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There were positives to come out of the first game between the Yankees and Rays, but they were overshadowed by another bullpen meltdown. This time, it was the ever-reliable Tim Hill suddenly combusting, the Yankees wasting a gem from Gerrit Cole in his first outing in a year and a half. It’s great to see Cole back, and he should give the Yankees a dominant rotation that gives them a great chance to win every night. Yet winning every night has not been something they’ve been doing lately.

It’ll be a lighter day on the site, with Kevin handling the Rivalry Roundup this morning, and Jonathan writing a profile of Buck Showalter, an important figure in Yankees history, and just MLB history at large. Also, Maximo contrasts the ways the Yankees and Rays have gotten to the top of the AL this year, and Matt delivers the All-May Yankee Birthday team.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

Video: YES Network, Rays.TV

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Let’s focus on the positives: did Gerrit Cole’s debut meaningfully impact your expectations for him?

2. How much do you expect to actually see Anthony Volpe at second base?

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: With José Caballero returning to action after a brief stint on the injured list with a fractured finger, the Yankees opted to keep Anthony Volpe around as insurance. Not just that, but manager Aaron Boone announced that he will start taking drills at second base to increase his versatility.

Boone said that the decision on who will be the starting shortstop will be made “‘every night,” but Caballero was his choice on Friday’s opener vs. the Rays. For now, Volpe will try to learn second base, but there are no plans for him to play the hot corner.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Aaron Judge entered Friday’s game against the Rays with just one hit, a single, in his last five games and 21 plate appearances. He knows he is not exactly going through his best stretch of the season and is aware of the need for improvement. He blamed pitch selection for his mini slump: “I’m not doing enough at the plate,” Judge said. “That’s what we’re doing right there. … I wouldn’t say we’re not seeing the ball well. I think it’s about making sure we’re swinging at the right pitches.”

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: Gerrit Cole made his long-awaited season debut on Friday, and he was huge for the Yankees with six scoreless frames. The strikeouts aren’t all the way back, as he fanned just two, but he surrendered just two hits and three walks in the highly-efficient masterpiece. If it wasn’t his first start of the year at the MLB level (and the first since 2024), he could have gone even further, as he needed just 72 pitches to dominate the Rays. New York’s rotation is really unfair for the rest of the league now that the veteran ace is back to full health. The offense needs to show up, though.

In another must-read article, Cole opened up to longtime reporter Stephanie Apstein of SI.com about his rehab process, his fears, and the long road back to these six scoreless frames and what’s to come.

Bryan Hoch on X: The Yankees have been without designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton since April 25th, when he went down with a calf strain. Per Hoch, the star slugger will be examined “this coming week” to see if he can resume running. He has been hitting, but won’t be able to return if he can’t run. Boone suggested there’s a chance Stanton skips a rehab assignment when cleared.

It took a miracle to get this game started. After lengthy delays due to impending weather (or so we were told), the Big Ten set a hard time of 10:20 pm for the UCLA-Purdue game to finish in order for the field to be ready to go by the conference’s deadline to start a game of 11pm. With a tie game in the 9th and the time ticking down, the crowd boo-ed every play or lack thereof that took extra time. Luckily UCLA hit a walk off single at 10:19:47 pm. The Nebraska-Michigan game was go for launch!

First team All Big Ten Pitcher Carson Jasa climbed the bump for the Huskers. He hit the leadoff hitter, but then made quick work of Michigan’s two best hitters Colby Turner, and Brayden Jeffries on his way to retire the side with a zero.

Nebraska was ready to play despite the 11pm start and it was noticeable. Michigan, being pretty much out of starting pitching sent out Erik Puodziunas, a freshman reliever that had gone more than 3 innings only twice on the year. The Huskers jumped on him quick.

Center fielder Mac Moyer led off and recorded an out, but on a ball he hit 101 mph to center. DH Jeter Worthley hit a line drive right off the leg of Puodziunas. It oddly went 20 feet up in the air but bounced to the ground before Puodziunas could locate it for a base hit. Dylan Carey ripped a single right past the diving third baseman to put 2 on for first baseman Case Sanderson. Sanderson sent a missile down to the right field corner, scoring both runners as he cruised into third for a stand up triple. 2-0 Big Red.

