ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 04: Los Angeles Angels players stand for the national anthem before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 04, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Recap
In the first inning, with two baserunners due to walks, Willson Contreras whaled a no-doubter to left and the Sox never looked back.
The Sox had steady traffic on the bases, working some long at-bats and drawing six walks, three of which led to runs. They also benefitted from being hit by pitches (twice – Anthony Seigler’s contortions in the sixth made me worry for his back) and a fielding error. The four-run fifth inning really broke it open, with a long, two-run double by Abreu and Romy González’s first homer of the year. The Sox offense proved it had staying power in the eighth, as three Sox players (Andruw Monasterio, Connor Wong, and Ceddanne Rafaela) notched their first hits of the evening. That left only Caleb Durbin without a hit.
In the early innings, Gray didn’t appear to be his usual rock-solid self. There was an early mound visit from Andrew Bailey and a sinker that didn’t sink in the third that buzzed the batter’s helmet and knocked him down. However, Gray needed only six pitches that inning and settled down. Ultimately, he allowed only four hits. That’s how a veteran grinds it out.
The Sox continue their recent trend of early offense, and have a chance at a sweep tomorrow.
Studs
Power
Contreras started things off with a three-run homer and Romy González showed the Sox what they’ve been missing with a two-run homer. There were also three doubles, two of which drove in runs.
Smart At-Bats
The Sox did a good job, with almost everyone contributing in some way: working long at-bats, taking walks, and getting on base through two HBP and an error. Special mention to Anthony Seigler and Wilyer Abreu, who both scored twice. Between them: 3 BB, 4R, two doubles, 1 HBP.
Jarren Duran
Defensively, he had an impressive diving grab in the first inning. Offensively, he found different ways to get on base via a couple of walks and a hit-by-pitch, and once he was on, he stole two bases. 2 BB, 1HBP, 2 SB.
Sonny Gray
It looked like it was going to be a battle but he settled down and showed how’s it done. Final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 SO.
Duds
Caleb Durbin
He was the only Sox player without a hit tonight, but most of his contact was in the air and he successfully challenged a strikeout in the ninth. Not his night, but we’re a far cry from his early struggles.
Well the All-Star game selections were announced Saturday night and while these haven’t exactly been meritocratic, there were some funny ones (Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a 97 wRC+, for example). It’s a shame that Dylan Lee didn’t make the team, though there may be time yet as a replacement. Dylan is 6th in all of baseball in relief pitcher fWAR at a whopping 1.5 over 38.1 innings. While he’s received some favorable HR/FB luck, he has been absolutely outstanding this season as one of very few high end relievers the Braves have developed out of their farm system in the last decade.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 03: JJ Wetherholt #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals runs to second base after a missed catch error by Michael Busch #29 of the Chicago Cubs (not pictured) during the first inning at Wrigley Field on July 03, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals entered Wrigley Field with their bats warmed up and ready for action again as they jumped on the Chicago Cubs early again in a nationally-broadcast game Saturday night. Kyle Leahy was also solid in his effort to keep the Cubs at bay. JJ Wetherholt was one of the bats that carried St. Louis over Chicago on a foggy 4th of July night.
After a one hour rain delay, JJ Wetherholt showed why he should have been an All-Star when he torched the first pitch from Shota Imanaga 364 feet into the left field fencing at Wrigley giving the Cardinals an immediate 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals defense was also showing off Saturday night as the most irritating Cub of them all named Pete drew a leadoff walk and then tried to steal second, but (spoiler alert) he was unsuccessful thanks to the arm of Pedro Pagés.
The St. Louis Cardinals offense kept adding to their lead in the top of the 3rd inning when Nathan Church and JJ Wetherholt drew walks to start the inning and then Iván Herrera singled up the middle to score Church and make it 2-0 Cardinals.
Congratulations to Jordan Walker on being selected to his first All-Star game. Well deserved, but he was responsible for a big missed opportunity in the top of the 5th inning when JJ Wetherholt slammed a two-out double to the left field wall and Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch (of course). Jordan came up with a chance to add to the Cardinals lead including fouling off a hanging 84 mph sweeper that should have ended up on Waveland Avenue outside of Wrigley Field. Walker would strike out two pitches later and that was a shame.
If told just about any Cardinals fan prior to the game they’d see Kyle Leahy get through 5 full innings without allowing any runs, pretty sure they’d be psyched. That’s what Kyle gave St. Louis Saturday night as he pitched out of a few jams including two on in the bottom of the 5th. He only allowed 3 hits, no runs while striking out 6 and walking 2. We’ll take it. I’d also like to give Leahy some bonus points for making sure PCA’s right foot is a little sore for a couple of days. The hit-by-pitch-in-the-foot probably wasn’t intentional, but I’m not the only Cardinals fan that enjoyed it since it didn’t result in a run or an injury. Couldn’t have happened to a better fella.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen took over in the bottom of the 6th inning starting with George Soriano. This was also the part of the game where fog became a major factor where multiple Cardinals infielders including Wetherholt and Winn were motioning that they couldn’t see the ball. The good news is the Cubs batters couldn’t either as Busch and Suzuki struck out and Happ only managed a weak groundout to short where Winn fortunately could see the ball and threw him out.
