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The Athletics and New York Yankees closed out their weekend series on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park. The Yankees capitalized on another horrible start from A’s pitcher Jacob Lopez, scoring 13 runs in one inning and then holding off the A’s late comeback attempt to prevail 13-8, winning the series and moving the A’s into a tie for second place with the Texas Rangers.

A’s Strike First

Athletics’ right fielder Carlos Cortes led off the bottom of the opening frame with a booming double to left against Yankees starting pitcher Will Warren. With two on and two outs, A’s catcher Jonah Heim reached on Yankees’ center fielder Trent Grisham’s fielding error, both runners scoring on the outfielder’s mishap. Heim proceeded to score on A’s center fielder Lawrence Butler’s RBI single to left field. Butler finally came through with a big hit, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning.

A’s starting pitcher Jacob Lopez began the game with two straight scoreless innings, getting two contested strikeouts thanks to the new ABS system.

A’s Pitching Rears its Ugly Head

The Yankees developed their first rally in the top of the third. The visitors led off the inning with a single and two walks to load the bases. Lopez’s command issues reared its head once again. Yankees’ first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI infield single and then designated hitter Ben Rice tied the game with a two-run double down the first-base line. One batter later, New York took the lead on Judge’s single that fell in front of Butler in center.

Lopez did not record an out in the third inning. A’s manager Mark Kotsay took him out after his starter allowed four runs on five hits along with a couple of walks to blow his team’s 3-0 advantage.

Newly recalled reliever Michael Kelly replaced Lopez with the bases loaded, zero outs, and the A’s down 4-3. He walked his first batter on four pitches and then gave up Grisham’s two-run single.

The Yankees kept the parade going as former A’s player Max Schuemann lined a double off Kelly to bring home his team’s ninth and tenth runs of the inning. The A’s set the high-water mark in MLB history for the most runs scored without getting an out. A few batters later, Rice crushed a two-run triple to make it a twelve-run inning, the most runs the A’s have allowed in an inning since 1983.

Kelly only got two outs, allowing six more runs as the Yankees batted around twice in one inning. The A’s pitching staff made all kinds of wrong history, but they were not helped by their outfield defense as Cortes and Butler missed a couple of catchable balls.

Fellow right-handed reliever Jack Perkins replaced Kelly, retiring the first batter he faced to end arguably the worst-pitched inning in Athletics franchise history. The inning lasted so long (48 minutes) that Warren went to the bullpen to warm up and stay fresh.

Yankees Cruising Along to Victory

Facing a ten-run deficit, the A’s offense sought to chip away. First baseman Nick Kurtz and Soderstrom hit back-to-back singles, but Warren escaped the jam unscathed by getting Heim and Butler out. The Yankees’ catcher tagged Butler at home plate as Butler just stood there thinking that the ball was foul.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Athletics stranded two more runners. Designated hitter Brent Rooker’s one-out bloop double will hopefully get his bat going as the A’s need more from their struggling slugger. Through five innings, the hosts had plenty of chances to score, yet went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

A’s Offense Fights Back

Meanwhile, Warren shut down the A’s offense, allowing only three unearned runs on six hits over six innings. Yankees’ left-handed reliever Tim Hill replaced him in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Rooker launched his eighth home run of the season, a solo blast to left-center, giving the A’s their first run since the first inning.

The A’s were not done against Hill. After Kurtz walked and pinch-hitter Henry Bolte was hit by a pitch, Heim swatted his second home run of the season, a three-run shot to right-center. His first long ball in an A’s uniform cut his team’s deficit to six.

A’s shortstop Darell Hernaiz began the eighth with a double off New York reliever Fernando Cruz, setting the table for the top of the lineup. With two outs, Kurtz delivered a booming double that scored Hernaiz, bringing home the A’s eighth run of the high-scoring game.

While the Athletics offense fought its way back into this matchup, the team’s bullpen held the Yankees hitless the rest of the game. After struggling last night, Perkins bounced back with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, though the circumstances were much different. A few innings later, A’s reliever Luis Medina continued his impressive relief work, recording four strikeouts over two dominant scoreless innings.

