembered by his three daughters Deborah Monnett Elizabeth Kirven and youngest Summer Shelton who coined him her “Popsicle.” He was an uncle to many nieces and nephews including those with special kinship Glenn Shelton and Leslie Garner He was a friend to many including his beloved dog Scrappy After retiring from 30 years of service as a diesel mechanic at Roadway Express Chester enjoyed camping and pursuing his musical talents He loved to sing country and gospel music and was often jamming on his harmonica onstage at Fiddler’s Conventions and within many bluegrass circles where he made lasting friendships He leaves behind a legacy at his beautiful farm “Chestnut Ridge Ranch” where he enjoyed tending to sheep and rabbits utilized his plethora of talents building barns campers and trailers and hosted many community gatherings His home will be permeated with the smell of delicious meals he cooked and his family who he devoted his life providing for will be left with memories of his laughter along with colorful stories to share of his many adventures.  A graveside service will be held at Westfield Baptist Church on Monday Chris McMillian of Slate Mountain Baptist Church In lieu of flowers and gifts the family request “do not forget to do good and share with those in need” –Hebrews 13:16 Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Blake Shelton slams Morgan Wallen after SNL walk-off saying bad behavior won't win in showbiz Contact us by Email Morgan Wallen caused a stink by storming off the Saturday Night Live set, and RadarOnline.com can reveal country music good guy Blake Shelton plans to let him know that being a jerk is no way to get ahead in showbiz Wallen shot to fame after appearing on season 6 of The Voice but has also come under fire for some boozy exploits And he trashed an SNL tradition when he appeared as the musical guest and abruptly bolted the stage as credits started to roll instead of following the usual protocol – mingling with celeb guests and cast until the cameras cut away The 31-year-old upstart reportedly upset the cast and crew and got himself blackballed from future shows Blake Shelton regrets not mentoring Morgan Wallen on 'The Voice' after his 'SNL' meltdown A country insider said: "It was really bizarre and unnecessary and just made him look like an ungrateful diva "Blake wants to help him out because he likes Morgan and doesn't want to see him self-destruct." who was a coach on The Voice for the first 23 seasons previously revealed that he regrets not choosing Wallen to be on his team so that he could mentor him properly our source said the 48-year-old God's Country singer is hoping to help the troubled troubadour get back on track Kid Rock's bar incident was just one of Wallen's many headline-grabbing missteps Blake has a soft spot for him," confided the insider This isn't Wallen's first time stirring up trouble he was staring down a possible six-year prison sentence after hurling a chair off a sixth-floor rooftop in Nashville – nearly hitting two cops below But his legal team managed to cut a sweetheart deal getting him off with just a week in a DUI education center and two years' probation The 'SNL' crew was left stunned when Wallen ditched tradition and walked off mid-credit By entering your email and clicking Sign Up you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy he was busted for public intoxication and disorderly conduct after getting booted from Kid Rock's bar and scrapping with strangers on the street he sparked outrage when a video surfaced of him shouting the N-word during a drunken night out with friends "Blake feels that what Morgan needs is an intervention and he's the best one to do it," said our source "He knows Morgan's had a rough time with legal trouble and vocal issues While Shelton's rep denies the star plans to speak to Morgan, the source told RadarOnline.com: "Blake believes that Morgan needs a friendly but firm hand to steer him back on track Nashville don't take kindly to troublemaking brats." just one day before news broke that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are allegedly headed toward a divorce the singer was spotted house-hunting on her own in Beverly Hills Tom Cruise is living up to his Top Gun image by splashing a fortune choppering his new female “best pal” around Britain – after he “fell in love” with the way she's overcome her disability Opt-out of personalized ads A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service People may receive compensation for some links to products and services Offers may be subject to change without notice Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Luke Bryan just threw a jab at Blake Shelton out of nowhere Bryan was giving a behind-the-scenes look at the setup of his Country Song Came On Tour, which begins May 29 in Bethel when he randomly shot shade at Shelton with no one but a few stage workers present when he hits record so we're at rehearsal for the Country Song Came On Tour We got this building just to kind of show everybody what Blake Shelton's ticket sales look like," he jokes the "One Margarita" included a sound effect — crickets chirping — to further drive home the point that Shelton's ticket sales are lacking The few people that were in the background as Bryan was filming can be heard getting a good chuckle out of the whole situation Shelton is on his Friends and Heroes Tour which kicked off in February and runs through October There is no tangible evidence that his tour sales are low — this is simply Bryan getting a good ribbing in on his buddy The back-and-forth between Bryan and Shelton has gone on for quite some time, even spilling into our very own Taste of Country Nights studios. Luke Bryan just threw a jab at Blake Shelton out of nowhere Read More Luke Bryan just threw a jab at Blake Shelton out of nowhere Bryan was giving a behind-the-scenes look at the setup of his Country Song Came On Tour, which begins May 29 in Bethel, N.Y., when he randomly shot shade at Shelton. Bryan is in an empty arena, with no one but a few stage workers present when he hits record. "Hey y'all, so we're at rehearsal for the Country Song Came On Tour. We got this building just to kind of show everybody what Blake Shelton's ticket sales look like," he jokes. The joke, of course, is that the arena is empty at the time. To add insult to injury, the "One Margarita" included a sound effect — crickets chirping — to further drive home the point that Shelton's ticket sales are lacking. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Luke Bryan Official (@lukebryan) The back-and-forth between Bryan and Shelton has gone on for quite some time, even spilling into our very own Taste of Country Nights studios. BLACK MOUNTAIN – Madison junior shortstop Max Shelton is a man of few words Nearing the end of one of the best offensive seasons the Patriots have seen in more than a decade Shelton has little to say about what has preceded the success There’s one thing Shelton will say with plenty of confidence – he’s good at baseball “It’s just what I came through here to do,” Shelton said “To be the best hitter to ever come through Madison County.” Shelton joined Madison’s youth baseball program when he was just 4 years old He’s still playing baseball for one major reason Shelton has hit nine home runs this season While Madison coach Ronald Tipton isn’t sure where Shelton’s nine home runs and 16 career home runs stand among the school’s record leaders – “We don’t dig on records too much until it’s time,” Tipton said – nobody has hit that many in Tipton’s 12 years coaching the Patriots Shelton’s power is a result of development through his first three years After hitting three home runs as a freshman and four as a sophomore Shelton’s offseason work led to a breakout of power in his junior season Tipton said he and Shelton worked persistently in the weight room over the offseason building the physique that now fills his No “That’s the most important thing,” Shelton said Shelton is a linebacker and running back for the Patriots’ football team Shelton also wrestles for the Patriots and finished as the runner-up in the 190-pound class at the NCHSAA 2A West Regional one year after winning the regional in the 175-pound class he’ll be in the batting cages or tacking hacks at home plate “He’s a very diligent guy about coming to the field and swinging the bat,” Tipton said He’s just reaping the benefits of the work.” Power isn’t the only thing Shelton brings to the plate he’s reached base in more than half of his at-bats is among the conference leaders with 29 RBIs and leads the conference with 32 runs scored his speed earned his team three extra bases on passed balls and throwing errors “Max is an all-around player for us,” Tipton said Shelton has three two-home run games this season including one in a 22-run game and a 14-run game and the Patriots have scored at least eight runs in five of the six games in which Shelton homered The confidence is a lot higher when he’s on.” Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on X Blake Shelton sets a career milestone as “Texas” ascends to the top of the chart, becoming the 30th #1 of his career.  “It’s been a few years since I’ve had a solo No. 1 single, and I’m super fired up about this one,” Blake says. “I had no idea if ‘Texas’ would be a number one song, but the first time I heard it, I knew that it was something different and it sounded like nothing else I’d ever done before.”  Most recently, Blake topped the chart with “Pour Me a Drink” with Post Malone. Blake’s 30th #1 puts him in the company of country legends like George Strait, Alabama, Kenny Chesney and Ronnie Milsap. “Texas” is the lead single from Blake’s new album, For Recreational Use Only, which comes out Friday, May 9. Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Every day we make hundreds of choices. The easiest one should be wearing your seat belt. #ClickItOrTicket #ClickItDontRiskIt The entire CT40 team wants to remind you that your seat belt could be what saves you. Buckle up every time you get into your vehicle. #... The CT40 Team wants to remind you to Buckle in every day, night, weekday and weekend. #ClickItOrTicket Your CT40 family wants to remind you to Look out! Local roads are more dangerous than highways for speeders. In 2020, 87% of all speedi... Pay attention to the weather! Rain 🌧 requires slower speeds to stay safe! Slow Down and Stop Speeding. Speed was a factor for driver... The consequences of distracted driving are serious. Deadly serious. 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This web site is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. 2025Blake Shelton has a lot to celebrate this week Ahead of the 48-year-old country crooner's highly-anticipated forthcoming album For Recreational Use Only the TV personality revealed he officially made it to 30 No 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬  “Texas,” the lead single from his first album in four years 1 hit over the course of his successful decades-long career "It’s been a few years since I’ve had a solo No and I’m super fired up about this one," Shelton said in a statement "I had no idea if ‘Texas’ would be a number one song I knew that it was something different and it sounded like nothing else I'd ever done before." Blake Shelton "Texas" cover art Shelton achieved his first chart-topper with his 2001 debut single "Austin," followed by the release of "The Baby" the following year "Hillbilly Bone" featuring Trace Adkins (2009) "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking" (2010) "Sure Be Cool If You Did" (2013) "I’ve always been a nerd for stats and things like that in country music," he added "I’m always looking up artists’ stats whether it’s Ronnie Milsap or Alabama or George Strait or Reba and just to see how many albums they've sold or how many number-one songs they’ve had the idea of me having 30 number one singles I can’t even wrap my head around it because I know how long it takes to get there and how hard it is and how blessed and lucky you have to be to get here." For reference, Reba has earned herself a total of 24 No. 1 hits making him the most decorated in the category for country musicians–so far "Texas" hitting the top spot on the charts is "extra special" because it was produced by Shelton’s longtime collaborator Scott Hendricks and written by Johnny Clawson "I'm excited for these songwriters," Shelton added "I know it's some of these guys' first number one song and anytime you have a situation where someone's getting their big break and you can be a little tiny part of it You can watch the official music video for Shelton's single below: Next: Gwen Stefani Reveals ‘the Thing’ About Husband Blake Shelton That Keeps Her Falling in Love “It’s been a few years since I’ve had a solo No and I’m super fired up about this one,” Shelton says “I had no idea if ‘Texas’ would be a number one song I knew that it was something different and it sounded like nothing else I’d ever done before.” Produced by Shelton’s longtime collaborator Scott Hendricks “Texas” was written by Johnny Clawson “I’m excited for these songwriters,” Shelton continues “I know it’s some of these guys’ first number one song and anytime you have a situation where someone’s getting their big break and you can be a little tiny part of it Shelton joins a small country club of artists who have 30 or more No including Country Music Hall of Famers George Strait and Ronnie Milsap (based on R&R plus Mediabase statistics kept since 1973) The milestone has him reflecting on the road that brought him here “‘Texas’ marks my 30th number one as an artist and to have 30 number one songs is unbelievable and I’m really trying to take it all in,” he states “I have to thank the fans and the industry for their support throughout these years.” “I’ve always been a nerd for stats and things like that in country music,” he adds whether it’s Ronnie Milsap or Alabama or George Strait or Reba and just to see how many albums they’ve sold or how many number one songs they’ve had I can’t even wrap my head around it because I know how long it takes to get there and how hard it is and how blessed and lucky you have to be to get here.” Also arriving this week is For Recreational Use Only Shelton’s first studio album in four years and his debut on BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville The 12-track collection spans the full spectrum of life—grit and soul—showcasing Shelton’s unmistakable voice A post shared by Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) Copyright © 2013-2025 The Music Universe. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable law. TMU participates in various affiliate and advertising programs, including, but not limited to, Amazon, Ticketmaster, and others, and earns from qualifying purchases. Cookie ConsentWe use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Cookie Preferences×Manage your cookie preferences below: Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Statistics cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us understand how visitors use our website Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user Shelton was taken out of the second game in the Arkansas series last weekend and missed the finale on Sunday This could potentially be season-ending one for Shelton depending on Florida's postseason chances The Gators currently don’t have the necessary wins needed to be comfortable for a guaranteed spot in the postseason at this point in the season This is a big blow for the Gators and will make it that much more difficult over these final weeks of the campaign Florida’s everyday shortstop now joins second baseman Cade Kurland center fielder Kyle Jones and left-handed pitcher Frank Menendez as major contributors on the Gators’ injury list There were other newcomers on Florida’s availability report were added for this weekend's SEC series and will not be available head coach Kevin O’Sullivan did receive some good news who has not pitched in a game in two months was removed from the Gators' initial availability report That’s major news for the Gators who are in need of more pitching moving forward given his previous injury record O’Sullivan will most definitely be cautious in his approach with Coppola’s return and will not rush him back in any way Additionally, according to Baseball America’s Jacob Rudner on X any appearance this weekend will be a brief one for Coppola Florida begins their three-game series at South Carolina on Friday at 7 p.m KYLE LANDER The Bucs were a sleeper NL Wild Card pick by some pundits prior to the start of the regular season There is plenty of blame to go around for Pittsburgh's failings and it all starts with owner Bob Nutting and the front office Derek Shelton has also been lacking in some departments One player who should not have the finger pointed at them Something has to change with the Pittsburgh Pirates Skenes has a 2.74 ERA through seven starts. The Pirates haven't used Skenes starts wisely as their top-heavy lineup has struggled mightily and can't make routine plays a winning franchise would have no problem with when asked about the biggest reason for the Pirates brutal start to the season Shelton didn't reference any of those things so I asked manager Derek Shelton what’s gone wrong.His full answer:“I think we haven’t executed