NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 03: Fireworks are seen over Yankee Stadium following the New York Yankees 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on July 3, 2023 in Bronx borough of New York City. New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-3. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! This week has been, well…the less we speak of it, the better. Fortunately, we don’t actually care about the Yankees’ on-field performance in this post, we care about their online performance. So what have the Bombers been up to on social media this week? Let’s find out!
Happy Fourth!
Yesterday, the United States celebrated its 250th anniversary. Not surprisingly, the Yankees’ social media accounts marked the occasion, sharing footage from Friday night’s fireworks display.
But this year, the Fourth of July isn’t just a day of celebration in the Yankees Universe, however, for the day also marks the birthdays of two Yankees legends — the Boss himself, and, rather bittersweetly, John Sterling.
Dave’s Thoughts
As usual, Dave Sims took to Instagram with his thoughts after this week’s slate of games.
CC Sabathia was in Cannes, France, with some old friends last week — including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. There were also some athletes from other teams, like Dexter Fowler and Jayson Tatum, but, well, this is a Yankees site, we don’t care about them.
Last week, Trenton Thunder bat dog Rookie announced his retirement; this week, the Thunder Instagram account posted a video celebrating the very good boy.
With LeBron James announcing that he will not be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, teams have begun lining up to sign one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Hoping that LeBron opts for a Michael Jordan-esque baseball plotline, a whole bunch of minor league teams put in their pitch to bring James to their ballclub.
AUSTIN, TX - APRIL 19: Infielder Justin LeBron #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws out a runner at first during the SEC baseball game between Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide on April 19, 2026, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The 2026 edition of the MLB Draft begins this Saturday, July 11th, at 1:00 PM ET. Saturday will see teams make selections through the end of Round 4, while Sunday will conclude the draft with teams making picks 5 through 20 over the course of an 8-hour grind that will begin at 11:30 PM ET.
Because the Cincinnati Reds were slightly better than mediocre during the 2025 season instead of their typical ‘awful,’ they won’t make a selection until pick #18 in Round 1 this time around. So, it’s hard to truly hammer down one particular player they are tied to since there are so many scenarios that could play out over the first 17 picks of the draft. Still, it’s evident that their scouts have been tied to a number of players who most front offices expect will be available around that portion of the draft, and we’ll run down which players have been linked to the Reds in mock drafts through Sunday, July 5th below.
MLB Pipeline: OF Trevor Condon (Etowah HS – Woodstock, GA)
Despite being an extremely talented Georgia high school product with the last name of ‘Condon,’ Trevor is not related to fellow Condon Charlie, whom the Reds were linked to a bit prior to the 2024 draft when they instead selected Chase Burns with the #2 pick. Trevor, to his credit, has carved out his own big of GA lore, and is ranked #13 overall by the MLB Pipeline crew at the moment.
Listed as an OF, Condon also has experience playing 2B, and the 5’11” 175 lb left-handed hitter is currently committed to baseball powerhouse Tennessee at the collegiate level. So, if the Reds were to jump to select him, he’d likely require the full (if not over-slot) bonus to sway him from that decision.
ESPN: OF Trevor Condon (Etowah HS – Woodstock, GA)
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has Condon on the Reds board, too. He even drops a Kevin McGonigle reference in his blurb, which is #nice.
Perfect Game: RHP Liam Peterson (University of Florida)
To highlight just how ‘all over the place’ this year’s draft is, Perfect Game has the Reds taking Florida righty Liam Peterson with the #18 pick. They have Trevor Condon going #40 overall. MLB Pipeline actually has Peterson going with pick #17 ahead of the Condon pick in their latest mock, though they rank Condon as the #13 player in their draft rankings and Peterson #20.
Science!
Peterson put up a somewhat pedestrian 4.59 ERA across 84.1 IP for the Gators this past season and a mediocre 5.03 ERA across 216.2 IP there in his career. However, he’s 6’5” and 220 lbs with a 60 grade fastball and 65 grade slider, his heater running ‘up to 99 with riding life and carry,’ according to Prospect Porch.
A projectable frame on a college arm with solid, but not extensive use to date? That sounds like something the Reds would be very much up to should Peterson still be around at pick 18.
The Athletic: RHP Liam Peterson (University of Florida)
Keith Law sees the Reds taking Peterson in his latest mock, too. That’s in part because he’s the best starter available on his board at this point of the draft, and also because he thinks ‘the Reds are a little more likely to take a pitcher than a hitter,’ which certainly tracks.
