NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia wiped tears away with his hands and the top of his jersey. Honored at Yankee Stadium ahead of his retirement at season's end, his emotions came out as his wife, mother and children read tributes on a video broadcast on the center-field scoreboard.

"It's been a great 11 years," Sabathia said before the New York Yankees' regular-season home finale Sunday against Toronto.

True to his nature, the 39-year-old left-hander thanked the training and clubhouse staff by name.

He was given a lap around the field in a golf cart, passing the bullpen that will be his home during the postseason.

Sabathia was presented with art portraying his accomplishments and a 10-day vacation to Japan, then spoke briefly and posed for photos with his family and the entire team. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his mom -- Margie was his first catcher.

He envisions a future role with the Yankees, perhaps as an adviser or instructor.

"I just feel like I'm going to be here," he said earlier in the clubhouse, where gifts commemorating Sabathia's career were placed on the chair of every teammate. "I'm not going anywhere. I live here. I'll be at the Stadium."

Sabathia was drafted 20th overall by Cleveland in 1998 from Vallejo High School near San Francisco. Sabathia made his big league debut in 2001 and was 17-5 in his first season

"When I showed up, I didn't plan on playing this long," he said. "I'm from Vallejo. I'm from the inner city. I'm from the hood, so just making it was a big deal. So I never really thought past that first year."

Sabathia is 5-8 with a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts, a season interrupted by four trips to the injured list because of a chronically bad right knee that one day will require replacement surgery.

His is 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,091 strikeouts in a big league career that began in Cleveland from 2001-08 and included a brief stay in Milwaukee before he signed with the Yankees in December 2008. A six-time All-Star, he won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and was MVP of the Yankees' win over the Angels in the 2009 AL Championship Series. He made a pair of starts for New York in the World Series win over Philadelphia.

"Nineteen years of kind of pitching the way that I have, like emotionally, I'm kind of exhausted," he said. "It will be good next year to just kind of give that a break and my body a break, but I'll definitely miss the guys, the relationships I have in here."

New York appears headed toward a postseason rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Luis Severino and J.A. Happ. Sabathia is getting switched to a relief role he filled just once, when he allowed a run at Detroit as the Yankees lost Game 5 of the AL Division Series.

"I'm nervous. I'm excited," he said. "I don't know what to expect."

Sabathia has heard the debate over whether he is worthy of the Hall of Fame. He's watched Mariano Rivera celebrated for his induction this year and anticipates Derek Jeter getting enshrined next summer.

"I've seen all the parties and stuff," he said. "I love parties, so it would be fun to get in."

As part of our series with reigning world champions, the sprinter shares his memories of London 2017, where he gained 4x100m gold for GB alongside CJ Ujah, Adam Gemili and Danny Talbot

What are your memories of London 2017?

First the 200m heats – I was buzzing so much. The crowd was cheering like it was a final. Then qualifying for the final was another great feeling. Coming fourth was a gut-wrenching feeling.

Then we had the relay heat and I remember I was so sore physically after running the three rounds of the 200m that I actually asked the head of sprints and relays if I could miss the first round and run the final, given the opportunity, but they wanted me to run the heat.

So I ran the heat and I remember I felt good.

We then all took a nap and we came out into the hallway. It was like a boy band, almost like a movie. Have you seen (the film) The Hangover before? Not saying that we were hungover! But you know when they walk into the hallway from their hotel rooms to go to the casino, they all come out at the same time from different entrances. We had a time that we were going to meet in the hallway but we all literally opened and closed doors at the same time. Everybody had the game face on.

That was a great feeling – that instinct with each other mentally. I remember Danny saying, ‘you got this’ and we later went on to become world champions.

How has it changed things for you, becoming a world champion?

The fact that I can call myself a world champion, that changes a lot. But it never changed my goals, it just allowed me to get an experience that we all aspire to have in the sport, of becoming a world champion.

