Category: Baseball

Mets interim manager Andy Green and some players discussed the pivotal moments of the team's loss to the White Sox on Friday...

Yan's premature celebration

In a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, Jefry Yan was called on to hold the line and send it into extra innings. However, the left-hander could not, ultimately allowing a walk-off two-run shot to catcher Jake Rogers.

But that inning started rather oddly. Going up against left-hander Colson Montgomery, Yan threw a slider down in the zone on a 1-2 pitch. The Mets southpaw was convinced he just struck out Montgomery and did his signature celebration. But it was called a ball and the at-bat continued. Two pitches later, Montgomery was on with a walk. 

"Jefry will learn not to jump before the play is over," Green said after the game. "That’s something he’s still working through. The emotions of the moment got him there."

To Yan's credit, he got the next two batters out and was one out away from stranding Montgomery on third. But a 0-1 fastball down in the zone was taken deep by Rogers. 

"I went out there with a plan to do what I always do. To execute, to compete," Yan said via an interpreter of the Montgomery at-bat. "That at-bat, I threw a pitch a little prematurely. I still don’t let my guard down at that point and I was trying to execute my pitches there, but I walked him."

Green said that the premature celebration didn't affect Yan, and chalked it up to being a rookie who has a lot of enthusiasm but is still learning. 

"We encouraged him very strongly to wait til the play is over. The emotions got to him," Green said. 

"That’s one of those that becomes a learning experience," Yan said. "Can’t go out there and lose the goal, which is execute pitches. It won’t happen again. Once the job is done, you can celebrate the way you want to."

Yan also said his celebration didn't affect him, and he was just bested by Rogers.

"In the at-bat to Rogers, I threw the ball but I was trying to attack him and he got it," he said. "It’s the first home run I’ve given up in the major leagues. It’s something to learn from -- learn how to execute better. I wouldn’t say it affected me."

Jefry Yan did his strikeout celebration in the 9th inning on a pitch that was called a ball.

After the game, Andy Green said that the emotions got to Yan and that he will learn not to jump before the play ends. pic.twitter.com/S5TOnDQ4JC

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 22, 2026

Manaea's tough sixth

Sean Manaea was on the verge of another fantastic start. He cruised through the first five innings without allowing a run and entered the sixth with a comfortable 4-0 lead.

That changed very quickly.

After allowing a one-out walk to Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery took the Mets southpaw deep to tie the game at four apiece. 

"The sixth inning got away from me," Manaea said before later explaining what changed the third time through the order.

"I was throwing a little more sweepers than I was, and ultimately, fastballs home runs to two of them. Yanked them down instead of getting them up. Earlier in the game, I felt like I did a better job getting the ball up... Don’t know if I’ve ever given three [home runs] back-to-back."

"He was pitch-efficient throughout most of the day," Green said of Manaea. "He struggled to get the fastball up today. Got a lot of deep flyballs for outs." 

Green admitted that the team didn't "love" the part of the order that had Vargas and Grichuk for Manaea, but it was hard to take out his starter when he was cruising to that point. 

The interim manager was asked if he considered taking Manaea out after giving up the first two home runs, and Green said that he liked the favorable matchup against the lefty Montgomery.

Manaea has given the Mets some much-needed length of late. This is the sixth game in a row that he's gone at least six innings, but it's the second consecutive start he's allowed four runs. Prior to these two starts, Manaea had allowed two or fewer runs in four consecutive starts. 

CHICAGO — Sean Manaea played into the Elvis Night theme here Friday by turning the ballpark into Heartbreak Hotel for the Mets.

The left-hander rolled into the sixth inning with a four-run lead and appeared ready to carry his team to another victory.

Boom, boom, boom.

Three straight homers later the White Sox had tied the game, and the meltdown was complete with Jake Rogers’ walk-off homer in the ninth against Jefry Yan, sending the Mets to a 6-4 loss at Rate Field.

The lefty Yan walked Colson Montgomery and then recorded two outs before Rogers cleared the fence in left-center to end it.

Yan thought he had struck out Montgomery leading off the inning on an 0-2 pitch and began his customary celebratory dance. But the pitch was called a ball — marking the second time in his brief major league career that Yan was guilty of premature celebration.

“Jefry will learn not to jump before the play is over,” interim manager Andy Green said. “That is something he is still working through. I think the emotions of the moment got him there and then he settled in nicely.”

Yan said his early celebration didn’t factor into any kind of mental letdown that led to him walking Montgomery.

“I walked him there, but I was able to get two outs right after,” Yan said through an interpreter.

It was a second straight blah performance for Manaea, who previously resurrected his season with a string of solid outings. Manaea also allowed four earned runs in his start against the Nationals last weekend, which lasted 6 ¹/₃ innings.

“The work he’s done behind the scenes here throughout the season while staying in competition is pretty remarkable,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said this week. “I think it speaks to who he is, how he want his career to be. It’s really tough to do what he’s done and make the type of progress that we believe he’s made during a season, while you also have to remain ready to pitch.”

But Manaea appeared shell-shocked after the homer barrage in the sixth.

“I was throwing more sweepers than I was [earlier],” Manaea said. “Ultimately, fastball home runs on two of them, getting them down — I was trying to get them up — but I think earlier in the game I felt like I was doing a better job of getting the ball up.”

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Marcus Semien’s RBI single gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Semien’s hit was the team’s third in the inning against Sean Burke. Jared Young and Brett Baty also singled in the frame.

Tristan Peters misplayed Luis Robert Jr.’s fly ball in the fourth into a double, helping the Mets to extend their lead on Baty’s two-run double. Young also singled in the inning.

Bo Bichette’s homer in the fifth widened the Mets lead to 4-0.

It continued a sizzling month for Bichette, who began the day with a .928 OPS in August. Bichette cleared the left field fence for his 13th homer this season.

Miguel Vargas launched a two-run homer in the sixth that sliced the Mets lead to 4-2. Randal Grichuk and Montgomery followed with homers to tie the game. It was the second time this season the White Sox hit back-to-back-to-back homers.

Nate Lavender continued his perfection with 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings.

