Game Thread: New Month, New Rays?

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 26: Griffin Jax #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Go Rays!

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Royals vs Reds, Game 60 Gamethread

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 26: Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals during an MLB game between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on May 26, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The 22-37 Royals last won a game on Sunday, May 24th, against the Seattle Mariners. I attended that game and left when the score was 8-3 Royals. They tried to lose the game but failed. Since then, the Royals have been very successful at losing, as they suffered consecutive sweeps at the hands of the Yankees and Rangers.

Tonight, the Royals roll into Cincinnati riding a six-game losing streak to take on the 30-28 Reds. Despite the winning record, the Reds are in last place in the NL Central. Max has you covered on the series preview.

The Reds will start someone named Lyon Richardson, who is not a starting pitcher and has not started an MLB game since 2023. He walks a lot of guys and does not strike out many – his career K% and BB% are pretty close. Seems as though it will be a bullpen game from the Reds.

In addition, the Reds will not have star Elly De La Cruz due to a hamstring strain. The Reds have a ton of pitchers on the IL, especially in the bullpen. If there was ever a time to break a bad losing streak, tonight is it.

Salvador Perez gets a game off and Jac Caglianone will hit cleanup. 3-4 are both lefties…we will see how that pans out today. Luinder Avila will get the start.

The starts at 6:10pm US Central time and is in Cincinnati. You can watch on Royals.TV or listen on 96.5 The Fan/Royals Radio Network.

Lineups:

GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m.

May 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Matt Vierling (8) celebrates with shortstop Zack Short (15) after scoring against the Chicago White Soxduring the tenth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (22-38) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (36-20)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Tropicana Field
SB Nation Site: DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 2.38 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Jax (1-3, 3.60 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Madden311.127.94.755.22.620.2
Jax1730.021.111.750.64.500.0

Lineups

TIGERSRAYS
Kevin McGonigle – SSYandy Diaz – DH
Dillon Dingler – CJonathan Aranda – 1B
Kerry Carpenter – LFRichie Palacios – 2B
Riley Greene – DHJunior Caminero – 3B
Spencer Torkelson – 1BChandler Simpson – LF
Colt Keith – 3BVictor Mesa – RF
Wenceel Perez – CFCedric Mullins – CF
Hao-Yu Lee – 2BHunter Feduccia – C
Zach McKinstry – RFTaylor Walls – SS

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Dodgers and One Piece strike gold again as collector hype explodes

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows The Dodgers' One Piece Night giveaways are expected to be valuable collectibles, Image 2 shows Dodgers One Piece hat promotional item

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t even opened the gates for “One Piece Night” yet, and fans are already preparing to cash in.

The Dodgers officially announced the return of their wildly popular One Piece collaboration with Toei Animation, scheduled for July 2 against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The event will once again feature exclusive merchandise to be given to the first 40,000 fans in attendance.

But for many fans, the biggest attraction isn’t the game.

It’s the collectibles.

The Dodgers’ One Piece Night giveaways are expected to be valuable collectibles. Instagram/Los Angeles Dodgers

Last year’s One Piece Night became one of the most sought-after promotional events in baseball, thanks to limited-edition co-branded straw hats and an exclusive Monkey D. Luffy trading card featuring the iconic pirate captain in a Dodgers uniform.

One Piece has evolved from a bestselling manga and anime series into a global entertainment phenomenon spanning films, video games, trading cards, merchandise and live experiences.

The crossover between baseball and anime fandoms created a collector frenzy, with some cards eventually selling for thousands of dollars on the secondary market.

Now, anticipation is building that a new collectible card could debut alongside the updated 2026 straw hat giveaway.

The Dodgers have already unveiled a redesigned hat featuring a chin strap, while promotional artwork has fueled speculation that another limited-run Luffy card could be part of the event. Fans have begun discussing resale values online despite the organization not yet confirming a card giveaway.

The excitement is understandable. Previous Dodgers One Piece collectibles have become prized items among anime and sports collectors alike, with rare versions commanding premium prices on marketplaces such as eBay and StockX.

Dodgers One Piece hat promotional item. Los Angeles Dodgers

Beyond the merchandise, One Piece Night will feature Centerfield Plaza activations, a ceremonial first pitch, and a postgame drone show showcasing characters from the legendary franchise.

