Category: Baseball

Catastrophic blunder spoils Robbie Ray's gem in Giants' loss to White Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It only takes a split-second for a baseball game to turn on its head, which is exactly what happened during the Giants’ 1-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field.

With starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Adrian Houser locked in a scoreless pitchers duel, San Francisco appeared poised to break the deadlock after Brett Wisely and Christian Koss reached base to lead off the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on second and third with no outs and the heart of the Giants’ lineup coming to the plate.

Rafael Devers, the Giants’ star acquisition stepped into the batter’s box with a chance to deliver the kind of game-changing hit that made him such an appealing option for San Francisco.

That cricitcal momentum shift came, but not for the Giants. Devers struck out and White Sox catcher Edgar Quero threw a rocket to third base, catching Wisely off the bag for a strikeout-back pick combination that delivered a devastating blow to the Giants’ chances of scoring.

HOUSER AND QUERO ‼️ BIG-TIME PLAYS pic.twitter.com/LaDTecCbMt

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) June 28, 2025

Heliot Ramos flew out to end the frame, giving the White Sox a critical jolt of energy that carried over into the bottom half of the inning when outfielfer Andrew Benintendi’s solo home run supplied the game’s only scoring.

BOMBS AWAY FOR BENNY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/12ni4PGpSK

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) June 28, 2025

While Ray dealt yet again (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 6 K) that blast proved decisive in a loss that has become all too familiar as the Giants’ anemic offense was to blame once more.

“Obviously, that’s a tough situation,” Ray told reporters postgame about Wisely getting picked off. “Getting the strikeout and then thrown out at third base, back pick like that is kind of tough because you got a great hitter in Ramos coming up, and he hits a fly ball to center field, that’s a sac fly normally. It did feel like kind of a momentum shift for sure.”

While it was unclear why Wisely was so far off the bag in that situation, Giants manager Bob Melvin clarified how the blunder occured.

“He was trying to get a good jump on a ground ball, but he has got to be able to get back,” Melvin said. “Once the ball crosses home plate, got to be able to get back. He’s trying to get out there and be aggressive and when the ball hits the ground take off and get your best chance to score a run, but have to be able to get back.”

“Robbie pitched so good, gives up one pitch for a homer and we can’t scratch a run across. It’s very frustrating.”

Melvin also alluded to Wisely’s mistake coming as a result of the Giants as a team being more aggressive on the basepaths in an effort to make up for the lack of clutch hits and runs as San Francisco’s offense has sputtered as of late.

“We’re trying to be aggressive and do some things to score some runs, and in this case it backfired,” Melvin said. “So, we got to keep working to take that kind of pressure off ourselves offensively. We got to be able to score more runs than we’ve been doing and put more pressure on the starting pitcher.

“Whether it’s early in the game, whether it’s in the middle of the game — granted [Houser] had really good stuff, he had a really good sinker, it was down in the zone, balls on the ground. But we have to be able to put more pressure on because every opportunity that comes and something goes wrong, it’s magnified, and it comes down to a lack of offense.”

The Giants still have a chance to get out of Chicago with a series win if they are victorious Sunday, but these kind of losses continue to be an issue for a team that boasts a dominant pitching staff that has more than held up its end of the deal this season.

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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza updated the rehab statuses of injured left-handers Sean Manaea and Brooks Raley before Saturday's game at the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Manaea, who has been on the injured list since late March with a right oblique strain, had a setback in his left elbow and played catch earlier this week.

He does not yet have a next rehab start in mind, Mendoza said.

"He's scheduled to throw a bullpen (Sunday) back in New York, and then we'll see where we're at after that," Mendoza said.

The Mets have to wait and see with how Manaea responds, Mendoza added.

"We've got to, especially with what he's dealing with now," Mendoza said. "Again, bullpen (Sunday) and we've got to wait (and see) how he responds and we'll make that next decision."

Raley, meanwhile, is set to pitch for Double-A Binghamton in Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox-affiliated Portland Sea Dogs.

"We'll see what's next after that," Mendoza said. "Obviously, he's got to go to (Triple-A) Syracuse at some point.

"I think we're going to see one-plus (inning) out of him, so we started that process -- finishing an inning and then going back out for another one. I think that's happening (Saturday)."

Raley started his rehab assignment on June 17 with Low-A St. Lucie before Saturday's Binghamton transfer.