The Cardinals had another missed opportunity in the top of the 7th inning when Nathan Church drew a one-out walk followed by JJ Wetherholt’s 3rd hit of the game. Iván Herrera hit the ball hard, but unfortunately directly at Dansby Swanson at short who then turned an easy double play to end the inning. The St. Louis lead would remain a razor-thin 2-0 going into the bottom of the 7th.
Ryne Stanek was the Cardinals answer for the bottom of the 7th. He started his relief outing by allowing a leadoff single to Nico Hoerner, but he was able to strike out Michael Conforto and then get a popup into the fog from Amaya into Alec Burleson’s glove for the second out. Dansby Swanson caused all of us to swallow our gum as he hit a drive to very deep left-center, but the wind and fog knocked it down enough that Lars Nootbaar caught the ball while leaning into the Wrigley Field ivy. Whew, that was close.
St. Louis would fortunately add to their small lead in the top of the 8th inning when Jordan Walker crushed a double to left and then scored on a single by Alec Burleson upping the Cardinals lead to 3-0. Alec Burleson then stole second base which stunned Masyn Winn so much that he watched a strike three pitch go right down the middle. I’m told he did that for the sake of not messing up speedster Burleson’s steal. If so, that’s a selfless play, but I’d prefer a hit-and-run instead, but I’m old school that way. The end result would be St. Louis only adding one run.
JoJo Romero was assigned the bottom of the 8th inning where he gave up a leadoff hit to PCA before walking Alex Bregman bringing up the tying run in the form of Michael Busch. He grounded out to JJ Wetherholt as it was not likely going to be a double play, but both runners moved up into scoring position with just one out. Romero then struck out Suzuki for the second out. Next up was the former Cardinals killer Ian Happ. I say “former” because Happ watched a third strike go right past him as the Cubs squandered their best scoring opportunity of the night and I write this with a big smile on my face.
After failing to add any runs in the top of the 9th inning, it was Riley O’Brien’s turn to make sure Chicago didn’t break St. Louis hearts int he bottom of the inning. He started strong with a strikeout of Nico Hoerner. Michael Conforto drew a full-count walk as the Cubs sent up pinch-hitter Pedro Ramirez and he politely grounded into a game-ending double play to Masyn Winn.
The St. Louis Cardinals will go for a Windy City sweep with a Sunday afternoon clash against the tiny bears aka Chicago Cubs. St. Louis will send Matthew Liberatore to the mound while the Chicago Cubs will pin the blame on Javier Assad. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30pm central time and the TV broadcast will be handled by Peacock so now’s the time to find a free 7-day trial.
For a second straight outing, the former Giants closer allowed four runs.
He was again not helped by his defense, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. booted a fairly routine grounder by Luke Keaschall to lead off the top of the eighth.
Doval took care of the rest of the damage himself — all against lefty hitters, who have tormented him all season.
With one out, he gave up a hit to leadoff hitter Trevor Larnach.
Byron Buxton followed with a sacrifice fly, Kody Clemens an RBI single and Josh Bell a two-run homer.
Camilo Doval reacts after allowing a home run during the Yankees’ July 4 loss. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Aaron Boone noted the issue after the game, as Doval entered having allowed a .951 OPS versus lefties, compared to .728 for his career.
And Doval has actually been more effective against right-handed hitters than he has been in previous seasons.
“His execution against lefties is critical,’’ the manager said. “That part’s been a struggle. He’s been unlucky at times, but he’s made his mistakes against lefties — sometimes it’s been for slug. … Against righties, he continues to throw the ball well.”
Unlike in his previous outing, when he uncharacteristically walked three batters, Doval was done in this time by the three base hits.
On the season — his first he started in The Bronx — Doval has already given up a career-high six homers, all of them in his last 27 ²/₃ innings.
So when the Yankees are on the hunt for more bullpen help at this year’s trade deadline, they’ll be looking to avoid similar mistakes to the ones they made a year ago, as both Doval and Jake Bird have been ineffective since joining the Yankees.
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The Yankees have stuck with Doval — who has a minor league option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre without having to clear waivers — because he has better command than most of the relievers the Yankees have in the minors.
That includes hard-throwing right-hander Yovanny Cruz, who has impressed in his brief opportunities in the majors, particularly in his Tuesday outing against the Tigers, when the right-hander threw two shutout innings.
Still, the organization remains mesmerized by Doval’s velocity and ability to strike batters out.
His strikeout rate is down a bit this season, but so is his walk rate.
But for a pitcher who was acquired to pitch in high-leverage spots, Doval has been unimpressive, and with less than a month left before this year’s trade deadline, he is likely running out of opportunities to prove he can pitch in The Bronx.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 04: A ball drops in between Tyrone Taylor #28 of the New York Mets and Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets for a two RBI double by Eli White #36 of the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park on July 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Casey Sykes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hopefully, you were celebrating Independence Day with family and friends by enjoying a cookout, watching fireworks, or doing just about anything but watching the New York Mets.
