Category: Baseball

Oftentimes, Aaron Judge's defense takes a backseat to his elite offense, but on Friday night against the Cubs, it was a different story.

In what would eventually become an 11-0 laugher in the Yankees' favor, it could have been a very different story if Judge hadn't put on the defensive performance that he did.

With the Yankees up 3-0 in the fourth inning, the Cubs' young superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, took Carlos Rodon deep into right field. Judge drifted back, got to the wall and timed his jump perfectly to bring the would-be home run back.

Judge then robbed Dansby Swanson of a single with a headfirst slide coming at him, but probably the best play of the night came in the eighth. With two outs and runners at the corners, Kyle Tucker lofted a Rodon pitch into shallow right field that was going away from Judge. The reigning AL MVP caught up to it and made another headfirst slide to end the inning and preserve the shutout.

ANOTHER SPECTACULAR CATCH BY AARON JUDGE! pic.twitter.com/e3lrhOHhhV

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

If PCA got that ball over the wall in the fourth, the score is 3-1 and who knows how the rest of the game would have played out. And if Judge doesn't make that catch in the eighth, Rodon's night isn't as sharp as it would become.

The Yankees southpaw, who was named to the All-Star game earlier in the day, credited Judge's three catches and Cody Bellinger's three home runs for helping him get through eight innings, the most he's had as a member of the Yankees.

"That was a heck of a play. That was probably my favorite, obviously, saving some runs from me," Rodon said of Judge's eighth-inning catch. "He was shading the gap on Tucker, kind of more right-center than right. He had to cover a lot of ground for a big guy like that and lays out for me and makes that play. It was big. It was big."

"An elite right fielder," manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "He's just an outstanding athlete. Fundamentally, so sound out there. The throwing arm, the accuracy with that. And just, obviously, some really great plays tonight, and in an exclamation point on Carlos' night with a dive down the line there with two outs and two runners on. Just a big time defensive night for Judgey."

In that eighth inning, Judge said he lost a liner from Nico Hoerner in the lights, the batter before Tucker. That allowed the Cubs to get runners at the corners and forced Boone to talk to Rodon. Judge thought Rodon was going to get pulled before finishing the inning, but once the Yankees skipper let his starter stay in, Judge wanted to do everything to get that final out.

"[I wanted to make that play] big time, especially losing in the lights the one earlier by Nico and I was pretty upset about that.," Judge expI thought they were gonna pull him, but when that last one came out, I gotta run through this wall, I gotta make this play for [Rodon]. Pitched a hell of a game. Really set the tone for us going into this, especially a big series against the Cubs. Heck of a performance by him."

"He's just a great player. He takes a ton of pride in his defense," Boone said. "I think understanding the situation there, too. Like, understanding what kind of night Carlos is having there to finish it off was pretty sweet."

The Yankees put up 11 runs on 15 hits on Friday. Judge went 0-for-2 with two walks and a sac fly, being the only starter to not pick up a hit against the Cubs.

That's alright. Although Judge didn't impact the game too much at the plate, his defense more than made up for it and that's why his teammates see him as the complete player that he is.

"Knew he was a good outfielder," Bellinger said of Judge. "Just the complete baseball player he is, runs the bases hard, has a cannon of an arm, and ultimately has really good reads. I mean, four or five really tremendous catches today. It's just fun to play with because he's pretty unbelievable."

Cody Bellinger hit three home runs -- nearly four -- and Carlos Rodon pitched a gem as the Yankees beat up on the Cubs, 11-0, on Friday night.

It's the 40th time in franchise history a Yankee has had a three-home run game. It's the first of Bellinger's career.

The Yankees picked up 15 hits with every Yankees starter having at least one hit, except for Aaron Judge -- but he made up for it in other ways. And five starters (Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, Paul Goldschmidt, Oswald Peraza, Ben Rice) had multi-hit games.

Here are the takeaways...

- It took the Yankees until the eighth inning on Thursday to get their first hit -- it wouldn't take that long on Friday, as they scratched out their first hit with a leadoff infield single by Oswald Peraza in the third. Jasson Dominguez, starting in the leadoff spot for the fourth straight game, followed with a single of his own to give the Yankees runners on the corners with no outs for Aaron Judge. The frontrunner for AL MVP lofted a sac fly to put up the game's first run.

Bellinger, facing the Cubs for the first time since being traded, dropped the hammer on a Chris Flexen curveball and sent it 371 feet just over the right-center field wall. The longball extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. But the first-year Yankee wasn't done; he would hit another two-run blast in the fifth, taking lefty Caleb Thielbar nearly to the second deck in right field to put the Yankees up 5-0.

It's his 18th career multi-homer game. The first since September 2023, when he was with the Cubs.

