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Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Anaheim Ducks

Mason McTavish (Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)

We're getting into the deep part of summer, but there is unfinished business in many NHL markets. And one of those markets is Buffalo, where the Sabres continue being unable to move forward on defenseman Bowen Byram, and their roster doesn't inspire confidence they can be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Where could Byram be traded? We've covered many potential possibilities in this series, which focuses on potential trade partners for the Sabres. (You can read some older files by clicking here and here.)

In this file, we're looking at a potential trade fit with the Anaheim Ducks.

TEAM: Anaheim Ducks

CAP SPACE: $28.9 million

FREE AGENTS:  Lukas Dostal, G (RFA); Mason McTavish. LW (RFA); Sam Colangelo, RW (RFA); Brock McGinn, RW; Robby Fabbri, C

NEEDS: Elite depth on defense; goal production; fixing league's worst power play (11.8 percent efficiency) and the league's fourth-worst penalty kill (74.2 percent) last season; adapting to system of new coach Joel Quenneville

SABRES FiIT? The Ducks finished the 2024-25 season in sixth place in the weak Pacific Division, 10 points behind the race for a wild card. Anaheim has worked for some time to rebuild their stock of top talent, and that top talent is starting to unlock their potential. But when it comes to the Sabres, Anaheim's focus is the same as Buffalo's -- namely, each of the two teams want the same type of assets. That won't make it easy for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to find a Ducks player that (a) he'd like as a competitor, and (b) a financial fit.

That. said, Adams has to know he can command a big price if he trades the right player.  And that player almost assuredoy will be Byram. As an elite puck-moving blueliner, the 24-year-old is going to commond a major raise on the $3.85 million he earned last season with Buffalo. But the key question is, will he be earning it in Anaheim, or somewhere else?

If This Is It When It Comes To Sabres Roster Changes, It's Going To Be A Long Season In BuffaloIf This Is It When It Comes To Sabres Roster Changes, It's Going To Be A Long Season In BuffaloThe Buffalo Sabres' underwhelming roster changes thus far this off-season have some fans itching to see them make a move of consequence, particularly when it comes to the future of RFA defenseman Bowen Byram. But what if nothing else transipres on the roster alterations front? What if the Sabres roster we see in early July is highly similar to the one we see when next season begins?

At that point, all eyes turned to Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. But Verbeek didn't go crazy at the start of free-agenc, Verbeek signed veteran cemter Mikael Grandlund, and he also traded for veteran left winger Chris Kreider. Clearly, Anaheim is intent on being in the playoff race this year.

The way you get there is to trade Byram. Adans has held onto Byram with all his might, but it may be time to part ways with Byram. And that If that's the case, sending Byram to Anahheim could bring back a player who could help them over the long haul -- Ducks winger Mason McTavish.

McTavish made approximately $894.167 last season, and he produced 22 goals and 52 games last year. That's a terrific bargain, but one that won't last any longer. And if the Ducks aren't sufficiently invested in the 22-year-old, the Sabres would gleefully take McTavish off their hands,

Sabres Could Be Facing Ticking Clock With ByramSabres Could Be Facing Ticking Clock With ByramThe Buffalo Sabres situation elected to go to salary arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram last week, eliminating the possibility of another NHL club going the offer sheet route, but the yet to be scheduled hearing could be a deadline of sorts for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to get the best return possible for the Stanley Cup winner.  

One of the Ducks' chief rivals in the Pacific Division is the San Jose Sharks, who made over their back end, bringing in a handful of experienced hands. That's what the Ducks' movees have been all about: if Anahein gets to the trade deadline and they're not in the race, they can trade these veterans for meaningful assets in return.

But we don't see that happening. We like what Verbeek has done here, even if it will take another year or two for Anaheim to blossom into a true Stanley Cup contender. And if he pulls off a trade for Byram -- with that possibility probably being remote -- Verbeek will install an asset that could be part of their defense corps for the next decade.

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After wasting early chance, Mark Vientos delivers big knock late in Mets’ win: ‘It was good to redeem myself’

It’s been a disappointing start to the year for Mark Vientos. 

The youngster was one of the most productive bats in the Mets’ lineup last postseason, but he hasn’t quite been able to carry that success over to this year thus far.