For some fans, July 2 is about baseball.

For others, it’s about getting through the gates before the collectibles disappear.

MLB players union soundly rejects league's salary cap proposal as bad in every way

Major League Baseball players would be taking a $500 million pay cut, with portions of their contracts becoming non-guaranteed if they accepted MLB’s proposal for a salary cap, Bruce Meyer, interim executive director of the MLB Players Association, said Monday, June 1.

“That's something this union has fought against for decades, based on our belief that it's bad for players at all levels," Meyer said, explaining the union’s strong opposition to the concept. "And not just monetarily, bad for freedom, bad for competition, eliminates truly guaranteed money. Bad, bad for the fans, in our view, bad for players at every level, particularly bad for the middle class. …

“Fundamentally, that system is anti-competitive. It's a form of institutionalized collusion.”

When asked how to convince MLB owners, who are beginning a quarterly meeting Tuesday in New York, that the union would never cave in to the owners’ attempt for a potential lockout and would resist a salary cap like the NFL, NBA and NHL, he reaffirmed the union’s strength.

“Our union has never been broken,’’ Meyer said. “It never will be. So, you can take away a different lesson from our history, but that would be a big mistake.

“Our players have what they have, including being the only sports that doesn’t have this ultimate restriction, a salary cap, because our players have always been the most uniformed. And that’s going to continue.”

Meyer, speaking publicly for the first time since the union and MLB exchanged proposals last week, said that he and the players were bitterly disappointed in the MLB’s initial offer, which did not address items such as free agency, minimum salary, salary arbitration or the draft. The proposal, he said, is worse than the one MLB offered in 1994 before the sport endured the longest work stoppage in MLB history – 232 days – canceling the 1994 World Series.

“Very surprised,’’ he said. “I mean, I thought they would try harder to make it look good, and they didn’t even do that.’’

While MLB proposed a $245.3 million salary cap along with a $171.2 million payroll floor for teams, Meyer said the numbers were misleading considering it didn’t include benefits and amateur signings. While it included a promise of a 50/50 revenue sharing split, Meyer says that the players already are receiving more than 50% of the revenue now, so why would they accept a reduction that includes an escrow account, which could reduce pay if revenue doesn’t meet projections? He cited the NBA players as having to return nearly $500 million last year when the league didn’t meet their revenue projections.

Major League Baseball wasted no time disputing Meyer’s claims, issuing a release within 45 minutes of Meyer’s press briefing.

“Our salary cap and floor proposal addresses our fans’ concerns by leveling the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 like the other leagues,’’ MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said. “Under our proposal, Major League players will receive more compensation in Year 1 of the system than in 2026. We are ready to listen if the MLBPA wants to counter our proposal at the bargaining table.”

The massive disparity in MLB isn’t because of the Dodgers and Mets’ payrolls, Meyer insists, but from teams who receive monies in revenue sharing but refuse to use it for their payroll.

“Our proposals are designed to reward and incentivize competition,’’ Meyer said. “In other words, to get clubs, their owners [who] are choosing not to compete, to compete. And that will benefit players and fans. We believe that will be the single-best change that could be made to benefit fans … incentivize and reward teams that are actually using revenue sharing money and other forms of subsidies for the purposes for which it was intended, namely to put a better product on the field and not to put it in their pockets in the form of profits.

Meyer cited the Padres, who reside in one of MLB’s smallest markets, who increased their payroll to the third highest in MLB three years ago, and now have the second-largest attendance in baseball with a perennial playoff team.

“We want to encourage more San Diego’s,’’ Meyer said. “San Diego is a small-market team that went out, decided to compete, signed a lot of players. Turned around their franchise. They’ve grown attendance, they’ve grown interest, and we’ve all seen the explosion of their franchise value.”

The Padres were recently sold for $3.9 billion, the highest franchise sale in MLB history.

While a small-market team hasn't won the World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015, Meyer pointed out that the Milwaukee Brewers, who reside in MLB’s smallest market, won the most regular-season games in baseball last season before being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The small-market Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays have also ranked among the top teams in regular-season victories in the last decade.

“Every team now has the ability to put a competitive team on the field,” Meyer said. “Every single [one] has the ability to do what the Brewers are doing, what the Padres have done, or what Tampa has always done.’’