The lefty reliever has not surrendered a run in eight appearances for the Mets this season.

Daniel Duarte got the final two outs in the eighth and lowered his ERA to 0.82. Lavender and Duarte have been the two biggest standouts in the Mets’ rebuilt bullpen since the trade deadline.

In welcoming the Cleveland Guardians to Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies hoped to break a six-game losing streak that involved being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

That did not happen as they dropped their seventh consecutive game, losing to the Guardians 9-1.

The offense: Mostly MIA

There were some walks and some scattered hits, but mostly, the Rockies were flummoxed by the Guardians pitching.

The Rockies were off to a quick start in the first inning. Jake McCarthy got things started with a lead-off walk, and two batters later, TJ Rumfield followed suit. Willi Castro (looking good in some “Rugrats” cleats) hit an RBI single to bring home McCarthy and give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.

Tanner Gordon cruised through the second inning, but in the third, surrendered a solo homer to Petey Halpin (3) to tie the game at one.

The Guardians scored again in the fourth with a Travis Bazazzana two-RBI single, and the score was 3-1 Guardians.

The Rockies threatened in their half in the fourth after a Jordan Beck single and Mickey Moniak walk, but Braxton Fulford flew out to left field to end the inning with the Guardians still boasting a two-run lead.

Having found a groove, the Guardians kept building on it in the fifth as Gordon allowed a lead-off walk followed by a single (that was the result of Cole Carrigg losing the ball in center field). Jo Adell singled to bring home the runner, making the score 4-1 Guardians with two on and one out.

Gordon finished the inning without any additional damage.

Back from concussion protocol, Kyle Karros singled with two outs in the fifth, and Carrigg followed that with a double as Rumfield stepped to the plate and walked to load the bases.

With that, Stephen Vogt went to his bullpens, and Joey Cantillo’s night was over.

Cantillo’s final line was 4.2 IP allowing four hits and one run (earned). He struck out five and issued four walks on 89 pitches. He relied most heavily on his curveball (39%) and his changeup (26%).

However, Castro grounded out to end the inning, and the score remained 4-1 Guardians.

Gordon returned to the mound for the sixth inning. He allowed one hit to Travis Bazzana and then walked to move the runner to second. After getting a fly out, Gordon was done for the evening, and Mark Manfredi entered in relief.

Bazzana welcomed Manfredi to the game by stealing third, and then Manfredi walked the first batter he faced, Halpin. Steven Kwan grounded out but brought the run home, which made the score 5-1 Guardians. After walking Chase Dalauder, Manfredi struck out José Ramírez looking, and the inning was over.

The Rockies failed to make any headway in the six, and Zach Agnos entered the game to handle the seventh inning.

It did not go well.

After getting an out, he walked Matthew Lowe and surrendered to Bazzana his his third hit of the evening. Then Patrick Bailey stepped to the plate and hit a three-run homer.

The score was 8-1 Guardians.

In their half of the seventh, the Rockies got two outs before Karros and Carrigg managed to walk. But Rumfield grounded out to short to end the threat.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning

Nathaniel Lowe kicked off the ninth with a double, and Bazzana hit an RBI single to bring him home and make the score 9-1. (For those keeping score at home, it was a monster night for Bazzana, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI.)

And with that, Brett Sullivan — the Rockies answer to Shohei Ohtani — entered to get the last two outs. He started by issuing a ground-ruled double to Bailey, but the Guardians did not score.

The Rockies finished the night one run (earned) on six hits. They walked seven times and had nine strike outs. In addition, they were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

“It’s all about scoring runs, and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

Tanner Gordon: Started strong but then struggled

Gordon got off to a brisk start in the first and second innings on just 15 pitches. However, he began to slow down in the third and labored in the fourth, when his pitch count was at 57 pitches. It did not improve from there.

His final line was 5.1 IP allowing five runs (all earned) on nine hits. Gordon walked two and struck out two as well on 82 pitches. (Given that this was his first start since moving into the rotation from the bullpen, leaving the game after five innings made sense.)

According to Baseball Savant, Gordon relied primarily on his four-seamer (51%), followed by his changeup (36%), and slider (15%) with an occasional curveball (4%).

His ERA is 5.66.

“I thought TG was good,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he was efficient through the first couple of innings and then he gave up that hit to Bazzana.”

The bullpen: Couldn’t stop the slide

The Rockies bullpen has had better games.

Mark Manfredi threw 0.2 innings with a final line of two walks and one strikeout with no hits or runs allowed.

As for Zach Agnos, he went 2.1 IP giving up four runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three on 48 pitches.

Brett Sullivan continues to gain innings in his quest to be recognized as a two-way player. (I believe he needs 19 more innings to qualify.) His final line was 0.2 IP allowing no hits, runs, or walks. He has a 4.70 ERA.

Golf: Discussed

The mandated “golf talk” took place in the top of the fourth inning and involved Mike Trout’s golf course with some analysis of Jo Adell’s swing.

Up next

Join us tomorrow for Game 2 when Tanner Bibee will face Gabriel Hughes.

First pitch is at 6:10 pm.

See you then.

Oh, one more thing.

Here’s a Purple Row After Dark-esque question: It’s Players’ Weekend, so we’ve seen lots of personalized bats and cleats. If you were an MLB player, how would you personalize your bat?

Let us know in the comments.

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

First, the Dodgers lost star center fielder Andy Pages to a fractured hand.

Then, they blew a late two-run lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Somehow, neither bout of adversity managed to sink them on Friday night.

Instead, in the kind of momentum-sustaining, win-streak-extending result that has too often evaded them during their second-half lull, the Dodgers responded for a 5-4 extra-inning win at Dodger Stadium, walking the Pirates off on Tommy Edman’s two-out single in the bottom of the 10th.

“When the game gets really tense or hot or [in] big spots, we do have guys that can really heighten their focus and execute a pitch, or conduct an at-bat, get a big hit,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We have a lot of experience. And that’s something that is a huge benefit for our ball club.”

The importance of Friday’s game felt heightened from the start.

