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DENVER — When Logan Webb took the mound here, almost a mile above sea level, a little more than a month ago, he only left the game due to a pitch restriction.

In that start, his first back from the injured list, Webb still pitched into the fifth inning.

In his return visit Friday night, following five starts so dominant that he was named National League pitcher of the month that afternoon, his day was done after only three innings.

“I just got my ass kicked today,” Webb said, more than three hours since he hit the showers.

Apparently the Rockies didn’t get the message that the Fourth of July fireworks were scheduled for after the game. Jake McCarthy started the show on Webb’s first pitch of the game.

McCarthy, the Rockies’ leadoff man, put a first-pitch sinker into the home bullpen, only the beginning of a battering that will go down as one of Webb’s worst nights on the field.

The Giants’ ace yielded seven earned runs on 11 hits — both matching career-highs — in a 15-3 rout to one of the only two teams in the NL with a worse record (36-53) than San Francisco’s (36-51).

From the get-go manager Tony Vitello could see Webb’s pitches were impacted by the altitude.

“The ball can do different things here than the average park,” Vitello said. “Coming out of the shoot, the first pitch of the game, it looked like it ran down and in to the lefty. It’s supposed to go the other way.”

Colorado had a clear plan of attacking, pouncing on Webb early and often. Of the 21 hitters who came to bat against him, nine put one of his first two pitches in play, resulting in seven hits.

“It was a good game plan,” Webb said. “I didn’t adjust very well.”

And yet, probably the most enraging result came on the 12th pitch of Ezequiel Tovar’s at-bat in the second inning, which the No. 9 hitter turned on for the second of three Rockies home runs.

For all the Rockies’ fireworks against Webb in three innings, they put on an equal spectacle in one inning against Matt Gage and Ryan Walker, who allowed Colorado to bring 12 men to the plate in a seven-run fifth that, even at Coors Field, put this one far out of reach.

Gage put the first three batters of the inning — also the bottom three hitters in the Rockies’ order — on base, and McCarthy slugged a grand slam for his second homer of the night. He became the first player ever to hit a leadoff home run, a grand slam and steal a base in one game.

What it means

What a deflating way for the Giants to begin their first series of July.

The schedule lightens up substantially, with three games against the Mariners (45-44) being their only ones against a team with a winning record for the rest of the month. But they can’t feel too good about their chances of capitalizing when this is how it goes against a team as bad as the Rockies.

“There’s no easy part of the schedule in this league,” Vitello said, “especially when you’re on the road.”

Who’s hot

Getting a rare chance to play his natural position with Matt Chapman sidelined, Casey Schmitt showed why many evaluators considered him a future Gold Glove candidate as a third baseman.

Schmitt turned one of the most spectacular double plays of the season — “one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen,” in the words of Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming — to record the first two outs of the night after Webb allowed the first five Rockies to reach base.

On a sharply hit grounder down the line, Schmitt backhanded the ball, followed his momentum into foul territory — while stepping on third for a force out — and flashed the arm that he used to use to save games at San Diego State, slinging a sidearm throw across the diamond, which Bryce Eldridge scooped at first base to complete a desperately needed double play.

Jonah Cox, an outfielder getting his second chance at second base, also flashed the leather once he entered with the game out of hand. Before the game, Vitello raved about his work with Ron Washington, and it showed, ranging behind the bag at second and making an accurate throw across his body for the second out of the seventh inning.

“I think everybody knows Jonah’s athletic and certainly can benefit from some reps,” Vitello said. “He’s athletic enough he can make a bunch of different plays but actually got tested for the first time on the routine play and looked solid.”

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Who’s not

Safe to say Webb will not be repeating as the pitcher of the month for July.

He had allowed 11 hits twice in 191 previous career starts. He also allowed seven earned runs only twice before. But never in the same outing.

The previous two times he had yielded 11 hits came while also completing six innings. Since becoming a full-time member of the rotation midway through 2021, there had only been one other occasion that he failed to throw a pitch in the fourth inning.

