The Detroit Tigers failed to split their four-game weekend series against the Houston Astros on Sunday, falling 7-5 in 10 innings after taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh. Jack Flaherty gave his team five frames of shutout ball with a whopping nine strikeouts, but the trio of Tyler Holton, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen failed in their tasks out of the bullpen.
With the 10-game homestand now in the books, the Motor City Kitties hit the road for their next six matchups starting in the Bronx against the New York Yankees on Monday. Right-hander Casey Mize, who has struggled in his two games since returning from the injured list, will open things up on the mound.
The 29-year-old has put up a 6.10 ERA and 4.46 FIP over his last two starts, which includes his most recent outing against the Yankees at Comerica Park in which he surrendered four runs on eight hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out six in 5 2/3 frames of work. That stretch saw Mize add two losses to his total and extend the streak to four defeats over his last four decisions.
Up against him is left-hander Ryan Weathers, who has found a groove over his last two starts to the tune of a 1.46 ERA and 2.62 FIP stretching across 12 1/3 innings for a pair of quality starts. That includes the last time he saw the Tigers, in which the 26-year-old allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings for his fifth win of the 2026 campaign.
Here is a look at how the two hurlers match up in the series opener on Monday night.
Detroit Tigers (35-49) vs. New York Yankees (48-35)
Time (ET): 7:05 p.m. Place: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 85: RHP Casey Mize (2-5, 2.95 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95 ERA)
Jun 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA;Chicago Cubs/ designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Brewers 2, Reds 1
Tuesday: Brewers 2, Reds 0
Wednesday: Brewers 6, Reds 5
Friday: Brewers 6, Cubs 2
Saturday: Cubs 8, Brewers 2
Sunday: Cubs 4, Brewers 3
Division Standings
Milwaukee Brewers: 50-31
Chicago Cubs: 46-38 (5.5 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals 43-38 (7.0 GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-42 (9.5 GB)
Cincinnati Reds: 39-43 (11.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 4-2
Cubs: 6-1
Cardinals: 2-4
Pirates: 3-3
Reds: 2-4
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
The Brewers weren’t short on solid pitching performances this week, so we’ll make this a “Brandon” award for Brandon Sproat and Brandon Woodruff. Sproat went six scoreless frames with just one hit and one hit batter while striking out 10 in a strong showing against the Reds, while Woodruff made a pair of scoreless starts, totaling 11 2/3 innings against the Reds and Cubs with 16 strikeouts and just two hits and two walks allowed. Those two helped contribute to this crazy pitching stat:
Honorable mentions go to Shane Drohan (4 1/3 scoreless innings in his start), Trevor Megill (four scoreless innings over four appearances), Abner Uribe (4 2/3 scoreless innings over four appearances), Jacob Misiorowski (six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts), and Kyle Harrison (five innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts).
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
There were no clear standouts for the Brewer offense this week, as Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio tied for the team lead with seven hits, though both batted just .269 (26 at-bats each). William Contreras had the best all-around week, though, as he went 6-for-18 with a pair of homers, four RBIs, three runs, and four walks for a solid .333/.455/.667 line.
The Brewers officially activated RHP Brandon Woodruff from the injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener in Cincinnati, and his return could not have gone smoother. Across six scoreless frames, he allowed just one hit and no walks, striking out 10. Left-handed reliever Drew Rom was optioned to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move.
After officially clearing waivers, third baseman Luis Rengifo was released by the Brewers on Tuesday.
Reliever Abner Uribe, who was given a one-game suspension for his WWE-style crotch chops toward the Cardinals’ dugout in late May, dropped his appeal and served his suspension on Wednesday after pitching the two nights before.
Reliever Peter Strzelecki, who opted out of an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville in late May, re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league deal on Wednesday after being released by the Yankees (who had signed him to a minor league deal). He’s now back in Nashville, where he picked up the save in a scoreless inning of work on Thursday night.
Left-hander Jared Koenig, who missed more than two months with a left elbow sprain, was activated from the injured list on Friday. Right-hander Craig Yoho was optioned to Nashville as the corresponding move.
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz (55) watch his team play in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the O’s just lost a series that they absolutely should have won, all because they did a whole lot of dumb stuff.
The Birds’ latest embarrassment came against their regional rival Nationals, who completed a season series win, four games to two. The O’s dropped yesterday’s rubber game because Kyle Bradish couldn’t throw strikes, Coby Mayo couldn’t throw the ball to first, and the Orioles couldn’t figure out how to hit a guy with a 5.40 ERA. Your 2026 Orioles, ladies and gentlemen. Alex Church recapped the fruitless O’s effort.
