Category: MLB

The Mets were quiet offensively again tonight in a game where the top of the lineup did not hit much and lost 3-2 to the Padres. Nolan McLean struggled with walks but only allowed one run again.

In the second inning, Marcus Semien walked, and A.J. Ewing hit a single into right field, bouncing it off of first base. Brett Baty followed up two batters later by smacking an RBI single past second base into center field, allowing Semien to score. In the bottom of the second, Nolan McLean allowed a two-out walk to Xander Bogaerts after retiring the first five batters he saw. However, McLean assisted Jared Young in ending the inning when Miguel Andujar grounded out during the next at-bat.

In the third inning, McLean walked the leadoff hitter, Sung-Mun Song, who promptly stole second base. After Freddy Fermin bunted for a pop out, McLean threw a pitch to Fernando Tatis, Jr and stumbled, landing awkwardly. Thankfully, he was okay, but Tatis then tapped a single that bounced off of second base and angled into right field, scoring Song and tying the game. McLean allowed another two-out walk, this time to Ty France. McLean stranded both runners in the end, but his pitch count soared during the third inning.

Semien hit a ground ball to left field for a single in the fourth inning, only to be caught stealing during the next at-bat. Ewing walked and tried to steal, but Mark Vientos struck out, ending the inning, which was made confusing when Fermin threw to second base anyway.

In the fifth inning, McLean allowed a single from Song, and then a sacrifice bunt from Fermin moved Song to second base. Tatis smacked a single on a ground ball that Bo Bichette stopped from turning into an RBI, to the detriment of his left shoulder. After an injury delay and despite his obvious pain, Bichette stayed in the game. Song stayed at second base until Jackson Merrill flied out and Song moved to third. Tatis tried to steal second base, and Luis Torrens faked a throw. Song tried to steal home, as he realized what was happening too late. He turned around, but was ultimately caught stealing in a rundown with throws from Torrens to Baty to McLean. Bichette ultimately led off the top of the sixth inning with a groundout.

Semien led off the seventh inning with a home run, and Austin Warren came into the bottom of the seventh to replace Nolan McLean, who had worked the first six innings and improved his record of 100 pitches in a game to 101 pitches in a game. Warren allowed a single from Song, and sort of fell down, and Fermin capitalized immediately by hitting his first home run of the season. Tatis flied out to end the inning, but the damage was done: Padres 3, Mets 2.

In the top of the eighth, Torrens grounded out for the first out. Carson Benge lined a single into right field, and Bichette followed up with a single into center field. Unfortunately, the momentum ended there when Juan Soto hit directly to Song, who turned a double play to Bogaerts to get Benge out at second. In the top of the ninth, Ewing worked a two-out walk to bring up Vientos, who struck out to end the game with a Padres win.

The Mets will try to take the rubber game tomorrow at Petco Park, with Sean Manaea likely to take on a role against Randy Vásquez.

SB Nation GameThreads

Amazin’ Avenue
Gaslamp Ball

Box scores

MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Nolan McLean, +22.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Austin Warren, -38.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: -16.0% WPA
Mets hitters: -34.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien hits a home run in the top of the seventh, + 20.5% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Fernando Tatis, Jr. singles on a ball that bounces off second base, Sung-Mun Song scores -10.7% WPA

SAN DIEGO — Austin Warren has become indispensable to the Mets bullpen based on his versatility and success, but Saturday night brought maybe his most glaring hiccup this season.

Given a one-run lead to protect, the right-hander got two fast outs in the seventh inning.

A squib deflected by Warren for an infield single followed before Freddy Fermin smashed a two-run homer that became the Mets’ margin of defeat in a 3-2 loss to the Padres at Petco Park.

The Mets, after two straight victories in which the lineup produced, reverted to a familiar refrain of offensive silence.

The loss left the Mets needing a win on Sunday to reach .500 for the road trip.

Warren’s letdown was an anomaly for a bullpen that began the day with a 3.19 ERA that ranked third in the National League and fifth in MLB.

The right-hander had pitched to a 1.33 ERA, filling a variety of roles, from opener to long relief to higher leverage.

“I didn’t do my job, plain and simple,” Warren said. “I needed to get my outs, and I didn’t get my outs.”

Nolan McLean recovered from an elevated pitch count early to give the Mets six innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. McLean snapped a string of three straight starts in which he failed to complete six innings and lowered his ERA to 3.98, departing after 101 pitches.

“I feel like I was trending in the right direction further down in the game than when I started so that is always a good sign,” McLean said.

Griffin Canning, who pitched last season for the Mets before undergoing June surgery for a ruptured Achilles, provided resistance against his former team.

The right-hander surrendered one earned run on three hits and two walks over five innings.

Brett Baty’s RBI single in the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Marcus Semien walked and A.J. Ewing singled to begin the rally before Baty delivered for his 25^th RBI of the season.

It was a welcomed contribution from Baty following his 3-for-16 (.188) start   to the road trip.

Fernando Tatis Jr. stroked an RBI single in the third that tied it 1-1.

McLean created trouble by walking Sung-Mun Song leading off the inning.

After Song stole second Tatis grounded a shot that hit off second base and deflected past Marcus Semien for the run.

McLean walked Ty France with two outs, but escaped by striking out Manny Machado. Even so, McLean ran his pitch count to

62 pitches by the end of the inning.

Semien singled in the fourth before he was thrown out attempting to steal second base.

Ewing followed with a walk before Canning struck out Mark Vientos to end the inning.

Song singled leading off the fifth and reached third following a sacrifice bunt and Tatis’ infield single.

With two outs, the Padres attempted a double steal — with Song breaking for the plate on a delay.

Luis Torrens pump faked to second and held the ball, catching Song in a rundown, with McLean applying the tag for the out.

Semien homered leading off the seventh to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.

The blast was Semien’s seventh this season. Semien began the day in an 0-for-14 drought, but reached base three times on this night.

Warren got two outs in the seventh before Song’s infield single.

Fermin blasted a first-pitch sinker over the left-field fence.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Carson Benge and Bichette each singled with one out in the eighth.

Juan Soto hit a smash that was caught by Song, and Benge was caught off second base to end the inning.

“That situation, obviously, the line drive you cannot get doubled off,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But it was 101 [mph] off the bat and that’s a tough one there. It’s a tough read, especially when it’s a hard line drive off the bat.”

Ewing walked with two outs in the ninth against fire-balling Mason Miller before Vientos struck out to end it.

The Dodgers spent so long racking up an insurmountable lead in the first inning that starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto resorted to throwing a ball against the back of the dugout to stave off rust.

