Worldwide Sports News

Left-hander Drew Pomeranz has elected free agency.

If you want to know why I don’t do Dominican Summer League recaps, among the many reasons is that Cubs Blue lost to Pirates Gold today 21-17. Cubs Blue drew 18 walks and issued 11 of them.

Iowa Cubs

Rained out. Doubleheader on Saturday in Gwinnett.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies tossed out the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Angels), 4-3.

Luis Martinez-Gomez just dominated the Trash Panda. Martinez-Gomez pitched six innings and allowed two runs on two hits. Both runs scored on a home run and one of them was unearned. But Martinez-Gomez struck out a career-high 12 batters and walked no one. His career high for strikeouts before tonight was just seven. He blew past that.

Kenyi Perez relieved Martinez-Gomez to start the seventh and gave up the one-run lead after a double, a bunt and a sacrifice fly. But Perez got the win when the Smokies came back in the eighth. Perez’s final line was one run on one hit over one inning. He did not have a strikeout or a walk.

Tyler Ras retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. He also did not strike anyone out.

Right fielder Carter Trice hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to give the Smokies the lead for good. It was Trice’s 12th home run this year. Trice also had an RBI double in the top of the first inning. Trice went 2 for 4.

Center fielder Alex Ramírez went 2 for 5 with a double. He scored once.

Here’s Trice’s RBI double and an RBI single for Andy Garriola, who was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Trice’s home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs made boots out of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 9-8 in 11 innings.

Starter Alfredo Romero went 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. One of the two runs was unearned. Romero struck out five, walked one and hit one batter.

Nate Williams gave up two runs in the top of the 11th, but got the win when South Bend struck back for three runs in the bottom of the inning. Williams gave up two runs on one hit over one inning. One of the runs was unearned, naturally. Williams walked two and struck out one.

Catcher Justin Stransky singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Stransky went 2 for 5 with a walk and two runs scored. He also stole a base.

Earlier in the 11th, left fielder Kade Snell had a key RBI double. He then scored the winning run on Stransky’s hit. Snell went 1 for 5.

First baseman Michael Carico hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. It was his first home run for South Bend and eighth overall. Carico was 1 for 4 with a walk and he scored twice.

Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn went 3 for 5 with a walk and four RBI.

Center fielder Kane Kepley was 1 for 2 with three walks and he reached on catcher’s interference. Kepley also stole a base. He scored two runs.

Carico’s home run.

You need to watch this two-run single by Hartshorn and how Stransky leaps the catcher to avoid the tag.

Terrific defense from shortstop Angel Cepeda.

Snell’s big double.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans split a doubleheader with the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers), winning game one 2-1 in eight innings and losing game two 2-1.

Game one of the doubleheader was scoreless through seven innings. Starter David Avitia pitched four innings, giving up just three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

David Bracho did not allow a hit over the next three innings, but he did walk three batters. Bracho didn’t strike anyone out.

After the Pelicans scored two runs in the top of the eighth, Yoendris Gonzalez gave up one unearned run on two hits in the bottom of the eight for the save. Gonzalez struck out one.

Shortstop Alexis Hernandez singled home the second run in the top of the eighth. He was 1 for 4.

Left fielder Derik Alcantara went 2 for 3.

Braylon Myers started game two and gave up one run on three hits over four innings. Myers struck out six and walked one.

Sam Mettert threw the final two innings, allowed a run on four hits, and got the loss. Mettert struck out two and walked no one.

Center fielder Ethan Conrad went 1 for 3 with an RBI double in the first inning in game two.

Catcher Ivan Cespedes was 2 for 3.

Kyle Tucker hammered the Mets, then said nice things about them. 

The slumping slugger, whom the Mets went after in free agency, homered and had two hits in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win at Citi Field on Friday night. 

“They’re great people over there. I had [Troy Snitker], their hitting coach, when I was in Houston. A few familiar faces over there,” Tucker said when asked about the Mets’ pursuit in the winter. “I think they have some really good players. Hasn’t necessarily worked out how they had hoped or wanted to have the season go, but it kind of happens sometimes. 

