LI native Charlie McAvoy could be picked high in NHL Draft

"UNB! Network" Tri-State Sports Report

BUFFALO, NY -- The 2016 NHL Drat is coming up on June 23 in Buffalo, and there are quite a few Tri-State Area prospects up to be drafted.

But one pick that really stands out to us is Boston University's Charlie McAvoy.

McAvoy, a Long Island native, is coming off of a great freshman year at BU. He won a bronze medal with the USA national team at the 2016 World Juniors as a No. 5 defenseman on the team.

However, BU's early playoff exit in 2016 has kept McAvoy out of the spotlight.

McAvoy seems like a first-round pick, but things like his minus-4 rating in a BU loss to Denver in a 7-2 loss may cause McAvoy to go later in the first round.

Mets overcome Colon's injury, edge Royals 2-1 in WS rematch

NEW YORK (AP) — It was all hands on deck for the New York Mets after Bartolo Colon got clocked in the thumb.

Colon's early injury put the Mets in a major bind, but they won a battle of bullpens against the best relief corps in baseball and edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 Tuesday night in a World Series rematch.

"Those are the kind of games that I really believe that you should grow from," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "To hang on in that situation, that was a great outing by every guy out of the 'pen."

Yoenis Cespedes hit his 18th home run and Asdrubal Cabrera also connected for New York, which had lost three straight and six of eight.

The 43-year-old Colon was hit on his pitching hand by a line drive and left after one batter with a bruised right thumb. Yet a gritty Hansel Robles (1-3) and four other relievers bailed out the Mets by combining for 8 2/3 stellar innings in the opener of a two-game set.

"That's a tremendous job they did tonight, especially for Robles. I know he was definitely caught off guard with having to run out there, kind of at the spur of the moment," Colon said through a translator. "But it's great to see them have those kind of opportunities and shine like that."

The teams split a two-game series in Kansas City to open the season, but the Royals were back at Citi Field for the first time since clinching their World Series title last November with a late rally in Game 5.

Still, manager Ned Yost insisted the trip was no sunny stroll down memory lane.

"Just another series," he said before the game. "I don't know if it's weird or not. I mean, it was a great accomplishment, but it's kind of in the rearview mirror in the middle of the season now."

Hours earlier, the Mets announced a tweak to their pitching rotation. Colon was bumped up a day to start on regular rest, and Noah Syndergaard was pushed back one day to Wednesday afternoon.

After only four pitches, however, the NL champions were scrambling.

Royals leadoff man Whit Merrifield hit a line drive that barely glanced off Colon's glove and struck him hard on his right thumb. X-rays were negative, the Mets said.

"First thought that popped into my head was, God please don't let this be a broken thumb," Colon said, adding he wasn't sure yet if he'll need to go on the disabled list.

The ball deflected to second baseman Neil Walker, who threw to first for an out. Colon shook his pitching hand in obvious pain and bent over at the waist as Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez rushed out of the dugout.

Following a brief meeting near the mound, Colon walked off the field. Robles was given all the time he needed to warm up.

"That could spell disaster, but he didn't allow that to happen," Yost said.

Indeed, Robles provided yeoman's work. After throwing 41 pitches Sunday, he threw 65 over 3 2/3 effective innings and struck out six. His previous career highs were 52 pitches and three innings, in different games.

"I was a little tired, but not too exhausted," Robles said through a translator.

The right-hander finally faded in the fifth and gave up an RBI single to Brett Eibner with nobody out before Erik Goeddel pitched out of trouble. Pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales flied out to the right-field fence with two on, and Goeddel tossed two scoreless innings.

Jerry Blevins worked a perfect seventh and Addison Reed a 1-2-3 eighth.

"You definitely want to make sure we secure that one because we earned it," Blevins said. "That would have been a heartbreaker to lose."

Jeurys Familia struck out two in a one-hit ninth for his major league-leading 23rd save. Familia, charged with three blown saves in the World Series last year, has converted a club-record 39 consecutive regular-season chances dating to last August — though he did blow a four-run lead in the ninth inning of a game this season.

Cabrera hit an opposite-field drive to left off Ian Kennedy (5-6) in the first, and Cespedes homered to center leading off the fourth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: Three-time All-Star LF Alex Gordon (broken right wrist) could return to the lineup this weekend, Yost said. Gordon was 3 for 6 with a home run and a double in two rehab games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Mets: Just off the disabled list, catcher Travis d'Arnaud went 0 for 3 with a long flyout. But he passed his first test on defense by throwing out Alcides Escobar trying to steal second base in the first inning. A strained right rotator cuff had sidelined d'Arnaud since April 26. ... New York put reliever Jim Henderson on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday, with right biceps tendinitis.

UP NEXT

Syndergaard (7-2, 1.91 ERA), winner of five straight decisions, will start on six days' rest Wednesday against LHP Danny Duffy (2-1, 3.17). Syndergaard won 2-0 at Kansas City in April. Of course, he also earned New York's lone World Series victory last fall and rankled the Royals by firing his first pitch above Escobar's head.

Blackmon hits 2 HRs, Arenado drives in 3, Rockies beat Yanks

NEW YORK (AP) — Sure, hitting a leadoff home run feels great. Charlie Blackmon is also aware there can be a downside to an early dinger.

"Honestly, it's a real trap," he said. "If you're not careful, you can let yourself down or the team down. ... Don't let the first at-bat affect the next at-bat or the next."

He didn't.

Blackmon connected for his 16th career leadoff homer, later hit another solo drive and also made a superb sliding catch in center field as the Colorado Rockies again roughed up the New York Yankees, 8-4 on Tuesday night.

A week after totaling 19 runs and 28 hits while sweeping a two-game series from New York at Coors Field, the Rockies came out swinging in their first visit to Yankee Stadium since 2011.

