Yankees Notes: Spencer Jones' near-robbery, why Cam Schlittler struggled vs. Tigers

Yankees manager Aaron Boone and some players spoke about the team's loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night...


Spencer Jones' near-robbery

One of the biggest moments of the game occurred in the first inning. With two outs and no one on, Kerry Carpenter hit a long fly ball to center field off of Cam Schlittler. Yankees prospect Spencer Jones drifted back, timed his jump and seemingly came up with the catch. But once Jones hit the outfield wall, the ball came loose and went over, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

It was an unfortunate moment for Jones and the Yankees, but it would get worse. 

Instead of the inning ending, the Tigers wound up taking Schlittler deep two more times and pushed their lead to 4-0 before the Yankees came up to the plate. He also had to toss 36 pitches and almost didn't get out of the opening frame.

Boone was asked after the loss whether the first home run rattled Schlittler.

"Cam’s a dog out there," Boone said. "It’s obviously a robbed home run, ball gets jarred out a little bit by the impact of the wall. That shouldn’t have a big effect and I don’t think it did."

Why did Schlittler struggle?

Schlittler entered Tuesday's game with the AL lead in ERA (1.62) and that changed in a hurry.

The young right-hander went just four-plus innings, allowing a career-worst six earned runs on four homers. His ERA jumped to 2.08 and after such a dominant start to the 2026 season, it was jarring to see Schlittler struggle. But the Yankees believe it was simply a lack of execution.

"I thought the stuff was ok; they hit the ball out of the ballpark. Got to him, obviously," Boone said of Schlittler's night. "Missing locations…and just long at-bats that added up against him... Took advantage of mistake locations and made him pay for it." 

"Not good. Didn’t execute with two strikes to a team that likes to put the ball in the air. Just didn’t get the job done," Schlittler said. "Comes down to execution. Just didn’t make the right pitches when it mattered."

With the Yankees having lost five in a row, they were hoping Schlittler would put a stop to the losing streak. Schlittler welcomed that pressure, but lamented not being able to get it done. 

"We’re not playing good ball right now. It’s my job to stop that bleeding and I couldn’t get it done," Schlittler said. "Put our team down four against [Tarik Skubal]. Took a while to experience an outing like that. Take what I can from it and get ready for next week."

Yankees offensive struggles

The now six-game losing streak is mostly due to the Yankees' lack of offense. On Tuesday, they had four hits, the first time they eclipsed three in five games. During that span, they have scored 15 runs.

“We know we have a lot of talent. It’s such a long season," Ben Rice said after the loss. "It just so happens that right now, it’s kind of like the whole team is going through something all at once.”

Rice went 1-for-4 with his lone hit being a solo shot off of Skubal. The hit snapped an 0-for-18 stretch for the slugging first baseman. 

Anthony Volpetold The Daily News' Gary Phillips that "everyone's pissed" about the offensive slump and that the lineup is pressing.

"We're all trying to have good at-bats and put stuff together, and then when you want to do it so bad, you probably press," Volpe said. "And it feels like, as an offense, we're pressing.”

The Yankees skipper said he wouldn't go as far as to say he's seeing a lot of pressing from his players, but they have to simplify their at-bats.

"I like our preparation. Our guys are committed and dialed," Boone said. "Nothing’s changed there, but when you have a handful of guys struggling, you might start pressing a little bit. I don’t see a lot of pressing going on, but keeping it small and focusing on winning pitches, winning at-bats. And when you start doing that as a group. All of a sudden that can start to snowball."

The Yankees are in the midst of a 16-game stretch of not having a day off, with one game remaining (5-10 record in that span). They'll look to salvage a win in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon.

Yordan Slam Powers Astros to 6-4 Victory Over Twins

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 30: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros hits a grand slam in the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Daikin Park on June 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This was a game the Houston Astros (43-45) needed to win if they were going to have a shot to win their 6th straight series. It didn’t start well, but it did end well.

Astros starter Mike Burrows (W, 4-8) surrendered 3 runs in the first inning on 2 hits, 2 walks and an HBP, but would settle down to only allow 1 more run over the next 4 innings. The Astros offense, and specifically Yordan Alvarez (3×4), would have his back.

The Astros offense exploded for 6 runs in the 4th off Minnesota Twins (41-46) ace Joe Ryan (L, 5-5), highlighted by a grand slam from Houston’s MVP frontrunner.

Three straight 1-out singles by Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell and Yainer Diaz in the bottom of the 4th would get the Astros on the board, with Diaz’ single driving in Smith to make it a 3-1 game. With 2 outs, Ryan walked Ray Delgado to load the bases. Ryan then walked Jose Altuve on a pitch originally called strike three, but Altuve challenged the call and won, resulting in ball 4 to drive in the Astros’ second run.

Alvarez then crushed a 1-1 pitch to right center for a grand slam, giving Houston a 6-3 lead.

Burrows would allow another run in the top of the 5th when Josh Bell doubled in Kody Clemens, but that was as close as the Twins would get.

The Astros bullpen combined for 4 perfect innings with 6 strikeouts. Josh Hader would strike out 2 in a perfect 9th for his 8th save.

The Astros are currently 2GB of Texas in the AL West and 1GB of Seattle (pending tonight’s game) in the AL Wild Card race.

