Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Hey, Babe! Phillies and Yankees share some fun connections originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The New York Yankees visit Citizens Bank Park for a weekend series beginning Friday night.

It doesn’t matter where they go — Tampa Bay, Boston, Houston, Miami — it’s always an event when the Yankees come to your town. From The Babe to those 27 World Series titles, they’re the most storied franchise in pro sports. So, it’ll be exciting to have them in Philadelphia these next few days. Both the Yankees and Phillies are locked in tight playoff races. It’s an important series for both clubs.

Though they play in different leagues, and though the Yankees can boast about having 25 more World Series championships than the Phillies, the two teams share some interesting history and common threads.

Let’s look at a few of them, just for fun:

AT THE HELM

Three straight Phillies managers, including current skipper Don Mattingly, have deep Yankee bloodlines. As a player, Mattingly was one of the most beloved Yankees ever. He played 14 seasons for the club, won an MVP award, a batting title and made six All-Star teams. His No. 23 is retired.

Mattingly succeeded Rob Thomson, who initially came to the Phillies as a bench coach under Gabe Kapler after 28 years working as a big-league coach, minor-league manager and farm director for the Yankees.

Thomson became Phillies manager in 2022 when Joe Girardi was fired. Girardi won three World Series as a player with the Yankees. He skippered the club for 10 years and beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series.

Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham pitched for Girardi’s Yankees in 2015. Girardi was influential in bringing him to Philadelphia.

MR. OCTOBER

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson became synonymous with the Yankees when he homered in three straight at-bats to help them win the 1977 World Series.

Reggie grew up just outside of Philadelphia, in Wyncote, and was a star athlete at Cheltenham High School. He attended his first big-league game in 1956 at Connie Mack Stadium, but he wasn’t there to see the Phillies. He was there to see the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers and his idol, Jackie Robinson.

“We sat in the left field bleachers, 50 cents, my dad took us,” Jackson told us in 2022. “We ate popcorn and rooted for the Dodgers because they had Black players. I wasn’t a Phillies fan until they got Dick Allen. I rooted for him and, of course, I played against him. In my mind, he’s a Hall of Famer.”

Allen was finally elected to the Hall of Fame in December 2024.

1950 WORLD SERIES

The Yankees won five straight World Series from 1949 to 1953. Their second in that stretch came against the 1950 Phillies, the Whiz Kids, who made the World Series for the first time since 1915.

The Yankees won the first two games in Philadelphia by scores of 1-0 and 2-1 and went on to sweep the Phils in four games. Joe DiMaggio famously homered off Robin Roberts in the top of the 10th to give the Yankees the lead in Game 2 at Shibe Park.

It wasn’t unusual for players to sneak a smoke in between innings in those days. Legend has it that DiMaggio asked a young Philadelphia cop to hold his cigarette before going to the plate in the 10th. That young cop was named Frank Rizzo and he eventually became Philadelphia’s mayor.

2009 WORLD SERIES

Fifty-nine years after their first World Series meeting in 1950, the Phils and Yanks battled again in the 2009 World Series. Cliff Lee decided to skip the police-escorted team bus and take a cab to Yankee Stadium for Game 1. He got stuck in gridlock traffic and jumped on a subway. He followed fans in Yankee jerseys to the stadium and arrived less than two hours before first pitch, much to the relief of team officials who were worried he wouldn’t make it. The always-cool Lee then went out and struck out 10 in a walk-free complete-game win.

Chase Utley hit five home runs in the series but the Phils lost in six games. After the final loss, Phillies owner John Middleton famously told Ryan Howard, “I want my (bleeping) trophy back.” All these years later, the quote still applies.

FREE AGENT BATTLE

After the 2009 season, the Phillies acquired Roy Halladay in a trade with Toronto and shipped Cliff Lee to Seattle.

A year later, Lee became a free agent.

The Phillies, Yankees and Texas Rangers all entered the bidding.

The Yankees offered the most money, something in the neighborhood of $140 million over six years, and were willing to go higher. But Lee chose to sign with the Phillies for five years and $120 million. That ticked off the Yankees, who were used to getting what they wanted.

Lee had initially been angry that the Phillies traded him away after the 2009 season, but Scott Proefrock, then a Phillies assistant general manager under Ruben Amaro Jr., worked hard to rebuild the relationship. Lee’s wife also had a say in the decision to come to Philadelphia. Yankee fans had given her an earful in the Bronx when he pitched for Texas in the 2010 postseason and she didn’t want to go there.

THE BABE A PHILLIE?

It could have happened.

Way back in 1914, Babe Ruth was a teenage phenom with his hometown Baltimore Orioles of the International League. Jack Dunn, who ran the Orioles, offered Ruth and two other players to the Phillies for $19,000. Phillies owner William Baker scoffed at the offer, saying he wouldn’t pay that much for the entire International League. In fairness, Philadelphia Athletics owner/manager Connie Mack also passed on a chance to acquire Ruth. The rest, as they say, is history.

Baker was a bit of a cheapskate. A year after he passed on Ruth, Baker’s Phillies made the World Series but were beaten by the Boston Red Sox, who were shrewd enough to take Dunn up on his offer but foolish enough to turn around and sell Ruth to the Yankees in 1919.

Some 106 years after Baker passed on The Babe and said he wouldn’t pay $19,000 for the entire International League, another Phillies owner mentioned Ruth. Angered by a 2020 media report that claimed the team was dangling ace Zack Wheeler in trade talks, Middleton said, “If they offered me Babe Ruth, I wouldn’t trade him.”

SCHILLING SHINES

The Phillies were awful in 1997. They finished 68-94, tied with the Chicago Cubs for the worst record in the NL.

The Yankees, by contrast, won 96 games that season. They won the World Series the year before, starting a run of four titles in five years.

