TMZ Sports - Page 50

The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers nearly got into a bench-clearing brawl after a beanball incident during the 8th inning of their Friday night championship game.

The teams were going head-to-head in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series when Houston relief pitcher Bryan Abreu wound up and hurled a 98.9 mile-per-hour fastball, striking Rangers batter Adolis Garcia in his left arm.

Check out this video posted on X ... Garcia looks furious as he pushes Houston catcher Martín Maldonado, while the umpire gets between them.

Both teams then pour onto the field and run toward each other, gathering in one big heap near home plate.

The players start yelling and shoving one another, but the tense situation never escalates into a full-scale fight.

Still, Garcia continues to blow off steam as his teammates hold him back -- and eventually escort him off Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

The umpires ejected three people: Abreu, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker.

When the game resumed, the Astros went on to beat the Rangers 5-4. The Astros now hold a 3-2 lead in the series as they travel back to Houston for Game 6.

Megan Thee Stallion's no longer tethered to the 1501 Certified Ent. label she railed against for years -- and Trinidad James thinks the "Savage" rapper can become an even bigger act.

TJ floated all the possibilities speaking to TMZ Hip Hop at LAX this week but predicts Meg will land all right. He says there's also a possibility momentum fizzles.

Thee Stallion is gearing up to resume her career Monday with a new release after telling fans she was entering a new journey, where she'll be paying out of her own pocket to give fans the good news.

TJ tells us having a solid team is crucial to making money in the music biz and the industry is especially shady when it comes to the needs of women.

Bummed Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa ain't happening on Saturday?! Don't be ... 'cause UFC legend Chuck Liddell says he's actually more pumped for the fight vs. Kamaru Usman!

"I'm excited about it. That card fell apart, and I'm actually more excited about the card now [with Usman fighting Chimaev] than I was before [when Costa was fighting Khamzat]," the UFC legend told TMZ Sports this week at LAX.

Of course, both the main and co-main events of UFC 294 were lost last week ... when Charles Oliveira -- scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev -- and Paulo Costa were both forced out with injuries.

Thankfully, Alex Volkanovski and Kamaru are bonafide badasses ... and both guys agreed to travel thousands of miles and fight on less than two weeks' notice.

(We also talked to Liddell about "Dad Bods" ... hence this ⬇)

We followed up with The Iceman, asking him about the wisdom of stepping in the Octagon with an undefeated fighter on 10 days' notice.

"Kamaru Usman is always ready. He trains all the time. He stays in shape. He's a good guy. I'm excited about this fight. If he took it on 10 days' notice he thinks he's going to win."

Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of, if not the most dominant UFC fighter ever, but the retired, undefeated, former champion wants someone to actually be better than he was ... Islam Makhachev!

Of course, Makhachev is fighting Alex Volkanovski in just a few hours in the main event at UFC 294 ... and we recently spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, Islam and Khabib's manager and close friend, about their relationship.

"Khabib wants Islam to be better. That's what's beautiful about it," Ali said of Nurmagomedov's desire for his pupil to surpass his accomplishments.

Whether 31-year-old Makhachev is better in certain areas (striking, for example) is up for debate ... but when it comes to pure dominance of an opponent, Ali doesn't believe Islam's quiet on Khabib's (29-0) level just yet.

"Islam lost, Khabib never lost. Islan might be all the way technically better, but dominance, I don't think anybody can be as dominant as Khabib is. You see Henry lose, Kamaru. A lot of guys lost. Khabib never even have one blood leave his body. When you have a guy who never bled in 29 fights, it's very hard to match him. It's a very tall order to match him. It's almost impossible."

But, that's exactly what Khabib wants for Islam ... who has a record of 24-1. His sole loss came in 2015.

Abdelaziz does think there's another fighter who is closer to Nurmagomedov's dominance ... Umar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin.

Umar is 16-0, and 4-0 in the UFC ... and the 12th ranked bantamweight.

"The guy who is closer to Khabib than anybody is Umar. I truly believe Umar is the closest to Khabib's dominance."

For Islam, the #3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the entire UFC, a win over #2 ranked Volkanovski would be another step towards fulfilling Khabib's wish.

Race car driver Christy Georges-Barnett turned $25 into more than a MILLION BUCKS at a Las Vegas slot machine ... and her reaction to the big hit was priceless!!

