Category: Baseball

The Yankees got through the first series of the second half of the season by winning two out of three at the Atlanta Braves, grabbing a 3-2 win on Sunday to keep pace in the AL playoff race.

And, for the time being, the news on the starting pitching front is at least not looking dire, as both Max Fried and Cam Schlittler tossed successful bullpens over the weekend and are set to make their next starts when the Yanks play a three-game series in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

"He should be good to go," manager Aaron Boone said after Fried's successful bullpen session on Sunday. "I feel good about it."

Fried, who is scheduled to pitch the third game of the series on Wednesday, left his last start on July 12 against the Cubs after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks in 3.0 innings when a blister formed on his left index finger. A blister on that same finger had sent the left-hander to the IL on three different occasions, raising fears of a similar fate. But that was quelled on Sunday.

In his 20 starts before the break, Fried has been everything that he was billed as and more, pitching to a 2.43 ERA and 1.008 WHIP in 122 innings with 113 strikeouts to 27 walks.

Schlittler tossed his bullpen Saturday and will be good to start Tuesday's game after the right-hander experienced “upper-arm soreness” that sent him for an MRI and was the reason he did not start the series opener in Atlanta. The 24-year-old, the Yanks' 10th-rated prospect per MLB Pipeline, tossed 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in his big league debut earlier this month against Seattle.

And on the diamond in Sunday's win over the Braves, right-hander Marcus Stroman delivered his fourth-straight solid outing since returning from the injured list, allowing just one run on five hits over 6.0 innings with four strikeouts.

“He continued to do a really good job of mixing and matching and staying unpredictable, using all his pitches, using both sides of the plate,” Boone said.

"That's four starts where he's given us a really good chance to win ballgames, and that's all you can ask," he added. "In a lot of ways, he's had his back against the wall here a little bit, and he's come out and delivered."

After allowing 12 runs over 9.1 innings in his first three starts before injury, Stroman has allowed just seven runs in 21 innings. The veteran dealt with a rough first season in pinstripes last year, followed by an offseason of uncertainty and trade rumors, and the possibility of being shipped over to the bullpen before injuries thrust him into the rotation, appears to be pitching with even more of an edge of late.

"He's pitching like there's a lot on the line, and there is," Boone said. "He's probably been counted out by a lot of people. And I'm sure he's felt that [chip on his shoulder] throughout his career. He's always kinda had that edge to him."

The Dodgers held their annual Family Day on the field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, rolling food trucks, bounce houses and a climbing wall onto the warning track in left field. Few of the players seemed to be in a festive mood, however.

That’s because the Dodgers warmed up for Family Day with a 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, the team’s fourth straight loss and the 10th in 12 games in which they’ve been outscored 71-36. It’s the team’s worst 12-game skid since 2018.

The loss was also the sixth in as many tries against the Brewers in the last two weeks, making Milwaukee the first team to sweep a season series of more than four games from the Dodgers in 20 years.

Read more:Pitching injuries continue to be an issue in MLB. How it's impacting pitchers at all levels

“Guys are getting frustrated,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You see kind of more emotion coming in. We just haven't played good baseball.”

But it gets worse: the Dodgers might have lost first baseman Freddie Freeman for a spell. Freeman, who is among the team leaders in batting average (.292) and is third in runs (47) and hits (95), sustained a left wrist contusion after being hit by a José Quintana pitch in the sixth inning. Roberts said X-rays on Freeman’s wrist were negative and the first baseman is considered day to day.

“That one, I held my breath," Roberts said. "I think we all did, because, you know, when you're scuffling and to potentially lose a guy for four-to-six weeks is obviously very scary.”

In Freeman's absence, catcher Dalton Rushing could play at first base.

As for the rest of what ails the Dodgers, that could be a lot harder to fix.

On Sunday they made three errors, leading to two unearned runs. They gave up the lead twice and Mookie Betts lined out to center with the bases loaded to end the game.

“We’ve got to figure it out. We’ve got to play better,” Betts whispered in an empty clubhouse after going one for five, leaving him with a .189 average in July and as many strikeouts as hits.

Across the room Clayton Kershaw cut short a scrum with reporters. He pitched well enough Sunday, but his day was undone in a three-run Milwaukee fourth in which a Tommy Edman throwing error and a fielding error by Andy Pages gave the Brewers two runs and forced Kershaw to throw 29 pitches.

