Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 41st home run of the season, Carlos Rodon had a solid outing and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Saturday.
Judge, who hit his 40th homer on Friday night, hit a two-run shot in the first inning off Jose Berrios as he continued his torrid pace. Judge finished 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs scored. He also added his 102nd and 103rd RBIs of the year.
Anthony Volpe also homered for the second straight day, and Trent Grisham also went deep off Berrios, who allowed seven hits and six runs – five earned – in five innings.
Rodon allowed three hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts, improving to 12-7 on the year. The veteran lefty had lost five straight decisions from June 15-July 9 but is since 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA over four starts.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, including a double and a first-inning solo home run.
White Sox lose again as skid approaches 20 games
The Chicago White Sox had their franchise-record losing streak extended to 19 games with a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Max Kepler delivered a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning and Willi Castro had a two-run single in a three-run eighth as the Twins improved to 11-1 against the White Sox this season.
Chicago’s losing streak is the longest since the Baltimore Orioles lost 19 in a row in 2021.
The last time a major league team lost 20 straight was the 1969 Montreal Expos. The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies hold the dubious record with 23 consecutive losses.
After their latest loss, the White Sox fell to 27-86 and are on pace to finish 39-123, which would be the worst record of baseball’s modern era.
The Twins, however, won their third straight and improved to 61-48. Bailey Ober allowed two hits and two runs in seven strong innings, improving to 11-5.
Flaherty wins Dodgers debut, Ohtani gets 30-30
Jack Flaherty pitched six strong innings in his debut with his new team, Shohei Ohtani hit a milestone with three stolen bases and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Oakland Athletics 10-0 to snap a three-game losing streak.
Flaherty, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers, allowed five hits and one walk across his six shutout innings while striking out seven.
Ohtani set a career high with three stolen bases in the game and added to his career high of 31 steals this season. Last year’s AL MVP, who has 33 home runs, joined the 30-30 club for the first time in his career.
Despite the final scoreline, the game was close throughout, with Gavin Lux putting the Dodgers in the lead with a two-run single in the third inning.
Los Angeles blew the game open with six runs in the ninth. With the game well in hand, third baseman Kike Hernandez pitched the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers.
The youthful Jamaican team that represented the island at the 67th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro, Dominican Republic gave a good account of themselves after ending in the runner up spot for two of the three trophies on offer and third in the other one.
The country trophy or the Arthur Ziadie trophy went to perennial winner Puerto Rico while Jamaica copped the runner-up trophy. They also retained the Ladies trophy or the George Teale trophy ahead of Jamaica who bagged the runner-up trophy while Bahamas came third. Puerto Rico also won the Hoerman Cup or the trophy for the male golfers. Host country the Dominican Republic came second and Jamaica improved its position from last year to land the third spot.
Emily Mayne was tied for second in the ladies category with scores of even par 72, one under par 71 and five over par 77 for a three-day total of four over par 220. Kierra Williams ended in fourth place with scores of 72, 71 and 75 which totalled 221 or just one shot behind second place Mayne. Mattea Issa who had two days of 73 each, had a rough last day after posting nine over pay 81 to close the championship on 227, tied for 7th place. The fourth female player, Kingston Burke totaled 248 for the three days with scores of 85, 82 and 81 for 15th place.
The overall ladies winner was Arabella Lopez of Puerto Rico. She topped the leaderboard on all three days with scores of six under par 66, one under par 71 and another one under par 71 for the final round, for an eight under 208 total score.
On the men side Rocco Lopez was the best placed player after closing the championship tied for fifth place. His scores were 72, 71 and 72 for one under par 215. Former national champion was further back in 12th place with a combined total of 222 (71, 76, 70). The youngest male player on tour was Ryan Lue and he occupied the 20th spot with scores of 76, 72 and 80 for a total score of 228. Two players Jack Stein and Aman Dhiman were tied for 25th place with a three day total of 232. The sixth and final player and current national champion Zandre Roye had a rough championship after posting scores of nine over par 81 for the first two days and seven over par 79 on the final day for a combined score of 241.
Team manager Sebert Walker summed up the team’s performance which was commendable based on the proliferation of young and new players who were representing at the senior level for the first time.
“After 54 holes of golf in the Dominican Republic our 2024 male and female team comprised of ten, came out with our female team finishing second and our male team third of course our combined team finishing second overall.