"I think it's more (likely) after the (All-Star) break," Mendoza said of when Raley, who underwent Tommy John surgery last May, could return to the Mets.

Prior to the middle of the three-game set between the Yankees and Athletics on Saturday, manager Aaron Boone spoke on a number of topics...

Giancarlo Stanton 'close to exploding'

Saturday will be Giancarlo Stanton's 10th game since returning from the IL. And while the slugger hasn't gone deep yet, his presence has provided the Yankees and Boone a formidable right-handed bat.

However, while numbers don't tell the whole story, Boone feels Stanton is close to breaking out in a big way.

"He hasn't hit the ball out the ballpark yet, but I feel like there's been half a dozen balls whether he's hit really hard in play or just missed," Boone said. "I feel like he's been on time really well. For the most part, I think his swing decisions have been good. He looks really good to me.

"He's really close to exploding. He's been getting his hits. He's hitting the ball hard. He's taking a couple walks here, which has been good. Overall, he's been pretty good."

In his first nine games, Stanton is 4-for-22 (.267) with a double, four walks and two RBI.

Latest on the closer situation

Before Luke Weaver landed on the IL, the young right-hander became the Yankees' closer, moving Devin Williams to the setup role. When Weaver got hurt, Williams resumed his closer duty and hasn't relinquished it.

Since Weaver's return, the closer situation has returned to what it was when the season began. Boone was asked if that's how it's going to be for now on.

"With Weave being a little cognizant of coming off the IL, we weren’t going to use him -- now, we probably would -- but we weren’t going to use them in that four-out situation. In his first couple [outings], we weren’t going to go back-to-back right away. Feel like we're off and running with that. Now, I feel like he's in a good spot.

"He’ll still get some save opportunities, but I like him in front of [Williams] as that fireman. You know, if I need an out in the seventh or something. We'll see. They'll both be in play."

Boone said that his decision to keep Williams to pitch the ninth has a little to do with the game situation but it's hard to put Weaver back in the closer's role with how effective Williams has been.

Williams hasn't allowed a run in eight consecutive outings (7.2 IP), only allowing three hits while striking out nine batters and locking down five saves.

Spencer Jones 'moving the needle' for Yankees

In Yankees prospect news, Spencer Jones was promoted to Triple-A on Friday. The high prospect has not shot through the minors as the organization may have first thought he would, but the promotion is a great sign for Jones and the Yankees.

Boone was asked about his assessment of Jones from, admittedly, afar.

"First of all, I thought he did a good job in spring training with us. He was there for a little while longer than the year prior. Got off to a pretty solid start [this year], had the injury, which just knocked him down for a couple weeks, but he's performed, which has been good. He's performed at a high level at Double-A. Definitely checked that box, and now it's on to Triple-A, where hopefully he continues to develop."

In his first game with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jones homered in his first at-bat, and finished 1-for-5. And while there's still a way's to go in Jones' development, Boone feels there's a very high ceiling for the outfielder.

"The ceiling's real. The speed and power, and athleticism's real. So it's just about plugging some holes, continue to tighten up as a big guy, which could be challenging, but if you master it, it could be pretty awesome. He's moving the needle," he said.

In June, Jones is slashing .313, .387/.651 with eight home runs and 16 RBI.

Giants catch fortunate break after White Sox's Michael Taylor misses home plate originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants’ offense rarely seems to catch a break these days amid a team-wide hitting slump.

But while trailing 1-0 to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday at Rate Field, San Francisco got quite lucky on a bizarre play in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After a Michael A. Taylor double off the right-field wall that was inches from being a home run, White Sox third baseman Josh Rojas singled to right.

It seemed almost a guarantee that Taylor would score an all-important insurance run, except for one key issue.

The Chicago outfielder simply missed home plate as he slid past Giants catcher Andrew Knizner.

The Giants catch a HUGE break as Michael A. Taylor misses home plate on this slide 😅 pic.twitter.com/tT2QOEjS7m

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 28, 2025

Though he easily beat the throw from right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, Taylor’s left hand came up just short of the plate as he reached out mid-dive. With Taylor’s momentum carrying him past the plate, Kninzer made a heads-up play to go tag the runner before the home plate umpire correctly called him out.

