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Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing tapped Shohei Ohtani from behind with his glove, as he passed the two-way superstar putting on his hitting guards at the entrance to the dugout.

By the time of that brief exchange in the fourth inning, the battery was already looking, if not completely dominant, at least more in sync Friday, setting up their team for a 4-3 win against the Padres highlighted by Teoscar Hernández‘s grand slam in the seventh.

As Ohtani held the Padres to three runs through six innings, the battery had a much smoother ride than the previous week.

Ohtani took his at-bat in the sixth but was replaced by pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas in the seventh after feeling something in his right biceps during his final at-bat. He told reporters the move was “precautionary” and that he felt something in the same spot a couple months ago that cleared up relatively quickly.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame that Ohtani won’t be the designated hitter on Saturday.

The last time Rushing caught Ohtani, the pitcher took over pitch-calling after a disastrous second inning against the Twins last week.

“I just overthought last time,” Rushing said in a conversation with The Times on Thursday night. “I was trying to be perfect, and with a guy like that, you don’t have to be perfect. You just need to call the right pitches at the right time and allow his stuff to just beat them naturally. And that’s the plan [Friday]. Whether I call the pitch, he calls the pitch. I want to make sure we’re both convicted in what we’re throwing, and we can execute it to the best of our ability.”

On Friday, Ohtani handed back over pitch-calling duties, communicating with head shakes and nods instead of the PitchCom buttons on his arm.

Ohtani walked the first two batters he faced. But then he struck out three of the next four, escaping the jam down just 1-0, courtesy of an RBI single from Gavin Sheets.

That started a streak of 10 batters who Ohtani retired in order, fanning six of them.

“The best way that I can describe it is, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Rushing said when asked what he’d learned from following along last week. “That’s the way he pitches. ... Trust what you do, trust how good his stuff is, and just go from there.”

Ohtani’s back-to-back strikeouts to end the second inning were a good example. Against left-handed hitting Sung-Mun Song, he threw mostly four-seam fastballs and splitters, finishing off the six-pitch at-bat with a sweeper, according to Statcast.

Against right-handed hitting Rodolfo Durán, Ohtani threw mostly sinkers and sweepers, with one four-seamer mixed in out of seven pitches.

Ohtani eventually relented a second run with two outs in the fourth inning. He fell behind 0-2 in the count to Jackson Merrill, who flipped a strike call with an ABS challenge. Then Merrill hammered a fastball over the plate for a solo homer.

Ohtani successfully navigated traffic to throw a scoreless fifth, but Xander Bogaerts tagged him for an RBI double in the sixth.

Ohtani gave up seven hits for a quality start that wasn’t his cleanest but was enough for the Dodgers to win after Hernández’s blast.

The Dodgers struggled to get anything going against Padres starter Michael King. But he turned the game over to reliever Adrian Morejon with two runners on and no outs in the seventh. Two batters later, Hernández ambushed a first-pitch slider.

Hernández drifted up the first-base line as he watched the ball fly. When it landed, he launched his bat back toward the dugout, and it made it halfway there.

The home run helped dissolve any lingering worries about Rushing and Ohtani’s pairing.

Rushing has been the Dodgers’ primary catcher since June 6, when a neck injury sidelined Will Smith. The Dodgers initially expected the problem to resolve with a day or two of rest. But after stalled progress and an injection to address it, Smith is not expected to return from the injured list until after the All-Star break.

He’s at least progressing through baseball activities. Smith has resumed throwing and took swings on Thursday, Roberts said.

The Dodgers pushed back Ohtani’s start this week from Wednesday against the A’s to Friday against a division rival. The change in schedule likely means he won’t pitch in the All-Star Game.

Read more:Dodgers overcome Roki Sasaki's poor performance to rout Padres

“If you just kind of do the math it would be hard to imagine,” said Roberts, who will also manage the NL All-Star team. “But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet.”

Ohtani is lined up to pitch again next Friday against the Diamondbacks, four days before the All-Star Game. The break from pitching could also benefit his left knee, a problem that seems to have been aggravated by pitching.

“The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time,” Roberts said before the game Friday, “so that’s encouraging for tonight.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On another hot day in Cleveland, the game today started as a pitchers’ duel. The Big Rig and Anthony Kay got off to blazing starts, and it was Anthony Kay who would blink first. After retiring the first 6 hitters in a row to start the game, Gabriel Arias and Austin Hedges would draw back to back walks to start the 3rd inning. Kwan would sacrifice them both to 3rd with a bunt, and an RBI single from Travis Bazzana would plate the first run of the game for the Guards. That would be all they got in the inning, as David Fry would ground into a double play.

