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Boston Faces KC After Impressive Work vs A’s

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox look to go into the All-Star break on a high note as they begin a three-game home series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

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A 7-0 win over Oakland on Thursday moved the Red Sox back to 10 games above the .500 mark, was their eighth win in their last 10 games, and secured their third straight series victory.

Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida all socked home runs to highlight the team’s 10-hit attack — and 13th three-homer game of the season — while All-Star righty Tanner Houck threw six shutout, two-hit innings to post his eighth win.

Manager Alex Cora’s club will look to continue their winning ways for one more series before next week’s All-Star Game festivities in Arlington, Texas.

“I think what we need to do is to keep winning,” Cora said. “Obviously there’s a lot of conversation about a lot of stuff, but the main goal here is to keep winning and we’ve done a pretty good job the last month and a half accomplishing that, and we’re going to continue.”

Winning will be especially crucial this weekend against a Kansas City team that sits just a game back of the third and final wild-card spot in the American League postseason race. That spot is currently occupied by the Red Sox.

Yoshida has been on a 14-game tear to help Boston’s surge, hitting .346 with a .928 OPS and 12 RBIs in that span. He was 3-for-4 with four RBIs on Thursday.

“Great teammates, great supporting staff, everybody in the clubhouse working together for the win,” Yoshida said through an interpreter. “I’m really glad to be a part of that. … I knew from the beginning that we had something going on with this team.”

Boston has not announced a starting pitcher for Friday.

All-Star left-hander Cole Ragans (5-6, 3.28 ERA) is due to make the series-opening start for Kansas City, pitching for his first win since June 24 at Miami. He is one of three Royals arms who ranked in the top 15 in American League ERAs as of Wednesday.

The 26-year-old has matched his season high of seven innings pitched last Friday at Colorado, striking out eight and allowing just two runs on five hits in a no-decision.

Ragans will look to keep the Royals hot after they swept a Wednesday doubleheader in St. Louis, giving them a three-game win streak entering this weekend.

Eight players registered at least one RBI between the two games Wednesday. Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez drove in at least one in each game, with Perez homering in each contest. Especially key was the outfield, which combined for six runs scored and six RBIs in the sweep.

“It is outfield production, but there are nine guys in the lineup,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We don’t care what position they play, but right now, those guys are producing.”

When Ragans’ start in Boston is over, he will turn his attention to an All-Star Game in the stadium where he made his MLB debut for the Rangers in 2022.

“It’s cool that I have a lot of memories on that mound — my first Opening Day, my first big league start, my first big league win,” Ragans said of Globe Life Field. “It’s pretty cool. Of all places for my first (All-Star Game) to be, it just happens to be back (where) I stepped on a big league mound for the first time. It’s full circle.”

Prior to Wednesday’s sweep, Kansas City had been 5-14 in its last 19 road games.

A’s Even the Series vs Sox

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Red Sox: Big Games in July

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Oakland Athletics take aim at their second straight win and look to claim a series win versus the host Boston Red Sox in the rubber match of their three-game set tonight.

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Oakland, which is 5-3 in its last eight games, snapped a two-game skid Wednesday with a 5-2 win over Boston. Lawrence Butler ripped a two-run double, Max Schuemann also had two hits and left-hander JP Sears pitched scoreless ball over the first five innings.

Butler has recorded multiple RBIs in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

“It builds confidence, for sure,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Those two balls he hit (on Wednesday) were missiles, and a huge momentum swing in the game.”

The A’s had lost their previous four games against the Red Sox and last four at Fenway Park.

Looking to make the streak a positive one, Oakland’s Luis Medina (2-3, 4.37 ERA) is set to make his eighth start since being reinstated from the 60-day injured list in early June.

The Oakland Athletics take aim at their second straight win and look to claim a series win versus the host Boston Red Sox in the rubber match of their three-game set on Thursday.

Oakland, which is 5-3 in its last eight games, snapped a two-game skid Wednesday with a 5-2 win over Boston. Lawrence Butler ripped a two-run double, Max Schuemann also had two hits and left-hander JP Sears pitched scoreless ball over the first five innings.