Fed up with losing and fired-up for a chance to face the star-studded lineup, Phillies ace Curt Schilling turned a Labor Day start against the Yanks that year into his personal World Series. A crowd of 50,895 turned out at Veterans Stadium (the Phils averaged just 18,403 that year) and saw Schilling strike out 16 over eight walk-free innings in a 5-1 win.

High-priced flop Hideki Irabu pitched for the Yankees that day. The Phillies tagged him for five runs in three innings. After leaving the game, Irabu smashed a sprinkler head in the visiting clubhouse. How rude.

THE PURSUIT OF PETTITTE

Andy Pettitte struggled through a difficult season with the Yankees in 1999. Yankees boss George Steinbrenner ordered general manager Brian Cashman to trade the left-hander before the July deadline.

Phillies general manager Ed Wade wanted Pettitte badly. He built a package around pitcher Adam Eaton, outfielder Reggie Taylor and others.

Optimism for a deal was so high that Phillies pitcher Carlton Loewer offered to give up his No. 46 for Pettitte. The Phillies presented the best offer, but Pettitte ended up staying put as Steinbrenner told Cashman to pull the pitcher off the table less than an hour before the deadline. The Phillies front office put a lot of hours into trying to pull off that deal. There were a lot of disappointed folks when it didn’t happen.

CASHMAN TO PHILLIES?

Brian Cashman is in his 29th season as Yankees general manager. It is one of the most remarkable runs in sports history, especially considering the high-pressure market he works in and the man he once answered to.

But in the fall of 2005, Cashman strongly considered leaving the Yankees. His contract was set to run out on October 31 of that year. He’d grown tired of the politics, the backstabbing and the drama of the Yankees’ dueling front offices in the Bronx and Tampa. The Phillies had just fired Wade. Cashman had the Phillies in his sights. He even privately mentioned it to some old college buddies who’d grown up as Phillies fans.

“I had to weigh what was next and the Phillies, obviously, had an opening,” Cashman told us at the time.

Ultimately, Cashman had a meeting of the minds with George Steinbrenner. He received assurances that things would change and his authority would be respected. He signed a three-year contract extension with the Yankees as the Phillies hired Pat Gillick.

“I think the Phillies hired the most qualified general manager,” Cashman told us in November 2005. “You can line Pat up with anybody in the game and he might stand tallest of all. I believe I would have gotten an interview, though it would have been tough to compete with Pat Gillick.”

A STAR IS BORN

In March 2004, 20-year-old Cole Hamels was beginning his second season in pro ball. He had made just 18 starts, all at the Single A level, when the Phillies decided to take a peek at him in a spring-training game against the Yankees in Tampa. The game was carried live on ESPN. John Kruk was part of the broadcast team.

Hamels, the Phillies’ top pick in the 2002 draft, did not disappoint. In fact, he dropped jaws. He struck out Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Tony Clark, all on changeups, in the fifth inning. From that moment on, Hamels seemed destined for the stardom that arrived in October 2008 when he was NLCS and World Series MVP.

In the Dbacks Cardinals season finale, it was all Dbacks Thursday afternoon! On what would’ve been an off day for this team, the Dbacks had to go back to St. Louis today to play a makeup game as they were rained out earlier this month, and boy this one came at the perfect time as this offense and Brandon Pfaadt are rolling!

Pfaadt ran into a little bit of trouble in the first inning as he got papercutted to death. He was not giving up hard contact at all, but balls kept finding holes and before Pfaadt could even get settled in, the Cardinals had a 2-0 lead with nobody out. This likely would have been a moment that would have snowballed for Pfaadt earlier this year, however this version of Brandon Pfaadt was able to lock it in and hold the Cardinals to just the 2 runs and get out of the first inning. After the first, Pfaadt was in total control holding the Cardinals offense scoreless over the next 5 innings, and needing just 87 pitches to get through 6. Pfaadt is now 5-0 since being recalled from Reno and he has come up huge when this team needed him the most and the season was on the line.

On the offensive side, Tyler Locklear wasn’t even supposed to start today as he was a late addition due to Ketel Marte experiencing some lower back tightness before the game, but boy did he finally break through today. Locklear went 3-5 today including his first home run of the season and finished a triple short of the cycle. Really feel good for Locklear to get off to such a hot start as he has been battling back and forth from the minors to the majors the past couple of seasons, and has been struggling with injury. If he continues to produce at first base, that would be a massive development for this team!

Gabi Moreno also continued to look like the hottest hitter on planet earth going 3-4 but having some great at bats and coming through with guys on base getting 2 RBI’s. Ildemaro Vargas and Adrian Del Castillo also both added 3 hit performances today as this offense appears to finally be firing on all cylinders! They had a couple of big innings as they put up 3 runs in the 4^th and 5 runs in the 8^th inning driving this offense to 10 runs on the afternoon marking double digit run production in back-to-back games.

The Dbacks will now head to DC as they have the Nationals this weekend who are just 2 games back behind the Dbacks for the 3^rd wild card spot. Eduardo Rodriguez gets a chance Friday to bounce back from his lone rough outing of the season his last time out. This weekends games and whether or not the offense can continue to stay hot may very well dictate the rest of the season for these boys as the front office is in the final stages of deciding whether to buy or to sell. Having exciting, must-watch baseball this time of year is certainly a treat!

I’m sure we’ll have an official post on this when the Cubs issue a press release, but 2B/OF James Triantos has been promoted to the Cubs for his major-league debut. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara has been sent down to Iowa.

Right-hander Jacob Wallace moves from the rookie ball ACL Cubs to Double-A Knoxville. The Cubs signed Wallace as a free agent on July 2.

Left-hander Drew Pomeranz has cleared waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Iowa. We’ll see if Pomeranz reports or elects free agency soon enough.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs let the Gwinnett Stripers (Braves) off the hook, 4-2 in a game that ended after five innings because of rain.

Jaxon Wiggins started this game and took the loss. Wiggins allowed three runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. Wiggins struggled to find the plate as he walked three and struck out two.