Tyreek Hill has proven to be one of the NFL's top wide receivers, and the Miami Dolphins have rewarded him with a new contract.
The Dolphins signed Hill to a three-year, $90million contract restructure on Saturday, according multiple sources.
As part of the deal, Hill will receive $65million in guaranteed money, bringing his four-year fully guaranteed money to $106.5million - the most for a wide receiving in NFL history.
The contract restructure does not include any additional years, so he will remain under contract through the 2026 season.
In 16 games last season, Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards on 119 receptions and also had 13 touchdown catches to earn All-Pro honours for the fifth time.
Since his 2016 rookie season, he ranks first among all players with 10,139 receiving yards, third in touchdown grabs with 76 and fourth in receptions with 717. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his eight seasons in the NFL.
Hill becomes the latest Miami star to get a new deal this off-season, joining fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The teams that will battle for the 2024 CAZOVA Zonal Under-19 Men’s and Women’s Championships were decided in the semifinals of the tournament at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town on Friday.
Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados will do battle for the men’s crown after convincing semifinal straight set victories over the US Virgin Islands and Jamaica, respectively.
Despite finishing in three sets, the match between T&T and USVI was about as competitive as you can get.
Trinidad & Tobago won the first set 25-23 before taking the next two 25-21 and 25-22, respectively.
The match between Jamaica and Barbados was competitive for two of the three sets. Barbados won the first 25-20 before winning the second 25-21. The third set was the least competitive, with the Bajans winning 25-13.
On the women’s side, hosts Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago made it to the final after five set wins over USVI and Barbados, respectively.
Jamaica won the first set 25-20 before USVI levelled proceedings with a 25-19 second set win.
Jamaica were back to their dominant best with a 25-15 third set victory before, once again, USVI showed grit and determination to tie things up a 2-2 with a 25-23 win in the fourth set.
The fifth set was also close, with the hosts eventually winning 15-10.
Trinidad & Tobago showed grit and determination of their own in different circumstances. They played an excellent first two sets, winning them 25-21 and 25-16 to go 2-0 up. Barbados battled back, however, with a 25-23 win in the third set and 25-22 win in the fourth to set up a deciding fifth.
In the end, only two points separated them with T&T winning the final set 15-13 to secure a spot in the final.
The finals are scheduled for Monday, August 5.
Reigning Olympic champion Xander Schauffele was the joint leader heading into the final round of the Paris Games, with Jon Rahm level with him in top spot.
The pair are tied at 14 under after three rounds of action at Le Golf National, with Rahm producing a five-under 66 to jump up the leaderboard from fourth.
Schauffele enjoyed another mostly error-free round, carding a three-under 68 with the hopes of retaining the crown he claimed in Tokyo three years ago.
Britain's Tommy Fleetwood remains just a shot behind after another fine round.
He sent a putt on 18 narrowly short for what would have been a three-way tie for the lead.
Hideki Matsuyama, who was tied for the lead going into the third round, dropped to joint-fourth after two bogeys in his first four holes, missing the opportunity on 18 to go within two shots of the lead.
Meanwhile, world number one Scottie Scheffler shot himself into contention for a medal after carding a four-under 67, leaving him level with Rory McIlroy and Joo-Hyung Kim in T6.
Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard produced the best round of the day, shooting a course record-tying 62 to move him 26 places up the leaderboard.
It was another masterful display from Jamaican trio Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson, and Romelda Aiken-George that ensured Adelaide Thunderbirds retained their Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League title as they edged Melbourne Vixens 59-57 in extra-time of a pulsating final at a sold-out Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
The relentless efforts of dynamic defensive duo Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson, coupled with the shooting prowess of the towering Aiken-George, not only underscored their immense class and quality, but more importantly, spurred the Thunderbirds to back-to-back premiership glory, a feat that only one other club has ever achieved in the SSN era.
Aiken-George, who joined the franchise at the top of the season, was named Finals MVP for her 41 goals from 51 attempts. She was supported by Lauren Frew, who scored a perfect 10 goals from as many attempts, while Georgie Horjus scored seven goals from eight attempts.
Meanwhile, Sophie Garbin scored 22 goals from 24 attempts, and Kiera Austin scored 21 goals from 24 attempts and seven two-goal Supershot efforts from as many attempts.