Nolan Arenado lined his major league-leading 21st homer, got three hits and drove in three runs, giving him an NL-leading 60 RBIs. Blackmon scored three times, and Carlos Gonzalez and DJ LeMahieu each got three of Colorado's 15 hits.

"Everybody did a tremendous job," Gonzalez said.

Rockies rookie Trevor Story added a double, along with one of the hardest hits of the night — he banged his face into the dirt on a headfirst slide while stealing second base, and stayed in after being examined by a trainer.

Story also struck out for the 100th time, most in the majors, in 273 at-bats.

The Yankees opened a nine-game homestand with their sixth loss in nine games.

"It's baseball, it's what we've been going through all year, inconsistency and it's frustrating for everyone in that room," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Chad Bettis (6-5) beat Ivan Nova (5-5) for the second time in a week. Bettis gave up two earned runs, tied a career best with eight strikeouts and left with an 8-4 lead.

Blackmon began the hit parade by sending a drive high off the foul pole in right field, then got his 10th homer in the fourth. On Monday night at Miami, he homered in the ninth inning as the Rockies launched five solo home runs.

"Carried it over, especially with the power," manager Walt Weiss said.

Blackmon has four leadoff home runs this season and four multihomer games in his career.

The Rockies scored three times on five hits in the first, with Carlos Gonzalez singling home a run and Mark Reynolds adding an RBI grounder.

Gonzalez hit a rocket double over right fielder Carlos Beltran to start the fifth off Nova, and Reynolds hit an RBI double off reliever Nick Goody a few batters later for a 6-2 lead.

There was a moment of silence before the game for the shooting victims at a gay nightclub in Orlando earlier this month. Girardi and Weiss placed a rainbow wreath over home plate as their teams gathered along the foul lines.

SWING MEN

Buddy Hield and Denzel Valentine were among four projected top NBA draft picks who watched batting practice from near the Yankees dugout. For Hield, who grew up in the Bahamas and then starred at Oklahoma, it was the first major league game he'd seen in person. He looked eager to take a few cuts, but playfully admitted, "I have a bad swing." Valentine, who stayed home and went to Michigan State, said he didn't play baseball as a kid but could decently swing the bat. "I can throw it in from the outfield pretty good, too," he said. Domantas Sabonis of Gonzaga and Marquese Chriss of Washington also were in attendance ahead of Thursday night's draft.

REYES FUTURE

Shortstop Jose Reyes could become a free agent Saturday, having been cut by the Rockies after serving a suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. With Colorado in town, there's been speculation the All-Star could return to the Mets. "I'm sure part of his heart is in New York, as it should be," Weiss said. "Still a good player ... he certainly could help them."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: OF Gerardo Parra (sprained left ankle) hit off a tee. He's still not ready for running drills.

Yankees: CF Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the lineup because of the stomach flu. ... 1B Mark Teixeira (torn knee cartilage) started a Triple-A rehab assignment, going 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly. If he feels fine, he's expected to join the Yankees on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (4-3, 4.55) faces the Yankees on Wednesday afternoon. He hasn't given up more than two earned runs in five straight starts.

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (5-4, 2.20) has an 0.82 ERA in his last seven starts. He's the first Yankees pitcher to permit no more than four earned runs overall in a seven-start string since Phil Niekro in 1984.

Teheran leads Braves past Mets for 5th straight win

NEW YORK (AP) — A single blip from sublime perfection.

Julio Teheran tossed a one-hit masterpiece and did not allow any other baserunners, pitching the Atlanta Braves to a 6-0 victory Sunday that capped their surprising three-game sweep of the scuffling New York Mets.

"It was pretty exciting," Teheran said. "Everything was working."

Freddie Freeman matched his career high with four hits and the Braves finally mustered some offense for Teheran (3-7), who yielded only Michael Conforto's clean single leading off the third inning.

Conforto never advanced beyond first, and Teheran dominated New York the rest of the afternoon, ruining Jacob deGrom's birthday as a Father's Day crowd of 41,576 booed the home team repeatedly.

Nick Markakis homered and drove in two runs for Atlanta, which has won five straight for the first time since the first five games of last season.

"It's been a bit of a grind," Freeman said. "It's definitely a big boost for not only us, but everybody in this organization. It's just nice to see that some things are finally starting to come together and we're all clicking on all cylinders for the first time in a long time.

"I hope we can build off of this. You know, you've got to take this and hopefully run with it. We haven't done this in a while," he added.

The only bad news for the Braves was speedy outfielder Mallex Smith breaking his left thumb when he was hit by Antonio Bastardo's pitch in the seventh. With his left arm in a sling, Smith said he was headed back to Atlanta to see the doctor Monday and had no idea how long he'll be out.

"Things happen. I'm not disappointed. We just swept the Mets," Smith said.

Atlanta (23-46) arrived at Citi Field this weekend with the worst record in the majors, but played with much more energy and focus than the defending NL champions. A pair of former Mets farmhands earned the wins in the initial two games of the series, and Teheran sent Atlanta to its first sweep at Citi Field since September 2012.

"You don't want to panic early but, right now, with what's going on, we are going to shake some things up," New York manager Terry Collins said. "We've got to start playing better."

Teheran struck out seven and retired his final 21 batters, lowering his ERA to 2.66 while posting Atlanta's first complete game this season. The 25-year-old right-hander from Colombia threw a season-high 120 pitches, 82 for strikes, in his third major league shutout and fifth complete game. All the others came in 2014, when he was an All-Star.

Mixing 93-94 mph fastballs with 71-72 mph curves, Teheran completely shut down the Mets. He helped himself at the plate, too, with a pair of sacrifice bunts and a single — all of which contributed to Atlanta runs.

"It was an incredible game," Freeman said. "He was phenomenal."

