Category: Baseball

Like most San Francisco Giants fans, I remember May 25, 2011 vividly. But it’s been more than 15 years since that fated day in which a young blossoming superstar, the budding pillar of the franchise, fractured his fibula and tore multiple ligaments in his leg during a collision at the plate. So some of the features of that memory have grown blurry.

I don’t remember who was pitching, or who hit the ball that sent Scott Cousins barreling around third base and straight into Buster Posey. I can’t recall the outcome of the game, or the Giants’ place in the standings at the time.

What I do remember is this: in the face of excruciating physical and emotional pain, Posey remained stoic. Years before the hundreds of millions of dollars in salary and investments would roll into his bank account, and before countless dreams had been checked off his personal to-do list, Posey sat on the plate at his home ballpark, knowing that not just his season, but his entire career was in jeopardy. His eyes were dry and his jaw was strong. He took in the scene, refused to call for a cart to wheel him away, and, with he help of the training staff, stood up and slowly hopped off the field, tall and upright. Beat and battered, but never broken.

318 days later, he was back on the field for Opening Day. 523 days later, he hoisted a World Series trophy over his head. 541 days later, he was honored as the league MVP.

That year-and-a-half sequence defined Posey as one of the toughest athletes of his era. Staring at the utmost adversity, Posey refused to blink.

It set the tone for the rest of his career. He was talented and selfless and a tireless worker, yes, but above all else he was tough. And in turn, the Giants were.

Which makes his latest turn all the more confounding, concerning, and infuriating.

On Tuesday, Posey — no longer the face of the roster, and now the face of the front office — met with the media. It was Posey, as he so often did in the batter’s box, calling his own number. It wasn’t a media session mandated by the league, or demanded by the reporters. It was just Posey, leader of a team in turmoil on and off the field, making himself available.

And looking weaker than I ever could have imagined he would.

Posey opened with a milquetoast statement regarding the team’s Pride Night debacle, and the subsequent fallout within the queer community, one that had about as much substance as a Jack Harlow song played in reverse. At best, it was a “there are good people on both sides and I care more about baseball” deflection; at worst, it was a child placing his head in his hands and screaming “mom I don’t want to.”

“I’d like to recognize that the organization has shared its response to Pride Night, and I understand that there’s strong feelings on this topic,” Posey said, the prevarication only just revving up. “There’s differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it’s not something that I’m going to revisit. I understand that some fans are upset and frustrated, and I promise you this is something we’ve talked about a lot internally, and we’ll continue to do so. Our focus is on the team right now, the upcoming draft, the trade deadline, and trying to win games. So anybody that has baseball questions, I’m happy to take baseball questions from you now.”

It was bland and corporate, and a little spineless. But if that was leaning back at a pitch high and tight, what followed was Posey watching a fastball down the middle, and turning around to walk away before it even made it to the catcher. Calling off the at-bat after two pitches. Unwrapping his protective gear, walking out of the ballpark, and driving home in the fifth inning.

The reporters in attendance, to their credit, pushed back. Fairly, I might add. And even gently at first. Softballs initially, perfect for someone who used to be able to square up a 100-mph fastball with ease.

But Posey tucked his tail and tucked his head. In a staggering display of weakness, at the team’s lowest moment in decades, Posey stuck his fingers in his ears, squeezed his eyes closed, and sang, “la la la la I can’t heeeaaaaaarrrrrr youuuuuu.”

It was genuinely difficult to watch.

Did you object to Pride Nights as a player, and did anyone explain the importance to Tony Vitello and the players?

“If you want to ask baseball questions, I’ll answer baseball questions.”

Will you reach out to the gay community about what has unfolded?

“If you want to go to baseball questions, I made my statement, I’ll answer baseball questions.”

Do you have a response to the commissioner throwing the Giants under the bus?

“I’ll answer baseball questions.”

Why will you only answer baseball questions when the team is embroiled in something so important?

“I’m gonna only answer baseball questions.”

Is this not your job? Should we speak with Larry Baer?

At that point, Posey was beyond answers, and looked pathetically around for help, until a poor communications director was forced to repeat the same line: “We just need to keep it baseball related.”

You made this a baseball issue by hosting Pride Night, and letting players take the field having violated MLB’s rules.

“Buster made his statement. If you guys have any baseball questions, he can answer those, or we’re gonna be done.”

Cowardice. Weakness. Spinelessness.

And broken.

All hidden behind the vacant face of a man who clearly would rather face Clayton Kershaw 1,000 times over before having to spend another 10 seconds being asked for accountability over a blatant lack of inclusion and failure of leadership.

It’s clear that the Department of Justice’s hogwash meddling with the situation has spooked the Giants, and it’s fair to think that Posey’s hands were slightly tied by an unwanted political presence hovering over the entire situation. It also does essentially nothing to cover up the immeasurably pathetic display that took place at Oracle Park.

Posey could have no-commented questions about the hats that Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker defiled. He could have no-commented the team’s communication with its players, the involvement of the DOJ, and Rob Manfred harshly criticizing the team.

Here, I wrote him a statement he could have said. I’m writing this on the fly. I didn’t take any time to think it over. I’m not going to edit it. I’m improvising here. Let’s see what I’m about to come up with.

I, along with the entire Giants organization, support and celebrate San Francisco’s vibrant and historic LGBTQIA+ community. We are aware that many in the community are hurting based on the actions and response of our team, and we are dedicated to making sure that every Giants fan feels at home at Oracle Park. We will meet with local leaders in the community to see how we can learn and grow from this year’s Pride Night, and I personally will be donating $100,000 to the SF LGBT Center. Unfortunately, for legal purposes, I can’t currently comment on the hats, our communication with the commissioner’s office, or anything regarding the DOJ’s investigation. We’re going to keep our discussions with players internal.

See how easy that was? It’s not a perfect statement because, again, I wrote it on the fly. It took 45 seconds. It probably has a spelling error in it. It features an organization I just learned about when I googled “LGBTQ youth centers San Francisco.”