Statistically, there is only one other start in Webb’s career that compares to this one: When the Cardinals knocked him around for eight runs (seven earned) in 2 2/3 innings in the fourth start of his career, when he was still 22 years old and struggling to establish himself as a big leaguer.

Here’s the thing: While Coors Field can be a minefield for most starters, Webb hasn’t had many problems here, at least since 2022. Of the starters to log at least 40 innings at Coors Field over the past five seasons, only Merrill Kelly had a lower ERA (1.96) than Webb’s (3.29).

“This place sucks to pitch in, no matter what,” Webb said. “So you if you have any excuses going into it or after it, that’s on you. That’s no excuse. I’ve pitched here before.”

Up next

Robbie Ray, who has been on a roll similar to Webb’s, will try to right the ship Saturday in the second game of the series — and Vitello’s first time managing on Fourth of July — against Tomoyuki Sugano.

The Yankees looked differently, played differently and found a different result against a club that sure felt familiar. 

Maybe it was a lineup that looked far more whole, even without Aaron Judge. Trent Grisham immediately announced his return from the injured list by stroking a leadoff home run while Ryan McMahon doubled and fought for a nine-pitch walk. The two, who had been sidelined during the entirety of the club’s slide, played a part in four of the team’s five runs. 

Maybe it was the passing storm with heavy winds and a sky that opened up after the top of the third, the downpour perhaps washing away the slop and grime that the Yankees had not been able to shake. 

Maybe it was Gerrit Cole, one of the game’s great competitors, trading in gas for guts to bridge a 53-minute rain delay and find a way to grind through five solid innings. Or maybe it was simply an opponent that seems always willing to take a punch when the Yankees’ right hook needs work. 

Whatever the cause, the Yankees looked more like the Yankees in snapping a season-worst, seven-game skid by quieting the Twins, 5-2, on Friday night in front of 45,104, many of whom brushed off the rain and remained on a fireworks night in The Bronx. 

“We’re in a rut,” said Cole, who managed to take down five innings while allowing two runs despite the lengthy delay. “We needed this one today.” 

The Yankees (49-38) recorded their first victory since June 24, halting the hard-to-fathom skid by scoring their most runs since June 19 — they had not even plated five runs in 12 straight contests. 

For the entirety of that slide, the Yankees were without Grisham, who missed three weeks with a hamstring strain. He returned to center and to the top of the order, stepping up in the first inning and authoring what manager Aaron Boone called “a classic Grish at-bat.” 

He went down, 1-2, worked the count full, and then turned on a middle-of-the-plate changeup and smacked it to the second deck in right. 

This despite just a one-game rehab assignment. 

“It was like I never left,” said Grisham, who had helplessly watched the club spiral without him. “Which is surprising — I thought I was going to have to find it a little bit.” 

McMahon, himself back from a throat infection, returned to third base — making a smooth play to help Fernando Cruz escape a jam in the eighth — and pushed José Caballero back to his natural shortstop. 

A defense that had contributed to a stunning 17 unearned runs during the skid looked far more buttoned up. 

“In what’s been a tough week for us, to be able to go out there and play a complete game,” Boone said. “That one feels good.” 

Ben Rice, who had gone 2-for-25 during the slide, followed up a Grisham single in the third inning by cracking his 24th home run of the season, this one pulled into the short porch, for a go-ahead, two-run shot. 

The Yankees gained separation in the seventh, when McMahon doubled and scored on a knock from Caballero, who then came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Grisham. 

On a day of returns, Cole, too, returned to form. After a pair of duds, the ace allowed just a first-inning home run to Kody Clemens and a well-placed RBI single from Victor Caratini in the fourth, an inning in which Cole’s sheer presence on the mound impressed. 

During the delay, he had gotten up to throw approximated innings — 8-15 pitches every 10 minutes to ensure he would be ready to take the mound — then talked Boone into allowing him to return for the fifth inning, too. 

Cole, plus Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, Cruz and David Bednar (17th save), helped toppled a club that is a perpetual pushover around these parts. 

The Yankees are now 112-44 against Minnesota since 2002 (128-46 if you include the postseason), which is the majors’ best record for one team against another in the span. 