Tomorrow’s rubber game at Daikin Park will match up Astros SP Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36 ERA) vs. Twins SP Taj Bradley (6-3, 3.98 ERA). First pitch 7:10pm CT.

Former Winnipeg Forward Joins Vegas Golden Knights Coaching Staff

On Tuesday, the Vegas Golden Knights added an experienced voice to their coaching staff, hiring former NHL forward Mark Letestu as an assistant coach. Letestu joins head coach Ryan Craig's staff for the 2026-27 season, with the remainder of the Golden Knights coaching group set to return as well.

Letestu brings both playing pedigree and a steadily building coaching resume to Vegas. The former forward spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, appearing in 567 regular season games and producing 210 points on 93 goals and 117 assists.

His NHL career painted a picture of a reliable two-way centre who carved out a long professional career through intelligence, faceoff ability and a willingness to embrace whatever role his team needed.

His final NHL stint came with the Jets, where he appeared in seven games during the 2019-20 season before transitioning out of playing and into coaching. The move to the bench suited him well. Letestu spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, helping build a winning culture in the organization. 

The Monsters qualified for the postseason in each of the final two seasons of his tenure, capturing the North Division title during the 2023-24 campaign and advancing to the Eastern Conference Final that same year.

From there, Letestu took his biggest step yet in coaching, becoming head coach of the AHL's Colorado Eagles ahead of last season. He wasted little time making an impact, guiding Colorado to a 41-20-11 record and a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with the Eagles advancing all the way to the Western Conference Final in his first and only season behind the bench. 

The strong showing made Letestu one of the more attractive coaching candidates available this summer and clearly caught the attention of the Golden Knights front office.

The connection to Craig also likely played a role in the hire as the two shared the ice together in Columbus during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. For Vegas, the addition of Letestu rounds out a coaching staff built around Craig, who is entering his first season leading the Golden Knights after the team fell short in the Stanley Cup finals under interim hire John Tortorella.

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Marlins soundly trounce the Rockies, 14-3

Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez (39) reacts at the end of the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In their second contest with the Miami Marlins, the Colorado Rockies had hoped to even the score after dropping the series opener. However, a persistent Marlins offense coupled with effective pitching left the Rockies mostly empty handed with catcher Brett Sullivan pitching the final 1.2 innings.

The Rockies dropped the game in a 14-3 slog, a fitting final chapter in the Marlins’ remarkable June.

The offense was stymied

The Marlins got off to a quick start with a Kyle Stowers triple. The next batter, Griffin Conine, hit a double to make the score 1-0 with just one out. However, Tanner Gordon managed to get two outs, giving the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first.

However, it did not take long for the Rockies to catch up when Mickey Moniak hit his 13th home run of the season.

However, the Marlins would take the lead again in the second when a Cole Carrigg error (his first) allowed Javier Sanoja to get on second. After that, a Leo Jiménez single was enough to bring Sanoja home and make the score 2-1 Marlins.

In the third inning, the Marlins continued to score. This time, Sanoja hit a three-run homer to score Xavier Edwards (fielder’s choice) and Owen Caissie (HBP).

When the Marlins’ half of the third ended, they had a 5-1 lead.

Finally, in the fourth inning, the Fish failed to score.

The Rockies finally got players on base in the fifth inning when Eury Pérez walked Edouard Julien and Kyle Karros with one out. However, they were unable to capitalize.

Seth Halvorsen entered the game in the sixth inning and got two outs but struggled to get the third. After walking Jiménez, five straight hitters would reach. Liam Hicks and Stowers both singled, with the latter earning the RBI in scoring Jiménez, which made the score 6-1. Following that, Conine singled, and the Marlins grew their lead to 7-1. Keeping up with his teammates, Edwards singled, and the score ballooned to 8-1.

In the sixth inning, the Rockies again had traffic on base due to Moniak and TJ Rumfield walks. It was enough for the Marlins to pull their starter.

Still, the Rockies did not have an answer for Pérez, who gave the Marlins 5.1 solid innings. His final line was one run (earned) on two hits. He walked four and struck out eight on 86 pitches. Pérez has an ERA of 4.21

The Rockies were no better against reliever Lake Bachar who quickly snagged the final two outs and ended the sixth inning.

The seventh inning went to John Brebbia in relief of Halvorsen but fared no better, giving up a two-run, 450-foot homer to Joe Mack, his fifth. The score was 10-1.

In the Rockies half of the seventh, they once again managed to get the first two batters on base via walk. This time, the Rockies scored Julien on a Jake McCarthy ground out, giving the Rockies their first run since the first inning.

As the seventh inning closed out, the scare was 10-2 Marlins.

That changed in the eighth when Brebbia gave up a three-run homer to Caissie. With the score 13-2, Brebbia left the game, and RHP/catcher Brett Sullivan entered the game.

On a positive note, Rumfield extended his hitting streak to 13 games after getting a double in the eighth inning. (It was the Rockies first hit since the second inning.)

Sullivan allowed an RBI double in the ninth to Stowers, and the score jumped to 14-2.

The Rockies, big fans of arriving fashionably late, tacked on one more run in the ninth. Karros knocked a serious double, and Ezequiel Tovar followed with a double of his own for a final 14-3 score.