“I’m frustrated. We’re all frustrated. I don’t know how else to say it,” said Kershaw, who was visibly angry after being pulled from the game in the fifth inning. “We didn’t win a game. No excuses. We’ve just got to play better.

“I don’t have much to say,” he added. “I’m going to get myself in trouble. So let’s just call it.”

The Dodgers gave Kershaw an early lead with a three-run third inning, the big blow a two-run homer by Shohei Ohtani, his 34th of the season. The defense gave all three runs back in the fourth, however.

“It's frustrating,” Roberts repeated. “That's the word everyone uses when things aren't going well, but you also have to make your own breaks. And when things are tough, you can't do things to sabotage yourself. Today, specifically, it was the defense.”

Esteury Ruiz’s first home run for the Dodgers put them back in front in the fifth, but the Brewers (59-40) went in front to stay in the sixth, scoring three times off relievers Alex Vesia and Lou Trivino (3-1) on a double, three singles and a walk.

The Dodgers’ bullpen earned-run average of 4.39 ranks 12th in the National League. The team hasn’t gotten a scoreless game from its bullpen since July 3.

Read more:Shaikin: Why the small-market Milwaukee Brewers might be America's team

“You've got to kind of find a way to reset,” Roberts said before heading back up the dugout steps for Family Day. “Come back fresh tomorrow and play good baseball.”

Snell and Treinen continue rehab

Pitchers Blake Snell and Blake Treinen made rehab appearances for triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Snell, who has been on the injured list since April 6 because of left shoulder inflammation, made 58 pitches over four innings, giving up a run on four hits while striking out six. It was his third rehab appearance.

Treinen, out since April 19 with a forearm strain, followed with a perfect fifth inning in which he struck out two. He could return to the Dodgers’ roster this week.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It wasn’t an especially impressive win, and for that matter, the late innings nearly turned into a catastrophe. In the end, however, all that mattered on this day was the Mets found a way to stop the bleeding -- and the booing.

Judging by the way the fans let their team hear it on Saturday after another listless loss, in fact, the mood at Citi Field could have turned downright ugly had the Mets let this one get away on Sunday.

As it was, they still didn’t hit much. And, indeed, the play everybody was talking about afterward was Juan Soto’s baserunning, as he got a good jump from third base on a contact play to score the go-ahead run on Luis Torrens’ ground ball in the eighth inning.

“That’s the way you teach it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said afterward. “There are going to be stretches when it’s hard to score runs. You’ve gotta do the little things.”

Baby steps, right?

That’s kind of where the Mets are at the moment, needing to find ways to make up for the ongoing lack of offense from what was supposed to be among the most imposing lineups in baseball.

And so on this day, while they got a strong start from David Peterson, their ability to pull out a 3-2 win over the Reds and avoid a sweep was indeed due largely to the little things:

1. A sacrifice bunt by Luisangel Acuña that led to a Brandon Nimmo RBI single, the only hit that he, Francisco Lindor, and Soto could muster at the top of the lineup.
2. A stolen base by Brett Baty, allowing him to score on Acuña's double to left.
3. Soto’s jump, which followed his leadoff walk and Jeff McNeil’s well-placed double into right-center.

Soto himself may have put his baserunning in the best perspective. He could have been speaking for the team when he said, “Hitting isn’t going my way right now. So any way to help the team is great.”

Any which way on this day. The Mets needed the win, as much for their mojo as to stop the three-game losing streak that spanned the All-Star break.

And even more so, after Edwin Diaz couldn’t get the job done when Mendoza turned to him for a potential four-out save in the eighth inning. Coming on with a runner at first, Diaz was struggling with his command from the start and wound up allowing the Reds to tie the score 2-2 on a walk, a single to deep short, and a hit-by-pitch.

At that point, the home crowd was groaning practically in unison. The boos were coming next, had Diaz not gotten out of the inning, and it didn’t look good when he fell behind 3-1 to Tyler Stephenson.

But the Mets’ closer dug deep to strike out Stephenson and allow everyone to exhale.