In a matchup of quality starters getting little help from their teammates lately, deGrom (3-4) remained winless since April 30. He lost his third consecutive outing and fell to 0-4 in nine starts since winning his first three of the season.

Pitching on his 28th birthday and as a dad on Father's Day for the first time, deGrom gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year struck out six and walked one.

"I wasn't very good today," deGrom said.

New York has dropped six of eight overall.

FAB-5 FREDDIE

Freeman went 7 for 13 in the series and is batting .548 (17 for 31) with three homers, five doubles, a triple, eight RBIs and six runs in seven games since last Monday. He had at least three hits in five of those games.

SEEN IT BEFORE

It was Atlanta's fourth shutout this season, including a combined one-hitter by Matt Wisler (eight innings) and Arodys Vizcaino on May 3 at Citi Field.

ROLL WITH IT

Fan favorite Wilmer Flores gave the crowd a rare reason to cheer when he tumbled onto the rolled-up tarp to make a tenuous catch of a foul popup. The third baseman wound up wedged between the tarp and a low retaining wall, but held onto the ball.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: 3B Adonis Garcia (left ankle) was out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive day. He was replaced by Chase d'Arnaud, the brother of Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who is close to returning from a strained rotator cuff.

Mets: Before the game, Collins said reliever Jim Henderson (right shoulder) was undergoing an MRI.

UP NEXT

Braves: Following an off day, Atlanta opens a two-game set in Miami on Tuesday night with Braves RHP Bud Norris (2-7, 4.81 ERA) facing RHP Jose Fernandez (9-3, 2.57 ERA), who is 23-1 with a 1.53 ERA at Marlins Park in his career. Fernandez will start on nine days' rest.

Mets: A day off before Kansas City comes to town for another World Series rematch. RHP Noah Syndergaard (7-2, 1.91 ERA) has won five straight decisions going into Tuesday night's start against Royals RHP Ian Kennedy (5-5, 4.17 ERA).

Santana pitches into 8th as Twins beat Yankees 7-4

New York Yankees starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi
delivers to the Minnesota Twins during the first inning
of a baseball game in Minneapolis, Sunday,
June 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ervin Santana received a standing ovation from many Twins fans when he was pulled from the game in the top of the eighth inning Sunday. He waved his glove in appreciation.

It's a good vibe he hadn't experienced in some time.

Santana gave up six hits in 7 1/3 innings to earn his first victory since May 14 and Minnesota beat the New York Yankees 7-4 to avoid a four-game sweep.

"Feels great; it was a good battle," he said with a big smile. "I just kept the ball down for the most part."

Eduardo Escobar's two-run triple keyed a four-run sixth inning as the Twins snapped a five-game losing streak. Max Kepler and Brian Dozier homered and Brandon Kintzler got the final four outs for his second save in as many chances.

Brain McCann homered twice and Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single for the Yankees. Nathan Eovaldi (6-4) lost his second straight start.

Santana (2-7) looked nothing like the pitcher that was 0-5 with a 7.71 ERA in his last five starts. He struck out four and did not walk anyone for a career-best third straight game. New York did not send more than four men to the plate in any of Santana's seven full innings.

"The way they've been hitting the ball, they're hot right now," Santana said. "To come today and throw a game like that is huge."

New York has scored 30 runs in its past six games.

Aided by two Minnesota errors, the Yankees scored once in the eighth before Kintzler struck out Rodriguez with runners at the corners.

Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, Dozier and Trevor Plouffe singled to begin a stretch of five straight Minnesota hits. Both scored on Escobar's broken-bat triple with the ball just getting over a leaping Ike Davis at first base and slowly rolling down the line. Plouffe was initially ruled out at home on the throw from right-fielder Carlos Beltran, but video replay showed he scored just before McCann tagged him.

Reliever Dellin Betances was met with an RBI single by Kepler, who then stole his first career base and scored on a double by Kurt Suzuki. Kepler finished with three hits.

"You always want to add runs no matter who you're playing, especially the Yankees," Suzuki said.

Eovaldi had a six-game winning streak and nine-game unbeaten streak snapped in 13-10 loss Tuesday in Colorado when he allowed six earned runs and eight hits in four innings. He bounced back beautifully early.

After a pair of first-inning walks, the right-hander retired 11 of 12 batters before Kepler led off the fifth with a line-drive home run to the flower bed in front the first row of right-field seats to get the Twins to 2-1.

"Bad luck, to me," said manager Joe Girardi. "Two jam shots, a little seeing-eye ground ball. I think they hit one ball hard in that inning: that was the ball Suzuki hit. That's baseball, and they got four runs. I thought his stuff was better today."

McCann snapped an 0-for-15 slide with a second-inning home run for a 1-0 lead and Rodriguez had a bloop single in the fourth to score Brett Gardner. McCann also homered in the ninth.

TRAINERS ROOM

Yankees: 1B Mark Teixeira (cartilage tear in his right knee) is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday. Manager Joe Girardi expects Teixeira to play three games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, take Friday off and return to the Yankees on Saturday.

Twins: RHP Trevor May (lower back spasms) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday, but after some mechanical work Saturday he won't throw until Tuesday. . RF/DH Miguel Sano (left hamstring strain) is scheduled for a more extensive workout Monday. Molitor said Sano's swing is fine, but is concerned his running isn't where it needs to be.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Ivan Nova (5-4, 4.77) takes the hill Tuesday against Colorado's RHP Chad Bettis (5-5, 5.63). Nova has won two of three June starts despite allowing 13 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings.

Twins: RHP Tyler Duffey (2-6, 5.56) is scheduled to start when the Twins open a three-game home series with Philadelphia on Tuesday. Duffey is 1-4 in his last six starts, giving up at last four earned runs each time. Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.51) is to start for the Phillies.