He also went to the batting cages to keep his arm moving, tossing weighted PlyoCare balls.

As he worked, the Dodgers scored all of the runs they would need and more to defeat the Angels 9-2 on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. The chasm between the Freeway Series rivals was on display.

“That’s a lot of fun,” Dodgers rookie Ryan Ward said of the first-inning onslaught. “You can feel them start to speed up a little bit, and we’re starting to calm down and enjoy it. And it’s easy to pass it along when you have a lot of runners on, and then just keep it going.”

The one-run lead the Angels (24-41) had jumped out to in the top of the inning — when a leaping center fielder Andy Pages couldn’t quite reel in Oswald Peraza‘s deep line drive for an RBI triple — was long forgotten after the Dodgers rallied for nine runs in the first.

It was the most runs the Dodgers scored in a single inning in nearly five years, matching their seventh-inning rally against the Nationals on July 2, 2021.

The Dodgers (42-23) helped themselves with a show of power. Pages drove in the first two runs by crushing a center-cut changeup from Angels starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz over the left-field wall.

Judging by his stroll out of the batter’s box, Pages seemed to know it was a homer on contact.

The ball had so much loft that reliever Blake Treinen parked under it in the bullpen and caught it with his hat. His fellow relievers mobbed him in an impromptu mosh pit.

“The homer by Andy to answer back was big, kind of put to bed any type of momentum they had at the top of the first,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And then after that, just the hits kept coming, just good at-bats.”

Later in the same inning, after the lineup turned over, Shohei Ohtani also notched a two-run homer, for his second hit. In between, rookie Ryan Ward hit a two-run double off the wall.

Read more:Freddie Freeman hits walk-off homer, Roki Sasaki dominates in Dodgers' win over Angels

The Dodgers brought 12 batters to the plate and recorded six hits in a row — seven total.

The Angels’ shoddy defense exacerbated the scoring spree. They had a chance to get out of it just four runs into the rally.

Kochanowicz had faced eight hitters and only recorded one out when Angels manager Kurt Suzuki turned to his bullpen.

Veteran left-hander Brent Suter jogged in with the bases loaded. Immediately, Suter got Alex Freeland to hit a ground ball to shortstop Zach Neto, for what should have been an inning-ending double play.

Instead, Neto’s throw across his body sailed past second and into foul territory on the other side of the diamond. By the time Angels right fielder Jo Adell collected the ball and threw to the cutoff man, three runs had scored.

“We always say, you can’t give good teams extra outs,” Roberts said. “And so, to give us extra outs just makes us really tough to beat.”

Ohtani was up next. And in a two-strike count, he stayed inside a sinker to launch his two-run blast to left-center field.

The Angels’ defense didn’t fare much better in the second, although Suter navigated a pair of misplays — Neto muffed a one-hopper up the middle, which was ruled a single, and third baseman Donovan Walton overthrew first on a chopper — to escape without the Dodgers extending their lead.

Yamamoto retired 22 straight en route to eight innings of two-hit ball.

“I was given a big lead,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “So what I was trying to do was focus on my execution and also be fine, precise with my location, the height and location of my pitches.”

The lead also gave him a chance to experiment.

“You get up big like that, you don’t want to get too cute to an extent,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “But you also want to understand and see what he’s capable of. ... For him, it’s so easy, because he has eight pitches that he can throw wherever he wants. Obviously it’s fun to work with him. We tried a few new tricks, and we’ll carry them over into his next one.”

While Yamamoto gave the Dodgers bullpen a rest, Roberts used the early blowout to give first baseman Freddie Freeman some rest.

Freeman, who has played in 62 of the Dodgers’ 65 games, left after the top of the fourth inning, replaced by Miguel Rojas.

The Angels had time to chip away, but they didn’t score again until Neto’s solo homer off Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer in the ninth inning.

The contrast was glaring.

Smith scratched

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was scratched from the lineup because of a stiff neck, Roberts said. The issue “came out of nowhere,” Roberts said, pointing to a “bad night’s sleep or a bad pillow.”

“He was going to play two out of three [against the Angels] regardless,” Roberts said. “So it’s nice that we could kind of tap Dalton on the shoulder and get him in there.”

Roberts said he expects Smith will return to the lineup Sunday.

Injury update

Right-handed reliever Brock Stewart (left foot bone spur) is progressing after a setback a week and a half ago stymied his throwing progression.

The last time Stewart threw live batting practice, he aggravated the injury by running afterward. But throwing to hitters Saturday went better. He’s scheduled to throw one more live BP session before going out on a minor-league rehab assignment, Roberts said.

Roster moves

The Dodgers added right-hander Nick Frasso to the 40-man roster and transferred right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back spasms) to the 60-day injured list.

The team originally expected Glasnow to avoid the IL altogether, but his back issues have persisted. He remains shut down from throwing after a flare-up.

“He wants to get cranking again,” Roberts said, “but the doctors just aren’t allowing it and the body is not allowing for it right now.”

The Dodgers also traded left-hander Antoine Kelly, whom they signed to a minor-league deal in November to the Cubs.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mets got a gutsy six-inning performance from Nolan McLean, but couldn't hang on to a late one-run lead, falling to the Padres 3-2 in San Diego on Saturday night.

New York (28-36) managed six hits and two walks, but couldn't capitalize on chances, leaving five on base and going 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. San Diego (33-30) closer Mason Miller, who allowed a run in the ninth in Friday's game, slammed the door shut in the ninth for his 18th save of the year, snapping the Padres' six-game losing skid.

Here are the key takeaways...

- McLean started sharply, getting Fernando Tatis Jr. swinging at a 97 mph sinker and Jackson Merrill looking at a 96 mph heater down the pipe in a 1-2-3 first, and Gavin Sheets staring at a 96 mph sinker right over the plate in the second. 

But McLean was having to work a bit, throwing 34 pitches to get the first six outs, as the command of his breaking pitches was a bit spotty. The young right-hander issued his second walk of the night to start the third, and it bit him when Tatis bounced a one-out single off of second base into right field to level the score. After another walk put two on with two outs, McLean got Manny Machado swinging at a good curveball below the zone to close the 28-pitch inning.

The righty rebounded with a quick fourth, getting Xander Bogaerts looking at a good sinker on the outside corner in the process. 

McLean got into trouble in the fifth, but good defense kept the Padres off the board. After a bloop single, McLean did well to field the sacrifice bunt and get the out at first. Next, Bo Bichette made a fine diving stop in the hole at short to keep the runner at second on an infield hit. And with two down and runners on the corners, LuisTorrens’ pump-fake on the steal attempt caught Sung-Mun Song too far off third base to end the inning.