Having team success definitely motivated me to later getting individual success. Albeit being Europeans – getting an individual medal (European 200m silver) was very important to me because I didn’t just want to be known as a relay guy. I want to achieve much more individual success and with that I believe will come collective success for the group.

Click here for more interviews in the series.

LOUDON, N.H. – Kevin Lacroix may have dominated the first 92 laps of Saturday’s Visit New Hampshire 100, but it was Andrew Ranger who stole the lead and drove into victory lane.

Ranger won the NASCAR Pinty’s Series event that kicked off a tripleheader of Saturday racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the second annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend.

“My car was just fantastic,” said Ranger, who started the race from third position. “The crew pushed really hard when I came into the pits and sent me back out with a little adjustment, and little by little we gained and I could see the race leader. It was a great race, and I hope we can finish and maybe win a third title.”

Capping off a sweet victory, Ranger took a swig from a gallon jug of pure New Hampshire maple syrup, creating a new victory lane tradition for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at “The Magic Mile.”

Lacroix, who won the inaugural Visit New Hampshire 100 in 2018, repeated a dominant 90-lap performance in Saturday’s race, however, he was unable to win the battle to the checkered flag.

On the final lap, Alex Labbe, driver of the No. 36 Ford, spun Lacroix at the exit of turn four, propelling him into pit wall and ending Lacroix’s day only 20 feet from the finish line.

LOUDON, N.H. – After knocking on the door of victory lane four times this season, Ty Gibbs finally broke through and drove his way to his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win.

In his first visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, Gibbs took the checkered flag first during the Apple Barrel 125, part of the second annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend.

“It was just like going on a Sunday drive the car was so good,” said Gibbs, who started the race from the third position. “We led a lot of laps, and we got a little tight halfway through the race, but the guys fixed it up, and we went back out there and won.”

Gibbs led 112 of 125 laps, with July Loudon winner Chase Cabre, Sam Mayer and Tanner Gray close behind. Gibbs lost his cushion after a late-race caution, but pulled away after bumping Gray, securing the first-place position for the remainder of the race.

Gray, Josh Berry, Spencer Davis and Mayer rounded out the top five at the conclusion after a four-car battle for second place.

Cabre, who was out front for the 13 laps Gibbs didn’t pace, led the second five, ahead of Ruben Garcia Jr., Nick Sanchez, Justin Carroll and Robert Pawlowski.

Racing is in Gibbs’ blood, so it’s no surprise the grandson of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Joe Gibbs landed in victory lane during his rookie season after only 11 starts.

With his 17th birthday only two weeks away, Saturday’s victory lane celebration served as an early birthday present for the Charlotte, N.C. native.

The finish:

Ty Gibbs, Tanner Gray, Josh Berry, Spencer Davis, Sam Mayer, Chase Cabre, Ruben Garcia Jr., Nick Sanchez, Justin Carroll, Robert Pawlowski, Armani Williams, Josh Fanopoulos, Max McLaughlin, Bill Hoff.

SALINAS, Calif. – Andretti Autosport announced Saturday that the team will join forces with Harding Steinbrenner Racing via a partnership that will see Andretti field a fifth entry for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season.

The No. 88 Honda will join the Andretti stable under the Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport banner, with HSR team principals Mike Harding and George Michael Steinbrenner IV uniting alongside Michael Andretti as leadership partners of the No. 88 team.

“I’m really excited about the announcement to bring our partnerships with Harding Steinbrenner closer together,” said co-team principal Andretti. “This partnership and expansion of Andretti Autosport will bring about a positive direction and new opportunities for all involved.

“I’m also thrilled to be able to keep Colton in the Andretti family,” Andretti added. “We’ve watched him grow and develop and we are excited to see the next chapter as he continues his charge in becoming a strong competitive force in the IndyCar Series.”

The partnership is born from a successful technical alliance between Andretti Technologies and Harding Steinbrenner Racing, which provided engineering support through the season.