The 63-year-old -- who currently races USRA Dirt Mods and Super Trucks -- won the jackpot earlier this week at the famous Caesars Palace on the Vegas strip.

The luxury hotel and casino shared a bystander's TikTok video of the moment Barnett went hysterical ... showing her yelling, "It's a million dollars," at the slot machine.

The crowd was in complete shock ... and the camera zoomed in on the machine to make sure viewers could clearly see the winning pot was over $1.18 million.

BTW, Christy is one of the best female racers out there ... and her need for speed took off after she decided to buy a dirt bike when she was just 20 years old.

Since then, she's become a 4-time Dirt Track Pro Stock Track champ, a 4-time Open Wheel Dirt Modified Track champion, a 2-time 3-wheeler Flat Track champ (250cc), and the list goes on.

Georges-Barnett is also the only woman to win an UMP Dirty National title and the fastest woman in a NASCAR at Bonneville Salt Flats (208 MPH).

Her husband, Sherman Barnett, also races in stock cars, Super Trucks, Modifieds, Xmods and Late models ... so maybe they take the hunk of cash and get a nice whip!!

Want to dress like "Tayvis" for Halloween? You're in luck ... 'cause Travis Kelce himself just doled out tips on how to make the costume authentic!!

The topic got brought up at Kelce's media availability on Friday ... when a reporter made the Chiefs star aware that plenty of people across the U.S. are planning to dress as him and his new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, for the October holiday.

Kelce said his side of the getup must include a couple things in order to look just right.

"The mustache is slowly starting to disappear but I tell you what man, that 'stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic for a little bit," Kelce said, "and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time."

"So I guess my 'stache and then maybe ... maybe a bracelet or something, I don't know."

Kelce -- who signed a $57.25 million extension in June -- also spoke with media members about his surprise return to "Saturday Night Live" last week in New York City ... and he explained his funny part in the Swift skit wasn't actually his idea.

"They asked me if I kinda wanted to end the skit that was about me and Taylor's takeover of the NFL games which was hilarious," he said.

"I loved every bit of it."

We're sure he's also loving how the Chiefs are currently on a five-game winning streak ... and are the favorites to make it six in a row against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

Brandon Miller -- the ex-Crimson Tide star who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft -- has been sued for wrongful death by the family of the woman who was killed in a shooting earlier this year near the University of Alabama.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed in a federal court on Friday by Jamea Harris' mother, DeCarla Heard ... nearly 10 months after Harris was allegedly murdered by Miller's friend.

In the suit, Heard claims Miller played a significant role in her daughter's Jan. 14 death ... alleging Miller was the one who came to the location of the shooting with the firearm that Michael Davis then used to kill Harris.

Heard claims Miller, Davis and former Tide basketball player Darius Miles had all been together earlier in the night at a row of clubs in Tuscaloosa, when Miller left because a line to get into one of the bars was too long. She says Miles left his gun in Miller's ride before the basketball phenom took off.

A short time later, though, Heard says Davis and Miles left the bar ... and got into a dispute with Harris, her boyfriend and her cousin. She claims in the suit Miles then texted Miller, now a Charlotte Hornet, asking for his "joint" because "someone was 'fakin',' meaning using words in an aggressive manner with no intention or ability to back them up."

Heard says when Miller showed up minutes later, Miles then retrieved the gun from the hooper's ride, before he handed it off to Davis. She alleges Davis then approached Harris, her BF and her cousin in a car and fired off rounds -- striking Harris with at least one in the face, killing her.

Heard is seeking damages ... claiming Davis, Miles and Miller "should have known that bringing a dangerous weapon to a dispute and discharging said weapon would likely result in harm to those around them."

For his part, Miller's attorney said in February that Miller "never touched the gun, was not involved in its exchange to Mr. Davis in any way, and never knew that illegal activity involving the gun would occur." He was never charged with a crime.

As for Miles and Davis, both are facing capital murder charges over their alleged roles in Harris' death.

Draymond Green reportedly avoided Jordan Poole like the plague after their infamous practice altercation last year -- the Golden State Warriors star allegedly refused to make amends with his teammate, despite head coach Steve Kerr's attempts.

The details of the fallout between the two sides were laid out in an article on the Ringer ... claiming Green never spoke with Poole following the October 2022 incident, but was willing to sing like a bird about it with the media.

