For the first time since José Caballero came off the injured list, Volpe started at shortstop and ended up saving the day, delivering a two-run single in the top of the ninth to lift the Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Royals in a Memorial Day matinee at Kauffman Stadium.
After Bobby Witt Jr. had put the Royals ahead with a solo shot off Jake Bird in the bottom of the eighth, the Yankees (32-22) staged a one-out rally capped by Volpe, who has gone from October shoulder surgery to losing his job to being optioned to Triple-A to coming back up and now making a consistent impact through his first nine games.
“It just felt great to contribute and help the team win — that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Volpe said. “That was all I wanted to do when I was working and grinding to come back.
“You do it for this, for the guys. Everyone in this clubhouse does absolutely everything they can to come through and help the team win. I just feel like I’m one of the guys and everyone pushes me the same way I hope I push everyone else to do the exact same thing.”
Yankees’ Anthony Volpe waits for the pitch before hitting a two-run single during the ninth inning of baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Monday, May 25, 2026. AP Photo/Charlie RiedelYankees left fielder Cody Bellinger, center, runs home to score after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Monday, May 25, 2026. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
After Volpe sat out the previous two games in favor of Caballero, they were both in Monday’s lineup against Royals righty Michael Wacha, who has reverse splits, with Caballero getting his first start at third base.
Sure enough, both played a key role in the win, with Caballero driving in Volpe on a single that made it a 2-0 game in the second inning and later ending the game with a strong play on a slow chopper to third base.
“I trust in both of those guys and who they are and their makeup and their toughness, that it doesn’t have to be one way or another in one game,” manager Aaron Boone said. “They were both in the middle of helping us win today.”
Fourteen straight Yankees had been retired before Paul Goldschmidt started the game-winning rally in the ninth with a broken-bat infield single off Royals closer Lucas Erceg. Jazz Chisholm Jr. came up next and roped a hustle double past the dive of first baseman Salvador Perez.
That set the stage for Volpe, and, with the infield in, he lofted a single over the head of Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop to put the Yankees ahead.
Yankees pitcher Will Warren (29) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
David Bednar then closed it out in the bottom of the ninth, working around a two-out walk, as the Yankees took the series opener from the Royals (22-32).
“Honestly, it was time to win the game,” said Chisholm, who tweaked his right ankle rounding first but said he was OK. “End of the game, we never quit, we never give in. We needed to win that game, so we just came together and did it.”
Anthony Volpe, left, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. celebrate after their baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Bird was called on to relieve Brent Headrick with two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the seventh inning and got out of that jam. But Boone stuck with Bird to face the heart of the Royals lineup in the bottom of the eighth and he hung a curveball to Witt, who clobbered it 432 feet to break a 2-2 tie.
Boone said Fernando Cruz was available “in a role,” but wanted either Bird or Camilo Doval in that spot because of the matchups.
Yankees Merch Shop
WinCraft insulated can coolers
Team Effort driver head cover
47 Brand adjustable cap
Customizable jersey
Logo fleece blanket
14-ounce sculpted relief coffee mug
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
The bullpen had no margin for error, after another solid start from Will Warren (six innings, two runs), because the offense had trouble breaking out against Wacha. Cody Bellinger drilled a leadoff home run in the second inning before Caballero drove in Volpe for the two-run lead, but the Yankees stranded a runner at third base in each of the next two innings before getting shut down for a stretch.
That changed in the ninth, though, with Volpe playing hero and offering up his latest forget-me-not.
“He’s a dawg. He’s a gamer. He’s a tough kid,” Boone said. “Certainly [losing his job] isn’t the way he would draw it up or maybe even doesn’t feel that’s fair — whatever it may be — but the one thing he does is continue to work his tail off and play his tail off. He’s come up here and in his first several games back, he’s played really well.”
In their latest roster crunch, the Dodgers made the expected move Monday.
With Kiké Hernández returning from the injured list, veteran utility man Santiago Espinal was designated for assignment.
Dodgers utilityman Santiago Espinal was DFA’d on Monday as Los Angeles is adding World Series hero Kiké Hernández to the active roster. Getty Images
Espinal being the odd man out for Hernández’s activation was no surprise. Ever since the former All-Star made the team coming out of spring training, he seemed like a de facto place-holder until Hernández returned from offseason elbow surgery.
“We were very forthright up front about the expectations, so I think he respected that,” manager Dave Roberts said. “[He’s] a complete pro.”
Leading up to Hernández’s scheduled activation on Monday, however, intrigue had nonetheless intensified over what the team’s corresponding move would be.
Espinal himself hadn’t done much to change the calculus, batting just .220 in extremely limited playing time this year.
But amid a recent slump from Hyeseong Kim, the Dodgers suddenly had another option to contemplate.
It was only a couple weeks ago, remember, that Kim survived the first roster crunch of this Dodgers’ season –– staying on the MLB roster over Alex Freeland when Mookie Betts returned from a month-long oblique injury.
At that time, Kim kept his spot because of how well he was playing. After beginning the year in the minors, he had hit .314 with only 14 strikeouts over his first 26 games back in the majors.