Medina posted his second win on Saturday against another American League East foe in Baltimore, dealing five innings of one-run ball in an eventual 19-8 victory. It marked his third outing in the last four allowing just a single run, despite working through a bases-loaded jam in the third inning.

“Good thing that (catcher Shea Langeliers) and I got on the same plan together,” Medina said through interpreter Ramon Hernandez. “I was executing the pitches to get out of that inning, especially with a team like that.”

The right-hander won his only career start against the Red Sox, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings on July 18, 2023.

The Red Sox have gone 2-2 in their last four games after a five-game win streak. Rob Refsnyder homered and Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran each had multiple hits on Wednesday.

Refsnyder’s long ball in the sixth inning snapped a personal 0-for-12 streak. Wednesday marked the fifth straight game with a homer for a Boston batter.

Overall, though, it wasn’t enough.

“We didn’t do much,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’ve just got to keep working. … You’ve just got to stay the course.”

Cora’s club is still 7-2 in its last nine games overall.

After allowing 11 runs (eight earned) to San Diego and the New York Yankees over his last two starts, Red Sox righty Tanner Houck (7-6, 2.68) will look to duplicate his first career start against Oakland from earlier this season.

On April 1, Houck struck out 10 Athletics across six innings of shutout, three-hit baseball.

Houck will join fellow homegrown players Rafael Devers (who will sit out to rest an ailing shoulder) and Duran at Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game, but first he must move past lasting just 3 1/3 innings in a no-decision last Friday at Yankee Stadium.

However, the overall body of work for Houck — allowing two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 18 starts — has put him in the conversation as one of baseball’s best.

“Lot of days of hard work, a lot of hours of having great conversations with people,” Houck said. “It all boils down to having an incredible coaching staff and teammates that stand by you every day and want you to get better and push you to get better. I’m … just trying to soak it all in.”

–Field Level Media

Hot Fenway, Hot Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox will look to keep swinging hot bats when they continue a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics tonight.

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In a 12-9 win Tuesday in the series opener, Boston finished with 13 hits and scored 11 runs over the first two innings. The 12-run outburst was punctuated by back-to-back home runs by Wilyer Abreu and Dominic Smith in an eight-run second inning.

Boston has won seven of its last eight games.

“We talked about being greedy a few weeks ago. We saw a window, but I think the window is getting bigger. It’s actually a door, and we can actually accomplish this,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’re gonna keep looking up there and keep playing good baseball, and let’s see where it takes us.”

It was a busy day up and down the Red Sox lineup, supporting a career-high 11-strikeout effort from Brayan Bello.

Ceddanne Rafaela tripled during a multiple-hit night, extending his rookie-leading RBI total to 51.

“I don’t see any reasons to feel pressured at all,” Rafaela said last weekend.

Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (4-5, 4.06 ERA) will look to continue his career success against Oakland on Wednesday.

After throwing five shutout innings in a 1-0 April 3 win at Oakland, Pivetta is 6-0 with a 0.71 ERA over six appearances (four starts) in the head-to-head series. He has struck out 44 in 38 career innings.

Pivetta is coming off a masterful outing last Thursday at Miami, striking out 10 over seven innings of one-hit ball. He did not factor into the decision in a 6-5 win in 12 innings by Boston.

The Independence Day start was Pivetta’s second double-digit strikeout performance of the season and curbed a stretch of back-to-back games in which he failed to work five innings.

Cora said that “pounding the strike zone” was the key to that start for Pivetta, who lost a no-hit bid two outs into his final frame.

The Athletics had won four of five to begin July before taking their second straight loss in the series opener. Oakland, however, recorded a 13-hit effort on Tuesday that included three-run homers by Lawrence Butler and Zack Gelof.

Butler has homered three times in his last seven games after starting the season with just two home runs before that span.

“He got to the point where the focus wasn’t just on hitting the ball where it’s pitched, more of just trying to do damage,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said last week. “That’s what we’re working on. He is a complete hitter, using the other side of the field like he did in spring training. You see the results, and that’s the potential.”