Bellinger, who has never had a three-home game before, nearly achieved that feat in the seventh, lining a deep drive to right field, but Kyle Tucker made an incredible leaping grab at the wall to rob the slugger. But Bellinger would get that one back in the eighth, taking Jordan Wicks deep just over the wall in right-center for his 16th homer of the season.

- Anthony Volpe, who has had a tough season, assisted Judge in Thursday's win with an incredible slide at home to complete the comeback. And the Yankee Stadium fans were appreciative, giving the shortstop a nice ovation during roll-call and every time he came to bat. And Volpe rewarded the fans with an RBI double in the sixth, bringing the more than 46,000 in attendance to their feet.

- The day he was named to the All-Star Game, Carlos Rodon was dealing on Friday night. After scattering three singles in the first three innings, Rodon retired 15 straight Cubs and was through seven innings on just 84 pitches. That streak ended with a one-out walk in the eighth, but the southpaw bounced back, getting a force out, however, a single from Nico Hoerner put runners on the corners with two outs.

Manager Aaron Boone came out but left Rodon out there to take on Tucker. Rodon and Tucker battled to a 3-2 count, but the Cubs slugger lofted the ball toward the right field line, but Judge, again, slid and made the impressive catch to end the inning.

Rodon threw 109 pitches (70 strikes) in eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out eight batters. It's the longest outing of Rodon's Yankees career.

- Pete Crow-Armstrong, who received the largest ovation for a non-Yankee, had Yankee Stadium on its feet in his second at-bat in the fourth. He launched a long flyball to right field. But Judge got to the wall and timed his jump perfectly to rob the young outfielder of a home run.

Judge then robbed Dansby Swanson of a single by diving headfirst for the catch.

PCA nearly had another hit in the seventh when he hit a soft tapper to first base and almost outran Rodon as they raced to the bag. After a replay review, the call on the field, of out, was confirmed.

Game MVP: Cody Bellinger

Could pick Bellinger, Rodon or Judge but we'll go with the guy who hit three bombs, and was a few inches short of four.

Highlights

Picking up where he left off.

A sacrifice fly from Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/kdgdPoiPJB

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 11, 2025

Cody Bellinger extends his hitting streak to 16 games with a two-run blast 💣 pic.twitter.com/veYAnK5mVf

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 11, 2025

AARON JUDGE ROBS PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG OF A HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/6c2sDifyKA

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

Aaron Judge putting on a CLINIC in right field pic.twitter.com/K9PTpkynLs

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

TWO HOME RUNS FOR CODY BELLINGER AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM pic.twitter.com/YyXkYxr29B

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

Anthony Volpe RBI double 💪 pic.twitter.com/SZbzpGSCoC

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

THREE BIG BOOMS 💥

A THREE-HOMER GAME FOR CODY BELLINGER! pic.twitter.com/VE6W9aGkeN

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 12, 2025

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Cubs on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Max Fried (11-2, 2.27 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break, while the Cubs send Matt Boyd (9-3, 2.52 ERA)

Offense struggles again with Suarez on mound, Phillies drop Game 1 in San Diego originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO –  If the Phillies were going to get to the Padres Friday night at Petco Park, they had best planned to do it early. Padres starter Ryan Bergert hadn’t gone into the sixth inning yet this season and hadn’t started a game since June 24. Add to that the fact that before the game it was announced Padres reliever Adrian Morejon had been added to the All-Star roster to replace the Phillies Zack Wheeler.

What does that mean?

It means the Padres became the first team to have three relievers in an All-Star game. It means the back end of their bullpen is pretty darn good. It means it best behooves you to score on them as early as possible. The Phillies didn’t, however, in what turned into a 4-2 loss. They have now lost three of four on this six-game road trip and will have Wheeler on the mound for them Saturday.

If you play sloppy baseball in the field, as the Phillies did in the second inning, that makes the task even harder.

Trailing by a run in the seventh, the Phillies saw those three All-Stars in Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and closer Robert Suarez. 

Ranger Suarez pitched strong once again, with 6.2 innings of work on six hits and allowed three runs. Only one of his runs was earned and it was his own doing. Phillies nemesis Xander Bogaerts began the second with a single to shallow left. Jackson Merrill then laid a beautiful bunt down the first base line which Suarez fielded but threw too much into the runner and the ball eluded first baseman Bryce Harper, allowing Bogaerts to go to third. A Jose Iglesias double, a run-scoring groundout by Elias Diaz and a single by Fernando Tatis, Jr. single gave the Padres a 3-1 lead. Kyle Schwarber tied it in the top of the third with his 30th home run of the season.  

After the game, Ranger Suarez admitted that he was contacted in San Francisco by MLB about being an All-Star. He declined, much for the same reasons as Wheeler. The league announced that Milwaukee Brewers rookie, Jacob Misiorowski, was named an All-Star replacement after just five starts,. 

