LEADING OFF: Yankees-Astros play 1-game series in Houston

By: The Associated Press Posted: 1:20 AM CDT Thursday, Jun. 30, 2022

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A look at what's happening around the majors today:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/06/2022 (1228 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

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GOING MY WAY?

Minnesota Twins' Luis Arraez hits an RBI single next to Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

The Yankees and Astros will meet in a one-game series between AL division leaders at Minute Maid Park — it’s a makeup of a matchup postponed by the lockout.

Both teams were on New York-to-Houston flights after wins Wednesday afternoon in the Big Apple. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered at Yankee Stadium in a 5-3 victory over Oakland; Justin Verlander and the Astros beat the NL East-leading Mets 2-0 at Citi Field.

Houston left fielder Yordan Álvarez and shortstop Jeremy Peña were hurt when they collided while running down a popup. Álvarez left on a cart, sitting up, and Peña walked back to the dugout. Both were walking in the clubhouse postgame and manager Dusty Baker said the team was awaiting medical reports.

Luis Garcia (5-5, 3.68 ERA), who beat the Yankees in his last outing, starts for Houston against Luis Severino (4-2, 3.38 ERA). The clubs split a four-game series in the Bronx last weekend.

It’ll be a quick trip to Texas for the Yankees — they begin a series Friday night in Cleveland. Houston gets to stay home and welcome Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and the Angels over the weekend.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and the NL West-leading Dodgers open their longest homestand of the season, an 11-game stay against San Diego, Colorado and the Cubs.

Joe Musgrove (8-1, 2.12 ERA) starts for the second-place Padres against Mitch White (1-1, 4.25). Musgrove absorbed his only loss this year in his previous start, giving up six runs in six innings to Philadelphia.

Los Angeles is 20-12 at Dodger Stadium. The Padres are 24-15 on the road.

“I know we’re leading (the division) and they’re going to come with some energy as we’ve seen. We’ve got to match it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve got to play good baseball. Either way, we still have a lot of baseball to play, but certainly we want to play our best baseball this series.”

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton, center, celebrates his three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

SO LONG, FOR A WHILE

Luis Arraez and the Minnesota Twins wrap up a five-game series in Cleveland with the last of eight matchups in a 10-day span between the top two teams in the AL Central. After this one, they won’t see each other again until September.

Chris Archer (2-3, 3.14 ERA) starts for Minnesota against 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber (3-4, 3.07). Archer is 0-7 with a 5.87 ERA in eight career starts against Cleveland.

Minnesota leads the division by two games over Cleveland after the teams split the first four games of the series.

Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning Wednesday night, completing a four-run rally that gave the Guardians a thrilling 7-6 victory. After rounding the bases, Naylor excitedly headbutted 63-year-old Cleveland manager Terry Francona, who was wearing a batting helmet.

“I don’t think you’ll see a game much more difficult on a team than that,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We’ve got to find a way to finish games out.”

JUNE BLOOM

Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (bruised left foot) will rejoin the Braves in Philadelphia and could play as Atlanta goes for a three-game sweep.

Acuña has missed the last three games after fouling a ball off his foot in Saturday’s win over the Dodgers. He stayed back in Atlanta for treatment when the Braves traveled to Philadelphia.

The Braves are 21-5 in June, matching the team record for most wins in a calendar month since the club moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966. They’ll try to set a new mark when Ian Anderson (6-4, 4.60 ERA) pitches against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola (4-5, 2.98).

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman scores against the the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

CHECK HIM

The Brewers will see how center fielder Jonathan Davis is feeling, a day after he crashed headfirst into the padded wall at Tampa Bay making a tremendous catch.

Davis ran at full speed and jumped back to snag Randy Arozarena’s drive in the second inning Wednesday. He stayed down for several minutes holding his back and exited the game the next inning with lower back and rib cage discomfort.

“Spectacular, scary … those two words,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s doing pretty good. He is sore. He’s a good center fielder, so I did think he had a chance, but where the ball ended up and how hard it was hit … for him to get there and put his health and body at risk is brilliant.”

The Brewers open a series at Pittsburgh.

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