That the Yankees scored in two of 18 frames, performing as if the lineup were cobbled together from whatever Hal Steinbrenner could find in the cushions of his limo, became a footnote.
That is what happened when they could finally unveil a duo who, in their first time pitching alongside each other, demonstrated why they arrived with a combined $542 million price tag.
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Together at last, Max Fried and Gerrit Cole were worth the wait, each a different shade of excellent to help the Yankees salvage a doubleheader split Wednesday despite the club’s lineup mostly taking the day off.
Fried, a surprise to even be on a major league mound after only one brief rehab start, showed no rust over five efficient, scoreless innings to guide the Yankees to a 2-0 victory in the nightcap after Cole flexed dominant stuff over seven innings in the 5-3, 10-inning loss earlier in the day.
“Obviously we’ve been looking forward to that,” said Will Warren, a surprise ninth-inning reliever in the nightcap, “and now they’re both healthy and ready to rip, so I think you saw a master class today.”
Pitching for the first time in over two months, Fried looked both dominant and healthy. He reached back for the fastest pitch of his season (98.5 mph), found a way to record 15 outs with just 57 pitches and mixed in seven distinct types of offerings, six of which yielded at least one whiff while striking out seven.
With notable help from his defense — Cody Bellinger cutting down Nick Gonzales at second base in the first inning and Ryan McMahon putting on a show on the left side of the infield — Fried allowed just one hit in his comeback from an elbow bone bruise.
Yankees’ Max Fried (54) pitches in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“This is my favorite thing to do,” said the lefty, who had to ask Yankees personnel if they were serious when they wondered during Tuesday’s rainout if he wanted to jump back to the majors a day later. “Being out for the last couple of months, it’s really tough. But coming out, giving us a chance to win and getting back out there and feeling the energy, it felt normal.
“I’m happy about that.”
That his effort came mere hours after Cole’s, who showed off maybe the best stuff of his post-surgery career, provided a pretty clear road map for how the Yankees hope to get to and through October. This was a day that had been in the making since Dec. 17, 2024, when the Yankees locked up Fried on a $218 million pact to be the sidekick of Cole and his $324 million mega-deal.
Injuries continually thwarted that vision, from Cole’s Tommy John surgery in 2025 to Fried’s bone bruise in mid-May this year.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) rushes to cover a comebacker during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Robert Sabo for NY Post
“Better late than never,” said Fried, who watched Cole strike out a season-best 11 and miss bat after bat while letting up four hits, two of which left the park to mar his afternoon.
“I missed him all year,” Cole said of Fried. “We played keepaway I guess so far this year, and so it’s a good day.
“… It’s nice that it’s finally come to fruition for sure. A little bit too long for both of our tastes.”
A combined 84,354 fans in The Bronx saw the Yankees continue their hitting struggles. They went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the opener, only scoring in the seventh with a three-run shot from Ben Rice, before they were held scoreless in the second game until the seventh inning, when a Jasson Domínguez double and Anthony Volpe single scored the only runs they would need. But the day will be remembered — apart from MLB cracking down on José Caballero and his pre-pitch routine during the matinee without bothering to warn the Yankees — for a pitching pair with a combined nine All-Star Games tallying 12 innings in which they let up three runs, five hits and a walk with 18 strikeouts.
“Our whole rotation is unbelievable,” Domínguez said of a group that expects to add Carlos Rodón (set to throw a side session Friday) and already boasts Cam Schlittler, who might be the favorite for American League Cy Young and was featured on Fried’s postgame shirt.
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The rotation they have envisioned is coming into view, anchored by two aces whose timelines are finally merging.
“We have high hopes this year,” manager Aaron Boone said as the Yankees (57-45) moved 2.5 games back of the Rays, “and those are two of the big reasons why.”
PHILADELPHIA –– Max Muncy broke two ties with one swing on Wednesday night.
In the Dodgers’ 9-5 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Muncy put the Dodgers in front for good with a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning off Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola, breaking what had been a 3-3 tie.
In the process, he also moved into sole possession of second place on the Dodgers’ Los Angeles franchise home run leaderboard, passing Ron Cey with his 229th long ball as a member of the club.
Max Muncy broke two ties with one swing on Wednesday night. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Before Muncy’s sixth-inning blast, the Dodgers had to dig themselves out of an early hole in the rubber-match game of this week’s showcase series.
Starting pitcher Eric Lauer gave up a two-run homer of his own in the first, on a hanging changeup to Alec Bohm. Nola, meanwhile, began his night with eight consecutive outs against the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup.
The tide turned, however, with a solo home run by No. 9 hitter Dalton Rushing with two outs in the third, snapping the second-year catcher’s 0-for-19 slump.
When Rushing came up again in the fifth, he lined a two-run double into the right field corner to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
Though the Phillies briefly leveled things in the bottom of the fifth, Muncy made sure the score didn’t stay tied for long.
After Freddie Freeman hit his second double of the night to begin the sixth (he finished with three hits), Muncy jumped on a first-pitch changeup from Nola and sent it several rows deep to left-center.
It was the slugger’s third blast of this post-All-Star-break road trip, his 20th in what has been a resurgent All-Star-caliber season, and left him looking up at only Eric Karros’ 270 home runs for most in the Dodgers’ LA history.
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After briefly losing their status as the winningest team in the majors with a loss in Monday night’s opener, the Dodgers (65-38) are back atop the MLB standings again, winning their second consecutive series to begin the second half of the year.
Both series wins have been impressive, as well, coming against fellow World Series contenders in the Yankees and Phillies.
Who’s hot
Muncy did not enter the All-Star break playing well, making errors in each of the final three games of the first half while hitting just one home run in a 24-game stretch.
Since then, however, the 35-year-old has rectified his form on both sides of the ball.
His three home runs on this trip –– all of which have come with a runner on base –– have given him the second most big flies on the team this year, behind only Shohei Ohtani’s 22. He’s also up to 47 RBIs on the season, 25 of which have come in his last 35 games.
