John Flaherty (L.) at Yankees Old Timers Day on Aug. 8, 2026.
John Flaherty is enjoying a second life that does not include much baseball.
“Flash” had been a part of Yankees fans’ summers for decades, a catcher with the team from 2003-05 before trading in his mitt for a microphone and beginning a 20-year run as an analyst on YES Network.
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That run ended this year, Flaherty’s contract not renewed after the 2025 season. The network stuck with David Cone, Paul O’Neill and Joe Girardi as its three main analysts.
“I wouldn’t say it was a surprise,” Flaherty said while wearing the pinstripes Saturday, when he was back in The Bronx for Old-Timers’ Day. “It was definitely something that I think I saw coming.
“It’s been an adjustment.”
An adjustment that took a little while to sink in. But once he accepted that he did not have a big league season to cover and could choose how he spent his time, “It was fantastic.”
John Flaherty (L.) at Yankees Old-Timers’ Day on Aug. 8, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The 58-year-old Flaherty was drafted in 1988, debuted in 1992 and played in 14 major league seasons before transitioning immediately to TV work that completely occupied him during baseball season.
“This is my first major league season in 38 years where I haven’t been part of a schedule, so it’s been great,” said Flaherty, who had just returned from a trip to Italy.
No, he is not watching baseball every day, even if he will check in on scores every once in a while. Flaherty, who grew up in West Nyack, did not rule out a return to a studio or booth one day if an opportunity arises, but he called having a summer to himself “pretty nice.”
“You don’t think about it while you’re in the grind,” said Flaherty, who added he is consistently honored to be a part of Old-Timers’ Day and pal around with legends and former teammates.
“It was a great run at YES,” Flaherty said, “but I’m enjoying this next chapter.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 27: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks reacts after an injury against the Miami Heat in the second half at Madison Square Garden on January 27, 2024 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Heat 125-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Most of the time, you don’t know when a singular moment can define a franchise. I don’t think any of us expected that when the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson or hired Leon Rose, but the impact of making those decisions has put the franchise on a course towards ending their 53-year championship drought and bringing a Larry O’Brien Trophy back to New York.
Sometimes you know. Trading Kristaps Porzingis. Trading for Carmelo Anthony. Striking out in the 2019 offseason. Injuries can kinda qualify here.
The grey area is where we sit here. When Julius Randle went down with a shoulder injury on January 27, 2024, it was hard to grasp the feeling. The Knicks were coming off one of the best months in franchise history following the trade for OG Anunoby in late December and were well on their way to a sixth consecutive win that would improve the team’s record to 29-17, fourth in the Eastern Conference and three games back of second.
Randle went down and grabbed his shoulder after a hard blocking foul by Jaime Jaquez Jr., who was attempting to draw a charge. The coming hours and days revealed a dislocated shoulder that had an unclear timeline. Initially, it was believed that it was a 1-2 month injury and that he would be able to return for the postseason, but after two months of attempting to return, a re-dislocation during the rehab process prompted season-ending surgery in April.
While the Knicks found a way to get to the No. 2 seed and win seven playoff games without him, they missed his presence in a depleted lineup. That injury would not just be season-ending, but tenure-ending, as Randle would never wear the orange and blue again. About eight months to the day after that game, he was traded to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Welcome back to Knicks Domino Effects, where we look back at individual moments that, one way or another, led to a monumental franchise pivot that resulted in a championship. Today, we’re going to be asking the question.
What if Julius Randle never hurt his shoulder?
Let’s go back to that day in late January against the Miami Heat. The Knicks led by 17 with 4:30 to go in the fourth, which is still well within the realm of possibility for a comeback. Tom Thibodeau was never going to pull the starters here, nor should he have. So let’s say that Randle, instead of going hard to the cup here, kicks it out to a wide open Brunson after Terry Rozier collapsed to help Jaquez underneath.
Brunson buries the triple, and the starters exit the game a minute later with a 20-point cushion. Randle survives the game and likely doesn’t find a way to injure that shoulder. This isn’t like a torn Achilles situation where wear and tear likely contributed, it’s more of a freak accident.
In the immediate short term, there’s still bad news. OG Anunoby’s elbow randomly flared up after this game as well, so that saga still dominates the final two months of the regular season, but instead of Brunson basically going at it alone with only Donte DiVincenzo as his second-in-command, he’ll still have his fellow All-Star (who will actually get to play with Brunson in the game) by his side.
In real life, the Knicks won the ensuing three games following the pair of injuries before embarking on an ugly 3-8 stretch to end February. That wouldn’t dissuade the Knicks from their charge for the No. 2 seed, as they finished 15-7 to top the pack and finish with 50 wins. How does that change with Randle?
Well, the Knicks relied heavily on Brunson during the stretch run as Randle and partially Anunoby rehabbed injuries. They went 0-3 in games Brunson missed with minor injuries. After Randle went down, JB averaged 31.5 points a night across the final 33 games, a number that would certainly go down with his fellow All-Star healthy.
