It's Friday, so there was a full slate of 15 MLB games, headlined by the biggest rivalry in the sport that pits two of the three best teams in baseball. Here is everything you need to know about Friday's MLB action
Friday's scores
- Cubs 10, Twins 6 (box score)
- Nationals 17, Phillies 7 (box score)
- Yankees 8, Red Sox 1 (box score)
- Angels 7, Orioles 1 (box score)
- Blue Jays 3, Tigers 2 (box score)
- Rays 3, Astros 2 (box score)
- Brewers 8, Reds 2 (box score)
- Marlins 8, Mets 2 (box score)
- Rangers 11, White Sox 3 (box score)
- Braves 1, Cardinals 1 (box score)
- Giants 2, Diamondbacks 1 (box score)
- Athletics 3, Indians 1 (box score)
- Pirates 6, Padres 3 (box score)
- Rockies 3, Dodgers 1 (box score)
- Mariners 4, Royals 1 (box score)
Yankees hammer Red Sox in opener
The biggest series of the 2018 season -- the biggest series to date, I should clarify -- kicked off Friday night at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees and Red Sox, owners of the two highest winning percentages in baseball, opened a three-game set in the Bronx. I can't help but feel like the AL East race is going to go down to the wire.
The Yankees won Friday's opener with their tried and true formula: Great left-handed pitching and home runs. The reinvented CC Sabathia limited the BoSox to one run in seven innings. He was marvelous.
Sabathia doesn't pitch deep into games all that often anymore -- his numbers the third time through the lineup are not good -- but he was able to keep his pitch count down Friday and the offense gave him some breathing room. Homers by Miguel Andujar, Greg Bird (two), and Aaron Judge accounted for six of New York's eight runs.
Andujar and Bird hit back-to-back dingers against Eduardo Rodriguez in the fourth inning.
Two for The City. pic.twitter.com/JWw4zSkfpN
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 30, 2018
With the win, the Yankees (53-26) are now percentage points ahead of the Red Sox (55-28) for first place in the AL East and the best record in baseball. Consider that, going into the game ...
- The Red Sox were second in the majors in runs scored, the Yankees were third.
- The Yankees led the majors in home runs, the Red Sox were second.
- The Red Sox led the majors in slugging percentage, the Yankees were second.
- The Yankees were second in team ERA, the Red Sox were sixth.
Furthermore, it had been a very long time since two teams this good met this late in the season.
This #RedSox-#Yankees series isn’t just epic. It’s historic. According to @EliasSports it’s the first time two teams with this good a win pct have met this late in a season since 9/2/54! That was #Yankees-#Indians. Wow
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) June 29, 2018
The three-game series continues Saturday night when Sonny Gray matches up against Chris Sale. The Red Sox have a decided pitching advantage in that one, at least on paper.
A's extend winning streak to five
Another night, another win for the red-hot Athletics. The A's have won five straight games and 11 of their past 13 games to improve to 45-38 this season. It is entirely possible the five-team AL postseason field is already set -- seeding still has to be determined, of course -- but Oakland is trying like heck to climb into the second wild-card race.
On Friday, Paul Blackburn outdueled Trevor Bauer while Marcus Semien (single), Khris Davis (double) and Jed Lowrie (homer) drove in runs. Blake Treinen labored a bit in the ninth but ultimately closed out the game. He's been great this season.
As unlikely as it might be, the Athletics and Mariners do still have 10 head-to-head games remaining this season, so don't close the door on the A's making a run at that second wild-card spot. I'm interested to see what they do at the deadline. Do they cash in a guy like Treinen when his value will never be higher, or do they add pieces and try to make a run?
Nationals snap out of their slump in a big way
Wow did the Nationals need this. Washington went into Friday night's game against the Phillies having lost three straight and five of their last six games, and they were outscored 39-16 in the six games. Ouch.
The Nats put Friday's game to bed early. They scored four runs in the first, three runs in the second, and four more runs in the fourth. Nick Pivetta was charged with seven runs and he didn't make it out of the second inning. Rookie sensation Juan Soto smacked two homers and Bryce Harper clubbed his NL-leading 20th big fly.
With the win, the Nationals are one game behind the Phillies for second place in the NL East. They have their eyes on the Braves and first place, no doubt, but they have to catch the Phillies before they can catch the Braves. Friday's blowout win was a good way to snap out of that recent skid.
Acuna goes hitless in return
For the first time since May 27, Braves wunderkind Ronald Acuna Jr. played in a big league game Friday night. He returned from his back and knee injury in the team's series opener in St. Louis.
Things went well for the Braves but not Acuna. The team avoided their third straight loss with a win and Julio Teheran was great, allowing two hits in six shutout innings. Acuna took an 0 for 4, however.
Players are going to have 0-for-4 games. It happens. The important thing is the Braves -- the first-place Braves -- won the game, and that Acuna is healthy. That was a scary, scary injury. I thought he was looking at ligament damage and maybe a fracture given the way he hit the first-base bag a few weeks ago. Instead, Acuna is fully recovered and back with the Braves, and can now resume being one of the most exciting young players in baseball.
Rays lose Font but continue to pitch well
Since first using the "opener" on May 19, the Rays have pitched better than any team in baseball, and for several reasons. One of them: Wilmer Font. The journeyman right-hander has been fantastic since joining Tampa and shifting to the third-base side of the rubber. Font was very good against the defending champs Friday night.
The bad news? Font left the game with an injury. An injury to his lat, specifically, and it sounds like he'll be sidelined awhile. The Rays are already without Chris Archer, remember. He's on the disabled list with an abdominal injury. Font's injury means more openers are coming.
Asked what Font absence means for the pitching plans, #Rays Cash laughed, “More openers and bullpen days, yippee”
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 30, 2018
As they've been doing all season, the Rays will figure something out with their pitching while Font is sidelined. They always do.
Mets winning race to the cellar
Will the Mets dip below the Marlins and into the NL cellar this weekend? It is very possible. The Marlins beat up on Mets spot starter Corey Oswalt on Friday night and they are now only one game behind the Mets. Marlins wins Saturday and Sunday would give the Mets the NL's worst record.
The one thing the Mets have going for them: Jacob deGrom. The MLB ERA leader (1.69) is set to start Saturday at Marlins Park. deGrom was supposed to start Friday, but he had to be pushed back a day because of a family matter. As good as deGrom has been this season -- and he's been spectacular -- the Mets are only 6-10 in his 16 starts. Yeesh.
Friday's win was the ninth in the last 10 games for the Mets. At least Tim Tebow is a Double-A All-Star?
Quick hits
- The Mariners have had some "dialogue" about a possible trade with the Rangers for Cole Hamels, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network, but it doesn't sound close to going down.
- Cubs starter Yu Darvish is getting a second opinion on his triceps injury from the Rangers' team doctor.
- Tim Tebow is an All-Star in the Eastern League (Double-A).
- The Yankees have called up Brandon Drury and sent down reliever Luis Cessa.
- The Red Sox officially activated utility man Steve Pearce, and he went 2 for 4 in Friday's game, meaning he has played for all five AL East teams in his career.