The Marlins had a season high in runs and hits. Their final line was 14 runs (all earned) on 21 hits. They walked twice and struck out five times. Only Jakob Marsee failed to record a hit.

As for the Rockies, three runs (earned) on five hits. They walked six times and had 12 strikeouts.

”You’re gonna have one of these every now and then,” manager Warren Schaeffer said, adding the team would flush it and be back tomorrow.

Tanner Gordon fought through it

There’s no other way to put it: The Marlins hit Tanner Gordon hard from the first inning. However, he still managed to give the Rockies five innings and keep the game within reach. (After all, it was not yet the seventh inning, which is when the Rockies clock in.)

He left the game after finishing the fifth inning on 74 pitches. His final line was five runs (all earned) on nine hits. Gordon did not walk a batter and struck out four.

His ERA is 6.69.

“I thought he battled,” Schaeffer said, noting that he was able to help preserve the bullpen. “A couple of elevated off-speed pitches hurt him.”

The bullpen struggled

In the sixth inning, Seth Halvorsen entered the game in relief of Gordon. The inning did not go well with the Marlins scoring three runs on his watch. Halvorsen’s final line was three runs (earned) on four hits in one inning of work. He walked one and did not tally a strikeout on 25 pitches. Halvorsen’s ERA is 4.74.

John Brebbia entered the game to pitch the seventh. It took 25 pitches for him to finish that inning, and he allowed two runs on two hits.

He came back out to handle the eighth and allowed a three-run homer. His final line was 1.1 IP, allowing five runs (all earned) on five hits. He struck out one and currently has an ERA of 10.38.

RHP/catcher Brett Sullivan handled the ninth inning as well. His final line was one run (earned) on three hits. He walked one and did not notch any strikeouts in 1.2 IP.

Coming into this game, Sullivan lacked 22 innings of pitching to be classified as a two-way player. That number has now decreased to 20 innings. Should this happen, only Sullivan and Shohei Ohtani would have this classification.

Next up

Tomorrow night, the Marlins and Rockies will continue their series with Max Meyer facing Kyle Freeland.

First pitch is at 6:40pm.

See you then.


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How the Warriors ended the Kawhi Leonard Clippers era

Inglewood, CA - April 15: Forward Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers fights for the ball against forward Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and forward Gui Santos, right, of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of a NBA play-in tournament basketball game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again?! Whoaaa, eight years after he delivered the championship that shut Oracle Arena’s lights off forever, he’s headed back north for what could be the final chapter of his career.

It’s rather Shakespearean about the way his current chapter with the Warriors dynasty decided to end. Not with another Finals matchup or one last signature series, but with Draymond Green stealing the ball right out of his hands in the closing seconds of a Play-In game, sending him into the offseason and ultimately back to Toronto.

The Warriors have a strange habit of outlasting every villain in their story. Eventually, somehow, they get the last word. Kawhi Leonard was never supposed to be one of them.

Go back to the 73-win season. San Antonio was the respectability test for the dynasty, the team that made everyone who doubted the Warriors sharpen their pencils and reconsider. Kawhi Leonard was already becoming something dangerous, a two-way freight train who moved with mechanical patience and struck with violence. Then there was that February showdown, the kind that felt more like a Western Conference Finals preview than a Tuesday night in the regular season. Steph Curry hit a stepback that blew the roof off Oracle and made you feel the weight of what Golden State was becoming in real time. You could feel both franchises circling each other, understanding exactly what the other represented. The Warriors were ascending. The Spurs were the last empire standing between them and permanent dynasty status.

The rivalry never got its full resolution on the court. The injury to Kawhi in the 2017 Western Conference Finals derailed the Spurs’ best chance at contesting the Warriors on a level playing field, and it denied us the chess match we deserved. Depending on who you ask and how you feel about the circumstances, that moment either leveled the dynasty’s path or exposed the dynasty’s luck. Either way, the conversation never got finished.

Kawhi came back for his revenge as a Toronto Raptor. And he delivered one of the coldest postseason performances in NBA history against these Warriors, who were already broken and bleeding through an injury crisis unraveling in real time. Game Six was in Oracle Arena aka the house that built the dynasty, the most intimidating building in basketball. And with the Warriors set to move to San Francisco the next season, this was the last dance for Oakland.

Alas, Kawhi and the Raptors walked in and turned the lights off forever. Kevin Durant’s Achilles and Klay Thompson’s ACL were afterthoughts as the Raptors celebrated in front of a devastated Dub Nation. The last image Golden State’s faithful had of Oracle wasn’t the Splash Bros high fiving and pouring champagne. Instead it was Kawhi Leonard’s stone face unbothered, watching their dream die. As Finals MVP he ended the Oracle era, the threepeat, and the Oakland chapter of the Warriors dynasty.

The rivarly between Kawhi and the Dubs continued across the Bay. Chase Center opened and on opening night, the Los Angeles Clippers arrived as a superteam with Kawhi Paul George, and the specific energy of an organization that believed its moment had finally arrived. They walked into that building and won by 19, cruising to the finish over a proud but mortally wounded Golden State squad. Afterwards Patrick Beverley told Curry that the next five years belonged to him. Insane hyperbole? Absolutely. But that’s the confidence Kawhi’s presence against the Warriors warranted. The Clippers genuinely believed they were coming for the throne with “The Klaw” as their instrument of conquest. He had already buried Oracle. Now he had christened Chase with a victory and planted a flag in the new era.