“When he plays,” Roberts said of Kim last month, “he always does something to help the team win.”
For the second time this season, Dodgers Hyeseong Kim has survived roster changes and remains on the active roster. AP Photo/Tony Ding
Alas, that has not remained the case lately.
Going back to May 8, the second-year South Korean import has struggled mightily, entering Monday a woeful 6-for-his-last-40 with 16 strikeouts and no extra-base hits.
He acknowledged he hasn’t felt great with his swing, which in turn has led to worse swing decisions as well.
“I recognize what I need to work on,” he said through an interpreter.
Still, the slump was bad enough that, when Roberts was asked about the team’s upcoming roster decision on Sunday afternoon, he acknowledged Kim was in the conversation for getting sent down.
“He’s passive when he shouldn’t be, and then he’s getting into bad counts. I don’t know if it’s a mechanical thing, but he’s been grinding the last – quite honestly, the last month it’s been kind of tough for him.”
Roberts also pointed to Kim’s positive attributes: A plus infielder defensively, the kind of left-handed hitter that better suits the current construction of the club’s roster, and a well-liked teammate who is always “preparing and competing.”
“But right now, it’s just not working,” Roberts acknowledged. “We’ve got to have a tough conversation.”
After undergoing offseason elbow surgery, Hernandez will join the active roster on Monday and give the Dodgers a much-needed boost in depth.
Ultimately, Kim once again skirted such bad news.
The Dodgers stuck with their plan to cut Espinal, who would have been redundant upon Hernández’s return as a fellow right-handed-hitting utility bat. Kim, meanwhile, was back in the lineup for Monday night’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies, continuing on in his platoon role at second base against right-handed pitching.
“[I want] Hyeseong just playing and freeing himself up and not worrying about kind of who’s coming, who’s not coming,” Roberts said. “Just kind of get back to being who he is as a ball player.”
That doesn’t mean Kim has a prolonged runway for continued playing time.
With Tommy Edman set to begin a minor-league rehab stint with triple-A Oklahoma City this week, another roster crunch is looming, as Edman will likely take over everyday duties at second base when eventually returns from an offseason ankle injury that has sidelined him to start the year.
That means, while Kim is safe for now, he is officially on the clock to turn things around.
The fact that he was under consideration at all for Monday’s roster cut only underscored his precarious situation.
“It’s my job to produce, so I’m always focused on producing numbers,” Kim said. “Given the [roster] situation, I’m not trying to think about it too much. Just keep working hard, and keep producing as best I can.”
PITTSBURGH — The Chicago Cubs spent the first six weeks of the season threatening to run away with the NL Central.
A pair of 10-game winning streaks will do that.
It’s taken just over two weeks for a big chunk of all that hard work to disappear.
A skid that earned the Cubs a share of some unwanted big league history will do that.
Chicago’s 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday marked its ninth straight defeat, joining the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers as the only two teams in the expansion era to have multiple 10-game winning streaks and a nine-game skid in the same season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“We got to play better,” manager Craig Counsell said after watching his team lose for the 13th time in 15 games.
“We’ve got to swing the bats better. We’ve got to pitch better. We need more guys contributing to good stuff, and as a coaching staff we’ve got to figure out a way to get the players there.”
The Cubs’ current slide is the franchise’s longest since a 10-game winless drought in 2022. Back then, the franchise was firmly in a rebuilding phase. Expectations are much higher nowadays, and while the Cubs still sit somewhat comfortably over .500 at 29-25, that’s just good enough for third in a division where all five teams started Memorial Day over .500.
It’s hardly time to panic. Yet fresh off a winless six-game homestand that began with getting swept by NL Central-leading Milwaukee and ended with three losses to mediocre Houston, it looked like more of the same against the improved Pirates.
Michael Busch provided the only offense with a solo home run in the fifth that tied the game. The Cubs managed just five other hits the rest of the way, going 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven runners on base.
“Offensively, we are equipped to be way more consistent than this and way better than this, and we need to show it,” Counsell said.
Monday’s loss marked the ninth time in 15 games the Cubs have scored two runs or fewer. And after making Pirates starter Carmen Mdlozinski work through five innings, they went down meekly late.
Pittsburgh relievers Wilber Dotel and Gregory Soto combined to retire the last 10 Chicago hitters in order. Dotel earned the first victory of his career by working three scoreless innings. Soto worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
Counsell experimented in the ninth, sending right-handed batters Nico Hoerner, Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly to the plate as pinch hitters against the left-handed Soto. It didn’t work. Hoerner grounded out to first, and Suzuki followed by striking out looking on a 3-2 slider.
The Japanese slugger appealed strike three, but Soto’s 84 mph offering scraped the bottom of the strike zone upon review. Kelly then hit a routine grounder to second and the Cubs’ miserable May continued.
“It’s pretty challenging,” Busch said. “It’s hard to see the bright spots in it. Just trying to do anything we can to scrape across a W.”
The loss marred another excellent start by Ben Brown. The 26-year-old right-hander limited the Pirates to one run and four hits in six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts while dropping his ERA to 2.01.
