MLB Notebook: Red Sox stay hot in Anaheim, All-Star snubs, Contreras speaks out, Midsummer Classic lookahead

The Red Sox have taken the first two games of their series against the Angels after cruising to an 8-1 victory Saturday night at Angel Stadium.

Boston’s win was fueled by a pair of players who were left off the American League All-Star roster earlier in the day and wasted little time reminding everyone why they deserve to be in Philadelphia for the Midsummer Classic.

The Sox jumped on the Angels immediately, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind Willson Contreras’ three-run homer before breaking the game open with a four-run fifth that featured a two-run blast from Romy González.

Sonny Gray handled the rest.

The veteran right-hander turned in another outstanding outing, allowing one run on four hits over six innings while striking out seven and walking two. Gray improved to 10-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.61, the second-best mark in the American League.

Gray has now delivered six consecutive quality starts since May 30, going 5-0 with a sparkling 1.97 ERA during that stretch.

Few offseason additions around baseball have paid bigger dividends than Gray and Contreras. Acquired from the Cardinals over the winter, the duo has been instrumental in keeping the Red Sox afloat, yet both were surprisingly left off the American League All-Star roster.

Contreras, in particular, has a compelling case.

The first baseman has already launched 19 home runs and is on pace to shatter his career high of 24. He’s also batting in the middle of Boston’s lineup with 56 RBIs, a .536 slugging percentage and a career-best .914 OPS.

According to FanGraphs, Contreras has been worth 2.9 WAR this season, trailing only the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz (3.4) among American League first basemen.

With Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. announcing he won’t participate in the All-Star Game, Contreras should be one of the leading candidates to be named as his replacement.

Before Saturday’s game, Contreras admitted he tried not to get caught up in the All-Star announcement, but acknowledged he believed he had done enough to earn the honor.

"If you ask me if I feel personally that I'm deserving, I would tell you yes," Contreras said.

In the clubhouse afterward, Gray didn’t hide his disappointment. The veteran right-hander offered a candid assessment of being left off the American League All-Star roster.

"I was disappointed, for sure," Gray said. "[I’m just] being honest. ... Happy for Ranger and happy for Chappie, for sure. Very well deserving, both of those guys. But a little selfishly, I was disappointed."

The Red Sox will have just two representatives at this year’s All-Star Game, both of them left-handed pitchers.

Ranger Suarez and Aroldis Chapman were Boston’s lone selections after strong first halves that helped anchor the club’s pitching staff.

For Suarez, the trip to Philadelphia will be a homecoming of sorts.

The veteran left-hander spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Phillies before signing with the Red Sox this past offseason. He’ll return to Citizens Bank Park having posted a 2.94 ERA across 16 starts.

It marks the second All-Star selection of Suarez’s career. He also earned the honor in 2024 but was unable to participate because of injury, making this his first opportunity to take part in the Midsummer Classic.

"This will be nice to be able to be present there and take it all in," Suárez said through Pérez. "Just looking to go and enjoy, be a part of it, have fun with everybody there. This being my first one that I'm there, who knows, maybe I'll get to play in the game and be a part of it in that way."

Chapman, who earned his All-Star selection through the players’ vote, also reached a historic milestone Friday night.

In the series opener against the Angels, the 38-year-old closer picked up his 17th save of the season while recording the 1,364th strikeout of his career, surpassing Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the most strikeouts by a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Wilhelm’s record had stood for 54 years.

The milestone added another chapter to what has been a remarkable first season in Boston for Chapman, who has once again established himself as one of baseball’s most dominant late-inning arms.

"I think it's really important. It's big for me, that fact," Chapman said through a team interpreter. "I think it's a testament to how they recognize the amount of discipline and hard work that I've put in. And to have that recognized, it's kind of them showing me my merit with how I've been performing over the years."

Now a nine-time All-Star, Chapman admitted his perspective on the event has changed as he’s gotten older, saying he appreciates the opportunity more now than he did earlier in his career.

"Everyone knows it. I'm 38, so some might say, you know, I'm reaching the end of my career," Chapman said. "So I'm just going to enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can, because you don't ever know if this is going to be the last one -- the last time that I get selected."

Beyond the All-Star snubs, the Red Sox put the game away with a four-run fifth inning against reliever Samy Natera Jr.

Wilyer Abreu ripped a two-run double into right field before González capped the rally with a two-run homer, stretching Boston’s lead to 7-1. Ceddanne Rafaela added an RBI double in the eighth inning to put the finishing touches on the 8-1 victory.

"We're doing a nice job taking our walks when they give them to us," Chad Tracy said of the offensive approach. "Just be very selective. ... And then we got people on base and got three big swings from the big boys between Willson, Romy, and Abreu."

With the game comfortably in hand, Tracy lifted Gray after six innings and turned things over to the bullpen. Jovani Morán, Greg Weissert and Alec Gamboa combined for three scoreless innings to finish off Boston’s second straight win over the Angels.

“We had a sizable lead, a full bullpen, some guys that haven’t thrown, it felt like we had a pretty good handle on it and after pushing him hard with the potential no-hitter last time it just felt like it was good to give him a little extra breather,” Tracy said.

With the win, the Red Sox improved to 39-48 and climbed back to within nine games of .500 after briefly falling back into double digits earlier in the week.

Boston will go for the three-game sweep Sunday night behind Suarez (4-3, 2.94 ERA), who is scheduled to face Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson (1-3, 7.40 ERA). First pitch is set for 9:30 p.m. ET.

Contreras Apologizes

Before Saturday night’s win over the Angels, Contreras addressed the string of emotional on-field incidents that culminated in his suspension following last week’s benches-clearing altercation with the Nationals.

The suspension stemmed from Contreras’ role in Tuesday’s confrontation with Washington after Nationals starter Cade Cavalli appeared to direct comments toward him following a strikeout. The Red Sox first baseman walked toward the mound, the benches and bullpens emptied, and Contreras was ultimately ejected after throwing his helmet during the melee.

Just one night earlier, Contreras had also been ejected after first base umpire Nic Lentz tossed him for tapping the top of his helmet, mimicking an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge following a called third strike on a checked swing. Contreras never appeared to say anything to Lentz, but the gesture alone was enough to earn an immediate ejection.

The incidents weren’t isolated.

On June 26 against the Yankees, Contreras exchanged words with New York starter Will Warren after drawing a walk, sparking another benches-clearing incident before cooler heads prevailed.

In the immediate aftermath of those moments, Contreras defended his actions. But after a few days to reflect, the veteran first baseman acknowledged he let his emotions get the best of him and offered an apology for how everything unfolded.

“Those situations could have been avoided and controlled and handled better,” he said through a translator before Saturday’s game. “It’s been a really tough week, emotional week for me. I hope that they understand how emotional it has been, and I’ll prove myself with my actions on the field from here moving forward and show the kind of person that I truly am.”

Contreras became emotional while addressing the media, fighting back tears as he apologized for the incidents and the attention they brought to the club. It was clear the events of the past week, coupled with the devastation in his native Venezuela, had taken a significant emotional toll on the Red Sox first baseman.

Cavalli also took time to reflect on the confrontation and offered an apology of his own before Friday’s series opener.

“I have high respect for (Contreras),” Cavalli said. “I wish him the best and I hope that we can just move on from this, respect each other and pray over him, and hope that he’s doing okay. … I think he understands that we’re both high competitors and it’s part of what makes us who we are. That’s nothing to shy away from, and we want to do it in a respectful way.”

Contreras has appealed his suspension and is expected to learn next week how many games he’ll ultimately be required to serve.

Major League Baseball initially handed both Contreras and Cavalli seven-game suspensions for their roles in the benches-clearing altercation. Red Sox utility man Nate Eaton received a three-game suspension for his confrontation with Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas, who was suspended for five games.

2026 MLB All-Star Rosters Announced

Major League Baseball unveiled the full rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will be played July 14 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

The Braves, Dodgers and Phillies each led the way with five All-Star selections.

For the Red Sox, only Suarez and Chapman made the American League squad, leaving teammates Gray and Contreras among the biggest omissions. It should be noted that, despite Contreras' upcoming suspension, it will not disqualify him from being added to the roster. 

Mike Trout earned his 12th career All-Star selection, the most among active players on this year’s roster, while Shohei Ohtani was voted to his sixth Midsummer Classic. Freddie Freeman and former Red Sox ace Chris Sale each collected their 10th All-Star nod, and Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was selected as Commissioner Rob Manfred’s “Legend Pick,” earning his ninth appearance.

It was just a year ago that Harper made headlines for a heated confrontation with Manfred, yelling and cursing at him inside the Phillies clubhouse over the possibility of a salary cap, even telling him to leave.

Harper entered the weekend hitting .274 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs, putting together his best first half since 2021. Had Manfred not stepped in, Harper likely would have gone down as one of the biggest All-Star snubs of 2026.

This year’s game also features 26 first-time All-Stars, including four rookies: Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, Reds infielder Sal Stewart, Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana and Guardians pitcher Parker Messick

Bazzana will head to Philadelphia for his first All-Star Game despite not opening the season in the major leagues, a remarkable accomplishment considering he had played just 57 games entering July 4.

The Guardians’ rookie admitted the honor wasn’t something he envisioned when the season began.

“I was confident early on in the year that I could be a good player in the major leagues once I got my chance,” Bazzana said to reporters after learning of his selection. “But yeah, I didn’t really think about being an All-Star early on. … I was honestly a little speechless because I didn’t expect it at all.”

The American League lineup will feature first-time starters Shea Langeliers and Ernie Clement alongside established stars Bobby Witt Jr., Aaron Judge and Byron Buxton.

Clement has one of the most unlikely journeys of any player on this year’s All-Star roster.

Just three years after being designated for assignment, Clement has gone from fighting to stay in the majors to becoming the American League’s starting second baseman.

His breakout campaign resonated with fans, as only Ohtani received more All-Star votes overall. By leading all American League vote-getters, Clement automatically earned the starting nod at second base, capping one of baseball’s best turnaround stories.

Over in the National League, Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh and Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages will all make their All-Star debuts.

The pitching staffs are loaded with breakout performers.

The Yankees’ Cam Schlittler headlines the American League’s first-time selections after emerging as one of baseball’s top young starters, while the National League features an embarrassment of riches led by Jacob Misiorowski, Paul Skenes, Sale, Cristopher Sánchez and Chase Burns in what has become one of the deepest Cy Young Award races in recent memory.

Skenes earned his third consecutive All-Star selection after posting a 3.62 ERA with 119 strikeouts, the fourth-most among National League pitchers.

The right-hander also joined elite company in Pittsburgh history, becoming just the third Pirates pitcher to make three straight All-Star teams, joining Rip Sewell (1943-46, with no game played in 1945 because of World War II) and Roy Face (1959-61).

“It's always awesome. It’s an awesome recognition,” Skenes said. “The All-Star Game is always fun, so it's gonna be cool.”

Not only is Skenes unlikely to get the nod to start the All-Star Game with the National League’s stacked rotation, he may not pitch in the game at all.

The Pirates have him scheduled to start next Sunday’s first-half finale against Misiorowski, making him ineligible to appear two days later in Philadelphia.

With a replacement likely needed, Skenes immediately began campaigning for his Pirates teammate to receive the invitation.

“That’s not going to change. … I’m throwing on Sunday,” Skenes said. “I would hope that would open up a spot, and hopefully, Braxton (Ashcraft) takes it.

“Obviously I pitched in it the last couple years, and that was cool, but I think the big thing is going and getting to be around everybody. The coolest part of the All-Star Game isn’t necessarily the All-Star Game itself, it’s sharing a clubhouse with everybody.”

Ashcraft has quietly put together an outstanding first half, going 9-3 while winning each of his last four starts. The right-hander owns a 3.24 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 108 1/3 innings, emerging as one of the National League’s most consistent starters.

Skenes has hit an unexpected rough patch.

Since May 12, the Pirates ace has gone 0-6 with a 5.63 ERA over his last nine starts, with Pittsburgh losing all nine games.

The underlying numbers help explain the struggles. Skenes has already surrendered five home runs on his four-seam fastball, opponents are batting .366 against his signature “splinker,” and they’re slugging .444 against his sinker. He’s also averaging just 5.2 innings per start during the stretch, a noticeable dip for one of baseball’s premier workhorses.

Misiorowski, meanwhile, has been nothing short of dominant.

The Brewers flamethrower leads the Majors in ERA (1.47), strikeouts (156), WHIP (0.78) and opponents’ batting average (.150). He’s also thrown a shutout and ranks eighth in baseball with 104 innings pitched.

Already a two-time All-Star in his first two major league seasons, Misiorowski became just the eighth pitcher in MLB history to earn All-Star honors in each of his first two campaigns.

His overpowering fastball has been a major reason why. Averaging 100.4 mph, it ranks as the third-fastest among qualified starting pitchers this season, and his name has become a fixture atop Statcast’s leaderboard for the hardest-thrown pitches by a starter.

The rosters aren’t necessarily set in stone.

With players expected to withdraw because of injuries, workload concerns or scheduling conflicts, replacements will be named over the next week. Guerrero Jr. has already announced he will skip the All-Star Game to rest his lower back, opening the door for another American League first baseman, potentially for Contreras, to receive a late invitation.

New Home Run Derby Format

This year’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby will look much different.

Major League Baseball is scrapping the timed format that had been in place since 2015 and returning to a swing-based competition for the 2026 event at Citizens Bank Park on July 13. The Derby will also stream live on Netflix for the first time.

The eight-player field remains unchanged, but hitters will now be limited by swings instead of time.

Players will receive 20 swings in the opening round, followed by 15 swings in the semifinals and 15 more in the championship round. Every swing counts against a player’s total, regardless of whether it results in a home run.

There is one twist: if a player homers on their final allotted swing of any round, they’ll continue hitting until they fail to homer.

MLB also eliminated the bonus round and the first-round bracket format. The four players with the most home runs in Round 1 will advance to the semifinals.

Ties in the opening round will be broken by longest home run distance, while ties in the semifinals or finals will be decided by a three-swing home run swing-off.

Like the previous two years, all eight participants will compete in a single first-round pool. The four players with the most home runs will advance to the semifinals, where they’ll be seeded based on their first-round totals and matched up No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3. The winners will then advance to the championship round.

If there’s a tie in the opening round, the player with the longest home run will advance. Ties in the semifinals or finals will be settled with three-swing home run swing-offs until a winner is determined.

The new format resembles the Home Run Derby’s pre-2015 structure, when hitters were limited by outs instead of a timer. Under that system, each swing that didn’t result in a home run counted as an out, rewarding consistency over sheer volume. MLB hopes the updated swing-based format will strike a balance between the strategy of the old format and the excitement of the modern Derby.

Caminero in the Derby

Junior Caminero continues to put together one of the hottest power stretches baseball has seen in years.

The Rays third baseman belted his 26th home run of the season in Saturday’s 10-8 loss to the Astros, taking Hunter Brown deep with a first-inning blast into the Crawford Boxes after Brown left a slider over the heart of the plate.

The homer was Caminero’s 11th in his last 11 games, dating back to June 23. He’s gone deep in nine of those 11 contests and became the first player since Schwarber in 2021 to hit at least 11 home runs over an 11-game span.

It’s a feat accomplished by only a handful of sluggers over the last six decades. Before Schwarber, the list includes Nelson Cruz (2019), Troy Tulowitzki (2010), Barry Bonds (2001), Sammy Sosa (1998), Mark McGwire (1998), Albert Belle (1995), Doug DeCinces (1982), Mike Schmidt (1976), Frank Howard (1968) and Harmon Killebrew (1962).

Caminero’s torrid stretch has vaulted him into the American League home run race and further cemented his status as one of the game’s premier young power hitters.

Around the League

- Seven veteran MLB umpires will retire following the 2026 season after accepting the league’s buyout offer. The group includes CB Bucknor, Laz Díaz, Brian O’Nora, Lance Barksdale, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo and Andy Fletcher, signaling one of the largest officiating turnovers in recent years.

- Patrick Sandoval appears close to returning to the Red Sox rotation and has emerged as the leading candidate to replace the injured Connelly Early. Making a rehab start for Double-A Portland on Saturday, Sandoval tossed five scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out seven and walking one. He threw 68 pitches, 43 for strikes.

- If the Red Sox ultimately decide to move Gray at the trade deadline, the Astros are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Houston is expected to pursue Skubal first but could quickly pivot to Gray should the Tigers decide not to move the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

- Brewers catcher William Contreras also voiced his frustration over his brother Willson's omission from the American League All-Star team. “I can’t believe my brother didn’t make it. Look at his numbers. He’s got to be there.”

- Kyle Harrison was an All-Star snub, his numbers are certainly worthy of him being selected to the National League team. He’s 8-1 with a 2.82 ERA in 16 starts. He has 99 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings this season. 

- Sunday marks MLB’s annual “Star-Spangled Sunday,” with every game nationally available beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. The day concludes with the Red Sox looking to complete a three-game sweep of the Angels at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports and Peacock.

Here's the complete broadcast schedule for the day and where to watch.

All times Eastern:

- 12:30 p.m. Mets at Braves (NBC/Peacock)

- 1 p.m. Pirates at Nationals (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 1:05 p.m.: Orioles at Reds (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 1:35 p.m.: Twins at Yankees (Peacock/NBCSN)

- 2 p.m.: White Sox at Guardians (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 2:30 p.m.: Cardinals at Cubs (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 3 p.m.: Phillies at Royals (NBCSP; Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 3:30 p.m.: Rays at Astros (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 3:30 p.m.: Tigers at Rangers (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 4 p.m.: Giants at Rockies (NBCS BA; Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 4 p.m.: Brewers at D-backs (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 4:30 p.m.: Marlins at Athletics (Peacock/NBCSN Extra)

- 5 p.m.: Blue Jays at Mariners (Sportsnet; Peacock/NBCSN)

- 7:20 p.m.: Padres at Dodgers (NBC/Peacock)

- 9:30 p.m.: Red Sox at Angels (NESN; Peacock/NBCSN)