Mizery Bizness: Brewers 6, Phillies 0

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 12: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after the final out of the ninth inning in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field on June 12, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Misiorowski threw a complete game and allowed only one hit. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jacob Misiorowski pitched the game of his life, allowing one hit and facing the minimum in his first career complete game shutout as the Milwaukee Brewers (42-25) embarrassed the Philadelphia Phillies (37-32) to the tune of a 6-0 drubbing in the opening game of the weekend series at American Family Field.

Misiorowski faced 27 hitters, allowing one single to Kyle Schwarber in the fourth inning that was erased two batters later as Bryce Harper grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Don Mattingly tried to be creative in turning things around for his struggling rookie starter, Andrew Painter, by opening the game with lefty, Tanner Banks, to allow Painter to avoid dangerous lefties, Christian Yelich and Brice Turang, on the first go-round. Banks allowed a leadoff walk to Yelich and struck out the next two batters before William Contreras doubled home Yelich for the game’s first run.

Painter took the bulk of the game from there, going five innings, and his struggles continued as he allowed five runs on five hits and three walks, culminating with a three-run home run by Jake Bauers in the bottom of the fifth.

In all honestly, it didn’t matter how well the Phillies pitched tonight. No one was matching Misiorowski’s performance.

“The Miz” set a major league record for the fastest pitch thrown by a starting pitcher, set a career high in strikeouts, and became the first pitcher since Gary Waslewski in 1969 to one-hit the Phillies and face the minimum in a complete game shutout. He was the first starter to strike out 15 Phillies since Max Scherzer in 2018.

Misiorowski improved to 8-2 with a 1.34 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP to entrench himself in the historically competitive race for the National League Cy Young Award along with Cristopher Sanchez and Shohei Ohtani, to name a few.

Aaron Nola is slated to face Shane Drohan in the middle game of the series tomorrow night.

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez becomes 1st MLB player to hit grand slam, multi-run HR in 1st inning

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Yordan Alvarez became the first player to hit a grand slam and multi-run homer in the first inning of a Major League Baseball game, pulling off the feat for the Houston Astros against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

He became the eighth player to hit a grand slam and a multi-run homer in an inning and the first since Angels slugger Kendrys Morales did it against Texas in 2012, according to Sportradar.

The left-handed Alvarez drove in two runs with an opposite-field homer early in the inning and cleared the bases with a two-out shot to center, giving him six RBIs in Houston’s nine-run inning.

Alvarez, the AL leader in homers, tied Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead at 24 with his two-homer inning.

The 28-year-old designated hitter, who is from Cuba, was the AL rookie of the year in 2019 with Houston. The three-time All-Star was the AL Championship Series MVP in 2021 and led the Astros with six RBIs the next year when they won the World Series.

Jacob Misiorowski has night of his life: 15 strikeouts, one-hitter, 104.5 mph fastball

The Miz has somehow unlocked an even higher level of dominance.

Jacob Misiorowski, the Milwaukee Brewers' nearly untouchable fireballing right-hander, tossed the first complete game and shutout of his career, needing just 95 pitches to toss a one-hitter and strike out 15 against the Philadelphia Phillies Friday, June 12 at American Family Field.

Only a Kyle Schwarber single in the fourth inning separated Misiorowski from perfection. And Schwarber was erased one batter later on a Bryce Harper double play ball.

Yep, he faced the minimum 27 batters in the Brewers' 6-0 victory and along the way, Misiorowski tossed a 104.5 mph pitch to strike out Schwarber in the first, the hardest pitch by a starting pitcher since pitch tracking began in 2008. It was his first time pitching beyond the seventh inning in 28 career starts.

And pitching on the one-year anniversary of his major league debut, he made it look easy: Not only did Misiorowski not walk a batter, he did not face a three-ball count all game.

And his 15 strikeouts were the most by a pitcher in a shutout of less than 100 pitches, breaking Detroit Tiger lefty Tarik Skubal's record of 13. Seventy-four of his 95 pitches were strikes.