The Atlanta Braves throttled the Mets 14-3 Saturday night in Atlanta, outplaying them in all facets in another ugly loss. New York’s lineup was its normal sleepy self against starter Chris Sale and the Braves bullpen. The Mets’ pitching staff was uncompetitive, as all four pitchers who made an appearance gave up at least one home run. The Braves bashed five total home runs to fully embarrass the Mets.
New York has lost 12 of their last 14 games and fallen to 17 games below .500 as the 2026 campaign continues to worsen.
The Braves scored four runs in the third inning thanks to a meltdown from starting pitcher Sean Manaea and the Mets’ defense. Manaea gave up a walk, a single, and a hit batsman to load the bases for Michael Harris II, who singled to score Drake Baldwin. Eli White, who homered off Manaea in the second inning, doubled to clear the bases and bury the Mets 5-0 early. White’s double was a pop-up that landed between Fransico Lindor and Tyrone Taylor in a hideous play. Surprisingly ruled a hit, Taylor got leather on the ball but couldn’t secure the catch while Lindor dove to the ground to avoid a collision. White has been a huge pain in Manaea’s side, hitting two home runs and two doubles in his last four at-bats against the right-hander.
Taylor’s drop put a spotlight on interim manager Andy Green’s decision to bench AJ Ewing against Sale in an effort to shield him from tough left-handed pitching. Ewing’s defense has been a strength for the Mets since being called up, with +3 defensive runs saved, which is the 10th-best mark among MLB centerfielders.
Taylor somewhat redeemed himself when he hit a solo home run off Sale in the fifth inning. Sale returned for the sixth inning but gave up a two-run home run to Mark Vientos as the Mets briefly showed signs of life. Sale gave up a single to Eric Wagaman and then hit Francisco Alvarez with a pitch before being pulled. Dylan Lee entered and struck out Carson Benge, Taylor, and Brett Baty on 11 pitches.
Lee and JR Ritchie combined to shut out the Mets offense for the final four innings. Meanwhile, the Mets fed Austin Warren to the wolves in relief of Manaea. Warren gave up four runs across his two innings on 44 pitches. Joey Gerber relieved Warren and gave up a three-run home run to Austin Riley, putting the Braves up 13-3. Backup catcher Luis Torrens relieved Gerber and gave up a home run to Harris before getting the final out of the eighth. Waving the white flag with a position player on the mound was the cherry on top for a Fourth of July performance that no Mets fan will want to remember.
The Mets stayed on brand by stranding 11 base runners and going a combined 1-for-9 with RISP. Lindor had two singles against Sale but struck out with the bases loaded against Ritchie in the eighth inning. Seven other Mets batters had a hit, but the team struck out 10 times and grounded into two double plays. Benge singled off Ritchie in the eighth to extend his hit-streak to nine games and his on-base streak to 16.
Nolan McLean is scheduled to take the mound Sunday for the Mets at 12:30 PM ET against Braves starter Martín Pérez. McLean pitched six shutout innings in his last appearance, so maybe he can at least be respectable following this Independence Day clunker.
Big Mets winner: Eric Wagaman, +4% WPA Big Mets loser: Sean Manaea, -27% WPA Mets pitchers: -34% WPA Mets hitters: -16% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos home run in the sixth, +7% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Eli White double in third, +15.0% WPA
An awful stretch of baseball has turned into a downright race to the bottom of the National League, and the Mets appear well-equipped to win that half-marathon.
Saturday night’s scheduled fireworks at Truist Park were preceded by the stink bombs the Mets lobbed onto the field for three hours in a 14-3 loss to the Braves.
The Mets lost for the 12th time in 16 games (there’s your .250 winning percentage), but more condensed, they are 2-12 since June 20. Just how low can they go?
“Losing is not enjoyable at all; nobody wants to be a part of it,” interim manager Andy Green said.
Only Colorado stood behind them (a half-game worse) in the NL when the day started.
This one was marred by a “run prevention” fiasco: Usually reliable defensively, Tyrone Taylor misplayed a pop-up in the third inning, allowing three gift runs to Atlanta, from which the Mets never recovered.
All the runs were earned, turning Sean Manaea’s final line into something of an eyesore: five innings, six runs, six hits one walk and four strikeouts.
“It was definitely a grind of an outing,” Manaea said.
Tyrone Taylor reacts after striking out during the Mets’ 14-3 blowout loss to the Braves on July 4, 2026 in Atlanta. AP Photo
It was Manaea’s first time allowing more than three earned runs in an appearance since April 29.
If the Mets are going to win a game in this four-game series, their best chance might be Sunday, when Nolan McLean is scheduled to start.
The road trip won’t conclude until Monday, with Freddy Peralta on the mound.
Eli White’s homer in the second produced the game’s first run.
Manaea recorded two quick outs in the inning before White homered on the eighth pitch of his at-bat, blasting a sweeper over the left field fence.
Manaea’s night unraveled in the third, after he plunked Austin Riley to load the bases with two outs.
Tyrone Taylor and Francisco Lindor can’t make a catch during the Mets’ July 4 loss. Getty Images
Michael Harris II delivered an RBI single before White hit a pop-up that should have been the third out.
