Category: Sports News

The Mets were hoping to extend their winning streak to three games on Friday, especially with their ace Freddy Peralta on the mound against the Rockies.

Unfortunately for the Mets, their high-profile trade acquisition was good but not great and, more importantly, could not go deep into the game again as New York fell, 4-3. 

Peralta, who suffered his third consecutive loss, allowed just two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. However, he only pitched 5.2 innings and gave way to a beleaguered Mets bullpen, which would not keep the Rockies lineup off the scoreboard. 

After Friday's loss, Peralta's ERA is at a respectable -- for this time of year -- 3.90, but the right-hander's inability to work deep into games this season may be concerning. 

He's pitched a complete six innings just once to this point and has not recorded an out in the seventh at all with the Mets. Look even further back and Peralta hasn't recorded an out in the seventh since July 13, 2025. 

"He’ll get there, he’s an ace," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peralta after the loss. "I’m not worried about that. I trust him and I know that he’s more than capable of going long in the game."

So, is there a reason during his starts this season that haven't allowed Peralta to pitch deep? The Mets skipper doesn't believe there's any one thing, but every start has been different. 

"I thought today, stuff-wise, was good," he said. "That swinging bunt [by Ezequial Tovar in the sixth] changes the whole thing... In general, every case has been different. I thought today, it was that one pitch the lefty [Jake McCarthy] was very aggressive. A walk here and there, trying to be too perfect…in general, he’s been pretty solid."

That last part from Mendoza, Peralta actually agreed with. 

"I think mentally, I have to allow myself to keep trusting in the process because I feel amazing. I feel very good," Peralta said of what's holding him back. "Everything’s been great, the work I put in every day. It just, whenever I get to the mound, I finish it, that’s it. I know a lot of those are going to come soon.

"Sometimes [wanting to go deep into games] comes to my mind, I got to finish this. I think I put pressure on myself just thinking about it."

Peralta said that mentality has forced him to be too fine with his pitches sometimes, and that has led to walks and hits.

Friday, Peralta's seven hits allowed were a season high, and he has now issued three walks in three of his last four starts. 

"[This has] happened in the past, and then everything’s fine again and I’ve been working on it," Peralta said. "It’s only six games into the season and I’ve been fine. The most important thing is that I’m feeling good... Everything. Pitching arsenal, body, how I feel, my arm. Everything is feeling very good."

Other than the ones involving the major league team which we’ve covered elsewhere:

Right-hander Jace Beck was promoted from Double-A Knoxville to Triple-A Iowa.

Right-hander Ben Johnson was promoted to Knoxville from Low-A Myrtle Beach.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs got spooked by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 5-4 in 11 innings.

Trent Thornton was activated off the injured list and made his season and Iowa debut tonight. He pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Thornton struck out two and walked one.

The I-Cubs went into the ninth with a 3-1 lead, but Ryan Jensen couldn’t hold it. Jensen allowed two runs on three hits and four walks over 1.2 innings. Jensen struck out two.

With Iowa out of pitchers, Casey Opitz had to pitch the tenth and eleventh innings. He acquitted himself well, allowing only the automatic runner to score in both innings. But Iowa was unable to score the tying run in the eleventh when automatic runner Kevin Alcántara was thrown out at the plate on a single. So Opitz got the loss.

First baseman Jonathon Long was 4 for 5 with a double and a game-tying RBI single in the tenth. Long scored once.

DH Owen Miller was 2 for 5.

Here’s Long’s game-tying single in the tenth.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies blinded the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 11—9

Jake Knapp pitched the first 2.1 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits. However, Knapp walked six batters and struck out just two.

Ben Johnson gave up three runs in his Double-A debut, but he ended up getting the win anyways. Johnson’s final line was three runs on three hits over three innings. All three of the runs came on a home run in the eighth inning. Johnson struck out five and walked just one.

First baseman Ethan Hearn hit a two-run home run in the second inning, his first of the season. He was 1 for 4.

Catcher Owen Ayers hit his first Double-A home run in the third inning with the bases empty. Ayers was a perfect 2 for 2 with a double, the home run and three walks. He scored twice.

Later in the third inning, center fielder Alex Ramírez hit a two-run home run, his first on the year. Ramírez went 1 for 5.

The Smokies saved the best for last as their fourth and final home run was a grand slam by right fielder Andy Garriola. It was his fourth of the year and third in two games. Garriola was 1 for 2 with three walks and two runs scored.

Left fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Here’s Ayers’ home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were burned by the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 6-4 in a game that ended in the seventh inning because of rain.

Koen Moreno started and took the loss after he allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits over three innings. Moreno had trouble finding the plate as he walked five and struck out just one.

Left fielder Kane Kepley was 1 for 2 with a double and a walk. He scored twice.

Center fielder Kade Snell was 1 for 3 with an RBI double and a walk. He scored one run.

DH Cameron Sisneros was 1 for 1 with a double, a walk and a sacrifice fly. He drove in two and scored once.