Misiorowski said it felt like he was "floating" in a postgame interview with the Brewers TV broadcast. He certainly maintained his stuff, given he hit 104.5 mph on the first batter of the game and 103 mph on his last pitch − a fastball he blew by Justin Crawford to finish his gem.

"There was no chance," says Misiorowski, "I was going to throw something other than a heater there."

It capped a night the crowd of 40,205, with the roof open on a gorgeous night in Milwaukee, urged him along, giving him a standing ovation when he emerged from the dugout for the ninth inning. The Phillies stood little chance.

"That was as good as it gets," says Brewers manager Pat Murphy. "With all those All-Stars and great players they have over there, incredible, incredible performance. Efficient.

“Amazing young man. Really is. He just goes out and lets it eat."

It was the Brewers' first complete game since Brandon Woodruff went the distance in September 2023. And it figures to be the first of many for Misiorowski.

The 6-foot-7, 24-year-old continues to defy convention − that his body can't sustain such prolonged hard throwing, that he can't be pitch-efficient while striking out so many guys.

But all that's a little easier when you simply don't let anyone on base.

He sat hatless atop the Brewers bench in the bottom of the eighth inning, just 86 pitches to his name. Murphy dared to joke with him: "You good?"

Catcher William Contreras shot Murphy a "You gotta be kidding?" look and of course, he was: There was little doubt he'd go out to try and finish it − and needed just nine pitches to do so.

Unsurprisingly, he recorded 12 of his 15 strikeouts on his fastball, and threw 58 pitches of at least 100 mph, 31 of those 102 mph or harder.

Little wonder his ERA now sits at 1.34, best in the major leagues.

He'll continue stacking up the velocity benchmarks: The hardest pitch, the most pitches above a certain speed, things of that nature. But now it's Miz, The Pitcher, who is commanding the headlines, with seemingly no ceiling.

"It’s really cool," Misiorowski said of his velo accomplishments, "but there’s always another step to go with it.

"So keep pushing it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jacob Misiorowski blows away Phillies in 15-strikeout shutout

34-35 – Rangers menaced by Monster in 10-1 loss to Red Sox

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers slides safely into first during a pickoff attempt in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Texas Rangers scored one run but the Boston Red Sox scored ten runs.

The Rangers collected three hits in their first four at-bats against tonight’s Boston starter Sonny Gray but because they’re now, paradoxically, a pop-less small ball team with slow baserunners, all three hits were singles and all three were required to score their first inning run that put them up 1-0.

If you didn’t watch the game or check the score or read the headline of this post or read the introductory sentence, yes, that was the only run that Texas scored on the night. In fact, the Rangers didn’t even have another hit until the top of the sixth and just three more total after the flurry to begin the game. By the time they got that fourth hit, it was 6-1 Boston.

It was 2-1 Boston after the first inning so that Texas lead didn’t even last very long. In fact, it was 2-1 Boston after their first hit of the game. Because they hit a home run.

Technically it wasn’t a two-run home run because Boston’s first run scored in part because the Rangers were poor at virtually every aspect of the sport tonight. In this instance Jack Leiter walked the leadoff hitter and, following a force out, Ceddanne Rafaela reached third base on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt and scored on a sac fly like 220 feet down the left field line.

The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Red Sox decided to pepper the Green Monster with bullets to further inflate Leiter’s ever-expanding ERA. By the end of the frame, Boston had scored four runs following three consecutive doubles and a two-base throwing error by Josh Jung.

Leading the way with three RBIs tonight was Wilyer Abreu (tied with Rafaela) who would be make Shohei Ohtani look like Justin Foscue if he were allowed to play the Rangers every night. The Red Sox scored three more in the eighth. The Nos. 2-4 hitters for Boston had nine hits and eight RBIs between them.

Anyway the Rangers are back below .500.