Defensively, he flashed the leather on Wednesday, as well, making a diving stop in the fourth inning on a hard grounder up the third base line.
Muncy did not enter the All-Star break playing well, making errors in each of the final three games of the first half while hitting just one home run in a 24-game stretch. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Who’s not
The Phillies’ baserunning –– yet again.
A night after running into an inexplicable game-ending double play, the Phillies cost themselves another scoring opportunity with another puzzling decision on the basepaths Wednesday, squandering a chance to take the lead with a runner on second and no outs in the fifth.
Immediately after Bryan De La Cruz had tied the score at 3 with a leadoff home run in the inning, Bryson Stott doubled to seemingly keep the pressure on.
But then, after Rafael Marchán popped out on a bunt attempt, Stott committed an even more frustrating mental error, attempting to advance on a ground ball to Muncy behind third only to get himself easily tagged out before he even got close enough to attempt a slide.
That would be the last trouble Lauer faced in his 5 ⅓-inning, three-run start.
It was also the last time the Phillies would have a runner in scoring position until the bottom of the eighth, by which the Dodgers had blown the game open with a four-run rally a half-inning earlier (which was keyed by a three-run triple from Tommy Edman, who had three hits).
Up next
The Dodgers will make a side trek on this East Coast road trip on Thursday, when they visit the White House to celebrate their 2025 World Series title, before returning to the field Friday in New York to face the Mets. Roki Sasaki (3-5, 4.98 ERA) will start in the series opener against left-hander Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.74 ERA).
Jul 22, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In the 1980s, Coca-Cola infamously introduced a reformulated version of their signature soda that ended up going by the name New Coke. It didn’t go over very well: sales slumped, chastened executives were forced to reintroduce the classic Coke, and conspiracy theories about the revamped recipe being a scheme to juice sales of the rescued original recipe spread. Tonight, Aaron Nola pitched in front of a Coca-Cola logo drawn into the mound dirt. Like that vaunted soft drink, Nola has two recipes: Nola Classic, a highly effective, if not quite ace-level, pitcher, and New Nola, the struggling hurler whose long-ball nemesis often gets the better of him. Will Coca-Nola Classic ever make a permanent return to the beverage aisle? We hope so. But tonight, we got the not-so-sweet taste of New Nola, as the Dodgers took the series.
Nola got the night started off right with a one-pitch out of Shohei Ohtani. Alec Bohm got it started off even more right with a two-run shot to left in the bottom first. In the second, Nola struck out Max Muncy on a classic knuckle curve, then put out the next two Angelenos down on fly balls. It was smooth sailing at first for the Louisianan hurler. And it continued that way through the first two outs of the third. Then, unfortunately, came the familiar refrain, the song of the summer that you wish the radio would stop playing: a homer, this one courtesy of Dalton Rushing, to narrow the lead to one.
He encountered more trouble in the fourth. Freddie Freeman doubled, then did the little dance, both arms up and waving buoyantly, that the Dodgers apparently do after hits. It is said that this dance actually traces its origins back to the Brooklyn days, when the early Dodgers used it to hone the reflexes that were necessary for the dodging of trolleys; it is still extant despite the loss of its purpose, rather like the appendix. Max Muncy singled to put two runners on, but Nola was able to wrap the inning up without further damage.
The same could not be said of the fifth. Nola allowed singles to Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, then a two-bagger to Rushing to score two and give the visitors the lead. Ohtani was given an intentional walk. The move paid off, as Ohtani became part of a twin killing that ended the frame. But the damage was done, and the lead was lost.
Not for long. Bryan De La Cruz sent a fastball flying towards the greenery of the batter’s eye as the first batter in the Phillie fifth. Andy Pages stretched out his arm, and for a moment it looked as if he’d come down with it. Like a bank robber foiled by the dye packs in a sack of cash, his would-be burglary was foiled at the last second, with the ball glancing off his leather and landing safely over the fence to tie the game. Bryson Stott doubled, but was put out on a baserunning blunder; dredging up some bad memories from the not-so-distant past.
Nola allowed a leadoff double to Freeman in the second, then a homer to Muncy on a changeup that stayed high. Nola put down Mookie Betts on a backwards K, and was then replaced by Seth Johnson, who navigated the rest of the inning without incident. He came out for the seventh, allowed a single, and was replaced with Tim Mayza, who induced a double play ball from Ohtani.
He had the eighth as well, encountering trouble as Pages singled and Freddy Freeman walked. A double steal put runners on second and third, none away. Mayza made Muncy pop up foul for the first out, and was then replaced with Orion Kerkering. Kerkering walked his first batter on four pitches, and the bases were loaded. He allowed a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a three run lead, then walked the bases full once more. He got Tommy Edman to 0-2, but ended up surrendering a three-run triple. Edman did the wiggle-dance thing.
The Phillies offense fizzed a bit in the eighth, with Trea Turner and Bryce Harper walking. Bohm singled to score the former, but the would-be rally fizzled.
Alex McFarlane was called in for his major league debut in the ninth. Shohei Ohtani was up next. That’s highly intimidating no matter who you are. It must be especially intimidating if you’ve jumped straight to the Show from AA, never having pitched to anyone at the AAA level. But if McFarlane was tense, he didn’t show it: he quickly put Ohtani out on a single pitch (good contact, but not enough). The joy of the debut was quickly cut short, as Rafael Marchán suddenly left with an injury. J.T. Realmuto came in. Beyond the dismay of the injury, the only blemish McFarlane’s debut was a lone single allowed to Freeman.
The Phillies fought back in the ninth, with Marsh singling and Realmuto scoring him, but the game was out of reach, and the Dodgers took the series.
The Phillies are 56-47. They’ll start a three-game set against the Yankees on Friday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 22: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After dropping two straight, the Dodgers are now in the midst of a two-game winning streak, as they came away with a 9-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.
For a second straight game, Alec Bohm was responsible for starting the scoring in the first inning. He accounted for the lone Phillies run on Tuesday, but this time launched a two-out, two-run home run against Eric Lauer in the first.