Gavin Williams would get into a little trouble in the 4th, as the White Sox would get 2 runners on with only one out. He was able to work out of it with a strikeout and a weak grounder to end the inning. The Big Rig would get into trouble again in the 5th. After back to back singles and a sacrifice, the White Sox would get both runners into scoring position with only 1 out. Gavin got a weak ground ball that was unable to score the run from 3rd for the second out of the inning. Unfortunately the Big Rig wouldn’t be able to escape this jam. As the wind began to pick up and blow debris all around the field, and after a hard fought 10 pitch battle with Miguel Vargas, it would be Vargas who would emerge victorious, clobbering a 3 run homer down the left field line. Immediately after, the umpiring crew would call for the tarp, and we would head into a weather delay.

Once we finally got back to action, both offenses would stay silent until the bottom half of the 7th inning. The Guards would get 2 runners on base with walks from Hoskins and Rocchio. Then with 2 outs, Austin Hedges would come through with an infield single on a ball in the hole between the SS and 3rd base, and Hoskins would score after the ball was booted a little bit by Colson Montgomery. Next, Steven Kwan would come to the plate with the score now 3-2. Kwan was able to get a soft liner down the left field line to drive in the tying run. That was all for the Guards in the 7th, as Bryan Hudson was able to strike out Travis Bazzana to end the inning.

After the Guardians tied the game, both Colin Holderman and Cade Smith would throw 1-2-3 8th and 9th innings. But despite getting a runner on base in each inning, the Guards couldn’t scratch a run across, and we were headed to extras.

The Guardians would send Erik Sabrowski out for the 10th. He would strike out the first two hitters and retire the last on a flyout to right field, preserving the 3-3 tie and giving the Guards offense a chance to win if they could get the free baserunner home in the bottom half of the inning. It was Travis Bazzana to lead it off with Steven Kwan on as the free baserunner. He would single on a hard ground ball to left, but the left fielder was playing in, so Kwan could only get to 3rd. It was down to Khalil Watson, who, with the infield in, smashed a ground ball right back up the middle. For the second night in a row, the Guardians would walk off the White Sox and take back sole possession of 1st place in the Central Division!

The Guards look to clinch a win in the 4 game series Saturday night at 7:10. It’ll be Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians up against Sean Burke for the White Sox.

Teoscar Hernández capitalized off an error and launched a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to lead the Dodgers (58-31) to a 4-3 comeback win over the Padres (43-44) Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The dramatic blast was Hernandez’s eighth home run of the season, erasing a 3-0 deficit and securing the win.

It was an uncharacteristic shaky start for Shohei Ohtani on the mound. A four-pitch walk to Tatis Jr. started the game for Ohtani who missed the strike zone with his first six pitches of the game. Another walk to Jake Cronenworth immediately gave the Padres the opportunity to get on the board quickly.

The Padres, once again, scored early. Gavin Sheets smacked a high sweeper to right field for a RBI single. Ohtani ended up striking out three in the first inning, but the Padres took an early 1-0 lead.

Ohtani and Dalton Rushing settled down nicely and had collected seven strikeouts through the first three innings.

Michael King was perfect through three innings, using his sinker and changeup to fool batters.

Jackson Merrill took advantage of an overturned strike call and homered against Ohtani with two outs in the fourth to make it 2-0 Padres.

Freddie Freeman’s two-out single in the bottom of the fourth was the first hit the Dodgers mustered off King. The Dodgers got nothing to show for it after Mookie Betts flied out to end the inning and erase the base runner.

Max Muncy snagged a Machado grounder at third to get the final out in the fifth after the Padres had runners at the corners with two outs.

The Dodgers got the tying run to the plate against King in the bottom of the sixth, but Freeman grounded out to end the inning and strand another two base runners.

Kyle Hurt took over for Ohtani in the seventh, and a double play helped the reliever escape without allowing a run. Ohtani wasn’t involved in the decision with a line of: 6 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 9 K (110 pitches).

The Dodgers adjusted at the plate against King and got their first two men aboard in the bottom of the seventh to chase the Padres ace from the game. Things unraveled for the Friars after they took out King. Adrian Morejon, who had been lights out coming into the game, got ambushed by the Dodgers offense.

Coming off a four-hit game, Tucker looked to get that big hit the Dodgers needed all night. Betts walked, and Muncy singled. The Dodgers got a lucky break when Tucker reached safely on a bumbling error by Cronenworth which ended up to be very costly.

Hernández brought the early 4th of July fireworks to Chavez Ravine with a monstrous grand slam to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. It was the first home run for Hernandez since returning to action after missing a month with a hamstring injury.