Player of the Game: It’s quaint comparatively but Wyatt Langford had two whole hits and drove in a run tonight!

Up Next: The Rangers will look to rebound with RHP Jacob deGrom on the mound against LHP Ranger Suarez for Boston.

Saturday’s first pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.

Spencer Strider exits game due to “right arm soreness”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 12: Spencer Strider #99 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on June 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Tonight has not gone well for the Atlanta Braves as they’re currently in a deep hole against the New York Mets in the opening game of this weekend series. They could be dealing with some more injury woes to their core players as Spencer Strider exited tonight’s game with trainer George Poulis following a concerning velocity drop.

Strider’s fastball was down to around 88-mph — a significant drop from his usual velocity of 95-mph so far this season. Following a disastrous three innings of work (including six runs given up on two dingers hit by Bo Bichette and one from Juan Soto), his efforts on the mound prompted a mound visit from both Walt Weiss and George Poulis and a visibly-frustrated Strider agreed to leave the game due to the issues that he was dealing with.

Hopefully it’s nothing serious but at the same time, it’s tough to not be alarmed when you consider what was going on with his velocity once he was making his exit. We’ll update this post with any new developments so stay tuned.

UPDATE [10:16 p.m. ET]: The Braves are calling it “right arm soreness” for Strider as the cause for his exit. It’s vague but that’s also not the type of catch-all that you want to see. Let’s continue to hope for the best.

Aaron Boone disagrees with Aroldis Chapman’s lingering Yankees beef

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Aroldis Chapman (44) dominates during the ninth inning when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox Friday, June 5, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY, Image 2 shows New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone in the dugout during a game

As farfetched as a trade to the Yankees might be, Aroldis Chapman created a stir this week when he told ESPN Deportes that he would want an apology from general manager Brian Cashman before potentially being dealt to The Bronx.

Boone on Friday said he did not agree with the idea that the organization owed the Red Sox closer an apology for how his Yankees tenure ended in 2022.

Aroldis Chapman (44) dominates during the ninth inning when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox Friday, June 5, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post

Chapman, who struggled and lost his closer job that season, missed a mandatory workout ahead of the ALDS for what Boone said at the time was an unacceptable excuse. Cashman fined him for the absence, and the Yankees ultimately left him off the roster.

“At the end of the day, he wasn’t at the workout,” Boone said. “I made the decision, based on a lot of things and thought, to leave him off because I thought that was the right thing to do at the time. Chappy apologized, and really, it’s water under the bridge for me.

Aaron Boone walks to the dugout in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Bronx, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

“I love Chappy. I have a really good relationship with him to this day. But the ending of the ’22 season was what it was. He wasn’t there, and I made the decision that I didn’t think it was best for him to come back at that point. He maintained that he was throwing and would be ready as the playoffs unfolded that year. But ultimately, I made that decision.”

Friday Night Orioles Victory GIF Party

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 12: Gunnar Henderson #2 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Adley Rutschman #35 after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, June 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

It is Friday night.

The Orioles have beaten the Padres, 7-3. Gunnar Henderson reached base four times, with three hits – including his 14th homer. It was his 100th homer of his career, making him the fourth-fastest Oriole to reach 100 homers with the franchise. Tyler O’Neill had a pair of hits (really!), and Shane Baz survived five innings despite not looking like he would for a while there, with four Orioles relievers combining to keep San Diego from scoring after that. The team won their third straight game as they took this series opener.

YOU KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE.

How to watch San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs

MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 01: San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp (65) pitches during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field on June 1, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants welcome the Chicago Cubs to Oracle Park tonight for a rematch of last weekend’s series.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Landen Roupp, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.00 ERA, 3.02 FIP, with 77 strikeouts to 30 walks in 69.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Cubs on Saturday, in which he allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks in five and two thirds innings.

He’ll be facing off against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.73 ERA, 4.37 FIP, with 19 strikeouts to eight walks in 32.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Cubs’ 2-1 loss to the Giants on Sunday, in which he allowed just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in six and a third innings.