The players union and MLB have yet to schedule their next negotiating session, but both sides say they likely will meet soon to at least address non-economic issues, with flickering hopes of still reaching an agreement before their CBA expires Dec. 1 and a pending lockout.

“Hopefully everyone is thinking rationally, rationally, and at the end of the day we will make a deal,’’ Meyer said. “I don't know when, what it’s going to take, but we have to deal with each other.

“I wouldn't be optimistic expecting an early deal, but on the other hand, you never know. You never know.”

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLBPA rejects MLB's salary cap proposal for players, lockout threats

Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Fans cheer during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Nats enter June riding high with a record of 31-29. However, now is when the real test starts. June was when things really unraveled for the Nats last year. I would like to think the foundation is stronger this year, but we need to see things play out some more. This series against the Marlins is a big measuring stick.

Dylan Crews is out of the lineup for a second straight game with a sore hand. However, it sounds like he will be back in there tomorrow. It is a pretty similar lineup to yesterday. One change is that Nasim Nunez will replace Jorbit Vivas at second base. Cade Cavalli pitched more like a frontline starter in May, going deep into games consistently. He will look to keep that up tonight.

The Marlins lineup has been carried by three players. Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks have done the heavy lifting this year. Meanwhile, players like Jakob Marsee, Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie have been underperforming. There was a time when Sandy Alcantara was a dominant ace in this league. However, he has been more of a mid rotation innings eater since his Cy Young season. He can still be brilliant at his best though, and hopefully we don’t see that version of Sandy tonight.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats are in an unfamiliar spot. They are beginning a series where the expectation is to win and take care of business. After three straight series wins over good teams, they face a 26-34 Marlins squad. They can’t let their guard down, or else the Fish will surprise them. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Game Thread #57: Milwaukee Brewers (35-21) vs. San Francisco Giants (23-36)

Milwaukee Brewers
May 22, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants are getting set to kick off a four-game series at American Family Field. It’ll be a reunion with several former Brewers players who are on the Giants, including Willy Adames, Eric Haase, and Adrian Houser.

Prior to the game, manager Pat Murphy provided some updates on injured Brewers and the plans for this series. Currently, the Brewers have Wednesday and Thursday marked with TBA as the starters. When going over possibilities, Murphy said Chad Patrick, Brandon Sproat, and Coleman Crow are all possibilities, but that Brandon Woodruff was not. Woodruff played catch today and is scheduled for a “3-up” live BP session on Wednesday and then there’s another step after that before he could return to the rotation.

Also Logan Henderson’s back is progressing “very well” and he should be playing catch to start his return soon. In other good news, Jacob Misiorowski is taking home the NL Player of the Week award for last week following his most recent dominant outings.

For the game today, Shane Drohan is getting the start for the Brewers. It’s just his second start of the season with the other being his MLB debut. Since then Drohan has pitched in a bulk role out of the bullpen and has done incredibly well with a 2.63 ERA on the year, helping him earn this start tonight.

On the other side, the Giants will be countering with right-hander Landen Roupp, who has a 3.30 ERA on the season. The 27-year-old righty has been a regular in the Giants rotation and is having a breakout season in his third year in the bigs.

The Giants will keep four lefties in their lineup against the left-handed Drohan. Rafael Devers, Luis Arraez, and Jung-Hoo Lee will surround the right-handed hitting Willy Adames in the heart of their order. The Giants will also have their top prospect, the giant Bryce Eldridge batting seventh. Eldridge stands 6-foot-7 with plenty of pop in a dangerous bat.

The Brewers lineup has Christian Yelich leading off again, followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Luis Rengifo will man third base and David Hamilton will have shortstop to round out the bottom of the order.

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and nationally as FS1, as well as the Brewers Radio Network.

Ask Pinstripe Alley: Yankees mailbag questions request

Ask Pinstripe Alley

We’re entering June, and the Yankees are slightly behind in the division as we pull past the one-third mark of the season. The Rays have proven relentless, and look to contend with New York as they’ve taken a 1.5 game lead heading into the month with an 18-9 run in May. The rest of the division still is stuck in the doldrums, but they can’t be discounted as the Wild Card picture is wide enough that it has them firmly in playoff contention. This month will prove essential to shaking up the leaderboards, and with only two divisional matchups ahead of the Yankees they’ll get to face off with different competition mainly from the AL Central — a familiar stomping ground.