Aaron Nola entered Wednesday with 5.68 ERA, but just like Zack Wheeler on Tuesday, he made easy work of the Dodgers lineup by retiring eight in a row to begin his night. Dalton Rushing broke through against Nola with two outs in the top of the third by launching a home run to deep center field, snapping an 0-19 slump and trimming the deficit to one run.
Nola was unable to sustain the quick work he had against the Dodgers his first time through the order, as he combined for 34 pitches over the third and fourth innings after tossing just 18 over his first two. The Dodgers added two straight singles against Nola in the fifth, and Rushing came in clutch with a two-run double to give his team a one-run lead.
Eric Lauer managed to keep the Phillies in line after the Bohm home run, as he allowed just one walk over his next three innings while retiring eight in a row. Bryan De La Cruz made his Phillies debut on Wednesday, and after working the walk against Lauer, he crushed his first home run at the big league level since 2024 in the bottom of the fifth, evening the score at 3.
Freddie Freeman began the sixth inning by roping his second double in as many at-bats, and he is now tied with Robinson Canó and Hall of Fame catcher Iván Rodríguez for 26th on the all-time doubles list with 572.
Max Muncy reclaimed the lead once again, this time launching a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. Muncy now has home runs in two straight games, three over his last six, and with his 229th home run as a Dodger, he passes Ron Cey for second most home runs hit in Los Angeles Dodgers history. Muncy now joins Shohei Ohtani as the only Dodgers with at least 20 home runs this season.
Muncy’s home run also put Lauer in line for the win, as the southpaw matched his counterpart with 5 1/3 innings. Lauer now has a 4-0 record with the Dodgers, and the team has won all eight games he’s appeared in so far.
Kyle Tucker finished the series hitless in Philadelphia, but he added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly to make it a three-run Dodger lead.
After having his nine-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, Tommy Edman bounced back with a three-hit game, including a bases clearing three-run triple in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers four runs in the eighth and increase the lead to six.
The Phillies responded with an RBI single from Bohm in the bottom of the eighth, giving him his fourth RBI over his last two games. The Phillies added another run in the ninth with an RBI single from J.T. Realmuto, but that’s all the scoring they could collect against the bullpen.
After winning just three regular season games against the Phillies the last two years, the Dodgers have won the season series against Philadelphia for the first time since 2023, finishing with a 4-2 record. Even with the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the New York Mets, the Dodgers maintain a half game lead over them for the best record in baseball.
Game particulars
Home runs— Alec Bohm (13), Bryan De La Cruz (1); Dalton Rushing (11), Max Muncy (20)
The Dodgers are off on Thursday but will head back up to the Empire State, this time stopping in Queens for a three-game set against the New York Mets beginning Friday (4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki faces Sean Manaea.
Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler entered this game with a 4.77 ERA and the highest walk rate (13.1-percent) of any starter in baseball. Of course, that means the Yankees got blanked and drew just one walk in his 6.1 innings of work. Fortunately, Max Fried was even more dominant in his first start back from injury in over two months, the two starters trading zeroes long enough for the Yankees to strike against the Bucs’ bullpen. A Jasson Domínguez RBI double and Anthony Volpe RBI single in the seventh proved the decisive blows as the Yankees did just enough to win, 2-0, to split the doubleheader and win the series.
Fans of sharp defensive execution were in for a treat in the first inning. Fried looked to have given up a surefire double down the line in left to leadoff batter Nick Gonzales, but Cody Bellinger played the carom off the sidewall perfectly and fired an inch-perfect throw to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, who barely had to move his glove to apply the tag to Gonzales’ foot. The next batter Jared Triolo got down a decent bunt to the left, but the four-time Gold Glover Fried was quick off his mound to field it and fire a strike to first. Fried finished the inning with a swinging strikeout of Bryan Reynolds on an elevated 98.3 mph four-seamer, his fastest pitch of the season. That high water mark wouldn’t last long, as the next inning he punched out Marcell Ozuna looking on a 99 mph four-seamer.
Perhaps a side effect of Fried being on a pitch count of just 60 pitches — the amount planned for a second rehab start that got scrapped in lieu of him starting this game — Fried’s fastball was coming out hot the whole outing. It averaged over 96 mph this afternoon, which is almost two mph above his season average. It is particularly encouraging given that the bone bruise Fried suffered manifested itself as significantly reduced pitch velocity in the May 13th start against the Orioles that he was forced to depart after three innings. That’s a roundabout way of saying that Fried now appears fully healthy.
Fried’s day was finished after five scoreless innings allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts on 57 pitches, efficiently using nearly all of those 60 pitches he was allotted for this start. The four-seamer was as good as I’ve seen from him in pinstripes, and it wasn’t just the velocity. He was able to consistently paint the top ledge of the zone with the pitch, creating ample opportunity for chase and swing-and-miss against the secondaries which resulted in a 37-percent whiff rate on the day.
It’s almost a miracle that Fried managed to be this untouchable after such a long layoff, and very much needed considering how anemic the offense was while he was in the game. They managed just two hits and a walk off Chandler, for the most part unable to catch up to his high octane heater. What’s more, the faultless defense would only last until the seventh inning with Anthony Volpe at the heart of a pair of blunders. He double clutched on a sharp grounder from Jared Triolo resulting in a late throw and safe call at first. He then completely whiffed a throw from Ali Sánchez to second on a steal attempt by Triolo, the ball rolling into center field and Triolo advancing to third. However, Paul Blackburn continued his stellar streak of relief appearances by striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Ozuna to strand runners on the corners.
Volpe had a chance to make up for these stumbles in the bottom half of the frame and he certainly did that. It started with Bellinger drawing a one-out walk against lefty reliever Brandon Eisert, just out of the Pirates’ bullpen in relief of Chandler. Jasson Domínguez then roped a double down the line in left that got deadened underneath the padding in the corner just long enough to allow Bellinger to score all the way from first. Like Domínguez, Volpe wasted no time ambushing Eisert, jumping on a first-pitch hanging slider and lining it to center to score the flying Domínguez from second and make it 2-0, Yankees.