“It’s always a tough decision, trying to figure out where to go. I just felt comfortable coming out to LA. Everything’s been great since.” 

Tucker wound up signing a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers, $20 million more than the Mets offered. 

Early on, he hasn’t been worth the money. He was dropped in the batting order to seventh in the series opener, and has a slash line of .240/.333/.371 with a pedestrian .704 OPS.

He has only eight homers after averaging 26.8 over the previous five seasons. 

Posturing or an indication the Mets are planning to keep their catchers? 

In his press conference Friday, president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked about Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens being involved in potential trades. 

“Without commenting on any specific player or approach to any specific player, catching is really important,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to have two really good ones.” 

The Post’s Jon Heyman has reported that the Mets are willing to move the 24-year-old Alvarez for the right price. Alvarez and Torrens are under team control beyond this season. 

Ahead of his Hall of Fame induction this weekend, Carlos Beltrán revealed that Mets officials talked to him about managing the team after firing Carlos Mendoza, but he declined the opportunity. Stearns didn’t add much on the talks that two sides had. 

“I love having Carlos as a special assistant, he does a great job,” Stearns said. “I’m really excited for him and his family about what they’re about to experience this weekend. It’s very well-deserved.” 

Beltrán has served as a Mets special assistant for the last four seasons. 

Former Mets closer Edwin Díaz missed his new team’s return to his old home. He is on a rehabilitation assignment after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right throwing elbow in April. … Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie outfielder with two assists since Juan Lagares in 2013. … Actress Emma Stone was in the Mets dugout during batting practice to film a scene for her new movie, “The Catch.” It looks like Juan Soto has a cameo in the film. 

While a regulation MLB game is nine innings, it can take just one inning to change the entire landscape of a game. Unfortunately for the White Sox, they were on the bad end of an inning that was more horrifying than the recent Backrooms movie.

It was an odd game that had the good vibes flowing from the very beginning. The White Sox took advantage of wild Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti from the jump and put up three runs before the Astros could find a trash can to take advantage of. The White Sox would add on two more runs in the fifth thanks to a rally started by “small ball” walks/wild pitches/singles.

It appeared that nothing could stop the White Sox from taking another step closer to the AL Central crown — until the game turned around so quick it may have just gave all 28,657 in attendance whiplash.

Down 5-0, the Houston Astros dropped a snowman on the White Sox in the sixth inning. Of the 11 Astros who strolled to the plate and eventually ended up reaching base, nine were due to either a single, walk, or a hit batter. It wasn’t like Davis Martin and Bryan Hudson were throwing meatballs down the plate that were getting blasted to Hammond, they just couldn’t buy an out. Nevertheless, it was an incredibly surprising development, especially with Martin on the hill. After allowing just three hits over the first five innings, he allowed three hits and hit a batter in the sixth inning alone before he was yanked for Hudson.

While Martin’s meltdown alone was bad enough, it only got worse with Hudson having a complete blow up. Much like Martin, Hudson has been solid most of the year, but had an awful night; the southpaw could only get two outs while giving up four earned runs in the process.

Eventually and improbably, Seranthony Domínguez got the White Sox out of the inning. But much like going out after 2 a.m., when you have three separate pitchers throwing in the same inning, nothing good can result. The Astros onslaught stunned the crowd, and it’s hard to blame the offense for looking shellshocked the rest of the night.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, there wasn’t really much action after that sixth inning. Fortunately, because the South Siders didn’t get embarrassed any worse, but also unfortunately because it was truly that one inning that led to Chicago’s demise. It was a weird change from a team that hasn’t let too many games get away this year.

With a Cleveland Guardians loss, this 9-5 disappointment was more of a “no harm, no foul” situation. Even so, it still sucks to see a perfectly good win, and chance to gain another game atop the AL Central, go to waste due to one inning.

Out of all the sad South Side fans, my heart goes out to our SSS colleague Hannah Filippo, as not only did she have to watch the loss, but she also started Davis Martin in her fantasy league. You’ll get them next time, Hannah!