The O’s have won just one of their last seven series — against the Dodgers, oddly enough — and are 9-13 in that span. Their defeat yesterday clinched their third consecutive losing month. They’re one loss away from matching their season-low of eight games under .500. At 39-46, they’re also just two games better than the 2025 Orioles — the gold standard of underachieving O’s teams — were at the same point of the season. And the Orioles are 0-2 since Mike Elias told reporters that he intends for the team to be buyers at the trade deadline. He’s got a little over a month to change his mind.
Three months into the season, the Orioles haven’t gotten any better. Elias and the players continue to talk a big game about how a turnaround is just around the corner, how the team just needs more time for things to click, and they’ll soon become a force to be reckoned with. There is, unfortunately, no evidence that such a thing is ever going to happen. They haven’t cleaned up their sloppy play and poor fundamentals at all; if anything, they’ve only gotten worse throughout the season. And with each passing day, the Orioles’ chances of putting together an extended winning stretch are getting slimmer and slimmer. They’ve passed the halfway mark of the schedule and are only sinking deeper into quicksand.
Adding an extra layer of pain is watching the Orioles get passed in the standings by teams that weren’t even supposed to be contenders this year, like these Nationals. The Nats were thought to be a rebuilding club that was a year or two behind the Orioles’ progress; instead, they’re an above-.500 team that has thoroughly outclassed the Birds this year.
Then there’s the Orioles’ next opponent, the White Sox, who are coming off of three straight 100+ loss seasons, including a historically abysmal 41-121 just two years ago. This year the White Sox are the most out-of-nowhere success story in baseball, leading the AL Central with a 43-39 record, 5.5 games better than the Orioles. The White Sox had barely started to rebuild and are already an exciting, hungry team full of promising young players. The O’s, meanwhile, have completely flatlined in what was supposed to be their window of contention. It’s sad.
The Orioles are overdue for a brutally honest assessment of their organization and the many mistakes that have led to this point. That kind of thorough accounting might not take place until the offseason, which means we’re stuck watching this team in its current form for the next few months.
I know that Jeremiah Jackson hasn’t hit much since his hot April, but what exactly is the thought process that leads the Orioles to send him down instead of a completely unnecessary third catcher?
Says Gunnar: “It sucks. It’s baseball.” The motto of the 2026 Orioles, everyone!
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 25th birthday to Gunnar Henderson. The O’s shortstop has already racked up quite a few accolades in his young career, including AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and fourth place in the MVP voting in 2024. His 2026 season, as we all know, hasn’t gone quite as well. But what better day than his birthday to start turning things around?
Former Orioles born on this day include infielder Emmanuel Rivera (30), left-hander Pedro Viola (43), and righties Travis Lakins Sr. (32) and the late Dizzy Trout (b. 1915, d. 1972).
On this date in 2007, the Orioles’ Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle in a 9-7 loss to the Angels. At the time he was just the third player in the 54-year history of the Orioles to accomplish the feat, but the O’s have since done it four more times.
And in 2013, Chris Davis bashed his league-leading 30th homer of the year in just his 82nd game, part of a two-dinger day against the Yankees. He ultimately finished the season with an MLB-best 53 home runs. Man, vintage Chris Davis was something else.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 29, 1990, the Orioles defeated the Twins, 6-2, at the Metrodome. Baltimore’s own Dave Johnson earned the win with 6.2 innings of two-run ball, and Curt Schilling — yes, that one — finished things off with 2.1 scoreless frames to earn his first career save. The O’s offense collected 12 hits, including three by Ripken brothers Cal Jr. and Billy, and catcher Bob Melvin drove in two runs. Despite the win, the Orioles remained well under .500 at 33-41.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies watches the flight of his seventh inning two run home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Imagine getting to 30 home runs before the calendar even flips to July? Kyle Schwarber just did that, becoming the fastest player in team history to do so.
It’s just so impressive how each season, he seems to be getting better. The strikeouts are high, but who really cares when he hits for this much power. I feel like another high finish in the MVP vote is in the offing.
Manager Dick Scott went with something a little different, having reliever Dan Hammer start the game before bringing in starter Jack Wenninger, but the move didn’t seem to really have much of an impact- Hammer pitched a scoreless inning in the first and Wenninger was so-so, allowing three runs over the next five. Trailing by a run, Syracuse tied things up in the seventh on a wild pitch and then took the lead on a Vidal Brujan RBI single. After Lehigh Valley tied things up in the bottom of the inning, Syracuse once again took a late lead in the eighth on a Ben Rortvedt RBI double and that ended up being the final score.