The Dodgers were trying to build off a series sweep of the Colorado Rockies this week. They had a crowd that came ready to cheer on slumping outfielder Kyle Tucker. Then, in the third inning, they watched Pages get drilled in the hand by a 100 mph fastball that immediately raised alarm bells.

At first, the 25-year-old slugger tried to play the painful moment off. He immediately walked out of the batter’s box, quickly removed his batting gloves, then walked straight to first base, trying to shoo off Roberts and a trainer from coming to check on him.

Pages ultimately talked his way into staying in the game for the rest of the frame, and even went out to play another inning of defense in center field in the fourth.

Finally, however, he was replaced by Kiké Hernández at the beginning of the fifth, and returned to the clubhouse for further evaluation.

That’s where he was diagnosed with a fracture that will sideline him for roughly 4-5 weeks.

“X-rays unfortunately came up as a fracture,” Roberts said. “So he’ll be out for a while.”

At that point, at least, the Dodgers were still leading, having eraed an early 1-0 deficit on Max Muncy’s two-run homer in the bottom of the first before breaking a 2-2 tie on Mookie Betts’ two-run single following Pages’ hit-by-pitch later in the third.

However, they missed chances to add to their lead from there, leaving the bases loaded to end the third and then again with a chance to extend the lead in the bottom of the seventh –– when Tucker came up to another raucous ovation, but flied out to end the inning as part of an 0-for-4, one-walk performance.

Thus, the door was left open for the Pirates.

And though they had missed their own chances during Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 6 ⅓-inning, two-run start, Oneil Cruz leveled the score with one big swing in the eighth: a towering two-run home run off Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt that traveled 424 feet and halfway up the pavilion in deep right-center.

With a limited bullpen at that point, the Dodgers had to get creative to keep the game going.

Edgardo Henriquez replaced Hurt later in the eighth, then collected five outs to push the night into extra innings. Once there, Evan Phillips faced a bases-loaded, one-out jam following a single and intentional walk, but got Henry Davis to roll into an inning-ending double-play to escape it.

That set the stage for Edman, who slashed a line drive to left with two outs in the inning and runners on the corners.

Even on a night full of other frustrations, that was enough to set up a walk-off celebration.

“We’ve kind of been struggling a little bit in those clutch situations, myself included,” Edman said. “So it felt really good to come through.”

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Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs fried the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 8-3.

Andrew Wantz got the start and gave the I-Cubs four innings and gave the Mud Hens two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Hoby Milner pitched the fifth inning in a rehab assignment. Milner gave up a one-out single, but nothing else. He struck out one.

Grant Kipp threw the next three innings, allowed no runs, and got the win because Wantz didn’t go five innings. Kipp surrendered two hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Matt Shaw played six innings at second base and went 2 for 4 with a two-run single in the fourth inning.

Catcher Owen Ayers was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Shaw’s two-run single.

Good game for Kipp.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were extinguished by the splash of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 6-3.

Jackson Brockett turned in a solid start, giving up just one run on four hits over four innings. The one run came on a fourth-inning home run. Brockett struck out five and walked just one.

Grayson Moore has had better days. Moore came in to pitch the fifth inning and he got hammered for four runs on five hits in his one inning. Moore struck out two and did not walk anyone.

Left fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI double.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez was 2 for 4. He scored one run and drove in one.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs’ levees held against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 7-5.

Cole Reynolds pitched the first four innings and kept the Whitecaps scoreless on four hits. It helped that Reynolds struck out six and walked no one.

Alfredo Romero pitched the next 2.2 innings and got the win because Reynolds didn’t go five, but Romero did not pitch especially well. Romero gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. One of those hits was a two-run home run. Romero struck out four.

Ethan Bell pitched the ninth inning and got into trouble immediately with a single and a walk. But he retired the next three batters in order to end the game and collect the save. Bell struck out one.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit his first South Bend home run with the bases empty in the fourth inning. It was Lumpuy’s eighth overall home run. Lumpuy was 2 for 3 with the home run, a walk and a stolen base.

In the seventh inning, first baseman Brennan Hudson hit a three-run home run, his second on the season. Hudson was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Left fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 4 with a double.

Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 4 and scored once.

This was ruled a triple bu Angel Cepeda. Cepeda went 1 for 4 with a walk.

Lumpuy’s home run.

Hudson’s home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got their eyes pecked out by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 12-3 in a game that ended in the ninth inning because of rain.

Starter Luis Mata got the loss after surrendering three run on four hits over 3.2 innings. Mata walked three and struck out two.

Most of the Pelicans offense came on a two-run home run by second baseman Juan Cabada in the third inning. It was Cabada’s second Pelican’s blast and fourth overall. Cabada was 2 for 4.

First baseman Ivan Cespedes was a perfect 2 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored.

Cabada’s home run.

The Texas Rangers scored two runs while the Anaheim Angels scored one run in ten innings.

Down to their last strike after wasting endless chances in a game that was 0-0 through nine innings, the Rangers got a two-strike Wyatt Langford double to tie the game and enjoyed a walk-off victory on Ezequiel Duran’s fourth hit of the night.

It took the Angels throwing the ball away for Langford to score the winning run but whatever. We deserve our point and laugh at the Angels moment.

Was it frustrating to see the Rangers get only one hit — a bunt that did not score a run — with RISP in seven opportunities and out-hit the Angels 9-2 through the first nine innings only for them to trail 1-0 with two outs and two strikes in the tenth? Sure. The Rangers are often frustrating. We know this. It’s baked into the experience.

Nevertheless, they pulled it out so we can be happy for like 20 hours until the next one.

Player of the Game: Aside from Duran, tonight’s starter MacKenzie Gore gave Texas six innings of shutout ball allowing just a couple of hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Gore has had his ups and down this season but with Angels’ starter Reid Detmers keeping the Rangers off the board, even one Gore Inning would have been a killing blow for Texas tonight but Gore avoided trouble which gave the Rangers a path to an eventual win.

Up Next: The Rangers and Angels play the second game of this series with LHP Cody Bradford next up for Texas opposite RHP Ryan Johnson for the Anaheim squad.