That means we never see some of his best heroics down the stretch. Seven of the 11 40-point games he had that season came in the stretch run. That 61-point game against San Antonio probably wouldn’t have happened. While the captain has shown this propensity to score in bunches throughout his Knicks career, it was this stretch that truly made him evolve into the force he is today. With Randle ensuring that he doesn’t have to hero-ball for this stretch, do we get the guy we currently have?
Anunoby’s tricky elbow limits the ceiling of the 2023-24 Knicks, but they still get the No. 2 seed with 53 wins. They go into the postseason with the dangerous starting five that ran through the NBA in January and use that for a five-game series victory over the Sixers. It still costs them Mitchell Robinson due to Embiid antics and Bojan Bogdanovic, as the injury bug is probably inevitable, but it saves them mileage.
That saved mileage comes in handy against Indiana in the second round. The first two games go the same way, with the Knicks going up 2-0, but one key thing doesn’t happen.
We all know what changed that series for the worse late in Game 2. In this timeline, it doesn’t happen.
Anunoby averaged a staggering 41.6 minutes a game in the first seven games of the postseason due to the injuries and his importance, which likely caused the soft-tissue injury that essentially ended his season. By wrapping up the Philly game a night early due to Randle’s presence, there’s less mileage. His presence also likely reduces his minutes total as a result.
With Anunoby healthy, the Knicks survive a crazy Game 3 in Indianapolis that originally went much different. After losing Game 4, they come home and take the series in five at MSG to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 24 years.
You might be asking, “Why does a man who has been known for being a playoff dropper change this series so dramatically?” Presence and gravity are half the battle. It’s less attention focused on Brunson as the only offensive threat. It’s less workload on Anunoby because of how thin the roster got, forcing the team to use Precious Achiuwa way more than they wanted. Even if Randle likely underperforms again, it’s enough to push the Knicks to the long-awaited battle with the Celtics.
That series isn’t the easiest to predict. Some are insistent that the January 2024 Knicks could’ve defeated the seemingly unstoppable C’s who steamrolled injured competition the entire postseason, but I find it unlikely for a few reasons. That team was not as well equipped to defend the Jays as the following year’s incarnation of the Knicks, plus the injuries don’t exactly go away.
Robinson and Bogdanovic, at this point, are still out. The overuse of Anunoby and Josh Hart may still lead to their hamstring and abdominal ailments. Even if Randle, Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo remained upright, it’s unlikely that they have enough to topple the eventual champions, losing in six games but giving themselves renewed optimism going forward.
The start of the offseason still plays out the exact same. The Knicks fiscally cannot afford to keep Isaiah Hartenstein, losing him through no fault of their own. They still massively extend Anunoby and trade a haul for Mikal Bridges, knowing full well that to beat the Celtics, they need a second premier wing defender. The real question lies with what they do after.
We all know that they pulled the trigger on longtime target Karl-Anthony Towns in September, and the fact that Leon Rose and company badly wanted him the entire time means it’s entirely possible it still happens even without Randle’s injury.
Let’s have some fun here. Let’s say that the Knicks elect to wing it with the center depth, banking on an eventual return by Robinson down the road, and go into the 2024-25 season with a center rotation of Jericho Sims, Precious Achiuwa, and Ariel Hukporti. Maybe you could replace Achiuwa with known target Goga Bitadze if they ponied up more than they were willing to, but the main narrative here was no Towns on the team. Randle receives the same three-year, $100 million extension that he got post-trade and is banked in for the long haul.
A lineup of Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Randle-Achiuwa is certainly an interesting one, and with Tom Thibodeau’s known reluctance to play small ball, Randle at the 5 is just not happening. That rough center depth hurts the Knicks greatly over the coming weeks and months, forcing them to be a little less patient with Robinson’s recovery. Instead of debuting on February 28, he’s back on January 15, which helps them in the short term, but leads to a reduced postseason presence due to fatigue.
It’s hard to project the inner workings of a regular season with injuries and workload from an entirely different roster, so the Knicks still win 50 games and end up playing the Detroit Pistons in the first round. Should be simple, right?
Wrong. Remember back to that series and who the keys were for the Knicks. Cam Payne won them Game 1, and though he’ll probably still get signed, does he play with the added backcourt depth on the roster with DiVincenzo? What about KAT, who’s late-game heroics won Game 4? Do the Knicks win either of those?
There’s a very realistic chance that this iteration of the Knicks somehow loses to the feisty Pistons, but I’ll default to a gritty, seven-game series that leaves them ripe for the picking by the defending champions in Round 2. By this point, Robinson has been worked extensively due to the lack of Towns and is severely diminished, if not completely out due to injury.
We don’t remember it as much as the heroics of Bridges, but Robinson was +13 and +19 in the two major comebacks. If he can’t be as impactful as he was with fresher legs, and Randle struggles in the postseason, the Knicks don’t win either of those games. I think they’d still put up a fight, but these small marginal things are enough to swing a series against a supremely talented Celtics team, with the Knicks bowing out in six games for the second consecutive year.