It just wasn’t enough. Pittsburgh catcher Henry Davis turned on a Trent Thornton offering in the seventh and sent it 427 feet over the wall in left field to give the Pirates the lead for good and eventually send the Cubs back to another quiet clubhouse.
“The guys are working hard,” Brown said. “We’re just not winning baseball games. That doesn’t take away from how talented this group is, and the characters in this room that are pushing each other. We all love each other. The reality of baseball is it can really be tough.”
Jun 11, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) celebrates in the dugout after scoring during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
The Yankees hadn’t lost to the Royals in 11 consecutive games, dating back to Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS. That almost changed this Memorial Day afternoon.
After grabbing a pair of early runs, the Yankee offense appeared to rest on their laurels, watching passively as the Royals battled back to take a 3-2 lead in the home half of the eighth. But the Bombers mustered the fight they needed. Anthony Volpe’s go-ahead two-run single with two outs to go turned what would have been another enervating defeat into a much-needed, well-deserved 4-3 victory at Kauffman Stadium. Will Warren registered a quality start on the mound to keep the game winnable, and Volpe’s heroics stood up. The Yankees now have a winning streak.
The first inning flew by in an eyeblink, setting the stage for a far more eventful second inning, for better and worse. The better part came first, on a Belli Bomb to lead off the frame. Cody Bellinger’s seventh home run of the season traveled 403 feet out to right and gave New York the early lead against Michael Wacha.
However, that lead only stood up in the short term thanks to the contributions of the bottom of the order. With two outs, Volpe worked a walk and J.C. Escarra slashed an opposite-field single to put runners on the corners for José Caballero. Despite getting an automatic strike called on him before he even reached the plate because he lost track of his batting helmet, Caballero lined a base hit to the right-center gap to plate Volpe and make it 2-0.
The worst part for Warren came when he walked the bases loaded to give the light-hitting Royals lineup a chance to claw back. They got halfway, thanks to a Michael Massey sac fly, but the 26-year-old righty was able to hold it to the lone run. He found his command again in the third, working around a Vinnie Pasquantino double with two outs to post a scoreless frame.
From that point forward, Warren really started to flummox Kansas City hitters, starting a string of six-straight harmless fly outs before a two-out single from Maikel Garcia gave a big opportunity to franchise face Bobby Witt Jr. Undaunted, Warren went right after the star shortstop and struck him out on three pitches to end the fifth inning.
Unfortunately, the Royals would finally tie the score in the sixth. Warren’s trend of getting outs through the air continued, but opposing captain Salvador Perez finally timed him up in his third at-bat, scorching a two-seamer deep out to left for an equalizing homer.
The Yankees wasted a double of their own from Aaron Judge in the top of the third, then a double play quashed a first-and-third threat in the fourth. Those missed opportunities allowed Wacha, always effective against New York, to settle into the game. The veteran retired nine Yankees in a row for a perfect third time through the order. He completed seven full innings for the fifth time in eleven starts. That’s not what New York was looking for after making him work hard earlier in the afternoon.
Then came the home eighth. Daniel Lynch IV dispatched the top of the Yankee order very quickly to bring up the Royals’ team MVP. Witt greeted Jake Bird with a big fly down the left field line toward the Royals’ Hall of Fame building that he might one day inhabit, putting Kansas City ahead for the first time and causing a wave of exasperated sighs across the Tri-State area.
It’s been a while since the last inspiring Yankees comeback. Could we get one this Memorial Day? After a first-pitch out from Bellinger, a rally began to take shape.
It started with a broken-bat infield single from Paul Goldschmidt; the ball deadened so much on impact with the ground that not even Witt could make a play on it. Then came Jazz Chisholm Jr., and he slapped a groundball past the second-base hole for a hit. He raced to second and reached safely with a double, perhaps thanks to an ill-advised cutoff from Nick Loftin. Jazz then got a visit from the trainer before staying in the game, as Volpe took a consequential plate appearance.
The Fox delivered. Volpe fell behind in the count 1-2, but closer Lucas Erceg’s slider caught too much of the plate. No. 11 made him pay with a two-run single to catapult the Yankees back ahead, 4-3. While Volpe was caught in a rundown after the runs scored, the damage had been done. It was up to David Bednar to make the result stand up.
Bednar faced the bottom of the Royals’ lineup, and wasted little time getting the first two outs before entering a drawn-out battle with ninth-place hitter Lane Thomas, who had entered off the bench. He ultimately walked Thomas to bring up the top of Kansas City’s order, but it was water under the bridge; Garcia bounced out to third to end the game, and the Yankees won 4-3.
Thanks to a truly wild walk-off victory for the Orioles over the Rays in Baltimore, the Yankees gained another game on Tampa Bay in the standings. Their AL East lead is down to 3.5 games. Positive momentum for multiple days in a row—when’s the last time that happened?
Cam Schlittler will get the ball for his 12th start of the season tomorrow evening as the Yankees look to continue their recent dominance at The K. He’ll most likely face an opener for the Royals, the identity of which is yet to be announced by the team. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 pm EST, which coverage thankfully returning to YES.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anthony Volpe answered Bobby Witt Jr.'s go-ahead homer in the eighth with a two-run single in the ninth for New York, sending the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday and extending their winning streak to 12 in the series.
