Rookie Roman Anthony hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning and drove in three runs in a memorable Yankee Stadium debut and the Boston Red Sox survived struggles at the plate for a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI double off Luke Weaver (3-4) in the seventh to give Boston a 4-3 lead. Anthony, who had an RBI single in the sixth, hit his fifth career homer when he connected off Yerry De Los Santos after first baseman Paul Goldschmidt committed New York’s fourth error. The Red Sox went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position, snapped a three-game losing streak and moved within one game of the Yankees for the AL’s first wild-card spot. After Boston starter Lucas Giolito allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, five relievers combined on 5 1/3 scoreless innings, including Greg Weissert (5-4) who held the Yankees to one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
New York starter Luis Gil allowed two runs — one earned — and four hits in five innings. He issued five walks in his fourth start since returning from a lat strain.
Final Washington 9 N.Y. Mets 3
James Wood broke out of a slump with a three-run homer, and the last-place Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 9-3. The Nationals took two of three from their banged-up NL East rivals. Riley Adams hit a go-ahead, two-run single in the fifth inning for Washington. Wood’s opposite-field shot to left in the ninth was his 26th homer of the season but just his second since the second-year slugger played in his first All-Star Game. Rookie Brady House had three hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who got another strong performance from their inexperienced bullpen.
Washington at Philadelphia 6:45 p.m. Friday
Final St. Louis 7 Tampa Bay 4
Final Athletics 8 Minnesota 3
Final Kansas City 6 Texas 4
Final Houston 7 Baltimore 2
Final Milwaukee 4 Chicago Cubs 1
Final L.A. Dodgers 9 Colorado 5
Final San Diego 8 San Francisco 4
ESPN is nearing a deal with Major League Baseball to distribute out-of-market games. This comes after ESPN opted out of its previous contract with MLB in February. ESPN aims to secure a reworked package at a lower cost. Meanwhile, NBC, Netflix, and Apple TV are in talks for regular-season packages, the Wild Card round, and the Home Run Derby. Negotiations are expected to conclude by the end of the regular season next month. MLB is also trying to appease its other rights holders, Fox and Turner Sports, as it navigates these new deals.
NFL
Final N-Y Giants 42 New England 10
Cam Skattebo saw his first game action for the New York Giants and Jaxson Dart had an eventful preseason finale by throwing a touchdown pass and clearing concussion protocol following a big hit, with reserves playing much of a 42-10 rout of the New England Patriots. Skattebo had three carries for 12 yards. Dart was 6 of 12 for 81 yards and a touchdown before fumbling when he was tackled at the end of a long run. The Giants finished exhibition play unbeaten for the first time since 2019. The Patriots rested almost all of their starters.
Final Pittsburgh 19 Carolina 10
Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon sprained a knee in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers and had to be carted to the locker room. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the 19-10 victory that the defensive end had a “knee sprain of some description” and called it one of two “significant” injuries for the team. Tomlin said Harmon and wide receiver Brandon Johnson (foot) will be evaluated more in the coming days. Tomlin did not give a timetable for their return. When asked if the team is worried that Harmon might have suffered serious ligament damage, Tomlin said “like I said, it is a knee sprain.”
The NFL has increased security at its offices following a shooting last month at a Manhattan building by a gunman authorities say was targeting league headquarters. The league previously recommended enhanced security measures at team and league facilities. They will be reviewed at a special league meeting on Aug. 26. NFL employees are back in their offices after working remotely in the weeks following the shooting that killed four people and injured a league employee.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESEASON
Philadelphia at N-Y Jets 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Dallas 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Tennessee 8 p.m.
Chicago at Kansas City 8:20 p.m.
WNBA
Final Chicago 91 New York 85
Kamilla Cardoso had 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, Angel Reese scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Chicago Sky beat the New York Liberty 91-85 on Thursday night to end a five-game losing streak. Chicago (9-26), which had lost 13 of 14 overall, also snapped a five-game skid against New York. Ariel Atkins scored 19 points, nine in the fourth quarter, and Michaela Onyenwere added 13 for the Sky in a game that featured 21 lead changes and 11 ties. Jonquel Jones made a career-high tying five 3-pointers and scored 25 points for the Liberty. Sabrina Ionescu added 16 points and Natasha Cloud 14. Ionescu made two free throws that gave the Liberty an 85-83 lead with 2:23 left in the game. Atkins answered with a runner in the lane, drew a foul fighting through a screen by Emma Meesseman, and then made one from the free-throw line to give Chicago the lead for good with 1:35 remaining. New York, the defending WNBA champion, went 0 for 4 from the field with a turnover as the Sky closed the game on an 8-0 run.