Gant earns 1st MLB win, Braves beat Mets, take 3rd straight

New York Mets' Matt Harvey delivers a pitch during
the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta
Braves Friday, June 17, 2016, in New
York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta newcomer John Gant was standing at his locker, talking to reporters about his nifty performance when someone stepped up, extended a hand and offered congratulations.

"First of many," said Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, a Braves broadcaster.

Gant, the rookie righty with the weird windup, earned his first big league win by beating the team that traded him away last summer, leading the Braves past the New York Mets 5-1 on Friday night.

Gant (1-1) threw two-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings, helping the Braves post their first three-game winning streak since mid-April. They started the day tied with Minnesota for the worst record in baseball.

Gant gave up one run, struck out five and walked two in his second start in the majors. The Mets got a close-up look at his unusual mechanics — he lifts his left leg as if he's going to begin his motion, but puts it down, comes to a full stop and then goes into a normal delivery.

"It gives me absolutely no advantage whatsoever," Gant said with a smile. "It's comfortable."

Gant said he started the routine in the low minors, after his catcher playfully imitated him.

"As I've become more aware of it, it's grown," he said.

Gant had a few friends in the park to see his milestone win, but took away no souvenirs.

"I don't have any," he said. "I'm just going to remember it."

Atlanta star Freddie Freeman kept up his extra-base hit barrage with an RBI double and also singled twice. Earlier this week, he went 10 for 18 with three home runs, a triple and two doubles in a four-game series vs. Cincinnati.

Hunter Cervenka protected a 4-1 lead in the seventh, relieving with the bases loaded and two outs and fanning pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores.

Matt Harvey (4-9) went backward after three strong starts, drawing a smattering of boos from the home crowd. Atlanta often swung at his first pitch and he gave up four runs, seven hits and two walks in six innings.

"Couple of balls they hit were, again, heart of the plate," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's locating your stuff and if you make a mistake, hopefully they don't do damage, and tonight they did.

"We will continue to make sure he stays positive because I don't think it should affect him. He's been pitching too good," he said.

Gant never got above Double-A for the Mets before they traded him to the Braves last July with another minor leaguer for Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe. Gant said he had thrown once before on the mound at Citi Field for a pre-draft workout.

Gant debuted in the majors this year and made seven relief appearances — in between four trips to the minors — for Atlanta before getting a chance to start.

"I've been doing a lot of traveling this year so far," he said.

Along with his path and his pitching motion, Gant is quirky in other ways, too.

The 23-year-old takes little hops to clean off the rubber, rocks from side to side waiting for batters to get ready and tosses the ball up to himself during breaks. Before each inning, he puts his glove on the back off the mound, picks up the rosin bag, dusts his right arm and rubs the residue on his upper body.

Curtis Granderson hit a leadoff double in the first for the Mets, but Gant retired 17 of the next 18 batters. Granderson scored on a groundout by Yoenis Cespedes.

SLAMMING THE DOOR

Chris Withrow was summoned to relieve Gant after a two-out walk in the seventh, but getting into the game wasn't so easy. Withrow couldn't get the bullpen door open, no matter how much he pushed, pulled or pried it. A Mets bat boy tried to help from outside and finally, after about 15 seconds, a Braves teammate swung it free and Withrow got loose.

YOU'RE OUT

The game ended on an interference call that resulted in a double play. James Loney slid into second baseman Jace Peterson, whose relay to first was too late to get Kevin Plawecki.

"They said my arm went into him," Loney said. "You're sliding into someone and you're that close, your arm can go into him. It wasn't like I tried to hit him."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Braves: 3B Adonis Garcia didn't play, a day after he left a game with a sore left ankle. He could be back in the lineup Saturday.

Mets: 3B Flores didn't start, a day after he was hit in the left hand with a pitch.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Aaron Blair (0-4, 7.59) tries again for his first victory in the majors. He lost to the Mets in his big league debut on April 24 and is winless in nine starts.

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (7-3, 2.71) has lost consecutive starts for the first time in his career and is winless in his last three outings. He's beaten the Braves twice this season and is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against them.

Tanaka pitches 8 innings as Yankees beat Twins 8-2

New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka of Japan
throws against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning
of a baseball game Friday, June 17, 2016, in
Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Masahiro Tanaka just needed to hit the road to find his groove again. Of course, that four-run cushion before he stepped on the mound was helpful, too.

Tanaka matched a season high with eight sparkling innings, Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer and the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Friday night.

Tanaka allowed one run and seven hits, recovering nicely from his rough outing last Saturday when he gave up five runs at home against Detroit. He is 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA in seven road starts — the second-lowest road ERA in the AL and third-lowest in the majors.

"There's season where you do well as home and there's season where you do better away on the road," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "Throughout my career it's been like that. Maybe this season it's been something like that but I don't really look into that much."

Tanaka (4-2) didn't allow a walk for the fifth time this year, and the Yankees scored more runs than they had in his previous four starts combined.

"I think it's important because it allows the pitcher to relax a little bit and every pitch isn't the end of the world," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "To be able to give him seven runs pretty quickly is nice."

The Japanese right-hander had all the run support he needed by the time he tossed his first pitch. Beltran connected against Pat Dean (1-3) in the first, and Rob Refsnyder and Didi Gregorius each drove in a run in the inning to give Tanaka an early 4-0 lead.

"Helped me out mentally obviously, but as a starting pitcher being on the mound you want to put up as much zeros as possible, and that's what I was trying to do all night," Tanaka said.

The Yankees cruised the rest of the way for their second straight win after snapping a four-game skid Thursday. Tanaka has gone at least six innings with one earned run or less in five straight road starts since May 5.

Dean, meanwhile, had an eight-hit, 68-pitch night against the team he grew up rooting for in Connecticut. Nearly every Yankees batter he faced had a hit by the time he was pulled with one out in the third. He walked Chase Headley to load the bases before Gregorius' fielder's choice scored Alex Rodriguez.

