PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 09: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 09, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies (17-27) are back at Coors Field after a difficult Pennsylvania swing, opening a six-game homestand with a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-22). Colorado went 2-4 through Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Pirates came with a larger concern than the score: Chase Dollander left in the second inning and has now been placed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow strain. The bad news resulted in a series of roster moves, and Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) is reportedly headed to Denver.
Colorado also enters this homestand trying to stop a May slide that has left them 3-9 on the month.
The third-place Diamondbacks are coming off a painful 6-5 walk-off loss to Texas on Wednesday, and the overall offensive production has been underwhelming. Still, they still have Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and former Rockie Nolan Arenado — who has a 118 wRC+ with six home runs on the year.
The Rockies are 8-11 with a .767 OPS at Coors Field and will turn to veteran lefty Kyle Freeland as they look to return to the win column.
Freeland enters at 1-4 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP, and his recent stretch since returning from the injured list has been uneven — 16 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings across three starts. Freeland is still getting hitters to chase, and he has done a good job limiting walks. The problem is that the contact has been too loud when opponents square him up, especially against the fastball.
Marte has hit Freeland hard, going 17-for-48 with three home runs and a 1.124 OPS against him.
Merrill Kelly takes the mound for Arizona, and his 2026 numbers have not been great. The veteran righty enters with a 7.62 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP through five starts, with hard contact and walks both showing up as problems. His four-seamer, changeup, and cutter have all been hit hard. But Kelly has been very good against Colorado over his career. In 17 starts against the Rockies, he is 9-3 with a 3.25 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and a 1.130 WHIP.
Ezequiel Tovar has had a brutal start to the season, but he has handled Kelly: .438 with two home runs in 16 at-bats.
A good night won’t fix all that. But a steady Freeland start, a few real swings against Kelly, and a win over a division opponent would be a great way to start the homestand.
ODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (17-28) will continue their seven-game homestand today as they look to win the opener of a three game series against the rival Texas Rangers (21-22).
Astros starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-1, 1.88 ERA), who tossed his fifth straight quality start his last time out, will oppose RHP Jack Leiter (1-3, 4.85 ERA) and the Rangers in this series opener.
ABOUT ARRIGHETTI: RHP Spencer Arrighetti owns a sparkling 1.88 ERA in five starts on the season. In his last start he gave up only one earned run, but took his first loss of the 2026 season against the Cincinnati Reds.
ABOUT LEITER: Jack Leiter has an 11-16 career record with a 4.81 ERA in 230.0 career innings. He holds a 1-1 record against the Astros with a 4.26 ERA in 19.0 innings. Leiter is the son of famous lefty Al Leiter and the nephew of former big leaguer hurler Mark Leiter.
VS. TEXAS: The Astros and Rangers are playing their first series of 2026. Today’s game marks the beginning of the annual Silver Boot Series with the Silver Boot going to the team with the most victories. Tonight’s contest will be the 300th game between these two teams as the Astros aim to make it an even 150-150 with a victory in tonight’s game. The Astros retained the Silver Boot last season by winning seven games in 13 tries.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros and Rangers have played each other 292 times in their franchise histories, splitting those matchups evenly with 146 wins apiece…recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 93-51 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
TODAY’S AVAILABILITIES: The Astros clubhouse will be open to approved media at Daikin Park from 3:10-4 p.m. CT…Astros Manager Joe Espada will be made available in the Astros dugout at approx. 4 p.m.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, May 15, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
“I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors,” Kerr said Friday from the top floor of the Warriors’ arena, overlooking a sweeping view of the city the coach couldn’t give up.
Warriors coach Steve Kerry said he met multiple times with GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob the last few weeks. Getty Images
In his first public comments since signing a contract extension that will extend his tenure in Golden State for a 13th and 14th season, Kerr expressed excitement about continuing his partnership with Steph Curry, emphasized that he still has a vigor for coaching and acknowledged that some things will have to change next season.
All that was no sure thing following the Warriors’ ouster in the play-in tournament, Kerr explained. Who else but his wife, Margot, helped him see the forest through the trees.