The frustration of losing to a rival in consecutive seasons might’ve even trumped the frustration in real life of beating the team you specifically designed yourself to beat before losing to a different team like Indiana. In this scenario, not only is Tom Thibodeau fired, but the roster is likely remade after it’s made clear that the grand experiment to specifically take out Boston failed.
Mike Brown is still likely to be hired as head coach due to the timing of the firing in May 2025, but it might not have been as simple as running back the same framework for Towns as it was the prior offseason. As we know, the biggest motivation behind trading Towns wasn’t his personal ability, but the massive second apron concerns.
In this timeline, instead of Jimmy Butler going to the Warriors from Miami in a midseason blockbuster, it was Towns going to team up with Chef Curry in the Bay Area for 2024-25. They were the only other known team to moderately pursue the All-NBA big man, so their aggressive front office goes all-in to finally give Curry the pick-and-pop partner he’s dreamed of.
So the options for the Knicks to remake their roster going into 2025-26 were limited. That was until the Bucks called them regarding the desire of Giannis Antetokounmpo to play in the bright lights of New York. In real life, the Knicks weren’t very motivated to get something done because of their belief in a new core, but after multiple years of a Brunson/Randle pairing, Rose and company have seen enough.
MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 7: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks look on during the game on April 7, 2024 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
Randle, Bridges, and DiVincenzo head to the Bucks for Giannis and salary filler. The Knicks go all-in on a Big 3 of Antetokounmpo, Brunson, and Anunoby in a trade nobody saw coming. The desperation comes as Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum still go down with injury, leaving the Eastern Conference wide open.
That team is as good as advertised. Brunson remains the consistent 25-PPG scorer he’s been this whole time alongside a player who takes Randle’s slashing ability and puts it on steroids. Brown’s ideal offense, pace and space, has to take a back seat as a result, but they still surround the pair with as many pure shooters as possible, even after losing Donte. The elite training staff that has kept the Knicks healthy has a good chance of doing the same for Giannis and his balky calf, but they know the playoffs are more important than the regular season.
As disappointing as it sounded when the team-up was initially announced, the Knicks were fine with being the No. 4 seed and winning 51 games. They were whole entering the postseason, allowing them to sweep the Toronto Raptors in the first round. An obstacle presented itself in a tough Pistons team in the second round, but surely they’d have enough to keep it going, right?
Here’s the problem. Some of the players who turned into New York legends during our legendary championship run never put on the orange and blue. The presence of DiVincenzo in 2024-25 led to Landry Shamet never being signed. Guerschon Yabusele is never signed because the team trades for Giannis and suddenly has frontcourt depth, leading to the mid-level exception being used on Gary Trent Jr. instead, which means no Jose Alvarado at the trade deadline. Maybe Jordan Clarkson is replaced by someone like Taurean Prince as a result.
None of these guys are totally useless, but in the quest to find more shooting, they lose part of their identity. Their offense plays into the defensive strengths of Detroit, and it’s a gritty series that sees many games end 99-92 as a result. The lack of ball pressure by trading Mikal leads to added responsibility on Deuce McBride, who is diminished as he was in real life due to core surgery.
The Knicks don’t win that series. After making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 with the January Knicks, they fail to make it back in each of the next two seasons. Wishcasting from that team continues. The voices grow louder about Leon Rose’s job, Brunson’s viability as a top option, and even Mike Brown as coach.
I’m not quite sure what happens from here. Most likely, the Knicks would run back the same core and hope for better results. Maybe they get aggressive in adding another piece and make Hart and McBride expendable. Robinson is likely still around just because they can’t afford to let them go. Does LeBron come to town? Are they a second apron team?
Giancarlo Stanton (L.) looks on prior to the Yankees-Cardinals game on Aug. 5, 2026.
Giancarlo Stanton is progressing and “doing quite well,” according to manager Aaron Boone, who hinted but did not state that Stanton has reached a significant stage of his rehab.
Stanton, who jogged in the outfield Friday as he builds up following a pair of calf strains, has “started the introduction to some bases,” Boone said Saturday.
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Running the bases is often the final hurdle to clear before a rehab assignment (or simply an activation, if Stanton holds form and skips time in the minor leagues). Stanton had been running the bases in June, when he was nearing a return from the original calf strain and suffered another.
Asked to clarify whether Stanton had run the bases, Boone reiterated that he “introed it in a light way [Friday].”
Boone has been consistently vague regarding developments concerning Stanton (and Aaron Judge) and did not want to shed further light on Stanton’s status.
Giancarlo Stanton (L.) looks on prior to the Yankees-Cardinals game on Aug. 5, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Stanton has been sidelined since April 24 for an injury that no one imagined would cost at least 3 ¹/₂ months.
Asked if Stanton is closer to returning in a week or in a month, Boone said, “I don’t know.”