Jake Bird nearly squandered a strong start by Will Warren when he gave up Witt’s tiebreaking shot inside the left-field foul pole leading off the eighth inning.
But the Yankees promptly rallied off Lucas Erceg (3-2), starting with Paul Goldschmidt’s broken-bat hit and Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s one-out double before Volpe’s timely single to left field.
Tim Hill (2-2) earned the win while David Bednar worked around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his 12th save of the season.
It was Erceg who wound up wasting a strong start by the Royals’ Michael Wacha, and an even more effective inning from Daniel Lynch IV, who had set down the top of the New York lineup in the eighth to turn a 3-2 lead over to the Kansas City closer.
Cody Bellinger homered earlier in the game for the Yankees, who have not lost to the Royals since Sept. 10, 2024. That streak includes the past 11 regular-season meetings and the clinching game of the 2024 AL Divisional Series.
After the Yankees jumped to a 2-0 lead on Bellinger’s homer and an RBI single by Jose Caballero, the Royals clawed back in the bottom of the second. Salvador Perez, Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins walked and Michael Massey hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
That score remained until Perez’s tying homer in the sixth. It was his 136th home run at Kauffman Stadium, tying George Brett’s stadium record, and it moved the Royals captain to within five of the Hall of Famer’s overall club record of 317 homers.
Up next
RHP Cam Schlittler (6-2, 1.50 ERA) starts Tuesday night for the Yankees. The Royals are likely to use their bullpen to start the game.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 16: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros bats in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on May 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (23-31) and Texas Rangers (24-28) begin a 4-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
RHP Tatsuya Imai (1-2. 8.31 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker (2-4, 3.60 ERA). Tonight will be Imai’s 1st career appearance vs. the Rangers.
ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai will make his sixth start tonight and the first of his career vs. the Rangers.
Imai started the 1st game of this current road trip on May 18 at MIN, in which his outing was cut short due to a lengthy rain delay. Prior to the delay, he had hurled 4.2 innings, allowing 3 earned runs with no walks and 5 strikeouts.
Earlier this season, Imai missed 26 games while on the Injured List (arm fatigue).
In January, the Astros signed Imai as a free agent to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the NPB in Japan, where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros took 2 out of 3 from Rangers, May 15-17 at Daikin Park.
Even Series: The two clubs have played each other 295 times in the regular season in their franchise histories, with the Astros holding a slight advantage, 148-147.
Recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 95-52 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
Note: The Silver Boot Trophy, which the Astros have held onto since 2017, is on display in the Centerfield Team Store at Daikin Park.
BACK INTO THE NIGHT: Tonight will be the Astros first night game since Tues. night at MIN. Since that game, they have played 4 consecutive day games, Wed. at MIN and all 3 games over the weekend vs. the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Prior to last week, the last time that the Astros had played 4 consecutive day games was April 2-6 of last season (source: Elias).
SWEEPSTAKES: The 3-game sweep of the Cubs over the weekend was the Astros 1st series sweep on the road in 2026 and their 2nd series sweep overall this season. Their other sweep in 2026 came March 30-April 1 vs. BOS at Daikin Park.
At Wrigley: Prior to over the weekend, the last time that the Astros swept the Cubs at Wrigley Field was in a 3-game series, May 30-June 1, 2011.
FOR STARTERS: Astros starters have a combined ERA of 2.84 (13ER/45.2IP) over the last 9 games.
Saturday was the 3rd time in the last 5 games that an Astros starter did not allow a run in his start.
Additionally, Astros starters have allowed no runs 4 times in the last 9 games.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker had a productive series over the weekend at Wrigley Field, going 5×12 (.417) with 3 HR and 6 RBI. For the season, he has been one of the top hitting 1st basemen in the AL.
Overall, he currently ranksT2nd in the AL in RBI (37) and 6th in TB (104), HR (14) and SLG (.531).
AL RBI Leaders
J. Aranda: 38 T2. C. Walker: 37 T2. N. Kurtz: 37
SPENCER’S GIFTS: Since making his season debut on April 15, RHP Spencer Arrighetti has been one of the top starters in the Majors…with Friday’s win at CHC, he is now 6-1 in just 7 starts with a 1.32 ERA (6ER/41IP) and a miniscule .169 batting avg. (24 H allowed in 41.0 IP).
Since April 15, Arrighetti’s 6 wins are tops in the AL in that span.
Model of Consistency: Arrighetti has allowed 1 ER or less in 6 of his 7 starts and 2 ER or less in all 7 starts. In May, Arrighetti is 3-1 in 4 starts with an 0.78 ERA (2ER/23IP).
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 3 straight, 4 of their last 5 and are 6-3 in their last 9 games and 7-4 in their last 11 games.
CLOSE CALLS: With yesterday’s 4-2 win, the Astros are now 10-8 in 2-run games and 4-2 in 1-run games.