The Saturday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 6:05 pm CDT and the telecast will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.

The Athletics opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros, hoping to get back in the win column in the first game of Players’ Weekend. In a matchup between two teams desperate for a win, the Astros emerged victorious, winning the series-opener 4-0 in a game where the A’s never posed a threat.

Both Teams Squander Early Chances

After Astros starter Hayden Wesneski worked a scoreless first inning, the hosts immediately threatened to score as A’s starter J.T. Ginn failed to retire either of the first two batters he faced. The A’s right-hander escaped the jam, leaving Houston unable to capitalize on its golden opportunity to take the lead.

With one out in the third inning, shortstop Donovan Walton singled to record the Athletics first hit of the game. Walton stole second with two outs, putting himself in scoring position. Wesneski escaped the jam by getting Jeff McNeil to pop out, stranding two runners.

Astros Strike First

A leadoff walk followed by a double put the Astros in position to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. First baseman Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly scored Isaac Paredes, putting the Astros up 1-0. Ginn limited the damage by retiring the next two hitters. A’s left fielder Carlos Cortes made a nice catch at the wall, robbing Astros catcher Yainer Diaz of a potential RBI extra-base hit.

The Astros scored two more runs against Ginn in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nick Allen, who had walked, scored on Yordan Alvarez’s two-out RBI double. Paredes followed with an RBI double of his own, extending the Astros’ lead to 3-0.

A’s Offense No Show

The Athletics’ injury-depleted offense did not give Ginn any run support. Wesneski tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks. The right-hander consistently got A’s hitters to chase pitches outside the zone, resulting in four groundouts, several popouts and four strikeouts.

With a three-run cushion, the Astros turned to their bullpen, with left-hander Bennett Sousa replacing Wesneski. Singles by McNeil and Cortes brought Lawrence Butler to the plate as the potential game-tying run. Butler, who has struggled since signing his contract extension, struck out on three pitches.

Bullpen Time

Ginn allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. The two batters he walked both scored, spotlighting the importance of limiting free passes. Right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado replaced him and tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning.

RISP Difference Key to Score

Facing Houston reliever Bryan Abreu, Heim and Walton drew back-to-back walks with one out in the seventh. For a second straight inning, the A’s offense failed to capitalize. In the last of the seventh, A’s left-hander Drew Rom gave up Alvarez’s second two-out RBI double of the game, which put the hosts up 4-0.

Shoutout Complete

The Athletics had one final chance to get on the scoreboard in the ninth inning, but Walton grounded out to end the game, stranding Heim at second. The A’s recorded just three singles in the shutout, completing a winless week for the 49-80 club. The team struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-5 and leaving eight runners on base.

The Green and Gold will look to snap their five-game losing streak tomorrow afternoon. A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez is scheduled to face Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Will the team ever get above 50 wins, or will this misery last through the end of the season?

For a young team like the Chicago White Sox, where most of the players haven’t experienced a playoff race much less a wining season, the dog days can be too much for some teams to handle. With plenty of time left in August, no one game gives reason to push the panic button, but the first half of the game on Friday night showed that the White Sox had some growing up to do.

But the finishing kick of the contest — three straight homers in the sixth, and a two-out, walk-off home run by Jake Rogers to win, 6-4 — may have provided the burst of maturity that churns the White Sox to a division title.

After falling behind with some listlessness, 4-0, the White Sox got to work. Better late than never.

As they say, “Mets gonna Met” and Sean Manea absolutely unraveled in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a Meidroth fly out, the White Sox went white-hot at the plate. Munetaka Murakami was originally called out on strikes until he realized umpire Ramon De Jesus was having a terrible night behind the plate and challenged the call. It was overturned because of course it was, and Murakami got his free pass to first base.

The next batter was Miguel Vargas, and after benefiting from another bad De Jesus call, took a 3-1 count yard to trim the lead in half:

The next batter was Randal Grichuk. He could smell a pending Mets collapse like a shark can smell blood, and hit a laser of a home run out to left-center:

With a 4-0 deficit now cut to just one run, up stepped Colson Montgomery. Let’s just say it was clear that during the mound visit, New York’s pitching coach forgot to tell Manea to stop giving up nukes:

Unfortunately, all good things come in threes, so the White Sox could only string together three homers. But the score was now tied, 4-4, so it became anyone’s ballgame.

With the game now back on like Donkey Kong, it seemed almost a given what was going to transpire. After Marcus Semien singled to start off the seventh inning, nine of the next 10 Mets were retired in order. To their credit, New York limited Chicago’s offense as well, but they faltered at a key time.

Down 1-2 early in the count thanks to two awful swings, Colson Montgomery worked his way to a walk despite Mets reliever Jefry Yan hopping in misplaced delight after each one of his missed pitches. A sacrifice bunt and a ground out later, the White Sox had a runner 90 feet from a win … with defensive specialist (accents on both “defensive” and “specialist”) Jake Rogers coming to the plate:

It took just one swing to help etch Rogers onto the list of legends that is getting a little bit crowded on the South Side in 2026. He turned on a fastball that caught just too much of the plate and deposited it just far enough over the center field fence to sent everyone watching into a frenzy.

It was another incredible comeback for the South Siders, and there is plenty of reason to celebrate. There were certainly some cracks in their play, and there have been for long stretches of this season, but the club has proven resilient enough to snap into focus when needed. Here’s to hoping they can play like they did at the end of the game more consistently over the last month of the season.

MVP
Miguel Vargas: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K

Runners-Up
Jake Rogers: 1-for-4, GW 2-run HR, R, K
Randal Grichuk: 2-for-3, HR, R, RBI
Colson Montgomery: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB, K
The Bullpen (Hicks, Hudson, Taylor): 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K, 29-of-41 strikes

Cold Cat
Brenton Doyle: 0-for-3, SAC, K, CF misplay leading to two runs

Runners-Up
Sean Burke: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 K
Luisangel Acuña: 0-for-4, K
Tristan Peters: 0-for-3, K

The Mets got off to a 4-0 lead, but the White Sox erased that lead with back-to-back-to-back home runs in the sixth and then hit another home run in the bottom off the ninth to walk it off.