Down five runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Athletics put two runners aboard against Yankees closer David Bednar, but he slammed the door on their comeback bid.

In the wake of a 1-5 homestand, the A’s return to the road to kick off a new month. The team gets a day off in Chicago tomorrow. On Tuesday, the Athletics will start a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Left-hander Gage Jump will make his second MLB start. He will be opposed by Cubs’ right-hander Jameson Taillon, who is 2-4 with a 5.37 ERA in 11 starts this season.

In general, it feels fair to say that parity is a good thing in the game of baseball. The more teams that are involved in the chase for playoff contention, the better, and 2026 has certainly been a year of such parity to this point. For better or worse, much of the Junior Circuit is within only a few games of each other, which could lead to a season full of intrigue for plenty of fanbases.

Only three AL teams have “separated” themselves to this point, and we’re getting a little loose with that term as it is. The Yankees, Rays, and Guardians were the only American League clubs to have won 30 or more games headed into this weekend. With a solid series behind them, the White Sox (!) and Mariners have now also reached that mark. What makes the level of parity more interesting, is that almost everyone else is floating around in no-man’s land.

With New York and Tampa Bay (and to a lesser extent Cleveland) at the top of the food chain, that leaves nine other teams with between 25 and 32 wins in 2026. To perhaps put the situation into better context, all but three American League teams — the Royals, Angels, and Tigers, are within just three games of a spot in the postseason. This also doesn’t consider that fact that one of the basement-dwelling teams, the Tigers, made the postseason just last year. They’ve had a truly awful time trying to compete without two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal since April 29th, and a 6-22 month of May might have single-handedly nerfed their 2026 hopes and dreams.

There is a lot to take in on the standings page, and at this point in the season, it’s hard to make anything resembling a conclusion. The White Sox and Athletics are both in second place in their respective divisions, playing respectable ball for the first time in years, while the Mariners are in first place with a team that just crept over .500 this weekend. It’s a mess, and despite the benefits a situation like this can bring for the “good” teams, the Yankees aren’t quite able to enjoy them.

Despite the overall good baseball the Yankees have been playing, they still find themselves in second place in the East, in a League they have already somewhat separated themselves from. The Rays, who have that first-place spot by a slim margin, are the only team that has played better than the Yankees in the AL. So, while much of the American League is mired in mediocrity, the Rays and Bombers have to duel it out atop the East. Depending on how things play out, the Yankees could benefit from middling teams occupying much of the schedule, but the priority in their mind is certainly moving past Tampa Bay.

Cleveland is also in close proximity, just a couple of games back of the Yankees, but they certainly have plenty to prove. The American League Central has long been a largely unimpressive (and thus competitive) division, and the Guards once again look to be in the running for the crown.

For the Yankees, the good thing is that at this juncture, no opponent, or potential postseason matchup would be particularly troubling, as the American League remains a bit jumbled. The downside is that their strongest competition at the moment is right in their backyard, and if the Rays come out on top, any advantage New York had becomes far less significant with a longer road in October — as they endured in 2025 with Toronto.

Considering all of this, the Yankees will certainly take a head start on much of the AL, no matter what form it takes. But, however comforting that backdrop may be, a potential Wild Card berth rather than a division win changes things rather significantly. If they can take care of business, the door could be as wide open as it was in 2024, when they fended off Baltimore for the division crown and then pushed past two AL Central clubs for the pennant. The Yankees just need to find the optimal way forward for this year’s field.

The Dodgers had a couple debatable roster decisions to make this week.

Based on Sunday’s results, they might have been right on both.

In a 9-1 rubber-match win over the Phillies, the Dodgers were led offensively by their two recent Triple-A call-ups, getting fourth-inning home runs from Alex Freeland and Ryan Ward that helped them take two of three games in this National League Division Series rematch.

“We had spent the whole morning hitting together, talking through our routine together, talking about our plan versus the Philly guys that we felt we’re gonna be facing,” Ward said. “And to have us both homer in the same inning, this is a really cool moment for us.”

Freeland went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs from the No. 9 spot Sunday, opening the scoring with a double off the wall in center in the second before extending the lead with a solo home run in the fourth. 