Edgardo Henriquez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth to keep it a one-run game. Henriquez has been a key part of this Dodgers bullpen that has been particularly effective of late. Opposing hitters had a .154 batting average against him in June.

Dave Roberts gave Tanner Scott the ball in the top of the ninth. Tanner struck out Samad Taylor, Miguel Andujar, and Tatis Jr. to slam the door on the Padres who have now lost seven straight.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Jackson Merrill (10); Teoscar Hernandez (8)

WP — Kyle Hurt (3-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP — Adrian Morejon (6-2): 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2, walks, no strikeouts

S — Tanner Scott (12): Struck out the side in the top of the 9th

Up next

Fireworks are sure to explode during the third of four games between the NL West rivals on 4th of July (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA), with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-5, 2.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) on the mound for the Dodgers and Griffin Canning (1-5, 7.09 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) for the Padres.

Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0

Christmas Beef Wellington: Víctor Robles, +0.11 WPA
American attempts at poutine: Colt Emerson, -0.21 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day

Recap

On a huge sports day—a near-upset that would have made FIFA history between Argentina and Cape Verde, Novak Djokovic tying a record at Wimbledon, the Cardinals clobbering the rival Cubs 17-1, Tour de France regulations put in place due to extreme heat, Taylor Swift’s wedding—this late-night match-up between the lowly Red Sox and Angels falls somewhere like the 18^th most important sports story today.

Besides all that, it’s the start of the holiday weekend. But for all the night owls who tuned in, it was a thoroughly enjoyable game!

Jake Bennett proved he belongs and Romy González showed he’s back. Bennett quickly got out to a confident start, with a 1-2-3 first inning; he repeated that feat in each frame through the fourth, not allowing a hit until the fifth and never giving up a walk. I was surprised that Chad Tracy brought him out for the eighth, not because he was struggling—he most definitely wasn’t—but because he’d never gone that deep in a game before. Sure enough, he was a little gassed and began to falter, giving up a home run, a single, a wild pitch, then another single. Two runs scored in the inning but this wasn’t indicative of his night.

In the ninth, Aroldis Chapman broke Hoyt Wilhelm’s record for most strikeouts by a reliever—not a closer, but all relievers.

As for the offense, the Sox hitters were as confident as their pitchers, with nearly everyone getting at least one hit. Rafaela, Abreu, Contreras, Durbin, and Duran were on the basepaths multiple times. Though Duran didn’t have a hit, he had a nice sac fly, laid down a sacrifice bunt, and advanced on a fielding error.

Fire up the grill, get the drinks on ice, and stay cool over the weekend; the Sox are doing their part to give us something to celebrate.

Studs

Aroldis Chapman

Chapman went into the record books for most strikeouts by a reliever, besting Hoyt Wilhelm with #1,364. He even grinned for the occasion. Nice work.

Jake Bennett

He held the Angels hitless until the fifth. With a lot of first-pitch strikes, soft contact, and short at-bats, he cruised through seven. Good for him, good for us, good for the bullpen. His final line doesn’t quite do justice to how good he looked out there tonight. 7.2 IP, 5H, 2R, 6K, 1 BB.

Romy González

The guy we’ve been pining for all season has arrived. He announced himself with a triple in the first inning and overall went 3-4 with 2 RBI.

Caleb Durbin

He went 1-3 with a home run, and scored another run after getting on base with a walk. He had the Defensive Play of the Game too. Nice night.

Dud

Nate Eaton

Hey, it happens. He was the only hitter to not reach base, going 0-5 with 3 K’s.

Play of the Game

In 2026, we haven’t often been able to consider several potential Plays of the Game; it’s been sparse all season long. Tonight I considered a few different candidates, including Durbin’s homer, but I’m going with Romy’s triple that put the Sox on the board in the second. Romy showed he was back, and said he’s feeling good. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many notable plays that he’ll record for the Sox for the rest of the way.

I’m also awarding a Defensive Play of the Game, which was this sweet little grab by Durbin.

Amid absolute pandemonium at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, an unexpected cause for concern arose in the home dugout.

Shortly after completing a six-inning, three-run start as a pitcher against the San Diego Padres, Shohei Ohtani was removed from the game as a hitter in the bottom of the seventh, when Miguel Rojas pinch-hit for him shortly after a go-ahead grand slam from Teoscar Hernández in the Dodgers’ come-from-behind 4-3 win.

The reason for Ohtani’s removal: Tightness in his right bicep he had felt during his final at-bat as a hitter in the game.

“Just kinda tightened up on him,” manager Dave Roberts said.