The onslaught has been unabated despite the Twins making the playoffs for 10 of those seasons, a perfectly fine team against any opponent that isn’t wearing pinstripes. 

Whatever the cause, the skid is over. 

“I think everyone was ready to turn the corner,” Rice said.

Rockies 15, Giants 3

Leverage index & box score

Graphics via FanGraphs.

How many grand slams?: Jake McCarthy, +0.15 WPA

Webb of his own making: Logan Webb, -0.33 WPA

Game discussion comment of the day

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Memphis Redbirds 4, Charlotte Knights 3 (11 innings)
The Knights and Redbirds were locked in fierce competition, but Memphis came out on top.

The evening started quickly but died soon after. Edgar Quero must’ve read my June White Sox checkup and took my critiques of him personally, because his first home run with the Knights since April 6, 2025 gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead in the first:

Memphis responded at the bottom of the frame, charging Joe Rock with consecutive bases-loaded walks to knot the game at 2-2. The game was a bit of a snoozer after that, as the Knights only put up three hits and got rung up 11 times from the second through the ninth inning. Although the offense was paltry, Charlotte’s arm barn game balanced out the absence of hitting. Four relievers combined for three hits, eight strikeouts, and two walks. Duncan Davitt and Zach Franklin carried the bulk of the pitching. Davitt effortlessly navigating three innings while only allowing one hit. Franklin had his best performance this season, tossing nearly three innings while striking out five in his shutout.

The game unceremoniously ended in the 11th inning. Ryan Galanie’s sacks-packed sac fly put Charlotte up and pressured the Redbirds to match it or lose. Leo Bernal pummeled a two-run shot off Javy Guerra to walk Memphis off and put an end to this disappointing game.

Birmingham Barons 2, Montgomery Biscuits 0 (7 innings)
A two-hour rain delay postponed an unexpected Barons win. Was it worth it for a team that is so far out of the playoffs? Perhaps not, but it was quite entertaining.

There’s nothing else you could’ve asked from starter Dylan Cumming. Endurance and effectiveness haven’t often gone hand-in-hand for him this season, but he managed to put it all together against the Biscuits. Cumming silenced Montgomery in his six innings while striking out six. He made it easy for the Barons to sail through the game with just two runs scored. Jackson Kelley eventually relieved him to bring the game home.

In his second Double-A game, Boston Smith smashed a home run to right-center field to keep his slugging percentage well better than .550:

Samuel Zavala realized that he couldn’t let the new guy outshine him, so he decided to match Smith’s homer with one of his own, which beautifully sailed completely out of the ballpark:

Quite a bit of action, for an abbreviated game.

Winston-Salem Dash 7, Greenville Dash 1
Everything fell Winston-Salem’s way against the Drive: The pitching was superb, the bats came alive, and Greenville provided ample opportunities for the Dash to pad the lead. After a tumultuous June, Max Banks shone on the mound, shutting out the Drive for seven innings while holding them to three hits and a walk. Although a bases-loaded walk interrupted the shutout, the arms didn’t let the Dash down.

Winston-Salem had a quiet start to the evening, sustaining off Ryan Burrowes’ RBI triple in the third until the seventh when the Dash capitalized off Greenville’s self-inflicted injuries to break the game open. Three walks, two fielding errors, and James Taussig’s home run sealed the night.

Although he hasn’t even been in High-A for a month, Taussig’s absolute missiles beg, compounded with his strong June, one question: When can he join the Barons?

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7, Wilson Warbirds 1
The CBs took a page out of the Dash’s playbook, but they added their twist: PLENTY more hits. Kanny’s 16 safeties made Winston-Salem’s six look like child’s play. Jurdrick Profar was the only one not to collect a hit, while Alexander Albertus, Stiven Flores and Christian Gonzalez feasted on Wilson’s weak bullpen, earning three hits apiece. Gonzalez and Flores especially had a ball, firing off solo home runs to add some oomph to the game. Congrats to Gonzalez for hitting his first Single-A home run, and second career home run after making the jump from the ACL on June 29.