“I’m not going to get in the predicting game of it,” Boone added of Stanton, who faced live pitching for the first time this week since suffering the second calf strain. “We expect him back, and I would say he’s doing quite well, but ‘at what percent [he is running],’ they’ll tell me when it’s time.”
Gerrit Cole (seven innings, two runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts) was excellent and consistently around the zone, 60 of his 82 pitches going for strikes. For his uptick, he credited better fastball command.
In the only inning that he struggled, he also showed resilience. To begin the fifth, Mauricio Dubón (double), Mike Yastrzemski (double), Austin Riley (single) and Jim Jarvis (single) rapped off four consecutive hits that plated a pair of runs and gave the Braves a narrow and brief lead.
But with a pair of runners on base and the game perhaps in the balance, Cole used a biting slider to strike out Drake Baldwin, got Ronald Acuña Jr. to fly out and then needed just three pitches — the third a 98.8 mph fastball — to strike out Matt Olson, whom Cole has owned in his career. That strikeout was the 1,000th of Cole’s Yankees tenure.
“It was really cool to do it today,” Cole said of 1,000. “Today [being Old-Timers’ Day], plus the win, at home — it’s kind of how you draw it up, I guess.
“When I think about it, I just feel really blessed.”
Despite a lefty in Chris Sale on the mound for Atlanta and a righty in Grant Holmes expected to start Sunday, Boone started Austin Wells, who went 1-for-2 with a double, against the southpaw.
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“I like him with Gerrit,” Boone said of Wells, who entered having caught Cole 10 times this season, Cole sporting a 2.88 ERA in those games.
In the lone game Ali Sánchez caught Cole, Cole allowed five earned runs in 4 ¹/₃ innings.
In his first rehab start with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Carlos Rodón allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four in 2 ²/₃ innings. He threw 48 pitches (29 strikes).
The lefty, recovering from elbow inflammation, is expected to only need one or two outings in the minors before he is activated.
Robert Stock could not duplicate his impressive first start, allowing eight runs as the Mets dropped the second game of their series with the Pirates, 9-0, on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
The loss snapped the Mets' four-game winning streak.
Here are the takeaways...
-Stock immediately pitched into trouble in the first inning. A double, an infield single, which would have been a forceout if Bo Bichette covered third when Francisco Lindor picked it in the hole, and a hit batsman had the Pirates in business with the bases loaded and one out. Stock got Nick Gonzales to hit a dribbler down the first base line, but the groundout pushed across the game's first run. Ronny Simon followed up by hitting an opposite-field double just fair down the left field line to score two more.
Stock would avoid another big inning -- allowing one run in the third -- but pitched into trouble again in the fourth. The Pirates pushed across another run after back-to-back hits to start the inning. Stock then walked back-to-back hitters to load the bases with no outs. Stock then threw a wild pitch way out of the zone, allowing the Pirates to get another run.
A walk and a double plated two more, knocking Stock out of the game.
After tossing 70 pitches in five one-run innings in his last start, Stock tossed 80 pitches (52 strikes) in three-plus innings. He allowed eight runs on nine hits and five walks while striking out four.
-On the other side, Bubba Chandler was the opposite of Stock, pitching six scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out five batters. He lowered his ERA to 4.26.
Mets hitters mustered just three hits, all singles (Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr., Francisco Alvarez).
-With the Mets down eight runs in the fourth, interim manager Andy Green decided to take Lindor and Bo Bichette out of the game. Brett Baty, starting in right field, moved to third while newly acquired infielder Gabriel Arias came in to play shortstop. Cristian Pache came in to play right field.
-Xzavion Curry came out in relief of Stock and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing a hit and four walks while striking out four.
Catcher Luis Torrens was arguably the Mets' best pitcher on this night. He allowed a solo homer to Brandon Lowe to lead off the seventh, but then allowed one more hit in his two innings of work.
Game MVP: Bubba Chandler
Chandler didn't need much, but he shut down the Mets.
What's next
The Mets and Pirates complete their three-game series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m.
Sean Manaea (3-5, 4.33 ERA) will take the mound against Jared Jones (2-3, 4.02 ERA).
Brad Hunt’s professional hockey career has officially come to an end.
The former Vegas Golden Knights defenseman announced his retirement from professional hockey on social media earlier this week, closing the book on a career that lasted nearly two decades and took him from the BCHL to the NHL, the AHL and, ultimately, a World Championship gold medal with Team Canada.
For Vegas fans, Hunt will be remembered as part of the organization’s early years, joining the Golden Knights for their second season and remaining with the club through the 2018-19 campaign.
Hunt appeared in 58 games for Vegas across the two seasons, recording five goals and 20 assists for 25 points.
While his time with the Golden Knights was relatively brief, it came during an important period in franchise history. Vegas was still establishing itself as an NHL organization after its remarkable inaugural season, and Hunt became one of the many defensemen who helped provide depth on the blue line during those early years.