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Game #70

Who: San Francisco Giants (28-41) vs. Chicago Cubs (35-34)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 7:15 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Resurgent Trent Grisham exits early in Yankees injury worry

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Trent Grisham #12 leaving the game with first base coach Dan Fiorito #85 after injuring himself, Image 2 shows New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham hitting an RBI double

TORONTO — Trent Grisham continued a red-hot run Friday night, but it came at a cost.

After roping a two-run single in the sixth inning, Grisham took second base on the throw home and got hurt doing so, leaving the Yankees’ 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays with right hamstring tightness.

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Grisham said he felt it rounding first base but that it was “too early to tell” what his level of concern was.

“We’ll see where it wakes up [Saturday],” said Grisham, who almost immediately began walking off the field after sliding into second base. “Hopefully, it’s good news, no IL, but we’ll see.”

Manager Aaron Boone indicated that Grisham could go for tests in the coming days, but nothing was planned immediately.

If Grisham is forced to the injured list, which would not be surprising given how he needs his legs to play center field, the Yankees likely would activate Jasson Domínguez off the IL to replace him on the roster, with Spencer Jones potentially taking over regular center field duties.

Domínguez, who homered in his fifth rehab game Friday night while coming back from a left AC joint sprain — and playing right field for the third straight game — initially was scheduled to play another game at Triple-A on Saturday, but those plans were up in the air with Grisham’s status.

Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees leaves the game with first base coach Dan Fiorito #85 after injuring himself on a play at second base in the sixth inning. Getty Images

“There’s a chance we bring [Domínguez] up, depending on Grish,” Boone said. “It just depends. We’ll see what we have overnight and in the morning. But Jasson could be in play.”

The timing of the injury is brutal for Grisham, who entered Friday batting .377 with a 1.014 OPS over his last 18 games — having reached base multiple times in 12 of those games — and .285 with a .832 OPS over his last 34 games.

Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) hits an RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

After a relatively healthy start to the season, the Yankees have taken on a pile of injuries of late. They have Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Austin Wells, Max Fried and Domínguez all on the IL.

Instead of a starting outfield of Cody Bellinger, Grisham and Judge, that unit by Saturday could feature Bellinger, Jones and Domínguez.

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“It’s part of it,” Boone said. “Everyone kind of deals with it. Fortunately, as we’ve talked about all year, I feel like it’s one of the deeper rosters we’ve had in a while. So we got capable people of going in there and picking up any slack left. You never like key guys going down of course, but in a long season, that’s unfortunately part of it sometimes.

“Another opportunity for potentially a couple really good players that are stepping in. We’re not hoping on guys that can’t play. We’ll weather it and look forward to getting more and more guys back in the mix.”

Will Spurs rebound to force Game 6, avoid a Knicks coronation in San Antonio?

This is either the most hopeful or depressing statistic for Spurs fans watching the NBA Finals: Through four games, the point differential is Knicks +8.

It may be a little of both. This has been an intense, close NBA Finals, with three of the four games decided by four points or less. Yet San Antonio finds itself down 3-1 and on the verge of its season ending due to a combination of the Knicks' grit and maturity in the clutch versus the Spurs' self-inflicted wounds and mistakes of youth.

"There's no avoiding what's happened," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "There's no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There's no avoiding we're down 3-1. There's no avoiding ways that we could be better. There's nobody that's going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other. That's what helped us get to where we are, and how the group is built. There's no circumstance that will change that."

Will the NBA Finals end Saturday night in San Antonio, where the party from 7th Ave. in Manhattan would overtake the Riverwalk — there are going to be a lot of Knicks fans at the game — or can the Spurs finally win a game at home? There are two key things to watch in Game 5.

Can Spurs rebound emotionally?