Ward also left the yard in the bottom of the fourth, giving him his first career home run in his first career game at Dodger Stadium.

Once they were both back in the dugout, the two wrapped each other in a hug.

“I’m just uber excited for Ryan,” Freeland said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that deserves it more than him. So to share that moment with him is special.”

At the start of this week, neither player was on the Dodgers’ big-league roster. Only after injuries to Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández did the need for reinforcements from the minors arise.

Even then, Freeland and Ward were not guaranteed to be recalled. For each of their spots, there were other options the team could’ve considered.

Freeland effectively got the nod over the since-demoted Hyeseong Kim, who was optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City after a recent slump cost him his platoon job at second base. Ward, likewise, was called up over breakout outfield prospect James Tibbs III, receiving only his second career opportunity in the majors after a brief two-game cameo earlier this year.

Both decisions were questioned by some corners of the fan base.

Both were then validated in Sunday’s blowout.

“Everybody in this locker room is a superstar,” Freeland said. “A lot of us get overlooked, just because we have guys like Shohei [Ohtani] and Freddie [Freeman]. But everybody in this clubhouse can ball.”

What it means

After a late-game slip-up from Tanner Scott on Saturday night, the Dodgers bounced right back with their 14th win out of the last 17 overall.

Of all the victories in that span, Sunday’s was among the most impressive.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto navigated traffic in a scoreless 5 ⅓-inning start, working around four hits, two walks and one hit batter while setting a season high with 10 strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ offense, in a refreshing change of pace, also provided him with plenty of run support, tagging Phillies rookie starter Andrew Painter with four runs in 3 ⅓ innings before pouring it on late.

In addition to Freeland and Ward, the Dodgers also got two hits each from Ohtani (extending his on-base streak to 16 games), Kyle Tucker (snapping a 1-for-16 slump previously on this homestand) and Max Muncy (including his team-leading 14th home run); and two RBIs apiece from Alex Call (on a pinch-hit single in the fifth) and Freeman (on a pair of sacrifice flies).

The team has now won five straight series and has a season-high 5 ½-game lead in the National League West.

“On the heels of last night, to be able to bounce back like we did, that was a good thing and a good sign for our club,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Who’s hot

Ward hasn’t gotten many at-bats during his limited time in the majors this season.

But when he’s been at the plate, he has made the most of them

During his MLB debut on April 19 in Colorado, the longtime minor-league prospect had a pair of singles and an RBI. And after going 1-for-2 with his home run Sunday — he was lifted early for Call’s pinch-hit at-bat in the fifth — he is now hitting .375 in his first three career big-league games.

“Even talking to Freeland today on the bench, he made a note that Ryan was probably the most positive guy down there in Triple A,” Roberts said of Ward, who had to wait seven years in the Dodgers’ farm system before finally reaching the majors this season.

“That speaks to his character. If there’s anyone that has the right to be salty and frustrated, it’s him. But he was professional about it, and he was an easy one to recall and get him here. And I’m going to try to give him some opportunities, so he can make the most of them.”

Who’s not

Home plate umpire Sean Barber, who had a whopping eight calls overturned via the new ABS challenge system.

The first two came in the first inning, when backup catcher Dalton Rushing — who was previously just 3-for-8 on ABS challenges from behind the plate this year — got Yamamoto a pair of strikeouts by successfully getting a couple called balls converted to third strikes.

Freeman found himself on the other end of the equation in the bottom half of the inning, when he had what was initially ruled a walk in a full count overturned to a strikeout after already jogging down to first base.

Not every ABS review went against Barber. The Dodgers and Phillies lost one challenge each.

Still, the eight overturned calls were just one shy of the most in a game this season. 

Up next

The Dodgers head to Arizona on Monday for a four-game series against the Diamondbacks. The opener will feature Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.70 ERA) against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA).

Not a cake or a ribbon-wrapped present, but the Dodgers celebrated manager Dave Roberts’ 54th birthday with a 9-1 win over the Phillies on Sunday. The Dodgers ended their homestand with a 5-1 record despite their six-game winning streak ending the night before.