Proper credit has to be paid to the Yankees’ relievers, the bullpen seriously short on arms after pitching their second doubleheader in three days. Angel Chivilli continued his faultless stretch since his most recent call-up by pitching a scoreless sixth. Blackburn’s legend as the new bullpen ace grew with another scoreless two innings and three strikeouts. Will Warren was called upon for the ninth to make his first relief appearance since the utter disaster of the six runs he surrendered in Game 2 of the 2025 ALDS against the Blue Jays. He recorded a pair of outs but gave up a single to Gonzales and walked Esmerlyn Valdez, and thankfully Tim Hill was able to mop up by inducing the game-ending ground out from O’Hearn.
Exceptional pitching continues to keep the Yankees in games as their offense sputters in a low gear, Fried providing an immeasurable upgrade from the rotation to catalyze the doubleheader split and series win. The Yankees have tomorrow off before traveling to Philadelphia for a three-game set. Warren is slated to start the series opener (though we’ll see how this relief appearance affects things) against Jesús Luzardo. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EST with the broadcast moving to Apple TV.
Max Fried made a triumphant return, pitching five scoreless innings and the Yankees' lineup woke up late to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Here are the takeaways...
-Fried faced the minimum in the first thanks to Cody Bellinger gunning down Nick Gonzales trying to stretch a single into a double to lead off the game. The southpaw was locked in from there, allowing just a walk across the next two innings. Fried got through five innings against a formidable Pirates lineup, allowing just one hit and one walk.
The plan was for Fried to throw 60 pitches, and he wound up tossing 57 (37 strikes) while striking out seven batters.
-Unfortunately, the Yankees lineup was anemic once again for most of the game.
Against young right-hander Bubba Chandler, the Yankees mustered just two hits and got just two base runners in scoring position through the first four innings.
Chandler entered Game 2 with a 4.77 ERA. He also entered the game with a 13 percent walk rate, but the Yankees could only work one walk against him. The youngster pitched 6.1 scoreless innings on 84 pitches, allowing two hits, one walk and striking out five batters. His ERA lowered to 4.47.
-The Yankees lineup would finally break through against the Pirates bullpen in the seventh. AfterBellinger walked, Jasson Dominguez -- hitting from the right side -- lined a double to score the game's first run. Anthony Volpe followed up with a single, scoring Dominguez from second. Both hits came with two outs.
-The Pirates had their best chance in the seventh after Volpe's miscue allowed the leadoff hitter to reach against Angel Chivilli. Paul Blackburn came in after and worked around an error from catcher Ali Sanchez -- not helped by Volpe not blocking -- and a walk to keep the game scoreless by striking out Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna.
Blackburn would pitch a scoreless eighth before Will Warren, Friday's probable starter, came out for the ninth. After allowing a leadoff hit, Warren retired the next two batters but walked Esmerlyn Valdez. Manager Aaron Boone called on Tim Hill to face the lefty O'Hearn. O'Hearn grounded to Jazz Chisholm Jr., who double-clutched before slinging it to first. It was called an out on the field and after a review, the call on the field stood, ending the game.
Game MVP: Paul Blackburn
The veteran right-hander not only kept the game scoreless, but also delivered two innings for a bullpen that needed the length.
The Yankees essentially asked for perfection from Gerrit Cole.
The former Cy Young winner made it seem like he might deliver it.
Making another start with dreadful run support from the Aaron Judge-less lineup, Cole retired the first 14 batters he faced, en route to throwing a season-high seven innings and 11 strikeouts, but the 35-year-old’s dominant showing couldn’t help the Yankees overcome a 5-3, 10-inning loss to the Pirates in The Bronx.
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The Yankees, who scored a total of one run in Cole’s previous two starts, are now 4-7 this season in games he started. Cole (3-5, 3.92 ERA), who has earned one win in his past six starts, took a no-decision Wednesday after allowing three runs, four hits (two home runs) and no walks before exiting with the Yankees still scoreless.
“I thought Gerrit was really good,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He had everything kind of going. Both slider and curveball were a factor. Changeup was good. He was efficient … you’d like that to be the story of how good he was again, if we could’ve got it going a little more offensively.
“I think he’s in a really good place and getting back his competitive sea legs.”
Cole, now two months removed from his return from Tommy John surgery, looked like the ace who teased a no-hitter in the 2024 World Series, appearing untouchable as he struck out eight hitters and moved more than halfway to pitching a perfect game against the team that drafted him first overall in 2011.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch during the second inning when the New York Yankees played the Pittsburgh Pirates in game one of a doubleheader Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
But just like the infamous Game 5 against the Dodgers, Cole’s storybook start began crumbling in the fifth inning, as Nick Gonzales ripped a two-out single, followed by a two-run home run by Jacob Gonzalez.
Gonzales then put the Pirates up 3-0 after hitting a solo shot in the seventh inning. It was Cole’s 11th homer allowed in his past nine starts.
“I felt like I gave it a chance out of the hand, but it stayed too close to him,” Cole said of the first homer. “The second homer from the other Gonzalez was a challenge fastball in a 1-0 count and a beautiful swing. Look, you gotta be filling up the strike zone, you gotta be aggressive and sometimes you make the aggressive mistake. Both of those were aggressive mistakes.”
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) reacts after giving up a home run during the 7th inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Cole generated 21 swings and misses — his most in 24 starts — while recording his most strikeouts since Aug. 25, 2023. Cole also recorded his franchise-best 29th double-digit strikeout game, along with his 24th start recording at least 10 strikeouts and no walks, which ranks fifth in MLB history.
“It was a good step forward for sure,” Cole said. “All things considered, it’s been really good throughout the whole year. But we’re always trying to fine-tune and keep getting a little better.”
The retired athlete — who played eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004 — addressed James’ decision to leave the California-based team ahead of his unprecedented 24th NBA season.