Right fielder Brett Bateman went 2 for 3 with a double. He scored both Iowa runs.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were left on the launching pad by the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 5-4.

Starter Brody McCullough did not allow a hit over 4.2 innings. Unfortunately, he exited in the fifth and Frankie Scalzo Jr. let an inherited runner score on the first Trash Panda hit of the game, so McCullough was charged with one run. McCullough walked three and struck out three.

Scalzo gave up three more runs in the sixth, but the Smokies came back and tied the game. However, Tyler Santana entere the game in the bottom of the ninth with the score still tied 4-4. Santana allowed three hits and the walk-off run in just one-third of an inning to get the loss. Santana did not have a walk or a strikeout.

Catcher Ethan Hearn put the Smokies up 1-0 with a home run in the fourth inning, his fourth on the season. Hearn went 1 for 4.

Center fielder Andy Garriola tied the game up 4-4 with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. it was Garriola’s 18th home run this year. Garriola went 2 for 4 with the home run and a walk.

Third baseman Jefferson Rojas was 2 for 5 with a double. He scored on Garrioila’s home run.

Second baseman Alex Madera went 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Hearn’s home run.

Garriola’s blast.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 4-2.

Ethan Flanagan started and got the win with five strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits. The one run came on a third-inning home run. Flanagan struck out four and walked one.

Ben Johnson gave the Cubs two good innings of relief after Flanagan, allowing no runs on one hit. He walked one and struck out one.

Luis Rujano started the ninth and got into trouble. After Rujano gave up a run, Ethan Bell came into the game with a man on first and one out. The runner on first got thrown out trying to steal second base and being down two in the ninth, that seems like a dumb decision. Then Bell got a fly out to center to end the game and get the save.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn cranked a massive two-run home run in the seventh inning. It was Hartshorn’s first home run in two weeks. It was also his 16th on the year and 11th with South Bend. Hartshorn went 2 for 3 with a double, the home run and a walk. He scored three times.

Right fielder Jose Escobar was 2 for 4 with an RBI triple.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda was 2 for 4.

Center fielder Kane Kepley went 0 for 3 with two walks and his 46th stolen base. Kepley scored on Hartshorn’s blast.

Hartshorn’s blast [VIDEO]

RBI double for left fielder Kade Snell, who was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Escobar’s triple.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Rained out again in Hickory. Doubleheader on Sunday. They’re also playing a doubleheader on Friday.

ACL Cubs

Beat the Guardians, 7-1.

This ends the Arizona Complex League for the year. The Mesa Cubs finished at 20-39. Believe it or not, that’s not even last place. They finished above the Athletics in their division and had a better overall record than the White Sox as well.

The MLB players’ union submitted a proposal on July 21 in response to the MLB draft proposal of last month. The MLB negotiating team proposed ending the drafting of high school and junior college players, instituting a draft for international players, decreasing the bonus pool for both domestic and international players, and decreasing the draft to 12 rounds as part of their major overhaul.

In response, the MLBPA submitted a proposal to retain a 20-round draft that includes high school – and junior college-aged players. They want players to be eligible for the draft after their sophomore year despite their age (currently required to be 21 by Aug. 1 of their draft year).

They propose keeping the bonus pool system the same and growing it with league revenues, with small-market teams adding up to $2 million to their pool in a single draft over the next five years. The small market teams would also get another $1 million in bonus pool money for making the playoffs.

MLB proposed eliminating the competitive balance picks and the players’ association would retain them with small-market/low-revenue teams getting a pick in round A (after first and second rounds) or round B (after second or third rounds). The current system penalizes teams with a 75% tax and would lose their first round pick for going over their pool by 5%.

They propose reducing the tax penalties for teams that go over their draft pool. They could go over by up to 15% without losing a draft pick. This allows teams to compete with the college NIL money that players are now receiving.

Allow teams in small markets to sign up to two players taken by the third round to major league contracts. It would mean subtracting that player’s slot amount from the team’s pool no matter how much money the player signed for.

Move the draft from July to June and allow trading of picks in the first round up until two hours before the draft begins. The draft was moved to July from June by the league in 2021 to add more drama to the All-Star break and attempt to increase fan interest. The league also proposed a system for trading picks.

There was nothing in the proposal addressing the international player draft that MLB proposed.

Norfolk Tides @ Charlotte Knights — Postponed due to weather
The Knights and Tides will make up Thursday’s game as a part of a doubleheader on Friday, July 24.

Montgomery Biscuits 6, Birmingham Barons 4
A three-run eighth inning for the Biscuits (46-46) was the difference in this one, as the Barons (35-58) fumbled the lead to drop their second of the series, 6-4. Even though he gave up a home run, lefthander Lucas Gordon put together a decent enough start for Birmingham to win the game, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain. Gordon surrendered three runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts, but Pierce George gave up a game-tying double followed by a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth that immediately sent their chances of winning off a cliff.

The Barons outhit Montgomery, 10-6, with 60% of those mashed for extra bases: four doubles and two home runs. B-ham went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five on base, and the Biscuits were nearly identical on that front except they left four on instead. Anthony DePino (one) and Colby Shelton (two) accounted for three of the four two-baggers and posted two hits apiece. The long balls, however, were both solo shots, one by Jorge Corona and the other by Adam Fogel.

MVP
Colby Shelton (2B): 2-for-4, RBI, 2 2B

Runners-Up
Caleb Bonemer (SS): 1-for-4, R, 2B, K
Anthony DePino (DH): 2-for-4, RBI, K, 2B
Jorge Corona (1B): 1-for-4, R, RBI, HR
Liam Paddack (LHRP): 1 IP, H, BB, K, PO, Hold
Morris Austin (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H, BB, K, Hold

Cold Cat
Pierce George (RHRP): 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, HR, Blown Save, LOSS (1-1)
Lucas Gordon (LHSP): 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, HR, 2 Balk
Boston Smith (C): 0-for-4, K, E

Winston-Salem Dash 1, Greensboro Grasshoppers0 — Opener
The opener to Thursday’s doubleheader was a pitching duel from start to finish, with the Dash (51-41) persevering to defeat the Grasshoppers (57-35), 1-0. Righthander Jake Curtis made his third start of the year with Winston-Salem despite working out of the bullpen for the majority of the season, and held Greensboro to just two hits while striking out three in his five innings, earning his fourth win of the season. The bullpen was just as elite, not allowing another hit for the rest of the game as Max Banks recorded a hold and Garrett Wright snagged his third save of the season.