“You’re gonna get beat at times, it’s gonna happen,” Roberts said. “But I do think with the talent that we have, if we focus and play like we’re capable of, we should win series, regardless of home, road.”

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-4) held the Phillies hitless over the first three innings thanks, in part, to the defense.

Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh tried to steal second in the second inning, but he took off too early. Yamamoto swung around and tossed the ball to Alex Freeland, who nabbed Marsh’s hands.

Read more:Tanner Scott struggles to execute and Phillies make him pay in Dodgers' loss

Yamamoto, much like Roki Sasaki the night before, threw his pitches faster than normal. But the elevated velocity didn’t seem to affect his performance beyond extending at-bats. Despite throwing his four-seam fastball 1 mph faster than usual, the pitch resulted in a strike 76% of the time.

“During the preparation this week towards today’s game, I was always having a great feeling, and then I think I was able to get myself pretty ready,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “I was prepared. ... And then I was getting into the game with confidence.”

Philadelphia’s Trea Turner and Alex Bohm each clubbed singles in the fourth inning, but little came to fruition. When Roberts pulled Yamamoto in the sixth, he had blanked his opponents with 10 strikeouts, four hits and two walks.

“He just didn’t have that great command of the fastball, which I think led to some deeper counts,” Roberts said. “Didn’t take on any damage, but it just led to a higher pitch count. So tried to get him into the sixth inning, which we did, but I didn’t want to push him too much further.”

Yet no one — not the Phillies (30-29) nor the Dodgers (38-21) — had a harder game at the plate than home plate umpire Sean Barber, who had nine ABS challenges, three of which were upheld.

Two overturned calls in the first inning helped Yamamoto settle into the game, catcher Dalton Rushing said.

“I’ve worked on that recently to kind of understand the corners to give us the best advantages we can,” Rushing said. “To be able to help him out like that was great. The command was a little touchy in the first, compared to where he’s usually at, so just to be able to kind of, quote-unquote, save him a little bit with those two challenges, I think it allowed him to settle in.”

Yamamoto agreed: “That was a good challenge, because I believe I was hitting my spots. So that was a great challenge.”

The Dodgers had 13 hits, and the runs followed. In the second, Alex Freeland’s RBI double bounced off the center-field wall. As Philadelphia’s Justin Crawford rushed to track it down, Max Muncy sprinted around third and slid into home, avoiding the tag by catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Read more:Why ABS didn't deter Dodgers' Will Smith from honing his framing: 'More important, in a way'

Realmuto left in the bottom of the fourth inning with a left wrist contusion from a pitch that had hit him earlier in the game. He will undergo further testing, according to the team.

Kyle Tucker took a step toward overcoming his recent struggles with a third-inning RBI single down the first-base line. The ball skidded against the dirt and deflected off the base over Bryce Harper’s head. Freddie Freeman scored.

Tucker was one for his past 17 at Dodger Stadium before he finally connected off Phillies starter Andrew Painter (1-6).

“Today was a good day,” Roberts said. “Obviously, that [single], got a little lucky on, but the double over the right fielder’s head, García, that was a good swing. I just thought today, took some really good swings, got some good counts, chased a sweeper down below on his last at-bat, but, yeah, I thought today looked more of who he is.”

From there, the Dodgers kept scoring.

Ryan Ward and Freeland each homered to right field. It was Ward’s first home run in his first game at Dodger Stadium. Alex Call, who pinch-hit for Ward in the fifth, also drove in two runs with a single to shallow center left field.

“I’m just uber-excited for Ryan Ward,” Freeland said. “I don’t think there’s anybody that deserves it more than him. So to share that moment with him is special.”

Andy Pages scored in the sixth inning on a Freeman sacrifice fly, and Muncy homered in the seventh.

“It just speaks to how we’re playing,” Roberts said. “I expect to go out there, regardless of opponent, and play well. You know, on the heels of last night, to be able to bounce back like we did was a good thing and a good sign for our club. But I just like the way we go about things, and to be able to give guys days off, and backfill with other guys, and for those guys to step up, that was great.”

