Category: Baseball

The Yankees' offense remained hot and Cam Schlittler had an impressive major league debut as New York extended its winning streak to three with a 9-6 win over the Mariners.

Manager Aaron Boone put out the same lineup on back-to-back games for the first time since early April and it worked out as the Yankees have now scored 19 runs on 26 hits in the first two games of this series.

Here are the takeaways...

-Yankees prospect Schlittler made his major league debut Wednesday and the flamethrowing righty did not disappoint.

With one out and a man on first in the opening frame, Schlittler struck out Cal Raleigh with a 100 mph fastball on the black, looking for his first major league strikeout. He would strike out Randy Arozarena to end an electric first inning. Prior to Wednesday, the fastest pitch from a Yankees pitcher was a 98.5 mph sinker by Yerry De Los Santos. Schlittler threw six pitches in the first that were faster than that.

Schlittler got the full Yankee Stadium experience, allowing a line drive homer to J.P. Crawford that went 344 feet over the short porch. The second solo shot allowed was a no-doubter off the bat of Jorge Polanco that went 417 feet just inside the right field pole.

Schlitter came out for the sixth inning and after a ground-rule double to Julio Rodriguez, the young right-hander struck out Raleigh for the second time. Boone pulled his young pitcher to a standing ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd.

Other than those two long balls, Schlittler was impressive. He threw 5.1 innings (75 pitches/52 strikes), allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven.

-The third earned run allowed by Schlittler was thanks to Jonathan Loaisiga. Arozarena took the first pitch Loaisiga threw and deposited it into the right field stands to cut the Yankees lead to 6-4. He then allowed a two-run shot to Cole Young -- the first of his career -- in the seventh. Loaisiga has now allowed six home runs this season, the most he's given up in one year since 2019.

Luke Weaver came on and dominated. Weaver picked up five outs, allowing just one baserunner (HBP) and striking out three.

Devin Williams pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to lock down the Yankees' third consecutive win and their first series win in July.

-The Yankees' offense broke out in a big way with 10 runs on Tuesday and had a great start on Wednesday. They put up three runs in the first inning thanks to RBI singles by Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton, and an RBI groundout by Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm would add a solo shot in the third and a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Yankees a 6-2 lead. The Yankees second baseman has 10 home runs since returning from the IL on June 3. Only Raleigh and Aaron Judge have more in the AL, with 13 homers each.

-After the Mariners cut the Yankees' lead to 6-4, New York's offense put up a three-spot in the sixth thanks to the top of the order. After Austin Wells hit a leadoff double and Oswald Peraza reached on an error by Rodriguez, Jasson Dominguez singled home Wells and Judge doubled in two more.

Four Yankees had multi-hit games with Dominguez having the best game, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs and one RBI.

-Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Wednesday that he still believes in Anthony Volpe, and the young shortstop did pick up a single -- but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double -- and finished 1-for-4.

Game MVP: Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm's homers came whenever the Mariners cut into the team's lead. They were clutch and with the bullpen's woes, the Yankees needed every run they could get.

Highlights

Cam Schlittler gets Cal Raleigh for his first MLB strikeout! pic.twitter.com/GpYY7xf1Yi

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

Cody Bellinger gets the Yankees on the board first! pic.twitter.com/xkg7fh4u62

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

Giancarlo Stanton brings home Aaron Judge! pic.twitter.com/jj9AN4WsNd

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

Jazz to Monument Park! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/mN4g0HkpI3

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

Jasson Domínguez has an RBI and a three-hit game! pic.twitter.com/0HRvYKijvb

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 10, 2025

Aaron Judge with a two-run double and he's got 77 RBI on the year 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DdXt1aRK5B

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 10, 2025

What's next

The Yankees and Mariners wrap up their three-game set Thursday night in the Bronx. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Marcus Stroman (1-1, 7.45 ERA) will take the mound while All-Star Bryan Woo (8-4, 2.77 ERA) will be on the bump for Seattle.

For the second consecutive outing, Mets pitching prospect Nolan McLean struck out double-digit batters in a start for Triple-A Syracuse.

Six days after fanning 10 over 5.0 innings for the first time in his career, McLean did it again on Wednesday night.

This time, the right-hander went six scoreless innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, and allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out 10 on 97 pitches (62 strikes).