At 91 pitches, Carlos Mendoza sent McLean back out for the sixth and the 24-year-old rewarded his skipper, getting San Diego 1-2-3 to close his line: one run on three hits, three walks, five strikeouts on 101 pitches (62 strikes). He was in line to grab a win, but things didn't break his way.

- Austin Warren, looking to protect a one-run lead, was the first man out of the bullpen and, after getting two quick outs, allowed an infield hit when he couldn’t scoop a bleeder down the first base line. On the very next pitch, Freddy Fermin – the Padres catcher who twice bunted with a runner on first and nobody out and entered the game with 13 hits in 103 at-bats – turned on a 94 mph sinker on the inside corner for a 366-foot go-ahead two-run shot to left, his first of the season. (Warren stayed on for a quick eighth, but the damage was done.)

- After giving up the lead, the Mets got something cooking with one out in the eighth against righty reliever Jason Adam as Carson Benge popped a single over first base and Bichette followed with a sharply hit liner up the middle to put two on for Juan Soto. 

But San Diego, one of the best defensive teams in baseball, came up trumps as a 100.9 mph liner turned into a double-play as Song ranged to his right to just make a grab with an outstretched arm before flipping to catch Benge off second.

Benge finished 1-for-4 with a strikeout looking, Bichette 1-for-4 with a strikeout swinging, and Soto went hitless in four at-bats, including a strikeout swinging against left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon. 

- Marcus Semien, who worked a walk his first time up, pulled a first-pitch single to left with one down in the fourth, but got caught trying to steal second three pitches later. 

Semien made up for that by ambushing Padres reliever Bradgley Rodriguez in the seventh, smacking the first pitch of the frame for a go-ahead home run. The 98 mph sinker was right down the pike and the second baseman launched it 394 feet (101.5 mph) over the fence in the left-center gap, his seventh long ball on the year and fourth in the last 11 games. He finished 2-for-3 with a walk. 

- Brett Baty, coming off a two-hit game on Friday, put the Mets on top with a two-out RBI single up the middle in the second. Finished 1-for-3.

- A.J. Ewing got the Mets going with a stinging single (106.4 mph off the bat) into right to put two aboard and one down in the second and later came around to score the first run. Ewing lost the Mets’ first challenge on a close pitch on the corner, but still managed to work a two-out walk in the fourth, his 10th free pass in 24 games. He went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and two walks, the latter a terrifically worked one against Miller with two outs in the ninth.

- Mark Vientos, who has been in a huge funk, had an RBI chance his first time up, but swung through a hanging Griffin Canning slider above the zone. He went down swinging on a 3-2 slider off the outside corner to end the fourth and swinging at a breaking pitch from Miller to end the ballgame, to finish hitless in four at-bats with the three strikeouts. Vientos is now 6-for-46 (.130) in the last 14 games with 15 strikeouts and no walks.

- Torrens tapped out to the pitcher to strand runners on the corners his first time up. Finished 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Jared Young went hitless in four trips to the plate with a pair of strikeouts.

- On the diving play at short, Bichette immediately began to wince and grabbed at his left shoulder after back-handing the ball. Mendoza came out of the dugout with the team's athletic trainer to check on the shortstop, but Bichette told the pair he was fine and remained in the game.

"He's fine," Mendoza said after the game. "Hopefully, he wakes up tomorrow [feeling fine], but you look at his swing after the diving play, there was no hesitation. He looked normal there. I'm anticipating him being fine for [Sunday]."

Highlights

Two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 first inning for Nolan McLean 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nYhxKUifgM

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2026

Brett Baty gets the Mets on the board first! pic.twitter.com/WgOLPue4fB

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2026

Nolan McLean makes the fadeaway throw to first base and Jared Young applies the tag to get Gavin Sheets pic.twitter.com/3HPO5buYOI

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2026

Luis Torrens fakes the throw to second and the Mets get Sung Mun-Song caught in the rundown 👏 pic.twitter.com/2bCDvKntZ7

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2026

MARCUS SEMIEN GO-AHEAD HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/N1nRPAONH4

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 7, 2026

What's next

The three-game set concludes with Sunday's 4:10 p.m. first pitch on SNY.

New York will use Huascar Brazobán as an opener. San Diego will send out right-hander Randy Vasquez (3.31 ERA, 1.224 WHIP in 65.1 innings), a player they got from the Yankees in the Soto deal.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had their best scoring inning in five years in yet another lopsided defeat of the Angels, 9-2 on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

The first six Dodgers got hits off Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz, who retired only one of his eight batters faced. By the time he departed after 38 pitches, the Dodgers led 4-0 but the bases were still loaded. Alex Freeland reached on a fielder’s choice, and a throwing error by shortstop Zach Neto helped facilitate all three runners scoring on the play.

Shohei Ohtani, who singled to open the frame, punctuated the inning with a two-run home run off Brent Suter, making it 9-1.

Nine runs is the Dodgers’ largest inning since scoring nine runs in the seventh inning against the Nationals in Washington D.C. on July 2, 2021. Their previous high this season was six runs in the fourth inning on April 25 against the Chicago Cubs.

That’s two straight games the Dodgers have scored nine runs in a game started by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered Saturday with the second-lowest run support on the staff, ahead of only Ohtani.

Yamamoto actually trailed by a run after the top of the first, when a two-out infield single was cashed in by an Oswald Peraza triple that was off the glove of a leaping Andy Pages in center field. Any misgivings about Pages not making the catch were washed away by his 394-foot home run into the Dodgers bullpen to give Yamamoto a 2-1 lead.

On the season, Yamamoto has allowed 23 earned runs in his 12 starts, with eight of them scoring in the first inning, his worst frame of the season with a 6.00 ERA. But he settled down and then some on Saturday. After the triple, Yamamoto retired 22 Angels in a row and completed eight innings on only 93 pitches in his longest outing of the year.

Yamamoto, who allowed three runs over his last four starts, has lasted at least seven innings a team-leading five time this season.

The Dodgers this season have beaten the Angels in all five meetings, outscoring the Halos 41-5.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Andy Pages (14), Shohei Ohtani (11); Zach Neto (11)

WP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4): 8 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts

LP — Jack Kochanowicz (2-5): 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

The Dodgers conclude their 2026 engagement with the Angels on Sunday afternoon (1:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, KCOP channel 13), with Emmet Sheehan on the mound against José Soriano.

Box Score

Jacob Misiorowski is approaching his one-year anniversary of his Brewers debut. Tonight, he showed just how much growth he has made in that year.