Diaz has been so dominant this season that his brief lack of command was probably nothing more than a hiccup. The timing, however, made it feel as if the sky was falling for the Mets, considering not just their poor play on Friday and Saturday, but their 10-20 stretch entering Sunday that has exposed more flaws than expected from this team.

In that respect, pulling out the win, with Ryne Stanek closing it out, felt more important than a win in July for a 56-44 team probably should feel, at least, on the outside looking in. But such is the nature of huge expectations.

And gritty win or not, it did little to make the pressing questions disappear.

After all, the Mets managed two extra-base hits. Their big guns aren’t hitting at all. Soto admitted to his own struggles, while the numbers on Lindor speak for themselves, as an 0-for-4 day stretched his hitless streak to 0-for-19, and his under-.200 run to 39 games.

On top of that, Pete Alonso was out of the lineup with a hand injury after getting jammed during his pre-game hitting Saturday against a pitching machine, of all things.

After hours of treatment Saturday night and Sunday, he felt good enough to enter the game in the later innings. And though he struck out looking in the eighth inning, he said afterward that he feels good enough to be in the lineup on Monday.

In any case, the Mets’ lack of offense is becoming more and more of an issue, especially as often as they’ve failed with runners in scoring position throughout the season.

On Sunday, they got some production from the bottom of the lineup, a rarity in itself. Baty has swung the bat well lately and Acuña’s laser double off the left-field wall was a reminder of his impressive September last season, subbing for the injured Lindor.

On the other hand, Mark Vientos didn’t build on his impressive weekend in Kansas City before the break, and Ronny Mauricio has gone cold again, 2-for-his-last-21.

That’s the problem: for all the occasional flashes, not one of the Mets’ young hopefuls has done enough to be an obvious answer offensively this season or beyond.

As such, David Stearns is facing some hard questions approaching the trade deadline. One that needs answering quickly is whether Francisco Alvarez’s home-run binge in Syracuse is simply the result of Triple-A pitching or something more significant.

Alvarez’s defense was no small factor in his demotion, but that’s a lot easier to live with if he adds some thump to the offense. With his call-up coming Monday, they will get a look before July 31.

The bottom line, of course, is the Mets' need for Lindor, Soto, and Alonso to be less streaky and carry the load offensively.

And while they have obvious pitching needs, everyone kind of expected they could use the trade deadline for help in that area. At this point, however, the need for an impact bat becomes more glaring by the day.

Bunts and good jumps will only go so far.

While a full-strength Mets rotation features a couple of starters capable of producing quality performances at a welcome rate, their circle of trust really only includes David Peterson over the last month. Why? Nobody else has provided sufficient length.

Tasked as the stopper with the Mets facing a three-game losing streak to begin their post-All-Star break slate, Peterson answered the call on Sunday afternoon, delivering six innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts in a tight 3-2 win over the Reds at Citi Field.

Cheers at home have become the norm for Peterson. The reliable left-hander entered the series finale with a 2.11 ERA across nine starts in Queens this season, and that mark is now down to a laudable 1.91.

"He was really good," manager Carlos Mendoza said. "On a day where, I feel like he was missing arm-side, especially with the sinker, he got ground balls. I thought that slider came and went. But he executed when he needed to... For him to go six [innings] there was solid."

Peterson is also the lone Mets starter to complete six-plus innings over their last 35 games, and he's accomplished the feat five times. Overall, he owns a 2.90 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 12 quality starts (116.0 total innings). Simply durable and dependable.

"I don't necessarily see it as pressure. We're obviously trying to go as deep as we can into every game," Peterson said. "That's our job, trying to give the team a chance to win. You notice it when we have certain guys being used. You want to be able to try and get as deep as you can, to get it to those guys later in the game."

Backstop redemption

Luis Torrens made a critical error in Saturday's loss, as he regretably attempted a back-pick throw to first base in the third inning that traveled into right field and allowed a run to score. The gaffe set the tone for the Mets' afternoon.

But the veteran catcher made up for that mistake at the dish and behind it on Sunday. He worked a 12-pitch walk in the sixth, gunned down a runner trying to steal second with the game tied in the eighth, and then scorched a hard grounder to second in the bottom half of the frame that drove in the winning run.

"Just one more day in the office," Torrens said after the win. "I've been feeling a lot more comfortable at the plate. I'm putting in a lot of good work, and when you put in that work, the results start to eventually come around."

