Controversial umpire CB Bucknor will be retiring after the 2026 season.
Veteran Major League Baseball umpire C.B. Bucknor will retire at the end of the 2026 season, bringing to a close a three-decade career that was as controversial as it was lengthy.
Bucknor is one of seven umpires who accepted Major League Baseball’s voluntary buyout offer as he chooses to step away before the league’s full implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today,
The other umpires taking the buyout include Laz Diaz, Brian O’Nora, Lance Barksdale, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo and Andy Fletcher.
Nightengale notes that the retirements could make way for Jen Pawol to become the first woman to be a full-time umpire in MLB during the 2027 season.
Controversial umpire CB Bucknor will be retiring after the 2026 season. Getty Images
Bucknor, 63, debuted as a National League umpire in 1996 before joining the full MLB staff in 2000.
Over the course of his career, he worked more than 4,000 regular-season games, earned assignments to the 2005 and 2021 All-Star Games and officiated multiple division series.
Despite those accomplishments, he became one of baseball’s most polarizing umpires because of his strike zone and several highly publicized missed calls, which have become more notable in recent years.
During Opening Week, Bucknor had six ball-strike calls overturned through the ABS challenge system while working behind the plate during a game between the Reds and Red Sox.
CB Bucknor rung up Eugenio Suarez twice and was wrong on back to back pitches. He's been horrendous all day.
Umpire scorecards later credited him with missing 26 ball-strike calls in that contest, one of the highest totals recorded during the season’s opening week.
Only days later, he missed an obvious call at first base during a game between the Brewers and Rays, a decision that was quickly overturned on replay and drew laughter from both dugouts.
Yankee manager Joe Torre talks to umpire C.B. Bucknor to protest a play in the eighth inning of Yankees’ 6-5 loss at Shea Stadium, July 4, 2004. The Yankees played the game under protest. JEFF ZELEVANSKY
Bucknor often found himself at the center of criticism over his work behind the plate. Many routinely questioned his consistency, and for good reason. His accuracy behind the plate is said to be 92 percent, well below the MLB average, according to UmpScorecards.com.
In player surveys conducted by Sports Illustrated in 2003 and 2006, he was voted the worst umpire in MLB.
With ABS expected to play a larger role in future seasons, the veteran umpire elected to walk away on his own terms, which may be a sigh of relief for baseball players, fans and others moving forward.
Speaking to the media before the Red Sox’s 8-1 win over the Angels on Saturday, Contreras said he felt it was important to take responsibility for his actions, even though his suspension was still under appeal.
“One thing I want to add, on the record, is an apology for all of the events from last week,” Contreras said through an interpreter. “All of the things that occurred with the Nationals and Yankees are very hard. It was a very emotional time for me.”
The veteran first baseman added, “People won’t understand why I’m apologizing now, but I think it’s something that’s important for me to do because I feel that it was an emotional time and those situations could have been avoided and controlled and handled better.”
Willson Contreras hits a three-run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels on July 4, 2026, in Anaheim, California. Getty Images
Contreras’ statement came after a week in which he repeatedly found himself involved in the middle of on-field confrontations.
The first incident occurred during Boston’s weekend series against the Yankees.
Two days later, we had another incident involving the Nationals, when right-hander Cade Cavalli struck him out looking in the fourth inning, and television cameras captured Cavalli yelling, “Sit down, boy.”
Contreras immediately turned back toward the mound after hearing the racially charged insult, and the confrontation quickly escalated into another benches-clearing incident.
Willson Contreras threw his helmet at someone after Cade Cavalli told him to "sit down boy" pic.twitter.com/Yr6G8sdSEW
Contreras threw his helmet in Cavalli’s direction before he was ultimately restrained.
For his troubles, he was ejected from the game, as well as Cavalli, who also received a seven-game suspension.
Cavalli apologized the following day, saying he never intended his words to carry racial meaning and acknowledging the historical significance of the phrase.
“I’m extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived,” he said. “Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that.
“My teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me. I couldn’t sleep because of it. It hurt my heart, knowing that if there’s a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that — that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn’t intended the way that it came out, and then he’s not looking up to me anymore — that hurts my heart.”
Contreras acknowledged how difficult the past several days had been.
“It’s been a really tough week, an emotional week for me,” he said. “I hope that people understand how emotional it’s been. I’ll prove myself with my actions on the field moving forward and show them the kind of person that I truly am.”
Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox is held back after an altercation against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on June 30, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. Getty Images
Some things are bigger than baseball. When Willson Contreras hit this home run, he did it for himself, his family, and for the people of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/0XoCwrsu2G
The Venezuelan slugger has previously spoken about the emotional toll of devastating earthquakes in his home country, suggesting the tragedy had weighed heavily on him while he continued to play.
Contreras homered in the Red Sox’s Fourth of July victory. Despite the distractions, he has been one of Boston’s most productive hitters this season.
He entered Sunday batting .285 with 19 home runs and 56 RBIs with a .914 OPS.
The three-time All-Star most notably starred on the Cubs from 2016-2022 and started at catcher during the team’s curse-breaking 2016 World Series title.
CHICAGO — Nico Hoerner drove in two runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong had two hits, and the Chicago Cubs rallied for four runs in the sixth inning against a sloppy St. Louis defense to top the Cardinals 6-4 on Sunday and avoid a series sweep.
Alex Bregman doubled in a run, pinch-hitter Pedro Ramirez had an RBI and the Cubs posted two unearned runs to win for the 10th time in their last 13 games.
St. Louis’ Jordan Walker hit his 20th homer, a three-run shot in the sixth, then drove in a fourth run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth, to boost his RBI total to 67. Rookie JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson each had two hits.
After Walker’s drive to deep left put St. Louis ahead 3-2, Chicago took advantage of two Cardinals errors in the bottom of the sixth.
Hoerner tied it 3-all with an RBI single off Matthew Liberatore (4-6). Michael Busch scored to make it 4-3 when third baseman José Fermin threw Dansby Swanson’s double-play grounder wide of second and into right field.
Hoerner scored from third on Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to Walker in right. Swanson came home from second to make it 6-3 when Walker’s throw to third skipped wide of the bag.
Drew Pomeranz (1-3) pitched an inning of relief for his first win with the Cubs since rejoining them Friday. Jacob Webb tossed the final two innings for his third save.
Cubs started Javier Assad allowed no runs in 4 2/3 innings, yielding two singles while walking two and striking out two.
Liberatore allowed four earned runs on four hits in five-plus innings, and was nursing a 2-0 lead entering the sixth when Matt Svanson relieved. Liberatore walked two, hit three batters and struck out two.
The Cubs jumped ahead 2-0 in the first, scoring on Bregman’s double and Hoerner’s sacrifice fly.
Eliezer Alfonzo will make his major league debut Sunday, July 5, catching and batting ninth for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres, the culmination of a lifelong dream for the 26-year-old.
That moment, though, will come with an unspeakable burden as his sister and stepmother remain missing amid earthquake rubble in Venezuela.
Alfonzo's family members had been missing since a pair of earthquakes – magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 – rocked an area of northern Venezuela, west of Caracas, on June 24. Alfonzo's father of the same name, a former major league catcher, spent that time attempting to locate his wife, Patricia and daughter Eliana.
Alfonzo is still in the lineup for Sunday night's game.
"I don't really know what to say about it, outside of my heart goes out to him and his family," Roberts told reporters in his pregame briefing, per the California Post. "I don’t really want to go too far (into it), because I’ll get emotional. I know it’s tough. Very tough."
Alfonzo, signed by the Detroit Tigers out of Venezuela in 2017, joined the Dodgers organization this year as a minor league free agent. He batted .319 with an .813 OPS in 49 games at Class AAA Oklahoma City and joined the major league club as incumbent Will Smith will remain on the injured list with a neck injury through at least the All-Star break.
The elder Eliezer Alfonzo played parts of six seasons with the Giants, Padres, Mariners and Rockies.
ATLANTA — After getting bludgeoned the previous night, the Mets were off to a rough start Sunday, with their best starting pitcher unsteady.
But the long afternoon that appeared to await Nolan McLean and the Mets never materialized, as the rookie right-hander recovered to help lead a 10-9 victory over the Braves.
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This one got dicey late as Huascar Brazobán and Devin Williams combined to surrender six runs in the ninth. But Williams struck out Dominic Smith with runners on second and third base to end it.
Both Mets wins on this road trip have been in games started by McLean, a bright spot in a rotation that has been besieged by underperformance and injury.
McLean allowed three runs (one unearned) in the first inning and then nothing over the next five. Overall, he surrendered five hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
“I’m satisfied with it,” McLean said. “We’ll take the wins any time we can get them. You want to shut guys out every time you go out there, but we’ll definitely take the win.”
Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The adjustments for McLean after scuffling through the first inning were minor. He cited discovering his changeup later in the game as providing a boost.