“Go where you can win, LeBron. When it’s over for us, it’s over,” O’Neal, 54, exclusively told the California Post in a new interview.
Shaquille O’Neal is weighing in on LeBron James’ NBA destiny. WireImage“Go where you can win, LeBron. When it’s over for us, it’s over,” O’Neal, 54, exclusively told the California Post in a new interview. Andrew Schwartz / SplashNews.com
“You never want to sit back and say, ‘I shoulda, I coulda, I woulda.’ I would say [go to] Cleveland, Golden State, Miami or even Philly.”
James, 41, shocked the sports world in June when he announced he was leaving the Lakers after eight seasons, having previously played with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003 to 2010, 2014 to 2018) and Miami Heat (2010 to 2014). He averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals since joining the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.
“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement at the time.
“We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”
In response to the post, James wrote, “No, THANK U! Truly a honor to wear the [purple and gold] while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”
Since the surprising announcement, fans have patiently been waiting for any news regarding James’ next move. While many have speculated that the four-time NBA Champion will likely land with the Warriors, Heat or Cavaliers, no decisions have been made at this time.
“You never want to sit back and say, ‘I shoulda, I coulda, I woulda.’ I would say [go to] Cleveland, Golden State, Miami or even Philly.” BACKGRIDAs for O’Neal, he exclusively spoke with Page Six while promoting his new true crime series, “Game Day Murders,” which he executive produced for Today Investigation Discovery. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
The California Post reported Tuesday that the majority of the NBA’s free agency business remains on hold while James weighs his options on where to play next.
Insiders told us that multiple teams and players within the league are currently in “a holding pattern” until the athlete finalizes his decision on where he’ll finish out his NBA career.
As for O’Neal, he exclusively spoke with Page Six while promoting his new true crime series, “Game Day Murders,” which he executive produced for Today Investigation Discovery.
“I’ve been a sports guy, I’ve been a true crime guy, and finally, we’re going to merge the two together,” he explained, when asked why he decided to take on the project.
Calling himself a “true crime junkie,” the Lakers legend noted that he likes it because “everybody has that detective in them.”
“Game Day Murders,” hosted by veteran sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak, premieres July 27 at 10 p.m. ET on ID.
The series is also available for streaming on HBO Max.
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The 23-year-old social media personality and former LSU gymnast wore custom Paul Skenes black boots paired with jean shorts and a black T-shirt to the eventful day in The Bronx.
The boots featured her boyfriend’s last name and No. 30.
Livvy Dunne shows off her game day outfit on Wednesday. Instagram @livvydunneLivvy Dunne shows off her custom boots after her boyfriend and star Pirates starter Paul Skenes. Instagram @livvydunne
Dunne showed off the boots while getting into a car to take her to the game. She also reposted a photo of the boots with Yankee Stadium in the background, featuring a can of Miller Lite.
“Game dayyyy!” the Instagram story read.
The Pirates ace was not slated to play since he pitched on Sunday against Cleveland in a 7-1 win.
Yet, Dunne did get to watch home runs from Nick Gonzales and Jacob Gonzalez that powered Pittsburgh to the win.
Dunne and Skenes have been together since 2023 after meeting while attending LSU.
Livvy Dunne shares a post on her custom Paul Skenes boots for Wednesday’s doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Instagram @livvydunne
They were also featured in an interview with MLB Network while on the red carpet, where Dunne talked about her investment in the game that can often get sprinkled with some profanity.
It called back to a moment when Dunne was caught on the broadcast saying “f–k” twice before leaning back in her seat, frustrated, during a game between the Pirates and Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto in May.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Livvy Dunne arrive on the red carpet at the 2026 MLB All-Star Red Carpet Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Laurence Kesterson/UPI/Shutterstock
She also commented on what it was like standing in the batter’s box against her boyfriend in what was a “scary” experiment.
At the time of writing, the second game of the day was scoreless by the seventh inning.
Across 21 starts this season, Skenes has held a 3.43 ERA.
The LeBron James free agency saga has yet to reach its denouement, and the latest report reveals the reason for the delay.
James is reportedly “slow-playing” his decision to see if a suitor can trade for Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving, according to Yahoo Sports writer Kevin O’Connor.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis won an NBA title together in 2020. Getty Images
Davis and Irving are both former teammates of the 41-year-old, who won two of his four NBA championships with said All-Stars.
Sources believe that LeBron James is slow-playing his decision to see if a suitor can trade for Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving, per @KevinOConnor.
A reunion with either player would be magical, but the reality of a trade transpiring seems far-fetched. The Wizards appear content to keep Davis as their starting big man. Meanwhile, Irving is coming off an ACL injury with the Mavericks, so his performance for the upcoming season is questionable.
Kyrie Irving is often considered the best match for LeBron James because of their success on the court together. USA TODAY Sports
The final four suitors in the James sweepstakes are the Cavaliers, Heat, 76ers and Warriors. While there is constant speculation surrounding James, his camp has remained tight-lipped about the unique free agency process.
Despite being the oldest active player in the NBA, James remains effective. He is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers.
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James shot 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from 3 last season.
The next move for James is especially important given it could be the final destination of his career. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t confirmed whether the 2026-27 season is his final year, but basketball fans are eager to know where James will go after eight consecutive seasons with the Lakers.
LeBron James made his first public appearance at Fanatics Fest since informing the Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season. Getty Images for Fanatics
The Philadelphia Phillies continue to make questionable decisions while running the bases during this week's series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Trea Turner reached first base on a fielder's choice out in the bottom of the fifth ... only because Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy tagged out Bryson Stott, who for some reason decided to run from second to third with one out.