· SS Vidal Bruján: 1-5, RBI, 3 K, 2 SB (6, 7), E (5)
The first time through the order, Bryce Conley looked good, blanking Erie for three innings, allowing just a single hit while striking out four. His second time through the order? Not so much. In the fourth, he gave up a two-run homer to right fielder Chris Meyers to tie the game at 2-2. In the fifth, he loaded up the bases on a pair of singles and a hit batsman and then gave up a double to Meyers, scoring two more runs. In the sixth, he allowed a solo homer to third baseman E.J. Exposito to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Chris Suero manufactured a run in the seventh, knocking a double, stealing third, and coming home on a wild pitch, but it looked like the Rumble Ponies were going to after a strike-‘em-out-throw-‘em-out double play ended the seventh, and then three consecutive strikeouts ended the eighth. In the bottom of life, they showed new life and came galloping back, tying the game up at 5-5 on an RBI single off the bat of Jose Ramons and a Nick Lorusso RBI groundout. In the tenth, JT Schwartz was thrown out at the plate, negating Binghamton’s chance to score. Erie didn’t have that issue, and just like that, momentum shifted and game over with another Chris Meyers RBI.
· C Chris Suero: 2-3, 4 R, 2 2B, 2 BB, SB (20), E (9)
Nicolas Carreno got things started with four scoreless innings and the bullpen took over from there, throwing three more before Juan Arnaud allowed a run in the top of the eighth. That run would end up the BlueClaws’ only run of the ballgame. The Cyclones, on the other hand, got on the board in the bottom of the third on a Ronald Hernandez homer and then plated four more in the sixth on an RBI double off the bat of Colin Houck and a three-run homer off the bat of Yohairo Cuevas.
The St. Lucie Mets went down swinging, but they still dropped this one to the Mighty Muscles, their fourth loss in a row. The Mets got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of the second, but Ethan Lanthier, who just activated and was making his first non-rehab start since injuring his elbow in April 2025, allowed a pair of runs in the second to give Fort Myers the lead, a lead they would hold on to for the rest of the ballgame. In the ninth, trailing 6-3, St. Lucie loaded up the bases with no outs, but a two-run single by Trey Snyder was all they were able to manage before recording three outs. The rehabbing Dedniel Nunez pitched in the bottom of the fourth and, after recording two quick outs, allowed back-to-back singles that resulted in a run before recording a strikeout to end the inning.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees slides safely into second base past Javier Báez #28 of the Detroit Tigers during the game at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
That series sucked. The last time the Red Sox swept the Yankees in a four-game set was 2018, which was very annoying but in hindsight more understandable because that was legitimately the best team in Boston history (108 wins, 11-3 record in October). They were a powerhouse. These Red Sox doing it when they entered with–no joke–the worst record in the American League is appalling. Awful, awful.
Can’t dwell on it though. Spit it out like an awful drink, cleanse the palate, and move on with Detroit coming to town.
Today on the site, Estevão will preview the upcoming three-game set against the Tigers, Kevin tackles the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan celebrates the 138th birthday of a man who was actually a longtime Tiger but also became a Yankee near the end: Bobby Veach. Later, Jonathan will return to run through the Yankeees’ top Trade Deadline priorities as that aspect of the season heats up, Peter breaks down his At-Bat of the Week, and Madison issues the mailbag prompt.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Detroit SportsNet
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. Are there any Triple-A promotions you’d consider to try to jolt some life back into the Yankees’ lineup? Or is there so little there at the moment (especially with George Lombard Jr. hurt) that they’re probably best just riding it out at the moment?
2. Now that almost every team has hit the 81-game halfway point of the regular season, which do you think has been the biggest surprise?
Toledo couldn’t finish off the sweep and dropped its first game in a week, 3-1, against Worcester on Sunday.
After 15 runs on Saturday, there wasn’t much offense to speak of for the Mud Hens in this one. Toledo had only five hits, none going for extra bases. Two of those came in the second inning from Eduardo Valencia and Brett Callahan. Tyler Gentry grounded into a double play for the only Mud Hens run of the day.
Brett Callahan with a sharp liner off a lefty that fooled Kristian Campbell in right, though he probably wouldn’t have been able to catch it anyway. pic.twitter.com/dCNR3pktau
Callahan had the only multi-hit day, singling again in the fifth. Andrew Navigato hit safely in the eighth, and Max Anderson got his in the ninth. The WooSox only walked two batters, so it was a pretty boring day on that side of the ball.