“He’s a competitor,” interim manager Andy Green said. “Falling behind in the first, he didn’t really have the feel for the zone like he did for the rest of the game. He settled in incredibly well. It was just really a control game, where he was moving through the lineup for most of the day.”
The Mets, who won for only the third time in 15 games, will try to escape with a series split Monday before beginning a homestand that will take them to the All-Star break.
As badly as the Mets (37-53) have played against most opponents, they are 3-3 against the Braves, leaders of the National League East.
Mets third baseman Bo Bichette (19) follows through after hitting a single to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the first got the Mets started after Francisco Lindor reached on Austin Riley’s error and Juan Soto singled — and subsequently was thrown out attempting to stretch the hit into a double.
McLean’s rough first inning included four hits allowed, and he didn’t help himself with an errant pickoff throw that led to an unearned run. Michael Harris II continued his big series with a two-run single and reached third when McLean’s pickoff attempt sailed past Mark Vientos. Mauricio Dubón’s RBI single extended the Braves lead to 3-1. Drake Baldwin was hit by a pitch leading off, and Ozzie Albies doubled him to third. Both run-scoring hits were grounders.
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“I feel like I had some pretty good stuff in the first; just some unfortunate things happening,” McLean said. “The ground ball base hits are never fun, when I am a ground ball pitcher usually. It’s always good when those can find gloves.”
A.J. Ewing homered leading off the second against lefty Martín Pérez, but the Mets were just getting started. Luis Torrens walked and Brett Baty doubled before Lindor’s RBI single tied it 3-3. Soto followed with a two-run single, giving him 43 RBIs this season.
A.J. Ewing, right, celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 5, 2026. AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser
Vientos’ fielding error on Jim Jarvis’ grounder gave the Braves a leadoff baserunner in the fifth, but McLean overcame the miscue by recording three straight outs.
Tyrone Taylor homered in the ninth — his second straight game with a blast — to give the Mets a 6-3 cushion. Taylor went deep against former Met Carlos Carrasco. Before the inning was complete, Bichette and Jared Young each delivered a two-run double, extending the lead to 10-3.
Brazobán got only one out in the ninth before he was removed. The Braves scored five runs against the right-hander, highlighted by Baldwin’s grand slam. Williams allowed another run before the Braves got runners to second and third. Williams’ strikeout of Smith ended the drama.
It was a sloppy victory for the Mets, who committed three errors: Brazobán had one, in addition to McLean and Vientos.
“It’s talented individuals on the baseball field; we can play cleaner baseball,” Green said. “We should hold ourselves responsible to that and that’s to each individual man and to us collectively.”
ATLANTA — Juan Soto’s two-run single in the second inning gave New York the lead, Nolan McLean regrouped after a rough start and the Mets held off Atlanta’s ninth-inning comeback attempt to beat the Braves 10-9 in a rain-delayed game on Sunday.
A.J. Ewing hit his fifth homer and Francisco Lindor added a run-scoring single in the Mets’ four-run second for a 5-3 lead. Tyrone Taylor homered and Bo Bichette drove in two with a bases-loaded double in the ninth. Bichette had three hits and three RBIs.
The Mets led 10-3 after their five-run ninth but still had to withstand a major scare. Huascar Brazobán gave up five runs, including Drake Baldwin’s grand slam, in the bottom of the ninth. New York closer Devin Williams gave up another run before striking out Dominic Smith with runners on second and third for his 13th save.
The Mets had lost 12 of 14 games, including the first two in this four-game series against the Braves.
McLean (6-5) gave up five hits and three runs, two earned, in six-plus innings.
After allowing four runs in the second, Braves left-hander Martín Pérez (6-6) was hit on his left forearm by Soto’s liner to open the fifth. Pérez recovered to throw out Soto at first base before leaving the game. The Braves did not provide an immediate update on Pérez’s status.
Jul 5, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The hot weather in Kansas City appeared to agree with Aaron Nola. The Phillies’ starter pitched his best start of the season, going seven innings while giving up three runs. Unfortunately, it was wasted because the Phillies’ offense and bullpen came up small in a 5-2 loss.
In the first inning, it didn’t look like it was going to be a good day for Nola. With one man on and two outs, Nola gave up a double to Lane Thomas and a single to Michael Massey to put the Phillies in a 0-2 hole.
Things improved in the second. With two men on and two outs, Nola got Bobby Witt, Jr. out to end the threat. That seemed to settle Nola down, and he pitched clean innings in the third and fourth.