Outside of the unknown timetable for Max Fried, the Yankees are near full-strength and in position to make things happen if they can get the bats going. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham showed major turnarounds, and Anthony Volpe hasn’t been too shabby in his return from the minors as well, but with Aaron Judge not firing on all cylinders it’d sure help if the bottom of the lineup could become a bit more respectable. Will Austin Wells finally get a foothold in the batter’s box, and can Ryan McMahon trend be the next bat to trend back to average? Will the Captain go on a tear to silence the critics, or will this slump turn out to be something more worrisome? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of June 4th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Are the Houston Astros Trending in the RIGHT DIRECTION?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 22: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros pitches in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Always look on the bright side of LIFE!

While the Astros are in the throws of another slow start, despite some recent success there aren’t many Astros fans who see any trends going in the right direction. The Clubhouse would tell you a different. Here are a few of those bright spots:

  1. We recently heard Spencer Arrighetti speak up and say that there was no quit in the clubhouse.

“I know it sounds dumb to say where we were sitting right now,” Arrighetti said, “but this is a really special group, and I really believe in every single player that’s in this locker room right now, and I think we need to take it a little more personally.

“I’m sure there’s stuff being said right now that makes it seem bleak. I don’t think it feels that way in here.”

Quote taken from Chandler Rome, The Athletic from his article written on May 29, 2026.

Spencer Arrighetti is a BIG part of the Houston Astros staff in 2026, and in the absence of Hunter Brown due to his IL stint, Arrighetti has taken the bull by the horns. You need young players to step up, especially when it’s your veterans who have been injured, or not been performing up to par.

Overall his numbers are impressive despite being considered the luckiest pitcher in 2026, sometimes its better to be lucky than good? I know even Spencer knows where he stands and the kid will, in my eyes see where the league is looking to exploit him, so he can continue his success.

2nd Bright Spot: Yordan Alvarez

Despite not having the eye popping numbers he did in the previous month he is still the only hitter to have an OPS over 1.000, tied for 2nd (at the time of this article) in Home Runs in the AL, leads in many key offensive categories, and allows other hitters in the lineup to get better pitches through out the game. Not to mention how well he does when he faces a pitcher for the 2nd time.

Numbers calculated May 28, 2026 by Locked on Astros.

3rd Bright Spot: The Astros are playing better baseball as the season progresses.

The Houston Astros record by month:

March 4-2

April 8-18

May 15-14

You may not think much about a club that is one game over .500 in a month, and probably should have at least 5 more wins in the W column. The fact that they did this, with players being out, getting players off the IL, as well back up players becoming starters, and the pitching starting to turn things around. I would say the trend is welcomed in Astros nation.

A second part to the 3rd Bright Spot is the runs given up has gone down. This is one of those good news/bad news kind of bits, just hear me out. April their totals were 129 Runs Scored and 166 Runs against, moving into May the run production slowed down, where they only had 103 runs scored, but also only gave up 110 runs against. I see this as a very positive thing, also recently the runs have started to tick up.

The fact that baseball is a 162 game season, where our favorite team is entrenched in a weak division as well sub .500 league in the A.L. should give some hope to the Astros fanbase. I would say that it does still seem very bleak when it comes to chances at a playoff run or even a deep playoff run, but we are only this far into the season, 61 games completed. with 101 games left.

Why all the fuss? Always Positive, Always Stros guy?

Well I have been with this team since I was 2 years old, no I wasn’t checking box scores then, but I have seen far more losing seasons than I have seen winning. I do believe that a healthy lineup, with a healthy starting rotation and back end bullpen, can yield solid results. I am not calling the Mayor for a parade route, I am also not willing to say they are 100% not going to make the playoffs. Here is what I am saying.

1. You’re getting Josh Hader and Hunter Brown back real soon. That is improvement.
2. You have Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Jeremy Pena to anchor this offense.
3. Jose Altuve I believe will come back motivated to hit the ball, he’s inching closer to 3,000 and we all know he wants that.
4. Spencer Arrighetti, Tatsuya Imai, Kai Wei Teng, Peter Lambert and Co. are looking to continiue their improving performances on the mound.