Although the CBs stranded 11 on base, I won’t be too critical.

Caedmon Parker was the pitching hero of the game. He held the Warbirds to five hits and a run while punching out five over five frames to give the Ballers a strong foundation for the evening. He has shown he can consistently take the Ballers deep enough into the game before handing it off to the bullpen.

Rookie Leagues

DSL White Sox 10, DSL Cardinals 6
There were a few firsts in the DSL Sox’s victory over the DSL Cardinals: the first three-game win streak this year, reliever Mario Sosa’s first career win, and Fernando Graterol’s first career home run. A breakout second inning, initiated by Graterol’s three-RBI single, carried the team’s runs. Franchel Cristomo made do with his tight three-inning leash, striking out four and giving up a run off two hits. Although Jose Taveras and Beinel Adon let the 6-0 lead slip away, the Sox managed to keep the runs coming from a combination of small ball and a long ball.

What a difference one offday makes.

The Yankees got their heads handed to them by the Detroit Tigers in a three-game sweep, extending a losing streak which started in Boston to a full week of futility. But Thursday provided the Bombers a chance to finally hit that reset button. Additionally, some key returners from injury helped to shore up the lineup, and immediately made an impact. Trent Grisham led the way in his first game since June 12th, clubbing two extra-base hits and drove in two runs, including a home run, to lead the offense in a 5-2 victory over the Twins. Gerrit Cole provided five solid innings on the mound and Ben Rice also provided a two-run homer in the victory.

In what felt like a rerun of about 15 different games in recent days, the Yankees fell behind early on a first-inning homer. Kody Clemens took a Cole curveball to the opposite field and into the Minnesota bullpen to stake the Twins to an early 1-0 lead. It’s been a big year for Clemens, who now has 15 homers on the year.

Thankfully, the Yankees didn’t have to wait long for a reply. Inserted back in the leadoff spot, Grisham wasted no time reminding fans just how important his presence in the lineup is by clubbing a leadoff homer off rookie Mike Paredes to tie the game at 1. It wasn’t an A-swing from Trent, but the ball was clearly flying early on a 92-degree night in the Bronx.

Then raindrops started flying instead.

In the third inning, a thunderstorm swept through the area—not too long after it rampaged through my neck of the words in New Jersey. The storm blew by quickly though, and 53 minutes later, we were ready to play ball again. The Yankees were ready.

Paredes retired the first two men he faced in that third inning, but Grisham continued to make an impact, singling off the first base bag to put a man aboard for Ben Rice. Rice worked the count full, then timed up a center-cut fastball from Paredes, sending it sailing over the right-field wall for a two-run blast to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead.

Benny Bombs’ 24th home run of the season gave New York some breathing room, but the Twins closed the gap a bit in the fourth. Clemens continued his great night with a double, then a textbook two-out swing from veteran backstop Victor Caratini sent a dribbler through the left side for a single to score Roger’s youngest son and make it 3-2.

Cole worked around another extra-base hit in the fifth inning to send Minnesota packing. On a strange night for pitching, Gerrit played stabilizer, striking out seven Twins over five innings before turning it over to the bullpen having thrown 88 pitches. They might have tried to let him pitch into the sixth if not for the delay, but withdrawing after five allowed Cole to exit on a high note following some rough recent outings.

Brent Headrick assumed duties in the sixth inning and Paul Blackburn in the seventh—they did their jobs splendidly, recording two strikeouts apiece and retiring six Twins in order. After the seventh inning stretch, the Bomber offense got back to work.

It wasn’t just Grisham who made his impact in his return to the lineup. Ryan McMahon returned off the IL earlier today as well, and his leadoff double to right sparked a huge insurance rally. The next batter up, José Caballero, attacked the first pitch and found green grass in center with a looping liner which scored McMahon to restore the two-run lead. Caballero then stole second base and advanced to third on a bunt from Austin Wells—which he very nearly turned into a single. With just one out, all the Yankees needed to get an additional run home was a fly ball; Grisham was more than happy to provide, sailing a sac fly to right field to give the Yankees a 5-2 advantage.