Bryson Stott put the Phillies on the board with a home run in the ninth. By then, though, the Dodgers had already wrapped the bow on Roberts’ birthday gift.

Dodgers activate Jack Dreyer

The Dodgers activated reliever Jack Dreyer from the injured list and, in a corresponding move, optioned Paul Gervase to triple-A Oklahoma City.

Dreyer had been one of the Dodgers’ most consistent relievers before he missed 13 games with left shoulder inflammation. In 20 appearances, he held a 2.08 ERA with five earned runs and 24 strikeouts.

“Really excited to be back, obviously to do what I can to help the team,” Dreyer said. “Feeling great, so just ready to go whenever my number is called.”

Blake Snell, recovering from surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, is throwing plyo balls but is not on a throwing progression yet like closer Edwin Díaz.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

“I had a root canal on Thursday and I’m not sure which was worse,” said Rockies commentator Jeff Huson about today’s baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants.

The Rockies entered today’s game with a series win already wrapped up and a chance to sweep a scuffling division rival. Instead, they lost to the Giants in what might end up being the worst game of the 2026 season.

On a combined 396 pitches, there were a combined 25 runs on 35 hits and six errors—though most of those runs and hits were from just one team. The game lasted a grueling three hours and 38 minutes to become the longest nine-inning game the Rockies have played this season. It was also one of the longest nine-inning games played in the league so far in 2026.

TJ Rumfield was a late pre-game scratch with shoulder soreness, the pitching was unpleasant, the offense could have been better, and ultimately Rockies fans were left with a game they’d love to forget to finish out what has been a largely unpleasant month of May.

A truly spectacular pitching meltdown

With the Giants scoring 19 runs on 25 hits and three Rockies errors over a total of 216 pitches thrown, this afternoon was easily the worst overall pitching performance of the season.

Starting pitcher Tanner Gordon lasted just three innings and threw 75 pitches with only two strikeouts. The Giants opened up the scoring in the first inning with a double—the first of many—a walk, and a single to score their first run and it was all downhill from there. Back-to-back doubles in the second inning plated another run, though it was in this frame that Gordon notched his only two strikeouts of the game.

With just a two run deficit heading into the third inning, it looked like the ship could still be righted. Gordon allowed a single but no other baserunners in what would end up being the only scoreless inning of the game for Rockies pitching.

Gordon started the fourth inning by giving up his fourth double of the game and then hitting catcher Daniel Susac in the (helmeted) head to end his afternoon. He was replaced by bullpen lefty Brennan Bernardino, who immediately threw a ball into the outfield checking a runner to have both runners advance. He then gave up a single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly for another two runs to score. Both runs were credited to Gordon.

The fifth inning is where things completely fell apart. With a close 4-3 ballgame, Zach Agnos—sporting a newly grown beard—took the mound. Things got ugly quick.

The Giants sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs in the fifth inning. Agnos gave up five extra-base hits—three doubles, a triple, and a home run—with a grand slam following an intentional walk to load the bases sealing the Rockies’ fate. Six of the seven runs allowed by Agnos came with two outs and his ERA for the season jumped to an ugly 7.78.

The Rockies sent out Keegan Thompson, Juan Mejia, and finally Brett Sullivan to finish the game in mop-up duty. All three gave up multiple hits and multiple runs.

Feared catcher reliever Brett Sullivan was finally made to look mortal, giving up his first two earned runs of the season. It was his fourth appearance as a reliever in ten days.

Hard and loud contact was ultimately what the Giants brought to the table against Rockies pitching. Of their 25 total hits, 13 were for extra bases: nine doubles, a triple, and three home runs.

What offense would have been enough?

In another world, the Rockies could have won this game and swept the Giants with a generally decent outing from their bats. The Rockies scored six runs on ten hits and drew five walks against San Francisco pitching while their defense committed three errors. However, there’s not a lot you can do when the pitching staff gives up 19 runs and you don’t capitalize on the many opportunities you had available to you.

The Rockies had at least one baserunner in every inning except for the ninth—which, by then everyone from the Rockies to the Giants to the Umpires were ready to call it a day. In several innings they had multiple baserunners. However, they ended the day going just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left ten men stranded. They also had just three extra-base hits compared to the Giants’ 13.

