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Cubs Minor League Wrap: Smokies shell Shuckers, 12-2

Knoxville Smokies infielder Edgar Alvarez (25) celebrates hitting a double during a Minor League baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Birmingham Barons at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 2, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were thunderstruck by the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 3-1.

The I-Cubs got a very good start from Javier Assad, who allowed just one run on three hits over 5.1 innings. Assad struck out five and walked no one.

Jaxon Wiggins gave the I-Cubs 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Wiggins allowed one hit. He did not walk anyone and struck out one. Since moving to the bullpen, Wiggins has thrown 6.2 scoreless innings and has allowed just two hits.

Antoine Kelly got the loss when he allowed two runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning in the top of the ninth. Kelly walked three and struck out one.

Iowa’s lone run came on a solo home run by second baseman James Triantos in the fourth inning. It was Triantos’ ninth home run this season. Today, he went 2 for 4.

Catcher Owen Ayers was 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.

Assad was helped by some great defense in right field from Chas McCormick.

Then he did it again with Wiggins on the mound.

Triantos’ home run.

Heads up play by Ayers. He also was 1 for 2 throwing out runners trying to steal today.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies cracked open the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 12-2.

Connor Schultz started and lasted four innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk anyone.

Yenrri Rojas handled the next two innings, didn’t allow a run on one hit, and got the win because Schultz didn’t go five. Rojas walked one and struck out one.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez had a huge night, going 3 for 5 with a double and a solo home run in the second inning. It was Alvarez’s 11th home run this year. Alvarez had four total RBI and scored twice.

DH Miguel Useche was 3 for 4 with a double. He drove in two and scored once.

Alex Madera went 2 for 4 with a two-run triple and a walk. Madera scored one run.

Alvarez’s home run.

Two-run single for Useche.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were bitten by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 11-10.

Anhuar Garcia threw the first four innings and surrendered two runs on six hits. Garcia struck out five and walked no one, so that makes a decent line look even better.

JP Wheat gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth, as well as two inherited runners allowed two score, to take the loss. Wheat’s final line was three runs on four hits over two-thirds of an inning. He did not walk anyone and he struck out one.

Catcher Logan Poteet hit two home runs this afternoon. The first one came with a man on in the fourth inning and the second one was a solo shot in the top of the ninth. Poteet now has 21 home runs this year, seven of which came with South Bend. Poteet was 3 for 4 with a walk and four runs scored.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy went back-to-back with Poteet in the ninth as South Bend got a two-out rally going again. Lumpuy also had a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning and an RBI single in the sixth for five total RBI. Lumpuy went 3 for 5 with the triple, the home run and a stolen base.

Center fielder Leonel Espinoza was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI single. He also scored one run.

DH Kade Snell went 3 for 5 with a steal. He scored three times.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn was 1 for 2 with two walks, a stolen base and a sac fly. He scored one run.

Poteet’s first home run.

Lumpy’s three-run triple.

Poteet’s second home run and Lumpuy’s back-to-back blast.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans four-putted against the Augusta Green Jackets (Braves), 10-8.

The Pelicans got off to a good start with Freddy Rodriguez, who allowed just one run on two hits over four innings. The one run came on a second-inning home run. Rodriguez walked three and struck out four.

Fenuel James then pitched the next three innings and retired all nine batters he faced. He struck out three.

The wheels came off when the Pelicans held an 8-1 lead going into the bottom of the eighth and they allowed nine runs in the inning to blow the game. Jhon Cabral allowed five runs on three hits and two walks without retiring a batter. The loss then went to John Alkire II who did managed to get three outs, but not before giving up two inherited runners and four runs of his own. Alkire gave up three hits and two walks. He struck out one.

DH Alexis Hernandez hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his third on the season. Hernandez came a triple shy of the cycle as he was 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. He had two runs batted in and scored twice.

Third baseman Derniche Valdez homered twice with solo shots in the sixth and eighth innings. Valdez went 2 for 4. He now has ten home runs this season.

Valdez’s home run in the eighth came back-to-back with a solo home run by center fielder Darlyn De Leon, who hit his fourth home run with a man on. De Leon went 1 for 4.

Second baseman Juan Cabada was 2 for 5.

Eli Lovich with an RBI double. Lovich was 1 for 4.

Ex-Pelican Cristian Hernandez’s little brother goes deep.

Home run number one for Valdez.

The back-to-black blasts by De Leon and Valdez.

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Mets Minor League Roundup: Mitch Voit and Jefferson Rojas both homer at Double-A, while Triple-A tosses combined no-hitter

The Mets prospects put up some huge feats and produced a bit of history on Sunday. Here's the latest roundup of what's going on down on the farm... 

Mitch Voit, Jefferson Rojas homer at Double-A

Three of the top 10 in SNY's Mets Top 30 Prospects featured in the Binghamton Rumble Ponies' 14-5 win over the Reading Fightin Phils: No. 1 Jefferson Rojas, No. 5 Mitch Voit, and No. 8 Jacob Reimer.

Voit batted leadoff and had a hot bat all night. He went 3-for-4 with two walks, a strikeout, and 3 RBI, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Not to be outdone, Rojas batted third, went 3-for-6 with 4 RBI, and clobbered a two-run shot of his own. He also struck out twice.

Reimer reached base just once, going 1-for-6 with a double.

Meanwhile, No. 23 Chris Suero and No. 29 Eli Serrano III each came to bat five times. Suero worked two walks while going 0-for-3 with a strikeout, while Serrano knocked an RBI double, reached on a single, stole a base, and struck out twice.

Sammy Stafura homers for Brooklyn

The Mets' No. 3 prospect (who came over in the Luke Weaver trade) connected on the first home run of his time with the Mets in the top half of the fifth. He liked doing it so much on Sunday that he didn't wait too long to do it again in the ninth.

Playing about forty minutes from his childhood home against the Hudson Valley Renegades, Satafura finished the afternoon 2-for-4 with a walk, a strikeout, and three batted in on those two round trippers.

He's now batting .285 with a .949 for the year at High-A.