Hunt’s NHL career went well beyond his time in Vegas, however.
The 37-year-old played 288 regular-season games over parts of 14 NHL seasons, suiting up for seven organizations. Along with the Golden Knights, he spent time with the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks.
He finished his NHL career with 20 goals and 60 assists for 80 points.
Much of Hunt’s career was spent in the American Hockey League, where he established himself as one of the league’s most productive offensive defensemen.
Hunt played 422 AHL games for the Chicago Wolves, Oklahoma City Barons, Bakersfield Condors, Colorado Eagles and Hershey Bears, producing 84 goals and 214 assists for 298 points. He was selected to six AHL All-Star Games and recorded four seasons with at least 40 points, including two 50-point campaigns.
That offensive production helped Hunt overcome one of the biggest obstacles he faced throughout his career: his size.
At 5-foot-9, Hunt was never the prototypical NHL defenseman. Instead, he built his career around his skating, puck-moving ability and offensive instincts, continually finding ways to earn opportunities at the highest levels of the sport.
His journey to the NHL began in the BCHL with the Burnaby Express. After putting up 89 points in 122 games, Hunt moved on to Bemidji State University, where he recorded 112 points in 150 NCAA games over four seasons.
From there, he began a professional career that would eventually take him around North America and overseas.
Hunt’s final season came in Finland with Sport Vaasa in 2025-26. He recorded seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points in 53 games before deciding it was time to step away.
And fittingly, Hunt’s final years in hockey also included one of the biggest accomplishments of his career.
He represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Finland, recording three assists while helping Canada capture a gold medal.
Now, after nearly 20 years of chasing the game, Hunt is officially calling it a career.
His résumé includes 288 NHL games, 422 AHL appearances, six AHL All-Star selections and a World Championship gold medal. For the Golden Knights, he will always be part of the group that helped shape the franchise during its formative years.
Not bad for a defenseman who spent his entire career being told he was too small to make it.
Player, manager and broadcaster, Ozzie Guillén shared smiles and shed tears during his jersey-retirement speech. | (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images)
With “OZZIE 13” spelled out across the pinwheels in center field, the number “13” shaded into the infield dirt right at the shortstop position, and chairs in front of the White Sox dugout down the third base line, the stage was set for Ozzie Guillén’s number retirement ceremony.
Chuck Garfien opened the ceremony, welcoming former teammates and players managed under Ozzie to grab the remaining open chairs while saving the final introduction for Ozzie and his wife, Ibis Cárdenas.
From a sold-out stadium filled with Sox fans in the stands to Sox legends loitering the field to active players in the dugout watching on, it wasn’t all White Sox taking in the ceremony:
They're holding an Ozzie Guillen jersey retirement ceremony here pregame. Stephen Vogt, Sandy Alomar Jr., Rouglas Odor and Brayan Rocchio are among those watching from the top step of the Guardians' dugout.
A highlight reel played on the center field scoreboard, detailing Ozzie’s best moments as a player and a manager, including a nice montage of the, let’s just say, fiery passion, we all loved to see from Ozzie.
A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko took the microphone, sharing stories and reminiscing about their 2005 World Championship season.
"If you played against Ozzie, you probably hated him, but if you played for Ozzie, you actually loved him."@ajpierzynski12 shows Ozzie love: pic.twitter.com/hzmkwnius8
Following their anecdotes, it was the man of the hour’s time to shine on the podium.
Ozzie grew emotional twice during his pregame press conference: when talking about Venezuela in relation to wearing jersey No. 13 and talking about his family. Add in baseball and the White Sox and it's safe to say those are his four passions, loves.
"I hope the guys playing for the White Sox right now…you can feel the same way I feel right now." @OzzieGuillen wants to see the fire out of this team: pic.twitter.com/lw81pjQlSE
Following his speech, Chuck Garfien, with the help of Harold Baines and on behalf of the Chicago White Sox, presented a painting of Ozzie and two plane tickets from Chicago to Tokyo.
Finally, introduced by Gene Honda, the No. 13 Guillén was unveiled, fitting perfectly between No. 11 Aparicio and No. 14 Konerko. A tearful Ozzie did the sign of the cross and moved in a slow circle, waving to every fan in the stands.
Jerry Reinsdorf, in his statement reflecting on No. 13, said “from the moment he joined this organization in Spring Training 1985, Ozzie Guillén has been one of a kind.”
From his playing career to his managing career to being a pregame and postgame analyst, when White Sox fans old and new think of the White Sox, they inevitably think of Ozzie Guillén.
If you missed it, here are Ozzie’s full remarks to fans:
Mad Max rolled right past the Big Train on Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout list.
Scherzer recorded his 3,516th career strikeout Saturday, Aug. 8, punching out former teammate and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber to move into 10th place all-time.
Scherzer, 42, was making just his ninth start this season thanks to a pair of stints on the injured list. He has recorded one 300-strikeout season, in 2018 with Washington, eight 200-strikeout seasons and twice has led the major leagues in strikeouts over his 19-year career.
