Sports
Max Fried set for Yankees' debut vs. Nestor Cortes, Brewers
Mar 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Max Fried was the big starting pitching acquisition for the New York Yankees. For the Milwaukee Brewers, it was Nestor Cortes, who spent five seasons in Yankee pinstripes.
The left-handers will oppose each other Saturday afternoon when Fried makes his debut for the Yankees and Cortes his for the Brewers in his return to New York.
The Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal on Dec. 17, four days after trading Cortes to Milwaukee for closer Devin Williams. Williams needed 36 pitches to close out Thursday’s 4-2 win against his former team by striking out Christian Yelich with runners in scoring position.
Fried joined Carlos Rodon as the second big pitching free agent signing in three seasons to give the Yankees a strong trio along with Gerrit Cole. With Cole sidelined following Tommy John surgery, Fried and Rodon are the top two starters for the Yankees, who survived 75 games without Cole last season and saw their starting pitchers post a 3.85 ERA.
“There’s obviously a flood of emotions,” Fried said Thursday morning. “I’m really excited to get out there in Yankee Stadium for the first time but also trying to ground myself.”
Fried was 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA in seven-plus seasons with the Braves. He earned top-five finishes in the National League Cy Young voting in 2020 and 2022.
During spring training, Fried was 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his four starts.
The 31-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five career starts against the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins (5-for-29) and Yelich (3-for-17) have extensive experience facing him.
The Brewers traded for Cortes and his crafty arsenal with a low-90s fastball. He highlighted his time with the Yankees by going 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 2022 resulting in an All-Star appearance.
“I’m really proud of who Nestor became with us, really establishing himself in this league, making an All-Star team which I predicted for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’ll be good to see him. Hopefully we can get to him a little bit and beat him up and then he goes on and has a great year.”
Cortes, 30, was 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) last season and made two appearances in the World Series after missing time with a forearm injury.
“I’m excited to face everybody,” Cortes said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to see where I’m at and how I match up with those guys. I think it’s going to be a fun matchup.”
Cortes is sporting platinum blond hair and is facing some of his former teammates after pitching 11 innings in a pair of spring training starts.
“He’s a wonderful guy,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said before Cortes received a nice reception from fans during baseline introductions. “He’s serious about his craft. He’s at the same time really aware of being in new surroundings and really caring to his teammates. He’s made a very favorable impression on everybody as a teammate. So that part’s been good. We know he can pitch.”
Cortes’ lone appearance against the Yankees came April 7, 2018, in a relief outing for the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles picked him up in the Rule 5 draft and returned him to the Yankees six days after that outing.
Aside from seeing how Cortes fares against his former teammates, the Brewers are hoping to bounce back from a rough day at the plate. The Brewers struck out 13 times, five of them belonging to leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Charlotte FC score late, edge New York City FC
Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Maximiliano Moralez (10) fights for the ball against Charlotte FC midfielder Ashley Westwood (8) during the first half at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas scored second-half goals as Charlotte FC slipped past New York City FC 2-1 on Saturday night for their first road win in three tries this season.
Kristijan Kahlina had seven saves for Charlotte (4-2-2, 14 points), which avenged a three-match series loss to NYCFC in the opening round of the MLS playoffs last fall.
Charlotte FC, which has lost just once in their last six league matches, is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Nicolas Fernandez scored in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half for slumping New York City (3-3-2, 11 points) which has not won in its last four games against MLS competition.
Matthew Freese had two saves for NYCFC, which has surrendered eight goals during their four-game skid.
After a scoreless first half, Charlotte struck in the 54th minute as Wilfried Zaha maneuvered through traffic in the middle of the field and created a window to send a pass downfield.
Harry Toffolo passed forward to an open Toklomati, who tapped a right-footed shot past the onrushing Freese.
It was the third goal this season for Toklomati and the third assist for Toffolo as Charlotte scored for just the second time this season in a road match after playing six straight games at home in all competitions.
Zaha was the missing piece for Charlotte on April 11 in a 2-1 loss to first-place Nashville SC as he was serving a red-card suspension.
The second goal for Charlotte came in the 90th minute as Pep Biel crossed to Vargas, who fired a left-footed shot inside the left post for his second goal this season.
New York City answered in stoppage time as Fernandez took a feed across the box from Hannes Wolf and scored with a left-footed blast from just outside the box to the top right corner.
NYCFC dominated the scoreless first half with its pressing defense and the creative, well-timed attacks of Maxi Moralez and Agustin Ojeada. While New York City fired 10 shots in the period, Charlotte took just one.