The game had just been tied 3-3 during the inning on a Bryan De La Cruz home run. But Stott's blunder halted the momentum with Kyle Schwarber popping out to end the inning.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 22: Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants talks with umpire Alfonso Marquez #72 during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 22, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the top of the 7th, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino pulled a fastball from Landen Roupp into the right field corner. Jung Hoo Lee got to the baseball quickly and fired an accurate throw into Willy Adames at second base as a hard-charging Pasquantino slid into the bag, beating the throw by plenty. But the momentum generated hustling to second made for an uneasy stop. Pasquantino struggled to brake, his upper half kept moving forward as his limbs strained to remain safely in contact with the base. During the awkward stumble, Adames applied a tag at what looks like the brief moment when one could see daylight between Pasquantino’s finger and second base.
Umpire Mike Estabrook ruled Pasquantino safe on the field, and Adames adamantly gestured towards the bench to take a closer look and challenge it.
As players, coaches, and fans prepared for what looked to be an exhaustive, frame-by-frame review, the weight of the moment settled over the crowd. This was a pivotal play given the game’s context: an old-fashioned, back-and-forth, pitcher’s duel between Roupp and Kansas City starter Seth Lugo. The Giants offense had just extended their lead to three-runs by capitalizing on lead-off walk and a 2-out extra base knocks by Lee and Adames. Those knocks were just their second and third earned off Lugo in the start, and the first since Rafael Devers’s lead-off double in the 2nd. Kansas City’s veteran right-hander had faced the minimum through 5 complete innings, and as he walked off the mound after another soft groundout, Dave Flemming, in all seriousness, remarked that Lugo was “just mowing them down.” Ironic considering Lugo’s four-seam fastball averages less than 92 MPH, and his 9-pitch mix boasts a 76 MPH curveball, already 5 clicks slower than the league average, and an even slower “slow curveball” that moseys across the plate on its own time. But hitting is timing, and pitching is disrupting that timing — Lugo had effectively done this by throwing the kitchen sink, toaster, blender, microwave at San Francisco hitters.
The 3-0 lead, like most things this year, was hard-earned and impossibly delicate, and Pasquantino’s double had it on the brink of shattering. Roupp had similarly cruised along with Lugo through the prior six frames. That double was just the Royals’ third hit and their first for extra bases. Just as things were supposed to get comfortable, a threat emerged from nothing. The heat of recent failures caused them to sweat. Necks were still sore from the whiplash of Logan Webb’s blown-gem against Seattle on Saturday — a loss that launched San Francisco’s embarrassing road trip. Four consecutive games in which a lead was forfeited. Four games in which the offense stalled out at three runs. Four straight losses – this ignoble streak’s beginnings traced easily back to Saturday’s 7th inning.
Wednesday’s 7th had to be different. Roupp was the last Giant starter to earn a win, and he looked just as he good as he did last Friday against the Mariners. Surely he’d lead the team to a much-needed victory — and Pasquantino’s base running gaffe appeared to be proof that God’s light shines brightest on the right-hander…
But that perceived gift didn’t just get taken away from the Giants, it blew up in their faces when umpire Estabrook ruled that Adames had pushed Pasquantino off the base.
A bold claim, which, of course, was unreviewable.
The call’s initial ludicrousness — which was robust at the time — has grown with each passing hour. Considering that he had beat the throw by plenty, Pasquantino being off balance was exactly what prompted Adames to tag him in the first place. Therefore, the tag could not have pushed Pasquantino off the base. Also, Pasquantino is 6’3’’ and 245 pounds, tagging him would be like tagging a redwood if he had been legitimately rooted.
It’s not like Estabrook is out of position to make a reasonable call here. Unless he was in the middle of a prolonged blink or those sunglass lenses are actually painted black, he sees the play happen. So what gives???
The most damning element here is the fact that Estabrook makes no gesture to signify that Adames unfairly pushed the runner immediately after the play. He and Adames even exchange some pleasantries in the aftermath. The challenge is assumed, and it is not until the crew chief is already walking over to the middle of the field with his ear piece in his hand that Estabrook drops the bomb.
The tag-turned-shove is a fabrication, cooked up in the moments between the tag and when Tony Vitello gestures to challenge. It’s clear that the umpire himself isn’t quite sure what he was thinking. On the Royals broadcast — which has better coverage of the incident than NBC Bay Area — the umpire fidgets as Adames pleads his case. Estabrook can’t really look at him straight. He weirdly keeps touching his face, wiping his mouth with his shirt as if his lips suddenly started to sweat uncontrollably.
Whether Adames’s tag stayed on Pasquantino when he came off the base is besides the point. Nothing definitive could be reached due to their inability to have it be reviewed, and right when the team were at their most vulnerable, Estabrook’s phantom push call caught them in the gut and keeled them over.
The collapse — that was absolutely definitive. The second pitch thrown after the lengthy pause (in which Tony Vitello was ejected) was launched over the wall by Salvador Perez. Roupp, who likes to work fast, and established a breezy cadence with Lugo through the first six innings, had lost his rhythm. The delay, the obstructed justice had him steaming. He was hot and bothered and cursin’ like a sailor as acting manager Jayce Tingler pulled him from the game.
The 7th had become a delicate and fraught situation. Tensions were high, players felt picked on — but there was still a lead to protect and a ballgame to win. Tasked with safely navigating and preserving the slim one-run lead, San Francisco’s relief corps took the field like bulls in a china shop.
Sam Hentges came off the mound to field a bunt and threw a pond-skipper past Devers into right field. He had tossed one-pitch, which was bunted, and somehow the tying run had found its way to scoring position. Hentges recorded just one out while giving up two singles compounded by his error before he was replaced by Keaton Winn, who served up this right-down-the-gosh-dang-middle-of-the-plate pitch
which knocked in the tying run; and this pitch
which subsequently scored Kansas City’s winning run.
By the time the 7th concluded, the Royals line-up had batted around, scoring five runs against three different Giants arms.
That did it. A 5-4 loss. Different day, different details — same ending.
Casey Schmitt’s solo homer with two outs in the 9th unclogged the offense, forever blocked at three runs, but his 20th shot of the year didn’t change much else. The Royals are last in the American League Central, and they left the Giants grasping at their coattails. The sweep, all one-run losses, was San Francisco’s sixth of the season. They are now 18 games below .500.