Romelda Aiken-George was named Finals MVP.
The Thunderbirds, like they have done all season, showed grit and determination, as Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson did what they do best. While they didn't reach their usual heights on the stat sheet, the dynamic duo wore down their Melbourne-based opponent’s attack, which started in red-hot form.
Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson combined for six gains but didn’t have everything their way in the early exchanges, as Austin’s smarts in the circle and Vixens' quick ball movement proved a challenge for the world-class Thunderbirds defenders.
After trailing by five, the Thunderbirds were forced to call a timeout to reset, which worked to some extent as they reduced the deficit to trail by three, 13-16, at the end of the opening quarter.
With Matilda Garrett, Sterling-Humphrey, and Wilson quiet at that point, Thunderbirds Head coach Tania Obst was forced to make some changes.
Jamaica's Wilson (second left) and Sterling-Humphrey (second right) celebrate with teammates.
Wilson was moved into goal defence, Tayla Williams into wing defence and skipper Hannah Petty was injected into centre to steady the ship.
And it worked.
From there, the Thunderbirds forced the Vixens into a number of errors to claw back the margin, outscoring their opponents 15-12 as they went into the half-time interval 28-28.
Sterling-Humphrey worked herself into the game in the second half, with Wilson by her side, wearing Austin like a glove down the court.
At the other end, Simone McKinnis handed Emily Mannix the job of quelling Aiken-George, but it proved futile given the height miss-match as the Thunderbirds took a one-goal lead at 42-41 to end the third quarter.
As anticipated, the Thunderbirds, spurred by the electric home crowd, rattled the Vixens in the final quarter and raced to a six-goal lead at one point.
Kiera Austin was the standout Vixens performer.
However, Austin, who enjoyed superb form on the night, cut the deficit with her hot hand from the Supershot range.
In fact, a late turnover from Laura Scherian gave the Melbourne team a sniff of victory with less than two minutes to go, but Sophie Garbin missed a crucial Supershot in the dying moments and so it took extra time to decide a winner.
Aryna Sabalenka expressed her delight at overcoming a "tough" match with Victoria Azarenka to advance to the semi-finals of the Washington Open in straight sets.
World number three Sabalenka needed an hour and 45 minutes to get past her fellow compatriot, prevailing 6-4 6-4 to progress to the next round.
The two-time grand slam champion served eight aces compared to Azarenka's one, and although the encounter looked one-sided, it was anything but for Sabalenka.
"Always tough battles against her," Sabalenka said. "She always brings the best fight she can.
"I always enjoy playing against her. Just super happy to get through this tough match.
"I feel like with every set, I play better and better. Hopefully I can just (keep) building my level and by the US Open, I'll be 100 percent ready."
Sabalenka claimed her second Australian Open title earlier this year, but was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon with a shoulder problem.
However, the Belarusian showed no signs of injuries in the American capital and is confident of maintaining her recent form.
"I'm super happy. I'm doing really great so far. Fingers crossed, the injury's in the past. I feel really good," Sabalenka said.
"We're doing everything we can with my team to keep my shoulder strong and make sure (such an injury) will never happen again."
Top seed Sabalenka advanced to Saturday's semi-final where she will meet Marie Bouzkova, who beat 19-year-old American Robin Montgomery in straight sets.
San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell threw his first career no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner threw 78 of his 114 pitches for strikes, striking out 11 batters and allowing three walks.
Snell also recorded the first complete game of his career, pitching into the ninth inning for the first time in his 202 career starts, and his first win in a Giants uniform.
Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt each homered for San Francisco, who have won six of their last seven.
Snell’s no-hitter was the 18th in Giants franchise history, with the most recent coming in 2015 from Chris Heston.
Snell threw the third no-no in the major leagues this season, joining Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros and Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
Snell was one of the most celebrated off-season moves when he signed a two-year, $62million deal with San Francisco, but he made just his 11th start of the season on Friday due to two stints on the injured list.
Snell’s first three starts with the Giants were a disaster, saddling him with an 0-3 record and an 11.57 ERA. Since returning from his most recent IL stint, however, he has allowed just 2 runs in 33 innings, and batters are hitting .078 against him over that five-game stretch.