“My wife said something, she said you might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again,” he said. “That was really meaningful to me because I love this team. I love our players. That struck me. … At that point, it was really: ‘What do you guys want to do.’”
Kerr met multiple times with general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob over the next two weeks. He looped in Curry and Draymond Green, too, but said that neither had “any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach.
“That’s a credit to them,” Kerr continued. “Our best player isn’t telling Mike or Joe what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he were to go down that path … it usually doesn’t go well.”
The decision was up to Kerr and the front office with whom he touted a collaborative relationship that resulted in a process that “I don’t think actually happens in pro sports, honestly,” Kerr said.
“Where you have these kinds of conversations and genuinely, authentically try to figure out what’s the right thing, you know?”
Still, it was no foregone conclusion that Kerr would be back. Speaking after their elimination loss to the Suns, Kerr sounded like a coach ready to step away.
Dunleavy wasn’t sure when the Warriors’ season ended that Kerr would return as coach. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Dunleavy thought so, too.
“There were plenty of nights where I went to bed where I didn’t think he’d be back as coach,” Dunleavy said, but “it became clear as long as he wanted to do it, it made a ton of sense for him to be back.”
Dunleavy said he didn’t broach the subject with Kerr during the season — “not once.” When it came time for them to talk, one demand Dunleavy and Lacob made was for Kerr to sign on for more than another lame-duck season, like he did this past year.
“We needed a multiyear commitment, and Steve unequivocally gave us that,” Dunleavy said, adding that they “fully expect” Kerr to serve out the two-year contract, if not “hopefully more.”
“It’s not just a one-year swan song, ‘Last Dance’ thing,” the GM continued. “That is 100% not what this is about. Joe would not have been good with that.”
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Part of their discussions focused around shifting expectations, given the state of their roster. Curry and Green will be a year older, and they won’t have the reinforcements from Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody to begin the season as the two wings recover from injuries.
Lacob, with his insatiable appetite for success, wasn’t going to let them off so easily.
“We were talking about injuries and how this is the first time we can’t realistically just say, ‘Hey, let’s win a title next year,” Kerr recalled. “He just said, you know, ‘I’m the owner and I can’t help but just say, I expect to be in the playoffs every year and have a shot.”
One topic that Kerr was insistent didn’t come up in talks was his tendency to speak up on sociopolitical issues. It had been reported that Warriors brass hoped he would tone it down.
“That literally never came up,” he said. “That was not part of the conversation at all.”
Mostly, the conversations oriented around how to maximize the final years of Curry’s career and send out the core of their dynasty the right way while also setting a foundation for the future.
As Dunleavy said: “It’s gonna end for them. … It’s not gonna end for us. The Warriors are forever.”
Kerr said he spent the past week reviewing every Warriors turnover from this season. NBAE via Getty Images
Dunleavy described the Warriors’ 37-45 finish as “underwhelming” and a “disappointment” but chalked up their shortcoming to injuries — Curry also missed two months, in addition to the season-ending knee surgeries for Butler and Moody — rather than roster construction.
That said, there will be some stylistic changes. At the top of the list: taking better care of the basketball after the Warriors committed the third-most turnovers in the NBA.
“We can play however we want,” Dunleavy said. “Just don’t turn the ball over.”
Since putting pen to paper on his new deal, Kerr said he spent the past week reviewing each and every one of the Warriors’ turnovers. He acknowledged that he had room to improve, too.
“I know I have to be better,” Kerr said. “I didn’t have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better.”
The fact that Kerr toasted an extension that reportedly maintains his status as the league’s highest-compensated coach by watching film should tell you exactly where his head is at.
“If I were tired and burned out, I would not be here,” he said. “I love my job.”
And now, he will get to do it for another two years.
“The idea is let’s see how good we can be,” Kerr said. “We think we can still be good. We’ve got to get some guys back from injuries; we’ve got to make some moves; I’ve got to do some things.
“But let’s run it back. Let’s see how good we can be. I think we’re all really excited about that.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 12: Mark Walter attends a basketball game between the Loa Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on February 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After years in the LeBron James era under Jeanie Buss’s ownership, the Lakers quickly leapt into a new era last year.