“In the end you think that the league is going to do whatever they want to do with that,” said Suarez. “You can’t control. I did receive a call but we decided to remain at home resting and decided against going there. But I’m happy that he (Misiorowski) made it. He’s a rookie and only made a few starts. I’m excited for him.

“Obviously it’s what you want, you want to go to the All-Star game. But I’d rather have some rest right now. I think it’s what’s best for us, for the team and it’s a long second half that we’re going to have. So I want to remain as healthy and as fresh as I can.”

Morejon, Adam and Robert Suarez epitomize the catch phrase of good morning, good afternoon and good night, though the Phillies made things dicey in the eighth, loading the bases off Adam with a Trea Turner walk and singles by Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. Adam coaxed Nick Castellanos into a dribbler in front of home that Adam scooped to catcher Elias Diaz for a force. Max Kepler ended the threat with a flyout to center. 

A home run by Manny Machado off Max Lazar accounted for the game’s final score.

“I thought Nick battled in his at-bat. He laid off some tough pitches,” said Rob Thomson. “Just unfortunately hit the ball off the end of the bat and the pitcher made a nice play. You know (the back of the bullpen) is coming. But you got to have runners on base, too, to do some things. We hit a couple of balls out of the ballpark, which is good. We put some pitches on the starter (Bergert) which is good. They’ve used quite a bit of their bullpen lately. I don’t know what they’re going to do tomorrow.”

After taking a 1-0 lead in the second on a dead-center home run by Nick Castellanos, the Phillies watched the Padres have their big inning before Schwarber’s bomb cut the lead to one.

It takes more than that against that Padres bullpen but the Phillies just didn’t have it. After scoring 13 runs Wednesday against the Giants, the thought was things were on the cusp of getting better offensively. Not so much Friday as they only had three other hits besides the two solo home runs. 

Schwarber becomes just the second Phillies player to have 30 home runs by the All-Star break. He joins some pretty good company in Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

“I feel like if we keep doing those things and having those at-bats we’re going to have a lot more success to follow,” said Schwarber, speaking of some good but unrewarded at-bats the Phillies have had. “We’re not taking (good starting pitching) for granted. Those guys in our rotation are doing such a great job throughout the course of this year so far and they’re gonna keep doing great.

“I feel like making different adjustments, not feel like I’m waiting around too long on things and feeling like not being nit-picky and being aware and making sure that checking your at-bats, checking your swings, checking what you’re feeling (has helped). And just competing and not overthinking during the game. It’s great company. Schmitty is one of the best to ever do it. A lot of the cool things that happen through the course of your career will be fun to look back on when it’s said and done with.”

“Is that right,” Thomson asked when told of Schwarber joining Schmidt in that elite home run company. “He’s had a great first half. He’s a great hitter. He’s changed his approach. He’s trying to stay close, he’s not thinking pull as much. He’s staying on the ball so that gives him a chance against left-handed pitchers.”

In what seems to be happening far too often of late, the starting pitching was outstanding but the offense just couldn’t get enough to make it stand.

“It’s just one of those things we’re going through,” Thomson said. “We scored 13 the other day, come back and we had a couple of chances, but not a whole lot. Once they went to the bullpen it was pretty tough.”

When word spread around the locker room that Misiorowski was named, there were quite a few players who were disgusted that their teammates in Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were left out.

Perhaps that is a little ambition the team may need to start hitting the ball regularly. We shall see.

Pete Crow-Armstrong had no idea that the Mets once attempted to get him back -- and for Pete Alonso, no less.

“I did not know that,” Crow-Armstrong said on Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, chuckling at the revelation. “That’s awesome.”

It also happens to be true. Although it was never close -- or even close to close -- to becoming a reality, the Pete-for-Pete discussion is a fun one to chat about. The magnitude of both players, who will be National League teammates at next week’s All-Star Game, is what makes it so.

Let’s first rewind to 2020. That year the Mets made Crow-Armstrong their first-round pick (19th overall). The following May he underwent shoulder surgery, ending his first season in pro ball.

Meanwhile, the Mets were under new ownership, had just acquired and then extended a franchise cornerstone in Francisco Lindor, and were in contention at the trade deadline. The front office, wanting to convey to fans and players alike that they believed in the team, traded Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs for Javier Baez.

Even in retrospect, it’s easy to understand the impulse. Baez played well for the Mets, posting an .899 OPS in 47 games. But he and Lindor also flashed an infamous thumbs down sign at fans, and he left as a free agent for Detroit. The Mets fell out of contention in August.

Over the next few years, Crow-Armstrong solidified his status as a top prospect. He debuted with the Cubs in 2023, and has broken out this season as a superstar.

It was in 2023 that the Mets and Cubs had their brief chat about him. That was the trade deadline in which then-GM Billy Eppler executed an impressive selloff, aided by Steve Cohen’s willingness to absorb salary as a way to turn veterans into prospects.

