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Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley homered in the first inning and Chris Sale pitched five solid innings in combining with four relievers on a three-hitter as the visiting Atlanta Braves rolled to an 8-1 victory over the slumping New York Yankees on Friday night.
Albies hit a two-run homer off Carlos Rodon's fastball on the game's second pitch and Riley hit a solo shot as the Braves jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Matt Olson added a two-run homer as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games.
Jarred Kelenic singled in his first two at-bats and contributed an RBI base hit in the second inning, and Ramon Laureano chipped in an RBI double in the third. Sean Murphy had a run-scoring double that plated Riley after a fielding error by New York left fielder Jahmai Jones in Atlanta's three-run fourth that knocked out Rodon (9-4).
Sale (10-2) bested his former Chicago White Sox teammate, allowing one run on one hit in five innings. He struck out eight, walked three and earned his first win against the Yankees since 2018.
Daysbel Hernandez pitched a perfect sixth, Jesse Chavez allowed a single to Giancarlo Stanton before getting a double play to end the seventh. Dylan Lee and Grant Holmes finished up with an inning apiece.
The Yankees lost their third straight and also fell to 2-6 in their past eight games. New York has allowed 32 runs in its past three games.
Rodon was tagged for 11 hits (one shy of his career worst) and matched a career worst by allowing eight runs (seven earned) in a season-low 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander was booed off the mound after allowing three homers for the second time this season.
The Braves jumped on Rodon's fastball to get the lead and never looked back. Albies blasted the first pitch he saw into the left-field seats for his sixth homer of the season, and Riley lifted a 3-1 pitch to the Yankee bullpen in right-center for his seventh homer.
After Jones hit a second-inning triple that Braves left fielder Adam Duvall stumbled in attempting to catch, he scored on a groundout by DJ LeMahieu.
Olson launched his third homer during his current 10-game hitting streak for a 7-1 lead, and Murphy's double chased Rodon.
More must-reads:
- Yankees' unlikely answer emerges from depth chart to save season — for now
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reaches yet another incredible milestone
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani entered Wednesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the precipice of another milestone. Ohtani had recorded 999 hits in his career, an impressive number considering he continued to hit while rehabbing after a pair of elbow surgeries and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He notched his 1,000th career hit in the third inning, belting a two-run homer off Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore. While that home run temporarily gave his team a 2-1 lead, the Dodgers' bullpen failed to hold on in the 5-3 loss. Ohtani has put together an impressive season as he slowly works himself back as a starting pitcher. He has posted a .276/.381/.606 batting line in 521 plate appearances, hitting 39 homers and 15 doubles while stealing 16 bases. Ohtani also has a 2.37 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 19 innings, striking out 25 batters with just five walks. His 1,000th hit is another milestone in a career that is on track to end in Cooperstown. The 2018 American League Rookie of the Year, Ohtani is a five-time All-Star and three-time MVP, joining Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. He is one home run shy of his fourth season with 40 or more homers and is the only player in major league history to hit 50+ homers and steal 50+ bases in the same season. Ohtani's exploits on the mound have been equally impressive. He has reached the double-digit mark in wins twice and has struck out more than 150 batters in a season three times. Ohtani finished fourth in the 2022 AL Cy Young race after posting a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP over 166 innings, striking out 219 batters with 44 walks. It is sure to be one of the many milestones Ohtani reaches as his career continues.
The Lakers could have another undrafted gem on their hands
In a summer dominated by LeBron James and Luka Doncic headlines, the Los Angeles Lakers may have quietly struck gold once again in the UDFA market, this time with former Villanova standout Eric Dixon. After initially agreeing to a two-way contract following the 2024–25 NBA Draft, Dixon’s path to the professional ranks was temporarily delayed due to injury, forcing him to miss Summer League. The Lakers, however, remained invested in the 24-year-old forward, eventually signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal, a move that keeps him in the pipeline and positions him as a potential breakout candidate through the G League. Dixon brings one of the most decorated resumes in college basketball. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward led all Division I scorers last season, averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting an impressive 40.7% from beyond the arc on 7.2 attempts per contest, a remarkable transformation for a player once seen as a traditional low-post presence. He concluded his five-year career at Villanova as the school’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,314 points and etching his name into Big East history. While concerns around his age and lateral quickness may have contributed to him being passed over in the draft, Dixon’s refined skill set and ability to stretch the floor make him a strong fit in today’s NBA. He delivered in big moments throughout the season, including a 38-point outburst against Maryland on Nov. 11, and consistently carried the offensive load for the Wildcats. With his Exhibit 10 deal, Dixon is expected to begin the season with the South Bay Lakers, where he’ll aim to prove he’s healthy and ready to make an immediate impact. If he performs as expected, a return to a two-way contract, and possibly NBA minutes, could be on the horizon. The Lakers have developed a reputation for identifying and nurturing overlooked talent, with Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso emerging as prime examples. Dixon, with his offensive versatility and physical readiness, could be next in line. In a loaded Western Conference, unearthing low-cost contributors is more important than ever. Dixon might just be the next hidden gem to emerge from the Lakers’ development pipeline.