Francisco Lindor initially called for the ball as he backpedaled, but ceded to Taylor.
As Lindor scurried out of the way, the ball hit off Taylor’s glove and dropped (for a generously ruled three-run double), giving the Braves a 5-0 lead.
Michael Harris II scores during the Braves’ July 4 win Getty Images
“The easiest thing to say is I just blew it; can’t happen,” Taylor said. “Sean is out there working hard, gets a pop-up and I make a bad play. It can’t happen.”
Taylor started as the center fielder to give the Mets an extra right-handed bat against Chris Sale, leaving A.J. Ewing on the bench.
Mauricio Dubón homered in the fourth to extend the Mets deficit to 6-0. It marked the first time this season that Manaea allowed multiple homers in an outing.
Eli White rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the Braves’ July 4 win. AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser
Taylor homered in the fifth — the first blast allowed by Sale in 46 innings (which was the longest active streak by an MLB starting pitcher).
Mark Vientos smashed a two-run homer in the sixth that pulled the Mets to within 6-3.
But the Braves reclaimed the runs in the bottom of the inning against Austin Warren, who surrendered an RBI double to Joey Bart before the Braves extended their lead to 8-3 on Dubón’s groundout.
Sean Manaea prepares to throw a pitch during the Mets’ July 4 loss. AP Photo
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Mike Yastrzemski launched a two-run homer in the seventh against Warren that placed the Mets in a 10-3 hole.
The Mets scored three runs or fewer for a fifth straight game. On this night, they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Joey Gerber allowed a two-run homer in the eighth to Austin Riley, continuing the Braves onslaught.
Luis Torrens replaced Gerber on the mound and allowed a homer to Harris and a single before recording the final out.
“It’s frustrating,” Manaea said. “I don’t think there is any other word than that. We know we are better.”
DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 3: Fans and players and their families watch a fireworks show from the field in a general view after a game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on July 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Shelby Miller threw live batting practice in Mesa.
Interesting development after today’s Arizona Complex League game. Pitcher Shelby Miller threw live BP to 3 hitters. Shelby is 7 months post surgery and throwing! Been mentioned as a possibility to help the big league team later this season. @WatchMarquee@BleacherNationpic.twitter.com/5jYpKNvVWv
Starter Grant Kipp lasted four innings and gave up five runs on five hits. Three of those five hits were home runs, which accounted for all five runs. Kipp walked two and struck out seven.
Colin Snider, Aaron Bummer and Liam Hendriks each threw a scoreless inning after that. Doug Nikhazy did likewise in the bottom of the eighth and was in line for the win when the I-Cubs took the lead in the top of the ninth. Unfortunately, Nikhazy came out to pitch the ninth, faced five batters and all five batters reached on four hits and an intentional walk. So instead, Nikhazy got the loss after giving up two runs on five hits over 1+ innings. Nikhazy struck out one and had that one intentional walk.
Center fielder Brett Bateman hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his second on the season. Bateman went 2 for 4 with a double, the home run, a walk and two runs scored.
Jonathon Long drove home both Bateman and himself in the the seventh inning with a two-run home run, his ninth on the year. Long went 2 for 4 with a walk.
DH James Triantos went 3 for 5 with a game-tying single in the seventh.
Owen Miller was 2 for 5 with an RBI triple. He scored twice.
Jace Beck gave the Smokies a solid start, allowing just one run on four hits over four innings. Beck did walk four, but he also struck out eight.
Tyler Schlaffer took over for Beck in the fifth and got the loss. Schlaffer surrendered three runs on five hits over 2.2 innings. He struck out four, walked two and hit one batter.
Left fielder Carter Trice hit a two-run double in the top of the first inning. He was 1 for 4.
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) July 4, 2026
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs grounded the Beloit Sky Carp (Marlins), 7-3 in the completion of a game started yesterday. The regularly scheduled game was postponed. They’ll try to play a doubleheader tomorrow.
Jaxon Wiggins started yesterday’s game on a rehab assignment. He gave up one run on two hits in one inning before the rains came. One of those hits was a home run. Wiggins did not have a strikeout or a walk.
Ethan Flanagan took the mound to start today’s game and got the win. Flanagan pitched 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits—although both runs came on a home run in the third inning. Flanagan struck out five and walked no one.
Brayden Spears tossed the final 3.1 innings and got his second save. Spears allowed no runs on two hits. He struck out three and walked no one.
Center fielder Kane Kepley hit a three-run home run in the second inning, It was his fifth on the season. Kepley went 1 for 5.
Left fielder Jose Escobar has been on fire lately, and he threw fuel onto that fire tonight as he went 4 for 5 with a triple and a walk. He also stole a base. Escobar scored twice. In 28 games since his promotion from Myrtle Beach, Escobar is hitting .340/.417/.590.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda was 3 for 4 with a stolen base. He scored one run.
Right fielder Miguel Olivio went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run and drove home two.
It was a great start for Brody McCullough on a rehab assignment. McCullough allowed just one run on two hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked no one, although he did hit a batter.
