ATLANTA — The last time the Mets were in Atlanta, their stars went dim. This time, the Mets’ biggest stars hit like stars early in the game, but by the end the pitching and hitting failed to come through.

After an hour and 40 minutes of a rainless rain delay to start a three-game NL East series, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso homered, with the latter extending his league lead to 22 on the season. But right-handers Carlos Carrasco and Drew Smith (3-2) imploded in the sixth and the Mets lost 6-4.

Carrasco started the sixth inning with a 4-1 lead, but a walk and back-to-back doubles helped the Braves close the gap to 4-3 and he was removed in favor of right-hander Smith before recording an out.

Smith got Eddie Rosario to strike out on a high fastball for the first out, but he was burned by his breaking stuff later on.

Marcell Ozuna lined a double to right field with two outs to score Murphy and tie the game at 4-4. A wild pitch put him in position to score on Orlando Arcia’s grounder.

Eduardo Escobar, playing out of position at second base, dove to try and stop Arcia’s screaming ground ball at the edge of the dirt, but it got past him for an RBI single.

The damage was done.

Carrasco, who looked as though he had turned a corner after his last two starts, was tagged for four earned runs on six hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out four, and also gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies in the second inning.

Smith was charged with the fifth run. One of the Mets’ key high-leverage arms coming into the season, he now has an ERA of 3.74, but it’s 7.36 over his last eight appearances.

Right-hander Bryce Elder (4-0) came into the game with a 1.92, ERA, the lowest among all qualified starters in the league. He didn’t give the Mets much to work with right away, striking out the side in the second inning. But Lindor and Alonso both homered off him in the third inning to put the Mets up 4-1.

Lindor was 1-for-15 over his last four games coming into this one. He walked in his first at-bat, then batting from the left side of the plate with one on and one out in the third inning, he lifted a slider from Elder into the right field stands for his 11th home run of the season. The long ball gave the Mets a 2-1 lead, and two batters later Alonso made it 4-1 with a two-run shot of his own.

Elder went six innings, giving up four earned on four hits, walking two and striking out eight. The Mets didn’t past the fourth inning.

Late in the game, Albies hit a line drive to the left-field corner off Adam Ottavino. Jeff McNeil bobbled the ball about three times, failing to make a circus-like play. Albies came into third standing up, then scored on what appeared to be a double play, but was overturned after the Braves challenged an out call at second base.

Last season, it felt like nearly everything went right for the Mets until the very end when they came into Atlanta and dropped the division. This season, the Mets can’t put all three aspects of their game together on a given night, no matter the location.

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It was almost too good to be true.

The Orioles were five outs away from squeaking out a one-run win against the Milwaukee Brewers. Baltimore had overcome a nearly disastrous first inning from Kyle Gibson and got all of its offensive production from two players — Aaron Hicks and Ryan O’Hearn — who weren’t on its major league roster a month ago.

But the Orioles needed more offense than the homers they got from Hicks and O’Hearn, as the host Brewers came back to win, 4-3, in 10 innings. Milwaukee tied the game in the eighth off Yennier Cano and won it with a walk-off single from Joey Wiemer in the 10th off Austin Voth.

Hicks’ two-run homer in the second inning tied the game after the Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the first, while O’Hearn’s solo shot in the seventh gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Cano replaced left-hander Danny Coulombe with two outs in the seventh, striking out Brian Anderson to strand the runners on the corners. But the dominant right-hander allowed a leadoff walk to Blake Perkins, who stole second and scored on a single from Brice Turang to even the score.

Félix Bautista struck out the side in the ninth, but Jorge Mateo, Adam Frazier and Josh Lester failed to drive home the automatic runner in the top of the 10th. Mateo struck out after failing to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Frazier flied out to right field and Lester, who was pinch-hitting for defensive replacement Ryan McKenna in Anthony Santander’s spot in the order, struck out.

Manager Brandon Hyde handed the ball to Voth in the bottom half of the inning, giving the right-hander the difficult task of stranding the automatic runner at second. He got two outs without allowing the runner on second to advance, but Wiemer, the Brewers’ No. 9 hitter, roped a line drive that one-hopped the left field wall to score Andrew Monasterio and end the game.

Baltimore (37-23) is 3-4 in extra innings and has lost in walk-off fashion five times this season.

Gibson overcomes shaky first

Gibson looked nothing like himself in the first inning. The 35-year-old had command issues, missing glove side with his sinker and four-seamer often as he racked up 35 pitches. The Brewers (33-28) brought eight batters to the plate in the initial frame, managing three hits, one walk and one hit by pitch. Brian Anderson and Abraham Toro hit back-to-back RBI singles to give Milwaukee an early 2-0 lead.

Hicks’ 100.2 mph homer down the right field line tied the game an inning later, as the switch-hitter stayed back on a 73 mph curveball from right-hander Freddy Peralta and smashed the pitch 372 feet. Baltimore signed Hicks, a longtime Yankee, to fill in for the injured Cedric Mullins, and the 33-year-old has posted a 1.208 OPS in his brief time as an Oriole.

After the poor first and a one-out double to Christian Yelich in the second, Gibson retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced before he was pulled after a leadoff walk in the sixth. He retired the side in the third on eight pitches, stranded a runner at third with one out in a nine-pitch fourth and struck out the side in the fifth.

Gibson scattered five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five-plus innings. It was only his second time striking out more than five batters in a start this season, as the right-hander entered Tuesday with the fifth-lowest strikeout rate among qualified starters. The 14 swings and misses he got are also the second most this season, behind his 11-strikeout, 18-whiff performance against the Detroit Tigers in April.

The Orioles struggled offensively in the middle innings, but O’Hearn’s opposite-field solo shot in the seventh broke the tie and gave Baltimore a 3-2 advantage.

Around the horn

• Before the game, the Orioles reinstated Coulombe off the bereavement list. Josh Lester was brought up last week when Coulombe was placed on the list, and rather than send down the 28-year-old minor league journeyman, the Orioles kept his left-handed bat and corner infield and outfield ability on their bench and optioned Terrin Vavra to Triple-A for the second time this season. The move brings the Orioles back to an even 13 pitchers and 13 position players, with a bench consisting of left-handed hitters Lester and Ryan O’Hearn and righties James McCann and Ryan McKenna.
• Gunnar Henderson’s lower back is “getting better,” Hyde said Tuesday afternoon. The 21-year-old third baseman hasn’t played since being removed in Saturday’s loss in San Francisco, but he took batting practice and fielded ground balls before Tuesday’s game. Henderson said his back was “tight” and that he was having trouble bending forward. He expects to be healthy enough to start Wednesday.
• The Orioles announced that right-handers Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish will start Wednesday and Thursday, maintaining the order of the rotation. When the Orioles sent Grayson Rodriguez down to Triple-A in late May, it opened up a spot in the rotation that the club hasn’t needed to fill thanks to multiple days off and choosing to have the bullpen fill an entire game last week. That cannot continue past Sunday, as none of the four members of Baltimore’s rotation will be rested enough to start that game against the Kansas City Royals.
• Hudson Haskin, the organization’s No. 23 prospect, is back in Triple-A Norfolk after a short stint with Double-A Bowie as he makes his way back from a hamstring injury. Haskin was in an impressive-looking Tides lineup Tuesday night — one that included recently promoted prospect Heston Kjerstad — but the game was postponed because of inclement weather. Infield prospect Joey Ortiz was also back in the lineup after missing much of the past two weeks with an illness.

This story will be updated.

Orioles at Brewers

Wednesday, 7:40 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

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Lucas Giolito had a no-hitter through six innings.