USA Today: RHP Liam Peterson (University of Florida)
Gabe Lacques has the Reds taking Peterson here, too. Like Law, he’s got Peterson as the pick here despite Condon being still on his board (with the San Diego Padres selecting him at pick #21).
D1 Baseball: SS Justin Lebron (University of Alabama)
Justin Lebron is a name connected with as high as pick #2 overall (Perfect Game), whereas MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the #9 prospect in this year’s draft class. The 6’2” 190 lb shortstop hits from the right side of the plate while playing plus defense at the game’s most important defensive position, and the Pipeline crew doled out 60-grades on each of his Power, Run, Arm, and Field tools.
Lebron swiped 42 bags last season for the Crimson Tide and went a pretty astonishing 69 for 71 on steals over the course of his college career. He was also originally committed to play ball for Rice and study Mechanical Engineering, which is cool as all hell.
He’s got to work on chasing breaking balls, but so much of the rest of his skill set is tough to replicate with anyone else in this draft. If he’s still there at #18, he’s who I’d be selecting.
Jul 5, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) hits a double against the New York Mets during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Behind a three-run first inning, it seemed the Braves were going to carry their Saturday momentum right into Sunday afternoon’s home game against the New York Mets.
Then they were held scoreless for the next seven innings.
Facing a seven-run deficit after the Mets posted a five-run top of the ninth, the bats awakened but came up just short of a remarkable comeback in a 10-9 loss which snapped Atlanta’s two-game winning streak.
The first four batters of the Atlanta ninth reached before Drake Baldwin lifted his first career grand slam just over the wall in left. It was just his second homer in 16 games since coming off the injured list, coming a day after he earned his first All-Star nod.
A Matt Olson double followed by a wild pitch, a Michael Harris II infield single and a Mauricio Dubón single to left put the tying run on third base and winning run on second base with two outs. But Dominic Smith struck out, bringing the Braves up just short in the first major league game since 2019 in which both teams scored five-plus innings in the ninth inning.
Had the Braves won, it would have been the first time since 2000 that a team rallied from seven-plus runs down in the ninth inning to win a major league game.
Early on, the Braves’ offense appeared poised to carry over its momentum from Saturday’s 14-3 thrashing. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch of Baldwin, Ozzie Albies gave Atlanta two runners in scoring position with a double to right and Michael Harris II brought them both home with one-out single which made it 2-1 Braves.
After a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, Dubón extended the lead to 3-1 on an RBI single to center.
But after getting to Mets starter Nolan McLean early, he settled in and sent the Braves back to their ineffective June form at the plate.
The Braves managed just two hits over the next five-plus innings against McLean, who bounced back from a rocky first to allow five hits and three runs (two earned) over six innings, striking out five and walking one.
Things didn’t get better from there against the Mets bullpen. After Austin Riley’s bloop single to lead off the bottom of the seventh chased McLean, Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver each retired three straight batters to get through the eighth inning.
Huascar Brazoban struggled through the ninth, managing just one out and forcing the Mets to use closer Devin Williams, who allowed three hits before finally finishing off the Braves one hit away from what would have been a stunning loss.
Things started poorly for Martín Pérez when he allowed one run and stranded two on base in the first inning after the first four batters of the game reached base.
They got worse in the second when the Mets tagged him for four runs, putting the first five batters of the inning on base to give New York a 5-3 lead.
From there, Pérez settled in quite well, retiring the next nine batters he faced. Unfortunately, the ninth batter he faced in that span was Juan Soto, who hit a liner off his left forearm and forced him to exit the game after 4 1/3 innings.
It wasn’t a good start for Pérez (6-6), who allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits. But it appeared to be headed for a disastrous start which he slightly salvaged.
Now to wait and see the severity of the injury and if the Braves’ rotation depth will be further tested.
The cold streak at the plate was especially unfortunate for the Braves as the lesser bullpen arms rose to the occasion of the larger load thrust upon them by Pérez’s early exit for most of Sunday’s game.
Tyler Kinley got the final two outs of the fifth before Danny Young and Dylan Dodd followed with a scoreless inning apiece. Carlos Carrasco, called back up Sunday morning, threw a scoreless eighth before he was hit hard for five runs on five hits in the top of the ninth to give the Mets some major insurance which they wound up needing every single run of.
The defeat denies the Braves their first three-game winning streak in a month’s time.
Now Atlanta will need to win Monday night with Reynaldo López on the mound if it wants to win this four-game series instead of what would be a disappointing split.