The Phillies’ offense was racking up zero run innings of their own against an unspectacular array of pitchers. Starter Luinder Avila came in with a 5.40 ERA, but he limited the Phillies to one run in five innings. The only damage they did against him was in the fifth when they cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth on a Bryson Stott triple and a Gabriel Rincones sacrifice fly.
The Royals got that run right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to two hits and a sacrifice fly of their own.
The Royals handed the Phillies a run in the seventh by botching two potential double plays. Stott led off with a single, and after Rincones flied out, Justin Crawford hit a ball to third base that looked like it might end the inning. Instead, Josh Rojas threw the ball into right field giving the Phillies runners at the corners.
Garrett Stubbs then hit a comebacker to the mound, but pitcher John Schreiber double clutched on his throw to second. The delay let Stubbs beat the relay throw to first, allowing Stott to score a run.
That was it for the Phillies’ offense. The Royals bullpen isn’t well thought of, but they didn’t give up any earned runs in four innings and retired the final seven batters in order. The top five batters in the Phillies’ lineup went a combined 1-18, and Bryce Harper had a particularly rough game. He struck out three times and had two decisive ABS challenges go against him.
Nola’s day was over after seven, and if nothing else, he kept the game close. Once he left the game, the Phillies’ bullpen made it not so close. Seth Johnson walked two batters, and Kyle Backhus gave up a double to Perez that scored them, essentially sealing the game for the Royals.
The Phillies might have played as if it was a getaway game, but the series will continue tomorrow afternoon when Cristopher Sanchez takes the mound looking to secure a series victory. Hopefully, Sanchez will pitch the way we’re accustomed to, and this time, the rest of the team will follow suit.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 5: A.J. Ewing #9 of the New York Mets celebrates after a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park on July 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets came into the Sunday game against the Braves mired in a serious funk. They had lost three straight games and twelve of the last fourteen games. They needed to turn it around, and given the state of their rotation, they had their best chance with Nolan McLean on the mound. They were facing Martín Pérez, who was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, with a 3.27 ERA going into the game. But rain in the area pushed the game off its 12:30 PM start time, threatening to complicate the game further for a Mets team in desperate need of an easy afternoon.
After a lengthy rain delay of nearly two hours, the game was finally underway at Truist Park, with Francisco Lindor leading off. He hit a groundball right to Austin Riley, but Riley bobbled the ball which allowed Lindor to reach first safely. Juan Soto hit a single and was thrown out attempting to stretch it into a double, but Lindor was able to reach third. Bo Bichette then hit a soft single to left, driving in Lindor as the game’s first run. Pérez was able to get out of the sticky situation (after making it even stickier with a walk of Mark Vientos to put two runners on) but the Mets ended the top of the first with the lead.
In the bottom of the inning, the Mets predictably immediately blew their lead. McLean hit Drake Baldwin with a pitch then gave up a double to Ozzie Albies to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Tyrone Taylor made a great sliding catch to record the first out of the inning while saving a run from coming in to score. But a Michael Harris II single drove both runners in to give the Braves the lead. Nolan McLean then tried to throw over to first to try and pick off Harris, but he threw it at Harris, which then bounced away from Vientos and allowed Harris to advance to third. Mauricio Dubón then hit a single to drive in Harris as the Braves’ third run of the inning. A Dominic Smith double play got the Mets out of the inning but it took just three outs to take the Mets from winning to losing by multiple runs.
The Mets did something no one expected in the top of the second: they bounced back. A.J. Ewing led off with a solo home run to center field, putting the Mets back by just one run. A Luis Torrens walk and a Brett Baty double mirrored the Braves start to the last half inning, then a Lindor single tied the game up at three runs apiece. Soto hit a single to right, driving in both baserunners and putting the Mets back ahead. The Mets big inning ended there, but a four run inning put them back ahead and was the first show of resilience they had had in a while.
The game was quiet after that point, with McLean going six innings and allowing just the three runs (only two of them earned), with five strikeouts and just one walk. The next two Mets relievers who came in after him, Brooks Raley and Luke Raley delivered two scoreless innings to keep the Mets ahead by two runs. The Mets exploded in the ninth, beginning with a solo home run from Tyrone Taylor to add on a run to their lead. After two consecutive outs, the Mets offense exploded, with a Baty single and consecutive walks by Lindor and Soto loading the bases. A Bichette double drove in two runs, and a Jared Young (brought in a few innings earlier to pinch hit for Vientos) single drove in two more to put the Mets ahead by seven runs.