On the bright side, both Ohtani and Roberts described the superstar’s exit as a “precautionary” decision, and downplayed the potential severity of the injury.

However, Roberts said Ohtani would still be out of the lineup on Saturday, to “give him a day to fully recover, treat it up.”

“We’ll just go from there,” the skipper added.

Ohtani did not appear to be laboring physically in his two-way performance Friday, even as he grinded through an 110-pitch effort –– which included nine strikeouts, but also nine baserunners allowed (seven hits, two walks), to leave him with a 1.79 ERA on the season and a mediocre 4.38 ERA over his last four starts.

However, during his final at-bat in the bottom of the sixth, he said in Japanese that there “was something that concerned me a little with my biceps” after lifting a flyout to right field.

He said it only impacted his swing, and that he felt no problem while pitching.

Ohtani later revealed that he had dealt with similar discomfort in batting practice earlier this season, but noted “it got better relatively quickly then, so I think that will be the case again this time.”

“You know what, [that instance] was so benign, that I didn’t hear about it until tonight,” Roberts added when asked about Ohtani’s previous bicep issue. “It didn’t take him out of playing.”

Ohtani’s absence didn’t put a damper on the Dodgers’ comeback Friday, when they overcame a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh.

After six dominant innings from Padres ace Michael King to start the night, the Dodgers finally knocked him out of the game on a leadoff walk from Mookie Betts and single from Max Muncy. Then, they got a fortuitous break to load the bases against reliever Adrian Morejon, with Kyle Tucker’s would-be double-play grounder getting booted by Jake Cronenworth at second base.

Just like that, Hernández stepped up representing the go-ahead run.

And on the first pitch he saw –– a hanging slider over the plate –– the veteran slugger blasted a grand slam that unleashed perhaps the loudest reaction from the crowd all season.

Hernández chucked his bat with an emphatic flip, then rounded the bases as Chavez Ravine shook in celebration, helping the Dodgers –– even without Ohtani at the end –– extend their division lead over the Padres to 14 games.

“We believe in each other, we know what we can do, we know the players that we have, and we’re never out of the game,” Hernández said, after keying the Dodgers’ second stunning comeback against San Diego in as many nights. “That’s our mentality every day that we go into the field. It happens to keep showing every single day.”

What it means

The initial belief might be that Ohtani’s injury is nothing to worry about.

But it is yet another reminder of the toll that comes with his two-way workload.

Roberts acknowledged that fact, and even left the door open to not having Ohtani make his final pitching start before the All-Star break, which is scheduled for next Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important,” Roberts said, “given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”

Still, Roberts also called Ohtani a “quick healer” who “finds a way to get back.”

And though Ohtani will get the day off on Saturday, he already felt on Friday night that he would be able to take the field if the team wanted.

“It’s not as if you can be in perfect condition every time you play,” he said.

Who’s hot

Ohtani’s injury aside, the moment of the night was Hernández’s go-ahead blast in the seventh.

The homer was Hernández’s first since returning from a month-long hamstring injury earlier this week.

It was also the best sign yet that he hasn’t lost the hot swing he’d found before going on the IL, having hit .325 with 14 RBIs in his final 24 games before getting hurt.

“It’s just a little bit of everything,” Hernández explained of his emotional reaction to Friday’s big fly, which continued with a string of high-fives and fist pumps on his way back to the dugout, plus a sunflower seed shower from teammate and mentee Andy Pages.

“I’m just trying to find the same swing that I had before I got hurt, and at the same time, just do something for the team,” Hernández added. “It happened to be a big swing.”

Who’s not

Even before his biceps injury, Friday hadn’t been Ohtani’s most convincing performance.

His pitching outing was a “quality start” only in the most literal sense of the term –– marred by a pair of leadoff walks that led to a run in the first, a home run to Jackson Merrill on a center-cut fastball in the fourth, and a two-out, run-scoring rally he yielded in the sixth that nearly put the Padres’ lead too far out of reach.

“Good outing,” Roberts called it. “But I think, again, with Shohei, the stuff that he has, he’s just got to be more efficient to get into that seventh inning. And the last few starts, he just hasn’t given himself a chance.”

Ohtani’s bat has quietly cooled off in recent days too, with his 0-for-3 performance on Friday dropping him to 2-for-16 over the last four games.

At the very least, he and catcher Dalton Rushing found better chemistry as batterymates, getting on the same page with their pitch calling (the majority of which was done by Rushing) after their glaring miscommunication in Minnesota last week.

Also, as Ohtani noted, he still “left the game in a place in which we could still hope to win.”

And even without him at the end, Hernández made sure the Dodgers did.