MVP
Braden Montgomery: 3-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K

Runners-Up
Chase Meidroth: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, K
Trevor Richards: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Cold Cat
Bryan Hudson: 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, BB, K, LOSS (3-3)

Runners-Up
Davis Martin: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 K
Drew Romo: 0-for-3, .127 AVG and .515 OPS on the season

As you might have heard, the 2026 Seattle Mariners have struggled against left-handed pitching. Dominic Canzone, meanwhile, has been having a tremendous year at the plate. These things are related.

For most of the season, the Mariners have opted to platoon Canzone, preferring to use right-handed hitters such as Rob Refsnyder, Víctor Robles, and Mitch Garver in his place when the Mariners face a southpaw. This wasn’t an indefensible idea, with Canzone coming into the season with both a wOBA and xwOBA 50 points lower against lefties than righties.

But the team’s struggles against lefties have been so immense, their depth so depleted, and Canzone so hot, that he’s started playing everyday lately. The results have been mixed.

Tonight, it looked like a bad choice. In the first inning, Canzone struck out on three straight sliders from MacKenzie Gore. In the third, he ran to first so slowly (correctly, still being cautious with a hamstring) that he got doubled up on a 68-mph ground ball. When he got to face Gore for the third time, he barely got a piece of a hanging slider, then swung at a sinker a few inches above the zone and was quickly down 0-2.

That was an important moment in the game. Bryce Miller fell behind early when he threw a splitter that didn’t split to the Rangers second batter, Wyatt Langford, that was sent to the left field seats. The Mariners got that run back in a very small-ball second inning that featured good at bats from Josh Naylor, Cole Young, Weston Wilson(?), and Colt Emerson(!). But Miller just kept on struggling.

Miller never really let things get out of hand, and he was even sitting 96 for the first half of his outing. He ended up finishing his 5.1 innings with zero strikeouts, which is a first for his career, but he only walked one. And while he gave up a ton of air contact, though it came with just a single barrel. Even the two-run home run he gave up to Jake Burger wasn’t exactly a bad pitch, a 96-mph fastball above the zone. Burger just muscled it and it somehow kept carrying. It was certainly a night of bad results for Miller, but in a way that struck me as kind of fluky. His velo is down from his outstanding start to the season, when he was sitting 98, but he’s still been basically fine lately.

Nevertheless, that Burger tater brought the score to 3-1 entering the fifth inning. Emerson and Arozarena started the inning off with a pair of lead-off singles. A Julio fly out left two on and one out for Canzone, where he fell into that 0-2 hole.

But from there, Canzone fouled off a tough slider low and away. He laid off an uncompetitive four-seamer, and then went back to work, fouling off a tough sinker just above the zone. Buying those extra pitches was almost for naught, as a slider tumbled toward him breaking, breaking, breaking out of the zone. But Canzone extended his arms and flicked it. All that extra muscle he’s put on over the past couple years allowed him to take a pitch he barely got a piece of all the way to the wall in left-center field.

That double tied the game at 3-3, and it felt like the Mariners were in the driver’s seat. I will not buy into Dominic Canzone no matter how good he looks. At this point, I can’t abandon that position without everyone blaming me if he starts struggling. But Dommy Dearest still gets tonight’s Sun Hat Award for that very fine piece of hitting off a lefty.

However, with a four-game series and a seven-man bullpen, Dan Wilson opted to let a struggling Miller try to pitch the sixth inning. But he got just one out before giving up a single and a walk. Wilson went to Eduard Bazardo, who basically did his job, getting a pair of weakly hit balls. Unfortunately, both those balls found grass. That and a well-executed bunt got the score to 5-3 before Bazardo got out of the inning.

Colt Emerson got one of those runs back in the ninth, thanks to a well-struck double off a lethal lefty, Jacob Latz. He was moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch. It was one of two hits plus a walk, all off lefties for Emerson tonight. Cole Young also had a three-hit night. But with the team 51-53, these things just don’t cleanse the palate of a loss the way they would in April.

Blue Jays 4 Red Sox 6

So it was a better effort than we’ve seen of late.