But the Chicago White Sox starter was at 100 pitches and knew it was time for the team to go to the bullpen.

“You are already past the 100-pitch mark,” Giolito said. “It’s six innings. It’s tough to go back out. I understand.”

The Sox lost the no-hitter in the seventh but more importantly held on to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Giolito was brilliant, striking out seven and walking three.

“My stuff felt really good,” he said. “Fastball felt very lively. Too many balls. If I stay in the zone a little bit more, I was getting ahead of a lot of guys but throwing a lot of balls as they are working 2-2, 3-2 counts.

“They had a good, patient approach, which I unfortunately kind of played into a little bit. One takeaway from that is be more efficient, be more in the zone. Attack the zone.”

Joe Kelly entered in the seventh and struck out the first two batters before walking Willie Calhoun. Isiah Kiner-Falefa broke up the combined no-hit bid when his fly to left-center fell between Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. for an RBI double. There appeared to be miscommunication between the outfielders.

“I checked on Andrew and I saw he was charging fast to the ball, and I didn’t check again on him,” Robert said through an interpreter. “I didn’t check on him the second time.”

Kelly limited the damage to one run. Kendall Graveman and Liam Hendriks followed as the four Sox pitchers combined for a three-hitter to win the opener of the three-game series.

“Impossible for him to go three more innings unless we gave him 160 (pitches), which he asked for,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said of Giolito. “He did a great job.”

With the win and the Minnesota Twins’ 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox are within 4½ games of first in the American League Central.

“Coming into Yankee Stadium, definitely wanted to set the tone for this series,” Giolito said. “Coming off a sweep (against the Detroit Tigers) and wanted to keep the momentum going, and I’m glad we were able to do that tonight.

“Seby (Zavala) was brilliant behind the dish. We went over the game plan extensively and I told him before the game started: ‘Hey, I just want to get into my mode. I don’t want to be out there thinking. So you call it.’ And he did a fantastic job.

“The bullpen came in and had to cover three innings and they were fantastic. Liam gets his first save back, which is great to see.”

The Sox were vying for the 21st no-hitter in franchise history. Giolito threw the 19th on Aug. 25, 2020, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field.

That one was played with no fans in the stands because of the pandemic. Tuesday’s game was in front of 38,049 in one of the biggest settings in the sport.

“I saw him pitch up in the zone,” Grifol said. “Focused, poise, presence, velocity was up to 96 (mph). He was just in control. He pitched. He competed. It was a really good outing for him.”

Michael Kopech took a perfect game into the sixth the last time the Sox were at Yankee Stadium before surrendering a two-out double to Rob Brantly in the nightcap of a May 22 doubleheader last season.

Giolito pitched six no-hit innings during the second game of an April 18 doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies at Guaranteed Rate Field. He left after throwing 102 pitches. The Phillies broke up that combined no-hit bid when Brandon Marsh led off the eighth with a double to left against Aaron Bummer.

Tuesday didn’t begin sharply for Giolito, who walked two with two outs in the first. He got out of the inning, striking out Anthony Volpe. He cruised from there, walking one more the rest of his outing.

“This is what he brings to the table and he has on any given night: the ability to go out there and do this for six, seven, eight, nine innings,” Hendriks said. “It’s a pleasure to be able to watch him pull the string and play cat-and-mouse game with his fastball-changeup-slider combo.”

Giolito’s batterymate, Zavala, supplied the offense with a solo homer to right in the third and a two-run homer to left in the fifth.

“Whatever helps the team win,” Zavala said of the homers and working with Giolito.

The Sox turned to the bullpen after the six outstanding innings by Giolito.

Kelly rebounded after giving up the double and a single to Jose Trevino by getting Jake Bauers to ground out to shortstop Tim Anderson.

Graveman pitched a perfect eighth with one strikeout.

Hendriks surrendered a homer to Josh Donaldson but got the next three batters to ground out to Anderson for his first save since being reinstated from the injured list May 29 after his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“I didn’t feel great today, I felt OK. One bad pitch and it sets the tone a little bit,” Hendriks said. “It almost helps me when the stadium gets that loud. I tend to get a little better after that. For whatever reason, that helped me lock in a little bit more than I had initially.”

The Sox have a season-high four-game winning streak. They’ve won five of six and inched closer in the division race.

“We’re showing a little bit more grit,” Hendriks said.

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Three weeks ago, Saints outfielder Matt Wallner was in bit of a funk. In a change of fortune that fits comfortably under the umbrella of “That’s baseball,” it took a trip to the big leagues to get him out of it.

On Monday, Wallner was named International League player of the week after hitting .423 (11 for 26) with four doubles, a triple and three home runs. He also drove in 10 runs. Just prior to that, he spent six days with the Twins, making a case for earning the same honor in the American League.

Wallner went 4 for 4 with a home run on May 27 against the Toronto Blue Jays and followed that up the next game by getting on base four times (2-for-2 day with a pair of walks) before being sent back to the Saints.

His batting average with the Twins stands at .378, with seven hits in 19 at-bats.

While with the Twins, Wallner spent time working with Twins assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon, who was Wallner’s hitting coach last season in Double-A Wichita. A familiar face and some familiar drills did the trick.

“Just trying to keep it simple,” Wallner said on what adjustments he has made. “Staying inside the ball and trying to hit the ball up the middle has helped me.”

Wallner added an RBI double on Tuesday night in the Saints’ 10-4 win over the Iowa Cubs at CHS Field.

While he had not reached the point of facing a crisis of confidence, Wallner’s recent success has lightened some of the mental load as well.

“For sure,” he said. “It’s always a good feeling.”

It was this time last season that Wallner was making his case in Double-A for being promoted to the Saints. The move was made on July 14, at which time Wallner was hitting .299 with 21 home runs and 64 runs batted in in 78 games.

Prior to making his Saints debut, he appeared in the MLB All-Stars Futures Game at Dodger Stadium. It was a special time in Wallner’s young professional career, and a key one, he said.

“I sometimes go back to what my swing looked like then,” Wallner said. “Just kind of keep that as my baseline — when I was feeling good. Whenever I look at previous video I usually go to that time.’’

Wallner also is celebrating the fact that his college team, Southern Mississippi, is still alive in the postseason. The Golden Eagles (45-18) will host Tennessee in the NCAA Super Regionals beginning on Saturday. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the College World Series.

Wallner played in the NCAA tournament all three of his seasons at Southern Mississippi, but never advanced past the regionals. He has stayed connected with the program since signing with the Twins in 2019.

Wallner and his fiancee, Sydnie, live in Ocean Springs, Miss., about an hour from campus. They plan to marry in the offseason.

Briefly

The Saints trailed 4-2 in the fifth inning when catcher Jair Camargo hit a grand slam to center field. First baseman Chris Williams added a grand slam in the eighth.

Jordan Balazovic struck out seven in 3 1/3 innings of relief.

Slugger Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list with a contusion and sprained ligament in his right big toe, manager Aaron Boone announced after Tuesday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox.

While no moves have been officially made, the news came after Judge met with Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Tuesday night. Judge, who received a PRP shot, sustained the injury while making a gate-breaking catch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Boone added that Judge doesn’t have a fracture in his toe.

“The biggest thing now is trying to get the swelling out of there,” Boone said. “Had some improvements today, but now we’ll just see where we are in the coming weeks or days.

“It definitely could have been worse. Feel like he’s gonna be all right, just need some time now. Hopefully it’s on the shorter side of things.”