Up next

The Dodgers will try to clinch this four-game series, and grow their monstrous lead in the division even further, in a Fourth of July game on Saturday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-5, 2.67 ERA) faces Padres right-hander Griffin Canning (1-5, 7.09 ERA).

The Yankees optioned Spencer Jones to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Friday's 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Jones, 25, is slashing .233/.317/.370 with two home runs and seven RBI through 30 games this season -- his first in MLB.

He last played in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, posting a 1-for-2 line with an eighth-inning single.

Jones debuted May 8 and was with the Yankees until being optioned May 22 to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees recalled him June 5, and he slashed .265/.345/.469 with two home runs and five RBI in 20 games.

In 43 games this season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jones has slashed .269/.378/.571 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI.

A Yankee team on the hunt for more bullpen help won’t be getting it from one of their top prospects anytime soon. 

The team announced Friday night that Carlos Lagrange, who was in the process of being converted to a reliever for the rest of this season, was diagnosed with a capsular strain of his right shoulder. 

The 23-year-old won’t throw for approximately six weeks — well after the Aug. 3 trade deadline. 

So instead of potentially joining the bullpen in The Bronx in the coming weeks, Lagrange will be shut down indefinitely, knocking the hard-throwing righty off the list of possible upgrades. 

Before the game, Aaron Boone said it altered the team’s plans “certainly for the short term.” 

Lagrange opened eyes in the spring with his ability to throw 100 mph consistently and the Yankees continue to view him as a starter in the future, but hoped to move him to the pen for the rest of this season as a nasty bullpen arm. 

That process began in early June, with a possible second half promotion to the majors. 

That’s now on hold, very possibly for the rest of the season. 

Lagrange last appeared in a game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. He pitched on two days’ rest and had his worst outing as a reliever, allowing five runs on four hits, as well as a pair of walks, in just two-thirds of an inning. Lagrange averaged 98.8 mph with his fastball and hit 100.9. 

It was Lagrange’s seventh appearance out of the bullpen and second time pitching on two days’ rest. 

Naturally, questions arose about whether the switch led to the shoulder woes. 

“It’s impossible to answer that for sure,’’ Boone said. “We were pretty disciplined and methodical with how we took him into that role. I feel like we were careful with it, but you never know for certain why [it] happens.” 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

It’s no secret why the Yankees were looking to get some help from Lagrange. 

Two of last year’s trade deadline acquisitions who were expected to aid the pen, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, have been huge disappointments, while David Bednar has mostly been solid as closer. 

And if the season had gone according to plan, the Yankees would consider Ryan Weathers as another left-handed option since there would be no room for him in the rotation. 

But they’re waiting for Max Fried to get back from a left elbow bone bruise and now have Carlos Rodón on the IL with left elbow inflammation. 

There was also belief that Luis Gil might thrive out of the pen, but he last pitched on April 26 with the Yankees and then was shut down with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in early May with a shoulder injury. 

He’s resumed throwing, but is a long way from being considered for a role in The Bronx. 

That could leave the Yankees looking for at least a pair of relievers in the next month, and as they proved last year, that’s no easy feat.

J.D. Martinez is not interested in managing the Mets, he told the New York Post's Mike Puma.

"You talk about the toughest job, manager of the New York Mets is the toughest job in baseball right now," Martinez, who cited his "freedom" and work-life balance in explaining the outlook on managing before Friday's  5-3 loss at the Atlanta Braves. "Managing is tough. You have to know how to maneuver pieces, how to handle pitching staffs, all that. I pride myself on the offensive side of things."

The Mets hired Martinez, 38, as a special advisor to baseball operations in March.

"It's a really good group," Martinez said in early April when asked about this year's Mets. "I played with and against a lot of these guys. I have a ton of respect for them."

A six-time All-Star, Martinez ended his career with the Mets. He slashed .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 120 games.

"Every time he speaks I listen -- he has great advice and we relate, so it’s great to have him around and see a familiar face," Mark Vientostold SNY'sSteve Gelbsin early April.

The Mets fired Carlos Mendoza and named Andy Green as the interim manager last Friday.

The Colorado Rockies did not just open their series against the San Francisco Giants with offense. They opened it with a flood.

By the time Gabriel Hughes entered from the bullpen to make his Major League debut in the seventh inning, the Rockies already had a 14-3 lead, 17 hits, three home runs, two triples from Cole Carrigg, a career game from Jake McCarthy, and another strong start from Ryan Feltner. Colorado finished with a 15-3 win, pounding out 18 hits while getting run production from almost every part of the lineup.