Here are Snell and Sisneros’ doubles, which both came in the third inning.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans lost to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 5-2.

Victor Zarraga started and took the loss. Zarraga gave up two runs on three hits over 2.1 innings. He walked four and struck out three.

Edwardo Melendez relieved Zarraga and gave up one run on two hits over 3.2 innings. But most impressively, Melendez struck out eight and walked no one.

The Pelicans only had three hits tonight and their two runs were both scored by Jose Escobar on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Escobar was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Right fielder Eli Lovich was 1 for 1 with three walks.

Here are Melendez’s eight Ks.

HOUSTON (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice and José Caballero homered, and the New York Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games with a 12-4 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Chisholm, who had four RBI and scored three runs, hit a two-run single to cap a three-run first inning and added his second homer of the season in the fourth. He had an RBI single in the seventh.

McMahon hit a solo home run in the second, and Rice, who had two RBIs and scored three runs, added a solo shot, his ninth of the season, in the seventh. Caballero, who had an RBI single in the sixth, hit a solo homer in the four-run seventh.

Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI single in the sixth before exiting three batters later with right lower leg tightness after being unable to score from second on a J.C. Escarra single to the left field wall. After being checked out by a trainer, Stanton left and was replaced by Randal Grichuk.

Aaron Judge went 0 for 2 with three walks for the Yankees.

Will Warren (3-0) allowed two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings. Warren has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his six starts this season.

Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2) allowed seven runs — five earned — on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings. McCullers has yielded at least four runs in each of his last three starts.

Yainer Diaz had an RBI single and a solo home run, and Braden Shewmake hit a solo shot for the Astros, who lost their fifth straight at home. Yordan Alvarez had two singles to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Up next

Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers (1-2, 3.18 ERA) will start opposite Astros RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.75) in the second game of the three-game set on Saturday night.

HOUSTON — The Yankees rolled a seven Friday on a night when they just kept cashing in at the plate. 

But they were left holding their breath to see if their good luck ended there. 

Behind a relentless offensive attack that crushed four home runs, the Yankees cruised to their seventh straight win, 12-4 over the Astros at Daikin Park. 

The good vibes were tempered, though, after Giancarlo Stanton left the game in the sixth inning with right calf tightness, threatening to end the Yankees’ run of good health to start the season. The Yankees expected to know more Saturday about their veteran DH, who was not scheduled for any tests as of Friday night. 

Otherwise, the Yankees (17-9) put on a hit parade — 13 in total — against Astros pitching to extend their winning streak. 

Each member of the starting infield homered — Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Ben Rice and José Caballero — Chisholm as part of a season-high three-hit night as he finally begins to break out of the rut he was in to start the season. 

“We always say hitting is contagious, so when everybody’s doing it, you just can’t get enough of it,” Chisholm said. 

Rice, Caballero and birthday boy J.C. Escarra all had multi-hit nights as every member of the starting lineup reached base at least once. 

Chisholm, who has homered in back-to-back games after going his first 23 games without one, finished the night 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk. He made an adjustment in Thursday’s win over the Red Sox to back off the plate and slightly close his stance, which has paid major and immediate dividends. 

“I feel like me again,” said Chisholm, whose only negative of the night was a brutal automated ball-strike system challenge in the ninth inning on a pitch that was not close to being a ball, for which he said he would be paying a $1,000 fine. 

The Yankees traveled nearly 2,000 miles overnight Thursday and in doing so took a step up in weight class to challenge their red-hot rotation — the Astros (10-17) boasting a much more potent offense than the Red Sox or Royals, their last two opponents. 

But Will Warren proved to be up to the task, working around traffic for most of the night to toss six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander — who has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his six starts — scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out six, attacking the Astros while his offense gave him plenty of support. 

“Absolutely no fear when they put up runs like that,” said Warren, who picked off a runner for the second straight game to squash a potential rally in the third inning. “I think you go out there and, ‘Here it is,’ and let them play behind you.” 

Over their last 35 ²/₃ innings, the Yankees rotation has allowed just four runs (three earned), providing the backbone for this winning streak. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Before Warren even took the mound, he was treated to a 3-0 lead courtesy of his offense — which took advantage of a José Altuve throwing error that wiped out a potential double play and scored the first run before Chisholm’s two-run single off Lance McCullers Jr. 

McMahon, who did not start any of the three games against the Red Sox as the Yankees faced three straight lefties, was back in the lineup Friday and made it count. The scuffling third baseman led off the second inning with his second home run of the year, going the other way to poke one into the Crawford Boxes to make it 4-0. 

It was later a 5-2 game after five innings before the Yankees blew it open in the sixth and seventh innings against lefty reliever Colton Gordon, exploding for a 12-2 lead. 

“I thought they were patient,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Really made McCullers work, were able to just string together a lot of really good threats all night and then able to break through there a couple of those times in a big way. Just a lot of really good at-bats up and down the lineup, lot of contributions. So, a good night.”