Unfortunately for the Giants, they were unable to capitalize on the lucky break, going on to lose 1-0 — their fourth defeat by that score this season — to the struggling White Sox.

After all, San Francisco fans know the mantra.

Giants baseball: Nothing like it.

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JP Sears keeps Aaron Judge, Yankees ‘off balance' in Athletics' shutout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Left-handed starter JP Sears allowed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings to fuel the Athletics’ 7-0 win over All-Star slugger Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

“I thought I came with a good game plan today, winning behind the plate,” Sears told reporters postgame. “I felt I was able to execute my fastball in and away and execute the sweeper good away — keeping the hitters off balance.”

JP Sears was pleased with his outing in today's shutout win 👏 pic.twitter.com/zkbZJbjxSz

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 28, 2025

Sears earned four strikeouts to three walks and went to his four-seam fastball and sweeper for 71 of his 90 pitches (79 percent). Sears now holds a 6-7 record and 5.09 ERA on the 2025 MLB season, and the A’s improved to 34-51.

It was the 29-year-old Sears’ first-career win against the Yankees, the franchise where he started his major-league career before being traded to the A’s in 2022. He entered 0-4 over six games against the reigning AL champions.

“This was a big start for JP, to be able to bounce back, to hopefully get some momentum going,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said about Sears, who entered also having allowed 10 earned runs over three consecutive losses. “It was one that he needed.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Kotsay added when asked if Sears pitched with extra motivation. “He’s pitched against the Yankees before. This was a start where he knew he had to be good today, and he met that challenge.”

Earning his first-career save in his second-career outing, right-handed reliever Jack Perkins finished the job with a one-hit 3 1/3 frames, allowing Kotsay to use just two arms. Perkins allowed one hit in three innings against the Cleveland Guardians in his big-league debut last Sunday.

The A’s offense equally was in full force, as the entire lineup — except right-fielder Lawrence Butler — finished with exactly one hit.

Designated hitter Brent Rooker sent a centered sweeper from Yankees right-handed starter Clarke Schmidt 403 feet to left center to give the Green and Gold a 1-0 lead and all it needed to win in the fourth.

Rook gives the A's an early lead in the Bronx 💪 pic.twitter.com/Dy73QVEEH4

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 28, 2025

And A’s top prospect and rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz added three RBI with a 356-foot three-run shot off Schmidt in the sixth, and now is up to 18 hits and 16 RBI since returning from the 10-day injured list (strained left hip flexor) on June 9.

Nick Kurtz extends the A's lead in the Big Apple‼️ pic.twitter.com/JuXX1FielF

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 28, 2025

“Yeah, we’re hoping so,” Rooker said about using Saturday to build momentum on “A’s Cast” with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jenny Cavnar and Dallas Braden. “We know and we’re confident in the damage we can do one through nine. All it takes is one game like that to get things rolling and go on a little run here.”

The A’s still have a ways to go to climb back into the AL playoff race. But Saturday’s all-around dominance could serve as a blueprint for what the Green and Gold’s potential can be.

The Mets continue a three-game series with the Pirates Saturday at 4:05 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

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Mets Notes

• After Friday's 9-1 loss, the Mets (48-35) are half of a game behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies (48-34) in the National League East Division. New York is 3-11 in its past 14 games while cumulatively going 29-12 at home and 19-23 away from Citi Field this season as it enters Game 2 in Pittsburgh.
• Mets starter Paul Blackburn faces the Pirates (33-50), looking to rebound from this past Monday's 3-2 loss against the Atlanta Braves. Blackburn (0-2, 6.62 ERA) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out five, walking three and hitting one in 4.2 IP of his third start this season. He is opposed by Pirates southpaw Bailey Falter (6-3, 3.59 ERA).
• New York right fielder Juan Soto hit his 20th home run of the season in the series opener, a fourth-inning solo shot that was the Mets' lone run. He is slashing .329/.491/.768 with 11 home runs and 19 RBI in 25 June games. On the year, Soto has a .259/.397/.514 slash line with 46 RBI.

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What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

• Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 

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How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

• Download the free MLB App.

• Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 

• Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  

• To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here. 

Here's what happened Friday in Mets Land, in case you missed it...

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-The Mets' three-game set with the Pirates started Friday in Pittsburgh but ended in a 9-1 loss with left-hander David Petersonstruggling while the bats went quiet.