Before Misiorowski could take the field, the Brewers staked him to an early lead. That came from Brice Turang, who hit the first pitch he saw 444 feet out to center field at 105.5 mph. The Brewers had a 1-0 lead early.

In the next inning, again with two outs, the Brewers added another solo home run. This came from David Hamilton, who also hit one out to center, though this one only went 426 feet with a 102.4 mph exit velocity.

Early on, Misiorowski depended on his defense more than his strikeouts. He didn’t record a strikeout in the first, then struck out his first batter in the second. There was a scary moment when Troy Johnston hit a ground ball right back at Misiorowski, and it deflected off his calf. After a check from the trainers, he was fine and remained in the game. The next pitch was a double-play ball from Exequiel Tovar that ended the inning.

Misiorowski was efficient through his first four innings. He had a clean third inning with a strikeout. In the fourth, he walked a batter but had another clean inning. He needed just 40 pitches for his first four innings.

The Brewers’ lead would be challenged in the bottom of the fifth, partially because of some sloppy defense. With two outs, Edouard Julien with a ground ball right to Joey Ortiz. He rushed the throw, and it was wide and past Andrew Vaughn. That allowed Julien to reach second. It was initially ruled a single and error, but later changed to just an error.

In the next at-bat, Kyle Karros hit a ball down the right field line. It would have been a single had Sal Frelick played it safely, but he misplayed it and the ball went to the wall. That turned it into a double that scored Julien (who might have scored on a single anyway). Misiorowski followed it up with a strikeout of Brett Sullivan, but the Rockies closed the gap to 2-1.

While the Brewers had built an early two-run lead, they missed opportunities to blow it open early. In the first, the Brewers had runners at first and second following the Turang home run, but did not score either. They had runners at first and second again in the fourth, but a strikeout of Jackson Chourio ended that inning.

Frelick drew a walk to start the sixth, but the Rockies picked him off first (following a video review). It would end up being a big review after Hamilton and Christian Yelich hit back-to-back singles, putting runners at first and third. Chourio struck out again to end that inning. The Brewers had a baserunner in each of the first six innings, but their only runs were the solo home runs.

The bottom of the sixth is where Misiorowski really started to struggle. Jake McCarthy led off the inning with a single. Next up was Tyler Freeman. On a 1-1 count, he threw a 98.6 mph cutter that hit Freeman squarely in the left side of his head. Freeman was shaken up and Misiorowski was rattled by it as well. After trainers checked on Freeman, he walked off the field on his own, with Sterlin Thompson entering to pinch-run. Pitching coach Chris Hook also talked to Misiorowski during this to help settle him down after that.

After TJ Rumfield flew out, Hunter Goodman drew a walk to load the bases with one out. It was looking rough for Misiorowski, but he recovered. Johnston swung at the first pitch he saw and flew out to Bauers in shallow left, which prevented McCarthy from tagging and scoring. Two pitches later, Tovar grounded out to Turang, who threw to Vaughn at first for the out. Misiorowski was out of the inning, but needed an additional 36 pitches between the fifth and sixth innings.

The Brewers’ offense would finally break through in the seventh. It started with a William Contreras solo home run off Brennan Bernardino, increasing the lead to 3-1.

After that, Bauers drew his fourth walk of the game, and Vaughn singled to put runners at first and second. Blake Perkins would pinch hit for Vaughn, and on the first pitch of the next at-bat, both runners ran with big leads. Both were safe to move runners up to second and third. Two pitches later, Frelick hit a ground ball to Rumfield, who bobbled it. Both runners scored and Frelick reached on the error.

The lead was up to 5-1 and Bernardino was pulled for TJ Shook. Ortiz hit a single off Shook, but the Brewers couldn’t build any more as Shook struck out Hamilton and Yelich.

Following a long layoff, Misiorowski came back out for the seventh inning. He started with a strikeout of Julien, but then walked Karros and allowed a single to Sullivan. At this point, Aaron Ashby was warming up, but Misiorowski told manager Pat Murphy in the dugout that he wanted to stay in the game. Misiorowski proved he could handle it, striking out McCarthy and Thompson to end the inning. It took 22 pitches but he got through the seventh.

While it might have been a night below Misiorowski’s recent standards, he still had a strong game. He allowed just one unearned run in seven innings. The Rockies did get their baserunners as Misiorowski allowed four hits and walked three. However, Misiorowski kept them mostly in check and added another eight strikeouts. He also maxed out at 103.7 mph, the fastest pitch thrown by a starter under pitch tracking.

Not wanting to waste his night, the Brewers offense added on more in the eighth. Turang remained hot with his second home run of the day, this one a solo home run to left field.

Two batters later, Jake Bauers recorded his first hit of the night following four walks. It might have been a pop-up fly ball in most parks, but in Colorado, it was a home run to left field. The Brewers now had a 7-1 lead.

Grant Anderson entered the game in relief in the eighth inning, just two days after taking a line drive off his arm. He walked a batter in the eighth but otherwise had a clean inning, striking out one. Drew Rom made his debut in the ninth, allowed a ground-rule double but that was all as he struck out two. A foul pop-up caught by Contreras ended the game.

As a team, the Brewers collected 13 hits and six walks. Bauers reached base all five times, hitting a home run to go with his four walks. Hamilton had a 4-for-5 day at the plate. Contreras, Turang, and Yelich added two-hit days as well. The only hitless starters were Frelick (who drew a walk and batted in a run) and Chourio (who went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts). Five of the Brewers’ hits were solo home runs. This all happened despite the team going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and leaving 12 on base.

This sets up a chance to sweep tomorrow afternoon in Colorado. Shane Drohan will face Kyle Freeland, with first pitch at 2:10 p.m.

SAN DIEGO — An unexpected source has provided the Mets with a needed offensive lift over the last two weeks.

Jared Young began the season as a player clinging to a major league job as a left-handed bat off the bench.

Since returning from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee May 26, he has gradually worked his way into an important role.

Young entered Saturday with three homers in his last six games, posting a .944 OPS in 55 plate appearances this season.

He gives manager Carlos Mendoza an alternative to the streaky Mark Vientos at first base but has also seen action at DH and the outfield.

It certainly doesn’t hurt knowing there is a good chance he will be in the lineup against right-handed starting pitchers.

“That helps, I am not going to ignore that,” Young said before the Mets faced the Padres on Saturday. “It’s easier when you get consecutive games to play and play more often, it gives us more chances to get out there and feel good.”