Now with this being said, there are many things that HAVE to go right. I understand that, but to sit here and say there is no way, shows that maybe you haven’t observed enough up and down Astros baseball. So this is what I ask of you. Sit back, enjoy the wins when they come. Don’t focus on the standings, and hope that the team can find a month like June where they can capitalize on their opponents. In June the Astros face the: Pirates, Athletics, Angels, Royals, Tigers Guardians, Blue Jays, Tigers again, then the Twins.

What do you predict they will do in June. I if I am going to take the optimist and say they go 16-8, The realist approach would be more like 13-11, So tell me what will their June record be?

Giants bring up Wilkin Ramos and Buddy Kennedy, option Jesús Rodríguez

Side view of Wilkin Ramos throwing a pitch for Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Wilkin Ramos #15 of the Sacramento River Cats pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning of an exhibition game at Sutter Health Park on March 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We knew the San Francisco Giants would have to make a move today, after right-handed pitcher Joel Peguero injured his hamstring during an otherwise perfect baseball game on Sunday. But the Giants have decided to take it a step further, with a flurry of moves, as they seem firmly in their button-mashing phase.

Ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants announced that right-handed reliever Wilkin Ramos and corner infielder Buddy Kennedy had been brought up from AAA Sacramento, while catcher/outfielder Jesús Rodríguez — a day after a pinch-hit home run off a position player — had been optioned back to AAA.

Neither Ramos nor Kennedy was on the 40-man roster. The Giants cleared one spot on the 40 by placing Peguero on the 60-Day Injured List, while the other spot was opened by designating AAA catcher Logan Porter for assignment. The team announced the moves on social media.

The Giants signed Ramos, who is 25, to a Minor League deal early in the offseason. He impressed in Spring Training, though he was never really in contention to earn a role out of camp. But he’s excelled in AAA this year, posting a 2.00 ERA and a 3.99 FIP, with 27 strikeouts and just seven walks in 27 innings. He has a large amount of funk, and is an extreme ground ball pitcher, with a 61.4 ground ball rate this year. For his career, he has always kept the ball on the ground, and has excelled at not allowing home runs … since the start of 2023, he’s allowed just four home runs in 200.1 innings. This is his first time making the Major Leagues.

As for Kennedy, he has a fair amount of MLB experience, having appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons (2022 and 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks; 2024 with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies; and 2025 with the Phillies and, hilariously, both the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

A 27-year old who signed a Minor League deal with the Giants this offseason, Kennedy has struggled mightily in the Majors, hitting just .178/.271/.274 in 181 plate appearances. But he has had a phenomenal year in Sacramento, slashing .321/.424/.543 with eight home runs and just a 12.4% strikeout rate. He has spent the bulk of the year at third base, where he plays good defense, and has seen some time at first as well. He’s played a lot of second base earlier in his career, with a little time at shortstop and in the outfield as well.

More moves, and more buttons being pressed. We’ll see how well they work.

Canseco, Pods, Palka and friends: The White Sox Alumni Home Run Derby is delightfully unhinged

MLB: ALDS-Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox
Not exactly the first name that comes to mind for a Home Run Derby, which is precisely why Leury García belongs in it. | (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)

The White Sox revealed the lineup for their Postgame Alumni Home Run Derby, set to follow the July 11 contest with the A’s at Rate Field. Six familiar names, all ready to take their hacks.

The group features a grab bag of franchise favorites and power hitters from across several eras of White Sox baseball: José Canseco, Gordon Beckham, Leury García, Daniel Palka, Scott Podsednik, and Alexei Ramírez. First pitch at 1:10 CST, then the derby kicks off about half an hour after the last out.

Canseco headlines the group with perhaps the most accomplished power résumé (and most chemical assistance, although Alexei would like a word). The 1988 AL MVP, six-time All-Star, 462 career bombs, four Silver Sluggers, and half of the Bash Brothers with Mark McGwire. His last big league homer? Of course, it came in a Sox jersey.

The rest? Maybe not classic sluggers, but each has a moment burned into Sox fans’ memories. Podsednik’s walk-off in the ’05 World Series, García’s “Leury Legend” three-run rocket in the 2021 ALDS, and Ramírez’s rookie grand slam binge in 2008 — four of them, including the one that set up the Blackout Game. It’s certainly an interesting supporting cast.

Beckham still gets love for both his days on the field and his current gig in the booth.