-The Mets' defeat followed a series split with the Atlanta Braves in which New York suffered another pitching injury but could turn out fine, as SNY's Andy Martinowrote.

-Right-hander Jonathan Pintaro is among the Mets' arms and opened up to SNY's Danny Abriano about his journey.

-Manager Carlos Mendoza explained New York's initial plan for right-hander Blade Tidwell, among other personnel moves.

-Speaking of roster changes, the Mets optioned outfielder Jared Young to Triple-A Syracuse and kept infielder Ronny Mauricio in New York with third baseman Mark Vientosreturning from the injured list.

-The Mets also placed right-hander Griffin Canning on the injured list while calling up left-hander Colin Poche amid a flurry of roster moves.

-In the minors, right-handers Jonah Tong and Nolan McLeanheadlined the latest Mets Prospect Roundup.

As the MLB trade deadline inches closer, The Mets Poddiscussed if Eugenio Suárez could be an option.

As someone who has permanent ringing in the ears (tinnitus) as a result of hearing damage from concerts, I must take exception to how loud the music is played at sporting events these days. Despite quotes from Dodger players and executives stating how "great" the loudness at Dodger Stadium is, they are putting the paying customers and employees at risk for hearing loss with the excessive volume. Entertaining the fans is one thing, assaulting the delicate instrument that is our ears is quite another. I'm sure they could turn it down to safer decibel levels and everyone will still have a good time.

Mark Furcick
San Pedro

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Dodger Stadium hosts a Military Appreciation Night, a Salvadoran Heritage Night, and a Guatemalan Heritage Night. But we will never see an Autism Spectrum Night. The ear-shattering sound system would cause fans to run from the stadium screaming in pain and terror.

I suffer from a condition called hyperacusis, where loud noises can cause ear pain lasting for days or even weeks. It's rare in the general population, but more common among autistic people. I love baseball, and used to love going to Dodger Stadium from the year it opened until 20-something years ago. But now I'd have to wear industrial-strength ear protection.

Russell Stone
Westchester

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I used to like bleacher seats but won’t sit there again — way too loud right under the sound system.

Bob Wieting
Simi Valley

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Sure it’s “entertainment.” Sure the players like the enthusiasm. But there are seats located beneath or near speakers that are simply painful to the ears.

Richard Melniker
Los Angeles

Pain at Pauley Pavilion

Thanks for the excellent article on loud music at Dodger Stadium, which reminded me of how annoying it was to watch UCLA basketball at Pauley Pavilion last season. Constant painfully loud rap and techno-music, measured at 90 decibels, which according to OSHA, can cause hearing damage from two hours of exposure. As an older alum, I would prefer to hear just the sound of the band playing and the cheers from the crowd.

Tony DeRiggi
Sacramento

Go to the bullpen

What genius decided to use position players to pitch in the ninth inning when the team was either way ahead or way behind in a game? It's embarrassing to see lousy pitching, bases loaded, and hitters scoring. Use a regular bullpen pitcher, and spare us, your fans, from flinching.

Deborah R. Ishida
Beverly Hills

Ace in the hole

Considering his recent outings and record, you'd have to say Clayton Kershaw is now the Dodgers’ staff ace. Great story for him, maybe even worthy of comeback player of the year, if he keeps it up. Also more than a bit ironic, given the big money paid to the Dodgers’ underwhelming three free agent starters. Kershaw might be barely hitting 90 mph on the radar gun, but he’s pitching effectively, and more important, taking his turn in the rotation — which is a noteworthy achievement on this staff.

John Merryman
Redondo Beach

Envision it

Ever since he got his vision corrected in April, Max Muncy has been on a hitting tear! Which has me wondering … when can we expect a bobblehead night for his ophthalmologist?

Nick Rose
Newport Coast

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Memo to the Los Angeles Dodgers:

Find out who Max Muncy’s eye doctor is and send the rest of the team to him.

Ira M. Friedman
Beverly Hills

Thunderstruck

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder for winning the NBA title. One thing I noticed about this very young team is how mature and classy they are. They don’t make ridiculous gestures like some of the old veteran superstars i.e. "Night Night," "Ice in the Veins," etc. I hope you veterans can learn something from these young champions.

