Category: Sports News

The Yankees secured the series sweep over the Kansas City Royals with a 1-0 win on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Here are some takeaways...

- With Aaron Judge receiving his first day off of the season, the Yankees' offense wasn't able to get much of anything going against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo -- managing just two walks and a hit while striking out twice over the first five innings.

New York finally started a bit of a rally in the sixth when Trent Grisham lined a single and Paul Goldschmidt drew a two-out walk -- but after a pitching change and a 28-minute rain delay, Kyle Isbel ranged into the left-center gap and made a terrific catch to rob Cody Bellinger of extra-bases.

- Fortunately for the Bombers, Will Warren was up for the task of matching Lugo. The rookie right-hander worked around back-to-back singles leading off the second and then a one-out triple in the fifth as he cruised through the first five innings as well.

Warren came back out of the sixth despite sitting through the delay, but Aaron Boone pulled him out a man on and the red-hot Vinnie Pasquantino coming to the plate. Tim Hill entered and got him to easily ground out -- closing the youngster's final line at four hits and a walk over 5.2 shutout innings.

It was a much-needed, efficient outing for Warren after he issued four free passes in back-to-back starts.

- Hill was helped out by some strong defense in the seventh -- first Anthony Volpe ranged to his right and unleashed a throw from deep in the hole to gun down Salvador Perez at first, then Pablo Reyes came charging in from second and shoveled to first with a glove flip to erase Jac Caglianone with the second out.

- The Yanks were finally able to break the tie during the next half-inning, as Goldschmidt lined one off the first baseman's glove and Reyes came in to score on an error by the catcher after stumbling down the line.

- Jonathan Loáisiga delivered a scoreless eighth then Devin Williams closed the door in the ninth to secure the three-game series sweep and shutout victory -- it was New York's league-best fourth 1-0 win of the season.

- Judge came off the bench and pinch-hit with a man on and nobody out in the top of the eighth, but he was punched out on strikes on a questionable call at the bottom of the zone.

- J.C. Escarra received the start behind the plate and enjoyed himself a strong showing -- singling to lead off the third and then cracking a two-out double to right-center in the ninth.

Game MVP: Pablo Reyes

Reyes made a nice play in the field and scored the game's lone run on a wacky play.

Highlights

WHAT A PLAY BY ANTHONY VOLPE! pic.twitter.com/xjkqdZ9erW

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 13, 2025

PABLO REYES COMES HOME WITH THE FIRST RUN!

CHAOS IN KANSAS CITY! pic.twitter.com/lKrZjjuJ0G

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 13, 2025

What's next

The Yanks ship up to Boston for a three-game weekend set with the Red Sox.

Ryan Yarbrough (3-1, 4.17 ERA) takes the mound against Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA) at 7:10 p.m.

Mets top prospect Jett Williams continues to rake at the Double-A level.

After smashing two home runs on Wednesday, Williams kept the ball in the ballpark but instead was causing havoc on the bases, going 3-for-4 with a double and two triples. He drove in two runs, came in to score three times and drew a walk. Oh, and he stole a base for good measure, his 18th this season.

Williams' great day at the plate helped the Binghamton Rumble Ponies rout the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 11-0. The Mets' No. 1 prospect raised his batting average to .298, which is the highest it's been since May 2.

In 52 games with Binghamton, Williams is slashing .298/.407/.530 with an OPS of .937 to go along with 16 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 23 RBI.

If the infielder continues to hit like this, a promotion to Syracuse may be in the works sooner rather than later.

Williams wasn't the only Mets prospect to have an offensive outburst on Thursday -- as Ryan Clifford launched a solo shot in the third inning en route to going 2-for-5.

The homer was Clifford's 12th of the season and the fourth in his last six games.

Brandon Sproat takes loss with Syracuse

Sproat made his 13th minor league start on Thursday and while he was solid, he wasn't efficient enough to leave with a chance for victory.

The young right-hander threw 89 pitches (61 strikes) across 5.1 innings but allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters.

Sproat was chugging along, allowing one run -- via a ground out -- through the first four innings but the fifth inning saw Scranton/Wilkes-Barre take advantage of their speed.

After Bryan De La Cruz led off with a single, the outfielder stole second and third with one out. Sproat then allowed the go-ahead run on an Ismael Munguia single. A wild pitch allowed Munguia to advance to second before Jorbit Vivas singled him home with two outs.

It was a tough luck loss for Sproat, whose offense behind him mustered up just one run in the 6-1 loss.

Drew Gilbert, one of the Mets' top prospects, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on the night.