Henry Cone pitched next and got the loss. Cone got rocked for four runs on one hit over 1.2 innings. Three of the four runs were unearned, however. Cone walked four and hit one batter while striking out no one.
Centerfielder Alexy Lumpuy hit a solo home run in the third inning, his sixth on the season. Lumpuy went 4 for 5 with two runs batted in.
Last year’s first round pick Ethan Conrad played left field for the first time as a professional. He also hit his first home run as a pro. Conrad was 1 for 3.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 04: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the second inning during the game against the New York Mets at Truist Park on July 4, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With Chris Sale on the mound, the Braves were going for a much-needed win against the Mets with Chris Sale on the mound. Sale pitching is always comforting, but the Braves were unable to win a Chris Sale start in the month of June.
Both Sale and Sean Manaea worked around a base hit in the first to keep things scoreless. Eli White broke the deadlock with a two out solo homer in the second over the left field wall. It was an incredibly unimpressive batted ball for a homer, hit 93.5 MPH off the bat with a .130 xBA, but it counts as a run nonetheless.
After another clean inning from Sale, the Braves loaded the bases with two outs on a Baldwin walk, an Olson single, and Austin Riley being hit by a pitch ahead of Michael Harris. Mike delivered with an RBI single and then the Mets absolutely botched an easy pop-up off the bat of Eli White in a bases-clearing calamity with Eli ending up on second base.
Mauricio Dubon gave Eli White’s soft homer a run for its money with one out in the fourth, as he hooked a 95.0 MPH exit velocity ball just inside the left-field pole for a solo homer to make it 6-0 Braves. Tyrone Taylor pulled a run back in the fifth with a solo homer off of Sale. Sale allowed another single and a homer in the sixth, making it a 6-3 ballgame. Sale gave up another single and hit Francisco Alvarez after a long at-bat and was ultimately pulled from the game without recording an out in the sixth. The All-Star lefty really labored in those last couple innings uncharacteristically. All-Star snub Dylan Lee came in to attempt to escape the jam and needed just 11 pitches to strike out the next three Mets, thoroughly extinguishing the threat, emphasizing his All-Star snub. That preserved Chris Sale’s line at 5.0 innings pitched, 3 runs allowed, but only 3 strikeouts.
Manaea’s night was over as the sixth inning started, and the Braves took advantage of the bullpen, as Mike Yastremski worked a leadoff walk and Joey Bart scalded an RBI double off the base of the wall. Jorge Mateo tried to move Bart to third on a bunt, but the Mets struggled to field it properly and he reached first, still with no outs. Dubon brought Bart home and moved Mateo to second on a groundout to the right side, giving the second baseman only one play. Two more groundouts ended the inning, but the score was a much more comfortable 8-3 going into the seventh inning.
JR Ritchie entered the game with the additional insurance runs and grazed Francisco Lindor’s jersey to give the Mets a baserunner, but worked his way out of the inning on two strikeouts and a soft groundout. A Michael Harris single and Mike Yastrzemski homer gave the Braves another two runs in the seventh, making it a 10-3 ballgame.
Ritchie got himself into some trouble in the eighth with a single, walk, and single, all with two outs. He got out of it with a strikeout to keep the score at 10-3. Walks from Albies and Dubon preceded an Austin Riley homer to cement the blowout, making it a 13-3 game, his first homer since May 20th. Hopefully that is the beginning of a hot-hitting July for Austin. At this point the Mets went the position-player-pitching route and Michael Harris capitalized with a solo homer to the Chop House. With the massive cushion, Ritchie got the ninth and worked around a single to close out the game, covering 3.0 innings to give the bullpen a nice rest.
Join us tomorrow as the Braves go for a four-game series win at 12:30 PM ET.
The Mets are on a three-game skid after dropping Saturday's 14-3 game at the Atlanta Braves.
Takeaways
Left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea allowed six earned runs for the first time since April 29, a 14-2 loss to the Washington Nationals, but was on the unfortunate end of a three-run double that bloated his 5.16 ERA. He threw a 1-0 cutter at 86 mph with two outs and the bases loaded in the third inning against Eli White, whose to shallow center field sawshortstopFrancisco Lindor and center fielder Tyrone Taylor seemingly miscommunicate before the ball dropped and buried the Mets (36-53). The play was ruled a double instead of an error, leaving Manaea (1-4) on the hook. He subsequently surrendered Mauricio Dubón's one-out solo shot in the fourth inning to put New York down 6-0 before bouncing back with a perfect fifth, ending the night with six hits while striking out four and walking one on 108 pitches (72 strikes). Manaea gave the Mets some length despite his mixed outing, which included White's second-inning solo shot and Michael Harris II's third-inning single that scored Drake Baldwin to put the Braves (52-35) ahead by two runs early, but the damage was done.
Taylor, in his fifth game back from a rehab assignment for a right hip flexor strain, homered. He went yard for the first time since May 17, taking Chris Sale deep with two outs in the fifth inning on a 1-2 fastball at 96 mph and giving the Mets -- trailing 6-1 -- a pulse.