pitches.” For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on  The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season the Pirates pitching has lacked depth behind Skenes but they are not the biggest issue with the team from standing up for his manager and the front office Following Pittsburgh's 2-7 start in April "Mr. Nutting and Shelty aren't the ones playing," Skenes said at the time If we were 8-0 through however many games we've played right now when Shelton's job status is in question Skenes is the first player to fall on the sword when Shelton is facing a reasonable ask from the media as to why this team has made little progress more than a half-decade into their rebuild the adult in the room instead pointed the finger at Skenes and the pitching staff don't get me wrong – the Pirates bullpen in particular has been atrocious who put together a flawed roster with the little resources he was provided from Nutting but they risk alienating one of the only bright spots in Pittsburgh Skenes has a 2.74 ERA through seven starts. The Pirates haven't used Skenes starts wisely For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on  The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter "Mr. Nutting and Shelty aren't the ones playing," Skenes said at the time Channelsreels-556541Reelsarrow-expand-556542Derek Shelton on slumping offense after 4-0 loss Padres @ PiratesMay 4 2025 | 00:01:36add-reel-556543Reelsshare-square-2-556544ShareDerek Shelton discusses needing to get the offense going as well as a solid day from his bullpen following the Pirates' 4-0 loss to the Padres You can now search for over 3 million videos by player Use the search box to start your search with a player or a team and then use the filter panel to refine your results You can also start by selecting filters from the panel Videos can be embedded and shared directly from MLB.com Bienvenido a la nueva búsqueda de videos de MLB Ahora puede buscar más de 3 millones de videos por jugador Use el cuadro de búsqueda para comenzar su búsqueda con un jugador o un equipo y luego use el panel de filtro para refinar sus resultados También puede comenzar seleccionando filtros desde el panel Los videos se pueden insertar y compartir directamente desde MLB.com/es There was an error when executing your search Please refresh the page or try another query to get results If you are still having trouble, please describe your issue here and we will do our best to resolve it Por favor vuelva a cargar la página o intente con otros parámetros para obtener resultados Si aún así continua teneindo problemas, por favor descríbalo aquí y haremos todo lo posible por resolverlo It looks like there are no results for your search Please note that \\\"Play\\\" filters are only available after the 2015 season Videos from 2015 and prior can be searched by player Examples of \\\"Play\\\" filters:Hit ResultPitch ResultPitch Type\"},\"es\":{\"title\":\"¡Ponchado!\",\"body\":\"Aparentemente no hay resultados para tu búsqueda tenga en cuenta que los filtros de Play sólo están disponibles después de la temporada 2015 Los videos de 2015 y anteriores se pueden buscar por jugador There were no clips found for this selection Please refresh the page or try again later No se encontraron clips para esta selección Actualiza la página o vuelve a intentarlo más tarde Si aún así continua teneindo problemas, por favor descríbalo aquí y haremos todo lo posible por resolverlo. I can't recall much more about the setting or circumstance very talented player in the Pirates' clubhouse motioning for me to approach his stall He'd demand a trade soon after that season and it'd cost Neal Huntington and Clint Hurdle their respective jobs when Bob Nutting cleaned house that fall Not-so-funny thing: It doesn't seem that the general manager and manager today can do anything to merit that same reaction no matter how awful the player acquisition in all forms no matter how abysmal the development at all levels no matter how embarrassing the fundamentals in all facets • A 12-23 start hasn't done it.  That's the record now, after a 4-0 loss to the Padres this afternoon at PNC Park that Only 53 teams in Major League Baseball history have had single-digit win totals through 35 games Damned right I'm running that photo again: who are spared from rock bottom in the majors only by the White Sox and Rockies • A 3-15 record against teams currently above .500 hasn't done it.  the Padres are 22-11 and again contending -- while playing in a market comparable to Pittsburgh I should add -- but this is Year 6 for Cherington and Shelton and this was supposed to be the year they'd at least blossom into being competitive.  "It's time to win," Shelton would say in mid-February of what he spoke in the annual pre-spring meeting with the assembled group in Bradenton We talked about the expectation of winning." Other teams have had their own hell-and-back rebuilds in the same span and somehow succeeded • A bigger-scope view hasn't done it Get this: Shelton's record of 306-437 -- which obviously would also be Cherington's record -- is the worst in the sport's history for any manager in that manager's first five-plus seasons with the same team Every other owner since the bleeping Civil War saw fit to get rid of every single manager who'd ever failed at this scale Footnote: The final four years of Huntington/Hurdle was 304-342-1 a .470 winning percentage compared to this ongoing .412 percentage And never mind that the three previous seasons saw rousing playoff appearances has only further exposed that Cherington's been the problem with the offense all along "He wouldn't recognize Mickey Mantle from Mickey Mouse," and it's indisputable the team's top three hitters remain Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds The starting lineup on this day had one player internally acquired by Cherington 1 overall pick who's a .143-hitting backup catcher at age 25 considering Cherington's early wave of trades aimed at adding prospects: Of the minor-league system's current top 30 prospects per Baseball America and this: The 2019 team averaged 4.68 runs per game • A subpar overall system hasn't done it The Pirates' system is ranked 16th by Baseball America Despite Cherington having invested $69 million drafting 90 players and another $26 million to sign 108 international free agents the only Cherington amateur acquisitions are Paul Skenes who would've been the top pick in his class if the old lady in line behind you at Giant Eagle had been in charge injured Jared Jones and injured Nick Gonzales • Yet another terrible trade hasn't done it Cherington's signature move of this past offseason even allowing for blaming Nutting for the payroll staying far too low was a trade that sent Luis Ortiz to the Guardians for Spencer Horwitz minimal-power first baseman -- which all by itself sounds like it belongs on the Island of Misfit Toys -- who arrived with a known chronic wrist issue And still hasn't been seen in this lineup where he's 2 for 16 through five games Ortiz has taken a regular turn in Cleveland's rotation and he's put up a 3.29 ERA in the five starts since He's 26 and still being paid the major-league minimum wage • Disguising the future hasn't done it That's one-third of the default everyday lineup I can throw in that Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Bryan Reynolds are both 30 the Pirates made a half-dozen mistakes that ranged from glaring to grotesque There's no baseball reality in which those don't reflect first and foremost on Shelton Just as there's no baseball reality in which a manager particularly one whose tenure has been pretty much defined by a lack of palpable accountability • Cherington's self-immolating quotes haven't done it These are relentless in their inanity, week after week, but even so, this one from today on his weekly radio show holds high honors: "We should not be patient about getting better today It certainly starts with me and it doesn't end with me That's gotta extend to everybody on our team What are the things we can do to do our own jobs a little bit better today in a way that adds up to wins long term Let the record show that Cherington's always interviewed on that show by a team employee He hasn't been available to media in two weeks • A near-revolt by the fans hasn't done it TEAM!’ chants have become almost as common as the boos and the only reason there weren't any on this day is that there's never much negativity on a Sunday here given all the families and children at hand it's been unlike any general scene I've covered in sports and they're vocalizing it every available forum not showing up: The crowd of 17,184 on this day was boosted by some