Of course, nothing can be drama-free these days, so the Twins got two runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth against Fernando Cruz. With first base open, Aaron Boone opted to intentionally walk Josh Bell, making the force play available at every base while bringing up the potential go-ahead run in the person of Royce Lewis. Cruz and Lewis battled, but Fernando got the job done, inducing a grounder to third that McMahon flipped to second for the inning-ending out.

With the biggest bullet dodged, the ninth inning was a far smoother procession thanks to David Bednar. The Yankee closer continued his momentum from June, in which he quietly allowed no runs in the entire month. Tonight was more of the same, as he struck out the side to lock down his 17th save of the year. A perfectly-placed fastball on the outside corner against Tristan Gray provided the finishing touch. At last, the losing streak was over!

Due to Carlos Rodón’s injury, the Yankees’ plans for tomorrow are a bit in flux. It sounds like Triple-A starter Brendan Beck will be activated to make his second career appearance, but it is not yet known whether he will be a straight starter or the “bulk guy” in relief of an opener, as he was during his cameo on May 7th (update: Beck will indeed get the ball to start). Righty Zebby Matthews is expected to go for the Twins on the Fourth of July, with first pitch at 1:35pm ET.

Box Score

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Rice hit go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning after a rain delay and the New York Yankees ended a seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Trent Grisham hit a leadoff homer and had a sacrifice fly in his return from a strained right hamstring, and Gerrit Cole (3-3) pitched five innings to help the Yankees end their longest slide since a nine-game skid Aug. 12-22, 2023.

The game was stopped after Cole struck out Brooks Lee to end the third. During the 53-minute delay, the center field scoreboard showed the end of Argentina’s 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup.

Following Grisham’s single, Rice snapped a 1-1 tie by hitting rookie starter Mike Paredes’ full-count fastball into the right-field seats. Rice’s 24th homer helped the Yankees win the fourth time in 15 games and beat the Twins for the 12th time in the last 14 meetings.

After Carlos Rodón was placed on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, Cole allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven, walked none and was warming up in the bullpen when Rice homered.

José Caballero added an RBI single in the seventh and scored on Grisham’s fly ball as the Yankees scored more than four runs for the first time in 13 games.

Fernando Cruz retired Royce Lewis with the bases loaded to end the eighth. David Bednar returned from the paternity list struck out the side in the ninth for his his 17th save.

Kody Clemens homered in the first inning and Victor Caratini hit an RBI single in the fourth for the Twins, who lost for the third time in their last 10 road games. Minnesota played without Byron Buxton for the fourth straight game because of right hip impingement.

Paredes (0-2) allowed three runs and four hits in four innings.

Up Next

RHP Zebby Matthews (4-5, 4.15 ERA) was set to start for Minnesota on Saturday. The Yankees had not announced who will start for Rodón.

When a team that’s historically turned into terrified toddlers at the very name of one particular other team goes 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, it’s not generally going to end well. Inning-by-inning notes:

1: I don’t know this for sure, and I’m not going to check it, but it feels like Klobberin’ Kody Klemens hits a homerun every Friday, now. Good for him! Although hitting one now means he can’t later (he has a quota) and he won’t be able to stave off the inevitable late-inning Yankee comeback.

Or maybe not the late innings. Trent Gisham strokes a solo dong to right. Incidentally, on both the Clemens and Grisham home runs, radio guy Kris Atteberry called them “pop ups” at first, so maybe the sightlines from the press box at Yankee Stadium are weird. Tied 1-1

2: Royce Lewis has a leadoff double, and the Twins follow the sabermetric playbook to the letter and have no interest in moving him over/getting him in. Why waste a bunt on an out when you’ve got sluggers like Victor Caratini and Tristan Gray coming up?

A 1-2-3 inning for rookie Mike Paredes. I’m sure that Derek Shelton gave somebody in the media the standard speech about how he doesn’t care about the Twins’ sad history against the Yankees; how the players are different now and he doesn’t believe in curses. I’ve heard it from Gardy and from Molitor and Rocco. They all got their butts beat by the Yankees anyways. It’s a fact of life, like ear hair increasing when you’re older.