Fast forward seven years to this year in the springtime where, in a Play-In game in Los Angeles the Warriors had no business winning, Draymond Green put Kawhi in handcuffs. Leonard finished with 21 points on 17 shots, committed 5 turnovers, and left that game with his own postgame assessment as the most revealing verdict of all: that Draymond was a Hall of Fame defender and it was hard to even get shots up against him.

With 49 seconds left and the Warriors clinging to a three-point lead, Green stole the inbound pass intended for Leonard, immediately found Brandin Podziemski streaking to the basket for an and-1 that crippled the Clippers for good, then ripped Leonard’s dribble in the final moments to seal it. The Klaw, who had haunted this franchise across two uniforms and a decade of history, got his cookies taken in the most consequential game of the Clippers’ season, on his home floor, with everything on the line.

I’m loving the symmetry. Kawhi stole the final championship game ever played inside Oracle Arena. And then he won the first regular season game ever played inside Chase Center. And the final possession of his Clippers career ended with Draymond snatching the ball away from him.

Nearly a decade after Toronto borrowed him to end the Warriors’ first act, Golden State sent him back to Toronto having written the ending to his L.A. story.

White Sox win first road series since May with 9-3 beat down in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 30: Jacob Gonzalez #7 of the Chicago White Sox drives hits a two-run single in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 30, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Jacob Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and is slashing .440/.481/.720 over his last seven games. | (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

In back-to-back nights, the offense scored eight or more runs while the pitching staff maintained its command, as the White Sox secured their first road series win since the May 1 series in San Diego after beating the Orioles, 9-3.

His ERA didn’t improve much (4.41), but Erick Fedde was solid enough tonight to earn his third win of the season, working out of some key jams to keep himself and the Sox in the game. Fedde tossed 90 pitches across five innings and gave up three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out three, and eventually had a nice eight-run cushion to work with.

Despite leaving eight runners on base as a team, the Good Guys were efficient (3-for-9) with runners in scoring position, and every batter in the lineup reached base at least once, except for Miguel Vargas – but hey, he can’t be the hero every night. His teammates picked him up anyway, mashing 11 hits with three doubles and two homers while also drawing six walks to keep the baserunners flowing. Andrew Benintendi and Jacob Gonzalez each popped off for three hits, while three players racked up two or more RBIs: Gonzalez (three), Junior Perez (three), and Colson Montgomery (two), with the latter two each mashing a bomb.

The White Sox scored early with one run in the top of the first after Kyle Teel drew a walk to start the game, and Benintendi mashed his 12th double of the season to the right field corner. Righthander Trey Gibson stumbled through the first for the Orioles, walking three batters to load up the bases, but the Good Guys unfortunately couldn’t capitalize, and Tristan Peters grounded out to strand all three.

The South Siders’ one-run lead lasted for maybe 10 minutes, give or take. Gunnar Henderson struck from the leadoff spot once again, beginning the frame with a base hit, and Pete Alonso walked to put two runners on with two outs. Jumping on the first pitch, Samuel Basallo delivered in the clutch with a base hit in the right-field gap to erase the lead and tie the game, 1-1.

The good news is that the White Sox apparently got sick of being called a “bad road team” and exploded for seven runs in the top of the third with six hits, three walks, and two home runs: a two-run, 440-foot moon shot from Colson Montgomery, and a three-run tank from Junior Perez for his second of the year.

Since joining the team on June 18, Perez has gone 4-for-13 with two home runs and four RBIs while posting a 1.047 OPS. It’s a small sample size, and Perez has also struck out six times, but there’s been some solid production from him when he’s been called upon.

On top of that, Jacob Gonzalez drove in two during the mega rally in the third, and sent a deep RBI double to right-center the next inning that one-hopped the wall to drive in his third run of the night. Since snapping his rough cold streak, Jacob has slashed .440/.481/.720 while going 11-for-25 with a homer, four doubles, 12 RBIs, and just four strikeouts. With Tuesday’s game, Gonzalez has raised his season OPS above .700 (.738)and has been making massive strides to keep his spot on the team once Munetaka Murakami is back.

After the Perez home run, that was the end of the day for Gibson, and it’s likely one he will want to forget. To make things worse, the Baltimore coaches seemed to let him flounder out there, opting not to use another mound visit during the mayhem. Gibson ended up with his third loss after 2 2/3 frames, allowing eight runs on seven hits, two homers, six walks, and five strikeouts; and his ERA has now ballooned up to 7.36. Ouch. But thank you for your service, sir.

The Orioles added two more runs in an attempt to cut the eight-run lead down in the bottom of the fifth, but Fedde worked through the jam to complete five innings and be on the hook for the win. Back-to-back doubles from Gunnar Henderson and Dylan Beavers scored one, and an RBI single from Pete Alonso scored the third Baltimore run, but that was all she wrote from their offense tonight.