But it does the important thing: it makes it clear where Posey stands. It makes it clear where the organization stands. It takes the absolute bare minimum level of accountability. It does nothing to interfere with the commissioner or the Department of Nonsensical Whining.

In the absence of that tiny act of accountability and inclusion, why do anything at all? Why hold a media session? Why face the cameras and reporters at all, if you can even call what Posey did “facing?” Why write a test that didn’t need to be written just to get all the answers spectacularly wrong?

A stable of unforced errors, buried beneath a cascade of cowardice. The antitheses of meeting the moment. The polar opposite of what the fanbase deserved and needed.

There was a time when I never would have dared to utter the word “weak” in association with Buster Posey. Now I fear I need a stronger word.

Facing off against Tarik Skubal, the Yankees were going to need a strong start to best the reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner. They got just that, and though Skubal managed to look a lot more like his old self and shut down the lineup for long stretches, the offense made their moments count and cashed in most of the hits they got for runs.

Paul Goldschmidt set the tone immediately, working a 3-0 count before finding a fastball up and in the zone that he could crush — 372 feet later, it landed in left field for a 1-0 Yankees lead. Skubal rebounded quickly though, retiring the next three Yankees in just seven pitches, and outside of a seven-pitch battle with Jazz Chisholm Jr. the second inning gave him little trouble as well.

In the bottom of the second, the Tigers’ bats responded against Ryan Weathers. Riley Greene led off with a fly out, but Spencer Torkelson crushed a middle-middle fastball for a double out to left, and Hao-Yu Lee worked a four-pitch walk to put runners on with one out. Weathers managed to strike Ben Malgeri out to get an out away from escaping without any damage, but Zach McKinstry jumped on a 2-1 sinker that caught too much of the plate for a line drive single back up the middle that tied the game at one. Weathers evaded further problems by striking out Jake Rogers, his third of the night already, but the offense would have to pick him back up.

Luckily, Goldschmidt was up to the task.

Goldschmidt’s second blast of the game was still just the second hit the Yankees had, and spoiler alert: they wouldn’t get another one for a while. Still, the Bombers were making Skubal pay on the few mistake pitches he made, making a night where he otherwise looked like the dominant ace he has been not feel too frustrating.

The Tigers weren’t out of this one yet, and they got some help to tie the game back up in the fourth inning. Torkelson led off with a walk, and Lee worked a 3-0 count before getting a fastball near the middle of the plate to drive. Jasson Domínguez couldn’t field the ball cleanly, allowing Torkelson to advance to third on the single, and Malgeri lifted a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat to cash in the runner and knot us up at two.

Weathers buckled down, getting the next two outs to close the inning without incident, and he worked around a leadoff double in the fifth to turn in a relatively strong outing for the second consecutive turn through the order. Weathers lasted six innings, allowing the two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with six punchouts. After a shaky streak of starts saw his ERA jump north of four during this month, Weathers has calmed things down and managed to secure his first start without a home run allowed since May 24th against Tampa Bay. And thanks to his offense finding one more spark on a night that they otherwise struggled, he walked away with the win.

After Goldschmidt’s second homer in the third, the entire lineup turned over without a batter getting on board. With two outs in the sixth, Ben Rice jumped on a first-pitch changeup to slap a single out to right breaking up Skubal’s rhythm and forcing him into the stretch for the first time all game. Perhaps that made the difference as Domínguez stepped up to the plate and fought through a nine-pitch at-bat where Skubal just couldn’t put him away despite jumping ahead 0-2, eventually leaving the third and final mistake pitch of his night: a changeup right over the heart of the plate. Domínguez pounced on it, and drove it out to left.

Now in the driver’s seat, the Yankee bullpen was tasked with holding the lead and they were very successful. Camilo Doval entered for the seventh and walked Rogers to lead off, but then got two straight pop-ups before handing the ball over to Fernando Cruz who struck out all four batters he faced. David Bednar got the ninth inning as usual, and got to two outs before he allowed a single to Kevin McGonigle that brought the tying run to the plate. Thankfully, Dillon Dingler jumped at the first pitch and lofted a fly ball right into Domínguez’s glove for the final out.

The Yankees secured themselves a series win after looking rather lackluster to start off, and now they’ll take that momentum into Boston for a four-game set with their archrivals. Cam Schlittler will open that series off and face off with Connelly Early, first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. EST.

Box Score.

Everything was going smoothly for Tanner Bibee and the Guardians through six innings. Bibee was 89 pitches into his outing, looking to salvage a win and avoid a sweep on the South Side. Then, as has been the norm, Stephen Vogt takes Bibee out, in line for a victory, opting to go to the bullpen. This is when the fun began.

First things first, though, and that’s Kahlil Watson. Watson provided a spark all series long, and without Watson today, Cleveland gets swept. Watson set the table for a Bibee win with a bases loaded 2-RBI single, taking an Erick Fedde sweeper the other way. Watson, who entered the series 0-for-12 to start his MLB career, went 5-for-9 in this series with two massive hits in this game, including this single.

Now back to Bibee. Bibee’s pitch mix has seen some pretty major alterations. His 4-seam usage is down substantially while he’s leaning more on his sinker/cutter/slider combo. In doing so, Bibee is seeing more swing and miss in the zone and better quality of contact against him. He’s now running a 1.71 ERA in June while throwing his 4-seamer under 15% of the time in that span.

Vogt went to the Guardians’ magic 8-ball bullpen in the 7th, going to Erik Sabrowski fresh off the injured list, and Chicago immediately broke the seal, tallying a run and cutting the lead in half. Sabrowski has struggled upon return, getting tagged with earned runs in both outings. Holderman cleaned up, getting the final out.

The Guardians put together a scoring threat again in the 8th inning, and with the bases loaded and two out, Joe Rock walked Patrick Bailey, bringing Halpin in to score. A Kwan strikeout ended the threat, but Cleveland was up 3-1. Gaddis and Herrin covered the bottom half, but it was not without struggle as the White Sox got two more baserunners on before the threat was ended. Cleveland failed to add anything in the top of the 9th, and with Cade Smith coming on, all hell broke loose.