Triple-A bullpen combines for no-hitter

There weren't quite the same eye-popping prospect performances for the Syracuse Mets in their 8-0 victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

No. 15 Nick Morabito batted leadoff, picking up a single, reached on a catcher's interference, and drew a walk in five times up with a stolen base for good measure. Batting sixth in the order, No. 27 Billy Amick went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

The real story here was conducted by Mets veterans currently playing at Triple-A. Rehabbing Mark Vientos blasted a trifecta of home runs, going 4-for-5 on the day with 5 RBI. Ronny Mauricio was 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Most notably, Tobias Myers was one of six relievers who combined for a no-hitter. Myers pitched three full innings and struck out one batter, facing the minimum nine batters without issuing a walk.

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Thoughts on a 7-4 Rangers win

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 30: Elias Díaz #35 and Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers celebrate after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 at American Family Field on August 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Rangers 7, Brewers 4

  • Well will you look at that…the Rangers can win a game!
  • On the road, even!
  • And in a game where Kumar Rocker only went three innings!
  • Kumar Rocker, man…
  • Just four days ago, we marveled at the fact that Sean Burke threw 92 pitches against the Rangers in just three innings, and the White Sox still won the game.
  • Rocker didn’t match the eight walks Burke issued in his three innings of work. He did match the three innings pitched and two runs allowed, however, while coming just short of Burke’s pitch total.
  • Rocker needed 86 pitches to get through three innings.
  • That’s not good. It is, in fact, bad.
  • Rocker only faced 17 batters. That means he averaged over 5 pitches per batter.
  • Its kind of remarkable he lasted that long. The Brewers’ first four batters all reached. 20 pitches into the game for Rocker, two runs were in, two runners were on base, and there were no outs in the inning.
  • Rocker managed to retire nine of the next 13 batters he faced, seven on strikes. Three of the four batters he didn’t retire reached via the walk.
  • By the time Rocker got the hook after the third, the Rangers had tied it up, so at least he wasn’t going to be tagged with a loss, whatever happened.
  • I guess you know, though, that the Rangers didn’t lose, so he wouldn’t have gotten tagged with a loss anyway.
  • Tyler Alexander — an unsung hero of your 2026 Texas Rangers — gave the team two innings of shutout work to get the team to the fifth inning. Adam Macko, Jordan Montgomery, Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz each contributed an inning apiece after that.
  • I imagine the hope was that it was not going to be a save situation, with the Rangers getting seven runs on the board by the time Montgomery came in for the bottom of the seventh. A two out, two run homer by Gary Sanchez narrowed the lead, though, making it a little closer and less comfortable than we all would have liked.
  • Still, it gave Jacob Latz the opportunity to pick up his first save in a week, in his first appearance for the Rangers in a week.
  • Losing streaks are bad for getting your closer work. They are good for getting your closer lots of rest, though.
  • The seven runs the Rangers scored are a reminder that sometimes the Rangers can hit the ball and it can find the dirt or the grass, and they can run like the wind down to first, and sometimes even second or third, without making an out.
  • And eventually they can even come all the way home and score a run.
  • This is actually the third time in the last six games that the Rangers have scored at least seven runs, so maybe my sarcasm isn’t necessarily warranted.
  • The dynamic duo of Elias Diaz and Ezequiel Duran got the Rangers on the board, and then the lead, with Diaz hitting a two out ground rule double right after Cody Freeman had put up a two run double of his own in the top of the second, and then Duran homering in the third to tie the score.
  • Duran added a ground rule double of his own in the fifth to bring home Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford, who had walked to start the inning and then advanced on a Brandon Nimmo groundout.
  • Joc Pederson homered in the sixth for some necessary (it turned out) insurance, and then a sequence of singles and an error brought two more insurance runs that weren’t necessary, but which are fun nonetheless.
  • Pederson had a chance to blow it open in the seventh, with the bases loaded and two outs. He could have homered again, giving the Rangers 11 runs, tying their season high.
  • It would have been great had he done that.
  • Pederson didn’t, however.
  • I guess its okay, though. The Rangers won anyway.
  • Rangers wins…they are so emotionally uplifting, aren’t they?
  • Kumar Rocker touched 95.8 with both his fastball and his sinker, averaging 94.2 mph with each pitch. Tyler Alexander maxed out at 94.2 mph with his fastball. Adam Macko’s fastball topped out at 95.8 mph. Jordan Montgomery’s sinker reached 92.7 mph. Jakob Junis hit 92.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball topped out at 97.3 mph.
  • Brandon Nimmo had a 105.7 mph single. Corey Seager had a 104.7 mph single and a 104.7 mph groundout. Evan Carter had a 103.9 mph groundout and a 101.9 mph fly out. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.3 mph double. Joc Pederson had a 100.8 mph home run.
  • A return to the cozy confines of the Shed, and hopefully a return to winning more often than losing for a while.
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Yankees' back of rotation arms vie for October's leverage bullpen roles

Will Warren started the most important game of the Yankees season so far, and that was fitting. He and other Yankees who have not pitched leverage innings for them this season will likely be doing so when their season is on the line in October. After they traded away relievers and did not replace them before the trade deadline, the Yankees will be relying on their ability to create an October bullpen weapon or two on the fly.

Warren, who threw seven shutout innings in Sunday’s win – a game that gave them the season series over the Red Sox and home-field advantage in the first round if the teams finish with the same record – will almost certainly be pitching out of the bullpen when the postseason schedule eliminates the need for a fifth starter. Sunday, he reminded the Yankees why he will be a valuable piece of their pitching staff moving forward, whatever role he holds.

“I felt like I feel like that every week,” Warren said after a masterpiece made more crucial by the fact that the Yankees bullpen was depleted by Saturday’s doubleheader. “Sometimes it doesn’t obviously play like that. But I’m confident every time I take the mound.”

Former rookie of the year Luis Gil will spend the next few weeks auditioning for a relief role after being called up for the first time in 2026 on Sunday. Clarke Schmidt, owner of a 3.82 career ERA, said Sunday that he felt good after his first rehab outing since Tommy John surgery in July of 2025 and should be built up enough to serve in relief when he returns.