Star Wars toy giveaway That's a lot of money being lost. Literally. • No one appearing to give a crap ... that hasn't done it, either. There's nothing happening here, my friends. Nothing at all. The people in charge have nothing to say, much less do. The players in the clubhouse ... man, that place was deader after this game than a mortuary after the foreclosure. I was in and out of there within five minutes, and I can't recall having done that in two decades on this beat. But don't take my word for it. Watch them watch strike three with the bases loaded. Watch them get dominated by some dude making his big-league debut, like San Diego sent out there today. Watch them mope between pitches. Watch their dugout, where less than half the players are up against the railing. Watch how they've accepted all of this. There. That's 11 stomach-turning-for-everyone-else things that haven't gotten these people fired yet. One for each of the 11 games they're already under .500 on the opening weekend of May. Funny thing: Maybe someday, if there's ever anyone moved to substantively caring amid all this complacency, someone will share a stinging assessment like that one I was told in 2019, and they'd be even more right. Not-so-funny thing: None of what's above even begins to change until Nutting fires everyone. Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all! Pirates manager Derek Shelton will miss the series finale vs graduation at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton according to Justin Guerriero of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review manager Derek Shelton will be absent from tomorrow afternoon's series finale vs Chicago to attend his son's graduation from Florida Atlantic.Don Kelly will manage the Pirates Thursday The Pirates have struggled under Shelton during his tenure going 294-414 (.415) through his first five seasons as the team has never finished higher than fourth in the National League Central Division Pittsburgh finished with the worst record during the 2020 season They also finished with back-to-back 100-loss seasons afterwards The Pirates had better starts the following two seasons which gave the fanbase some interest early on before losing 11 of the next 12 games and eventually falling below .500 for a 76-86 record Pittsburgh had a record of 9-2 and 11-5 in April 2024 They would get themselves back slightly above .500 55-52 by July 30 and put themselves in contention for a Wild Card spot with their .387 winning percentage the third worst in baseball who are 7-23 overall and have a winning percentage of.233 who are 5-25 overall and have an MLB-worst winning percentage of .167 despite firing hitting coach Andy Haines after last season is still one of the worst hitting teams in baseball eighth worst with an on-base percentage of .305 third worst slugging percentage at .340 and the fourth worst OPS at .645 Pittsburgh will host the San Diego Padres this weekend Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates DOMINIC CAMPBELL Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates Wilson's debut and follow-up singles," "Redneck Woman" and "Here For The Party," spurred a half-decade of groundbreaking success that saw Academy of Country Music American Music Award and Billboard Music Award victories "Redneck Woman" enjoyed six weeks of chart-topping success and her debut album "Here For The Party" achieved quintuple platinum-selling success Wilson will perform and be a guest coach "tour manager" of sorts She will be "providing support and guidance to the emerging musicians as they make their way across America ensuring the tour’s success while sharing her expertise and experiences on the road as a touring artist," according to a press statement “Stepping into the role of ‘tour manager’ for 'The Road' has allowed me to take everything I’ve learned over all my years of touring and pour it right back into these emerging musicians," said Wilson "Helping them sharpen their talents to capture the attention of these crowds across America and guiding them through the real and raw grind of life on the road New CBS TV show 'The Road' music competitionIn January CBS announced "The Road" as a new music competition from executive producers Blake Shelton The program will feature special performances filmed in Texas Urban and Shelton visited Nashville's Marathon Music Works and the Ryman Auditorium on March 28 and April 2 to tape episodes of "The Road." "I know a thing or two about singing competitions and what it's like to chase a music dream and live life on tour. I'm looking forward to discovering new talent and giving them this platform," said Shelton, who left his longtime slot as a co-host of "The Voice" in 2022 "There is a revolution taking place in country music Building a platform with Blake for the next leaders of that revolution is an incredibly exciting venture." About how the program uniquely relates to his career Urban said: "I spent a lot of my underage life playing in some seedy pubs So I love the idea of throwing artists into a real-world environment to find out if they are artists but there are things in this business that can't be taught whether to extend or cut a song during your performance or how to work the crowd But it's the only road to take if you want to be a performer." They haven't announced future Barmageddon events "Blake and I have been working together a long time and now joining forces with Taylor and David is literally the kind of team you dream about to bring something of this scale to country music fans," Metzger said For more information on Blake Shelton, visit http://www.blakeshelton.com Channelsreels-546857Reelsarrow-expand-546858Derek Shelton on Pirates' 2-1 loss, Falter's startPadres @ PiratesMay 3 2025 | 00:01:34add-reel-546859Reelsshare-square-2-546860ShareDerek Shelton discusses the Pirates' 2-1 loss to San Diego Hogan also made an erroneous claim about his history working with Brock Lesnar Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have been busy doing media to promote Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF), which is set to launch with its debut event taking place on August 30 Hogan told TMZ that “reality TV and the scripted stuff isn’t popping” like it used to He reiterated that the idea is to get people to care about the fights in RAF by doing backstories on the athletes like you might see on The Voice and current AEW star Shelton Benjamin as examples of athletes who opened his eyes about the sky being the limit for amateur wrestlers who understand how to market and brand themselves “I’ve been in the ring with some really crazy wrestlers I got Brock Lesnar right after he left the UFC I got Kurt Angle when his eyeballs used to roll back like a shark and he’d come after me all these different guys that I’ve had the opportunity to see adapt to our business there’s something there with these amateur guys.” It’s a cringe moment when Hogan reverses Shelton Benjamin’s first and last names during this response; it seems to undermine his point about star power when he can’t even get the guy’s name right Hogan cited President Trump’s appearance at the NCAA men’s wrestling championship earlier this year to tease that he might just show up at RAF’s first event in August We had already started this months and months before But to see our president step up and be involved I think I know who’s gonna be at our August 30th event in Cleveland What are your thoughts on Hogan and Bischoff’s RAF given everything you’ve read and heard about it so far The University is currently operating under normal conditions discusses her approach to coaching and the program’s sustained success her success is hard to beat: With a career record of 692 wins she is the second-winningest coach in NCAA history Since Shelton began coaching at Carolina in 1981, her teams have won eight NCAA championships, 22 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and claimed 11 NCAA second-place finishes. Twelve of the past 13 seasons, Shelton led Carolina to the NCAA Final Four, winning the title again just last week and in 2018 The Well recently sat down with Shelton to talk about her extraordinary success the rise of women’s sports and what advice the Karen Shelton of 2019 would have for the Karen Shelton of 1981 Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity I think that we’re far more engaged with the team That’s been especially true in the last four years It’s an area where I needed help because I’m pretty straightforward and I can be tough on the kids I’m trying to make them better but I’m not very good with drama between the kids who’s a sports psychologist and we’re with her each week in season She provides an environment where they can speak and so we’ve all gotten to know each other better instead of just showing up and going through practice We’re using GPS to approach each game and practice individually so we know things like the total distance that each kid runs in meters We track performance over the course of the year You don’t want a lot of spiking; you want to be consistent and maintain your fitness level We look at not only what we’re doing and what’s working but also what’s working for the other team that we have to counteract Pre-season used to be really hard and we’d have three-a-day practices Our strength and conditioning staff give the players a summertime program that prepares them They gradually build fitness and maintain it throughout the season I’ve always felt Carolina is the secret sauce just having this great institution to recruit kids to you don’t think it’s all that important but looking back over the years Plus having good team leadership is particularly important I think that coaching’s more of a collaboration now as opposed to me being ‘the coach.’ The kids know and trust that we’re there to help them I’ve gotten more comfortable on my job and knowing what I need It’s translated into some sustained success over almost 40 years but these last twelve years have been pretty remarkable I used to drive one of two vans and my assistant would follow in the other but at least we could have 25 people together Society values women in athletics much more now One reason I gravitated to defense was because I was embarrassed that I was a better athlete than everybody else I played defense so I could pass it to somebody else to score These successful women who have gone into corporate America I think they say 90 percent played a sport It’s empowering women to make decisions These amazing character traits are honed and fostered and developed on team sports I am just incredibly humbled and proud to be the head field hockey coach at the University of North Carolina I think we have an athletic department that does it the right way I want us to continue to be considered the top field hockey program in the country We’ve been set up for success with our new facility we can call our own The staff is important to our continued success Our associate head coach Grant Fulton has been with me for 15 years He played 10 years at the highest level in Holland so he’s very current and an offensive guy Grant and I are defensive so that’s a good combination is our goalie coach and has a really good perspective on not just goalkeeping It’s all those things — the team around the team I was on the national team and I took what I was doing and applied it immediately to my coaching and the team and I think that was a huge shock to the kids I think it might have been a little too much too soon I became a mom in 1990 and that gave me a different perspective much better coach today than I was in 1981 I’ve truly been the luckiest girl in the world to have landed here and to have a career as long and as successful as this one very proud and I’m very appreciative of all the young women and the coaches who have been a part of this The dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy talks about her research The Well compiled all the details you need before attending UNC-Chapel Hill’s May 10 graduation The Well newsletter updates Tar Heels on UNC-Chapel Hill’s top stories NC Children’s will be North Carolina’s first freestanding hospital dedicated to caring for kids The Carolina sophomore shares her life through her poems © 2024 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Country music radio and sales chart-topper Blake Shelton is a rare creative force able to sustain a trio of professional evolutions over a quarter century He's kicking off his new career chapter with a deluge of activity He has upcoming appearances at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards and CMA Fest He's newly signed to BMG Nashville's Wheelhouse Records and is executive producing the new CBS singing competition program "The Road." He hosted the Grand Ole Opry's NBC-broadcasted 100th-anniversary celebration in March and his Wheelhouse-debuted "For Recreational Use Only," marks his 13th record His name is emblazoned on a nationwide chain of Ole Red honky-tonks and he is currently performing in a Las Vegas residency while being a stepfather to three sons and married to their mother All this while co-hosting NBC's "The Voice" for a dozen years plus selling over 50 million singles and 10 million albums in the United States alone taking their childhood admiration of mainstream country music further than just wearing a Resistol hat and ostrich-skin boots to mirror current cultural trends Getting into Nashville studios to craft their own work artists like Shelton — Malone's collaborator on his "F-1 Trillion" album chart-topper "Pour Me A Drink" — are being asked to revive their stylings and work from decades prior Inspired by having their art and legacies elevated while they still feel they have something to offer the commercial and critical conversation alongside fellow 2000s-era Malone collaborator Brad Paisley and more are back at work as if they're in their mid-20s and looking to maintain their grip on top of country's charts and the cultural conversation "I'm so busy because my time is dominated by no-brainer projects and obligations that I really want to do," said Shelton "For Recreational Use Only" strips the self-effacing and charismatic funnyman that Shelton is oftentimes best-regarded for being from the picture is the savvily aware guitar-playing son of a hairstylist and car salesman who gained the co-sign of legendary songwriter Bobby Braddock less than five years after relocating to Music City "Post Malone's (who was born Austin Richard Post) mom still jokes that she named him after my debut single 'Austin,'" said Shelton "Hardy tells how watching me sing 'Ol' Red' at CMA Fest at Nissan Stadium from the nosebleed seats made him want to be an artist." it inspired him to make his latest album inspired by the goal of amplifying what has keyed his artistic longevity Statistics show that alongside Blake Shelton's 16 No 1 hits including "Austin," "Ol' Red," his Hardy-penned "God's Country," and the Post Malone collaboration "Pour Me A Drink," his other work from 2009 to 2016 account for 60% of his career's total singles sold This suggests his new album's best work likely aligns with these standout tracks Chapter three of Shelton's storied career could be where the whole picture of the artist as a man and a musician comes into view 'Texas'"Texas" is a soulful swinger that makes a tale about a man having his heart broken by a carefree woman feel inherently personal and relatable Shelton's seasoned voice can dig deeper into the classic R&B pocket than most pop-aimed songs currently having a moment in the genre Shelton is humble and grateful for the top-10 radio success of his new single "Texas." He's also keenly aware that he hasn't had a No during an era where two dozen country stars with pop-charting hits have emerged "Post Malone could sing a page out of the phone book and make it a No 1 hit so I'm not counting 'Pour Me A Drink' — (otherwise) it's been awhile since I recorded a piece of music that is doing what my team and I hoped they could do from the standpoint of success they could achieve," said Shelton "Texas" was immediately added to 95% of the stations that compile country's Mediabase charts making it the biggest first-day radio add-day of his career 'For Recreational Use Only'The new album's songwriters include Hardy who co-wrote the ballad “Let Him In Anyway,” and Nashville Songwriting Hall of Famers David Lee Murphy and Craig Wiseman pairing with Lindsay Rimes for "Life’s Been Comin’ Too Fast." Shelton also worked with Drew Parker Sam Ellis and Beau Bailey for "Stay Country or Die Tryin.'" Shelton's comfort in gravitating towards writers competent in the art of what he calls "prolifically crafting powerful country songs" led him to pick from songs crafted by three dozen different songwriters ones with edgier perspectives — generally the best songs in the industry that I can find — I didn't give a s--- I just wanted to make the best record I could," joked Shelton about how he arrived at his choices for the album "Let Him In Anyway," a ballad about a man seeking divine forgiveness for a friend who fell short of redemption is a favorite of Blake Shelton's toughest critic She admires the emotional depth of the story brought to life through the performances of Shelton and the track's musicians an experience Shelton describes as "an honor" and one he’s "incredibly proud" of because