Taylor's fourth home run of the season set the stage for first baseman Mark Vientos, whose two-run homer on Sale's 2-2 fastball at 98 mph in the sixth inning had the Mets down 6-3 and within striking distance. Vientos 11th long ball of the year pumped more life into New York, but Atlanta's subsequent two-run innings in the sixth and seventh against right-handed relief pitcher Austin Warren -- he allowed four runs on four hits over his two frames while throwing 44 pitches (28 strikes) -- pushed the game back out of reach.
The Mets are 0-3 to start July, losing three straight after they dropped Wednesday's 9-3 series finale at the Toronto Blue Jays and opened their four-game set in Atlanta with Friday's 5-3 defeat. New York has lost 12 of its past 14 games as it looks to salvage a split of the holiday weekend at Truist Park. Since last Friday's firing of Carlos Mendoza after two-plus years as the Mets' manager and move to Andy Green in the interim, New York is 2-6. Not much has changed for the Mets in a week, and questions linger about how many more moves should be made with eight more games until the 2026 MLB All-Star break -- and, soon enough, the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Who's the MVP?
White, who ultimately drove home four of the Braves' first five runs to fuel a fuel a 5-0 lead through three innings that put Atlanta in command against New York.
Highlights
Three runs come home for the Braves as the Mets are unable to make the play on the pop-up pic.twitter.com/c1QRCJrnO3
Max Fried is set to throw another simulated game Sunday at the Stadium in his comeback from a left elbow bone bruise that’s sidelined him since mid-May.
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It will be another step for the lefty who still figures to be about a month away from rejoining what’s been a shaky Yankees rotation.
Fried and the Yankees remain encouraged by his progress, with Fried saying Saturday that he’s made some mechanical adjustments that should prevent the injury from returning.
He said that after his previous live batting practice sessions he’s felt “completely normal. I feel healthy. … I would love to be able to snap my fingers and be back out there, but as a starting pitcher, it takes time to build up. I’ll get back hopefully soon.”
Max Fried threw a two-inning simulated game on June 30, 2026. Getty Images
Fried is now at a stage where he’s mostly just building up his pitch count.
After throwing 28 pitches over two innings in his previous sim game, he’s expected to go about 35 over two innings Sunday.
If that goes well, a minor league rehab outing could be discussed and as Boone noted, the Yankees will have to decide how deep they need Fried to pitch into a game before welcoming him back to The Bronx.
“When do we take him?” Boone said. “Is it at 60 [or] 75, 80 pitches? Those will be conversations we have over the next couple weeks as he continues to build up. He looks and feels really good. He looks like Max Fried.”
Boone indicated it would likely be “a few weeks” before Fried could realistically be back.
“It’s one of those injuries you have to be really careful with,” Fried said. “If you push it too fast, you risk turning it into some sort of break or fracture.”
He added he’d “really felt off mechanically most of the year” and is now “more balanced [and] on time.”
Fried will attempt to bring that into games whenever he does return, as the Yankees have been waiting all season for their full rotation to be healthy.
With Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon back from the IL, there was a question about how much Anthony Volpe would be in the lineup over José Caballero.
Volpe was in there instead of Caballero on Saturday, as Boone said, “Both guys deserve to play.”
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The manager also noted that there was “strong debate” about keeping Spencer Jones in the majors before he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday to open a spot for Saturday’s spot starter, Brendan Beck.
Boone said Jones would benefit from playing regularly in the minors and they prefer the defensive versatility and right-handed bat of Max Schuemann, who homered and reached base four times Saturday.
Grisham was in the lineup at DH after Boone said he initially had planned on him getting a day off. Boone noted the Twins had originally planned to start a left-hander, but switched to righty Zebby Matthews.
Grisham went 0-for-2 before being replaced by pinch hitter Paul Goldschmidt in the sixth.
Goldschmidt flied out to left with the bases loaded to extend his hitless streak to 0-for-21.
Yankees pitchers allowed a season-high six homers… Both teams wore Fourth of July-themed hats and jerseys. The red, white and blue numbers were virtually impossible to see on the back of the Yankees uniforms… Home plate umpire James Hoye had a rough day behind the plate. The first five calls challenged were all overturned via ABS.
Jul 4, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Jesus Luzardo continued his good run of form with an Independence Day gem as the Philadelphia Phillies (50-39) cruised to a 6-1 victory in their series opener against the Kansas City Royals (35-54).
Luzardo retired the first eight batters of the game, which included striking out the side in the second inning, before allowing an infield single to the speedy Tyler Tolbert in the third, who had two hits and two steals on the night.
Luzardo struck out nine, the fifth time he’s done so this season and third time in his last four starts. It was his fifth straight start going 5+ innings with two or fewer earned runs and the eighth time in his last nine starts.
The Royals’ Michael Wacha held serve with Luzardo early but succumbed in the top of the fourth. After a one-out single by Bryson Stott, JT Realmuto and Gabriel Rincones, Jr. hit back-to-back homeruns to make it 3-0.
The Phillies tacked on another run in the seventh thanks to some heads up baserunning by Trea Turner, who went third to home on a wild pitch by Royals’ reliever, Lucas Erceg.