Drawing the Wednesday start for Oakland is left-hander JP Sears (5-7, 4.74 ERA), who is coming off dealing five shutout innings in a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. It marked his first win since May 25 and gives him a career-high-tying five victories this season.

“It’s contagious; you just want to do what the guy did before you,” Sears said of his last effort, which helped Oakland sweep the Angels.

Sears did not record a decision in his lone career encounter against the Red Sox. He allowed one run on two hits in five innings on July 9, 2023.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox, Devers Take it to the Yankees

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BRONX (New York) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Rafael Devers hit a tiebreaking home run with one out in the seventh inning and went deep again in the ninth as the surging Boston Red Sox recorded a 3-0 victory over the host New York Yankees on Sunday night.

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Boston won for the sixth time in seven games and improved to 16-6 in its past 22 games. The Red Sox also beat the Yankees for the 12th time in the past 17 head-to-head meetings and sent New York to its 15th loss in 20 games overall.

Devers added to his resume against the Yankees when he belted a 2-2 fastball from New York starter Luis Gil (9-5) into the left-center-field seats to put Boston up 1-0 in the seventh. Devers was named to the American League All-Star team along with outfielder Jarren Duran and right-hander Tanner Houck earlier Sunday.

Devers connected again in the ninth, hammering an 0-1 fastball from Michael Tonkin into the New York bullpen.

Devers hit three homers in the series. He has 16 career home runs at Yankee Stadium and has smacked 28 overall against the Yankees.

It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Devers, and the 18th of his career.

Boston starter Kutter Crawford (5-7) allowed four hits in seven innings while throwing 54 of his 68 pitches for strikes. Crawford struck out four, walked none and frequently got ahead of New York hitters.

Gil, a rookie, allowed one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings and lost his fourth straight start. He struck out nine and did not issue a walk for the first time in his career.

New York was unable to win consecutive games for the first time since winning four straight from June 9-12. The Yankees also were blanked for the sixth time this season.

New York’s Ben Rice struck out twice and went 0-for-4 after becoming the first rookie in team history to hit three homers in a game during Saturday’s 14-4 victory.

Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela also went deep for the Red Sox, smacking a solo shot in the eighth.

Reliever Justin Slaten stranded a runner in the home half of the eighth when Devers made a bare-handed play on a slow grounder by DJ LeMahieu to end the inning. Kenley Jansen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 18th save of the year.

–Field Level Media

Davis Thompson Sizzles at John Deere

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SILVIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Davis Thompson shot 7-under par 64 to run away with the John Deere Classic for his first PGA Tour victory Sunday in Illinois.

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Thompson finished with a tournament-record 28-under 256 for a four-shot victory on a trio of contenders, breaking away from a two-shot lead from the beginning of the day and leading by as many as six strokes.

Luke Clanton, a Florida State golfer, shot 63 and became the first amateur to record top 10 finishes in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour since 1958. He tied for second place with Michael Thorbjornsen (63) and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (64).

Ben Griffin had the day’s best score with 62 to finish at 23 under and he was joined in fifth place by Carson Young 63).

Denny McCarthy (64), Andrew Novak (64), Eric Cole (69) and England’s Aaron Rai (69) ended at 21 under and tied with Hayden Springer, who opened the tournament with Thursday’s 59. Springer played the backside in 5 under Sunday for a late surge.

By midway through the round, it became clear that there would be a first-time winner on the PGA Tour. Griffin, Young, Thorbjornsen, Clanton, McCarthy, Novak and Springer were also seeking their first title on the circuit, but Thompson’s lead was too large.

Thompson, 25, is a former University of Georgia golfer who has been contending in recent weeks. He tied for second place last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and shared ninth place in last month’s U.S. Open.

Thompson recorded birdies on seven of the first 10 holes of the final round at TPC Deere Run to open a six-shot lead. He had his first bogey of the weekend on No. 12 before a birdie on No 14 stretched the margin back to four shots on Griffin.

Clanton played the back nine in 6 under Sunday. Thorbjornsen notched six consecutive birdies from Nos. 8-13, but still trailed by five shots.

