Category: Sports News

On a night when they were short in the bullpen and facing one of the game’s tougher pitchers, the Yankees fell behind by three runs in the top of the first inning. 

Ho hum. 

That proved to be little more than a bump in the road as a humming Yankees lineup came back to crack Jacob deGrom for six runs on the way to their fifth straight win, 7-4 over the Rangers on Tuesday in The Bronx. 

Ryan McMahon tied the game 3-3 in the second inning with a two-run shot before Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Yankees (25-11) the lead for good with a solo blast in the sixth, sending them to their 15th win in the last 17 games. 

“Every time someone goes up to the plate, we expect them to get a hit,” said Chisholm, who has hit all four of his home runs this season in his last 12 games. “Every time a pitcher gets called into a game, we expect them to get out of every jam. The positivity in the clubhouse right now is just super crazy. 

“Everybody’s on a real high horse right now and we just want to ride it out as long as we can.” 

Just about everything has been clicking lately for Aaron Boone’s club, from the rotation and bullpen to the offense and defense. On Tuesday, the highlight may have been the bullpen picking each other up throughout the night to keep the Rangers (16-19) in check, with Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz and David Bednar (five-out save) combining to inherit eight runners and strand all of them — only the second time the Yankees have accomplished that feat in the expansion era. 

“I think they’re just better than everyone thinks,” Boone said of his bullpen that is gaining confidence and becoming a tight-knit group with each passing game. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

That standout effort came on a night when rookie Elmer Rodríguez, making his second career start and his last (for now) with Carlos Rodón set to return from the IL the next turn through, put the Yankees in a 3-0 hole in the first inning while throwing 37 pitches.

The right-hander battled more command issues with four walks, the same number he had in his debut, but again settled in to give his team a fighting chance before being optioned back to Triple-A after the game.

“Unbelievable game,” Boone said. “In the first there, we’re short in the pen and you’re just thinking of ways you hopefully can finish the game. Credit to Elmer for picking himself up and giving us 4 ²/₃ after a rough start. And then so many good at-bats to pull us back and take the lead. Then the pen did a great job of just handing it off to one another. That’s a really good one right there.” 

Cody Bellinger created some breathing room late with a two-run double in the seventh — his second double of the night, this one coming left-on-left after the Rangers had intentionally walked Aaron Judge to load the bases with two outs — and Paul Goldschmidt, starting for the injured Ben Rice, added a solo shot in the eighth. 

“It’s a really special group and up and down the lineup, there’s no breaks,” Bednar said. 

McMahon and Chisholm had been two of the coldest Yankees hitters through the first few weeks of the season, but both have begun to heat up to give the lineup even more depth. 

McMahon, who went 2-for-4, tied the game in the second inning after an eight-pitch battle with deGrom ended in his third home run of the season. He is now batting .304 (14-for-46) with an .877 OPS over his last 17 games after hitting .119 (5-for-42) with a .379 OPS through his first 17 games. 

Chisholm, who put the Yankees ahead 4-3 with a 413-foot shot in the sixth — flush with a bat flip that went nearly as far — has taken off after starting the season without a homer in his first 23 games, batting .173 with a .498 OPS through April 22.

In 12 games since then, he has hit 13-for-45 (.289) with a .908 OPS and four home runs. 

“It’s something we talked about in spring — it can’t just be one or two guys,” Goldschmidt said. “It can’t just be one way we beat teams. We got to be able to do it in all different ways, and we’ve done a good job so far. But there’s a long way to go, too.”

After two innings in Tuesday’s series opener against the Oakland Athletics, it looked like it might be another frustrating night for the Phillies’ offense. One night after squeaking out a 1-0 win over the Marlins, the Phillies seemed determined to leave as many runners on base as possible.

They loaded the bases against A’s starter Luis Severino in the first inning but couldn’t get any runs home. In the second, the first two batters reached base, but once again, Severino escaped unscathed.

In the bottom of the third, Bryce Harper realized that the best way to avoid being stranded on base was to drive himself home. For the second straight night, a Harper solo shot got the Phils out to a 1-0 lead.

After they stranded another three runners over the next two innings, it looked like they might have to win a second straight 1-0 game. However, the way that Cristopher Sanchez was pitching, he seemed capable of pulling that off. After retiring the first eight batters he faced, Sanchez allowed a couple of baserunners but worked around them.

Sanchez didn’t allow another hit until the seventh inning when Colby Thomas led off with a single. When Zack Gelof followed with another single, it appeared that Sanchez’s night might soon come to an end. Instead, he retired the next three batters, showing some real emotion when he fanned Darrell Hernaiz to end the inning.