This will be Judge’s second stint on the IL this season, as he missed 10 games with a hip strain. Boone didn’t have a timeframe for Judge’s impending trip to the IL.

“Obviously, we’ve been down some key guys,” Boone said, alluding to the Yankees’ frequent injury woes. “We’ve seen a lot of guys step up, and it’s another opportunity for someone to step up, and that’s all we’ll do. We’re gonna go out and play our game and expect to still go out there and rack up victories. That’s the focus. That’s the goal. Nothing changes. Obviously, we hate being without Aaron for any amount of time, but it’s part of the game sometimes, and we’ll manage.”

Ahmad also met with pitchers Nestor Cortes and Ryan Weber on Tuesday. Cortes was already expected to go on the IL, but he was diagnosed with a shoulder strain and won’t throw for 15 days after receiving his own shot.

The southpaw has had a hard time recovering in between starts, and soreness persisted to the point that he had to tell the Yankees about the problem in Los Angeles.

“I think it’s general wear and tear,” Cortes said when asked what caused the issue. “I mean, we could sit here and try and nitpick everything, but I think just pitching and trying to get the ball every five days and going out there and competing, that’s basically it.”

Cortes added that it was a “bummer” that he has to miss a few weeks, as he felt he was starting to pitch well despite some struggles toward the end of his starts.

Weber was diagnosed with a UCL strain after landing on the IL while in Los Angeles.

“Now it’s a matter of course of action,” Boone said of Weber. “It’s gonna be rehab, time down, surgery is on the table. But no decision on that.”

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Slugger Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list with a contusion and sprained ligament in his right big toe, manager Aaron Boone announced after Tuesday’s loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The news comes after Judge was scheduled to meet with Dr. Christopher Ahmad. Judge sustained the injury while while making a gate-breaking catch at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Boone told reporters after Tuesday’s loss that Judge doesn’t have a fracture in his toe.

Ahmad also met with pitchers Nestor Cortes and Ryan Weber on Tuesday. Cortes has a shoulder strain and won’t throw for about two weeks, per Boone.

Weber was diagnosed with a UCL strain after landing on the IL while in Los Angeles.

Check back for more details.

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St. Paul Public Schools plans to spend more than $1 billion to fund its operations in the coming academic year.

A draft budget outlined Tuesday would see the district draw $34 million from its general fund reserves to bridge a deficit that has grown by about $11 million since an initial overview was presented to the school board late last month.

Board members will review the district’s budget proposal over the next week as they hold a series of small group meetings with SPPS officials. Members will receive a finalized budget book on June 16 and are scheduled to vote on it at their June 20 board meeting.

Under the proposed budget, the district would increase its spending in four of five expenditure categories.

The district’s general fund — which goes to teacher salaries and other instructional expenses — would grow by more than $73 million to to nearly $793 million, while food service, community service and construction would also see increases. Only spending on debt service is expected to decline over the previous year.

Much of the shortfall is the result of declining enrollment and the expiration of federal pandemic relief grants, which funded scores of jobs in mental health, human resources, finance and other fields within the district.

Superintendent Joe Gothard told board members Tuesday afternoon that the district’s budget picture would have been even more grim had it not been for funding infusions from the state Legislature during its 2023 session, which are projected to generate new revenues of nearly $52 million for SPPS.

“I can’t imagine, without that kind of amount, what this task could have looked like,” Gothard said.

But Gothard and other officials made it clear that difficult decisions will have to be made next year. The district must maintain a minimum general fund reserve balance equal to 5 percent of its annual budget. This year’s proposed deficit spending will reduce that balance to 5.31 percent.

By TRÂN NGUYỄN and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ (Associated Press)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration said Tuesday that three dozen migrants whom the state flew from the U.S. southern border to California on private planes all went willingly, disputing allegations by California officials that the individuals were coerced to travel under false pretenses.

The admission of responsibility — five days after the first flight touched down in California’s capital — only served to heighten tensions between DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, his frequent political sparring partner.

Two planes arrived in Sacramento, on Friday and Monday, each carrying asylum-seekers mostly from Colombia and Venezuela. The individuals had been picked up in El Paso, Texas, taken to New Mexico and then put on charter flights to California’s capital of Sacramento, said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He is investigating whether any violations of criminal or civil law occurred.

Alecia Collins, a spokeswoman for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a statement that “through verbal and written consent, these volunteers indicated they wanted to go to California.” She also shared a video compilation that appeared to show people signing consent forms and thanking officials for treating them well.

The clips had no time stamps, and Collins declined to share additional details about when and where they were recorded. Representatives from Sacramento ACT and PICO California, two religious groups helping the migrants in Sacramento, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment about whether the migrants in the videos were the same as those they were helping.

Bonta told CNN late Tuesday he would be requesting that Florida turn over any video footage, unedited, that it has of the group. A spokeswoman for his office could not confirm if any of the people seen in the video were among the migrants Bonta met.

This isn’t the first time DeSantis’ administration has transported migrants from Texas to other states. Last fall, Florida flew 49 Venezuelans to the upscale Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. The move was intended to protest federal immigration policy. DeSantis has said he intends to send migrants who may end up in Florida to states that have immigrant-friendly policies, like California.

It’s not clear whether Florida was the intended destination for any of the people who arrived in California. If so, they would represent just a sliver of the immigrants who arrive in Florida each year.

DeSantis signed a law providing $12 million for his migrant-relocation initiative in early May, just weeks before announcing his Republican presidential bid. He has touted the earlier migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard on the campaign trail.

Newsom, a Democrat, indicated in a tweet Monday that California may consider kidnapping charges against DeSantis. Such charges would likely be extremely difficult to prove, particularly given the migrants signed waivers.

Bonta has not directly said he is considering kidnapping charges. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in Texas on Monday said it had recommended misdemeanor and felony charges for “unlawful restraints” in the transport of migrants from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard. The county district attorney must decide whether to pursue those charges and against whom.

Possible charges aside, Newsom’s office doubled down on its criticism of DeSantis after Florida claimed credit.

“This is exploitative propaganda being peddled by a politician who has shown there are no depths he won’t sink to in his desperate effort to score a political point,” said Anthony York, a spokesman for Newsom.

Though Newsom has no plans to run for president in 2024, he and DeSantis have frequently used each other as political foils as they cast their own governing approach as a model for the nation. Beyond immigration policy, the two have sparred on abortion access, LGBTQ+ and civil rights, and a host of other cultural issues.

On the campaign trail, DeSantis has been eager to slap at progressive policies in Democratic strongholds such as New York and California, claiming that Florida’s population boom in recent years has been driven by people fleeing blue-state policies.

DeSantis is currently positioned as the strongest alternative to former President Donald Trump in the GOP’s crowded primary, although Trump maintains a big lead in early polls.

Bonta, who met with some of the migrants who arrived Friday, said they told him they were approached in El Paso by two women who spoke broken Spanish and promised them jobs. The women traveled with them by land from El Paso to Deming, New Mexico, where two men then accompanied them on the flight to Sacramento. The same men were on the flight Monday, Bonta said.

He said the asylum seekers have court dates in New York, Utah and Colorado and carried a document that “purports to be a consent and release form” that is designed to shield Florida from liability.

“Of course, what’s important is what is actually said and represented and told to the individual, and we’ve got good indications of what that was and the fact that it was false, misleading, and deceptive,” Bonta said.

His office didn’t comment Tuesday following Florida’s assertion that the migrants were not coerced.

Gabby Trejo, executive director of Sacramento ACT, a collaboration of religious congregations in the Sacramento area, said all of the migrants had already been given pending court dates by U.S. immigration officials before they were approached in Texas by people promising jobs. Trejo said that they had been “lied to and deceived.”