3: A 1-2-3 for Gerrit Cole, followed by a rain delay. “Other” radio guy Dan Gladden interviews former player Terry Pendleton, who was with St. Louis when they lost to the Twins in the 1987 World Series, and with Atlanta when they lost to the Twins in 1991. Pendleton was actually with three other World Series-losing teams; St. Louis in 1985, Atlanta in ‘92 and ‘96. Looks like Terry Pendleton was cursed. Not as cursed as the Twins against the Yankees, though.

An hour later, Trent Grisham hits a two-out grounder that bounces off third base, and then Ben Rice hits a fly ball that bounces off the hands of the fan who tries to catch it in the outfield seats.

Then Jasson Domínguez singles and steals, then Cody Bellinger walks. Bringing the Yankees’ best non-Judge hitter, Paul Goldschimdt, to the plate. Fortunately, he strikes out, but Paredes threw a lot of extra pitches in that inning. Yankees 3-1

4: Clemens with a leadoff double. Do you think the Twins will move him over this time? Sorry, but NO TEAM does that anymore. It doesn’t matter, because mighty slugger Victor Caratini (.711 OPS) gets the two-out RBI!

Paredes up to 81 pitches plus a rain delay. Done? Anyways, fine here, Yankee Highlanders 3-2

5: A one-out double for Luke Keaschall. Alas, no mighty slugger Caratini available here. Cole at 88 pitches.

Time for Derek’s Magical Arm Barn, Kody Funderburk your first sorcerer. It actually goes fairly smoothly, so far.

6: The Yankees bringing out their own bullpen, too, starting with legendary ex-Twin Brent Headrick. he dispatches the Twins easily. Incidentally, Ryan Jeffers made a rehab start for the Saints tonight and went 2-4. Matt Wallner has a .947 OPS in his 40 games since being demoted.

More smoothness for Funderburk, he’s pitching with Charmin.

7: Paul Blackburn for NYY. He is not related to Nick “gave up that one homer to Thome in Game 163” Blackburn.

New necromancer Eric Orze for the Twins. He immediately gives up the leadoff double and RBI; the RBIer, José Caballero, steals second and is bunted to third. He then scores on a sac fly. See, Twins? It’s possible to bunt a runner over with nobody out and then score! I’m just saying! Team that’s not the Knicks 5-2

8: Luke Keaschall gets a lucky-as-heck single off new reliever Fernando Cruz. Then Trevor Larnach walks. Then Brooks Lee out, Clemens out, Josh Bell walk… Royce Lewis up. Easy roller to third. Nice cRISPy LOBsters. (At one point during the Lee AB, a pitched ball went in the dirt and Larnach had a good break on it… but Keaschall didn’t. Getting one or two runs this inning wouldn’t have been enough, anyways.)

Derek Shelton is now taking the team aside and explaining, “all that stuff I said about there being no curse… it’s all a lie, the Yankees will own the Twins until the end of recorded time, abandon all hope ye who enter here.” Eric Orze says “OK” and, no longer trying, actually does fine.

9: Yawn, David Bednar strikes out the side. Twins lose.

Once again, Yankee Stadium is a haunted house that eats up all the Twins. Like this one.

Studs: Clemens (2-4, HR, 2B), Keaschall (2-3), Funderburk (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K). Duds: Every other Twin for being, as always, seized by The Fear when they enter the building

COTG go to Goose for recalling feudalism (which is more what Renaissance Fairs celebrate than they actually celebrate the Renaissance), norff for standing by his radio sensei, and nagurski for his water-making feelings. Thanks to everybody who participated in the GT, I know things went south after the rain delay.

Tomorrow’s game is at 12:35, featuring our own Eric Orze against the dreaded, mysterious TBA. (A minor-league callup; Carlos Rodon went on the IL today.) Catch y’all next time!