In a 1-1 count with two outs, Smith left a 4-seam fastball over the heart of the plate, and rookie Braden Montgomery did not miss it. 411 feet later, Chicago was within a run, and before anyone had a chance to catch their breath, Smith hung a sweeper right down broadway to Randal Grichuk, and just like that, Cade had blown his first save in two months, and Cleveland was staring down the barrel of a sweep and two game deficit in the division. Smith then surrendered a single to Jacob Gonzalez and walked Sam Antonacci, leading to Vogt yanking his potential All-Star closer for Shawn Armstrong. Somehow, this was Kyle Manzardo’s fault (iykyk).

Armstrong got the final out, but now it was on to extras.

Chicago brought in Grant Taylor who had already not been having the best series. After getting Manzardo to strike out, Taylor gave up a single to Rhys Hoskins.

Kahlil Watson, have a day! Watson, just like in the 6th, sliced a single to the opposite field, this time off of a 100 mph sinker from Taylor. Guards back up, 4-3.

Armstrong stayed on for the bottom half, and hooooo boy was this not good for the ol’ ticker! After a Luisangel Acuña sacrifice bunt moved Vargas to third, Armstrong walked Kyle Teel, then walked Colson Montgomery, and if not being able to find a grip wasn’t enough, the rain started falling on the South Side of Chicago. Thankfully, Armstrong got Chase Meidroth to ground out on a pitcher’s pitch down and in, and then Braden Montgomery grounded out to Manzardo with Manzo stretching out full extension to tag the base, mercifully ending this game with a badly needed W.

Cleveland, with this win, slots back into a tie for 1st place in the AL Central with Chicago, now sitting at 42-39.

After a day off tomorrow, the Guards head back home for a nice long home stand, starting with three against Seattle, three against Texas, and then a four game set against these same White Sox.

The Royals did not cash in on early opportunities and the Rays did. Sometimes it is that simple. In the end the score was 5-3, but two of those three for Kansas City came because of an inning where the Rays made two back-to-back errors.

The Royals had runners in scoring position in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings against Griffin Jax who Tampa Bay is trying to convert into a starting pitcher mid-season. They went 0-5 with RISP in these opportunities including a double play to end the threat in the first inning. Meanwhile, the Rays started the bottom of the 3rd inning with a pair of singles and a sac bunt to get two runners set up to score. That forced the Royals to intentionally walk Junior Caminero to load them and set up a double play as an escape hatch. Next up was Ryan Vilade who hit a hard ground ball to Jac Caglianone who stepped on first and threw home. Unfortunately, the throw home was rushed and off target. It actually hit Nick Fortes coming home and that error allowed a second run to come in as well. Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single to left before Noah Cameron could get out of the inning down 3-0.

In the 4th, Tampa started the inning with a double just past Nick Loftin at third base. He was sac bunted over to third, just like last inning. The struggling Fortes was up again and reached for the second time in as many innings when Cameron hit him with a pitch. Yandy Diaz made him pay for that with an RBI single moving Fortes to third and Jonny DeLuca promptly doubled to score him. Caminero was walked to load them unintentionally this time, and Vilade was back in the same position as the inning before. This time he struck out and so did Aranda when Salvador Perez challenged a ball call and turned it into strike three. Recently Kansas City has made a habit of coming back from big deficits though, and they immediately went to work trying to get back in this one.

It was not entirely the Royals who got the comeback started in the 5th inning. They got some help from the Rays’ defense. Jensen got on with a walk and was still on first with 2 outs when the red hot Jac came up. He hit a pretty routine looking groundball up the middle that somehow got past the short stop, Taylor Walls, playing right near second. Jensen made it to third and Cags hustled to second. Salvy was up next and crushed a liner right at Chandler Simpson in left, it looked like a sure out. It was knuckling on him, and it hit him right in the chest. With two outs the baserunners were going on contact and both scored. Two errors and two runs to get the score to 5-2 Rays.

Noah Cameron was just not very sharp in this one. He did stay in and have a nice quiet 5th inning ending with a final line of 5IP, 8H, 3BB, 5K, and 5ER over 108 pitches.

The rest of the game was mostly bereft of baserunners. Lucas Erceg did allow a runner but faced the minimum with a GIDP. Daniel Lynch had a clean 7th and he and Erceg combined threw just 18 pitches in those two innings. The Tampa bullpen was equally effective and the two teams rattled off six pretty easy scoreless innings. After giving up a run last night with a huge lead, Beck Way was given the 8th and there was finally another interesting one. He walked Simpson who stole second and was advanced to third on a Yandy chopper to third with two outs. Way got DeLuca to groundout for the seventh goose egg in a row and the Royals had three more outs to win or extend this one. On a side note, Beck Way has now allowed runs in just two of eight outings in the big leagues this season.

Bryan Baker came on to close it out for Tampa Bay and he struck out Kameron Misner to begin the inning. The Royals did manage their first earned run of the game on the next batter when Josh Rojas hit his first home run as a Royal while pinch hitting for Tolbert. They still needed two more runs though, and Carter Jensen struck out followed by a Nick Loftin lineout to left. Those early missed opportunities came back to bite the team in the end.

Tomorrow they will get another opportunity to win the series in in a day game that starts at 11 in the morning.

It was one of those games where a handful of unlucky pitches made all the difference as the Yankees beat the Tigers 4-2.

The Tigers were looking to come away with a series win in Wednesday night’s rubber match against the Yankees. To get the job done and head into their four-game weekend series against the Astros on a high note, the Tigers had Tarik Skubal on the mound. And, with some storm clouds in the distance and the potential threat of rain, the Yankees had the aptly-named Ryan Weathers on the mound.