Rewarded for hustle

While the Mets avoided a weekend sweep, they scored just nine runs across the three-game set while hitting 6-for-25 (.240) with runners in scoring position. They also left 25 total runners on base.

But a team in need of offense will accept runs of any kind, and the Mets' eighth-inning rally on Sunday backed the claim. The winning effort began with a leadoff walk from Juan Soto, who proceeded to reach third base on a one-out double from Jeff McNeil.

Moments later, heads-up hustle from Soto made all the difference. He rushed home on Torrens' sharp grounder to second with a head-first slide, and the bang-bang play at the plate gave the Mets a 3-2 lead.

Soto's jump and threat placed pressure on Reds second baseman Matt McLain, whose throw home went slightly behind catcher Tyler Stephenson instead of in front of him.

"Any way you can help the team win a ballgame, it's great," Soto said. "You know the hitting isn't going my way right now, but I try my best to help the team with defense, running, any way I can do it... You've got to get the momentum going. I was going on contact, so I was trying to make sure I was ready."

The Philadelphia Phillies are signing right-handed relief pitcher David Robertson, according to multiple reports.

The Mets and Yankees were reported to be among the teams that were at least considering a reunion with the veteran, who spent time in both Queens and The Bronx.

Robertson's deal with Philadelphia, which is pending a physical, will pay Robertson around $5.5 million on a pro-rated, one-year, $16 million contract, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.

The two New York clubs were among those who had “at least recently looked into” signing the 40-year-old ahead of Robertson holding a throwing session for interested teams on Saturday in Providence, Rhode Island, according to The Athletic.

Robertson, who has not pitched in the majors this season, spent last season with the Texas Rangers, appearing in 68 games while posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.111 WHIP in 72 innings. He had 99 strikeouts to 27 walks with two saves.

The well-traveled back-end of the bullpen arm spent the bulk of his 16-year career with the Yankees, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.157 WHIP in 501 regular-season games in pinstripes while serving primarily as a setup man.

Robertson signed with the Mets ahead of the 2023 season and posted a 2.05 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in 44 innings (40 games) before being dealt to the Miami Marlins ahead of the trade deadline.

Now he will return to the NL East and bolster a Phillies bullpen that lost closer José Alvarado to an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Alvarado, suspended in late May, will return from the unpaid ban in August, but will not be eligible to pitch in the postseason.

The Mets are recalling Francisco Alvarez to the big league roster after the catcher hit the ball very hard during a stint with Triple-A Syracuse.

The call-up, confirmed by SNY's Andy Martino and first reported by The New York Post's Mike Puma, would see Alvarez return to the majors after his demotion on June 22. He got off to a rough start to the season, starting with a broken hamate bone in his left hand, which kept him out of action until April 25.

Once he arrived, he struggled at the plate, slashing .236/.319/.333 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 35 games while splitting time with Luis Torrens.

Alvarez, who was pulled from Syracuse's game on Sunday at Norfolk in the top of the ninth inning, turned things around of late. In his last action at Triple-A, he socked his 11th homer since being sent down. During his 19-game stint, the 23-year-old catcher had 20 hits in 67 at-bats (.299) with three doubles to go along with the 11 round-trippers and 24 RBI for a 1.233 OPS (.397 OBP, .836 slugging). He had 22 strikeouts to nine walks with two hit-by-pitches.

Following a towering homer on Friday night, Alvarez struck again with a runner on second base in the top of the first inning, when he got an 85 mph slider on the inside corner and turned it, clobbering the ball 420 feet over the batter's eye in center field. At 109.7 mph off the bat, it was the second hardest-hit ball across all of Triple-A that day.

Francisco Alvarez hits one OVER the batter's eye for his 11th home run in the last 16 games for Triple-A Syracuse 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IDR3Rnkol2

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 20, 2025

On Friday, with a runner on second and one out in the top of the first, Alvarez blasted an 0-1 sweeper 427 feet to left field. The ball left his bat at 111.8 mph and had a 23-degree launch angle.

Speaking before the All-Star break, manager Carlos Mendoza said he had been getting good reports on the young catcher and praised his work ethic and positivity since arriving in Syracuse.

