Sports
Emotional return of Freddie Freeman is highlight of Dodgers' win over Phillies
A crowd of 48,178 in Dodger Stadium rose to its feet as Freddie Freeman came to the plate in the first inning Monday night, the rousing ovation marking the return of the veteran first baseman from an eight-game absence while his 3-year-old son, Maximus, battled a rare neurological disorder that temporarily paralyzed the toddler.
Freeman had already fought back tears during a 30-minute pregame news conference in which he recounted Max’s harrowing ordeal, which included eight straight days in a pediatric intensive care unit, and now he could feel the emotions welling up in his chest again as the crowd showered him with admiration.
Freeman doffed his batting helmet and tapped his heart in appreciation of the 45-second ovation, and he thought he would be able to hold it together … until he saw his father, Fred, and his stepmother, Alma, in the first row behind the backstop.
“My Dad was—I don’t know if I could call it crying, but he was choked up and teary-eyed—and that’s what really got me going,” Freeman said after the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
“It made it really hard to hit in that first at-bat, but that’s a good thing. I was OK with that. It was one of the most pleasant strikeouts I’ve had in my big-league career.”
Freeman, who had one single and two strikeouts in four at-bats, didn’t play a huge role in his team’s victory over the National League East-leading Phillies, one that pushed the Dodgers’ NL-West lead over Arizona and San Diego to five games.
The heavy lifting was done by starter Tyler Glasnow, who gave up three runs and five hits in six innings, striking out nine and walking none, to improve to 9-6 with a 3.54 ERA; relievers Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda and Daniel Hudson, who each threw scoreless innings, and Teoscar Hernández and Shohei Ohtani, who each hit home runs.
But by the end of the night in which his teammates wore #MaxStrong T-shirts during batting practice, he got a hug from Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper after his third-inning single and a post-game text from his wife, Chelsea, “that was positive,” for a change, the eight-time All-Star was exhausted.
“I’m kind of glad it’s over, to be honest,” Freeman, 34, said. “I’m tired and worn out. I’ve been talking all day. Everyone’s asking questions. It’s just an emotional day, but when you win the game … I was happy to be out there. I really was.
“I didn’t know what I was going to be feeling, but it’s just … the green grass, the dirt, the fans. It just reminds me how beautiful this game is and why I love it so much. Obviously, the 50,000 people that were here made it that much better.
“These three years I’ve been here, it’s hard to put into words what the Dodgers fans have meant to us and our family. In the toughest times, it shows the true character of this organization’s fans, and it’s absolutely incredible.”
Max came home from Children’s Hospital of Orange County on Saturday after responding favorably to treatments for Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. Freeman was buoyed by the knowledge that Max was home watching Daddy on television Monday night.
“To be honest, it was OK during this game,” Freeman said, when asked if his mind had wandered throughout the evening. “I think it’s more because I know Max is at home, and he’s OK. … We’ve been told [Max] is going to make a full recovery. We just don’t know how long it’s going to be. But the prognosis of recovery is good.”
The Dodgers bullpen also appeared to be on the mend with its third straight clean sheet Monday night. A relief core that has taken its share of beatings in recent weeks has delivered 10 ⅓ scoreless innings over the last three games.
“Things with the bullpen always get more magnified when things aren’t going well,” manager Dave Roberts said, “but for those guys to be resilient and to keep leaning on one another and being ready when called upon, it’s been invaluable.”
Summoned to protect a 4-3 lead Monday night, Kopech, the newly acquired right-hander, gave up a single in a scoreless seventh and has now retired nine of the 10 batters he has faced as a Dodger, five by strikeout.
With the top of the Phillies order—which features left-handed-hitting sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Harper—due up in the eighth, Roberts summoned Banda, the left-hander who earned the opportunity to pitch in higher leverage with a 2.16 ERA in 31 games.
Banda jumped ahead of Schwarber with two strikes before throwing four straight balls for a leadoff walk. Trea Turner flied out to center field, and Banda struck out Harper swinging at a 97-mph sinker for the second out.
Right-hander Evan Phillips was warming, but Roberts left Banda in to face the right-handed-hitting Alec Bohm, who slapped a single to right to put two on.
Up stepped the left-handed-hitting Brandon Marsh, who got himself into a 3-and-1 count, only to have a 96-mph fastball well above the zone called for a strike by umpire Marvin Hudson. Marsh then swung through an 86-mph slider for an inning-ending strikeout.
“I didn’t see it,” Roberts said of the 3-and-1 pitch to Marsh, “but I liked the call.”