In the middle of June, you would have had a hard time convincing anyone, let alone Katie Bueller, the Rays were playing well. Even tonight, after the 3-1 victory that gave the Rays nine straight wins, she was still in total shock:

The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, and dweebies in Tampa Bay certainly enjoyed watching an expedient game which wrapped up in a crisp 2 hours and 21 minutes. The teams played this contest like a getaway game with just 10 hitters reaching base, but the Rays leveraged a big night from Nick Fortes along with a solo shot from Junior Caminero to best the Astros.

Nick Martinez threw a serviceable 5.1 innings blemished only by a meatball to Yordan Alvarez which was properly deposited over the right centerfield fence. Martinez has been flirting with homers his past few outings with several close calls, but Alvarez hit a no-doubter:

Martinez has enjoyed some favorable home run suppression this year, but he appears to be flirting with disaster in this area recently, but the indoor environments have helped preserve his good fortune. Kevin Kelly, Casey Legumina, and Bryan Baker got the final 11 outs of this contest without allowing anyone to reach base continuing their impressive work out of late.

The night belonged to Fortes, who drove in the game’s first run with a home run off Spencer Arrighetti to disrupt his excellent outing:

Fortes then came back up in the 8th and got one of those high fastballs he loves to tomahawk and took it high off the left centerfield wall:

Note that Yanier Diaz wanted a fastball out and away, but Enyel De Los Santos missed very high and Fortes was still able to get on top of a chin-level heater this high out of the zone:

This contest was textbook Rays baseball where the offense contributed just enough to support a stellar overall outing by the pitching staff. Martinez was pulled at 85 pitches before getting a third exposure to Cam Smith, who had already seen him well in his previous two plate appearances. Kelly earned his fifth win of the season while Baker nailed down his 23rd save with a 1-2-3 9th.

The Rays will go for a 10th consecutive win in what should be a fantastic matchup of starting pitching with Drew Rasmussen and Hunter Brown taking the mound for the two teams.

You’re still here? It’s over. Go home. Go

Jorge Polanco's fourth game of his Mets rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse is complete.

In Friday's 8-7 win over the Worcester Red Sox, Polanco batted second and was Syracuse's designated hitter.

Polanco's 0-for-3 night featured a leadoff walk in the sixth inning that sparked Syracuse's six-run frame, including Polanco scoring and putting Syracuse on the board.

Syracuse, which trailed 4-0, took a 6-4 lead before tacking on two more runs in the seventh that created enough padding for Friday's one-run edge.

Polanco (Achilles bursitis) has a 1-for-11 line with two walks through the four rehab games with Triple-A Syracuse.

The lone hit was a solo home run in Thursday's 7-5 loss to Worcester.

Polanco, 32, slashed .179/.246/.286 with one home run and two RBI through 14 games of his first season with the Mets this year.

He has not played for New York since April 14, a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers, subsequently landing on the injured list with a right wrist contusion.

ATLANTA — A.J. Ewing took over the leadoff spot Friday night, but reshuffling the cards didn’t get the Mets far. 

A disappointing lineup remained on brand, and aside from an early Juan Soto homer and ninth inning rally was largely silent in a 5-3 loss to the Braves at Truist Park. 

Ewing went 0-for-3 in his debut atop the order on a night the Mets dropped a season-worst 16 games below .500. The Braves had just five hits, but four were homers. 

Interim manager Andy Green indicated his plan is to keep Ewing at leadoff against right-handed pitching. Carson Benge, who was hitting in that spot, moved to fifth in the order. 

“What [Ewing] has done in his short stint in the big leagues, he’s putting up a [.375] on-base percentage against right-handed pitching, that is incredibly rare for a rookie,” Green said before the game. “It fits his long-term skill set: speed, grinds at-bats, shoots the ball around the yard and it also fits Carson to be a middle-of-the-order type guy. 

“Carson filled into that spot ably, he slid into that spot before A.J. was called up to the big leagues and did a really nice job on that spot. It doesn’t mean he won’t ever go back to that spot.” 

Christian Scott lasted just four innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits and four walks with seven strikeouts. Scott’s start was his shortest since May 18 at Washington (also four innings).

He departed after 82 pitches on this night. 