In Friday’s 5-0 victory over the Padres, he homered in his first at-bat and finished the night 2-for-4.

It was a third multihit game in his last six for Young, who had reached base in 11 straight games as play began.

Mendoza has not hesitated to bat Young in the cleanup spot.

The manager cited Young’s ability to control the strike zone as the key to his consistency.

“This is a guy who is going to go out there and he’s going to compete,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to give you quality at-bats because of his knowledge of the strike zone. He has got pop, but he’s got a pretty good idea in understanding what the pitchers are trying to do to him, so it’s just good to see it and he’s been an impactful bat for us.”

Young produced a .722 OPS in 22 games for the Mets last year, spending most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse after playing in Korea.

Young’s emergence has given Mendoza the option of reducing Vientos’ role.

Vientos, who began Saturday with a disappointing .630 OPS, didn’t play Wednesday and was used as a pinch hitter Friday.

Mendoza credited Young for adjustments that have allowed him to improve against velocity this season.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

“He’s shorter to the ball and on time,” Mendoza said. “There was some swing and miss from him, especially against that pitch at the top of the zone, but we have seen him make some adjustments and that is what good hitters do. The more he continues to play it allows him to make those adjustments.”

Young was off to a hot start this season, yielding an .841 OPS in his first 10 games before the meniscus tear and surgery.

It cost him six weeks, a stretch during which the Mets lost Jorge Polanco, Francisco Lindor, Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Alvarez to the injured list.

Young steadily began contributing upon his return, and the power surge has followed.

“Baseball is a game of confidence, and you get a little confidence, and you get to play a little bit,” Young said. “You try and take it and run with it and that is kind of what I’m just keeping in mind.”

Is this the most confidence Young has carried onto the field in his MLB career?

“I don’t know about all-around,” he said. “I think it’s a good stretch and you kind of just keep your head where it is and baseball is a crazy game, things can change pretty quick so just keep things as even keel as possible.”

Brewers 7, Rockies 1

Leverage Index & Box Score

Graphics via FanGraphs.

I wear my sunglasses at night: Blas Castaño, +0.14 WPA

It’s not what you want: Brennan Bernadino, -0.22 WPA

Game thread comment of the day

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

In front of the largest crowd to ever watch the burnt orange and white at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, the No. 6 Texas Longhorns delivered an impressive performance, thrashing the No. 11 Oregon Ducks 11-3 to open the Austin Super Regional behind 10 strikeouts from sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis and five RBI supplied by sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez.

Oregon out-hit Texas nine to eight, but the Horns were patient at the plate and delivered timely execution, drawing eight walks, getting hit by three pitches, and driving in three runs on sacrifice flies, adding home runs by junior third baseman Casey Borba and junior designated hitter Ethan Mendoza.

Clutch pitching mattered, too, as Volantis battled persistent command issues, but combined with three other Texas pitchers to strand 17 base runners as Oregon went 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-20 (.100) with runners on base. Two Ducks — right fielder Angel Laya and catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus — each stranded six runners.

“I didn’t think he was sharp tonight, compared to a lot of the other outings that we saw, and yet he gutted it out. He showed the makeup that a true warrior shows when he needed to in the big spots,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said of Volantis.

After Volantis retired the Ducks in the first with a strikeout to strand runners on first and third, walks drawn by junior right fielder Aiden Robbins and freshman left fielder Anthony Pack Jr. set the Horns up to strike, and Rodriguez took advantage with two outs and two on when he lashed a 2-1 cutter into the left-center gap. With the Oregon outfielders playing shallow, the hit got to the fence and Pack scored from first to make it 2-0.

In the second, an opposite-field approach by Oregon designated hitter Junior Lauaki produced a bloop double down the field, but Lauaki was too aggressive trying to take third on a chopper to Volantis and got caught in the run down. Another softly-hit ball challenged Pack and Rodriguez with the Texas left fielder getting a good jump to make the catch and avoid a collision.

With one out in the bottom of the inning, Longhorns junior third baseman Casey Borba extended the lead to 3-0 with a 395-foot blast to right-center on a 97-mph fastball, a rare opposite-field shot for the pull-heavy slugger who took focused work in batting practice to that direction on Thursday.

A walk issued to redshirt senior center fielder Dariyan Pendergrass also came back to haunt the Ducks when Pendergrass stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Robbins.

Up 4-0, Volantis dealt with a massive jam in the third, giving up an 0-2 single to lead off the inning before briefly losing his command, issuing one-out and two-out walks, then falling behind 3-1 with the bases loaded before beating Brayden Jaska swinging on a fastball and the type of big-time curveball expected from Volantis. The Texas ace left the bases juiced by inducing an inning-ending groundout to second.

Through the first three innings, Volantis held Oregon scoreless despite issuing three walks and throwing three wild pitches by stranding six runners. The Californian dealt with more traffic in the fourth after allowing a leadoff single up the middle by Lauaki and a double down the left-field line to put runners on second and third with no outs.

But Volantis’ curveball got him out of two more at bats, his fourth and strikeouts with a runner in scoring position, and a groundout to first to end the inning sparked a rare explosion of emotion from the lanky lefty.

One-out and two-out walks drawn by the Horns put runners on first and second for Robbins in the fourth, who worked a full-count walk to bring up junior catcher Carson Tinney. For the big at bat, the Ducks brought in seldom-used lefty Jonah Barkoff for his sixth appearance this season. After throwing a first-pitch strike to Tinney, Barkoff’s balk sent Borba home from third, but a 3-2 breaking ball in the dirt was enough to get Tinney to offer and end the inning.

After retiring the first two batters in the fifth, Volantis looked like he was finally at cruising speed before consecutive singles increased the stress again before another big-time curveball stranded two more runners by retiring Lauaki for the first time.

With Oregon out-hitting Texas 7-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Longhorns put one-out hits together with Becerra doubling to right center and Rodriguez singling to left center to make it 6-0.

Texas scored another run after Mendoza was hit by a pitch, junior first baseman Ashton Larson drew a walk, and Pendergrass was hit by a pitch to force in Rodriguez.

At 96 pitches, Volantis came out for the sixth, but his command faltered again by allowing a leadoff double down the right-field line, a full-count walk, and spiking a first-pitch curveball off the foot of the next batter. For a final time, Volantis recovered, striking out Laya with three swings before departing to a deserved standing ovation as junior right-hander Thomas Burns came on in relief.

Burns got three swings and misses for the second out, but couldn’t find the zone on back-to-back walks on some pitches wildly out of the zone, ending his outing in favor of redshirt senior left-hander Luke Harrison in his second consecutive relief appearance. Despite getting squeezed on a 2-2 curveball, Harrison left no doubt with a swing and a miss on a cutter to strand three and leave the Horns with a 7-2 lead.