Additionally, the relationship provided a development environment for Colton Herta, who will return to Andretti to pilot the No. 88 as part of a multi-year agreement.

“I am very proud of Harding Steinbrenner Racing’s 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. The No. 88 crew, Colton Herta, and our partnership with Andretti Technologies have worked extremely well, and we have had some great accomplishments this season,” noted Harding. “I am also honored that the No. 88 will combine forces with Andretti Autosport to become Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season with Colton continuing as the driver.”

“We are extremely excited to be continuing and expanding our partnership with Andretti Autosport,” added Steinbrenner IV. “Andretti has become like family to me and the team, as we have shared a connection since the very beginning of Steinbrenner Racing. We see this as an opportunity to build upon a successful 2019 and create an environment of sustained competitiveness. We are thrilled we have been able to retain Colton’s services and look forward to a fruitful tenure together.”

Herta, who climbed the European racing ranks before joining Andretti Autosport for the 2017 and 2018 Indy Lights seasons, currently ranks third in the IndyCar Rookie of the Year standings on the strength of one win and five top-10 finishes.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to drive for Andretti Autosport ever since watching my dad drive for them in the mid 2000s,” said Herta. “I’m very thankful for the Steinbrenners and Mike Harding for their efforts through my career and continued efforts into this year. I’ve grown up around the Andretti team and many of the guys that have been working there since my dad’s days of driving are still with the team. I’m sure I’ll feel right at home.

“I can for sure tell you this is going to be the longest offseason I’ve had in a while and I can’t wait to hop in my brand-new Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Indy car!”

ALTON, Va. – The Trans Am TA2 powered by AEM class delivered a show for the fans on hand at Virginia Int’l Raceway, with an action-packed Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race on Saturday.

The dramatic TA2 race had battles from the front of the 25-car field all the way through the pack, with Thomas Merrill dodging incidents in the final moments of the 100-mile feature to secure Big Diehl Racing’s third win of the season.

After falling down the order to fifth early in the race, TA2 class championship leader Marc Miller wheeled his No. 40 Prefix/Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger to a second-place finish.

His Stevens-Miller Racing teammate Dillon Machavern returned to the podium for the first time since finishing third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“This is my first time racing here at VIR and these Trans Am cars are wicked fun to drive around here,” said Merrill, who fell to fifth before taking the lead. “We had to make the best of the opportunities we were given. It got tight toward the end, but we came away with the win. Big Diehl Racing gave me an awesome car. Trans Am racing is the best racing in the world, and I am just happy to be here.”

After starting the race from pole, Rafa Matos was looking to claim his third flag-to-flag win in a row. But disaster struck for the Brazilian driver on lap nine as a mechanical problem took him out of the lead and out of the race.

“We were really driving hard,” said Matos. “It was a hard fight between me, Thomas (Merrill) and Scott (Lagasse Jr). It was a hard-fought battle, and on the restart I struggled a bit but then my car started to come in, allowing me to pull away from Scott. Then I started experiencing mechanical issues. It was a frustrating moment because we were trying to recover the points we lost in the middle of the season.

“To break like that leading the race is gutting. That’s how it goes sometimes, we can’t control certain things, and we are going to keep fighting until the end.”

Miller’s race was just as eventful as Matos’ as the championship leader played a conservative hand at the start to slot into fifth in the opening segment of the race.

He moved up to third before taking one more spot to claim second at the checkered flag with a healthy haul of championship points.

For Machavern, patience paid off during the grueling 31-lap race. Starting in sixth, Machavern watched as drivers darted off track or pulled into the pits after exhausting their race cars. But Machavern kept his cool under tough circumstances to capture the last step on the podium in third.

Lagasse Jr. was relentless in the pursuit of his second consecutive win at VIR.

Starting from fifth, Lagasse  Jr. fought to the front and was glued to Matos, as he also fended off the pressure from Merrill and Miller.