If Ryan Weathers can somehow heal his elbow injury in time to pitch in the postseason, he probably would not have time to build back up to starting. He might have been in for a switch even if he were healthy: The Yankees always seemed likely to shift him to the bullpen in October anyway.

Joining them on the audition list are veterans Justin Topa and Michael Fulmer, acquired off the waiver wire after Fernando Cruz suffered an elbow injury that left the Yankees bullpen looking thin. Paul Blackburn has become nearly unhittable, which has helped the Yankees handle setup innings ahead of David Bednar. But if he lapses into mere mortality again – or if Brent Headrick starts showing the effects of making 20 more appearances in a season than he has ever made before -- they will have to get creative in leverage.

Options exist in the minor leagues, too. Yerry De Los Santos, optioned Sunday because the Yankees needed a fresh arm, has a 1.35 ERA in 15 big-league appearances this year. Aaron Boone said he expects De Los Santos to return to the major league roster before season’s end.

Jun 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) reacts after leaving the game during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Jun 21, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt (36) reacts after leaving the game during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / © John Jones-Imagn Images

Angel Chivilli, who looked unhittable at times until suffering an elbow injury in early August, has resumed throwing. Boone said last week that Chivilli could “still be an option.” The Yankees recently signed veteran Eli Morgan to a minor league deal, and if he pitches well in Scranton, he might earn a tryout, too. But there are few sure things in that bunch – and no surer thing for a Yankees team struggling to score than close games down the stretch.

The Yankees have plenty of time to gain clarity. Ultimately, the eventual makeup of their postseason bullpen might become far more obvious than it seems right now. But those three current and former starters will have substantial influence over its October composition.

Warren has only made two career relief appearances, but he has a five-pitch arsenal he could winnow into his best three pitches, one of which is a fastball that sits in the mid-90s but has touched 97 and could reasonably be expected to sit nearer that number in short bursts. And he didn’t

Schmidt said he too plans to pare down his arsenal for bullpen duties – and that he thinks his stuff could grow livelier in shorter outings, as well.

“I would like to think [it would tick up], I would hope so,” Schmidt said. “I think obviously you pitch a little bit differently in that role. You can kind of let it eat a little bit.”

Schmidt, 30, said he hasn’t discussed the specifics of his bullpen role with Yankees management, though his understanding that it could resemble the multi-inning hybrid role Michael King served at times under Boone.

Gil, meanwhile, will still need to prove he deserves a bullpen start before the Yankees start to shape one for him. The righty did not make the Yankees rotation out of spring training and dealt with a shoulder injury until mid-August. He has not allowed a run in five Scranton appearances since returning. All five appearances have been for two innings or fewer.

“He seems healthy. He seems strong. The fastball seems like it’s in a good place: the profile seems good,” Boone said. “Encouraged with how he’s looking, how he’s bouncing back and everything.”

Exactly where the October innings will go will be dictated by what happens between now and late September, when the Yankees can test potential leverage options in games that, if their recent track record is any indication, will be close late. Then again, the Yankees offense scored 22 runs between Saturday night and Sunday. When it comes to solidifying a bullpen in flux during a pennant push, a few extra runs a night certainly wouldn’t hurt.

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Braves vs. Rockies series recap: A stabilizing run of seven straight successes

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 29: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates hitting a two-RBI double in the eighth inning during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

What a difference a week makes, right? Around this time last week, the Atlanta Braves were looking to simply get the train back on the tracks by salvaging a win from a series loss against the Brewers. They’d lost three full series in a row and the Phillies were red hot. It was getting too close for comfort at the top of the NL East!

Now here we are, just a week later and the Braves appear to be back in control of things. They already managed to pull off a major coup with a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers and now it was time to take care of business against a Colorado Rockies team that appeared prime to trip up the Braves based on how they performed over the weekend. Either way, it was on the Braves to make sure that they didn’t let off the gas against the NL West cellar-dwellers after putting pedal-to-the-metal against the NL West leaders earlier this week. How did things go? Let’s take a look.

Friday, August 28

Braves 6, Rockies 4

Despite the fact that it was “only” a two-run win for the Braves, this felt like a business-like performance from Atlanta as far as the offense goes. The Braves racked up 14 hits on the night and raced out to a 4-0 lead after three innings. Michael Harris II and Sean Murphy picked up RBI doubles in the second inning, Drake Baldwin delivered an RBI single to make it 3-0 after two and then Mauricio Dubón continued his incredible run with two outs and runners in scoring position as he knocked in a run to make it 4-0.

Grant Holmes was going smoothly until the fifth inning, which is when the Rockies got a small-ball rally going against Holmes. Four singles, a sacrifice fly and a productive ground ball out saw the Rockies push three runs across the board in order to make things a bit interesting but at the same time, Atlanta responded almost immediately and got all but one of those runs back in the fifth inning. In contrast to what Colorado was doing, those two runs came on one swing after Money Mike swatted one to the Chop House to put Atlanta back in front by three runs.

Those three runs were the only runs that Colorado could push past Holmes while he was out there and the only other run that the Rockies could pick up came on a sacrifice fly from Willi Castro off of Ray Kerr in the seventh to bring us to the final score of 6-4. Victor Mederos and Raisel Iglesias both made sure that the score stayed at 6-4 and ensured that Atlanta got off to a winning start in this particular series.

Saturday, August 29

Braves 2, Rockies 1

The offense wasn’t as free-flowing as it was on Friday night, as both teams really had to scrap for the runs that were pushed across the plate on this particular evening. Martín Pérez once again delivered another productive start as he went 5.2 innings and struck out six, but the sixth inning ended up being the end of the road for Pérez after he ran into some two-out trouble. A single, a walk and a Willi Castro RBI single ended up moving Colorado into the lead in the sixth and chased Pérez from the game. Atlanta struggled through the sixth and the seventh as well, so it sure seemed like the Braves were on their way to a disappointing loss to Colorado.