It’s not yet clear if the new arrivals in Sacramento plan to stay in California or will eventually seek to go elsewhere, advocates said. Four who arrived on the first flight on Friday have already been picked up by friends or family members, but the rest remain in the care of local advocacy groups. ___

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed.

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Find more AP coverage of immigration: https://apnews.com/hub/immigration

Lucas Giolito was nearly part of another historic night.

Giolito pitched six no-hit innings for the Chicago White Sox in a 3-2 victory against the New York Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Giolito struck out seven and walked three, exiting after throwing 100 pitches.

Joe Kelly entered in the seventh and struck out the first two batters before walking Willie Calhoun. Isiah Kiner-Falefa broke up the combined no-hit bid when his fly to left-center fell between Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. for an RBI double. There appeared to be miscommunication between the outfielders.

Giolito and three relievers combined for a three-hitter to win the opener of the three-game series.

The Sox were vying for the 21st no-hitter in franchise history. Giolito threw the 19th on Aug. 25, 2020, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field.

That one was played with no fans in the stands because of the pandemic. Tuesday’s game was in front of 38,049 in one of the biggest settings in the sport.

Michael Kopech took a perfect game into the sixth the last time the Sox were at Yankee Stadium before surrendering a two-out double to Rob Brantly in the nightcap of a May 22 doubleheader last season.

Tuesday didn’t begin sharply for Giolito, who walked two with two outs in the first. He got out of the inning, striking out Anthony Volpe.

Giolito’s batterymate, Seby Zavala, supplied the offense with a solo homer to right in the third and a two-run homer to left in the fifth.

The Sox turned to the bullpen after the six dominating innings by Giolito.

Kelly rebounded after giving up the double and a single to Jose Trevino by getting Jake Bauers to ground out to shortstop Tim Anderson.

Kendall Graveman pitched a perfect eighth with one strikeout.

Liam Hendriks surrendered a homer to Josh Donaldson but got the next three batters to ground out to Anderson for his first save since being reinstated from the injured list May 29 after his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Smoke filled the air at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, but not because the Yankees’ bats were on fire.

Instead, White Sox starter Lucas Giolito kept the Bombers hitless for six innings as the two teams played beneath an unhealthy haze, the result of smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting south. The smog provided an apocalyptic-looking backdrop as Chicago claimed a 3-2 victory to begin a three-game series.

The Yankees picked up their first hit of the night when Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a catchable flyball that dropped between centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Benintendi. The mishap, which happened with Joe Kelly on the mound, allowed Willie Calhoun to score after he walked earlier in the inning.

The Yanks finished the game with three total hits, including a solo shot from Josh Donaldson off closer Liam Hendriks in the ninth.

Prior to that, Giolito stifled the Yankees’ lineup, which played without Aaron Judge for the second straight game after he injured his toe on a fence-breaking catch Saturday at Dodger Stadium. The right-handed Giolito took advantage, blanking the opposition while striking out seven.

Three walks contributed to a 100-pitch count for Giolito after six frames, so he didn’t get a chance to finish his no-hit bid. But his fastball-slider-changeup combo kept the Yankees at bay long enough.

Seby Zavala’s two home runs off Clarke Schmidt, meanwhile, gave the White Sox all the runs they needed.

Despite the two longballs to Chicago’s No. 9-hitting catcher, Schmidt went six innings as well. He totaled six hits, three earned runs, zero walks and one strikeout over 79 pitches.

Former South Siders Tommy Kahnle and Jimmy Cordero followed Schmidt in relief before Albert Abreu finished the game.

With smoke lingering and Yankees fans awaiting test results for Judge and Nestor Cortes at the final out, the team will look for a win on Wednesday. Ex-Yankee Lance Lynn will start the second game of the series for Chicago, while Randy Vasquez will pitch for the pinstripers.

Vasquez made his major league debut on May 26, allowing two earned runs, three walks and six strikeouts over 4.2 innings against the Padres. The 24-year-old righty has a 5.13 ERA at Triple-A this season.

Mike Clevinger and Luis Severino are the probable pitchers for the series finale on Thursday.

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By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV (Associated Press)

KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — As shelling from Russia’s war on Ukraine echoed overhead, dozens of evacuees on an island in the Dnieper River scurried onto the tops of military trucks or into rafts to flee rising floodwaters caused by a dam breach upstream.

The unnerving bark of dogs left behind further soured the mood of those ferried to safety. A woman in one raft clutched the head of her despondent daughter. A stalled military truck stuck in swelling waters raised the panic level as Red Cross teams tried to manage an orderly evacuation.

Nobody knew just how high the waters rushing through a gaping hole in the Kakhovka dam would rise, or whether people or pets would escape alive.

The scrambled evacuation by boat and military truck from an island neighborhood off the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson downstream on Tuesday testified to the latest human chaos caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of purposely destroying the dam. Russian authorities blamed recent Ukrainian military strikes.

“The Russians have hit the dam, and didn’t think of consequences,” said Oleksandr Sokeryn, who fled his house with his family after it was completely flooded. “They should not be forgiven.”

Officials on both sides said the massive dam breach had caused no civilian casualties; the hurried escape aimed to keep it that way.

The island neighborhood was one residential area in the direct slipstream of Tuesday’s catastrophe, which experts said was expected to play out over days as pent-up waters from the Kakhovka reservoir wash their way unhindered toward the Black Sea.

It could take days to know the real toll and damage.

In the early morning, before the floodwaters arrived, many residents tried to stick it out. But as the water level climbed in the streets, rising nearly to the tops of bus stops or the second floor of buildings, national guard teams and emergency crews fanned out to retrieve people who got stranded.

Some found themselves floating under the rafters of their homes as the waters rose. Space was limited on the trucks, and an effort to tow two rafts behind one went awry when the ropes snapped. One man chucked his German shepherd from the roof of the stalled truck onto another. Some residents clung to each other to keep from falling into the rising tide.

Officials said about 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas on the eastern side of the river, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory on the western side — areas like those evacuated on Tuesday.

The United Nations said at least 16,000 people have already lost their homes, and efforts were underway to provide clean water, money, and legal and emotional support to those affected. Evacuations on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the river were ferrying people to cities including Mykolaiv and Odesa to the west.

“While towns and villages in downstream Dnieper River are going under water, the human and environmental cost of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam is a huge humanitarian disaster — and the international community must unite to bring those responsible to justice,” said Amnesty International’s regional director for Eastern Europe Marie Struthers.

“The rules of international humanitarian law specifically protect dams, due to the dangers their destruction poses to civilians,” she said.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the flood caused by the dam breach was projected “to have severe and longer-term consequences on the humanitarian situation in the area” such as by moving mines and explosive ordnance to new areas.

Kherson, which was liberated by Ukrainian forces last fall, has already seen some of the worst from Russia’s blitzkrieg campaign against Ukraine — alleged rape, arbitrary killings, and enforced disappearances during months of Russian occupation.

Today, shelling regularly continues from across the nearby front line demarcated by the river.

___

AP writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jamey Keaten in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV (Associated Press)

KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — As shelling from Russia’s war on Ukraine echoed overhead, dozens of evacuees on an island in the Dnieper River scurried onto the tops of military trucks or into rafts to flee rising floodwaters caused by a dam breach upstream.

The unnerving bark of dogs left behind further soured the mood of those ferried to safety. A woman in one raft clutched the head of her despondent daughter. A stalled military truck stuck in swelling waters raised the panic level as Red Cross teams tried to manage an orderly evacuation.