In fact, the feature states Kerr tried to step in and get the two to go to dinner to bury the hatchet ... but Green wasn't down.

As we previously reported, both Green and Poole have spoken about their status in the past ... with the former calling it a "work in progress."

Ultimately, those close to Poole believe the Dubs suffered on the court as a result of their severed relationship ... leading to an early exit from the playoffs.

Justin Bieber earned the J in his first name on Thursday ... showing off his solid jumper as he drained buckets in a basketball game.

The pop superstar showed up at The Surgeon's studio in Los Angeles to ball out in the famous shoe customizer's organized hoops league ... suiting up for Team Nahmias in their matchup against SRGN.

JB had a couple highlights in the contest ... showing off his range and passing abilities as he played alongside his longtime buddy Ryan Good and fashion designer Doni Nahmias.

It wasn't enough to help his team get the win, though ... as Nahmias fell to SRGN, 109-71.

Of course, the "Stay" singer is no stranger to showing off his athleticism -- whether it's on the hardwood, soccer field or hockey rink ... the guy can hold his own.

It looks like Bieber has stayed busy in the gym ... as his technique has never looked better.

Kim Zolciak's marriage is falling apart, but her vagina isn't ... getting laser vaginal rejuvenation to tighten things up downstairs.

Zolciak was in Los Angeles this week where she visited with cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Matlock to get the "V Rejuvenation." Kim explains she's had 6 kids, all of which were natural births, and she sometimes pees when running or sneezing.

Zolciak tells fans she hopes the procedure will correct those issues -- and she can go about her day pee-free.

We know what you're thinking, as Kim and her estranged husband Kroy Biermann are facing serious financial issues ... but it's likely the former 'RHOA' star got a serious discount for promoting the procedure on Dr. Matlock's social media.

As we reported, Kim and Kroy are still embroiled in a nasty back and forth with Kroy in their divorce -- a dispute focused on custody of their 4 young kids and financial assets.

Surprisingly enough, Kim and Kroy were spotted together earlier this week at LAX headed back home to Georgia. We're told Kroy was helping Kim get back after some discomfort following the procedure.

It was only a few weeks ago when Kim stated she and Kroy were still having sex -- a sign things were going to turn around -- but Kroy has maintained he wants a divorce and will go through with finalizing the ordeal.

Anthony Joshua is going all Aaron Rodgers ... the heavyweight boxing star is in the midst of a four-day darkness retreat with little to no technology!

AJ recently revealed his plan to Men's Health Magazine ... telling them he was beginning the retreat all by his lonesome starting October 16.

"Four days in the dark," Joshua said in the interview. "Alone with your mind."

"By October 20th, I will be one of the coolest people, coming out after sitting for four days in the dark."

The 34-year-old explained the process ... there's no internet access whatsoever and he just hopes to have a decent bed after paying $2k (chump change to him).

"There is a door, they open the door, slide in your food on a tray, you eat. You don’t see them," AJ said.

"No phone. No TV. No radio. No audiobooks. Nothing."

Joshua -- who won his 26th fight against Robert Helenius in August -- said he's looking forward to the interesting experience with the intention of gaining more character.

Obviously, Anthony isn't the first athlete to do this. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent the internet into a frenzy when he did the same thing earlier this year ... as he was contemplating his NFL future.

Brooks Koepka's wife, Jena Sims, just reached a major milestone in her modeling career -- she's going to be in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue!!

The golf star's partner shared the big news on Friday ... revealing after a long audition process, she was one of seven finalists to get picked out of the 2023 open casting call to be a "rookie" in next year's magazine.

Sims was understandably emotional about the announcement ... saying, "I just cried in public."

"I think I'm still in shock. Like, I cannot believe it."

Joining Sims in the issue are Penny Lane, Brittney Nicole, Berkleigh Wright, Achieng Agutu, Nina Cash and Sharina Gutierrez. It's the first time the publication chose to welcome all seven finalists to the S.I. Swim family.

As we previously reported, Sims joined the search back in 2022 ... saying it was her lifelong dream to be featured in the annual swimsuit edition.

Now, she's joining fellow sports WAGs like Camille Kostek, Christen Harper, Olivia Culpo and Kate Bock who have also landed the honor of posing in the mag in the past.

It's been an amazing year for the Koepkas -- they welcomed their first child together, Crew, back in July.