Johnson, who debuted as a 19-year-old in 1907, won 417 games over a 21-year career and still leads all major leaguers with 110 career shutouts.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 07: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready in the on deck circle against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on August 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Diamondbacks won 4-3. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers look to snap their seven-game losing streak against Brandon Pfaadt and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 8: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox throws his broken bat after striking out with two runners on base to end the eighth inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park on August 8, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are 27-4 in their last 31 games. It’s the most remarkable stretch of regular season baseball I’ve ever had the privilege to witness. So believe me when I say that I do not want to be the person talking about cyclosporiasis at the barbecue. But in light of the fact that that’s kind of my job, I do have to say: if the good times are going to end, today’s game was offered a template of how it’s going to happen.
Jake Bennett has been a huge (and completely unexpected) part of this unfathomable stretch of baseball. But he’s a relatively unheralded rookie who, just today, set a new professional career high in innings pitched. He was by no means horrible, but he didn’t have his best stuff and couldn’t make it through six innings, leaving the game as the Sox found themselves in a one-run deficit.
Justin Slaten, who replaced him, was actually one of the more well-rested arms in an otherwise depleted bullpen. But “well-rested” in this case just meant that he didn’t pitch yesterday, having thrown 17 pitches the day before. He immediately walked a hitter and allowed a double, giving the A’s a three-run lead. This, essentially, was the ballgame. The Red Sox offense, which has been magic for most of the past six weeks and was again in the first inning today, scoring two runs on the strength of three stolen bases, suddenly reverted t0 pre-streak form, stranding runners on second base in both the fourth and fifth innings and otherwise barely even threatening to wake up.
This run has been amazing and magical and will never be forgotten. Dave O’Brien absolutely nailed it when he thanked the surging Sox for saving the summer. But the bill is coming due and it’s going to paid in the currency of arms. There’s only one question that matters for the Red Sox for the rest of the regular season: can this pitching staff hang on? Today, it didn’t.
Studs
Raymond Burgos: When the hell was the last time a pitcher threw three or more innings in consecutive days? Burgos did it for the Sox this afternoon, and, thus, saved the rest of the bullpen to throw another day. He’s not long for the big league roster, but let us not forget his contribution this afternoon.
Jahmai Jones: Three hits, two doubles two runs, and two stolen bases from a guy who was DFA’d by another team a few weeks ago. This is what it means to be in the midst of a special season.
Nick Sogard: Jones wasn’t the only guy to secure two two-baggers. Take your flowers, Nick.
Duds
Jarren Duran: 0-4 with 3 Ks. So much for the “Duran might be turning things around” talk that’s been going around.
Eli White: Not the best first start he could have imagined, going 0-4 with 2 Ks.
Jake Bennett: I’m not at all mad at Jake Bennett, please don’t put in the paper that I’m mad at Jake Bennett. He’s already done more than enough for the 2026 Red Sox. He just didn’t have it today.
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox failed in their bid for a second winning streak of 10 or more games in the same season, losing to the Athletics 7-3 on Saturday.
Boston recorded a franchise record-tying 15-game winning stretch, matching a mark from 1946, before it was stopped on July 22. The team’s attempt for a second streak of 10 or more games for the first time in the franchise’s 126-year history fell short against the A’s.
Gage Jump worked six strong innings, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte hit solo homers, and Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton added two-run doubles for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game skid. The A’s hadn’t won since beating the Red Sox at home on July 28.
Jump (5-7) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and six hits.
Andruw Monasterio had a two-run single in the first inning for the Red Sox, whose nine-game run started the day after Jump earned a victory by pitching six scoreless innings.
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras returned after missing two games with an illness, went 0 for 4 and was booed for jogging lightly on a ground out.
The Athletics’ bullpen, which entered with the majors’ highest ERA (5.64), allowed one run in the last three innings. Hogan Harris got the last four outs for his 10th save.
The Athletics erased a two-run deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in sixth.
Boston’s Jake Bennett (7-5) breezed through the first three innings, allowing only a walk. He was pulled with one out in the sixth and charged with four runs.
Brian Serven’s RBI single cut the Athletics’ deficit in half before Heim’s two-run single in the fifth put them ahead. Walton’s pinch-hit ground-rule double off reliever Justin Slaten into Boston’s bullpen added two more runs in the sixth.
Up next
Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.51 ERA) will start Sunday. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter.
Carlos Rodon was on the mound in live game action Saturday for the first time since going down with elbow inflammation.
The Yankees southpaw tossed 48 pitches (29 strikes) across 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four batters for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
It was an inauspicious start for Rodon. Seaver King took Rodon deep to lead off the game. Rodon bounced back to get the next three batters out to end the first inning. After a 1-2-3 second inning, Rodon ran into trouble in the third. After striking out the first batter of the inning, four batters in a row reached base (a double, two walks and a triple) as Rochester pushed across two more runs.