At that point, the Phillies’ offense finally decided to give him some breathing room. Trea Turner led off the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a Bryce Harper walk, Adolis Garcia hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. A Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto double extended the lead to 4-0, and Bryson Stott topped off the inning with a solo home run to make it 5-0.

Despite sitting on the bench during the Phillies’ lengthy at bat, Sanchez came back out for the eighth inning. And he finished his night off with a flair, retiring the A’s in order. It was an exemplary showing for the Phillies’ ace lefthander.

The Phillies padded their lead in the eighth thanks to an RBI single and Harper’s second home run of the game.

In the ninth, Jhoan Duran made his return from the IL, and was a bit rusty, losing the shutout thanks in part to three walks. But a nine-run lead is a good time to work out rust, and he was eventually able to finish things off.

This whole stellar pitching from the starter and home runs from the franchise hitter thing seems like a good formula for victory. Hopefully the Phillies can continue to apply it going forward. They’ll get their first opportunity in game two of the series on Wednesday night.

The Rays have taken small ball to new extremes, winning today on 1 double (a bloop that fell into no man’s land) and 10 singles. When your small ball is this small it maybe needs a new name: tiny ball? wee ball? But the key point is that 10 singles and a double added up to a come from behind W.

The only big blast today came in the first inning, when the Blue Jays Okamoto put his team up with a solo home run. The Blue Jays scored their second run in the second inning, with a series of singles, one a bunt RBI. The Jays tried yet another bunt to score run number three, but the Rays were able to cut the runner down at the plate and then get out of the inning.

Gausman kept the Rays guessing with his splitter, but they too were able, eventually, to piece together singles to tie the game. In the third inning, Simpson got a 2 out infield hit, Junior walked, and Aranda singled. With Simpson as the runner on second moving with the pitch, that was an easy RBI.

The Rays second run came in the fourth inning, and again without benefit of an extra base hit. The bases were loaded on two singles and a Mullins bunt that was misplayed by Gausman to load the bases. Feduccia grounded into a double play, which is hardly ideal but it did score a run. At the end of 4 the score was tied, 3-3.

The Blue Jays regained the lead in the fifth inning. A single and a walk put runners on first and second with no outs. Springer flied to center, and both runners tagged. Mullins threw into second and, honestly to my surprise, was able to nail the trailing runner for a double play that looked like it could get the team out of the inning unscathed.

But a seeing-eye single scored the runner from third to give the Blue Jays their third run.

The Rays, however, were able to string together — stop me if you’ve heard this one — a bunch of singles (OK, Aranda’s bloop was a double) first to tie the game and then to go ahead for good. By then the Blue Jays had removed Kevin Gausman and the Rays were facing side arm pitcher Tyler Rogers. Aranda doubled with one out, and Taylor Walls came in to pinch run. He then scored easily on Yandy Diaz’s single. Fraley followed with a single, and Ben Williamson then singled Diaz home for the go ahead run.

Cole Sulser polished off the Blue Jays in the ninth to earn the save.

This was a funny game to watch. It was low scoring but didn’t feel like a pitcher’s duel; neither pitcher seemed to have his best stuff. I can’t even count how many hits — for both teams — were ground balls that managed to sneak over second base for a single. It seems like the laws of probability would suggest that this exact hit can’t happen nearly a dozen times in any one game, yet here we are.

Ben Williamson had two hits and an RBI; he seems to figure so often in important rallies, every time I check stats I’m expecting to see a .900 OPS. He’s at a respectable .670 but his performance somehow feels bigger.

Finally, I would like to go back to the first week of the season and tell my earlier self that the bullpen would indeed find its way. Wow they have been good, complementing what has so far been a pretty effective starting staff. In fact the broadcasters were noting that it’s been nearly two weeks since the Rays have given up more than 3 runs in any game.

The Rays close out the series tomorrow afternoon. I’ll be at the game but I’m too superstitious to bring a broom.

As Spring Training was coming to a close, we collected predictions about the 2026 season from the Purple Row community. At the time, here’s how folks thought the the season would shake out by October:

• Division Winners
  • NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
  • NL Central: Chicago Cubs
  • NL East: New York Mets
  • AL West: Seattle Mariners
  • AL Central: Detroit Tigers
  • AL East: Toronto Blue Jays
• Award Winners
  • NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
  • NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes (PIT)
  • NL ROY: Konnor Griffin (PIT)/Charlie Condon (COL)/TJ Rumfield (COL) all tied
  • AL MVP: Aaron Judge (NYY)
  • AL Cy Young: Tarik Skubal (DET)
  • AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle
• There was nothing close to a consensus on where the 2026 Rockies record would end up with the range predicted extending from 55 all the way up to 82 wins.

We now have a little over a month of games on the books, which is enough time for opinions to have started to shift.