It’s a shame because the pitching staff was solid for most of the afternoon. Troy Watson got the start, going five inning and allowing one run on two hits and a walk — a first inning homer was the only real issue. Watson struck out five and left with the score tied 1-1.
Ricky Vanasco took over in the sixth and gave up three singles to break the tie. The third drove in both runs and ricocheted off his foot. The training staff checked him out, but Vanasco stayed in the game.
Woo-Suk Go got the seventh and worked around a pair of singles. Jack Little went 1-2-3 in the eighth, but the bats couldn’t make it a competitive finish.
Anderson: 1-4, K
Callahan: 2-4, K
Valencia: 1-2, R, 2 BB
Watson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 5 K,HR
Coming Up Next:The Mud Hens are at home next week against the Iowa Cubs, starting on Tuesdayat 12:05 p.m. ET.
Erie won in walk-off fashion 6-5 in the 10th inning to finish the series with Binghamton 5-1.
Things got off to a rocky start with Lael Lockhart on the mound. The Rumble Ponies took the lead three batters in thanks to a leadoff double and single through the left side. Lockhart also balked in the first, but he didn’t give up any more runs.
The command was in and out for Lockhart. He plunked the leadoff man in the second, balked again and threw a wild pitch. Again, no runs scored, but it’s not a pretty inning by any means.
Binghamton got to him again in the third with a leadoff walk and an RBI double. Lockhart came back out for the fourth, but he finally got the hook after hitting another batter with two outs.
Fortunately, Chris Meyers tied the game up with a two-run homer. Thayron Liranzo drew the walk right before that.
Meyers had three of Erie’s nine hits on the day, including a go-ahead double in the fifth. This time, the bases were loaded, so Binghamton had to pitch to him. Credit to E.J. Exposito and Seth Stephenson for singling earlier in the inning. Liranzo was hit by a pitch for his second free pass of the day, loading the bags.
Yosber Sanchez and Johan Simon got the SeaWolves through the sixth, recording four and three outs, respectively. Both walked a batter, and Simon gave up a hit. Simon also had two strikeouts to Sanchez’s one, though.
Exposito homered in the sixth to give Erie some valuable insurance. Without that bomb, the SeaWolves don’t make it to extras.
Wandisson Charles got the seventh. He gave up a leadoff double, the runner stole third and Charles went too far inside for a wild pitch and an easy score. Charles was better in the eighth, striking out the side in order.
Tyler Owens couldn’t convert the save — his first blown save of the season. After the first out, Binghamton went single, walk, RBI single to make it a one-run game. Owens got a short chopper to third base, but Exposito didn’t have time for a play at home. He traded a run for an out instead. Tie game.
Erie had the winning run in scoring position in the ninth, but Stephenson and Peyton Graham couldn’t follow up on Joe Campagna’s one-out double.
Eric Silva took the mound in the 10th and almost gave up the go-ahead run, but a great throw from Meyers got to home plate in time for the tag.
Meyers basically won this one for Erie single-handedly. Of course, it was him who came up clutch in the bottom of the 10th with a one-out single to drive Graham in from third base. Walk-off wins are always sweet.
🚨SeaWolves Walk-Off Win🚨
Chris Meyers picks up his 5th RBI of the night with a sharp single through the infield and Erie wins 6-5 in the 10th. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/cbPxTIgZ3z
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves are on the road next week against the Akron RubberDucks, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Dayton Dragons 10, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)
A rough day on the mound for West Michigan led to a lopsided 10-4 loss against Dayton on Sunday. The Whitecaps and Dragons end the series tied, 3-3.
The day started off nice, with Woody Hadeen walking and Bryce Rainer blasting a two-run homer. Clayton Campbell singled to give the Whitecaps three straight hits, but West Michigan only found four more hits the rest of the game.
Rayner Castillo didn’t have it today. He walked the first three batters he faced to load the bases, and that got the bullpen up and working. Castillo struck out a batter and induced a popout, but the decision was already made to pull him. Jalen Evans took over and immediately gave up a two-run single to tie the game.
Dayton took the lead in the second off Evans, who was arguably worse than Castillo. After getting the first out, Castillo allowed a single, walked two batters and gave up a two-run double. He walked one more before getting out of the inning.
Inohan Paniagua got the third. A bad pickoff attempt turned into a run, and a throwing error from the catcher made it 6-2.
Stephen Hrustich gave the Whitecaps new life in the fourth, hitting a two-run homer to cut the four-run deficit in half.
