Category: Baseball

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (30-29)

GAME ONE: SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 6, SYRACUSE 3 / 7 (BOX)

Syracuse surrendered three in the third and three in the seventh, which put them in a tough 6-0 hole for the bottom of the seventh (and final) inning. They scored three — two on a Ben Rortvedt home run and one on a Matt Rudick single — but the six run deficit was too much to make up.

The big story of this one is that of Kodai Senga, who is continuing his rehab assignment. He was not particularly good, surrendering three runs and six hits over five. He struggled with his command, walking two, hitting two, and throwing two wild pitches. Jorge Polanco also continued his rehab, which may be coming to an end soon.

• RF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, 3B, K
• REHAB ALERT: 1B Jorge Polanco: 0-2, K
• LF Matt Rudick: 1-1, RBI, BB
• DH Christian Arroyo: 0-3, BB, K
• LF-1B Ryan Clifford: 0-3, 3 K, E (6)
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 0-2, BB
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 1-2
• CF Cristian Pache: 0-2, R, 2 K
• C Ben Rortvedt: 1-2, R, HR (3), 2 RBI
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-3, 3 K
• REHAB ALERT: RHP Kodai Senga: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, 2 HBP
• RHP Danis Correa: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

GAME TWO: SYRACUSE 13, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 2 / 7 (BOX)

Well, this game went much better for the Mets. They scratched a run home in the first on a throwing error by the RailRiders’s. Nick Morabito stole third and scored on the aforementioned throwing error. They made it 5-0 in the third, with Christian Arroyo and Andy Ibáñez drove in runs, and Ryan Clifford stole home on a double steal with runners on first and second.

The game broke open even moreso in the sixth, as they scored eight runs en route to a split double header.

• CF Nick Morabito: 1-3, 2 R, BB, 2 K, SB (16)
• LF Ji Hwan Bae: 1-4, 2 R, BB, K
• 2B Christian Arroyo: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, K
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 2-3, 2 R, BB, SB (5)
• 3B Andy Ibáñez: 1-3, 2 RBI, K
• DH Yonny Hernández: 0-2, R, 2 BB, K, SB (6)
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-2, R, 2 BB, K
• C Kevin Parada: 1-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K, E (2)
• RF Matt Rudick: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB
• RHP Zach Peek: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• LHP Matt Turner: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Daniel Duarte: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• LHP Nate Lavender: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (18-34)

BINGHAMTON 16, READING 11 (BOX)

Binghamton came out firing after surrendering a run in the top of the first, going up 4-1 on RBI singles by JT Schwartz, Vincent Perozo and Wyatt Young, with a Jaylen Palmer RBI ground out for good measure. They kept in going in the second, as Schwartz, Perozo and Palmer combined to drive in five runs in the inning, making it 9-1 after two. Reading would actually come back, scoring seven over the third and fourth innings, and even took a 10-9 lead after seven.

Chris Suero would tie it at ten in the seventh, and a JT Schwartz grand slam made it 14-10. Reading would add one more in the eighth, but a two run TT Bowens home run would put the game out of reach.

• DH Chris Suero: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, BB, 3 K
• CF Jose Ramos: 0-5, 2 R, BB, 2 K, E (5)
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 2-4, 3 R, K
• 1B JT Schwartz: 3-4, 3 R, HR (6), 7 RBI, BB, K
• C Vincent Perozo: 2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI, K
• LF Jaylen Palmer: 2-5, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, SB (5)
• SS Wyatt Young: 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K
• RF TT Bowens: 2-5, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 K
• 2B Kevin Villavicencio: 2-5, R
• RHP R.J. Gordon: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, E (1, 2)
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, H (1)
• RHP Guillo Zuñiga: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, BS (2)
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, W (3-1)
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 WP
• RHP Brian Metoyer: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (18-34)

JERSEY SHORE 5, BROOKLYN 4 / 10 (BOX)

Brooklyn struck first, as Colin Houck and Trace Willhoite drove in runs with a single and double respectively, making it 2-0 Cyclones. Jersey Shore would get one back, but a Diego Mosquera sacrifice fly and Grae Kessinger double made it 4-1 in the fifth. It would fall apart from there for Brooklyn, as they surrendered three runs in the seventh to tie it, and a walk off single in the tenth to lose it.

• SS Mitch Voit: 1-5
• DH Grae Kessinger: 1-5, 2B, RBI, 3 K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 2-4, R, 3B, K
• CF John Bay: 0-4, 4 K
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K
• LF Trace Willhoite: 2-3, R, 2 2B, RBI, BB
• RF Sam Biller: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K
• 2B Diego Mosquera: 0-2, RBI, BB, K
• RHP Jose Chirinos: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP
• RHP Bryce Jenkins: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, H (4)
• LHP Gregori Louis: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, BS (2)
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Hunter Hodges: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, L (0-2)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (24-29)

GAME ONE: CLEARWATER 2, ST. LUCIE 0 / 7 (BOX)

St. Lucie got no-hit. Clearwater used three pitchers, who surrendered two walks, no hits, and struck out 12. That about sums it all up. Oh, and Cam Tilly was pretty good and the bullpen gave up both runs.

• SS Elian Peña: 0-2, BB, SB
• 3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-3, 3 K
• 2B Trey Snyder: 0-3, 2 K
• 1B Randy Guzman: 0-2, BB, K, E
• CF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3, 2 K
• RF AJ Salgado: 0-2
• LF Branny De Oleo: 0-2, 2 K
• C Chase Meggers: 0-2, K, E
• DH Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-2, K
• RHP Cam Tilly: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP
• RHP Christian Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, L (2-1)

GAME TWO: CLEARWATER 5, ST. LUCIE 3 / 7 (BOX)

If a no-hitter in game one was frustrating in one way, game two’s loss was frustrating in a different direction. St. Lucie took a lead after trailing 1-0 going into the fifth, with Elian Pena doubling home a run and Antonio Jimenez singling home a run. That 2-1 lead would hold until the seventh, where Clearwater put four runs on Josh Blum, handing the Mets a double header sweep.