Young, a 29-year-old former Clemson golfer, had his only bogey on the last hole and fell out of second place.

Griffin had an eagle on the par-5 second hole, but after reaching 10 under for the round dropped a stroke with a bogey 6 on No. 17.

Because of weather concerns, golfers were placed in threesomes and Nos. 1 and 10 were used as starting points with tee times moved up.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 7

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | On Breakfast at Wimbledon

BOSTON – If you’re lucky enough to have a long holiday weekend which started Thursday with a 4th of July (Independence Day) celebration and will conclude Sunday night when the Boston Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium in the Bronx for Sunday Night Baseball, you’ll appreciate thoughts of 4th of July weekends gone by.

Early memories are from pinics at Salisbury Park in East Meadow which was later named Eisenhower Park in honor of President Dwight Eisenhower, or maybe John Candy? That came soon after Idlewild Airport was changed to JFK. Come nightfall, the best fireworks display on Long Island was staged at Eisenhower.

Daytime hours were filled with playing golf, tennis, softball or street hockey at a great (big) rink which had an oval for roller skating wrapped around it. Yes, there were a few roller bladers tattooed with “MYLEC” from a errant, hard, orange hockey ball shot over the boards. My fingers are pointed outbound, because this scribe kept his shot low and on goal, except when picking the upper right hand corner with a good wrist shot.

That leads us to a special memory, reserved for the early morning hours on the 4th of July. It was marketed to viewers of NBC Sports as Breakfast at Wimbledon. The late, great sportscaster Dick Enberg called the action and “Bud” Collins Jr. was awaiting at courtside for interviews with the winners in a tiny alcove just outside the dressing rooms.

Although Wimbledon has such a storied past, dating back to 1877, the timeframe your Sunday Notes keeper recalls is know as the “Open Era.” Wimbledon was paused for World War I (1915-1918) and World War II (1940-1945), but the names of the winners in men’s singles resonate with many. Bill Tilden in the ‘20s, Fred Perry in the 30s, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and John Newcombe in the 1960s and ‘70s dominated the men’s draw.

Yet, in 1976, Björn Borg came along and for five straight years, and all other challengers were turned aside. Runners-up included tennis greats like Romania’s Ilie “Nasty” Năstase – a personal favorite, Americans Jimmy Connors, Roscoe Tanner and John McEnroe were turned aside. It wasn’t until 1981, when McEnroe took a four set victory over Borg (4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4), that the tennis world’s best could be an American again.

Soon after, legendary matches, pitting McEnroe and Conners, took place with McEnroe earning his reputations as the ugly American ‘brat’ for the ages. The kid from Douglaston, Queens, not far from tennis alcoves in Forest Hills, Flushing Meadow and right at the Douglaston Club as his father made a living of service in the United States Air Force.

It was the golden era of men’s tennis and it soon led to a similar status for the women’s game at the The All England Lawn Tennis Club when the likes of Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong gave way to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

With Evert as a major rival, Navratilova reached the women’s (they call it ladies) singles finals 12 times, including nine straight seasons, with nine victories and a career total of 59 Grand Slam/Major titles.

The courts have been renovated, centre court has a roof and the tiny neighborhood town has given way to weather assured television programming. There’s never been a time for such a tournament, really a sport, to marvel in its glory years the way Wimbledon did with Navratilova and Evert, along with Borg, Conners and Ivan Lendl (on the Hard-Tru courts) – (with his alter-ego with similar playing style, Mr. Lendl-Lyons) headlining the draw.