THROWING SOME LEATHER: The Astros 19 errors as a club are tied for the fewest in the AL, along with KC and ATH. The Astros had the fewest errors in the AL prior to committing 2 errors in Friday’s 4-2 win.
PEN PALS: As a group, the Astros bullpen has had a decent run of success recently.
Since May 8, they have a combined ERA of 3.44 (20ER/52.1IP).
Individually, several relievers are currently pitching well: –RHP Bryan Abreu: 0.00 ERA in last 8 outings (7.2 IP, 0 R). –RHP AJ Blubaugh: 3.14 ERA in last 9 outings (14.1 IP, 5 ER). –LHP Bryan King: 1.42 ERA in last 10 outings (12.2 IP, 2 ER) –LHP Steven Okert: 8 K’s in his last 4.2 IP (5 apps.)…3.24 ERA in his last 9 outings (8.1 IP, 3 ER).
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros have been one of the AL’s top hitting teams on the road in 2026. Entering today’s game, HOU leads the AL in road batting avg. (.264) and ranks 2nd in OBP (.334), SLG (.415) and OPS (.749).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1975 – In the Dome, the Astros rally back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat the Expos, 8-7, in 12 innings. A clutch, solo HR in the bottom of the 9th by Cesar Cedeno ties the game at 6-6. With the Astros trailing. 7-6, in the bottom of the 12th, Enos Cabell’s RBI-double ties it and then Milt May singles home the game-winner for the Astros walk-off win.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, May 25, 6:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
May 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser (17) celebrates with teammates at home plate after hitting the game-winning two run home run against Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jesse Scholtens (not pictured) during the thirteenth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Folks. What was this baseball game???
I cannot believe what I just saw. The Orioles just won a game against the best team in baseball in which they were shut out until the seventh inning, then trailed by two runs in the 11th inning, then trailed by a run in the 12th, then trailed by two runs again in the 13th.
It was without question the gutsiest victory of the year for the Orioles, who badly needed one. At every turn, the O’s could have packed it in and accepted defeat. Instead they pulled out every trick in the book, battling back from every disadvantage — with help, admittedly, from a Rays team that couldn’t play defense — to scrape and claw their way back into the game. And Colton Cowser, for the second straight day, provided the decisive blow with a walkoff home run, finally bringing this roller coaster of a game to a close after 13 innings and 4 hours, 12 minutes of utter madness.
I suppose we’ll start at the beginning, but keep reading for all the fun stuff later on. Though both starters were long gone by the time this game ended, Kyle Bradish and Shane McClanahan were equally dominant today. Bradish showed a knack for making big pitches to get out of jams. In the third, with two on and two out, Bradish blew away Jonathan Aranda on a 3-2 fastball. A similar situation played out two innings later when the Rays put a runner at second before Bradish fanned the dangerous Junior Caminero on a 3-2 pitch, this time a nasty slider. If it hasn’t been said already, Kyle Bradish is so back.
The Orioles’ offense, though, had all sorts of trouble with McClanahan, and they didn’t do themselves any favors with dreadful baserunning. They were picked off not once but twice in the first six innings, starting with Blaze Alexander in the third. Later, in the sixth, with two on and one out, Gunnar Henderson drifted too far off second base. McClanahan fired to the bag and caught Henderson in a rundown, where he was eventually tagged out. Oh, come on, Gunnar. Pinch-hitter Samuel Basallo grounded out to end the threat, and the O’s had blundered themselves out of a great scoring opportunity.
As the scoreless duel entered the sixth inning, the only question was which pitcher would make a mistake first. Unfortunately, the answer was Bradish, who hung a slider to Aranda that he crushed into the right-field seats for his ninth home run. Sigh. One bad pitch amidst an otherwise great effort. Bradish ultimately worked six strong innings, giving up just one run. He struck out three and walked two, both of which were Cedric Mullins, who received a nice ovation from the Camden Yards crowd in his return to Baltimore as a visitor.
Happily, the bottom of the seventh also featured some baserunning adventures that turned out much better for the Birds, with help from terrible Rays defense. Leody Taveras led off with a walk and stole second base. With Alexander at the plate, reliever Hunter Bigge whirled around and tried to pick off Taveras — and truthfully, he would’ve had him out, for the Orioles’ third picked off runner of the day, if shortstop Taylor Walls had been able to catch the ball cleanly. But he didn’t, and it rolled into center field, allowing Taveras to scramble to third.
The O’s took full advantage of the lucky break. On the next pitch, Alexander laced a single to left to plate Taveras with the tying run, finally giving the Camden Yards crowd something to cheer about. But the fun didn’t stop there. With two outs, Taylor Ward roped a single to right. Alexander aggressively tried to get to third, and again a good throw would’ve gotten him, but Victor Mesa Jr. airmailed the ball so wildly that it sailed out of play, automatically awarding Alexander home plate. That’s a heck of a way to score the go-ahead run. I’ll gladly take it. The Orioles have been on the wrong end of shoddy defensive plays many times this year, so it’s nice when it happens to the other team.