Recalled from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights just a few days ago, Tyler Schweitzer came on to relieve Fedde and ended up finishing out the game and earning his first major league save. Schweitzer looked great throughout all four innings, only surrendering four hits while striking out three. He also tossed 36 of his 46 pitches (78%) for strikes, and looked way more buttoned up this time around. Tyler’s job was to eat innings, and he did that perfectly to save the game and close out the series win.

The Cleveland Guardians just dropped their second game in a row to the Texas Rangers tonight, leaving the White Sox with a two-game division lead. Regardless of whether they sneak out of Baltimore with a sweep, this next series in Cleveland will be huge. With these big wins over the last few games, the Good Guys now have a +30 run differential, which is the third-best in the American League, and have slightly improved their road record to 17-25.

We got an early one on at Camden Yards on Wednesday, with the series finale taking place at 11:35 a.m. CT. Lefthander Noah Schultz returns from the IL and makes tomorrow’s start, not having pitched since May 24 in San Francisco. In three June rehab starts with the Knights, Schultz accumulated a 4.00 ERA across nine innings, giving up four earned runs with two homers, six walks, and 15 strikeouts, with seven Ks in his final 4 2/3 frame outing.

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33-53 chart

DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 30: TJ Rumfield #7 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after failing to field a ground ball in the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on June 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Marlins 14, Rockies 3

Leverage index and box score

Box Score

Win Percentage Chart

Batting Box

Pitching Box

Graphics via FanGraphs.

Eur-a good pitcher, Eury Pérez: Eury Pérez, +0.17 WPA

Not a good return for Mr. Gordon: Tanner Gordon, -0.22 WPA

Game thread comments of the day


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Mets' Nolan McLean bounces back from tough last start, recent rough stretch with 'dominant' performance

After six scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, Mets starter Nolan McLean reminded everybody just how dominant he can be and proved that his previous start against the Chicago Cubs, where he allowed six earned runs, was a fluke.

In fact, during that start at Citi Field, McLean struck out nine batters and was really only burned on two pitches that both went for homers and accounted for five of the six runs. 

For this start, though, the right-hander took the positives of that outing, as well as his start before that in which he didn’t allow an earned run through seven innings against the Cincinnati Reds, and implemented them against the Blue Jays.

“Obviously the result of the last start wasn’t great, but outside of really two swings I felt really good last week,” McLean said. “So I tried to take the positives of what I could. Obviously it’s never fun going in and giving up six runs, but [I] tried to go in and look at the positives and bounce off of that for tonight.”

McLean now seems to be over the struggles he was going through earlier in the season when he allowed 16 runs (13 earned) in nine innings across two starts. And after bursting onto the scene late last season and getting off to a similarly hot start this season, that little stretch McLean went through was his first taste of adversity. 

Interim manager Andy Green said after Tuesday’s 3-0 win that he’s been impressed with how the 24-year-old responded to hardship.

“That’s who he is,” Green said. “It’s been fun seeing him kind of bounce back from a tougher stretch. I know last game, a little bit was made out of like a couple of home runs that skewed the line, but [today] he was just mixing his pitches incredibly well. 

“He’s got different ways to end at-bats; he was competitive the whole day, he was in the zone the whole day and that was, [from] start to finish, as just clean and dominant as he’s been all year, so it was awesome.”

Since his start on May 25, when he lasted a career-low 3.1 innings against the Cincinnati Reds and allowed seven earned runs, McLean has been on top of his game once again. 

Even with the six earned runs allowed last time out against the Cubs, McLean has a 2.79 ERA in five starts this month and has limited his opponent to two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts.

The best sign? Outside of the two against Chicago, McLean hasn’t allowed any home runs during that stretch and has started to walk fewer batters, two things that were beginning to plague him.

“I think [when] you go through an entire baseball season for the first time, you’re going to hit stretches where maybe your command wanes a little bit and I think it was mostly that,” Green said of McLean’s rough patch. “So he got to spots where he wasn’t getting his pitches to where he wanted it to and I think that sometimes causes you to go a little bit faster. 

“He was able to slow the game down; he’s able to step on the mound and take a deep breath and just go about executing.”

That’s what McLean did on Tuesday night against a Blue Jays team that had never faced him before.

“First off, Luis [Torrens] called a great game,” McLean said. “We had a lot of confidence in all the pitches and that was kind of the goal going in. 

“No matter what pitches I threw before, just have the confidence all the way through and trust in the adjustments throughout the game to have a feel if I didn’t have something working early, to be able to find it later. And then it just always goes back to [throwing] offspeed for strikes.”

In particular, McLean thought his sweeper worked for him very well on Tuesday and that he was able to use it to play off the sinker while also mixing in fastballs.

“I’m just trying to get better every time I go out there,” he said. “Find new things that work or old things that I kinda went away from that I should stick by and it always just goes back to landing offspeed. I think that’s a big key for me. Any time I can do that and keep guys off my fastball, it’s really good.”

Brewers ride four-run fourth inning to 7-2 win over Reds

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 30: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers is congratulated by Sal Frelick #10 after Bauers scored in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on June 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Box Score

The Brewers are starting to look like themselves again. After some recent struggles with runners in scoring position, they broke out of their slump with a big fourth inning, and with another solid day from Brandon Sproat, the Brewers took a 7-2 win on Tuesday night.

