A Chinese research team has confirmed that proton number 14 is a new magic number in nuclear physics by precisely measuring silicon-22, an exotic, short-lived nucleus, revealing new insights into nuclear stability and the fundamental building blocks of matter.
The Texas Rangers are closing in on a playoff berth and their first AL West title since 2015. With a magic number of four, the Rangers have a four-game lead over the first team currently out of the AL's wild card race, Seattle. They also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Seattle. However, there are still several scenarios at play, including the possibility of a three-way tie with Seattle and Houston for the division. The Rangers need to continue winning and hope for favorable outcomes in order to secure their playoff spot.
The Milwaukee Brewers bounced back from a shutout loss to the St. Louis Cardinals by defeating them in a game that mathematically eliminated the Cardinals from postseason contention. Led by a four-run fourth inning, the Brewers took the lead and never looked back. With this win, the Brewers' magic number to clinch the NL Central dropped to six. The Chicago Cubs, sitting six games back, won their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Cincinnati Reds, seven games back, lost to the Minnesota Twins. The Brewers are in a strong position to clinch the division soon, with the earliest possibility being Friday.