• DH Elian Peña: 1-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB (17)
• SS Antonio Jimenez: 1-4, RBI, 2 K, SB (3)
• RF Randy Guzman: 1-2, RBI, BB, K
• 1B Yohairo Cuevas: 0-4, K, 2 E (1, 2)
• LF Jackson Hauge: 0-3, K
• C Francisco Toledo: 0-3, K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 0-3, K
• 2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-3, 2 K
• CF Sam Robertson: 0-1, 2 R, 2 BB, K, SB (24)
• LHP Conner Ware: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP
• RHP Zack Mack: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Josh Blum: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, L (0-1), BS (1)
• RHP Miguel Mejias: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (9-9)

FCL METS 8, FCL NATIONALS 7 / 8 (BOX)

• CF Wyatt Vincent: 1-4, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, K
• LF Bohan Adderley: 2-4, R, 2 K, 3 SB (13, 14, 15)
• C Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-2, R, RBI, 2 BB
• DH Josmir Reyes: 0-4, K
• RF Heriberto Rincon: 0-4, R
• 3B Roybert Herrera: 2-2, 2B, RBI
• PH Vladi Gomez: 0-0, R, SB (9)
• SS Anthony Frobose: 0-3, RBI, K
• 1B Yeider Mindiola: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, K, SB (4)
• 2B Diover De Aza: 0-3, 2 K
• RHP Jose Guevara: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Omar Victorino: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Jean Brito: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, BS (1)
• RHP Yoralbert Cadiz: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-1)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

JT Schwartz

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Gabriel Rodriguez

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 6-3 (7) and L, 2-13 (7) at Syracuse Mets

Game 1:

2B George Lombard Jr. 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
CF Spencer Jones 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
SS Oswaldo Cabrera 0-3, 1 RBI, throwing error
DH Tyler Hardman 2-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
1B Seth Brown 3-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
C Ali Sánchez 1-4, 1 R, 1 K
RF Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
3B Jonathan Ornelas 1-4
LF Duke Ellis 1-3, 1 R, 1 K

Rafael Montero 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K
Carlos Lagrange 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K (win) — stellar first outing in the ‘pen, though it was more of a bulk start
Bradley Hanner 1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (hold)
Peter Strzelecki 0.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 1 K, 1 HR
Yerry De los Santos 0.1 IP, 0 R (save)

Game 2:

SS George Lombard Jr. 0-2, 1 BB
CF Spencer Jones 1-3, 1 2B, 1 K
RF-3B Oswaldo Cabrera 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-3, 2 K
3B-C Tyler Hardman 1-3
2B Jonathan Ornelas 1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
1B Seth Brown 0-3
LF Kenedy Corona 0-3
C-P Edinson Duran 0-2, 1 BB, throwing error

Zach Messinger 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 4 K (loss)
Eric Reyzelman 0.2 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 1 K
Dylan Coleman 2 IP, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Danny Watson 0.1 IP, 4 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K
Edinson Duran 1 IP, 4 R, 3 H, 2 BB — if there’s a game to wind up having to punt, a doubleheader where you already won the first game ain’t the worst

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 4-2 at Harrisburg Senators

LF Jackson Castillo 3-5, 2 2B, 1 RBI
CF Garrett Martin 1-5, 1 K, 1 SB, 1 SB
DH Nicholas Torres 1-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
RF DJ Gladney 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
2B Connor McGinnis 2-4, 1 R, 2 K
1B Abrahan Gutierrez 2-4, 1 RBI
C Miguel Palma 1-4, 1 RBI
3B Kevin Verde 1-4, 1 R, 1 K
SS Owen Cobb 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, throwing error

Cade Smith 5 IP, 1 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (win)
Chris Kean 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 K (hold)
Matt Keating 1 IP, 0 R, 1 K (hold)
Michael Arias 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB (save)

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 3-10 at Frederick Keys

2B Kaeden Kent 1-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 K
SS Core Jackson 0-2, 3 BB, 1 SB
C Eric Genther 1-5, 2 K, throwing error
1B Kyle West 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K, fielding error
RF Wilson Rodriguez 2-5, 1 2B, 1 K, fielding error
DH Roderick Arias 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB
3B Enmanuel Tejeda 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
LF Josh Moylan 1-3, 1 2B, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer 0-4, 1 R, 1 K

Luis Serna 3.1 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, pickoff error (loss)
Bryce Warrecker 1.2 IP, 0 R, 2 K
Tony Rossi 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H
Brandon Decker 1 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 1 K

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 14-5 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals

SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 3-6, 3 R, 2 K, 1 SB
3B Hans Montero 5-5, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 BB
C Luis Puello 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
LF Logan Maxwell 2-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
RF JoJo Jackson 0-4, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 SB
CF Willy Montero 1-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
DH Engelth Urena 3-4, 4 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 SB
1B John Cristino 1-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
2B Luis Escudero 0-5, 1 K

Wyatt Parliament 4.2 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR
J.T. Etheridge 3.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K (win)
Jose M. Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 R, 1 K

Florida Complex League Yankees: Off-day

Dominican Summer League Yankees: Off-day

Dominican Summer League Bombers: Off-day

On Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates took down the Houston Astros 10-6 on the road. Third baseman Nick Gonzales was a huge part of the Bucs offensive success against Houston. 

Gonzales went 3-4 with 3 hits and walked once. He has done a great job getting on base and producing in the middle of the lineup. 

 Gonzales leads the team with 65 hits after getting two more on Wednesday night, inlcuding a homer. He also has a batting average of .314 which is sixth in the Major Leagues. Gonzales may not show the most power, but he’s hit impressively well and held down third base this season. He now has 2 home runs and 29 RBIs, but with the high batting average and an OPS of .759,he has been a sneaky massive piece for Pittsburgh.

