Sports

Landon Knack continues to prove he belongs on Dodgers in win over Giants

Published

2 years ago

July 24, 2024

Landon Knack continues to prove he belongs on Dodgers in win over Giants

The Dodgers sent the message Monday.

By designating veteran pitcher James Paxton for assignment, the team sent a clear indication of its faith in its pitching staff’s youngest arms.

Much could change between now and next week’s trade deadline, but for the time being the Dodgers are rolling with a young rotation, one that includes four rookies in Gavin Stone, Justin Wrobleski, River Ryan and Landon Knack (in addition to veterans Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw, who will return from the injured list this week.

Knack was on the mound Tuesday in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win against the San Francisco Giants, continuing his strong rookie season by giving up one run in five innings in front of 52,627 at Dodger Stadium.

The victory was the Dodgers’ fifth in a row coming out of the All-Star break, and was keyed by RBI doubles from Gavin Lux in the first inning and Shohei Ohtani in the fourth. Ohtani also added an RBI single in the eighth, finishing the night second in the NL with 73 RBIs.

But Knack might have had the most effective performance — providing the kind of stress-free production the Dodgers will need from their young pitchers as they await reinforcements in the coming months (when Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are all expected back).

While Stone has been the star of this year’s rookie class, making a Rookie of the Year case with a 9-3 record and 3.19 ERA, Knack isn’t too far behind.

In eight starts, and nine total outings this season, the 26-year-old right-hander is 2-2 with a 3.07 ERA. He’d given up two or fewer runs in his first six starts, then on Tuesday bounced back from a couple of rougher recent outings (four runs in 4 ⅓ innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks and three runs in 4 ⅓ innings against the Philadelphia Phillies) by silencing the Giants’ slumping lineup, a second-inning home run by Tyler Fitzgerald proving to be his only blemish.

Suddenly, Knack and his 44 career big league innings don’t seem so green either.

This week, the Dodgers also turned to recently called-up prospects Justin Wrobleski (who has a 4.40 ERA in three starts) and River Ryan (who gave up one unearned run in 5 ⅓ innings against the Giants on Monday) to help fill out a shorthanded rotation.

Wrobleski and Ryan appear likely to get at least one more turn through the rotation in the coming days, with the Dodgers currently utilizing a six-man rotation.

More than anything, though, it was the team’s decision to part ways with Paxton — the 11-year veteran whose 18 starts matched a team high, despite his 4.43 ERA — that sent the loudest message about its faith in its collection of young arms.

“Having River here, and Wrobleski,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday, while also noting the upcoming returns of Glasnow and Kershaw, “we feel good about the starting staff going forward.”

Apart from Stone, it’s doubtful any of the other rookie pitchers will factor into the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.

Could any fit in the club’s bullpen as October approaches?

“I think anything is on the table,” Roberts said. “I think each one of those guys would be and should be open to any role that we have for them going forward.”

For now, the rookie quartet is serving a more important purpose: helping the Dodgers navigate the starting pitching problems of the present, while offering a glimpse of the arms they’ll have to rely on in the future.

Buehler throws in bullpen session

Walker Buehler threw his first bullpen session Tuesday since rejoining the team this week. Buehler, who started the season poorly before going on the injured list because of a hip issue last month, had been working at a private facility in Florida to try to refine his mechanics.

Roberts said there was more “life” to Buehler’s fastball Tuesday, and that his “delivery was cleaned up, more efficient, consistent.” Buehler’s next step hasn’t been determined, but Roberts said it’s possible Buehler could go out on a rehabilitation assignment soon.

Sports

Charles Barkley scolds sports fans for getting wrapped up in Olympic hockey frenzy

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Charles Barkley scolds sports fans for getting wrapped up in Olympic hockey frenzy

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.

Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”

Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.

“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”

Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.

The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)

“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”

The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.

“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.

Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Prep talk: Birmingham’s Slava Shahbazyan celebrates winning state wrestling title

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Birmingham’s Slava Shahbazyan celebrates winning state wrestling title

Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.

“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.

Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.

“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”

Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.

“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.

Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.

Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.

Here’s the link to complete results.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”

Ponder was 23 years old.

Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)

Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.

Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.

The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.

Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.

Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.