Offensively, the Dash posted five hits but went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, as Arxy Hernández’s RBI double in the bottom of the fourth was just enough. Hernández was 2-for-3, and James Taussig scored the lone run of the game and also roped his 11th double of the season for the other extra-base hit.

MVP
Jake Curtis (RHSP): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K, WIN (4-4)

Runners-Up
Arxy Hernández (3B): 2-for-3, RBI, 2B
Max Banks (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H, K, Hold
Garrett Wright (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H, K, Save
James Taussig (LF): 1-for-3, R, 2B

Cold Cat
Ryan Burrowes (SS): 0-for-3
Ben Hartl (C): 0-for-2, K
Alex Ungar (RF): 0-for-2
Bryce Eblin (2B): 0-for-2, K

Greensboro Grasshoppers 7, Winston-Salem Dash 6 — Nightcap
A bullpen implosion for the Dash (51-42) gave the Grasshoppers (58-35) the edge in game two, splitting the doubleheader after the loss, 7-6. Justin Sinibaldi turned in a solid five innings, allowing two runs on five hits, but once the game was handed over to the bullpen with a two-run lead, 4-2, things snowballed out of control fairly quickly.

Lefthander Christian Oppor made his first appearance with Winston-Salem, but didn’t even manage to get an out before giving up four runs and getting yanked. A pair of walks and a double loaded the bases up, and he walked a run in before Seth Keener replaced him and four more runs scored: four to Oppor and one to Keener, with Oppor receiving the L while the latter rightly was given a blown save.

Four Winston-Salem batters put up at least two hits, but it was Calvin Harris who led the day with three RBIs from a two-run tank and an RBI ground out. A whopping eight of the Dash’s 10 hits were for extra bases, with seven doubles. George Wolkow and Bryce Eblin each doubled twice, accounting for four of Winston-Salem’s seven doubles, while James Taussig added his second double of the day.

MVP
Calvin Harris (C): 1-for-4, R, 3 RBI, HR

Runners-Up
George Wolkow (RF): 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, K, 2 2B, OA
James Taussig (DH): 2-for-4, 2 K, 2B
Bryce Eblin (2B): 2-for-3, R, 2 2B

Cold Cat
Christian Oppor (LHRP): 0 IP, H, 4 R, 3 BB, LOSS (0-1)
Seth Keener (RHSP): 1 IP, H, R, 2 K, BS
Jeral Perez (3B): 0-for-4
Kaleb Freeman (1B): 0-for-4, 2 K

Columbia Fireflies 2, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1
Both teams scored in the first inning and then never again, leaving the Fireflies (48-45) to outlast the Cannon Ballers (47-46), 2-1. Columbia outhit Kannapolis by one, 7-6, but the Ballers went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base, unable to string anything together.

Despite a solid outing from righthander Gabe Tanner, he ended up with the loss, allowing just two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts over six frames, but the bats couldn’t support him on the other end. Jaden Fauske and Javier Mogollón held up the offense. Fauske recorded three of Kannapolis’ six hits, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a double while scoring the Ballers’ lone run. Mogollón drove him home with a double of his own. Fauske has been on a heater, posting eight hits in his last 13 at-bats with a .464 OBP in July (51 ABs), continuing to strengthen his case for a promotion to Winston-Salem.

MVP
Jaden Fauske (LF): 3-for-3, R, BB, 2B

Runners-Up
Javier Mogollón (2B): 1-for-4, RBI, K, 2B
Gabe Tanner (RHSP): 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K, Loss (3-3)
Daniel Wright (RHRP): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K
Alexander Albertus (1B): 1-for-3, BB, K, CS

Cold Cat
Matthew Boughton (SS): 0-for-4, K
Nick McLain (CF): 0-for-4
Christian Gonzalez (RF): 0-for-4, 2 K
Efren Teran (3B): 0-for-4, K

ACL White Sox 4, ACL Dodgers 1
The ACL Dodgers (25-35) scored one run early in the first, but the ACL White Sox (19-41) fought back for a run in the third and three more in the fourth to pull away with a 4-1 win. Pitching from the Sox rookies was spot on, as Justin Fuson paved the way with six excellent frames, allowing one run on five hits while striking out six. Earning his second save of the season, Reinder Gomez shut the Dodgers down in the final inning to seal the W.

All but three starters logged a hit on the day, though only two of their four runs were earned with the help of the Dodgers’ defense. Yordani Soto was the only batter to put up more than one hit, including an RBI double, though Jackson Appel kicked off the fourth-inning rally with a solo homer that gave the White Sox the lead. The ACL Sox otherwise went just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base.

DSL Cardinals 13, DSL White Sox 8
It was quite a chaotic game in the DSL, with the Cardinals (17-18) getting the win, 13-8, by putting up 12 runs in the first three frames. The White Sox (12-23) attempted to claw back in the top seventh with eight runs before they ultimately fell short. Roderic Ramírez had a rough outing, allowing nine runs on six hits and two walks, while also racking up four wild pitches in his 1 1/3 innings.

Five runs were given up in the first — the first run being the only one that was earned — all with two outs, and Ramírez was actually pulled out of the game as he was floundering, unable to get the third out. Christopher Romero struck out the only batter he faced to finally get out of the first, just for Ramírez to re-enter in the second and give up four more. The only thing that “saved” Ramírez’s outing on paper was the fact that the defense committed three errors, leading to eight of the nine runs being unearned.