Players like Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, and Brandon Lowe are getting a lot of attention, but Nick Gonzales has to be the most underrated player so far. The Pirates are 33-29 and tied for second in the NL Central, and Gonzales deserves credit so far. 

Gonzales recorded his second three-hit game over his last three contests and added a season-high three runs scored in the Tuesday victory. On Wednesday, he extended his hitting streak to a modest five games and is hitting .476 (10-for-21) during the stretch.

The Pirates haven’t really needed Gonzales hitting as many home runs, as their 73 home runs shows, thanks to players like Cruz, second baseman Brandon Lowe, right fielder Ryan O’Hearn, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, first baseman Spencer Horwitz and others.

Gonzales has stayed consistent with his approach at the plate, and the Pirates are good with him and his performance, which isn’t hard to understand why with his strong hitting numbers so far.

The 27 year old deserves a lot more credit for the success of the team. The Buccos’ offense is much better this year than last year’s team, and Nicky G is a big reason because of that. If the Pirates want to be a playoff team this year and snap that 11 year playoff drought, they need him to continue to produce. 

Toledo Mud Hens 10, Iowa Cubs 2 (box)

Max Clark homered for the second straight day and the Hens crushed the Cubs again with a strong effort from the bullpen as well.

Troy Watson made a short start and did quite well against a pretty good Cubs lineup. He blanked them on three hits and a walk over 3.2 innings of work with four strikeouts.

Tyler Gentry opened the scoring with a solo shot in the third. Eduardo Valencia launched home run number 11 on the year to open the fifth, and it was 2-0 Hens.

In the sixth, Max Anderson led off with a walk and stole second base. Hao-Yu Lee smoked a sharp single to left that scored Anderson and took second on the play. A Trei Cruz single plated Lee for a 4-0 lead.

Ricky Vanasco took over from Watson for four outs, striking out two. Woo-Suk Go followed that up with a pair of perfect innings and three punchouts of his own. Tyler Mattison handled the eighth without allowing a baserunner either.

In the seventh, Max Clark cracked a 420 foot shot to right that left the bat at 108 mph. Yesterday he homered off a lollypop from a position player, but this was a no-doubter and over the past two weeks Clark has started pulling the ball with more authority. Good signs from the top outfield prospect in baseball.

Hao-Yu Lee doubled in Ben Malgeri and Gage Workman in the eighth. After walks to Cruz and Valencia, Jace Jung doubled in two and scored on groundout later in the inning to make it 10-0. Scott Effross allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Lee: 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B

Clark: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Valencia: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB

Watson: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:38 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Erie SeaWolves 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels 2 (box)

Kenny Serwa put together his best outing of the season, but it took a late rally for the Flying Tigers to comeback and win this one.

Serwa gave up a run in the third, but otherwise the knuckleballer was in full control. He fired five innings of one-run ball with a walk allowed against seven strikeouts. Wandisson Charles handled the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a run.

The SeaWolves had the leadoff man on repeatedly in this one, but couldn’t break through until the eighth. Bennett Lee led off the inning with a solo shot that tied the game at 1-1. Seth Stephenson followed with a single and stole second base. Brett Callahan flew out, but John Peck reached on an error and Thayron Liranzo walked to load the bases. The Dragons’ Mitch White walked Justice Bigbie to force in a run, and a Peyton Graham single made it 3-1.

Tyler Owens wild pitched in a run in the bottom of the eighth, so it was 3-2 Erie heading into the ninth. Stephenson walked with one out, and the speedy center fielder had no trouble scoring on a Callahan drive to center that got down for a double. Luke Taggart struck out three in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save, but only after allowing a pair of two-out singles that brought the go-ahead run to the plate.

Stephenson: 2-4, 2 R, BB, SB, CS

Callahan: 2-5, RBI, 2B, 2 K

Graham: 1-3, RBI, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied up heading into Thursday’s 7:05 p.m. ET matchup in Richmond.

West Michigan Whitecaps 6, Dayton Dragons 4 (box)

Ben Jacobs had a rough outing, but the Whitecaps rallied with a three-run eighth inning to win on Wednesday and even the series.

Andrew Sears started things off with a rehab start. He gave up a run in the first, but only one hit and no walks, with four strikeouts over three good innings of work. He looks close to heading back to Double-A Erie soon.

Jacobs succeeded him, allowing three runs in five innings of work with six strikeouts. Jacobs wasn’t hit hard other than a Jacob Friend solo shot, but three walks and some wildness in the fourth especially helped the Dragons out quite a bit.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Whitecaps took advantage of leadoff walks to Jackson Strong and Luke Shliger. Cristian Santana struck out, but Juan Hernandez walked as well, loading the bases. Woody Hadeen singled in Strong, while Andrew Sojka singled in Shliger and Hernandez to make it a 3-3 game.

Dayton scored one in the seventh to take a one-run lead, but in the bottom of the eighth, Hadeen and Penngton walked and Bryce Rainer strafed an opposite field doubled to score Hadeen. That tied the game, and then the Dragons couldn’t handle a Clayton Campbell pop-up and Pennington scored. A Strong ground out allowed Rainer to score and make it 6-4 where it ended. Jalen Evans tossed a perfect ninth to earn his first save with the ‘Caps.

Hadeen: 2-3, R, RBI, BB

Sears: 3.0 IP, ER, H, 0 BB, 4 K

Jacobs (W, 1-0): 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K, HBP

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 11, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 5 (box)

A six-run rally in the eighth blew open a close game as the Flying Tigers took down the Mighty Mussels on Wednesday.