Eppler and his front office were serious about trading Max Scherzer (to Texas for Luisangel Acuña), Justin Verlander (to Houston for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford), along with David Robertson and Tommy Pham for intriguing lower-level prospects.

The Mets were not particularly serious about trading Alonso, who would become a free agent after the following season. But they owed it to themselves to answer calls about him, just to see what other clubs would offer.

That openness led to conversations with several clubs about Alonso. The Milwaukee Brewers called, but did not get close to a deal.

During this time, the Mets front office hatched a brief, outside-the-box idea. What about calling the Cubs to feel them out about Pete for Pete? The Cubs were known to have liked Alonso, and rumored to be weighing a pursuit of him.

According to league sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the call was made. The conversation was brief. The answer was no.

It’s no knock on Alonso that the Cubs passed. It was about the specific concept. Good luck finding any team willing to trade a rookie centerfielder with star potential for less than two seasons of a slugging first baseman.

Flash forward to today. Alonso re-signed with the Mets for another year, chasing Darryl Strawberry’s franchise home run record. Crow-Armstrong is the face of the new Cubs. After a few lean years in Detroit, Baez will also be at the All-Star Game.

The only dangling thread lingers in center field for the Mets. The team is still looking to fill that position.

But maybe everything worked out the way it needed to?

“It was not a disappointment at all,” Crow-Armstrong said about the trade from the Mets to the Cubs. “I was looking for anything good to happen. I was still relatively early on in the rehab process when I got traded. The change of scenery ended up being important.”

It’s been a long road back for Mets starter Sean Manaea. 

Manaea was supposed to headline this retooled rotation following a breakout 2024 campaign, but he was quickly forced to the injured list after suffering an oblique strain during his ramp up in spring training. 

The initial expectation was that he’d be able to return to the club in mid-to-late April, but that timeline continued to be pushed further and further back as he endured some minor setbacks along the way.

The first one came in mid-March when he first resumed throwing, and then he was recently forced to receive a cortisone injection after a loose body was discovered in his left elbow following a rehab start. 

Manaea was able to work his way through his final two rehab outings without experiencing any further discomfort, though, and now he’s officially set to make his season debut this weekend in Kansas City. 

He’ll piggyback Clay Holmes during Sunday afternoon’s first-half finale. 

“Talking to both they said whatever you guys want to do,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re just trying to keep things simple for Clay and then we’ll give Sean the proper time to make sure he's ready before we put him in.”

Manaea allowed 15 runs over his six rehab appearances, but he did show some positives.

Easily his most encouraging showing came prior to his latest setback, when he gave up just one of those runs on a pair of hits while striking out seven over 5.1 stellar innings of work while with Triple-A Syracuse.  

He was a little rusty his next two times out, but still feels ready to return to a Mets rotation that desperately needs a spark heading into the second-half.

“It feels good,” Manaea said. “It sucks to be on the IL, you want to be out there helping this team win and it’s frustrating when you can’t do that -- everyone has been doing an incredible job, so it feels good to be back.” 

Willy Adames' patience is rewarded as he leads Giants to big win over Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — A few minutes before the first pitch Friday night, Willy Adames sprinted to the edge of the outfield grass and put his hands on his hips. A sellout crowd was settling in and the “Beat L.A.” chants had already started. Outside, thousands still waited in long lines, not far from parking lots that were charging $100 to pass through their gates. 

It wasn’t hard to look around and see signals that the biggest game of the year was about to start, but Adames had something to handle first. He stared at counterpart Mookie Betts, who was getting his arm loose in shallow right field. Finally, Betts realized Adames was waiting for him and jogged toward second base. The two shortstops hugged and chatted briefly. 

That has been a daily routine for Adames, who is seemingly as connected and conversational as any player in the league. He was like that throughout April, when his OPS started with a five. He had the same personality in May, when at times it looked like progress was being made but his batting average ultimately dropped back near .200 by the end of the month. 

In June, as things started to turn, Adames was the same person every day. There were friends to chat with before games and handshakes to give. During games, there were helmets that needed to be lifted when teammates went deep. After wins, the Powerade jug needed to be emptied on someone’s jersey. 

The consistency has been remarkable, and finally, Adames is being rewarded for it. He homered early in Friday’s 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and then added a big two-run triple. By the time Adames joined Mike Yastrzemski for their post-game leap, his OPS was a season-high .694. 

Adames goes deep for the lead 💥 pic.twitter.com/rQ4CcSptRe

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

That’s far from where he wants to be, but also far from where he was earlier this year. He finally feels right at the plate, and he’s being rewarded for keeping the faith, positivity and energy through some serious lows. 