The phantom push in the 7th was the shove that sent this team over the edge and into an uncontrollable free fall — yet even that comparison is off considering we don’t get to experience the blissful sensation of weightlessness, that sense of pure “freedom” implied by the name. The failures on this display in this loss, and the recurring failures of this team, feel more like the “endless fall” sequence in the excellently stupid 2007 movie “Hot Rod,” in which Rod, in the process of angrily dancing away his suffocating feelings of inadequacy in the middle of a forest (to the song “Never” off the “Footloose” soundtrack), trips over a tree trunk and begins to tumble down a hill — a tumble that lasts longer than a full minute of runtime, with the idea that the longer Rod improbably rag-dolls down this frictionless slope, the more grunts and groans he makes as he roughly collides with more and more objects, the stupider, and “funnier,” the gag becomes.
This Giants season is already stupid — so when does it become funny?
PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers narrowly avoided a disastrous moment Wednesday, when Mookie Betts took a glancing blow off his head from a foul ball in the on-deck circle.
As the second hitter due up in the top of the second inning during the Dodgers’ game against the Phillies, Betts had stepped out on-deck during an at-bat by Max Muncy.
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts was OK after taking a glancing blow off his head from a foul ball while in the on-deck circle. Getty Images
Moments later, the star shortstop was sprawling to the ground.
With a check swing from the left-handed batter’s box, Muncy had deflected a foul ball straight back toward the Dodgers’ third base dugout. Standing in the line of fire was Betts, who had only a split-second to turn his head and avoid a potentially scary outcome.
Max Muncy's check swing foul ball lined directly at Mookie Betts' head, who luckily gets it glancing off his helmet. pic.twitter.com/ObXCb5ytLy
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy fouled off a ball that grazed teammate Mookie Betts on Wednesday. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The ball ricocheted off Betts’ helmet but did not hit him straight on.
As Betts dove to the dirt, the ball deflected up and over the Dodgers’ bench.
Manager Dave Roberts and a member of the team’s training staff immediately ran onto the field to check on Betts. But the former MVP quickly bounced back up and signaled he was OK.
He went on to take his at-bat, flying out to center.
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while New York Liberty guard Pauline Astier (18) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Fever star Caitlin Clark is going to be featured on the cover of NBA 2K27’s deluxe edition, but fans noticed a weird element to the otherwise cool and historic moment.
Clark’s appearance on the cover marks the first time a WNBA player has been featured on her own global cover of the NBA edition of the game. However, several fans thought the cover didn’t exactly resemble Clark, with many accusing the creators of the game of using artificial intelligence for the digital drawing.
Sports business journalist Darren Rovell commented, “Weird to put someone else’s face on her. They don’t do that for NBA cover athletes.”
“Idk who that is but it’s certainly not Caitlin Clark,” another user posted on X.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts after a foul is called Saturday, July 18, 2026, during the first half of a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Weird to put someone else’s face on her. They don’t do that for NBA cover athletes. https://t.co/sab52TrykZ
Clark’s appearance is the next step for female athletes to be featured on the covers of the most popular basketball video game in the world.
Last year, Angel Reese was featured on the cover of the WNBA-specific 2K26 game, instead of a standard release cover. Several other star WNBA players, including Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, have been on the WNBA cover.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while New York Liberty guard Pauline Astier (18) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2K has not addressed the rumblings online over Clark’s cover.
Clark joins Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and ex-Bulls star Derrick Rose as the featured cover athletes for the 2K27 edition. Wembanyama is on the standard edition, while the ultra version depicts Rose during his time with the Bulls.
2K did not announce a WNBA edition, leading fans to believe that the company is foregoing that edition in order to honor Clark with the more mainstream NBA deluxe edition.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 5: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against Tobias Harris #12 of the Detroit Pistons on March 5, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs added Tobias Harris. How much better do you think he makes them, and what role do you see him filling?
Marilyn Dubinski: It’s hard to raise the ceiling that much on a Finals team that only lost due to their own mistakes, but that’s exactly what Harris can help do: bring a veteran presence with a solid game on both sides who won’t make many mistakes. At this point, it’s tough to say if he or Julian Champagnie will start, and it may come down to a training camp battle or if it’s something as simple as where Champagnie’s outside shooting is more needed: with the starters or second unit.
Mark Barrington: I think he makes the team better by adding more veteran leadership and another scorer and tenacious defender. He could end up starting over Julian Champagnie, but I still think the trio of him, Vassell, and Julian all get about the same amount of minutes. Even though he’s likely a starter, the biggest impact will be on the team’s depth where they don’t have a huge fall-off in talent when one of the starters has to sit.
Bill Huan: Harris gives the Spurs another starting-calibre player, which would be the team’s seventh, assuming Harper comes off the bench again. For a squad that ran out of bodies in the finals (especially at the forward position), this is a vital addition that also provides a reliable veteran presence to a very young team. I do worry about a potential dropoff given that he’s almost exactly the same age as Barnes, and we all saw what happened to HB last year. Still, Harris gives the Spurs another reliable body, and playing on a loaded team will hopefully keep him fresh for the postseason.
Devon Birdsong: Any time you can add an efficient shooter and scorer to a Finals team, it’s going to make them better. And Harris is far more efficient than some might have you believe. For instance, his Player Efficiency Rating was higher than Devin Vassell’s last season, and their True Shooting Percentages were identical. (In fact, some of his advanced defensive stats were also better) I see Harris as taking on Harrison Barnes’ role of the last two seasons, with Barnes now migrating to ‘break glass in case of emergency’ status, but I think there’s a real question of whether he or Champagnie will start. My guess is that Julian will, because the bench could use a little more scoring punch outside of Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper, but considering how much San Antonio’s matchup weakness at power forward popped up in the postseason, I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll see them both get time with the starting unit throughout the season. They’ll need Harris to have a certain degree of familiarity with the starters come playoff time, and Julian has been both seamless and selfless in moving back and forth between the two. I’ve been assured by Spurs Twitter experts that that’s not something that NBA teams do during the regular season, though, so I guess all those years of Popovich experimenting with lineups was just a hallucination on my part. Ça alors!