The Twins optioned Dean to Triple-A Rochester after the game and recalled left-hander Tommy Milone.

"You hate to say a game's over early, but it didn't start out well," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Eduardo Escobar drove in both of Minnesota's runs; he had an RBI double in the second and a homer off Nick Goody in the ninth.

BELTRAN'S KNEE

Girardi said he was still being cautious with Beltran, who returned to action Thursday after missing two games with a sore left knee. Beltran, though, said he doesn't consider the knee an issue.

"My knee is still responding well, so I'm not going to think about it anymore, I'm just going to continue to come and continue to do what I need to do treatment-wise and go out there and play in the game," he said.

PERKINS UPDATE

Twins closer Glen Perkins said he's hoping to have surgery as early as next week to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, although nothing had been scheduled yet. Perkins met with reporters a day after the team announced their hard-throwing lefty would miss the rest of the season. The Twins had originally hoped Perkins' pain would subside with adequate rest and rehab.

"I rehabbed for two months," Perkins said. "I don't want to keep rehabbing and start to push my timeline into next season. So the right time to do it is now."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: OF Danny Santana (hamstring) went 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter in his first game after missing 16 games on the DL. Molitor said he expects to use Santana more in the outfield, but added he also gives him options to pinch-hit and run for infielders. ... INF Miguel Sano (hamstring) hit a few balls into the seats during batting practice, and the team said he's making steady progress. Still general manager Terry Ryan said he doesn't have a return timetable, adding he wants to see his young slugger running at full speed. ... RHP Trevor May (back) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda makes his 14th start of the season on Saturday. He leads New York with 79 strikeouts and his strikeouts-to-innings pitched ratio (9.87) ranks fifth in the AL.

Twins: RHP Ricky Nolasco (3-4) makes his third career start against the Yankees and first since 2014.

Syndergaard whiffs 11, Flores and Mets rout Pirates 11-2

NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Syndergaard struck out 11 and took a shutout into the ninth inning, Wilmer Flores homered and drove in four runs, and the New York Mets piled up a season-high 19 hits in routing the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-2 on Wednesday night.

Late replacement Kelly Johnson also homered for New York. Johnson, Rene Rivera and substitute second baseman Matt Reynolds each had three hits and two RBIs.

Yoenis Cespedes had three hits and scored three times as the Mets busted loose at the plate against lefty Jeff Locke (5-5). Shut out in the series opener the previous night, New York had been struggling to score lately with an injury-depleted lineup missing five regulars.

Syndergaard (7-2) received plenty of support — even if he didn't need much. Every starting position player got a hit for the Mets, and seven of the eight had at least two.

When he came to bat in the eighth, Syndergaard received a standing ovation from the crowd of 32,117. With the big right-hander still under 100 pitches, Mets manager Terry Collins let Syndergaard try for his first big league complete game.

John Jaso doubled leading off the ninth for his third hit, however, and one out later Syndergaard gave up an RBI double to pinch-hitter David Freese. That was it for Syndergaard, who looked disappointed that he wasn't able to finish the job.

Still, he walked off the mound to another warm ovation and settled for winning his fifth consecutive decision. Jeurys Familia finished up.

Syndergaard, who retired 17 in a row following Jaso's sharp single on his first pitch of the night, gave up five hits and walked none in a career-high 8 1/3 innings. The second-year starter threw 115 pitches, one short of his most in the majors, and was hitting 99 mph on the radar gun in the eighth.

Earlier, he froze Pirates star Andrew McCutchen for strike three looking on a 101 mph fastball in the fourth and a 100 mph heater to end the sixth with two on.

Locke was charged with seven runs and nine hits in four-plus innings, losing his second consecutive ugly outing following a four-game winning streak.

ON BOARD

Pittsburgh signed first-round draft pick Will Craig, a third baseman out of Wake Forest. Craig receives a signing bonus of $2,253,700, the assigned slot value for his selection at No. 22 overall.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: LF Starling Marte exited in the fifth with a swollen cheek after diving for Cespedes' single — the ball bounced in front of Marte and hit him under his left eye. The outfielder was smiling as he walked toward the dugout with a trainer. ... Pittsburgh C Chris Stewart, banged up in several areas, got the night off. Stewart was smacked in the left jaw by a backswing Tuesday night, then hit by a pitch near his left hip the following inning. He came through concussion evaluations just fine, manager Clint Hurdle said, and was available off the bench. ... RHP Ryan Vogelsong, on the 60-day DL after sustaining facial fractures when he was hit by a pitch last month, is "doing remarkable," head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said. Vogelsong's vision keeps improving and it was read as 20/20, Tomczyk said. The pitcher is throwing on flat ground — but not playing catch — and has been cleared to exert himself.

Mets: 2B Neil Walker (lower back) missed his third straight game and went to the doctor. "It just didn't get much better," manager Terry Collins said, adding he thought Walker would have an MRI. ... CF Juan Lagares (left thumb) was set to bat leadoff but got scratched from the lineup about 75 minutes before the first pitch. Johnson was inserted in left field, with Cespedes shifting to center and RF Curtis Granderson moving back up to his regular leadoff spot. Lagares has only come off the bench since partially tearing a ligament in his thumb. ... Collins said he's come to grips with the possibility that 3B David Wright might not return this season if he has surgery for a herniated disk in his neck. A decision is expected soon. "He wants it resolved. He wants to move forward. Whatever it has to be, he's ready for it," Collins said.

UP NEXT

Pirates RHP Juan Nicasio (5-5, 5.34 ERA) starts the rubber game of the series Thursday night against 43-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon (5-3, 3.08). Nicasio went five innings in a 3-1 win over the Mets in Pittsburgh last week but is winless in five road starts this year. Colon is 4-2 with a 1.88 ERA — his lowest against any opponent — in eight career starts vs. the Pirates.