Paul Kawaguchi
Rosemead

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Email: sports@latimes.com

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Game 81. The halfway point of the 2025 season arrived at Angel Stadium — and the Angels, albeit squarely in contention at .500, were dealing with a bit of organizational uncertainty.

Angels General Manager Perry Minasian announced before Friday's game that manager Ron Washington would remain on medical leave for the rest of the season because of an undisclosed health issue.

Bench coach Ray Montgomery took over the reins on June 20 as the acting — now interim — manager as the Angels entered Friday as winners in seven of their last 10 games.

The Angels are in a much better spot than 2024. This time last season, after game 81, they were 11 games under .500 — squarely out of the postseason hunt.

Read more:Angels' Ron Washington will remain on medical leave for rest of season

Friday, however, even after losing 15-9 in a three-hour, 11-minute slog of a series opener against the Washington Nationals (34-48), the Angels (40-41) still are just two games out of the third American League wild card spot.

In a game where the Angels and Nationals combined for 24 runs and 30 hits — with the 19 hits and 15 runs given up by the Angels’ pitching staff representing season-worst marks — what ultimately separated the teams was the Angels' inability to come through with runners on base.

In the sixth and seventh innings — down one and two runs, respectively — the Angels had opportunities to take the lead or tie the game with runners in scoring position, but failed to capitalize. From there, the Nationals' lead would grow, with Hunter Strickland giving up four runs in the ninth as part of a 10-run barrage against the Angels' bullpen.

In the early innings, the Angels had plenty of opportunities against Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin, who struggled against the heart of the lineup.

Jo Adell struck a 92-mph fastball high and away to right field for a solo home run — his 18th overall and 11th in June — in the second. An inning later, Nolan Schanuel and Taylor Ward received hanging breaking balls — a high curveball and slider, respectively — and pulled the ball for short-porch home runs.

Read more:Shaikin: Why many cost-conscious MLB owners are rooting for Angels' success

Three home runs across three innings helped the Angels build a three-run lead. Across 4 ⅓ innings of work against Irvin, the Angels' lineup continued to click. They tallied nine runs (eight earned to Irvin) on nine hits — just enough for an early lead as José Soriano tossed his worst outing of the season.

Soriano couldn’t exit the fifth against the Nationals. The shutdown pitching he had featured in his last three starts — giving up just two runs across 20 ⅔ innings — looked like a distant memory. The right-hander struck out four and walked two, while giving up eight earned runs and nine hits.

Angels shortstop Zach Neto (shoulder) returned to action, striking out in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter.

Before the game, Neto said that he’d likely be able to hit before throwing — something he’s yet to do — after jamming his shoulder on a stolen base attempt Tuesday.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Jonah Tong continues to rise up the ranks of Mets prospects with his performance in Double-A this season, and Friday was another quality outing for the right-hander.

Tong struck out eight batters across six innings while allowing one run on three hits and three walks. While Tong didn't come away with the win, the Rumble Ponies pulled out the 3-1 win on Friday against Portland.

After Friday's start, Tong lowered his ERA slightly to a season-low 1.73 and has pitched to a minuscule 0.93 ERA in the month of June (five starts). In those five June starts, Tong has struck out at least eight batters in four of them.

Behind Tong, the offense was solid, accumulating eight hit,s including one from Jett Williams and two from Carson Benge. Benge made his fourth start with Double-A Binghamton on Friday and after going hitless in his first two games, he's now had at least one knock in back-to-back games. It's also notable that Benge, despite his two hitless games, has reached back in all four games with Binghamton as he's picked up five walks in that span.

Jonah Tong struck out 8 in 6 innings of one-run ball for Binghamton tonight

Final Line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K (92 pitches, 60 strikes) pic.twitter.com/oAkfyxshBw

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 28, 2025

Checking in with Triple-A Syracuse, Nolan McLean continues his rise up the Mets' farm system with another solid start on Friday.

Although he took the loss, McLean was sharp, allowing just two runs on four hits and three walks across six innings of work. He also struck out four batters.

In nine appearances (seven starts) with Syracuse, McLean has pitched to a 2.72 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. While he has not been a strikeout machine (45 strikeouts across 49.2 innings) in Triple-A, he has the potential to be better. Before being promoted, McLean struck out 30 batters in 26.1 innings with Binghamton.