“Obviously when you’re not performing well it’s tough to keep yourself together, but that’s the one thing I can control,” he said Friday night. “I told Buster [Posey], that’s the only thing that’s never going to change: My attitude and my work ethic and my willingness to try to be better. My energy is going to be the same every day, no matter if I’m doing good or bad.

“In the beginning when we were winning a lot of games, that helped. And then when we were struggling, it was tough for me to keep myself together because we weren’t winning and I had to step up and do my thing. We have a really good group in here that was like, ‘You’re going to be all right, you’re going to be all right.’ Everybody had my back and I feel like that’s what makes teams great.”

Two weeks ago, the Giants couldn’t even associate themselves with “good.” But with the win Friday, they crept within four of the Dodgers — who have lost seven straight — in the National League West. The division looked long gone after their first two days in Arizona, but their recent run and this shocking Dodgers skid have brought it back into play.

The last time the Giants seriously chased the NL West title, the two teams ended up facing off in the playoffs. On Friday, the wild back-and-forth affair gave off October energy. 

“It was amazing,” Adames said. “I’m not going to lie, I felt like we had too many Dodgers fans here. Maybe tomorrow we’ll get more San Francisco fans, but the energy was intense. I loved it. It felt like a playoff game, to be honest.”

The stars who come through in October are the ones who aren’t bothered by the moment. The Giants always have felt confident that Adames is in that mold, but the long-term commitment got off to an ugly start. There was nothing to do but be patient, and over the last month, Adames has looked like his old self. 

Willy Adames is cooking the Dodgers tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/w3mTWTyFfj

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

He is hitting .304 with a .952 OPS since June 10, and the homer Friday was his third of July and seventh in his last 29 games. It went to right-center, surprising even Adames with how well it carried. With the triple, which was part of a five-run fifth, he got to 22 RBI over his last 29 games. 

“A few weeks ago I started feeling better at the plate, taking better at-bats and putting myself in hitter’s counts and taking advantage of that,” he said. “I feel like since then I’ve been feeling really good at the plate and trying to execute on my plan. I think that’s the most important thing when we go to the plate, is just trusting the plan that you have and staying with it and giving it a shot.”

The offensive outburst was needed, because Logan Webb’s night shockingly fell apart in the sixth. He gave up four runs and was charged with a season-high six earned overall, but for once, the lineup rewarded him. 

"He deserved that we have his back."

Willy Adames reacts to the Giants' offense giving Logan Webb strong run support tonight 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xJS5XHIQD7

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

The big early lead was whittled away, but Camilo Doval got a double play with two on and one out in the ninth, clinching a win on the first night of the biggest series of the year thus far. It was the 22nd one-run win of the year for the Giants, who seem to be fully comfortable with intensity. 

Nobody exemplifies that more than their shortstop, and that’s been the case all year, in good times and bad. The smile comes easily for Adames, but it’s a bit easier to let it linger when you’re the one contributing to the wins. 

“Willy has been great,” Webb said. “He’s one of the most positive guys in the clubhouse all the time. We brought him in for a reason, and I know he’s excited to get it going. It’s fun for us to watch.”  

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

The start of Friday's series opener between the Mets and Royals in Kansas City has been delayed due to inclement weather.

First pitch was originally scheduled for 8:10 p.m. and a new start time has yet to be announced.

When the action does get underway, New York will be looking to bounce back after being swept by the Baltimore Orioles in a doubleheader on Thursday.

Kodai Senga takes the mound for the Mets, making his return from the injured list.

The right-hander was a bit shaky during his lone rehab appearance, but he had been pitching spectacularly prior to suffering the hamstring injury, posting a 1.47 ERA across 13 outings.

He'll be opposed by former Met Michael Wacha, who has pitched to a 3.83 ERA on the season.

Kansas City's pitching staff has been tremendous on the year, but Wacha has dropped his last three outings, allowing a total of 12 runs over that span.

The game can be seen on SNY.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Friday’s series opener in Kansas City…

---

Good news on Marte

Starling Marte underwent an MRI on his knee Friday, which still showed some inflammation, but overall was “very encouraging.”

The team is planning on limiting his running for the time being, but they will start the process as soon as this weekend, which is certainly good news. 

They are still hopeful Marte will be available coming out of the All-Star break. 

The 36-year-old was placed on the injured list earlier this week after tweaking his right knee during his at-bat in the ninth inning of last weekend's Subway Series finale. 

Marte had been swinging a hot bat prior to that, picking up three more hits to raise his average to an impressive .324 since the beginning of June. 

Getting him back in the mix right away would certainly be a huge boost, especially with Jesse Winker hitting the IL as well. 

Winker’s prognosis 

Speaking of Winker, Mendy revealed that he’s dealing with lower back inflammation. 

He'll be on medicine for the next four-to-seven days, and then the team will see how he’s feeling before deciding on next steps -- potential options include receiving an injection, depending on how he responds.  