Jeje Gomez: I don’t think he raises their ceiling much, but he should help raise their floor. Harris has flaws, but he is a veteran who knows how to play, is durable, and can get a bucket when everything else fails. The Spurs needed guys that fit that mold last season, especially when Barnes started to struggle. As for his role, it would probably be best to bring him off the bench to prevent opponents from putting their center on Harris, like they used to do with Barnes. Harris is a decent shooter but not a knockdown guy, so that makes him an awkward fit for the starters. Still, there could be games where he’s the better option, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give him Julian Champagnie’s spot in those matchups.
The rookies that suited up had some good moments in Summer League. Do you expect any of them to contribute in 2026/27?
Dubinski: Tarris Reed stands the best chance, especially since Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet were two of their more injury-prone players last season. I don’t think the two-way players will play much, if any role (which has been the case the last couple of seasons now), and while Jayden Quiantance will hopefully be ready to start playing at some point this season, I wouldn’t expect him to truly have a role until next season.
Barrington: Tarris Reed will probably spend most of the first half of the season in Austin, but he could be a big part of the rotation after the All-Star break. Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie look more like projects to me, and we will have to see how well they do in Austin to see if they can contribute in San Antonio. If they do make it to the regular rotation, I don’t think it happens this season.
Huan: Like everyone else said, I expect Reed to get some developmental run but I’d be floored if he saw any meaningful minutes in the postseason (barring injuries). I’m not sure if he’ll be ready to be the team’s third big by then, but he’ll surely be better than Plumlee and Biyombo, right…??? I think we should keep our expectations relatively low, but Reed’s development this season should still be a major storyline given that Kornet’s on a short-term deal and the Spurs will want to get younger and cheaper at the backup centre spot soon.
Birdsong: Reed is definitely in line to find some minutes at some point, if for no other reason than a history of both Wemby and Luke Kornet missing time, but out of players who suited up for Summer League, Carter Bryant is the easy choice. The real question is what his minutes will end up looking like with Harris added to the forward rotation. Someone is going to have to take a step back, but the Spurs also have to figure out a way to continue to develop a player who contributed in the postseason. For me, this is the 2nd biggest roster question for the season after how the guard minutes will be allocated.
Gomez: The Spurs will have trouble giving everyone minutes and touches even without considering the rookies, so I doubt any will get a regular role. Reed is likely going to be the one that gets the most playing time of the four, because he has an NBA-ready body and knows his strengths and weaknesses. I expect him to at least get a shot at minutes when one of Wembanyama or Kornet misses games, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carter Bryant out there as a small-ball center while Reed sits. Regardless of their roles this year, the most important factor will be their development. San Antonio will need cheap role players when the roster gets more expensive, so if spending time in Austin is the best way to get the rookies ready for the future, that’s where they should be.
As the roster stands right now, who do you think will start and who do you think won’t be part of the rotation to start the season?
Dubinski: I think the rotation will be basically identical to last season, with Harris replacing Barnes in the top 10 rotation, and then it’s just a matter of whether he or Champagnie starts. There may also be more minutes for Carter Bryant, perhaps at Keldon Johnson’s expense, which absolutely pains me to say, but at some point they’re going to have to determine if he’s a keeper past this season or if Bryant can make him expendable. (Just typing that about KJ crushes my soul!)
Barrington: As I mentioned above, I think that Tobias Harris starts over Julian, but that Champagnie will end up playing about the same number of minutes as the starters. Dylan Harper is definitely a starter-level talent, but I think he plays the Manu role again this year, coming off the bench while also getting a spot in the finishing lineups in big games. De’Aaron Fox had a bad playoff series against the Knicks, but the team is betting on a resurgence this year as he begins the season fully healthy for the first time in a few years, and he’s going to start.
Carter Bryant will be a bigger part of the rotation as an undersized center when the Spurs are playing a smallball lineup. It will surprise no one that I think that Harrison Barnes will have a reduced role this season, and that Jordan McLaughlin will only play spot minutes when needed as an injury replacement or to finish out games where the score isn’t close. I think the acquisition of Tarris Reed allows the Spurs to experiment more with a French Vanilla lineup with both Kornet and Wemby out on the court at the same time, but that won’t happen until later in the season.
Huan: I agree with everything Marilyn said, although I’m not as big of a KJ stan as she is (please don’t come after me!!). The big question remaining is who starts between Champagnie and Harris, given that it sounds like Harper is “open” (or whatever the terminology was) to coming off the bench again. When the offseason first opened, I really thought that the end game would be starting all three guards, but if Harper is ok with being their 6th man for one more year, then the Spurs will need to take advantage.
Birdsong: Barnes is almost definitely going to be out of the rotation by default, but I’m also curious to see how the minutes for Luke Kornet end up playing out with the addition of Harris. The Spurs probably want to find time for Bryant, so I wonder if Kornet’s minutes end up resembling something more like his allocation in the postseason (13 mins) rather than last year’s regular season (21 minutes) if Harris or Bryant need those extra eight minutes. The one thing about a team being this deep is the complications it creates in terms of playing time. PTR staff writer (and former college coach) Lee Dresie once wrote a piece on minutes allocation that I think about at least a dozen times each season, and I think figuring that balance out will be no small challenge for Mitch and Co. (though injuries may help them make some choices easier)
Gomez: I think Champagnie will continue to start unless the lineup that destroyed opponents last season regresses. That leaves some awkward fits off the bench, as Harris, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes, who are all power forwards, would likely have to play in lineups together. I’m assuming Barnes doesn’t get minutes and Harper, Harris, Johnson, and Kornet are the top four bench guys in terms of playing time, with some Bryant sprinkled in. Now, if Bryant’s shot improves, I can easily see him leapfrogging Johnson in the depth chart, which would bring about some uncomfortable questions about KJ’s future. But we’ll worry about that when/if it happens.