Since those glory years, there’s been formidable champions. Just listing the men’s side, you have to consider these players to be among the all-time best:

  1. Boris Becker
  2. Pete Sampras
  3. Roger Federer
  4. Rafael Nadal
  5. Novak Djokovic

And, not to be overlooked on the women’s (ladies) side, Serena Williams cemented her stake as the greatest of all time. There will never be another Serena Williams. But, while the more recent men’s tennis rivalries deserve mention, none can match the drama and intrigue of the Borg-Connors-McEnroe era. It’s very possible none ever will.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Former super featherweight champion Ryan Garcia was expelled from the World Boxing Council (WBC) after making discriminatory remarks on social media. … “Exercising my authority as president of the WBC , I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization. We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaimansaid upon rendering the suspension. … Garcia later apologized and agreed to counseling. PGA TOUR rookie Hayden Springer shot some fireworks off for the July 4th crowds at the John Deere Classic. His opening round was highlighted by eight birdies and two eagles during his tournament debut, as the rook signed for a 12-under (59). … He’s the 13th different player (14 times) to shoot a sub-60 round on the PGA TOUR. Jim Furyk is the only player with 58 and 59. Springer’s round included: Hitting 10-of-14 fairways, 14-of-18 greens in regulation and 21 total putts (sank 112’ 6” of putts). His career-low round on TOUR came in his 19th start. His previous best was an 8-under (64) during R1/2024 American Express. … The USA Basketball Men’s U-17 National Team took a step closer to their goal of winning a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup by beating Canada, 111-60, on Friday in Istanbul. The USA will take on New Zealand in the semifinals tomorrow, July 6, after the NZ defeated Lithuania 73-65 in the quarterfinals. … His friends can call him royal and his enemies can call him ancient, and they’ll both be correct. The R&A has named former rugby club CEO Mark Darbon as its new chief executive and secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, said the governing board in a statement this week. The Open will be upon us in two full weeks (following the Genesis of Scotland). If you’re keeping score at home, that two major golf executives to head to the 19th hole in two weeks, after Seth Waugh of the PGA of America stepped down. The PGA has begun a national search to replace Waugh.

Rookie Rice Packs Punch v. Sox

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BRONX (New York) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees were hoping for improved production from the leadoff spot when rookie Ben Rice was moved up on Thursday.

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A three-homer game probably wasn’t anticipated, but after Rice accomplished that feat on Saturday, the Yankees are in position to win their first series in over three weeks and hope to get rolling again when they face the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night in the Yankees’ final home game before the All-Star break.

After Rice homered three times in New York’s 14-4 rout on Saturday, New York is seeking consecutive victories for the first time since winning the first three games of a four-game series at Kansas City on June 10-13.

“Hopefully, it’s something that is a jump-start (for) us because it’s obviously not easy for us right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Rice was moved up to the leadoff spot to replace a struggling Anthony Volpe when the Yankees took an 8-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. He hit his first career homer in that game and drove in seven runs on Saturday.

Rice was 1-for-9 in his first two games at the top of New York’s order before helping the Yankees win Saturday for just the fifth time in their past 19 games. He hit a leadoff homer, capped a seven-run fifth inning with a three-run homer, and added another three-run homer in the seventh to become the first Yankee rookie with three homers in one game.

Thompson, Cole Lead at John Deere

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SILVIS (Illinois) – Following T9 and T2 finishes in his two most recent starts (U.S. Open and Rocket Mortgage), Davis Thompson made nine birdies en route to a bogey-free (62) to reach 21-under (192) after 54 holes.

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He holds his second 54-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR (2023 American Express).

Thompson’s (62) matched his career-low score from round one of the 2023 American Express when he finished second.

With birdies on six of his first nine holes – including five straight on Nos. 4-8 – Jordan Spieth turned at 6-under (29) before signing for an 8-under (63). The (63) falls two strokes shy of his career-low score of (61); the first of 61s he posted in round three of the 2015 John Deere Classic en route to his win.

A week removed from his second top-10 finish of the season, a T6 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Eric Cole followed a 9-under (62) in round one with scores of 68-64 in rounds two and three to reach T2 at 19-under (194). Cole played his last three holes in R3 in 3-under par (eagle-birdie-par).

Making his first start in the John Deere Classic, Aaron Rai (T2/-19) followed a second-round 8-under (63) with a 5-under (66) and sits T-2 with Cole.