Merrill slipped in to take first on the restart, but Lagasse was on the hunt. On the white flag lap, Lagasse Jr. got airborne as he raced through the Roller Coaster section of the track.

The incident, which is still under review by race control, saw his white Camaro come to rest upside down. Lagasse emerged from the incident unscathed, but was taken to track medical for precautionary review.

“In my many years of high-speed racing, that was by far the worst crash that I’ve been involved in,” Lagasse said. “I am thankful for the M1 Racecars chassis and Simpson for keeping me safe. I was able to just FaceTime my daughter, which going through the air I never thought I would again. It was a tough one but I’m still here.”

With just minutes left in the session, race 10 finished under full course caution.

After spinning on the first lap, Maurice Hull worked his way back to 10th place to earn the Masters Class award at his home track.

“I wish we could have finished under green, I had some more to give,” Hull said. “It was a good time coming back. I want to thank my guys Jeff, Alan, Chad, Peanut, and most of all my crew chief, and my wife, who worked tirelessly on the car.”

Coming in sixth in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series on Friday in Richmond, Va., Harrison Burton was forced to start last in the TA2 race since he missed qualifying.

Driving from a 25th-place start to finish just inside the top 10 in ninth, the part-time Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series rookie received the Cool Shirt Cool Move of the Race award.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For the second time, the Bettenhausen 100 presented by BRANDT has been canceled due to weather.

The USAC Silver Crown Series and the DIRTcar modifieds were scheduled to race Sunday afternoon, Sept. 22.

After consulting with USAC, a number of team owners and drivers, weather forecasters, and with the rain the Springfield area received on Saturday, many felt it would be best to cancel a day in advance.

Sunday’s forecast is unfavorable, with a number of models showing a near 100% chance of rain.

The cancellation marks the second time the event has been scratched due to weather. It was originally scheduled to be part of the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 17.

The USAC Silver Crown Series season concludes Sept. 28 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, with the running of the prestigious 4-Crown Nationals at the iconic half-mile.

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Jon Rahm endured a wild end to his third round at the BMW PGA Championship to drop back into a share of the lead with Danny Willett at the flagship European Tour event on Saturday.

Holding a two-stroke lead after playing the first 16 holes in 5 under, Rahm hit a spectator with his second shot at No. 17 - though it did stop his ball going out of bounds. The world No. 6 pitched to 10 feet and three-putted for bogey.

Rahm was also close to driving out of bounds at the 18th hole, too, and needed to take a drop. He holed from 20 feet for an unlikely par while Willett got up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie to match his playing partner's 4-under 68.

''Man, those last two holes made it feel a lot worse than it really was,'' Rahm said. ''I was really in control of my game and playing good. It was not the finish I was looking for - I might have lost a bit of focus, looking into the future instead of staying in the present.''

Rahm and Willett, who also shared the second-round lead at 15 under with a three-shot lead over Justin Rose (69), Shubhankar Sharma (66) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (69). Richie Ramsay and Rafa Cabrera Bello (both 67) were two shots further back.

Rahm was among the players who waited beside the 18th green on Friday as Spanish compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal completed his 25th and final appearance in the event. The 24-year-old Rahm can join Olazabal, Seve Ballesteros, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ignacio Garrido and Manuel Pinero as a Spanish winner at Wentworth.

Willett recovered from a bogey on the first, making six birdies to remain on track for a seventh European Tour title - and a first on home soil.

''This is our biggest tournament of the year for us British guys. It's a massive event,'' Willett said. ''I've been here 10 straight years and I love the place. The crowds are amazing.

''I've won all around the world and it would be amazing to polish one off in front of a home crowd. It's going to be a pretty tough battle out there.''

Rory McIlroy, who made the cut on the number, shot 65 to equal his lowest score at Wentworth. It left him nine shots off the lead.

''I will give it a go, for sure, and you never know,'' said McIlroy, the 2014 champion. ''But at the same time, I'm a realist. I know I won from seven back five years ago and I feel like that's something that happens maybe once in your career.''