Michael Harris II blasted a two-run homer in the second to put the Mets in a 2-0 hole. Scott walked Mauricio Dubón leading off the inning before throwing a first-pitch fastball that Harris launched over the center-field fence. 

Soto tied it with a two-run homer in the third. After Ewing reached on Matt Olson’s fielding error, Soto hit a shot just inside the left-field foul pole near the visitor’s bullpen. Adding to the moment, reliever Cionel Pérez caught the ball in his cap. Soto’s homer was his team-leading 18th. 

Scott surrendered a homer to Ozzie Albies in the third that put the Mets in a 3-2 hole. Albies crushed a 2-1 fastball into the right-field seats. 

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“Those two innings [the second and third] got my pitch count up and I just wasn’t good enough,” Scott said. “I have just got to do a better job attacking the zone early. I thought they put me in some long at-bats there in those innings and they were well-executed by them.” 

Scott concluded his outing by striking out the side in the fourth. 

“He’s at his best when he’s attacking and he’s certainly trying to do that,” Green said. “Innings two and three, he got behind Dubón and that started that inning and then Harris jumped him. It was just scattered command for a couple of innings. It was good to see him battle back in the fourth.” 

Olson’s homer against A.J. Minter in the fifth extended the Braves’ lead to 4-2. It was the first earned run allowed by Minter in 15 appearances this season. 

Olson’s second homer of the night, an eighth-inning blast against Kodai Senga, widened the Mets’ deficit to 5-2. 

Bo Bichette’s RBI single in the ninth sliced the Braves’ lead to 5-3, but Francisco Lindor was retired for the final out with the tying runs on base. 

“We weren’t able to string anything together,” Green said. “In isolation there was a good at-bat here and there … the Soto home run the other way was ridiculously good. His at-bats continue to be ridiculously good. And the rest of the lineup scattered decent at-bats.”

While there have been many questions about the relationship between the Mets’ two biggest stars, they both insist they’re in a good place. 

After last year’s months-long collapse, The Post’s Mike Puma reported that Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor had a chilly relationship. And earlier this week on “The Show” podcast with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, Mets owner Steve Cohen confirmed the reporting but said that was in the rearview. 

Soto and Lindor, both speaking to The Athletic on Friday, said their relationship is getting better. 

“There were no issues last year — at all,” Soto told The Athletic. “We didn’t have any beef or anything. Definitely, our relationship is getting better because it takes time. 

“When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away.” 

Lindor added that the relationship between the two will “continue to grow.” 

“I have nothing but respect for him. He’s my brother,” Lindor said. “He’s somebody I respected from a distance and respect here, inside.” 

The Athletic reported Carlos Mendoza worked to get the two under better terms before his firing, and Lindor and Soto recently had “hard conversations,” though the two players said they did not agree with calling the discussions “hard.” 

Soto joined the Mets before last season with plenty of fanfare — and money — on a 15-year, $765 million contract. Fighting through a slower start by his standards, Soto finished 2025 with 43 homers, an MLB-leading 127 walks and a .921 OPS as he finished third in the National League MVP race.

But even with that and Lindor’s third 30-homer, 30-stolen-base season, the Mets, who had an MLB-best 45-24 record in mid-June, crumbled the rest of the way and missed the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Reds. 

The Mets have not fared better this year with a 36-52 record after Friday’s 5-3 loss to the Braves. Since taking over as interim skipper on June 26, Andy Green now has a 2-6 record. 

Cohen, in his candid conversation with The Post earlier this week, believed any frostiness between Soto and Lindor is a thing of the past. 

“Frankly, I think that’s a story that was last year’s story,” Cohen said in an exclusive interview. “I am told and believe strongly that these guys are getting along much better. And so, I just don’t see that as an issue anymore.” 

Cohen added that given the length of the two contracts between the stars (Lindor with the Mets through 2031 and Soto through 2039), he does not believe either player will be playing outside of Queens anytime soon. 

“I don’t see them going anywhere,” Cohen said.

“I’m lucky enough to have two high-quality players like that and with the elimination of whatever issues there were last year, I’m thrilled that they’re on the team.”