Instead, some of that eighth-inning Truist Park magic once again came into play as the Braves started a two-out rally of their own at a crucial time. Two singles set the stage for Michael Harris II to once again come up huge, as he slapped one out into left-center. Not only did Cole Carigg not make the catch, he booted it deeper into the outfield and gave both Matt Olson and Mauricio Dubón enough time to score. Carigg really didn’t take the flub well, Didier Fuentes shut the door in the ninth inning and the Braves were able to celebrate a series win in dramatic fashion.

Sunday, August 30

Braves 3, Rockies 2

For the Rockies to have such a bad record, they definitely made made life tough for Atlanta over the course of this series. They came close to toppling the Braves on Saturday and hung with Atlanta in the latter portion of Sunday’s contest as well. The Braves got out to an early lead thanks to Sean Murphy launching one to his buddies in the home bullpen for solo shot and then Ronald Acuña Jr. followed it up with an RBI single to put the Braves into a 2-0 lead.

Tyler Mahle pitched six innings in this one and only gave up one run, which is something he’s turned into a habit since joining the Braves. However, those two runs that Atlanta scored in the third were all the help that Mahle got and the one-run lead that he left with was eventually turned into a deadlock in the eighth inning after Colorado deftly manufactured a run out of a leadoff single, two productive outs and a two-out single from Connor Norby. The Braves had already squandered some opportunities to add on and so this game ended up being destined for extra innings.

The tenth inning was pretty straight-forward. Victor Mederos pitched a clean tenth inning and then both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson picked up singles to start (and end) the tenth inning. Olson’s single ended up being the walk-off knock and the Braves broke out the brooms for the first time since, well, this past Thursday. Sweet!

Hoo boy, the Braves have needed a run like this for a while. After having a rough and rocky run of games where they had won only five of 15 games in August, the Braves have gotten this month back on track with a much-needed seven-game winning streak. They came into August on a good run and assuming they can keep it going on Monday against the Giants, they’ll be entering September on a run.

They’ve just about recovered from that rough road trip through the Central Divisions by beating up on both the NL West’s leaders and cellar dwellers over the course of a week. It’s also fascinating to note how close these games have been — the largest margin for the Braves during this streak has been two runs. These games have been played on a razor’s edge and it could’ve gone either way. Instead, Atlanta has managed to take advantage of any good bounces that have come their way while managing to avoid toe usual pratfalls that were catching them off-guard during their rough run of form.

In fact, a lot of the games that the Braves lost while they were scuffling through August weren’t exactly blowouts, either. A lot of those losses were by one, two or three runs, so this month could very well have been a month where they’d really be preparing to deliver the knockout blow to the Phillies — and it still could end up going in that direction if the Braves can keep up the pace heading into next weekend’s series in Philadelphia. Instead, they still have a decent-sized advantage but this streak has served to stabilize things for Atlanta rather than serve as a devastating blow to their divisional rivals from Pennsylvania.

Anyways, this was a pretty big series win for the Braves. They did a great job of taking care of business and ensuring that there was no let down following a massive sweep over the Dodgers. They kept up the intensity against a Rockies squad that showed plenty of fight over the course of the three games. Fortunately, the hitting for Atlanta was timely enough and the pitching was stellar, as has been usual since the break. The pitching staff has continued to justify Alex Anthopoulos’s faith in this unit, with deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle continuing to be impressive and Martín Pérez continuing to come up big when he’s called upon.

Plain-and-simple, Atlanta’s trending in the right direction. They’re in possession of the second bye thanks to their efforts against the Dodgers and they’ve got a decent-sized gap between them and the Phillies in the standings. With the games getting more and more important, the Braves are putting themselves in a very good position with the home stretch looming. Let’s see this run of form continue!

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Rolling again?: Phillies 5, Angels 2

Aug 30, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Phillies successfully completed a sweep of the Angels in Anaheim thanks to six strong innings from Zack Wheeler and a pair of home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa before the offense came alive late. It was the first quality start for Wheeler since July 21st, which was also the last time he finished the sixth inning. He still didn’t look quite like his usual self, but it was a clear step in the right direction as Wheeler tries to battle through his recent struggles.

Getting better

Wheeler quickly ran into trouble to start his day, as he walked leadoff hitter Wade Meckler on six pitches and then hit Mike Trout to put the first two runners on. Vaughn Grissom followed with a single that loaded the bases with no outs, putting the Phillies starter on the ropes right out of the gate. However, Wheeler was able to recover by snagging a ground ball from Moisés Ballesteros and starting a 1-6-3 double play. One run scored, but Wheeler was able to then strikeout Christian Moore on three pitches to end the inning.

The following few innings were relatively stress-free for Wheeler outside of a leadoff double in the third that he was able to strand there thanks to some help from an incredible diving catch by Derek Hill in center field.

However, the sixth brough another threat. Wheeler, who was approaching 100 pitches, seemed to tire and walked back-to-back hitters with two outs. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham came out for a mound visit with Wheeler at 101 pitches and needing one more out to finish the inning. He fell behind Jose Siri 2-0 before battling back to collect the strikeout on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, a curveball perfectly located at the bottom of the zone.

In total, Wheeler threw 108 pitches and allowed one run on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts. He still had trouble with deep counts but was able to eventually put hitters away and limit damage when it arose. Wheeler generated 15 whiffs total on the day, five of which coming on the eleven total curveballs he threw. Of his 108 pitches, 54 of them were fastballs, and they generated six whiffs and eleven called strikes.

Peaking late

The Phillies offense meanwhile struggled to get much going against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi. J.T. Realmuto finally broke through in the third, launching his tenth home of the season to center field to tie the game at 1-1.

Edmundo Sosa broke that 1-1 tie in the seventh, hitting his second go-ahead home run of the series to left field to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Sosa is now 8-20 (.400) with 12 RBIs over his last seven games played.