Behind McLean, the offense was quiet. Syracuse picked up just one run on six hits and the litany of hitters with major league experience all went hitless. Luisangel Acuña finished 0-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout, while Francisco Alvarez went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. The former Mets backstop is hitless in five games (0-for-14).

There was little reason to believe that Will Warren would provide much length. The pitch count told the story on Friday night -- the Yankees' right-hander needed a whopping 36 pitches to complete a peculiar first inning against the Athletics that included three walks and three strikeouts.

But the shaky start to Warren's outing didn't perturb him or force early movement in the bullpen. The rookie proceeded to throw 39 pitches across his next three innings, and his seven strikeouts over five scoreless frames did just the trick in the team's decently paced 3-0 victory in the Bronx.

The recovery job demonstrated further growth from Warren, who passed another big-league test as a reliable arm in the Yankees' rotation. He finished June with a sharp 2.86 ERA (five starts, 28.1 innings), and among AL pitchers who've logged at least 80 innings, his K/9 rate (11.54) currently ranks first.

"It's baseball. [That first inning] is going to happen. You try to take the positives," Warren said after the win. "Sometimes I'm good at executing the corners. Tonight, I was kind of spraying the ball a little bit. So it's like, 'Alright, let's throw it to the bigger part of the plate and let them put the ball in play'... I think we had a good game plan going on and we executed it."

Warren now owns a 4.37 ERA through 17 starts this season, and his 103 strikeouts rank first among AL rookies. The 26-year-old also leads the majors in called punchouts (38), and his fWAR ranks third among all rookies.

Judged for a walk?

Cody Bellinger bumped the Yankees' lead to 2-0 in the third inning with an RBI single to center that drove in Anthony Volpe. It was also a matchup that the Athletics wanted.

With one out and Volpe on second, the Athletics elected to intentionally walk Aaron Judge, and by taking the bat out of the superstar slugger's hands, Bellinger stepped up to the plate with a chance to do damage. He did just that, providing what turned out to be their first insurance run.

Nobody can seriously blame the Athletics for offering Judge a free pass to first -- creating a force out at any base -- and taking their chances with Bellinger in the box. But the lefty slugger has made opponents pay for that particular move. He's now 6-for-15 (.400) with two extra-base hits and seven RBI following an intentional walk to Judge this season.

"Understandable. [Judge is] the best hitter on the planet," Bellinger said. "For me, it's just like any other at-bat -- what's my plan and how can I execute in this situation? A baseball season is full of ups and downs... I like where we're at. I love this group of guys... I'm excited for the future, and just going to keep on rolling."

Funny enough, the Athletics were forced to pitch to Judge with the bases loaded in the fourth, but starter Mitch Spence worked out of the jam by striking out the Yankees' captain on an elevated cutter.

Stroman ready to return

Before the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone wasn't willing to appoint Marcus Stroman as their starter for Sunday, but there's no longer any curiosity on the matter. Boone confirmed after the win that the veteran right-hander will be activated from the injured list and pitch the series finale.

Stroman, who went on the shelf in mid-April with left knee inflammation, didn't look too sharp during his June rehab assignment. In 10.1 total innings with Double-A Somerset (three starts), he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits and five walks with nine strikeouts.

The 34-year-old struggled prior to his injury, producing a ghastly 11.57 ERA across 9.1 innings (three starts). He gave up five runs on four hits and three walks and logged only two outs against the Giants back on April 11.

Dave Roberts has a high bar for his $400 million baseball team.

Sure, the Dodgers entered Friday winners of 13 of their last 17, tied for the best overall record in baseball and leading the National League West by six games.

Sure, they already have one guaranteed All-Star in Shohei Ohtani, and seven other finalists who advanced to the second stage of fan voting that will begin next week.

But, in the eyes of their manager, “I still just don’t believe we’re playing our best baseball,” Roberts said Friday afternoon. “I don’t think we’ve played complete baseball for a stretch.”

On Friday night, that remained the case. Dustin May managed just four innings in a four-run start. The lineup produced only four total hits. Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández made run-scoring defensive blunders in the outfield. And the bullpen danced in and out of trouble down the stretch.

Read more:Why Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have struggled at the plate lately for the Dodgers

But amid this soft portion of the team’s schedule, flawed performances have often still been enough.

And in Friday’s 5-4 win over the badly slumping Kansas City Royals, that once again proved to be the case.