Arenado hits 20th homer, leads Rockies over Yankees 6-3

DENVER (AP) — DJ LeMahieu turned what could have been a scary day into a good one for him and the Colorado Rockies.

LeMahieu had three hits and finished a homer short of the cycle, and Nolan Arenado tied for the major league lead with his 20th homer and drove in three runs. The Rockies beat the Yankees 6-3 Wednesday to sweep a two-game series and send New York to its fourth straight loss.

A day after Colorado defeated the Yankees 13-10, Chad Bettis (5-5) allowed three runs — two earned — and seven hits in six innings. He had been 0-3 with an 11.66 ERA since winning at St. Louis on May 17. The Rockies have won four straight.

"We're in a pretty good place," manager Walt Weiss said. "I feel like this team is going to get better as the year goes on, which has not been the trend the past few years."

LeMahieu has been one of the stars in the field and at the plate, which made the sixth inning a scary one. He was hit on the helmet with a pitch by Anthony Swarzak and stayed in the game.

"I was more shocked than anything, but everything's good," LaMahieu said. "I'm good."

He hit an RBI triple off hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman in his next at-bat.

"I was scared," said Arenado, who was on deck when LeMahieu was hit. "I thought he got hit in the face. That's what everyone thought. Whenever a ball goes up and in like that is never a fun thing to watch."

Rockies reliever Miguel Castro threw two pitches near the head of Austin Romine in the seventh, prompting a warning to the pitcher and both benches from plate umpire Gabe Morales.

"I don't think that was on purpose. I think it was a guy coming into the game trying to find a release point," LeMahieu said. "It just looks bad after that inning."

Rather than activate Jose Reyes following his domestic violence suspension, the Rockies said before the game they had cut the former All-Star shortstop from their 40-man roster. They almost certainly will be responsible for the $39 million remaining on his contract.

"We talked through every conceivable situation," Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said. "At the end of the day, we felt it was best that we part ways. Best for the direction of the organization, best for what was going on in the clubhouse and best for Jose.

New York (31-34) has skidded again since Friday, when it moved over .500 for the first time since it was 4-3 during the second week of the season. The Yankees are 13-20 on the road.

Yankees starter Ivan Nova (5-4) gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings.

"We didn't pitch well here," manager Joe Girardi said. "That's the bottom line."

Charlie Blackmon had three hits and Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his third save, completing a pitching performance by the Rockies that induced 16 ground-ball outs.

Bettis retired his first nine batters before the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Didi Gregorius singled in a run and Aaron Hicks reached on an infield hit, a slow roller that catcher Tony Wolters threw down the right-field for a run-scoring error.

Colorado went ahead for good in a four-run fifth after Nova walked Blackmon leading off. LeMahieu hit a tying single, Arenado followed with a two-run homer and Mark Reynolds capped the rally with an RBI single. Arenado tied Baltimore's Mark Trumbo for the major league home run lead.

The Rockies have won eight of 10 and finished 5-1 on their homestand.

"We're playing good baseball right now," Arenado said. "We did a great job this homestand. We could have easily won the whole homestand."

DRAFT

Colorado agreed to a minor league contract with RHP Riley Pint, the fourth overall pick in last week's amateur draft. He gets a $4.8 million signing bonus, below the slot value of $5,258,700. The 18-year-old went 6-1 with a 0.50 ERA this season for St. Thomas Aquinas in Overland Park, Kansas.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: OF Carlos Beltran was scratched from the lineup with a sore left knee for the second straight game and said he had fluid drained Tuesday. "I had a cortisone shot. The cortisone worked," Beltran said. "Yesterday, it was painful. When I woke up this morning I was 50 percent better." ... 1B Mark Teixeira (torn right knee cartilage) could start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment as early as next week. He went on the 15-day DL on June 4.

Rockies: An MRI on LF Gerardo Parra revealed a high left ankle sprain. Weiss said the team will place Parra on the 15-day DL before Friday's game in Miami. Parra was hurt Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (4-4, 2.28) is to start Thursday's series opener at Minnesota, which goes with RHP Kyle Gibson (0-4, 6.49). Sabathia has pitched 12 consecutive scoreless innings.

Rockies: Jon Gray (4-2) is slated to start Friday's series opener at Miami and LHP Adam Conley (3-4, 4.13).

Davies strong for Brewers in 5-3 win over Collins-less Mets

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Zach Davies' aggressive approach on the mound has made the Milwaukee Brewers nearly unbeatable when he takes the hill. The New York Mets were the latest team to get frustrated by the young right-hander.

Three Mets errors didn't help either on an afternoon when New York was missing manager Terry Collins.

Davies tossed six-plus strong innings of three-hit ball before Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 5-3 win on Sunday over the mistake-prone and short-handed Mets.

"Zach was on it today," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I think he's really starting to get a feel for playing with the hitter front-to-back, side-to-side"

Davies (5-3) struck out seven and retired 17 in a row after loading the bases with one out in the first. The 23-year-old rookie kept his poise by working the strike zone, using four pitches effectively all afternoon.

Davies is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts in June.

"The calls maybe didn't go my way at first but if I kept going after it, it would eventually get there and maybe they'd be a little more aggressive and put the ball in play," Davies said.

James Loney stuck out and Wilmer Flores flied out to center to end the first. Davies departed after giving up hits to his first two batters in the seventh.

The Mets tried to rally late from an early 5-0 deficit. New York had the potential go-ahead run up with two on and two outs in the eighth, but Ryan Braun made a diving catch of Wilmer Flores' sinking liner in left to end the inning.

Collins watched from a nearby hospital after falling ill about 45 minutes before the game. Assistant general manager John Ricco said the 67 year-old Collins, who was accompanied by trainer Ray Ramirez, was staying overnight in Milwaukee as a precaution.