They jumped out to an early lead in the first as Jordan Yost led off the bottom half with an opposite field single and took second on a passed ball. Jude Warwick walked, and with one-out, Edian Espinal smoked a drive into the right field corner for a two-run triple. Espinal remains a very interesting story as the Tigers teach him the catching position while he continues to rake, now holding a .915 OPS on the season. Jesus Pinto, the other fast riser in Lakeland, reached on an error as Espinal scored to make it 3-0.

Meanwhile, Cash Kuiper was crusing through three innings. In the fourth, he couldn’t quite corral a comeback from Enrique Jimenez, last seen being traded by the Tigers to the Twins for Chris Paddack. An error by Carson Rucker followed, and then Hunter Dobbins took a catchers interference call. Kuiper wasn’t hit hard, but a three-run inning for Fort Myers followed from those mistakes, including another one from right fielder Anibal Salas, tying the game. Fort Myers added one in the fifth as Kuiper’s outing came to an end.

The Flygers answered back in the bottom of the fifth. Salas singled, and Yost walked before Warwick tripled them both in to re-capture a one-run lead. Warwick got a little greedy heading down the third base line and got tagged out, but they had the lead. Jan Carabello allowed Fort Myers to tie things up again in the seventh, but in the eighth Lakeland took control for good.

Yost was hit by a pitch and stole second base to start the inning. Warwick singled, and Beau Ankeney doubled them both in after a pretty epic 10 pitch battle. Fort Myers went back to the pen, but the new reliever hit Espinal before striking out Pinto. Nick Dumesnil grounded out, moving both runners into scoring position, and Rucker walked. Hunter Dobbins followed with a grand slam to left center field to put this one in the bag.

Warwick: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Yost: 1-2, 3 R, BB, SB

Kuiper: 4.2 IP, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, K

Coming Up Next: The series is even at a game apiece heading into a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Apologies for the old school Today on PSA, but the editing night ran into morning rather quick this time around. The Yankees gave us a classic “just out of reach the whole time” type of game, giving up a run and then clawing it back just to give up another and stay barely behind. The series might be lost, but they could still salvage the finale and get a little momentum back for their upcoming matchup with their archrivals.

We’ve got a busy morning with a matinee getaway game, so let’s get into what’s in store beforehand. Sam starts us off with a look at the best defensive plays the Bombers made in the field in May, and then comes back to go through the Rivalry Roundup as the Tigers delivered a surprise sweep of the Rays. Jeff gives Phil Linz his flowers on his birthday and remembers his infamous harmonica story, Jonathan examines Ryan McMahon’s play in the last month and where he’s managed to make improvements, and Peter has the At-Bat of the Week featuring Paul Goldschmidt.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Guardians.TV

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who outside of the usual top of the lineup candidates can step up with Aaron Judge out?

2. Will Big G be able to hit the ground running when he comes back, or are you expecting a slow start?

MLB.com | Jason Foster: We’re six weeks out from the 2026 All-Star Game, taking place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The official voting opened yesterday, and the Yankees feature a trio of strong candidates to start in Aaron Judge (if he’s healthy), Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger. A desperately weak second base field may even open up a spot for Jazz Chisholm Jr., despite his own best efforts (last night notwithstanding). Pitching isn’t chosen by the fans but it’s hard to argue that the Yankees won’t have at least one starting pitcher included in the group as well.

SNY | Ben Pawlak: The course is not yet clear for the Captain. Aaron Judge will undergo further imaging on his chest and ribs to best identify the course of treatment for this bone bruise that has upended his season. Suffice to say Judge will not be in the lineup for Thursday’s finale with the Guardians, and I would put his status for this weekend’s brush with the Red Sox in doubt too.

The Athletic | Brandon Kuty ($): The Yankees announced they were moving Carlos Lagrange to the bullpen for Triple-A Scranton on Tuesday, seeming to put him on a fast track to debut with the big league club this year. With the performance of the Yankee bullpen, especially the higher-leverage arms needed to navigate the seventh or eighth innings, Lagrange’s success as a reliever becomes more of a need than a want. Camilo Doval doesn’t seem to have the consistency necessary for a high-leverage spot, and while Lagrange can hit the same velo, hopefully he can be more reliable as he gets tuned up for MLB.

Evidently, Lagrange’s 2026 bullpen debut went quite nicely.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: In all our Gerrit Cole excitement, it’s worth remembering that Clarke Schmidt is also rehabbing from Tommy John, and the right-hander has begun throwing bullpens at Yankee Stadium. Schmidt underwent surgery on July 11th of last year and will likely be able to face live hitters before the 12-month anniversary of the procedure. What his exact role with the Yankees will be is to be decided, but you always need more pitching.

At the beginning of this series, Mark Grace remarked that the Diamondbacks needed to take advantage of the starting pitching matchups in the first two games because – on paper at least – they favored the D-Backs. The first game featured a resurgent Eduardo Rodriguez against youngster Emmet Sheehan while the second one pitted the reinvented Michael Soroka against journeyman Eric Lauer. Grace’s recommendation was certainly heeded in the first game when Rodriguez went six innings and allowed just one run, but Soroka wasn’t quite able to take the baton the next night even if he ended stronger than he started. Frustratingly, the script flipped on starting pitching beginning with Shohei Ohtani and his otherworldly 0.82 ERA going tonight while Justin Wrobleski and his excellent 2.87 ERA will round out the series. As expected, the D-Backs ran headlong into the buzzsaw that Ohtani has been on the bump this season while Zac Gallen labored through just five innings and gave up five runs. There were essentially no highlights for the D-Backs tonight, just lowlights. Seriously, if you’re a Diamondbacks’ fan, go read a book or talk to a friend instead.