"Willingness to listen to the feedback in some of the things, where it is defensively or offensively," Mendoza said last Sunday in Kansas City, adding that he's speaking with the Triple-A manager Dick Scott and the minor league coordinators, "and everything has been phenomenal."

"He's doing everything we're asking him to do," the skipper continued. "He continues to put himself in a position like, 'hey, I'm here.'"

Mendoza, who said he's been watching all of Alvarez's at-bats, said the Mets "want him to do damage."

"Be ready for the fastball, make some good swing decisions, and when he's getting pitches to hit, not missing them. And that's what we're seeing," he said. "We're seeing him pull the ball, we're seeing him go the other way, we're seeing him go dead center. And that's a sign of a good hitter when he's feeling and going well.

"It's not necessary that you have to pull the ball or you have to go the other way. No, you hit the ball where it's pitched."

The Mets scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning and defeated the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Sunday at Citi Field, ending a three-game losing streak.

Here are the top takeaways:

-- The Mets gave up a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth, when Edwin Diaz plunked Spencer Steer with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. But their winning rally started in the bottom of the inning with Juan Soto working a leadoff walk.

Pete Alonso, who entered the game for defense after sitting with a bruised hand, then struck out. But Jeff McNeil doubled to the right-center gap, sending Soto to third.

Reds manager Terry Francona brought in right-handed reliever Tony Santillan, and Luis Torrens battled him in an eight-pitch at-bat, finally hitting a hard ground ball to second baseman Matt McLain with the infield playing in.

The ball handcuffed McLain just long enough for Soto, who got a good jump off third, to beat the throw to the plate and get his hand in on a head-first slide.

-- After Diaz threw 16 pitches in the eighth, Ryne Stanek came on to get the save in the ninth, giving up just a one-out single.

-- Coming off his All-Star appearance, David Peterson played the role of stopper, delivering a strong six innings in a game the Mets needed -- at least for their mojo -- after two ugly losses to the Reds and three straight, going back to the last day before the All-Star break in Kansas City.

The lefty allowed only one unearned run, in the first inning, as he surrendered only four hits, one walk and one hit-by-pitch.

As he often does, Peterson made big pitches to escape trouble. He got a double-play ground ball in the first inning and then in the second, with the bases loaded and two outs, struck out McClain swinging with a nasty slider.

As a result, Peterson lowered his ERA to 2.90.

-- With Peterson at 93 pitches after six innings, manager Carlos Mendoza went to the bullpen, but as has been the case a lot lately, the bullpen failed to hold the lead.

Huascar Brazoban pitched a scoreless seventh with help from Torrens, who threw out Noelvi Marte trying to steal second, to end the inning.

Reed Garrett then got the first two outs in the eighth before walking McClain -- at which point Mendoza went to Diaz for a four-out save. But Diaz promptly gave up the tying run on a walk, a single deep in the hole past Francisco Lindor and a Steer hit-by-pitch.

Diaz then escaped the bases-loaded situation by getting Tyler Stephenson to strike out swinging at a 3-2 slider.

-- Reds lefty and fellow All-Star Andrew Abbott also pitched well, holding the Mets to two runs over six innings. His ERA actually went up a bit, to 2.13.

-- The Mets got some much-needed production out of the bottom of the lineup, especially in the fifth as Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña combined to deliver the go-ahead run, at 2-1.

Baty, swinging the bat well lately, led off the inning with a single to left-center and then stole second. Acuña then doubled off the wall in left field, hitting a screamer at 108 mph, as Baty scored easily.

-- A rare start at first base for Mark Vientos cost the Mets a run in the first inning. He was making his first start there this season -- due to what Mendoza called a day-to-day hand contusion for Alonso -- and he looked uncomfortable early.

On the first play of the game, Acuña ranged to his right, fielded a ground ball and then threw low to Vientos’ backhand side as it went off his glove for an error. The official scorer ruled the error on Acuña , but it should have been caught by Vientos.

The error led to a run and could have been more costly, but Peterson got Austin Hays to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. Vientos’ footwork was awkward on that throw as well, as he had to dive to his backhand side. A more experienced first baseman would have shifted his feet to make the catch.

Game MVP: David Peterson

The Mets desperately needed a strong start after a couple of ugly losses to the Reds on Friday and Saturday, and Peterson was up to the task.