Ricco said there wasn't a high level of concern with Collins' condition.

"They were watching the game. I know that," Ricco said. "He was probably a bit agitated knowing Terry. But, other than that, he was feeling fine."

Still, playing without Collins made for a hard afternoon for starter Steven Matz (7-3).

"Yeah, it was tough. We're all concerned about him," said Matz. He allowed nine hits and four earned runs over six innings, striking out five.

MISTAKEN METS

New York couldn't overcome three errors, including throwing miscues during run-scoring innings for the Brewers in second and fifth.

Davies contributed at plate, too, dropping a well-placed bunt in front of home with runners on second and third in the second. Matz's rushed throw off the mound bounced past first into foul territory, and two runs scored for a 3-0 lead for the Brewers.

Bench coach Dick Scott, who took over managerial duties for Collins, said he wasn't sure how much the sloppy play could be attributed to concern over Collins.

"That was on everybody's mind because it was so close to the beginning of the game," Scott said. "I'm sure that we'll move on, but, first and foremost, all our concerns are with Terry right now."

BY THE NUMBERS

Curtis Granderson had an RBI single in the eighth to get a hit in all four games of the Brewers series. ... Jeremy Jeffress picked up his 18th save, ending the game by getting Granderson to ground out with a runner on first.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mets: Second baseman Neil Walker got the day off after leaving Saturday's game with a sore back. ... OF Michael Conforto did not start because of "a little bit of a wrist issue that's been bothering him," Collins said. Conforto struck out as pinch hitter in the ninth. ... C Travis d'Arnaud (right shoulder) caught seven innings during a rehab stint on Saturday night at Single-A St. Lucie, and Collins said d'Arnaud might be about a week away from returning.

Brewers: RHP Michael Blazek, on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow, is due to start a rehab assignment in the next few days at Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... RHP Matt Garza (right lat) will be activated from the DL in time to start on Tuesday in San Francisco against the Giants.

UP NEXT

Mets: After a day off, New York returns to Citi Field on Tuesday to open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jacob deGrom (3-2) gets the start with a full week of rest.

Brewers: Chase Anderson (4-6) will take the hill when Milwaukee opens a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA over his last five outings.

Fulmer wins 5th straight start, leads Tigers over Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) — On an Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium filled with Hall of Famers and World Series MVPs, the youngest player on the field by far was the biggest star.

Detroit rookie Michael Fulmer dominated Sunday, winning his fifth straight start while extending his scoreless streak to 28 1/3 innings to lead the Tigers over New York 4-1.

"Just looking to give my team a chance to win and put up zeros while I'm at it," Fulmer said.

With Whitey Ford, Rickey Henderson and Bernie Williams on hand for the pregame festivities, the 23-year-old Fulmer excelled.

Fulmer (7-1) blanked the Yankees on two hits for six innings and left with a 2.52 ERA. He's won six consecutive decisions overall — in a tremendous string of five starts, he's yielded just one run and 13 hits in 34 1/3 innings.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Fulmer became the first pitcher since 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance, to throw at least six shutout innings and permit no more than three hits in four straight starts in the same season.

"Baseball's a game over the long haul," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's been very good over this one-month span. I want him to be this good the rest of his life."

"Ride the wave," he added.

Fulmer has, without getting a big ego or, as of yet, a really big profile.

As Fulmer walked from the shower to his locker, Tigers pitcher Shane Greene was doing a TV interview in an adjacent stall. Mindful of his place as a rookie, Fulmer waited out of the way for Greene to finish.

A moment later, Yankees great Reggie Jackson strolled right past Fulmer in the clubhouse — "Mr. October" never even noticed the bearded newcomer.

Fulmer struck out three and walked three, mixing a fastball in the mid-90s (mph) with an effective changeup. He escaped his only serious jam by retiring Carlos Beltran on a flyball with the bases loaded to end the fifth.

"The slider was good. For me, especially, I was having trouble picking the spin on the slider. He got me chasing a couple of times," Beltran said.

Before this season, Fulmer had never pitched above Double-A. The Tigers got him last July in a trade that sent slugger Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets.

"Just trying to convince the Tigers they didn't make a mistake," Fulmer said.

Fulmer's scoreless string is longest by a Tigers rookie since John Hiller had a 28 2/3-inning streak in 1967.

Ian Kinsler homered, drove in two runs and scored twice as the Tigers won a series in the Bronx for the first time since 2008 at the old Yankee Stadium. Detroit has won seven of its last nine, with Kinsler homering and driving in five runs during Saturday night's victory.

The Yankees lost their second in a row following a five-game winning streak. This loss ended a stretch in which New York played 40 games in 41 days, going 23-17 in that span.

Chase Headley hit an RBI single in the eighth off Justin Wilson. Francisco Rodriguez closed for his 19th save in 20 chances.

Michael Pineda (3-7) gave up two runs and struck out eight in six innings. Miguel Cabrera singled to open the fourth and Victor Martinez then hit a liner that glanced off Pineda's backside for a single.

Pineda seemed shaky after that, with Nick Castellanos getting a sacrifice fly later in the inning and Martinez adding an RBI grounder in the fifth. Kinsler hit his 13th homer, a two-run drive off Anthony Swarzak in the seventh.

MIGGY MOVES UP

Cabrera doubled in the first for his 2,400th career hit. At 33 years old, he became the fifth-youngest player to reach that mark, Elias said. Tigers great Ty Cobb was the youngest to do it at 31.

JUST RELAXING

Actor Jeff Daniels stayed for the first four innings before leaving to get ready for the Tony Awards. He was nominated for best leading actor in a play for "Blackbird." The show closed Saturday night, giving the 61-year-old Michigan man a chance to see his favorite team in person. Daniels said he watched and listened to the Tigers this season in his dressing room. "I'm off for the summer, so I'll see my first game back in Detroit in a couple of weeks," he said.