Sproat now has a 3-5 record with a 5.31 ERA with Syracuse this season.

Tyrone Taylor has been terrific for the Mets this season. 

With Jose Siri remaining sidelined due to a tibia injury, the veteran outfielder has gotten his opportunity to start just about every day in centerfield and he’s taken full advantage of it.

Even on days he doesn’t start, he keeps finding ways to make his mark. 

On Wednesday night, Taylor entered the game as a late-inning defensive replacement and he gunned down Luis Garcia Jr. trying to score on a single to center, helping keep David Peterson’s shutout alive. 

A few hours later, he was back in the lineup for Thursday's series finale -- and he came through again. 

With a man on first and two outs in the sixth, Taylor ranged deep into the right-center gap and layed out to make a tremendous diving grab to rob Garcia of an extra-base hit and keep Washington off the board again.  

These are just the latest additions to what’s been a season-long highlight reel for Taylor. 

YOU BETTER CALL TYRONE!

WHAT A CATCH BY TYRONE TAYLOR! pic.twitter.com/5BeHEmYtmo

— SNY (@SNYtv) June 12, 2025

“At this point nothing surprises us with him,” Carlos Mendoza said. “As soon as the ball was hit, looking at him and [Juan] Soto and how far both of them went into the gap, I thought it was going to be at least a double. 

“He kept closing the gap and then for him to make that spectacular play like that, it’s not the first time we’ve seen it from him but that goes to show you he’s elite out there -- he’s a special player and a special defender, one of the best in the game.”

Statically, Taylor is up there among the best in baseball -- he’s currently ninth among CFs with four defensive runs saved and ranks in the 89th percentile with three Outs Above Average, according to Baseball Savant. 

If he’s able to stay healthy and can keep this rolling, there’s no reason he shouldn’t at least be in the mix to take home his first career Gold Glove award come season's end. 

“He works so hard at his craft and is such a good defender,” Brandon Nimmo said. “He’s really saved a lot of games and a lot of runs for us. Just look at this game and how we ended up winning by one run, that catch was extremely important, what an amazing play.

"You know you’re getting the best effort Tyrone has every single game -- he’s doing great, I couldn’t be more proud of the center fielder and the baseball player he is.”

Brandon Nimmo’s early-season struggles appear to officially be behind him. 

The left-handed hitting outfielder lifted another home run during Thursday afternoon’s win over the Nationals at Citi Field -- helping the Mets secure their sixth consecutive victory and back-to-back series sweeps. 

Nimmo’s now gone deep three times over the last two games, and he’s driven in a total of 14 runs against Washington this season. 

“You always love to have the results,” he told SNY's Steve Gelbs postgame. “It’s nice to have the process and we keep trusting it. Fortunately I’ve been here long enough that I understand how Citi Field plays early in the summer and it’s fun starting to see the ball fly now.

“It’s just about trusting the process and now we’re getting some good results.”

While some of those results certainly have to be credited to the ball carrying more -- you also have to give a tip of the cap to manager Carlos Mendoza for flipping the order around when the Mets needed a spark. 

Nimmo appeared to be trying to do too much out of the cleanup spot -- but he’s quickly found himself a new home, setting the table for Juan Soto and Pete Alonso in the second spot in the order. 

After picking up two more knocks on Thursday, the 32-year-old is now hitting .381 with three doubles, four homers, eight RBI, a .458 on-base percentage, and a 1.196 OPS in 12 games in the two-hole.  

“It’s been really nice, I’ve been able to get on-base and contribute,” he said. “I’m just trying to help out however I can, whatever the situation dictates -- but it’s always nice hitting in front of Soto and Alonso, they’re two of the best hitters in the game.”

And it’s not just Nimmo who has been enjoying the new configuration -- as Soto is finally looking more and more like himself and Alonso continues picking up big hit after big hit when this group needs it the most.

Jeff McNeil has been on an absolute tear of late as well -- lifting a homer of his own Thursday to bring his OPS up to .911 on the season.

They'll look to keep the good times rolling during a weekend set with the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays. 

While the Mets will have some decisions to make in regards to their rotation after the injury to Kodai Senga, they'll at least bulk up their bullpen.

According to multiple reports, the Mets are set to call up RHP Max Kranick from the minors to take Senga's spot on the team when they officially place him on the injured list.

Kranicks has had a lot of success with the Mets earlier this season. He's pitched to a 3.51 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 22 appearances this year. His last appearance was back on June 2 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. That game saw Kranick allow one run on one hit while striking out two batters in his one inning of work.