Vientos has been putting together better at-bats over the past couple of days, and he had a big opportunity to come through early in Friday’s contest. 

After Royals right-hander Michael Wacha walked Pete Alonso to force in the first run of the game in the top of the third, the youngster stepped to the plate with a chance to do even more damage. 

However, Wacha quickly set the slugger aside on three pitches to escape the inning, and his frustration got the best of him as he snapped his bat in half over home plate before walking back to the dugout. 

Luckily for Vientos, he had a chance to make up for it later on. 

After the Royals jumped in front of the first time, the 25-year-old stepped to the plate with the bases loaded again and one out, this time facing All-Star closer Carlos Estévez who he saw last postseason with the Phillies.

Vientos found himself in a 2-2 count, and on the third consecutive slider throw to him, he laced one 107.7 mph into the left-center gap to bring in all three runs and put the Mets back in front for good. 

“I was just trying to stay simple with one out and the bases loaded,” he said. “I was trying to hit then all hard the other way and just bring one run in and luckily I found the gap -- it was good to redeem myself and be able to do my job for the team.”

The Mets followed that up with a four-run ninth inning with back-to-back homers from Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, but most encouraging in that frame -- another Vientos opposite-field single. 

After also reaching twice during Game 1 in Baltimore, he's now put together back-to-back multi-hit showings.

With things finally starting to fall for him, both Vientos and Carlos Mendoza are excited for what's to come over the second-half of the season.

“He’s a really good hitter man,” the skipper said. “It’s taken a little bit longer than he wanted and than we’ve wanted, but he’s been hitting the ball hard and a lot of it’s been on the ground -- for him to come through against a good arm in Estévez, it was huge for us and him there.

“Like I said, he’s a really good hitter and we’re gonna need him down the stretch.”

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Dustin May struggles as Giants send Dodgers to a seventh consecutive loss

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 11: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May, left, hands.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, pulls starting pitcher Dustin May from the game in the fifth inning of an 8-7 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday night. (David Barreda / Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers finally looked like the Dodgers again on Friday night.

Too bad it didn’t happen until they were already down six runs.

For the first time in a week, the highest-scoring offense in baseball finally rediscovered its high-flying form, handing San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb his worst start all season while sending shivers up the spine of the orange-clad contingent at Oracle Park.

Read more:Shaikin: Dodger Stadium gondola closer to reality? Sacramento might help Team McCourt

But by the time it happened, the club had already dug a hole too deep for even its star-studded lineup to climb out of, unable to completely erase an early six-run deficit in a 8-7 loss to their division rivals — sending the Dodgers to a seven-game losing streak that marks their longest skid since September 2017.

“I like the fight. I thought one through nine, there were good at-bats in there, scored some runs, had a chance to win again,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And unfortunately, on the pitching side, we just couldn't prevent enough."

Friday, of course, never figured to favor the Dodgers given the difference in caliber of the starting pitching matchup.

On one side stood Webb, the crafty and relentless All-Star right-hander who has largely dominated the Dodgers in his seven-year career.

On the other was Dustin May, the once-promising Dodgers right-hander who has yet to realize his tantalizing potential in what has been his first fully healthy big-league season so far.

Still, for a little while on a cold night along the San Francisco Bay, little separated the two sinker-ball specialists, the Dodgers and Giants locked in the kind of close contest that has been the hallmark of this rivalry in recent years.

In the top of the third, Shohei Ohtani even put the Dodgers in front, splashing his NL-leading 32nd home run of the season into McCovey Cove beyond right field for only the eighth splash-down home run by a Dodger player in Oracle Park history.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Giants on Friday.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Giants on Friday. (David Barreda / Los Angeles Times)

But eventually, May came unglued, giving up seven runs in less than five innings as the Giants surged to an 8-2 lead. And though the Dodgers (56-39) eventually got to within one, tagging Webb with a season-high six runs, they came up empty in their final couple trips to the plate, wasting plenty of positive subplots in another losing story.

“Today we were able to string some hits together, put some innings together,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “But we just come up short."

After starting his night with increased fastball velocity and ruthless assault of the strike zone, May lost his command in the fourth inning. 

