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In an ugly display of baseball futility, the Royals dropped the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, 13-2. The Rays, utilizing their bullpen for the entire game, didn’t allow a Royals hit until the ninth inning when Carter Jensen hit a two-run home run, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

There really isn’t anything else positive to say about the Royals today. They stunk. They slept through this game on both sides of the ball. The Rays totaled 15 hits, four of which left the yard, and another two went for doubles. Royals pitchers, led by starter Seth Lugo, struck out only five and walked two.

Just a pathetic display of baseball from the Royals.

Things went south pretty quickly. In the bottom of the first, after Jonathan Aranda singled with one out, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero took Lugo deep on a hard-hit, towering flyball to left field. 2-0, Rays.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth when Victor Mesa Jr. hit his third home run of the season, this one a three-run homer.

5-0, Rays.

Meanwhile, the Royals offense looked awful against opener Casey Legumina and then Ian Seymour. Seymour dominated the Royals–the lefty pitched 6-and-2/3 innings, struck out seven, walked one, and surrendered zero hits. He picked up the win to improve to 4-1 as the Rays win their second consecutive game to improve to 45-33 on the season. They are second in the AL East, 2.5 games back of the Yankees, while also holding the top Wild Card spot.

Lugo, clearly, didn’t pitch as well. He stayed in a bit longer and gave up another home run to Caminero and then another run for funsies. On the day, he pitched five innings, gave up seven hits, struck out three, walked two, and allowed seven runs, all earned. He’s now 3-5 with a 4.18 ERA. What a tantalizing trade piece.

Just because Lugo left the game didn’t mean Caminero was done, though. He hit another home run, this one a three-run shot off, uh, Tyler Tolbert, to make it 13-o in the eighth. Today marks Caminero’s first career three-home-run game. I doubt it’s his last. That dude is good.

The Royals finally gained a baserunner in the sixth when Starling Marte worked the first of his two walks on the day. He added another in the ninth before scoring on Jensen’s homer off the Husk of Craig Kimbrel.

Not much else to say. The loss drops the Royals to 34-48. An ugly loss during an ugly season.

That’s Thursday morning baseball for you. If you watched today’s game, go do something fun now. You deserve it.

One date that was curiously absent from the 2026 Dodgers home schedule filled in just before Memorial Day: almost one year to the day, the Straw Hat Pirates of One Piece will make their return to Dodger Stadium.

By all accounts, last year’s festivities were enjoyed by most. We at True Blue LA got far more mileage than expected with last year’s announcement and subsequent festivities, with one major point that we will focus on in a moment.

Last year, the Dodgers and Toei Animation did a joint press release. This year, the Dodgers have largely been mum on the specifics, but one would expect another drone show, intro video, and features around the ballpark on July 2nd.

Frankly, it would be shocking not to see something similar on July 2. As an aside, in the video, Luffy wears 56 as a bit of a Japanese pun – “go” means five, “mu” means six, and the fruit that gave Luffy his stretchy powers is called the Gomu Gomu no Mi (The Gum Gum Fruit).

The theme night will again include a Dodgers-branded signature straw hat, similar to the one Luffy wears, now for the first 52,000 ticketed fans instead of 40,000. The main newsworthiness of last year’s event is the same draw for this year’s event: this year’s promotional card for the One Piece trading card game.

Using last year as an example of why this news is a big deal, it’s not every day that the Dodgers give away a promotional item that last year’s model is still selling for two and a half to five thousand American dollars online.

That Monkey promo card is selling for how much?!?

First, the character is generally known as Luffy (pronounced Loofy, not Luff-y — don’t be Michael Kay), not Monkey; it’s Japanese.

Second, last year, the Dodgers gave away a promotional trading card on One Piece night: a promotional card compatible with the One Piece trading card game, featuring Monkey D. Luffy holding a baseball in a Dodgers uniform.

Here is what I reported at the time:

To the unaware, the card, featuring art from the manga’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, looks like a simple trading card. However, over the past couple of years, games like the One Piece card game and the Pokémon Trading Card Game have developed subcultures centered on collecting rare cards from randomized packs.