Now at 95 strikeouts through 87 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A, McLean is starting to show some elite swing-and-miss stuff in what has already been a breakout season for him.

Before these last two starts, the most strikeouts the 23-year-old had in a game this year was eight, which happened twice, both of which came while pitching for Binghamton. He struck out seven in his first start for Syracuse, but never had more than six in any other outing before his last two.

Wednesday's start was also the first time McLean allowed no earned runs since May 22, although he's allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine straight outings.

McLean came away with a no-decision, exiting the game in a scoreless tie. However, with Syracuse down 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, prospect Drew Gilbert hit a game-tying single before Joey Meneses walked it off with a single of his own.

It's no secret Anthony Volpe has had a rough year and an even rougher beginning to his Yankees career.

Now in his third year as the starting shortstop, Volpe hasn't progressed the way the organization had hoped. Through 90 games, he's slashing .217/.293/.393 -- about right on par with his career averages in 409 games.

Not only has his offense stagnated, but his defense and baserunning have appeared to regress -- already with 11 errors on the season and a -3 Outs Above Average (OAA) after a career-high 14 OAA in 2024. He's also been caught stealing seven times in 17 attempts for a success rate of 59 percent.

Drafted in the first round with the 30th overall pick in 2019 and billed as the next Derek Jeter, Volpe has severely underperformed in that admittedly unfair comparison.

But even compared just among his peers, Volpe has not been good.

Since 2023, Volpe is one of 62 players who have registered at least 1500 plate appearances and during that time, he ranks last in average, on-base percentage, OPS, wRC+ and wOBA.

This year, he's currently on pace for a 2 fWAR, which ranks 24th among 30 starting shortstops.

Yet, despite the numbers on both sides of the ball, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he's "a fan of Volpe" and admires his "strength and fortitude" throughout his struggles, especially as he goes through them at such a young age while being the starting shortstop on the Yankees.

In fact, Cashman still believes that Volpe can put it all together and become the player that he and the rest of the organization think the youngster can be and pointed to Volpe's success in New York's run to the World Series last season as a reason to keep the faith.

"He helped us get to a World Series last year, performed in the World Series last year and he does not lack confidence. Yes, there’s struggles that have happened and yet he’s like this," Cashman said while gesturing a wipe of the shoulder. "It doesn’t stick to him. It’s turn the page and he’s focused on tonight’s game, and I do have belief and optimism that he obviously will impact us in a really positive way on both sides of the ball.

Cashman continued: "He’s our shortstop and I don’t forget where he was and what he was doing in the biggest stage of the game last October and despite the twists and turns of how the season currently is playing out, (there's) a lot of season left to be played so I’m not counting him out and I know he’s gonna be part of the solution rather than the problem."

To Volpe's credit, Cashman is right about his performance in the postseason last year.

In his first taste of the playoffs, Volpe slashed .286/.407/.408 with a home run, three doubles, six RBI, 10 walks, 10 runs scored and five stolen bases (no caught stealings). His lone home run was a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the only game the Yankees won.

Now it's about getting that type of production for an entire season.

"The peaks and valleys are a part of a six-month season," Cashman said. "I mean, we got out of the gate somewhat unbeatable for a period of time and now we’re beatable. And that’s part of the twists and turns of a season, and trying to ride those emotions and try to keep perspective, but also recognize the potholes when they come up. I do not consider (Volpe) a problem. I understand that there’s struggles there, but again,I believe he’ll be fine."

The Yankees sure hope Volpe picks it up sooner rather than later as he's been in a massive slump over his last 30 games, batting just .173 (18-for-104) while making a slew of questionable plays at shortstop.

"We have a really potent offense that’s one of the top run producers in the game," Cashman said. "... and he certainly can come join the party sooner than later and I believe he will. I just have a high belief in him."

As the Yankees play out the final few games before the 2025 All-Star break, holes in the roster have begun to form.

Longtime GM Brian Cashman is well aware of these needs and when speaking with the media prior to Wednesday's game against the Mariners at Yankee Stadium, he listed what he sees as pieces the Yankees need.