A single by Pack and a walk by Becerra put runners on first and second for Rodriguez in the sixth before both advanced on a wild pitch. Rodriguez made the Ducks pay after Pack was nearly picked off on a pitch out, hitting a sacrifice fly to center. And then Mendoza caught a hanging breaker up and over the plate, launching it 438 feet to left center for his 10th home run of the season.

Harrison went 1-2-3 in the seventh to end his effective outing and remains available to start on Monday if necessary or appear out of the bullpen again on Sunday. Freshman right-hander Brody Walls came for the eighth and worked around a solo home run.

In the ninth, Texas added a run on a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez, whose execution at the plate followed a single by Pack and a double by Becerra.

The Longhorns can advance to the College World Series on Sunday with first pitch at 8 p.m. Central on ESPN with senior right-hander Ruger Riojas (5-2, 3.86 ERA) set to take the mound against Ducks right-hander Will Sanford (9-2, 3.46 ERA).

The Los Angeles Dodgers jumped on the in-state rival Los Angeles Angels with a big first inning at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, June 6.

Shohei Ohtani led the Dodgers’ offense in the top of the first inning, scoring the first run of the game after Andy Pages hit a two-run home run 394 feet to left field.

It was just the beginning of what was to come for Ohtani against his former team. The Japanese superstar spent the first six years of his career with the Angels.

Ohtani later added a two-run home run in the first, blasting a ball 406 feet to center field. Alex Freeland scored on the play. The Dodgers took a 9-1 lead into the top of the second inning.

Ohtani goes yard and the Dodgers lead 9-1! 😯pic.twitter.com/4AYi7II5za

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 7, 2026

Ryan Ward had added to the score with a double to center that brought in Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts to score. It also moved Max Muncy over to third. Muncy would not have to stay at third long, as he was brought in after Freeland grounded into a fielder's choice to the Angels' shortstop, Zach Neto. Ward managed to score on an error and Dalton Rushing scored after a throwing error by Neto.

The Angels held an early 1-0 lead after the top of the inning thanks to Oswald Peraza's triple to center that brought in Wade Meckler to score.

The Dodgers never actually scored again, but cruised to a 9-2 victory.

Dodgers’ 9 tied for 2nd-most runs in 1st inning for only runs of game, MLB history:

07/06/1954 CLE 11 vs BAL 3
06/06/2026 LAD 9 vs LAA 2
06/21/2015 WSH 9 vs PIT 2
06/05/1988 NYY 9 @ BAL 2
08/28/1960 CIN 9 @ LAD 3
08/13/1934 PHA 9 @ WAS 0
06/19/1921 NYG 9 @ CHC 1
09/30/1913 BRO 9… https://t.co/hrHkpVJ09m

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 7, 2026

Myles Garrett throws out first pitch for Dodgers

The Dodgers welcomed Myles Garrett to Los Angeles with the opportunity to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game.

Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last week after spending the first nine years of his career with the Cleveland Browns.

Garrett was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year after recording an NFL single-season record 23 sacks during the 2025 season.

The @Dodgers officially welcome new @RamsNFL star Myles Garrett to LA ☀️pic.twitter.com/TcHxtHraRm

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 7, 2026

Blake Treinen creates highlight in bullpen

Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen created a highlight in the first inning after catching Pages' home run while standing in the bullpen.

Blake Treinen snagged the homer from the bullpen and they went wild 🤣

(via @Dodgers) pic.twitter.com/nV1JLY2i4y

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 7, 2026

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers hang 9 runs on Angels in first inning

A day after a trio of Giants clubbed a pair of home runs each in an 18-3 frolic, they were outdone and undone by a sole Cub clubbing a pair of his own. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong launched two equalizers towards the El tracks in right  over the course of Chicago’s 3-2 extra-inning win on Saturday: the first in the 6th inning off Landen Roupp, and another with two outs in the bottom of the 9th off closer of the day Keaton Winn. 

Prior to those fireworks, starting arms Ben Brown and Roupp do-si-doed over 5 scoreless innings.

For Roupp, the performance was a welcome return to form after allowing 8 runs on 8 hits and 5 walks during his last outing in Milwaukee. He got himself in and out of trouble in the 1st after a couple of two-out walks and settled in nicely after that. Cubs hitters managed just two singles off of him, limited in part by the soft hands and rangy defense of Willy Adames, Luis Arraez, and Roupp himself.  With the speedy PCA at first,  Roupp turned a weakly hit bounder that looked to be a surefire productive out into a double play with an aggressive throw that nabbed the lead runner. 

On the other side of the hill, Ben Brown proved to be the wet blanket that always seems to await this offense after an outburst. 19-run feast against Colorado on Sunday, Monday they were scrounging for scraps. After posting 18 runs on 19 hits, the 26 year-old right-hander held the Giants to just a 1st inning single and walk as he pitched into the 6th.  But nearing 90 pitches on the day as he tentatively embarked on his third time through the order, Chicago skipper, Craig Counsell, decided he’d rather not see the recently converted starter face Rafael Devers again. The move made somewhat sense on paper — it just didn’t quite work out that way as turned on a 1-2 fastball from Caleb Thielbar and punched it through the headwinds and into the stands. 

The one-run lead didn’t last long.

Three pitches into the bottom half of the 6th, Chicago had answered.

Crow-Armstrong teased this outcome when he fouled off the first two pitches of the at-bat. The first, a change-up, had the distance to clear the wall but sailed wide. The second, a cutter, PCA deflected into the screen behind home plate before he shouted a choice monosyllabic word after the follow-through spun him around. He made a meal of his frustration at missing the offering. He tucked his bat under his arm and paced around the plate muttering to himself as he removed his arm padding and tore at his batting gloves. Typically this kind of batter’s box bluster precedes a third strike. The foul ball that just skirts being a home run is almost always a kiss of death. Maybe Roupp bought into that superstition as well. Maybe for PCA it was all an act, pretending to be annoyed and disgruntled and out-of-sorts in order to bait Roupp into another fastball. 

Roupp walked the next batter, Michael Conforto, who then stole second, giving the Cubs their first at-bats with a runner in scoring position since the 1st and a real chance to take their first lead of the series. They’d have to wait. Roupp locked back in and struck out the next two hitters, but at 98 pitches, Tony Vitello decided to dip into his pen rather than see his starter try to close out the frame — a decision that got him a North Carolinian glare Giants fans and coaches have long been familiar with.