Dodgers pitcher Dustin May delivers against the Giants on Friday.
Dodgers pitcher Dustin May delivers against the Giants on Friday. (David Barreda / Los Angeles Times)

Rafael Devers walked on four pitches to start the inning. Matt Chapman received another free pass despite a mid-at-bat mound visit from catcher Will Smith. And with one out, Jung Hoo Lee laced a two-run triple over the outstretched glove of Teoscar Hernández, who returned to the lineup after missing the last four games with a foot contusion but still seemed hobbled while trying to track the ball down in the right-field gap.

“Just got a little bit out of sync, couldn’t time things back up,” May said of his delivery, which has teetered between flashes of dominance and stretches of frustration during his return from a second career elbow surgery.

“During my warm-up throws in the fourth, it felt a little off. Trying to get my foot down a little earlier didn’t really help. That’s been a cue. But yeah, it just went bad.”

Things got worse in the fifth, when the Giants (52-43) plated five more while sending 10 batters to the plate. 

Dominic Smith led the inning off with a homer. May then gave up a single and two walks to load the bases. The Dodgers missed their chance to escape the inning, when Hyeseong Kim failed to turn a difficult but potential inning-ending double play quickly enough at second base.

May was replaced by Anthony Banda, who was greeted with another two-run triple by Willy Adames (who had already homered to open the scoring in the second inning) and a run-scoring infield single from Lee, who outraced Banda to first base to punctuate a painfully long inning.

“To win a big-league ballgame is tough, but you’ve still got to pitch well, you’ve got to catch it and you’ve got to take good at-bats,” Roberts said. “If all three of those things don’t line up in one night, it’s hard to get a win.”

Mookie Betts grimaces in pain after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Giants on Friday night.
Mookie Betts grimaces in pain after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning against the Giants on Friday night. (David Barreda / Los Angeles Times)

It was at that point, coming off a six-game stretch in which they’d scored 10 total runs, that the Dodgers’ bats finally came to life.

In the top of the sixth, Hernández launched a two-run double that Lee couldn’t quite corral on the run at the warning track, before Michael Conforto followed with a two-run homer that chased Webb and cut the deficit to two.

In the seventh, the Dodgers struck again, when Betts slid into third after hitting another ball just beyond Lee’s reach in center and later scored on Smith’s RBI single.

“It's definitely more encouraging,” said Betts, who has been among the coldest hitters in the Dodgers lineup lately. “I can't speak for everyone. But I haven't done anything this whole time … Just to get us going, get some hits there, that's the positive that you can take out of it."

Read more:Shohei Ohtani has top-selling MLB jersey so far this season. Two other Dodgers rank in top four

That, however, was as close as the Dodgers got. Smith was left stranded to end the seventh. Kim’s two-out double in the eighth was squandered. And, in the most frustrating of endings, a two-on, one-out opportunity in the ninth went by the wayside when Smith rolled into a double play.

The division lead is down to four.

And as the Dodgers continue to stumble toward the All-Star break, moral victories remain the only wins in sight.

“I know it sucks, but you have to try to take some positive out of it,” Betts said. “At least we battled back."

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Mets’ Kodai Senga ‘looked like he didn’t miss a beat’ in gutsy four inning return from IL

Carlos Mendoza knew he only had Kodai Senga for 70 pitches Friday night. 

The right-hander made just one rehab outing prior to being activated from the injured list, and with the All-Star break looming the team didn’t want to push him too far as he made his highly-anticipated return. 

Still, Senga was terrific across his four innings of work. 

The Royals certainly put him to the test as they put runners on base in each frame against him, but as has been the case all season long, he battled and made tough pitches when the Mets needed him to. 

It started in the bottom of the first when the first two runners reached on a single and a double, then he used a pair of strikeouts and a liner right back through the box to help him escape the inning unscathed. 

“I was a little nervous getting back out on a big-league mound for the first time in a little bit,” Senga admitted through a translator. “Those two runners got on early and I thought to myself this is not a good look for me, and somehow I was able to get out of it.”

After seemingly settling down, he found himself in trouble again after issuing back-to-back two out walks in the second, but he was able to dance out of danger again with some help from a nifty play by Ronny Mauricio at the hot corner. 