The 27-year-old was lights out to start the 2025 season. He pitched to a 2.65 ERA in March/April but May was not as kind overall. He allowed seven earned runs across 14.2 innings (4.30 ERA) of work, but finished May strong by pitching 5.1 scoreless innings in his final three appearances that month.

Kranick made two minor league appearances since his option to Triple-A Syracuse, and he allowed two earned runs across 2.1 innings pitched. His last minor league appearance came on June 10 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, when he allowed two runs on three hits over 0.2 innings.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Rays play a three-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

5 things to watch

Starting rotation shakeup coming?

Kodai Senga left Thursday's game with a hamstring injury that will land him on the IL, and the calculus will change with him missing time. But the Mets will still have seven starters for five spots when Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are back.

With Montas making one or two more rehab starts before returning and Manaeaset to make his third rehab start on Sunday, things could get very crowded very soon.

And with New York not planning to utilize a regular six-man rotation in the immediate future, it's fair to wonder how they'll make everything fit.

It's logical to believe that Tylor Megill will slide to the bullpen or get sent to Triple-A Syracuse when room is needed in the rotation. He has minor league options remaining, meaning the Mets can send him down without running the risk of losing him.

Beyond Megill (who starts on Saturday), the next candidate to possibly lose his rotation spot -- as unfair as it is -- would almost certainly be Griffin Canning, who carries a 3.22 ERA into his start on Sunday.

Playing time on the infield

The Mets are currently juggling four players for two infield spots, with Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña jockeying between second base and third base.

In the case of McNeil, who has been on fire, he'll start pretty much every day -- and the Mets have the option to use him in center field, where he started on Wednesday.

That leaves Baty, Mauricio, and Acuña as the main players battling for at-bats.

The Mets have the option of using any of them at DH, but most of the time, that has been given to Jared Young and Starling Marte.

Is Francisco Alvarez finding it at the plate?

Before being placed on the paternity list for the birth of his daughter, Alvarez was showing signs of breaking out.

He was hitting 320/.346/.480 in 26 plate appearances over his last six games, including one homer and one double.

Things haven't come easily at the plate for Alvarez after returning from a broken hamate bone, and that has included him chasing lots of pitches well out of the zone.

But Alvarez has looked better lately. And if he can build on that -- especially if he can tap into some more power -- he could help take the Mets' lineup to another level.

Rays are in the thick of the playoff race

The Rays were a bit of an afterthought before the season, but they're once again right in the thick of things in the playoff race.

Tampa is in third place in the AL East and trails the first-place Yankees by 6.0 games, but they're currently holding the third Wild Card spot -- and are only 2.0 games behind the Blue Jays for the top Wild Card spot.

Junior Caminero (.776 OPS) and Brandon Lowe (.742 OPS) have helped the Rays go, and former Mets prospect Jake Mangum has been strong in his first taste of the majors. Mangum is hitting .304 with a .339 OBP and 10 stolen bases in 33 games.

The Rays also have a very good closer in Pete Fairbanks, who has a 2.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 27.1 innings -- and has yet to allow a home run this season.

Drew Rasmussen is healthy and dealing

Tampa's rotation is anchored by Rasmussen, who has undergone three serious elbow surgeries and is now back and dominating.

In 13 starts over 69.0 innings this season, Rasmussen has a 2.22 ERA and 0.89 WHIP and has allowed just 48 hits.

And Rasmussen has been especially sharp lately.

He made four consecutive scoreless starts spanning May 17 to June 3, before giving up two runs over 6.0 innings in his most recent start on June 8 against the Marlins.

Rasmussen gets the ball on Saturday.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Brandon Nimmo

Nimmo has been heating up, including a two-homer game on Wednesday against the Nationals, and add another longball on Thursday.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Clay Holmes

Holmes has allowed just seven runs over his last four starts.

Which Rays player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Jake Mangum

He has the right combination of contact-ability and speed.

With Chris Kreider traded to the Anaheim Ducks, what does that mean for the rest of the veteran players on the New York Rangers?

There’s been a lot of talk about communication between management and the players within the Rangers organization over the past year. 

Kreider was a pillar of the franchise and a leader in the locker room, so his missing presence will certainly be felt next season. 

Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury reportedly handled this situation very delicately, both working with Kreider to find a destination of his desire and having communication with the other veteran players. 

“Told that Drury kept Mika and other veterans apprised of the intent to move Kreider from the start of the offseason,” Larry Brooks of The New York Post wrote via X. 

Drury has already dismantled a large part of his veteran core, moving off of Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and now Chris Kreider. 

Brooks also reported that Drury is determined to make substantial personnel changes because the chemistry in the room was not conducive to a constructive work environment.