What are the biggest changes in how you see the season unfolding now as opposed to your predictions before Opening Day?

Are there any of your predictions that seem to actually be coming true?

Have any of your predictions already failed to come to pass?

Let us know in the comments!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Texas Rangers scored four runs but the New York Yankees scored seven runs.

Yankees starter Elmer Rodriguez has had a peculiar beginning to his big league career. The 22-year-old has been a big leaguer for just two games in which he has played and both have been starts against the Rangers, a team not in his division and one that will face New York just six times this year.

Predictably, in his first outing at Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez let the nerves get to him in his first time on the mound in front of the home fans as he walked the first two batters and faced a bases loaded, no outs situation to start the game. By the end of the top of the first, he had also hit a batter and thrown a wild pitch that scored a run.

Overall, the Rangers benefitted with three runs off Rodriguez during his shaky first home frame but even that felt like a let down. It felt like the Rangers had allowed Rodriguez to escape when they had him and the Yankees on the ropes.

At the time, up 3-0 early, it might have seemed greedy to not be ecstatic about three runs for a club that often has a devil of a time just scoring at all, but not capitalizing on a youngster handing out baserunners with a bigger inning felt like a wasted opportunity to bury the Yankees from the jump, something that could have impacted not only this game but the series going forward.

And, of course, wouldn’t you know it, the Rangers waited until all the way until an out in the ninth to score again and the Yankees — having basically the only productive lineup in the American League — methodically chipped away at the lead until they eventually overtook Texas before blowing the doors open late to essentially render the final few innings an afterthought.

The Rangers had two hits with RISP in the first inning — their first two chances, no less! — to go along with all their other baserunners against a deer-in-the-headlines rookie starter and only one of those hits scored a run.

After that, the Rangers went 0-for-7 with RISP until they eighth inning when they again had a hit with RISP. That runner didn’t score either and they eventually left the bases loaded with the potential winning run at the plate. The Rangers finally did score again in the ninth. On a groundout.

All told, they went 3-for-13 for RISP and left a ghastly 12 on base for the night.

At this point, LSB might as well stand for LOB Statistic Briefing.

Player of the Game: Josh Jung had three more hits but was also the batter that ended the bases loaded threat in the eighth. Sequencing, surely, but this has to be in their heads by this point.

Nevertheless, we’ll go with Ezequiel Duran who is making the most of more regular playing time as he collected three hits including a triple, drew a walk to reach base four times, and had the only hit that scored a run for Texas tonight.

Up Next: The Rangers and Yankees will play again tomorrow with RHP Nathan Eovaldi set to make the start for Texas opposite RHP Will Warren for New York.

The Wednesday evening first pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network. Tune in to see how many the Rangers can strand tomorrow!

Gavin Williams had a rare stinker of an outing. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 5 runs and giving up 8 hits and walking 2 batters. Despite the crooked number put up against him, Gavin still struck out 7 batters.

Kansas started scoring early with Salvy Perez hitting a 2-run single to center field. The Guards offense suffered from a chronic case of “going 1-2-3” tonight. The sole bright spot coming in the top of the fourth.

Chase DeLauter hit a lead off single. José Ramírez grounded into a forceout, leaving CDL out at second and José safe at first. Kyle Manzardo slapped a single to center, putting two on for Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins launched a homer to left field, putting the Guards ahead.

Unfortunately the lead didn’t stay with Cleveland for long. The Royals came back in the bottom of the fourth to tack on two runs and retake the lead.

Colin Holderman held it down for the Guardians bullpen. He pitched 2 innings, replacing Gavin going into the seventh inning, and did not allow a baserunner. An overturned hit by pitch gave Holderman the chance to send the Royals down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

Cleveland was unable to rally in the top of the ninth. Chase DeLauter’s single continued his impressive 13 game on base streak and Kyle Manzardo is continuing to show some ramping up in his hitting. The Guards can still split the series, and at least the Tigers lost worse.

The Yankees mashed three homers to overcome a three-run deficit against Jacob deGrom in New York's 7-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night in the Bronx.

The Yankees (25-11) extended their winning streak to five games.

Here are the takeaways...

-Elmer Rodriguez's control was an issue in his major league debut, and that reared its ugly head early in this one. Rodriguez walked the first two batters and then a hit to load the bases with no outs. A sac fly and an opposite-field single put the Rangers up 2-0. A fielder's choice and a hit batter loaded the bases again, this time with two outs. A wild pitch allowed the third first-inning run to score before Danny Jansen grounded out to end the frame.

It took Rodriguez 37 pitches to get out of the first. 

But the young right-hander settled down. He stranded runners and was a lot more pitch-efficient, getting ground ball outs with his sinker to make it into the fifth inning. It seemed as if Rodriguez would pitch five innings, but a two-out infield single to Ezequiel Duran, followed by a Jake Burger walk, loaded the bases and spelled an end to his night. 