The teams traded zeros until the top of the 4th. Michigans Turner and Jeffries each singled to start the inning. After bunting them over, a swinging bunt went right to Sanderson who stepped on first base as the first Michigan runner crossed the plate. An RBI double tied the game at 2-2.

If there is one thing this Husker team always does, is answer a rally. A red hot Sanderson smoked a double off the wall of the deepest part of the park. Drew Grego followed it up with a single. Seeing the game was in the balance, Michigan went to the pen and got their ace, Kurt Barr.

Barr had pitched only 2 days ago, but after a lights out first inning, he completely lost the bottom of the zone. They pulled him after 40 pitches, making him available to go tonight. Back to back strikeouts made it look like Barr was in complete control with his slider. Jett Buck spit on it multiple times, and drew a walk to load the bases for Rhett Stokes. Stokes watched a fastball down the middle, then 3 straight sliders out of the zone. He ripped a 3-1 fastball into left field and scored 2 on a 2 RBI single. Huskers regain the lead 4-2.

Barr and Jasa went to work, each allowing only 1 baserunner over the next 2 innings. To start the 7th, Jasa snapped off a slider to strike out a Michigan batter, but the ball skipped away from catcher Trey Fikes. The throw did not make it in time. Jasa then hung his second breaking ball over the plate and Michigan first baseman Matthew Ossenfort deposited it into the bleachers in right-center. Tie ball game again, 4-4.

Ty Horn was called in to replace Jasa, and in and just like he was towards the end of the season, Horn was lights out coming in, getting three out of four batters out, with the one walking on a terrible call. His first walk since April 10th.

The Huskers got right back to work. Stokes singled to left, followed by a Moyer strikeout. Jeter Worthley then poked a hit and run just out of the reach of the short stop up the middle, as Stokes took third. Dylan Carey, the top RBI man in the conference couldn’t lay off multiple sliders, striking out, and bringing up the scorching hot Sanderson.

Well, if you are scorching hot, obviously you get a hit! Sanderson dropped a ball into the gap in right center, scoring Stokes. The outfielder bobbled the ball multiple times, allowing Worthley who was motoring to third to get the waved home and he slid in easily to put NU back up 6 to 4. Sanderson got credit for 1 RBI, Worthley was unearned.

In the top of the 8th, Michigan put the pressure on Horn, with runners on first and second with only 1 out. Horn battled back and struck out the final two batters and let out a scream to the heavens as he flexed, striding off the mound into the third base dugout.

With the score still 6-4 in the 9th, Nebraska called on its closer, J’Shawn Unger. Unger induced a weak groundout to third, and Overbeek threw a strike to first for out number 1. After getting to a full count, Michigna hit a sinking liner to the left center gap, only All-Big Ten Defensive Team outfielder Mac Moyer flew in and grabbed the ball just inches from the ground, to the delight of the crowd! Another fly ball to Moyer at 1:51 am and Nebraska won its 13th straight game in this ballpark.

Sanderson was the hero of the night, with 3 hits, falling a home run short of the cycle and 3 RBIs. Jeter Worthley added 3 hits of his own, scoring twice. Rhett Stokes had 2 hits, and the other 2 RBIs.

Nebraska will play the winner of Oregon-Washington on Saturday. Those teams play at 10am CDT, and will take on Nebraska at 6pm or thereabouts.

As Forest Gump famously said, “Well, Im pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.” See you back here tomorrow!

Former All-Star and two-time World Series champion Chris Taylor has retired from professional baseball, according to Major League Baseball’s transaction log, ending a 12-year career that included a decade-long run of success with the Dodgers.

Taylor, 35, was a key member of the Dodgers’ core during their rise to superteam status from 2016-2025.

Originally acquired in a trade with the Mariners as a reclamation project — famously, in exchange for only reliever Zach Lee — the Virginia native blossomed in Los Angeles after overhauling his swing and becoming a versatile utility threat.

He played 1,007 of his 1,123 career big-league games in Dodger blue, collecting 790 hits, 108 home runs, 423 RBIs and plenty of highlight moments to go with it.

“He’s had a great career,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was in his first season with the club when Taylor arrived in June 2016. “He got everything out of his ability.”

In 2017, Taylor was named co-MVP of the National League Championship Series, helping lead the Dodgers to their first World Series appearance in 29 years by batting .316 with two home runs in a five-game elimination of the Cubs. 