And Palka? Well, he did drop 27 bombs as a rookie in 2018 and rose to instant cult hero status as one of the bright spots in a sea of rebuilding blues.

The derby will feature three rounds with simple rules: ten outs or three minutes to mash as many as you can in the opening round. The top four move on, then it’s down to two for the crown. If a slugger hits a special Blue Moon Orange Baseball? Those count double. If there’s a tie, the fans get the final say with a vote.

Before all that, there’s a Draft Viewing Party where fans get to watch the Sox make the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, right on the centerfield board. Draft, game, derby, all jammed into one afternoon. Oh, and fans get 20% off all concessions until 1 p.m. July 11 is shaping up as a full-on Sox-palooza: past, present, and whatever the future brings.

Yankees vs. Red Sox returns to the Bronx–We’ve got a hack to save on tickets

SeatGeek is the official MLB Ticketing Partner of the New York Post. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change.

Aaron Judge (L) and Willson Contreras are meeting at Yankee Stadium from June 5-7.

It doesn’t matter that the New York Yankees are at the top of the AL East while the Boston Red Sox languish in the cellar.

Their historic rivalry — which technically stretches back all the way to 1903, 16 years before the infamous Babe Ruth trade — is still arguably the best in baseball.

And, this weekend, the 123-year-old grudge match will pick up for a three-game series at the Bronx’s Yankee Stadium.

The trio of high-stakes showdowns between Aaron Judge’s Bronx Bombers and Willson Contreras’ BoSox are slated to go down on:

Friday, June 57:05 p.m.

Saturday, June 67:35 p.m.

Sunday, June 71:35 p.m.

Starting pitchers have yet to be announced but it’s likely Ryan Weather, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler will pitch if all goes according to plan.

If you’d like to be there, last-minute tickets are available for all three games.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one contest was $46 including fees on SeatGeek.

Should you attend a more expensive game, you’ll be treated to a Red, White and Blue Yankees T-shirt giveaway on Saturday, which is Military Night.

In the event, you’re buying pricier seats, make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 on SeatGeek at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

Never been to a Yankees-Red Sox game in person and don’t know what to expect?

“There’s a different air in the stadium,” New York Post Yankees fan Frank Massaro told us. “The beer tastes better. The hot dogs taste better. This is what baseball’s all about. It’s a true bucket list experience for any Yankees fan.”

With that, we’ll see you at The House That Jeter Built this weekend.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the June 2026 New York Yankees vs. Red Sox home game series at Yankee Stadium below.

Yankees vs. Red Sox ticket prices 2026

A complete breakdown of all Yankees-Red Sox game dates, start times and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

Yankees-Red Sox game datesTicket prices
start at
Friday, June 5
7:05 p.m.
$46(including fees)
Saturday, June 6
7:35 p.m.
$58(including fees)
Sunday, June 7
1:35 p.m.
$53(including fees)

Yankees 2026 home game tickets

At the moment, Aaron Boone’s Yankees are sitting at 36-23 just 1.5 games behind the scrappy Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive AL East.

And, while that’s certainly exciting, we’re most jazzed about all the amazing giveaways the team has planned for the rest of the year.

To make sure you’re fully up to speed on which games include special trinkets with your tickets (and Old-Timer’s Day!), here are all the remaining 2026 Yankees giveaways and special dates.

Yankees 2026 giveaways
Guardians vs. YankeesTuesday, June 2
Charles Fazzino’s America250: A New York Yankees Celebration Poster Night
Red Sox vs. YankeesSaturday, June 6
Military Appreciation Night – Red, White & Blue Yankees T-shirt
White Sox vs. YankeesThursday, June 18
Yankees Soccer Jersey Night
Guardians vs. YankeesSaturday, June 20
Aaron Judge MVP Bobblehead Day
Twins vs. YankeesFriday, July 3
Fireworks Night
Twins vs. YankeesSaturday, July 4
Yankees 4th of July Cap Day
Pirates vs. YankeesMonday, July 20
Yankees T-Shirt Night
Braves vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 8
Old-Timers’ Day
Blue Jays vs. YankeesFriday, Aug. 21
Cody Bellinger Bobblehead Night
Blue Jays vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 22
Hello Kitty Yankees Bobblehead Day
Astros vs. YankeesThursday, Aug. 27
George Costanza Calzone Bobblehead Night
Orioles vs. YankeesFriday, Sept. 25
Josh Hart Yankees Bobblehead Night
Orioles vs. YankeesSaturday, Sept. 26
CC Sabathia Night

Note: Most freebies will be given to the first 18,000 fans. There are exceptions so make sure to arrive at the ballpark early.