Months after acquiring Luka Dončić via trade, the Buss family sold their majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter. In what seemed like the snap of a finger, the franchise shifted into a whole new era on and off the court.
Despite how fast everything moved, Luka and Walter have quickly developed a relationship. In Dan Woike’s recent article on The Athletic, he detailed the relationship between the pair as the new leaders of the franchise.
Dončić has had regular contact with new Lakers owner Mark Walter and has been impressed with the level of communication, league sources said. Dončić has also mentioned how well he thought the Lakers played in March when the team went 15-2.
Both changes came abruptly, but both people have adapted on the fly. Across the league, the stars of a franchise always have a certain bit of power. That could have been diluted as the franchise turned over to new hands, but Luka has maintained a relationship with not just the ownership but the front office as well.
During his exit interview, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka spoke about his constant communication with Luka throughout the season and into the summer.
“I think the keyword is that’s an ongoing, collaborative process,” Pelinka said. “It’s not, ‘Hey, I want x, y and z.’ We’re in constant communication with him and his team. I plan on seeing him before he takes off to go home and spend some time with his daughters. We’re going to get together I think Friday or Saturday. So, ongoing dialogue.
“His knowledge is vast and so those dives and collaborations with him are really inspirational and he also does it in a way where he wants to do his job great and he wants to let JJ do his great and let me do my job great. They really are productive conversations through that lens.”
If they’re taking Luka’s opinion and wishes into account, it seems likely that a lob-catching center would be on the way. After back-to-back seasons in LA without a true, starter-caliber big man in that role, the Lakers sound like a team aiming to acquire one.
The starting pitching rotation for the Yankees is expecting a big boost from the impending return of Gerrit Cole, but manager Aaron Boone is refusing to rush him.
In a brief pregame news conference ahead of Friday's Subway Series opener at Citi Field against the Mets, Boone emphasized that "the likelihood is two more [minor league starts] for [Cole], and then [the Yankees] will be in a position to roll."
Cole is slated to take the mound tomorrow night at 6:05 pm EST for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Syracuse Mets.
When asked for specifics on how they are managing Cole's workload as he gears up for a return - at this point likely to come before the end of May - Boone noted that his star righty is under a pitch count limit in the mid 80s.
The injuries are piling up for the Yankees at the moment. Max Fried was just added to the 15-day IL due to a left elbow bone bruise. Meanwhile, DH Giancarlo Stanton, corner outfielder Jasson Dominguez, and emerging shortstop Jose Caballero are all on the 10-day IL.
With the Bronx Bombers rolling into Queens for the weekend, having lost six of their last eight games, Boone is refusing to bow to the pressure and rush Cole back into the fold in the hopes of regaining control of the AL East.
"We don't want to take [Cole] off track for a short-term need," Boone remarked.
At the time of writing, the Yankees are currently two games behind the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays in the divisional standings.
A Facebook page for Edwin O. Diaz Laboy that appears to belong to the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher includes about a dozen video of cockfights. Some of the birds fought until they stopped moving and were removed from the pit of the arena.
A federal ban prohibits cockfighting in all 50 states and in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico. USA TODAY Sports reviewed publicly available photos and videos of Diaz, roosters and cockfights posted to the Facebook account on May 15. Other posts to the account were locked to the public. Public access to the photos and reels appears to have since been restricted.
Along with photos and videos of Diaz pitching, smiling with family and friends and promoting community activities, posted to the account are more than 150 photos of roosters, cockfighting clubs or breeding facilities. One photo shows roosters packed into cardboard boxes, their heads poking out of cutout holes above small feeding dishes taped to the boxes.
The account also includes 26 reels featuring roosters, some fighting in organized matches. Others are shown on what appears to be a breeding facility where Diaz is featured holding roosters while promoting upcoming cockfights in multiple videos.
In one video, young-looking roosters are scurrying about what looks like a pen. A caption accompanying the video reads, "Upcoming champions in development."
Photos and videos of Diaz posted to the account date back to 2010. The first photo of a rooster was posted on Nov. 30, 2016, while the account's first promotion of Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico, a cockfighting club, was posted on July 31, 2018. Diaz has been featured in multiple videos and photos posted to social media promoting the cockfighting ring.