The rest of the offense joined the party in the eighth once Kikuchi was out of the game. Kyle Schwarber led off with a walk and Trea Turner followed with a single. Bryce Harper flew out to shallow right for the first out before Alec Bohm worked a four pitch walk to load the bases. Luis Arraez then entered as a pinch hitter to face right hander José Fermin. Arraez fell behind 0-2 before working the count full and eventually lifting the seventh pitch to left field for a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 3-1. Brandon Marsh was the next pinch hitter up, and he worked an eight pitch at-bat that ended with a single to the right side that added another run. Later in the ninth, Harper would double after a Realmuto walk and a Hill single to extend the lead to 5-1.

Necessary insurance

Those extra runs turned out to be important, as both Jonathan Bowlan and Jhoan Duran were unavailable out of the bullpen. Alex McFarlane tossed a scoreless eighth inning before José Alvarado allowed a pair of singles in the eighth and was lifted for Orion Kerkering with two outs. The latter was able to erase that scoring threat but then Kerkering allowed an RBI double to Trout in the ninth to cut the lead to 5-2 with two outs. However, nothing more would come of the Angels rally, as Kerkering struck out Grissom to end the game and finish his 1.1 innings of work.

Tomorrow’s matchup

The Phillies will head to the dreaded Chase Field in Arizona to begin a three-game set with the Diamondbacks. Aaron Nola (5-10, 5.03) will look to keep his success going on the mound in game one. Arizona has not yet announced a starter as of this writing. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM EDT.

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Wade’s pinch-hit homer helps first-place Astros power past Mets 6-3

NEW YORK — Pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade Jr.'s go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning helped power the Houston Astros to a 6-3 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

With Houston trailing 3-2, Wade launched a pitch from Jonathan Pintaro (0-1) for the third pinch-hit homer of his career and his first since April 2, 2025, while with San Francisco.

Jeremy Peña hit a leadoff homer and had two RBIs for the Astros, who remained two games ahead of Texas in the AL West and overcame consecutive homers by Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, the Mets’ first two batters, in the first inning.

Houston scored twice in the seventh to make it a three-run game. Isaac Paredes scored on Daulton Varsho’s bases-loaded groundout to first and Jose Altuve raced home when Jared Young threw wide of the plate.

Ethan Pecko overcame a laborious first inning to earn his first big league win. Pecko (1-0) gave up three hits — including homers on consecutive pitches to the Mets’ first two batters, Lindor and Soto — and struck out four over five innings.

Josh Hader, the Astros’ fifth pitcher, notched his 21st save with a one-hit ninth.

The homers by Lindor and Soto marked the fifth time New York’s first two batters went deep and the first time since Oct. 4, 2022, when Brandon Nimmo, Lindor and Jeff McNeil went back-to-back-to-back against the Washington Nationals.

The leadoff homers by Peña and Lindor marked the fourth time both leadoff hitters went deep to open their team’s half of the first inning in the majors this season.

Luis Torrens gave the Mets a brief lead in the fifth by hitting into a run-scoring double play.

Mets rookie Zac Thornton allowed two runs and struck out five in five innings.

Up next

Astros: RHP Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.66 ERA) starts Monday against LHP Anthony Kay (9-6, 4.09 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox.

Mets: RHP Robert Stock (0-3, 7.40 ERA) pitches Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays and LHP Ian Seymour (9-5, 4.21 ERA).

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Moritz Seider's Contract Looks Like A Steal After Cale Makar's Massive Extension

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History was made over the weekend, as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar became the first NHL player to be signed to a contract that pays him a yearly salary of over $20 million. 

Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner and former Conn Smythe Trophy winner, inked a eight-year, $163.2 million contract extension that will pay him $20.4 million a season when the deal takes effect in 2027. 

That being said, Makar’s massive new extension only underscores just how much of a bargain Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider’s contract is shaping up to be.

Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, is coming off his best season yet. He set career highs in goals, assists, points and ice time while continuing his ironman streak of never missing a game.

He also finished fifth overall in balloting for the Norris Trophy while finishing 11th overall in balloting for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the NHL's Most Valuable Player in regular season play. 

While Seider will never be as offensively flashy as Makar, he has firmly established himself as one of the NHL’s best and most effective defensemen, and is doing so while earning less than half of what Makar will make once his new extension takes effect.

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Seider, who was former GM Steve Yzerman's first Draft selection in 2019, was re-signed to a seven-year, $59.85 million contract in September 2024. Seider's salary cap hit is $8.55 million.

Moritz Seider Offers Measured Reaction To Major Red Wings Offseason Storylines Moritz Seider Offers Measured Reaction To Major Red Wings Offseason Storylines Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider offered a diplomatic response to the two major storylines the club has faced so far this offseason following Dylan Larkin's trade request and GM Steve Yzerman vacating his role.

There are 21 NHL defensemen who will have a higher salary cap hit than Seider this season, including Makar, Rasmus Dahlin, Evan Bouchard, Thomas Harley, Darnell Nurse, Roman Josi, and Drew Doughty. 

While it was time for the Red Wings to move on from Yzerman as GM after seven straight seasons without making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there’s no denying that the extension he negotiated with Seider is proving to be one of the NHL’s best bargains given the value the defenseman brings to Detroit.

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Hip Hip Jorge! Mateo finishes what DeLuca started: Rays 5, Padres 4

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 30: Jorge Mateo #9 of the Tampa Bay Rays is hit with Powerade after hitting a walk-off single against the San Diego Padres during a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 30, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The game was over.

Samad Taylor had caught Jonny DeLuca’s fly ball at Tropicana Field’s short left-field wall with two outs in the ninth and the San Diego Padres leading by two. Then Taylor collided with the low wall, the ball popped from his glove and went over the fence.

The game was not over.

The cutout in the wall was designed to help longtime Rays left-handed left fielder Carl Crawford rob home runs. This time, it robbed Taylor of the final out and turned DeLuca’s fly ball into a game-tying homer. Jorge Mateo completed the escape two innings later with a walk-off single in a 5-4 victory.

The win gave Tampa Bay its fourth straight victory and an MLB-leading 14th series sweep, matching the franchise record set in 2021.

Before the late chaos, both teams spent the first three innings making scoring chances disappear.