John Deere Classic | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

1 Davis Thompson 63 67 62 192 (-21)

T2 Eric Cole 62 68 64 194 (-19)

T2 Aaron Rai 65 63 66 194 (-19)

T4 Hayden Springer 59 71 66 196 (-17)

T4 C.T. Pan 65 63 68 196 (-17)

Gerrit Cole vs Red Sox Matinee

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BRONX (New York) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Gerrit Cole’s first two outings after a lengthy rehab from an elbow injury featured some uncharacteristic struggles.

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His third outing was a step in the right direction and the struggling Yankees are hoping to witness continued progress from their ace when Cole faces the visiting Boston Red Sox on Saturday afternoon.

Cole (1-1, 6.23 ERA) will pitch after the Yankees fell to 4-14 in their past 18 games with their 5-3 loss on Friday. The Yankees were one strike away from winning but saw their losing streak reach four when Masataka Yoshida hit a tying homer off Clay Holmes and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela hit a tiebreaking homer to open the 10th off Tommy Kahnle.

“It’s a difficult time,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after New York’s fifth straight home loss. “You got to dig down and it’s a quick turnaround tomorrow, get ready to play and find out what we’re made of.”

After three rehab starts from the injury sustained in spring training, Cole returned and pitched four-plus innings, throwing 62 pitches, in a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles on June 19. He followed that by throwing 72 pitches against the New York Mets on June 25 when he allowed six runs and seven hits, including four homers, with no strikeouts in four innings of a 9-7 loss.

On Sunday, Cole was back to being himself when he allowed one run on three hits in five innings during an 8-1 win at Toronto. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner also saw his pitch count bumped up to 90.

“I thought it was a good blend of stuff and command,” Cole said. “I pitched pretty smart for the most part, so it was a good day. There was a pretty conscious effort to hone in the command a little bit, making sure we’re giving ourselves a chance over the plate. That’s part of the buildup process.”

Cole is 7-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 17 career starts against the Red Sox. Since joining the Yankees as a free agent after the 2019 season, the right-hander is 5-4 with a 5.16 ERA in 12 starts and has particularly struggled against Rafael Devers, who is 12-for-38 (.316) with seven homers and 17 RBIs in their previous matchups.

The Red Sox are 13-4 and on a five-game winning streak after the comeback. Boston also is 11-4 in the past 15 meetings with the Yankees and 10-1 in its past 11 road games.

“It’s always special to come here and win games,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We know where we’re at in the standings. Like I said last week, let’s not settle. Let’s keep pushing and see where it takes us.”

Josh Winckowski (2-1, 2.80) will make his 20th career start and the Red Sox are hoping it goes as well as last weekend. He allowed four hits and threw 58 pitches in five innings of a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Winckowski is 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in five career appearances (two starts) against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media

Pan, Rai Lead at John Deere Classic

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SILVIS – C.T. Pan currently shares his first 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR with Aaron Rai. For Pan, it’s his second lead after any round (R3/2023 RBC Canadian Open) when he finished T3.

John Deere Classic

Pan’s econd-round (63) fell one-stroke shy of his career-best (62/R4/2023 CJ CUP Byron Nelson/finished 4th) as he seeks his second all-time PGA TOUR victory in his 193rd start on TOUR. Pan won the 2019 RBC Heritage.

Rai shares his second-consecutive 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR this season as he held a share of 36-hole lead at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and finished a career-high T2.

Rai also held a share of the 36-hole lead with partner David Lipsky at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (finished T23).

Rai’s (128) marks career-best opening 36-hole score on TOUR with the previous best as a (131) at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, a week ago.

Making his first start at the event since 2015, two-time John Deere Classic champion Jordan Spieth (T47/-6) was in danger of a MTC but rallied to card 4-under (67) and sits eight shots back after 36-holes.

The cutline advanced 76 professionals and one amateur at 5-under (137) from a field of 155 professionals and one amateur.

Jimmy Stanger withdrew prior to his second round due to an elbow injury.

John Deere Classic | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

T1 C.T. Pan 65 63 128 (-14)

T1 Aaron Rai 65 63 128 (-14)

3 Harry Hall 63 66 129 (-13)

T4 Six players 130 (-12)

Full Leaderboard: (link)