But it is the Mets of course, and nothing ever comes easy, even with a seven run lead. Huascar Brazoban came in, with a sparkling 1.94 ERA on the season and a nice cushy lead. He gave up two consecutive singles and then committed a throwing error to allow a run to score. No big deal, they still had a six run lead. A single and a walk then loaded the bases, and after a strikeout, Drake Baldwin hit a grand slam. A grand slam. Four runs. A seven run lead dwindled back down to two runs. Devin Williams was brought in to put Brazoban out of his misery, and at first looked like an improvement, getting the second out by striking out Albies. But then he gave up a double to Olson, who advanced to third on a wild pitch. Then Harris hit a single driving in Olson and putting the Braves within one run. Two outs earlier then had a seven run lead. A Mauricio Dubón single put two runners on, but Dominic Smith struck out and the Mets clung to their lead for the win.
A win is a win, but this was one of the ugliest wins of the season for the Mets, one that essentially felt like a loss by the end. They have one more game against the Braves tomorrow, with a chance to head home with a series split. They have Freddy Peralta taking the mound, which has been an uphill battle for a win as of late.
Big Mets winner: Brooks Raley, +15% WPA Big Mets loser: Carson Benge, -10% WPA Mets pitchers: +24% WPA Mets hitters: +26% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Devin Williams striking out Dominic Smith in the ninth, +24.4% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Mauricio Dubón’s single in the ninth inning, -14.5% WPA
“I’ve been doing that before because, like the story said, that’s legal in Puerto Rico,” Díaz said.
USA Today published a story in May highlighting social media posts advertising cockfighting tournaments that picture Díaz in his Dodgers uniform. The story also referenced a story in El Nuevo Día, the largest circulating newspaper in Puerto Rico, quoting Díaz.
No one from Major League Baseball has reached out to Díaz about a possible suspension, he said.
“They didn’t reach out to me because I wasn’t doing anything illegal,” Díaz said.
In 2019, a federal law banning cockfighting took effect in Puerto Rico. Before the law, the blood sport had been made illegal in all 50 states, but not U.S. territories. Many Puerto Ricans saw the ban as an attack on their culture and vowed to defy the law.
Puerto Rico responded by passing a law saying that it’s legal to host cockfights as long as people don’t export or import the animals or any goods or services related to cockfighting. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2021 declined to hear a challenge to the federal law brought by a group that argued Congress exceeded its power by applying the ban to Puerto Rico.
Anyone found guilty of taking part in cockfighting faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Spectators could receive a one-year prison sentence.
Still, some Puerto Ricans such as Díaz view the topic as part of the island’s history, initially brought to the Caribbean by 16th-century Spaniards when the island was first colonized.
“It’s a pastime I’ve followed since I was a child,” Díaz told El Nuevo Día in March. “It’s legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”
Diaz is on track to return to the Dodgers after the All-Star break, although his exact return date remains unclear. His fastball felt good, so locating his slider was the next step toward his return.
Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 05: Isaac Collins #1 of the Kansas City Royals scores against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals got 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning, tacked on one in the fifth inning and added two insurance runs in the eighth to take game two of the series 5-2.
Bobby Witt Jr. singled with one out in the bottom of the 1st inning, he was on the move with two outs when Lane Thomas smacked a double into right center field, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead. Michael Massey pulled one over the 2nd baseman’s head to give the boys in blue a 2-0 advantage.
Luinder Avila, who has struggled mightily in his home appearances was really good in his 5 innings of work. The big thing for Avila was his command and efficiency. He only walked one batter, after walking 7 in his last two starts. Over 5 innings of work, Avila gave up 3 hits, 1 run, a walk and struck out 4 batters.
Isaac Collins led off the 5th with a double and went to third on Witt’s single, he scored on Jac Caglianone’s sac fly to center, putting the Royals ahead 3-1.
Matt Strahm gave up a walk and a bloop single in the 6th inning but escaped with no harm allowed.
John Schreiber worked the 7th; he surrendered an unearned run after a Josh Rojas throwing error.
Daniel Lynch IV worked a 1-2-3 8th inning, mowing down the heart of the Phillies order.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Royals got two huge insurance runs from Salvy. Witt led off the inning with a walk, he stole second, his 30th of the season, making it 5 straight seasons with 30 or more stolen bases for Bobby Baseball. Thomas also walked, and they both scored on a 2-run double to the left field wall from Salvy.
Alex Lange got the save in the 9th inning, working a quick 1-2-3 inning. It’s Lange’s 8th save in 8 opportunities this season. The win snaps a 4-game losing streak for the Royals and moves them to 36-54 on the season. Noah Cameron starts in the rubber match tomorrow; first pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. CT tomorrow.
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.