Though there’s been some speculation that Winker’s back injury is connected to the oblique strain he was just returning from, the skipper said trainers told him the two had nothing to do with each other. 

“That was my first question too,” Mendoza said. “This is something that just came up now, nothing related -- hopefully the medicine works here over the next four-to-seven days, and then we’ll see where we’re at from there.”

Winker was hitless in three at-bats before landing back on the IL. 

With him and Marte sidelined, the team will continue to mix and match at DH this weekend.

The left-handed hitting Jared Young was recalled from Triple-A, but it is Mark Vientos who will receive the first opportunity against veteran right-hander Michael Wacha in Friday's series opener.

Paul Blackburn on the mend

The right-hander threw a successful bullpen session on Friday in Kansas City. 

He is expected to throw another one on Sunday, and if all goes well there, he’ll head down to Port St. Lucie during the break to face hitters. 

Blackburn officially landed on the IL last week due to a right shoulder impingement. 

With Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga back healthy and in the rotation mix, he could potentially be looking at a bullpen role when he does eventually return. 

Prior to his injury, Blackburn had been struggling mightily -- pitching to a 7.71 ERA in six appearances. 

WATCH: Rafaela's walk-off HR gives Red Sox eighth straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Ceddanne Rafaela provided the heroics for the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox trailed the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 with one out and a runner on first base in the bottom of the ninth inning when Rafaela stepped to the plate against Pete Fairbanks. With a 1-2 count, Rafaela blasted one over the Green Monster to give Boston the 5-4 walk-off victory:

CEDDANNE RAFAELA HITS IT OUT OF FENWAY 😤

THE @REDSOX ARE WALK-OFF WINNERS! pic.twitter.com/6LEzWZVQ7E

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025

Rafaela has been one of the best players in baseball for the last month. In addition to playing elite defense in center field, the 24-year-old has slashed .314/.337/.674 with seven homers and 21 RBI over his last 25 games. His 3.5 fWAR on the season ranks fifth among position players in the American League.

The Red Sox trailed 4-1 after an early injury to starter Hunter Dobbins and a sloppy third inning in which they allowed three unearned runs. Marcelo Mayer (RBI double) and Abraham Toro (RBI groundout) narrowed the deficit in the fourth before Rafaela finished the job with his two-run blast. Roman Anthony pinch-hit in the ninth inning and drew a walk to set up Rafaela’s dramatic moment.

With ace Garrett Crochet on the mound, the Red Sox (51-45) will take an eight-game win streak into Saturday’s game against the Rays. They’re currently 4.5 games back in the American League East standings and in possession of the second Wild Card spot.

What we learned as Giants hang on to hand Dodgers seventh consecutive loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — This weekend’s series between the Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers features some of the best pitchers in the National League, but on the first night Friday at Oracle Park, the longtime rivals engaged in the type of shootout that normally is found elsewhere in the division. 

A five-run fifth from the Giants immediately was countered by a four-run frame from the first-place Dodgers, who got within one in the seventh after trailing by six at one point. The Giants kept it there, winning 8-7 and handing the Dodgers their seventh consecutive loss, a skid that seemed inconceivable a couple weeks ago as they threatened to run away with the division. 

Camilo Doval faced the top of the Dodgers lineup and retired Shohei Ohtani before a Mookie Betts single. Pinch-runner Esteury Ruiz stole second and Freddie Freeman drew a walk, but Doval got catcher Will Smith to bounce into a game-ending double play. 

Tranquilo Camilo closes it out 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/jUbnSSUp6M

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

The Giants scored first on a Willy Adames solo blast, but Ohtani put one into the cove to give the Dodgers the lead in the third. Jung Hoo Lee countered with a go-ahead triple, and Adames matched him in the fifth as the Giants jumped out to an 8-2 lead. 

Willy Adames is cooking the Dodgers tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/w3mTWTyFfj

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

It usually would be all downhill from there for Logan Webb, but he got knocked out in the sixth by a lineup he dominated at Dodger Stadium in June. 

Not What He Expected

Webb was sharp early, striking out the side in the second and carrying a big lead into the late innings. The only damage through five was a two-run homer by Ohtani, but the Dodgers hit the staff ace hard in the sixth inning and knocked him out after just one out. 

Webb started the frame by drilling Betts and then gave up two doubles and a two-run homer to former Giant Michael Conforto. All three base hits were at least 104 mph, and on the other end, Webb’s velocity dropped a couple of ticks. His final pitch was a 91 mph sinker that Conforto hit out to dead center. 

Michael for two! pic.twitter.com/4zNKRZaHsT

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 12, 2025

The six earned runs were a season-high for Webb, who had allowed just 10 earned in nine previous starts at Oracle Park this season. He finished the first half with a 2.94 ERA in 20 starts. Webb will head into the MLB All-Star break leading the NL in innings and he’s ranked second in strikeouts.