The Yanks entered Friday night fresh off a sweep of mortal enemy Boston, getting this road trip off to a heck of a start. They turned to Will Warren, coming off one of the finest outings of his career, to keep the momentum going. But the Astros offense is different than Kansas City’s. Yordan Alvarez is terrifying, veterans Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve can still rake, and Christian Walker has rediscovered his stroke at the plate.

So, it was fair to wonder if Warren would have similar success. He was more than up to the challenge, pitching deep into the game for a second consecutive start. Meanwhile, facing Houston pitching can fix what ails you, apparently. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, and José Caballero all entered Friday’s game scuffling at the plate. All three went yard. Ben Rice, who struggled against Boston, did so as well, and the Yankees won, 12-4. You love to see it.

The only thing that really went wrong tonight was losing Giancarlo Stanton to “right lower leg tightness” while running the bases. Hopefully we see the big slugger back from this calf injury sooner rather than later.

I mentioned in the preview for today’s game that Astros’ starter Lance McCullers Jr. has struggled with command this season. That immediately reared up as he gave free passes to Trent Grishm and Aaron Judge. One Cody Bellinger single later and the bases were full of Yankees before you had time to grab a beverage and get to your seat.

McCullers induced a tailor-made double play ball from Rice but Altuve threw the ball away. A run scored and the bases remained loaded. McCullers then made a nice defensive play on a 111.8-mph comebacker off Stanton’s bat, throwing home. With Big G running, the Astros easily turned the 1-2-3 double play and it looked like he might escape with minimal damage. Thankfully, Chisholm is heating up and came through. His single scored two more, making it 3-0 Yankees before McCullers escaped the frame.

Another Yankee who’s been struggling kept the pressure on Houston in the second when McMahon took McCullers yard to the opposite field. A 336-foot fly ball, Daikin Park is the only stadium in the majors where it would have been a home run. But it still counts in the run column.

The top of the Astros order went down quietly in the first against Waren. But the middle and bottom of the lineup scraped a run across in the second. An Altuve infield single and a walk put two men on. Warren managed to get two outs but Yainer Diaz singled to right and Judge’s throw was just up the third base line, allowing Altuve to score.

Chisholm continued his resurgence in the fourth. After slapping the tag on Yordan Alvarez on a pickoff play at second to end the home third, Jazz took McCullers deep leading off, extending the Yankee lead to 5-1.

Altuve continued to torment Warren and the Yankees, leading off the home fourth with a double to the deepest part of the park. A Christian Walker single followed, putting runners on the corners with none out and seemingly setting the Astros up for a big inning. To Warren’s credit, he buckled down. Though Altuve scored on a groundout to short, Warren avoided the disaster inning.

The Yankee offense kept on keepin’ on in the sixth. After Ben Rice led off the inning with a double to left center, Stanton singled off the glove of Carlos Correa. The ball trickled into center, Rice scored easily, and the Yankees’ sixth run of the night ended McCullers’. Every Astros fan’s worst nightmare… their bullpen, was now in play.

With lefties looming, the Astros turned to southpaw Colton Gordon, who immediately walked Jazz then gave up a single off the left field wall to Escarra, celebrating his 31^st birthday. But it was not all good news. Stanton looked extremely slow lumbering into third and left the game, replaced by pinch-runner Randal Grichuk. After McMahon lined out, Caballero singled and Grisham hit a sacrifice fly, putting two more in the run column, giving the Yanks an 8-2 lead.

Warren finished his night with a clean sixth, whiffing Cam Smith for his sixth punchout of the evening. For as bad as Houston’s pitching has been, this is a team that can hit, led by Alvarez, perhaps the most terrifying hitter in baseball right now. Warren was more than up to the task. I suspect every Yankee fan on the planet would have signed up for six innings of two-run ball from Warren tonight.

Rice continued his strong night in the seventh. He entered tonight 1 for his last 9 with seven strikeouts, including a golden sombrero in Boston. But he followed his double by turning on an inside sweeper from Gordon, who was taking one for the team, and sending it deep into right field for his ninth dinger of the season. Grichuk then doubled and Chisholm drove him in with his third hit and fourth RBI of the night. Chisholm came around to score on a double play and Caballero got in on the action, hitting his second home run of the season. That officially put the Yankee lead in double digits at 12-2 and unofficially moved the game into “laugher” territory.

Fernando Cruz came in to relieve Warren and had an off night, giving up solo home runs to Diaz and Braden Shewmake, who pinch-hit for Correa, as the Astros began pulling some of their regulars. From there, New York handed the ball to Ryan Yarbrough, who recorded the final six outs with no drama, locking down the Yankees’ seventh consecutive win.

Join us tomorrow night as the Yanks try to win another series and continue their excellent road trip. Portside slinger Ryan Weathers makes the start for New York, while Mike Burrows will start for Houston. First pitch is at 7:10 pm EDT.

Box Score