Sports
Orioles' Trevor Rogers to test Reds' success this season vs. left-handers
Jun 9, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) delivers during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images Two teams with their share of recent struggles will meet in Cincinnati this weekend as the Reds face the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series starting Friday night.
Both teams are coming off wins that ended four-game skids.
The Reds on Thursday beat Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers 7-2 to salvage the finale of the four-game series in Milwaukee. Baltimore had Thursday off after defeating the visiting Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Wednesday in the last contest of a three-game set.
The Orioles will be without closer Ryan Helsley after he was placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday’s game because of right elbow discomfort. The 31-year-old right-hander tried warming up to enter Wednesday’s game but stopped after feeling something in his right elbow.
Helsley, a two-time All-Star who is in his first season with the Orioles, was out from May 1 to June 16 due to inflammation in the same elbow. Since returning, he is 1-for-2 on save chances while losing both of his decisions and compiling a 7.71 ERA in five outings.
Baltimore made a corresponding move by recalling rookie right-hander Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles also recalled second baseman Jeremiah Jackson from Norfolk and designated catcher Chadwick Tromp for assignment.
Trevor Rogers (5-7, 4.99 ERA) will start the series opener for Baltimore, with the left-hander looking to continue his recent dominant stretch. In his past two starts, both wins, he allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old yielded six hits and issued two walks while striking out 13 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.
The Reds perform better, though, against southpaws. They are hitting .243 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .432 slugging percentage vs. left-handers, compared to .224/.303/.379 when facing right-handers.
Rogers has faced the Reds twice, starting both times, and he allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 9 1/3 innings while going 0-1. He last went against Cincinnati on July 14, 2024, when he was with the Marlins. Rogers threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks and earning a no-decision in a 3-2 Miami win.
Cincinnati is returning home after a 3-4 road trip. Manager Terry Francona’s team struggled in May and June but will look to build off the Thursday win against one of the game’s best pitchers.
Rookie Sal Stewart, who leads the Reds with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs, is riding an eight-game hitting streak. The corner infielder is batting .353 (12-for-34) during that stretch with three homers and six RBIs. He homered on Thursday against Misiorowski, the major leagues’ hardest thrower.
“That kid’s got pretty special stuff, but Sal stayed short to right field, and he’s strong enough to get rewarded for it,” Francona said about the right-handed hitter.
Brady Singer (3-7, 5.12) will start for the Reds, with the 29-year-old right-hander hoping to end a 10-start slump that has seen him win just once. Singer is 1-6 with a 5.21 ERA in that span. Most recently, he lost 9-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday after surrendering five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Singer owns an 0-2 record with a 15.63 ERA in just 6 1/3 innings over two starts against the Orioles. Baltimore batters have racked up 14 hits off him but only one homer.
Reds ace Hunter Greene has yet to pitch this season but is expected to make his first start on Saturday. He is recovering after having bone chips surgically removed from his elbow in spring training.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rays outlast Astros in pitcher's duel for ninth straight win
Jul 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Ben Williamson (15) tags out Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Junior Caminero smacked his 10th home run over his last 10 games and Nick Fortes added a pair of run-scoring extra-base hits as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays extended their winning streak to nine games with a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday.
Caminero, the American League Player of the Month in June, snapped a 1-1 deadlock with his 25th home run in the top of the seventh inning, a solo shot off Astros reliever Steven Okert (1-1). Fortes homered in the sixth and added an RBI double with two outs in the eighth.
Three Tampa Bay relievers combined to work 3 2/3 perfect innings. Bryan Baker notched his 23rd save while Kevin Kelly (5-3) earned the victory in relief.
Rays right-hander Nick Martinez and his Houston counterpart, right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, were locked into a duel before Fortes helped the Rays break through in the sixth.
Martinez did not allow a hit until Cam Smith stroked a one-out single to right in the fourth. Martinez hit Isaac Paredes with a pitch in the first inning and Jake Meyers reached on a Caminero fielding error leading off the third, and they represented the lone runners to reach before Christian Walker worked a walk against Martinez ahead of the Smith single.