It was bad news right out of the gate as Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run to start the game. Skubal immediately got back in the groove, not letting the leadoff homer shake his confidence, and got the next three outs in a row. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

The Yankees went three-up, three-down in the top of the ninth. Skubal wasn’t messing around and was likely more than a little fired up about that first-inning run. In the home half, Spencer Torkelson got a one-out double, followed by a walk to Hao-Yu Lee. With two outs, Zach McKinstry singled to bring Torkelson home and tie up the game. It was the only run they’d get for the inning, but it brought them back to even footing.

Two outs into the third inning, and Goldschmidt did it again. Another solo home run. Skubal got the final out of the inning, but I’m pretty sure Paul isn’t getting a Christmas card from the Skubals this year. In the bottom of the inning, Matt Vierling got a single, but the Tigers left him stranded.

Skubal, not one to be thrown off by a bad pitch, got the side out in order in the top of the fourth. Torkelson started the home half with a walk. Lee then singled, and thanks to an error from Jasson Dominguez, Torkelson advanced to third. A sac fly from newbie Ben Malgeri brought Tork home and tied the game up again.

Skubal once again churned through the Yankees in order. In the bottom of the inning, Kevin McGonigle got things going with a leadoff double, but was then eliminated gunning for third in a fielder’s choice off the bat of Dillon Dingler. Two more outs followed and the Tigers missed out on their opportunity to pull ahead.

With two outs in the sixth–finally getting Goldschmidt out–Ben Rice hit a single. Jasson Dominguez then homered (it almost would have been better if it HAD been Goldy), putting the Yankees up 4-2. Not ideal. In the home half with one out, Lee singled. That was all the Tigers managed for the inning, though.

Skubal’s day was done after six, with a final line of 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 3 HR on 85 pitches. He looked really good; it was just unfortunate that the hits he did give up were home runs. Jacob Waguespack came in to replace him. He got the side out in order, though there was a brief pause in play while Jose Caballero tried to sort out a twist in his back. As someone in my 40s… relatable. In the bottom half, Camilo Doval replaced Weathers. Jake Rogers took a leadoff walk. Two outs followed, including a force out off the bat of Dingler, eliminating Rogers. Fernando Cruz replaced Doval, and A.J. Hinch did a double pinch-hitter swap, pulling James Outman, who was queued up for Doval, and then went to Kerry Carpenter for Cruz. The change ultimately didn’t matter, as Carpenter was the third out of the inning.

In the eighth, Max Schuemann was hit by a pitch with one out to take a free base. With two outs, Enmanuel De Jesus replaced Waguespack, and while Ben Rice hit a grounder to get on first, pinch-runner Spencer Jones was out at third to end the inning. Riley Greene got a leadoff single in the home half, but the next three batters were out in order.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Cody Bellinger hit a double right down the foul line to right field. The Tigers did manage to get themselves out of that pickle, though, and escaped the inning with no additional runs scored. David Bednar was the next Yankees’ reliever. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, McGonigle singled, keeping hope a live a little longer. That hope was short-lived, though, as Dingler hit a flyout to end the inning and the game. The Yankees took the series.

Final: Yankees 4, Tigers 2

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Athletics tonight from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters tonight’s game with a 6.04 ERA, 4.89 FIP, with 57 strikeouts to 24 walks in 56.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 7-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 26th, in which he allowed three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and three walks in five innings.

He’ll be facing off against A’s left-hander Gage Jump, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.37 ERA, 2.48 FIP, with 26 strikeouts to nine walks in 30.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Athletics’ 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 18th, in which he allowed just one hit and three walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

Game #79

Who: San Francisco Giants (32-46) vs. Athletics (38-41)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants), NBC Sports California (A’s)

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The Yankees (48-31) protected their lead atop the AL East standings with a 4-2 win in the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers (34-46).

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers made his second straight quality start for the Yanks, pitching six full innings and allowing just one earned run.

Here are the takeaways....

-First baseman Paul Goldschmidt led off for the Yankees tonight, and opened the scoring immediately with a solo shot to left field on the fifth pitch he saw from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. His very next at-bat, with nobody on base in the third inning, Goldschmidt blasted a 427-foot moonshot to make the score 2-1 Yankees. This was the first multi-homer game for Goldschmidt as a Yankee, and the 28th game of his career with two dingers, tying Jose Ramirez for 10th place on the active player leaderboard for this feat. It's no surprise that Aaron Judge is the active MLB leader in this statistic, with 47 multi-homer games.

-Right fielder Jasson Dominguez had a bit of a roller coaster of a game tonight in Detroit. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Dominguez booted a single hit in his direction, and Detroit's two baserunners each moved up a base - to second and third - as a result, before a sacrifice fly drove in a runner to tie up the game, 2-2. However, the switch-hitting slugger made up for his mistake a couple of innings later, batting as a righty in the sixth inning and crushing a Skubal changeup for a two-run home run. With the score 4-2, Skubal exited the game for the Tigers, having largely dominated, allowing just four hits and walking zero while striking out nine Yankees batters. However, three of those four hits allowed were long balls, which accounted for four earned runs, and the Tigers training staff will keep an eye on the health of their reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner, as he was in visible discomfort on the mound with a possible groin issue midway through his start.

-Following a masterful performance in his last start against the Chicago White Sox, when he struck out eight batters through 6.1 innings, Ryan Weathers kept it rolling tonight in Detroit. The southpaw lowered his ERA to 3.95 with six full innings of solid pitching, striking out six Tigers batters and walking just two, allowing one earned run in the process. Weathers, who was acquired via trade this past offseason from the Miami Marlins, has been an unheralded cog of the Yankees rotation all season as a reliable "back-end" starter, and is seemingly finding his groove in his first season in the Bronx.

-Utility man Max Schuemann manned center field for the Yanks tonight, his first start at that position with the organization. Schuemann was acquired via trade from the Athletics a few weeks after Weathers' arrival, and Weathers might owe him a steak dinner after Schuemann made two web gems in the fifth inning with men on base. Schuemann has long been known for his defensive prowess and positional versatility, and he showcased both tonight to record crucial outs when it seemed like the effectiveness of New York's starter was deteriorating.