The Orioles had taken an improbable lead and the ballpark was rocking, but the O’s immediately blew it. Manager Craig Albernaz made the curious decision to replace Yennier Cano (ERA: 1.40) with Anthony Nunez (ERA: 4.94), even though Cano had thrown just six pitches and faced one batter in the seventh. Make it make sense. Sure enough, Nunez coughed up a double and an RBI single, and with that the game was tied again.
Rico Garcia did his darnedest to keep the game tied, pitching both the ninth and tenth innings and throwing a season-high 32 pitches. Garcia pulled off a great escape in the 10th with the bases loaded and one out, striking out Richie Palacios before a Mullins sizzling liner was nabbed by Alonso at first. Again, the Orioles were fired up, the crowd was alive, and the O’s had every opportunity to win the game.
And again, they blew it, even with a free runner on second to start the bottom of the 10th. Colton Cowser tried to bunt Jackson Holliday to third, but his bunt landed so close to pitcher Ian Seymour that Holliday held at second, thinking it would be caught. So it just ended up as a useless out at first base. Come on, guys! Then the Rays elected to intentionally walk Ward to purposely face Gunnar Henderson with the winning run at second. How far Gunnar’s stature has fallen. Even worse: it worked, as Henderson flailed at an outside pitch for a strikeout, and Rutschman grounded out to send the game to the 11th.
The air had deflated from the Orioles’ balloon, and when Mesa led off the top of the 11th with a two-run homer off Tyler Wells, it looked like the Birds were cooked. But the game took another ridiculous turn in the bottom half of the inning. Alonso smacked a leadoff single to left. Rutschman, the automatic runner, was bizarrely waved to the plate, even though the O’s were down by two runs. I don’t know why Buck Britton sent him there, but it worked out, as Chandler Simpson’s throw was so off-line that Alonso got to second on the play.
The next batter, Jeremiah Jackson, ripped a shot off the glove of the third baseman and into shallow left. Once again Britton aggressively challenged Simpson’s weak arm. The throw to the plate beat Alonso, but catcher Nick Fortes couldn’t hang on, and Alonso slid in safely. WE ARE TIED! Unbelievable! What is this game??
The O’s had a chance to win it right there, as Taveras bunted Jackson to third with one out, but they couldn’t advance him the final 90 feet. The southpaw Seymour racked up a huge strikeout of Holliday and retired Cowser on a flyout to leave Jackson stranded. Spoiler: Colton would redeem himself later.
Right away, the Rays went back ahead in the 12th when long flyouts from Caminero and Aranda moved the automatic runner, Simpson, to third and then home. Again the O’s faced a deficit, 5-4. But again, they came rallying back. A Ward flyout moved Cowser, the Manfred Man, to third base with one out, giving Henderson a chance to redeem himself from his 10th-inning failure.
He did! …Sort of. Henderson smacked a hard shot to first, with Aranda making a quick-reflexed stop. He immediately fired home to Fortes, who tagged the sliding Cowser at the plate. Umpire Ryan Additon called Cowser out, but the O’s immediately challenged. Replay appeared to show that Cowser got his left hand in before the tag from Fortes, but since it didn’t seem 100% conclusive, I assumed they’d uphold the call. I’m happy to report that I was wrong. The call was reversed, Cowser was safe, and we were tied again. Holy moley. This became just the second MLB game this year to go to the 13th inning.
The Rays’ offense just kept coming. With Dietrich Enns on the mound in the 13th, Palacios reached on a bunt single and Mullins beat his former team with a soft RBI single to left. A Fortes sac fly later in the inning made it a 7-5 game, and this time, for sure, the Orioles were cooked. Right? …Right?
WRONG! The Orioles had one more, magical comeback left in them against Rays righty Jesse Scholtens. Taveras roped a double into the corner to lead off the 13th, scoring the free runner, and Alexander’s single to center set up runners at the corners with nobody out. Oh my gosh, are we doing this again? You bet we are. Holliday came through with a productive out, a sac fly to center to bring home Taveras. We are tied again, 7-7. This is insane.
It was about time for somebody to step up and win this game, and look no further than the guy who did exactly that just one day earlier, Cowser. On a 2-1 pitch — on a slider! — Cowser clobbered one to deep center field. He’s done it again! It sailed into the bleachers not far from where his Sunday walkoff landed. Home run. Orioles win, 9-7. The Orioles erupted out of the dugout with high-fives and hugs and Gatorade baths for the hero, in disbelief at the game they’d just played.
What. A. Win. The atmosphere at Oriole Park after the walkoff was electric, and that included the Orioles players, who celebrated on the field with the kind of childlike enthusiasm and sheer joy that we’ve so rarely gotten to see this season. This was the kind of game that the 2023 Orioles would’ve won, and I really hope it can spark some inspired, energetic, winning baseball from the O’s going forward. (I don’t want to hear that it’s unrealistic. Let me have my moment.)
Well, folks. Have you decompressed from this one yet? Who gets your vote for Most Birdland Player if not Cowser? Pete Alonso for his three clutch hits? Kyle Bradish for his impressive start? Rico Garcia for his two gutsy innings of relief? Let us know in the comments!