Smith ran the Astros out of the inning when he attempted to tag from first on a Taylor Trammell fly out to center field. Cedric Mullins threw out Smith as he slid into second to close the frame.
Arrighetti rebounded from a ragged month of June by working six quality innings. He carried a shutout into the sixth before Fortes crushed his second home run out to left-center with two outs in that frame.
Martinez quickly surrendered that lead when Yordan Alvarez bashed a 2-2 sinker into the home bullpen in right-center, a 427-foot blast that knotted the score on his 27th homer of the season.
Martinez departed after surrendering an infield single to Paredes. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.
Arrighetti allowed one run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts. He finished 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in five starts last month.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees snap their longest skid since 2023 with win over Twins
Jul 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) follows through on a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Ben Rice hit a go-ahead two-run homer with two outs in the third inning, and the New York Yankees snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
The Yankees ended their longest losing streak since dropping nine straight from Aug. 12-22, 2023, and won for only the fourth time in their last 15 games.
Following a 53-minute rain delay, Rice lifted a full-count fastball from Minnesota rookie starter Mike Paredes into the right field seats for his 24th homer. Rice went deep after entering the third with two hits in his previous 26 at-bats.
Trent Grisham accounted for three runs after missing 18 games with a strained right hamstring. Grisham, who hit his 11th career leadoff homer, preceded Rice’s homer with a base hit that caromed off first base and lifted a sacrifice fly when the Yankees scored twice in the seventh.
Jose Caballero added an RBI single and scored on a headfirst slide when Grisham flew out.
Gerrit Cole (3-3) allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven, walked none and improved to 6-0 in his career against the Twins.
Cole was also warming up following the delay when Rice homered.
The game was paused after Cole struck out Brooks Lee to end the third inning. During the delay, the scoreboard in center field displayed Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup round of 32.
Kody Clemens homered off Cole’s 1-2 knuckle curve in the first and Victor Caratini lined a two-strike RBI single in the fourth before Ryan Kreidler struck out.
Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn each pitched a perfect inning for the Yankees before Fernando Cruz got Royce Lewis on a forceout with the bases loaded to end the eighth. David Bednar struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his 17th save.
Paredes allowed three runs on four hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees snap longest skid since 2023 with win over Twins
Jul 3, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) follows through on a two run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Ben Rice hit a go-ahead two-run homer with two outs in the third inning and the New York Yankees snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
The Yankees ended their longest losing streak since dropping nine straight from Aug. 12-22, 2023, and won for only the fourth time in their last 15 games.
Following a 53-minute rain delay, Rice lifted a full-count fastball from Minnesota rookie starter Mike Paredes (0-2) into the right-field seats for his 24th homer. Rice went deep after entering the third with two hits in his previous 26 at-bats.
Trent Grisham accounted for two runs and two RBIs after missing 18 games with a strained right hamstring. Grisham, who hit his 11th career leadoff homer, preceded Rice’s homer with a base hit that caromed off first base and lifted a sacrifice fly when the Yankees scored twice in the seventh.
Jose Caballero added an RBI single and scored on a headfirst slide when Grisham flew out.
Gerrit Cole (3-3) allowed two runs on five hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven, walked none and improved to 6-0 in his career against the Twins.
Cole was warming up following the delay when Rice homered.
The game was paused after Cole struck out Brooks Lee to end the third inning. During the delay, the scoreboard in center field displayed Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in the World Cup round of 32.
Kody Clemens homered off Cole’s 1-2 knuckle curve in the first and Victor Caratini lined a two-strike RBI single in the fourth before Ryan Kreidler struck out.
Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn each pitched a perfect inning for the Yankees before Fernando Cruz got Royce Lewis on a forceout with the bases loaded to end the eighth. David Bednar struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his 17th save.
Paredes allowed three runs on four hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Rays outlast Astros in pitcher's duel for ninth straight win
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