For the match, NYCFC outshot Charlotte 23-8, which gave 19-year-old forward Rodolfo Akolo his first MLS start.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Chris Sale dominant as Braves keep Phillies in a funk
Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Chris Sale worked seven strong innings and Mauricio Dubon provided a two-run single to lift the visiting Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
Sale (4-1) struck out seven and walked only one, giving up just one run and five hits. Austin Riley, Jonah Heim and Ozzie Albies each had two hits as Atlanta won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Braves will look to complete a three-game sweep Sunday in the finale with the scuffling Phillies, who have dropped eight of 10. Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sanchez (2-2) gave up three unearned runs in six innings, yielding eight hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
The game began in exciting fashion, as Ronald Acuna Jr. sent a blast to deep center, only to watch Brandon Marsh leap at the wall to rob a home run.
In the second, Philadelphia’s Felix Reyes launched Sale’s 2-0 fastball over the wall in right field for a home run in his first major league at-bat. However, that was the only offensive highlight for the hosts.
Atlanta promptly bounced back with two runs in the third. Sanchez struck out the first two batters of the frame before the next three hitters reached, including Albies on an error by second baseman Edmundo Sosa.
Riley’s infield hit tied the game, then Dubon’s bloop increased the lead to 3-1.
Sale sat down the Phillies with minimal stress in the third, fourth and fifth innings. He then went through the heart of the Philadelphia order in the sixth, getting Kyle Schwarber on a comebacker to the mound, striking out Bryce Harper and inducing a popup by Adolis Garcia.
Sale struck out two more in the seventh before exiting after 101 pitches.
Dylan Lee took care of the eighth for Atlanta before Robert Suarez logged a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto exited due to lower back tightness. Rafael Marchan replaced Realmuto in the top of the seventh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sei Young Kim rides ups, downs to hold lead at LA Championship
Aug 27, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Sei Young Kim hits out of bunker on the fifteenth green during the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images South Korea’s Sei Young Kim endured a rough back nine with four consecutive bogeys on Saturday but retained her lead after three rounds at the JM Eagle LA Championship in Tarzana, Calif.
Ranked No. 10 in the world, Kim had a one-shot lead entering the day and expanded that to two strokes with a 1-under-par 71 to move to 15-under 201 at El Caballero Country Club.
“Oh, wow, it’s feel like, yeah, roller coaster,” Kim said of her round. “I didn’t know still two-shot lead until the last hole. Yeah, after finish I look at the scoreboard and I still (hold a) two-shot lead. OK, one more day. Yeah, I’m going better tomorrow.”
Four players are tied for second at 13 under: Australia’s Hannah Green (5-under 67 on Saturday), Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), South Korea’s Ina Yoon (71) and Jessica Porvasnik (68).
Kim shot a blistering 31 on the front nine with five birdies (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) and four pars to get to 19 under for the tournament. The back nine, however, was a different story with four pars followed by bogeys at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 before a par on No. 18 for 40.
Kim had carded one bogey in a first-round 65 and followed with a bogey-free 65 on Friday.
She hit seven of 14 fairways on Saturday and 13 of 18 greens in regulation while totaling 28 putts.
“I don’t know forget about (the third round) because I want to keep thinking and then I want to why, why, why, why. I don’t want to make (it) happen again,” Kim said. “But it’s golf. It can be happen again. It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn, yeah. Hopefully, success (at the) end of the day tomorrow.”
Green’s adventurous 67 featured seven birdies and two bogeys. Vinijchaitham made eagle on the par-5 16th hole, and also have five birdies and two bogeys.
Yoon recorded four birdies and three bogeys, while Porvasnik carded seven birdies — including each of the last three holes — to counter a double bogey on the par-3 No. 9 and a bogey at the par-3 No. 15.
“I felt like I was playing pretty well,” Porvasnik said. “Had a hiccup on nine and just kind of kept grinding. Knew that just stay patient out there. It’s playing tough. To have the three birdies to close was just really nice.”
Kim, 33, owns 13 career LPGA victories, but just one in the past six years, at the BMW Ladies Championship last October.
Japan’s Chizzy Iwai had led after a course-record-tying 63 on Thursday, then carded a 68 on Friday to get to 13 under. She carded a 3-over 75 on Saturday to fall to 10 under and a tie for 10th.
Iwai made just one birdie, at the par-4 No. 13, and lost ground with bogeys at Nos. 2, 7, 17 and 18.
–Field Level Media
Charlotte FC score late, edge New York City FC
Chris Sale dominant as Braves keep Phillies in a funk