"I’m definitely going to be looking for upgrades if I can. We’ve lost three starters out of our World Series rotation so far this year. So I’m going to see if I can find a starter despite getting some real quality starts from others who stepped up like Will Warren and others," Cashman said. "I would import a starter, some relievers, because our bullpen is taxed and some injuries. And an infielder, if possible. That’s a long list. I’m not sure if this will be a deep deadline or not. Not sure how active we can be but we’ll try to be active. And try to import improvements, that’s the gig."

Heading into Wednesday's games, there are 15 teams in Wild Card spots or within five games of the final spot, so the number of teams willing to sell is currently limited. Cashman knows this and points to this past offseason as an example of the disparity of opportunities between the winter and summer months.

When Juan Soto signed with the Mets, Cashman said there were opportunities to replace that production and fill out the roster. The Yankees signed Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt, and traded for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams this offseason. Opportunities like those may not be available for Cashman, but the GM will continue to look at all avenues.

"We're going to go to town. We're going to do everything we possibly can to improve ourselves and try to match up. Hopefully, at the end of it all, we'll have whatever's here on the current roster remains healthy, and we can add to it and be proud of it and take our shot. Hopefully, I can fix what ails us because there's some areas on this team that need fixing."

Is there a need more pressing than others? Cashman, as he's said in past seasons, pointed to pitching.

"Pitching is always going to be that," he said. "We’ve taken hits in the rotation when we lost [Gerrit] Cole and Luis Gil and now [Clarke] Schmidt. [Ryan] Yarbrough was a hell of a player for us. Fernando Cruz. Whether it’s bullpen guys or starting pitchers, it’s all of it. That’s the area."

Although Gil, Yarbrough and Cruz are expected to return from injuries this season, Cole and Schmidt are not so lucky. The Yankees are starting prospect Cam Schlittler on Wednesday as the team tries to make it to the All-Star break.

And just a few short weeks after that, the trade deadline will be here and Cashman will need to make moves to try and put the Yankees in a position to return to the World Series.

We'll see if he can do it.

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for July 31.

The Mets have been recovering from their early summer swoon without a reliable left-hander working in a high-leverage bullpen role. But it shouldn't be too long until this issue is resolved internally.

Among the handful of injured Mets pitchers completing rehab assignments is Brooks Raley, and the veteran southpaw has undoubtedly resembled a reliever eager to contribute at the big league level after a lengthy absence from the game.

In his second appearance for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Raley recorded four outs with one strikeout and one hit allowed. His average velocity reached the same high-80s range that radar guns captured before he underwent Tommy John surgery at the age of 35 last season.

"Really good, really good [reports]. The breaking ball, the sinker, the life with the way the ball is coming out," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Raley on Wednesday. "He went one-plus yesterday, something that we wanted him to do. Now we're looking at back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, and then obviously we have a decision. But the reports are encouraging. This is a guy who I'm really looking forward to having back here."

Raley aimed for a comeback with a familiar team -- he logged 61.2 innings for the Mets between 2023 and 2024 -- and right now, he represents much-needed help for a bullpen that owns the third-worst ERA (5.72) in baseball over the last month. He's struck out 12 batters across eight scoreless frames thus far, demonstrating clear value.

He's long valued movement on his pitches too, and he's struck out at least one batter in each of his seven rehab appearances this summer. Raley was an impact reliever at full strength two seasons ago, with a sharp 2.80 ERA in 66 games, and the Mets would obviously welcome similar production from him in the near future.

Carlos Mendoza says that the Mets have gotten "really good" reports on Brooks Raley from his rehab assignment: pic.twitter.com/JsEvWrJbDU

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 9, 2025

Winless Giants starter Justin Verlander makes unfortunate MLB pitching history originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Justin Verlander began the 2025 MLB season needing 38 wins to reach 300 for his career, and 15 starts into his first Giants campaign, he still needs 38 wins to achieve that milestone.

Somehow, Verlander is 0-7 this season after taking the loss in the Giants’ 13-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at Oracle Park.

Per OptaStats, Verlander is the first starting pitcher in the All-Star Game Era (1933) to enter the break with at least 65 strikeouts and zero wins.

There have been over 4,200 instances of an MLB pitcher having at least 65 strikeouts as a starter prior to the All-Star break since the first All-Star Game in 1933.

Of those pitchers, only one entered the break without a win.