these were lyrically well-written songs composed with great melodies I pushed myself vocally to make these records jump out as much as possible." The work and legacy of John Anderson and Toby Keith — two recent Country Music Hall of Fame inductees — directly impacts the work on "For Recreational Use Only." a chart-topping contemporary who influenced his art "Even though I toured with Toby for two years is officially the biggest Toby Keith fan I've ever met," Shelton said launching into a more extended comment about the impact of the Keith's legacy "He will be remembered as having the same impact as Merle Haggard or Waylon Jennings losing his leadership and voice in our industry is like losing a big brother who might either put you in a headlock or might be inspirational by reminding you what a legend sounds like," Shelton said Blake Shelton records a cover of "Years," a single from John Anderson's 2020 self-titled album following their collaboration on "Tuesday I'll Be Gone" from the same release the "Seminole Wind" performer and 2024 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee inspires Shelton's 2025 revisit of this track Shelton's had Anderson on the road with him as an opener — and as a turkey hunting partner He cites the impressive longevity of a career "hustling for radio airplay against Johnny Cash and George Jones then having a resurgence in the 1990s and 2020s" as making him the type of career star whose success inspires his work Shelton said that he would've invited Anderson to perform with him to launch his "Years" album with a 2020 ACM Awards performance People need to hear his music because he always deserves attention and praise," said Shelton Shelton 'excited' about the future"I'm experienced (enough now to) have ideas about my career I always have thoughts," said Shelton about what's inspiring his work of late I still get nervous and feel the pressure to deliver when I get up on stage and have to perform Those are the moments along the way that have made me want to do this (all along) I always want to cut loose and make people think they got their money’s worth "From country radio to television and more I'm lucky and blessed to still (be relevant) I'm thankful that my career still (allows me) to feel so excited I thought I could make a serious run in (this chapter of my career) so it's awesome to have people share my emotions about that." Love Is Blind’s Taylor Rue gave birth to a baby boy whom she welcomed with her boyfriend Cameron Shelton almost one year after experiencing a pregnancy loss The Love Is Blind alum has added one more to her household after giving birth to her and boyfriend Cameron Shelton’s baby boy Cason Wayne Shelton made his entrance into the world on April 23rd at 10:55pm,” Taylor wrote on Instagram April 25 alongside a carousel of pictures featuring her and Cameron holding little Cason after his birth and showing off her baby boy’s personal style in a custom blue outfit 1/2 of me and 1/2 of the person I love most I can’t wait to do this whole parenting thing you.” Cason’s stats were on full display in a photo of him lying in a bassinet alongside a sign that read Taylor—who was a contestant on season 5 of Love Is Blind where she ended her engagement with Jared “JP” Pierce—gushed about motherhood and her newfound love "I can't believe I made it 28 years without this type of love in my life,” she told People in an interview published April 28. "He is our whole world and we couldn't be happier." Shortly after Cason’s birth, Taylor—who shared her relationship with Cameron with the world in 2024—gave a glimpse at her new life at home with her baby boy. In a photo shared on her Instagram Story April 29, Taylor held a sleeping Cason in her arms as she reflected on her first four days in her new role. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Rue (@taylormrue) and I woke up feeling like a bad mom,” she wrote “Tears were shed and a long shower at 3 am was needed Just a reminder that postpartum is very real & it can look different for everyone Taylor welcomed Cason almost a year after she shared that she experienced a pregnancy loss in June there's a heartbeat' to 'there is no heartbeat' within weeks," Taylor shared in the June 13 post "Cam and I are devastated and heartbroken Only time will heal the pain we feel." Keep reading for more stars who have welcomed babies in 2025… The Ultimatum couple welcomed their third baby The Los Angeles Dodgers star player announced April 19 that his wife had given birth to their first baby While still legally married to Gino Palazzolo, the 90 Day Fiancé star gave birth to a baby girl named Matty with her boyfriend The Love Is Blind couple who appeared on season one of the Netflix dating series announced April 6 that they have welcomed their first baby The Saturday Night Live alum and her fiancé—whose full name has not been publicly revealed—welcomed their baby girl in early April “It’s been a week and a day with my beautiful squirmy baby girl,” Cecily captioned an April 10 Instagram post “I recognize all her little squirms and kicks from when she was on the other side of me and now I get to say ‘see what I was talking about!’” The YouTuber, who goes by Ms. Rachel, announced on April 8 she and her husband welcomed their second baby "Sometimes timing isn’t what you plan and the road to get there is bumpier than you expect," she wrote in the post "but when you hold your little ones you know… I’m meant to be your mama." The Shazam! actor and his girlfriend—who’ve mostly kept their romance under the radar—welcomed their first baby The Philadelphia Eagles alum and his wife welcomed their fourth baby girl, Finnley "Finn" Anne Kelce The Transformers alum and the "Bloody Valentine" singer welcomed a baby girl on March 27, nearly three months after it was reported that the couple broke up The Real Housewives of New York City star announced she and her husband welcomed their fourth baby together, a baby boy named Jack Attention Upper Eastsiders, the Gossip Girl alum is a dad! He and the Supergirl actress welcomed a baby boy named Oscar Alexander Westwick The Entourage alum expanded his, well, entourage when his wife gave birth to their second son Evren Saint-Eros on March 22 Eminem became a grandpa when his daughter gave birth to a baby boy named Elliot Marshall McClintock—a nod to the rapper's real name is Marshall Mathers—in mid-March The Sister Wives star and her husband shared the arrival of their fourth baby Emilia Estelle Brush March 15 “We waited for you to make your appearance,” Madison wrote on Instagram The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and former professional soccer player announced the arrival of their baby girl on March 10 "Worth The Wait," they wrote in an Instagram post "Welcome To The World Blakely Marie Watt!" The “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer welcomed her second baby with her on-again off-again boyfriend of five years in late February "Our family just got a little bit brighter," the couple captioned a joint Feb. 28 Instagram post. "Welcome to the world Royal Tooker." Snoop Dogg's daughter gave birth to "perfect" baby girl on Feb Cori shared the insecurity she felt for not carrying the baby to full term “I’ve cried and cried, I’ve compared and compared, blaming myself that I wasn’t able to give her all that she needed,” she wrote in her Feb. 28 Instagram announcement “But no matter what God always shows me that I’m His Child!” The Bachelor alum found himself with a new rose on Feb. 12, when his wife gave birth to their daughter Winona Elane Higgins at 2:53 a.m I won’t accurately articulate what just happened," Ben wrote on Instagram and so many moments of lacking the words but feeling God inspired love." The Teen Mom alum and his fiancée welcomed a baby girl named Presley Sage Elianna Edwards on Feb Ryan is also dad to son Bentley with ex Maci Bookout as well as kids Jagger and Stella from his relationship with MacKenzie Standifer The supermodel gave birth to her third baby multiple outlets reported in early February While accepting the 2025 Grammy award for Best Rock Song the "Broken Man" singer revealed she got married and is a mom "We’ve kept it under wraps," she later told the press of her life updates, per The Hollywood Reporter The New York Yankees outfielder and his wife welcomed a little girl named Nora Rose Judge on Jan The This Is Us alum became a part of his own big three after welcoming baby girl Ke’ala Coral Ventimiglia with his wife on Jan It's a bébé for the Emily in Paris star! She and her director husband welcomed their first child—daughter Tove Jane McDowell—via surrogate The Disney Channel alum gave birth to her first child