Sports Rundown - September 28, 2025
- Vincent Mendoza
- Sep 29
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 29
The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, national and international levels.
BY: VINCENT MENDOZA / CHIEF OF SPORTS
Mets Lose to Marlins and Miss Postseason, Pete Alonso Opts Out of Contract
Coming into Sunday’s final regular season game, the Mets needed to defeat the Marlins for a shot at the postseason. In this do-or-die game, New York failed to tally one run, losing to Miami 0-4, thus ending their season, and in the process, handing the Cincinnati Reds the final NL wild-card spot despite falling to the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 on Sunday.
Coming into the 2025 season, the Mets were riding a high wave. They recently departed from taking the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers to six games in the NLCS the prior postseason, along with signing superstar right fielder Juan Soto on a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal. It is also important to note that going into the season, the Mets had the highest payroll in the entire league, eclipsing $323 million.
The Mets commenced the season brilliantly, winning 45 of their first 70 games, providing fans and media members with high hopes for this team, especially because Soto was playing like a shell of himself. Through the final 92 games of the season, New York walked away with a disappointing 38 wins, placing them with an 83-79 final record.
Just hours after the loss, it was announced that All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso would opt out of his contract and enter free agency, a devastating blow for a team trying to contend for a championship.
As the Mets look to the offseason, a monumental amount of pressure will be placed on owner Steve Cohen by fans and media to construct a serious contending team.
Yankees Face Off Against Red Sox in Wild Card Matchup
The historic, notorious rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will be reignited as the two teams face off in the best-of-three Wild Card series, starting on Tuesday, September 30.
Looking back at the regular season, the Red Sox topped the Yankees, winning the season series. Despite this, the Yankees and their bats have been on fire, led by two-time MVP and four-time Silver Slugger Aaron Judge.
While offense is New York’s strength, leading the league in home runs and OPS, Boston has the edge defensively, with stars like shortstop Trevor Story and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Complementing their defense, their bullpen, featuring reliever Garrett Whitlock (1.08 WHIP) and closer Aroldis Chapman (0.70 WHIP), form a strong duo in the eighth and ninth innings.
So, the Yankees have more power and a better lineup, while the Red Sox excel defensively and with their bullpen. What else can set them apart? Minimal errors.
Both teams have shown their ability to make simple mistakes, sometimes costing them leads and even games. The team that focuses and minimizes errors will have a better chance of moving on to the next round.
Jaxson Dart Leads Giants to Victory in First NFL Start, Malik Nabers Tears ACL
Giants’ rookie Jaxson Dart gave fans something to celebrate, leading his team to a 21-18 victory over the then-unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers in his inaugural NFL start.
The second quarterback picked in the 2025 draft finished with 111 yards through the air, including a passing touchdown, along with 54 rushing yards on 10 carries and a score.
In addition to Dart’s impressive performance, New York’s defense looked astounding. Pro-Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and cornerback Dru Phillips each had interceptions on Justin Herbert and returned them inside the Chargers’ 5-yard line. Herbert was also sacked twice for a total loss of 17 yards.
In worse news, sophomore Pro-Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL while going for a reception on a Jaxson Dart deep ball with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter. Coming into the game, Nabers was fourth in receiving yards, racking up 251 through the first three weeks of the season.
Despite the win, the Giants’ road to relative success is more difficult than ever. After next week’s matchup against the struggling New Orleans Saints, the Giants must host the Eagles and Packers, along with traveling to face the Broncos, Eagles, and Lions before their week 14 bye, all of which are Super Bowl contenders. And now, they must do so with a rookie quarterback without their blossoming superstar wide receiver.
Ryder Cup MC Steps Down after Igniting Explicit Chants
The Ryder Cup, held at Bethpage Black, a famous 18-hole golf course in Bethpage State Park, Long Island, New York, has unfolded as one of the rowdiest golf tournaments in ages.
Over the course of 18, European stars Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were subjected to heckling chants. As their lead expanded, leaving Americans Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in the dust, the amount that fans and spectators yelled and heckled ballooned.
During this match, Heather McMahan, American actress, writer, and master of ceremonies, was seen on video footage encouraging spectators to participate in a chant stating, “F*ck you Rory”.
The PGA of America, which runs the competition, stated: “Heather has extended an apology to Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup Europe and has stepped down from hosting the first tee of the Ryder Cup.” Multiple other fans were also escorted off the course as a consequence of spewing nasty remarks to the European duo, specifically McIlroy.
Inevitably, McIlroy and Lowry would get the last laugh, defeating Thomas and Young. When asked if fans were crossing the line, McIlroy said, “When you play an away Ryder Cup, it’s really, really challenging. It’s not for me to say… People can be their own judge whether they took it too far or not. I’m just proud of us for being able to win with what we had to go through.”
Oregon Spoils Penn State’s “White Out” Night at Beaver Stadium
In a double overtime thriller, it was Dillon Theinenman's interception that sealed the deal for the visiting No. 6 Oregon Ducks, defeating No. 3 Penn State 30-24.
After a defensive-centered first half, as each team only managed to tally a field goal, Oregon, led by quarterback Dante Moore, scored a pair of touchdowns to take a 17-3 lead with 12:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. With their backs against the wall, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar connected with wide receiver Devonte Moss for a pair of touchdowns to tie the game and force overtime.
Following touchdowns from the Ducks and Nittany Lions, Jamari Johnson scored off a two-yard pass from Moore to put the Ducks up 6. Just moments later, Moore’s pass on the two-point conversion was intercepted and taken back to their 25-yard line, granting Penn State a favorable chance to walk away victorious.
Unfortunately for Penn State, this would not be their reality, as Theinenman picked off Allar on their first offensive play in the second overtime.
This win elevates Oregon to a 5-0 overall record and 2-0 in Big 10 play. Alternatively, Penn State falls to 3-1, with their first loss coming in their Big 10 season debut. More importantly, the defeat dropped head coach James Franklin to an abysmal 4-21 at Penn State against AP top-10 opponents, including 1-18 against top-10 Big Ten teams.
Individually, Dante Moore continues to reinforce his Heisman case, finishing with 248 yards and three touchdown passes. On the other hand, Drew Allar is now winless in his six games against AP top-6 opponents.
Although this is a great win for the Ducks, they go back home to host the steaming hot Indiana Hoosiers, led by Heisman favorite Fernando Mendoza. Fortunately for Penn State, its next two weeks contain a bye followed by a home game against Northwestern.
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