Kuzuma Okamoto hit a three-run home run in the seventh (which got us back into the game). Andrés Giménez hit a sac fly in the eighth (which tied the game). That was homer 23 for Okamoto, setting a new Japanese Rookie home run record.

We had a bunch of hits, 9 with 3 walks.

Daulton Varsho had 3 hits (really good to see some hard contact from him). Vlad and Okamoto had two each. Kirk had a hit and a walk and Nathan Lukes had the other hit.

Clements (0 for 4), Springer (0 for 4, walk), Schneider (0 for 2, k), Urías (0 for 3, k), and Straw and Piñango shared an 0 for 4 (Lips with 2 strikeouts).

We were 2 for 8 with RISP.’.

We had a tough time, early in the game:

• In the first: Clement reached on an error to start the game. After two outs, Springer and Kirk each walked to load the bases. But Schneider struck out (he took a two-strike change up down the middle for strike three).
• In the second: Varsho singled to lead off but was stranded there.
• In the fourth: We had two on (Kirk and Varsho singles) with one out, but Urías (pop out) and Straw (line out) ended the fun.
• In the fifth: With one out, Vlad singled and Kazuma doubled. But Springer popped out and Kirk flied out.

On the pitching side:

Trey Yesavage wasn’t great. 4 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned, 1 walks with 9 strikeouts. He only had three outs that weren’t strikeouts. But he gave up 2 home runs.

Mason Fluharty pitched a clean inning with 2 strikeouts.

Braydon Fisher gave up a couple of hits, a walk and a run. in the sixth.

Jeff Hoffman gave up a double, got a ground out, walked a guy, got a fly out. Then he gave up a hardish line drive right to Vlad, who had it go off his glove for an error. Had Hoffman run to first (like he should have, they still would have got the out, but he didn’t. Bases loaded. But a ground out ended the inning.

CJ Van Eyk got the eighth. Tough spot for the rookie. Single. Pop out. Fly ball to the wall in left. The back to back doubles to left scored two. On the second Piñango was back at the wall and then Lips decided to play it off the wall. It hit low enough off the wall that he could have made the catch. But he managed to turn it into a double, and the Red Sox were up by two. Left field is a tough spot in Fenway, but he really ought to have made the catch. A single ended Van Eyk’s night.

Adam Macko finished off the inning, but it was too late.

We did have a chance in the ninth. Vlad walk to start the inning. But Okamoto (strikeout), Springer (fly out) and Kirk (strikeout) ended the hope.

Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.20 WPA), Okamoto (0.15) and Lukes (0.12). Vlad gets an honourable mention for 2 for 4 with a walk.

Other Award: Eyk (-0.34, tough spot, and could have used some defensive help), Yesavage (-0.12), Springer (-0.17), Schneider (-0.11) and Urías (-0.09). Let’s give one to Lips too (-0.08, plus the bad play in left).

A much better loss than the last few, but still a loss.

Tomorrow is a 4:00 Eastern start time. I hate late afternoon weekend starts. Dylan Cease (6-5, 2.67) vs. Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48).

PHILADELPHIA — Since June 18, only the Mariners have scored fewer runs than the Yankees and this past week has been especially rough, with the Yankees putting up more than three runs just once in their last seven games.

That includes Friday night’s 1-0 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, when Paul Goldschmidt provided the game’s only run with a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth.

And even in victory, Goldschmidt acknowledged the lineup’s issues.

“We haven’t performed up to the level we think we’re capable of and would like to,’’ Goldschmidt said. “We need to do better than we did tonight. Give [Philadelphia lefty Jesús ] Luzardo and their bullpen credit. We’re trying to do everything we can. The results definitely, offensively, have not been there the last few weeks and we know that. Guys are working on it in the cage, talking about it as a group and making adjustments individually and as a group. We’re not content with how we’ve played.”

It’s likely easier to make such admissions after a win — and the Yankees have won four of their last five after another gem by Cam Schlittler in Philadelphia.