Paula Badosa lauded Emma Raducanu for pushing her all the way in a three-set encounter at the Washington Open.
Badosa, the world number 62, ended Raducanu's promising run in the American capital with a 4-6 7-5 6-4 triumph on Friday.
The Spaniard needed two hours and 45 minutes to overcome the 2021 US Open champion and reach her first semi-final of the season.
"She was playing amazing, honestly," Badosa said after meeting Raducanu for the first time.
"She took me to the limit in all the phases; physically, mentally, tennis-wise. I knew I had to play very aggressive.
"In the beginning, I was missing a little bit so I had to adjust. She was also making me miss. She's very, very fast. I never played her, so it's the first time I experienced her.
"I was surprised how smart she is on court and I like the way she plays."
Badosa will next face Caroline Dolehide, who beat Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
Oscar Piastri says McLaren will prioritise winning the Formula 1 constructors' championship over helping Lando Norris win the drivers' championship.
Red Bull started the season strongly, getting one-twos in three of the opening four races, but McLaren have since closed the gap in the constructors' standings to 42 points.
The team have improved, particularly in the three months since Norris took his first Grand Prix victory in Miami, and were on the podium for the 10th consecutive race after Piastri’s second-place finish in Belgium last Sunday.
There was a contentious moment at Hungaroring the week before when Norris refused to give the lead back to Piastri, who eventually won the race after being let back in front by his team-mate with two laps to go.
Norris is 78 points adrift of championship leader Max Verstappen, but Piastri is confident they are both on the same page when it comes to to pushing McLaren up the standings.
"The first objective is to win the constructors' for the team, and I think we've got a very strong chance of doing that," Piastri told Sky Sports News. "We've been closing the gap to Red Bull in the last six or seven races.
"I think for me, the drivers' standings, of course, I'd like to finish as high as I can. I'm not out of the running for the championship myself. It's a very big ask, but I want to string together good races, build consistency on that front, and really help the team to win the constructors'.
"If it comes to a situation where I need to help Lando later in the year, then, of course, it is something we'll discuss, but the first target is to win the constructors' and try to do a good job for myself as well."
McLaren were not expected to be contenders for the championship at the start of the season, but Red Bull have faltered in recent weeks to leave the door open.
Sergio Perez has failed to finish above seventh since the Miami Grand Prix, while Verstappen's last victory came in Spain at the end of June.
Though they are still in with a chance of topping the standings with 10 races remaining, Piastri is confident that, no matter this season's result, they can build some momentum for next year as well.
"At the end of last year we had a very quick car on certain circuits, but we really needed to rely on those circuits to get good results," the Australian added.
"This year, we've just been quick everywhere and that's been a joy to be a part of, but a real confidence boost to everybody that we're not relying on the high-speed corners like we were last year.
"We can rock up and be pretty confident we'll be, if not the quickest, then one of the quickest, and I think that sets us up really nicely for next year.
"I feel like I'm growing in confidence. Getting some more good results and just learning more through my second year as well.
"I want to learn as much as I can and have as much success as I can this year. But ultimately, I think trying to set up a really strong run next year is a realistic target at the moment."
The remaining semifinalists were decided as action continued in the Men’s and Women’s CAZOVA Under-19 Zonal Championships at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town, Jamaica on Wednesday.
The men’s side saw hosts Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago automatically book spots in the semifinals after winning their respective preliminary groups on Monday while on the women’s side, the US Virgin Islands and Barbados advanced to the final four as group winners.
On Wednesday, Barbados secured their spot in the final four of the men’s tournament with a comfortable 3-0 win over Aruba in their quarterfinal clash.
The Bajans dominated throughout the match, holding the Arubans to less than ten points in two of the three sets. The final score was 25-9, 25-11 and 25-8.
They will play Jamaica in the semifinals on Friday.
The US Virgin Islands will play Trinidad and Tobago in the other semifinal after securing their spot with a straight set win over the Cayman Islands. USVI won the sets 25-14, 25-21 and 25-21.
On the women’s side, hosts Jamaica secured a date with the US Virgin Islands in the last four on Friday with a straight set win over Aruba in the quarters.
In a dominant display, the Jamaicans held Aruba under ten points in each of the three sets. They won the first 25-7 before winning the next two 25-8 and 25-5.