-The Yankees relied on three relievers - Camil Doval, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar - to handle some high-leverage work on a night when their offense couldn't get going. Cruz struck out four of the five batters he faced before handing the ball to Bednar, who promptly picked up his 16th save of the season. 

Game MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

The Yankees simply don't win this game tonight without Goldschmidt's bat. The 38-year-old continues to age like the finest of wines, and is currently penning a memorable Yankees chapter of his Cooperstown-bound career.

Highlights

A LEADOFF BLAST FOR PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT! pic.twitter.com/r62NbAPGWE

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT OFF TARIK SKUBAL! pic.twitter.com/RNTMUZCf1A

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

Max Schuemann lays out for the catch! pic.twitter.com/uLrMbvNkfB

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ TAKES TARIK SKUBAL DEEP! pic.twitter.com/tz3wO2U7pD

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 25, 2026

What's Next

The Yankees immediately head to Boston to begin a four-game set against the archrival Red Sox, with first pitch on Thursday set for 7:10 p.m.

The expected pitching matchup is a rematch of last season's AL Wild Card winner-take-all Game 3; Yankees RHP Cam Schlitter (8-3, 1.71 ERA) for New York and Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) are set to duel once again.

The White Sox waited until the last minute to tee off on Cleveland closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning once more, but could not convert a run with the bases loaded in the 10th, falling 4-3. As if to indicate dismay with leaving an attainable sweep on the table, the rain that initially delayed today’s contest almost three hours) started pouring. As a result, the two teams are again tied for first.

Both teams experienced traffic on the basepaths in the second, Erick Fedde with back-to-back walks, and Tanner Bibee with a hit-by-pitch and single. Both pitchers escaped their jams to leave it knotted at zero. The White Sox would again put two runners on in the third with singles from Sam Antonacci and Miguel Vargas, but the pair were left stranded when Andrew Benintendi hit into a fielder’s choice.

A single, an error, and a walk would load the bases for Cleveland in the top of the sixth, with no outs. Kahlil Watson singled on a line drive straight to Antonacci, whose throw to Kyle Teel in an attempt to cut down the second runner out at home short-hopped the catcher. That was all for Fedde, and surprisingly Brandon Eisert inherited two runners on and one out and was able to stun batters for back-to-back strikeouts, escaping the jam.

In the seventh, Teel got his first hit since coming back two days ago, and Colson Montgomery helped out with a double. With ducks on the pond a sac fly from Braden Montgomery sent Teel home, making it 2-1. Randal Grichuk came off the bench, but with that move, the Guardians went back to their bullpen to replace lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski. Grichuk launched a ball to center, but with a diving catch, Steven Kwan ended the rally.

Joe Rock came on to pitch in the Chicago eighth and struggled with his command. Petey Halpin started Rock’s outing with a single, and Kyle Manzardo walked. Rock was able to get a strikeout and a fly out, but walked Daniel Schneemann to load the bases and then walked in a run to keep the bases loaded for Kwan. Thankfully, Kwan has been struggling and left the bases loaded after going down swinging.

The score remained 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, when Braden Montgomery started a two-out ninth-inning rally with his second home run of the season, putting the White Sox down one run.

Before I could even complete that sentence, Grichuk hit another solo shot to tie the game at 3-3, much to Cleveland closer Smith’s dismay:

Jacob Gonzalez kept it going with a single of his own. Antonacci walked, prompting yet another call to the pen for the Guardians. Miguel Vargas caused my heart rate to spike a bit more by sending a ball in the air, but it was caught, bringing on extras.

Grant Taylor came in to pitch for the 10th and gave up back-to-back hits that allowed the Guardians to regain the lead. The Sox loaded the bases after walks to Teel and Colson Montgomery with one out. Chase Meidroth bit on the one pitch he should have passed on, a 3-1 sinker that grounded the ball to shortstop for the fielder’s choice out at home. Braden Montgomery’s attempt to play hero for the second straight inning fell short, ending the game as Kyle Manzardo slid headfirst to beat him to first on a ground out. Unfortunately, the sac bunt from Luisangel Acuña that started the inning would prove to be useless, and helped prevent a sweep that was right in Chicago’s hands.

The start of the second half of the minor league season always includes promotions of minor league players that have distinguished themselves over the first half of the season.

Several of the promotions this year were expected. Multiple members of the San Diego Padres’ minor league system had excellent first halves of their year and forced the organization to push them up the ladder.

A few players struggled and were sent down a level to regroup and try to get some consistency in their game. Of the 23 moves made on Tuesday, 16 were promotions. 

Lake Elsinore lost multiple members of their team that won the first half in the South Division in the California League.They are guaranteed a playoff spot at the end of the season but the team will look significantly different than the one that won the first half.

El Paso Chihuahuas (35-40 record, 3rd in the PCL East)

El Paso went 4-2 for the week against the Reno Aces, with the starting pitching consisting of Jhony Brito, Germán Márquez, JP Sears, and Matt Waldron for the first four games of the week.

Brito has completed his rehab and is continuing to tune-up following recovery from UCL surgery. Márquez and Waldron are in rehab and Sears is still struggling with PCL hitters. Sears was called up to the Padres on Tuesday to make a start when Lucas Giolito went on the injured list.

Right-handed reliever Andrew Moore, acquired last season as the return for Connor Joe at the trade deadline, was promoted from Double-A San Antonio to the Chihuahuas after posting a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts for the Missions. 

First baseman Romeo Sanabria, 24, who made a big impression in spring camp with the major league team, was promoted from the Missions to El Paso and will get an opportunity to show what he can do in a more hitter-friendly environment. Sanabria started the season slowly but has really come on over the past few weeks. After hitting .176 in April, Sanabria has hit .283 with an OPS over .800 for May and June.

Infielder Dylan Grego, who was promoted to El Paso to help replace players needed by the Padres, has been returned to Lake Elsinore.