Reliever Caleb Kilian loaded the bases with a walk and a single (kept admirably on the infield by Adames) but ultimately got Nico Hoerner to fly out to end the threat, keep the game tied, and close the book on Roupp. 

The score stayed knotted at 1 until the 9th when the Giants scratched another run home after one-out singles from Jung Hoo Lee (his second of the day, hitting streak to 14 games), and Bryce Eldridge (streak to 9 games) before Matt Chapman’s sacrifice fly. Solid situational baseball all around. Lee had a great read on the ball in play and went from first to third on the hit to Seiya Suzuki in right. Speedster Jonah Cox pinch ran for Eldridge and stole second, eliminating the possible inning-ending double play while also putting himself in scoring position. And Chapman stayed back on a center-cut fastball, saw it deep, and made sure he put it in play. If the 2-1 score held, and San Francisco won this game, that sequence at the plate and on the base paths would be the reason why. Looking back on it now, it’s just the inning in which a key runner was stranded at second, in which a clutch hit — in such ample supply yesterday! — didn’t occur. Eric Haase lined a fastball 330 feet with the ball leaving his bat at 104 MPH, but instead of splitting a gap or clearing a wall, it found a defender’s glove. 

The one-run would have to do…and it didn’t.

To be clear, Keaton Winn is having a solid year. Few batters get satisfaction from putting one of his pitches in play. The contact is off-barrel, weakly hit, often in the ground. In terms of physicality and stuff, Winn reads as a late-inning reliever — but so far he’s underperformed when thrust into a save situation. His overall ERA is in the mid-2.00, while his ERA in the 9th inning is now 4.50 with a 1.50 WHIP. Opponents are posting a .869 OPS (40 PA) in situations Baseball Reference defines as “high leverage” — and that number doesn’t include today’s results.

Here’s today’s result. 

Winn got the first two guys out in the 9th before this splitter he banana-ed out over the heart of the plate to PCA, forcing extra innings. 

Extra innings didn’t go well. Victor Bericoto pinch hit against lefty Ryan Rolison for Drew Gilbert, who has yet to get a hit against a southpaw this season, and logged at an at-bat worthy of Gilbert’s ineffectiveness. Three pitches — he swung at two curveballs well-below the zone before taking a 95 MPH fastball. Without a productive lead-off hitter in the 10th, scoring the Manfred Man from second requires a knock, and San Francisco bats just couldn’t find a way. They had went out and spent all their scoring mojo on Friday and came up skint on Saturday, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. 

Turning it over to Chicago, the Cubs just needed one batter in the 10th to finish it. Michael Busch singled to right and Bericoto, brought in for his bat, was forced to use his glove, and in his rush to ensure the winning run didn’t score, he booted the ball, ensuring it did.      

The 2026 San Francisco Giants have yet to win four games in a row.

The Cubs signed right-hander Andrew Wantz and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs split a doubleheader with the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), winning game one 7-5 and losing the second one 8-1.

The good news in game one is that Matthew Boyd started and got the win. The bad news is he allowed three home runs over five innings. But as I always say about a rehab appearance, the most important thing is how the player feels afterwards. Both Boyd and Craig Counsell said they expect Boyd’s next start to be with the major league squad.

Boyd’s final line was five runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked one. Boyd threw 80 pitches and 56 of them were strikes.

Tyler Ferguson pitched the other two innings and got the save. Ferguson gave up two hits, but no runs. He struck out three and walked no one.

Center fielder Brett Bateman went 3 for 4 with a double and a steal. He scored one run and drove in one.

Right fielder Justin Dean was 2 for 3 with a double. He had two RBI and scored two runs.

Matt Shaw played this entire game at first base in a rehab stint and was doubled in a run in the third inning. Shaw went 1 for 3 with a walk, one RBI and one run scored

Boyd with a strikeout.

The hit by Shaw was ruled a double.

Two-run double for Dean.

Bateman’s RBI double.

Vince Velazquez gave the I-Cubs a good start in game two, allowing just one run on one hit over three innings. Velazquez walked two, hit one batter and struck out four.

Things fell apart when Paul Campbell pitched the final three innings and allowed one run in the fifth, five in the sixth and one more in the seventh. He allowed four home runs in those three innings. Campbell finished with seven runs on eight hits over three innings. He walked one and struck out one.

Catcher Eric Yang was 1 for 2 with a walk in game two.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were in open rebellion and overthrew the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 14-5.

Tyler Schlaffer started game one and gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out seven.

Jace Beck threw the next three innings and got the win. He allowed neither a run nor a hit, but he did walk two batters. Beck struck out three.

Tyler Ras was six up, six down over the final two frames in a non-save situation. Ras struck out two.

The Smokies hit six home runs in this game. Third baseman Jefferson Rojas connected for two home runs today: solo shots in both the first and seventh innings. Rojas was a perfect 3 for 3 with a double and the two home runs, which were the seventh and eighth of the season for him. Rojas also walked once. He scored three times and drove in three runs.

DH Owen Ayers hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his ninth on the year. Ayers went 3 for 4 with a double and the home run. Ayers walked two and struck out two.

Left fielder Carter Trice connected for a two-run home run in the fifth inning, also his ninth. Trice went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Later on in the fifth inning, center fielder Andy Garriola hit his team-leading 11th home run with two men on. Garriola went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Finally, Edgar Alvarez hit a solo home run in the eighth. It was his sixth on the year. Alvarez went 1 for 4.

Catcher Ariel Armas was 4 for 5 with a double and one run scored.

Rojas’ first home run was historic for the reasons listed in this post. It was a long home run.

The Carter Trice home run.

Garriola went to dead center.

The second home run by Rojas may have went even farther.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs incarcerated the Quad Cities River Bandits (Royals), 13-2.

Will Sanders pitched the first four innings without allowing a run. Sanders gave up two hits. He walked three and struck out three.

JP Wheat just pitched the fifth inning, but he got the win because Sanders didn’t go five. Wheat gave up two hits but no runs. He also did not record a strikeout or a walk.

Koen Moreno threw the final four innings for the save. Moreno gave up a two-run home run in the eighth to ruin the shutout, but those were the only runs he allowed. He gave up six hits, but no walks and he struck out six.

Center fielder Christian Olivo hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, his fifth on the year. Olivo was 1 for 4.

Three batters later in the fourth, right fielder Josiah Hartshorn homered with the bases empty. It was his ninth home run this year and fourth in just 12 games in High-A. Hartshorn went 3 for 5 with the home run and a two-run double in the first inning, giving him three RBI.