For what it’s worth, a few Rockies hitters did have genuinely solid days at the plate. Tyler Freeman went 3-for-4 with a walk and a double, Kyle Karros went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, and Troy Johnston went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Infielder Chad Stevens drew two walks despite going hitless, and backup catcher Braxton Fulford had just one hit but used it to drive in two of the Rockies’ six runs.

Up Next

The Rockies are back out on the road with a series against another basement dweller. With a record of 23-27, the Los Angeles Angels are just one win above the Rockies and the Detroit Tigers for the worst record in Major League Baseball.

California games also mean late start times. Tomorrow’s series opener will kick off at 7:38 PM MDT with a match-up between struggling veteran lefty Kyle Freeland and right-handed Angels ace José Soriano.

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Call it what you like: Dodger Stadium, Chavez Ravine, Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium if you’re a pedant or obligated by branding contracts. It’s a special place. I visited for the first time earlier this month to catch an installment of the age-old showdown between the Dodgers and their former citymates in black and orange, and soon found myself overwhelmed. The history of the place— the almost-tangible presence of the many greats who called the ballpark home, the almost-audible echoes of the crowds roaring at yet-another championship as Vin Scully voices their joy in his immortal tones—knocked me flat, left me dizzy. There was no doubt about it: the sheer presence that fills Dodger Stadium had sent me into delirium.

Actually, I was just dehydrated. One popsicle and two rapidly-chugged bottles of water later, and I was feeling normal. Still impressed by the stadium, sure: it’s genuinely great. But perhaps not quite so magical as woozy eyes might make it look. The Phillies, unfortunately, were left as woozy as I was, not by Dodger Stadium magic or dehydration, but by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and some unforced errors.

The start of the game was an exercise in frustration for the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper both struck out looking on pitches that were initially ruled balls and became strike three upon being challenged by Dodger backstop Dalton Rushing. Sandwiched in between was a groundout from Trea Turner. It didn’t get much cheerier when Shohei Ohtani hit a single that soared just over the outstretched glove of Bryson Stott. And it didn’t get any nicer for Phillies fans when Andy Pages skied a ball to deep center. But Justin Crawford, taking the mood of the Phillie faithful into his capable hands, dashed, leapt, caught the ball, and slammed into the wall. His cap flew off, his sunglasses were knocked askew, and the ball remained securely in his glove. After that, the Phillies got to engage in the age-old game of turnabout as J.T. Realmuto turned a Freddie Freeman walk into a backwards K via a challenge. The inning wrapped up without a run.

Brandon Marsh walked to open up the second, then got tossed out at second when he jumped before Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched. The Dodgers had better results with their baserunner in the second, as Max Muncy singled and was plated by a double to center from Alex Freeland. Andrew Painter recovered nicely, with a strikeout of Ohtani to end the inning.

The Phillies continued to get some bad luck as the Dodgers got the better bounces. In the top third, Realmuto was hit by a pitch, which would later see him pulled from the game. In the bottom third, Freeman singled, advanced to second on a Mookie Betts groundout, then scored when Kyle Tucker hit a weak grounder that bounced awkwardly off of first base, over Harper’s glove, and into right. But luck, like the wheels of the Dodger Stadium Express, eventually turns(it does not, however, turn for the people who eschew said bus in the hopes that parking near the stadium will work out. They’re doomed). In the top of the fourth, Turner hit a bloop single that fell perfectly between a trio of descending Dodgers. Alec Bohm singled too, but it came to naught.

And it turned out the luck hadn’t changed so much after all: in the bottom fourth, Ryan Ward saw a slider from Painter that was about as spicy as the garlic fries they serve at Dodger Stadium— which is to say, not very. He sent it skyward, where it found the Phillies bullpen for what was his first career homer. It’s a lovely thing to see a milestone like that, unless it’s from the other team, in which case it’s just frustrating. That’s just a momentary frustration, though. The injury to Realmuto, who was pulled prior to the start of the bottom fourth, might be a longer one. Hopefully not. Rafael Marchán replaced him. Then Freeland saw a splitter that he rather liked, and sent a roundtripper to a similar spot as Ward did. The Tinseltowners took a 4-0 lead, Tanner Banks came into replace Painter, and the Phillies desperately hoped for a narrative change.