Stephen Hrustich cranks a 2-run homer to left to get the Whitecaps right back in the game. pic.twitter.com/ZgkqaMR3Am
Eliseo Mota was next out of the bullpen. He worked around a two-out single in the fourth but gave up a leadoff homer int he fifth. Luke Stofel faced the minimum in the sixth, inducing an inning-ending double play to erase a single. He came back out for the seventh and worked around a two-out single, giving the best performance for any Whitecap pitcher on the day.
CJ weins had a rough ninth, walking the bases loaded before recording the first out. A pair of singles brought all three of those baserunners home, and the Whitecaps went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.
Rainer: 1-3, HR (8), R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
Hrustich: 1-4, HR (3), R, 2 RBI
Campbell: 2-4, 2 K
Stofel: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are at home next week against the Lake County Captains, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Despite losing the series, 4-2, the Lakeland Flying Tigers ended the week in Daytona on a good note, with a 3-1 win over the Tortugas.
Connor Fenlong made his organizational debut after being signed on Friday out of the American Association Independent League. He previously pitched in the Kansas City farm system, making it up to High-A in 2024 before being released.
Fenlong gave Lakeland 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, working around five hits and a walk while striking out eight. It’s a shame he couldn’t get one more out to qualify for the win, but the numbers are solid.
The Flying Tigers only had one hit through the first three innings, but they broke through in the fourth to score all three of their runs. Edian Espinal led off with a single, Nick Dumesnil also singled and Hunter Dobbins crushed a three-run homer.
Hunter Dobbins mashes a 2-out, 3-run homer to left to put Lakeland on top in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/Byd6IvUv1g
Xiomer Guacache finished out the fifth for Fenlong, stranding the bases loaded. Guacache worked around a two-out double in the sixth before turning it over Luke Hoskins in the seventh. Hoskins walked a batter, but there was no harm done.
Bryce Alewin went 1 2/3 innings, but Lakeland brought in Jan Caraballo with two on and two outs in the ninth. Caraballo gave up the first run of the day and walked a batter before getting the final out.
Great work from the bullpen today, but it was kind of a boring game. Still, a W is a W.
Yost: 0-4, BB, 2 K
Dobbins: 1-4, HR (5), R, 3 RBI, 2 K
Espinal: 2-4, R, K
Fenlong: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K
Coming up Next: The Flying Tigers are at home next week against the Palm Beach Cardinals, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of a disastrous 10-game homestand, now losers of six in a row with old friend Bo Bichette and the directionless New York Mets coming to town.
Yet Vladimir Guerrero's failings at Rogers Centre have been a seasonlong affair.
With the season more than halfway over and the calendar flipping to July, Guerrero has yet to hit a home run at Rogers Centre this season - a span of 42 games and 181 plate appearances. His home slugging percentage is .300, down from .436 a year ago, while he's hit just seven home runs overall with an adjusted OPS of 94.
And the Blue Jays - after finally reaching .500 following a month in the red - dipped right back underwater following a four-game sweep by the Texas Rangers - an outcome that may have significant ramifications come season's end.
"It's no secret we're going to need Vlad," Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Sunday, June 28, "if we want to be good."
The defending division and AL champs are now 10 1/2 games behind East-leading Tampa Bay and 9 1/2 behind the Yankees. At 39-45, they are deep in the thicket of mediocrity in the AL - Texas passed them just this weekend - and tumbled four spots to No. 20 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
You wonder if Temporary Adult In The Room John Mozeliak will hire a GM before the lockout or if the owner will save a few bucks with the industry shuttered.
Jun 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) watches from the dugout in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Sportsnet: Let’s start with the worst news. Prior to Sunday’s series finale against Boston, manager Aaron Boone revealed there is no timetable for re-imaging injured slugger and three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge’s ribs. I guess the good news is that Boone mentioned Judge is doing some work in the weight room and has ramped from when he initially went on the IL in early June. Having Judge nowhere near returning is less than ideal. Entering Sunday night, the offense had thrice managed at least four runs in its last 10 games, winning all of them. They lost each of the other seven. With last night in the books, we can also note that they’ve been no-hit through four in each of the last three games (with Sonny Gray going 7.1 hitless last night).
Come back healthy, Cap. We need ya.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Speaking of offensive ineptitude, Ben Rice is going through it the last little while. In his last six contests prior to Sunday night, Rice was 2-for-23 with a .174 OPS. Those figures only got worse with an 0-for-4 as the Red Sox finished their four-game sweep. Boone noted that Rice is pressing at the plate, saying “No doubt he’s grinding a little bit right now… there’s going to be weeks where it’s not easy, where you go through it a little bit.”