San Diego put runners at the corners with two outs in the first after Manny Machado walked and a fielding error by Mateo on a Ty France grounder, but Drew Rasmussen got Jackson Merrill out on a groundout. Jonathan Aranda singled in the bottom half, only to be caught stealing as Junior Caminero struck out for an inning-ending double play.

In the second Dustin Harris hit a single to get on base with one out. Two batters later Nick Fortes threw out Dustin Harris at second to end the half-inning. Ryan Vilade walked to begin the botto of the second for the Rays and moved up on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice bunt. Robbie Ray stranded him with a strikeout and a popup.

The Padres broke through in the fourth. France walked, Merrill singled and both scored when Xander Bogaerts sent a ground ball past Taylor Walls and the drawn-in infield for a 2-0 lead.

Caminero cut the deficit in half immediately. He led off the bottom of the inning by launching Ray’s pitch 440 feet into the left-center-field seats. His 37th homer tied him for the American League lead and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Tampa Bay had a chance to do more in the fifth. Mateo walked, stole second and third to put the tying run 90 feet away with one out. Taylor Walls fouled off a bunt attempt with two strikes, and Yandy Díaz grounded out to end the inning.

This started to feel like a game that could be close and get away. The Rays never gave up.

Rasmussen kept the Rays close, completing six innings while allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Ray was just as effective, holding Tampa Bay to Caminero’s homer and two other hits over six innings.

San Diego added an unearned run against Cam Booser in the seventh. Taylor reached on a bunt single and advanced to third when Aranda’s throw on a pickoff attempt got away. Sung-Mun Song brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Fernando Tatis Jr. was then called out for leaving the running lane on a bunt and was ejected along with Padres manager Craig Stammen after the play.

Another lost Rays opportunity came in the eighth. Walls was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and stole third, but Adrian Morejon struck out Aranda to preserve San Diego’s 3-1 lead.

That sent the Rays to the ninth against Mason Miller, still down two. Caminero opened with a single, but Miller struck out Liam Hicks and retired Simpson on a line drive.

DeLuca then lifted a fly ball down the left-field line. Taylor tracked the ball and timed it perfectly to make the catch and appeared to finish the game. His collision with the low wall knocked the ball loose and it dropped over the fence for DeLuca’s ninth homer.

Instead of a loss, Tampa Bay had a 3-3 tie.

The Padres lost another scoring chance in the 10th when Hicks threw out automatic runner Jase Bowen trying to steal third. Tampa Bay moved Mateo to third in the bottom half but failed to bring him home.

San Diego went back ahead in the 11th after Tyler Wells’ wild pitch moved Machado to third and France followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Rays answered one last time. Richie Palacios replaced automatic runner Jonathan Aranda and moved to third on Hicks’ single. Pinch-runner Kenny Piper stole second before San Diego intentionally walked Simpson to load the bases. DeLuca chopped a ball to short that Bogaerts could not handle, allowing Palacios to tie the game.

Mateo followed with a line drive into left field to score Piper and seal a walkoff win in a game that was previously lost.

The Rays next series sweep opportunity starts tomorrow when they face the New York Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm with Ian Seymour slated to start for the Rays opposite Robert Stock.

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Andy Green commends Mets rookie Zac Thornton's 'gutsy outing' in loss to Astros

The Mets may have lost 6-3 to the Houston Astros on Sunday afternoon, but rookie Zac Thornton continued to impress in his rookie season.

The 24-year-old left-hander pitched five innings, allowing six hits, one walk, and two earned runs across 97 pitches, striking out five batters in the process.

"It was a gusty outing," asserted interim manager Andy Green of his greenhorn hurler. "He had to grind it out.

"Some at-bats turned into a lot of pitches... it was a hard-fought five innings for him."

Houston's batting order has some star power for pitchers to deal with, including AL MVP favorite and Triple Crown chaser Yordan Alvarez, who Thornton faced three times today.

Thornton struck him out, then got Alvarez to hit into two flyouts.

"[The Astros] have got good hitters, who worked pesky at-bats," Thornton said postgame. "I tried my best to throw good put-away pitches, and they hit them."

Thornton was then asked about his mentality as a rookie with the opportunity to prove he's good enough to be a core member of the team's starting rotation for the present and future.

"I just want to try to show up to the ballpark every day and be the same person, doing everything I can in every start."

New York, who were leading 3-2 entering the sixth inning, allowed four runs (one unearned, as a result of an errant throw home by first baseman Jared Young) on four hits in the sixth and seventh innings.

Jonathan Pintaro struggled in the sixth inning, and Jefry Yan was on the mound for Young's error in the seventh. They each threw 20 pitches.

Green, however, didn't seem upset when reflecting on their performances today.

"Pintaro is good, he's got the capacity to get lefties out consistently, he just left a pitch where he didn't want to," Green said. "The seventh inning was an ugly inning for us. It wasn't all on [Yan]... the error that brought in two runs; it's not a play we want to see happen."

He added: "Bullpens give up runs periodically. We've lived in a world where they hadn't been giving up runs for a long period of time."

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Reds/Cubs Sunday Night Baseball game to begin in rain delay

On July 6, 2025, the rain tarp covers the infield before a Chicago Cubs-St. Louis Cardinals game at Wrigley Field, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The Cincinnati Reds are set to wrap their weekend series in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night. They’re even going to have Joey Votto in the building as an on-field analyst seeing as the game is being carried nationally on both NBC and Peacock as the featured Sunday Night Baseball game of the week.

Unfortunately, it appears the game won’t be starting on-time at 7:20 PM ET.

As veteran ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers relayed shortly after 6:40 PM ET, the game’s going to be delayed due to rain in the Chicago area.

Just how long we’ll have to wait before Shota Imanaga throws the game’s first pitch remains to be seen.

What also becomes interesting is what impact this will have on Reds starter Chase Burns. He was already expected to begin seeing his total pitch counts reduced as a way of managing the load of getting through the entire season as a starter, and obviously having to stay warm for longer before even beginning the game could mean his already expected-to-be short night could end up even shorter.