Diaz's full name is Edwin Orlando Diaz Laboy. He is currently on the injured reserve after undergoing surgery on April 22 to remove loose bodies in his right elbow, the Dodgers announced April 20.
Representatives of both MLB and the Dodgers declined comment when reached by USA TODAY Sports for a story that linked Dias to cockfighting in Puerto Rico through photos, videos and promotional material found on social media.
Multiple animal welfare organizations have called upon MLB to investigate Diaz's involvement in cockfighting since the story's publication.
Diaz, a three-time MLB All-Star, is pictured wearing a Dodgers uniform on Facebook in promotional material for cockfights.
He did not respond to interview requests USA TODAY Sports submitted to a publicist for the Dodgers and to THE TEAM, which represents Diaz.
The Facebook page also includes a photo of Diaz standing between Puerto Rican jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr., also linked to cockfighting through photos, video and promotional materials on social media.
Jose Ortiz won the Kentucky Derby May 2 on Golden Tempo and Irad Ortiz finished second on Renegade. The brothers are two of thoroughbred racing's top jockeys, both scheduled to ride in the Preakness Stakes on May 16.
Jul 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; The Silver Boot trophy is on display on the concourse for the Lone Star series with the Texas Rangers playinng against the Houston Astros at Global Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images
Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse will leave the Warriors sideline after their contracts expire and they won't be renewed, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.
Stotts is looking to get back to an NBA head coaching opportunity and wanted to throw his name in the candidacy pool, ESPN reported. Stotts' NBA coaching career spans more than three decades. He took his first head coaching job in the NBA in 2002 with the Atlanta Hawks. His most successful stint came with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012 to 2021, where he coached the team to consecutive playoff appearances, including a Western Conference finals run in 2019.
Stotts joined Golden State in 2024 for his second stint with the team. His first tenure as Warriors assistant came in the 2004-05 season under head coach Mike Montgomery.
"I enjoyed my time with Steve, the staff and players," Stotts told ESPN. "My two years there were fulfilling. Nothing but well-wishes."
Stackhouse joined the Warriors as an assistant with Stotts in 2024. Before agreeing to join Golden State, Stackhouse coached six seasons at Vanderbilt. He was named 2023 SEC Coach of the Year for leading the Commodores to a 22-15 record. He was fired after the following season after a lackluster year.
ESPN reported that Stackhouse, too, is searching for a head coaching opportunity.
Those two weren't the only assistants to cut ties with Golden State. Prior to the end of the season, Chris DeMarco left in January to become head coach of the New York Liberty, moving up Kris Weems in the coaching hierarchy.
Golden State will continue its coaching search to fill the sideline alongside Kerr.
One candidate, ESPN reported, is Willie Green, who began his coaching career with the Warriors in 2016 as an assistant. He's since went on to become an assistant for the Phoenix Suns and head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021 to 2025.
Warriors assistant coaching candidates
When there were discussions about whether Kerr would return, various names came up as to who might succeed him. Well, now that Golden State has retained him, and instead lost their assistants, a few other coaching positions must be filled.
If these were some of the candidates to take Kerr's job, why shouldn't some names be mentioned to coach alongside him? Here are some names to keep in mind as the Warriors search to fill their assistant coaching vacancies:
Andre Iguodala
Iguodala is a former Warrior who won four championships with the franchise and was named the 2015 Finals MVP. He's been an All-Star and played a veteran role mentoring young guys, especially during the Warriors' 2022 championship run, which birthed an iconic meme during the NBA Finals in a teaching moment with Andrew Wiggins.
Coach Iguodala was not playing with Andrew Wiggins 😅
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 05: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on May 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last offseason, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren discussed a contract extension, he thought they underestimated his value, and the result was that the sides did not agree to a new deal. Then Duren went out this season and showed them what he was worth: 19.5 points a game on 65% shooting, plus 10.5 rebounds while playing elite defense (he was on some Defensive Player of the Year ballots). He is almost certainly going to be an All-NBA player. That led to the expectation Durent had earned a max contract extension this summer, a five-year deal worth at least $239 million, and up to $287 million with that All-NBA nod.