Nobody knew just how high the waters rushing through a gaping hole in the Kakhovka dam would rise, or whether people or pets would escape alive.

The scrambled evacuation by boat and military truck from an island neighborhood off the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson downstream on Tuesday testified to the latest human chaos caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of purposely destroying the dam. Russian authorities blamed recent Ukrainian military strikes.

“The Russians have hit the dam, and didn’t think of consequences,” said Oleksandr Sokeryn, who fled his house with his family after it was completely flooded. “They should not be forgiven.”

Officials on both sides said the massive dam breach had caused no civilian casualties; the hurried escape aimed to keep it that way.

The island neighborhood was one residential area in the direct slipstream of Tuesday’s catastrophe, which experts said was expected to play out over days as pent-up waters from the Kakhovka reservoir wash their way unhindered toward the Black Sea.

It could take days to know the real toll and damage.

In the early morning, before the floodwaters arrived, many residents tried to stick it out. But as the water level climbed in the streets, rising nearly to the tops of bus stops or the second floor of buildings, national guard teams and emergency crews fanned out to retrieve people who got stranded.

Some found themselves floating under the rafters of their homes as the waters rose. Space was limited on the trucks, and an effort to tow two rafts behind one went awry when the ropes snapped. One man chucked his German shepherd from the roof of the stalled truck onto another. Some residents clung to each other to keep from falling into the rising tide.

Officials said about 22,000 people live in areas at risk of flooding in Russian-controlled areas on the eastern side of the river, while 16,000 live in the most critical zone in Ukrainian-held territory on the western side — areas like those evacuated on Tuesday.

The United Nations said at least 16,000 people have already lost their homes, and efforts were underway to provide clean water, money, and legal and emotional support to those affected. Evacuations on the Ukrainian-controlled side of the river were ferrying people to cities including Mykolaiv and Odesa to the west.

“While towns and villages in downstream Dnieper River are going under water, the human and environmental cost of the destruction of the Kakhovka dam is a huge humanitarian disaster — and the international community must unite to bring those responsible to justice,” said Amnesty International’s regional director for Eastern Europe Marie Struthers.

“The rules of international humanitarian law specifically protect dams, due to the dangers their destruction poses to civilians,” she said.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the flood caused by the dam breach was projected “to have severe and longer-term consequences on the humanitarian situation in the area” such as by moving mines and explosive ordnance to new areas.

Kherson, which was liberated by Ukrainian forces last fall, has already seen some of the worst from Russia’s blitzkrieg campaign against Ukraine — alleged rape, arbitrary killings, and enforced disappearances during months of Russian occupation.

Today, shelling regularly continues from across the nearby front line demarcated by the river.

___

AP writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Jamey Keaten in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Maybe Luke Raley’s rally-starting triple was fair. Maybe it wasn’t. His home run certainly was. But anyways, it doesn’t much matter because the Twins finished the night Tuesday with just four hits.

Louie Varland followed the best outing of his young career with the worst of his career, and his teammates could do little at the plate, sending the Twins to a 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin started the night by striking out the first four batters he faced, a continuation of the Twins’ troubling season-long trend. The major league leaders in strikeouts added 12 more to their tally on Tuesday.

They didn’t collect a hit off Eflin until Carlos Correa doubled off the left-field wall in the fourth inning. It was the only hit of the night for Correa, who finished with a team-high three strikeouts.

The Twins, who were shut out for the fifth time this season, did not advance a runner to third base, unable to mount any kind of threatening rally against Eflin and the Rays’ bullpen.

The Rays, meanwhile, had no such problems. Raley’s triple, which led off the fourth inning, was ruled fair, opening the door for a three-run inning off Varland. The next batter, Randy Arozarena, singled him home, and the Rays added another pair on a softly-hit Christian Bethancourt single to center and a Vidal Bruján sacrifice bunt.

Raley came through off Varland again an inning later, hitting a ball high off the batter’s eye in center that traveled an estimated 450 feet. That was one of two home runs Varland gave up on the night — the other, to Jose Siri, came in the seventh inning.

The seven runs Varland gave up in his six-plus innings marked a career high and came after he blanked the Houston Astros for seven strong innings the last time out.

All of Pedro Grifol’s previous roles in baseball — from scouting to serving as a bench coach — have come in handy during his first season as a big-league manager with the Chicago White Sox.

“Every single job,” Grifol said in the visiting manager’s room at Yankee Stadium before Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees. “All the way from my area scouting, when you have to learn how to evaluate, to advance scouting to international, every single job I’ve had has served a (purpose).”

He recalled a conversation he had Monday with bench coach Charlie Montoyo about winter ball.

“I managed four years of winter ball — it’s a tough environment to manage in,” Grifol said. “I was managing guys who were older than me and that taught me a ton. Just the day-to-day stuff that you had to take care of and worry about. Every job has been really important for this.”

Just more than 60 games into his big-league managerial career, Grifol said he hasn’t been surprised by much. Part of it comes from what he learned in all those previous roles. And also his coaching staff.

“I have a good staff, man. I think the staff is really important,” Grifol said. “They have experience, they’ve been in the big leagues a long time. The versatility of this staff, the wisdom and experience they have.”

The job right now for Grifol and the coaching staff is to try to dig out from a rough start. The Sox were 19-14 entering Tuesday since beginning the season 7-21.

“I’m enjoying the climb,” he said when asked if he’s still enjoying the job. “Obviously I did not enjoy at all the 10-game losing streak. I didn’t enjoy 7-21. Did not enjoy that.

“But I’m enjoying getting better and playing better. I’m enjoying getting better all the way round: the team, myself, the staff.”

Grifol knows improvements are needed offensively, defensively and with the pitching staff if the Sox are going to climb in the American League Central standings.

Offensively, the Sox are working on chasing fewer pitches. The team’s O-swing% (swings at pitches outside the zone), according to FanGraphs, is 36.7%, the worst in the majors.

“We’ve got to get better,” Grifol said. “And it’s not just to win games, it’s to maximize their ability. We have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball and if we swing at good pitches, we’re going to do some damage. So we have to get better at not chasing.

“We’re constantly searching for that. They’re searching for it; we are too. We’re searching for it together.”

Grifol likes how the pitching has progressed, “however, there’s times we’ve got to get better when we’re way ahead in the count. 0-2, 1-2, you almost can’t allow slugging in those counts. You fight to get to 0–2, 1-2, you’ve got to put guys away. But we’re better at it. The pitching has improved big time.”

The team had a 5.88 ERA through 28 games and a 3.80 ERA in the next 33 games.

Defensively, Grifol wants to see the Sox improve at “preventing free bases at 90 feet. Stolen base, we’ve got to get better at holding, eliminating attempts.”

The league average for caught stealing is 21%, while the Sox are at 17%.

All of those — and more — are areas the Sox are focused on. Despite the early stumbles, the Sox (26-35) entered Tuesday 5½ games out of first place in the AL Central.

While the aim is the division, the focus is on the day to day. But Grifol did note that the new schedule has created an interesting wrinkle.

“There’s no sample on this new schedule, like how does this thing work,” Grifol said. “Everybody is playing everybody. So as far as who’s in, who’s out, I think we’re going to see some things a little different than we have in the past. How different I don’t know.

“But the new schedule is going to play a new factor somewhere. Because everybody is playing everybody. You can’t say these guys have a tough schedule or a tough month. Everybody is going to have that month. That’s another reason I don’t get too far ahead on this stuff.”