Kansas City pieced together another two-out rally with a pair of knocks in the third, but Senga went to work and quickly eliminated rookie Jac Caglianone with four consecutive nasty forkballs out of the zone.

He finished his day with a perfect fourth -- closing his line with no runs allowed on four hits and a pair of walks while striking out four to lower his ERA to a stellar 1.39 on the year. 

“I thought he was really good,” Mendoza said. “First inning they made him work right away, second ands third nobody out and he gets out of it. I thought the fastball had life, the split was really good and got them to chase, the cutter, the slider -- everything.

“He looked like he didn’t miss a beat, that’s a really good sign heading into the break.”

That certainly is a great sign for the Mets, who could desperately use both Senga and Sean Manaea healthy and leading the way at the top of their struggling rotation.

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Mets rally for seven runs over last two innings, beat Royals 8-3 in series opener

The Mets rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 8-3 on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Here are some takeaways..

- After a brief rain delay, Kodai Senga was finally able to get out there in his return from the IL. The right-hander was greeted rudely as Kansas City quickly pushed the first two batters into scoring position, but two strikeouts and a liner right back through the box helped Senga out of the inning unscathed.

He faced even more trouble over the next two innings, both coming with two outs. Senga issued back-to-back walks in the second but was helped out by a nifty Ronny Mauricio snag, then he got rookie Jac Caglianone to chase a forkball in the dirt and strand runners on the corners in the third.

Senga was again helped out by Mauricio, as he finished his night with a much-needed clean fourth inning. He threw 67 pitches in his first start back and allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out four over four scoreless innings -- he lowered his ERA to 1.39 on the year.

- The Mets appeared to have Michael Wacha on the ropes in the third as a walk and two hits loaded the bases, but they were only able to scratch across a run on a Pete Alonso walk -- Juan Soto and Mark Vientos struck out between that -- Vientos smashed his bat over the plate in frustration as his recent struggles continued.

- Alex Carrillo worked a scoreless inning behind Senga. The rookie right-hander came back out for the sixth and was able to get the first two outs, but Brandon Nimmo was unable to come up with a sliding grab on a sinking liner to left, and the game-tying run scored on a double.

- An inning later, the Royals jumped in front for the first time in the game as All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. crushed a go-ahead two-run homer to deep left-center on a Huascar Brazoban middle-middle fastball with one out in the seventh.

- The Mets answered right back, though, as the frustrated Vientos was able to deliver this time with the bases loaded. After falling behind in the count against Royals closer Carlos Estévez, the youngster laced a bases clearing double into the left-center gap to put New York back in front.

- Then in the ninth, New York would put this one away for good as Francisco Lindor lifted a three-run homer and Soto put one over the left-center fence, giving them back-to-back jacks. Lindor now has 19 on the season and Soto regains the team-lead with 22.

Game MVP: Mark Vientos

The go-ahead hit was a good sign for Vientos, who needed it desperately.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets and Royals continue their series on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season against Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.61 ERA)

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Mariners’ Cal Raleigh breaks AL record with 38 homers before the All-Star break

DETROIT (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his 37th and 38th home runs in Seattle’s 12-3 victory over Detroit on Friday night to move within one of Barry Bonds’ 2001 major league record for homers before the All-Star break.

Raleigh hit a solo homer off former teammate Tyler Holton in the eighth to tie the American League record of 37 set by Reggie Jackson in 1969 and matched by Chris Davis in 2013.

“(Holton) and I are really good friends and I’ve caught a lot of his pitches,” said Raleigh, who was in the lineup as the designated hitter instead of at catcher. “I don’t think that helped much, but I’m sure he’s not very happy with me.”

Raleigh hit a grand slam off Brant Hurter in the ninth.

“I didn’t even know it was a record until just now,” Raleigh said. “I don’t have words for it, I guess. I’m just very grateful and thankful.”

Seattle has two games left in Detroit before the break.

“Cal Raleigh ... this is just unbelievable,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s already set the AL record and now he’s only one short of Barry. There are two games, so who knows?”

Raleigh hit 10 homers in March and April, 12 in May, 11 in June and has five in July.

“This is a very boring comment, but baseball is all about consistency,” Wilson said. “This hasn’t been one hot streak, he’s doing this month after month. That says everything.”

