NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider left Friday night’s start against the New York Mets in the fourth inning due to right arm soreness.
Strider left one batter into the fourth and allowed six hits and a season-worst seven earned runs in three innings. He struck out three. He allowed three homers, including a grand slam to Bo Bichette in the second inning.
Strider’s velocity was considerably lower as he issued a six-pitch walk to MJ Melendez. The three fastballs Strider threw during the at-bat were all at either 88 or 89 mph, down from the 92 to 96 mph pitches he threw in the first two innings.
Manager Walt Weiss and a trainer visited Strider, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. Strider walked off the mound after a short consultation.
Strider was making his eighth start of the season for the MLB-leading Braves after missing the first 34 games recovering from a strained left oblique.
JR Ritchie replaced Strider and gave up a single to Luis Torrens before Bo Bichette’s sacrifice fly scored Melendez one out later.
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Atlanta Braves' Spencer Strider (99) pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, June 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez) CORRECTION: Atlanta Braves is correct instead of St. Louis Cardinals
TORONTO (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto and George Springer homered, Alejandro Kirk had three hits and two RBIs in his return from injury and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 8-5 on Friday night.
Kirk went 3 for 3 with a walk after missing 62 games because of a fractured left thumb. He scored and drove in two runs.
Cody Bellinger homered for the Yankees, his 10th, but New York’s four game winning streak was snapped.
Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham left in the sixth inning because of right hamstring tightness. Grisham walked off after sliding into second base on his two-RBI hit against Mason Fluharty. Max Schuemann ran for Grisham.
Trey Yesavage (3-3) allowed four hits and five runs in five-plus innings to win for the first time in four starts. He walked six and struck out three.
Louis Varland pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances.
Okamoto hit a 423-foot drive into the upper deck in the first, his team-leading 14th. Springer homered for the first time since May 23 with a two-out drive in the second, his sixth.
Both homers came off left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-5), who allowed a season-high six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Weathers has given up seven home runs in his past three starts, all losses.
Okamoto became the 10th player in Blue Jays history to homer into the upper deck at Rogers Centre, which opened in 1989. No Toronto player had done it since Josh Donaldson in May 2017.
Toronto is 12-6 when hitting two or more home runs.
New York loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, with Braydon Fisher escaping by getting Ryan McMahon to fly out.
Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.87 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday RHP Kevin Gausman (4-4, 3.60).
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New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) throws to a New York Yankees batter during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk, left, is met with applause while taking his first at-bat since retuning to the lineup from the injured list during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Toronto, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto (7) gestures to the bullpen after hitting a two-run home run scoring Alejandro Kirk, not pictured, against the New York Yankees during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)