These packs, which were originally sold for less than $10 per pack, now sell for significantly more (think anywhere from $25 to $500 or higher per pack). This explanation is generalized for brevity. It is not hyperbole to point out that some of these cards are valued and sold in excess of $1,000 per card…

…Still, after checking online, seeing that secondary sellers are selling the Luffy promo card for an average of $350-$500 is shocking. While prices have dipped from the initial frenzy, I would not expect prices to approach something reasonable until the market crashes.

The market did not crash, dear reader, as much as fans of the One Piece card game would have wanted it to.

The price of the 2025 Luffy Dodgers promo just kept going up and up, as the market for a limited-edition, one-off promotional card clearly demonstrates supply and demand. Now, the 2025 Luffy Dodgers promo card cannot be found in mint condition for sale for less than $2,250. Seeing prices for a mint condition of this card in excess of three thousand dollars is not uncommon.

Capitalism, everybody! For the nuances of how the economies of trading card games and the like work, see the attached link.

Last year’s card invited scalpers to Dodger Stadium, who approached unsuspecting fans, asking for their promotional cards or offering to buy them for what turned out to be pennies on the dollar.

The Dodgers have announced that each ticketed fan will be limited to one set of items, as last year, the folks doing the giving away were a bit overwhelmed, per reports, which is odd considering how adroitly they handled themselves during multiple Shohei Ohtani giveaways, but such is life.

Consider the following pullquote as an informal public service announcement:

Do I expect this year’s card to be comparable in value to last year’s version? Honestly, no.

This year’s card is not as striking as last year’s card, and in these matters, aesthetics matter.

Next, I think the cat is out of the bag, and the situation is eerily similar to the speculation bubble in American comic books that nearly nuked pre-Disney Marvel. This argument needs context, so we must rely on movie critic Bob Chipman for the analogous on-point argument.

The contents of the video essay are predictably evergreen for any overvalued asset.

The reason why last year’s card will always be inherently more valuable than this year’s card is the small number of promotional cards that survived that night at Dodger Stadium. Most of the fans that attended 2025’s One Piece night thought they were getting a couple of ticky-tacky baubles, not something that could potentially be sold for consequences-level money.

Now, people know better, as word (and articles like this one) has gotten out; by definition, more promotional cards will survive, which will increase supply, lower demand, and potentially save us all from a part three in 2027.

I can dream, right?

I suddenly envisioned a future in which I would have to write a synopsis of One Piece for a non-anime baseball audience. While I am having this existential meltdown, you might be having a different thought. If you don’t have tickets to this game, you might be suddenly inspired to see the spiraling San Diego Padres for some reason. Accordingly, you might be tempted to pick up game tickets for Dodger Stadium on July 2.

This article serves as a public service announcement on that front, too.

Game tickets for 7/2 cost how much?!?

Do you like paying NLDS prices for game tickets in July? Why do I ask? Well…

The embedded Bluesky post is not a typo; the lowest price seat from the team is $376. These seats are in the upper deck. Prices get exponentially worse from there. Not “NBA Finals in New York for the first time in a generation” bad, but still astronomical for a summer regular-season game.

In comparison, the following night, the lowest price seat from the team is $81. The secondary ticket market is similarly overheated, with the lowest prices just shy of $400.

From anecdotal evidence, the ticket prices for the game shot up by a third once the existence of this year’s promo card was confirmed. Do I expect ticket prices for this game to drop? No, if anything, I expect the opposite.

Now, if one wanted to avoid this upcoming madness, one could make a tidy little profit by reselling one’s game ticket. One just might do that; I couldn’t possibly comment.

There is a hidden advantage to sitting this out: the likely confusion that will likely bleed into that night’s broadcast, especially if the game is a blowout.

Would I enjoy Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser trying to decipher this madness on the telecast? Very much so. Would I enjoy listening to Stephen Nelson try to explain this madness to Rick Monday on the radio? Very much so. Would I enjoy Eric Karros harrumphing in confusion at the festivities? Less so, but fun can still be had in this scenario.

I would hope for a blowout in either direction to ensure that Nelson/Tim Neverett and Monday have no choice but to fill time by talking about it.