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Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is an NL All-Star after just five starts for the Brewers

Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes’ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.

Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.

The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.

If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.

Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.

“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”

Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.

“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”

Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.

The New York Yankees’ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried. for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.

In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.

“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”

The Kansas City Royals’ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.

Mize takes the spot held by Boston’s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.

Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.

The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodriguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”

Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.

Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Los Angeles Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.

San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.

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How Might New CHL And AHL Rule Affect The Penguins?

Details concerning the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) four-year extension - set to go into effect for the 2026-27 season - are beginning to surface. 

And there is one new rule in the CBA that is generating quite the buzz.

As part of the new CBA, the longstanding age requirement of 20 for players coming out of the CHL and into the AHL seems to have been modified. Now, organizations will be able to loan one 19-year-old player per season to play at the AHL level. They must play in one AHL game to be eligible for an official recall.

This news could be quite paramount for a number of reasons.

For one, some of the bigger-name prospects in different organizations will be able to make the jump to professional hockey sooner, which could be better for their development if they have nothing left to learn in junior hockey. Another big part of it is that it might entice players to remain with their CHL clubs as opposed to going to the NCAA, which is set to become a more popular and commonplace option for higher-end prospects after 2026 projected no. 1 pick Gavin McKenna's commitment to Penn State University. 

But, logisitics aside, this is a rule that has - for a long time - worked to stunt the development of some of the league's best prospects. It could also open the door for teams to have a player make the jump who isn't quite ready, but it should largely be a net positive for pretty much all parties involved.

And one team to be on the lookout for in the next handful of seasons is the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Bill Zonnon is selected as the 22nd overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for the Penguins, the rule would not go into effect until the 2026-27, meaning it would not benefit top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, who - at 19 - is believed by many to be ready for the jump to professional hockey. This really is a shame for Brunicke, who will either have to go back to a poor junior team in the Kamloops Blazers - potentially picking up more bad junior habits - or make the NHL club out of training camp, which is something he may not quite be ready for.

However, this could be big news for some of the Penguins' top draft prospects going forward - and they'll sure have a lot of those.

Pittsburgh selected 13 players in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and they have a total of 29 picks in the next three drafts - including 17 picks in the first three rounds. Chances are, they're going to have some players who will be primed to make that jump from the CHL to the NHL - including two of their 2025 first-round picks in Ben Kindel and Bill Zonnon, one of whom would now be AHL-eligible next season.

The new rule will pave a new path for the Penguins to, perhaps, get a jump on the development of some of their top younger players, and - in turn - potentially accelerate their rebuild if all goes to plan. At the end of the day, the change will benefit the NHL teams in the basement the most, as they will be the teams with the most high-end talent in their systems.

What Is The Best Developmental Path For Top Prospect Harrison Brunicke In 2025-26?What Is The Best Developmental Path For Top Prospect Harrison Brunicke In 2025-26?For 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins' defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, it is only a matter of time. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more! 

Feature image credit: Kirby Lee - Imagn Images  

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Bellinger hits three two-run homers against former team, Yanks beat Cubs 11-0 for fifth win in row

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was robbed of a fourth, Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding catches and the New York Yankees routed the Chicago Cubs 11-0 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory following a a six-game losing streak.

Carlos Rodón (10-6), who became a three-time All-Star when he was added to the AL roster before the game, allowed four hits in eight innings with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Bellinger, who played for the Cubs in 2023 and ’24, had his first three-homer game and tied his career high with six RBIs.

He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen (5-1) and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game.

Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. He homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

New York had three three-homer games in a season for the first time. Judge did it on March 29 against Milwaukee and rookie Jasson Domínguez on May 9 at the Athletics.

Key moments

The 6-foot-7 Judge leaped at the right-field wall to catch a 327-foot, fourth-inning drive by Crow-Armstrong, denying what would have been Crow-Armstrong’s 26th home run. Judge then rushed in and dove for a backhand grab on Dansby Swanson’s sinking liner for the third out of the inning. With runners at the corners and two outs in the eighth, Judge denied Tucker on a drive in the right-field corner.

Key stats

New York has scored five or more runs in 10 straight games for the first time since July 6-18, 2012.