For a moment, it looked like they got one. Márchan singled in the top fifth, and Crawford doubled to center-right, with the ball landing just past the reach of a sliding Pages. But neither could be brought home, and the Phillies wrapped up their portion of the fifth with a run column as empty as my wallet after I purchased the $80 Ohtani-endorsed skincare for sale at the Dodgers team store.

Note: this is a joke. Not the part where the Dodgers sell that, which they do, or the part where they charge $80 for it, which they do. I did briefly consider actually buying it to turn into some sort of bit for this recap, but while I truly appreciate you, dear TGP reader, I still couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Just like I couldn’t buy that skincare, the Phillies couldn’t buy a break. In the bottom fifth Betts walked, Tucker doubled, and both scored when pinch-hitter Alex Call hit a fly ball that dropped perfectly between the onrushing Phillies.

Yamamoto walked Harper, struck out Marsh, and then finished his day (4 hits, 0 runs, 10 K). Will Klein was the choice from the bullpen, and, despite being more hittable than Yamamoto, soon thwarted the Phillies. They put two aboard, but neither came home, in part because a Bryson Stott bloop found a sliding Pages’ glove, with the latter turning the page from his earlier failed catch.

Pages then rubbed it in by hitting a popup that Stott couldn’t quite chase down, the ball bouncing away and becoming a triple. Pages promptly scored on a sacrifice fly.

As the Phillies entered the bottom of the seventh, they replaced Turner with Edmundo Sosa, and Harper with Garrett Stubbs. Muncy homered. That gave the Dodgers their eighth run. In the bottom eighth, Nolan Hoffman loaded the bases (walk, single, walk), with none out. The damage was limited, with the Dodgers plating only one more.

The bottom ninth saw the Phillies finally score, via Stott solo shot. There was to be no grand comeback, but the moment was appreciated.

The Phillies are 30-29. They return to action Tuesday at 6:40 for a series against the Padres.

After suffering a deflating loss on Saturday, the Dodgers bounced back behind a dominant performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, taking the finale 9-1 and securing a series win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies were the first to strike on Saturday with a home run from Alec Bohm in the second inning. The Dodgers were the first to strike on Sunday in the bottom of the second as Alex Freeland lined a two-out, RBI double to make it a 1-0 lead. Kyle Tucker brought the lead to two in the bottom of the third with a two-out RBI single to snap an 0-8 skid in the series.

Ryan Ward bounced back after striking out against Painter by crushing a hanging sweeper 108 miles per hour into the Phillies bullpen for his first major league home run, extending the Dodgers lead to three to begin the bottom of the fourth.

Alex Freeland followed up Ward with a home run of his own— his first since being recalled from Triple-A— to give him two RBI in as many at-bats, helping extend the lead to four and chase Painter out of the game.

The Dodgers early scoring spree was ample support for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as he began his afternoon with a pair of strikeouts against Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the top of the first inning. Yamamoto was working on a no-hitter briefly until he allowed a bloop single from Trea Turner to begin the top of the fourth. The Phillies had two men on base in both the fourth and fifth innings, but Yamamoto managed to work around the traffic both times.

Yamamoto was not able to throw a quality start for the first time since allowing five earned runs against the San Francisco Giants on May 12, but he struck out a season-high 10 hitters while tossing his first scoreless outing all season and his first since his final regular season start last year against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Alex Call came in to pinch hit for Ward with the left-hander Tanner Banks on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning, and he answered the call with a two-run single to give the Dodgers a six run lead. After Andy Pages reached on a bloop triple to shallow right field in the bottom of the sixth, every single Dodger in the starting lineup reached base at least once on Sunday. A sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman extended the Dodger lead to seven.