If not for the first-inning error by Acuña (it should have been on Vientos), the southpaw would have pitched six shutout innings.

Highlights

David Peterson strikes out Matt McLain to leave the bases loaded pic.twitter.com/VWQRalYLRP

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

Brandon Nimmo ties the game with an RBI single on the eighth pitch of the at-bat! pic.twitter.com/G0Yd4M7TQP

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

Luisangel Acuña brings home Brett Baty with a go-ahead RBI double 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vEFqgff4Cm

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

Six strong innings for David Peterson! pic.twitter.com/3wYG3vPpP3

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

Luis Torrens and Francisco Lindor team up to catch Noelvi Marte stealing 💪 pic.twitter.com/NH0wloo03X

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

JUAN SOTO BEATS THE THROW HOME!

THE METS TAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/IYMlMQqT5O

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 20, 2025

What's next

The Mets (56-44) will remain at Citi Field as a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels (48-50) begins with Monday's 7:10 p.m. opener on SNY. Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.39 ERA) is set to start for New York, while Los Angeles has Tyler Anderson (2-6, 4.34 ERA) in line.

The Yankees wrapped up their first post-All-Star break series on a high note, defeating the Braves, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park.

Here are the takeaways...

-- It didn't take long for the Yankees to inflict damage on Braves starter Grant Holmes. With one out in the first inning, Aaron Judge clobbered a cutter that landed in the right-center seats for a solo home run. It was the captain's 36th blast of the season, which tied him for sixth on the franchise's all-time homers list (351) with Alex Rodriguez. Then, with two outs, the Yankees produced three straight singles, and Paul Goldschmidt bumped their lead to 2-0 with a knock to center that brought home Giancarlo Stanton.

-- With a taxed bullpen, the Yankees desperately needed length from Marcus Stroman, and much to their delight, he completed the task. While the veteran right-hander had to earn outs with prolonged battles -- he needed 65 pitches to complete the first four innings -- Stroman held the Braves scoreless through five by inducing three strikeouts, six groundouts, and five flyouts.

-- Stroman's lone blemish came during the sixth inning, when Matt Olson demolished a cutter that landed well beyond the bleachers in right. Overall, he delivered a high-quality start, producing six frames of one-run ball (five hits) with four punchouts across 95 pitches. His season ERA now sits at 5.64, and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in four straight outings since coming off the injured list.

-- Before the shutout effort from Stroman was lost in the sixth, the Yankees increased their lead to 3-0 in the top half of the frame. A leadoff single from Stanton sparked a bases-loaded rally off Holmes, who regrettably forced in a run by plunking No. 9 hitter Jorbit Vivas with two outs and an 0-1 count. Holmes avoided further trouble, producing a quality start (three runs on seven hits and three walks) only on paper.

-- Dane Dunning took over for Holmes in the seventh, but he couldn't keep the Yankees in check. After a leadoff walk to Judge and a pair of flyouts to right, Chisholm sliced a double to left-center that pushed their lead back to three, 4-1. The seventh and eighth innings belonged to Yankees relievers Ian Hamilton and Tim Hill, who retired six of a combined seven batters with two strikeouts.

-- Devin Williams was tasked with closing out the ninth, and for a second straight game, he allowed a run. This time, Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. cut the Yankees' lead to two with a mammoth leadoff homer to center that traveled 456 feet. But the early mistake didn't faze Williams, as he won an eight-pitch bout via a strikeout and then induced a pop up and groundout to retire three straight batters and earn his 14th save this season.

Game MVP: Marcus Stroman

Stroman was challenged from start to finish, and forced to empty the tank while battling harsh summer temperatures. But the heat didn't impact his performance. He provided six strong innings that the Yankees demanded.

Highlights

ALL RISE!

Number 36 for Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/Ue2ACwkvqc

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 20, 2025

Paul Goldschmidt brings home another run in the first! pic.twitter.com/U4YR8SMfDl

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 20, 2025

Jorbit Vivas lays out to make the grab! 👏 pic.twitter.com/aCsIIxofAX

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 20, 2025

Jorbit Vivas lays out to make the grab! 👏 pic.twitter.com/aCsIIxofAX

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 20, 2025

WE GOT THE JAZZ. 🎷

Jazz Chisholm Jr. brings home Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/Zv6Fkwn8ZH

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 20, 2025

What's next

The Yankees (55-44) will continue their six-game road trip north of the border on Monday, with the first of three games against the division-rival Blue Jays. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m.