The Mets snapped their losing streak with a 10-9 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York's offense jumped all over veteran Braves left-hander Martin Perez in the early-going, quickly opening their first lead of the series. Three straight hits from the top of the order, capped off by a Bo Bichette RBI single, helped them establish the one-run advantage.
-- Atlanta got to Nolan McLean for three runs in the bottom-half, but the Mets answered right back. A.J. Ewing led off the inning with his second left-on-left homer of the season, then the next four would reach, with run-scoring hits from Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto pushing them back in front.
-- McLean worked around a two out jam in the bottom of the second then settled into a groove, retiring the next seven hitters he faced in order. Part of that stretch was a Michael Harris III strikeout in which the righty recorded the highest spin rate on a curveball for a strike since foreign substance checks started, according to Pitching Ninja.
-- McLean's run came to an end with another Mark Vientos booted groundball leading off the fifth. That was Vientos' second miscue of the day, as he was also unable to corral a pickoff in the bottom of the first, which prolonged the inning and resulted in an unearned run.
-- This time McLean was able to work around it, though, as he retired the next three in order then breezed his way through a scoreless sixth. His day came to an end after giving up a leadoff hit in the seventh, closing his line with three runs allowed (two earned) on five hits and a walk and five strikeouts over 6.0+ innings.
-- Luke Weaver extended his scoreless streak to 25 innings with a scoreless bottom of the eighth. Weaver hasn't been scored upon since May 1st, lowering his ERA to a stellar 1.95 in that span.
-- New York tacked on five insurance runs against old friend Carlos Carrasco in the top of the ninth. Tyrone Taylor smacked a homer leading off the inning, then Bichette ripped a base-clearing double to center with the bases loaded, and Jared Young lifted a two-run single.
-- Those runs ended up being huge for the Mets, as Huascar Brazoban struggled mightily, giving up five runs and recording just one out before being pulled in the bottom of the ninth. Atlanta scratched across another two out run against Devin Williams, then pushed the winning run into scoring position, but Dominic Smith struck out to end the game.
-- In addition to his homer, Ewing also singled left-on-left against former Met Danny Young. The youngster came into the day hitting just .190 in those situations thus far during his rookie campaign, but he looked very comfortable facing off with a pair of tough veteran arms.
-- Lindor, Soto, and Bichette went a combined 6-for-13 with two walks, six RBI, and three runs.
Game MVP: Top of the order
The trio at the top lead the way for the Mets' offense, showing how the team expected them to look.
Jul 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) reacts after hitting an RBI double against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals fans have learned that there are two different potential versions of Matthew Liberatore this season. Sunday, the Cardinals got parts of both versions as the Chicago Cubs jumped on his wildness early, but he settled down later. The problem would arise out of the Cardinals bullpen and defense when all was said and done.
Matthew Liberatore’s performance on Sunday looked a lot worse by using the eye test compared to the actual damage on the scoreboard. It all started in the bottom of the first inning when the Cub we all love to despise (because hate is such a strong word), PCA, reached on an infield single and then stole second. Alex Bregman followed that with a double to center which scored the loser from second giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Liberatore then struck out Suzuki, but then walked Carson Kelly and hit Michael Busch with a pitch (this would become a theme for Matthew Sunday) to load the bases. Nico Hoerner lifted a sacrifice fly to Jordan Walker in right who almost threw out Bregman at home, but almost doesn’t count so it was 2-0 Cubs. That was all Chicago would get out of that bases loaded opportunity.
Matthew Liberatore hit 3 batters during his time in the game with the most painful probably being PCA getting nailed on the fleshy part of his left arm. He winced in pain on the ground for several minutes, but probably didn’t cry although many of us who are confirmed Cardinals fans imagined he did. I personally am never in favor of a player getting injured, but Crow whatever appeared to be fine when all was said and done.
If you’re thinking that I’m not mentioning much about the Cardinals offense, it’s because there was really nothing special to include over the first 5 innings. That changed big time in the top of the 6th inning when Jordan Walker proved why he deserves to be an All-Star. JJ Wetherholt started off the inning by being JJ Wetherholt and getting on base with a single. Two batters later, Alec Burleson singled giving the Cardinals runners at first and second with Jordan Walker coming to the plate. The Cubs changed pitchers, but it didn’t matter squat and Jordan crushed a weak 82 mph sweeper and gave it a ride way up into the left field stands immediately correcting most of what is wrong in the world by giving the Cardinals their first Sunday lead at 3-2. BOOM!