Doubles by Rincones and Bohm added one more run to close the scoring in the eighth inning.
Jonathan Bowlan, Orion Kerkering and Tim Mayza each pitched a scoreless frame to shut the door for Luzardo and added to his nine K’s with six of their own.
On the night he was named as an All Star Game starter, Brandon Marsh was the only starter not to record a hit and extended his baseless streak to nine plate appearances. Kyle Schwarber had three hits, all singles.
Game two of their visit to Kansas City will take place tomorrow afternoon as Aaron Nola is scheduled to face off against young righthander, Luinder Avila.
Sean Burke put on a pitching clinic against a chippy Guardians offense. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
After two nights of being walked off, the White Sox reversed course, pushing to a 3-1 lead late and then locking the win up with zero drama. In the process, Sean Burke dazzled through six with a career-high strikeout night, Colson Montgomery celebrated a year since his debut by putting two of the three runs on the board, and Grant Taylor saved the lead by blanking Cleveland in the ninth.
But before we break down the game, let’s take a moment to celebrate Miguel Vargas, who was selected to represent the White Sox in the All-Star Game!
A first-inning walk to Vargas would haunt Parker Messick as Colson Montgomery celebrated the first anniversary of his MLB debut with a broken-bat RBI double:
Burke dazzled in the second inning, with two strikeouts, then notched his 100th strikeout of the season in the bottom of the third with back-to-back Ks, blanking Cleveland once more.
Burke collected his seventh strikeout in the bottom of the fourth, but in the next frame Austin Hedges knotted the game with a homer. Cleveland threatened to take the lead after a Steven Kwan one-out triple, but he was caught in a pickle after the Guardians called for an ill-advised contact play. Burke tidied things up with a punch out of Chase DeLauter, A rundown with Kwan and a strikeout kept Burke away from any further damage, ending the frame at 1-1.
Burke smelled a career high in Ks in the sixth, striking out the first three batters he saw to push is total to 11. However, because Drew Romo couldn’t find the ears on a K of Kahlil Watson, Watson scampered safely to first. Despite the speedster then stealing second and third, but Burke escaped the jam by coaxing Cooper Ingle to ground out to first.
The White Sox offense ultimately did enough for the win, but didn’t act with enough haste to earn Burke a much-deserved win.
Speaking of that sleepy offense, Colson Montgomery opened the eighth by driving in his second run of the game, a solo homer to make it 2-1:
Peters doubled to start the ninth and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Romo picked up a four-pitch walk, and with a sac fly, Vargas sent Peters home for a much-needed insurance run.
Brandon Eisert was fabulous in his two innings of relief of Burke (and vultured the win from him), then handed the ball to Grant Taylor for the save. stepped in to close out the ninth. The win broke a a nine-game losing streak at Progressive Field for the White Sox over the last two years, and knotted the two clubs back up at the top of the AL Central.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 04: Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals fell to the Phillies 6-1 after Michael Wacha allowed four runs on three homers in six innings. This was Wacha’s first start after being named a 2026 American League All-Star. While it was among his worst starts of the season, it wasn’t a terrible start overall. He even struck out 7! But the Royals’ offense had almost nothing going for it. They managed only 5 hits and didn’t walk once while striking out 15 times.
Bobby Witt Jr., just named an All-Star starter for the first time, went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen struck out a combined 5 times. Tyler Tolbert was the only Royal to reach base more than once. He hit a pair of singles and stole a base each time. His season OPS has now almost reached Salvador Perez’s.
Lucas Erceg pitched the seventh and gave up a run. Jose Cuas, just back up with Stephen Kolek returning to the Family Medical Emergency List, pitched an inning and gave up a run. Beck Way got the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning. He allowed a single and a walk, but he’s the only reliever who got a strikeout. So.
The game was over early when Wacha gave up back-to-back home runs to J.T. Realmuto (with one on) and rookie Gabriel Rincones Jr. in the fourth inning. The Royals scored their run in the bottom of that inning when Lane Thomas doubled down the third base line, advanced to third on a Caglianone groundout, and scored on a Nick Loftin infield single. That single broke an 0-for-23 slide for Nick.
Just to rub salt in the wound, Jonathan Bowlan pitched the seventh for the Phillies, striking out three in a row after allowing a leadoff single to Starling Marte. Clearly, no one was paying any attention to the game as you could hear the sounds of fireworks being fired all around Kauffman Stadium for most of the second half of the contest. I managed to turn the broadcast off before they did their usual annoying thing of attempting to broadcast a postgame show from directly underneath the after-game fireworks display. I don’t know who decided it was a good idea to do that every home Friday game, but it makes for a truly awful television experience, regardless of whether the Royals won.
The Royals will appear again tomorrow afternoon. Not on Royals TV, though. This game will be a national broadcast on Peacock at 2 PM CDT. Luinder Avila will face off against Aaron Nola. Do what you want with that information.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 03: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 03, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On America’s 250th birthday, the Orioles celebrated in style.