The DSL Sox pitching was all over the place, not just Ramírez, as Sox pitchers accounted for eight of the 12 wild pitches in the game and hit two batters along the way. On the other side of the ball, the bats were dormant for the majority of the game, but the Sox nearly erased a 13-run deficit in the top of the seventh, going on an eight-run rally with no outs before falling short with three strikeouts to end the game with the bases loaded. Both Sebastian Romero and Fernando Graterol posted multi-hit days, driving in three and two runs, with Romero’s coming from a three-run bomb in the seventh.

President Donald Trump was all smiles when he welcomed the Dodgers to the White House.

Trump even cracked a few jokes with the team Thursday during the outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden.

Perhaps one of the funniest moments from the 2025 World Series celebration in the nation’s capital was when the president asked Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani a hilarious question.

“Who’s the better pitcher?” Trump said.

Ohtani and Yamamoto laughed along with the rest of the Dodgers’ personnel who erupted into smiles. Trump sang the Dodgers’ praises for nearly 20 minutes in a recap of the team’s success throughout the 2025 season, culminating in LA’s epic World Series win in a thrilling Game 7 against the Blue Jays.

Three notable Dodgers absent from the White House visit were Mookie Betts, Kiké Hernandez and reliever Edgardo Henriquez. Betts revealed he likely wouldn’t join his teammates at the Oval Office for family reasons.

The Dodgers traveled to Washington on their off-day during a nine-game road trip. This marked the second consecutive year that the team commemorated a World Series title at the White House.

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Trump was gifted a No. 47 jersey and World Series ring from Dodgers owner Mark Walter.

There was uncertainty surrounding the Dodgers’ visit this year after scheduling conflicts prevented the team from making a stop at the White House during their opening road trip to kick off the season, which began with a three-game series against the Nationals.

The Pirates have added some bullpen help.

Pittsburgh acquired right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio from the Padres on Thursday, the team announced.

San Diego received international signing bonus pool considerations in return for Marinaccio.

Marinaccio, 31, has experienced a down year so far this season, holding a 4.79 ERA with 38 strikeouts through 47 innings.

Marinaccio can help out a depleted Pirates bullpen that’s without Chris Devenski and Evan Sisk.

Outside of his 2026 season, the Toms River, N.J., native has had a rather successful MLB tenure since being called up to the Yankees four seasons ago, posting a career 3.02 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 125⅓ innings from 2022-25.

In order to make room for Marinaccio, the Pirates opted to designate Dennis Santana for assignment, who had a 6.05 ERA through 44 appearances this season.

Pittsburgh’s move to DFA Santana comes just three days after the righty got into a wild brawl with Yankees infielder Jose Caballero.

In the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 8-5 win over the Pirates on Monday, the two got into a skirmish after Caballero hit a ground out to Sanchez.

The two started waking towards each other before teammates had to hold them back, with both benches and bullpens clearing.

“If you get frustrated, I’m winning,” Caballero told reporters, according to MLB.com. “For me, it’s a battle in the box. I’m trying to win the battle. If you’re not concentrating 100 percent, I think I’m winning.”

Santana, however, insisted that he was upset with the “game speed” rather than Caballero himself.

“It was the game speed. I’m not used to that,” Santana said. “People waiting too much at home plate. It frustrated me a little bit. With baseball, you have to be quick. It’s nothing against him.

“It’s just a game. I got caught up in the game.”

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the biggest name in the rumor mill ahead of the trade deadline, and he has been connected with the Yankees, but the two-time Cy Young winner has made it clear he does not want to be dealt.

Speaking with the media Thursday afternoon, including The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen, Skubal said that his desire is to stay in Detroit for the remainder of the 2026 season.

“I think we have a chance to win a World Series,” Skubal said. “I’ve said that since spring training. That’s never changed. That belief in this team has never changed throughout the season. … Going into spring training, the whole offseason, I’ve never been more motivated to try to win a World Series for this city, the team that drafted me in 2018 and helped develop me. That’s always been the goal, and that will never change unless I’m told I’m on a different team.”

Skubal is an impending free agent and many in the industry believe that his price tag will be too much for the Tigers in the offseason. However, what complicates matters is Detroit's recent string of wins. Following Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Royals, Detroit is 27-16 since June 1 and sits 6.0 games behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead and 4.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot. 

In a weak AL, the Tigers are certainly not out of the playoff hunt.

As for the Yankees side of things, many in the industry believe New York has the assets Detroit is looking for in a potential Skubal deal. The Athletic's Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal reported earlier this week that Detroit is looking for a controllable starting pitcher plus quality prospects. Among the list of teams, which includes the Dodgers, Brewers, Rays, Phillies and Braves, the Yankees have what the Tigers could use in Will Warren or Ryan Weathers. 

But with the Yankees getting Max Fried back, the priority seems to be in bolstering the bullpen and picking up a right-handed bat, preferably a catcher. 

In any case, how the Tigers handle the Skubal situation by the Aug. 3 deadline, or whether the Yankees will pursue Skubal, is unclear, and the southpaw doesn't expect a conversation with the front office about his future with the club.

“Those questions are not for me,” Skubal said. “I don’t know how they handle the business on that side. Been around it a couple times and (other players) didn’t have any idea until about five minutes before you guys did. I assume that’s how it’s going to be handled because that’s how most things are handled.”

Skubal is set to take the mound for the Tigers on Friday, in what could be his final start with Detroit.

Despite striking first, the Royals dropped the opening game of their four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, 4-3. The result drops Kansas City’s record to 43-61 while Detroit improves to 49-54.

On the bright side for the Royals, starting pitcher Randy Dobnak threw a fine game. Looking for his first win since May 21, 2021, Dobnak threw five scoreless innings while limiting the Tigers to five hits. He walked only one while he struck out three. Matt Strahm relieved in the sixth inning, preserving the lead for his 13th hold of the season. Strahm’s ERA dropped to 6.88—still bad, but under 7.