Baseball is hard, so it shouldn’t be a shock that even someone as good as Rice is slumping. Hopefully he figures it out sooner rather than later.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Austin Wells has not figured it out. On the eve of Sunday’s finale against Boston, the Yankee backstop is, by one measure (wRC+), the worst qualified hitter in all of baseball. His .510 OPS is the worst by a Yankee since 1975. But, if you want reason to hope, Wells and the Yankees think it is there. Wells noted he felt more comfortable in the batter’s box Saturday than he has in a while. Moreover, in June, his groundball rate is decreasing, perhaps indicating desired contact. Gerrit Cole also spoke to what Wells bring as a defensive-minded backstop. With Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham all hurt and Rice scuffling, Wells being even a league-average hitter would be a giant boost to the offense.
It did not go as well as he had hoped, though, with a crucial fielding error giving way to a pair of runs early on the way to the Yankees’ crushing 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Cabrera went 0-for-3 while laying down a sacrifice bunt that keyed the Yankees’ two-run top of the 10th.
But his fielding error at third base loomed large in the fourth inning.
With a runner on first and one out in a scoreless game, Carlos Rodón got Willson Contreras to hit a hard grounder to third. Cabrera bobbled it and by the time he threw over to first, it was too late.
One out later, the Yankees should have been out of the inning, but instead Caleb Durbin came up next and hit a two-run single in what became a 37-pitch inning for Rodón, a big reason why he only lasted five innings.
The Yankees defense had let them down Thursday night, committing four errors, and then came back to bite them again Sunday.
“When we’re not scoring, we just didn’t play clean enough here this weekend,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Cabrera was making his season debut after being called up from Triple-A on Wednesday as an injury replacement for Ryan McMahon.
Oswaldo Cabrera is pictured June 25 before the Yankees’ game against the Red Sox. MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was his first major league game since fracturing his left ankle and sustaining ligament damage on an awkward slide home in a brutal scene in Seattle.
“He’s worked incredibly hard to overcome a really tough injury,” Boone said before the game. “He’s done it with grace and class and hard work, all while being Oswaldo, which is one of those people that makes the room better when he’s around.”
Longtime lefty killer Amed Rosario was in the lineup Sunday against righty Sonny Gray — breaking up his no-hitter in the eighth inning — putting a spotlight on his platoon splits that are the reverse of what he has done for his career.
Entering Sunday, the right-handed-hitting Rosario was batting .280 with an .842 OPS in 53 plate appearances against righties and .218 with a .665 OPS in 86 plate appearances against lefties.
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For his career, he was batting .263 with a .671 OPS against righties and .293 with a .791 OPS against lefties.
“Small sample, that’s what I make of it,” Boone said. “He’s going to kill lefties, I feel like.”
If we played it out another thousand at-bats, I think that would show itself. That said, I think he more than holds his own against righties, too. I feel like he’s a good hitter.”
Trent Grisham (right hamstring strain) is likely to start a rehab assignment Tuesday, which could last only one or two games before he rejoins the Yankees during this upcoming homestand.
He ran the bases again before Sunday’s game at Fenway Park, completing a weekend full of baseball activities.
The entire Yankees lineup has been woeful without Aaron Judge, but Ben Rice in particular has struggled.
BOSTON — There’s still no date set for Aaron Judge to get his fractured right rib imaged again, according to Aaron Boone, which means the Yankees can’t begin to point to a day when their best player might be back in the lineup.
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For a third straight game, the Yankees were held without a hit until at least the fifth inning.
And in Sunday’s 5-4, 10-inning loss that finished off a nightmarish weekend at Fenway Park, the Yankees didn’t get a hit against ex-Yankee Sonny Gray until the eighth.
Aaron Boone called it “a terrible weekend” made worse by Sunday’s performance.
“Overall, we’re not swinging the bats great this weekend,’’ Boone said. “We had some pitches to hit [and] just missed a couple of them.”
Aaron Judge is pictured during the Yankees’ June 16 game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Clearly, they’re not very intimidating without Judge.
“Certainly, having Aaron Judge in the lineup changes our team in a profound way,’’ Boone said before the game.
They had scored just five runs over the first three games of the series and didn’t break through Sunday until Boston’s defense collapsed in the top of the ninth.
And in clutch situations, they’ve been especially bad, as they’re 7-for-72 with runners in scoring position since June 18.
“Give them credit, they threw the ball well,’’ hitting coach James Rowson said of Boston’s pitchers. “It was a tough couple of games, but in the grand scheme of things, I feel good about our guys and have confidence in them. You’re gonna have tough series and this, obviously, was one.”
Ben Rice has been especially impacted.