San Antonio Missions (31-38 record, 5th, last, in Texas League South)

San Antonio went 4-2 for the week. After losing Moore and Sanabria to Triple-A, the Missions received outfielder Jake Cunningham, right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove and right-handed reliever Clay Edmondson from High-A Fort Wayne.

Cunningham, 23, was a free agent signed by the Padres before the season after being released by the Baltimore Orioles organization. In his previous  three seasons in their minor league system, Cunningham had worse outcomes each year. He had injury issues as well as declining performance over those three seasons and was released in January. He signed with the Padres eight days later.

A healthy Cunningham has a .264/.362/.548 line with a .910 OPS. He has hit 15 homers with 35 RBI, adding 11 doubles to the mix. He will need to improve his K rate (34%) and his walk rate (12.88%) as he goes forward in the system.

Righty relievers Musgrove and Edmondson excelled in High-A with Musgrove, 24, holding his high 90’s fastball consistently mixed with an excellent sweeper, slider and curve. Edmondson, 23, a sidearmer that features a fastball, curveball and changeup, has 11 saves to lead the Midwest League and is carrying a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched into his new team.

Fort Wayne TinCaps (29-40 record, 5th in the Midwest League East)

Fort Wayne went 4-2 for the week. After losing Cunningham, Musgrove, and Edmondson to the Missions, the TinCaps received a massive infusion of talent from Lake Elsinore.

Right-handed starter Bryan Balzer, 21, was signed by the Padres in 2023 out of Japan. He began his career with Tommy John surgery and is now fully recovered. His season started a bit rocky but his last three starts has brought his ERA down from 5.32 to 4.41 and he has 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched with 21 walks.

Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio, 22, has a 3.18 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched with Lake Elsinore. He has 78 strikeouts to 28 walks. The Venezuelan signed with the Padres in 2024 and played the past two seasons in the DSL and ACL respectively. He has not appeared on any preseason prospect lists but is making a name for himself quickly. 

Left-handed reliever Will Koger, 23, is a 2025 round nine draftee in his first professional season. He has 36 strikeouts in his 26 innings pitched despite having had some difficult appearances. He has six saves, ranking him tied for second in the California League at the time of his promotion.

Right-handed reliever Bernard Jose, 23,  recently finished his rehab assignment with the ACL Padres and was briefly with the Missions to help out but is now with Fort Wayne. He has only pitched 29 innings with 43 strikeouts but has struggled at times and has a 7.28 ERA.

Right-handed reliever Nick Falter, 23, was signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He has begun his career with Lake Elsinore with 44.2 innings pitched and a 3.02 ERA. He has 43 strikeouts to 14 walks.

Outfielder Ryan Wideman, 22, had a long swing and a big leg kick when drafted in the third round last year. He played in 26 games after being drafted and then spent this past offseason reworking his swing. It seems to have worked pretty well. Wideman was hitting .314/.389/.504 with the Storm with 20 doubles, six triples, six homers and 44 RBI. He tacked on 43 stolen bases in 56 attempts to force his promotion. He has speed and an above-average arm in the outfield as well. He is an exciting player to keep track of going forward and prime trade bait for AJ Preller, the Padres trader-in-chief.

1B/3B Kerrington Cross, 24, was drafted in the seventh round last year and probably could have been promoted sooner. He had a 1.075 OPS with Lake Elsinore before his promotion, hitting .313/.467/.608 in his 58 games with the Storm. He has 11 homers and 43 RBI with 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He has recently been used in left field as well as the two infield corners.

First baseman Luke Cantwell, 23, was drafted in the 20th round in 2025 and spent a bit of time on the injured list this season but has still played in 40 games for the Storm. He had a .328/.475/.496 line with 30 RBI. Not showing much home run power with two homers, Cantwell has great contact skills and has had only 30 strikeouts with 26 walks.

Right-handed reliever Daison Acosta was assigned to Fort Wayne to continue his rehab.

Lake Elsinore Storm (39-30 record, 1st in California League South)

The Storm had a 3-3 record for the past week after clinching the first half championship in the first game of the series. They have lost a lot of their power and speed with these promotions but have a playoff spot clinched for 2026. 

After the players that left, the Storm received some players form the ACL Padres.

Left-handed pitcher Zack Qin, 20, signed out of China in 2024, started the season injured and on a rehab assignment. He has 21.2 innings pitched so far with a 1.25 ERA while with the ACL team. He has both started and appeared out of the bullpen so far this year.

Right-handed starter Lan-Hong Su, 19, signed with the Padres out of Taiwan in October of last year. He has six games and five starts for 15.2 innings pitched with the ACL Padres. His 4.02 ERA is due to one bad start on June 19, where he allowed five runs in six innings pitched but had a 1.38 ERA before that start. He has 17 strikeouts and eight walks in his appearances.

Lake Elsinore also received right-handers Isaiah Lowe and Jeferson Villabona from Fort Wayne.

ACL Padres (20-17 record, 3rd in ACL West)

After losing two of their best pitchers, the ACL team might not be able to maintain their winning ways. Right-handed starter Kannon Kemp has been sent their way to begin his rehab assignment. Newly activated Adler Cecil has also been assigned to the ACL team at this point.

Outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux, drafted in the 16th round last year, has been released by the Padres. Left-handed pitcher Joseph Herrera, 20, was sent from Lake Elsinore to the ACL Padres.

DSL Padres Brown (4-12 record, last in DSL West)

The Brown team has both pitching and offense problems. There are no currently top-rated international prospects with the Brown team.

DSL Gold, on the other hand, has a 13-3 record and sits atop the Northwest Division. They feature all of the Padres top international prospects from last year. Shortstop Joniel Hernandez, 17, is hitting .365/.468/.571 with 10 XBH and 24 RBI in 63 at-bats for the Gold. 

Rightfielder Ricardo De La Paz, 16, is a lefty-hitting outfielder who is hitting .375/.596/.563 with 6 XBH and 17 RBI in 32 at-bats. 