The game remained scoreless through five innings as the Royals threatened, but never maimed, Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton. Melton, who entered the evening with a 1.80 ERA and 3.87 FIP through nine starts and 55 innings pitched, struggled with his command as he walked four. He got away with it, though, until the sixth inning.

Against the last batter he’d face, Isaac Collins, Melton left a slider over the plate. Collins turned on it, hitting it 390 feet to right, over the fence and on to the Michigan Lottery sign. (“For fun. For schools.”) Michael Massey, who singled to begin the inning, also scored. 2-0, Royals.

After Strahm held the Tigers at bay, John Schreiber came in to pitch the seventh. It’s not fair to Schreiber, but when he entered the game, The Rolling Stones started playing in my head, specifically the song, “Play With Fire.” Schreiber’s had a decent season—he entered with a 3.29 ERA (but 4.93 FIP) and hadn’t allowed an earned run in his last three outings. Heck, during his last two outings, he hadn’t even allowed a hit.

To his credit, he almost got out of it unscathed, but horseshoes and grenades, am I right?

The first two batters of the inning, Dillon Dingler and Kerry Carpenter, both singled, Dingler moving to third on Carpenter’s hit. Spencer Torkelson struck out before Zach McKinstry softly lined out to Andrew Velasquez at short. Two outs, two on, James Outman, he of the .155/.216/.275 slash line, coming up.

Because this is just the way things are going for the Royals, on a 2-2 pitch, Outman hit it out, man. (I’m not sorry.) 3-2, Detroit.

The Royals didn’t go quietly, though. Massey led off the top of the eighth with a single. Tyler Tolbert replaced him on the basepaths. Collins, who homered his last time up, popped up a bunt to the third baseman, failing to advance Tolbert. No matter. With Josh Rojas up, Tolbert stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Rojas then singled him home, tying the game, 3-3.

Rojas remained at first, though, as Detroit quickly retired Nick Loftin and Velasquez.

Steven Cruz replaced Schreiber, and Mick Jagger picked it back up in my head. Sure enough, with two outs and two strikes, Detroit regained the lead when Dingler doubled home Hao-Ye Lee. Tigers up, 4-3.

My sons decided to watch the top of the ninth with me. Things looked promising after Lane Thomas walked and Vinnie Pasquantino singled to bring up Salvador Perez with one out and the tying run on second. I’d been telling the boys all night when Salvy came up to bat so they could possibly witness some local history. My oldest said, “It would be great if he hit a home run right here.”

I replied, “Yeah, but I’m thinking a game-ending double-play instead.”

Man, do I hate it when I’m right.

Game 2 tomorrow night at 5:40.

With more than seven years of Major League experience, Jordan Romano is no stranger to serving as a closer.

The Canadian right-hander spent the first six years of his Major League career with the Toronto Blue Jays before moving to Philadelphia for a year in 2025, and was most recently with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this season before being designated for assignment on April 26th.

In just a short period of time, Romano is quickly making his case to assume the closer role at his new home in Denver.

Signed as a free agent by the Rockies on May 6 and then moving to Colorado’s 40-man roster on July 4, the 6’ 5” Romano has recorded scoreless outings in five of his six appearances as a Rockie, surrendering only one run.

“Whenever you are in the big leagues, it’s a chance to perform and showcase yourself,” said Romano.

“So, that’s just what I am trying to do,” he added. “Whenever you are on that field, I am just trying to bring it, get outs and, hopefully, it goes all right.”

Since being a Rockie, Romano earned a save in back-to-back outings (July 5 against San Francisco and July 7 at Los Angeles Dodgers). 

In so doing, he became the first Colorado pitcher to log two saves in their first three contests with the team since Pierce Johnson in 2023.

He notched his third save in three opportunities with Colorado (seventh on the season after four with the Angels) needing only 11 pitches to retire the side in order, including a pair of strikeouts, in the ninth inning of the Rockies’ come-from-behind 8-7 home victory July 21st against Washington.

Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer pointed to Romano’s mental approach as a key to his mound success.

“How you prepare yourself mentally, he just does it differently,” Schaeffer said.

“He turns himself into someone different when he comes in the ball game. I think all the experience he has brings (us to) a level that we necessarily haven’t had in the bullpen with all those big league saves that he has.” 

Romano has 120 saves in his Major League career, including 105 in his six seasons with the Blue Jays. He logged back-to-back seasons with 36 saves in 2022 and 2023, earning All-Star Game selection each campaign, and his 87.0 save percentage (120 for 138) since 2019. That is tied for the second-highest in MLB (minimum 130 save opportunities).

“I have had a lot of experience closing games, [I’ve] been around and have seen a lot of things,” said Romano.

“I just try to help out, especially some of the young guys in the bullpen,” he added. “I am not saying I am like a ‘super veteran,’ but I have seen a lot and have pitched in a lot of tight spots. 

“I am just trying to pay it back and tell guys what works and what doesn’t,” he continued. “Everyone’s different. But there’s some key things that stick with good players in the league.”

Schaeffer sees the importance of having someone with Romano’s experience in the team’s bullpen.

“I think it’s just the pedigree,” the manager said. “I think it’s the young relievers being able to look to him to how he prepares himself for a game in the middle of the game, which is huge.”

Thus far Romano is pleased with his early success with Colorado as he attempts to re-establish himself as one of the top closers in the Majors.

“I feel like things are just kind of trending upward,” he said. “I am feeling more comfortable on the mound, feeling more comfortable with the fastball and the slider. 

“I always believed I could pitch. We just got to get on a roll here.”

This raises an interesting question. Manager Warren Schaeffer has been resistant to naming a single closer, instead using specific relievers to face specific batters. Should the Rockies name Romano their closer or continue with their previous strategy?

Let us know in the comments.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto may be on the move this summer.