The day started out looking rough for Sproat. After Elly De La Cruz hit a deep fly ball to start the game, Sal Stewart hit a home run to give the Reds an early 1-0 lead. Sproat also allowed a two-out walk to Eugenio Suárez, but he was caught stealing to end the inning.

Meanwhile, Rhett Lowder struck out the side in the first inning to start his day strong. In the second, the Brewers got their first baserunner on a Jake Bauers single. He got to second on a passed ball by Jose Trevino to get into scoring position. On the next pitch, Garrett Mitchell singled to right, and Bauers beat the throw home. That tied the game at 1-1.

Sproat recovered from the first-inning run and kept the Reds in check for the next few innings. He worked around a one-out single in the second for a clean inning. In the third, he walked leadoff batter TJ Friedl and threw a wild pitch, but stranded Friedl at second. The fourth was Sproat’s strongest inning as he struck out the side.

Lowder had a clean third inning, but the Brewers came out swinging in the fourth. They started the inning with five consecutive singles. William Contreras, Bauers, and Mitchell had the first three to load the bases. Sal Frelick hit the fourth and gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead. Joey Ortiz followed that with another single, driving in two to make it 4-1.

With no outs and two on, Hamilton went for the sacrifice bunt and moved Ortiz up to second. Christian Yelich then drew a walk to load the bases again, and Jackson Chourio added the sixth single of the inning. That pushed the lead to 5-1.

Brice Turang then (initially) drew a walk, but a challenge on ball four overturned the walk into a strikeout. Contreras followed that up with a groundout that Edwin Arroyo bobbled, but the second baseman still had time to throw out Contreras at first.

The Brewers added on another run in the fifth. Bauers led off the inning with a home run on the first pitch he saw, increasing the lead to 6-1.

A single from Ortiz three batters later ended Lowder’s day, and Caleb Ferguson entered in relief. He finished the inning with a Hamilton lineout. Lowder finished the day at 4 2/3 innings pitched and six runs allowed on 11 hits, striking out eight and allowing a walk.

Murphy stuck with Sproat at 93 pitches entering the sixth. Unfortunately, the Reds broke through, scoring a run on back-to-back doubles by De La Cruz and Stewart. After a mound visit, Sproat struck out Bleday. That was the last batter Sproat faced. He finished the day with 5 1/3 innings pitched, two runs allowed on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Though the results haven’t been pretty, Sproat finished up a good month of June for him, and is hopefully putting it all together in the majors.

Chad Patrick entered in relief and kept the inherited runner at second, getting Suárez to pop out before striking out Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning.

The bullpens locked it down from there, with one exception. In the eighth inning, Chourio hit a two-out home run into the Brewers’ bullpen. It was his 12th of the season and 10th of the month, extending the lead to 7-2.

Five different Brewers had multi-hit days. Bauers and Frelick led the day with three hits each. Chourio, Mitchell, and Ortiz added on two hits apiece. Hamilton and Yelich were the two Brewers who went hitless (though Yelich drew a walk). As a team, they went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position and had a total of 14 hits, with only three of those going for extra bases.

In the bullpen, Patrick had 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout. Jared Koenig worked around a hit for a clean eighth inning. Grant Anderson finished the game with a hit allowed and two strikeouts in the ninth.

The Brewers have secured at least a split in this series against the Reds, but need one more win for a winning series and homestand. Game three is set for tomorrow night, but it’ll start at 7:10 p.m. because of an ESPN national broadcast. Shane Drohan faces Andrew Abbott in that game.

Zach Collins Agrees to Contract Extension With Chicago Bulls

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 19: Zach Collins #12 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates making a three-point basket during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on December 19, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Power forward/center Zach Collins has agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract extension to stay with the Chicago Bulls through the 2027-28 season, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Collins’ agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, worked with the organization continuously over the last two days to keep his client off the free agency market and beat the July 1 deadline at midnight.

The 10th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft appeared in just 10 games with the Windy City organization in 2025-26, averaging 9.7 points per game on a 57.8 field goal percentage/42.9 three-point percentage/77/5 free throw percentage, plus 5.6 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game.

Collins had a season-ending toe surgery just after the NBA All-Star break in February of 2026. Unfortunately, countless different injuries and surgeries have derailed the trajectory of his career over and over again.

Across nine campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Bulls, Collins has suited up for only 388 of the 738 possible regular-season games.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

Skubal works 6 strong innings, Tigers hit 5 homers in 9-3 win over the Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) — Tarik Skubal pitched six innings of one-hit ball and Riley Greene hit two of Detroit’s four homers off Cam Schlittler as the Tigers beat the Yankees 9-3 on Tuesday night and sent New York to its season-worst sixth straight loss.

The Tigers hit five homers overall against the Yankees for the first time since Aug. 30, 2018.

Skubal (4-4), making his fourth start since returning from elbow surgery, allowed only Ben Rice’s 23rd homer in the first inning and an unearned run in the sixth. The two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner struck out nine and walked none after allowing four runs to the Yankees last week in Detroit.

Skubal threw 61 of 87 pitches for strikes and retired 12 straight after Rice’s homer in the first.

Greene hit a solo shot during a four-run first inning off Schlittler (8-5) and added a two-run drive in the third for a 6-1 lead. It was Greene’s eighth career multi-homer game.