Will noted One Piece fan Shohei Ohtani enjoy the festivities? Probably. Regardless of whether you are going, want to go, want to flee, or you should flee, you cannot claim that you were not told.

To say that the Nationals’ bullpen has been bad might be the understatement of the century. They’re not just struggling, they’re performing at a level so poor that they redefine the definition of a “bad bullpen”.

The group consistently posts some of the worst pitch-based metrics in Major League Baseball, continuously displaying its ineptitude in all facets of the game. Stranding inherited runners, missing bats, and even just the act of throwing statistically above-average pitches are all areas where Nats’ relievers have yet to find any semblance of success. For a team that has maintained its structural belief that a pitcher’s “stuff” is more important than the number on the radar gun, they have sure found a way for their entire bullpen to thrive in neither aspect.

MLB social media feeds have been flooded in recent days with videos, statistics, and discourse surrounding the pitiful Washington bullpen, highlighted by their back-to-back collapses against the division rival Philadelphia Phillies. The realization of how unprecedented the Nationals’ bullpen failures are has extended from the fanbase within the nation’s capital to that of all 30 clubs. You would be hard-pressed to find any major baseball social media company that isn’t at least mentioning how bad they have been in 2026.

Through all the doom and gloom of the repeated blown saves and missed opportunities, however, the Nats sit 1 game above .500 and just 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, in a year where nobody thought they had even the slightest of chances to do anything meaningful.

I’m not here to tell you that the 2026 World Series will feature the Nats, and I’m not going to go on the record and make any guarantees about where they will stand in the playoff race after 162 games, but this is a franchise that was viewed by many as entering yet another rebuild mere months ago. The offensive surge powered by James Wood and CJ Abrams, combined with the leaps taken by offensive role players and crafty starters, has seen this team’s contending window go from a far-off dream to a reality that is getting closer by the day.

The feeling that these blown saves have put in the hearts of Washington fans is truly agonising, there’s no questioning that. Even in sadness, that feeling is one that the fanbase hasn’t felt in years. It’s not the begrudging acceptance of another year down the drain; it’s a byproduct of the hope that has been re-instilled and has thousands of fans living and dying with every game this team plays.

For every late-inning rally the bullpen gives up, there’s a 2-run home run by Curtis Mead to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th and get Nationals Park rocking. For every unfathomable meltdown by a reliever, there are 7.1 sparkling innings by Foster Griffin to lower his ERA to 3.15 and earn his 8th win of the year.

The story of the 2026 Nationals is far from over, and maybe it does end up as being defined by a bullpen that sets MLB records for the worst reasons. But, at the exact halfway point of the 162-game regular season, I’m choosing to view this year’s narrative as one of belief and passion that could see this team playing meaningful baseball in October far sooner than most fans could have guessed just a short time ago.

The Cubs have played 40 home games, just short of half the season total of 81. (It would have been just above half if not for Sunday’s rainout at Wrigley Field.)

Here are some attendance numbers for the season to date.

The Cubs have sold 1,397,964 tickets for the 40 dates. That total ranks sixth in MLB, behind the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Padres, Phillies and Yankees. The per-date average of 34,949 ranks ninth, behind the Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Blue Jays, Phillies, Giants, Mets and Braves, in that order.

The average is likely going to go up with better weather and a holiday weekend matchup coming up against the Cardinals. All of those games are likely sellouts. The somewhat low average for this time of year can be at least partly attributed to having to start the home season with five games in March and also to mostly lousy weather through April and May.

Here are two charts from BCBer Lifetime Cubs Fan, who’s been helping me out with these attendance posts for several years.

As you can see, the average attendance for the first 40 dates this year is below that for 2024 and 2025. Only 2023, when the team started out poorly and there was little postseason expectation, shows up below this year. Again, this average will likely increase for the rest of the season. However, to get to the three million mark, the Cubs would have to average 39,074 for the remaining 41 dates. That’s not impossible, but it would require a near-sellout for almost all the games. Most likely, the Cubs will not make it to three million tickets sold this year. They barely crossed it last year at 3,017,983. Before that, the last three million attendance season was 2019 (3,094,865).

Here are some pricing trends for Saturday games in the bleachers for the rest of the year.

One thing you’ll notice right away is that there are only six Saturday dates remaining. Three of them, though, are against opponents who should draw big crowds — two vs. the Cardinals and the Aug. 1 date vs. the Yankees, which, as you can see, is generating top prices on the secondary market. If the Cubs continue to contend, or perhaps even move closer to first place in the NL Central, the Saturday games against the Reds and Pirates might generate more interest.

The Saturday, July 18 game vs. the Twins is when the Cubs plan celebrations of the 2016 World Series champions, with quite a number of those players returning. As that date gets closer and the Cubs begin to promote it, I’d think that could also create more demand for tickets that day.

We’ll have another attendance update later in the season.

The Rays were looking to wrap up their four-game homestand against the Royals with a split series, and they would have to do it bright and early, so hopefully they all had their coffee before the game. The Rays had Casey Legumina in an Opener role on the mound, up against Seth Lugo for the Royals,

Legumina got things going with a three-up, three-down first. In the home half, the Rays wasted little time getting on the board. Jonathan Aranda got a one-out single, followed by a home run from Junior Caminero to set the tone for the game. Two outs followed, but the Rays had the early lead.

Legumina’s job was done after one out in the second, and Ian Seymour stepped in to take over the bulk innings role. He got the next two outs to send the Royals back to the dugout. In the home half, Victor Mesa Jr. made wise use of an ABS challenge to earn himself a walk, but he ended up stranded, and no runs scored.

The Royals went 1-2-3 again in the third, and if the Rays’ pitching staff keeps this up, it won’t matter how early this game started because it’ll be done by lunch. The Rays, meanwhile, went 1-2-3 themselves in the bottom of the inning.

By the fourth, it was starting to look like a bit of a pattern as the Royals once again went down in order. Cedric Mullins got a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, then stole second base. The Rays won another meaningful ABS challenge, this time a challenge by the Royals, sending Taylor Walls to first with a walk. Mesa Jr. then came out and like he wanted to get his opportunity back after being left on base in the second, he hit a three-run homer.

The Royals went three-up, three-down in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, with two outs, Caminero came out and got his second home run of the game.

They weren’t done yet, though. Richie Palacios singled, then advanced to second on what feels like a made-up thing, but is a real rule, and got the free base thanks to a disengagement violation. It worked out great for the Rays, because Chandler Simpson then singled and brought Palacios home.

In the top of the sixth the Royals got their first baserunner of the game with a one-out walk to Starling Marte, but two quick outs followed to leave him stranded. Seth Lugo’s day was done for the Royals, probably for obvious reasons, and he was replaced by Matt Strahm, who came in and got the Rays out in order.

The Royals went 1-2-3 again in the seventh. The Royals dipped back into their bullpen for Connor Seabold, who gave up a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz, followed by a double to Aranda to score the runner and bump the score up to 8-0. Three outs in a row followed to end the inning.

In the top of the eighth the Royals went down in order. Seymour has looked incredible today, really dialled in, very in control. The Royals made another pitching change in the home half, bringing in Tyler Tolbert. He gave up back-to-back singles to Mullins and Taylor Walls. A groundout from Hunter Feduccia scored Mullins, and then a pinch-hitting Nick Fortes came in for Yandy Diaz and singled, scoring Walls. But if you thought the Rays were going to go easy on the Royals with a ten-run lead, think again. Aranda singled. Then Caminero, bless him, hit his third home run of the game.

Palacios snuck in with a single, but the Rays weren’t able to score any additional runs. The score heading into the ninth was 13-0.

Seymour’s day was done, fairly. He went 6.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K on 90 pitches. Craig Kimbrel came in from the bullpen and gave up a leadoff walk to Marte. Then with one out, the no-hitter that had lasted through 8.1 innings was over as Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer, ending both the no-hit bid and the shutout. Kimbrel got out of the inning with just the one slip-up, unfortunately it was a big one. The Rays still walked away with the win, though, and the series split 2-2.

Final: Rays 13, Royals 2