The Angels have a suitor for Neto if the team looks to deal the infielder ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Boston Red Sox reportedly have renewed interested in Neto, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.

Neto’s availability remains unclear, though, as owner Arte Moreno and interim general manager John Mozeliak may not want to part ways with a player under club control for three more years.

Boston pursued the 25-year-old last winter, but their efforts were evidently unsuccessful. But, the Angels no longer have Perry Minasian in the front office after he was relieved of his duties at the end of June, which could open the door for the Red Sox to acquire the young dual threat.

The Red Sox are coming off an improbable 15-game win streak that tied the franchise record, transforming Boston from seller to buyers this summer. The middle infield is an area that the Red Sox are looking to address at the deadline.

During the win streak, Boston played Andruw Monasterio and Tsung-Che Cheng at shortstop, neither of whom are everyday infielders.

Neto is hitting .238 with 19 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a OPS of .772 across 395 at-bats. The Angels star also has 13 stolen bags on the season.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Neto has 68 home runs and 69 stolen bases.

The Red Sox already having a starting shortstop in Trevor Story, but he hasn’t played since May. The former All-Star is expected to begin a rehab assignment next month, but age and injury still pose a lot of questions. Meanwhile, Neto presents a younger and more cost-effective option for the team.

The only problem? Moreno has a history of retaining players under long-term control rather than trading them away. The Angels may not want to kickstart a rebuild by letting go of Neto and that would certainly fall in line with how the organization has operated in recent years.

This Red Sox prospect’s home run sparked an all-out brawl.

After blasting a homer for High-A Greenville during their 13-6 win on Wednesday, Justin Gonzales exchanged some words with Rangers affiliate Hub City’s catcher Cal Stark before things quickly devolved into a benches-clearing brawl.

Gonzales — who is the Red Sox’s No. 3-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com — took his time around the bases to admire the blast before Clark threw up his hands as the outfielder crossed home plate.

Despite being held back by his teammates during the scuffle, Gonzales broke free at one point and slapped Stark in his mask.

Gonzales was ejected from the game for his actions, though any details of a further suspension have yet to be released.

Gonzales, 19, has quickly risen up the ranks for Boston since being signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2024.

Through 73 games in High-A this season, Gonzales has posted an impressive slash line of .263/.379/.443 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.

“That’s something that I like to do,” Gonzales told MLB.com through an interpreter in late April. “I try to hit the ball hard, and also that’s something that I’ve been working on, trying to be more consistent hitting the ball hard.”

One of Gonzales’ most projectable characteristics is his towering six-foot-five, 210-pound stature, with MLB Pipeline listing his projected big-league arrival in 2028.

“That body, look at him,” former Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gonzales in March, according to MLB.com. “He’s only 19. Lucky for him, he’s playing baseball. He was born in the Dominican. If not, he would be playing tight end for somebody.

“He’s a freak athlete.”

It took almost seven innings for the Tigers to remember to try to win, but they did win indeed, going 4-3 over the Royals.

The Tigers were back home again after a post-All-Star Break road trip, and they would be facing a team that would most certainly be a thorn in their side. The Kansas City Royals, dubious season record aside, have always been a hard win for the Tigers. To open the weekend series against their division rivals, they would have Troy Melton on the mound, and they would be facing off against a former Tigers farmhand in Randy Dobnak.

In the first inning Carter Jensen took a leadoff walk. Then, with one out Vinnie Pasquantino singled. Right on his heels Salvador Perez walked. Despite the rough start, though, Melton kept his head and got the final two outs of the inning with no damage done. This particular play needs to be seen to be believed.

In the home half, Gleyber Torres got a one-out single. He was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Colt Keith. Riley Greene singled to put runners on the corners, but the Tigers just weren’t able to convert a golden opportunity and left two runners stranded.

Josh Rojas opened the second with a leadoff double, but three outs in a row followed to end the inning and get Melton out of another uneasy situation. Zach McKinstry got a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, but he was picked off by Dobnak to end the inning.

Melton was finally in his groove by the third, getting the Royals out in order. Too bad the Tigers did the same in the bottom of the inning.

In the fourth, Isaac Collins got a one-out walk, but two outs followed to leave him stranded. Similarly, Dillon Dingler got a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning, but he was also left behind to end the inning.

Carter Jensen got a one-out double in the fifth. Then, with two outs, Pasquantino walked, but the Royals failed to convert the baserunners. Now, while we have a moment: tell me if you thought a Dobnak vs. Melton game would basically become a pitchers’ duel? If you say yes, you are a liar. McKinstry got a one-out single in the bottom of the inning but was eliminated on a force out off the bat of James Outman. Outman was then caught stealing second and though the Tigers challenged the out call (and frankly it looked like he was safe) the call was upheld to end the inning.

Michael Massey got a leadoff single in the top of the sixth, and then Collins homered, bringing in two runs. That was it for Melton, whose final line for the game was 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 HR on 76 pitches. Some good stuff from Melton overall, just the Royals picking away small ball style all game. Tyler Holton came in to replace him and after getting the first out, gave up a single to Nick Loftin. He got the next two outs after that, though, to end the inning. Dobnak was also done after five, being replaced by Matt Strahm. With two outs a pinch-hitting Hao-Yu Lee walked, but the Tigers weren’t able to bring him home.

Holton got two outs into the seventh before being pulled in favor of Jacob Waguespack. Waguespack got the final out of the inning. John Schreiber, another familiar name to Tigers’ fans, was the new reliever for the Royals in the bottom of the inning. Dingler and Kerry Carpenter got things going with back-to-back singles. Then, with two outs, James Outman hit a homer to right to clear the bases and give the Tigers the lead.

Kevin McGonigle then singled, but got tagged out at second trying to leg out a double.

Drew Anderson came in for the Tigers in the eighth. Michael Massey got a leadoff single, then his pinch-runner Tyler Tolbert stole second with one out. A wild pitch that bounced off home plate allowed Tolbert to advance to third and then a Josh Rojas single brought him home to tie the game 3-3.