Both starting pitchers, who both happened to be named Sean (Manaea and Burke), pitched scoreless innings to kick things off, but Manaea gave up a double off the wall and a couple of deep fly balls, which ended up being a harbinger of things to come with the wind blowing in at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Mets got on the board first in the top of the second. Carson Benge sparked the rally by dunking a single over the shortstop’s head with two strikes after a really nice at-bat. Jared Young lined out to center for the first out and Luis Robert Jr. then struck out swinging on three pitches in his first at-bat back on the South Side. But Brett Baty and Marcus Semien then notched back-to-back singles to score Benge and plate the game’s first run. Manaea then settled into a groove, retiring seven White Sox hitters in a row.

In the meantime, the Mets were gifted a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Jared Young singled with one out and then Luis Robert Jr. hit an easy fly ball to center field, but Brenton Doyle lost the ball in the lights and it dropped beside him for a double, advancing Young to third. Brett Baty then doubled down the right field line to score both runners and extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0. While the deep fly balls off the bats of White Sox hitters had mostly been to right and center field at this point and thus knocked down by the wind blowing in from right field across to left field, Bo Bichette launched a ball to left field with two outs in the fifth that sailed over a leaping Randal Grichuk and over the wall for a solo homer. That extended Bichette’s on-base streak to 11 games and gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.

Sean Manaea ran into his first jam in the bottom of the fourth when yet another fly ball to the warning track was followed by a Miguel Vargas walk and a Randal Grichuk single. Both runners tagged and advanced on yet another deep fly ball to center by Colson Montgomery, but then Manaea got a huge strikeout of Brenton Doyle to navigate through the inning unscathed.

Manaea retired the White Sox in order in the fifth and the Mets similarly went down 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. But things escalated very quickly for Manaea in the bottom of the sixth. He issued a one-out walk to Munetaka Murakami and then Miguel Vargas cut the Mets’ lead in half with a two-run homer. Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery followed with a pair of solo homers and in the blink of an eye, the game was tied. The White Sox had been threatening against Manaea all night and in the sixth they finally broke through.

The bullpens took over from there with both starting pitchers having surrendered four runs in six innings of work and held firm through the late innings. Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless seventh for the White Sox and Nate Lavender recorded four consecutive outs with Daniel Duarte recording the final two outs of the eighth. Bryan Hudson retired the Mets in order in the eighth and Grant Taylor worked around a leadoff walk to Luis Robert Jr. to keep the Mets off the board in the ninth. Jefry Yan was called upon to pitch the bottom of the ninth and thought he had Colson Montgomery struck out for the first out and prematurely leaped into the air, but the pitch was just off the plate and he ended up issuing a leadoff walk instead. Brenton Doyle laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the winning run to second. Luisangel Acuña then bounced out to short to bring Yan within an out of sending the game to extra innings. But Jake Rogers rendered Doyle’s sacrifice useless by blasting a two-run walk-off home run to end the game.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Luis Robert Jr. and Nate Lavender, +13% WPA
Big Mets loser: Jefry Yan, -36% WPA
Mets pitchers: -32% WPA
Mets hitters: -18% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty’s fourth inning RBI double, +11.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jake Rogers’ walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Jefry Yan, -37.3% WPA

Noah Cameron pitched five scoreless, and the Royals swatted three home runs as KC beat Detroit 5-2.

Almost a month ago on July 23rd, the Royals faced Troy Melton and the Tigers in Detroit. Randy Dobnak did Randy Dobnak things, not allowing any runs, but not pitching deep into the game. Troy Melton did Troy Melton things, but gave up a two-run home run to Isaac Collins in the sixth. Unfortunately, once the bullpen got involved, the Royals blew the lead in the seventh, tied it again in the eighth, and then blew it again before Kenley Jansen shut them down.

So when the Royals, clinging to a three-run lead, saw the bullpen give up two runs in the seventh inning, you could absolutely see the team falling to same issues that cost them the previous game. The Royals, however, have made a variety of changes to the team since then, despite a quiet trade deadline. In that first game, the reliever parade included Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Steven Cruz. Without Strahm in this one, Cuas managed a scoreless inning before Schreiber gave up the two. Steven Cruz managed to not allow any of his own runners to score, and Nate Pearson was brought in for his second Royals save. It would be correct to say that none of the Royals relievers made it easy, but ultimately they got the job done.

There were some fears, I think, with Noah Cameron making his first start after throwing 115 pitches against the Angels. And, its true, he didn’t look nearly as sharp tonight. For one thing, he gave up his first hit of the game in the first inning. But he also walked three while striking out only two. But he battled and battled and made it through five innings on 84 pitches without giving up a run.

The Royals first run was a bit of a silly one. Vinnie Pasquantino, red hot since coming off the IL, doubled down the first base line with one out in the bottom of the fourth. He was able to score when Michael Massey smoked a groundball up the middle that evaded Melton and shortstop Kevin McGonigle’s attempts to corral it and ricocheted off of McGonigle into left field. From there, it was time for some dingers. Kyle Isbel got one in the bottom of the fifth, Vinnie heated up even more in the sixth, and then Carter Jensen came through in the seventh after the Royals’ lead had dwindled to just one.

Jensen’s and Pasquantino’s were no-doubters. But they were all beautiful in their own way.

In the bottom of the eighth, Michael Massey doubled into right field and Kyle Isbel lashed a double into left to give the Royals another insurance run. The Royals could have made it easier on themselves, but 10 hits and 5 runs will win a lot of games. Especially when the other team gets fewer hits and runs. That’s not to say they have all the answers they need for next year; they especially need pitchers to throw more strikes as they finished the night combining for seven walks and five strikeouts.

The Royals have won six in a row for the first time this year. Earlier this week I saw a social media post that made me chuckle. It suggested that the Royals would reach .500 if they won 28 of their last 35. Now they only need to win 25 of their last 32.

They can keep shoving that boulder up the hill tomorrow night. The game will be at 6:15 PM Central Time. It will be Drew Anderson (4.01 ERA, 3.38 SIERA) up against Michael Wacha (3.58 ERA, 4.38 SIERA). See you then!