The vibes for the night started off poorly with Ketel Marte being scratched from the lineup late with “full body fatigue” that was later clarified to be more focused on his hamstring as Torey Lovullo explained that he would prefer to give him a day off today than push him through the pain. They did not improve through the night. After a scoreless first, Mookie Betts leadoff the second inning by reaching on a slightly off-target throw from Geraldo Perdomo that was immediately cashed in on a mammoth home run from Kyle Tucker off a flat Gallen fastball that sat middle-middle. The third also started with a pair of leadoff base runners with a walk to Ohtani, a double from Andy Pages, and a two-run single from Freddie Freeman. Max Muncy would add another run on a single that somehow eluded Gallen and Perdomo to reach the outfield and allow Freeman to motor around for a fifth LA run. Brandon Pfaadt came into the game in relief and failed to provide much confidence in his role moving forward. After collecting a couple quick outs, he loaded the bases on a Muncy double, a Will Smith walk, and an Alex Call hit by pitch that was again quickly cashed in by an Alex Freeland single up the middle that once again eluded the infield defenders.

Meanwhile, the Ohtani show was in full effect tonight. He extended his no-hit streak another 3.2 IP until Gabriel Moreno broke up his no-hitter with a two-out double in the fourth – one of just two hits and three baserunners the Japanese ace allowed over six innings of work. The D-Backs would muster just two more baserunners for the remainder of the game with a two-out walk to Jose Fernandez and a fielding error on a ball Moreno put into play on the left side of the infield. They did little to generate any baserunners and continued to struggle to find any kind of offensive rhythm after their latest sweep of the Giants. The team is now just 1-5 since leaving San Francisco and looking for answers on both sides of the ball. Thankfully, regardless of how ugly a loss might be, they count the same as a a big blowout. Hopefully the boys are able to shower and relax before going for a series split tomorrow.

PHOENIX –– Shohei Ohtani isn’t supposed to be making it look this easy.

Not after a second career Tommy John surgery. Not in his first full two-way season in three years. Not with the eyes of the baseball world watching his every move, wondering exactly how long he can keep this level of dominance up.

And yet, there Ohtani was on Wednesday night at Chase Field, looking every bit the part of “the best player that’s ever walked this earth,” as catcher Will Smith put it.

In a 7-0 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers’ unicorn talent continued what has become a magical campaign thus far. 

He delivered a scoreless six-inning outing on the mound that lowered his ERA to 0.74 through his first 10 starts –– third-lowest that deep into a season since earned runs first became a stat in 1913.

If that wasn’t enough, he also went 3-for-4 as a hitter while drawing two walks, pushing his batting average back above the .300 mark for the first time since opening day.

“I’m pleased with where I’m at right now,” Ohtani, understated as ever, said through an interpreter.

There’s no debating Ohtani’s status as the game’s preeminent superstar right now.

After Wednesday, the bigger question is whether he’s also baseball’s best current pitcher, as well.

Granted, he doesn’t have –– and will not finish the year with –– as many innings as some of the game’s other top arms. He is still technically below the minimum innings threshold to be considered a qualified pitcher, albeit by only one.

Still, no one is preventing runs as clinically as he is at the moment.

At no point this season has his ERA even reached 1.00.

“I’ve noticed with Shohei, every run is a premium,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s literally trying to throw a shutout every time out there.”

He did once again on Wednesday, mowing through the Arizona lineup in a two-hit, one-walk, six-strikeout gem.

The right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced, extending his hitless streak to 9 ⅔ innings dating back to last week’s six-inning start against the Colorado Rockies. He stranded a double that Dbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno poked down the first-base line with two outs in the fourth, in one of his rare moments of stress all night.

The Dbacks wouldn’t put another runner aboard until the sixth, when Tommy Troy walked and Geraldo Perdomo hit a single. But then, as if dialed up on command, Ohtani got Corbin Carroll to immediately hit into a double-play grounded that ended the inning.

He punctuated his pitching performance with a calm fist pump as he walked off the mound for the final time.

“He just has a really good feel for the game,” Smith said.

All that, and Ohtani also reached base five times (all three of his hits were singles) on a night the Dodgers jumped to an early five-run lead on Kyle Tucker’s two-run blast in the second and run-scoring singles from Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy in the third.

It isn’t supposed to be this easy.

Ohtani is making it look so anyway.

“I don’t throw 100, so I can’t relate or know what he goes through,” Tucker quipped. “But he’s given us everything he has every single time he goes out there, every single day. So he’s done a phenomenal job.”

What it means

The Dodgers (40-22) have won 16 of their last 20 games, and are in position for a sixth-straight series win entering Thursday’s finale of this four-game set.

Unsurprisingly, that run has coincided with Ohtani’s best stretch of the season.

For all he’s done as a pitcher, the four-time MVP has also rediscovered his swing as of late.

With Wednesday’s 3-for-4 performance, he is now hitting .435 over the team’s last 20 games with 16 RBIs, 12 extra-base hits and an OPS of 1.254.

For the season, it has raised his batting average to .301 (ninth-best in the National League) and his OPS to .941 (representing the league’s third-best mark).

“Honestly, I think his at-bats the last three weeks have just been better in total,” Roberts said.

Who’s hot

Ohtani, obviously.

The only real question is whether that’s more true of his bat or his arm.

On the mound, Ohtani has still yet to allow more than two runs in any of his starts this year. Wednesday was the fifth time he didn’t give up any.

Even more encouraging this time was his improved command in an efficient 89-pitch outing, which was only cut short because the score had gotten so out of hand.

After eight combined walks in his three previous pitching starts, he issued only the one free pass on Wednesday.

“Today was definitely a lot better than last time,” he said.

Ohtani still didn’t even seem to be at his absolute best with his arsenal. He leaned mostly on fastballs and sweepers, and only got nine total whiffs.

No matter. With pitch speeds ranging from 100.4 mph all the way down to 68 mph, he kept the Dbacks (32-29) off-balance, out-of-rhythm and unable to do much of anything.

He might have company in the Cy Young race. But he’s already well on his way to another MVP honor.

Who’s not

This category had belonged to Tucker over the past few days.

But after a three-hit showing Wednesday, it no longer applies for now.