Prefer a home game without giveaways? You can find the Yankees’ complete 2026 schedule here.

Huge 2026 concerts

Hoping to catch a concert or three this year, too?

If the answer is a resounding yes, here are just a few you won’t want to miss these next few months.

• RUSH

• Bon Jovi

• Phish

• Gorillaz

• Wu-Tang Clan

Plus, JAŸ-Z has three concerts at Yankee Stadium from July 10-12 celebrating the anniversaries of his landmark albums “Reasonable Doubt” and “The Blueprint.”


Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.


Chase Burns scratched with illness; Edwin Arroyo to debut vs. Royals

CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 09: A Cincinnati Reds mascot stands on the field beofre the game between the Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park on September 09, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Aaron Doster/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It has been quite the administrative few days for the Cincinnati Reds.

Fresh off a weekend that saw them need to place both Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson on the injured list, the Reds were forced to place star Elly De La Cruz on there due to hamstring issues earlier on Monday. Kyle Nicolas was designated for assignment to free up a 40-man roster spot for Lyon Richardson, while Yunior Marte went from having his contract selected on Saturday to being DFA’d himself for Brandon Liebrandt on Monday.

In the midst of it all, top prospect Edwin Arroyo was recalled, and he’ll make his debut for the Reds on Monday as they take on the Kansas City Royals.

With all that roster shuffling going on, it was at least refreshing to know the Reds would be able to hand the ball to ace Chase Burns on Monday amid their pitching staff’s injury crisis. However, word broke Monday afternoon that Burns is apparently battling an illness, and he’s been scratched for the day with Richardson – who has worked multiple innings in appearances often with AAA Louisville over the last month – being tasked with the start in GABP in his stead.

Got all that?

It will be a bullpen day with a patchwork infield in the series opener, as the Reds will roll out different players in all four infield positions from those they used in their starting lineup on Opening Day. Matt McLain is sliding over to play short in Elly’s stead, Arroyo will start at 2B, Nate Lowe is in the lineup at 1B for the day, and Sal Stewart will slide over and start at 3B as Eugenio Suarez serves as DH (and with Ke’Bryan Hayes on the shelf indefinitely).

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET, and the full lineup for the start is listed below.

Yankees' Ben Rice named AL Player of the Week

Yankees first baseman Ben Rice has been named AL Player of the Week for the final week of May. 

From May 25-31, Rice hit .462 with 11RBI and a 1.418 OPS. He capped things off with a four-RBI performance against the Athletics in which he had a two-run double and two-run triple in the same inning.

Rice is in the midst of a phenomenal 2026 season, posting a 1.056 OPS with 17 home runs and 44 RBI, pairing up with Aaron Judge to make one of the best righty-lefty hitting combos in all of baseball. 

The ‘Lovable Reunion’ of the 2016 Cubs will be at the Chicago Theater in July

Several of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs have begun a podcast called “The Lovable Reunion” to reminisce about that championship season.

Now, a number of your favorite 2016 Cubs will have a live “Lovable Reunion” show at the Chicago Theater in downtown Chicago on Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m., during MLB’s All-Star break, the day before the 2026 Cubs will resume their season at Wrigley Field against the Minnesota Twins.

Participating 2016 Cubs will include Anthony Rizzo, David Ross, Joe Maddon, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, and possibly others.

“The podcast has been such a success with The Volume that a reunion event like this felt like something we couldn’t miss out on doing with such a special team and group of guys,” said Rizzo. “We can’t wait to reminisce in person, bringing fans back to the moments that made 2016 unforgettable.”

Ross added, “The Chicago Theatre, this city, and this team — it doesn’t get more iconic than that. We can’t wait to give the fans a night they’ll never forget.”

There’s a presale tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 at 10 a.m. CT, for active listeners of the podcast, and the general on-sale for this show is Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets will be available at this link — I have been told that link will be live when the presales begin. (No, I don’t know who qualifies for presales, so check it out tomorrow.)

Sounds fun. Enjoy!