I have a theory about NBA playoff series: There comes a point in nearly every series when one team realizes they are beaten, usually long before Game 6 or 7. They don't have the answers to the questions the other team is posing. The players and coaches never say it out loud — players don't make it to this level without being fierce competitors — but you can see it in body language and their eyes. They know.

The Spurs had that look after Game 4, a gut-punch loss in which they blew a 29-point lead (and, more disturbingly, a 20-point lead with 9:30 left in the game).

Usually, after a loss like that, the end comes pretty quickly, as it could for the Spurs in Game 5 on their home court. However, these young Spurs have shown a genuine resilience this postseason — they won Game 7 on the road in Oklahoma City. They won a game in Madison Square Garden. If you told me these Spurs showed that resilience on Saturday night and bounced back with a double-digit win, it would not be shocking. If San Antonio lost by double digits, that's not shocking either.

I've seen one team turn things around after having that defeated look: LeBron James and the Cavaliers against the Warriors in 2016. The Spurs are saying all the right things, exactly what you expect them to say, about following in the Cavs' footsteps and forging their own epic comeback.

"Absolutely. Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we're going to do it," Victor Wembanyama said, almost as if he was trying to manifest the outcome.
"One game at a time. Just one game at a time..." Devin Vassell said. "So we need to go 1-0, and whatever we need to do for that to happen, we've got to do that."

Saying the right thing is one thing, doing it on the court — especially when adversity hits, as it inevitably will — is something else entirely. These Spurs have shown toughness and resilience throughout the playoffs, but can they do it when the Knicks smell blood in the water?

Because these Knicks have the feel of a team of destiny, a team on a historic run. On the other side of that coin, can the Knicks avoid human nature, which is to relax a little after a win, especially knowing they can head home for a potential coronation in Game 6? Like the Spurs, they are saying all the right things.

"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," coach Mike Brown said. "You have to be present. You can't think about the outcome. It's about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play."

We'll see which team shows more emotional maturity on Saturday night.

Touching the paint

There has been one defining factor in all four games: The team driving the lane, touching the paint or getting it inside to their big men, then scoring (and drawing fouls) or spraying the ball out to shooters is the team that takes control.

There was no better example than Game 4, when the Spurs scored 24 points in the paint in the first half on their way to a 27-point lead. Then they became less aggressive in the second half, settled for far too many 3-pointers and pull-up jumpers, Wembanyama became tentative after picking up a flagrant foul on Towns (leaving him one flagrant from a suspension), and the Spurs scored just four points in the paint in the second half. Meanwhile, it was the Knicks behind Jalen Brunson who got downhill and into the paint in the second half, sparking their comeback win.

By Game 5 of a series, there are not a lot of technical adjustments left to be made. Both teams know their opponent, the game plan and what they need to do. It's just that doing it against an elite defense in a very physical series is something else entirely. Both teams will execute their game plan for stretches, then not for others.

"I think what you can do when you do move the ball and allow the IQ to flow and the ball to flow is you allow great shots to happen, especially when you're touching the paint or having movement on the offense and allowing the defense to make a mistake, instead of us having to make a tough shot or a great shot," Karl-Anthony Towns said.

Which team touches the paint, moves the ball and plays to their strengths on Saturday night will determine whether the Finals head to another game in New York or whether the Knicks' destiny can wait no longer.

Tanner Bibee tames Tigers while Flaherty exits early

Jun 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) starts the game with the first pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

After a series victory at home against the Twins, the Tigers headed around the corner of Lake Erie to take on another division rival in Cleveland for a three-game weekend series. The Detroiters could only manage a pair of solo home runs in a losing effort, dropping the opener 3-2 on Friday night.

Jack Flaherty made his fifteenth start for the Tigers, and much has been said about his inconsistency. The good news coming into tonight was that, in his previous three starts, he hadn’t been that bad — pitched into the sixth, gave up a maximum of three runs, struck out at least six each time. With some starting pitchers due to come back from the Injured List soon, you have to wonder if Flaherty stays in the rotation with some of the young kids doing well.