He had another memorable moment when the Dodgers defended their pennant in the 2018 NLCS, making a sprawling, over-the-shoulder, run-saving catch in left field against the Brewers in the series’ decisive seventh game in Milwaukee.

“Man, worlds would have been different if he hadn’t made that play,” Roberts recalled.

When the Dodgers finally ended their championship drought in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Taylor played an important role, starting in all but two games of that October’s postseason run.

He then became an All-Star for the first time in 2021, when he batted .254 with 20 home runs and a career-high 73 RBIs in the regular season, before hitting a walk-off home run in the NL Wild Card game against the Cardinals.

In his postseason career, Taylor had nine home runs, 26 RBIs and a .791 OPS.

Following the 2021 campaign, Taylor became a free agent but re-signed with the Dodgers on a four-year, $60 million contract struck shortly before a lockout in the middle of the offseason.

As a 31-year-old by then, however, Taylor’s play slowly declined amid repeated slumps and recurring injury problems. He never again hit more than 15 home runs or better than .237 in a season. He was relegated to a bench role during the Dodgers’ run to the 2024 World Series, then released last May in the final year of his contract.

Taylor had been with the Angels ever since, appearing in 30 big-league games with them last season while battling more injuries that hampered his play. This year, he had been with their Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City, batting .255 in 32 games.

But on Friday, the husband and father of two decided it was time to hang it up, 14 years removed from originally being selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. 

“I hope he, [his wife] Mary and the kids can ride off into the sunset,” Roberts said, while also noting the charitable work Taylor has done through his CT3 Foundation. “He was a joy, a complete pro.”

Aaron Boone called it “a really tough call” to send Spencer Jones back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with the return of José Caballero from the IL.

The manager said the decision was due in part to the Yankees facing some left-handed starters, but the 25-year-old outfield prospect struggled against all pitching in his brief stint in The Bronx, going 4-for-24 with no extra-base hits, three walks and 14 strikeouts.

“I feel it was a good experience for Spencer,” Boone said. “Even though he didn’t get a lot of results, I felt he held his own pretty well. The last two days, he was having some good at-bats.”

To Boone’s point, there was a 105-mph single to center in Thursday’s loss to Toronto and a deep fly out to the opposite field off Trey Yesavage after Jones replaced the injured Trent Grisham in center on Wednesday.

Grisham had three hits in Friday’s 4-2 loss and was thrown out at the plate on a strong throw by Jonny DeLuca from right field.

Boone said he thought Grisham ran “OK” on the bases in his return.

With Grisham recovered from the left knee discomfort that forced him out Wednesday and kept him sidelined Thursday, the Yankees will rely on Amed Rosario and Max Schuemann as the fourth outfielder.

That’s because Jasson Domínguez is still on the IL with a sprained shoulder. Domínguez has begun tee-and toss hitting and is expected to travel with the team to Kansas City and Sacramento on the upcoming trip to continue his work.

Boone said Domínguez might be able to begin a rehab assignment by the end of that trip.

It’s no surprise the Yankees offense has looked anemic lately, given that Aaron Judge is in a six-game skid in which he’s 1-for-23 with no extra-base hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts.

And his lack of production stretches back a bit further, with just a double in a 4-for-35 slump that’s lasted nine games.

Boone liked Judge’s at-bats Friday and his 106-mph laser to center was the final out of the game.

He also grounded out hard to short and Boone said he has been impressed with Judge’s mental approach despite the numbers.

“His emotional consistency is as good as it gets,’’ Boone said. “That’s critical for a major league athlete, where you fail all the time. Doing it every single day, it’s a grind, even for the great ones and you’ve got to be able to deal with that.”

Judge, Boone said, is adept at that.

“Whether he’s dominating the world or going through a little funk, he’s always the same,’’ Boone said.

Giancarlo Stanton (calf) is expected to be reevaluated at some point next week, Boone said, and if he gets the go-ahead, will be able to resume running.

Stanton has been able to continue to swing while on the IL, in spite of the injury.

San Francisco’s Trevor McDonald was perfect through the first three innings against the White Sox tonight. Trying to get through the lineup a second time proved to be impossible for the righty, as Chicago hung nine runs on the Giants and cruised to a 9-4 win.