UP NEXT

Tigers: LHP Matt Boyd (0-1, 3.38 ERA) starts Monday night in Chicago vs. White Sox RHP James Shields (2-8), who got hit hard in his first outing after being acquired from San Diego.

Yankees: After a day off, New York and RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 4.42) visit LHP Jorge De La Rosa (2-4, 8.81) and Colorado. Eovaldi is 6-0 with a 3.86 ERA in his last nine starts.

Colon pitches 7 strong innings as Mets beat Brewers 5-2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bartolo Colon pitched seven strong innings and Curtis Granderson set the tone with a leadoff home run as the New York Mets defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Thursday night.

Colon (5-3) scattered eight hits and allowed one run.

Granderson led off the game with a homer off Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson (5-5). Granderson doubled leading off the third and scored on a single by Yoenis Cespedes.

Colon held the Brewers scoreless until the seventh when a two-out, one-hop smash off the bat of Hernan Perez ricocheted off the chest of New York second baseman Neil Walker, allowing a run to score.

Kevin Plawecki drove in two runs with a single in the eighth to give the Mets a 4-1 lead.

Scooter Gennett, who tied a career high with four hits, drove in a run with a double in the eighth to bring the Brewers within two.

New York added a run in the ninth on Matt Reynolds' pinch-hit single.

Jeurys Familia recorded his 20th save in 20 opportunities.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Granderson was hit on the side of his right knee by a pitch from Nelson in the fourth inning. He limped as he walked to first base but stayed in the game. . OF Juan Lagares, who missed four straight games with a partially torn left thumb ligament, entered the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement. He doubled leading off the ninth. . C Travis d'Arnaud, on a rehab assignment while recovering from a strained right rotator cuff, went 2 for 4, drove in a run, scored twice and walked three times for Class-A St. Lucie in an 11-inning win over Dunedin on Thursday night. He served as the DH.

Brewers: OF Domingo Santana missed his second consecutive game with elbow soreness. He was on the DL last month with a right shoulder strain.

UP NEXT

Mets: Matt Harvey (4-8, 4.95 ERA) will face the Brewers for the first time in his career. Harvey is 2-5 with a 5.18 ERA in seven road starts this season.

Brewers: Junior Guerra (3-1, 3.61) will be making his first start against the Mets. Milwaukee is 6-1 in games started by Guerra this season.

Angels swept by Yankees in 4-game series, head home 26-34

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels' trip to Yankee Stadium turned into an experience much like the couple had in "The Out-of-Towners," where pretty much everything went wrong.

Carlos Beltran hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in a five-run fifth inning, and New York beat the Angels 6-3 Thursday night to complete a four-game sweep.

The Angels were outscored 29-14 in the series and outhit 47-33. After getting swept for the fifth time this season, Los Angeles headed home for Friday's series opener against Cleveland in Anaheim.

"We just were beaten every aspect in this series," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Los Angeles completed a 2-5 trip and dropped to 26-34, matching a season-worst eight games under .500. New York swept a four-game series from the Angels for the first time since July 1994.

"It definitely was a tough trip," Mike Trout said. "The chemistry's there. We're all staying positive. We can't hang our heads now. It's too early in the season."

Given a 1-0 lead, Jhoulys Chacin (1-2) lost his command in the fifth, especially against left-handed hitters, and wound up allowing five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. A leadoff walk to Didi Gregorius was followed by Chris Parmelee's tying, opposite-field single to left, Beltran's hit, Alex Rodriguez's sacrifice fly and Brian McCann's RBI double.

"With the game 1-0, you really can't walk the leadoff guy, especially in this place," Chacin said. "The first couple of innings I was keeping the ball down and throwing strikes, and in that inning I just fell behind in the counts and threw the ball up."

Ten Angels remain on the disabled list, including starting pitchers Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and C.J. Wilson. Scioscia was not ready to identify his starting pitcher for Sunday.

"Any meetings we've had in the last month have been along the lines of, 'Hey, let's keep pounding. You guys are playing hard, and things will turn,'" Scioscia said.

"I think our whole staff is positive. I think our players our positive. We're just, right now, not winning enough situations on the field, and there's some tangible reasons why, and there's some things that we hope we can do better, and that's what we're going to focus on."

Ivan Nova (5-3) won his second straight start, allowing three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman combined for two-hit relief, with Chapman getting three outs for his 11th save in 12 chances. The Yankees are 8-0 when all three pitch.

Trout put the Angels ahead when he doubled leading off the fourth, stole third base and came home on C.J. Cron's single to left past a drawn-in infield.

Jefry Marte's two-run homer, the first home run by an Angels pinch hitter this year, chased Nova in the seventh and cut the gap to 5-3. Rodriguez added an RBI double in the bottom half off Cory Rasmus, who was activated from the disabled list before the game.

"There's no doubt we put a lot of focus on our rotation and our bullpen for the last month because of some of the guys that are out," Scioscia said. "For a while, they were doing a really good job, and things have definitely unraveled this series."

OVERTURNED

Gregorio Petit's one-out single in the third sent Carlos Perez to third base ahead of Jacoby Ellsbury's throw from center, but third base umpire Clint Fagan's call was overturned in a video review.

WAIT A MINUTE

The start of the game was delayed about 3 minutes because a replay monitor in the Angels clubhouse was not working.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: SS Andrelton Simmons (May 16 left thumb surgery) started an injury rehabilitation assignment Thursday at Triple-A Salt Lake and had two singles, a double and five RBIs in five at-bats as a designated hitter. He will spend at least two games there, according to Scioscia.

UP NEXT

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (3-3, 5.07) traveled home ahead of the team to prepare for the series opener against the Indians and RHP Corey Kluber (5-6, 3.84).