NBA Analyst Believes Former League MVP Would 'Flourish' With Knicks Amid Free Agency Rumors
The New York Knicks entered the offseason looking to make some small upgrades to their roster as they try to build of their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks are set to bring back their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges next season but one area they needed to improve was their bench. That is exactly what the Knicks focused on during free agency as they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, filling two key holes in their second unit. After signing both Yabusele and Clarkson, New York still does have one more roster space open and they have been linked to many players. Rachel Nichols believes Knicks should sign Russell Westbrook Two player who have garnered the most attention from the Knicks are Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook and NBA analyst Rachel Nichols believes that Westbrook would “flourish” in New York. “That’s a team that needs a guy like him. That actually has a slot for a guy like him. I think he would flourish in New York,” Nichols said on the Open Floor podcast. “I think New York fans would love him, and I think he would be able to fill that sort of vet energy role really well.” Nichols does make a great point about Westbrook being a solid fit in New York off the bench as the backup point guard behind Brunson. Of course, Westbrook revitalized his NBA career last season with the Denver Nuggets as he proved that he could still be a key piece both off the bench and in the starting lineup on a contending team. Last season, the former MVP averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three. For the Knicks, adding Westbrook to their roster would give them another great scorer and playmaker off the bench and would allow Miles McBride to slot in as the backup shooting guard with Clarkson being a forward. By signing Westbrook, the Knicks would be able to upgrade their bench even more this offseason and with the East being weakened due to injuries, New York could be the team to beat next season in the conference.
Steelers' Much-Maligned Offensive Tackle Broderick Jones Has His Stock Rising Up
The Pittsburgh Steelers have very high expectations for their offensive line in 2025. The interior players had an excellent 2024 season, and the hope is that they continue to grow and mesh well together. The offensive tackle position is the real question mark. Second-year player Troy Fautanu only had one start in his rookie year before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Third-year player Broderick Jones has had significant issues playing on the right side, and the hope is that he can develop properly while moving to the blind side (his natural position). Jones has not been having a great training camp so far. While the Steelers do have elite edge rushers across the board, the former first-round pick has not been able to do anything to slow them down on a consistent basis. There have been many clips of him getting beat with ease. Pittsburgh even went out and signed a veteran tackle in case he continues to struggle. However, Jones may have finally woken up. During Thursday's practice, reporter Christopher Carter noticed that he may have turned himself around after a great day in training camp. Like with Roman Wilson previously in training camp, the idea of losing his job and maybe even a roster spot could have lit a fire under Jones. He's fighting for more than just the respect of the fans and his peers. Now, he has to go out and stop some of the best pass rushers in the NFL to make sure he's not benched or, even worse, cut completely. Also like with Wilson, one great day at camp is not enough for Jones to stick around. Now that he showed some of his upside, that is the expectation for him going forward. He has to put it all together and stack these practices up until gameday, where the team will expect him to have his way with plenty of other great edge rushers. The days of him playing at a junior-varsity level should now be officially over. Steelers' Offensive Attack Is Almost Entirely On Jones' Shoulders Jones will now be protecting Aaron Rodgers every single day for the rest of the year. During his time with the New York Jets, the 41-year-old was statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL when being blitzed/rushed. At his age, he is more reliant on the men in front of him than ever before in his career, which includes Jones. This is absolutely not the year for him to slack off. If Jones continues to struggle into the regular season, Rodgers is likely going to have another rough, painful season like when he was with the Jets. If he plays like he did in Thursday's practice, the Steelers could see flashes of Rodgers' old form from when he was winning multiple MVP Awards. As long as the established players of the interior line continue to do their job, the outside of the line will be under a microscope all season long. Being under that microscope could cause Jones to be benched quickly if things go awry. Andrus Peat is a veteran tackle that has seen and done plenty in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler can step in and take over if needed. As long as Jones keeps competing like he did on Thursday, he won't have to worry about losing his job.
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