LHP Carlos Rodón (10-6, 3.08 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite RHP Kevin Gausman (6-7, 4.19 ERA).

It's still unclear whether or not the Yankees will treat Spencer Jones as a trade chip before the month ends, but the top prospect has wasted no time in boosting his value at the highest minor-league level.

Jones flaunted his power at the plate yet again on Sunday, smacking a pair of home runs to bring his total to an eye-popping 10 in just his 16th game for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The first of two solo shots from the 6-foot-7 lefty came against the Red Sox' affiliate in the third inning, and traveled a whopping 445 feet to dead center with a scalding 109.6 mph exit velocity. Then, in the sixth, he crushed a ball the opposite way to left at 103.7 mph.

The transition from Double-A to Triple-A has essentially been seamless for Jones, who's listed as the Yankees' second-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Since receiving the promotion on June 27, the former first-round pick has hit an eye-popping .418 (28-for-67) with 20 RBI and a 1.399 OPS. He's also in the 98th percentile or greater in average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard hit percentage.

With clear needs at key positions and the trade deadline looming, the Yankees could appoint Jones as the centerpiece to a package for a highly-coveted asset. The 24-year-old outfielder's stock is soaring, as his 26 total home runs (in 65 games) rank tied for the minor league lead this season.

SPENCER JONES HOMER x2!@swbrailriders | @NYYPlayerDev | @Yankeespic.twitter.com/qFzt64BkaL

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 20, 2025

Phillies reunite with familiar bullpen arm for a third time originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies reunited with a familiar bullpen arm following Sunday’s 8-2 loss to the Angels.

The team agreed to terms with 40-year old free agent reliever David Robertson, who threw for scouts on Saturday in Rhode Island. The Athletic first reported the signing.

This is the third time that the Phillies have acquired Robertson. They signed him to a two-year, 23 million dollar contract prior to the 2019 season. But Robertson appeared in only seven games before eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Phillies re-acquired Robertson at the 2022 trade deadline. He had a 2.70 ERA in 22 regular season appearances for the Phillies and a 1.17 ERA in eight postseason games.

Robertson last pitched for the Rangers in 2024, posting a 3.00 ERA in 68 appearances. This figures to be the first of several moves made by the Phillies to bolster their bullpen before the July 31st trade deadline.  

Aaron Judge ties A-Rod on Yankees' all-time home run list in win over Braves originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Aaron Judge hit the first home run of his MLB career the day after Alex Rodriguez retired. Now, the two are tied on the Yankees’ all-time home run list.

Judge hit his 351st career homer in a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, moving into a tie with A-Rod for sixth place in Yankees history.

“Just an incredible honor, especially, you know, growing up watching A-Rod for so many years and watching what he did in pinstripes,” Judge said. “He’s a legend. One of the best ever players.”

Judge trails Yankee greats Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493), Joe DiMaggio (361) and Yogi Berra (358) in career homers for New York.

Judge’s homer on Sunday was his 36th of the season. He is two behind MLB leader Cal Raleigh of the Mariners, who won the Home Run Derby in Atlanta on Monday.

Judge hit a solo shot in the first inning that traveled 409 feet to right field off Grant Holmes, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. It was his eighth home run in his last 17 games.

The Yankees travel to Toronto to face the AL East-leading Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Monday.

Mets right-hander Tylor Megill is making progress on his return from a right elbow sprain, manager Carlos Mendoza explained before Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

"He's up to 120 [feet]," Mendoza said of Megill's throwing regimen. "Just continue to do the long toss and all that. So, hopefully, he starts getting on the mound here shortly."

New York transferred Megill to the 60-day injured list July 8. He originally landed on the 15-day injured list with his injury June 17 (retroactive to June 15).

Megill, 29, is 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 68.1 IP over 14 games this season.

His last appearance came June 14, when he allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3.2 IP against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I'm not going to push it just because I'm trying to rush and get back," Megill said June 17. "Obviously, I want to get back on the mound throwing. But it'd be dumb to rush it and then end up [with] something down the line actually hurting myself."