Tucker’s home run in the second inning came on what he said was his best swing of the year: A 424-foot blast over the pool in deep right-center with a season-best 107.6 mph exit velocity.

“That’s kind of the swing I’ve been searching for the whole time,” he said. “It’s good to get that off and kind of carry that over for a few at-bats after that.”

Indeed, he lined a single on a low curveball in the third inning, then another on a low slider in the fifth.

It marked Tucker’s fourth three-hit game of the year, and got his average up to .243.

“I just felt he looked much more comfortable tonight,” Roberts said.

Up next

The Dodgers conclude this four-game series on Thursday, when Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.87 ERA) faces right-hander Ryne Nelson (2-4, 4.82 ERA).

After a pair of wild games that went in their favor, the Colorado Rockies aimed to secure a series sweep against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, another lackluster outing from their starting pitcher and an offense that struggled to get going left them trailing early and failing to catch up as they lost 11-4.

Another Rough Outing for Michael Lorenzen

All hopes for a bounce-back performance for Michael Lorenzen in his hometown venue were quickly dashed as the right-hander struggled once again.

Things started ominously as Lorenzen walked Jorge Soler to start the bottom of the first inning. It was apparent from the get-go that he didn’t quite have command of his pitches and struggled to find the zone. After allowing a one-out single to Wade Meckler, Lorenzen escaped the first inning unscathed to strand the two runners on base.

Then the second inning happened.

As Lorenzen continued to search for comfort, moving around the rubber and lengthening his extension, the Angels kicked things off with back-to-back singles from Donovan Walton and Nick Madrigal before Jose Siri laced an RBI double to left field. A wild pitch then allowed Madrigal to score, followed by an RBI single from Logan O’Hoppe to give the Angels a 3-0 lead.

Lorenzen finally got the first out of the inning thanks to an ABS challenge from Hunter Goodman that secured a strikeout of Soler.

Mike Trout then drew a walk, but Lorenzen got a strikeout out of Meckler for the second out of the inning. However, Vaughn Grissom placed a ground ball into left field for a hit that resulted in a run when a throw from Sterlin Thompson wasn’t handled by Goodman, giving the Angels a 4-0 lead, and allowing both trail runners to move up to scoring position.

Another wild pitch scored the Angels’ fifth run, followed by an Oswald Peraza single to make it 6-0. The inning finally ended on a flyout to center field from Walton.

Lorezen tossed 61 pitches through the first two innings, the highest number in his career, but manager Warren Schaeffer stuck with him in the hopes he could just eat some innings. Lorenzen tried to oblige with a quick third, but his night came to an early end when Grissom hit a two-run homer in the fourth to make it an 8-1 game.

“He was obviously behind in counts, left some balls up, and didn’t put the ball where he wanted to.” Schaeffer said after the game. “His command was shaky.”

Lorenzen ended up going just 3.1 innings, allowing eight runs on 10 hits while issuing just two walks and striking out five. He threw 85 pitches, 52 of which were strikes.

“He’s in a period of searching right now,” said Schaeffer. “I have extreme confidence in him that he’s going to come out of it. He’s done it before.”

Offense musters a couple of two-out knocks

It’s been a common theme for the Rockies’ offense to start slow this season, and tonight was another instance of that stereotype.

Facing rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña, the Rockies had a tough task getting things rolling. Through the first 4.2 innings, Colorado had no hits and just one baserunner. Finally, Goodman secured the first hit with a double to center field on a chest-high sinker. Troy Johnston then followed up with an RBI double of his own to get the Rockies on the board, trailing 6-1 at the time.

The Rockies continued trying to make the game interesting in the next inning. Edouard Julien drew a one-out walk, one of three that Ureña allowed. After Jake McCarthy struck out, Tyler Freeman delivered another clutch hit with two outs, tucking a two-run home run beyond the left field wall to make it 8-3. For Freeman, it was his third home run of the season.

That was all the Rockies could muster against Ureña, however, as he ended up allowing just three runs on three hits while striking out seven batters. The Rockies made him work, throwing 99 pitches, but they weren’t able to capitalize and do more damage against him.

After a scoreless seventh inning against former Rockie Drew Pomeranz, reigning NL Rookie of the Month TJ Rumfield got something started for the Rockies with a one-out double in the eighth inning. After Goodman moved him over to third on a groundout, Johnston delivered another two-out hit to drive in Rumfield to make it 11-4.

Aside from a two-out double by Julien, the Rockies went quietly in the ninth to end the game.

The Rockies managed seven hits, including four extra-base hits, but also went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They also struck out nine times and drew three walks.

Bullpen and defense clocks in

Keegan Thompson ended up replacing Lorenzen in that fourth inning as the bullpen clocked in to eat a bulk of innings.

He ended up working 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on three hits with three strikeouts, throwing 30-of-45 pitches for strikes. He left the game with the Rockeis trailing 11-3, but things could have looked much more dire had it not been for a couple of stellar defensive plays in the outfield.

The first batter he faced in the fourth inning lofted a ball deep to center field that would have been a triple at least if it had hit off the wall, but the speedy McCarthy tracked it down with a leaping grab.

The following inning, Trout sent a ball to left field that looked just high enough for a two-run home run, but Sterlin Thompson made a leaping grab to rob the hit and end the inning.

Seth Halvorsen fired a scoreless seventh inning, allowing one hit and recording a strikeout. He then gave way to rookie TJ Shook, who threw just five pitches for a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

In total, the Rockies’ pitching staff gave up 16 hits and had eight strikeouts against three walks. The bullpen alone allowed just three runs on six hits over 4.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk.

Up Next

The Rockies head back home, where they will enjoy the day off on Thursday.

The Milwaukee Brewers come to town for a weekend series starting Friday with Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.85 ERA) making his second start since returning from the injured list. Brandon Sproat (1-4, 6.24 ERA) takes the hill for the Brew Crew.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm MDT. See you then!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Shohei Ohtani continued to dazzle on the mound, and the Dodgers gave him plenty of early run support as they shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 on Wednesday.