The other semifinal will be contested between Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago after the latter defeated Curacao in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
The first two sets were hotly contested before the Trinidadians rallied to dominate the third set and secure the win.
They won the first set 25-19 before Curacao showed an improved effort in the second, eventually losing 22-25 before T&T won the third 25-14.
David Fry and Bo Naylor each hit three-run homers and Jose Ramirez added a two-run shot to lead the Cleveland Guardians to their fourth straight win, 10-3 over the Baltimore Orioles in a matchup of American League division leaders on Thursday night.
Cleveland scored twice in the first off Trevor Rogers on Ramirez’s sacrifice fly and Josh Naylor’s RBI single.
Fry extended the lead to 5-1 in the third with his ninth home run and Ramirez connected off reliever Albert Suarez for his 28th of the season to trigger a five-run seventh inning, capped by Bo Naylor’s eighth homer.
Ramirez has gone deep in three straight games for the first time since 2021.
Ben Lively allowed two runs and four hits in six innings with one walk and four strikeouts for his team-leading 10th win.
The Guardians’ 66-42 record is the best in the majors and the club’s best through 108 games since the 1995 AL title team started 73-35.
Rogers struggled in his Orioles debut after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline on Tuesday. He gave up five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Anthony Santander hit his 32nd home run for Baltimore, which dropped into a tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Cubs score 3 in 9th to stun Cardinals
Mike Tauchman delivered a walk-off RBI double to cap a three-run ninth against closer Ryan Helsley to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Helsley was called on to protect a 4-2 lead and retired Seiya Suzuki to open the inning, but Cody Bellinger homered to make it a one-run game. After Isaac Paredes grounded out, Nico Hoerner singled, stole second and scored on Dansby Swanson’s double.
Tauchman then lined Helsley’s 2-2 fastball the opposite way down the left field line to easily score Swanson.
Masyn Winn homered and Paul Goldschmidt had a home run, single and double for the Cardinals, who were denied their third straight win.
Pasquantino’s blasts power Royals
Vinnie Pasquantino homered twice and drove in four runs to back Seth Lugo’s 13th win as the Kansas City Royals rolled to a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Red-hot Bobby Witt Jr. homered and doubled for the Royals, who won their fourth straight after losing four of five.
Witt is batting .500 (49 for 98) with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in his last 25 games.
Lugo (13-5) rebounded from allowing a season-high six runs in his last start to limit the Tigers to one run and four hits over eight innings. He tied Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez and Atlanta’s Chris Sale as the majors’ only 13-game winners.
Pasquantino got the Royals off to a fast start with a three-run shot in the first off Keider Montero and followed Witt’s homer in the eighth with his second of the game to make it 6-1.
Pasquantino had his first career multi-homer game in the same stadium where he hit his first major league home run on July 1, 2022.
Detroit has lost four in a row and been outscored 25-5 during that span.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout will miss the rest of the season after he sustained another meniscus tear, general manager Perry Minasian said Thursday.
Trout, widely regarded as the best player of his generation, released a statement on social media, writing that he was “devastated” to learn that an MRI revealed a second tear.
The three-time American League MVP was attempting to return from a separate torn meniscus he suffered on April 29. He appeared in 29 games this season before the injury and underwent surgery on May 3.
Trout suited up for a Triple-A game on July 23 as he attempted to return, but he experienced a setback and left the contest after just two innings due to soreness in his knee.
The first MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage and he was informed that he was dealing with scar tissue buildup and inflammation, leaving the possibility of a return. But another MRI showed a tear in the same surgically repaired knee.
Trout, who turns 33 on Wednesday, started this season with 10 home runs in his first 109 at-bats before the injury. His .220 batting average was well below his career mark of .299, but he still had a .867 OPS and six steals.
Injuries have become a troubling trend for Trout, who was limited to 82 games in 2023 due to a wrist issue. Back problems kept him to 119 games in 2022, but he still hit 40 home runs with a .283 average. He played in just 36 games the previous season after suffering a right calf strain.
Trout is making $37.1 million in the sixth year of a 12-year, $426.5 million contract and will earn that salary in each of the next six seasons.
Trout is an 11-time All-Star and has won nine Silver Slugger Awards, but has only appeared in three postseason games and none since 2014.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has extended his contract, the Formula One team confirmed on Thursday.