Before Greene’s first homer, Kerry Carpenter hit a solo shot in which center fielder Spencer Jones could not complete a leaping catch at the right-center field fence and saw the ball pop out of his glove into the Yankees’ bullpen.

Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer to cap a 10-pitch at-bat in which he fouled off six pitches.

Schlittler allowed a career-high six runs runs and seven hits in four-plus innings. The hard-throwing right-hander had his ERA climb from 1.62 to 2.08.

Schlittler allowed four homers after allowing six homers in his first 17 starts. He had never allowed more than two in any start and became the first Yankees pitcher to allow four homers to the Tigers since Chuck Cary in 1989 at Tiger Stadium.

Detroit’s James Outman hit a three-run homer in the sixth off Ryan Yarbrough after second baseman José Caballero committed a throwing error on a force play.

New York has managed just 16 hits in its last five games.

Up next

Detroit RHP Troy Melton (4-1, 2.39 ERA) opposes New York RHP Will Warren (7-3, 3.75) in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon.

Nashville Predators Center Erik Haula Likely To Hit Free Agency Market

The Nashville Predators are likely to lose one of their centers to the free agency market on Wednesday. 

Erik Haula, who has reached the end of a three-year, $9.45 million contract, will be an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, as the Predators have not extended him a qualifying offer. 

The 35-year-old center scored 38 points in 81 games last season as one of the Predators' anchors in the bottom six. He was acquired last June in a trade for Jeremy Hanzel and a 4th-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Haula was also one of four Predators players who competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing Finland and scoring six points (three goals and three assists) in six games en route to a bronze medal. 

It's his second time around in Nashville, as he was with the team during the 2020-21 season, scoring 21 points in 51 games. 

General Manager Chris MacFarland has opted to go with a younger Jack Drury to fill the center role in the bottom six, trading for and signing the 26-year-old center to a five-year, $22.5 million contract. 

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Haula could end up in Los Angeles.

He is not the only UFA that could be on the move, as Tyson Jost was not extended a qualifying offer. 

The 28-year-old forward was claimed off waivers in the 2025-26 preseason on a 1-year, $775,000 contract. He played in 69 games, scoring eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. 

Defenseman Kevin Gravel, who played just one game in Nashville this past season, was also not extended a qualifying offer and is now an unrestricted free agent. He just finished a two-year, $1.555 million contract. 

Restricted free agent defenseman Justin Barron and newly acquired forward Chase Bradley were both extended qualifying offers on Tuesday. 

NHL free agency opens on Wednesday at 11 a.m. CST. 

Warriors relying on experience vs the West’s youth movement

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 19: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors walking off the court slaps hands with teammate Al Horford #20 against the Boston Celtics in the first half at Chase Center on February 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Western Conference is running a youth experiment, and the results are getting harder to ignore. Victor Wembanyama is already rewriting the defensive record books. Anthony Edwards is appointment television. Cooper Flagg just landed in Dallas. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Şengün are all guys proving the best teams in the West are increasingly being built around players who weren’t legally allowed to drink four years ago.

And as rumors swirl Golden State is about to sign LeBron James, a man in his 40s, the Warriors just used the 11th pick on 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg, re-signed 30-year-old center Kristaps Porzingis, and brought back 40-year-old Al Horford.

Franchise stalwart Draymond Green went on record calling Lendeborg a great pick, and his reasoning was more interesting than the endorsement itself. He argued that a veteran-heavy roster needs players who can contribute immediately, and that Lendeborg’s age is exactly what makes him fit.

Young franchises get to be patient. Just like how the Spurs took their time with Wembanyama and the Thunder built their depth over years of painful losing. They could absorb growing pains because their timeline had room for them. The Warriors’ timeline doesn’t have that luxury, and they’ve structured their entire front office philosophy around that reality. Winning has a hidden cost, and Golden State paid it without reading the fine print. Every year they spent chasing championships was another year they couldn’t prioritize long-term development the way rebuilding franchises could. They were winning and the bill just took a while to arrive.

And when we talk about the Warriors’ current draft philosophy I feel we should name the moment it changed. James Wiseman had every physical trait that modern front offices chase in terms of length, athleticism, upside that scouts described in superlatives. The Warriors bet on potential and watched three years dissolve into a trade. Wiseman wasn’t just a miss. He was the last time (unless you count Jonathan Kuminga) Golden State tried to draft for the next decade instead of the next postseason. Since then their approach has moved steadily toward floor over ceiling, toward the known quantity over the projection. Whether that’s wisdom or overcorrection is still genuinely unclear, but the philosophical pivot is undeniable.

Then came Porzingis. An established veteran whose immediate value lies in what he can do next April, not what he might become three Aprils from now. And don’t forget about Al Horford re-signing for two more years to become just the 13th player in NBA history to reach a 20th season. The Warriors aren’t keeping him around out of sentimentality. Stack those two next to Jimmy Butler now Lendeborg, and run it through the same filter: does this increase Steph Curry’s chances before the window closes?

Two years from now, we’ll know whether Golden State spotted an inefficiency everyone else ignored or simply spent its last draft capital chasing Steph Curry’s final championship window. Either way, this much is already clear: while the rest of the Western Conference is raising young draft pieces into bonafide stars, the Warriors have decided to focus on experience.