Up Next

Yankees LHP Max Fried (11-2, 2.27) and Cubs LHP Matt Boyd (9-3, 2.52) start Saturday.

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Aaron Judge's 'big time' defense leaves mark on Carlos Rodon, Yankees' win over Cubs

Oftentimes, Aaron Judge's defense takes a backseat to his elite offense, but on Friday night against the Cubs, it was a different story.

In what would eventually become an 11-0 laugher in the Yankees' favor, it could have been a very different story if Judge hadn't put on the defensive performance that he did.

With the Yankees up 3-0 in the fourth inning, the Cubs' young superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, took Carlos Rodon deep into right field. Judge drifted back, got to the wall and timed his jump perfectly to bring the would-be home run back.

Judge then robbed Dansby Swanson of a single with a headfirst slide coming at him, but probably the best play of the night came in the eighth. With two outs and runners at the corners, Kyle Tucker lofted a Rodon pitch into shallow right field that was going away from Judge. The reigning AL MVP caught up to it and made another headfirst slide to end the inning and preserve the shutout.

If PCA got that ball over the wall in the fourth, the score is 3-1 and who knows how the rest of the game would have played out. And if Judge doesn't make that catch in the eighth, Rodon's night isn't as sharp as it would become.

The Yankees southpaw, who was named to the All-Star game earlier in the day, credited Judge's three catches and Cody Bellinger's three home runs for helping him get through eight innings, the most he's had as a member of the Yankees.

"That was a heck of a play. That was probably my favorite, obviously, saving some runs from me," Rodon said of Judge's eighth-inning catch. "He was shading the gap on Tucker, kind of more right-center than right. He had to cover a lot of ground for a big guy like that and lays out for me and makes that play. It was big. It was big."

"An elite right fielder," manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "He's just an outstanding athlete. Fundamentally, so sound out there. The throwing arm, the accuracy with that. And just, obviously, some really great plays tonight, and in an exclamation point on Carlos' night with a dive down the line there with two outs and two runners on. Just a big time defensive night for Judgey."

In that eighth inning, Judge said he lost a liner from Nico Hoerner in the lights, the batter before Tucker. That allowed the Cubs to get runners at the corners and forced Boone to talk to Rodon. Judge thought Rodon was going to get pulled before finishing the inning, but once the Yankees skipper let his starter stay in, Judge wanted to do everything to get that final out.

"[I wanted to make that play] big time, especially losing in the lights the one earlier by Nico and I was pretty upset about that.," Judge expI thought they were gonna pull him, but when that last one came out, I gotta run through this wall, I gotta make this play for [Rodon]. Pitched a hell of a game. Really set the tone for us going into this, especially a big series against the Cubs. Heck of a performance by him."

"He's just a great player. He takes a ton of pride in his defense," Boone said. "I think understanding the situation there, too. Like, understanding what kind of night Carlos is having there to finish it off was pretty sweet."

The Yankees put up 11 runs on 15 hits on Friday. Judge went 0-for-2 with two walks and a sac fly, being the only starter to not pick up a hit against the Cubs.

That's alright. Although Judge didn't impact the game too much at the plate, his defense more than made up for it and that's why his teammates see him as the complete player that he is.

"Knew he was a good outfielder," Bellinger said of Judge. "Just the complete baseball player he is, runs the bases hard, has a cannon of an arm, and ultimately has really good reads. I mean, four or five really tremendous catches today. It's just fun to play with because he's pretty unbelievable."

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Cody Bellinger's three homers, Carlos Rodon's gem lead Yankees to 11-0 rout of Cubs

Cody Bellinger hit three home runs -- nearly four -- and Carlos Rodon pitched a gem as the Yankees beat up on the Cubs, 11-0, on Friday night.

It's the 40th time in franchise history a Yankee has had a three-home run game. It's the first of Bellinger's career.

The Yankees picked up 15 hits with every Yankees starter having at least one hit, except for Aaron Judge -- but he made up for it in other ways. And five starters (Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, Paul Goldschmidt, Oswald Peraza, Ben Rice) had multi-hit games.

Here are the takeaways...