According to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, the game will start at 7:45 PM ET.

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Mets lose to Astros despite strong start from Lindor and Soto

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Zac Thornton #49 of the New York Mets throws against the Houston Astros during the third inning at Citi Field on August 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caean Couto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mets struggled in multiple facets again in their loss to the Astros 6-3. Despite a decent outing from Zac Thornton, the Mets’ bullpen could not hang on to the fragile lead they were given, and the offense had no response.

On his third pitch in the first inning, Thornton gave up a lead-off home run to Jeremy Peña. After striking out the next two hitters, Thornton allowed a single to Jose Altuve on a line drive into center field, but recovered when Christian Walker grounded into a force out for the third out. The Mets punched back quickly against Astros’ rookie pitcher Ethan Pecko. Francisco Lindor led off with a home run on a full count, and Juan Soto followed with another dinger on the first pitch he saw. With no outs recorded, Bo Bichette smacked a ground ball into right field for a single. Unfortunately, the next three Mets batters went down in order to set the tone for the rest of the game. Nevertheless, after the first inning, the score was Mets 2, Astros 1.

With one out in the top of the second inning, Thornton hit Yainer Diaz with a pitch. After another out, Nick Allen bunted so softly that it took a minute for Marcus Semien to get to the ball and throw to first. By the time he did, Allen was safe, as was Diaz at second. Peña followed with an RBI single into center field that scored Diaz and moved Allen to third base. Fortunately, Yordan Alvarez flied out to mitigate the damage with the game tied. The Mets had no answers in the bottom of the inning, and the score remained 2-2.

Despite allowing a single to Walker at the top of the third, Thornton kept the Astros’ hitters from scoring again. At the top of the fourth, the Astros’ hitters continued to drive up Thornton’s pitch count, and with two outs, Allen drove a double into the left-field corner. Peña came to the plate next, but fortunately this time he grounded out to Lindor at short. Thornton worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning, which was his last.

The Mets’ offense was quiet for several innings until A.J. Ewing walked in the bottom of the fifth. He stole second base, and when Diaz’s throw bounced past Peña, Ewing advanced to third as well. Marcus Semien walked to bring up Luis Torrens. Torrens grounded into a double play for the first two outs, but Ewing scored. Francisco Lindor grounded out to end the fifth inning, but the Mets were ahead 3-2.

Jonathan Pintaro replaced Thornton at the top of the sixth inning. After allowing a two-out double to right field from Diaz, Pintaro gave up a 2-run home run to pinch-hitter LaMonte Wade Jr, also in right field. Allen looped a single into center field after the homer to keep the rally going briefly, until Peña struck out to end the half. At the bottom of the sixth, Bichette smacked a double into center field for the Mets’ first hit since the first inning. However, the Mets’ lineup could not find any other momentum, and the inning ended with an Astros’ lead, 4-3.

At the top of the seventh, Jefry Yan came in to pitch. After the first out, he issued a four-pitch walk to Isaac Paredes, then allowed a single to Altuve by deflecting a comebacker off his glove. Yan followed this up by hitting Walker with a pitch to load the bases. Daulton Varsho grounded out to first base, but Paredes scored on the play. Jared Young’s subsequent throw to home was very wide, allowing Altuve and Walker to score as well. Diaz struck out for the third out, but the score was now Astros 6, Mets 3.

Austin Warren replaced Yan at the top of the eighth and retired the batters in order. With one out, Soto and Bichette both walked at the bottom of the eighth. The Astros opted to swap Bryan Abreu for Steven Okert, a lefty, on the mound at this point. The gambit worked when Okert retired Carson Benge to strand the runners and end the eighth-inning threat.

Chris Devenski pitched the ninth inning for the Mets and worked a 1-2-3 inning as well against his former team. After a delay to work on the mound, Josh Hader retired the first two batters he saw. Ewing doubled on a line drive to center field, but Semien flied out to end the game with an Astros win, 6-3.

The Mets travel to St. Petersburg to start a new series against the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow. Robert Stock will face Ian Seymour, and first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM.

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Win Probability Added

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, 12% WPA
Big Mets loser: Jonathan Pintaro, -28% WPA
Mets pitchers: -38% WPA
Mets hitters: -12% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Francisco Lindor’s home run, +10.5% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: LaMonte Wade Jr 2-run home run, -31.8% WPA

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Brewers’ early lead slips away in 7-4 loss to Rangers

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 30: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers hands the ball to manager Pat Murphy #00 as he is removed from the game against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning at American Family Field on August 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Box Score

Although the Brewers struck first in this one, they weren’t able to hold on for the sweep. Milwaukee dropped Sunday’s series finale with the Rangers by a score of 7-4 as Dustin May continued to struggle with his command and the Brewers’ offense couldn’t generate enough firepower to overcome the deficit.

May opened the top of the first by striking out Joc Pederson, but Corey Seager singled on the first pitch he saw to give the Rangers a runner on first. May got Wyatt Langford to pop out to first baseman Jake Bauers for the second out, but couldn’t get Brandon Nimmo for the third, walking him to put two on with two out.

Up next was Ezequiel Duran, who swung at the first pitch — a cutter down the middle — and hit a line drive into right field that fell harmlessly into the glove of Sal Frelick for the third out.

In the bottom of the first, the Brewers immediately mounted a rally of their own against Rangers starter Kumar Rocker. Brice Turang began the frame by taking a batter pitch clock violation, then worked an eight-pitch walk. Rocker couldn’t retire Garrett Mitchell, either, as Mitchell lined a low fastball into left field for a single. Up next was Jake Bauers, who ripped a hard ground ball into right field to score Turang, followed by Jackson Chourio, who singled into left to score Mitchell.

With runners on first and second and still nobody out, Rocker managed to bear down and retire Christian Yelich, Gary Sánchez, and Sal Frelick to escape the inning with only two runs allowed. Milwaukee wouldn’t be able to hold the lead for long, however. With two outs in the second, May allowed back-to-back doubles, the second a ground-rule double off the bat of Elias Díaz, to bring the Rangers within a run. In the third, he allowed a solo homer to Duran that tied the game at two.