Just as I and the rest of Cardinals Nation were preparing to throw a “we just swept the Cubs” party, the wheels came off for St. Louis in the bottom of the 6th inning which really felt like it went on FOREVER. It began with Matthew Liberatore walking Carson Kelly and then surrendering a single to Michael Busch. Credit to Liberatore for getting that deep into the game as he really pulled himself together after a very shaky start. Matt Svanson entered the game and immediately gave up the lead as Nico Hoerner smacked a single to right scoring Carson Kelly and tying the game at 3-3. After Ian Happ popped out for the first out, the Cardinals defense collapsed. Dansby Swanson grounded to José Fermín at third who instead of starting an inning-ending double play, threw the ball into right field scoring Busch and giving the Cubs a 4-3 lead and the Cards defense was just beginning to defeat itself. The next batter Ramirez lifted a sacrifice fly to Jordan Walker in right who tried (key word) to throw out Dansby Swanson at third, but instead threw wildly which allowed both runners to score giving the Cubs a stupid 6-3 lead.
The Cardinals would scratch and claw to get one run back in the top of the 8th inning when JJ Wetherholt led off with his second hit of the game. Iván Herrera grounded out to second which moved JJ up a base. Alec Burleson then singled to right as Wetherholt advanced to third. That brought up Jordan Walker who unfortunately did not provide an encore 3-run homer to tie the game, but did hit a sacrifice fly to center just deep enough for JJ to score from third making it 6-4 Cubs going into the bottom of the 8th inning.
Ryan Fernandez deserves credit for keeping the Cubs from adding to their lead anymore than they already had by getting the Cardinals into the top of the 9th inning with at least a chance. Would the Cardinals stage a never say die comeback win in the 9th? Well, Masyn Winn drew a walk to lead off the inning, but then Nathan Church popped out to the catcher for the first out. José Fermín then struck out for the second out. That left former Cub Nelson Velázquez as the Cardinals last hope. He unfortunately lined out to Dansby Swanson for the final out. Bummer.
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a brutal 5-game series over just 4 days against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will give the ball to Dustin May while the Brewers will assign Shane Drohan the starting duties. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time and the game TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
WASHINGTON — Konnor Griffin had a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday in a game in which he was also spectacular in the field.
Brandon Lowe followed Griffin’s key hit with a three-run homer off Brad Lord (5-2) to extend the lead.
Griffin, the 20-year-old who received a nine-year, $140 million contract in April, showed why the Pirates view him as such an important part of their future. He made a diving stop in the third on Curtis Mead’s grounder, but Mead beat the throw for an in-field single.
In the fourth, Griffin had to fight the sun on Keibert Ruiz’s popup to shallow left field, making a diving, backhanded grab. The following inning, he made another backhanded, sliding catch in the outfield, although James Wood was able to tag up and beat the throw home, resulting in a rare sacrifice fly to the shortstop.
Gregory Soto (5-2) got the win in relief. The Pirates blew a 4-0 lead before going ahead for good with their five-run eighth. Bryan Reynolds also homered for Pittsburgh, and Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews went deep for Washington.
Jul 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds (10) celebrates with right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
This week’s Pittsburgh Pirates question asked you if thought the Buccos would make it as a Wild Card this season. When the survery was posted, the Bucs were 43-43 and three games out of a Wild Card spot. Today they are 46-45, but are now 3.5 games out. Here’s what you said about their chances.
The vast majority of you think the Bucs are going to miss the postseason. Who knew that the offense wouldn’t be the problem this year and it was actually the pitching staff that would be issue? But if Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller don’t find some consistency soon, I most definitely agree with you.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 03: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees connects on his first inning home run against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on July 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Absolutely ineffective on the mound, defensively, and offensively, the Yankees lost 6-1 to the Twins, their ninth loss in ten games. They have an awful 3-12 record since peaking at 46-28 on June 19th. The team they’ve dominated for the better part of this century also won its first series at Yankee Stadium since 2014, when the Yankees’ lineup featured the likes of Yangervis Solarte, Kelly Johnson, and Zoilo Almonte. It’s bad.
Addressing how this result came to pass, there is more to speed as a threat than the number of bases a team steals, and the Twins showcased that in how they approached this matchup against Ryan Weathers. Whether their consistent willingness to try to take an extra bag rattled Weathers in any way or not, it was involved in the two times Minnesota scored a run off the Yankee starter.