Then the playoffs started.
Duren has struggled this postseason, averaging 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game when the team needs him most, while his lack of outside shooting has helped clog up the Pistons' offense at times. Things got so bad that coach J.B. Bickerstaff played Paul Reed over Duren during the fourth quarter and overtime of a critical Game 5.
Which begs the question, is Duren still worth a max contract? Here is what one front office executive told Brian Windhorst of ESPN:
"He's not a max player, but they're probably going to have to give him the max," an East executive said of Duren. "Because now [cap space] teams like Chicago or Brooklyn might see him as someone they could get with a max offer sheet and Detroit will have to match.
"With the new apron rules, it might come back to bite [the Pistons], and it's just another example of how the CBA crushes team building."
The Pistons need to re-sign both Duren and Ausar Thompson this offseason, two key defenders and part of the culture built in Detroit, but also two non-shooters who have led to spacing problems in the playoffs as Orlando and then Cleveland have thrown multiple defenders at Cade Cunningham and dared anyone else to beat them. If both get huge deals (Thompson will likely get a contract similar to the $25 million a season that Dyson Daniels agreed to in Atlanta), the Pistons lose flexibility to add another shot creator and/or more shooting the team needs.
Can the Pistons get Duren to take the 25% max ($239 million over five years) and not more? If the Pistons try to get him to take less than that, could a team with cap space in need of a center — Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers both check those boxes — swoop in and try to poach him (Detroit has the right to match any offer).
As the executive quoted by Windhorst suggests, one of the consequences of the tax aprons in the CBA is that teams CANNOT miss on max contracts, or they quickly become anchors. Duren has earned the right for the Pistons to back the Brinks truck up to his home, he deserves the massive contract coming. How massive, and can he continue to play at this level, are the questions. And there are no easy answers.
The Chicago Blackhawks have seven players participating in the IIHF World Championships. All of them were in action on Friday in Switzerland, the first day of the tournament.
Two Blackhawks are on Team Sweden, which was defeated by Canada 5-3. Anton Frondell was a healthy scratch and Arvid Soderblom was the backup goaltender, so neither impacted the game.
There was a reason to keep an eye from a Blackhawks perspective, however, as Ivar Stenberg suited up for Sweden. He will be a top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, where the Blackhawks currently hold the fourth overall selection.
Stenberg scored a goal early in the contest, but it was waved off for a high stick. He didn’t have any points that counted, but you can tell from watching him that the hockey IQ is there for him to be an impact player once he reaches the NHL.
Teuvo Teravainen suited up for Finland, and he recorded two assists in their win over Germany. For someone who struggled to put up points at the end of the NHL regular season, this was a good showing. Both Sweden and Finland are poised for deep runs in the tournament once the elimination rounds begin.
Four Blackhawks are on Team USA’s roster. One of them, Drew Commesso, was the third goalie who didn’t dress for their opening game. The other three, Wyatt Kaiser, Oliver Moore, and Sam Lafferty all suited up as skaters.
None of them recorded a point, and Team USA lost to host Switzerland. After the Swiss took a 2-0 lead, the Americans started to play better and push the pace, but they were unable to get it tied before a third goal was scored to make it 3-1, which held as the final.
There was a fourth game that involved no Blackhawks, which was won 4-1 by Czechia over Denmark. It was a good slate of hockey, but there is a long way to go before anyone creates any separation. There is also the possibility of more players joining as they get eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The next chance to watch a Blackhawks player will come on Saturday when Teravainen and Finland suit up against Hungary. On Sunday, Team USA will battle Great Britain, and Sweden will play Denmark.
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Detroit Tigers right fielder Wenceel Pérez (46) misses the ball that resulted a Boston Red Sox left fielder Masataka Yoshida (7) double during the seventh inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 4, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (19-25) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (19-24)
Time/Place: 6:45 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: Bluebird Banter Media: Apple TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Trey Yesavage (1-1, 0.68 ERA)
May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) celebrates in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
They say that in a tense situation, you should open with a joke. Here is a joke. There are no players on the injury report for the Detroit Pistons, meaning everyone is available to play. It’s just a shame that the only thing that brings everyone back together is a funeral.
