The White Sox delivered an absolute drubbing to the Royals with a 22-1 victory, matching the second-highest run total in the storied 126-year history of Chicago's major league presence. Tristan Peters was the man of the hour, racking up six RBIs, highlighted by a grand slam in the sixth inning.
Not to be outdone, Miguel Vargas also chipped in with five RBIs. This commanding win, coupled with the Guardians' 3-1 loss to the Mariners, nudges the White Sox a game ahead of Cleveland, placing them atop the AL Central standings.
Now, let's talk about the Brewers and their ace on the mound. Jacob Misiorowski was on fire, propelling Milwaukee to a 6-2 win over the Cubs, extending their lead in the NL Central to a comfortable 7.5 games.
Misiorowski, despite giving up four walks, was a fortress, allowing just one run on two hits over six innings and fanning eight. But the real headline?
His blistering 105.5 mph fastball in the first inning, a career best and tied for the third-fastest pitch since Statcast began tracking in 2008. As the Brewers eye their sixth consecutive win, Kyle Harrison is set to start, while the Cubs will debut their new acquisition, David Peterson.
Meanwhile, the Marlins are riding a hot streak, thanks in large part to Max Meyer and his crew. Meyer, along with Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher, blanked the Cardinals in a 4-0 shutout.
Meyer was particularly impressive, tossing seven scoreless innings to improve his record to a flawless 9-0, with a 2.60 ERA. While some secondary metrics might not fully capture his brilliance, Meyer’s recent form-a 1.78 ERA over his last 30 1/3 innings-speaks volumes.
The Marlins are on a tear, boasting a 17-5 record in June and inching closer to an NL wild card spot.
And then there's the classic Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, which never fails to entertain. Boston, though at the opposite end of the AL East standings from New York, has taken the first two games of their four-game series.
Friday's 6-1 victory for the Sox was not without drama. Tensions flared when Willson Contreras, after homering and hitting an RBI single, took exception to a couple of inside pitches from Will Warren, leading to a benches-clearing moment.
With Gerrit Cole set to take the mound against Boston's rookie Jake Bennett, the Yankees will be looking to turn the tide and get back in the win column.
In Other News...
Patrick Sandoval's Return Just Created A Red Sox Pitching Dilemma
Patrick Sandovals rehab assignment is reaching its end, and the Red Sox are running up against a decision they cannot keep kicking down the road. Injured since 2024, Sandoval is close enough to returning that Boston has to start planning for what comes next, even if the club has spent the past few weeks getting steady work from its current starting group.
Patrick Sandovals next step is murkier than the rehab timeline itself. Boston must act soon under MLBs rehab rules, but the fit on the active roster is not obvious with the rotation holding its own, which leaves the club weighing whether to ease him in as a multi-inning arm or get creative with a temporary six-man setup before the All-Star break. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have Fans Reopening A Debate They Know Too Well
A recent 7-3 stretch has put the Red Sox back into a familiar kind of conversation, the sort that starts quietly when a team gets hot enough to make the standings look less hopeless. Bostons playoff odds have climbed from 9.4 percent to 18 percent at FanGraphs, and the club is still only 4.5 games back in the wild card race, which is enough to keep the summer math from feeling entirely out of reach.
The timing helps, too, because the schedule ahead looks manageable with the Nationals, Angels, White Sox and Mets lined up before the All-Star break. If Boston keeps pitching the way it has while squeezing more production out of the lineup, the front office could face a deadline question it has spent plenty of seasons trying to avoid: whether this is merely a nice run or the start of something worth pushing further. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Made A Surprising Roster Sacrifice With Romy Back
Romy Gonzlez finally made his season debut for the Red Sox after coming back from shoulder surgery in March, giving Boston another right-handed infield option as it tries to keep its bench balanced. His return was enough to force a real roster decision, one that came down to how the club wanted to shape its depth while getting Gonzlez back into the mix.
Mickey Gasper was the odd man out, with the Red Sox optioning the catcher despite his solid work in limited action. Interim manager Chad Tracy said the move was about avoiding three catchers and keeping the bench flexible, a reminder that even a useful performer can be squeezed out when a team is trying to make every roster spot count. [Read more 🡒]