Kasai in January She has not publicly revealed the name of her boyfriend The Kansas City Chiefs safety got himself a new teammate when his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl weeks before the Super Bowl "I saw her being born," he shared in a Jan "And didn’t feel anything except love and so much happiness holding her." Princess Beatrice & Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi The royal—who is the granddaughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson—gave birth to her second child on Jan She and her husband named their baby girl Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi Bachelor Nation grew by one member on Jan. 20, when Madi—who appeared on Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor—gave birth to her first baby with her husband The couple named their daughter Hosanna Rose Troutt The Dan + Shay singer and his wife might need a bigger house after welcoming baby No. 4 MUNICH -- Top-seeded Alexander Zverev will play for a record-equaling third ATP Munich title after reaching the final Saturday The German, riding home-crowd support, will face second-seeded Ben Shelton in Sunday's decider at the BMW Open Zverev lost his serve only once while beating Fabian Marozsan of Hungary 7-6 (3) Shelton overcame fifth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 2-6 Shelton also was two points from defeat twice in the tiebreak He has reached his fourth career final and second on clay after winning in Houston last year MUNICH -- Top-seeded Alexander Zverev celebrated his birthday by beating second-seeded Ben Shelton 6-2 6-4 to win his third Munich title on Sunday It was the big-serving German player's first title of the year and 24th overall on the ATP tour He previously won the clay-court tournament in 2017 and '18 "I definitely knew I had to play my best tennis today," the 28-year-old Zverev said was playing in his fourth career final and second on clay after winning in Houston last year Zverev served for the match and set up match point with a sliced backhand at the net that Shelton could not get back in He clinched the win with a sharp backhand volley at the net following a brief rally It was a dominant performance on serve from the 27-year-old The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court Ben Shelton caused some drama on the doubles court Billie Jean King Cup team dealt with a string of withdrawals and one player was very honest about the “bulls—” that can accompany tennis matches If you’d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here Not some trash talk sent across a recreational court last weekend 15 Ben Shelton’s reaction to one of the world’s top doubles players complaining about some body-line groundstrokes who lost his opening match in the Monte Carlo Masters singles to Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina last Monday also paired up with Rohan Bopanna for its doubles event They beat Italian pair Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli in the round of 16 Vavassori castigated Shelton for unloading a few forehands in his general direction and hitting him in the chest with one 🇮🇹 Vavassori acusó a 🇺🇸 Shelton de tener una mala actitud y de tirar varias pelotas al cuerpo ¿Qué opinás del comportamiento de Shelton? 👀 Te leemos. 👇#MonteCarlo pic.twitter.com/eGNvs1QT70 — ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) April 11, 2025 After making the comparison between tennis and baseball — and showing Vavassori who has reached three of the past five Grand Slam men’s doubles finals with Bolelli so soft.” Then he remembered that he and Bopanna had won the match and unleashed a “Vamos!” in the applauding crowd’s direction Vavassori announced he had pulled out of this week’s Barcelona Open doubles with a rib injury Shelton had struck the Italian with a forehand drive volley at the start of the second game of their match in Monte Carlo stood up at the net with his partner at the baseline was caught ball-watching after hitting a floaty volley off another Shelton forehand you would know “it’s doubles bro” is in reference to the hypocrisy of a DOUBLES SPECIALIST complaining about body shots because they happen all the time both ben and rohan were hit in this very match by them and also BEN DID APOLOGIZE https://t.co/AUVGdjUUPg pic.twitter.com/N5Updcq5UT — cam 🇯🇲 (@cammyreborn) April 11, 2025 Singles players routinely react with varying intensities of glare if an opponent sends a smash in their direction because there is often more open court at which to aim But hitting the ball to the player with the least time to react — whether in a volley exchange or a situation like this — is a fundamental of good doubles strategy Had Shelton sent that forehand back deep to Bolelli Vavassori’s partner would have had more time to get ready to receive the ball and reset the point Nobody likes being on the receiving end of a stinger to the chest and Vavassori likely knew he was on the hook as soon as his shot looped into the air but to chastise someone for playing the correct shot in a given situation is a lot The United States appeared to be in a spot of bother heading into last week’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers after three top players withdrew simultaneously with only days to go 43 McCartney Kessler all pulled out of the matches against Denmark and Slovakia Bernarda Pera and Hailey Baptiste (the world No in the first round at last year’s Billie Jean King Cup finals ultimately losing to Italy in the final itself The two nations faced off again April 13 for a place in the 2025 finals Neither Pera nor Baptiste had contested a Billie Jean King Cup tie before this week Then they were thrust into a showdown with qualification on the line against a team that had beaten theirs less than a year ago — and were playing on that team’s home court in Bratislava Baptiste beat the highly-rated Renáta Jamrichová and went down 5-6 on the Slovak’s serve in the first set She broke her opponent when she was serving for the set and ultimately took it 7-5 to send her team to China Baptiste and Parks have given captain Lindsay Davenport a tough decision to make when those finals come around I just told Lindsay this has been one of the best weeks ever… The whole team was just amazing so happy I got to experience this,” Pera said One of the greatest sights in tennis is both players in a match performing well simultaneously with one competitor usually outdoing the other More frequent are matches in which they both aren’t performing so well These can be just as fascinating as a peak-level match an exhibition of the mental toll the sport can take on players And that was exactly what Davidovich Fokina felt about his Monte Carlo Masters win over Britain’s Jack Draper on Thursday 6-4 in a match that saw him apologize to his coaching team for his behavior afterward saying in his on-court interview that he was playing better tennis an interviewer for Dutch channel Ziggo Sport told him that it was an “amazing match.” In response Davidovich Fokina said: “If it was for you an amazing match Watching two players toil through having their shots not do what they want them to do is understandably more compelling for a spectator than it is for the people involved Draper also hit 10 double faults as his first serve largely deserted him while both players converted attacking positions into points less often than the tour average That’s where the match perhaps looked closer to “s—” than compelling with the seesawing tension created less by push-and-pull rallies than it was by confusing misses early in points Davidovich Fokina’s overall performance in that match rated a smidge higher than his average “S—” tennis is in the eye of the beholder after all Ahead of this week’s Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart 6 Jasmine Paolini confirmed on Instagram that Marc Lopez the 2016 Olympic men’s doubles champion alongside Rafael Nadal The 29-year-old had parted ways with Renzo Furlan in late March bringing an end to a hugely successful partnership that last year saw Paolini reach two Grand Slam finals; for Italy she won Olympic doubles gold and the Billie Jean King Cup Furlan was voted the WTA’s Coach of the Year for 2024 in recognition of what was a transformative period for Paolini Tennis saw a similar dynamic at play in October when Iga Świątek split with Tomasz Wiktorowski after three glittering years together which delivered four Grand Slam titles Świątek replaced Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette who had experienced a similar situation the previous month when he and Naomi Osaka ended their partnership after a two-and-a-half-year run during which she won two of her four career Grand Slams Last year also saw Pegula split with David Witt who had enjoyed a similar rise to Paolini between 2020 and 2022 brought on Mark Knowles and Mark Merklein in the February she has reached her first Grand Slam final and is back at No That could be a useful reference point for Paolini who will believe she can achieve even more than she did in her breakthrough year of 2024 Paolini told The Athletic at the WTA Finals in November that “the main thing is to trust them.” She begins a new era on Tuesday with a first-round match in Stuttgart There were a lot of excellent shots in Monte Carlo THAT’S NUTS 🥜@carlosalcaraz #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/va41mcX3ym — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 10, 2025 6-0 to win the Monte Carlo Masters (1,000) in Monte Carlo 📺 UK: Sky Sports; U.S.: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments below as the men’s and women’s tours continue (Top photo of Rohan Bopanna and Ben Shelton: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton) Gwen Stefani revealed that when it comes to her marriage with Blake Shelton—whom she met while coaching The Voice in 2015—the key to a happy relationship lies in a “third party.” Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are in perfect harmony when it comes to their relationship In fact, the “Sweet Escape” singer shared, during an April 23 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show that her best advice for a healthy and happy relationship would be to “make sure you have a third party,” pointing upward to indicate she was referring to God “Meeting my husband felt like a second chance at life,” Gwen—who shares kids Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 11 with ex Gavin Rossdale—explained to The Guardian in November But God put this other person there to love me.” And since the beginning of relationship with the “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” singer—who divorced from Miranda Lambert in 2015—Gwen expressed that their romance was reminiscent of a resilient flower but Blake and I came together in gardening,” the Grammy winner noted “We have a house together in Oklahoma and during the pandemic we came across this very old building on the land and there were some purple irises which someone must have planted centuries ago the life they’ve created together is one that she always dreamed of—though her prior divorce made it hard to imagine that the dream could ever come true "There was a point where I was like, 'I can't even talk to you,’” Gwen shared with People in November We're not going to text or nothing.'" “Both of our lives were in complete turmoil she couldn’t deny that their connection was simply too strong to ignore “Something that I wanted since I was a little girl,” she explained “is to be married and have this love that I saw my parents have and have babies and I had to figure out how I was going to move forward and make a new dream.” For more of the sweet words Gwen and Blake have said about each other "How can I not be [in love]? She is the greatest. She is the greatest." —Blake on Today in March 2018 "When you have a broken heart—at least, when I do—you got to get it out of your system. You want people to sympathize with you. I was at rock bottom, in the middle of hell...Gwen saved my life. Who else on earth could understand going through a high-profile divorce from another musician?" —Blake to Billboard in July 2016 "You know, what? I love weddings. The kids love him. We love him. Everybody loves him. He is lovable! I think about it all the time." —Gwen to Ellen DeGeneres when discussing marrying Blake "[My style is] more feminine than ever before. It's probably because I'm super in love and have a really manly man. I enjoy letting that part of me come out now because when I was in No Doubt, I never thought of myself as sexy. Even in my 30s, I was a tomboy. I hardly ever carried a purse." —Gwen to InStyle in July 2018 "He doesn't even like to do a photo shoot. You can never convince him to do it. So he just called me like, ‘They want me to do this.' And I was like, ‘You should totally do it! You're so sexy!'" —Gwen's reaction to Blake being named People's Sexiest Man Alive "He's so good at the show, I mean, he's just so magical. Blake is literally a unicorn. Like anywhere he goes, people are just attracted to him, and he's such an incredible talent." —Gwen on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live in September 2019 "Setting here watching @gwenstefani rehearsals it continues to shock me the amount of GIANT hits this girl has written... I highly recommend y'all catch her Vegas show if you can get tickets!!!" —Blake on Twitter in June 2018 "I think she's kept me from going to the absolute bottom. It was like literally falling off a cliff and a hand reached out and caught me, is what it feels like. I've never had that with somebody where it just felt like no matter what, she has my back. It's the greatest feeling." — Blake on Good Dish in March 2022 “Something that I wanted since I was a little girl is to be married and have this love that I saw my parents have and have babies. That dream was completely ruined; it was crushed, and I had to figure out how I was going to move forward and make a new dream. And God putting Blake in my life was just that miracle.” — Gwen to People in November 2024 “Meeting my husband felt like a second chance at life. Because when my family fell apart, it felt like a catastrophe. How do you pick yourself up from that? But God put this other person there to love me.” — Gwen to The Guardian in November 2024 Blake Shelton is reportedly interested in helping Morgan Wallen fix his attitude According to the latest findings of RadarOnline.com Morgan raised eyebrows when he stormed off the Saturday Night Live set "It was really bizarre and unnecessary and just made him look like an ungrateful diva,” claimed a source the insider addressed that the country musician wants to act as his mentor so that he can get back on the right track "Blake wants to help him out because he likes Morgan and doesn't want to see him self-destruct," the spy explained Blake has a soft spot for him," the source also commented the source gave insights about the thought process of Gwen Stefani’s husband and said the source reference Morgan’s bad track record and disclosed Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton appeared emotionally shaken during his postgame press conference after witnessing a fan tragically freefall to the field In the seventh inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs from PNC Park Wednesday night, Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead With Pirates players rounding the bases and the crowd cheering one fan horrifically fell from the right field bleachers The video, which can be found on social media, shows the shirtless fan jumping up in excitement, before propelling himself over the guard rail and plummeting to the ground. According to KDKA in Pittsburgh remains in critical condition after suffering a skull fracture Police are treating the incident as accidental in nature The fan was placed on a stretcher and carted off the field But a state of shock undoubtedly remained throughout the stadium and city Pirates manager Derek Shelton met with the media but had no interest in celebrating the win Shelton’s post game. He walked out after this. Baseball is insignificant right now. @KDKA https://t.co/cJIpywzE3r pic.twitter.com/aFznwlqkWX — Cassidy Wood (@CassidyWoodTV) May 1, 2025 Shelton was then asked to assess how “disturbing” the moment was Players could be seen immediately pointing to right field after witnessing the fall from the dugout “Even though it’s 350 feet away,” Shelton explained and then lying motionless while a play is going on…it’s extremely unfortunate It was the only topic Shelton discussed during his postgame press conference leaving the media room after less than two minutes Pirates chairman Bob Nutting released a statement on the incident Thursday morning “We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers We also want to thank and appreciate the efforts of the first responders who rushed to his attention and provided him with compassionate care.” Shelton is not in Pittsburgh for the Pirates Thursday afternoon series finale with the Cubs a prescheduled absence to attend his son’s graduation at Florida Atlantic University Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com "The Knicks don't belong in the same gym with us." The discussion of an antisemitic sign at Barstool Sports' Philadelphia bar continues to evolve you don't have a ton of leverage to negotiate."