Max Muncy joined in on the offensive barrage with a monster solo home run against Chase Shugart in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it an 8-0 lead. It was Muncy’s 14th home run on the year— reclaiming the team lead— and it was his 129th home run hit at Dodger Stadium, placing him just one home run behind Eric Karros for the most by a Dodger at home.

Freddie Freeman’s second sacrifice fly of the game to give the Dodgers their final run. They were three outs away from a shutout victory, but a home run from Bryson Stott against Jonathan Hernández put the Phillies on the board late.

It is the first time since May 2023 that the Dodgers have won a regular season series against the Philadelphia Phillies at home. With the San Diego Padres getting swept by the Washington Nationals, the Dodgers increase their division lead to 5 1/2 games.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Ryan Ward (1), Alex Freeland (3), Max Muncy (14); Bryson Stott (6)
• WP— Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-4): 5 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
• LP— Andrew Painter (1-6): 3 1/3 IP, 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers head out to Arizona to begin a four game set with the Diamondbacks on Monday (6:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Emmet Sheehan faces Eduardo Rodriguez.

The Yankees secured back-to-back series wins Sunday when they took their three-game set at the Athletics with a 13-8 victory in the finale, rebounding from Saturday's 6-4 loss.

Takeaways

1. New York (36-23) was one run shy of a franchise-record 14 runs in the third inning when it batted around twice on its way to 13 runs, 11 hits -- eight singles, two doubles and one triple -- and four walks that spanned three A's pitchers. The 43-minute top half started on Paul Goldschmidt's RBI single with the bases loaded and none out, and Cody Bellinger's two-out edition to follow Ben Rice's two-run triple capped the Yankees' scoring frenzy. After New York scored one run in the first eight innings of Saturday's defeat, it found its stride with a breakthrough that added some needed cushion.
2. Will Warren allowed three unearned runs in the first inning to put the Yankees in an immediate hole but subsequently bounced back with five scoreless frames. He ended his six-inning start with six hits allowed while striking out five and walking three on 82 pitches (51 strikes). Warren lacked his best stuff but dug deep to earn his seventh win at 7-1 and lower his ERA to 3.22.
3. Warren's replacement, Tim Hill, allowed three runs or more for the second time since surrendering three in a short-lived relief appearance during last Friday's 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Hill (4.03 ERA) entered the seventh inning with a 10-run lead but gave up two homers while struggling to locate pitches. Fortunately for New York, the A's (28-31) create too much of a mountain to climb.
4. The Yankees match the AL East-leading Rays (36-20) with 36 wins entering June. After a three-game skid between May 20-21 losses against the Toronto Blue Jays and the aforementioned May 22 defeat against Tampa Bay, New York has won six of its past seven games as it enters the new month with a six-game homestand on the horizon.

Who's the MVP?

Rice, whose start as the Yankees' designated hitter in the second spot of the batting order -- behind Goldschmidt, who started at first and led off -- featured four RBI during a 2-for-5 afternoon. Before Rice's aforementioned triple, his two-run double earlier in the third inning tied the game at 3-3 and ignited the rally.

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt and Ben Rice get the Yankees even! pic.twitter.com/1nNdYuNF9p

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

Aaron Judge gets it to drop and the Yankees lead! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/z94Lq4wKKr

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

Trent Grisham brings home a pair! pic.twitter.com/PkHpfCH4ow

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

Anthony Volpe brings in the 8th run of the inning before the Athletics have gotten an out 💪 pic.twitter.com/eOVg9IvvKU

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

10 RUNS, NO OUTS.

MAX SCHUEMANN BRINGS HOME TWO! pic.twitter.com/B6HhroTb6H

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

BEN RICE WITH A TWO-RUN TRIPLE! pic.twitter.com/sTSe7bde0v

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

LUCKY 13.

CODY BELLINGER KEEPS THE LINE MOVING! pic.twitter.com/8b4AQS49PC

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) May 31, 2026

What's next

The Yankees take Monday off before Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. opener with the Cleveland Guardians starts a three-game series that spills into Wednesday and Thursday. New York's six-game homestand subsequently continues Friday through Sunday with a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (7-2, 1.50 ERA) and Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo (4-2, 3.57 ERA) are set to start Tuesday.