Sports
After ending skid, Yankees look to continue hold on Twins
Jun 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews (52) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Seven games of frustration were more than enough for the New York Yankees.
After snapping their ugly slide, the Yankees will shoot for another win Saturday afternoon when they host the Minnesota Twins.
New York ended its longest skid since dropping nine straight Aug. 12-22, 2023, in a season when it won 82 games and was without Aaron Judge for nearly two months due to a fractured toe.
The Yankees have played the past month with Judge, who is sidelined due to a right rib stress fracture. They are 13-15 without their captain, including a series-opening 5-2 win over Minnesota.
After batting .137 during the seven-game skid, New York did enough with six hits on Friday. Ben Rice hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning, Trent Grisham homered and lifted a sacrifice fly, and Jose Caballero had an RBI single.
“It doesn’t feel good to lose so many games,” Rice said. “I think everyone in this room was ready to turn the corner. I’m happy we were able to get the win.”
Rice enters Saturday with 24 homers on the season but just seven hits in 49 at-bats (.143) over his past 13 games. Paul Goldschmidt is hitless in his past 20 at-bats while Cody Bellinger is in a 5-for-49 (.102) skid over his past 14 games.
Minnesota has lost 32 of its past 38 games at Yankee Stadium, regular season and postseason, and has just two wins in its past 14 meetings with the Yankees overall. The Twins went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position in the series opener and struck out 14 times against Gerrit Cole and four relievers.
“We’ve been good with runners in scoring position,” said Twins manager Derek Shelton, whose team is hitting a major-league-leading .285 in those situations. “Tonight we had a tough night. We didn’t get the big hit, which we’ve been getting.”
Kody Clemens homered and Victor Caratini hit an RBI single, but the Twins struck out at least 14 times for the fifth time this season. Royce Lewis fanned twice, and he heads into Saturday with three hits in his past 15 at-bats.
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton missed his fourth straight game because of right hip impingement.
Zebby Matthews (4-5, 4.15 ERA), who is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his past three outings, starts for Minnesota on Saturday. Matthews has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his nine starts, including Monday in Houston, when he yielded one run on four hits in seven innings during a victory.
Matthews is 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA in a pair of starts against the Yankees. He allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings during a 6-2 loss in New York on Aug. 11, 2025, and was tagged for nine runs on 11 hits in three innings in a 10-9 defeat on Sept. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Carlos Rodon was scheduled to start on Saturday until the Yankees put him on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation on Friday. Instead, Brendan Beck (0-0, 6.00 ERA) will make his first career start and second career major league appearance.
Beck made his major league debut by allowing two runs in a three-inning relief outing on May 7 against the Texas Rangers. At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, the 27-year-old right-hander is 7-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 16 starts, having struck out 91 in 88 innings.
New York rookie center fielder Spencer Jones was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the Friday game. Jones hit .233 with two homers and seven RBIs in 30 games with the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Six-run first propels Marlins to runaway defeat of A's
Jul 3, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Marlins first baseman Kyle Stowers (28) acknowledges the dugout while running the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Heriberto Hernandez hit a three-run homer and Jakob Marsee added a solo shot during a six-run first inning to help the Miami Marlins post a 12-5 victory over the Athletics on Friday night at West Sacramento, Calif.
Kyle Stowers went 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs for the Marlins, who halted a two-game slide. Owen Caissie added a solo shot as Miami matched its season high with five homers.
Major league batting leader Otto Lopez had two hits to raise his average to .337 and Liam Hicks scored three times for the Marlins.
Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer and Jeff McNeil had a three-run double for the Athletics, who lost for the ninth time in 12 games.
The Athletics’ Jack Perkins (2-4) was torched for seven runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He matched his career high of eight strikeouts and walked four.
Lake Bachar (1-0) retired six straight batters over the seventh and eighth innings and was credited with the victory for the Marlins. He was one of five relievers who combined to allow just two hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Miami starter Tyler Phillips gave up five runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Hicks, Stowers and Lopez opened the game with singles off Perkins and Xavier Edwards walked to force in the first run. Stowers then scored on a passed ball by A’s catcher Shea Langeliers to make it 2-0.