It started with back-to-back hit batsmen to put Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami on base. Colson Montgomery got the first hit of the game with an infield single, and with the sacks packed Chase Meidroth broke the shutout with an RBI walk.

And the runs would not stop coming. Antonacci would get hit once more before the end of the inning, by a different pitcher. The Pale Hose used five hits and a fielder’s choice to push nine runs in their half of the fourth. Nine is the most runs scored in a single inning this season, and are also the most runs scored in an inning without a home run since 2000. Although just two of the hits hit gaps and had any slug to them, it was a welcome wake-up of the bats after a slow start to the road trip in Seattle.

Please enjoy Mune’s third double of the season to add three RBIs to his ledger:

Davis Martin, untouchable all season, ran into troubles of his own in the bottom of the fifth. He opened the inning with issuing walks sandwiching a double from Drew Gilbert to load the bases. A ground out from Willy Adames put the Giants on the board, followed by a Luis Arráez RBI single. A wild pitch from Martin advanced the runners to second and third with one out, setting up the third and final run of the inning to score on another ground out. Not too many RBI hits in this game, for either side!

Will Venable gave his starter an opportunity to pick up an eighth quality start of the year, but Martin, at 98 pitches, ended his night just 5 2/3 innings in. He gave up an additional run in the sixth, pushing his ERA back past 2.00. During his outing, Martin struck out seven and walked two, but tonight’s four runs are the most the ace has given up so far this season.

The rest of the game was fairly quiet. The slugging White Sox won a game handily without hitting a home run, and without scoring outside of the fourth. Tyler Davis, Brandon Eisert and Trevor Richards each did their job out of the bullpen and kept the game exactly where it was.

After dropping a series to the Mariners in Seattle, this game was a nice win to start the holiday weekend. The South Siders will be back a little earlier tomorrow for the second game of the three-game set. First pitch will be at 3:05 p.m. CDT, where Erick Fedde and gang will look to secure a series victory.

Austin Wells’ dry spell is over.

Wells snapped a streak of 50 consecutive plate appearances without an RBI at what looked like the perfect time, but his tiebreaking home run didn’t hold up under Austin Wells’ dry spell is over.he weight of another bullpen collapse Friday as the Yankees lost 4-2 to the Rays at the Stadium.

The 392-blast to right-center field was just the sixth hit and first RBI of May for Wells, who has lost playing time to fellow left-handed-hitting catcher J.C. Escarra. The reaction in the dugout told the story of a team backing its slumping catcher.

“Austin is always grinding for us behind the plate,” said Gerrit Cole, who made his first start since Oct. 30, 2024. “The effort and the preparation are there. When you see that, as teammates it’s just so easy to root for somebody. Not to mention his positivity and the way he takes care of other people. It was an opportunity for us to take care of him. We were thrilled at that point with the swing and the result.”

Wells lined out to end an eight-pitch at-bat during the second inning, which might have set the table for his homer.

“I saw a bunch of pitches in the first at-bat,” Wells said. “I just got a pitch in the middle that I could put a good swing on.”

Friday was the second game this month that Wells had at least three plate appearances without striking out, as his whiff rate has climbed to 33 percent and his squared-up percentage has dropped to 21 percent, according to Baseball Savant.

Wells didn’t sugarcoat his struggles earlier this week, when he said there are “not many words to describe how bad I’ve been.” The fans who have booed him at Yankee Stadium could think of a few synonyms for “bad.”

But the cheers were loud as Wells slapped first-base coach Dan Fiorito’s hand, trotted around the bases and returned to a receiving line of high-fives, forearm clubs and bear hugs — happy to have a 1-0 lead. How much relief was Wells feeling?

“None,” said Wells, who is hitting .169 with four home runs and six RBIs in 118 at-bats. “I have a lot more work to do.”

Wells later fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches and drew an eight-pitch walk with one out in the ninth, allowing the tying run to come to the plate.

But Trent Grisham grounded out and Aaron Judge flew out to the warning track.

“Wellsy has some good at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Encouraging to see that. Obviously, it’s been a struggle for him.”

Cole also credited Wells’ game plan and pitch-framing for helping him to navigate six scoreless innings and 72 pitches in his clean return from Tommy John surgery and his introduction to the ABS Challenge System for the strike zone.