Jung Hoo Three

It’s been a rough couple months for Lee, but he was all over the field Friday night. That was both positive and negative. 

With two on and no outs in the fourth, Lee smoked a line drive to Triples Alley that was just out of the reach of Teoscar Hernandez. Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman raced home as Lee cruised into third with his eighth triple, which ranks second in the National League. 

Jung Hoo triples for the Lee-d 🤩 pic.twitter.com/FCtxn06LNE

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 12, 2025

Casey Schmitt followed with a fly ball to left and Conforto made a perfect throw, getting Lee at the plate. The Giants challenged it and it appeared they might have had a case, but after a lengthy review, it was confirmed by the umpires in New York that Lee was out. 

Lee later added a pair of singles and notched his second three-hit game in his last eight, but he also made an error in center and had a couple of other slight misplays. 

The All-Star

Rodriguez threw just 14 pitches while recording the final two outs of the sixth, so Giants manager Bob Melvin sent him back out to face the top of the Dodgers lineup in the seventh. 

After a groundout from Ohtani, Betts hit a double that was bobbled by Lee, allowing him to reach third. He scored on Smith’s two-out single up the middle. The earned run was just the fourth allowed by Rodriguez, who has a 0.89 ERA. 

The outing was a preview of how the Giants hope to use Rodriguez in big games down the stretch and possibly into October. They have been careful with his arm thus far and he rarely goes back-to-back days, but they know they can stretch him out at some point. 

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Wheeler opts out of All-Star Game: ‘Wants to do what's right by the club' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO – Rob Thomson is all about his players getting their individual accolades. He said last week that he wants all his players to be All-Stars. And he meant it.

But you have to get a feeling with the amount of weight his starting pitching has carried this season for the club that maybe, just maybe, not having some deserving pitchers on the All-Star team is OK with him.

Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez deserve to be going to the Midsummer Classic, but they were not chosen. So they’ll get some much-needed rest and relaxation during the break. Zack Wheeler was rightfully selected for the game, but it was announced Friday that Wheeler has decided not to participate in the festivities in Atlanta, instead opting to take a few days off and ready himself for the rest of the season.

Wheeler, who will start Saturday against the San Diego Padres, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA. In his 116 innings pitched he has struck out 148 and an incredible 0.84 WHIP. MLB announced that Padres pitcher Adrian Morejon will take Wheeler’s place.

“He came to me the other day and he basically said that he wanted to make sure his body was in good shape coming out of the break and carry on through the rest of the year,” Thomson said. “He wants to do what’s right by the club. After tomorrow’s start he’ll have more innings than last year at the break. He’s being smart. That’s what Zack is and we have a lot of guys like that, to tell you the truth. I’m really happy for him. It was his decision and I think he’s being smart about it.”

Wheeler could very easily have been replaced on the National League roster by one of his teammates, but MLB decided to go another way. Perhaps due to the fact that he’s pitching on Sunday may have been a big strike against Sanchez going. “I am (surprised),” said Thomson. “But it’s one of those things where (pitching) on Sunday you can’t. Both him and Ranger, for me, are certainly deserving to be All-Stars. In my mind they’re All-Stars. (Sanchez) wasn’t voted in so I think it’s easy for them to switch out and get somebody who they know is going to be able to give them an inning or two.”

It’s not just about the actual pitching that could take a toll on any of the Phillies starters at the All-Star game. Thomson knows it’s more than that. “I’ve been through it a couple of times and it’s tiring. It really is. I’m happy that he’s decided to make the best decision for him. Which probably ends up being the best decision for us.”

He’s baaaaack

When asked about Bryce Harper and where he may be offensively after his three doubles and home run against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, Thomson had to suppress a smile, and maybe even an all-out laugh.

“His timing looked really good the other day,” the manager said. “Over time since he’s come back from the injured list, that the timing, the swing, bat-speed have all improved every game. And even before the game the other day he was putting good swings without seeing much production but he was putting good swings on the ball. Looks good right now.”

For the season, the Phillies entered Friday 40-25 with Harper in the lineup, just 14-14 without him. In those 40 wins, Harper is hitting .309 with 23 extra base hits (15 doubles, eight home runs) and 30 RBI. In the 25 losses, those numbers are .181, three extra base hits (two doubles, one homer) and five RBI.

Monday during batting practice in San Francisco, Harper had a couple un-Harper-like swings, it appeared. He took a second and then blasted four screaming shots over the wall in right field, one of which ended up in McCovey’s Cove. It seemed like a moment. Maybe it was. 

Good Abel

Mick Abel took the mound for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Thursday and came away with good reviews from manager Rob Thomson after his six inning, one hit, one walk and four strikeout performance in which he didn’t allow a run. 