The Rockies improved to 36-53, while the Giants fell to 36-51. Colorado is now one game behind San Francisco in the NL West.

Feltner controls the Giants

Ryan Feltner had more than enough run support, but his outing was still one of the biggest reasons the game stayed under control. He gave Colorado six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. The Giants scored in three separate innings, but Feltner avoided free traffic and kept them from building the type of inning that can change a game at Coors Field.

Feltner set the tone immediately by striking out Luis Arráez on a changeup to open the game. That pitch became a major part of the night. Feltner threw the changeup 13 times, generated five whiffs on nine swings, and used it for four strikeouts. Its 56% whiff rate was his best mark of any pitch he used regularly, and it gave him a finishing pitch against a Giants lineup that was forced to cover multiple speeds.

Feltner struck out the side in the second inning, then opened the third by striking out Victor Bericoto for his fourth straight strikeout. San Francisco broke through later in the inning when Arráez doubled and Casey Schmitt followed with a 104 mph RBI single, but Feltner limited the inning to one run and kept Colorado ahead 5-1.

The pitch mix supported the line. Feltner threw his four-seam fastball 36% of the time, averaging 94.2 mph, and it produced four strikeouts with a 53% called-strike-plus-whiff rate. His slider was his second-most used pitch at 31%, generating six whiffs on 15 swings for a 40% whiff rate. Between the four-seamer, slider, and changeup, Feltner got 16 of his 17 whiffs and all nine of his strikeouts.

The fourth inning was the only frame where Feltner helped create the damage. Jung Hoo Lee reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on Feltner’s throwing error before Bryce Eldridge singled him home. Feltner again kept it to one run, then responded with a 1-2-3 fifth that included two more strikeouts.

Rafael Devers got Feltner for the loudest swing against him in the sixth, a 104.1 mph, 432-foot solo homer to right field. Feltner finished the inning by getting Lee to fly out and striking out Willy Adames, ending his night with the Rockies ahead 14-3.

This was not just a run-support start. Feltner missed bats, filled the zone, and leaned on a three-pitch core that gave the Giants very little room to turn contact into sustained pressure.

Rockies jump Webb immediately

Logan Webb never had a chance to settle in. McCarthy attacked the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning and drove a 92.2 mph sinker to right-center for a leadoff home run. The swing came off the bat at 105.1 mph and traveled 440 feet, giving Colorado a lead before Webb recorded an out.

The inning did not stop with the first swing. Mickey Moniak, Hunter Goodman, and June NL Rookie of the Month TJ Rumfield followed with three straight singles, and Cole Carrigg drew a bases-loaded walk. The first five Rockies reached base against Webb, forcing him into immediate damage control. Tyler Freeman then grounded into a double play, but Goodman scored on the play, giving Colorado a 3-0 lead after the first inning.

Colorado’s approach carried into the second, but it showed up in a different way. Kyle Karros singled and stole second before Ezequiel Tovar forced Webb through an 11-pitch at-bat. Tovar fouled off four two-strike pitches, including three fastballs after the count reached 3-2, then drove a cutter to right-center for a two-run home run. The swing came off the bat at 101.7 mph and traveled 392 feet, pushing the Rockies’ lead to 5-0.

The third inning showed the same problem for Webb. Carrigg opened the inning with a triple to right field, and Edouard Julien brought him home on a fielder’s choice. Tovar later added a single, and McCarthy followed with an RBI single to right field before stealing second. By the end of the third, the Rockies had scored seven runs on 11 hits against Webb and had forced him into traffic in all three innings.

That was the best version of Colorado’s offense against a starter. McCarthy punished the first pitch he saw. Tovar won a long at-bat and still got to damage. Carrigg added pressure with speed and extra-base contact. The Rockies were not just swinging early; they were forcing Webb to execute in different counts and punishing him when he did not.

The data matched the result. Webb allowed 11 hits and seven earned runs in three innings, and the Rockies produced eight hard-hit balls against him. He generated only eight whiffs on 43 swings, a 19% whiff rate, with a 17% called-strike-plus-whiff rate. Colorado put 17 balls in play against Webb, and 11 of them became hits.

Webb leaned on his cutter more than any other pitch, throwing it 39% of the time, but the Rockies handled it. They collected three hits on five balls in play against the cutter, with two hard-hit balls and a 95.3 mph average exit velocity. The sinker was also a problem from the first pitch, with McCarthy’s leadoff homer setting the tone.

By the time San Francisco went to the bullpen in the fourth, Colorado had already built a 7-2 lead and forced the Giants into a game that was no longer being played on Webb’s terms.