May gave up a run in the first after Kiké Hernández airmailed a throw to the plate with two outs, negating Ohtani’s leadoff blast (his 29th home run of the season, and eighth to lead off a game).

The Royals added three more in the third after Teoscar Hernández let a hard-hit, but very much catchable, line drive get over his head in right to score one run, and Bobby Witt Jr. added a two-run homer with two outs in the inning.

“Obviously, tonight Dustin wasn’t sharp,” Roberts said. “And we certainly didn’t help him out defensively.”

And yet, the Dodgers (52-31) still wound up with the lead entering the latter innings. Max Muncy continued his two-month-long tear with a two-run homer in the second, giving him 12 long balls and 46 RBIs in his last 42 games. 

Ohtani tied the score with an RBI triple in the fifth, before being driven home on a Mookie Betts single in the next at-bat.

In the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, the Royals (38-44) stranded a runner in scoring position — frustrating missed chances for a team trying to snap a 10-game home losing streak.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, the game came down to a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity, with struggling rookie prospect Jac Caglianone at the plate.

Caglianone, the sixth overall pick in last year's draft, swung at a first-pitch slider from Tanner Scott that was up and out of the zone. His ground ball went right to second baseman Tommy Edman, who initiated a game-ending double play that required Freddie Freeman to make a sprawling scoop at first base.

“That was a sweet double play,” said Scott, who has converted eight straight saves this month with a 1.35 earned-run average. “Freddie’s pretty good. He’s got a Gold Glove for a reason. He’s a special player.”

“Incredible," Muncy added. "I don’t know how he did that one."

Freeman, of course, has also epitomized the Dodgers’ inconsistent play of late, going 0 for 4 on Friday to lower his batting average over the last 21 games to .152. Betts, too, has been slumping, hitting just .194 over his last 18 games despite his go-ahead single Friday.

“We haven’t gotten everyone to click at the same time,” Muncy said. “But we’ve had enough guys to take over on certain nights, that we’ve been able to kind of roll through it.”

May, meanwhile, has fallen into an extended funk, giving up 15 earned runs in his last 21 innings to raise his season ERA to 4.68.

“I mean, it’s just [crappy] all around,” he said, after yielding six hits and three walks in his 84-pitch outing. “Don’t know what to say.”

Mix in the bad defense, and virtually nonexistent offense from the lineup late in the game (a ninth-inning walk from Muncy was the team’s only base runner after Betts’ go-ahead single), and the Dodgers found themselves in what’s been a familiar situation of late: grinding through a dogfight against an inferior opponent. Playing the type of sloppy baseball that usually portends a mid-season slump. Yet doing just enough anyway to take sole possession of the best record in the majors.

As summed up by Roberts, who seemed unimpressed with the performance but took consolation in the victory: "We’re finding ways to win baseball games, which is most important.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

With the recent rash of injuries to the Mets' rotation, David Peterson has become the one arm the team should be able to depend on to have quality outings, but that hasn't been the case of late.

After he allowed five runs in his last start against the Phillies, Peterson took the mound against the Pirates on Friday night and had a similar ineffective performance.

His stuff was flat and the Pirates hitters were all over Peterson's pitches as he gave up a four-run inning en route to the Mets' eventual 9-1 loss to start the weekend series.

Heading into the Phillies game, Peterson was sporting a 2.60 ERA. Even after his dud against the Phillies, Peterson still had a sub-3.00 ERA, but his back-to-back poor outings are a bit concerning for a Mets team that needs him to guide this rotation until reinforcements arrive.

So, what exactly happened to Peterson on Friday? Manager Carlos Mendoza had a few thoughts.

"The fastball, he’s having a hard time locating on the glove side," he said after the game. "The changeup is just floating in the strike zone, he’s having a hard time seeing that fade and the same thing with the slider. The sharpness, getting backdoor to the right-handed hitters. Just one of those stretches, back-to-back outings, we’ll get to go back, watch film and make some adjustments."

In that four-run inning, the Pirates had eight batted balls and seven were hit at 101 mph or harder.

Mendoza was asked if he had the same assessment after the Phillies start, and the second-year skipper said he did. Philadelphia produced a ton of hard contact on Peterson's pitches and everything was up in the zone, just like on Friday.