“Really good. Touched 98, 72 percent 3-2 pitch strikes. Just filled up the strike zone. Was confident, poised, landed his breaking ball. I’m really happy for him, really proud of him.  That’s what I’m most proud of. He got back to who he is, kept it really simple and attacked the zone.”

Garrett Crochet explains decision to skip All-Star Game originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet pulled himself out of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game to keep his arm fresh for the second half of the season.

Crochet earned his second straight All-Star nod amid a Cy Young-caliber campaign, but at an MLB-leading 120.1 innings pitched this season, the left-hander is already 25.2 innings away from matching his career-high. The 26-year-old left-hander understandably doesn’t want to add to that hefty workload during an exhibition.

“For me, it’s just looking at my past four years,” Crochet said, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “In 2022, I threw zero innings. In ‘23, I threw 13. Last year, I threw 146 and this year I’m on pace for 200. From my standpoint, it makes no sense to make that 201 to throw in a game that doesn’t determine my team’s fate throughout the season.

“Especially because we’re looking at the postseason. If I threw 20 innings in the postseason, I’m almost 100 innings over last year which was over 100 innings above the year prior. It just didn’t make sense to me.”

The Red Sox’ schedule also didn’t help Crochet’s cause. Crochet is set to start Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, so he’d head into the All-Star Game on only three days rest.

Crochet pitched a scoreless fourth inning while representing the Chicago White Sox at the 2024 All-Star Game. This time, he’ll watch from the dugout alongside teammates Alex Bregman, who also won’t play as he returned from a quad injury on Friday.

“It’s a huge honor to be there,“ Crochet added. ”I threw last year with it being my first one. If I were to go next year, I would probably throw. But just with the way my continued growth is, and my workload ceiling, I’d rather not add to it.”

With Crochet and Bregman sitting out, veteran closer Aroldis Chapman will be Boston’s lone representative in Atlanta. Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize will replace Crochet on the American League roster.

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 15.

Mets designated hitter Jesse Winker is heading back to the IL just a few days after returning from an extended absence.

Winker, who exited Thursday's game against the Orioles after just one at-bat due to back tightness, was placed on the 10-day IL due to back inflammation, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic.

Jared Young was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take Winker's spot on the roster.

In addition, the Mets activated Kodai Senga from the IL and recalled Austin Warren from Syracuse.

To make room on the roster, Justin Hagenman was optioned to Syracuse and Rico Garcia was designated for assignment.

With Winker on the IL, the Mets will essentially be without a regular DH until after the All-Star break, which begins for them after Sunday's game in Kansas City.

Starling Marte landed on the IL on Tuesday, retroactive to July 7. The expectation is that he'll be able to return right after the break, with the Mets beginning the second half against the Reds on July 18 at Citi Field.

On the at-bat before he came out, Winker popped out to end the first inning. He was pinch-hit for in the fourth inning by Mark Vientos.

The 31-year-old was playing in just his second game since May 4 after returning from the injured list on Tuesday after working his way back from an oblique injury.

Winker was hitting .239 with a .739 OPS (112 OPS+) prior to his oblique injury, totaling just one home run and 10 RBI.

The lefty hit .286 with two home runs, a double, seven RBI, and five walks over five games in the minor leagues during his rehab assignment.

Shohei Ohtani has the bestselling jersey in baseball.

Again.

He is joined in the top four by Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

Again.

According to rankings released Friday based on sales of Nike jerseys from the Fanatics network, fans have purchased Ohtani's No. 17 Dodgers jersey more than that of any other player during the first half of the 2025 season.

Read more:'Really impressed.' Shohei Ohtani's return to two-way role going (mostly) well a month in

It's not Ohtani's first time at the top of the jersey sales rankings. The two-way superstar from Japan was No. 1 for the 2023 regular season, his last with the Angels, and the 2024 regular season, his first with the Dodgers. His jersey was also the top seller during the most recent offseason, after he was named the 2024 National League MVP and won his first World Series championship.

According to MLB, Ohtani’s jerseys have sold more than any other player in the U.S., Japan and worldwide since 2023.

New York Yankees superstar and reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge is No. 2 on the 2025 list, followed by Freeman at No. 3 and Betts at No. 4. Freeman and Betts also joined Ohtani in the top four in sales during the offseason, with Freeman at No. 2 and Betts at No. 4.

Read more:Dodgers unveil Kobe Bryant bobblehead to be given away Aug. 8 at Chavez Ravine

For the 2024 regular season, Betts ranked at No. 4, while Freeman came in at No. 18. Freeman has been riding a wave of popularity since the World Series, during which he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 and eventually was named the series MVP.

New York Mets star Francisco Lindor has the No. 5 jersey of 2025 so far, followed by Mets teammate Juan Soto, Rafael Devers of the San Francisco Giants, Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres and Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, in his 18th MLB season, has the No. 20 bestselling jersey.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.