Another rare event was Ross Fisher making an albatross after holing a 4-iron with his second shot to the 18th from 225 yards. Not only did it complete a remarkable back nine of 29 for a third-round 66, the English player won a BMW i8 Roadster worth 130,000 pounds ($160,000).

''I thought I'd pulled it so I looked away and the crowd's reaction told the rest of the story,'' Fisher said. ''To win the car is still a bit shocking.''

American Nelly Korda will have to hold off a pair of French women on their own turf to win her first LET title.

Korda’s six-shot lead shrunk to a single stroke Saturday at the Lacoste Ladies French Open outside Bordeaux.

With a 1-under-par 70, Korda moved to 11 under overall, with France’s Joanna Klatten (65) climbing to 10 under and Celine Boutier (67) getting to 7 under at Golf du Medoc.

Korda is the highest ranked player in the field at No. 10 in the Rolex world rankings. Klatten is No. 956 and Boutier is No. 56.

Korda, 21, will be paired with both French women in Sunday’s final round.

“I am so happy to be playing with Nelly tomorrow,” Klatten said. “It can only make you better to play with someone like that. She has been so consistent, so it’s a great thing. And, hopefully, playing with Celine as well. It’s nice to have a little French connection in there. I am excited about it!”

Korda is a two-time LPGA winner.

Promoted Granada moved into first place in La Liga after a convincing 2-0 win over Barcelona on Saturday took them to 10 points and into a tie with Sevilla in top spot.

The result marks the worst start to a La Liga season in 25 years for the Catalan giants.

The hosts, who had only beaten Barca once in their last 20 meetings, took an early lead when Ramon Azeez headed home from close range to make it 1-0 in just the second minute.

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Lionel Messi, still working his way back to full fitness and playing in his first La Liga game of the season so far, was brought on at half-time for Carles Perez to help Barca find their way back into the game.

However, it was Granada that would score again when a handball in the penalty area was called on Arturo Vidal and Alvaro Vadillo converted from the spot after a consultation with VAR confirmed the ruling.

"This defeat hurts us and makes us very worried and we need to really take a hard look at ourselves if we are to improve," Barca's Luis Suarez said after a second defeat in five league games confirmed the club's worst start since the 1994-95 season.

"It was very hard for us after going behind in the first few minutes, we didn't manage to dominate the game in any way. We need to analyse what has gone wrong in these away games; we are obviously concerned about the lack of chances we are creating."

Barca also have the joint-worst defensive record in the league along with Real Betis, having conceded nine times in five matches.

"It's clearly not a very good statistic for us and not in line with what we have been doing in the last few years," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

"I'm worried because away from home we're not getting good results. No wins from four away games this season is a clear symptom that we are not in a very good situation."

The Catalans, who have failed to win any of their last seven away games in all competitions, are seventh in the La Liga standings with seven points after five matches, while Granada sit on the summit with 10 points.

Second-placed Sevilla also have 10 points and can go clear at the top when they face Real Madrid on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid are third on 10 points after drawing 0-0 with Celta Vigo

Barca have enjoyed mixed fortunes at Granada's Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium in recent years and travelled there after an uninspiring 0-0 draw in Dortmund in their Champions League group, having lost away to Athletic Bilbao and drawn at promoted Osasuna.

The Catalans clinched the title in Granada on the final day of the 2016 season but lost 1-0 there in 2014, a defeat which played a huge role in Atletico Madrid winning the league at their expense.

Granada spent the last two seasons outside Spain's top flight and despite tickets being priced at €110 the stadium was full to capacity and rocking from kick-off to the final whistle, the atmosphere boosted by Azeez's early goal.

As Granada celebrated an unlikely victory and their even more unlikely status as league leaders, Barca were left to contemplate the fact that they have failed to win any of their last seven competitive games away from the Camp Nou.