That one pitcher is Justin Verlander in 2025. pic.twitter.com/jkw3K57foe

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 10, 2025

Verlander pitched well enough to get the win Wednesday, but the Giants’ offense was silenced by starter Jesús Luzardo and the Phillies’ bullpen. In six innings, the 42-year-old allowed seven hits, four runs, two earned runs and didn’t walk any batters while striking out seven.

This certainly isn’t how Verlander or Giants manager Bob Melvin expected this season to go.

“I thought it was his best stuff of the year, by a pretty good margin,” Melvin told reporters after Wednesday’s loss. “We just didn’t play well behind him and we didn’t score many runs, and that’s kind of been a theme when he’s pitched. But I thought his breaking ball was really good, his heater was good. It’s too bad. [He] ends up [giving up] what, only 2 earned runs, but we just don’t do enough for him on today on either side of the ball. Like I said, he pitched well.”

In eight of Verlander’s 15 starts this season, the Giants have scored two or fewer runs, making it hard for him to pick up that elusive first win with San Francisco.

Melvin understands the frustration of everyone in the clubhouse.

“I come in here saying the same thing,” Melvin told reporters. “It feels like every time we don’t score runs for him and I don’t know. At this point in time, he should certainly have a couple of wins and he doesn’t, unfortunately. I think we all kind of feel it.”

Verlander gets a chance to rest and reset with the upcoming MLB All-Star break, and he’ll resume the pursuit of a win early in the second half.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

During the Dodgers’ season-long five-game losing streak this week, manager Dave Roberts cited a lack of “fight” from his lineup as the most troubling trend in the team’s recent skid.

On Wednesday in Milwaukee, more fight finally returned — only for the Brewers to still land the knockout punch.

In a 3-2 loss at American Family Field that extended the Dodgers' losing streak to six games, the lineup once again scuffled in a five-hit performance while closer Tanner Scott blew a ninth-inning lead to waste Tyler Glasnow’s encouraging return from the injured list.

It was a grind of a game, with the Dodgers scoring their only runs on a bases-loaded walk following a hit-and-run play and a sacrifice fly that briefly gave them a 2-1 lead. After Scott gave up a game-tying RBI single to Andrew Vaughn in the ninth, Jackson Chourio walked it off against Kirby Yates in the bottom of the 10th, sending the scuffling Dodgers their longest losing skid since April 2019.

While a shorthanded offense remained mired in its recent slump, Glasnow’s return at least provided the afternoon with a positive sign. Making his first start since going on the injured list in April because of a shoulder injury, and just his 28th start in two years with the Dodgers since signing a $136.5-million contract two winters ago, the lanky right-hander pitched decently over his five innings, giving up two hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Glasnow ran into trouble in the second inning, when Christian Yelich singled on a first-pitch fastball, Isaac Collins drew a full-count walk, and both executed a double-steal to move into scoring position. A 10-pitch walk to Caleb Durbin — ending on a curveball that never ducked into the strike zone — loaded the bases with one out.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Who's better, Clayton Kershaw or Sandy Koufax?

However, Glasnow responded, jamming Jake Bauers with a sinker for a pop out before blowing Joey Ortiz away with an elevated 96 mph heater.

That sequence was Glasnow at his best: Going after hitters with his premium velocity, and showing no signs of the tentativeness — or, as Roberts described it in his pregame address, “search mode” — that has often derailed his Dodgers career.

“There’s always fine-tuning, but when you’re out there competing, it’s hard to be in search mode,” Roberts said pregame. “I know he’s healthy. The pitching guys feel good with where his delivery is at. So now it’s just go out there and keep that rhythm and execute pitches and compete.”

As Glasnow settled into a rhythm, however, the Dodgers continued to toil at the plate.

Having scored only one run in four of their previous five games, a shorthanded lineup, which got Tommy Edman back from injury but once again was without Teoscar Hernández in the starting lineup, struggled to get a beat on crafty veteran left-hander José Quintana.

With only a 90-mph fastball and a flurry of funky off-speed pitches, the 36-year-old navigated the first four innings without giving up a hit.

A breakthrough finally came in the fifth inning. After Miguel Rojas drew a leadoff walk, the Dodgers executed a well-timed hit-and-run play, drawing the second baseman out of position just as Esteury Ruiz lined a single through the hole he vacated. With two outs, James Outman then checked his swing just enough to draw a full-count walk, loading the bases for Shohei Ohtani to plate the game’s first run on a four-pitch free pass (benefitting from a couple borderline ball calls).