Stella, who joined the British-based team in 2015 from Ferrari, has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren not revealing the length of the new terms.
The 53-year-old has overseen McLaren's recent transformation, and are just 42 points behind Red Bull as they aim to claim a first Constructors' championship since 1988.
This season, drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have finished in the podium places for the last 10 races, including a first one-two since 2021 at the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month.
Both Norris and Piastri have also signed contract extensions, keeping them with the team until at least the end of the 2026 season, building solid foundations for the future.
"It's a privilege to be part of the McLaren F1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as team principal," said Stella.
"We've made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge.
"Success comes through the team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our team's objectives."
Chief Executive Zak Brown added: "[Andrea's] excellent leadership, expertise and the respect he holds within the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person in place to continue the pursuit of consistently fighting at the front of the grid.
"His impact on McLaren F1 in his role as team principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team but also in his development of our culture and mindset.
"With multi-year extensions already agreed with Lando, Oscar, and now Andrea, we can confidently continue on our quest to become World Champions. We're all looking forward to the years to come under Andrea's leadership."
Lando Norris believes that former McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz deserved the chance to race for Red Bull in 2025.
It was confirmed earlier this week that Sainz had signed a multi-year contract with Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant on the grid next year.
The Spaniard had been linked with a move to both Mercedes and Red Bull after it was confirmed that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing him at the Italian team in 2025.
Sainz has won three races with Ferrari since joining the team in 2021, establishing himself as one of the best drivers on the grid in recent years.
However, interest never materialised from either Mercedes or Red Bull, something which Williams boss James Vowles said was a surprise, with Norris agreeing.
"The easy one is just to say Red Bull. He should have gone there, in my eyes," Norris told Sky Sports when asked where his friend should have gone.
Sainz spent two seasons with Norris at McLaren, with the pair forming a great friendship off the track which has remained despite the Spaniard's move to Ferrari.
Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull was thrown into question after a difficult few weeks with the Austrian team, who currently trails team-mate Max Verstappen by 146 points in the Drivers' championship.
Perez, was given a contract extension for 2025 despite not being on the podium since April's Chinese Grand Prix, with Christian Horner confirming the Mexican would stay beyond the current summer break.
"Obviously I'm biased, I know Carlos a lot more than I know Checo [Pérez] and that kind of thing, but Carlos deserves a lot.
"He's one of the best drivers in Formula One, he's proven that countless times, and I'm a good friend of his.
"I'm happy for him that he's still in Formula One and I'm happy he's got a drive and can try and bring Williams back up.
"Him partnering Alex [Albon] will be good for Formula One at the same time.
"That's a good thing. But I'm sure a lot of people would love to say he should have gone to Red Bull, potentially, but that's not my decision to make."
Gordon Hayward announced his retirement on Thursday following 14 seasons in the NBA.
The Utah Jazz selected Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and he went on to also play for the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 34-year-old forward averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 835 career regular-season games.
An All-Star with Utah in 2016-17, Hayward ranks fifth all-time in Jazz history with 689 made 3-pointers.
“Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote on social media. “It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.
“To all my fans: thank you for supporting me through the ups and downs. I’ll always cherish the letters of encouragement and the moments we’ve shared around the world.
“You inspired me to always dream big and improve everyday - and for the young players up next, I challenge you do to the same!”
Red Bull have confirmed that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will leave the team to become Audi's Formula One team principal.
Wheatley, who has been part of Red Bull since 2006, has helped the Austrian team win six Constructors' and seven Drivers' championships.
The 57-year-old will have a period of 'gardening leave' in 2025 before joining the German manufacturer when they take over Sauber, who remain the only team without a point this season.
Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner said, "It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.
"His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history."
Red Bull have now lost two significant members of their team following Adrian Newey's departure from the company three months ago.
Wheatley will link up with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was announced as Audi's new chief operating and technical officer, replacing Andrea Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann.
Wheatley became widely-known for his radio calls to race director Michael Masi throughout the controversial 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world championship in the final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology wish him all the best in his new role and would like to place our thanks to Jonathan," read a Red Bull statement.
"Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this provides opportunity to elevate others within the team. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks."
The Jamaican ladies team finished the first day of the 67th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship atop the leaderboard, driven by stellar performances from Kierra Williams and Emily Mayne. Both golfers shot an even par 72, securing Jamaica's leading position as they vie for the George Teale Trophy.