The first two hitters of the game reached safely on a double and an infield single, as Weathers couldn’t cleanly field a squibbler from Byron Buxton, who was eventually thrown out at second trying to secure an early steal. Last night’s star, Josh Bell, made sure the Twins got something out of that inning, getting on the board early by knocking an RBI single into right field.
Specifically on Buxton’s stolen base attempt, Austin Wells catching him red-handed was significant given he hadn’t been caught stealing since 2024, 31-for-31 in stolen base attempts since the start of last season. Unfortunately for the Twins, Buxton felt something relating to a previous hip injury and had to leave the game early, replaced by Kyler Fedko.
A few innings later, Royce Lewis opened the fourth with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and looked intent on stealing third to set up a sacrifice fly, enough so that he generated two early pickoff throws from Weathers at second. Perhaps too much attention to the basepaths led Weathers to not elevate a fastball enough and see Brooks Lee dump it into left for an RBI single, doubling the Twins’ lead.
Even though the signs were there on a cloudy “Weathers” forecast, the Yankees tried to extend him one more inning in the fifth, a decision they’d later regret. Opening the frame with a hit-by-pitch and walk, Weathers was removed in favor of Paul Blackburn, who very nearly got out of this mess but became yet another victim of Royce Lewis, who hit a two-run bases-loaded single to make it 4-0 Twins. Responsible for scoring or driving in three of the Twins’ first four runs, Lewis is in the middle of his best run of form this season, having reached safely in 15 out of his last 16 games.
While Blackburn was adequate in a tough situation, the Yankees bullpen didn’t provide much of a boost after a poor Weathers performance, justifying why the Yankees pushed their starter by allowing the Twins to further increase their lead. Camilo Doval opened the sixth, running into all sorts of trouble through his fault and also the defense’s, not to mention bad luck. A Volpe error and a lucky pop-up bunt hit that fell in no man’s land loaded the bases, allowing Minnesota to put two more across, scoring half a dozen. The story is just more of the same with Doval, who even with the miscues behind him has just been dreadful over and over again.
As if there weren’t enough disappointments in this loss, the Yankees, much like the Twins, also saw an important player leave the game early. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was replaced in the middle innings by Amed Rosario.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. left today’s game with right big toe discomfort. He was examined by Dr. Christopher Ahmad at Yankee Stadium. X-rays taken were negative. He will be reassessed tomorrow.
Chisholm was the protagonist of the most frustrating moment of this Yankees loss when, after winning a long battle against the dominant Ryan with a single in the second, he was picked off at first immediately after. That Jazz single was one of only three hits the Yankees secured against Ryan, who held them to seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. The Yankees wouldn’t get an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the seventh inning when Ryan stranded a couple of runners to complete his standout performance.
Even the sole run the Yankees scored came in deflating fashion with Jasson Domínguez grounding into a double play in the ninth when they threatened a rally after the first two hitters of the inning reached safely against Yoendrys Gómez.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Yankees, traveling down to Florida to start a four-game set against the AL East-leading Rays on Monday. The first of those games will be with AL Cy Young-hopeful Cam Schlittler against righty Griffin Jax as the opener, with the first pitch at 6:40pm ET.
The Yankees fell to the Twins on Sunday, 6-1, dropping their first series at home to Minnesota since 2014.
Here are the takeaways…
-- New York's bats had nothing going for them against Twins starter Joe Ryan, recording just three hits against the right-hander over 7.0 innings.
-- Ryan Weathers struggled on Sunday afternoon across four-plus innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks over 88 pitches.
He let up a leadoff double in the first inning, but got some help from his defense as Austin Wells threw out Byron Buxton at second for strikeout double play. Although, the left-hander couldn't escape cleanly, giving up an RBI single to Josh Bell (that was somehow kept in the park by RF Max Schuemann) as Minnesota took a 1-0 lead.
Weathers got through the next two frames, including a 1-2-3 third inning, before letting up another run in the fourth inning. He walked Royce Lewis and then threw a wild pitch, allowing him to advance to second and score easily on Brooks Lee's single that made it a 2-0 game. The lefty's day came to an end in the fifth inning with no outs after he hit Luke Keaschall and walked Austin Martin.
-- Buxton left the game with a hip injury after his slide in top of the first inning and was replaced in center field by Kyler Fedko. It was the first time he was caught stealing since May 1, 2024.
On the Yankees side, Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game after the bottom of the fifth inning with right big toe discomfort. Amed Rosario came in for him, playing thrid base, with Jose Caballero moving to second base.
-- Paul Blackburn came in for relief in the top of the fifth with two runners on base and one out. The righty nearly escaped after getting a flyout and strikeout, but allowed a two-run single up the middle to Lewis as the Twins took a 4-0 lead.