Brent Headrick came on to strike out a pinch-hitting Sam Haggerty to get out of the jam. Headrick, making his 19th appearance this season, has inherited 13 baserunners and has not allowed any to score. The most by a pitcher without allowing a run this season. (h/t @Katie Sharp)

Rodriguez pitched 4.2 innings (94 pitches/55 strikes), allowing three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out just two. 

-The Yankees got one of those runs back in a hurry thanks to a one-out double by Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger following with a double of his own, that nearly missed being a two-run homer. 

Ryan McMahon would tie the game at 3-3 in the second on a two-run shot off of deGrom on the eighth pitch of the AB. The blast went 359 feet. Over his last 12 games, McMahon is hitting .324 with four extra-base hits and seven RBI. He finished 2-for-3 on Tuesday. 

-Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a 413-foot blast off of deGrom in the sixth to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. New York added on in the seventh after McMahon and Jose Caballero singled, Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs and runners on the corners. Bellinger made the Rangers pay, lining a double to right field and plating two to put the Yankees up 6-3.

DeGrom had his moments against the Yankees, but he allowed six runs on seven hits (two home runs) and one walk across 6.1 innings while striking out seven. 

Paul Goldschmidt, starting at first base for the injured Ben Rice, homered in the eighth to put the Yanks up 7-3. 

-The Yankees used four relievers to lock down the win. Tim Hill struggled a bit in the seventh, allowing two hits and only recording one out, but Fernando Cruz picked up the final two outs to come away unscathed. But Cruz faltered in the eighth, allowing three of the four batters he faced to reach. David Bednar was brought in to get out of the bases-loaded jam, and the Yankees' closer struck out Corey Seager and got Josh Jung to pop out. 

Here's how the relievers did on Tuesday...

• Headrick: 1.1 IP, 3 K
• Hill: 0.1 IP, 2 H
• Cruz: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
• Bednar: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K

Game MVP: Headrick and Bednar

The Yankees' bullpen was mostly good, but Headrick and Bednar got out of jams that could have sunk New York.

Highlights

Cody Bellinger barely misses out on a home run, but brings in Aaron Judge for an RBI double pic.twitter.com/ZGxRhnHiWb

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 5, 2026

Ryan McMahon ties it with a 2-run homer! 💣 pic.twitter.com/KZmUHzlF9k

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 5, 2026

JAZZ! 🎷

Yankees take the lead! pic.twitter.com/JaS8TrTIy5

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 6, 2026

Belli extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/KIFOeHq3jg

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 6, 2026

Paul Goldschmidt tacks on another with a solo shot! pic.twitter.com/7NV1lp1KjZ

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 6, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Rangers continue their three-game set on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Will Warren (4-0, 2.39 ERA) will take the mound against Nathan Eovaldi (3-4, 4.76 ERA). 

The Athletics were back in the City of Brotherly Love today to start a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen Bank Park. Luis Severino took the mound for the A’s this afternoon against Cristopher Sánchez for Philadelphia.

Severino worked his way in and out of trouble in the first two innings but escaped both without giving up a run. But the leadoff hitter in the third, Bryce Harper, homered for the eighth time this season to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

Headed into the bottom of the fifth, Sánchez has held the A’s to one hit, no walks and has logged five K’s. Scott Barlow replaced Luis Severino in the bottom of the sixth. Severino’s final line was 5.0 innings, one earned run on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three. In the top of the seventh, Thomas and Gelof led off with back-to-back base hits. But with two outs, Darell Hernaiz struck out swinging to end the threat. Mark Leiter Jr. replaced Scott Barlow in the seventh. Trea Turner led off with a double to left field and after a Harper walk, Adolis García drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center. Brandon Marsh singled to right, to drive Harper to third with two outs. J.T. Realmuto doubled to left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, scoring Harper and Marsh, and chasing Leiter Jr. Tyler Ferguson replaced Leiter, and on his second pitch, Bryson Stott homered to deep right center. That brought the score to 6-0. Ferguson continued to show why he belongs in the minors, giving up another run in the seventh after a double by Justin Crawford and a single by Turner, making it 7-0. But the Phillies weren’t done in the bottom of the eighth, when Harper hit his second homer of the game to clear the bases and make it 9-0.

That was all for Sánchez who was totally dominant tossing eight scoreless innings, giving up three hits and one walk while striking out ten. Jhoan Duran replaced him and quickly loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. Wynns struck out for the second out of the inning leaving it up to Hernaiz to get the A’s on the board. He walked to drive in Colby Thomas for what would be the only run of the night for the A’s.