Cavs fail to retain starting small forward in free agency

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 5: Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers run on to the court before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 5, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost defensive-first starting small forward Dean Wade in free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he will be joining former Cavs general manager Mike Gansey with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $39 million deal.

Not being able to retain Wade’s services isn’t all that surprising on its own. The Cavs were the only team over the second apron last regular season and are making a concerted effort to get well under it this offseason so that they can reshape their roster. Considering the number of suitors it was reported Wade had, it was likely that one of them could offer more than the Cavs.

What is surprising is the amount Wade signed for. His new contract with Philadelphia has an average annual value of $9.75 million, and could be structured to pay less money the first year. That isn’t an outrageous amount or one that would significantly hinder the Cavs from getting under the second apron if they had matched it.

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The Cavs’ choice to presumably not match that amount would be curious if they don’t have other moves or possibilities lined up. The small and power forward positions are the groupings with the least amount of depth on the team. Wade was a stopgap at both positions and was by far the best perimeter point-of-attack defender on the team. Losing such a valuable defender is a tough blow on the night they lost defensive specialist Keon Ellis as well.

Cleveland was already in need of additional help at the three and four spots. Now, that is even more true, and they don’t necessarily have an easy path of finding a replacement. With how the salary cap works, just because the Cavs didn’t offer Wade that money doesn’t mean they can offer a different free agent that amount. Cleveland could have exceeded the salary cap to sign Wade because they had his Bird rights. They can’t do so with free agents coming from other teams.

There is a former Cavalier out there who could sure up the wing that would make everyone forget about the loss of Wade. But if they aren’t able to procure LeBron James’s services, they will have an uphill struggle to find both an additional wing and help at backup power forward.

As it stands now, the Cavs are $41.7 million below the second apron and $29.1 million below the first. Cleveland only has 11 players under contract. That number doesn’t include James Harden and recent second-round pick Meleek Thomas. Harden opted out of his player option for next season, but is expected to re-sign with the team.

Wade first signed with the Cavs on a two-way deal as an undrafted rookie during the 2019-2020 season. He progressively earned more minutes and cracked into the starting lineup for stretches of the last several seasons. Wade started 38 of his 59 games with the Cavs last regular season and 14 of the team’s 18 playoff games.

This past season, Wade averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on .439/.362/.711 shooting splits.

What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially moved on from Kawhi Leonard after seven seasons.

Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30 for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.

The move puts an end to a real pursuit of an NBA title for the near future, as the Clippers opt for a younger roster while building assets.

Leonard originally came to Los Angeles in July 2019 along with Paul George, in what was a homecoming of sorts, with both being Southern California natives. The Oklahoma City Thunder had traded George and a first-round pick to L.A. for a haul that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.

The duo did lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. Still, the pairing did not pan out, while the Thunder managed to construct a championship-winning roster following the trade, using one of those draft picks to select Jalen Williams.

Despite Leonard's departure, an investigation by the NBA still lingers.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and his uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.

Here’s where things stand for the Clippers, who are looking to reconstruct their roster this season:

What does the Clippers’ starting lineup look like currently?

The Clippers' starting lineup would consist of Darius Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler making up the backcourt.

Ingram would join forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.

Ingram is no stranger to Los Angeles, having originally been drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was once viewed as the untouchable asset that the Lakers were going to build a future around.

Clippers offseason moves

While Lopez did have his team option picked up by the Clippers, the team declined the options for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum before the start of free agency.

The Clippers also fully guaranteed guard Kris Dunn’s $5.68 million contract for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Jordan Miller received a qualifying offer, and Kobe Sanders agreed to a new four-year, $11.2 million deal to return.

Will Bennedict Mathurin return to Clippers?

Bennedict Mathurin would serve as the Clippers’ sixth man after the team extended a qualifying offer to him earlier this week, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 54 games last season.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) is congratulated by center Brook Lopez (11) during a game against the Sacramento Kings on April 5, 2026.

Who will Clippers target next in free agency?

The Clippers still have roster spots to fill. The team will have several options available, including re-signing forward John Collins. He tallied 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season in 69 games played.

Forward DeMar DeRozan could be considered a veteran target the team will reconsider. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 77 games played for the Sacramento Kings.

If center Mitchell Robinson doesn't return to the New York Knicks, he could be another interesting option for L.A. to consider. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 60 games played.

Raptors roster following Kawhi Leonard trade

The Toronto Raptors had to trade a couple key pieces to execute a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they kept enough of their roster intact to be considered one of the top Eastern Conference contenders during the 2026-27 season.

Here's a breakdown of what the roster looks like with Leonard on the team heading into the start of the NBA's free agency period:

  • G RJ Barrett
  • G Jaden Bradley**
  • G Immanuel Quickley
  • G Jamal Shead
  • G Garrett Temple*
  • G Ja'Kobe Walter
  • F Scottie Barnes
  • F Kawhi Leonard
  • F Allen Graves**
  • F Collin Murray-Boyles
  • F Jamison Battle
  • F Sandro Mamukelashvili*
  • F Jonathan Mogbo*
  • F/C Trayce Jackson-Davis
  • C Jakob Poeltl
  • G Chucky Hepburn^
  • G A.J. Lawson^
  • G Alijah Martin^

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster