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Houston Astros (32-39, fourth in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (28-42, fifth in the AL Central)

Kansas City, Missouri; Saturday, 7:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.77 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 60 strikeouts); Royals: Noah Cameron (3-4, 3.84 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 63 strikeouts)

LINE: Royals -113, Astros -106; over/under is 9 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals aim to stop their three-game home skid with a victory against the Houston Astros.

Kansas City has a 16-20 record at home and a 28-42 record overall. The Royals have a 12-7 record in games when they hit at least two home runs.

Houston has a 16-20 record in road games and a 32-39 record overall. The Astros have the sixth-ranked team on-base percentage in the AL at .319.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Vinnie Pasquantino has 10 doubles, two triples and six home runs for the Royals. Jac Caglianone is 16 for 35 with two doubles and three home runs over the last 10 games.

Yordan Alvarez has 13 doubles and 24 home runs for the Astros. Jeremy Pena is 11 for 36 with three doubles over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 5-5, .259 batting average, 4.20 ERA, even run differential

Astros: 5-5, .238 batting average, 4.80 ERA, outscored by three runs

INJURIES: Royals: Kyle Isbel: 10-Day IL (foot), Seth Lugo: 7-Day IL (head), Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jonathan India: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Kris Bubic: 15-Day IL (elbow), Nick Mears: 15-Day IL (shoulder), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carlos Estevez: 15-Day IL (foot), Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder)

Astros: Lance McCullers: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Yainer Diaz: 10-Day IL (abdominal), Hunter Brown: 60-Day IL (shoulder), LaMonte Wade: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nick Allen: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Bennett Sousa: 15-Day IL (elbow), Braden Shewmake: 10-Day IL (groin), Carlos Correa: 60-Day IL (ankle), Brandon Walter: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ronel Blanco: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Seattle Mariners (37-34, first in the AL West) vs. Washington Nationals (35-35, fourth in the NL East)

Washington; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Mariners: Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 61 strikeouts); Nationals: Cade Cavalli (3-4, 3.88 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 76 strikeouts)

LINE: Nationals -111, Mariners -108; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals are looking to break their four-game home skid with a win against the Seattle Mariners.

Washington is 35-35 overall and 12-21 at home. Nationals hitters have a collective .321 on-base percentage, the eighth-ranked percentage in the NL.

Seattle has a 37-34 record overall and an 18-18 record in road games. The Mariners have hit 93 total home runs to rank second in the AL.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: James Wood leads the Nationals with 34 extra base hits (15 doubles and 19 home runs). Luis Garcia is 7 for 33 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 11 RBI over the last 10 games.

Randy Arozarena has 18 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 33 RBI for the Mariners. Colt Emerson is 8 for 34 with two doubles, four home runs and six RBI over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nationals: 4-6, .233 batting average, 5.32 ERA, outscored by two runs

Mariners: 5-5, .265 batting average, 4.44 ERA, outscored opponents by three runs

INJURIES: Nationals: Jake Irvin: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Trevor Williams: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ken Waldichuk: 60-Day IL (forearm), Josiah Gray: 60-Day IL (elbow), Max Kranick: 60-Day IL (elbow), DJ Herz: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Mariners: Randy Arozarena: day-to-day (leg), Cal Raleigh: 10-Day IL (side), Carlos Vargas: 60-Day IL (lat), Will Wilson: 10-Day IL (thumb), Matt Brash: 15-Day IL (lat), Brendan Donovan: 10-Day IL (groin), Cooper Criswell: 15-Day IL (shoulder), J.P. Crawford: 10-Day IL (hand), Logan Evans: 60-Day IL (arm)

Atlanta Braves (45-24, first in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (31-38, fifth in the NL East)

New York; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Martin Perez (4-3, 3.02 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 47 strikeouts); Mets: Sean Manaea (1-1, 5.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 45 strikeouts)

LINE: Mets -113, Braves -106; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves head into the matchup with the New York Mets as losers of three straight games.

New York has gone 17-17 in home games and 31-38 overall. The Mets have a 7-12 record in games decided by one run.

Atlanta has a 45-24 record overall and a 23-13 record on the road. Braves pitchers have a collective 3.28 ERA, which leads the majors.

Saturday’s game is the second time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Soto has five doubles, a triple, 15 home runs and 32 RBI for the Mets. Bo Bichette is 12 for 39 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBI over the past 10 games.

Michael Harris II has nine doubles and 13 home runs for the Braves. Matt Olson is 12 for 41 with a double and four home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 5-5, .227 batting average, 4.19 ERA, outscored by three runs

Braves: 5-5, .232 batting average, 4.13 ERA, outscored opponents by one run

INJURIES: Mets: Luis Robert: 60-Day IL (back), Kodai Senga: 15-Day IL (spinal lumbar ), Jorge Polanco: 10-Day IL (wrist), Francisco Lindor: 10-Day IL (calf), Justin Hagenman: 60-Day IL (rib), Tyrone Taylor: 10-Day IL (hip), Clay Holmes: 60-Day IL (fibula), Ronny Mauricio: 10-Day IL (thumb), Reed Garrett: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tylor Megill: 60-Day IL (elbow), Dedniel Nunez: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Braves: Spencer Strider: day-to-day (arm), Sean Murphy: 60-Day IL (finger), Kyle Farmer: 10-Day IL (forearm), Ronald Acuna Jr.: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Tyler Kinley: 15-Day IL (elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60-Day IL (elbow), Drake Baldwin: 10-Day IL (oblique), Hurston Waldrep: 60-Day IL (elbow), AJ Smith-Shawver: 60-Day IL (elbow), Danny Young: 60-Day IL (elbow), Joe Jimenez: 60-Day IL (knee), Joey Wentz: 60-Day IL (knee)

Miami Marlins (35-35, third in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (35-35, fourth in the NL Central)

Pittsburgh; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Lake Bachar (0-0, 2.97 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 41 strikeouts); Pirates: Bubba Chandler (2-7, 4.91 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 62 strikeouts)

LINE: Pirates -137, Marlins +116; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins will try to keep a four-game road win streak alive when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh has a 19-18 record in home games and a 35-35 record overall. The Pirates have hit 84 total home runs to rank sixth in the NL.

Miami has gone 12-19 in road games and 35-35 overall. The Marlins have gone 13-29 in games when they have allowed a home run.

The teams square off Saturday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandon Lowe has 16 doubles, a triple and 17 home runs for the Pirates. Jake Mangum is 14 for 34 with three doubles and a home run over the last 10 games.

Liam Hicks leads the Marlins with 13 home runs while slugging .489. Heriberto Hernandez is 11 for 31 with three home runs and six RBI over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 3-7, .248 batting average, 6.49 ERA, outscored by 16 runs

Marlins: 9-1, .266 batting average, 2.50 ERA, outscored opponents by 28 runs

INJURIES: Pirates: Konnor Griffin: 10-Day IL (flexor tendon), Oneil Cruz: 10-Day IL (hand), Chris Devenski: 60-Day IL (illness), Joey Bart: 10-Day IL (foot infection)

Marlins: Josh Ekness: 15-Day IL (calf), Andrew Nardi: 60-Day IL (ribs), Griffin Conine: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Janson Junk: 15-Day IL (shin), Eury Perez: 15-Day IL (gracilis), Robby Snelling: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ronny Henriquez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Adam Mazur: 60-Day IL (elbow)

MINNEAPOLIS — — Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee homered in the eighth inning — two of three home runs surrendered by St. Louis reliever Ryne Stanek — and the Minnesota Twins outlasted the Cardinals 9-8 on Friday night.

Kody Clemens hit his 10th home run on the third pitch from Stanek to tie it at 7 after the right-hander entered with two on and two out in the seventh.

Stanek (2-1) returned for the eighth, and Lewis hit his fifth homer on his first pitch to tie it at 8. Lee followed one out later with his 11th.

Anthony Banda (2-0) worked out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the eighth to get the win. Andrew Morris pitched a perfect ninth for his second career save.

Alec Burleson homered for a fourth straight game to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the first off Joe Ryan. The 419-foot shot was his 12th of the season and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.

Byron Buxton hit his 21st homer — and fourth in six games — off Kyle Leahy to tie it 1-1 heading to the second. The center fielder added two doubles and walked, scoring three runs.

Blaze Jordan had an RBI single in his first big league at-bat to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead in the second and finished 2 for 4. He is the 11th Cardinal to single in a run his first time up. JJ Wetherholt added an RBI single and the Cardinals led 3-1 after two innings.

Lewis singled in the fifth before scoring on Tristan Gray’s one-out single to cut it to 3-2, and Josh Bell doubled in a run in the fifth to tie it 3-all.

Lewis had a sacrifice fly off George Soriano to give Minnesota a 4-3 lead in the sixth.

Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to nine games when he drove in three runs with a two-out double — after a bases-loaded walk to Burleson — to give St. Louis a 7-4 lead in the seventh.

Ryan struck out eight in six innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

Leahy gave up four runs on eight hits in five innings.

WASHINGTON — — Rookie Colt Emerson homered in a five-run second inning and the Seattle Mariners routed the Washington Nationals 10-2 after a long rain delay Friday night to open a three-game series.

Bryce Miller allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings for AL West-leading Seattle, which lost outfielder Randy Arozarena in the third inning to a leg injury while running through first base on a groundout. Manager Dan Wilson said Arozarena might have suffered a hamstring strain, a spasm or a cramp and will be re-evaluated Saturday.

James Wood hit his 19th homer for Washington (35-35), which slipped back to .500 and fell to an NL-worst 12-21 at home.

The game was delayed 2 hours, 11 minutes at the start because of rain.

Dominic Canzone opened the scoring with a two-run triple to center in the second, then came around on Miles Mastrobuoni’s sacrifice fly. Jhonny Pereda singled before Emerson ripped Zack Littell’s fastball to deep center.

Emerson is the fourth Mariner to hit five home runs before his 21st birthday, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (38), Alex Rodriguez (26) and José López (five).

Miller (3-0) allowed Wood’s homer to lead off the fourth and Dylan Crews’ blast to open the eighth, but didn’t permit another runner past first base. He struck out seven while yielding four hits and no walks.

Cole Young scored on a wild pitch and Luke Raley hit a two-run single in the fifth for Seattle. Canzone led off the eighth with a homer, and Josh Naylor added a solo shot in the ninth.

Littell (6-5) allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings without recording a strikeout. He threw 43 of his 56 pitches in the second inning.

Up next

Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.16 ERA) was set to face RHP Cade Cavalli (3-4, 3.88) on Saturday.

MILWAUKEE — Brewers fireballer Jacob Misiorowski turned in his finest outing one year to the day of his major league debut.

Misiorowski dominated the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, striking out 15 and tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 6-0 victory.

As Misiorowski strode to the mound for the ninth inning, the capacity crowd of 40,205 rose in unison to cheer for the 24-year-old right-hander in what turned out to be one of the most impressive performances in franchise history.

“When I walked out for the ninth, my whole body shivered and the adrenaline really kicked in,” said Misiorowski, who had never pitched past the seventh inning in 27 MLB starts.

With the crowd still standing and cheering, Misiorowski struck out Justin Crawford to end the game. He raised his hands and turned to embrace catcher William Contreras.

“There was no chance I was going to throw anything other than a heater right there. I was amped up,” Misiorowski said.

Misiorowski (8-2) didn’t issue a walk in facing the minimum number of batters, throwing 95 pitches, 74 for strikes. He became the first pitcher since 2000 to throw a complete game with 15 strikeouts while throwing fewer than 100 pitches, according to ESPN Research.

It marked the first complete game by a Brewers pitcher since Brandon Woodruff on Sept. 11, 2023, against Miami.

“That was as good as it gets,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “To pitch a game like that against an offense like that with all those All-Stars over there, it was an incredible performance.”

Misiorowski has a 0.17 ERA in his past eight starts, and the 15 strikeouts are the most by any pitcher this season. The performance marked his eighth straight game with eight or more strikeouts and one or fewer runs allowed, marking the longest such streak in MLB since at least 1893, according to ESPN Research.

He struck out the side in the first and a whiff of Brandon Marsh to start the second made it four consecutive strikeouts. Misiorowski struck out eight of the first nine Phillies batters, hitting a maximum of 104.5 mph on the radar gun against Kyle Schwarber, the fastest pitch by a starting pitcher in the pitch tracking era (starting in 2008).

In addition to the 104.5 pitch to Schwarber, he got Trea Turner with a 103.5 mph pitch and Bryce Harper with a fastball at 104.1 mph — all swinging. They were the three fastest strikeout pitches for a starter in the pitch-tracking era — including the postseason, according to MLB.

Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski struck out a career-high 15 batters in a complete-game one-hitter on Friday, throwing 95 pitches, 74 for strikes.

The Phillies got their first hit when NL home run leader Schwarber sharply singled leading off the fourth. But a strikeout of Turner and an inning-ending double play meant he faced the minimum.

“It was a backdoor slider that I located well, but maybe slightly off,” Misiorowski said of the pitch to Schwarber. “I was trying to jump out ahead of him. He made good contact and poked it through. End of the story.”

A strikeout of Marsh to start the fifth gave Misiorowski 10 or more strikeouts in a game for the sixth time this season and for the eighth time in his two-year major league career.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly summed up the task at hand for his offense before the game.

“You pretty much better be ready to hit the fastball. You don’t see guys like this often,” Mattingly said. “We see more guys throw 100 mph or up in that range, but you don’t see guys that are consistent like him. If you can’t hit a fastball, you’re in big trouble.”

Murphy said Misiorowski has continued to mature in the year since his debut.

“He’s consistent. His work between starts is consistent,” Murphy said. “He’s worked hard in the weight room. He’s worked hard building a routine. This guy loves the ball in his hand.”

TORONTO — One day after Boston’s Aroldis Chapman repeated his belief that he’s owed an apology from the Yankees for the way the team treated him at the end of the 2022 season, New York manager Aaron Boone said Friday that he doesn’t see a need.

Chapman, an eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series winner, was ruled out of New York’s divisional series against Cleveland in October 2022 after he skipped a mandatory workout. Earlier that season, Chapman was on the injured list from Aug. 24 to Sept. 16 because of an infection in his left leg caused by getting a tattoo.

Chapman said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman owes him an apology.

Asked Friday about Chapman’s comments, Boone said the facts speak for themselves.

“At the end of the day, he wasn’t at the workout,” Boone said Friday before the Yankees’ series-opening 8-5 loss in Toronto. “I made the decision, based on a lot of things and thought, to leave him off because I thought that was the right thing to do for our club at the time.

“Chappy apologized, and really, it’s water under the bridge for me. I love Chappy. I have a really good relationship with him to this day, but the ending of the ’22 season is what it was. He wasn’t there, and I made the decision that I didn’t think it was best for him to come back at that point. He maintained that he was throwing and would be ready as the playoffs unfolded that year, but ultimately, I made that decision.”

“I made the decision, based on a lot of things and thought, to leave him off because I thought that was the right thing to do for our club at the time,” Aaron Boone said of leaving Aroldis Chapman off the Yankees’ 2022 ALDS roster for missing a workout.

Boone left no room for doubt about whether Chapman deserved an apology.

“No,” he said.

The Yankees beat Cleveland in five games in 2022. Chapman, who saved 146 games for New York from 2016 to 2022, did not return as New York was swept by Houston in the ALCS. The Astros went on to beat Philadelphia in the World Series.

Chapman signed with Kansas City that offseason and was traded to Texas at the deadline in 2023, winning his second World Series title with the Rangers. He pitched for Pittsburgh in 2024 and joined Boston in 2025.

Chapman is 0-1 with a 0.46 ERA and 13 saves in 13 chances for the last-place Red Sox. He’s on a one-year, $13.3 million contract.

NEW YORK — — Bo Bichette hit a grand slam and a solo homer and matched a career high with six RBI, leading the New York Mets to a 7-5 win over the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

Bichette last drove in six runs in a game on Aug. 4, 2025, as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bichette hit both his homers, a 383-foot solo shot in the first and a 341-foot slam to right in the second, off Braves starter Spencer Strider (4-2), who left with right elbow and shoulder soreness after facing one batter in the fourth inning. Manager Walt Weiss said after the game Strider will undergo imaging.

Bichette’s seventh homer of the season came before Juan Soto’s solo shot in the first. After his grand slam with two out in the second, Bichette lofted a run-scoring sac fly in the fourth.

Cionel Perez (3-3), the first of four Mets relievers to follow Nolan McLean, was credited with the win after allowing one run in 1 1/3 innings. McLean allowed two runs and struck out six in four innings, but walked four and threw 93 pitches, including 42 in the second.

Devin Williams allowed Eli White’s infield RBI single before getting the final four outs for his 10th save — and his first of longer than three outs since May 28, 2023.

Dominic Smith, Mike Yastrzemski and Ozzie Albies had RBI singles, and Matt Olson homered for the Braves, who dropped their third straight. Atlanta leads the NL East and boasts the best record in baseball at 45-24.

Strider, whose velocity dipped into the 87-88 mph range while issuing a leadoff walk to MJ Melendez in the fourth, allowed a season-high seven runs and struck out three.

The start of the game was delayed 76 minutes due to rain.

NEW YORK — Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider will undergo imaging after he left Friday night against the New York Mets in the fourth inning because of right shoulder and elbow soreness.

“It’s never good when a guy walks off the field,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after a late comeback bid by Atlanta fell short in a 7-5 loss. “We’ll get the images taken and we’ll see what they say. But it doesn’t look great as we stand here right now.”

Strider left one batter into the fourth and allowed six hits and a season-worst seven earned runs in three innings while taking the defeat. 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.

“The alarm bells went off when we started seeing the upper 80s with his fastball,” Weiss said.

Weiss and a trainer visited Strider, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2019 and had the UCL in his right elbow repaired with an internal brace in April 2024.

Weiss said Strider let them know of the elbow and shoulder discomfort and that he wasn’t aware of the reduced velocity. 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. He is 4-2 with a 5.31 ERA this season and 11-16 with a 4.66 ERA since returning from the elbow surgery last year.

Strider was 32-10 with a 3.47 ERA in his first 67 big league appearances prior to the internal brace procedure. He became baseball’s most recent 20-game winner in 2023, when he went 20-5 while reaching 200 strikeouts in 130 innings — the fastest any pitcher has ever gotten to 200 whiffs in season.

“He’s been through a lot in the last few years, trying to work his way back,” Weiss said.

JR Ritchie replaced Strider on Friday and threw the final five innings.