Rockies turn it into a blowout in the fifth

Matt Gage gave San Francisco its first clean inning in the fourth, but the reset did not last. The Rockies came back in the fifth with the same pressure they had created against Webb, and this time they turned a comfortable lead into a blowout.

The inning started with a walk from Julien, followed by singles from Karros and Tovar. That brought McCarthy back to the plate with the bases loaded, and he delivered the swing that put the game away. McCarthy drove a grand slam to right-center for his second home run of the night, pushing Colorado’s lead to 11-2 and giving him a career-high six RBI. It marked McCarthy’s second career grand slam, the first of which came on May 7 against the Mets.

Goodman kept the inning going with a double to left, and Rumfield followed with a walk. The Giants went to Ryan Walker, but the change did not stop the inning. Carrigg drove in both runners with his second triple of the game, then Freeman brought Carrigg home with an RBI single. Colorado scored seven runs in the inning and stretched the lead to 14-2.

The inning also showed how complete the offensive night had become. McCarthy supplied the biggest swings, but the fifth included a Julien walk, a Karros single, a Tovar single, a Goodman double, a Rumfield walk, Carrigg’s second triple and Freeman’s second run-scoring plate appearance. The Rockies were getting production from the top, middle and bottom of the order.

Carrigg’s night stood out beyond the box score. His two triples gave Colorado extra-base production and forced San Francisco to defend the full field. Tovar added three hits, including his long two-run homer in the second. Karros reached base four times, stole a base, tripled and scored three runs. Freeman drove in two runs from the lower third of the order. Rumfield added a hit and walk, continuing a first half that has pushed him into notable franchise company among Rockies rookies before the All-Star break.

By the end of the fifth, Colorado had 14 runs, 17 hits, three home runs and two triples. The Rockies had already beaten Webb, then carried the same approach into San Francisco’s bullpen. That turned the game from a strong offensive showing into one of their most lopsided wins of the season.

Hughes makes his MLB debut

By the seventh inning, the game had shifted into a different phase. McCarthy exited after his career night, Braxton Fulford entered for Goodman, Troy Johnston replaced McCarthy in left field, and Brett Sullivan took over for Rumfield at first base. The Rockies had already created separation, but the final three innings still carried another important development.

Hughes replaced Feltner to start the seventh and made his MLB debut with an 11-run lead. His first inning was clean, even after Eldridge reached on Karros’ error. Hughes got Bericoto to ground into a double play, then retired Cavanaugh on a lineout to Carrigg in center field.

Hughes picked up his first career strikeout in the eighth, getting Jonah Cox swinging to open the inning.

San Francisco followed with singles from Schmitt and Heliot Ramos, but Hughes kept the inning scoreless by getting Drew Gilbert to ground out.

Colorado added one more run in the bottom of the eighth when Karros tripled off JT Brubaker and Tovar brought him home with a sacrifice fly. That pushed the lead to 15-3 and gave Tovar his third RBI of the night. Tovar finished with a home run, two singles, a sacrifice fly and three RBI, giving Colorado run production early and late.

Hughes returned for the ninth and finished the game with help from the defense. After Christian Koss flew out and Eldridge walked, Bericoto grounded into his second double play against Hughes, ending the game.

Hughes finished his debut with three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk with one strikeout. He threw 53 pitches, leaning heavily on his four-seam fastball. The pitch accounted for 35 of his 53 pitches, or 66% of his usage, and averaged 93.6 mph. He paired it mostly with his sweeper, which he threw 14 times, or 26% of his mix. The curveball and changeup were used only sparingly.

The swing-and-miss was limited. Hughes generated six whiffs on 30 swings, a 20% whiff rate, with an overall 21% called-strike-plus-whiff rate. All six whiffs came on the four-seamer. The Giants put nine balls in play against him, but only two went for hits, and Hughes kept the contact manageable with an 85.8 mph average exit velocity.

Final notes

McCarthy led the offense with the best run-producing game of his career, finishing 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. He opened the game with a first-pitch homer, added an RBI single in the third and put the game away with a grand slam in the fifth.

Tovar finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a sacrifice fly, three RBI and two runs scored. Carrigg went 2-for-4 with two triples, three RBI and two runs scored. Karros reached base four times, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base and three runs scored. Goodman went 2-for-4 with a double, while Moniak added two hits and a walk.

Colorado finished 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. The Rockies also got two-out production from McCarthy, whose third-inning RBI single gave Colorado its only two-out RBI of the game.

San Francisco finished 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base. The Giants did not record a two-out RBI. Devers had the loudest swing for San Francisco with a solo homer in the sixth, while Schmitt finished with two hits and an RBI.

