Sports
Dodgers' hitters give Jack Flaherty a big boost and seal a win over the Pirates
The standing ovation that Jack Flaherty received from a Dodger Stadium crowd of 48,664 when he departed in the sixth inning of Friday night’s 9-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t seem commensurate with his performance in his first home start for his hometown team.
Flaherty, the 28-year-old right-hander who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers with minutes to spare before the July 30 trade deadline, was tagged for four earned runs and nine hits in 5 ⅔ innings and needed just about every one of his 10 strikeouts to navigate heavy traffic on the basepaths throughout his 110-pitch effort.
But the crowd reaction was as much a welcome-home-and-we’re-glad-you’re here message to Flaherty, a Burbank native who began going to Dodgers games with his mother, Eileen, when he was an infant and pitched Harvard-Westlake High School to the Southern Section Division I championship on this very mound in 2013.
“Yeah, it wasn’t my best start, but it was my first one here, and … I don’t know if I was expecting it, but it was special,” Flaherty said of the ovation. “I enjoyed every second of it. This fan base is as dedicated and as loyal as they come. It’s a lot of fun.”
Flaherty wasn’t nearly as sharp as he was in his Dodgers debut, when he gave up five hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in six scoreless innings of a 10-0 win at Oakland on Aug. 3. He was handed a six-run lead through three innings and nearly made a game of it by giving up a solo homer in the fourth and a three-run shot in the fifth.
Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty delivers the ball from the mound during his Dodger Stadium debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
But Flaherty kept the Pirates at arm’s length by making several big pitches with runners on base, pitching around Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s leadoff double in the first inning, Michael Taylor’s one out double in the third, and striking out Yasmani Grandal with a 95-mph fastball with two on to end the fourth.
“One thing I’ve learned so far about Jack is that a situation, a moment, isn’t going to be too big for him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He has the ability to make pitches when he needs to, and that’s huge.”
Flaherty’s second win in as many starts with the Dodgers helped his new team retain National League West leads of 2 ½ games over San Diego and 3 ½ games over Arizona. After running away with the division title in 2022 and 2023, the Dodgers appear headed for a dogfight with the Padres and Diamondbacks.
“We’re very aware of it,” Roberts said of the tightening division race. “I’d be lying if I said that no one’s watching the scoreboard and appreciating how good the rest of the teams in our division are playing, so that just puts the onus on us to play good baseball. We have to take care of business and win baseball games.”
That task is easier when the offense smacks the ball around the yard like it did Friday night, when Freddie Freeman lined a solo homer to right in the first and Shohei Ohtani keyed a five-run third with his NL-leading 35th homer, a two-run shot that sounded like a cannon blast, leaving his bat at 113.9 mph and traveling 448 feet to center field.
“Honestly, the way the ball comes off [his bat]. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Roberts said. “I haven’t seen [Giancarlo] Stanton a lot, but I played with Barry Bonds, and the ball just didn’t come off like it does on Shohei’s bat. And Barry might be the greatest hitter of all time.”
Teoscar Hernández followed Ohtani’s homer with a walk and took third on Freeman’s double to left-center. Will Smith, mired in a three-for-44 slump (.068), dunked a check-swing, two-run single to right, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Miguel Rojas’ single to center for a 6-0 lead.
The Pirates cut the deficit to 6-1 in the fourth on Oneil Cruz’s leadoff homer to right, his 18th of the season. The Dodgers pushed the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Jason Heyward doubled to right-center and scored on Hernández’s two-out single to right, the 30th two-out RBI of the season for the outfielder.
Flaherty looked like he might escape another jam in the top of the fifth when, after one-out singles by Kiner-Falefa and Reynolds, he struck out Cruz with a 78-mph knuckle-curve for the second out.
But he hung an 85-mph slider over the heart of the plate to Bart, who drove a three-run homer to left-center–his 10th of the season–to pull Pittsburgh to within 7-4.
“They hit some tough pitches, but leaving that slider over the middle of the plate to Bart … he did what he was supposed to do with it,” Flaherty said. “I wanted to get through that sixth and be a little more efficient, but to do that, I have to be a little bit better in the fourth and fifth.”
The Dodgers’ Kiké Hernández waves to left field after hitting a two-run home run against the Pirates Friday at Dodger Stadium.
(John McCoy / Associated Press)
The Dodgers tacked on in the bottom of the fifth when Kiké Hernández — on his 11th pitch from right-hander Domingo German — sent a two-out laser over the head of the left fielder, Reynolds, who leaped on the warning track and got the tip of his glove on the ball, only to knock the ball over the wall for a two-run homer and a 9-4 Dodgers lead.
Anthony Banda replaced Flaherty and struck out Kiner-Falefa to end the fifth, and the left-hander struck out two in a scoreless seventh, Evan Phillips retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the eighth, and Daniel Hudson gave up a run in the ninth.
“It was Jack’s first time pitching at home, and you just want to give him some breathing room and as many runs of support as possible,” Freeman said. “He gave us 5 ⅔ strong innings, and the offense did a good job tonight of keeping it going, one through nine.”
Short hops
Third baseman Max Muncy, out since May 16 because of an oblique strain, and newly acquired utility man Tommy Edman, who is recovering from an ankle injury, will begin minor league rehabilitation assignments with triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. Roberts said both could be activated “in about a week,” and that Edman will get most of his playing time in center field. … Right-hander Walker Buehler, who gave up one run and one hit in 5 ⅓ innings, striking out five and walking three, for Oklahoma City on Thursday night probably will return to the rotation next Thursday in Milwaukee.