The Dodgers started the scoring with a two-run home run for a second consecutive game, this time being Kyle Tucker launching his first home run since May 4 to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Freddie Freeman added another pair of RBI on an opposite-field single in the top of the third to make it a 4-0 lead. Freeman added another hit in the seventh inning and is now 5-15 (.333 average) with a home run and five RBI over the three games at Chase Field this week. Max Muncy drove home Freeman with a single up the middle to give the Dodgers their first three-run inning of the series and make it a five-run lead.

While the Dodgers didn’t score in the top of the fourth, they continued to make Zac Gallen earn every out. Gallen had tossed just six pitches in the first inning and 20 combined over his first two innings, but he combined for 70 pitches over his next three innings— 32, 24 and 14 pitches respectively. Gallen has now allowed nine runs (eight earned runs) over nine innings against the Dodgers this season.

As for Shohei Ohtani on the mound, he was perfect against the Diamondbacks lineup the first time around while racking up three strikeouts. He was one out away from 10 straight hitless innings since last week, but Gabriel Moreno spoiled the no-hit bid with a two-out, two-strike double down the right field line to give Arizona their first hit. Ohtani got out of the jam by getting Nolan Arenado to ground out.

Ohtani faced the most trouble on the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he allowed a walk and a single to Tommy Troy and Geraldo Perdomo respectively to put two men on base for the first time on the night. Ohtani quickly got out of the jam, getting Corbin Carroll to ground into an inning-ending double play to give the two-way superstar another quality start.

Ohtani has now allowed just two hits and one run while striking out 13 over his last two starts, while Wednesday marked the fifth scoreless start of the year. Ohtani now lowers his ERA on the year to 0.74, the best among all starting pitchers with at least 60 innings.

While Ohtani dazzled on the mound, he reached base five times on a pair of walks and three singles. After May 11, Ohtani’s batting average stood at just .233, but since May 12, Ohtani has multiple hits in 11 of his last 19 games, raising his season average to .301.

Kyle Tucker added a pair of singles to accompany his two-run home run, giving him his first three-hit game since May 17 against the Angels.

Alex Freeland has been hitting well since being called back up from Triple-A, as he collected three hits and added two RBI on a single in the top of the seventh to make it a 7-0 Dodger lead. Freeland is now 6-17 (.353 average) with a home run and four RBI in six games back at the big league level.

With the San Diego Padres dropping their series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers division lead now grows to seven games. The Dodgers now join the Atlanta Braves as the only two teams in baseball with at least 40 wins on the year.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Kyle Tucker (5)
• WP— Shohei Ohtani (6-2): 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
• LP— Zac Gallen (3-5): 5 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned runs), 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Up next

The Dodgers look to take the series as they wrap things up in Arizona on Thursday (6:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading back home for a three-game set against the Angels. Justin Wrobleski faces Ryne Nelson.

After a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the series opener, the San Diego Padres designated Nick Castellanos for assignment. They called up Samad Taylor from the Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.

No buzz, no headlines, but Taylor deserves the opportunity, as he is tearing up the minors. Before his call-up, he was hitting .319/.406/.500 with seven HR and 25 RBI in 51 games. 

Castellanos failed to produce

The Castellanos decision brings a sigh of relief to the Friar Faithful. He was expected to hit for average and drive in runs, but neither happened as the organization hoped. Castellanos struggled, as he batted .191/.221/.339 in 39 games. 

His career numbers (.270/.319/.462 with 24 HR and 88 RBI) suggested he could have a bounce-back season with the Padres. The organization should have taken a closer look at the significant production drop-off in Castellanos’ final season with the Phillies. Hitting .250/.294/.400 with 17 HR and 72 RBI in 147 games did not merit keeping his questionable outfield glove in the lineup.

Who is Samad Taylor, and what is his role with the Padres

The Cleveland Guardians drafted Taylor in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He played in the Toronto Blue Jays organization before making his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2023. Taylor also played in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2024-25. In January, he signed as a minor league free agent with the Friars. 

The Padres consider Taylor a versatile player, as his primary position is second base, but he can play the other infield positions and all three outfield spots. Plus, the organization believes the 27-year-old Corona, Calif. native can become an important late-inning base-stealing threat off the bench. Taylor has 282 stolen bases in 883 minor league games. 

The Friars’ lineup has too many holes to wait for Castellanos to get hot at the plate. The fit was never right. 

Out goes the former slugger, and in comes Taylor.

Sidelined with a calf strain since April 24, Giancarlo Stanton resumed live hitting Wednesday.

The 36-year-old Stanton took three at-bats against Angel Chivilli (right shoulder discomfort) for the first time since straining his right calf while running the bases during a game against the Astros earlier this season.

Only soft ground balls to the left side — outside of one foul ball — came off Stanton’s bat.

Outfielder Jasson Domínguez also participated in the pregame activity. Projected to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday, Domínguez continues to work his way back from an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder he sustained May 7.

“Good to get the reps and get outside and do that,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Guardians. “Good day. I think we’re going to do that again Saturday with Giancarlo, with the expectation that Jason will start his rehab on Friday.”

The Yankees optioned Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start the regular season. After he was recalled April 27 in the wake of injuries to Stanton and Luis Gil, Domínguez suffered his own injury after crashing into the wall in left field and had to be carted off.

Both players’ progression is an encouraging development for the Yankees, who are still waiting on an official timeline for Aaron Judge’s return from a bone bruise in his upper rib cage.

The Yankees will miss their top slugger no matter how much time he misses, but Stanton’s return to the lineup would certainly help alleviate some of the offensive burden.

Stanton has exclusively been deployed as a designated hitter so far this season to manage his workload.