A new wax figure of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has fans questioning what the artist was thinking when they made it ... with many taking to social media to voice their concerns.

Here's the deal, Dwayne's been memorialized -- or, maybe not so much -- in a new wax figure that's going on display at the Grevin Museum in Paris ... but fans of the actor have been left pretty disappointed by the way it looks.

Some say the choice to put Dwayne in an outfit that screams "dad" was a bad call ... while many pointed out how the skin tone isn't accurate -- one simply wrote, "Bro is white."

Apart from Mr. Clean and Pitbull being a couple of names folks have compared it to, there's another person folks on X have said it resembles more -- Vin Diesel, his costar from the 'Fast & Furious' movies.

As we reported, the 2 have had on-set beef in the past, which even led to Dwayne leaving the series for a hot minute ... so some online have pointed out how pissed Dwayne's gonna be when he finds out it looks more like Dom Toretto than him.

Bronny James was teachin' fans how to Dougie at a USC hoops event Thursday night ... dancing his tail off during player introductions -- but he sat out all of the night's competitions, an indication he's still not quite 100 percent after suffering cardiac arrest.

LeBron's oldest son received a super warm welcome at the annual Trojan HoopLA shindig at the Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles ... and he sure seemed to love it all, gyrating to Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How To Dougie" as people in the stands roared.

However, that was about all the physical activity he did during the evening ... electing not to participate in the skills competition, dunk contest and the 3-point contest.

Of course, it's not unexpected at all ... Bronny required surgery just a few weeks ago after he had the issue with his heart back in July -- and everyone involved has been making sure he's been brought along slowly ever since.

It's unclear when he'll be able to officially start putting basketballs in hoops for the Trojans this year ... a timetable has not been given -- but LeBron said just days ago the goal is for his son to make an impact at USC soon.

Meanwhile, there were plenty more highlights from the Trojans event Thursday ... including when freshman forward Brandon Gardner threw down a massive slam over star USC quarterback Caleb Williams during the dunk contest.

Rap stars YG & Saweetie also performed!!

Saints tight end Foster Moreau was emotional after dropping a touchdown pass that could've sent his team into overtime on Thursday night ... admitting the play put him in "a dark place."

The 26-year-old, who beat cancer to return to the field this year, had a chance to help New Orleans tie its "Thursday Night Football" game against the Jaguars with just seconds remaining on the clock ... but the TD pass slipped right through his fingertips -- and the Saints went on to lose, 31-24.

Afterward, Moreau -- seemingly on the verge of tears -- called his effort on the play "unacceptable" and "pathetic."

"It's tough," Moreau said. "In front of every man, woman and child I've ever known. It's a dark place to be."

Moreau's teammates, however, had the guy's back ... with superstar running back Alvin Kamara saying the drop was not the sole reason the Saints lost.

In fact, Kamara was the one who helped get Moreau off the bench after the game ... and in a meeting with reporters inside the locker room following the defeat, he said he told Moreau the moment can't even remotely compare to what he's been through in his fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

"I just told him, man, he's blessed for what he's been through," Kamara said. "That ain't nothing."

Taylor Swift and her girl squad were out in force in the City of Angels ... grabbing sushi with her fellow A-list ladies, Selena Gomez and Zoë Kravitz.

The ladies took to the highly recommended Sushi Park in West Hollywood Thursday night, and apparently, a good time was had by all -- as they were seen laughing and smiling as they left the joint.

As you know, Selena and Taylor have been pals since 2008, when Taylor was dating Joe Jonas and Selena was with Nick Jonas -- so ya, they've been through it together.

Zoë has also worked with Taylor in the past, as one of the songwriters credited on Tay's song, "Lavender Haze" ... part of her 2022 album, "Midnights."

BTW, it looks like Taylor passed up a night with her boo, Travis Kelce, for some time with the girls instead -- but he's got a game coming up in Kansas City this weekend, so there's a good chance he'll be locked in at practice for the next few days.

It's unclear if Taylor will make it back to Missouri for the game this weekend, but if she does, you can be sure both Taylor fans and NFL honchos alike will be happy to have her ... she's definitely brought some new eyes to the game.

We've also learned the Chiefs tight end bought a new pad in Kansas City for just under $6 million -- looking to get a lot more privacy as their relationship really heats up.