End of joke.
Anyway, the Detroit Pistons are facing elimination on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have not lost a game in Rocket Arena during these playoffs. The Pistons have been here before. They trailed the Orlando Magic 3-1 and triumphed. What kind of performance will we see tonight? Hopefully one like in Game 1 of this series, where it was clear that Detroit was the better team. Will we get that tonight? Not based on the last three games. But it’s basketball. Anything can happen.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Watch: Prime Video Odds: Pistons +3.5
MIAMI, FL - MAY 04: Janson Junk #26 of the Miami Marlins pitches during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Monday, May 4, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Owen Gupta/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 23: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees warms up in the bullpen prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The first Subway Series matchup of the season features a pitching duel that, a few years ago, would have sounded completely ridiculous. Currently the best starter on the Yankees staff, Cam Schlittler enters Friday night looking less like a youngster trying to stick in a rotation and more like a legitimate Cy Young contender, while former Yankees closer Clay Holmes gets the nod in Queens for the Mets.
There is not much more to say about Schlittler at this point other than he has simply been dominant. Entering play Thursday, the Yankees’ 25-year-old right-hander led Major League Baseball in ERA, FIP, WHIP, and H/9.
For fun, pick between one of these two stat lines so far this season: pitcher one is 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings, while pitcher two is 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. If you took the former, congratulations, you picked Paul Skenes. If you picked the latter, you picked Schlittler. In his last outing, Schlittler tossed another gem, allowing just two hits and no runs before watching the Yankees’ bullpen let the game slip away late in Milwaukee.
The Yankees have already seen Schlittler rise to the occasion in rivalry games this season, particularly at Fenway Park against Boston, and now he gets to take center stage across town. A strong outing Friday night against the Mets would only continue building what is rapidly becoming one of the best stories in baseball.
Of course, on the other side stands a very familiar face. Holmes’ transition from Yankees closer to Mets starter last year has gone far better than many expected, as the right-hander enters tonight with a 1.86 ERA across 48.1 innings pitched over eight starts. Impressively, Holmes has yet to allow more than two runs in a single outing while consistently working at least five innings deep into games. Really putting together, a quality performance each start.
If the National League was not currently in the middle of a potential all-time great Cy Young race and the Mets were not buried near the bottom of the standings, Holmes would probably be receiving much more national attention for the season he is putting together. Yankees fans know better than most that Holmes possesses electric stuff. His first season as a starter was a success, and his performance so far this season shows he has continued to build off those positive results.
The pitching matchup may headline the night, but both offenses enter the series with very different levels of pressure. The Yankees continue to lean on one of the streakiest lineups in baseball that has several players yet to have a hot streak, while the Mets arrive in the Subway Series battered by injuries. Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., and Jorge Polanco are all currently on the injured list and Bo Bichette has struggled badly, leaving Juan Soto as one of the few consistent and dangerous bats remaining in the lineup.
Soto’s status carried some uncertainty entering Friday after fouling a ball off his foot earlier this week. However, after being listed as day-to-day and serving as the designated hitter Thursday (while homering), Soto returns to left field and bats third in the opener. The Mets will hope his health holds up for the weekend as the lineup around him has struggled to consistently generate offense for much of the season.
The Yankees go with a lefty-heavy lineup tonight, as Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe are the only two right-handed hitters scheduled to start. Spencer Jones, a day removed from his 25th birthday, serves as the designated hitter while batting seventh in the lineup. Aaron Boone has publicly said the coaching staff needs to get several guys going offensively, and the Yankees will hope the off day and return home to New York can help right the ship.
Naturally, this being the Subway Series, both teams arrive in Queens through very different circumstances. The back pages of the sports section show the Yankees chasing another postseason run while the Mets are simply trying to stay afloat after a disappointing start to the season. Rivalry games always seem to take on a life of their own regardless of what the standings say, and with both teams struggling recently, both clubs will hope this series can help build some positive momentum. Subway Series, let’s play ball!
How to watch
Location: Citi Field – Flushing, NY
First pitch: 7:15 pm ET
TV broadcast: Apple TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