- It took the Yankees until the eighth inning on Thursday to get their first hit -- it wouldn't take that long on Friday, as they scratched out their first hit with a leadoff infield single by Oswald Peraza in the third. Jasson Dominguez, starting in the leadoff spot for the fourth straight game, followed with a single of his own to give the Yankees runners on the corners with no outs for Aaron Judge. The frontrunner for AL MVP lofted a sac fly to put up the game's first run.

Bellinger, facing the Cubs for the first time since being traded, dropped the hammer on a Chris Flexen curveball and sent it 371 feet just over the right-center field wall. The longball extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. But the first-year Yankee wasn't done; he would hit another two-run blast in the fifth, taking lefty Caleb Thielbar nearly to the second deck in right field to put the Yankees up 5-0.

It's his 18th career multi-homer game. The first since September 2023, when he was with the Cubs.

Bellinger, who has never had a three-home game before, nearly achieved that feat in the seventh, lining a deep drive to right field, but Kyle Tucker made an incredible leaping grab at the wall to rob the slugger. But Bellinger would get that one back in the eighth, taking Jordan Wicks deep just over the wall in right-center for his 16th homer of the season.

- Anthony Volpe, who has had a tough season, assisted Judge in Thursday's win with an incredible slide at home to complete the comeback. And the Yankee Stadium fans were appreciative, giving the shortstop a nice ovation during roll-call and every time he came to bat. And Volpe rewarded the fans with an RBI double in the sixth, bringing the more than 46,000 in attendance to their feet.

- The day he was named to the All-Star Game, Carlos Rodon was dealing on Friday night. After scattering three singles in the first three innings, Rodon retired 15 straight Cubs and was through seven innings on just 84 pitches. That streak ended with a one-out walk in the eighth, but the southpaw bounced back, getting a force out, however, a single from Nico Hoerner put runners on the corners with two outs.

Manager Aaron Boone came out but left Rodon out there to take on Tucker. Rodon and Tucker battled to a 3-2 count, but the Cubs slugger lofted the ball toward the right field line, but Judge, again, slid and made the impressive catch to end the inning.

Rodon threw 109 pitches (70 strikes) in eight scoreless innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out eight batters. It's the longest outing of Rodon's Yankees career.

- Pete Crow-Armstrong, who received the largest ovation for a non-Yankee, had Yankee Stadium on its feet in his second at-bat in the fourth. He launched a long flyball to right field. But Judge got to the wall and timed his jump perfectly to rob the young outfielder of a home run.

Judge then robbed Dansby Swanson of a single by diving headfirst for the catch.

PCA nearly had another hit in the seventh when he hit a soft tapper to first base and almost outran Rodon as they raced to the bag. After a replay review, the call on the field, of out, was confirmed.

Game MVP: Cody Bellinger

Could pick Bellinger, Rodon or Judge but we'll go with the guy who hit three bombs, and was a few inches short of four.

Highlights

What's next

The Yankees continue their three-game set with the Cubs on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Max Fried (11-2, 2.27 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break, while the Cubs send Matt Boyd (9-3, 2.52 ERA)

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Offense struggles again with Suarez on mound, Phillies drop Game 1 in San Diego

Offense struggles again with Suarez on mound, Phillies drop Game 1 in San Diego originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAN DIEGO –  If the Phillies were going to get to the Padres Friday night at Petco Park, they had best planned to do it early. Padres starter Ryan Bergert hadn’t gone into the sixth inning yet this season and hadn’t started a game since June 24. Add to that the fact that before the game it was announced Padres reliever Adrian Morejon had been added to the All-Star roster to replace the Phillies Zack Wheeler.

What does that mean?

It means the Padres became the first team to have three relievers in an All-Star game. It means the back end of their bullpen is pretty darn good. It means it best behooves you to score on them as early as possible. The Phillies didn’t, however, in what turned into a 4-2 loss. They have now lost three of four on this six-game road trip and will have Wheeler on the mound for them Saturday.

If you play sloppy baseball in the field, as the Phillies did in the second inning, that makes the task even harder.

Trailing by a run in the seventh, the Phillies saw those three All-Stars in Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and closer Robert Suarez. 