Why did Roberts stick with Banda against Bohm, the cleanup batter who has 12 homers and 77 RBIs this season?
“It was more of Anthony is a guy that typically keeps the ball on the ground,” Roberts said. “I felt that I wanted him to get to Marsh, and if they wanted to make a move [to hit for Marsh] we had Evan there to counter. It would’ve been a little bit tougher of a decision if Bohm would’ve hit a double.”
Ohtani provided an insurance run for a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth with his NL-leading 34th homer, a towering 384-foot shot to left-center field that didn’t clear the glove of Marsh until Ohtani was halfway to second base.
Thinking he might have missed first base, Ohtani retreated to the bag and touched it before continuing his home-run trot. Hudson gave up a leadoff single in the ninth before retiring three straight batters for his eighth save.
The Dodgers scored four runs in the third off Phillies right-hander Austin Nola, a rally that started with back-to-back doubles by Jason Heyward and Andy Pages. Ohtani hit a sacrifice fly, and Hernanez hit his 24th homer, a two-run shot that left his bat at 113 mph and traveled 390 feet to left field.
Short hops
Reliever Brusdar Graterol, a hard-throwing right-hander who has been out all season because of a shoulder injury, was activated from the 60-day injured list before Monday night’s game, and right-hander Blake Treinen was placed on the IL because of left-hip discomfort. … Shortstop Miguel Rojas, out since July 22 because of right-forearm tightness, will be activated “in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. … Walker Buehler, whose return from a second Tommy John surgery was interrupted by a right hip injury, threw a bullpen session on Monday and is scheduled to resume his rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. … Utility man Cavan Biggio, who hit .192 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 30 games for the Dodgers, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Freeman.
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For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, finishing third in your group does not necessarily mean going home.
With 48 teams competing in 2026, FIFA expanded the field to include the eight best third-place finishers across all 12 groups. The top two teams in each group advance automatically, and the remaining eight spots in the 32-team knockout bracket go to the highest-ranked third-place teams, determined by points, goal difference, goals scored and other tiebreakers.
That means 12 teams will be competing for eight spots, and the race to stay in the top eight is one of the most compelling subplots of the final days of the group stage.
Here’s where the third-place standings sit heading into the final round of group stage matches on June 24.
Third-Place World Cup Standings
| Rank | GP | Points | Goal Diff. | |
| 1 | Bosnia & Herz. | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 2 | Sweden | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | Scotland | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Croatia | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 5 | Algeria | 2 | 3 | -2 |
| 6 | Paraguay | 2 | 3 | -2 |
| 7 | Cape Verde | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | Belgium | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Cutline | ||||
| 9 | Czechia | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 10 | DR Congo | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 11 | Ecuador | 2 | 1 | -1 |
| 12 | Senegal | 2 | 0 | -3 |
The third-place standings will shift considerably over the next two days as the final round of group stage matches is played. Follow the live standings at FOXSports.com and watch every match on FOX and FS1, streaming live on FOX One.
Standings as of the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar and Canada vs. Switzerland on Wednesday.
2026 FIFA World Cup Standings Rules
How Do Points Work? How Do Tiebreakers Work?
In a group, a team will earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. That could mean some teams are equal on points at the end of the three-game group stage. That leads us to tiebreakers.
If two or more teams finish equal on group-stage points, here is the order of who finishes on top:
1. Most points obtained in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;
2. Superior goal difference in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;
3. Most goals scored in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;
There are even more tiebreakers if any teams remained locked after all that. From there, ties are broken by these rules:
4. Superior goal difference in all group matches
5. Most goals scored in all group matches
6. Highest team conduct score in all group matches (taking into account yellow cards and red cards)
7. FIFA World Ranking
Which Third-Place Teams Will Advance?
To fill out the World Cup knockout bracket, the best eight third-place teams out of the possible 12 in the tournament will advance. The criteria for those teams are based on:
1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. Highest team conduct score in all group matches (taking into account yellow cards and red cards)
5. FIFA World Ranking
Until Tuesday night, only one Mexican-born player had been an NBA draft pick. Eduardo Nájera was selected 38th overall in the second round by the Houston Rockets in 2000 and enjoyed a 12-year career as a backup forward with five teams.
Karim López joined him when the Detroit Pistons snapped him up at No. 21, making him the first Mexican-born first-round draft selection.
Lopez donned the Pistons’ cap handed to him by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, then was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
López, a 19-year-old 6-foot-9 forward, became emotional when Silver announced the pick. He sobbed beneath the cap.