Left-handed starter Diego Serna, 17, is a highly-ranked Mexico prospect in the Padres system. He has just made his first start for the Gold team and will bear watching for the second half of their season. He has been in the development program up until now.

The Texas Longhorns made another addition from the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday with the commitment of Long Beach State Dirtbags outfielder Trevor Goldenetz.

The 6’0, 180-pounder has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Out of Huntington Beach (Calif.), Goldenetz initially committed to TCU before landing at Long Beach State. Perfect Game ranked Goldenetz as the No. 96 prospect and No. 18 outfielder in California.

With the Dirtbags, Goldenetz earning the starting role in center field as a freshman and posting an impressive season at the plate by batting .369 with only 14 strikeouts in 108 at bats. Hitting from the left side, Goldenetz drew 19 walks and was hit by eight pitches, but had a slugging percentage lower than his on-base percentage because only three of his 40 hits went for extra bases — two doubles and a triple. A productive base stealer in high school, Goldenetz was caught stealing on five of his 15 attempts in 2026.

As an outfielder, Goldenetz only made one error, finishing the season with a .986 fielding percentage.

Goldenetz missed more than a month of the season due to a hand injury.

The bat-to-ball skills make Goldenetz an intriguing player, but the lack of power could limit him to a reserve role at Texas in 2027, so adding strength and some gap-to-gap ability are important aspects of his development this offseason after arriving on the Forty Acres.

Tonight, the Athletics will look to snap their three-game losing streak as they take on the San Francisco Giants in the middle game of this three-game interleague series. Last night, the A’s offense struggled against Giants starter Robbie Ray, who tossed eight innings of one-run ball. As a result, the “Green and Gold” need to get a win this evening, or they could be at risk of being swept tomorrow afternoon.

Athletics rookie left-hander Gage Jump will make his sixth MLB start and first against the Giants. The top-100 prospect has lived up to the billing through his first few big-league outings. Jump has posted a 3-1 record, a 2.37 ERA, an impressive 0.99 WHIP and 26 strikeouts across his initial 30 1/3 MLB innings. The 23-year-old is coming off his best start with the A’s, earning the win after pitching seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

With a pitcher-friendly ballpark and a Giants offense that has scored the fourth-fewest runs in the league working in his favor, Jump appears well-positioned to cap off an impressive first month in the majors with another quality start.

The southpaw, who has experienced a meteoritic rise since being drafted by the A’s out of Louisiana State University in 2024, has a chance to become the franchise’s best left-handed starter developed from within since Barry Zito and Mark Mulder anchored the team’s rotation in the early 200os.

Here’s the A’s lineup for this matchup:

Starting at the top, it is important to note that resurgent infielder Zack Gelof is not in today’s lineup in the wake of exiting Tuesday’s game with a minor hand injury. Hopefully he will return to the starting nine tomorrow; otherwise, he could make his return Friday night in Anaheim.

Center fielder Henry Bolte takes Gelof’s place in the leadoff spot. It will be the speedy Bolte’s job to get on base and set the table for slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers. Joey Meneses’ audition continues as he starts at designated hitter for a third consecutive game, while Lawrence Butler returns to right field after drawing a walk as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of the team’s series-opening loss.

Last but not least is Jeff McNeil, who will get the start at second base. Yesterday, he entered the game in the second inning as a defensive replacement for Gelof and went on to play the remainder of the contest.

The A’s offense will look to have more success against Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters his 12th start of the season with a 1-7 record, a 6.04 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP and 57 strikeouts across 56 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old returns after missing a month with a left hamstring strain in his first season with San Francisco.

Mahle’s Giants tenure has not gone well so far. He took the loss against the A’s in West Sacramento on May 15, allowing five runs on ten hits over five innings. While there is a possibility he used his time on the injured list to rediscover his form, the A’s appear to hold the pitching advantage in this matchup.

Therefore, it will be up to the likes of Kurtz, Butler and the rest of the A’s hitters to produce runs in support of Jump. Last night, the A’s struggled to work counts, something they will need to improve against a pitcher who may be rusty after last pitching in the majors in May. In addition, they must make Mahle and the Giants bullpen pay for any pitches left over the middle of the plate.

And the Giants lineup:

Like the A’s, the Giants will be without second baseman Luis Arraez, who left the series opener after fouling a ball off his right foot. San Francisco’s lineup is top heavy, with its five best hitters occupying the top five spots in the order. At the bottom are multiple young players, including former A’s draft pick Jonah Cox, who was dealt to the Giants in a trade for Ross Stripling a couple of years ago.

Let’s go A’s! Time to snap the skid.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to show their support for the larger immigrant community and have committed funds for those affected by recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

The ball club reportedly denied federal ICE agents entry into Dodger Stadium parking lots in 2025, preventing them from creating a staging area for their deportation efforts. One year later, they are again illustrating their position to aid those affected by federal agents' raids in Los Angeles and throughout the United States.

The Dodgers, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by those recent events in the region.

The Dodgers' donation went towards local organizations, California Community Foundation and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who directly support the LA community, aiding youth and families with food insecurity, basic essentials, and mental health services. The exact figure donated to the organizations is $1.1 million, according to the LA Times.

“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said in a news release. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”

LA mayor Karen Bass expressed in a news release how grateful she was for the Dodgers and their support.

"I want to thank the Dodgers for leading with this action to support the immigrant community of Los Angeles,” Bass said. “These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy."

Her message to LA residents: "We will stick together during this time and we will not turn our backs on one another — that's what makes this the greatest city in the world.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LA Dodgers pledge $1.1M to support families after ICE raids

The 2026 Orioles have played plenty of dumb, bad baseball. But the 10th inning of this 7-6 loss to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim may take the title for the absolute worst moment of the entire season. It also completely changed the tone of the now-concluded west coast road trip, which saw the Orioles lose five of nine and go home on a supremely sour note.

Let’s get right into that 10th inning because that ended up being the whole ballgame.