-- The Twins loaded the bases in the sixth as Camilo Doval let up a leadoff double, Anthony Volpe misplayed a ground ball, and Keaschall bunted it to empty space in the infield. Doval walked in a run and let up another on a sac-fly, giving Minnesota a 6-0 lead.
-- New York added two more hits in the ninth and avoided the shutout as Jasson Dominguez drove in Trent Grisham on a double play grounder.
Game MVP: Joe Ryan
Ryan retired 13 straight Yankees from the third inning through the seventh inning. He struck out nine with one walk over 106 pitches.
Next Up
The Yankees head down to Tampa Bay and begin a three-game series against the Rays on Monday. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m.
Cam Schlittler (8-5, 2.08 ERA) gets the start against Griffin Jax (4-5, 3.45 ERA).
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 05: Joe Ryan #41 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 05, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, Americans attended barbecues, tore around on jet skis, and partied under fireworks for the country’s 250th birthday. Or, they took their sister’s Goldendoodle on 12 miles worth of walks, then got takeout supper and continued a Star Trek: The Original Series re-watch (& checked in on the Rocky & Twilight Zone marathons). Freedom, and all that.
But as was once said about President Ronald Reagan, it’s a new morning in America. What would the sunrise bring for MN? Well, how about 250 years of Minnesota Twins dominance over the New York Yankees!
After boat-racing the Yanks yesterday, the Twins got off to a fast start in this contest too when New York SP Ryan Weathers’ first offering was slapped into RF by Austin Martin for a double. This was quickly followed by a newly-minted-All-Star Byron Buxton single and it looked like MN would never make an out against NYY again—until Kody Clemens K’d and Buck was caught stealing for the first time since 5/1/24. Ugh. You also won’t hear Buxton’s name again in this recap until the Duds (double ugh).
Fortunately, Josh “Liberty” Bell saved the rally with a ringing (heh, heh) single that NY RF Max Schuemann couldn’t quite reel in. 1-0 MN.
As also-newly-minted-All-Star SP Joe Ryan looked sharp foiling Yankee bats in the early goings, the Twins went back on the attack in T4: a Royce Lewis walk led to his advance to 2B on a wild pitch which led to his coming around to score on a Brooks Lee base knock. 2-0 MN.
Right back on the attack in T5: the Twins loaded the bases with two outs and Lewis didn’t fall into the trap—instead knocking a solid single up the middle to drive two visitors across home plate! 4-0 MN.
Then, some circus baseball in T6: an Anthony Volpe error at shortstop…a horrible Luke Keaschall bunt that someone resulted in a hit…a bases-loaded walk to Martin…a well-struck Clemens sac fly. Boo birds were echoing through Yankee Stadium 3.0. 6-0 MN.
Meanwhile, the reason no Yankee offense has been discussed heretofore is because Ryan continued his Bronx brilliance. New York put a couple runners on base with two outs in B7, but our oh-so-much-more-than-average Joe made Amed Rosario look foolish on a filthy slider for this final line: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.
Andrew Morris hurled a crisp, clean 8th inning, followed by Yoendrys Gomez losing the battle (shutout effort) but winning the war (ballgame) in the 9th.
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 6, New York Yankees 1
The Twins exorcised some demons by winning road series against the Astros & Yankees (the latter of those the first time since 2014). A new morning, indeed! Time for Goldendoodle walk number two on the day—with a smile on my face all the way.
Zach’s Zealot
The United States of America: Our grand Democratic Republic experiment somehow made it through 250 years! I always wonder what the Founding Fathers would think—good or bad—about the nation they got off the ground. Perhaps when I reboot Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone that can be my first episode.
Zach’s Zombie
Byron Buxton’s removal from this contest: After hitting the ground hard in T1 on a caught-stealing attempt, Buck left this contest with a re-aggravation of his troublesome hip. Tomorrow’s off day will presumably provide further evaluation and decisions on a potential IL stint.
CINCINNATI — Spencer Steer broke up a scoreless game with his 14th home run this season, Nick Lodolo pitched six scoreless innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday.
The win avoided a sweep and stopped the Reds’ six game losing streak at home.
Kyle Bradish retired the first 12 Reds of the game but walked Eugenio Suarez to start the fifth before Steer’s homer made it 2-0.
Bradish (5-9) pitched 7 ⅔ innings and allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts.