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Team USA’s final group stage match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup may not have had any implications for either team, but patriotism was in full force for the home country as Second Lady Usha Vance was among the many prominent figures at Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday night.
As the U.S. national anthem rang across the stadium, with players and fans singing in unison, the FOX Sports broadcast showed Vance in a suite with a huge smile on her face as “The Star-Spangled Banner” ended.
Vance was present at the match just two days after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that President Donald Trump would present the World Cup trophy to the winning team at the final in New Jersey on July 19.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance attends the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the United States at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Vance was just the beginning of the stars that showed out in Inglewood, as Paris Hilton was seen presenting the match ball before kick-off. Then, cameras started to pick up the many high-profile faces throughout the crowd.
Among them were Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, a pair that many movie lovers know from their hit classic “Fight Club.” Some social media users even hoped that the discussion they were seen having was about a sequel.
TOM CRUISE, DAVID BECKHAM, KATY PERRY AND MORE CELEBRITIES SPOTTED AT 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP MATCHES
Also, movie star Ashton Kutcher was seen speaking with Los Angeles Rams standout wide receiver Puka Nacua, who knows the confines of SoFi Stadium (what it is called outside of FIFA play) very well.
Then, Colin Farrell, though Irish born, was rocking a replica Team USA jersey alongside his son in the stands to support the Stars and Stripes. Leonardo DiCaprio, Scottie Pippen and more were also seen in the seats.
U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance sings the anthem during the 2026 World Cup Group D match between Turkey and the U.S. at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 25, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
There has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the USMNT from everywhere, celebrity or not, throughout this tournament. The 4-2 win over Paraguay at the same Los Angeles stadium caused a frenzy in the stands, as the U.S. made a statement to begin the tournament on home soil for the first time since 1999.
USA WORLD CUP TEAM CLINCHES SPOT IN KNOCKOUT STAGE AFTER ANOTHER HISTORIC PERFORMANCE VS AUSTRALIA
Then, it was on to Seattle, where a 2-0 victory over Australia not only led to a spot in the knockout round, but led to a bellowing of the John Denver classic, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” from everyone in the stands. The USMNT saluted their fans after yet another successful match.
It was a much different look for the USMNT entering Thursday night’s matchup against Türkiye, with nine changes to the starting XI after the team had already secured its place in the knockout stage. The Americans will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 on July 1.
Paris Hilton is seen with children before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on June 25, 2026. (Sarah Stier/FIFA)
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No matter who’s on the pitch, some of the biggest names in the country are showing support for the team that has inspired tremendous national pride to kick off this tournament.
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Shohei Ohtani was the first Dodger to be named a 2026 All-Star, after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting for the All-Star game on July 14 in Philadelphia. Six other Dodgers were finalists through the fan ballot, giving them a chance to claim starting spots in Phase 2 of voting.
Ohtani locked down the starting DH spot for the National League squad, with 3,341,257 votes. The top vote-getters in each league bypass Phase 2. Second baseman Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays was the top vote-getter in the American League, with 3,232,932 votes.
Ohtani was the expected choice, despite a slow offensive start. His red-hot June boosted him up the leaderboards. He entered Thursday with the second-highest OPS in the National League (.963), barely trailing Mets outfielder Juan Soto (.965).
Pitchers aren’t chosen through the fan vote — hurlers and reserves have to wait for the player ballot (which includes votes from players, coaches and managers) and commissioners picks. But Ohtani has been just as impressive on the mound this year.
He has a 1.58 ERA, the fourth-best mark among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings this season.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,666,008 votes), third baseman Max Muncy (2,890,181) and outfielder Andy Pages (2,158,664) also led their respective NL position groups in voting. Other Dodgers finalists, who advance to voting Phase 2, include catcher Will Smith (1,871,805), shortstop Mookie Betts (1,762,343 ) and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (1,569,932).
The vote totals reset for Phase 2, which runs from next Monday through Thursday. The remainder of the All-Star starters are set to be announced on July 4 on Fox Sports.
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The United States men’s national team opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a commanding 4-1 rout of Paraguay behind two goals from Folarin Balogun, and after taking care of Australia, the team has one match left in the group stage against Turkey on Thursday night.
The Americans took care of Australia last week 2-0 to keep their strong start rolling. The victory clinched a knockout-round berth for Team USA. The USMNT will look to carry its momentum into their match against Turkey as the Stars and Stripes return to Los Angeles Stadium.
Players of the United States celebrate their first goal, an own goal by Cameron Burgess of Australia, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 2026. (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
WATCH USA VS TURKEY ON FOX ONE
Australia began its World Cup run with a win over Turkey before suffering a setback against the U.S. The Australians will meet Paraguay on Thursday in a match featuring two teams already beaten by the Americans during the group stage.
Late last month, the Americans defeated Senegal, 3-2, in a World Cup tuneup match.
Under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT entered the tournament as the No. 17 team in the FIFA World Rankings. FIFA determines its world rankings using the Elo rating system, which rewards teams for wins and penalizes them for losses while also factoring in the strength of the competition.
Alex Freeman of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between the U.S. and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
FOX ONE’S NEW WORLD CUP VIEWING EXPERIENCE
This year’s World Cup features an expanded field of 48 teams.
Here’s how to watch the game, including start time, TV information and streaming options.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed on stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on Dec. 3, 2025. (Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
How to Watch United States vs Turkey
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California.
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports.
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