He has been the Dodgers’ least-productive, most-disappointing and highest-scrutinized player all season long.

He has previously been booed both at home and on the road.

He has been criticized, chastised and critiqued endlessly, especially during a career-worst hitless streak recently.

But on Friday night, amid what has been the lowest stretch of his dismal debut season with the Dodgers, Kyle Tucker came to the plate in the bottom of the second inning and received the kind of reaction that has evaded him for most of the year.

In a pre-planned reception that gained traction on social media the day before, and garnered participation from much of the Chavez Ravine crowd, Dodgers fans offered a prolonged ovation to their $240 million outfielder –– giving him a coordinated show of support they hoped would help Tucker turn his campaign around.

“It’s been a struggle, in the sense that I’d like to help our team win and perform better for the guys in the clubhouse and the fans that come to the games,” Tucker said pregame, before grounding out in his sentimental at-bat.

“In that aspect, I wish I would’ve done better this year. But like I said, we’ve still got a month and a half left and the playoffs coming up, so it’s not over yet. Just gotta keep grinding every single day and just keep moving forward and just try to get better every single day.”

Indeed, for Tucker, the Dodgers and their fans, there was hope that Friday could represent the turning of a page.

During last week’s homestand, Tucker’s already frustrating year reached a new nadir, when he went 0-for-19 to continue his season-long struggles with hitting at Dodger Stadium specifically. 

Then, things somehow got even worse Monday night in Denver, when Tucker went 0-for-5, dropped a fly ball in right field, and looked despondent on the bench while the team’s television broadcast debated whether he needed some sort of mental “reset.”

In the days since, however, Dodgers coaches and players had gone out of their way to publicly back the offseason signing, who did get three total hits on Tuesday and Wednesday to raise his batting average to .232 and OPS to .694.

Manager Dave Roberts, in particular, has voiced confidence in the four-time All-Star, reiterating Friday his goal of making sure Tucker knows “he’s not on an island” and his plan to keep playing the 29-year-old on an everyday basis.

“We’re here to support him; I’m here to support him,” Roberts said, before making a declaration:  “I really feel we’ve turned a corner, I really do. I can’t speak to what he’s going to do tonight at the plate, but mentally and emotionally I think that he’s freed up. Don’t know what that looks like, but I’m encouraged.”

Tucker did make one change Friday by deciding to hit on the field during pregame batting practice, something he has done only a few times previously this year in lieu of cagework back in the clubhouse.

“I haven’t been hitting great this year, so I figured I’d try something else,” he quipped. “Hopefully it helps.” 

In the wake of the second inning ovation from the crowd –– which was similar to a reception then-slumping shortstop Mookie Betts received last season –– Dodgers fans will be hoping for the same, going to their own dramatic lengths in an effort to help Tucker rebound from what has been a nightmarish season to this point.

“I’m all right. I’m all good,” Tucker said. “Everyone here is super supportive of everything and everyone. So, regardless of how I feel or whatever, I’ve got to go out and play and perform regardless. So, just going to try and do that every single day.”

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The Tigers’ woes continue as they dropped their Friday game to the Royals 5-2.

After a, shall we say, unpleasant series against the Pirates, the Tigers had a day to rest and reflect before heading to Kansas City to take on the Royals. Hopefully a break in the city of Hallmark and BBQ would be just what the doctor ordered to get the Tigers back in a winning mindset. To open the weekend series, they had Troy Melton on the mound, and he was up against Noah Cameron for the Royals.

Kevin McGonigle got a two-out single in the first, but the Tigers weren’t able to convert the early baserunner. In the home half, Bobby Witt Jr. singled with one out, but Melton turned around to induce two outs in the next two at-bats to keep the Royals off the board.

In the second, Spencer Torkelson got a one-out walk. He was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Ben Malgeri, and a lineout ended the inning. It was another one-out walk in the bottom of the inning, this time for Nick Loftin. With two outs, Isaac Collins singled. But even with two baserunners on, the Royals couldn’t convert a run.

The Tigers continued getting runners on, as Hao-Yu Lee got a two-out single, but as with the previous innings, they couldn’t manage to get him home. Melton managed to keep the Royals off the bases entirely with a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning.

In the fourth, the Tigers had their walking shoes on. With two outs, Torkelson and Malgeri got back-to-back walks. Unfortunately, despite being in their best position to score a run all game, a groundout ended the inning and left two runners stranded. Things got a little rough for Melton in the bottom of the inning as Vinnie Pasquantino got a one-out double, then with another out, Michael Massey reached on a fielding error from McGonigle, which allowed Pasquantino to score and put the Royals on the board first. A groundout ended the inning, and the run wasn’t an earned run for Melton, but still a rough time.

The Tigers didn’t do much to help themselves in the top of the fifth, going 1-2-3. Kyle Isbel kicked off the home half with a solo homer. Carter Jensen walked, then Bobby Witt Jr. singled. A bit of a shaky turn for Melton, who seemed a bit shaken after the fourth. Chris Fetter headed out to have a chat with him. The pep talk seemed to do him some good because he turned around and got a strikeout and then induced a double play.

Cameron was done and the Tigers were about to face the 29th-place bullpen in baseball, starting with Jose Cuas. With two outs, a pinch-hitting Colt Keith walked. Then Spencer Torkelson walked for the third time in the game. Sadly, the new rookie wunderkind Brett Callahan came in to pinch-hit and couldn’t come in clutch, popping out to end the inning. Melton stayed in for the sixth and Pasquantino pretty much immediately hit a home run. Melton got the next two outs before giving up a walk to Isaac Collins. That was it for Melton for the day and Enmanuel De Jesus came in to get the final out of the inning. Melton’s final line was 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR on 94 pitches. It wasn’t the most ideal outcome from Melton, but he did get through most of six innings!