Like Flaherty, Cleveland’s starting pitcher had a 1-7 record coming into tonight’s game, being one Tanner Bibee. But Bibee’s peripheral numbers look a lot better than Flaherty’s: ERA (4.09 vs. 5.31), WHIP (1.234 vs. 1.580), BB/9 (4.8 vs. 2.8). He’s in his fourth year with the Guardians, and he’s been a good, reliable part of their rotation since coming up in 2023 — not to mention a sensational start against Detroit in May. But these are the June Tigers, though, right?

The Tigers had an early squander: with one out in the top of the first, Bibee walked a pair of batters… and then both Dillon Dingler and Kerry Carpenter struck out, stranding a pair. As it turns out, that would be about as close to a sustained threat they’d have all night.

Cleveland got on the board first in the bottom of the second: Rhys Hoskins led off with a double, and Flaherty got the next two batters to fly out harmlessly. Up to the plate stepped a sub-.160 hitter, Patrick Bailey — great defensive catcher, not a world-beater in the batter’s box by any means — and he dumped a liner into left field to score Hoskins. Brayan Rocchio followed with a triple to right to score Bailey and put Cleveland up 2-0. By the end of the second, Flaherty had thrown 49 pitches, suggesting he might not go too deep in this game for any reason. But hey, Newest Tiger™ James Outman made a nice sliding catch.

Naturally, leading off the third, Outman — not known for his bat the past couple of years — crushed a no-doubter to right-centre to narrow the score to 2-1.

Flaherty’s night was shortened by injury, coming out after three innings — he grimaced while fielding a grounder to end the third with “left leg discomfort.” Other Newest Tiger™, Jacob Waguespack, started the fourth. He pitched in Toronto in 2019-20, pitched a couple of years in Japan, then spent a couple of years mostly at Triple-A, before being added to the Tigers today out of Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. He gave up a single and a walk but ended up getting three outs without any damage.

Drew Sommers took over for Waguespack in the fifth to face a few fellow lefties, and he gave up a harmless single but nothing more. Meanwhile, Bibee was cruising pretty easily: through six innings he’d only thrown 79 pitches, and Outman’s home run was the only hit he’d surrendered.

Drew Number Two (i.e., Anderson) relieved Sommers in the sixth and it didn’t go as well: with one out Angel Martínez doubled, and Steven Kwan — who’s lousy this year against everyone except us — singled to score Martínez and push the lead back up to two runs. Bailey legged-out an infield single (of course) to put a pair on, but a strikeout and a flyout prevented further damage.

The reliever parade continued with Ty Madden for the seventh, and he gave up a one-out double but the runner was stranded and the game carried on with a two-run gap ‘twixt the squadrons.

Spencer Torkelson had something to say about that, though, leading off the eighth:

That was the end of Bibee’s day; giving up two solo home runs as your only hits in seven-plus innings is a weird final line.

Cade Smith was brought in to nail down the save for Cleveland in the ninth; with two out Dingler made a bid for a game-tying home run but unfortunately the fly ball fell short of the fence, and that was the game.

Final score: Guardians 3, Tigers 2

Notes and Observances

  • Tarik Skubal’s starting on Saturday.
  • Casey Mize is starting on Sunday.
  • Who goes to the bullpen? Toledo? Trading block? Released?
  • Apparently it’s okay to have two Drews in the bullpen, but not two Zachs/Zacks on the field. Got it.
  • Marv Albert, Chick Corea and Roy Harper were all born on this day in 1941. Neat!

Yankees' Trent Grisham exits Friday's game vs. Blue Jays with hamstring tightness

The Yankees' outfield depth is about to be tested after Trent Grisham had to exit Friday's game against the Blue Jays with what the team calls right hamstring tightness.

While the nature of Grisham's injury isn't yet known, it seemed that the veteran outfielder pulled up lame rounding first and made an awkward slide into second on a throw home after he hit a two-run single in the sixth inning. Grisham finished 1-for-4, but that single cut Toronto's lead to 7-5 at the time.