Steven Cruz continued the bullpen rotation. Hao-Yu Lee got a one-out single, then got to second on a Riley Greene groundout. Dingler then doubled to score the much-needed go-ahead run, bringing Lee home.

Kerry Carpenter reached on an error from Pasquantino, putting Dingler on third and giving the Tigers a great opportunity to extend their lead. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to take advantage of it. Alas. Drew Sommers came in for the top of the ninth, hoping to keep the Tigers in the lead. Lane Thomas got a one-out walk as Sommers struggled to locate his fastball. Pasquantino then singled. That was it for Sommers, the leash very short, who was replaced by Kyle Finnegan. And he did exactly what they needed, getting Salvador Perez to hit into a double play to end the game, with Finnegan covering first for the final out. Iconic.

Final: Tigers 4, Royals 3

Random odds and ends

Judging by the national media today, the Tigers are preparing to trade Tarik Skubal, keep Tarik Skubal and buy, and keep Tarik Skubal and shed salary elsewhere to avoid the luxury tax screwing up their compensation picks. Hard hitting stuff from the MLB insiders. We’ll be glad when this saga is over one way or another.

At no point during Jose Iglesias’ days as the Tigers shortstop did we envision his Broadway debut, but the Cuban born defensive specialist had a minor hit with his “OMG!” song two years ago during his run with the Mets. Now he’ll be on Broadway as part of the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. The musical covers the ensemble of Cuban musicians who formed in 1996. That’s one heck of a second career for Candelito, and if you’ve never heard this album you owe it to yourself to check it out.

One Royals fan got a little too excited for Salvador Perez’s historic home run.

During the seventh inning of the Royals’ 5-4 win over the Giants on Wednesday, Perez hit his 317th career homer, tying George Brett for the franchise’s all-time record.

Perez’s 437-foot blast landed in Kauffmann Stadium’s water fountains in right-center field, and a fan dove into the water to grab the historic home run ball.

Security escorted the eager fan out of the stadium shortly after, with police taking him into custody.

Others in attendance shared pictures of the fan being handcuffed by the police before being taken out of the stadium.

According to the Royals’ team website, anyone who jumps in the fountain are subject to arrest.

“If at any time a guest enters a fountain, they will be immediately arrested, transported to the police station downtown and charged to the fullest extent of the law,” the rule reads.

The fan has since been released, according to Fox 4 Kansas City.

Following the game, Perez told reporters that he understood the person’s motives and said authorities should let him go.

“Please, police, just take care of the job please and send him home. If was him, I’d maybe jump too and try to get that ball, so please. And thank you for the hard work in trying to get that ball,” Perez said.

In regard to his record-tying homer, Perez said he was glad to have hit it in Kansas City in front of the home crowd.

“That was a super exciting moment,” Perez said, according to MLB.com. “Especially doing it here in Kansas City. I love the fans here. Kansas City is my second home.”

Perez, 36, has spent the entirety of his 15-year MLB career in Kansas City and established himself as a franchise staple as the captain of the Royals.

He is a nine-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner and was named the 2015 World Series MVP after the Royals beat the Mets in five games.

“I love that guy,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters. “What he does, the way he goes about it, the passion he plays the game — it’s unrivaled.

“The guy’s a Hall of Famer, and you’re getting to witness it.”

As if Mets fans needed another reminder of just how much of a train wreck this season has turned into, here comes the biggest one of all: The Dodgers will be at Citi Field when the Mets open their homestand Friday.

It comes on the heels of another lost series, this one to the Brewers, where David Stearns’ old team is battling the Dodgers for the best record in the sport.

And now the same Dodgers the Mets were supposed to emulate when Stearns arrived in Queens and paired with Steve Cohen’s money are in town to show off just how big a gap there is between the two franchises.

Because instead of a battle of coastal powerhouses, the series that opens Friday is another example of just how far the Mets are from reaching their goal.

The Dodgers have the best record in the majors (65-38) and stand to get even better over the next two weeks.

Even before they figure to add improvements by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, they should get their closer, Edwin Díaz, back.

The ex-Met is expected to return to the bullpen within the next few days — although not likely by this weekend — after surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow.

Kiké Hernández has been out with a strained oblique and could be back this month.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have not just overcome the absence of those two key players, but catcher Will Smith is out indefinitely with a neck injury and Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with left knee inflammation that’s kept him off the mound.

Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are expected back in the rotation next month.

The Dodgers recently shrugged off a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks in Los Angeles and won series against the Yankees and Phillies — both on the road.

As for the Mets, they haven’t won as many as three straight games since the end of May.

They are a season-high 17 games under .500, 17 games out of first place in the NL East and 10 ½ out of the final NL wild-card spot.

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And now they’ve forced themselves into sitting one of their only bright spots — either Carson Benge or A.J. Ewing — on a regular basis to get Luis Robert Jr. in the lineup to potentially increase his trade value.

“I understand why they’re doing it,’’ one National League scout said of the decision to try to play Robert regularly now that he’s finally returned from a back issue, “as long as it’s just until the [trade] deadline. But it still doesn’t look great. Having those two rookies out there is about all that’s worth paying attention to, but their development isn’t gonna be impacted by a few days out of the lineup in July. It just can’t go on later [in the season].”

It’s still another example, though, of how this season has gone off the rails for the Mets, as the scout noted the number of questions they have up and down their roster, which will continue at least for the foreseeable future.

“Who’s their first baseman next season?” the scout said. “Second baseman in two or three years? Third? They’ve shown you can’t just trade or sign those guys that easily. The Dodgers have shown the ability to find the right guys to fill out their team. The Mets haven’t.”

And that will be on display in full effect for the next three days.

While Nolan McLean is starting Saturday, he’s sandwiched between Sean Manaea and Freddy Peralta.

By the end of the 10-game homestand that begins Friday, the Mets will look considerably different and certainly not any better.