Rookie All-Star Sal Stewart doubled home Edwin Arroyo to knock Bradish out of the game. Stewart has 61 RBI, tied for seventh in MLB and the most by a rookie this season. He is tied for 10th in baseball with 21 doubles, also the most by a rookie.
Lodolo’s string of 14 scoreless innings ended in the sixth inning. Taylor Ward doubled and scored on a single by Coby Mayo with two outs.
Brock Burke made his 44th appearance this season, tied for second most in baseball, when he relieved Lodolo and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
Lodolo (3-2) pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. left Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins early due to left big toe discomfort, the team announced.
Chisholm flied out in the bottom of the fifth inning and did not return to the field on defense in the sixth inning, getting replaced by Amed Rosario. Jose Caballero slid over to second base while Rosario took over third base.
New York said Chisholm was examined by Dr. Christopher Ahmad at Yankee Stadium and X-rays were negative. He will be reassessed on Monday to determine the next steps.
Chisholm had gone 1-for-2 on Sunday, recording one of the team's few hits against Twins starter Joe Ryan. Through 85 games this season, he's hitting .225 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI.
Manager Aaron Boone said after the game that the injury occurred while Chisholm stumbled on a caught stealing in the bottom of the second inning. Boone added it's not looking like an IL stint for Chisholm, but it's a "nagging thing" with his toe since having surgery on it in 2023.
"Sometimes it comes back, a little bit of throbbing and stuff in there," Chisholm said. "When you kind of aggravate it, it kind of hurts. You don't move the same a little bit sometimes."
He added: "I was in a lot of pain, but I kind of figured that it wouldn't be that bad because it wasn't as bas as when I injured it the first time. But other than that, huge relief, thinking I'm good. Did a couple stuff in rehab when I came out, starting to feel better."
The infielder noted he doesn't expect to miss any time with the lingering injury.
Jul 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill watches as a fan attempts to catch the two-run home run by Cincinnati Reds first baseman Spencer Steer in the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
The Baltimore bats couldn’t deliver in the clutch, and a strong Kyle Bradish start went to waste, as the O’s dropped their series finale in Cincinnati 3-2.
The O’s came into the bottom of the 9th trailing 3-1 after struggling to get their bats going all afternoon. The pinch-hitting Dylan Beavers worked a leadoff walk to put the winning run on base. Jackson Holliday then entered for Jeremiah Jackson, with the former No.1 overall pick correctly challenging a 3-1 pitch to also reach via walk. The red-hot Blaze Alexander then battled Reds closer Emilio Pagán, finally getting ahold of a 2-2 cutter and sending a single into left to load the bases.
With the bases loaded and one out, former All-Star Gunnar Henderson stepped to the plate. After falling behind 1-2, Gunnar just missed a fastball up and away, sending a fly out to deep left field. The sac fly allowed Beavers to score and cut the deficit to one.
That put the weight of the Orioles’ chances on the newly named All-Star Adley Rutschman. The Orioles’ catcher fell behind like Henderson and could only send a fly ball to center, ending the game with the tying run on second base.
The rally in the 9th was the Orioles’ first good scoring opportunity since the 6th inning. With the O’s trailing 2-0. After Adley Rutschman started off the frame with a fly out, Taylor Ward got the rally going with a double to the left field gap. Pete Alonso then sent a rocket of a ground ball to short, where a bobble by Elly De La Cruz allowed Ward to advance on a 6-3 groundout. That brought up Coby Mayo, the lefty masher, against Reds’ left-handed starter Nick Lodolo. The southpaw left a 1-1 changeup over the plate and Mayo smashed it into left field to bring home Ward.
Outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras then worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Jeremiah Jackson. The infielder couldn’t come through, striking out to end the threat.
The lack of clutch hitting doomed starter Bradish to his second straight loss. The Orioles’ right-hander was as dominant as they come through the first four innings of the game, but saw his outing unravel a little in the 5th inning.
The Orioles’ right-hander started the game by setting down the first 12 Reds batters he faced. Bradish got an assist from Adley Rutschman in his first AB against De La Cruz, with the starter picking up a strikeout of the All-Star SS after a successful strike three challenge by Rutschman. He then got back-to-back groundouts from Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday to complete the 1st inning on just six pitches.
He’d repeat that same pattern in the 2nd, punching out Eugenio Suárez on a slider in the dirt before groundouts from Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson ended another 1-2-3 frame on only 11 pitches. Like your favorite song playing on repeat, Bradish would again cruise through the 3rd by starting with a strikeout before rolling back-to-back groundouts. He started the frame by getting Noelvi Marte to swing over a dive-bomb curveball, before TJ Friedl and Edwin Arroyo each grounded out to the right side to complete Bradish’s perfect first time through the order.