“It’s just super special,” he said. “I’m blessed. I mean, I have no words.”
Born in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, López joined the prestigious Joventut Badalona youth academy in Badalona, Spain, at age 14 to accelerate his development. The academy counts former NBA players Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernández and Raül López among its alumni.
During his post-draft television interview, he displayed a custom design inside his suit jacket: Mexico’s tricolor flag.
“I just wanted to represent my culture, represent where I’m from, represent my faith, and just represent myself, basically,” López said. “Show who I am.”
Memphis clearly targeted López while adroitly obtaining five second-round picks in the process. They received three picks from the Pistons and two from the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for moving back from the No. 16 draft position.
Whether López fulfills his potential and becomes the fifth Mexican-born player to take the court with an NBA team remains to be seen. Reviews are mixed.
Draft experts John Hollinger and Sam Vecenie of the Athletic differed in their evaluation, with Hollinger giving the pick a thumbs-up while Vecenie expressed reservations.
“I had Karim López rated quite a bit higher than [the No. 21 pick] and was surprised to see him slide this far,” Hollinger wrote, giving the pick an “A” grade partially because the Grizzlies also collected the five second-round picks.
Vecenie pointed out that López doesn’t shoot well and has defensive deficiencies, saying that his game might be better suited for European leagues than the NBA.
“I’m not sure how he gets on an NBA court early in his career,” he wrote. “I love his frame and physicality. I love that he rebounds and attacks with aggression. But I’m not sure he’s good enough without the ball to make an early impact in the NBA.”
Should López make the Grizzlies’ roster, he would join Horacio Llamas, Gustavo Ayón, Jorge Gutiérrez and Nájera as the only NBA players born in Mexico.
“It means a lot to me,” Lopez said. “It’s just a great opportunity for me and my country to have this platform and have this opportunity. So super blessed and definitely take it with a lot of pride.”
Noteworthy NBA players of Mexican descent born in the United States include former UCLA standout Jaime Jaquez Jr. and former Lakers reserve Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Jaquez averaged 15.4 points a game in 2025-2026, his third season with the Miami Heat. Toscano-Anderson played five seasons in the NBA — including winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022 — and now is with Pallacanestro Trieste of the top Italian league.
López is already a veteran of international basketball, having spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s top pro league. He averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds last season.
He will join No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer with the Grizzlies, who are rebuilding after finishing 25-57 and 13th in the Western Conference last season.
“A goal of mine is to hopefully reach young people in Mexico,” Lopez told ESPN in March when he declared for the draft. “Trying to grow the sport and inspire athletes and people in general to follow their dreams. Show people that it doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
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The 2026 NBA Draft finally saw the top college prospects get chosen along with some friendly fire among ESPN and basketball analysts on Tuesday night.
Jay Williams, Richard Jefferson and Kenny Smith were among those covering the draft and offering their analysis during the event. One exchange among the three former NBA players went awry and led to an awkward moment.
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Jay Williams of the Chicago Bulls and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs share a laugh during the 2003 got milk? Rookie Challenge Game at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Feb. 8, 2003. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE)
ESPN recalled the moments each former player was drafted. Smith went No. 6 overall in 1987 to the Sacramento Kings, Richard Jefferson was selected at No. 13 by the Houston Rockets before being traded to the New Jersey Nets in 2001 and Williams was chosen No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2001. Williams’ career was cut short due to a motorcycle crash.
ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi asked why Williams received a big ovation. Williams explained that most people who had gone to Duke were from the New York or New Jersey area.
“They also didn’t see the future coming, so they were cheering,” Jefferson said.
Williams responded, “Wow.”
TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith appears on air before the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game between the Purdue Boilermakers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on April 6, 2024. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Smith admitted that Williams was an “unbelievable talent” but “his career trajectory would’ve been a lot different if he didn’t like motorcycles.”
Williams tried to brush it off, saying all of what Smith was saying was “on record” and that he “wrote a book about it.”
“I guess everybody that goes to Duke isn’t that smart,” Jefferson quipped. “What? He wrote a book about it. I’m agreeing with him.”
The awkwardness filled the air after that as the Toronto Raptors were getting ready to make a selection.
Williams’ incident occurred in June 2003. He suffered a fractured pelvis, three torn ligaments in his knee and he severed a nerve in his leg. Williams violated the terms of his contract by riding the motorcycle in the first place.
Referee Richard Jefferson watches the game between the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers during the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2022. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
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He tried to make his way back into the NBA through the G League but never got there. He played 75 games for the Bulls in his rookie season and averaged 9.5 points per game.
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