And while that 1-0 lead didn’t last long — in the bottom of the fifth, Glasnow walked leadoff man Bauers, moved him to second with a balk, then watched helplessly as Bauers stole third and scored on a throw that bounced to the outfield — the Dodgers went back in front in the seventh when Mookie Betts lifted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers, though, squandered opportunities to stretch the lead from, leaving the bases loaded to end the seventh inning before stranding more baserunners in both the eighth and ninth.

That left Scott with too little margin to complete a four-out save. While the left-hander stranded a runner at second base he inherited in the eighth, three ninth-inning singles from the Brewers tied the score, culminating with a broken-bat, bloop single from Vaughn that made it 2-2.

Then, after Brewers closer Trevor Megill struck out the side in the top of the 10th, Yates surrendered the game-winning single to Churio in the bottom half of the inning, handing the Dodgers their second-straight series sweep.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Giolito becomes first Red Sox pitcher since 2018 to accomplish this feat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Not only has Lucas Giolito stepped up as the Boston Red Sox’ most reliable starter after Garrett Crochet, but he has arguably been the best pitcher in MLB for the last month.

Giolito continued his torrid stretch with another stellar performance Wednesday vs. the Colorado Rockies. The veteran right-hander tossed six scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing four hits and no walks in Boston’s 10-2 victory.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Giolito is the first Red Sox pitcher to go six or more innings with two or fewer runs allowed in six straight outings since David Price in 2018. He has posted a 0.70 ERA over that span, the second-best mark in MLB after Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (0.53 ERA across five starts).

Wednesday’s outing lowered Giolito’s season ERA to 3.36, the third-best on the Red Sox behind Crochet (2.39) and Brayan Bello (3.27). Bello tossed his first career complete game in Tuesday’s win over Colorado.

Giolito struggled to start the campaign after missing all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has since settled in and looked more like the pitcher who earned Cy Young votes for three straight seasons (2019-21) with the Chicago White Sox.

The Red Sox will turn to Walker Buehler on Thursday when they open their four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Boston will enter its final series before the All-Star break on a six-game win streak, 5.5 games back in the American League East standings and a half-game behind in the Wild Card race.

After Tuesday's game between the Mets and Baltimore Orioles experienced a roughly 45-minute rain delay at the start, Wednesday's contest will be postponed altogether due to continued rain and thunderstorms in the area.

The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Thursday. Game 1 will be played at 12:05 p.m., while Game 2 is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast on SNY.

Right after the postponement, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke to reporters and confirmed that LHP David Peterson, Wednesday's scheduled starter, will pitch in the first game of the doubleheader. As for the second game, it is still to be announced, but it will likely be a bullpen game, which was the case even before the postponement.

Originally, Thursday's series finale was scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. with New York traveling to Kansas City right after to begin a three-game weekend set with the Royals on Friday night, which will take the Mets and the rest of the league to the All-Star break.

There's no longer any uncertainty about DJ LeMahieu's future with the Yankees.

The team officially designated the veteran infielder for assignment on Wednesday, just one day after a lineup reshuffling that kicked him off regular work at second base and into a new bench role.

The writing was on the wall for LeMahieu, who'd been a shell of himself in recent seasons due to a slew of injuries. Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged on Tuesday that the 36-year-old isn't considered an everyday player at this point, and the notion is undoubtedly backed by the numbers and eyetest.

"It’s been a tough couple of days. Some hard conversations, and then ultimately coming to this decision," Boone said ahead of Wednesday's game against the Mariners. "Obviously not easy for what has been a great player who has done a lot of great things for this organization. Difficult, but at the end, feel like this is the right thing to do at this time. Wish all the best for what’s been a great player."

With limited range in the field and a weakened swing at the plate, LeMahieu offered little to the bottom of the Yankees' order. While he was considered an option at third base entering the season, a calf injury in spring training delayed his debut until mid-May, and he ultimately slashed .266/.338/.336 with just five extra-base hits across 45 games (142 plate appearances).

LeMahieu became a player without a position on Tuesday when the Yankees decided to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, where he's far more comfortable and valuable. A return to third base was deemed too physically demanding by LeMahieu, according to Boone.