Hernandez then swatted a three-run blast to center to make it 5-0. Perkins retired the next two batters before Marsee drilled a homer to right to cap the six-run explosion.
Miami tacked on another run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Edwards.
The Athletics displayed life in the bottom of the third as Alika Williams doubled and Kurtz slugged a mammoth 457-foot, two-run homer to center, his 20th of the season.
The A’s loaded the bases in the fourth on singles by Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Carlos Cortes and a walk to Henry Bolte. McNeil followed with a bases-clearing two-bagger into the gap in left-center to pull the Athletics within 7-5.
Stowers led off the sixth with his first homer, a shot to right off Justin Sterner. In the eighth, Hicks drew a one-out walk before Stowers hit a two-run blast to right-center off Mason Barnett to give the Marlins a 10-5 lead.
Hernandez singled to lead off the ninth against Barnett. One out later, Caissie hit a two-run homer to left-center to make it a seven-run margin.
–Field Media Level
Sports
Four-run, 11th-inning rally sends Brewers past Diamondbacks
Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (right) celebrates with teammate Cooper Pratt after hitting a two run home run in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Brice Turang hit a two-run single in a four-run 11th inning to help the Milwaukee Brewers earn a 7-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series on Friday in Phoenix.
Turang had three hits and also a run, Jake Bauers collected three hits, an RBI and a run, and Garrett Mitchell hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, who have won four of five.
Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison has won seven straight decisions, but he got a third straight no-decision after letting a 3-0 lead slip away. The left-hander was tagged for three runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking one on 72 pitches.
Grant Anderson (2-3) pitched the final two innings for the Brewers, yielding just an unearned run.
Ildemaro Vargas had three hits and an RBI, Gabriel Moreno produced two hits, an RBI and a run, and Nolan Arenado contributed a two-run double for Arizona, which has lost two in a row.
Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out three and walking three.
After neither team scored in the 10th, Ryan Thompson (3-2) hit Cooper Pratt with a pitch to start the 11th.
A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up before Christian Yelich was walked intentionally to load the bases. Jackson Chourio hit a swinging bunt that was fielded by Thompson, but his throw home was wide. Two runs scored on the play for a 5-3 lead.
Turang followed with an opposite-field two-run single to left.
Vargas hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th to make it 7-4.
After Bauers led off the second with a single, Mitchell lifted the first pitch he saw from Cabrera to deep center and off a fan above the home run barrier. The play was briefly reviewed for fan interference, but the home run was confirmed, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
Turang, William Contreras and Bauers strung together three consecutive one-out singles in the third to extend the lead to 3-0.
Mitchell followed with a long fly ball to left that appeared destined for the seats, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leaped and snared the ball high above the wall to rob him of a three-run homer.
Corbin Carroll lined a single to right with two outs in the bottom of the third to put runners on the corners for Moreno, who grounded an opposite-field single through the right side to cut the deficit to 3-1.
After a walk loaded the bases, Arenado pulled a 2-2 pitch off the base of the wall down the left field line for a two-run double, tying the score 3-3. That ended the night for Harrison, who threw 38 pitches in the inning.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Athletics C Shea Langeliers exits due to left thumb contusion
Jun 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) catches a foul ball against the Pittsburg Pirates during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers sustained a left thumb contusion during the team’s 12-5 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday in West Sacramento, Calif.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the contest that Langeliers underwent X-rays, adding, “We’ll evaluate him again tomorrow.”
Kotsay said the injury occurred on a passed ball in the first inning. Langeliers went to catch the pitch from Jack Perkins and it hit the thumb area of the glove and bounced away, allowing Miami to score a run.
Langeliers, who struck out in both of his at-bats, initially remained in the game but was removed for pinch hitter Jonah Heim in the bottom of the fourth.
Langeliers will also learn Saturday if he will be the starting catcher for the American League for the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He and Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk are the AL finalists.
Langeliers is batting .264 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs in 80 games this season. He leads AL catchers in homers and hits (87).
–Field Level Media
Six-run first propels Marlins to runaway defeat of A's
Four-run, 11th-inning rally sends Brewers past Diamondbacks