This is not the first time Grisham has had to exit a game against the Blue Jays this season. Back on May 20, Grisham had left knee discomfort legging out a double. The injury didn't land Grisham on the IL, but it's unclear if the same will happen this time around.

Grisham was replaced in the outfield by Max Schuemann, who moved to right field to allow Spencer Jones to man center.

The Yankees already have Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez on the IL, with the latter close to returning. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the plan was for Dominguez to get a couple of more rehab games this weekend with Triple-A before they decide on whether to activate him. If Grisham needs an IL stint, the Yankees may be forced to bring Dominguez back sooner than they originally planned. 

Grisham is having a solid season. He's batting .232 with eight home runs with an OPS of .747 while playing great defense in center every day for the Yankees. 

Giants change by-committee approach, name closer instead of keeping ‘organized chaos’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Caleb Kilian throws during an MLB game, Image 2 shows San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Walker (74) prepares to pitch against the New York Yankees

SAN FRANCISCO — Almost four months since pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, there are still plenty of firsts for the Giants’ rookie manager

An easy one he waited until Friday to knock out: Naming a closer.

“[Caleb] Kilian will close for us,” Tony Vitello declared before the Giants opened a three-game series against the Cubs, departing from their previous by-committee approach.

“We talked to several of those guys about just getting more organized. …The bullpen’s all about chaos, but the more you can have a baseline, I think it brings out the best in the group.”

“[Caleb] Kilian will close for us,” Tony Vitello declared before the Giants opened a three-game series against the Cubs, departing from their previous by-committee approach. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The news also coincides with the return of the last pitcher to formally hold the closer’s title in San Francisco, Ryan Walker, who was called up from a month-long assignment in the minor leagues. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The decision represents a quick about-face from Vitello, who as recently as this past Sunday commended the group for “being so great all year long” even though “we haven’t really had defined roles. It’s kind of been organized chaos.”

The news also coincides with the return of the last pitcher to formally hold the closer’s title in San Francisco, Ryan Walker, who was called up from a month-long assignment in the minor leagues.

Walker saved 30 games over the past three seasons but struggled last year and never reclaimed the role in spring training. He is 3-for-6 in save situations this season — one of eight pitchers Vitello has turned to in the Giants’ 21 save opportunities, including two on their last road trip who weren’t Kilian.

Keaton Winn, with his devastating splitter, seemed to be being primed to take over the role after receiving four recent late-inning opportunities. But he allowed the tying or go-ahead runs in two of those chances, including one on his third straight day of action that went awry.

Kilian is second to Walker with five save opportunities, converting four of them with a 3.34 ERA.

Vitello hasn’t had many reliable options, adding an extra wrinkle to his duties managing a major league bullpen for the first time Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

“I just think he’s done well in that spot,” Vitello said. “It also is a combination of what other guys need to do or can do for us. He wants the ball in that situation.”

Vitello hasn’t had many reliable options, adding an extra wrinkle to his duties managing a major league bullpen for the first time. Since the end of April, the Giants’ ragtag group of relievers have posted a 5.35 ERA that ranks third worst in the majors.

As the skipper attempts to instill some more order, Walker has a new role, too: fireman.

“Obviously he’s been in as big of a situation as you can imagine,” Vitello said. “A big thing for Walk is being able to come in and be the fireman in particular situations that might pop up really anytime after the starter leaves the game.”

In other words, the Giants will trust Walker to handle the biggest situations before the ninth inning. Winn and J.T. Brubaker can both handle multiple innings in the middle, and Vitello has been impressed with Dylan Smith since he was called up last week.

Once it gets to the ninth, the inning belongs to Kilian.

In other words, the Giants will trust Walker to handle the biggest situations before the ninth inning. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At least for now.