Two batters after Hartshorn in the fourth with a man on, left fielder Miguel Useche hit the third South Bend home run of the inning. Useche went 1 for 3 with two walks. He scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 2 for 5 with a steal. He scored twice.

Second baseman Drew Bowser went 2 for 4 with a double and an bases-loaded RBI walk. He also scored once.

Hartshorn’s two-run double.

Olivo’s home run.

Hartshorn showing opposite field power.

Useche’s home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were carried downstream by the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 4-2.

Dominick Reid pitched the first five innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Edwardo Melendez closed out the game and got the loss after he gave up two runs on just one hit over three innings. Melendez only walked one, but he also hit two batters while striking out just one. Both runs came in the bottom of the eighth.

The Pelicans managed just two hits, both singles. Center fielder Darlyn DeLeon was 1 for 2 with a walk and one run scored.

ACL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 5-3.

The Braves now have two top 100 position-player prospects in high-A Rome. Eric Hartman continues to hit the cover off the ball with a tantalizing power-hit-speed package as a 19-year-old who was taken in the 20th round of the 2024 draft. That seems like incredible value and frankly incredible luck that the Braves still signed him, as usually those prep players in the last couple rounds can be more backup plans than realistic signing expectations. He is joined by shortstop Tate Southesene who is looking like a complete player and a really savvy pick underslot in the 2025 first round. His underslot signing enabled the signing of Briggs McKenzie, who struck out 8 in his full-season ball debut. Things are looking really promising on the farm right now, with a nice set of draft capital and reportedly a huge international free agent incoming.

Braves News

The Braves took another series, beating the Pirates 6-3 behind strong offense and a middling Spencer Strider performance.

MLB News

The Reds are hoping to have star pitcher Hunter Greene back starting games in the majors before the All-Star break.

The Twins are bringing Royce Lewis back to the majors, as the former top overall pick has been tearing up triple-A pitching.

The Red Sox are reportedly shopping catcher Connor Wong, as they have a surplus at the position.

Ben Rice has found himself in the American League MVP conversation for much of the season.

That’s even with a healthy Aaron Judge — or so we thought — hitting in the same lineup and looking for his third straight MVP.

But now Rice, like the rest of the Yankees lineup, is facing a new challenge: hitting without Judge’s bat to protect them.

For Rice, it’s especially true, as he’s hit directly in front of Judge for much of the year.

In the four games prior to Saturday’s rainout against Boston, Rice instead had Paul Goldschmidt hitting behind him.

Goldschmidt, still a dangerous hitter — particularly against lefties — doesn’t offer quite the protection Judge did.

“He’s a big presence to not have in our lineup,” Rice said after Friday’s loss in The Bronx. “It’s definitely gonna hurt us, but all we can do is keep moving forward.”

Asked if not having Judge’s bat behind him might add pressure to his at-bats, Rice said, “No. I focus on today. We’ll evaluate it at the end.”

And not having Judge — even the limited version he said he’s been since late April, when he believes he first injured the right rib that will likely sideline him for two months — will surely impact the way pitchers approach the Yankee lineup.

As to whether he thinks he’ll be pitched to differently in Judge’s absence, Rice said, “It’s not for me to say. We’ll see what happens. All I can control is the pitches I swing at and don’swing at.”

In four games without Judge, Rice is 4-for-14 with three walks and six strikeouts and had a double and a homer.

Hitting coach James Rowson recently praised Rice’s work ethic behind the scenes, especially with his willingness to study how opposing pitchers pitches to him.

“That’s part of what’s made him better,’’ Rowson said. “It’s not just talent. A lot of guys are talented. The great ones prepare differently and I see how he prepares behind the scenes.”

His process has worked well so far, as Rice entered Saturday with an OPS of 1.051 on the season, trailing only Houston’s Yordan Alvarez.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Rice’s walk rate is up from a year ago, as is his strikeout rate, but he’s about to be tested this season as he hasn’t before.

He’ll be expected to be the biggest bat in the lineup, likely until Judge returns later in the season.

While the Yankees have been careful not to apply a timeline to Judge’s injury, his injury won’t be imaged again for at least another month and he’ll need to built up before he’s back in games.

In Friday’s loss, Rice had a homer and went 2-for-3 as the No. 2 hitter, but the three batters behind him, Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. combined to go 0-for-11.

That stopped the Yankees from putting much together offensively outside of solo homers by Rice and Trent Grisham, who hit one spot ahead of Rice.

The Yankees will need more production throughout their lineup to remain near the top of the AL East with Judge out, but Rice is as important as any hitter to make sure that happens.

For the second time in four days, Giancarlo Stanton was on the field at Yankee Stadium early Saturday afternoon, taking live batting practice against Angel Chivilli.

The Yankees hope it is not too much longer before Stanton is in the batter’s box for real games, and not just simulated ones, though he still has more boxes to check in the coming week or two before that can happen.

After taking four at-bats against the rehabbing Chivilli, Stanton did some running on the field — in a straight line in the outfield and then starting halfway up the first base line and taking a turn around first base as he works back from a right calf strain.

“Hopefully sooner rather than later,” manager Aaron Boone said of Stanton’s potential return Saturday. “But he’s continuing to build up the running portion.”

Boone has already said that Stanton will not join the Yankees on their upcoming road trip that starts Monday in Cleveland and ends next Sunday in Toronto, with the veteran DH expected to stay in New York to continue his running progression.

It is possible Stanton will not need to go on a rehab assignment before rejoining the Yankees, because he is not playing the field, but he is not close enough for the team to have to make a decision on that yet.

Camilo Doval offered the Yankees a reminder of his tantalizing potential Friday night, retiring the side in the ninth inning on nine pitches (eight strikes), with two strikeouts.

That lowered Doval’s ERA to 5.79 through 27 games, though his underlying metrics have been more promising, offering some hope that he can straighten things out to strengthen the bullpen more consistently.

“That’s what’s been tough, because we’ve seen a lot of that, even in some of the outings where he’s given it up,” Boone said. “It’s just about being consistent, because there is a lot of really good happening there with Camilo — the way he’s thrown the ball, the strike throwing that’s as good as he’s maybe ever been. It is very close to being in line with what we saw [Friday] night. That’s what he’s capable of. He’s working hard at it and we’re continuing to work hard around him to try to get him to be that. Because when he’s like that, he can be an impactful back-end guy.”

After going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his first rehab game Friday night as the DH at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jasson Domínguez is expected to play the outfield in his second rehab game Sunday.

He will likely need a few more games next week before he returns from a mild AC joint sprain in his left shoulder.