Ranger Suarez pitched strong once again, with 6.2 innings of work on six hits and allowed three runs. Only one of his runs was earned and it was his own doing. Phillies nemesis Xander Bogaerts began the second with a single to shallow left. Jackson Merrill then laid a beautiful bunt down the first base line which Suarez fielded but threw too much into the runner and the ball eluded first baseman Bryce Harper, allowing Bogaerts to go to third. A Jose Iglesias double, a run-scoring groundout by Elias Diaz and a single by Fernando Tatis, Jr. single gave the Padres a 3-1 lead. Kyle Schwarber tied it in the top of the third with his 30th home run of the season.  

After the game, Ranger Suarez admitted that he was contacted in San Francisco by MLB about being an All-Star. He declined, much for the same reasons as Wheeler. The league announced that Milwaukee Brewers rookie, Jacob Misiorowski, was named an All-Star replacement after just five starts,. 

“In the end you think that the league is going to do whatever they want to do with that,” said Suarez. “You can’t control. I did receive a call but we decided to remain at home resting and decided against going there. But I’m happy that he (Misiorowski) made it. He’s a rookie and only made a few starts. I’m excited for him.

“Obviously it’s what you want, you want to go to the All-Star game. But I’d rather have some rest right now. I think it’s what’s best for us, for the team and it’s a long second half that we’re going to have. So I want to remain as healthy and as fresh as I can.”

Morejon, Adam and Robert Suarez epitomize the catch phrase of good morning, good afternoon and good night, though the Phillies made things dicey in the eighth, loading the bases off Adam with a Trea Turner walk and singles by Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. Adam coaxed Nick Castellanos into a dribbler in front of home that Adam scooped to catcher Elias Diaz for a force. Max Kepler ended the threat with a flyout to center. 

A home run by Manny Machado off Max Lazar accounted for the game’s final score.

“I thought Nick battled in his at-bat. He laid off some tough pitches,” said Rob Thomson. “Just unfortunately hit the ball off the end of the bat and the pitcher made a nice play. You know (the back of the bullpen) is coming. But you got to have runners on base, too, to do some things. We hit a couple of balls out of the ballpark, which is good. We put some pitches on the starter (Bergert) which is good. They’ve used quite a bit of their bullpen lately. I don’t know what they’re going to do tomorrow.”

After taking a 1-0 lead in the second on a dead-center home run by Nick Castellanos, the Phillies watched the Padres have their big inning before Schwarber’s bomb cut the lead to one.

It takes more than that against that Padres bullpen but the Phillies just didn’t have it. After scoring 13 runs Wednesday against the Giants, the thought was things were on the cusp of getting better offensively. Not so much Friday as they only had three other hits besides the two solo home runs. 

Schwarber becomes just the second Phillies player to have 30 home runs by the All-Star break. He joins some pretty good company in Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

“I feel like if we keep doing those things and having those at-bats we’re going to have a lot more success to follow,” said Schwarber, speaking of some good but unrewarded at-bats the Phillies have had. “We’re not taking (good starting pitching) for granted. Those guys in our rotation are doing such a great job throughout the course of this year so far and they’re gonna keep doing great.

“I feel like making different adjustments, not feel like I’m waiting around too long on things and feeling like not being nit-picky and being aware and making sure that checking your at-bats, checking your swings, checking what you’re feeling (has helped). And just competing and not overthinking during the game. It’s great company. Schmitty is one of the best to ever do it. A lot of the cool things that happen through the course of your career will be fun to look back on when it’s said and done with.”

“Is that right,” Thomson asked when told of Schwarber joining Schmidt in that elite home run company. “He’s had a great first half. He’s a great hitter. He’s changed his approach. He’s trying to stay close, he’s not thinking pull as much. He’s staying on the ball so that gives him a chance against left-handed pitchers.”

In what seems to be happening far too often of late, the starting pitching was outstanding but the offense just couldn’t get enough to make it stand.

“It’s just one of those things we’re going through,” Thomson said. “We scored 13 the other day, come back and we had a couple of chances, but not a whole lot. Once they went to the bullpen it was pretty tough.”

When word spread around the locker room that Misiorowski was named, there were quite a few players who were disgusted that their teammates in Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were left out.

Perhaps that is a little ambition the team may need to start hitting the ball regularly. We shall see.