But as the Yankees await — they hope — Aaron Judge’s return from a fractured rib, they know they can’t put such a heavy burden on their pitching staff, as Schlittler, Brent Headrick and David Bednar were given no margin for error against the Phillies.

“Everyone is capable of a little more,’’ Aaron Boone said before the game. “We’re all going through it a little bit together. As a result, as a team over the last month, we haven’t been as good as we expect offensively. We all need to get going more.”

The evidence is there, as the Yankees have gone consecutive games without a homer twice in their last eight games.

The last time that happened even once was May 30-31.

They’ve been held to six or fewer hits in three straight games, with just three on Friday: Goldschmidt’s home run and a pair of singles.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

The issues with the offense picked up less than three weeks after Judge was sidelined by the fractured rib, as players naturally started to expand the zone in an unconscious effort to make up for the slugger’s absence.

It hasn’t worked and it’s helped result in the team striking out a dozen times in two of the last three games.

Goldschmidt, who’s been thrust into a larger role than anyone expected with the absence of Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, has slumped of late.

He entered Friday in an 8-for-63 rut, with just two doubles and a homer in his previous 19 games — all while striking out 24 times in that stretch.

But he was able to get a 2-0 sinker that didn’t dip enough and hit an opposite-field shot to right.

“You’ve got to keep going,’’ Goldschmidt said. “Every time you step in the box, you’ve got to stay confident.”

On Friday, that one swing enabled the Yankees to win.

Like so many of the infuriatingly feeble losses I’ve had the pleasure of writing about so far this season, this will be short.

Cantillo was bad, and got beat around by the Rays. Infuriatingly, it wasn’t any of the good Rays hitters that did him in. It was everyone else. Ryan Vilade hit a 94 mph 2-run homer, Cedric Mullins hit a triple, and Johnny DeLuca, Ben Williamson, and Nick Fortes all recorded RBIs.

Cantillo didn’t get out of the 4th. Festa was brought in to relieve him with the bases loaded.

Herrin gave up a run. Armstrong gave up 3 (2 of which were actually given up by Gaddis on a 3-run homer), and Gaddis “1”.

The lineup was similarly atrocious today. 4 Guardians with a hit, 3 with a multi-hit game. DeLauter (1/3, BB), Rocchio, Arias, Hedges. Two XBH among those 4 (Rocchio, Hedges). Two walks (DeLauter, Hedges).

At least Hedges had a good game! 2/3, 2 RBI, HR, BB.

The Guardians lost 11-3.

Bad.

Bibee vs. Martinez tomorrow.

Cheers at Rate Field turned to boos and a stunned crowd of 28,657 could only shake their collective heads in disbelief as the Astros would erase a five-run deficit in defeating the White Sox by a score of 9-5. 

The night began inauspiciously enough.   The White Sox would send all nine men to the plate in the first inning as Spencer Arrighetti was noticeably bothered and largely out of sync with control issues.    Arrighetti would toss seventeen pitches before finally recording his first out.    He’d allow a pair of hits, pair of walks, while also hitting a pair of batsmen.    This resulted in the bases being loaded up twice with the Sox jumping out to an early 3-0 lead.    

AJ Blubaugh would warm up in the bullpen during the disastrous events, ultimately relieving Arrighetti who would walk off the field prior to starting the 2nd inning with trainer Eric Velazquez during his warmup pitches. Arrighetti’s final stat line:  one inning pitched, two hits allowed, three earned runs and a pair of walks on thirty-three pitches.   Early reports are right foot nerve irritation.   Spencer’s last win was 57 days ago, back on May 28th.   Blubaugh would pitch two scoreless innings of relief.    

In the bottom of the fourth, Kai-Wei Teng escaped unscathed after some early control issues.   Teng would hit Drew Romo and Sam Antonacci but would retire the next three.    However, in the fifth, Teng wouldn’t be as fortunate.   Chicago would extend their lead.     Andrew Benintendi would walk and come around to score on a wild pitch.    Chase Meidroth would bring home Braden Montgomery on an RBI double after Braden reached on a single.    By the time Teng completed the inning, the White Sox had increased their lead to 5-0.    Then the comeback started.    