After Rodon struck out his fourth batter to get the second out of the third, he was pulled.
Once Rodon recovers well from this rehab start, the Yankees will determine next steps for the veteran, but Boone said that they are considering using Rodon in a piggyback role since the rotation already has five starters (Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Ryan Weathers and Will Warren).
Rodon missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left elbow surgery, and pitched nine starts. In those starts, the left-hander went 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. The Yankees shut down Rodon and placed him on the IL on June 28 after he experienced inflammation in the same elbow.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 24: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates a 5-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 24, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Justin Wrobleski was an All-Star this season but heads into Sunday with plenty of room for improvement after two forgettable starts in a row. Wrobleski allowed four home runs in each of his last two outings, matching his total from his first 17 games and 106 2/3 innings this season.
Fellow left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez is coming off a rough outing of his own, allowing an inconvenient seven runs on 11 hits in a Tuesday loss to the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks have won both of Rodríguez’s starts against the Dodgers this season, with him going six innings on both June 1and July 10 with a total of three runs allowed.
Wrobleski in his lone start against Arizona this season, on June 4, he pitched six scoreless innings at Chase Field.
Tempe, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona State University ASU, ASU graduation banner, Congratulations graduates, Mill Avenue District. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Today’s Lineups
DODGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Shohei Ohtani – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Andy Pages – CF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Freddie Freeman – 1B
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Max Muncy – 3B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Mookie Betts – SS
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Kyle Tucker – RF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Tommy Edman – 2B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Teoscar Hernandez – LF
James McCann – C
Hunter Feduccia – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Y. Yamamoto – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Last night’s ninth inning heroics give the D-backs (as discussed yesterday) two chances to clinch the season series over the Dodgers, for the first time since 2018. For the first opportunity, we’ll turn to the man who arguably can be considered the staff ace of late, Brandon Pfaadt. It’s amazing how the year has turned around so dramatically for Pfaadt. After being outperformed by Michael Soroka, he was moved to long relief in the bullpen after just three outings, in order to make room for the return of Merrill Kelly. But his outings there were little if any better, with a 5.91 ERA as a reliever over 21.1 innings, and he was optioned to Reno in early June.
He came back at the end of the month, considered a better alternative than Jose Cabrera. And, boy, has Pfaadt been exactly that. Since June 30th, he is tied with Cristopher Sanchez for the major-league lead in wins – and save for that Thompson/Sewald meltdown, he’d be 7-0 in his seven starts. His 1.55 ERA is fourth best among qualifying starters over that time: with a FIP and xERA both under three, it’s hard to argue he other than deserves his success. The only concern might be the xFIP of 4.49. That’s a result of Pfaadt having faced 145 batters since he last allowed a home-run (to Luis Arraez, then a Giant, in his first outing back from Reno).
Pfaadt is the first starter for Arizona to not allow a home-run in six straight starts since Zac Gallen went seven in July-August of 2024. Gallen also went ten deep, both in 2022 and 2023. The franchise record is 11 starts without a home-run, shared by Patrick Corbin in 2018, and Miguel Batista over the 2002-03 seasons. Batista probably edges it, as he faced a total of 271 batters across those eleven outings, two more than Corbin. So Pfaadt has to keep the ball in the park for a good while longer before he’ll be able to match that pair. I just hope I have not jinxed him by bringing it up!
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 8: Pitcher Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox can't handle this infield hit as Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics scores behind him during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on August 8, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics faced the Boston Red Sox looking to even the series and force a rubber-game tomorrow. The A’s finally ended their nine-game losing streak, defeating the Red Sox 7-3. Starter Gage Jump turned in a terrific performance, the offense woke up against a good Red Sox pitcher and the bullpen sealed the deal, although not without some late-game drama.
Red Sox Strike Early
Jump, faced some early traffic, as the Red Sox got two runners on with one out in the bottom of the first. Following a double steal, shortstop Andruw Monasterio hit a two out, two-run single to put the hosts up 2-0 early in the game. Boston had a chance to add on in the second, but Jump stranded a runner at second base.
Meanwhile, Red Sox starter Jake Bennett eased through three scoreless innings. He needed just two pitches to record the first two outs of the third, as Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy both swung at the first pitches they saw.
A’s Come Back
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson led off the fourth inning with a double, the visitors first hit against Bennett. With two outs, first baseman Tommy White hit an infield single, with Wilson holding at third base. Brian Serven followed with a high chopper in front of home plate that Bennett bobbled, allowing Wilson to score the visitors’ first run. Bennett kept his team in front by retiring Butler on a hard-hit lineout to end the inning.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Wilson hit his second double in as many at-bats, advancing Alika Williams to third. Designated hitter Jonah Heim hit a single off the Green Monster, driving in both runners and giving the A’s their first lead of the series. The Athletics had a chance to score more with two runners on, but Bennett got White to hit into an inning-ending groundout.