()

As Clint Frazier stood by his locker in Yankee Stadium’s visiting clubhouse, he couldn’t help but flash a smile on a face featuring a bushy red beard and a nose ring.

The former Yankee, now a member of the White Sox, returned to the Bronx for the first time on Tuesday. While Frazier didn’t start for Chicago, he took questions from New York reporters and rehashed his tumultuous Yankees tenure before the game.

“Rollercoaster,” the outfielder said when asked to sum up his time with the Yankees, which ranged from 2016-2021. “A lot of good times, a lot of hard times. But ultimately, more good than bad.”

Frazier, 28, spent the first five years of his career with the Yankees after they acquired him from Cleveland in the Andrew Miller trade. The Yankees designated Frazier for assignment in November 2021 after he hit .239/.327/.434 with 29 home runs and 97 RBI over 228 games from 2017-2021.

A former top prospect, Frazier showed plenty of potential with the Yankees. But concussions limited his opportunities — he hid his second one from the team — and he proved to be a lightning-rod for unwanted attention.

There were stories about the length of Frazier’s hair and him reportedly asking for Mickey Mantle’s retired No. 7, which he denied doing. Frazier also took issue when broadcaster Michael Kay criticized him for missing time with a concussion in 2018, and he made waves for ducking reporters following multiple defensive mishaps in 2019. When Frazier eventually spoke days later, he expressed that coverage of him had been unfair. He added that he’s had a tough time fitting in throughout his life.

That doesn’t appear to be the case in Chicago, though.

“I’m very fortunate with this group of guys because this clubhouse is — I like these guys,” Frazier said. “I fit in really well. The coaching staff has accepted me.”

Frazier was then asked if being away from the Yankees — he’s also had stops with the Cubs and Rangers — has allowed him to be himself more. To which he replied, “I don’t want to say 100 percent yes, and I don’t want to say 100 percent no. You know what I mean? Because ultimately, it is different [in New York]. And it’s a privilege.”

He continued, “Being in this organization and seeing how they maneuver, and then leaving and going to another one, you do look back and you’re like, ‘Wow.’ There was some good, and then there was some stuff where it was like, OK. Where the beard falls in, you can let your imagination go with where I’m at with that. But all I ever wanted with baseball was to show up and be able to be myself and be able to go out there and feel comfortable and play baseball the way that I know that I can. There was a lot of times that I felt that way, even without facial hair. So take it as it is.”

While Frazier’s time in pinstripes encompassed turmoil, he said that he still keeps in touch with a lot of people in the Yankees organization.

That includes Brian Cashman, the person Frazier was most looking forward to seeing during Chicago’s three-game series in the Big Apple. Frazier said the two already spoke on Tuesday.

“I’m gonna chop it up with him at some point,” Frazier said before adding, “He was always fair to me and always told me exactly how it was, and that’s all you can ask for it. Just the upfront honesty, and he’s about as honest as it gets.”

Frazier went on to say that he always believed Cashman liked him, and he felt the general manager was helping him when the Yankees DFA’d him. Still, he never thought about a reunion with the Yankees, who were — and remain — in need of a let fielder over the offseason.

Frazier expected to part ways with the Yankees in November 2021. He believed the decision was based on his health, but he couldn’t say for sure if non-baseball factors played a part.

“I genuinely don’t have the answer of exactly where their thought process was as far as like why we’re going to go the other way,” he said. “I did get DFA’d the night of the Rule 5 draft, so I think some of it had to do with keeping guys on verzus letting guys go. But we went through some stuff behind the scenes that certainly may have played a role. I don’t know. I don’t want to sit here and tell you that I know exactly why. I’m assuming it had to do with the fact that my concussion issues were withholding me from playing the game.”

Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t a shock when Frazier’s stint in New York ended. Between the concussions, turbulence and a .186 average in 2021, the one-time starter no longer had a clear future with the Yankees.

Was it a relief when he and the club split up?

“The biggest thing for me was we don’t always get along with our coworkers,” Frazier said in response to that question. “And for me to kind of be in a new environment was needed. I think for me, and maybe some other people. And I don’t say that with any ill will. I’m just speaking to how it is. Not everyone likes each other.”

Now, however, Frazier feels comfortable and healthy. He’s lost about 17 pounds and is playing under 200 pounds for the first time since high school. That’s allowed him to run faster than ever, which in turn has led to him being a late-inning defensive replacement.

Frazier finds that ironic, as his defense was often a problem with the Yankees.

Entering Tuesday, Frazier was only hitting .231/.333/.308 over 11 games with the White Sox. He hasn’t hit a home run in the majors since 2021. But he’s happy to do whatever the South Siders ask of him.

He just wants to stick on a team.

“I’m just happy to be in Major League Baseball again. I genuinely went through a really, really tough time with that [concussion] stuff. It put stuff into perspective of like, life is hard as it is. And when life’s hard, it’s gonna make your job hard,” Frazier said. “And these [pitchers] are nasty. If you’re not seeing straight, it’s like, what good am I?

“I had to be honest with myself. I tried to play through the stuff when I wasn’t healthy. I tried. Didn’t look good. I gave it my best when I was healthy and when I was unhealthy. That’s honestly something that I am proud of.”

()

By JILL COLVIN and HOLLY RAMER (Associated Press)

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wasted no time going after Donald Trump while launching his presidential campaign on Tuesday, calling the former president and current Republican primary front-runner a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog” and arguing that he’s the only one who can stop him.

A onetime federal prosecutor, Christie was among the crowded field of 2016 Republican presidential candidates steamrolled by Trump. Now that Trump is running for the White House a third time, this year’s crop of rivals have no choice but to criticize him relentlessly, or risk political history repeating itself, Christie says.

Kicking off his campaign with a town hall at Saint Anselm College, Christie suggested that other top Republicans have been afraid to challenge Trump or even mention his name much while campaigning — but made it clear he had no such qualms.

“A lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog is not a leader,” Christie said, adding, “The person I am talking about, who is obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault, who always finds someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong — but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right — is Donald Trump.”

Christie enters a growing primary field that already includes Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Former Vice President Mike Pence will be formally launching his own campaign in Iowa on Wednesday.

Mere weeks after dropping out of the 2016 race, Christie became the first sitting governor and former rival to endorse Trump. He went on to become a close off-and-on adviser before finally breaking with Trump over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.

During his time as governor, Christie established a reputation as a fighter with a knack for creating viral moments of confrontation. But he faces an uphill battle to the nomination in a party that remains closely aligned with the former president, despite Trump’s reelection loss in 2020 and Republicans’ poorer-than-expected showing in the 2022 midterm elections.

Anti-Trump Republicans are particularly eager to see Christie spar with Trump on a debate stage. But that happen only if Trump agrees to participate in primary debates and Christie meets the stringent fundraising criteria set by the Republican National Committee for participation.

JP Marzullo, a former state representative and former vice chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, previously backed Trump but is now supporting Christie.

“I think he’ll actually unite some of the voters, and he’ll get to independents,” Marzullo said of the former governor, adding, “I think it’s time for a change.”

Christie began criticizing Trump by name mere moments into his half-hour speech Tuesday, saying the former president had “made us smaller by dividing us even further and pitting us one against the other.”

He also said President Joe Biden “is doing the same thing, just on the other side.” Christie noted that he’d known Biden for decades and that he was a nice guy, but said that the president is “out of his depth” because “he’s not the guy he used to be,” referencing the 80-year-old Biden’s advanced age.

But Christie’s chief target was Trump.