Puerto Rico trailed closely with a plus one score, while the Dominican Republic held third place with a plus 13 score.
On the men's side, the Jamaican team, competing for the Hoerman Cup, ended the day in third place with a plus eight score. Contributions came from Oshae Haye (71), Rocco Lopez (72), Ryan Lue (76), and Aman Dhiman (77). Puerto Rico led the men's team section with a minus three score, followed by the Dominican Republic in second place with a plus one score.
The championship, featuring nine teams, is being contested at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro, Dominican Republic.
Individually, Jamaica's ladies occupied three of the top five spots. Puerto Rico's Arabella Lopez led with an impressive six under par 66, six strokes ahead of her closest rivals. Tied for second place were Kierra Williams and Emily Mayne, each posting an even par 72. Mattea Issa followed closely in fourth place with a one over par 73. Holly McClean of the Cayman Islands was in fifth place with a three over par 75, while Jamaica's newcomer Kingston Burke was joint 16th with a 13 over par 85.
Among the Jamaican men, former national champion Oshae Haye was the best placed, ending day one in joint fourth place with a one under par 71. The leaders in the men's individual section were Rodrigo Huerta of the Dominican Republic and Marc Alvero of Puerto Rico, both shooting three under par 69. Juan Cayro Delgado of the Dominican Republic was in third place with a two under par 70.
Other Jamaican men's scores included Rocco Lopez (even par 72), Ryan Lue (four over par 76), Aman Dhiman (five over par 77), Jack Stein (seven over par 79), and national champion Zandre Roye (nine over par 81).
The golfers look forward to the second round of competition, set to commence at 8:00 am on Thursday at the same venue in the Dominican Republic.
DJ LeMahieu drove in a career-high six runs with a grand slam and two-run double and the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the slumping Philadelphia Phillies with a 6-5 victory on Wednesday.
In a season-long slump, LeMahieu entered with a .173 batting average and 13 RBIs, but the two-time batting champion hit his third career slam and had his first game with two extra-base hits since Aug. 25.
He joined Joe DiMaggio at Cleveland on May 23, 1948, and Yogi Berra at the White Sox on Aug. 2, 1958, as the only Yankees players with six RBIs who drove in all of New York’s runs.
Nestor Cortes earned his first road win of the season, allowing three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. He had been 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 road starts this season.
Clay Holmes worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 22nd save in 30 chances.
The Yankees have rebounded from a 10-23 slide with five straight wins and remained a half-game behind AL East-leading Baltimore.
Weston Wilson homered and Nick Castellanos had three RBIs for the Phillies, who have lost four in a row and 11 of 15, trimming their NL East lead over Atlanta to 6 ½ games. Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts, hit into a game-ending double play and is in a 1-for-30 slump.
Cease leads surging Padres past Dodgers
Dylan Cease won his fourth straight start and Luis Campusano homered as the red-hot San Diego Padres rolled past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 for a two-game sweep.
Jurickson Profar and Campusano each drove in two runs as the Padres won their ninth in 10 games to pull within 4 ½ games of the NL West-leading Dodgers.
Pitching in his first start after throwing a no-hitter, Cease limited the Dodgers to one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six and walking three. He improved to 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA in his last four starts.
Clayton Kershaw was roughed up for seven runs – three earned – and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start of the season.
He failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 424 major league starts, a streak that had been the longest since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893.
The Dodgers have dropped 10 of their last 12 road games.
Holliday hits grand slam for first career home run
Jackson Holliday celebrated his return to the major leagues with a grand slam for his first career home run in the Baltimore Orioles’ 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Holliday, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft and baseball’s top prospect, was back in the majors after he went 2 for 34 with 18 strikeouts in April. In his first game back, he grounded out twice before connecting for a 439-foot blast with the bases loaded in the fifth to give the Orioles an 8-3 lead.
Grayson Rodriguez (13-4) tied for the major league lead in wins after giving up three earned runs and six hits in six innings with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Colton Cowser also went deep for the first-place Orioles, who have won four of five after losing five of six.
Baltimore lost All-Star third baseman Jordan Westburg to a broken hand after he was hit by a pitch immediately before Holliday’s slam.
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