The Birds’ bats dazzled with some early fireworks, roughing up Reds fireballer Hunter Greene for eight runs in the first four innings, and the O’s held the line from there for an 8-5 victory in Cincinnati. Brandon Young struggled early but hung in to earn his seventh win, freshly minted All-Star Adley Rutschman had a pair of doubles, and new closer Tyler Wells notched his second save in as many nights.
One might have thought the Orioles were unlucky to be the first team this season to face All-Star flamethrower Hunter Greene, who was making his season debut for the Reds after undergoing surgery in March to remove bone chips from his elbow. Greene was the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball in 2025, and if you thought he might need some time to ramp up to full velocity, uh, think again. In the first inning alone, Greene fired 11 pitches clocked at over 100 mph.
But that doesn’t mean the Orioles were intimidated. Gunnar Henderson lined Greene’s first pitch of the year, a 100.3-mph four-seamer, straight up the middle for a single. With two outs, Pete Alonso worked a walk after a fantastic, nine-pitch at-bat, five of which were triple digit heaters. That brought up Samuel Basallo, who similarly worked the count full.
On 3-2, Greene tried to pump another fastball past Basallo. Mistake. Samuel was more than ready for it, connecting right on the barrel and smashing it deep into the right-center field seats. That, my friends, is an Earl Weaver Special. What a blast from the rookie on 100-mph heat against a tough pitcher. I like Samuel Basallo.
The Orioles had to be feeling pretty good at that point, handing a 3-0 lead to their de facto ace, Brandon Young. This was a rematch against the team Young faced in his major league debut last April — which was also against Greene, coincidentally — but this version of Brandon is much better than that overmatched rookie from last year. In his 13 starts this season before tonight, only once had Young allowed more than three runs. So this lead was definitely going to hold, no question about it.
Yeah, uh, about that. The Reds had other ideas, and it took them less than two innings to storm back and grab the lead for themselves. They plated one in the first on an RBI single by Eugenio Suárez, and things really escalated in the second. The first three batters of the inning all tagged Young for base hits — a single, double, and triple, in that order — and in a flash, the game was tied. Two batters later, Elly De La Cruz ripped a go-ahead RBI single to right, and the early 3-0 O’s lead had become a 4-3 deficit.
But fear not: the Orioles’ offense wasn’t done bashing Greene. The Hunter became the hunted, if you will. (Now I’m just recycling puns from my Hunter Greene recap last year.) The O’s knocked him out of the game with an extended fourth-inning rally, which began with a Colton Cowser single and a Leody Taveras walk. Jackson Holliday nearly mucked things up by trying to bunt, making one futile attempt that he popped up (foul, luckily) before Greene did his work for him by uncorking a wild pitch to advance the runners. The bunt now off, Holliday worked a walk to load the bases.
Up came Blaze Alexander, perhaps the best #9 hitter in the league, and he did his thing once again by lacing a two-run single to right field, putting the O’s back in front, 5-4. Two batters later, newly minted All-Star Adley Rutschman proved why he was selected, mashing his second double of the game to plate Holliday and Alexander.
The O’s lead was up to 7-4, and a visibly fatigued Greene was done for the night. He lasted just 3.2 innings and surrendered a career-worst eight runs, the last one scoring on a Pete Alonso RBI single off reliever Sam Moll. I know it was Greene’s first start of the year and maybe he’s rusty, but still, great job by the Birds’ bats to put up that kind of damage against one of baseball’s most intimidating pitchers.
Young, with new life, kept the Reds off the board from there, though he needed a little help. He tossed a scoreless fourth and fifth and returned for the sixth with his pitch count escalating. He allowed a leadoff walk and a sharp single, and at 102 pitches, he was done for the night. It wasn’t Young’s finest outing — five innings, four runs — but he owes a debt of gratitude to Grant Wolfram, who escaped Young’s two-on, no-out jam on just three pitches by inducing a double play and a groundout to second.
In the seventh, it was Wolfram’s turn to get into trouble with a leadoff walk, and Yennier Cano wasn’t quite as generous at bailing him out. The inherited run scored on a Suárez RBI single to make it 8-5, though Cano didn’t allow any runs of his own. The O’s caught a break prior to that when JJ Bleday bounced a hit into right field and greedily tried to take second base, only to get thrown out by Taveras. If not for that baserunning blunder, the Reds might’ve put together a more threatening rally.
Andrew Kittredge mowed through a perfect eighth and, with a three-run lead in the ninth, Craig Albernaz again entrusted Tyler Wells with a save situation. Wells, the closer replacement for the injured Ryan Helsley, was seeking to record saves in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
He got it done, but it wasn’t easy. A De La Cruz leadoff single and Sal Stewart walk immediately brought the potential tying run to the plate with nobody out. Hoo boy. Can’t we just have one stress-free win? But Wells locked it down from there, retiring Bleday on a foulout, Suárez on a fly to center — on a nifty running catch by Cowser — and Nathaniel Lowe on a popout to short. Nice job by Tyler to not let that inning get away from him.
Orioles win! The Birds now head into Sunday’s finale with the chance to earn their first sweep since late May and their first four-game winning streak of the season. And maybe they’ll give O’s fans a reason to feel just a little bit more optimistic about this team.
