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The New York Yankees encountered warmer weather and trouble preventing pitches from leaving their home ballpark during their last series. After allowing 13 homers in their previous four games, the Yankees hope to make better pitches Friday night when they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series. The Yankees allowed three homers through their first 15 games, including their first homestand, which was played in temperatures under 60 degrees. Against the Angels, the average game-time temperature was 82 degrees and the Yankees settled for a four-game split. New York earned a pair of wins in the ninth inning and hit nine homers. Aaron Judge hit four homers in the series but those were not enough

In a battle of teams off to strong starts, the Tampa Bay Rays will carry a six-game winning streak into the opener of an interleague three-game set against the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez (0-0, 2.16 ERA) will try to extend the Rays’ winning surge to seven in a row when they face the improved Pirates and rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler (0-1, 3.86). The Rays rallied with three runs in the ninth inning on Thursday to complete their first three-game road sweep of the Chicago White Sox since 2019. This feat came on the heels of Tampa Bay’s first home sweep of the New York Yankees since 2018. The Rays have been finding different ways to

The Washington Nationals return home from a strong road trip and open a three-game series against the struggling San Francisco Giants on Friday night. Washington went 5-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates and enters the weekend tied for second in the National League East. The road has not been kind to the Giants thus far. After salvaging the finale of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, San Francisco is 2-4 on a nine-game Eastern swing. The Nationals capped their trip with an 8-7, 10-inning win against the Pirates on Thursday. Washington split four games at Pittsburgh after sweeping three from Milwaukee and sits one game under .500. “Couldn’t be happier, couldn’t be more proud

Off to an unusual start, the Milwaukee Brewers are set to visit the Miami Marlins for a three-game series that starts on Friday. Milwaukee is coming off a brutal stretch. The Brewers started 8-2 then lost six straight — their longest skid since June 2023 — until winning a pair of 2-1 contests over visiting Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday. The Brewers won on Thursday in part because they bunted three straight times during their two-run, seventh-inning rally. “Growing up playing the game, ‘small ball’ was huge,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat said. “In the big leagues, you don’t see it as much, but it still works.” Another unusual Brewers note: Aaron Ashby (5-0, 3.21 ERA) leads the majors in wins,