The first baseman had an OPS of 1.056 in 54 games before Judge went out with the rib fracture and entered Sunday with a .686 OPS in 23 games since then.
He went hitless Sunday.
Ben Rice strikes out during the Yankees’ June 27 game against the Red Sox. AP Photo
Boone said Rice was fine at the plate without Judge before the last week, when the manager believes Rice has struggled.
He’s in a 2-for-28 slump, as the combination of not having Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham available has taken a toll.
“We’re going through it a little bit on the injury front, which gives you opportunities to find out about depth [and] who’s gonna be part of having a meaningful role moving forward.”
The Yankees will count on Rice the rest of the way, with or without Judge.
“I don’t see guys pressing, including Ben,’’ Rowson said. “When you miss that caliber of hitter Judge is, it’s an adjustment period for everyone. Guys have done a good job stepping up without Judge, and you’re gonna have stretches like this.”
Including Rice.
“Ben is already a threat in this league, with or without Judge,’’ Rowson said. “Pitchers gameplan against Ben Rice. Maybe it’s tougher for him now, but he’s capable and ready for it. We’ve got to bounce back.”
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But this was seen as a bit of a test for Rice, who has spent much of the first half of the season in the American League MVP race, typically hitting directly in front of or behind Judge.
The last few weeks have shown again how vital Judge is to their offense.
Boone said Judge was doing some upper-body work but was unclear what those workouts entailed.
Sunday marked four weeks since Judge last played in a game.
The Yankees are 12-12 in that stretch and after leading the league in homers and ranking second in OPS and fourth in runs with Judge, the Yankees are tied for sixth in homers but 19th in runs scored and 22nd in OPS since June 1.
Boone called his team an “incomplete [and] unfinished product” Sunday.
“Obviously, a terrible weekend for us,” Boone said after losing an eighth game in the last 11.
“It’s one of those crap moments of the season, crap times of the season, where you have a really rough weekend against a division rival,” the skipper said later. “But you gotta get over it quickly, and understand we got a homestand starting tomorrow. Pick ourselves up.”
How does the manager not let the rough weekend keep snowballing?
“That’s what we do, baby,” Boone answered with a wry smile.
“You gotta love this stuff. You gotta eat this stuff up. It’s a sickness. That’s what the grind is,” he continued. “We got a really good freakin team. We played crappy on this trip, kinda. Feels bad. Kinda pisseed off, right? But it’s what we do.
“It’s what you signed up for. We’ll dig ourselves out of it and get it going here in short order.”
The game slipped away in the 10th when Fernando Cruz, who had been masterful with his splitter, was only able to retire one of the four batters he faced in the three-run inning as the splitter stayed up in the zone.
“Cruzer had a tough one, left some pitches up for ‘em,” Boone said, adding he didn’t think there were any issues for the reliever other than locating his best pitch. “Credit to them, couple good swings against him. Obviously, trust Cruzer there in that situation all the time.
“They got to him today, and that’s part of it.”
“Not being able to pick up my guys is most impacting me,” Cruz said after the loss. “The best teams go through stretches like this, and champions and great teams in history go through stretches like this, and especially games like this. For me, it's a formation. It's something that is forming me into a better athlete and a better pitcher, and I'm gonna be better next time."
But the reliever’s extra-inning wobble was hardly the lone issue. After being held hitless through the first 7.1 innings against Sonny Gray on Sunday, that meant the last three Red Sox starters combined for 17.1 innings before allowing a hit, following good outings fromPayton Tolle on Friday andJake Bennett on Saturday.
"I think, overall, not swinging the bats great this weekend," the skipper said. "I felt like we got some pitches to hit, some in the center of the plate where [Gray] was coming after us. And maybe just missed a couple of 'em or just didn't put 'em in play with enough authority."
The positives came in not going down meekly. Against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, the Yankees rallied for two runs to tie the score and two more in the 10th to grab a lead against Justin Slaten.
“Love the fight, the comeback there, pressure them in the ninth and the 10th,” Boone said, adding that, “We did a good job of pitching for the most part today.”
And that was another positive. Starter Carlos Rodon was sharp early and gutted through five innings before Paul Blackburn and David Bednar put up zeros, meaning through nine innings the Yankee arms had not been charged with an earned run.
But that is where silver linings only go so far when the sky is full of clouds over Beantown: The Yanks did not get enough hits – just nine total over the final three games – or timely ones – 1-for-13 with RISP – and gave away outs and runs – committing five errors over in the first and final game, accounting for seven unearned runs.
“The bottom line is, we gotta get it going offensively, and when we’re not scoring, we just didn’t play clean enough here,” Boone said.