John Schreiber was the new Royals’ pitcher for the seventh. Max Clark took a leadoff walk. Gleyber Torres grounded out thanks to a super accurate toss from Pasquantino, who is on a mission to make me write his name as often as possible in this game. Zach McKinstry came in to pinch-hit and doubled, scoring Clark. A run! Steven Cruz came out of the pen and McGonigle singled to score McKinstry. Suddenly this was a one-run game. Dillon Dingler flied out to end the inning, he just wasn’t having a good game at the plate. In the bottom half, the Tigers gave back some of their advancements, as Tyler Holton gave up a leadoff home run to Carter Jensen. With two outs, Salvador Perez singled. But Pasquantino finally did the Tigers a favor and popped out to end the inning.

Colt Keith got the eighth started with a leadoff double. But three outs then followed to leave him stranded. Ty Madden was the new Tigers’ pitcher for the bottom of the inning. Michael Massey got a one-out double, then Isbel got a two-out double to score another run. Cool. Cool cool cool cool.

Nate Pearson was the next reliever out for the Royals. Javier Baez hit a leadoff double. With two outs, McGonigle walked. Jensen tried to challenge the ball call but it was upheld. McGonigle then advanced to second on defensive indifference. While they managed to get two runners into scoring position, the Tigers weren’t able to stage a comeback and the Tigers dropped the first game of the series.

Final: Royals 5, Tigers 2

The Mets blew a 4-0 lead and lost the series opener to the Chicago White Sox on Friday night in walk-off fashion, 6-4.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Sean Manaea’s night started great but ended on a sour note after allowing back-to-back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning that tied the game.

The left-hander had been cruising through the first five innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out four, although he was living on the edge with a number of flyouts to center and right field dying at the warning track because of the wind blowing in.

He also escaped out of a jam, his first all night, in the fifth when he struck out Brenton Doyle with runners at second and third to end the inning.

-- However, disaster struck in the sixth after Manaea retired the first batter he faced. He went on to issue a walk to Munetaka Murakami after initially striking him out on a pitch that was challenged and overturned on ABS. 

-- Miguel Vargas, already with a seed of a double off Manaea earlier in the game, followed with a two-run shot hit just as hard to get Chicago on the board and cut New York’s lead in half. Randal Grichuk cut into it even more with a solo shot to center and Colson Montgomery completed the trifecta with a bomb to right field that tied the game.

Manaea managed to limit the damage there and finished six innings, but he was surely not pleased with himself following the blowup inning.

-- After scoreless outings by Nate Lavender and Daniel Duarte, who both continue to look impressive out of the bullpen, Jefry Yan started the ninth. Yan walked the leadoff batter and then, with two outs, allowed the final blow to Jake Rogers, who smashed a walk-off two-run home run that completed the comeback.

-- Before all of that, the Mets struck first against Sean Burke in the second inning thanks to Marcus Semien’s RBI single, which drove in Carson Benge, who stayed hot with a single to lead off the inning. 

-- Two more runs came around to score in the fourth after a misplay by Doyle in center field allowed New York to pounce. With runners on second and third and one out, Brett Baty had his second hit of the night, a two-run double down the right-field line that put the Mets ahead, 3-0. Baty and Semien finished a combined 4-for-8 with three RBI out of the seven and eight spot in the lineup.

-- An inning later, Bo Bichette muscled a solo home run just beyond the reach of Grichuk in left field. It was Bichette’s 13th long ball of the season.

-- A.J. Ewing and Francisco Lindor were 0-for-8 at the top of the lineup, and Francisco Alvarez's struggles continue after an 0-for-4 performance, including three strikeouts.

Game MVP: Jake Rogers

Obviously.

Highlights

Marcus Semien gets the Mets on the board first in Chicago! pic.twitter.com/XDzcNsx5ss

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2026

A two-run double for Brett Baty! 💪 pic.twitter.com/Yt918LzfLR

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2026

Sean Manaea gets the strikeout and gets out of trouble in the 4th pic.twitter.com/8PjBcRm3Fo

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2026

Bo Bichette's 13th home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/86aHCQTCY7

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 22, 2026

What's next

The Mets and White Sox continue their three-game series on Saturday night with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Christian Scott (4-3, 3.51 ERA) will face off against RHP Luis Castillo (4-9, 4.99 ERA).

It is possible that Ryan McMahon’s injured list trip, which prompted a possibly short-lived call-up of Max Schuemann, solved the Yankees’ upcoming roster crunch.

If Cody Bellinger is activated Sunday as expected, Schuemann likely would be heading back to the minors, and Spencer Jones probably would remain a major leaguer.

The Yankees likely will see more of Jones, who is demonstrating why that notion is increasingly appealing.

A top prospect with major intrigue and major risk seems to be getting more comfortable with every at-bat.

Yes, there are strikeouts, which has long been the concern, but there are also the eye-popping tools, a ceiling rivaled by the Guggenheim and monster swings.

One of those swings — a ferocious hack that sent a pitch to the sky, down the right field line and eventually to the second deck — made the difference in a 3-1, series-opening Yankees victory over the Blue Jays in The Bronx in front of 45,062, who witnessed the Yankees creep a game closer to the division lead.

On the backs of Jones’ two-run homer, solid work from Cam Schlittler and a typically excellent bullpen performance, the Yankees (73-55) closed to within three games of the Rays, the closest the two have been since Aug. 2.

“It’s wide open. Feel like it was wide open last year,” Schlittler said after somehow allowing just one run in six innings without his top stuff or command. “We got a lot of opportunities to win the division [last year]. I think we still got a lot of opportunities to win the division this year.

“I think we got to chase those goals.”

The Yankees have won five straight mostly through continued pitching excellence — Schlittler, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn pitching out of jams and David Bednar recording his 30th save kept the trend going — but also with the beginnings of life from their offense, which only needs to have a pulse to win games these days.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

And when Jones connects, the Yankees have life.

In the second inning of a scoreless game, Jones turned on an inside cutter from Spencer Arrighetti and demolished a pitch whose height was far more interesting than its distance.

Still, it no doubt had enough distance — enough that Jones remained in the batter’s box for several seconds as he stared more in curiosity than admiration to see if it was a go-ahead home run or a foul ball.