Pitching with the lead for the first time, Jump gave up a leadoff double to Jahmai Jones in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jump buckled down, stranding the tying run at third base. Through five innings, he had recorded a career-high tying nine strikeouts.
A’s Add On
In the sixth inning, with one out, Butler worked a walk after a 12 pitch at-bat. That was the last batter Bennett faced, as right-handed reliever Justin Slaten entered out of Boston’s bullpen.
Butler wasted no time, promptly stealing second and third. Jeff McNeil, who had walked as a pinch-hitter, moved to second on the double steal attempt. Fellow pinch-hitter Donovan Walton delivered, lining a ground-rule double into the gap to score both runners and put the A’s up 5-2.
The Red Sox threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, putting two runners on with one out against Jump. The A’s electric southpaw stopped the threat by striking out the next two batters to keep the visitors up three. Jump showcased his ace potential, allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out a career-high 11 batters.
Gage Jump strikes out Connor Wong with a 99-mph four-seamer, and Mark Kotsay is LOVING it 😁 pic.twitter.com/1P68EjrkJL
The Athletics kept the good vibes going. Facing left-handed reliever Raymond Burgos, left fielder Tyler Soderstrom hit his 19th home run of the season and second in as many games, a solo shot to right field that put his team ahead 6-2.
Right-hander Luis Medina replaced Jump in the seventh inning, firing a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the eighth, A’s reliever Seth Johnson ran into some trouble in his second appearance with the Green and Gold, allowing a walk and then a ground-rule double with two outs.
The A’s challenge on that hit proved huge, as it turned an RBI double into a ground-rule double, forcing the runner who had scored from first to return to third base. Left-hander Hogan Harris replaced Johnson and struck out Jarren Duran, stranding the two inherited runners.
Sensing the game still hung in the balance, A’s center fielder Henry Bolte led off the ninth inning with a 440-foot solo home run to center field, his fifth long ball of the season, increasing his team’s advantage to five runs.
Harris returned to the mound to pitch the bottom of the ninth, but the Red Sox did not go down quietly. With two outs, third baseman Caleb Durbin hit an RBI single, reducing the hosts’ deficit to four. Boston then loaded the bases against Harris, bringing the tying run to the plate. It would have been fitting had Harris allowed a game-tying grand slam. However, he earned his tenth save of the season by getting Eli White to hit a game-ending lineout right at Bolte.
Tomorrow, the Athletics will look to win their first series since June. J.T. Ginn will start the rubber match for the A’s, while Boston has yet to announce its starter, with signs pointing toward a bullpen game.
PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani played catch on Saturday before the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, his first time throwing a baseball outdoors in more than two weeks.
Ohtani previously said he wouldn’t take this step until he was certain his sore left knee was ready for it.
“I think throwing with intensity and taking a step back would be the worst thing,” Ohtani said in Japanese earlier in the week. “I think it’s important to be able to have confidence that I can throw with a certain amount of effort without any problem and gradually build up from there.”
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani throws on the field in mid-July at Yankee Stadium. Ohtani played catch Saturday in Phoenix. Getty Images
Ohtani has exercised patience in his latest push to return to the mound, but he now finds himself in a race against time. Only seven weeks remain in the regular season.
Because of time constraints and uncertainty over Ohtani’s condition, the Dodgers are uncertain of what they can expect from their two-way player.
Manager Dave Roberts said he would consider any future contributions from Ohtani to be “bonuses.”
Roberts has said the plan is for Ohtani to gradually build up his arm strength in major league games, as he did last year when he returned to pitching after his second Tommy John surgery. When Ohtani made his pitching comeback in early July last season, he pitched an inning in each of his first two starts and two innings in each of his next two. His first time completing six innings was in his final start of the regular season.
Considering that Ohtani might not pitch in another game this year until September, he is unlikely to be sufficiently built up to start games in the playoffs. In that scenario, the Dodgers would have the option of using him as an opener to take down the first couple of innings of a game.
Even without Ohtani, the Dodgers are expected to have four Cy Young Award-caliber starters in the postseason: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player; Tarik Skubal, who was acquired last week from the Detroit Tigers; Blake Snell, who is scheduled to be activated on Tuesday; and Tyler Glasnow, who just started a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
For Ohtani to be part of the Dodgers’ pitching plans, he will have to overcome the discomfort he has experienced in his landing leg since at least mid-June. Ohtani blamed the problem on pitching mechanics.
Ohtani registered a 0.74 ERA in his first 10 starts of the season. His ERA in the four starts he made after that: 4.38.
He started his last game on July 3. He struck out nine batters in six innings that day but gave up three runs in a no-decision.
Ohtani was scratched from his final start before the All-Star break. He received a lubricant injection in his knee and skipped the All-Star Game.
He threw a bullpen session in Philadelphia on July 22, but his knee and right biceps flared up. Since then, he’d been limited to throwing weighted balls indoors.