Final Connecticut 67 Washington 56
Tina Charles scored 21 points, Aaliyah Edwards added 10 points against her former team, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 67-56 to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Connecticut (8-27) won at home for just the sixth time in 18 games this season, while Washington (16-20) dropped to 6-12 on the road. The Sun have won nine of the last 11 regular-season meetings with the Mystics in Connecticut dating to the 2019 season. Rookie Leila Lacan, in her eighth straight start, had five of Connecticut’s season-high 14 steals. Charles moved ahead of Katie Smith (1,440) for eighth on the WNBA’s career list for made free throws. Sonia Citron scored 15 points for Washington.
Final Atlanta 75 Minnesota 73
Final Las Vegas 83 Phoenix 61
An Ohio man has been arrested for the throwing of a sex toy at a WNBA game in New York. It’s the latest development in a string of disturbances where similar toys were tossed at WNBA games across the country, resulting in at least three arrests. New York police told The Associated Press that Charles Burgess from Dayton, Ohio, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly throwing an object at the Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty game on Aug. 5. The object hit a 12-year-old girl and Burgess was charged with two counts of assault. Burgess' lawyer said his client surrendered himself and pleaded not guilty.
SEC
The Southeastern Conference is moving to a nine-game conference schedule beginning in 2026. The decision ends years of debate and potentially eases a path toward another expansion of the College Football Playoff. The change was approved by conference presidents and chancellors. It previously had been recommended by league athletic directors. The SEC has played eight conference games each season since 1992 when the conference expanded to 12 teams with the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Conference still plays eight league games. The Big 12 and the Big Ten already play nine.
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP - GOLF
Russell Henley couldn't miss with the putter in soft conditions at East Lake. The result was a 61 to build a two-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler after one round of the Tour Championship. Henley made over 200 feet of putts and one-putted six of his last seven greens. Scheffler missed only one fairway and had to scramble for par. He shot 63. That's his best score by two shots in six appearances at East Lake. Everyone started from scratch this year. And in soft conditions, everyone took aim. Only two players from the 30-man field shot over par.
NBA
The father of Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown was arrested in Las Vegas and charged with attempted murder after reportedly stabbing another man in a parking lot. According to TMZ, Quenton M. Brown admitted dinging the victim’s car with his door when he got out of his Lincoln Navigator. An argument ensued and Brown stabbed the victim in the back and stomach, the website reported. Court documents listed Brown as an inmate in the Clark County Detention Center on attempted murder charges. A person with knowledge of the incident, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it, confirmed that the man arrested is Jaylen Brown’s father.
NHL
A lawyer for one of five former world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault charges last month says the Canadian government will not appeal the judge's ruling. Daniel Brown, who represents Alex Formenton, said he had been informed of that decision. Formenton, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote were all acquitted of sexual assault. McLeod was also acquitted of a separate charge of being a party to the offense of sexual assault. The NHL has said the players remained ineligible, while the union disagreed, citing the collective bargaining agreement.
NORTHWESTERN REACHES SETTLEMENT
Northwestern University has reached a settlement with former longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald two years after he sued the prestigious school over his firing amid a team hazing scandal. His attorneys and the school announced the settlement on Thursday, however the terms were not disclosed. Fitzgerald sued in 2023 for $130 million after he was fired, alleging the school illegally terminated his employment and damaged his reputation. The case was set to go to trial in November. Fitzgerald says he never had any knowledge of hazing. University officials agreed with the sentiment following interviews with players.
SARATOGA RACE COURSE – TRAVERS STAKES
The 155th running of the Travers Stakes is set for Saturday, and multiple horses have the chance to win. Gates open at 9 a.m. There are 14 total races on the card with the first post at 11:20 a.m. NYRA is capping attendance at 50,000 and a huge crowd is expected. In a race that dates back to 1864, there have been just four horses to win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont, and then win the Travers at Saratoga. On Saturday, Sovereignty will be heavily favored to accomplish that feat, as he leads just a five-horse field in the $1 million race for 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles.
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