"It ultimately comes down to how this roster sits," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "You want to provide your manager with enough chess moves to deal with on a day-in and day-out basis... At any point, we could've just kept rolling with it. But I met with DJ last night, met with DJ today. I ultimately made a decision that's best for the roster configuration going forward."

LeMahieu's tenure with the Yankees started on an impressive note, as he finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2019 with a career-high 26 home runs and 102 RBI. He then became the first player in baseball's Modern Era (since 1900) to win a batting title in both leagues when he hit a stellar .364 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

The Yankees signed LeMahieu to a six-year, $90 million extension before the 2021 campaign, and that investment clearly backfired. He didn't hit above .270 in any season under the new deal, and he averaged just eight homers and 37 RBI during the five-year stretch. He's still owed nearly $22 million on a contract that runs through 2026.

In a corresponding move, the Yankees called up infielder Jorbit Vivas from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"It's been a tough couple days...wish all the best for what's been a great player"

Aaron Boone on the Yankees designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment: pic.twitter.com/v86Wva38W8

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 9, 2025

Phillies have offensive outburst to avoid sweep vs. Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN FRANCISCO – Having used just about all of his bullpen on Tuesday night due to a Taijuan Walker, limited-pitch start, manager Rob Thomson needed some serious innings, and pitches, from starter Jesus Luzardo in a Wednesday matinee game against the San Francisco Giants.

It wouldn’t have hurt had the team also found a way to overcome some recent offensive struggles, particularly with runners in scoring position.

Check the boxes on both. Emphatically.

Luzardo has struggled of late, posting a 5.40 ERA in the month of June and got hit hard his last start to the tune of five earned runs in two innings against the Cincinnati Reds last week. Wednesday, the lefty returned to the form that he has flashed many times this season, going seven innings without a run, allowing just three hits and striking out seven on 106 pitches.

The Phillies recovered from Tuesday’s devastation to take the final of the three-game series with a 13-0 thumping of the Giants. It eased the memory of losing on a three-run, inside-the-park walk-off home run the night before.

Reassurance wasn’t just found in the form of Luzardo. The offense showed more punch than it had in quite a while, ripping 17 hits.

Bryce Harper, who has expectedly struggled since his return from his wrist injury on June 30, had three doubles and a solo home run, all to the left side of the outfield. His four hits in six at-bats came after he’d gone 4-for-24 since coming back.

A 7-run eighth inning, speared by a three-run, opposite field home run by Kyle Schwarber put the game away after the Phillies had scored four times off starter Justin Verlander through his six innings of work.

It’s no secret that Harper is the key to this team offensively and his performance on Wednesday is a microcosm is just what he means.

“It’s great and it looked like in the last couple of days that he’s staying balanced, he’s letting the ball travel and the bat speed is there,” said Rob Thomson. “That’s a big day for him, a big day for us. Really. I really liked his at bats and really like the at-bats up and down the lineup, too. I thought we were really good.”

It’s no coincidence. When Harper is going well, everyone is that much better. It makes at-bats easier for the likes of Schwarber, who is protected right behind him in the order by Harper. It makes Alec Bohm more effective from the four spot, and so on and so forth.

With an off day Thursday and a final series against the Padres In San Diego before the All-Star break, having Harper find his swing right about now will go a long way as to what this team may be able to do in the proverbial second half of the season after the break.

“It’s huge,” said Thomson. “Those first three guys (Trea Turner, Schwarber and Harper) are the guys that run the show. They are the guys that we rely on most and especially Harper. If he’s going it’s contagious. It really is.”

While his Modus operandi isn’t to talk about himself or put his play above the team, Harper couldn’t help but let his feelings known about what could be coming from him moving forward.

“After last night’s tough loss and to come back today and have good at-bats and Luzardo threw the ball really well today, also,” Harper said. “I just think all around we had great at-bats and put it on an all time great in (Giants starter Justin) Verlander. If I can get ahead in counts and not chase and all those things, obviously my swings gonna play. I feel great, I feel strong. It’s just getting good counts and doing damage when I need to. It sounds super simple and it should be simple. It’s just doing it and buying in on that and when I’m ahead in the count it’s pretty good swings and usually have pretty good opportunities to do that.”