“Right now, I’m here to get my job done, whatever that job is,” Walker said. “But my ultimate goal is definitely to get back into those high-leverage positions and eventually climb my way back into that closer role.”

Walker was 3-for-4 in save opportunities with a 3.00 ERA on April 25 but allowed runs in each of his final five outings, blowing two saves, before being optioned back to the minors.


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It was the first time Walker had been sent back to the minors since he got his initial callup in May 2023, on the same day as former catcher Patrick Bailey.

“It didn’t really surprise me in a way,” he said. “I knew at some point it was probably going to happen. When it did happen, I didn’t hang my head. I was very positive. I told myself, OK, this is going to be a great time to work on your craft.”

Walker first went to the Giants’ facilities in Arizona for about a week, where he worked with Matt Yourkin, their pitching rehab coordinator, to sort through his issues before reporting to Triple-A Sacramento. He had issued 10 walks in 15 ⅓ innings at the time of his demotion.

The two made some small changes to his hyper-rotational cross-fire delivery that appear to have helped him regain his command. Besides one subpar outing, Walker issued only one walk over seven other appearances, including two that spanned multiple innings.

Rather than trying to stay parallel to the rubber in his motion, he’s now at a slight angle.

“Now I can almost have a straight shot to where my landing spot is. It became a lot more consistent,” Walker said. “Once the mechanics kind of cleared up, I noticed the bounce-back was so much easier. Things were moving the way they should.”

Knicks relying on their greatest strength with glory just one win away

The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

SAN ANTONIO — It’s right there. 

It’s right freakin’ there. 

The Knicks’ first championship since 1973 — and only third in franchise history — is right there. Etching their place in New York legend is right there. Glory is right there. 

The Knicks just have to reach out and grab it. 

They carry their 3-1 NBA Finals lead into Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center for Game 5 on Saturday, just one step away from immortality. 

“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present,” coach Mike Brown said on Friday. “You have to be present. You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play. 

“Sometimes you can think about the process, and it not work out. But when you’re playing against other great teams especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.” 

The Knicks this postseason have bludgeoned their opponents in closeout games. Between Game 6 against the Hawks in the first round, Game 4 against the 76ers in the second round and Game 4 against the Cavaliers in the conference finals, the Knicks won by a combined 118 points. 

Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks talks to the media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images

“I’ve said this multiple times, the hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So we’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.” 

Despite Towns’ sentiment, the Knicks have made closeout games look like their easiest, not their hardest games. By the end of the first three rounds, they completely sucked the soul out of their opponents and left them with little will to keep competing. They left no doubt. 

There is one characteristic that has given them that ability. 

“Their level of maturity,” Brown said. “Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know. From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier. 

The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images

“We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”

That sense of desperation should be natural to the Spurs, who are trying to save their title hopes. But, when up 3-1 in the series, it would be natural for the Knicks to not have that same level of desperation, particularly after such an emotional, thrilling and historic comeback win in Game 4. 

“I think whenever you win or lose a game, that night you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page. Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again. 

“But honestly, we still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had. It’s really important from that aspect.”

Playing with desperation first emerged when they trailed 2-1 in the first round. It carried them throughout their 13-game winning streak. 

The Spurs, at least publicly, are steadfast that they have not yet lost their confidence like the Knicks’ previous three opponents did. Victor Wembanyama said “everybody” on the team knows they will — not can — come back in the series. Stephon Castle expects to make history. 

And this series hasn’t exactly been straightforward — the Knicks have trailed by double-digits all four games and by as much as 29 in Game 4. All of the first four games of the series have been within four points in the final minute of regulation, the first time that’s happened in the Finals since 1973, when the Knicks beat the Lakers. 

The series has been closer than perhaps the 3-1 lead indicates. 

“We spoke about it multiple times,” Towns said. “We’ve got to approach every game like it’s 0-0. We’ve got to have that kind of desperation that it is to win Game 1 of a playoff series. We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Gameplan discipline has to be at a high level.”

Elation awaits on the other side of desperation.