Posting to social media Monday afternoon, the former Laker placed a $36,000 bet on Spencer Pratt to become the next mayor of Los Angeles. The payout would be a whopping $133,588.89.
Besides posting the bet, Kuzma spoke about the overall state of Los Angeles by responding to someone on X with, “LA has been cooked since Covid what am I missing lol.”
Kuzma is no stranger to Los Angeles, having been acquired by the Lakers in a draft-day trade with the Brooklyn Nets after they chose him with the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
He played four seasons with the Lakers, but it were his first two seasons that left the biggest impressions.
He averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a rookie, being named to the all-rookie first team. He followed that up with an even better second season, averaging 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as he became a full-time starter and played in 70 games (68 starts).
Former Laker Kyle Kuzma dropped a $36,000 bet on Spencer Pratt to become the next mayor of Los Angeles. Getty ImagesAfter losing his home in the devastating Pacific Palisades fire a few years ago, Pratt, the former reality TV star from ‘The Hills’, has made a strong push in his candidacy to be Los Angeles’ next mayor. Clint Brewer Photography / BACKGRID
However, his production dipped the following two seasons when he averaged 12.9 points per game. But he was a key rotation player during that time, helping the LeBron James and Anthony Davis win the 2020 NBA championship.
He was later traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021, before then being rerouted to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025.
After losing his home in the devastating Pacific Palisades fire a few years ago, Pratt, the former reality TV star from ‘The Hills’, has made a strong push in his candidacy to be Los Angeles’ next mayor.
Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor left the team’s game in the bottom of the sixth inning this afternoon with what looked pretty clearly like a leg injury. It had looked like something was off earlier in the game, but he was very clearly unable to run all the way to first base on a ground ball he hit to third base.
Coming off a tough 2025 season, Taylor has struggled mightily thus far in 2026. In 104 plate appearances, he’s hit .186/.210/.320 with a 48 wRC+, and coming into the game this afternoon, he was at -0.6 fWAR.
Assuming he’ll be out for a while, the Mets figure to to continue playing their trio of young outfielders—Nick Morabito, A.J. Ewing, and Carson Benge—pretty regularly. And Juan Soto will get his starts in left field, too, of course, while the team will obviously call up someone from the minors to take Taylor’s place on the active roster once he hits the injured list.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 25: New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a homer run against the Kansas City Royals on May 25th, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Another ninth-inning meltdown wasted a great start from Michael Wacha in a 4-3 loss to the Yankees. This is just brutal to watch. It’s infuriating. The Royals held a 3-2 lead going into the 9th inning, which currently belongs to Lucas Erceg. I’m not sure it will for much longer.
In that inning, Salvador Perez was playing first base because Quatraro pinch-ran for Pasquantino earlier. Paul Goldschmidt hit a little pop-dribbler hybrid thing that Bobby Witt could not get to in time. With one out and a runner on first, Perez was hugging the line to protect against the grounder-down-the-line double. Unfortunately, Jazz Chisholm hit a line drive exactly to where a first baseman would normally be standing, but Perez could not reach it. With Tyler Tolbert in RF instead of Jac Caglianone, Chisholm hustled for a double. With one out and runners on second and third, Anthony Volpe singled to left field to bring both runners in. That put the Yankees ahead 4-3, and it felt like it was over with the bottom of the lineup coming in for the bottom of the ninth. The Royals got one guy on but could do nothing with him.
This hurts. Wacha threw yet another quality start – 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K. The offense sputtered but put together enough runs to have a lead in the ninth. In the second inning, Perez led off with an ABS challenge to get a walk. He’s pretty good at ABS. Jac Caglianone went down 0-2 and then worked a walk. Isaac Collins went down 1-2 and also worked a walk to load the bases. Massey hit a lazy fly ball deep enough in the left-center field gap to bring in Perez on a sac fly. In the bottom of the 6th, Salvador Perez got a meatball that he hit almost into the fountains to tie the game 2-2. It was his 9th of the season. Bobby Witt Jr took a slider well beyond the left field fence in the 8th inning for a go-ahead solo homer to make it 3-2. It was Witt’s 8th homer of the season.
In the 7th inning, the Royals almost plated another run. Would have helped. Nick Loftin hustle-doubled a pop fly that CF Trent Grisham got a poor read on off the bat. He went backwards first and then sorta jogged for a sec before he made an attempt to charge in for the short fly ball. It dropped between three fielders and Loftin barely beat the tag at second. He advanced to third on a deep fly ball to left-center field. Garcia hit a weak grounder to the shortstop, but not weak enough to make it close at first base. The Royals were unable to score.
It wasn’t just the pitching either. The Royals flashed some leather too. Bobby Witt robbed a line drive up the middle from Ben Rice with a jumping, reaching catch. A double play got Wacha out of a jam in the third inning. Massey ranged to his right and threw on the run moving away from first base to get Jazz Chisholm out. Wacha was able to use his defense to work around runners on base in the third and fourth. He got a lot of quick outs and was at 93 pitches in the 7th inning. He was efficient and effective. His primary mistake was just a happy-zone four-seam fastball to Cody Bellinger that he blasted into the right-field bullpen. The Yankees put across another run with a walk and two singles.