Feltner earned the win to move to 3-2, lowering his ERA to 4.27. Webb took the loss, falling to 5-6 with a 3.66 ERA after allowing seven earned runs in three innings. Hughes recorded a three-inning save in his debut, the second Rockie to do so this year.

Hughes became the eighth player to make his major league debut for Colorado this season, and the Rockies remain undefeated in July.

Up next

The Rockies and Giants continue the series Saturday night at Coors Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. MDT on the Fourth of July.

Tomoyuki Sugano gets the ball for Colorado after the Rockies used only two pitchers in the series opener. Sugano enters at 8-4 with a 4.80 ERA and 48 strikeouts, and the Rockies will look for him to keep the bullpen rested after Feltner and Hughes covered all nine innings in Thursday’s win.

San Francisco will turn to Robbie Ray, who enters at 7-6 with a 3.39 ERA and 82 strikeouts.

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After both the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox had no issues scoring last night, there was no doubt that this game would be much more likely to end as a pitcher’s duel. True to form, the game ended up being exactly what most fans expected — until a rain delay changed the fortunes of the entire game.

Unfortunately for the White Sox, those fortunes didn’t favor them.

The first few innings went along smoothly for both sides, until Anthony Kay ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. After surrendering two straight walks, the Guardians played small ball, using a sacrifice bunt and a single to bring home the first run of the game. Luckily for the White Sox, Kay was able to lock back in and coaxed a huge double play out of David Fry to end the inning with minimal damage.

It stayed 1-0 in favor of the Guardians until Miguel Vargas had one of his best at bats of the year in the top of the fifth. With neither pitcher giving an inch, it was Vargas who worked the count, seeing nine pitches until Gavin Williams hung a sweeper up in the zone and Miguel Vargas did his best Barry Bonds impression. Not only did Vargas become the third White Sox player to have 20 home runs on the season (making Chicago the only team in baseball to hold the honor) but the White Sox turned the game on its head and took a 3-1 lead.

The game likely would’ve continued as a pitcher’s duel until the game was delayed due to rain immediately after Vargas’ home run. When I say immediately, I mean they locked that game down quicker than a security breach at Area 51. Instead of Kay likely dominating for another few innings, the rain delay took him out of the game and forced the White Sox to turn to their depleted bullpen early. It immediately moved momentum away from the White Sox and made this game up for grabs once again.

Although the delay benefited the Guardians, Jordan Hicks came in and picked up the pitcher’s duel where Kay left off, making a statement of his own. After giving up a leadoff single, Hicks sat down the next three batters, all looking, to swing momentum back in the favor of the White Sox. For a pitcher who struggled mightily early in the season, Hicks has now allowed just three hits and no runs over his last five innings dating back to late May, a trend that could do wonders for Chicago’s bullpen if it continues.

Unfortunately, the White Sox threw in Seranthony Domínguez, who is probably being paid about $8 million more than he’s worth, in the seventh inning, and his issues came to the forefront once again. Entering with a 3-1 lead, Domínguez surrendered two walks and a wild pitch, which gave the Guardians their first rally since the third inning. Even though Domínguez was pulled before a run crossed the plate, the damage was already done. Both runners that Bryan Hudson inherited from him scored, thanks to more small ball from the Guardians in the form of two RBI singles.

The stalemate continued until extra innings, when fans could finally expect to see some offense from the South Siders with a runner automatically placed on second. Instead, Randal Grichuk and Junior Perez both went down on strikes looking in two terrible at-bats (Grichuk burning the White Sox extra-innings challenge on the second pitch of the inning) before Sam Antonacci flew out to right field. Clearly, the rain delay took all the juice out of Chicago’s bats, along with their decision-making abilities.

The South Siders didn’t have enough in the tank to see out the win. After a Thursday loss where the White Sox blew a ninth-inning lead, and with it their lead atop the AL Central, the club fell victim to an all-too-familiar storyline once again.

The Guardians put an end to all of our misery when the White Sox couldn’t record a single out in the bottom of the 10th. With two back-to-back singles, the Guardians walked off the White Sox for the second straight game, taking sole possession of the AL Central once more.

It’s a tough loss for a team that will certainly feel hard done by a questionably-timed rain delay. While the rain that fell shortly after the tarps came out is undisputed, it is certainly up for debate how the game would’ve gone had starter Kay been able to continue spinning the ball as he had up to that point.

Not only does the loss hurt, but so does the fact that the White Sox again had to dig deep into a bullpen that is already hurting. With their first off day since June 25 coming next Monday, the hope is that the team can find a way to take the final two games of this series before loading up for the final stretch before the All-Star break.