“There’s a big argument in our country right now about whether character matters, and we have leaders who have shown us over and over again that not only are they devoid of character, they don’t care.” Christie said. “We can’t dismiss the question of character anymore, everybody. If we do, we get what we deserve, and we will have to own it.”

Christie advisers are planning a nontraditional, nationally focused campaign based on earned media attention, instead of focusing on specific states. Their candidate said staying aggressive against Trump was key and scoffed Tuesday at what he said were Trump’s failed promises, including a pledge to wall off the entire southern U.S. border and have Mexico pay for it.

“The reason I’m going after Trump is twofold,” Christie said. “One, he deserves it. And two, it’s the way to win.”

Christie will test the appetite among Republican voters for someone who has expressed support for many of Trump’s policies but has criticized the former president’s conduct. The former governor has urged the party to move on or risk future losses.

Other Republicans with similar views, including former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, have opted against their own campaigns, expressing concerns that having more candidates in the race will only benefit Trump.

Christie was at one point seen as one of the Republican Party’s brightest political stars as the popular Republican governor of a Democratic state. But despite persistent urging from top donors and party officials, he declined to run for president in 2012. By the time he announced in 2016, his reputation had been tarnished by the “Bridgegate” scandal in which aides were accused of wreaking traffic havoc in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in an apparent effort to punish the city’s mayor for failing to endorse his reelection bid.

The former governor has known Trump for nearly 20 years but their relationship has been complicated. Christie was on the shortlist to serve as Trump’s vice president, oversaw Trump’s early White House transition efforts, said he was offered — and turned down — multiple Cabinet positions, and helped Trump prepare for each of his general election debates in 2016 and 2020.

But Christie also clashed with Trump at times and has described the former president’s refusal to accept his 2020 election loss to Biden as a breaking point.

Christie opting to start his 2024 bid at a New Hampshire town hall recalled his first run at the White House, when he focused on the state, holding dozens of New Hampshire town hall events only to finish sixth in its primary. He dropped out of that race shortly afterward.

After his speech Tuesday, Christie took extended questions from the audience — a common occurrence in early voting states that DeSantis was hesitant to do when launching his campaign. Christie also talked openly about his underwhelming 2016 performance, despite concentrating so heavily on New Hampshire.

“I lost,” Christie laughed. “You people did that to me in 2016.”

___

Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press Writer Will Weissert contributed to this story from Washington.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday it has revoked a crucial federal permit for the proposed NewRange Copper Nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, a project popularly known as PolyMet, saying the permit did not comply with the water quality standards set by a sovereign downstream tribe.

The Corps said in a statement that it revoked the Clean Water Act permit, which it had previously suspended, “because the permit does not ensure compliance with water quality requirements of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.” The tribe’s reservation, on the St. Louis River, is downstream from the mine and processing plant site near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes.

“This is a huge victory,” said Paula Maccabee, an attorney for WaterLegacy, one of the environmental groups that have been fighting the proposed mine in court and in the regulatory process for several years. “It’s a victory for tribal sovereignty, it’s a victory for science, it’s a victory for the law. Although PolyMet has suffered other setbacks, this is by far the most consequential victory for human health, water quality and tribal sovereignty.”

The Corps said NewRange Copper Nickel is free to submit a new permit application with modifications to the project to make it comply with the tribe’s water quality requirements. But Maccabee said the Corps’ decision memo makes it clear that it would be difficult for the company to successfully address all the issues raised by the tribe and the Environmental Protection Agency.

NewRange said it’s considering its options as it digests the decision and decides on its response. Some other key permits also remain tied up by legal challenges.

“The Corps’ decision is one that requires careful review, determined action, and further engagement with regulators and all key stakeholders,” the company said in a statement.

PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources finalized a 50-50 joint venture in February that renamed the project NewRange Copper Nickel. They hope to complete the copper-nickel mine that PolyMet had been developing for several years, and to eventually build a separate mine next door in an even larger ore body that Canada-based Teck controls. PolyMet Mining’s largest shareholder is Swiss-based minerals and mining giant Glencore.

The Corps initially awarded PolyMet the Clean Water Act permit in 2019. At the time, Corps officials said the project complied with all applicable federal laws and regulations.

But it suspended the permit in 2021 at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency so that the EPA, in response to a court ruling, could study the effects downstream on both the Band’s reservation and the Wisconsin waters of the St. Louis River, which forms a part of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. The Corps then held a public hearing in May of 2022 on whether the permit should be reissued, revoked or modified.

Tribal officials told federal officials then that the mine would violate its water quality regulations, which are stricter than the state’s, particularly for mercury and some other pollutants.

The tribe said its higher standards are needed to protect the fish and wild rice that are important parts of its members’ diets and culture. The EPA agreed, and recommended that the Corps not reinstate the permit.

In Tuesday’s announcement, the Corps said it was obligated to revoke the suspended permit given the absence of sufficient conditions in the existing permit “to ensure compliance with the applicable downstream water quality requirements of the Band” under the Clean Water Act.

“This is a milestone determination and further proof that under law and science, this kind of mining does not belong in an area where there’s so much water,” said Chris Knopf, executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

NewRange reiterated that it believes the mine can produce copper, nickel and platinum-group metals needed for the clean energy economy in a responsible and sustainable manner, while creating jobs for northeastern Minnesota. The company said it has shown that its project, through its proposed water treatment and management processes, would result in net reductions of sulfate and mercury levels in the St. Louis River system.

Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Stauber, who represents the area, slammed the decision, saying it will make the U.S. more reliant on China for critical metals.

“The Biden Administration continues their assault on northern Minnesota and our way of life,” Stauber said in a statement. “We are on the cusp of delivering for the world and our country an ethically and responsibly sourced supply of these greatly needed critical minerals for our everyday life.”

ATLANTA — The Mets made a tough decision to cut catcher Tomas Nido on Monday, and they wanted to make sure that they did it right.

With the team departing New York for Atlanta following a series against Toronto Blue Jays, they had to act swiftly to avoid bringing a player to a city only to give him the hard news and send him home. So they contacted the traveling secretary to make sure his wife and kids weren’t on the way or even worse, already in Georgia. They had his equipment taken off the plane.

Buck Showalter had a tough conversation with a well-respected, homegrown catcher before the team departed. The following day, the club reinstated catcher Omar Narvaez from the 60-day injured list and designated Nido for assignment, making the decision to move forward this season with a catching tandem of Narvaez and rookie Francisco Alvarez.

“I’ve known him for almost two seasons and he’s been in the organization for a long time,” Showalter said Tuesday at Truist Park before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. “It was emotional for both of us. The timing is never good, especially after a tough loss. We wanted to make sure his wife wasn’t coming here and didn’t want to wait to do it here. We try to treat it as humanely as possible knowing it’s going to be tough any way you do it.

“But on the flip side, we’re happy to get Omar back.”

There is still some hope that the club can keep Nido in the organization. He’s been with the organization since they drafted him in 2012 and developed into a strong defensive catcher. However, they’re keeping the player’s best interest in mind and trying to work out a trade. The club had looked into trading him in the past and it made sense given his affordability. But the Mets think Narvaez, who was once regarded as a bat-first catcher, and Alvarez will give them the best chance moving forward.

“He’s either going to be traded, he’s either going to be claimed on waivers, or he’s going to be in [Triple-A] Syracuse,” Showalter said. “We’re hoping for our sake, he’s in Syracuse. We would still like to have him around. He’s a Major League catcher.”