Then Harper amped up his reaction to his swing, not in a braggadocious way, but more in a factual one.

“I’m really good,” he said. “I really am. I know when I’m going well. I’m one of the best in baseball. I’m healthy, I’m strong, I’m feeling great. It’s just putting myself into plus counts. I haven’t done that. I feel stronger than ever.”  

A stroll past the manager’s office on Tuesday after that unimaginable loss had Luzardo and Thomson make a quick encounter.

“He was phenomenal,” said Thomson of Luzardo. “He did exactly what he told me he was going to do. Attack the hitters, fill up the strike zone, trust his stuff and just let it happen. He was walking back and forth from the food room there and so I called him in and said, ‘what’s your approach, tomorrow?’ And he told me exactly what he did.”

It hasn’t been so much that Luzardo has struggled with his “stuff” but more with the mechanics of how he was getting ready to throw it. There has been work on hand location and so many different things and now, using a bigger glove to hide the baseball, he seems to now be able to rely on his good, strong pitching.

“I feel like the times I get in trouble, for the most part, are self-inflicted,” said Luzardo. “Long innings, then walks turn into runs almost every time. I can’t stand walks. If I’m gonna get beat I’d rather get beat by them hitting it as opposed to me just letting them on. So what we talked about was just attacking. I went back to having my hands a little lower. I felt a lot more comfortable out of the stretch when I was there today. Just filling the zone up, throwing a lot of strikes, hopefully get weak contact and that’s what we did today.”

After his strong performance, Luzardo knew what the key was to the win and what it is for the future of the team.

“When Bryce goes the whole team goes,” he said. “He’s obviously a big part of our club, a leader for us. When we see him doing that I feel like we’re all getting on a roll.”

Kepler exits early

Outfielder Max Kepler fouled a ball on his lower leg late in the game and was removed from it. Thomson said after the game Kepler was in quite some pain but was hopeful that a day off Thursday will go a long way in the healing process.

Is Trevor Story back? Red Sox' patience with veteran has paid off originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox didn’t give up on Trevor Story, and the veteran shortstop has rewarded them for it with a scorching stretch at the plate.

Story has been one of the hottest hitters in MLB since the calendar flipped to June. In that span, the 32-year-old is slashing .315/.346/.567 with eight homers and 34 RBI in 33 games. His three-run blast in Tuesday’s win over his former team, the Colorado Rockies, gave him four homers and 16 RBI with a 1.277 OPS over his last 10 games.

Trevor Story clubs a 3-run homer and it's all @RedSox tonight! pic.twitter.com/N107rG6sTM

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2025

Story’s surge has proven that the Red Sox were right to stay patient throughout his brutal slump. We pondered the possibility of designating the two-time All-Star for assignment after he went 9-for-78 (.115) with one homer, four RBI, and a .332 OPS in 19 games from April 22 to May 15. With top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer looming, Story’s underwhelming tenure with Boston appeared to be nearing an unceremonious end.

Now, Story leads the Red Sox in batting average (.313), hits (30), homers (seven), RBI (24), runs scored (19), and stolen bases (four) over the last 30 days. He and Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz are the only MLB shortstops with at least 15 homers and 55 RBI this season, and Story has one fewer RBI (57) than Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

This is the first season that Story has stayed healthy since he signed his six-year deal with the Red Sox in 2022. He has played in 89 of 93 games, nearly matching his total production in his previous three years with the club (163 games).

He needs only 54 more hits, six homers, and 33 RBI to match his total from 2022-24.

Story has gone from unplayable to unstoppable, and the Red Sox need him in the lineup every day as they aim for their first postseason berth since 2021. So, what does that mean for Mayer?

Mayer has proven capable of playing third base at a high level, but Alex Bregman will soon reassume his role as the everyday third baseman when he returns from injury. That means the 22-year-old could shift over to second base, or he may be sent back down to Triple-A when Bregman is activated from the injured list. Mayer has struggled at the plate since his promotion — particularly against left-handed pitching — posting a .672 OPS with 34 strikeouts and six walks in 35 games.

The Red Sox might also look to sell high on Story ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, but they’re trending toward being buyers. They entered Wednesday on a five-game win streak and only one game back in the American League Wild Card race.

Story and the Red Sox will look to stay hot in Wednesday’s series finale against the Rockies at Fenway Park.