Rodon, who surrendered two unearned runs on one hit and four walks with six strikeouts, said it simply: “Winning cures everything, so that’s the goal."
BOSTON (AP) — Jarren Duran singled home the winning run to cap a three-run rally in the 10th inning after Boston blew a two-run lead in the ninth, and the Red Sox finished a four-game sweep of the rival New York Yankees with a 5-4 victory Sunday night.
Boston starter Sonny Gray took a no-hitter into the eighth against his former team before Amed Rosario singled with one out. That ended a brilliant outing for Gray, who had nine strikeouts to reach 2,000 for his career.
But the Yankees scored twice in the ninth off All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman to tie it 2-all, aided enormously by a brutal throwing error from two-time Gold Glove right fielder Wilyer Abreu.
New York scratched across two more runs in the 10th, taking advantage of another throwing error by Abreu after Rosario’s sinking liner squirted out of his glove for an RBI single. But right-hander Fernando Cruz (4-3) was unable to hold the lead after closer David Bednar had pitched the previous two innings.
Boston’s first four-game sweep of the Yankees at home since 2018 marked the first four-game winning streak this season for the last-place Red Sox.
New York arrived at Fenway Park with the best record in the American League but left a game behind Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
Anthony Seigler led off the bottom of the 10th with an RBI single that trimmed Boston’s deficit to 4-3. Pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida followed with a double before a sacrifice fly by Tsung-Che Chung tied it at 4 and advanced Yoshida to third.
New York brought in Rosario from left field to form a five-man infield, and Duran hit a line drive to right where nobody was standing.
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected for arguing after he was called out on a check-swing for strike three to end the sixth.
Up next
Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95 ERA) faces Detroit RHP Casey Mize on Monday as New York returns home and opens a three-game series against the Tigers.
Boston is scheduled to start LHP Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.83) against Washington LHP Andrew Alvarez on Monday to open a three-game set at Fenway Park.
Roberts will start the week just two wins shy of the milestone, with the chance to accomplish the feat on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series against the Athletics in Sacramento.
Roberts has earned every one of his managerial victories while with the Dodgers, despite starting his managerial career with a single game for the Padres.
He served as interim manager for the Padres on June 15, 2015, following San Diego's firing of Bud Black. The Padres suffered a 9-1 loss to the then-Oakland Athletics at Petco Park. Pat Murphy was hired to take over as interim manager for the rest of that season.
Roberts would start his tenure with Los Angeles in 2016, finishing the season as the Manager of the Year after leading the Dodgers to a 91-71 record.
He’s won three World Series titles and five National League pennants with the Dodgers.
When do Dodgers play next?
The Dodgers will play the first game of a three-game series against the Athletics on Monday, June 29. The game will start at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Baseball fans were not happy with NBC’s decision to stick with golf over the broadcast of the Yankees-Red Sox game on Sunday night.
The final round of the Travelers Championship was delayed for nearly 90 minutes due to rain at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., pushing the PGA Tour event into the baseball timeslot and forcing execs to only air the baseball game on Peacock and NBCSN at first.
The decision enraged baseball fans, who took to social media to air their grievances as they turned on NBC only to see golf on and not the rivalry baseball game.
The Red Sox defeated the Yankees on June 28. AP Photo/Steven Senne
“Can I just ask @nbc why golf is being aired over the Yankees Vs. Red Sox Game? This is un-American,” one disgruntled viewer wrote on X.
“So #nbc acquires the rights to #Yankees v Redsox so we can tune into golf?” another person wrote.
“Would be nice to watch the Yankees game if NBC actually cared to get boring ass golf off our TV screens,” one user on X chimed in.
“@nbc nobody in the NY area gives a flying you know what about a non major golf ending right now. Give us Yankees-Red Sox as promised,” someone else said on X.
Caddie Ted Scott and Scottie Scheffler of the United States shake hands on the 18th green after finishing their round during the final round of the Travelers Championship 2026. Getty Images
“Yankees/Sox being preempted by NBC in favor of a non major PGA tournament shows how unserious they are about MLB as a product,” a fan complained.
To add to the situation, the Travelers Championship didn’t even end on Sunday.
Due to Scottie Scheffler making a putt on the 18th hole, he forced a playoff against Viktor Hovland that will now take place on Monday morning at 9 a.m.
After all was said and done, Yankee fans may have wished NBC aired anything but the game, because when they did finally join the baseball game in progress around 8:30 p.m, the Red Sox’s Caleb Durbin was hitting a two-run single to give Boston a 2-0 lead.