Houston would come to life in the 6th.    Lamonte Wade’s RBI single started the eight-run blitz, bringing home Yordan Alvarez.    That single would chase starter Davis Martin from the game, and then the flood gates would up.    Bryan Hudson would come on in relief and Christian Walker would clear the bases with a double, cutting the deficit to 5-4.    Cam Smith would get in on the fun with a homer to left field driving in Walker and just like that, the Astros had the lead at 6-5.     Jose Altuve would bring in Pena and after a 4 pitch walk to Lamonte Wade, Alvarez would score again.     All told the Astros would send 14 batters to the plate, placing 8 runs on the board.    

In the 9th inning the Astros would do more damage.    Taylor Trammell would be hit by a pitch, then proceed to steal both 2nd and 3rd. After a walk to Cam Smith, Christian Vazquez would bring Trammell home with a ground-rule RBI double.   

The combination of Sousa, Abreu, Okert and Hader would pitch innings six thru nine in a combined scoreless relief effort.   

Odds & Ends:

After a slow start in July, the Astros have now won 4 in a row and are 8-9 for the month.   

Hit streaks continue for the top of the Astros order.   Yordan Alvarez now has a 10-game hit streak.   Jeremy Pena has posted a 6-game streak of his own.        

7 total batters were hit on Friday Night between the clubs.    

Hunter Brown will look to notch his second win of the year.    First pitch will be 6:10 CDT.     He’ll be opposed by Sean Burke.   

COOPERSTOWN — On Sunday, Cooperstown will welcome Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent and Carlos Beltrán into the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining 281 former major leaguers to receive the induction honor.

New York Yankees southpaw and 2025 Hall of Fame inductee CC Sabathia played multiple seasons with Jones and Beltrán in The Bronx and pitched against Kent many times during his 19 seasons in the big leagues.

“Obviously, great players,” Sabathia said at a Hall of Fame signing event Friday. “You know Hall of Fame-caliber players when you’re playing against them.”

Sabathia especially emphasized Jones’ impact on his career early on.

The two were teammates in 2011 and 2012 during Jones’s short stint with the Yankees at the end of his MLB career.

Now, Jones joins his ex-teammate in the Hall after nine years on the ballot.

“Andruw is someone, I always tell the story, he was an inspiration to me,” Sabathia said. “Having a chance to watch him in the ’96 World Series, I was 16 years old. He was 18, and in my mind, I’m thinking I’m going to be in the big leagues as a teenager, just watching him. So that inspiration I got from him was great, and I’m just excited that he’s here.”

Sabathia was highly complimentary of Beltrán, his teammate from 2014 to 2016, as well.

“ ’Los is probably one of the smartest baseball players I ever played with. Great teammate, very thoughtful, so just excited that both of them are here in Cooperstown, and they definitely deserve it,” Sabathia said.

Now a year into his membership of the game’s greatest brotherhood, Sabathia noted the relationships he has gotten to build through his career and beyond.

“It’s a brotherhood, so understanding that you know the guys before you are looking out for you. … Reggie [Jackson] gave me a bunch of advice,” Sabathia said. “I can name a bunch of guys, but just having a chance to be a part of this brotherhood … if you’re in it long enough, you’re going to get a lot of advice.

“To be able to come up [to Cooperstown] and really enjoy being around the guys … just the whole weekend is great. It’s exciting.”

Sabathia will receive another honor of his own at Yankee Stadium later this season, when the team retires his number 52 to the rafters Sept. 26 and dedicates a plaque to him at Monument Park in center field.

“We’re excited to be part of the Yankee family forever,” Sabathia said. “Having a chance to go to Monument Park is beyond humbling, so just excited to have a chance to, every time I go to the stadium, see my number up there.”

Baseball has stayed in Sabathia’s family.

His son Carsten was recently drafted by the Brewers, his father’s former team.

Milwaukee signed Carsten on Tuesday, a welcome birthday gift for his father.

Sabathia and his fellow Hall of Famers will welcome the three newest members Sunday.