His .256 batting average is also ranked sixth on the team among players who have appeared in at least 20 games so far this season.

Carlos Lagrange, who was recently shifted to the bullpen at SWB and could potentially help the Yankees down the stretch, threw four scoreless innings, struck out seven batters and walked two during his first relief appearance Wednesday.

He hit 101.4 mph, according to YES Network.

Boone said Max Fried — out since mid-May with a left elbow bone bruise — will continue to ramp up his throwing program at 75 feet, progress to 90 and potentially be set for re-imaging later next week, which will determine if the lefty can progress to throwing off a mound.

José Caballero is prepared to step up in Aaron Judge’s absence. 

Still awaiting the results of more extra imaging on Aaron Judge’s upper right rib cage and chest, the Yankees had Caballero back in right field in the captain’s place for their 5-4 loss to the Guardians on Wednesday night in The Bronx. 

It was Caballero’s second assignment in right field since Judge has been unavailable after not having taken many reps in that spot since last season. 

“Whatever the manager needs, I’ll be able to do it and more than happy to do so,” he said after going 2-for-4 from the plate with a solo home run that pulled the Yankees within one in the fourth inning Wednesday night. 

His fourth-inning homer was his fifth of the season, but the play went under review first. 

A fan caught the ball, which just barely made it into the stands at 364 feet. Cleveland’s Angel Martinez chased it into the wall, but pointed up at the fan after it was ruled a home run on the field. 

Caballero said he wasn’t concerned the homer would get overturned, but he was sure it was going to go out.  

“He’s a player, man,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Caballero before the game. “Just have a lot of confidence with him anywhere on the field. You saw his first day out in left field in Kansas City, first play of the game, there’s a rocket hit right at him and he lays out, makes a great play. So just a really good baseball player that you trust in a lot of places.”

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

After hitting five home runs through 126 games in 2025, the Yankees utility player now has five through 51 games this season.

He has also reached base safely in 30 of his last 36 games with a plate appearance, dating back to April 13. 

Over that span, Caballero has slashed .303/.362/.479 with 19 runs, six doubles, 12 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. 

The 29-year-old wasn’t sure if the plan was for him to continue taking a majority of the reps in right field going forward without Judge.

Asked if he had a chance to work in right field prior to the last two days, Caballero downplayed it as a necessity.  

“I feel like it’s not like a big need,” Caballero said. “Now, I’m able to do the job out there and I’ll be ready to play whatever position.”

With so much uncertainty swirling about the status of Aaron Judge, the bone bruise near his right rib cage that’s impacting his swing and how much time the Yankees’ superstar could miss, the only thing that’d become certain by the end of Wednesday night was that the waiting game continued into Thursday.

Judge, who was out of the lineup for a second consecutive game during the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Guardians, saw a specialist Wednesday who confirmed what the Yankees had seen to this point with his injury, manager Aaron Boone said.

But Judge is going back for “more high-power, more specific” tests around the rib and chest area to get a “really strong diagnosis of things.”

“We just want clarity on what exactly we’re dealing with,” Boone said. “Then we can set the course of action and kind of have an idea of what the timeline’s gonna be.”

So when the Yankees left the ballpark after a second consecutive loss, Judge remained off the injured list, but the additional testing certainly cast an ominous tone about the status of their superstar.

Judge last played in a game Sunday, underwent imaging on the team’s day off Monday and met with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Tuesday before the specialist got involved.

He was left to work out in the weight room Wednesday, get treatment and await his fate — whether this was a best-case scenario that didn’t involve the injured list, a short stint on the IL or something more long term.

The Yankees were left to tweak their lineup, with José Caballero in right field and Ben Rice as their lineup’s power source.

Asked before the game how long the Yankees would go without Judge being an option before making a transaction, Boone said he didn’t know.

“It kind of depends on probably this diagnosis with the doctors and seeing where he’s at [Wednesday] and [Thursday],” Boone said.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

So the Yankees needed to pivot again. They started Caballero in right field again, a spot the utilityman, who Boone said the Yankees “trust in a lot of places,” hadn’t played since September before Monday.

They needed to rely on Rice, in just his second full MLB season, as their lineup’s anchor, banking on the lefty slugger’s ability to adapt if pitchers approach him differently without Judge lurking in the on-deck circle.

Caballero homered and singled, while Rice wasn’t able to add to his 17 homers and 44 RBIs but did rip a double as one of the Yankees’ five hits.

Boone and the Yankees hoped initially that Judge, someone they’ve struggled without in recent seasons, could miss only a few days and that they avoided anything serious. With each added day of testing and consultations, that feels more and more distant.

Judge’s last stint on the IL occurred in July 2025 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow that caused him to miss 10 games. He also missed more than a month in 2023 with a torn ligament in his big right toe. It forced the Yankees to find ways to cobble together production to replace the three-time American League MVP, who also won the AL batting title last year (.331 average) and has collected another 17 homers to start 2026.

Recently, though, Judge struggled, going just 17-for-82.

(.207) across his past 22 games prior to Tuesday with 26 strikeouts. His average dipped to .248. He collected just six extra-base hits across that stretch and launched just one homer since May 11.

Judge went a career-worst 11 games without an RBI last month too. It was a concerning stretch, even for one of the sport’s best hitters, and Boone admitted Wednesday that “I think there is some correlation” between the nagging injury that gradually worsened and the slump.

Boone thought the Yankees were better equipped to handle a Judge absence than they were in past seasons.

They failed in their first two glimpses of life without Judge. And the looming question of just how long they’ll need to survive without him was punted to the next day.

“You don’t want to see any player get hurt, right?” Gerrit Cole said. “Aaron, obviously, means a lot to us and just plays great baseball all the time and brings great energy, so, you know, it’s tough when guys get hurt. But unfortunately, it’s part of the game and as a team, you gotta figure out how to step up in those situations.

“So that’s what we’ll do.”