"When he’s good, he’s able to get the changeup [down]," Mendoza explained. "Weak groundball, weak contact [is what we saw] the past couple of outings. In general, felt like he was fighting to find the sharpness on his pitches."

The Mets left-hander agreed with his manager's take on his performance on Friday.

"Didn’t feel like I had my best command, didn’t execute some pitches and they took advantage," Peterson said.

Took advantage is exactly what the Pirates did, as they scored five runs on seven hits and three walks across 4.2 innings against the left-hander. It's the second start this season in which Peterson has allowed at least five runs. He didn't have any such outing a year ago.

Mendoza said he's sure Peterson is healthy when he was asked, but pointed out that he believes there's a mechanical issue with his pitcher. Peterson and Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner have been working on his mechanics in between starts in the bullpen, but it didn't translate on the field Friday.

Peterson said his sessions with Hefner are nothing new and that it's just things he and the staff check back on constantly throughout the season, but acknowledged his mechanics were off.

"I didn’t necessarily stay on line and got too rotational in the second inning," he said. "Just trying to square that away and we’ll work on it again."

The Mets entered the weekend series with a half-game lead in the NL East over the Phillies, and going up against a below-.500 club in the Pirates was supposed to help New York collect wins. If the Mets are to weather this current storm of injuries to their pitchers, Peterson needs to be better and the left-hander knows it. But he's ready to work on his mechanics before his next time on the mound.

"I look at it one start at a time. It’s about getting back to good mechanics and feeling like I’m in the right spot," Peterson said. "I take what I need to do better, take what I did well from tonight and move on and prepare for the next one."

David Peterson allowed a big inning for the second consecutive start and the Mets' offense couldn't recover as they fell to the Pirates, 9-1, on Friday night at PNC Park.

After a 20-minute delay to start the game, the Mets' offense never got going. They had just six hits, went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.

Here are the takeaways...

-Peterson looked to bounce back from his shaky start last weekend against the Phillies, but he had similar results in this one. After allowing a five-run inning in Philadelphia, Peterson allowed four runs in the second. The Pirates started with a walk and back-to-back singles with one out to get on the board. A double from Alexander Canario caught Juan Soto by surprise and went over his head to drive in another run. An Isiah Kiner-Falefa single and a hard forceout by Tommy Pham put up two more runs as Peterson finally got out of the second, allowing four. The Pirates put up five hits in that inning off Peterson, who threw 34 pitches -- the most he's allowed in one inning this season.

He allowed eight batted balls, seven of which were hit at 101 mph or harder.

Peterson would settle down over the next two innings, but the Pirates would bat around the left-hander again in the fifth. A two-out double by Ke'Bryan Hayes scored Pittsburgh's fifth run of the game and knocked Peterson out of the game. This is the second straight start Peterson has allowed at least five runs. He didn't allow that many runs in a start all of last season.

Peterson finished throwing 91 pitches (56 strikes), allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five across 4.2 innings.

-Blade Tidwell, called up on Friday to take Griffin Canning's place on the roster, relieved Peterson and was hurt by the big inning. After getting the final out of the fifth, Tidwell would allow a three-run bomb to Bryan Reynolds in the sixth to push the Pirates' lead to 8-1.

Tidwell was asked to soak up innings for the Mets and the young right-hander did just that. He pitched 3.1 innings (73 pitches/48 strikes), allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out one.

-Juan Soto entered Friday's game with one career homer at PNC Park, but he changed that with a fourth-inning solo shot that put the Mets on the board. It was his 20th homer of the season, and it's his most through his team's first 83 games. That was the lone highlight of offense from the Mets, but they had their chances.

In the sixth, they had runners on first and second with one out and couldn't get a run across. Mark Vientos struck out to end that threat. Vientos made his return from the IL and had a rough night at the plate - the DH went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Brett Baty went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, and Ronny Mauricio was 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo both had one hit apiece to round out the Mets' offense.

Manager Carlos Mendoza waved the white flag in the seventh, pulling Francisco Lindor and Soto from the game.

Game MVP: Bryan Reynolds

Reynolds went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs to lead the Pirates' charge.

Highlights

Juan Soto hits his 20th homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/qeAsFwCFTB

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 28, 2025

What's next

The Mets and Pirates continue their series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m.

Paul Blackburn (0-2, 6.62 ERA) will take the mound and go up against Bailey Falter (6-3, 3.59 ERA).