The two teams were knotted at five runs apiece after regulation. The Orioles began the 10th with Blaze Alexander as the Manfred runner at second base. Taylor Ward opened the frame with a single to put runners on a corners. A Gunnar Henderson swinging bunt sent Alexander towards home, but he would be tagged out, a call which was upheld after review. After Leody Taveras flew out for the second out of the inning it seemed like the Birds might not score at all. But Pete Alonso came through with a clutch single to score the one crucial run and give the bullpen a lead to work with in the bottom of the inning.

Keegan Akin was called on for the 10th in a game that saw the Orioles empty their bullpen. The only reliever that did not pitch in this loss was Albert Suárez. And while Akin would carry some blame for the loss, it wasn’t his pitching that was at fault.

Akin struck out Zach Neto to open the frame, and then got a fly out of Vaughn Grissom for the second out. Things were going well! All that stood between the Orioles and a winning road trip was Nolan Schanuel.

Kudos to Akin for getting Schanuel to hit a weak grounder to the right side for what should have been the final out of the game. But that is where everything fell apart. It seemed like both Akin and Alonso were unsure of who was covering first. Jeremiah Jackson tossed the ball over anyway and Akin did just beat the runner there, but he also fumbled the catch and then Schanuel accidentally kicked it into right field. Not only did that allow the Manfred runner to score and tie the game, but it pushed Schanuel all the way around to third base.

The Orioles still could get out of the jam with one final out. And again, Akin induced weak contact. In fact, the batter, Logan O’Hoppe, didn’t even fully swing the bat. But he made contact anyway, leaving a dribbler in front of home plate. Samuel Basallo sprung up to collect the ball, but Schanuel was off with contact, evaded Basallo in the base path to score. Basallo never even looked for the force out at first base, but it’s unclear if he really had a chance there either. After that comedically calamitous inning, the Orioles had lost 7-6.

This fate could have been avoided altogether if the Orioles bats hadn’t fallen asleep after the third inning. But that is exactly what happened. José Soriano was removed after the third, and the Orioles did next to nothing against the Angels bullpen. Four relievers combined to toss six shutout innings, allowing just one hit in the process, walking one, and striking out five.

Prior to that, the Orioles were tearing into Soriano. Basallo hit a pair of two-run homers; one in the second inning and one in the third inning. Both times it was Alonso on board. Alonso had the team’s two other RBI. His first came on a double in the third and the other was the aforementioned extra-inning ribby. The only other Oriole hitter that did much of anything was Taylor Ward. He had two singles and scored on the Alonso double. The rest of the order was missing all afternoon.

Trey Gibson did start this game, but lasted just four innings as Craig Albernaz figured he could mix and match with his entire bullpen considering they have the day off on Thursday. That strategy worked until the late innings when everyone melted down.

Gibson himself was pretty good. The two runs he allowed came on one Jorge Soler swing in the first inning. His final three innings were scoreless, and he struck out five in the process. The rookie has room to grow, but the improvements are noticeable each time to the mound.

Albernaz had his entire bullpen on a short leash. Grant Wolfram came on to work the fifth inning. He got two outs and then an error by Gunnar Henderson pushed the skipper to bring on the right-hander Tyler Wells to face Soler. Wells got out of that inning and stayed on for a clean sixth inning.

Yennier Cano was picked for the seventh inning. He walked two and struck out two before Albernaz opted for the currently scuffling Rico Garcia. Garcia was able to wrap up the seventh without issue, but his troubles would pop back up in the eighth inning.

Donovan Walton doubled to begin the inning. Garcia followed up with back-to-back outs. But he couldn’t quite get to the finish line. Grissom pinch hit and singled in the Angels’ third run of the day. Schanuel walked to put two runners on. That was end of the line for Garcia and start of the day for Andrew Kittredge. He was no better. Kittredge walked Denzer Guzman to load the bases and then coughed up a game-tying single to Wade Meckler.

And we already covered what happened from there. Ryan Helsley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning, which is important. The team needs him to be good. But everything came crashing down in the 10th inning for Akin and the rest of the Orioles.

This is an all-too-common experience for this baseball team. The bats go quiet. The bullpen falls apart at the worst time. And in the highest of pressure situations it seems like they always lose their heads. The Orioles should have won this baseball game for several different reasons. The roster is more talented than what the Angels are trotting out there. This should have been a winning road trip. And yet, it wasn’t. And maybe that’s all you need to see to truly understand this team and their outlook.

Jackson Holliday also played, making a late pinch hitting appearance in which he struck out. So apparently he won’t be going on the IL. And if he does, the Orioles can’t back date it any longer. Just pure brilliance on display.

We will all be spared the Baltimore Orioles experience on Thursday. They have the day off. Then they open a weekend series with the Nationals on Friday night. Good luck, Birdland.

To sweep or not to sweep. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves are not in a favorable position to ask this question. But, they’ve shown they can turn things around under pressure at any given time… let’s see if tonight can be one of those times.

First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Lineup

Preview

The Texas Rangers have released first baseman Blaine Crim, per the MLB transactions page. This drops the 40 man roster down to 39.

Crim, 29, was the Rangers’ 19th round pick in 2019. He was added to the 40 man roster in early 2025 so that he could come up to the majors when Jake Burger was sent to AAA for a reset. He was hitless in 11 at bats, with a .000/.154/.000 line due to a walk and an HBP, before being optioned to AAA Round Rock.

Crim was designated for assignment at the trade deadline in 2025 and was claimed by the Colorado Rockies. He got a little bit of playing time with Colorado late in 2025, putting up a .241/.295/.556 slash line in 61 plate appearances. Colorado sent him to AAA at the start of the 2026 season, and then designated him for assignment in mid-May. The Rangers claimed him and sent him to AAA Round Rock, where he has put up a .263/.345/.461 slash line in 87 plate appearances.

Usually when a player is released like this, it is because they have an offer to play overseas. Crim most likely is headed to Korea, or possibly Japan, where he will be able to make more money than he will playing in the minors here.