“It’s our week for that,” went through Aaron Boone’s mind, the manager said with a smile, after the Yankees benefited Wednesday from Pete Alonso’s skyscraper being ruled foul.

Jones kept staring, jogged halfway down the first base line and still did not have much clarity as the ball landed an estimated 385 feet away.

First base umpire Dan Iassogna dramatically signaled the ball was fair, and Jones allowed himself a smile.

After a replay review confirmed the call, the Yankees allowed themselves a two-run edge that would not be threatened and Jones had a second home run in as many games.

“That’s maybe the highest one I’ve ever hit,” said Jones, who is up to seven homers in the majors and has knocked 86 in his minor league career.

The 25-year-old rookie has volleyed up and down from the minors to the majors this season, and each trip to The Bronx has brought an added level of comfort to Jones’ at-bats.

After his 1-for-3 night, Jones is 18-for-73 (.247) with five homers, a triple, three doubles, 13 RBIs and six steals in his past 21 games, spiking his season OPS from .645 to .731.

“He’s been adaptable,” Boone said of Jones, who reminded of his tools both with a strong throw to third to prevent Jesús Sánchez from tagging up in the eighth and with a nearly remarkable grab that he couldn’t corral in the seventh, which instead went for a Brett Bateman triple. “The experience he’s gaining, I feel like it is very valuable, and he’s applying it well every day.”

The Yankees added an insurance run in the fourth when Jones’ pal, George Lombard Jr., singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a Jones ground out and scored on a José Caballero sacrifice fly.

On Players’ Weekend, Jones wore a belt with Ben Rice’s face on it. Lombard’s featured Jones’ smiling mug. Jones thought it was “hilarious.”

“I think the young guys that we have here are extremely close,” Jones said after one of the Yankees’ young guys brought the club a bit closer to the Rays.

Fenway booed Rafael Devers in his first at-bat. He struck out. That was probably the nicest part of the night for San Francisco.

The Red Sox beat the Giants 6-4 on a cool Friday night at Fenway Park, and the game’s defining moment was the bottom of the third. Sonny Gray had just spent part of the top of the frame grinding through a bases-loaded jam—the stuff ace starters have to handle in August—and escaped with only Bryce Eldridge’s RBI to show for it. Then Logan Webb walked out for the bottom half and things fell apart in about 22 pitches. Hit batters, walks, hits, runs, all of it cascading at once.

Willson Contreras is a baaaaaaad man.

Two outs. Two men on. Contreras drove one 450 feet at 116 mph over the Green Monster, over Lansdowne Street, probably onto the Pike. The longest Fenway home run of the 2026 season. Then Webb faced his own bases-loaded jam, with a walk and a hit by pitch driving in two more. Five runs for Boston in the third. Webb was pulled at 2.2 innings; Roarke Sanmartin inherited the mess and got out of it. Didn’t matter. Sox led 5-1. Mr. Brightside this early into a game was kinda wild.

The Giants didn’t roll over, though. Right away in the fourth, Tyler Gilbert hit a two-run shot off Gray, and then Devers—the villain the whole crowd had been waiting to boo all night—stepped up and went back-to-back. Solo homer, dead center, his 26th. Just like that it was 5-4. Fenway got a little uneasy. Raffy got his moment. That was pretty much it for the Giants, though.

Gray held it together through six innings, 97 pitches, and the bullpen didn’t give an inch. Erik Miller shut the door in the seventh for his 12th hold. Alec Gamboa followed with a clean eighth for his first. Aroldis Chapman struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth for his 28th save. Zero hits allowed, six strikeouts combined. Chapman’s ERA sits at 1.90. The late innings are locked in, and Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten working their ways back only makes this scarier.

Wilyer Abreu added insurance in the sixth with an RBI triple off Trent Harris to push the lead back to two. Jarren Duran kept up his hitting streak with a triple into the triangle. Sonny Gray goes to 16-3. I feel like the ship is finally stabilizing as we get through August after the rough road trip to Toronto and Pittsburgh.

Studs

Willson Contreras (2 AB, 1 R, 1 H, 3 RBI, 2 BB)

Four hundred and fifty feet. One hundred and sixteen miles per hour. Over the Monster, over Lansdowne, onto the Pike. Every now and then a home run isn’t just a home run—it’s the moment the whole night turns on. This was that. OB went nuts in the booth, the ball probably still hasn’t landed, and Webb never recovered. Two walks on top of it, Contreras did real damage in two of his four plate appearances. The cut to Devers after Contreras’ shot is honestly a nice shot of schadenfreude.

Wilyer Abreu (4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB)

Three hits and the sixth-inning triple that gave Gray’s bullpen actual room to breathe. Abreu has been one of the most consistent bats in this lineup since the break—his numbers against right-handed pitching look nothing like they did in April—and he was in the middle of multiple Boston rallies all night.

Sonny Gray (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W 16-3)

Not a dominant outing—the back-to-back Gilbert-Devers shots in the fourth scared me a bit—but this was an ace doing what aces do. He navigated the early jam, absorbed some hard innings, and still gave six. Sixteen wins, three losses. Gray has quietly been the most consistent starter in the American League this year. Cy Young consideration? Are we far enough into the season to start that conversation?

The Bullpen (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 6 K)

Miller, Gamboa, Chapman. Six strikeouts, no hits, nothing. Gamboa picking up his first hold. Chapman getting his 28th save with three punchouts on 20 pitches. After Gray handed them a two-run lead to protect, the three of them combined to make it feel like ten.

Duds

Andruw Monasterio (3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB, GIDP)

His RBI came on a bases-loaded walk, which is the whole story of his night. The Red Sox went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base, and Monasterio was in the middle of too many of those stranded-runner situations. One double play, zero hits. He’s been too good this season for one bad night to mean much, but this was a bad night.

Mickey Gaspar (3 AB, 0 R, 0 H, 1 RBI)

Reached on a hit-by-pitch to force in a run, but was otherwise invisible at the plate. The DH spot does not belong to him long-term. Roman Anthony’s rehab can’t end fast enough, even with the fun week Evil Mickey is having.

Play of the Game

Contreras. No other words needed.