The ground ball remained Bradish’s best friend through the 4th inning, getting De La Cruz and Stewart to ground out up the middle to begin his second time through the lineup. Bleday then hit the Reds’ first ball out of the infield, lining out Leody Taveras in center to complete another perfect frame by the Orioles’ former ace. Bradish came into Sunday with a season of high of 10 groundball outs, and already had eight at the end of four frames.
That perfect start quickly turned into a Reds advantage thanks to a walk and a blast in the 5th. Bradish fell behind Suárez 3-0 and ultimately allowed his first base runner on a five-pitch walk. The Orioles’ right-hander then got ahead of Steer 0-2, but couldn’t find his out pitch. After failing to get Steer to chase a couple of breaking balls out of the zone, a 3-2 slider caught too much of the plate, and the Reds’ 1B sent an opposite-field two-run homer into the right-field bleachers.
After seeing his perfect game, no-hitter and shutout disappear in a matter of two batters, Bradish locked back in. He worked around a single from Tyler Stephenson to limit the Reds from doing any more damage. He then came back in the 6th and started the frame with another punch out of De La Cruz. After Sal Stewart gave the 29-year-old his 10th ground ball out of the afternoon, he won an eight-pitch battle with Bleday to complete another scoreless inning.
Thanks to only needing 77 pitches to get through the first six innings, Bradish came out for the 7th looking to keep the deficit manageable. He got fly-outs from Suárez and Steer before Stephenson picked up his second single of the afternoon (the Reds’ third hit). Bradish didn’t let the base runner faze him, however, getting Marte to bounce out for his 11th ground ball—a new season high.
Despite sitting at 89 pitches, manager Craig Albernaz sent his starter back out for the 8th inning. He started the 8th with a two-pitch flyout against Friedl, before giving up a soft single up the middle to Arroyo. The Orioles’ righty would win an eight-pitch battle against De La Cruz to strike out the SS for the fourth time.
Albernaz then came to the mound, looking like he was going to take Bradish out at 102 pitches. Instead, the starter convinced his manager to leave him in, and the Reds made the Orioles pay for that decision. With Stephenson on second after a wild pitch, Bradish tried to sneak a curveball inside to Stewart, but the Cincinnati 3B rocketed it down the third-base line to give the Reds a 3-1 lead.
That’d be Bradish’s last batter, finishing his afternoon with a line of 7.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB and 5 Ks. It was the third time in his last four starts that Bradish pitched into the 8th inning, and his eighth quality start of the season.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 05: Pitcher Nick Lodolo #40 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch during the fourth inning of the baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Great American Ball Park on July 05, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds got a brilliant start from lefty Nick Lodolo, a Spencer Steer homer, and a timely insurance run courtesy of noted RBI-guy (and All Star) Sal Stewart and held on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in Great American Ball Park.
The victory made sure the Reds were not once again swept on their own home turf seeing as they’d dropped each of the first two games of the weekend series by three runs each.
Lodolo kept the ball in the yard and mostly over the plate through 6.0 IP of 6 H, ER ball, striking out only 4 but limiting the Orioles to just 2 walks in his time on the bump. Brock Burke and Tejay Anton each fired clean innings to back him up, though closer Emilio Pagan walked a pair, allowed a hit and a sac-fly run to score, and barely escaped with the save to hammer out the 3-2 win.
Steer’s homer, his 14th of the year, came in the 5th inning off Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish and marked the first runs scored of the game. Lodolo yielded a run in the subsequent half-inning, but an Edwin Arroyo single off Bradish in the Bottom of the 8th put a runner on for Stewart, who doubled them in for his 61st ribbie of the season. That proved vital given Pagan’s inevitable struggles to close things out, and the Reds escaped with a win that brought them to 41-48 on the year.
The Reds get Monday off before welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies to town on Tuesday for a three-game midweek series, one that will be backed up by a home series against the Chicago Cubs to close out the season’s first half before the All Star break. Andrew Abbott will toe the rubber on Tuesday for the series opener against the Phils opposite Zack Wheeler, with first pitch in that one slated for 7:10 PM ET.
Mar 17, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Pike Place Market will be closed starting tomorrow for all non-essential goods vendors because of COVID-19. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY NETWORK
Game #90.
It really can’t be as bad as yesterday’s game, right?