Narvaez was in the lineup batting ninth against right-hander Bryce Elder on Tuesday. He gives the Mets another left-handed option off the bench on days when Alvarez gets the nod and the team has considered utilizing their catchers in the DH spot. Showalter didn’t detail his plan for playing time between Narvaez and Alvarez, only saying Alvarez will be back in the lineup Wednesday. Alvarez has become much more familiar with the Mets’ pitching staff with Narvaez and Nido both on the IL in May, but the manager expects Narvaez to catch up quickly.

“I’m not going to let either one of them sit around and I’m going to make use of both of their skills,” Showalter said.

Narvaez was sidelined April 5 in Milwaukee, straining his calf while running out of the batter’s box. The Mets have $15 million guaranteed to him with a two-year contract (player option for 2024).

“He’s a smart guy, knows how to call a game and he’s a good receiver,” Showalter said. “Guys like throwing to him and he’s a threat with the bat.”

WBC HANGOVER

The Mets sent a large contingent of core players to the WBC and the debate over whether or not it was good for them is still going on, and not because the club is without closer Edwin Diaz.

Francisco Lindor and Eduardo Escobar are having uncharacteristically down seasons. Jeff McNeil, the 2022 NL batting title winner, is more than 100 points behind NL batting leader Luis Arraez.

“It’s good for baseball, and I’m glad they did it,” Showalter said. “But I think it’s got some residual [effects] too.”

The only player who hasn’t been affected is Pete Alonso, who entered Tuesday leading the league with 21 home runs. Alonso, the manager said, is a different breed.

“I think it’s kind of worked out well for him,” Showalter said. “Pete starts his motor around November 2. He’s a guy that’s got all of the cylinders moving 24 hours a day.”

()

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Byron Buxton avoided the worst-case scenario when he was plunked on the ribs last Thursday by a Tanner Bibee fastball.

But while he was fortunate to escape without any broken bones, Buxton hasn’t seen the field since then. And on Tuesday, after days of playing short-handed, the Twins made the decision to place the designated hitter on the injured list with a left rib contusion.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had said on Sunday that he was hopeful that Buxton might be back on Tuesday. Instead, he’ll have a chance to heal for the next week. The move is retroactive to June 3, meaning Buxton would be eligible to return next Tuesday when the Twins play the Milwaukee Brewers.

While Buxton was thankful to walk away from the incident without a fracture, the pain got to be so great the first night that he slept in a chair because he couldn’t lay on his side.

“To know there’s nothing wrong and it’s just a bruise. For me, that’s a big positive,” Buxton said after hearing his X-ray results. “Most of the time, I’m on the other end of that deal. So, definitely good spirits.”

Before landing on the injured list, Buxton was near the top of the team in both games played and at-bats, the result of a designated hitter-only workload crafted to keep him feeling good and on the field after spending last season dealing with a knee injury that required season-ending surgery. Buxton is hitting .220 with a .771 OPS (113 OPS+) and 10 home runs in 50 games.

With Buxton on the shelf, the Twins will have some flexibility in the designated hitter role, giving them the ability to rotate players in and out of that spot.

As the corresponding move for Buxton, the Twins activated outfielder Trevor Larnach from the injured list. Larnach had been dealing with a bout of pneumonia that caused him to drop 10-15 pounds.

“I know he’s feeling better than he was feeling before, but that’s going to take a lot out of you,” Baldelli said of Larnach. “ I know he wasn’t doing anything for a while. Ten to 15’s a lot, but I think he’ll be OK.”

Briefly

Hall of famer Paul Molitor is serving as the color commentator on the Twins’ radio broadcast on their current road trip. … Starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery at the Twins’ complex in Fort Myers, Fla., made the drive up to St. Petersburg to join his teammates while they are in town. … Kenta Maeda (triceps strain) is scheduled to make another rehab start on Saturday.

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Reporters are a skeptical bunch, so it was unusual to hear so many of them raving about their firsthand experience with Apple’s next Big Thing: the high-priced headset called Vision Pro, a device infused with totally virtual reality as well as augmented reality that projects digital images on top of real-world settings.

But after wearing the Vision Pro during a half-hour demonstration meticulously orchestrated by Apple, I joined the ranks of those blown away by all the impressive technology Apple has packed into the goggles-like headset. Still, that excitement was muted by a disquieting sense of having just passed through a gateway that eventually will lead society down another avenue of digital isolation.

THE POTENTIAL UPSIDES

But first the good stuff: Vision Pro is a highly sophisticated device that is fairly easy to set up and incredibly intuitive to use. The setup requires using an iPhone to automatically take some assessments of your eyes and ears. If you wear prescription glasses (I wear contacts) some additional calibration will be needed, but Apple promises that won’t be complicated.

Once that’s all done, you will quickly find that putting on the Vision Pro is also simple, thanks to a knob on the side that makes it easy to ensure a the headset fits comfortably. And unlike other headsets, the Vision Pro isn’t an awkward-looking piece of nerdware, although the goggles aren’t exactly chic, despite looking a bit like something you might see people wearing on a ski slope, jet fighter or race car.

Controlling the Vision Pro is astoundingly easy. Users just press a button above the right goggle to pull up a virtual screen of apps, including familiar standbys for photos, messaging, phone calls, video streaming and web browsing. Opening an app just requires looking straight at it, then pinching a thumb and finger together. The same app can be closed with a finger pinch or can be moved to the side by holding two fingers together and moving them in the direction where you want to place it.

Not surprisingly, Apple’s well-curated demonstration cast the Vision Pro in the best-possible light. The headset clearly seems like it could be quite popular for business purposes, improving productivity, collaboration and video conferencing, especially in an era when more work is being done remotely.

Without causing the disorienting effects common in other virtual-reality headsets, the Vision Pro can immerse you in stunning visuals, 3-D displays of faraway places. It can insert you into videos of past memories recorded with one of the device’s 12 cameras (the demo included heartwarming scenes of a child’s birthday party and a campfire scene). It can make watching a 3-D movie, such as the latest Avatar film, feel like you are sitting in an IMAX theater while relaxing on your own couch. It can thrust you into surreal moments (at one point, I watched in wonder as a butterfly first shown in a virtual screen depicting a prehistoric era seemingly fluttered across the room and landed in my outstretched hand as I sat on a couch).

And the demo featured just enough glimpses of the way sporting events appear through the goggles to realize that the powers that be in professional and collegiate football, basketball, baseball and hockey are bound to find ways to incorporate the technology into subscription services that make viewers feel like they are sitting in the front row.

To Apple’s credit, the Vision Pro is also designed in a way that allows users to still see those around them, if they so choose.

THE POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

My mixed feelings about Apple’s first foray into mixed reality ironically stems from just how well-designed the Vision Pro is by a company that has been behind this sort of game-changing technology on numerous occasions during the past 40 years, ranging from the Macintosh computer to the iPhone.

It feels like this may be another instance in which Apple has accomplished something that has eluded other tech companies by cracking the code to make both virtual- and augmented-reality more compelling and less disorienting than a variety of other ho-hum headsets have done over the past decade or so.

The only reason the Vision Pro isn’t going to be an immediate sensation is its cost. When it hits the U.S. market early next year, it will sell for $3,500, which makes it probable it will start out as a luxury item unaffordable to most households — especially because the headset isn’t going to supplant the need to buy a new iPhone or smartphone running on Android every few years.

The most likely scenario is that Vision Pro in some ways is Apple’s testbed for mixed reality that will encourage the development of more apps especially designed to take advantage of the technology. The next ripple effect will be an array of other products equipped with similarly compelling technology at lower price points that stand a better chance sucking more people — including children — into a realm that threatens to deepen screen addictions to the detriment of real-world interactions among humans.