Overall, it felt like a close game that the Royals had a real chance to win even with the relatively low offensive output. Just, once again, they cannot rely on anyone to close the game out with any sort of confidence. Erceg almost blew the game yesterday too.
The Royals are in a deep hole with the Guardians playing well above them as well as the upstart Chicago White Sox (??? How?). They cannot keep doing this and expect the season to end well.
The Royals move to 22-32. The Yankees move to 32-22. They play again tomorrow at 6:40pm US Central.
The Lakers made their first hire as they expand their front office this offseason, selecting Rohan Ramadas to be an assistant general manager. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)
The Lakers hired former New Orleans Pelicans executive Rohan Ramadas to fill one of two new assistant general manager roles, The Times confirmed Monday.
Ramadas previously worked as the vice president of basketball operations and strategy for the Pelicans and will be involved in managing the salary cap, analytics and data for the Lakers, who are retooling their front office and basketball operations under new ownership this summer. Speaking at an end-of-season newsconference, GM Rob Pelinka said the Lakers will hire two new assistant general managers, with the other position focusing on pro scouting, draft scouting and player development.
Ramadas, who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in astronautical engineering from USC, worked at El Segundo-based The Aerospace Corporation for 12 years before jumping to the NBA full-time in 2024.
The hire is the first significant move of what is shaping up to be a consequential offseason for the Lakers both on and off the court. In addition to high-profile contract decisions regarding stars LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers are re-tooling the front office and business operations eight months after Dodgers owner Mark Walter officially took over in a historic $10-billion sale.
The Lakers were already interviewing assistant general managers when the season ended in the Western Conference semifinals in a four-game sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers are adding labs for biomechanics, movement and recovery in their El Segundo training facility after moving the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers to the Coachella Valley. The infrastructure improvements are coming through consultation with the Dodgers, who Pelinka called a “brother-sister organization” for the Lakers.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 11: A detail of the ESPN logo on a television camera following a game between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Mets at T-Mobile Park on August 11, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ game on Monday, June 15 against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium was added to ESPN’s collection of exclusive telecasts this season, the network announced on Monday.
That game against the Rays is the first game of a week-long homestand against American League East teams, with the Dodgers also hosting the Baltimore Orioles from June 19-21. Announcers for the ESPN telecast have not yet been revealed.
Mar 2, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Welinton Herrera (59) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
On Monday afternoon the Colorado Rockies announced multiple roster moves prior to their first of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
Left-handed veteran starting pitcher José Quintana has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow sprain.
Quintana, 37, had quietly been one of the Rockies’ more reliable rotation options since signing a one-year, $6 million contract this off-season. The well-traveled lefty had posted an ERA of 4.08 through his first eight starts in a Rockies uniform. He occasionally struggled with walks, issuing 17 free passes in 39.2 innings, but tended to avoid having those mistakes come back to haunt. Coming into Sunday’s game he had given up more than three earned runs in just one outing.
As a corresponding roster move, left-handed reliever Welinton Herrera (no. 17 PuRP) has been recalled from the Tripe-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
Herrera, 22, was signed as part of the Rockies’ 2021 international class out of the Dominican Republic and has quietly climbed up the prospect rankings for the organization. In 2025 he started the season with the High-A Spokane Indians and allowed just a single earned run over 15 appearances with an ERA of 0.49, six walks to 29 strikeouts, and ten saves over 18.1 innings of work.
Herrera started the 2026 season with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he has a 5.16 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League over 16 appearances and has struck out 34 batters over 22.2 innings.
With Herrera already on the 40-man roster after being protected from the Rule-5 draft, there were no additional moves necessary. He will wear no. 59 and is likely to make his Major League debut during the series in Los Angeles.
Palmquist, 25, struggled in the Rockies rotation after being called up to make his debut last season. He was eventually moved to the bullpen. In nine appearances—seven of which were starts—he posted an ERA of 8.91 and gave up ten home runs over 34.1 innings. Palmquist had continued to struggle this season in Triple-A Albuquerque, where he made 12 appearances—five of which were starts—with a 7.20 ERA, 19 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 25 innings.
The Mets have suffered another blow in their lineup.
Tyrone Taylor is expected to land on the IL after leaving Monday's loss to the Reds with right hip pain.
Taylor pulled up coming out of the box on a groundout to third during his at-bat to end the bottom of the sixth.
He slowly made his way back to the home dugout, then immediately went down to the clubhouse alongside trainers before being pulled in the top-half of the inning.
MJ Melendez entered in his place playing left, and Nick Morabito slid over to right.
Taylor will undergo an MRI on Tuesday morning to see what exactly he is dealing with, but the Mets expect that he is going to be forced to miss some time.
This is just the latest loss for a club that is already without the majority of their Opening Day starting lineup.
His absence could lead to MJ Melendez or Nick Morabito sticking around on the roster when Jared Young returns from his own stint on the IL within the next few days.
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