Rocker ended up keeping the Brewers scoreless for the rest of his start, but that isn’t saying much. After getting rocked in the first — ultimately needing 35 pitches just to get back into the dugout — he was only able to make it through three innings. Rocker did rack up seven strikeouts, but he also walked four batters and was already sitting at 86 pitches by the time his afternoon was over.

Despite allowing a second double to Díaz in the fourth, May kept the game tied going into the fifth, when he would ultimately lose his command. He walked Corey Seager on five pitches, two of them not even close, then walked Wyatt Langford on seven. Even with May clearly looking like he was starting to fall apart, Brewers manager Pat Murphy elected to leave him in the game with Duran coming to the plate to see if he could escape the jam.

He couldn’t. May hung a sweeper above the zone, and Duran crushed it for a ground-rule double, already the Rangers’ second of the game. Both Seager and Langford scored to give Texas a 4-2 lead, one it wouldn’t relinquish.

Texas would go on to tack on three more insurance runs against the Brewers’ bullpen thanks to a Pederson homer off Grant Anderson in the sixth and a pair of run-scoring singles off Bryse Wilson in the seventh.

After Rocker’s exit, a collection of relievers — Alexander, Adam Macko, Jordan Montgomery, Jakob Junis, and closer Jacob Latz — combined to hold the Brewers to just three hits over the rest of the game.

Milwaukee did get two runs back in the bottom of the seventh thanks to Gary Sánchez’s 200th career home run, but that would be it for the Brewers’ offense, bringing the game to its final score: Rangers 7, Brewers 4.

Even after today’s loss, the Brewers still take two out of three from the Rangers and retain the best record in baseball. They’ll now head down to Chicago for a four-game set against the division-rival Cubs. Kyle Harrison is set to go for tomorrow’s series opener, while the Cubs have yet to announce a starter.

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Heliot Ramos gets 'emotional' after 'super' three-run homer ignites Yankees with playoffs on horizon

The final score will be an enormous talking point and understandably so. In a rivalry like Yankees-Red Sox, 16-1 sticks out, especially in the finale of a series with a tie-breaker at stake.

But some less-heralded news for the Yanks Sunday afternoon, beyond their rout, beyond the best outing of the year from Will Warren, might be how their right-handed hitters fared in a game started by a premier left-hander. It’s no secret the Yankees craved righty help at the trade deadline and, with Aaron Judge still on the mend now, it’s fair to wonder if there’s some pinstriped vulnerability against lefties.

For one day, at least, the Yankees provided a thunderous answer. They had five right-handed hitters in the lineup against Ranger Suarez, Boston’s $130-million lefty, and each one got something done. No one had a bigger hit than Heliot Ramos, who had been a disappointment since the Yankees acquired him from the Giants for two prospects as their righty deadline bat. 

Ramos smashed a three-run homer in the fifth inning off Suarez, a laser into the left-field seats that turned a 2-0 game into 5-0. It was his first home run as a Yankee and 10th overall this season. He fairly flew around the bases, pounding his chest, and delivered several stinging high-fives to teammates in celebration once he crossed the plate.

“I mean, I thought he was going to do a cartwheel around third, so we definitely sensed it meant something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But it was a big blow.”

“It was super,” said Ramos, who entered the game batting .119 as a Yankee with a .461 OPS and one RBI in 20 games. “Super. Obviously, emotional. I’m an emotional guy. I’m always showing what I got in my heart. So it feels really good to produce for this team, to be a part of this team, to get things done and just, like, feel like I have my teammates’ back.

“Obviously, everybody was hyped for me. They know I needed this. They know how hard I've been working every day, just in the gym, just in the cages, trying to figure it out, trying to get my groove back.”

Ramos wasn’t the only one who thrived Sunday. Overall, the five Yankee righties who played – Ramos, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, José Caballero and Ali Sánchez – combined to go 10-for-16 (.625) with 10 RBI, three homers and seven runs. Sánchez, the backup catcher, made his mark with a fifth-inning sac bunt that helped the Yanks score their first two runs. 

The Yankees have had good success when lefties start against them this year – they are 31-18 in such games now and won two of the three games started by lefties in this series – but not having Judge’s right-handed thump as lineup bedrock has seen some of their hitting numbers backslide against southpaws. 

With most of their best hitters, beyond Judge, are left-handed – Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., Cody Bellinger – it’d be nice to have another righty weapon against, say, Payton Tolle in a potential Yanks-Sox playoff series. Or versus Shane McClanahan if the Yanks met Tampa Bay. 

We’ll see what Ramos’ role will be a month from now and how he fits when Judge returns. His job now is to keep hitting. 

He got off to a poor start with the Yankees, in part, Boone seemed to say, because the Yankees went through a long stretch of games started by opposing righties. “You’re coming to a new team, (Bellinger) on the IL and not the greatest matchups, day in and day out,” Boone said. 

“It's really good to see him leave the yard,” Caballero said. “We've been messing with him a lot since he got here. He hadn't had his first Yankee homer, and he did (it) in a big series, a big moment.”

Recently, Ramos has gotten on base more – he was 2-for-2 with two walks Sunday and has reached base safely in eight of his last 12 plate appearances. 

“I'm here, and I know I can do it on the big stage,” Ramos said. “I can help this team, and that's all I want to show. I know the type of player that I can be, and I just want to keep getting good at bats. 

“Just keep showing it.” 

He admitted he doesn’t know if he’ll remember much from his happy trip around the bases. “Honestly, blacked out,” he said. “But as soon as I hit it, I was like, ‘Oh, my God! I needed that.’” 

You could say the same thing about the Yankees and the win. It gave them the season series over the Red Sox and the tie-breaker against their rivals, should that need arise. Not owning the tie-breaker last year against Toronto was crucial, you might remember, so this was a big day. 

Especially for Ramos, who delivered the biggest blow in a game in which the Yanks scored their season-high in runs and their most against Boston at the Stadium since 1954.